JP3673798B2 - Ink tank - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink tank used in a liquid discharge recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging a liquid such as ink.

  An ink tank (liquid storage container) used in the ink jet recording apparatus is configured to be detachable from an ink tank unit which is an ink tank storage portion of the recording apparatus in order to facilitate replacement when ink is consumed. The ink tank is provided with an ink supply port that is plugged with a rubber plug to prevent ink leakage when it is present alone, and the ink tank unit is provided with a hollow needle or the like at the connection with the ink tank. By connecting to the ink supply port of the ink tank, ink can be supplied from the ink tank.

  As a specific configuration of an ink tank unit for mounting an ink tank having such a configuration on an ink jet recording apparatus and a method for coupling the ink tanks, for example, as described in JP-A-01-141750, The ink supply port of the ink tank is provided in front of the insertion direction with respect to the ink tank unit, and the direction in which the ink tank is attached to the ink tank unit and the connection direction between the ink supply port of the ink tank and the ink supply path of the ink jet recording apparatus are defined. Those in the same direction are known. Such an ink tank unit and an ink tank are coupled to each other by positioning the ink tank unit to the unit and inserting the hollow needle into the ink supply port in one action.

The insertion direction of the ink tank with respect to the ink tank unit differs depending on the shape and size of the ink tank. However, the ink tank is inserted in the horizontal direction as described in JP-A-01-141750, or disclosed in JP-A-09-0756525. As described above, there are some which are inserted from above in the vertical direction. In either case, the insertion direction of the needle and the insertion direction of the ink tank are opposite directions.
JP-A-01-141750 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-075525

  However, in a large-sized inkjet recording apparatus that has a high printing duty and consumes a large amount of ink, in order to suppress the replacement frequency of the ink tank, for example, a large-capacity ink tank having an ink capacity of 200 cc or more, more preferably 500 cc or more Often to do.

  However, when the container is increased in size as described above, the following specific problems are caused with the increase in the size of the container with respect to the mounting with the ink tank unit.

  That is, since the capacity of the liquid is large and the container containing the liquid is heavy, there is a possibility that the ink supply port portion may be broken by the impact of dropping.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has an object of protecting the ink supply port from an external impact such as dropping, so that the ink tank can be more reliably connected to a recording apparatus on which the ink tank can be mounted. An ink tank is provided.

In order to achieve the above object, an ink tank of the present invention is detachable from an ink tank housing portion of a liquid discharge recording apparatus, and the ink tank provided with an ink housing portion for storing ink has a first ink supply needle. A substantially cylindrical first projecting portion having a first communication portion that allows the ink storage portion to communicate with the outside by being inserted into a predetermined position, and a second ink supply needle are provided in a predetermined manner. A substantially cylindrical second projecting portion having a second communication portion capable of leading the ink in the ink storage portion to the outside by being inserted at a position on a surface facing the bottom surface;
When the ink tank is inserted into the ink tank housing portion so that the first and second ink supply needles can be connected, the first ink tank is inserted into the first end of the ink tank. A grip portion provided at the rear end portion on the opposite side across the one protrusion portion and the second protrusion portion, and the first and second protrusion portions above the handle portion and orthogonal to the bottom surface A vertical surface portion, and the second projecting portion is provided in a region sandwiched between the vertical surface portion and the first projecting portion, and the height from the bottom surface of the upper end of the vertical surface portion is the first and The upper end of the second protrusion is higher than the upper end of the second protrusion, and the upper end of the second protrusion is located below a line connecting the upper end of the vertical surface and the upper end of the first protrusion.

  According to the ink tank of the present invention, the second protrusion for supplying ink is located below the line connecting the upper end of the vertical surface and the end surface of the communication portion of the first protrusion, Can be protected without touching the ground directly. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ink tank that can be more reliably coupled to a recording apparatus that can be mounted with an ink tank by protecting the coupling portion of the ink tank.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, a configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus and an embodiment of an ink supply path in which the ink tank unit of the present invention can be mounted will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of an ink jet recording apparatus which is an embodiment of a liquid discharge recording apparatus to which the present invention is applicable, and FIG. 2 is a liquid replenishment system used in the liquid discharge recording apparatus of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows an example. Needless to say, the main tank unit and the ink tank of the present invention to be described later are not limited to the present embodiment, but can be applied to other forms.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a head carriage 104 and a supply carriage 105 are slidably fitted in the direction of arrow A to two main scanning rails 107 arranged in parallel to each other. The head carriage 104 is equipped with an ejection head unit 101 that ejects ink based on a recording signal.

