JP2001026115A - Printing head device and ink-jet printer comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent clogging with an ink as much as possible even in the case an ink cartridge non-attached state is generated by mistake over a long time. SOLUTION: In a printing head device having a joint member 35 of a printing head unit 10 to be fitted and connected with an ink supply opening 25 of an ink cartridge 3 according to attachment of the ink cartridge 3, a joint part 24 of the ink cartridge 3 with the ink supply opening 25 formed is formed in the projected state as well as a joint receiving part 34 of the printing head unit 10 with the joint member 35 formed is formed in the recessed state so as to allow insertion of the joint part 24. A lid member 41 for opening and closing the opening part 38 according to an attaching or detaching operation of the ink cartridge 3 is provided in an opening part 38 of the joint receiving part 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer in which an object to be printed is a tape, and more particularly to a print head device in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a print head unit having a print head, and an ink jet printer having the same. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ink jet printer that supplies ink by an ink cartridge, when the ink cartridge is left in a detached state, the viscosity of the ink remaining in the ink flow path on the print head side increases due to evaporation of water contained in the ink. This may cause clogging of the ink nozzle at the time of next use. Similarly, dust and dirt may adhere to the joining member on the print head side and clog the ink nozzles. Therefore, in the conventional inkjet printer, in the instruction manual, do not leave the ink cartridge pulled out, and when replacing the ink cartridge, prepare a new ink cartridge and replace it promptly. To draw the user's attention. Also,
When the ink cartridge is replaced, it is recommended that the print head be cleaned manually.

[0003]

By the way, in an ink jet printer using a tape as an object to be printed, it is assumed that the ink jet printer is used less frequently and is easily moved. In such a case, there is a possibility that the ink cartridge may be stored or transported with the ink cartridge pulled out. If used improperly, dirt and dust may adhere to the joining member on the print head side, the ink dries, and the clogging of the ink cannot be eliminated even if the cleaning operation is performed at the next use. There is a possibility that printing failure may occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide a print head device capable of preventing clogging of ink as much as possible even if an ink cartridge is not mounted by mistake for a long period of time, and an ink jet printer provided with the print head device. The purpose is.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a print head apparatus comprising: a print head unit having an ink jet type print head; and an ink cartridge detachably mounted on the print head unit. Accordingly, in a print head device in which the joining member of the print head unit is fitted and connected to the ink supply port of the ink cartridge, the joining portion of the ink cartridge having the ink supply port is formed in a convex shape, and the joining member is formed. The joint receiving portion of the formed print head unit is formed in a concave shape in which the joining portion can be inserted, and an opening of the joint receiving portion is provided with a lid that opens and closes the opening along with the ink cartridge attaching / detaching operation. And

According to this configuration, when the ink cartridge is mounted, the lid provided at the joining receiving portion of the print head unit is opened, and the joining portion of the ink cartridge is inserted into the joining receiving portion, and the ink cartridge is inserted. The ink supply port is joined to the joining member of the print head unit. When the ink cartridge is pulled out (removed) from this state, the connection between the ink supply port and the bonding member is released, and the lid is closed. When the lid is closed, the joining member is housed in the internal space of the joining receiving portion separated from the outside by the lid, the joining member is protected from adhesion of dust, dust, and the like, and ink from the joining member is removed. Evaporation of water is suppressed. The opening and closing of the lid may be performed directly by the ink cartridge, or may be performed indirectly via a link mechanism or the like.

In this case, it is preferable that the lid is in close contact with the edge of the opening in a closed state to hermetically seal the inside of the joint receiving portion.

According to this structure, the joining member of the print head unit is hermetically sealed in the joining receiving portion, so that adhesion of dust and the like to the joining member is reliably prevented, and the joining member is prevented from being adhered to. The evaporation of the water in the ink is reliably prevented.

In this case, it is preferable that the lid is constituted by two lid members which are opened and closed in the form of a hinged door.

According to this configuration, in the joint receiving portion,
The volume occupied by the two rotating lid members can be reduced, so that the joint receiving portion can be formed shallower and more compact.

In this case, it is preferable that each of the lid members has a lid main body, a support shaft for rotatably supporting the lid main body, and a spring for urging the lid main body in the closing direction.

