JP4239554B2 - Valve mechanism, recording apparatus and printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to attachment and detachment of an ink cartridge, and a recording apparatus including the valve mechanism.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As an example of the recording medium, there is an ink jet printer which is one of large recording apparatuses capable of recording even a relatively large recording sheet such as JIS standard A1 size or JIS standard B1 size. This ink jet printer has a configuration in which a paper feed unit, a recording unit, and a paper discharge unit are arranged in this order from the top. A recording head mounted on a carriage that reciprocates in the main scanning direction is disposed inside the recording unit.
[0003]
An ink cartridge holder for inserting / removing an ink cartridge for storing ink supplied to the recording head is disposed on the front side of the recording unit. The ink cartridge holder is provided with a cover that can be opened and closed on the front side, and the ink cartridge can be inserted and removed by opening the cover. When inserting or removing the ink cartridge, the ink tube is closed by operating an electromagnetic valve or the like disposed on the ink tube connecting the ink cartridge holder and the recording head.
[0004]
In such a configuration, the recording head is moved in the main scanning direction while intermittently feeding the recording paper set in the paper feeding unit by a set amount in the sub-scanning direction in the recording unit, and ink is transferred from the recording head to the recording paper. Discharge drops. When predetermined information is recorded on the recording paper, the recording paper is discharged from the paper discharge unit.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional ink jet printer, since it is necessary to operate an electromagnetic valve or the like to close the ink tube, it is not only troublesome, but also the parts cost is high. On the other hand, a valve that is slidably fitted on a hollow needle having an ink introduction hole and has an opening / closing action on the ink introduction hole when the ink cartridge is attached / detached has been proposed (for example, JP-A-2001-2001). No. 212971).
[0006]
However, such a valve is made of only an elastic material, and there may be variations in the diameter of the hole into which the ink supply needle is inserted during molding. For this reason, if the hole diameter is small with respect to the diameter of the ink supply needle, the slidability of the ink supply needle is deteriorated due to friction or the like, and a situation in which the valve does not open or close occurs. On the other hand, if the hole diameter is large, a sealing failure may occur and ink may leak from the ink introduction hole.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described various problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a valve mechanism having an ink supply system valve that is easy to operate, inexpensive, and free from ink leakage, and a recording including the valve mechanism. To provide an apparatus.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the valve mechanism of the present invention, in the valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge, an ink supply needle having a supply port perforated at the front end side portion, and the ink supply needle are fitted. A valve which is rarely movable from the front end side to the rear end side and opens and closes the supply port; an urging means which is inserted into the rear end side of the ink supply needle to urge the valve; and an end face of the valve And an ink receiving portion for receiving ink adhering to the periphery of the tip end portion of the ink supply needle. As a result, the ink tube connecting the ink cartridge holder and the recording head can be closed at the same time as the ink cartridge is inserted into the ink cartridge holder, for example. Since it becomes unnecessary, the component cost can be reduced. Further, when the ink cartridge is removed from the ink cartridge holder, for example, it is possible to prevent the ink from dripping from the end face of the valve of the valve mechanism, thereby preventing contamination by ink in the apparatus.
[0009]
In the present invention, the ink receiving portion is characterized in that a cutout portion is provided in at least the upper arc-shaped outer peripheral edge portion of the outer peripheral edge portion of the end face of the bulb. Accordingly, when the ink receiving portion of the valve mechanism valve is brought into contact with the ink supply port of the ink cartridge, even if the ink receiving portion is pressed against the ink supply port due to component tolerance, the ink receiving portion is crushed by the notch portion. Since it becomes easy, it can prevent that an ink supply port receives a damage.
[0010]
In the present invention, an ink absorbing material that absorbs ink adhering to the periphery of the tip of the ink supply needle when the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply port of the ink cartridge is disposed around the ink supply port. It is characterized by being installed. As a result, when the ink cartridge is temporarily removed from the ink cartridge holder and reinserted, for example, the ink adhering to the tip of the ink supply needle of the valve mechanism is immediately absorbed by the absorbent material. Can be prevented.
[0011]
In the present invention, the valve mechanism includes a valve that is slidably fitted to a hollow ink supply needle in which a supply port is perforated, and that opens and closes the supply port in response to attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge. In the inner peripheral surface of the valve, a sealing region for sealing the supply port is formed by an elastic member, and the other region is formed by a member harder than the elastic member. Yes. Thereby, since the part inscribed in the ink supply needle is a hard member having a higher hardness than the elastic member, the slidability of the valve with respect to the ink supply needle can be enhanced.