  The discharge head unit 101 has a plurality of nozzles arranged for each color corresponding to six inks of dark cyan, light cyan, dark magenta, light magenta, yellow and black. Each is provided with an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy for ink ejection. Ink is supplied into the discharge head portion 101 by capillary action at the nozzle, and the ink fills the nozzle by forming a meniscus on the surface of the discharge head portion 101 where the nozzle is opened (hereinafter referred to as “nozzle surface”). Keep state. Further, the ejection head unit 101 is covered with a head cover 106 together with a drive substrate for driving the ejection head unit 101. The drive substrate of the discharge head unit 101 is connected via a flat cable 113 to a substrate box 114 that houses a control substrate that controls the operation of the entire recording apparatus.

  On the other hand, a sub tank 103 for supplying ink to the ejection head unit 101 is mounted on the supply carriage 105. The inside of the sub tank 103 is divided into six chambers corresponding to the respective color inks, and each chamber is connected to the corresponding discharge head unit 101 by a resin tube. Further, below the sub tank 103, six main tanks 102 for storing ink to be supplied to the sub tank 102 are held in an ink tank unit 120 described later. In FIG. 1, the detailed structure of the ink tank unit is omitted.

  The main tank 102 has a capacity larger than that of the sub tank 103, and in the case of this example, 500 to 1000 cm 3 of ink can be accommodated. Each main tank 102 also corresponds to each color ink, and is connected to each chamber of the sub tank 103 by a resin tube. Accordingly, the ink stored in the main tank 2 is supplied to the sub tank 103 and held in the sub tank 103, and further supplied from the sub tank 103 to the discharge head unit 101.

  The head carriage 104 and the supply carriage 105 are respectively coupled to a timing belt, and are reciprocally scanned in the direction of arrow A by rotating the timing belt by the main scanning motor 108. A platen 109 is provided at a position facing the nozzles of the discharge head unit 101. The recording paper 115 is conveyed on the platen 109 in the direction of arrow B. The recording paper 115 is transported intermittently at a predetermined pitch for each scan of the head cart section, and during this time, recording is performed by ejecting ink from the ejection head section 101.

  A head recovery system 110 for maintaining good ink ejection characteristics of the ejection head unit 101 is provided within the scanning area of the ejection head unit 101 and outside the recording area on the recording paper 115. 101 is arranged to face. The head recovery system 110 includes a cap 117 for capping the ejection head unit 101 and a blade 111 for cleaning the nozzle surface of the ejection head unit 101. The position of the ejection head unit 101 when the ejection head unit 107 faces the cap 117 is referred to as a home position.

  Next, an embodiment of an ink path between the main tank and the ejection head unit of the liquid ejection recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and a detailed configuration in the path will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment uses a plurality of colors of ink, and ink paths are provided for each color. However, since each ink path is the same, FIG. Shows the path for one color ink.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main tank 202 and the sub tank 203 are connected by a main tube 226. A hollow needle (not shown) such as an injection needle is provided at the end of the main tube 226 connected to the main tank 202, and is connected to a rubber plug 228 of the main tank. The main tank is opened to the atmosphere by inserting an air release pipe 232, and the ink in the main tank can be led out to the outside by a tube 229 provided in the rubber stopper 228.

  The other end of the main tube 226 is inserted into the sub tank 203, and a filter 225 for preventing foreign substances from flowing into the sub tank 203 is attached to the tip of the main tube 226. The tip of the main tube 226 on the side inserted into the sub tank 203 is located at a position lower than the height shown in (E). In addition, the main tube 226 is provided with a one-way valve 227 that opens only when ink flows from the main tank 202 to the sub tank 203, thereby preventing the back flow of ink from the sub tank 203 to the main tank 202. A negative pressure generating pump 219 is provided between the check valve and the sub tank.

  The sub tank 203 is provided with an ink remaining amount detection sensor 223 composed of three electrode needles a, b, and c inserted from the upper end of the sub tank 203 in order to detect the ink remaining amount in the sub tank 203. ing. Of the electrode needles a, b, c, the two electrode needles a, b are inserted to the height indicated by (E), and the remaining electrode needles c are set to the height indicated by (F). Has been inserted. The amount of ink in the sub tank 203 is detected by applying a low voltage current to each electrode needle a, b, c and detecting conduction between the electrode needles a, b, c via the ink. . Specifically, if the height of the ink surface is lower than the height of (E), the electrode needle a and the electrode needle b become non-conductive, and if this is detected, the main tank will be described later. Ink is supplied from 202 to the sub tank 203. If the height of the ink surface is higher than the height of (F), the electrode needle a and the electrode needle c are electrically connected. When this is detected, the ink supply to the sub tank 203 is stopped.

  In addition, an air communication hole 224 is provided at a position higher than the height indicated by (F) above the sub tank 203.

