JP7707615B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device.

Serial printers are known as inkjet recording devices. In a serial printer, when recording an image, the recording head moves with the carriage and ejects ink onto a sheet transported along a transport path. Ink is supplied to the recording head from an ink cartridge according to the amount of ink consumed during image recording. During maintenance of a serial printer, a pump sucks ink from the recording head and sends it to a waste tank.

In Patent Document 1, the ink cartridge and waste tank are arranged side-by-side behind the front surface inside the housing. The pump is located in front of the carriage inside the housing.

JP 2014-104602 A

In Patent Document 1, the waste liquid tank is laid out in a position that is off the transport path in the left-right direction. Also, the pump is laid out between the ink cartridges and the waste liquid tank in the left-right direction. Because of these factors, there is a problem in that the left-right dimensions of the serial printer in Patent Document 1 are large.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to reduce the left-right dimensions of an inkjet recording device.

The inkjet recording device of the present invention includes a housing having an internal space. The inkjet recording device includes a recording head having an ink ejection port, a sheet transport path at least a portion of which extends along the front-rear and left-right directions, a carriage carrying the recording head and moving in the left-right direction, a cap that is within the range of movement of the carriage in the left-right direction and does not overlap with the transport path and covers the ejection port of the recording head, a pump that applies pressure to discharge ink from the ejection port of the recording head, and a waste liquid unit that stores ink discharged in the cap. The waste liquid unit is located above the transport path in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions and forward of the recording head in the front-rear direction, and the pump is located forward of the cap in the front-rear direction and between the cap and the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction.

This invention makes it possible to reduce the left-right dimensions of the inkjet recording device.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer 100. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a housing 1 of the printer 100. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the layout of each part in the housing 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout of each part in the housing 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout of the main parts inside the housing 1. 7A is a front view of a CTG case 91R, and FIG. 7B is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in FIG. 7A as viewed from the left. 4A is an external perspective view of a CTG 92, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the CTG 92. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a CTG case 91 and a CTG 92 attached to the CTG case 91. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a maintenance unit 95. 13A is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a substrate 99, a remaining amount sensor 93, and a waste liquid sensor 98 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a fixing position P2. 13A is a schematic diagram showing a waste liquid unit 96 according to a first modified example, and FIG. 13B is a schematic diagram showing a waste liquid unit 96 according to a second modified example. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a maintenance unit 95 according to a modified example.

The printer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The embodiment is merely one example of the present invention, and the embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[Definition of terms]
In the following, the direction of an arrow from its starting point to its end point is expressed as its direction, and the flow on the line connecting the starting point and end point of the arrow is expressed as its direction.

In each figure and the following description, the up-down direction Z is defined based on the state in which the printer 100 is installed and ready for use (the state shown in FIG. 1). The front-rear direction Y is defined as the front side of the printer 100 where the opening 13 is provided. The left-right direction X is defined when the printer 100 is viewed from the front.

In the following description, "within range" or "contained" means, first, that both ends in a specific direction of a certain member constituting printer 100 are inside both ends in the same direction of another member constituting printer 100. "Within range" or "contained" means, second, that both ends in a specific direction of a certain member constituting printer 100 are inside both ends in the same direction of the space in printer 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the left-right direction X, the range occupied by pump 95B is contained within the range occupied by the space between cap 95A and waste liquid unit 96. In this case, the right end of pump 95B is located to the left of the right end of cap 95A, and the left end of pump 95B is located to the right of the left end of waste liquid unit 96.

In the following explanation, "overlap" means, first, that one end of a component constituting the printer 100 in a particular direction is inside both ends in the same direction of another component constituting the printer 100, or inside both ends in the same direction of a partial space in the internal space 11.

[Printer 100]
In Fig. 1, a printer 100 is an example of an image recording device and has a printing function. The printer 100 records an image on a sheet S (see Fig. 2) such as paper or an OHP sheet by an inkjet method. The printer 100 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 1. The image recording device may not be the printer 100, but may be a multifunction machine having a scanning function and a FAX function in addition to the printing function.

[Housing 1]
1, the housing 1 divides an internal space 11 (see FIG. 2, etc.) of the printer 100 from the outside by a plurality of outer walls 12. The plurality of outer walls 12 include a bottom wall 12A, a top wall 12T, a front wall 12F, a rear wall 12B, a left wall 12L, and a right wall 12R. In FIGS. 3 to 5, the outline of the housing 1 is indicated by a dashed line.

The bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction Z. Each of the bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T is roughly rectangular in plan view and extends in the front-back and left-right directions.

The front wall 12F extends vertically and horizontally, and is connected to the front ends of the bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T. Near the lower end of the front wall 12F is an opening 13 that faces forward. The left and right ends of the opening 13 are located closer to the left-right center (i.e., more inward) than the left wall 12L and the right wall 12R. The shape of the opening 13 is a rectangle that is longer in the left-right direction X when viewed from the front.

An operation panel may be disposed above the opening 13 on the front wall 12F. The operation panel includes multiple operation buttons and a display, and is operated by the user.

The rear wall 12B, the left wall 12L, and the right wall 12R close the rear end, the left end, and the right end of the housing 1, respectively.

In FIG. 2, the main components of the printer 100 are located in the internal space 11: a supply tray 21, a discharge tray 22, a feed mechanism 30, a transport path 40, a pair of transport rollers 50, a pair of discharge rollers 60, a recording unit 70, and a platen 71.

