JP7657570B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device.

Patent document 1 describes an inkjet recording device that includes a storage chamber for storing ink and a head for ejecting ink supplied from the storage chamber through an ejection port. Such a storage chamber is called a subtank, and is connected to the atmosphere through a communication part.

An ink cartridge containing ink is attached to the inkjet recording device. The ink cartridge has a storage chamber (first ink storage chamber) that stores the ink. The first ink storage chamber is connected to the atmosphere via a communication section. When the ink cartridge is attached to the inkjet recording device, ink is supplied from the first ink storage chamber of the ink cartridge to a subtank (second ink storage chamber) provided in the inkjet recording device.

The inkjet recording device described in Patent Document 1 has a rotating member rotatably supported inside the second ink storage chamber. The rotating member includes a float with a lower specific gravity than the ink, and a detectable portion extending from the float and detected by a sensor. When the liquid level of the ink stored in the second ink storage chamber is above a predetermined height, the rotating member is positioned at a predetermined position due to the buoyancy of the ink. When the liquid level of the ink stored in the second ink storage chamber falls below the predetermined height, the rotating member rotates due to gravity. When the rotating member rotates, the detectable portion moves, and the movement of the detectable portion is detected by the sensor. This allows the remaining amount of ink stored in the storage chamber to be detected.

JP 2019-25818 A

As described above, in the inkjet recording device described in Patent Document 1, when an ink cartridge is attached to the inkjet recording device, ink is supplied from a first ink storage chamber of the ink cartridge to a second ink storage chamber of the inkjet recording device. Since a rotating member is provided in the second ink storage chamber, the amount of ink supplied to and stored in the second ink storage chamber can be detected by the rotating member and a sensor.

The user can visually check the inside of the ink cartridge and the first ink storage chamber inside the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is installed in the inkjet recording device from the outside.

On the other hand, the second ink storage chamber of the inkjet recording device is located further back (inside) than the installed ink cartridge. For this reason, when the ink cartridge is installed, the user cannot see the second ink storage chamber from the outside. Since the second ink storage chamber can detect that ink has been supplied from the first ink storage chamber by the rotating member and the sensor, there is no effect on recording by the inkjet recording device. However, from the user's perspective, the ink in the first ink storage chamber of the ink cartridge is reduced simply by installing the ink cartridge, and the user may get the impression that the ink has been consumed even before recording (ink ejection) has begun.

The present invention therefore aims to provide an inkjet recording device that, even when an ink cartridge is installed in the inkjet recording device, does not give the user the impression that ink that has not been used for recording has been consumed.

The above problem is solved by the present invention, which is described below. That is, the present invention is an inkjet recording device having an ink cartridge mounting section into which an ink cartridge having a first ink storage chamber for storing ink is mounted in a mounting direction, a second ink storage chamber for storing ink supplied from the first ink storage chamber, and a housing in which the ink cartridge mounting section and the second ink storage chamber are provided, wherein, when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section, a wall of the second ink storage chamber on the front side in the mounting direction is provided near a window provided in the housing, and the second ink storage chamber can be seen from outside the housing through the window, and when, in a direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the ink cartridge mounting section, the length of the second ink storage chamber in the mounting direction is d and the length of the ink cartridge in the mounting direction is L, an inkjet recording device characterized in that 0.5L≦d<L , the second ink storage chamber has a shape extending along the mounting direction, and is positioned as a whole below the ink cartridge in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mounting direction .

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet recording device that does not give the user the impression that ink that has not been used for recording has been consumed, even when an ink cartridge is installed in the inkjet recording device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an inkjet recording apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an inkjet recording apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting portion.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following description, components having the same functions are given the same numbers in the drawings, and their description may be omitted.