  The bottom part of the sub tank 203 and the discharge head part 201 are connected by a sub tube 234. For this reason, ink is supplied from the sub tank 203 to the ejection head unit 201 by capillary action at the nozzles of the ejection head unit 201. In the present embodiment, the height a from the position indicated by (E) to the nozzle surface of the discharge head part 201 is 50 mm, and the height a from the position indicated by (F) to the nozzle surface of the discharge head part 201. By disposing at a position where the length b is 10 mm, the ink of the ejection head unit 201 forms a meniscus on the nozzle surface to keep the nozzle filled.

  On the other hand, the sub-tube 234 is connected to the sub-tank 203 and the discharge head unit 201 at a position lower than the height indicated by (E).

  A cap 217 for capping the ejection head unit 201 is connected to the waste ink tank 221 by a suction tube 218. The suction tube 218 is provided with a suction pump 222. By driving the suction pump 222 with the cap 217 capping the discharge head portion 201, the ink in the discharge head portion 201 is sucked by the cap 217. The ink is accommodated in the waste ink tank 221 through the suction tube 218.

  The suction pump 218 and the negative pressure generating pump 219 are tube pumps and are driven by pump motors 222 and 220, respectively.

  In such a configuration, the liquid replenishment operation is performed together with the recording operation. First, while repeating the reciprocating scanning and pitch feeding of the recording paper, the ink is ejected from the ejection head unit based on the recording signal, and printing (recording) is performed on the recording paper. At this time, the suction pump 218 and the negative pressure generating pump 219 are stopped.

  When the ink in the sub tank 203 is consumed with recording on the recording paper and the liquid level of the ink in the sub tank 203 becomes lower than the height indicated by (E), the electrode needle of the ink remaining amount detection sensor 223 is used. It is detected that there is no electrical connection between a and the electrode needle b, and the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank is reduced.

  When this is detected, the recording on the recording paper on which recording is performed at that time is temporarily ended, the ejection head unit 201 is returned to the home position, and the ejection head unit is capped by the cap 217. Thereafter, when the negative pressure generating pump 219 is driven, the sub tank 203 is replenished with ink in the main tank 202.

  At this time, since the ejection head unit is capped, ink does not return from the ejection head unit 201 to the sub tank 203. Further, when the ink in the main tank 202 is supplied to the sub tank 203, foreign matters are filtered out by the filter 225 attached to the tip of the main tube 226. When the ink in the main tank 202 runs out, it is replaced with a new main tank.

  Next, an ink tank unit (main tank unit) that houses the ink tank (main tank) of the liquid discharge recording apparatus and a main tank that is housed, which are features of the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. .

  First, an ink tank attached to the ink tank unit of the present invention will be described with reference to three-dimensional perspective views shown in FIGS. 3, (a) is a three-dimensional perspective view when a connection portion with a needle of a main tank unit, which will be described later, is placed on the upper surface (post-use posture), and (b) is a three-dimensional perspective view for explaining the bottom surface of the ink tank. It is.

  The main tank 1 can store a liquid such as ink directly in the rigid casing 11, and is used to introduce the atmosphere into the casing on the surface opposite to the bottom surface where the erroneous mounting prevention member 9 is provided. The first cap 2 as a first protrusion having the air communication port 12, the second cap 3 as a second protrusion having an ink supply port 13 for leading the liquid inside the housing to the outside, and the bottom surface A mismounting prevention member 9 is provided in the case. Here, the ink supply port and the atmosphere communication port are provided on the surface facing the bottom surface, and a needle of the main tank unit described later is inserted from above, so that even if uncertain coupling is performed at the time of coupling, Ink does not leak from the joint, and the main tank unit is not soiled.

  The air communication port 12 and the ink supply port 13 are sealed by rubber caps (not shown) in the first cap and the second cap as protruding portions, respectively, so that the liquid inside does not inadvertently leak outside. It has become. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply port is provided with a tube 14 extending to the vicinity of the bottom in the casing (see FIG. 10B), as shown in FIG. Also in the posture, the liquid stored in the housing can be led out by being connected to the ink supply port and sucked from the outside.

  The first cap 2 and the second cap 3 are provided on the same surface facing the bottom surface, and the end portion on the first cap side of the surface, that is, the front end portion in the insertion direction of the main tank described later is The lock release unit 4 is a means for releasing the lock member of the main tank unit. By providing the lock member release means in front of the main tank, the lock member of the main tank unit is provided in a place where it is difficult to reach the user's hand, and an erroneous mounting detection is performed before the lock member is released in the ink tank insertion operation described later. Can be easily realized.