[Supply tray 21, discharge tray 22]
1 and 2, the supply tray 21 is positioned in the internal space 11 through the opening 13. The supply tray 21 has a box shape that is thin in the vertical direction Z. The supply tray 21 supports a plurality of sheets S in a stacked state on its bottom wall.

The discharge tray 22 is located above the supply tray 21 and in front of the pair of discharge rollers 60, and supports the sheet S on which an image is recorded as a printed matter. The user removes the printed matter from the discharge tray 22 through the opening 13.

[Feeding mechanism 30]
In FIG. 2, the feeding mechanism 30 is located between the supply tray 21 and the platen 71 in the vertical direction Z. The feeding mechanism 30 includes a feeding roller 31 and a feeding arm 32. The feeding roller 31 is supported at the tip of the feeding arm 32 so as to be rotatable around its own axis. The base end of the feeding arm 32 is located above and forward of its own tip. The feeding arm 32 has a support shaft 33 at its base end. The feeding arm 32 is supported by the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the support shaft 33. The feeding roller 31 abuts against the top sheet S supported by the supply tray 21. The feeding roller 31 rotates by the power from a motor 53 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). As a result, a rearward conveying force is applied to the top sheet S, and the sheet S is introduced to the upstream end of the conveying path 40.

[Transport path 40]
In FIG. 2, the conveying path 40 is a so-called U-turn path, and has a curved portion 41 and a straight portion 42. The curved portion 41 extends upward while curving from the rear end of the supply tray 21. The curved portion 41 faces forward near the upper wall 12T (see FIG. 1). The curved portion 41 is defined by an outer guide member 43 and an inner guide member 44. The straight portion 42 is continuous with the downstream end of the curved portion 41, expands from the downstream end of the curved portion 41 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and extends forward in a generally straight line. The straight portion 42 reaches the rear end of the discharge tray 22. The upper side of the straight portion 42 is defined by the lower surface of the recording unit 70. The lower side of the straight portion 42 is defined by the upper surface of the platen 71.

The sheet S is conveyed in the conveying path 40 in the conveying direction a indicated by the dashed arrow. In particular, in the curved section 41, the sheet S is conveyed to the conveying roller pair 50 while being guided mainly by the guide member 43. In the straight section 42, the sheet S is supported by the platen 71 and conveyed by the rotating conveying roller pair 50 and the discharge roller pair 60.

[Conveyance roller pair 50, discharge roller pair 60]
2, a pair of conveying rollers 50 and a pair of discharging rollers 60 convey the sheet S in a conveying direction a on the conveying path 40. The conveying direction a is forward on the downstream side of the pair of conveying rollers 50.

The conveying roller pair 50 is located at the downstream end of the curved portion 41 and includes a drive roller 51 and a pinch roller 52. The drive roller 51 and the pinch roller 52 extend left and right at positions near the rear wall 12B and the upper wall 12T (see FIG. 1), respectively. The drive roller 51 and the pinch roller 52 abut against each other in the vertical direction Z along the upper and lower sides of the conveying path 40. The drive roller 51 rotates by the power from the motor 53. The pinch roller 52 rotates following the rotation of the drive roller 51. The sheet S is nipped by the rotating conveying roller pair 50 and conveyed in the conveying direction a.

2, the discharge roller pair 60 includes a drive roller 61 and multiple spurs 62. The drive roller 61 is located in front of the transport roller pair 50 in the front-rear direction Y and near the center of the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) in the front-rear direction Y. The drive roller 61 is located below the straight section 42 in the up-down direction Z. The drive roller 61 extends left and right along the transport path 40 and rotates by power from the motor 53 (see FIG. 3, etc.). The multiple spurs 62 are aligned left and right at intervals from each other and abut against the drive roller 61 from above. Each spur 62 rotates following the rotation of the drive roller 61. The sheet S is nipped by the rotating discharge roller pair 60, transported in the transport direction a, and discharged to the discharge tray 22.

In the embodiment, the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 rotate by the power of the motor 53. However, this is not limited to the above, and the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 may rotate by the power of different motors. Alternatively, at least two of the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 may rotate by the power of the same motor.

[Recording unit 70, platen 71]
2, the recording unit 70 and the platen 71 are each located between the pair of transport rollers 50 and the pair of discharge rollers 60 in the front-rear direction Y. The platen 71 has a support surface for the sheet S that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions directly below the straight portion 42 in the up-down direction Z. The recording unit 70 is located above the transport path 40 and includes a carriage 72 and a recording head 73. The carriage 72 is above the platen 71 and can reciprocate in the left-right direction X by power provided by a CR transport mechanism 80 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). The carriage 72 has the recording head 73 mounted on its lower surface. The recording head 73 has a plurality of ejection ports 74 on its lower surface.

The recording head 73 ejects ink stored therein from multiple ejection ports 74 while the carriage 72 moves under the control of the controller 99A (see FIG. 4). This causes an image to be recorded on the sheet S.

[Carriage transport mechanism 80]
3 to 5, the printer 100 further includes a carriage transport mechanism (hereinafter also referred to as the "CR transport mechanism") 80 in the housing 1. The CR transport mechanism 80 is an example of a belt transmission unit, and includes two guide rails (hereinafter also referred to as the "rails") 81B, 81F, two pulleys 82L, 82R, an endless belt 83, and a carriage motor (hereinafter also referred to as the "CR motor") 84. In FIG. 3, the pulley 82R is hidden by the carriage 72. In FIG. 4, the pulley 82R and the CR motor 84 are hidden by the carriage 72. In FIG. 5, the rails 81B, 81F are omitted from illustration.