[0012]
In the present invention, the valve may be disposed on the inner side of the first cylindrical body having a large-diameter portion with respect to the cylinder made of an elastic member, and on the cylinder made of a member harder than the elastic member. A second cylindrical body having a large-diameter shape portion is fitted and a protrusion is formed as the sealing region on the inner peripheral surface of the first cylinder, and is located at a position corresponding to the protrusion in the second cylinder. It is characterized in that a notch is formed. At this time, since the first cylinder is an elastic member having a JIS rubber hardness of 5 ° to 80 °, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer, the ink supply port is tightly sealed by the protrusion of the first cylinder made of an elastic member. Thus, ink leakage can be reliably prevented.
[0013]
Moreover, in this invention, the said notch part is formed by providing a groove | channel in the axial direction of a said 2nd cylindrical body, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Thereby, the protrusion part of a 1st cylindrical body can be easily engage | inserted in the notch part of a 2nd cylindrical body.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of an ink jet printer that is one of recording apparatuses according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration example of a main part of the ink jet printer. FIG. An ink jet printer 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a large-sized printer capable of recording even on a relatively large size recording paper such as JIS standard A1 size or JIS standard B1 size. The section 120, the paper discharge section 130, and the leg section 140 are arranged in this order from the top. The recording unit 120 and the paper discharge unit 130 are integrated as a main body, and are configured to be separable from the paper supply unit 110 and the leg unit 140, respectively.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the paper feeding unit 110 is provided so as to protrude to the upper rear of the main bodies 120 and 130. As shown in FIG. 2, a roll paper holder 111 on which a single roll-shaped recording paper (hereinafter referred to as roll paper) can be set is provided inside the paper supply unit 110. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a flip-up roll paper cover 112 that can be opened and closed is attached to the front surface so as to cover the roll paper holder 111.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, the roll paper holder 111 is attached to the spindle 113 for holding the roll paper and a pair of flange-shaped roll paper pressers 114 and the inner surfaces of both side walls of the paper feeding unit 110. A pair of spindle receivers 115 that can be suspended are provided. The spindle 113 is placed on the spindle receiver 115 and is rotatably supported by the spindle 113 with the roll paper inserted in the center and sandwiched between the roll paper pressers 114. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the roll paper cover 112 is rotatably supported as a whole, and is opened and closed when the user holds the lower part and lifts or pushes it down.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 120 includes a carriage 122 on which the recording head 121 is mounted, and a flexible flat cable (hereinafter referred to as FFC) that electrically connects the recording head 121 and a control unit (not shown) for performing recording. ) 123, an ink tube 124 that connects the recording head 121 and the ink cartridge 10 containing ink, a paper feed roller (not shown) that conveys the roll paper in the sub-scanning direction, a paper suction means (not shown) that prevents the roll paper from being lifted, and the like. I have. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an upper lid 125 and a front lid 126 are attached to the upper surface and the front surface of the recording unit 120 so as to cover the recording head 121, the carriage 122, and the like.
[0019]
The recording head 121 includes a black ink recording head that discharges black ink, and a plurality of color ink recording heads that discharge ink of each color such as light yellow, yellow, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, and magenta. . The recording head 121 is provided with a pressure generation chamber and a nozzle opening connected to the pressure generation chamber. The size of the recording head 121 is controlled from the nozzle opening toward the roll paper by storing ink in the pressure generation chamber and pressurizing it with a predetermined pressure. Ink droplets are discharged.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 122 is suspended from a rail 127 provided in the main scanning direction via a roller and connected to the carriage belt 128. The carriage belt 128 is operated by a carriage driving device (not shown). Then, it is accompanied by the movement of the carriage belt 128 and is guided by the rail 127 so as to reciprocate.
[0021]
One end of the FFC 123 is connected to the connector of the control unit and the other end is connected to the connector of the recording head 121, and a recording signal is sent from the control unit to the recording head 121. The ink tubes 124 are provided for the inks of the respective colors, and one end of each ink tube is connected to the corresponding ink cartridge 10 via an ink pressurizing supply means (not shown), and the other end of each color recording head. 121 is connected. The ink tube 124 is configured to send ink of each color pressurized by the ink pressure supply means from the ink cartridge 10 to the recording head 121.
[0022]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front lid 126 is rotatably supported at the lower part, and is opened and closed by the user pushing down or pushing up the upper part. The user can greatly open the recording unit 120 by opening the front lid 126, so that maintenance work of the recording head 121, the carriage 122, and the like can be easily performed.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper discharge unit 130 includes a paper discharge guide 131 that forms part of a path for transporting roll paper in the sub-scanning direction, and paper discharge (not shown) that transports roll paper in the sub-scanning direction. It has a roller. The paper discharge guide 131 is formed as a flat inclined surface protruding to the front surface side, and can smoothly guide the roll paper conveyed from above downward.