  Further, in this embodiment, the first cap and the second cap have the same substantially cylindrical shape, and the arrangement of the first cap and the second cap is substantially the same when viewed from the insertion direction of the main tank. In shape, the first cap is arranged in front.

  An inclined surface higher than the height of the end face of each cap opening is provided on the second cap side (backward in the insertion direction) of the surface facing the bottom surface, and the above-described second cap 3 is prevented from being damaged when dropped. Cap protection ribs 5 are provided.

  Further, the higher end portion (the end portion on the rear side in the insertion direction) of the inclined surface has a vertical surface portion 6 for fixing the main tank to the lever of the main tank unit. The vertical surface portion 6 is a surface substantially orthogonal to the bottom surface, and is parallel to the columnar portions of the first cap and the second cap. The lower end of the vertical surface portion extends vertically downward from the columnar portions of the first cap and the second cap, and the upper end extends upward from the openings of the first cap and the second cap.

  The height of the second cap is positioned below a line connecting the surface of the first cap having the air communication port and the upper portion of the vertical surface portion. Therefore, even if the tank is dropped, the second cap does not come into direct contact with the ground, so that the second cap is not destroyed by dropping. As described above, in the ink tank of the present embodiment, the coupling portion of the ink tank is protected, so that the coupling with the recording apparatus capable of mounting the ink tank described later is more reliably performed. The above-described cap protection rib is not necessarily an essential configuration, but the second cap can be more reliably protected by providing the rib.

  Below this vertical surface portion, there are provided a handle portion 7 and a hooking hole 8 that protrude from the vertical surface portion by through holes that penetrate the housing, respectively, and can be used by the user when carrying or removing the tank from the main tank unit. The handling is improved. In the present embodiment, the grip portion and the hooking hole portion are formed of a hollow body that communicates with the inside of the housing that can store ink, and can also be filled with liquid, so that the main tank can be filled accordingly. Ink storage capacity can be increased.

  Also, the erroneous mounting preventing member 9 provided on the bottom surface is provided with two rows of claws 10 serving as erroneous mounting preventing members. By cutting away unnecessary portions of the claws, erroneous mounting in the main tank unit can be prevented. Is doing. The erroneous mounting preventing member is provided at the front end of the tank in the insertion direction.

  Next, the ink tank unit of the present invention in which the ink tank shown in FIG. 3 is mounted will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory views for explaining the entire main tank unit of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of the main tank unit 20, and FIG. Further, the main part of the main tank structure shown in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 6, and the AA and BB sectional views of FIG. 5 are shown in FIG. 7 (a) and FIG. 7 (b), respectively. .

  The ink tank unit (main tank unit) 20 of the present embodiment stores one or a plurality of main tanks 1 (here, a case where six main tanks are stored is taken as an example). A bottom plate 21 is provided at the bottom of the casing of the main tank unit 20, and a top plate 24 is provided at the top. These are connected to each other by a left chassis 22 and a right chassis 23. A central plate 25 is passed between the left chassis 22 and the right chassis 23 between the bottom plate 21 and the top plate 24 to enhance the rigidity of the casing together with a rear chassis 32 and the like which will be described later.

  26 is a lower guide for guiding the bottom of the main tank 1, and 27 is an upper guide for guiding the upper part. Tank biasing springs 28 and 29 are provided on the right side of the concave portion of the lower guide 26 in which the main tank is stored, and the lower portion of the main tank 1 is positioned by pressing the main tank 1 to the left side. Adjacent main tank storage units are partitioned by a front guide 30 so that when the operator inserts the main tank 1, the insertion location can be seen at a glance.

  Reference numeral 31 denotes a tank lock lever on which symbols, characters, numbers and the like for identifying the ink color are provided by means such as engraving, printing, sticking a sticker and the like. In this embodiment, letters A to F are printed. Similarly, letters A to F are also provided on the corresponding main tanks 1 so that the operator can know at a glance where and which color main tank should be inserted. The tank lock lever 31 is lifted upward when the main tank 1 is not accommodated, but after the main tank 1 is inserted, the operator pushes it down to lock the main tank 1 from being pulled out. be able to.

  The tank lock lever 31 is mainly composed of a lever grip 33 and a lever main body 34 operated by an operator. The tank lock lever 31 is supported so as to be rotatable about a lever shaft 36 provided on the lever support member 35. The lever support member 35 is fixed to the central plate 25. A tension spring 38 is provided between an end 34 a of the lever body 34 opposite to the lever grip 33 and a spring hook 37 provided between the left chassis 22 and the right chassis 23. Accordingly, the tank lock lever 31 is always urged clockwise around the lever shaft 36 and is held in contact with the abutting portion 30a of the front guide when the main tank 1 is not inserted.