In FIG. 4, rail 81B extends left and right above and behind platen 71. Rail 81F extends left and right above and in front of platen 71. Rails 81B and 81F are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction Y, sandwiching platen 71 therebetween. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, both left and right ends of rails 81B and 81F are positioned outside both left and right ends of conveying roller pair 50. Carriage 72 is suspended between rails 81B and 81F.

In FIG. 5, pulleys 82L and 82R are each located within the range (see FIG. 4) occupied by rail 81F in the front-rear direction Y. Pulleys 82L and 82R are each located outside the left and right ends of straight section 42 in the left-right direction X. Pulleys 82L and 82R are provided to protrude upward from the upper surface of rail 81F and are rotatable in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis that runs along the up-down direction Z.

In FIG. 5, the endless belt 83 is an example of a belt that is wound around pulleys 82L and 82R and extends in the left-right direction X. The endless belt 83 passes directly above the top of the pump 95B in the left-right direction X. In other words, the area that the endless belt 83 occupies in each of the left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y overlaps with that of the pump 95B.

As is clear from Figures 3 to 5, the carriage 72 is fixed to the endless belt 83 at a position between the pulleys 82L and 82R.

The CR motor 84 is an example of a motor, and in this embodiment is a brushed DC motor or the like. As shown in FIG. 5, the CR motor 84 is located slightly forward of the cap 95A in the front-rear direction Y and rearward of the cartridge case 91R. As shown in FIG. 3, the CR motor 84 is located directly below the right end of the rail 81F. The CR motor 84 is located slightly to the left of the right wall 12R.

In FIG. 5, the CR motor 84 rotates under the control of the controller 99A, and has an output shaft directly connected to the rotating shaft of the pulley 82R. The output shaft of the CR motor 84 is parallel to the vertical direction Z. As the pulley 82R rotates, the endless belt 83 runs left and right between the pulleys 82L, 82R. As a result, the carriage 72 reciprocates in the left and right direction X within the range between the right wall 12R and the left wall 12L of the housing 1 by the power generated by the CR motor 84. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72, a position off to the right of the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40 is defined as the capped position P1. The carriage 72 is capped by the cap 95A at the capped position P1.

[Internal configuration of housing 1]
3 to 5, two cartridge cases (hereinafter also referred to as "CTG cases") 91, four ink cartridges (hereinafter also referred to as "CTGs") 92, four ink level sensors 93, and four ink tubes 94 are located in the internal space 11. Note that in Figures 3 to 5, the ink tubes 94 are indicated by dashed lines.

[CTG Case 91]
The two CTG cases 91 house four CTGs 92. In the embodiment, the two CTG cases 91 are CTG cases 91L and 91R. In FIG. 3, each CTG case 91 is located in a range from immediately behind the front wall 12F to a position farther forward than the rail 81F and the recording unit 70 in the front-rear direction Y. Each CTG case 91 is located in a range from near the bottom wall 12A to near the top wall 12T in the up-down direction Z. The CTG case 91R is located to the right of the supply tray 21, the discharge tray 22, and the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. The right end position of the CTG case 91R is the same as the right end position of the movement range of the carriage 72, or is located closer to the left-right center than this.

In Figures 1 and 6, the CTG case 91R is a box having multiple inner walls 911. The multiple inner walls 911 include a bottom wall 911A, a top wall 911T, a rear wall 911B, a left wall 911L, a right wall 911R, and two partition walls 911P and 911Q.

The bottom wall 911A and the top wall 911T are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction Z and extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear wall 911B extends in the vertical and left-right directions and is connected to the rear ends of the bottom wall 911A and the top wall 911T. The left wall 911L and the right wall 911R are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction X and extend in the front-rear and up-down directions. The partition walls 911P, 911Q extend in the front-rear and up-down directions at roughly equal intervals between the left wall 911L and the right wall 911R. The CTG case 91R is divided into three internal spaces 912 by the inner walls 911. The front end of each internal space 912 is an opening facing forward. One CTG 92 (specifically, the CTG 92B described below) is attached and housed in each internal space 912 through the opening.

In FIG. 6, the CTG case 91R has one ink needle (hereinafter also simply referred to as "needle") 913 in each internal space 912. Each needle 913 extends forward from a position in the left-right center near the lower end of the rear wall 911B. The needle 913 is a long, thin tube, and has an ink flow path 913A. Note that FIG. 6(B) illustrates the rightmost internal space 912 of the three internal spaces 912.

In FIG. 3, the CTG case 91L has roughly the same configuration as the CTG case 91R, except for the following three differences. The first difference is that the CTG case 91L is located to the left of the supply tray 21, the discharge tray 22, and the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. The second difference is that the left end of the CTG case 91L is located at the same position as the left end of the movement range of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, or closer to the left-right center than the left end. The third difference is that one CTG 92 is attached and housed in the internal space 912.

In FIG. 1, covers 14 corresponding to each CTG case 91 are provided on the front wall 12F. The covers 14 are covers 14L and 14R. Cover 14L can be rotated by a user operation in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis 15L parallel to the left-right direction X between a first closed position (see FIG. 1(A)) that closes the opening of CTG case 91L and a first open position (see FIG. 1(B)) that opens the opening. Cover 14R can be rotated by a user operation in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis 15R parallel to the left-right direction X between a second closed position (see FIG. 1(A)) that closes the opening of CTG case 91R and a second open position (see FIG. 1(B)) that opens the opening.

