JP2009072966A - Fluid storing tank and fluid jetting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid storing tank capable of preventing a user from touching the inside of a tank, and a fluid jetting apparatus thereof. <P>SOLUTION: As an absorbing member is provided in the tank for storing a waste fluid of the fluid jetting apparatus, and at least a part of a region exposed outside of the absorbing member exhibits a first color close to a color exhibited under a condition that the fluid is absorbed, it is possible to give a user such an impression that the waste fluid sticks at least a part of the absorbing member on appearance. It is possible thereby to prevent the user from touching the inside of the tank. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid storage tank and a fluid ejection device.

  As a fluid ejecting apparatus that ejects a fluid, for example, an ink jet recording apparatus is known. As one of the ink jet recording apparatuses, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a large ink jet printer capable of recording on a relatively large recording paper (for example, JIS standard A1 size, B1 size, etc.) A large format printer (LFP) is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The LFP has a configuration in which a paper feeding unit that supplies recording paper, a recording unit that records an image or the like on the recording paper, and a paper discharge unit that discharges the recording paper on which an image is recorded are arranged in this order. . A recording head that reciprocates in the main scanning direction with respect to the recording paper is provided inside the recording unit. An ink cartridge holder in which an ink cartridge for storing ink supplied to the recording head is inserted and removed is installed in the vicinity of the recording unit. There is also a waste liquid recovery unit that recovers waste liquid such as ink used when initially filling the ink supply system leading to the recording head or cleaning liquid used when cleaning the ink supply system leading to the recording head. Yes.

The waste liquid recovery section is provided with a waste liquid recovery tank that can be attached to and detached from the LFP main body, and the waste liquid recovery tank can be replaced whenever a certain amount of waste liquid accumulates. An absorption member that absorbs the waste liquid is accommodated in the waste liquid recovery tank so that the user can visually recognize the absorption member in the waste liquid recovery tank.
JP 2003-266747 A

  However, in the above configuration, there is a possibility that the user may touch the absorbing member when replacing the waste liquid recovery tank. Since the waste liquid may contain ink, the user's hand is stained with ink.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid storage tank and a fluid ejection device that can prevent a user from touching the inside of the tank.

  In order to achieve the above object, a fluid storage tank according to the present invention is a fluid storage tank that receives and stores a waste fluid including a fluid ejected from a fluid ejecting head, and a container having an opening on an upper surface thereof. And an absorbing member that absorbs and stores the waste fluid so that the portion is exposed from the opening, and at least a part of a region of the absorbing member that is exposed to the outside from the opening is The color tone is the same as or similar to that of the waste fluid.

  According to the present invention, it is provided with a container having an opening on the upper surface, and an absorbing member that is accommodated in the container so as to be partially exposed from the opening and absorbs and stores the waste fluid. Since at least a part of the area exposed to the outside has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid, the user has an impression that the waste fluid is attached to at least a part of the absorbent member in appearance. Can be given to. Thereby, it can suppress that a user touches the absorption member in a container.

The fluid storage tank is characterized in that substantially the entire surface of the absorbing member exposed to the outside through the opening has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid.
According to the present invention, since almost the entire surface of the absorbent member exposed to the outside has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid, the waste fluid adheres to the entire surface of the absorbent member in appearance. It is possible to give the user an impression as if he / she is. Thereby, the effect which suppresses that a user touches the inside of a tank further increases.

In the fluid storage tank, a region of the absorbing member that is exposed to the outside from the opening and that receives the waste fluid has a color tone that is the same as or approximate to the waste fluid. Features.
For example, when the fluid storage tank is replaced, a region that receives the waste fluid in the absorbing member directly receives the waste fluid, so that the waste fluid adheres and exhibits the color tone of the waste fluid. Therefore, according to the present invention, the region other than the region that receives the waste fluid in the absorbing member has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid, so that the waste fluid adheres to the entire surface of the absorbing member in appearance when the fluid storage tank is replaced. It is possible to give the user an impression as if he / she is.

The fluid storage tank is characterized in that the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid is a color tone mainly of black.
According to the present invention, the color tone that is the same as or similar to that of the waste fluid is mainly the color tone of black, so that the portion that has been white in the past is now black in contrast to the conventional one. This further increases the effect of preventing the tank from touching the tank.