[0024]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the leg portion 140 includes two support columns 142 each having a moving roller 141, and a reinforcing bar 143 spanned between the support columns 142. . The paper feeding unit 110 and the main bodies 120 and 130 are placed on the support pillar 142 and fixed with screws. Since the moving roller 141 is disposed on the support column 142, the heavy paper feeder 110 and the main bodies 120 and 130 can be smoothly moved to desired positions and installed. . A paper discharge receiving device that receives roll paper discharged from the paper discharge unit 130 can be installed between the support pillars 142 of the leg 140.
[0025]
Further, on the left side when viewed from the front side of the main bodies 120 and 130, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an ink cartridge holder having a holder main body 151 for storing and holding the ink cartridges 10 of each color and a cover 152 covering the front surface thereof. 150 is arranged. The lower part of the cover 152 is rotatably supported with respect to the holder main body 151, and the ink cartridge holder 150 is opened and closed when the user holds down the upper part and pushes it down or pushes it up.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an operation panel 160 for a user to operate recording control and the like is disposed on the upper right side as viewed from the front side of the main bodies 120 and 130. The operation panel 160 is provided with a liquid crystal screen and various buttons so that the user can operate the buttons while checking the liquid crystal screen.
[0027]
In such a configuration, when the ink jet printer 100 is used, first, the spindle 113 constituting the roll paper holder 111 is taken out from the paper supply unit 110 and inserted into the spindle 113 as shown in FIG. The roll paper presser 114 is pulled out from one end of the spindle 113.
[0028]
4, one end of the spindle 113 is inserted through one end of the shaft hole C of the roll paper R, and one end of the shaft hole C of the roll paper R is inserted into the spindle 113 as shown in FIG. 5. The other roll paper presser 114 inserted and fixed on the other end side is fitted and brought into contact therewith. Subsequently, one roll paper presser 114 is inserted from one end of the spindle 113 and fitted into the other end of the shaft hole C of the roll paper R. Thereby, the roll paper R can be rotated together with the spindle 113.
[0029]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the both ends of the spindle 113 in which the roll paper R is inserted are lifted up to the paper feeding unit 110. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the spindle receiver 115 has a relatively shallow recess 115 a for temporarily placing the end portion of the spindle 113 and the end portion of the spindle 113 so as to be rotatably supported. The comparatively deep hollow 115b is arranged in parallel at the front and back. The recess 115a on the near side is provided for temporary placement because the operation of temporarily inserting the spindle 113 into which the heavy roll paper R is inserted into the regular recess 115b is difficult.
[0030]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, both ends of the spindle 113 into which the roll paper R is inserted are temporarily placed in the temporary recesses 115a of the spindle receiver 115, and then, as shown in FIG. One end of the spindle 113 in which the R is inserted is hung on the regular recess 115b of the corresponding spindle receiver 114, and then the other end of the spindle 113 in which the roll paper R is inserted is the regular recess of the corresponding spindle receiver 115. 115b. As a result, the spindle 113 with the roll paper R inserted can be safely and easily set in the paper feeding unit 110.
[0031]
Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the leading edge of the roll paper R is pulled down and passed through the transport path of the recording unit 120, and further, through the transport path of the paper discharge unit 130 as shown in FIG. 10. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the roll paper R is rotated in the winding direction so that the leading end of the roll paper R is positioned at a marker M formed on the paper discharge guide 131, for example. After that, the ink jet printer 100 is activated, and ink droplets are ejected while moving the recording head 121 in the main scanning direction while feeding the roll paper R in the sub-scanning direction, thereby recording predetermined information on the roll paper R. To eject the paper.
[0032]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing details of the ink cartridge holder 150. The ink cartridge holder 150 includes a holder main body 151 attached to the front left side of the main body 120 of the ink jet printer 100 and a cover 152 attached to the front side of the holder main body 151. In the holder main body 151, a storage portion 153 that stores the ink cartridge 10 and a control lever 154 that can move in the vertical direction are arranged in parallel. The lower part of the cover 152 is rotatably supported by the lower part of the holder main body 151. The cover 152 pivots downward to open the front surface of the holder main body 151, and pivots upward to close the front surface of the holder main body 151. ing.
[0033]
A storage unit 153 provided in the holder main body 151 includes a total of seven ink cartridges 10B, 10LY, 10Y, 10LC, 10C, black, light yellow, yellow, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, and magenta in order from the left side in the drawing. 10LM and 10M are partitioned so that they can be pulled out and pushed in individually.