According to this configuration, when the joint of the ink cartridge is pushed into the joint receiving portion of the print head unit in order to mount the ink cartridge on the print head unit, each of the lid main bodies respectively supports the support shaft against the spring. It pivots to the center and allows mounting of the ink cartridge. On the other hand, when the ink cartridge is pulled out from this state, each lid body is rotated in the opposite direction about the support shaft by a spring, and the opening is closed. As described above, the two lid members are directly pressed and opened (closed) by the joint portion of the ink cartridge.
Because of this, the opening / closing structure of the lid can be simplified.

[0013] In this case, it is preferable that a base end sealing portion, which is in close contact with the inner surface of the joint receiving portion at the closed position, is integrally formed at the end of the lid main body on the support shaft side.

According to this structure, the lid main body can be brought into close contact with the inner surface of the joint receiving portion at the base end sealing portion without interfering with the opening / closing operation, particularly the closing operation of the lid main body. At the same time, the closing position of the lid body can be regulated against the spring.

In these cases, side end sealing portions are integrally formed on both side ends of the lid body, and the side end sealing portions are in close contact with the inner surface of the joint receiving portion from below at the closed position. It is preferable that a protrusion is formed.

According to this structure, the lid body can be brought into close contact with the projection of the joint receiving portion at each side end sealing portion without causing any trouble in the opening / closing operation, particularly the closing operation of the lid body. it can. At the same time, the closing position of the lid body can be regulated against the spring.

It is preferable that each of the lid members is formed of a member having a resilient property at least at a base and maintaining a closed position in a free state.

According to this configuration, the opening of the joint receiving portion can be opened and closed in accordance with the attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge by the spring property of each lid member itself. The structure can be made even simpler.

In these cases, it is preferable that the two lid members overlap each other airtightly in the closed state.

According to this configuration, the sealing portion of the two lid members can be configured with a fixed area, and the airtightness in the closed state can be further improved.

An ink jet printer according to the present invention includes the print head device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and further includes a cartridge containing a tape on which printing is performed by the print head device.

According to this configuration, even if the ink cartridge is pulled out by mistake during transportation or storage, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the joining member of the print head and to prevent the print head from being attached. The vaporization of the ink on the side can be prevented as much as possible.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a case where a print head device and an ink jet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied to a tape printer will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This tape printing apparatus performs color printing of a desired character or the like input by a key on a tape to be printed by an ink jet method, and cuts a printed portion of the tape to create a label.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a tape printing apparatus with an ink cartridge and a tape cartridge mounted. As shown in FIG. 1, the tape printing apparatus 1 includes an ink cartridge 3 filled with a plurality of color inks, a tape cartridge 4 containing a tape T, and an apparatus main body 2 to which these are detachably mounted. Have been. The device main body 2 has an outer shell formed by a device case 5, a keyboard 6 including various keys 6a and the like is disposed on a front upper surface, and a liquid crystal display (not shown) is disposed on a rear upper surface. Has been established.

A first opening / closing lid 8 for attaching and detaching the tape cartridge 4 is provided on the rear surface of the apparatus case 5 so as to face the tape cartridge mounting section 7 in which the tape cartridge 4 is mounted. In addition, a slit-shaped tape discharge port 9 for discharging the printed tape T to the outside is provided on the rear surface of the device case 5 above the first opening / closing lid 8. Further, a second opening / closing lid 11 for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 3 is provided on a lower surface of the apparatus case 5 so as to face a print head unit 10 described later.

On the other hand, inside the apparatus case 5, an information processing section (not shown) is provided at the front, and the print head unit 10 in which the ink cartridge 3 is mounted at the middle and the print head unit 10 at the time of printing are moved. A head drive unit 12 for scanning (scanning), and a tape supply unit 13 for feeding out the tape T from the tape cartridge 4 and a tape discharge unit 14 for sending out the printed tape T to the outside are provided at the rear. The print head unit 10, the head drive unit 12, the tape supply unit 13, and the like are supported by the base frame 15 and incorporated in the apparatus main body 2 in a unitized state.

After the content to be printed on the liquid crystal display is determined by inputting the key 6a, when printing is instructed, the tape supply unit 13 transfers the tape T from the tape cartridge 4.
Is delivered. The fed-out tape T passes through the front surface of the print head unit 10 and further passes through the tape discharge unit 14.
And then sent out. As the tape T runs, the print head unit 10 prints on the tape T by repeatedly reciprocating in the left-right direction by the head drive unit 12 while discharging the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 3. That is, desired printing is performed on the tape T with the moving direction of the print head unit 10 as the main scanning direction and the feed direction of the tape T as the sub-scanning direction.