  The fluid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention is a fluid ejecting apparatus in which a fluid containing tank that contains a waste fluid containing fluid ejected from a fluid ejecting head is detachably provided on the apparatus main body, and the fluid containing tank includes: The fluid storage tank is used.

  According to the present invention, in a fluid ejecting apparatus in which a fluid accommodating tank that accommodates a waste fluid including a fluid ejected from a fluid ejecting head is detachably provided in the apparatus main body, a user touches the inside of the tank as a fluid accommodating tank. Therefore, a fluid ejecting apparatus that can be used without the user's hands getting dirty can be obtained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the front side of the printer 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the back surface of the printer 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 1 is an inkjet large format printer (LFP) that records on a relatively large size recording paper such as JIS standard A1 size or JIS standard B1 size. The apparatus main body 2) and the leg 3 are provided. The printer 1 has a leg 3 that is detachably fixed to a printer body 2.

The printer main body 2 includes a paper feed unit 10, a recording unit 20, and a paper discharge unit 30.
The paper feeding unit 10 is provided on the upper part of the recording unit 20 and is provided so as to protrude to the back side. The paper supply unit 10 is provided with a roll paper holder 11 and a roll paper cover 12.

  The roll paper holder 11 is a part on which one roll-shaped recording paper (hereinafter referred to as roll paper) is installed, and is provided inside the paper supply unit 10. The roll paper holder 11 includes a spindle unit 13 and spindle receiving units 14 and 15. The spindle portion 13 is a shaft member that holds the roll paper, and extends in the left-right direction in the drawing. The spindle unit 13 is provided with a roll paper pressing unit, and the roll paper held on the spindle unit 13 can be fixed from both sides so that the position of the roll paper does not shift. The spindle receiving portions 14 and 15 are bearing portions that support the spindle portion 13 in a rotatable manner.

  The roll paper cover 12 is a flip-up cover member that can be opened and closed, and is attached to the outside of the paper feed unit 10. The entire roll paper cover 12 is rotatably supported. The user can hold the roll paper cover 12 and lift it to open it, and push it down to close it. In FIG. 1, the roll paper cover 12 is open. The roll paper cover 12 covers the roll paper holder 11 in a closed state.

  The recording unit 20 includes a carriage 21, a carriage moving mechanism 22, a flexible flat cable (FFC) 23, an ink cartridge holder 24, an ink tube 25, a lid member 26, an operation panel 27, and a capping mechanism 28 (see FIG. 2) and a waste liquid recovery unit 29 (see FIG. 2), and in addition, for example, a control unit 100 (see FIG. 3), a paper feed roller (not shown), and the like.

  The carriage 21 is a holding member that holds the recording head 21 a and can be moved in the main scanning direction by the carriage moving mechanism 22. The recording head 21a includes a black ink recording head that ejects black ink, and a plurality of color ink recording heads that eject ink of each color such as light yellow, yellow, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, and magenta. Yes. The recording head 21a has a pressure generation chamber and a nozzle opening connected to the pressure generation chamber. Ink is stored in the pressure generation chamber, and ink droplets are ejected from the nozzle opening toward the roll paper by pressurizing the pressure generation chamber with a predetermined pressure in a state where the ink is stored. It has become. The operation of ejecting ink by the recording head 21a is controlled by the control unit 100, for example.

  The carriage moving mechanism 22 includes a rail 22a and a carriage belt 22b. A carriage 21 is suspended from a rail 22a via a roller (not shown), and the carriage 21 is movable in the main scanning direction via the roller. A carriage 21 is connected to the carriage belt 22b so that the carriage 21 moves in the main scanning direction. As the carriage belt 22b moves in the main scanning direction, the carriage 21 is guided by the rail 22a and reciprocates in the main scanning direction. The movement of the carriage belt 22b is controlled by the control unit 100, for example.

  The FFC 23 is a cable that electrically connects the recording head 21a and the control unit 100, one end of which is connected to the connector of the recording head 21a and the other end is connected to the connector of the control unit 100. It is configured. A recording signal from the control unit 100 is transmitted to the recording head 21a via the FFC 23.