[Remaining amount sensor 93]
In FIG. 6, the remaining amount sensor 93 is a photointerrupter having a light emitting element and a light receiving element. One remaining amount sensor 93 is attached to each internal space 912. In detail, the light emitting element and the light receiving element in each remaining amount sensor 93 protrude downward from near the upper end of the internal space 912. The light emitting element and the light receiving element of each remaining amount sensor 93 face each other with a gap between them. Each light emitting element emits light toward the opposing light receiving element. The light receiving element outputs a signal indicating the amount of received light to the controller 99A. In detail, when there is nothing blocking the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element, the light receiving element outputs a high level signal in response to receiving the light emitted by the light emitting element. When there is something blocking the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element and the light emitted by the light emitting element cannot be received, the light receiving element outputs a low level signal.

[CTG92 (example of ink storage section)]
1, the four CTGs 92 are an example of a plurality of ink storage sections, and store ink to be supplied to the recording unit 70. The ink colors are, for example, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the embodiment, the CTGs 92 for YMC colors are attached to a CTG case 91R, and the CTG 92 for K color is attached to a CTG case 91L. That is, the CTGs 92 for YMC colors and the CTG 92 for K color are located within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, on either side of the transport path 40.

In each of Figures 7 and 8, the CTG 92 is shown in the position in which it is attached to the CTG case 91. For convenience, the following explanation will focus on the CTG 92 in the attached position.

In FIG. 7, each CTG 92 has a plurality of outer walls 921, an ink storage chamber 922 (see FIG. 7(B)), an atmosphere communication hole 923, an ink outlet portion 924, and a detection portion 925.

The multiple outer walls 921 are made of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin, and separate the ink storage chamber 922 from the outside. The ink storage chamber 922 stores ink. The multiple outer walls 921 include a bottom wall 921A, a top wall 921T, a front wall 921F, a rear wall 921B, a left wall 921L, and a right wall 921R.

The bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction Z and extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. The front wall 921F extends in the vertical and left-right directions and is connected to the front ends of the bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T. The rear wall 921B extends in the vertical and left-right directions and is connected to the rear ends of the bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T. The left wall 921L and the right wall 921R extend in the front-rear and up-down directions and close the left and right sides of the ink storage chamber 922, respectively.

In FIG. 7B, the atmosphere communication hole 923 is a hole formed near the upper end of the rear wall 921B and penetrating the rear wall 921B from front to rear. When the CTG 92 is attached to the CTG case 91 and the ink in the ink storage chamber 922 is sent out to the outside of the CTG 92, outside air is introduced into the ink storage chamber 922 through the atmosphere communication hole 923.

The ink outlet portion 924 outlets ink from the ink storage chamber 922 to the outside of the CTG 91 through a hole 924A formed near the lower end of the rear wall 921B. In detail, in FIG. 7B, the ink outlet portion 924 has a valve 924B. The valve 924B is movable to a third open position (see FIG. 8) that opens the hole 924A, and a third closed position (see FIG. 7B) that closes the hole 924A. The valve 924B is biased in a direction that closes the hole 924A by a biasing member 924C such as a spring.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the CTG 92 is moved backward by the user through the corresponding opening of the internal space 912 and attached to the internal space 912. During this process, the needles 913 in the internal space 912 come into contact with the valves 924B. The needles 913 apply a forward force to the valve 924B in a direction opposite to the biasing force of the biasing member 924C. This causes the valve 924B to move from the third closed position (see FIG. 6B) to the third open position (see FIG. 8). As a result, the ink in the ink storage chamber 922 is discharged from the hole 924A to the outside of the CTG 92 in response to the ink being consumed by the recording unit 70.

In FIG. 3, the shapes and dimensions of the four CTGs 92 may be the same as or different from one another. Furthermore, the shape and dimensions of one or more of the four CTGs 92 may be different from the shape and dimensions of the other CTGs 92. For example, the left and right dimensions of the CTG 92 for K may be different from the left and right dimensions of the CTG 92 for YMC.

[Detected portion 925]
In FIG. 7, the detected portion 925 has a protrusion 925A, a detected member 925B, and a float 925C.

The convex portion 925A is integral with the upper wall 921T made of a light-transmitting material and protrudes upward from the upper wall 921T. A space that is continuous with the ink storage chamber 922 is formed in the convex portion 925A. In FIG. 8, the convex portion 925A is located between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element in the ink level sensor 93 when the CTG 92 is attached to the CTG case 91. In other words, the ink level sensor 93 is located above the ink storage chamber 922 of the CTG 92.

The detected member 925B is supported by a rotating shaft 925D extending in the left-right direction X at a position toward the bottom of the ink storage chamber 922. The upper end of the detected member 925B enters the space of the convex portion 925A. The detected member 925B can rotate in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 925D. The float 925C is attached to the lower end of the detected member 925B, and has a specific gravity smaller than that of the ink in the ink storage chamber 922. Therefore, the float 925C generates buoyancy when present in the ink in the ink storage chamber 922.

When the ink storage chamber 922 is almost filled with ink, the buoyancy of the float 925C causes the upper end of the detected member 925B to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 7B in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 925D, resulting in contact with the rear wall of the convex portion 925A. This maintains the position of the detected member 925B. In this state, the upper end of the detected member 925B blocks the optical path between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element in the remaining amount sensor 93.

As the ink level in the ink storage chamber 922 drops, the vertical position of the float 925C also drops. This causes the upper end of the detected member 925B to rotate clockwise in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 925D in FIG. 7B, and as a result, it moves out of the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element in the remaining amount sensor 93.