[0034]
Here, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 10 as seen from the rear side. The ink cartridge 10 has an outer case 11 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape made of a hard plastic material, for example, and an ink tank formed in a bag shape made of a flexible material and filled with ink inside, for example. On the front side of one side of the outer case 11, a concave gripping portion 12 is formed on which the user can place a hand when the ink cartridge 10 is pulled out and pushed into the storage portion 153.
[0035]
In the holder body of a conventional ink cartridge holder, for example, only six color ink cartridges are stored, and there is a relatively large space. Therefore, when the ink cartridge is pulled out and inserted into the storage portion, the user can hold the holder. I was able to work with my hands inside. However, in this embodiment, the storage portion 153 for storing the ink cartridges 10 of seven colors and the control lever 154 need to be provided side by side in the holder main body 151 of the ink cartridge holder 150 of the same size as the conventional one. There is no room. Therefore, by forming the concave gripping portion 12 in the ink cartridge 10, the operation of pulling out and pushing the ink cartridge 10 into the storage portion 153 can be easily performed.
[0036]
An ink supply port 13 covered with rubber packing connected to an internal ink tank is formed at the center of the rear surface of the outer case 11, and the ink cartridge 10 is pushed into the storage portion 153 on both upper and lower sides thereof. A positioning hole 14 is sometimes formed for positioning. Further, a recess 15 is formed at the upper rear surface of the outer case 11, and an IC 16 for reading / writing ink information of the ink cartridge 10, such as a serial number, ink color and remaining amount, is affixed therein. . Further, a locking projection 17 is formed at the center of the upper surface of the outer case 11 for locking when the ink cartridge 10 is stored in the storage portion 153.
[0037]
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the storage portion 153 of the ink cartridge 10 for one color in the holder main body 151. An ink supply needle 21 to be inserted into the ink supply port 13 of the ink cartridge 10 and a positioning needle 22 to be inserted into the positioning hole 14 of the ink cartridge 10 are drawn out from the inner rear surface of the storage portion 153. Are disposed so as to protrude in the pushing-in direction.
[0038]
Here, FIG. 15A is a plan view showing details of a valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge 10. The hollow ink supply needle 21 has a supply port 21 a perforated on the front side surface and a rear end connected to the ink tube 124. The ink supply needle 21 has a cylindrical shape that closes a supply port 21 a that is urged in the axial direction by a compression spring 23 that is inserted on the rear end side and is perforated on the side surface of the ink supply needle 21. A rubber valve 24 is inserted. Thereby, the ink supply system in the ink jet printer 100 can be kept closed.
[0039]
In such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the user pushes the ink cartridge 10 into the storage portion 153, the ink supply needle 21 is moved to the ink supply port 13 as shown in FIG. The valve 24 is pushed by the rubber packing of the ink supply port 13 and is pushed into the rear end side of the ink supply needle 21. As a result, the supply port 21 a covered with the valve 24 is exposed, so that the ink in the ink tank of the ink cartridge 10 is supplied from the ink supply port 13 to the ink tube 124 through the supply port 21 a of the ink supply needle 21. Is done.
[0040]
On the other hand, when the user pulls out the ink cartridge 10 from the storage portion 153, the ink supply needle 21 is also pulled out from the ink supply port 13, so that the valve 24 pressed against the rubber packing of the ink supply port 13 is restored by the restoring force of the compression spring 23. As a result, the ink supply needle 21 is pushed out. As a result, the exposed supply port 21 a is covered with the valve 24 again.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 14, a connector 25 that is electrically connected to the IC 16 of the ink cartridge 10 is affixed to the upper part of the inner rear surface of the storage portion 153. The connector 25 is connected to the FFC 123, and the control unit of the ink jet printer 100 can read and write ink information with respect to the IC 16 of the ink cartridge 10. Further, a locking claw 153 b that locks or unlocks the locking protrusion 17 of the ink cartridge 10 in conjunction with the cam 159 is formed at the center of the upper surface of the storage portion 153.
[0042]
As shown in FIG. 12, the control lever 154 provided in the holder main body 151 is disposed so as to be swingable up and down along a guide groove 151a provided in the holder main body 151 in the vertical direction. The control lever 154 swings up and down to electrically control the writing of ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 and to mechanically move the ink cartridge 10 in and out of the storage portion 153. It comes to control.
[0043]
That is, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the uppermost end, writing of ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 is prohibited and the ink cartridge 10 can be taken into and out of the storage portion 153. It has become. On the other hand, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the lowermost end, writing of ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 is permitted, and the ink cartridge 10 is not allowed to be taken in and out of the storage portion 153. It is possible.