  The ink cartridge holder 24 has an ink cartridge (not shown) inside. The ink cartridge is a cartridge that holds ink of each color (black, light yellow, yellow, light cyan, cyan, light magenta, magenta, etc.) ejected from the recording head 21a.

  The ink tube 25 is a tube member that connects the recording head 21a and the ink cartridge, and is provided separately for each color. An ink pressure supply mechanism (not shown) is connected to the ink tube 25, and each color ink pressurized by the ink pressure supply mechanism is sent from the ink cartridge of each color to the recording head 21a. Yes. The operation of the ink pressure supply mechanism is controlled by the control unit 100, for example.

  The lid member 26 has a front lid 26a and an upper lid 26b. The front lid 26a is provided in front of the recording unit 20, and covers the carriage 21, the carriage moving mechanism 22, the ink tube 25, and the like. The front lid 26a is configured to be opened when the user pushes it down and closed when pushed up. In FIG. 1, the front lid 26a is in an open state. The upper lid 26b is provided on the upper part of the recording unit 20, and covers a paper feed roller (not shown). The upper lid 26b is configured to open when the user pushes it up and closes when the user pushes it down. In FIG. 1, the upper lid 26b is in a closed state.

  The operation panel 27 is an operation unit for the user to operate the printer 1, and is provided on the right side of the upper cover 26b of the recording unit 20 in the drawing. The operation panel 27 is provided with a display screen 27a made up of, for example, a liquid crystal device and various buttons (not shown) so that the user can operate the buttons while checking the display screen. The display screen 27a of the operation panel 27 may be configured by a touch panel. The drive control of the operation panel 27 is performed by the control unit 100, for example. On the display screen 27a of the operation panel 27, for example, information related to the printing operation, information related to ink replacement, information related to the amount of ink supplied to the waste liquid recovery unit 29, and the like are displayed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the capping mechanism 28 is a maintenance mechanism for preventing the ink viscosity in the vicinity of the nozzle openings of the recording head 21a from increasing. A suction mechanism is attached to the capping mechanism 28 so that ink attached to the nozzle opening can be sucked. The suction operation by the capping mechanism 28 is controlled by the control unit 100, for example.

  The waste liquid recovery unit 29 is, for example, ink sucked by the capping mechanism 28, ink used when initially filling the recording head 21a, cleaning liquid used when cleaning the ink supply system reaching the recording head 21a, and the like. This is the part where the waste liquid is supplied. As shown in FIG. 2, the waste liquid recovery unit 29 is provided on the back side of the printer main body 2 and below the capping mechanism 28, and a waste liquid tank 60 is detachably attached to the waste liquid recovery unit 29. . The waste liquid tank 60 can be taken in and out through the inlet / outlet 29p of the waste liquid recovery part 29.

  The paper discharge unit 30 is provided below the recording unit 20, and includes a paper discharge roller 31a and a paper discharge guide 31b. The paper discharge roller 31a is provided so as to be able to contact the roll paper, and the roll paper is sent out in the sub-scanning direction (a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction) via the paper discharge roller 31a. The paper discharge guide 31b is provided so as to protrude to the front side of the recording unit 20, and the roll paper is guided in the sub-scanning direction via the paper discharge guide 31b.

  The leg portion 3 includes two support columns 42 each having a moving roller 41, and a reinforcing bar 43 spanned between the support columns 42. The recording unit 20 is fixed to the upper portion of the support column 42 with screws. A predetermined space is provided between the support pillars 42 so that a paper receiving device that receives the roll paper discharged from the paper discharge unit 30 is disposed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of the printer 1.
As shown in the figure, a sheet conveyance path 50 from the sheet feeding unit 10 to the sheet discharge unit 30 through the recording unit 20 is provided so as to be inclined from the upper rear surface side to the lower front surface side of the printer 1. The sheet conveying path 50 is mounted on a flat sheet feeding guide 51 disposed from the sheet feeding unit 10 to the recording unit 20, a contact / separable sheet feeding roller 52 and a driven roller 53 disposed opposite to each other, and the carriage 21. A platen 54 which is a flat sheet conveyance guide unit disposed opposite to the recording head 21a, a flat sheet suction unit 55 provided from the recording unit 20 to the sheet discharge unit 30, and a sheet discharge guide provided in the sheet discharge unit 30. 31b.