[Ink tube 94 (an example of an ink flow path)]
4 to 6, one end of each of the four ink tubes 94 is connected to the rear side of the four needles 913. The other ends of the four ink tubes 94 are connected to the recording unit 70. When the four CTGs 92 are attached to the two CTG cases 91, the four needles 913 are inserted into the holes 924A of the ink outlet portion 924. This forms an ink flow path that connects the ink storage chamber 922 of each CTG 92 to the hole 924A, the ink flow path 913A of the needle 913, and the ink tube 94. Ink stored in the ink storage chamber 922 is supplied to the recording unit 70 through this ink flow path.

4, one end of each of the three ink tubes 94 is connected to a connecting portion 914 (an example of a second connection position) provided at the rear of the three needles 913 (see FIG. 6B) of the CTG case 91R. Each of the three ink tubes 94 extends leftward from the connecting portion 914 toward the left-right center of the housing 1. The remaining ink tube 94 extends rightward from the connecting portion 914 provided at the rear of the needle 913 of the CTG case 91L toward the left-right center of the housing 1. The four ink tubes 94 are bundled together at a fixing position P2 (an example of a fixing portion) in the housing 1 and fixed to the housing 1. The front-rear position of the fixing position P2 is between the four CTGs 92 and the recording unit 70. The left-right position of the fixing position P2 is near the center of the housing 1. The vertical position of the fixing position P2 is above the supply tray 21. The portions of the four ink tubes 94 between the fixed position P2 and the recording unit 70 move in accordance with the movement of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X.

[Internal configuration of housing 1 (maintenance unit 95, etc.)]
5 and 9, a maintenance unit 95, a waste liquid unit 96, a waste liquid tube 97, and a waste liquid sensor 98 are located in the internal space 11.

The maintenance unit 95 is a purge mechanism that, under the control of the controller 99A, performs a purge to suck and remove air bubbles and foreign matter along with ink from the ejection ports 74 of the recording unit 70. The maintenance unit 95 has a cap 95A, a pump 95B, and a lifting mechanism 95C.

[Cap 95A]
The cap 95A is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the recording head 73 by a lifting mechanism 95C to cover the multiple ejection ports 74. An air intake 95D is formed in the bottom of the cap 95A. One end of an upstream tube 97A is connected to the air intake 95D.

The cap 95A is located within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, but is off to the right of the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40. That is, the cap 95A is located at a position that does not overlap with the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. The cap 95A is located below the capped position P1 (see FIG. 4) in the up-down direction Z. More specifically, the left end of the cap 95A is located to the right of the right end of the substrate 99. The cap 95A is located in approximately the same position as the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the front-rear direction Y, and is located below the carriage 72 in the up-down direction Z.

[Pump 95B]
In Fig. 5, the pump 95B is, for example, a rotary tube pump. The pump 95B is located within the moving range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, to the left of the CR motor 84 and to the right of the straight section 42. More specifically, the pump 95B is located between the cap 95A and the waste liquid unit 96. In other words, in the left-right direction X, the range occupied by the pump 95B is included in the range occupied by the space between the cap 95A and the waste liquid unit 96. More specifically, the right end of the pump 95B is located to the right of the left end of the cap 95A, and the left end of the pump 95B is located to the right of the right end of the waste liquid unit 96. In Fig. 9, the pump 95B is located below the rail 81F (see Fig. 4) in the up-down direction Z and above the bottom wall 911A of the CTG case 91. The pump 95B is located forward of the cap 95A and rearward of the CTG case 91 in the front-rear direction Y.

In FIG. 9, the pump 95B has an inlet 95E and an outlet 95F. The other end of the upstream tube 97A is connected to the inlet 95E. One end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to the outlet 95F. The pump 95B is connected to the cap 95A via the upstream tube 97A. The pump 95B is driven under the control of the controller 99A to push the ink inside from the outlet 95F to the downstream tube 97B.

[Lifting mechanism 95C]
9, the lifting mechanism 95C is provided at the same position as the cap 95A and within the movement range of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y. The lifting mechanism 95C is located below the cap 95A in the up-down direction Z.

The cap 95A is moved in the vertical direction Z between the cap position P3 and the separated position P4 below the cap position P3. The cap position P3 is a position where the upper end of the cap 95A is in close contact with the lower surface of the recording unit 70 at the capped position P1, and the cap 95A covers the ejection port 74. The separated position P4 is a position where the upper end of the cap 95A is separated from the lower surface of the recording unit 70 at the capped position P1. As the lifting mechanism 95C, for example, a mechanism that lifts the cap 95A to the cap position P3 by power from a motor after the carriage 72 moves to the capped position P1 (see FIG. 4) can be used. However, the lifting mechanism 95C is not limited to the above, and other known mechanisms may be used.

[Waste liquid unit 96]
In FIGS. 3 to 5, the waste liquid unit 96 stores the ink discharged from the recording unit 70 by the maintenance unit 95 .

The waste liquid unit 96 is located closer to the pump 95B than the CR motor 84 in the left-right direction X, and is located within a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of the substrate 99 described below. In Figs. 3 and 4, the waste liquid unit 96 is located within a range from immediately behind the front wall 12F to the front end of the rail 81F in the front-rear direction Y. In other words, the waste liquid unit 96 is located forward of the recording unit 70 (see Fig. 3) and the maintenance unit 95 (see Fig. 5). As shown in Fig. 4, the rear end of the waste liquid unit 96 is located rearward of the rear ends of each CTG 92. As shown in Fig. 10(A), the waste liquid unit 96 is located within a range between the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40 and the upper wall 12T in the up-down direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 10(A), the waste liquid unit 96 is located above the transport path 40. In detail, in the left-right direction X, the right end of the waste liquid unit 96 is roughly at the same position as the right end of the transport path 40, and the left end of the waste liquid unit 96 is located to the right of the left end of the transport path 40. In other words, in the left-right direction X, the area occupied by the waste liquid unit 96 is included within that of the transport path 40. The right end of the waste liquid unit 96 may be located to the left of the right end of the transport path 40.