Figure 1 shows an example of a perspective view of the inkjet recording device of the present invention. The inkjet recording device 1 is mainly composed of a housing 11. The inkjet recording device 1 is provided with an ink cartridge mounting section 101 in which an ink cartridge is mounted. The ink cartridge mounting section 101, together with the housing 11, constitutes a portion in which the ink cartridge is mounted. Four ink cartridges 2 are mounted in the inkjet recording device 1 shown in Figure 1. The ink cartridges 2 are mounted on the back side of a colored member (case lid) 102 provided in a part of the ink cartridge mounting section 101. In the configuration shown in Figure 1, the ink cartridges 2 are mounted by opening the case lid 102 upward and then inserting the ink cartridge 2 into the inside of the housing along the horizontal direction. When the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101, a part of the ink cartridge 2 is covered by the colored case lid 102. Incidentally, the state in which the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 means that the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 and is in a state in which ink can be supplied from the ink cartridge 2 to the recording head. For example, if the ink cartridge mounting section 101 has a case lid 102, the state in which the ink cartridge 2 is inserted into the ink cartridge mounting section 101 and then the case lid 102 is closed is the state in which the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101.

In the inkjet recording device 1, a head that ejects ink from an ejection port toward a recording medium such as paper, a transport member that transports the recording medium, and the like are provided inside the housing 11. A member (window) 103 that is configured along the housing 11 is provided vertically below the area in which the ink cartridge 2 is attached to the ink cartridge mounting section 101. The window 103 is made of a transparent (colorless) member (e.g., transparent plastic or glass). The window 103 will be described in detail later. In this specification, "upward" means the vertical upward direction in the posture of the inkjet recording device 1 when in use. Specifically, it is the direction in which the arrow 43 shown in FIG. 1 points. In addition, the arrow 43, the arrow 41, and the arrow 42 are perpendicular to each other. The arrow 41 extends along the depth direction of the inkjet recording device 1, and the arrow 42 extends along the width direction of the inkjet recording device 1. Both the arrows 41 and 42 extend along the horizontal direction.

2 shows an enlarged view of the ink cartridge mounting section 101. FIG. 2(a) is a cross-sectional view along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and FIG. 2(b) is a view of the area in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 corresponding to one ink cartridge, as viewed from the direction of the arrow 41. An ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101. The ink cartridge 2 has a storage chamber (first ink storage chamber) 4 that stores ink 130. The first ink storage chamber 4 is connected to the atmosphere by a communication section 201. Meanwhile, the inkjet recording device 1 is provided with a second ink storage chamber (sub-tank) 3. Here, the second ink storage chamber 3 is provided in the ink cartridge mounting section 101. The mounted ink cartridge 2 is connected to the second ink storage chamber 3 via a liquid supply section 202 and a connection needle 301. When the ink cartridge 2 is installed in the inkjet recording device 1, ink 130 is supplied from the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 to the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1. The second ink storage chamber 3 is connected to a head (not shown) and supplies ink to the head.

The second ink storage chamber 3 has an air vent 304, and the air vent 304 is provided with a gas-liquid separation membrane 302. The second ink storage chamber 3 also has a rotating member 210 supported rotatably therein. The rotating member 210 has a float 220 with a lower specific gravity than the ink 130, and a detection target 240 extending from the float 220 and detected by a sensor 250. When the liquid level of the ink 130 stored in the second ink storage chamber 3 is above a predetermined height, the rotating member 210 is positioned at a predetermined position by the buoyancy of the ink 130. The rotating member 210 rotates by gravity according to the position of the liquid level of the ink stored in the second ink storage chamber 3. The rotation of the rotating member 210 causes the detection target 240 to move, and the movement of the detection target 240 (the position of the detection target 240) is detected by the sensor 250. This makes it possible to detect the amount of ink 130 stored in the second ink storage chamber 3.

Note that, although an example in which a rotating member 210 for detecting the remaining amount of ink is provided in the second ink storage chamber 3 has been described here, the rotating member 210 does not have to be provided in the second ink storage chamber 3. For example, the rotating member 210 for detecting the remaining amount of ink may be provided in the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2.

Conventionally, the second ink storage chamber 3 is only located further back (inside) than the installed ink cartridge 2. In addition, the second ink storage chamber 3 is covered by the housing 11. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 2 is installed in the ink cartridge installation section 101, the user cannot see the second ink storage chamber 3 from outside the inkjet recording device.