  Each surface of the paper feed guide 51 and the paper discharge guide 31b functions as a paper transport surface. The surface of the paper suction unit 55 functions as a paper transport surface and a paper suction surface. The paper suction unit 55 includes a plurality of suction ports (medium suction units) 55a, 55b, and 55c arranged in parallel in the main scanning direction and arranged in three rows in the sub scanning direction. A rib 55d extending in the sub-scanning direction is formed between the suction ports 55b and 55c in the main scanning direction. The outside air is sucked from the suction ports 55a, 55b, and 55c by the fan 57 provided inside the recording unit 20, so that the roll paper conveyed on the paper suction unit 55 is sucked.

  The surface of the platen 54 functions as a sheet conveyance guide surface and also as a sheet suction surface. The platen 54 includes a plurality of suction ports 54a and ribs 54b alternately arranged in the main scanning direction, and outside air is sucked from the suction ports 54a by a fan 57 disposed inside the recording unit 20. Thus, the roll paper conveyed on the platen 54 is adsorbed. Accordingly, even when the width of the roll paper is particularly wide at the time of recording, the roll paper is reliably sucked over the entire width on the platen 54 and becomes substantially flat.

  A gap C is provided between the platen 54 and the suction portion 55, and outside air is sucked from the gap C by the fan 57, and the roll paper conveyed on the gap C is sucked. The platen 54 is divided in accordance with the size in the width direction of the roll paper, for example, divided into seven pieces having a width of 4 inches, and an ink absorbing material 56 such as sponge or nonwoven fabric is provided in each divided portion. .

FIG. 4 is a view showing an appearance of the waste liquid tank 60.
The waste liquid tank 60 is a unit that stores the waste liquid supplied to the waste liquid recovery unit 29, and includes a container 61 and a waste liquid absorber 62.

  The container 61 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a material such as hard plastic, for example, and is provided so as to be detachable from the waste liquid collection unit 29. A concave gripping portion 64 for gripping the waste liquid tank 60 is formed in the lower portion of the front surface 61 b of the container 61. On the side surface 61c of the container 61, a CSIC 65 that stores information such as the amount of waste liquid stored is provided.

  A lid member 66 is provided in the opening 61 a of the container 61. The lid member 66 is detachably attached to the container 61. While covering the front 61b side of the container 61, it is provided in a grid pattern on the back surface 61d side of the container 61. The inside of the container 61 is visible from between the lattices of the lid member 66. The lid member 66 is formed with a cylindrical waste liquid inlet 63 through which the waste liquid flows into the waste liquid tank 60. The waste liquid inlet 63 is disposed at the center of gravity of the waste liquid tank 60 in plan view, and is formed so that the cylindrical surface protrudes upward. By the waste liquid inlet 63, bubbles are scraped into the cylinder during the operation of extracting the waste liquid tank 60.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the waste liquid tank 60, and shows a state when the lid member 66 is removed in FIG.
A waste liquid absorber 62 is provided in the container 61. The waste liquid absorbing material 62 is made of, for example, a pulp material such as a pigeon sheet, a sponge, a nonwoven fabric, and the like, and is provided by being divided into a plurality of parts in the short direction of the container 61. By supplying the waste liquid to the waste liquid recovery unit 29 with the waste liquid tank 60 attached, the waste liquid is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbent 62, and the waste liquid tank 60 in which the waste liquid is absorbed by the waste liquid absorbent 62 is discarded. The waste liquid is recovered by being removed from the recovery unit 29.

  A concave stepped portion 62b is provided along the short direction at a position of the waste liquid absorbing material 62 that overlaps the waste liquid inlet 63 in plan view with the lid member 66 attached. The stepped portion 62b is a portion to which the waste liquid from the waste liquid inlet 63 is directly supplied, and the waste liquid in the form of bubbles accumulates. By accommodating the foam-like waste liquid in the concave stepped portion 62 b, the waste liquid can be prevented from overflowing to the outside of the container 61. The surfaces of the upper surface 62a and the stepped portion 62b of the waste liquid absorber 62 are colored so that almost the entire surface has the same or similar color tone as the waste liquid. The color tone is generally composed of hue, brightness, and saturation. As a color tone that is the same as or close to that of the waste liquid, for example, black that is close to the hue, lightness, and saturation exhibited when the waste liquid is absorbed is preferable. In addition to black, any color other than black may be used as long as it has a hue, brightness, and saturation that is the same as or similar to those of the waste liquid.