[0044]
By providing the control lever 154 having such a function, a large ink cartridge can be used. In other words, conventionally, the writing of ink information to the IC disposed in the ink cartridge has been controlled by the opening / closing operation of the cover of the ink cartridge holder. However, when a large ink cartridge is set in the holder main body, it protrudes to the front side, and the cover cannot be closed, so that writing of ink information to the IC disposed in the ink cartridge cannot be controlled. It was.
[0045]
In contrast, the writing of ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 of the present embodiment is controlled by the swing of the control lever 154 of the ink cartridge holder 150 as described above. For this reason, even when a large ink cartridge is set in the holder main body 151, the ink information writing to the IC disposed in the large ink cartridge is controlled even if the cover 152 cannot be closed by protruding to the front side. can do.
[0046]
As described above, the control lever 154 swings up and down to electrically control the writing of ink information to the IC 16 provided in the ink cartridge 10 and to the storage portion 153 of the ink cartridge 10. In and out are mechanically controlled. This mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
[0047]
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the mechanism of the control lever 154 in the holder main body 151 and the storage portion 153 of the ink cartridge 10 for one color adjacent thereto. One end of the control lever 154 is formed as an operation end 154a so as to protrude from the front side of the holder main body 151, and the other end is rotatably supported on the side surface 153a of the storage portion 153 by a shaft 154b. Further, the other end side of the control lever 154 is formed with a guide surface 154c involved in writing ink information with respect to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 at the end portion, and the upper portion to the storage portion 153 of the ink cartridge 10 is formed at the upper portion. Gear teeth 154d involved in taking in and out are formed, and a locking portion 154e involved in swinging of the control lever 154 itself is formed in the lower part.
[0048]
A stop member 154f for positioning the uppermost end and the lowermost end when the operation end 154a of the control lever 154 swings is disposed so as to protrude from the front side of the side surface 153a of the storage portion 153. Further, a limit switch 155 that switches following the guide surface 154c when the control lever 154 swings is disposed on the rear surface side of the side surface 153a of the storage portion 153.
[0049]
Furthermore, a fan-shaped gear 156 that meshes with and rotates with the gear teeth 154 d when the control lever 154 swings is fitted into a hexagonal shaft 158 disposed on the upper surface side of the storage portion 153. The torsion coil spring 157 that is biased when the operation end 154a is positioned at the uppermost end and the lowermost end is locked at one end to the locking portion 154e and the other end is locked to the side surface 153a of the storage portion 153. .
[0050]
The hexagonal shaft 158 is arranged from one end to the other end on the upper surface side of the storage portions 153 for all colors, and cams 159 are fitted into positions corresponding to the upper surfaces of the storage portions 153. The cam 159 is formed so that a locking claw 153b for locking the ink cartridge 10 formed on the upper surface of each storage portion 153 can be pushed down.
[0051]
The operation of the mechanism of the control lever 154 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 17, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the uppermost end, the limit switch 155 is turned off by the guide surface 154 c, and ink information for the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 is displayed. Writing is prohibited. Further, the cam 159 is separated from the locking claw 153b by the rotation of the gear 156 by the gear teeth 154d, and the locking claw 153b is separated from the locking projection 17 formed on the ink cartridge 10, so that the ink cartridge Ten storage units 153 can be taken in and out.
[0052]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the lowermost end, the limit switch 155 is turned on by the guide surface 154c, and ink for the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 is displayed. Information writing is allowed. Further, the cam 159 presses the locking claw 153b by the rotation of the gear 156 by the gear teeth 154d, and the locking claw 153b is caught by the locking projection 17 formed on the ink cartridge 10, so that the ink cartridge 10 It is impossible to put it in and out of the storage unit 153.
[0053]
Thus, the user cannot pull out the ink cartridge 10 from the ink cartridge holder 150 unless the control lever 154 is lifted from the lowermost end to the uppermost end. Furthermore, the control unit of the ink jet printer 100 can write ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 while the user lifts the control lever 154 from the lowermost end to the uppermost end. Therefore, the malfunction of the ink jet printer 100 due to the inability to read and write ink information as in the past can be prevented.
[0054]
FIG. 19 is a view showing another operation mode of the control lever 154. The operation mode of the control lever 154 described above is a mode of moving between the lowermost end and the uppermost end along the guide groove 151a formed in a straight line. However, in this operation mode, when the control lever 154 is moved from the lowermost end to the uppermost end and at the same time the ink cartridge 10 is pulled out from the storage portion 153, ink information is written to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10. There was a possibility that the operation was interrupted, leading to malfunction of the ink jet printer 1.