When the ink cartridge 2 is installed, ink 130 is supplied from the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 to the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1. Therefore, the amount of ink decreases inside the first ink storage chamber 4. This may give the user the impression that the ink in the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge has decreased simply by installing the ink cartridge, and that the ink has been consumed even before recording (ink ejection) has begun.

In contrast, in the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. 2, the second ink storage chamber 3 extends vertically below the ink cartridge 2 in the depth direction, reaching the vicinity of the window 103. A colorless window 103 is provided vertically below the area in which the ink cartridge 2 is mounted. Therefore, even when the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101, the user can visually check the state inside the second ink storage chamber 3 through the window 103 from the outside of the inkjet recording device 1. Therefore, even if the ink stored in the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 decreases, the user can visually check the state in which the ink is being filled in the second ink storage chamber 3, so that the user is less likely to get the impression that ink has been consumed unnecessarily. In addition, the length of the second ink storage chamber 3 in the direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the inkjet recording device is d, and the length of the ink cartridge 2 is L. In this case, 0.5L≦d≦1.2L. In this way, the volume of the second ink storage chamber 3 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a large amount of ink from moving from the ink cartridge 2 to the second ink storage chamber 3 during ink filling, improving the user's experience and allowing efficient use of the space inside the inkjet recording device. Preferably, 0.5L≦d≦L is satisfied, more preferably, 0.5L≦d<L is satisfied, and even more preferably, 0.5L≦d≦0.9L is satisfied.

In addition, although an example has been shown in which the second ink storage chamber 3 is visible through the transparent window 103, the window 103 does not have to be provided. In other words, the second ink storage chamber 3 may be configured to be directly exposed to the outside of the inkjet recording device 1. However, providing the window 103 is preferable in terms of protecting the second ink storage chamber 3 and suppressing evaporation of the ink stored in the second ink storage chamber 3.

3 shows an example of a perspective view of the inkjet recording device of the present invention, which is different from that described in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the ink cartridge mounting section 101 of the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and FIG. 4(b) is a view of an area corresponding to one ink cartridge in the ink cartridge mounting section 101, as seen from the direction of the arrow 41. The inkjet recording device shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is different from the inkjet recording device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in that a part of the case lid 102 provided in a part of the ink cartridge mounting section 101 is transparent (colorless). Other points are the same as the configuration described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. By making a part of the case lid 102 transparent, the user can visually check the inside of the ink cartridge 2, i.e., the first ink storage chamber 4, from outside the inkjet recording device through the case lid 102. With this configuration, the user can visually observe the ink 130 being supplied from the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 to the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1.

Figure 5 shows an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting section that are different from those described in Figures 2 and 4. Figure 5 (a) is a cross-sectional view along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and Figure 5 (b) is a view of the area corresponding to one ink cartridge in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 as viewed from the direction of the arrow 41. The basic configuration is the same as that described in Figure 4, but in the ink cartridge mounting section shown in Figure 5, the ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 from the direction of the arrow 43, that is, along the vertical direction. At this time, the second ink storage chamber 3 is positioned below the ink cartridge 2 in the vertical direction as a whole. That is, the rotating member 210 is also positioned below the ink cartridge 2 in the vertical direction. The first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 shown in Figure 5 and the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1 can also be visually recognized by the user from the outside, similar to that described in Figure 4. In this way, the mounting direction of the ink cartridge 2 may be along the vertical direction.

Figure 6 shows an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting section that are different from those described in Figures 2 and 4. Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and Figure 6(b) is a view of the area corresponding to one ink cartridge in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 as seen from the direction of the arrow 41. The basic configuration is the same as that described in Figure 4, but in Figure 6, the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 and the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1 are arranged to be aligned in the direction of the arrow 42 and in the horizontal direction. The first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2 and the second ink storage chamber 3 of the inkjet recording device 1 shown in Figure 6 can also be visually recognized by the user from the outside, as in the case described in Figure 4. In this way, the first ink storage chamber 4 and the second ink storage chamber 3 may be arranged in the direction of the arrow 42.