  41 and 42 are tubular needles each having a narrow tip, the needle 41 is an ink supply needle provided for sucking up the ink in the main tank 1, and the needle 42 is for communicating the inside of the main tank 1 with the atmosphere. It is an atmospheric communication needle used for The respective needles 41 and 42 are held by a needle holder 43, and the needle holder 43 is movable along cylindrical guide shafts 44 and 45 implanted in the central plate 25.

  A pair of pins 46 and a roller 47 that is rotatable on the outside thereof are provided on both sides of the needle holder 43, and the rollers 47 are fitted into bearing members 49 provided on both sides of the lever main body 34. With such a configuration, the needle holder 43 and the needles 41 and 42 can be lowered by depressing the tank lock lever 31.

  The needles 41 and 42 are bent into an L shape in the needle holder 43 and connected to tubes 61 and 62 by rubber needle joints 60, respectively. When applied to the ink supply path shown in FIG. 2, the tube 61 is connected to the sub tank via a check valve 63 and a tube 64 for preventing the back flow of ink from the sub tank side. In the middle of the tube 64, as described in FIG. 2, a pump for feeding ink is provided. The tube 62 is rolled up to the rear of the rear chassis 32 and the end of the tube is opened to the atmosphere. Accordingly, when the pump is operated, the check valve 63 is opened, the ink in the main tank 1 is sent to the sub tank, and air is replenished into the main tank 1 through the tube 62 instead.

  An inclined groove 65 is provided in the center of the main tank storage portion of the lower guide 26 from the entrance to the back side of the main tank, and an ink absorber 66 connected to the arrangement direction of the main tanks 1 is provided on the heel side. ing. The ink absorber 66 can absorb at least the ink of one main tank. Even if the main tank 1 is damaged and the ink leaks, the ink does not overflow outside the unit. In the present embodiment, the angle of the inclined groove 65 is 1.5 ° so that the leaked ink flows quickly toward the absorber 66.

  67 is a misidentification prevention member 67. When a main tank of a color other than the color that should be originally stored is inserted, the claw 10 that has not been removed shown in FIG. Since it can only be inserted partway, the operator is aware that it is an incorrect insertion.

  Reference numeral 72 denotes a lever lock member which is swingably supported around a support shaft 73 and is urged clockwise by a torsion spring 74. When the main tank 1 is not housed, the lever lock member 72 is held in a state where the abutting portion 72a abuts against the central plate 25 (see FIG. 6), and the upper end portion of the lever lock member 72 72 b passes through the opening 34 b of the lever main body 34. Therefore, when the tank lock lever 31 is pushed down in this state, the bent portion 34c of the lever main body 34 hits the shoulder portion 72c of the lever lock member 72, and the tank lock lever 31 is not lowered any more.

  A detection plate 75 is supported so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 76 and is urged counterclockwise by a torsion spring 77. The contact portion 75a of the detection plate 75 is in contact with a holder pin 78 implanted in the needle holder 43. When the needle holder 43 is lowered and lowered to a predetermined lowest position, it rotates counterclockwise, and the projecting portion 75a is The detection part 79a of the micro switch 79 is pushed, and the movement of the needles 41 and 42 to a predetermined position is detected.

  Reference numeral 81 denotes an absorber that wipes off ink adhering to the needle 41 when the needle 41 is removed from the main tank 1, and is held by the absorber presser 82. A convex member 83 is provided on the lever main body 34 and engages with a concave member 84 fixed to the central plate 25. Both the convex member 83 and the concave member 84 are made of a material having a spring property such as polyacetal or polypropylene, and can be engaged when the tank lock lever 31 is pushed down to hold the tank lock lever 31 at the position. When pulled up, the engagement can be released. The lever main body is provided with a plate spring 85, a roller 86, and a rotating shaft 87 as urging means for the tank. One end of the leaf spring 85 is fixed to the lever grip 33, and an idler roller 86 and a rotating shaft 87 are provided at the other end.

  The stopper 91 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 92 planted upward from the central plate 25, and is biased counterclockwise by a torsion spring 93 (see FIG. 7 (a)). When the main tank 1 is not stored, the stopper 91 is just below the leg portion 43a of the needle holder 43, so that the needle holder 43 cannot be lowered any further.

  Reference numeral 94 denotes a click member which can rotate around a rotation shaft 95 planted downward from the central plate 25 and is urged clockwise by a compression spring 96 (see FIG. 7B).