[0055]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19, when the operation mode of the control lever 154 is moved from the lowermost end to the uppermost end, it is temporarily moved horizontally by the step 151ba provided in the middle of the guide groove 151b and then moved from the uppermost end to the lowermost end. When moving, it is set as the form which moves at a stretch. In this way, by forming the guide groove 151b in which the movement from the lowermost end to the uppermost end of the control lever 154 has two actions, the time required for the movement becomes longer. Therefore, the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 is used. Ink information writing time can be gained, and malfunction of the ink jet printer 1 can be prevented more reliably. Since the movement of the control lever 154 from the uppermost end to the lowermost end is one action, the setting time of the ink cartridge 10 can be shortened.
[0056]
In the above-described embodiment, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the lowermost end, ink information can be written to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10, and the control lever 154 is moved from the lowermost end to the uppermost end. While ink information is written into the IC 16 during the movement, the following setting may be made.
[0057]
That is, when the control lever 154 is positioned at the lowermost end, it is possible to write ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10. For example, before the printing operation is started by the recording head 121 or the recording head 121 is cleaned. Ink information is written into the IC 16 at a predetermined time, such as after the start, after the end of the printing operation, after the end of the cleaning operation, or after using a certain amount of ink. When the control lever 154 is raised from the lowermost end, ink information is not written to the IC 16 at the same time. As a result, the reliability of writing ink information to the IC 16 disposed in the ink cartridge 10 can be improved, so that the malfunction of the ink jet printer 1 can be more reliably prevented.
[0058]
By the way, when the user pushes the ink cartridge 10 into the storage portion 153, as shown in FIG. 20A, the ink in the ink supply port 13 adheres to the entire ink supply needle 21 shown by the illustrated mesh line. When the user pulls out the ink cartridge 10 from the storage portion 153, as shown in FIG. 20B, the valve 24 is pushed out to the distal end side of the ink supply needle 21 by the restoring force of the compression spring 23, so that the ink supply needle The ink adhering to the whole 21 also adheres to the end face of the valve 24 indicated by the mesh line in the figure. As a result, the ink adhering to the end face of the valve 24 may drop due to gravity and contaminate the inside of the ink cartridge holder 150.
[0059]
Further, when the user pushes the ink cartridge 10 into the storage portion 153 in this state, the ink attached to the end face of the valve 24 is contaminated to the outside of the ink cartridge 10, and as shown in FIG. The ink adhering to the end face of the valve 24 may contaminate the inside of the ink cartridge 10 through the cap 13a indicated by a meshed line by capillary action due to contact between the valve 24 and the cap 13a of the ink supply port 13. .
[0060]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 21, an ink receiving portion 26 that receives ink is formed on the end face of the valve 24. The ink receiving portion 26 is formed as a thin edge protruding from the outer peripheral edge portion of the end face of the bulb 24, and stores ink in a pocket formed by the thin edge and the end face. As a result, as shown in FIG. 22A, when the ink cartridge 10 is removed from the ink cartridge holder 150, it is possible to prevent ink from dripping from the end face of the valve 24. Contamination due to ink can be prevented.
[0061]
Further, the ink receiving portion 26 is formed about 2/3 of the circumference on the entire outer periphery of the end face of the bulb 24, and at least about 1/3 of the upper side is provided with a notch 26a. Yes. As shown in FIG. 22B, when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted, the ink receiving portion 26 of the valve 24 and the cap 13a of the ink supply port 13 are designed to come into contact with each other. Even when 26 is pressed against the cap 13a, the ink receiving portion 26 is easily crushed by the cutout portion 26a, so that the cap 13a can be prevented from being damaged.
[0062]
An ink absorbing material 13 b that absorbs ink is wound around the cap 13 a of the ink supply port 13 of the ink cartridge 10. When the surface of the ink drop adhering to the rubber valve 24 comes into contact with the plastic cap 13a, the ink drop is transferred from the valve 24 to the cap 13a at a stroke due to capillary action due to the difference in water repellency between the valve 24 and the cap 13a. The ink is absorbed by the ink absorbent 13b wound around the cap 13a.
[0063]
Thus, as shown in FIG. 22A, the ink cartridge 10 is once removed from the ink cartridge holder 150, and when inserted again as shown in FIG. 22B, the ink on the end face of the valve 24 becomes the ink absorbing material 13b. Therefore, contamination inside the ink cartridge 10 due to ink dripping from the end face of the valve 24 can be prevented.
[0064]
FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view showing another detail of the valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge 10, and FIGS. 24 to 27 are enlarged perspective views of the respective components of the valve mechanism. . As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the hollow ink supply needle 31 has a supply port 31 a perforated at the front end side surface and a rear end connected to the ink tube 124.