Figure 7 shows an ink cartridge and ink cartridge mounting section that are different from those described in Figures 2 and 4. Figure 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and Figure 7(b) is a view of the area in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 that corresponds to one ink cartridge, as seen from the direction of the arrow 41. In the ink cartridge and second ink storage chamber 3 shown in Figure 7, the bottom surface of the second ink storage chamber 3 is provided with a slope that is inclined relative to the direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the inkjet recording device. By guiding the ink contained in the second ink storage chamber 3 to a specified location through the slope, it becomes easier to use up the ink and also ensures visibility when only a small amount of ink is remaining.

Figure 8 shows an ink cartridge and an ink cartridge mounting section different from those described in Figures 2 and 4. Figure 8 (a) is a cross-sectional view along the depth direction of the ink cartridge mounting section 101, and Figure 8 (b) is a view of the area corresponding to one ink cartridge in the ink cartridge mounting section 101 as seen from the direction of the arrow 41. In the ink cartridge and second ink storage chamber 3 shown in Figure 8, a tube 303 is connected to the air communication port 304 of the second ink storage chamber 3. In addition, an air-liquid separation film 302 is provided at an opening 305 at the tip of the tube 303 (the end opposite to the air communication port side). In addition, the opening 305 of the tube 303 is vertically above the first ink storage chamber 4 of the ink cartridge 2. With this configuration, the ink in the tube 303 connected to the second ink storage chamber 3 does not exceed the liquid level of the ink in the cartridge. This prevents ink from coming into contact with the gas-liquid separation film 302, improving reliability against ink leakage from the second ink storage chamber 3.

Reference Signs List 1 Inkjet recording device 2 Ink cartridge 3 Second ink storage chamber 4 First ink storage chamber 101 Ink cartridge mounting section

Claims (15)

An inkjet recording device comprising: an ink cartridge mounting section into which an ink cartridge having a first ink storage chamber for storing ink is mounted in a mounting direction; a second ink storage chamber for storing ink supplied from the first ink storage chamber; and a housing in which the ink cartridge mounting section and the second ink storage chamber are provided;
when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section, a wall of the second ink chamber on the front side in the mounting direction is provided near a window provided in the housing, and the second ink chamber can be seen from outside the housing through the window,
In a direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the ink cartridge mounting portion, a length of the second ink storage chamber in the mounting direction is d, and a length of the ink cartridge in the mounting direction is L, where 0.5L≦d<L ;
an ink jet recording apparatus, characterized in that the second ink storage chamber has a shape extending along the mounting direction and is positioned as a whole below the ink cartridge in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mounting direction; The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section, the second ink storage chamber can be seen from outside the housing through a transparent member provided in the window of the housing. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting section, the second ink storage chamber is directly exposed through the window of the housing. 4. An inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the ink cartridge is mounted to the ink cartridge mounting portion by opening a colored member, and when the ink cartridge is mounted to the ink cartridge mounting portion, a portion of the ink cartridge is covered by the colored member. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ink cartridge is visible from outside the housing when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting portion. With the ink cartridge attached to the ink cartridge attachment section,
the ink cartridge can be seen from outside the housing through a first transparent member provided on the housing;
2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second ink storage chamber can be seen from outside the housing through a second transparent member provided in the window of the housing. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second ink storage chamber is provided with a rotating member for detecting the amount of ink stored in the second ink storage chamber. 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting portion along a horizontal direction. 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second ink storage chamber is arranged horizontally next to the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting portion. 10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein L and d satisfy 0.5L≦d≦0.9L. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second ink storage chamber is provided with an air communication port. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein a tube is connected to the atmosphere communication port. 13. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein an opening of the tube connected to the second ink storage chamber is provided with a gas-liquid separation membrane. 14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein an opening of the tube provided in the second ink storage chamber is located vertically above the first ink storage chamber. 15. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the second ink storage chamber is inclined.

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