Next, the operation of the printer 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the spindle unit 13 into which the roll paper R is inserted is attached to the spindle receiving units 14 and 15, the leading end of the roll paper R is drawn downward and passed through the conveyance path of the recording unit 20, and as shown in FIG. Pass through the conveyance path of the unit 30.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, 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 (not shown) formed on the paper discharge guide 46, for example. After that, the printer 1 is activated, and ink droplets are ejected while the recording head 21a is moved in the main scanning direction while feeding the roll paper R in the sub-scanning direction, and predetermined information is recorded on the roll paper R and discharged. Make paper.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the container 61 having the opening 61a and the waste liquid absorber 62 that is accommodated in the container 61 so as to be partially exposed from the opening 61a and absorbs and stores the waste liquid. In the waste liquid absorbent 62, at least a part of the region exposed to the outside from the opening 61a has the same or similar color tone as the waste liquid. An impression can be given to the user as if the waste liquid has adhered. Thereby, it can suppress that a user touches the waste-liquid absorber 62 in the container 61. FIG.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the above embodiment, the entire surface of the upper surface 62a and the stepped portion 62b of the waste liquid absorbent 62 is configured to be black, but is not limited to this, for example, as shown in FIG. Only the region 62c of the waste liquid absorbing material 62 that can be visually recognized when the lid member 66 is attached may be colored black. For example, since the region 62d on the front surface 61b side of the waste liquid tank 60 is covered when the lid member 66 is attached, the region 62d may not be colored.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, only the region 62 e outside the waste liquid inlet 63 in a plan view when the lid member 66 is mounted in the waste liquid absorbing material 62 may be colored black. In this case, the region 62f surrounded by the waste liquid inlet 63 is configured not to be colored black. Since the waste liquid is directly supplied to the region 62f of the waste liquid absorbent 62, the waste liquid is colored by the waste liquid. Therefore, at the time of replacement of the waste liquid tank 60, it is possible to give the user an impression that the waste liquid adheres to the entire surface of the waste liquid absorbent 62 in appearance. For the same reason, the upper surface 62a of the waste liquid absorbing material 62 may be colored in black and the surface of the stepped portion 62b to which the waste liquid is directly supplied may not be colored.

1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a front configuration of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of a back surface of the printer. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a cross-sectional configuration of the printer. The schematic perspective view which shows the structure of a waste liquid tank. The schematic perspective view which shows the internal structure of a waste liquid tank. The top view which shows the structure of a waste liquid tank. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a printer. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a printer. The side view which shows the other structure of a waste liquid tank. The side view which shows the other structure of a waste liquid tank.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer (fluid ejecting apparatus) 2 ... Printer main body (apparatus main body) 21a ... Head (fluid ejecting head) 60 ... Waste liquid tank (fluid storage tank) 61 ... Container 61a ... Opening (opening) 62 ... Waste liquid absorbing material (absorption) Member) 62a ... upper surface 62b ... stepped portion 62c, 62d, 62e, 62f ... area 63 ... waste liquid inlet 66 ... lid member

Claims (5)

A fluid storage tank for receiving and storing waste fluid including fluid ejected from a fluid ejection head,
A container having an opening on the top surface;
An absorbing member that is housed in the container so that a portion is exposed from the opening, and absorbs and stores the waste fluid;
With
At least a part of a region of the absorbing member exposed to the outside from the opening has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid. 2. The fluid storage tank according to claim 1, wherein substantially the entire surface of the absorbing member exposed to the outside from the opening has a color tone that is the same as or similar to the waste fluid. The region of the absorbing member that is exposed to the outside from the opening and that is not the region that receives the waste fluid has the same or similar color tone as the waste fluid. The fluid storage tank described. The fluid accommodation tank according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a color tone that is the same as or similar to the waste fluid is a color tone mainly including black. A fluid ejecting apparatus in which a fluid storage tank that stores waste fluid including fluid ejected from a fluid ejecting head is detachably provided in the apparatus body,
A fluid ejection device using the fluid accommodation tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4 as the fluid accommodation tank.

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