  Next, the mounting operation when mounting the ink tank of FIG. 3 to the main tank unit shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  8 to 15 are explanatory diagrams for explaining stepwise the method of coupling the ink tank and the ink tank unit of the present invention.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9A and 9B, the main tank 1 is inserted in the J direction shown in FIG. 9A while being guided by the upper guide 27 and the lower guide 26. . FIG. 8 is a side sectional view showing the ink tank and the ink tank unit when the insertion of the ink tank is started. FIGS. 9A and 9B are planes orthogonal to the paper surface of this sectional view. It is principal part sectional drawing seen from the upper surface and the bottom face direction, respectively when cut | disconnecting.

  The main tank 1 inserted in the J direction is pressed against a reference surface 15 provided on the lower guide 26 and the upper guide 27 by a tank biasing spring 28 attached to the lower guide 26, and the ink tank unit of the main tank 1. 20, the position in the K direction (the direction perpendicular to the ink tank insertion direction in FIG. 9A) is determined. That is, by pressing against the reference surface, it is possible to prevent the ink tank from swinging in the K direction during the attachment / detachment operation and after the attachment is completed.

  Further, when the main tank 1 is inserted into the main tank unit 20, the erroneous mounting preventing member (claw) at the bottom of the main tank 1 is attached to the bottom plate 21 of the main tank unit 20 as shown in FIG. Passes in the vicinity of the attached identification error mounting preventing member 67.

  Here, the ink tank having the erroneous mounting preventing member with the nail corresponding to the convex portion of the identification erroneous mounting preventing member 67 passing therethrough can pass through, but if not cut out, the ink tank is further removed from this position. It cannot be inserted all the way. Here, in this embodiment, since the attachment position is different depending on the ink color, even if the user overlooks the identification label, an ink tank for containing another color ink is erroneously attached. There is nothing to do.

  Since the main tank unit of the present invention is configured to pass through the vicinity of the identification error mounting preventing member 67 after being brought into contact with the reference surface, a normal combination is obtained due to the deviation in the K direction shown in FIG. Thus, when the main tank is inserted into the corresponding part of the main tank unit, the erroneous identification preventing member does not malfunction.

  When the main tank 1 is further inserted into the main tank unit 20, as shown in FIG. 10, the unlocking portion 4 of the main tank 1 comes into contact with a lever lock member 72 provided in the main tank unit 20. Become. FIGS. 10 and 11 show the ink tank and the main tank unit when the lock releasing portion abuts on the lever lock member and releases the lock, and FIGS. 12 and 13 show the state where the ink tank is completely inserted. . 10 and 12 are side sectional views showing the ink tank and the ink tank unit. 11 and 13, (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA and BB in FIG. 10, respectively.

  When the main tank 1 is inserted further after the unlocking portion 4 comes into contact with the tank contacting portion 72d of the lever locking member 72, the unlocking portion 4 pushes the lever locking member 72, resulting in lever locking. The member 72 rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 73 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. Then, the shoulder portion (lock portion) 72c of the lever lock member 72 is separated from the bent portion (receiving portion) 34c provided in the lever main body 34, and comes to a position corresponding to the opening portion 34b. The lock of the lever body 34 is released.

  In this way, by releasing the lock lever as the first needle movement preventing means by inserting the tank, a thing other than the tank is inserted without forcing the user to perform an extra operation other than the tank insertion operation. In case of malfunctions can be prevented. Therefore, even if the user carelessly puts his / her hand into the main tank unit, his / her hand will not be damaged by the needle.

  Also, by releasing the lock lever at the tip of the tank, not only can the lock lever be placed in a place where it is difficult to reach the user's hands, but also erroneous attachment detection to prevent incorrect attachment before the lock lever is released. It can be performed. In this embodiment, the side surface of the tank is brought into contact with the reference surface, and the lever is not allowed to be depressed until the erroneous mounting is confirmed by the erroneous mounting preventing member. Since the needle movement preventing means is released, different types of tanks are not erroneously mounted.

  When the main tank 1 is further inserted into the main tank unit 20, as shown in FIG. 11A, the first cap 2 of the main tank 1 comes into contact with the vicinity (L) of the tip portion of the click member 94, The click member 94 is rotated counterclockwise in the M direction. As a result, the first cap 2 and the protrusion (O) of the click member 94 come into contact with each other. At this time, the compression spring 96 is compressed and generates a force for rotating the click member 94 in the N direction (clockwise), and the click member generates resistance against the insertion of the ink tank. However, since the click member 94 has a substantially arc shape, if the insertion is further continued and the contact position between the click member and the first cap is moved backward in the insertion direction, the click member 94 is clicked from a certain position. The member rotates in the clockwise direction and works in a direction that promotes insertion of the ink tank. Finally, the first cap 2 is abutted against the lateral abutment surface 27b and the longitudinal abutment surface 27c of the upper guide 27, thereby positioning the upper part of the main tank (see FIG. 13A). Thus, in a large container, positioning accuracy can be improved by positioning a coupling part with a cap. Further, since the user can easily detect this change as a click feeling, the user can confirm that the insertion has been performed reliably.