In FIG. 4, the waste liquid unit 96 has a case 96A that is roughly rectangular in plan view, and an ink absorbing member 96B attached inside the case 96A. The case 96A is a box made of resin or the like, and is open at the top. The ink absorbing member 96B is made of a porous, electrically insulating material, such as polyurethane foam, and absorbs ink.

[Waste tube 97]
In FIG. 9, the waste liquid tube 97 includes an upstream tube 97A and a downstream tube 97B (an example of a waste liquid flow path). One end and the other end of the upstream tube 97A are connected to the intake port 95D of the cap 95A and the intake port 95E of the pump 95B, respectively. The downstream tube 97B connects the pump 95B and the waste liquid unit 96 so that the waste liquid can flow between them. Specifically, one end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to the discharge port 95F of the pump 95B. The other end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to a connecting portion 96C (an example of a first connecting position) provided at the rear end of the case 96A. In FIG. 5, the connecting portion 96C is located between the three CTGs 92 attached to the CTG case 91R and the fixed position P2 in the left-right direction X. In the front-rear direction Y, the fixed position P2 is located forward of the connecting portion 96C.

As shown in FIG. 5, the downstream tube 97B intersects three-dimensionally in the up-down direction 7 with the ink tube 94 extending from the CTG case 91R at a three-dimensional intersection position P5. The three-dimensional intersection position P5 is slightly rearward of the connecting portion 96C in the front-rear direction Y, and is a position between the connecting portion 96C and the left ends of the three CTGs 92 attached to the CTG case 91R in the left-right direction X.

"Overview of operation of maintenance unit 95"
When the time to perform purging arrives, the CR transport mechanism 80 moves the carriage 72 to the capped position P1. The lift mechanism 95C moves the cap 95A to the capped position P3. As a result, the cap 95A covers the ejection port 74 of the recording head 73. After that, the pump 95B is driven, and the air pressure inside the cap 95A that is in close contact with the recording unit 70 decreases. That is, the pump 95B applies pressure to discharge ink from the ejection port 74 of the recording head 73. The ink is discharged from the recording unit 70 to the cap 95A as waste liquid. The waste liquid flows from the intake port 95D of the cap 95A into the upstream tube 97A, and flows from the pump 95B through the downstream tube 97B into the waste liquid unit 96. The waste liquid is stored in the waste liquid unit 96.

[Waste Liquid Sensor 98]
3, the waste liquid sensor 98 has a plurality of electrodes 98A that contact the front end of the ink absorbing member 96B from above the ink absorbing member 96B. The front end conceptually includes the front end and the vicinity of the front end of the ink absorbing member 96B. Like the waste liquid unit 96, the waste liquid sensor 98 is located in the range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of a substrate 99 (described later) in the left-right direction X.

The multiple electrodes 98A are mounted on a substrate 98B together with peripheral circuits (not shown). The waste liquid sensor 98 outputs a high-level signal to the controller 99A in response to ink reaching the multiple electrodes 98A. If ink has not reached the multiple electrodes 98A, the waste liquid sensor 98 outputs a low-level signal to the controller 99A.

[Substrate 99]
3 to 5, a substrate 99 is located in the internal space 11. A controller 99A for controlling each component of the printer 100 is mounted on the substrate 99. The controller 99A includes various electronic components such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, ASIC, and connectors. The various electronic components are connected to each other by an internal bus, wiring formed on the substrate, etc.

The substrate 99 is located in the range from the left end of the waste liquid unit 96 to the right end of the CTG case 91L in the left-right direction X. The substrate 99 is located in the range from just behind the front wall 12F to the fixed position P2 in the front-rear direction Y. The substrate 99 is located in the range between the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40 and the upper wall 12T in the up-down direction Z. That is, the substrate 99 is located above the transport path 40.

The controller 99A receives the output signal of the remaining amount sensor 93 and the output signal of the waste liquid sensor 98. In response to the output signal of the remaining amount sensor 93 transitioning from a low level to a high level, the controller 99A causes the display to display a screen that prompts the user to replace the corresponding CTG 92. In addition, in response to the output signal of the waste liquid sensor 98 transitioning from a low level to a high level, the controller 99A causes the display to display a screen that prompts the user to replace the waste liquid unit 96.