[0065]
As shown in FIG. 23, the ink supply needle 31 is a valve that closes the supply port 31 a that is urged in the axial direction by a compression spring 33 inserted on the rear end side and is perforated on the side surface of the ink supply needle 31. 34 and 35 are inserted. Further, the ink supply needle 31 is fitted with a holder 32 for holding a compression spring 33 and valves 34 and 35.
[0066]
As shown in FIGS. 23 and 25, the hollow cylindrical holder 32 is formed with a support surface 32a for supporting the compression spring 33 and the valves 34 and 35 on both sides. The claw 32b formed on one side of the support surface 32a is inserted into one end of the compression spring 33 to support the compression spring 33, and the claw 32c formed on the other side of the support surface 32a is valved. The valves 34 and 35 are supported by being locked. The holder 32 slides in the axial direction with respect to the ink supply needle 31 by engaging the claw 31b provided in the ink supply needle 31 with the elongated hole 32d provided in the side surface of the holder 32. It is like that.
[0067]
As for the valves 34 and 35, a second cylindrical body 35 with a flange made entirely of a member harder than the first cylindrical body 34 is fitted inside the first cylindrical body 34 with a flange made entirely of an elastic member. It has a double structure. A protrusion 34 a extending in the axial direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body 34 as a sealing region that seals the supply port 31 a, and is formed on the protrusion 34 a of the first cylindrical body 34 in the second cylindrical body 35. A notch 35a is formed at the corresponding position. The notch 35 a is formed by providing a groove in the axial direction of the second cylindrical body 35.
[0068]
The first cylindrical body 34 is made of a material having a JIS rubber hardness of 5 ° to 80 °, such as a thermoplastic elastomer. The second cylindrical body 35 is made of, for example, synthetic resin or metal. As a result, the second cylindrical body 35 formed of a hard member having a hardness higher than that of the elastic member comes in contact with the ink supply needle 31, so that the slidability of the valves 34 and 35 with respect to the ink supply needle can be improved. . Further, since the protrusion 34a of the first cylindrical body 34 made of an elastic member tightly seals the supply port 31a of the ink supply needle 31, ink leakage can be reliably prevented.
[0069]
In such a configuration, when the user pushes the ink cartridge 10 into the storage portion 153, the ink supply needle 31 is inserted into the ink supply port 13, and the valves 34 and 35 are attached to the rubber packing of the ink supply port 13. It is pushed and pushed into the rear end side of the ink supply needle 31. As a result, the supply port 31a covered with the protrusion 34a of the first cylindrical body 34 is exposed, so that the ink in the ink tank of the ink cartridge 10 passes from the ink supply port 13 to the supply port 31a of the ink supply needle 31. Then, the ink is supplied to the ink tube 124.
[0070]
On the other hand, when the user pulls out the ink cartridge 10 from the storage portion 153, the ink supply needle 31 is also pulled out from the ink supply port 13, so that the valves 34 and 35 pushed by the rubber packing of the ink supply port 13 are connected to the compression spring 33. The ink is pushed out toward the tip of the ink supply needle 31 by the restoring force. As a result, the exposed supply port 31 a is again covered with the protrusion 34 a of the first cylindrical body 34. Thereby, the ink supply system in the ink jet printer 100 can be kept closed.
[0071]
By the way, as described above, the ink in the ink cartridges 10 of the respective colors accommodated in the ink cartridge holder 150 is pressurized by the ink pressure supply means and sent to the recording head 121. For this reason, in the case of an ink supply means using a water head difference as in a conventional ink jet printer, the ink cartridge holder needs to be disposed above the carriage. However, the ink cartridge holder 150 is disposed anywhere. Since the ink can be supplied even if it is installed, the arrangement location can be set freely.
[0072]
Although the present invention has been described with reference to various embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be applied to other embodiments within the scope of the invention described in the claims. Of course. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an ink jet printer has been described as an example of a recording apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any recording apparatus that uses an ink cartridge may be a facsimile apparatus, a copying apparatus, or the like. Is applicable.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of an ink jet printer that is one of recording apparatuses according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration example of a main part of the printer in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a second diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a third diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a fourth diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a fifth diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a sixth diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a seventh diagram illustrating the procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 10 is an eighth diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 is a ninth diagram illustrating a procedure for using the printer of FIG. 1;
12 is a perspective view showing details of an ink cartridge holder of the printer of FIG. 1. FIG.
13 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge loaded in the ink cartridge holder of FIG. 12 as viewed from the rear side.
14 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a storage portion for an ink cartridge for one color in the holder main body of the ink cartridge holder of FIG. 12. FIG.
15 is an exploded perspective view showing details of a valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge of FIG.