  Before the insertion of the ink tank is promoted by the rotation of the click member, the stopper 91 rotates on the rotation shaft 92 provided on the central plate 25 as shown in FIG. While being supported freely, it is urged in the P direction by a torsion spring 93. Therefore, even if the lock by the lever lock member is released, the needle holder 43 cannot be lowered any further as described in FIG. 7 to protect the needle.

  Here, the first cap of the main tank 1 is inserted further into the main tank unit 20 by the click member 94 (that is, the insertion of the ink tank is promoted by the rotation of the click member). As shown in FIG. 13B, the first cap of the main tank 1 pushes the tongue portion 204 of the stopper 91, and the stopper 91 rotates about the rotation shaft 92 in the Q direction shown in FIG. 13B. Rotate as

  As a result, the stopper 91 does not exist in the R portion and the S portion. Since holes are provided below the R and S portions of the central plate 25, the stopper 91 does not hinder the lowering of the leg portions 43a of the needle holder 43. Thus, when the stopper 91 is rotated, the lock of the needle holder 43 is released, and the needle holder 43 can pass through the holes of the R portion and the S portion of the central plate 25.

  Therefore, if the user feels a click, the lock of the needle holder as the second needle movement preventing means is released, so that the needle coupling operation described later can be performed with peace of mind. In this way, in order to combine the click feeling with the click member with the release of the second needle movement prevention means, before the ink tank insertion is promoted by the rotation of the click member as in this embodiment. The unlocking operation of the needle holder is preferably not performed.

  A side view of the state in which the operation of inserting the main tank 1 into the main tank unit 20 is completed is shown in FIG. In this state, the insertion operation of the main tank 1 is completed, and the lock of the needle holder 43 by the stopper 91 and the two locks of the lock against the rotation about the lever shaft 36 of the lever main body 34 by the lever lock member 72 are rotated. Is in a released state.

  In this embodiment, the needle holder is locked by two members, a lever lock member 72 as a first needle movement preventing means and a stopper member 91 as a second needle movement preventing means. Therefore, even if the user accidentally inserts a hand or the like into the main tank unit and releases the lever lock member to push down the lever, the needle provided in the needle holder will not be injured. The needle can be protected when a foreign object is inserted into the main tank unit. In addition, when only one needle movement prevention means is provided, it is desirable to perform at a position close to the needle insertion position as in the stopper member 91 of this embodiment in order to realize reliable insertion. Further, by providing two needle movement prevention means as in the present embodiment, one release means may not be close to the needle insertion position, so that the strength of the release means can be increased.

  As described above, after the positioning of the ink tank by the cap, the main tank is fixedly held by pushing down the lever and connected to an ink supply path (not shown).

  14 and 15 are side cross-sectional views of the main tank and the main tank unit, showing the lever pressing operation in time series.

  When the tank lock lever 31 is pushed down, the needle holder 43 is lowered along the guide shafts 44 and 45 and the needles 41 and 42 are also lowered. At this time, the lever lock member 72 is rotated counterclockwise around the support shaft 73 by the upper part of the main tank 1, and the shoulder 72c is located at a position corresponding to the opening 34b. This will not prevent the 31 from being pushed down. When the tank lock lever 31 is further pushed down from the position shown in FIG. 14, the bent portion 34c pushes the lever lock member 72 to further rotate the lever lock member 72 counterclockwise.

  In the position of FIG. 14, the roller 86 is in a position in contact with the upper part of the vertical surface portion 6 of the main tank 1. When the tank lever 31 is pushed down, even if the main tank 1 is not inserted to the end and is positioned slightly on the front side (for example, a position during the tank pulling operation by the click member), the roller as the biasing means Since the main tank 1 is pushed inward while the 86 is rotated by the leaf spring 85, the needles 41 and 42 are not inserted while the main tank is not in a predetermined position. Of course, the roller 86 is disposed at the lower end of the lock lever so that the position of the main tank 1 is corrected before the needles 41 and 42 come into contact with the first cap 2 and the second cap 3, respectively. Are arranged above the columnar portions of the two cap members.