[Effects of the embodiment]
In the case of a printer (hereinafter also referred to as a "reference example") in which the waste liquid unit is located outside the transport path in the left-right direction or the pump is completely removed from the space between the cap and the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction, the left-right dimension becomes large. In the embodiment, the waste liquid unit 96 is located above the transport path 40 (see FIG. 10A). In detail, the range occupied by the waste liquid unit 96 in the left-right direction X is included in that of the transport path 40. In addition, the pump 95B is located between the cap 95A and the waste liquid unit 96 in the left-right direction X (see FIG. 5). In other words, the range occupied by the pump 95B in the left-right direction X is included in the range occupied by the space between the cap 95A and the waste liquid unit 96. With these configurations, the left-right dimension of the printer 100 can be made smaller than that of the reference example.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the multiple CTGs 92 are located within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, separated on both sides of the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. This allows the left-right dimensions of the printer 100 to be made smaller than when at least one CTG is outside the movement range of the carriage in the left-right direction or is located on one side of the transport path in the left-right direction.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the internal space 11 is provided with four CTGs 92, four ink tubes 94, a pump 95B, a waste liquid unit 96, and a downstream tube 97B. The four ink tubes 94 are fixed to the housing 1 at a fixed position P2 between the CTGs 92 to which they are connected and the recording head 73. The portions of the four ink tubes 94 that extend from the fixed position P2 to the recording head 73 move in accordance with the movement of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X. The pump 95B and the waste liquid unit 96 are located close to each other in the left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y in the internal space 11. The downstream tube 97B crosses three-dimensionally with the three ink tubes 94 between the CTG 92 attached to the CTG 91R and the fixed position P2. This allows the downstream tube 97B to be shortened.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the fixing position P2 is located forward of the connecting portion 96C. Also, the rear end of the waste liquid unit 96 is located rearward of the rear ends of the CTGs 92 in the CTG cases 91 in the internal space 11. This allows the downstream tube 97B to be even shorter.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the waste liquid unit 96 is disposed in the internal space 11 closer to the pump 95B than the CR motor 84 in the left-right direction X. The endless belt 83 is also positioned above the pump 95B. The waste liquid unit 96 is positioned closer to the pump 95B in the front-rear direction Y. This allows the downstream tube 97B to be shortened, and pressure loss due to the downstream tube 97B can be suppressed.

[Modification]
In Fig. 4, fixing position P2 is provided rearward of each connecting portion 914 in the front-rear direction Y. However, this is not limited thereto, and fixing position P2 may be provided forward of each connecting portion 914 as shown in Fig. 10(B). This allows the size of printer 100 to be reduced in the front-rear direction Y. In this modified example, fixing position P2 may be provided forward or rearward of connecting portion 96C.

In the embodiment, the planar shape of the waste liquid unit 96 is a rectangle that is long in the front-rear direction Y (see FIG. 4). However, the planar shape of the waste liquid unit 96 is not limited to this, and may be an irregular shape such as an inverted L shape as shown in FIG. 11(A) or an inverted T shape as shown in FIG. 11(B).

The waste liquid unit 96 of FIG. 11(A) differs from the waste liquid unit 96 of FIG. 4 in the following respects. The case 96A has a first part 96D and a second part 96E. The first part 96D has a rectangular shape extending long in the left-right direction X in a plan view. In detail, the first part 96D occupies a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to a position between the left and right ends of the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. The first part 96D occupies a range from the rear end of the substrate 99 to the fixed position P2 in the front-rear direction Y. The second part 96E has a rectangular shape extending long in the front-rear direction Y in a plan view. The second part 96E occupies a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. The second part 96E occupies a range from the front end of the first part 96D to a position immediately behind the front wall 12F in the front-rear direction Y. The right end positions of the first portion 96D and the second portion 96E are the same.

The waste liquid unit 96 of FIG. 11B differs from the waste liquid unit 96 of FIG. 4 in the following respects. The case 96A has a first part 96D and a second part 96E. The first part 96D has a rectangular shape extending long in the left-right direction X in a plan view. In detail, the first part 96D occupies a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to a position between the left and right ends of the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. The first part 96D occupies a range from the rear end of the substrate 99 to the fixed position P2 in the front-rear direction Y. The second part 96E has a rectangular shape extending long in the front-rear direction Y in a plan view. The second part 96E occupies a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. The second part 96E occupies a range from the front end of the first part 96D to a position immediately behind the front wall 12F in the front-rear direction Y. The right end of the second portion 96E is located to the left of the right end of the first portion 96D.

In the waste liquid unit 96 in Figures 11(A) and 11(B), the ink absorbing member 96B has a shape that fits into each case 96A.

The waste liquid unit 96 in Figures 11(A) and 11(B) allows for effective use of the space within the housing 1, allowing more waste liquid to be stored.

In the embodiment, two CTG cases 91L, 91R are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the supply tray 21 in the internal space 11. However, this is not limited to the above, and a single CTG case 91 may be arranged on one side of the supply tray 21 in the left-right direction X. If the printer 100 is capable of full-color printing, the single CTG case 91 can accommodate four CTGs 92. Also, if the printer 100 is capable of only monochrome printing, the single CTG case 91 only needs to be capable of accommodating one CTG 92.

In the embodiment, the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 are each located to the right of the substrate 99. However, this is not limited thereto, and the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 may each be located to the left of the substrate 99.

In the embodiment, each remaining amount sensor 93 and waste liquid sensor 98 are located above each CTG 92 and waste liquid unit 96. However, this is not limited to the above, and each remaining amount sensor 93 or waste liquid sensor 98 may be located other than above (for example, in front of) each CTG 92 or waste liquid unit 96.

In the embodiment, the waste liquid unit 96 is connected to the pump 95B constituting the purge mechanism by the downstream tube 97B. However, the waste liquid unit 96 may also be connected to an ink receiver used for so-called flushing by a separate waste liquid tube.

In the embodiment, the CTG 92 that is detachable from the CTG case 91 is given as an example of the ink storage unit. However, this is not limited thereto, and the ink storage unit may be an ink tank that is installed inside the housing 1.

In the embodiment, the remaining amount sensor 93 detects the position of the detection target 925 having the float 925C using a photointerrupter. However, this is not limited to this, and a known liquid level sensor can be used as the remaining amount sensor 93.