16 is a perspective view showing a mechanism of a control lever in the holder main body of the ink cartridge holder of FIG. 12 and an ink cartridge accommodating portion for one color adjacent thereto.
17 is a first diagram for explaining the operation of the lever mechanism of FIG. 16; FIG.
18 is a second diagram for explaining the operation of the lever mechanism of FIG. 16; FIG.
FIG. 19 is a view showing another operation mode of the control lever of FIG. 16;
20 is a diagram showing a problem of an ink supply needle in the storage portion of the ink cartridge of FIG.
FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a structure around an ink supply needle and an ink cartridge cap of an ink cartridge storage unit that solves the problem of FIG. 20;
FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an operation around the ink supply needle and the cap in FIG. 21;
FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view showing another detail of the valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge of FIG.
24 is an enlarged perspective view of a first component of the valve mechanism of FIG. 23. FIG.
25 is an enlarged perspective view of a second component of the valve mechanism of FIG. 23. FIG.
26 is an enlarged perspective view of a third component of the valve mechanism of FIG. 23. FIG.
FIG. 27 is an enlarged perspective view of a fourth component of the valve mechanism of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ink cartridge, 11 Exterior case, 12 Holding part, 13 Ink supply port, 13a Cap, 13b Ink absorber, 14 Positioning hole, 15 Depression, 16 IC, 17 Locking protrusion, 21 Ink supply needle, 21a Supply port, 22 Positioning needle, 23 Compression spring, 24 Valve, 25 Connector, 26 Ink receiving portion, 26a Notch, 31 Ink supply needle, 31a Supply port, 32 Holder, 33 Compression spring, 34 First cylinder (valve), 34a Projection Part, 35 second cylindrical body (valve), 35a cutout part, 100 ink jet printer, 110 paper feed part, 111 roll paper holder, 112 roll paper cover, 113 spindle, 114 roll paper presser, 115 spindle receiver, 120 recording , 121 recording head, 122 carriage, 123 FFC, 12 Ink tube, 125 Top cover, 126 Front cover, 127 Rail, 128 Carriage belt, 130 Paper discharge part, 131 Paper discharge guide, 140 Leg part, 141 roller, 142 Support pillar, 143 Reinforcing bar, 150 Ink cartridge holder, 151 Holder body , 151a, 151b Guide groove, 152 cover, 153 storage, 153b Locking claw, 154 Control lever, 155 Limit switch, 159 cam

Claims (8)

A valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge,
An ink supply needle having a supply port perforated on the tip side, and
A cylindrical valve that is inserted into the ink supply needle and is movable from the front end side to the rear end side and opens and closes the supply port;
An urging means inserted into a rear end side of the ink supply needle to urge the valve;
The cylindrical valve is provided with an ink receiving portion for receiving ink adhering to the periphery of the tip end portion of the ink supply needle and a notch portion on the outer peripheral edge portion of the end surface on the tip end side of the ink supply needle. Characteristic valve mechanism. A valve mechanism having a valve that is slidably fitted to a hollow ink supply needle in which a supply port is perforated, and that opens and closes the supply port in response to attachment / detachment of an ink cartridge;
A valve mechanism in which a sealing region for sealing the supply port is formed of an elastic member, and other regions are formed of a member harder than the elastic member, of the inner peripheral surface of the valve. . As for the said valve | bulb, the whole sealing area | region which seals the said supply port becomes an elastic member, the inside of the 1st cylindrical body which has a large diameter shape part with respect to a cylinder and the said cylinder, the whole is from the said elastic member. A second cylindrical body having a large-diameter shape portion is fitted into a cylinder made of a hard member and a cylinder made of the hard member, and a protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first cylindrical body in the sealing region. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a notch portion is formed at a position corresponding to the protruding portion in the second cylindrical body. The valve mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the notch is formed by providing a groove in the axial direction of the second cylindrical body. The valve mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 4, wherein the first cylindrical body has a JIS rubber hardness of 5 ° to 80 °. The valve mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member is a thermoplastic elastomer. A recording apparatus comprising the valve mechanism according to claim 1. A printer comprising an ink cartridge and a valve mechanism that opens and closes in response to the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge,
A cylindrical valve that is inserted into the ink supply needle and is movable from the front end side to the rear end side and opens and closes the supply port;
An urging means inserted into a rear end side of the ink supply needle to urge the valve;
The cylindrical valve is provided with an ink receiving portion for receiving ink adhering to the periphery of the tip portion of the ink supply needle and a notch portion at an outer peripheral edge portion of an end surface on the tip side of the ink supply needle,
A printer characterized in that the supply port is opened and closed when the ink cartridge is pushed in or pushed back in response to attachment or detachment of the ink cartridge.

Images