  When the tank lock lever 31 is further pushed down from the position shown in FIG. 14, the needles 41 and 42 are inserted into and substantially penetrated through the rubber plugs (not shown) of the ink supply port and the atmosphere communication port of the main tank 1. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state where the tank lock lever 31 is pushed down to the end. When the tank lock lever 31 is pushed down to the end, the convex member 83 and the concave member 84 are engaged, and the tank lock lever 31 is held at this position against the urging force of the tension spring 38. At this time, the detection plate 75 in contact with the holder pin 78 of the needle holder 43 rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 76 as the needle holder 43 descends, and when the needle holder 43 reaches the lowest position, that is, the needle 41 , 42 reach the lowest position, the projecting portion 75b pushes the detecting portion 79a of the microswitch 79. This micro switch 79 is connected to, for example, a pump drive circuit. When the micro switch 79 is pushed, that is, when the needles 41 and 42 are lowered to a predetermined position, the pump operates to suck ink from the main tank. Is possible.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, the roller of the lock lever is fixed at the end of the vertical surface portion, the position of the column surface of the two caps, or slightly lower in the direction of gravity. When the tank is urged in the insertion direction as in this embodiment, there is a possibility that a moment may be generated by the urging force with the column surface of the cap, which is the tank positioning position, as a fulcrum. In this case, in the cross-sectional views shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the counterclockwise moment can be received by the bottom plate of the tank holder. is there. However, since the present embodiment adopts the above-described configuration, it prevents the upward moment from being generated, so that the positional deviation does not occur.

  In the present invention, the coupling portion is provided with two ink supply ports and an air communication port. However, the number of the coupling portions is not limited to this, and may be one depending on the structure of the ink tank. There may be more than two. Further, the number of ink tanks stored in the main tank unit may be plural as in this embodiment, or may be one.

  In the present invention, “ink” is a general term for liquid ejected from an ink jet recording head. For example, a printability improving liquid such as a processing liquid used for improving the permeability of ink into recording paper. It is also used as including.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an ink jet recording apparatus that is an embodiment of a liquid discharge recording apparatus to which the present invention is applicable. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows an example of the liquid replenishment system used for the liquid discharge recording apparatus of FIG. (A) And (b) is a three-dimensional perspective view of the ink tank of this invention, respectively. It is a front view of the main tank unit which can mount the ink tank of this invention. It is side surface explanatory drawing of the main tank unit which can mount the ink tank of this invention. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view for explaining a main part of a main tank unit on which the ink tank of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 can be mounted. (A) And (b) is AA sectional drawing and BB sectional drawing of the main tank unit which can mount the ink tank of this invention shown in FIG. 4, respectively. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing an ink tank and an ink tank unit when insertion of the ink tank of the present invention is started. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing which shows an ink tank and an ink tank unit when insertion of the ink tank of this invention is started, respectively. FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the ink tank and the ink tank unit when the ink tank of the present invention is inserted into the ink tank unit. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing which shows an ink tank and an ink tank unit when the ink tank of this invention is inserted in the ink tank unit, respectively. It is explanatory drawing which shows an ink tank when the ink tank of this invention is inserted in an ink tank unit, and an ink tank unit. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing which shows an ink tank and an ink tank unit when the ink tank of this invention is inserted in the ink tank unit, respectively. It is side surface sectional drawing of the main tank and main tank unit which show the pushing-down operation | movement of a lever. It is side surface sectional drawing of the main tank and main tank unit which show the pushing-down operation | movement of a lever.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main tank 2 1st cap 3 2nd cap 4 Unlocking part 6 Vertical surface part 7 Handle part 9 Incorrect attachment prevention member 12 Atmospheric communication hole 13 Ink supply port 20 Main tank unit 34 Lever 72 Lever lock member 85 Leaf spring 86 Roller 94 Click member 100 Inkjet recording apparatus 101 Discharge head section

Claims (1)

In an ink tank that is detachably attached to an ink tank storage portion of a liquid discharge recording apparatus and includes an ink storage portion that stores ink.
A substantially cylindrical first protrusion having a first communication portion capable of communicating the ink storage portion with the outside by inserting a first ink supply needle into a predetermined position; When the ink supply needle is inserted into a predetermined position, the substantially cylindrical second protrusion having a second communication portion that can lead out the ink in the ink storage portion to the outside is opposed to the bottom surface. To prepare for
When the ink tank is inserted into the ink tank housing portion so that the first and second ink supply needles can be connected, the first ink tank is inserted into the first end of the ink tank. A grip portion provided at the rear end portion on the opposite side across the first protrusion and the second protrusion ;
A vertical surface portion that opposes the first and second protrusions and is orthogonal to the bottom surface above the handle portion;
The second protruding portion is provided in a region sandwiched between the vertical surface portion and the first protruding portion, and the height from the bottom surface of the upper end of the vertical surface portion is higher than the upper ends of the first and second protruding portions. An ink tank, wherein the upper end of the second projecting portion is located below a line connecting the upper end of the vertical surface portion and the upper end of the first projecting portion.

Images