In the embodiment, the conveying path 40 has a curved portion 41 that extends upward from below the internal space 11 while bulging backward, and a straight portion 42 that extends forward from the downstream end of the curved portion 41. However, this is not limited thereto, and the conveying path 40 may have a curved portion that extends upward from below the internal space 11 while bulging to the right, and a straight portion that extends left from the downstream end of the curved portion.

In the embodiment, both left and right ends of the waste liquid unit 96 are located inside both left and right ends of the transport path 40. However, this is not limited to the above, and one of the left and right ends of the waste liquid unit 96 may be located outside one of the left and right ends of the transport path 40.

In the embodiment, the maintenance unit 95 is configured to perform suction purge, which ejects ink in the recording unit 70 from the ejection port 74 to the cap 75A and guides it to the waste liquid unit 96. However, this is not limited to the above, and the maintenance unit 95 may be configured to perform exhaust purge. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the recording unit 70 is formed with an exhaust flow path 76 branched off from the ink flow path 75. The exhaust flow path 76 is an exhaust port 77 (another example of an ejection port) on the lower surface of the recording unit 70. The recording unit 70 is provided with an exhaust valve 78 that opens and closes the exhaust port 77. In FIG. 12, the maintenance unit 95 has an exhaust cap 95J that covers the exhaust port 77 in addition to the cap 95A. An exhaust port 95K is formed at the bottom of the exhaust cap 95J. One end of an exhaust tube 97C is connected to the exhaust port 95K. The other end of the exhaust tube 97C merges with the upstream tube 97A.

100: Printer 1: Housing 11: Internal space 40: Transport path 70: Recording unit 72: Carriage 73: Recording head 74: Discharge port 91: Cartridge case (CTG case)
92...Ink cartridge (CTG)
93: remaining amount sensor 94: ink tube 95: maintenance unit 96: waste liquid unit 97: waste liquid tube 98: waste liquid sensor 99: substrate 99A: controller

Claims (6)

The device includes a housing having an internal space,
In the internal space of the housing,
a recording head having an ink ejection port;
a sheet transport path, at least a portion of which extends along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction;
a carriage that carries the recording head and moves in the left-right direction;
a cap that covers the ejection openings of the recording head and is located within a moving range of the carriage in the left-right direction and does not overlap with the transport path;
a pump that applies pressure to discharge ink from the ejection openings of the recording head;
a waste liquid unit that stores ink discharged into the cap;
an ink reservoir for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head;
an ink flow path that connects the ink reservoir and the recording head so that ink can flow between them;
a waste liquid flow path that connects the pump and the waste liquid unit so that ink can flow between them;
the waste liquid unit is located above the transport path in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and is located forward of the recording head in the front-rear direction;
an area occupied by the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction is included in an area occupied by the transport path,
the pump is located forward of the cap in the front-rear direction and between the cap and the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction;
the ink flow path is fixed to a fixed portion of the housing between the ink storage portion and the recording head, and a portion of the ink flow path from the fixed portion to the recording head moves in accordance with the movement of the carriage;
a first connection position of the waste liquid flow path with the waste liquid unit is located between the ink storage portion and the fixed portion in the left- right direction;
The inkjet recording device, wherein the waste liquid flow path intersects with a portion of the ink flow path that is connected to the ink storage portion and the fixed portion when viewed along the up-down direction. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed portion is located forward of at least one of the first connection position and a second connection position between the ink flow path and the ink reservoir portion. 3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a rear end of the waste liquid unit is located rearward of a rear end of the ink storage section in the front -rear direction. The device includes a housing having an internal space,
In the internal space of the housing,
a recording head having an ink ejection port;
a sheet transport path, at least a portion of which extends along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction;
a carriage that carries the recording head and moves in the left-right direction;
a cap that covers the ejection openings of the recording head and is located within a moving range of the carriage in the left-right direction and does not overlap with the transport path;
a pump that applies pressure to discharge ink from the ejection openings of the recording head;
a waste liquid unit that stores ink discharged into the cap;
a motor that generates power for moving the carriage ;
the waste liquid unit is located above the transport path in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and is located forward of the recording head in the front-rear direction;
an area occupied by the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction is included in an area occupied by the transport path,
the pump is located forward of the cap in the front-rear direction and between the cap and the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction;
the motor is located forward of the cap in the front-rear direction,
The inkjet recording apparatus, wherein the waste liquid unit is closer to the pump than the motor is to the left and right. a belt transmission unit that transmits the power generated by the motor to the carriage;
The belt of the belt transmission unit extends along the left-right direction,
5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the belt and the pump overlap each other in areas in the front-rear direction and in the left-right direction. The device includes a housing having an internal space,
In the internal space of the housing,
a recording head having an ink ejection port;
a sheet transport path, at least a portion of which extends along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction;
a carriage that carries the recording head and moves in the left-right direction;
a cap that covers the ejection openings of the recording head and is located within a moving range of the carriage in the left-right direction and does not overlap with the transport path;
a pump that applies pressure to discharge ink from the ejection openings of the recording head;
a waste liquid unit that stores the ink discharged from the cap,
the waste liquid unit is located above the transport path in a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and is located forward of the recording head in the front-rear direction;
an area occupied by the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction is included in an area occupied by the transport path,
the pump is located forward of the cap in the front-rear direction and between the cap and the waste liquid unit in the left-right direction;
The waste liquid unit is
A first portion extending along the left-right direction;
a second portion extending forward from the first portion along the front-rear direction.