In the ink cartridge 3, four ink tanks (only one is shown in the drawing) 22 are formed by partitioning the inside of a cartridge case 21 with a partition plate. Four colors of ink of cyan, magenta, yellow and black are stored so as to be absorbed by the material 23. Further, the ink cartridge 3 is formed with a convex bonding portion 24 for bonding the ink cartridge 3 to the print head unit 10, and the bonding portion 24 is used to supply ink from the ink tank 22 of each color. Four ink supply ports 2
5 are formed (see FIG. 2).

On the other hand, the print head unit 10 includes a print head 31 having a large number of nozzles 31a arranged at the end thereof,
The ink cartridge 3 includes a case-shaped cartridge holder 32 to which the ink cartridge 3 is detachably mounted, and these are mounted on a carriage 33 connected to the head drive unit 12. Ink cartridge 3 of print head 31
A concave joint receiving portion 34 into which the joining portion 24 of the ink cartridge 3 is inserted is formed on the side.
Four are formed with four joining members 35 to which the four ink supply ports 25 are joined. Each joining member 35 is
Each of the nozzles 31a of each color is connected via an ink flow path 36 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

The ink cartridge 3 is attached to the print head unit 10 by loosely fitting the connection portion 24 of the ink cartridge 3 to the connection receiving portion 34 of the print head unit 10.
When the ink supply port 25 is attached to the cartridge holder 32, the respective ink supply ports 25 are joined to the corresponding joining members 35, so that the ink of each color can be supplied from the ink cartridge 3 to the print head unit 10. Reference numeral 37 in the drawing denotes a pressing lid for pressing the ink cartridge 3 mounted on the cartridge holder 33 toward the print head 31. The ink cartridge 3 is loaded into the cartridge holder 32, and the pressing lid 3 is pressed.
7 by closing and locking the ink cartridge 3
Is properly (fully) mounted.

By the way, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3,
In this embodiment, when the ink cartridge 3 is removed, the opening 38 is closed and the joining member 35 is hermetically sealed in the joining receiving portion 34 of the printing head unit 10. A lid 41 for stopping is provided.
The lid body 41 includes a pair of left and right lid bodies 42 that open and close by opening inward,
42, a pair of left and right support shafts 43, 43 for opening and closing each lid body 42, and each lid body 42 wound around each support shaft 43.
Pair of right and left torsion coil springs 4 for urging the spring in the closing direction
4, 44. Note that reference numeral 4 in FIG.
Reference numeral 5 denotes a sealing packing for preventing the ink from evaporating from the joint. Reference numeral 46 in FIG. 3 denotes the joint 2 with respect to the lid 41 when the ink cartridge 3 is mounted.
Reference numeral 4 is a mark for instructing the user on the position.

Each lid body 42 is made of rubber, resin, or the like, and is in close contact with the opening edge 39 of the opening 38 and the other lid body 42 to hermetically seal the joint receiving portion 34. are doing. That is, a base end sealing piece 47 is integrally protruded from the base end of the lid body 42 on the side of the support shaft 43, and the base end sealing piece 47 is formed on the opening edge 39 in a closed state on the long side. It comes into close contact with the side projection 39a. Similarly, side end sealing pieces 48 are integrally provided at both side ends of the lid body 42, respectively.
Each side end sealing piece 48 is in close contact with the short side projecting piece 39b formed on the opening edge 39 in the closed state. The long side protruding piece 39a and the short side protruding piece 39b regulate the closing position of the lid body 42. Further, a tip sealing piece 49 is integrally provided at the tip of the lid main body 42 so as to protrude therefrom.
Is in close contact with the tip sealing piece 49 of the other lid body 42 in a closed state.

The main body of the lid body 42 is made of resin.
The base sealing piece 47, the side sealing piece 48, and the tip sealing piece 49 may be made of soft rubber, or the main body may be made of hard resin, and the base sealing piece 47 may be made of a hard resin. ,
The side end sealing piece 48 and the tip sealing piece 49 may be integrally molded as a soft resin. Also, the base end sealing piece 47
The structure may be such that the long side protruding piece 39a is omitted and the long side protruding piece 39a is directly adhered to the inner wall surface of the opening edge 39.

In such a configuration, as shown in FIG.
When the ink cartridge 3 is detached from the print head unit 10, the two lid bodies 42 are
4 and is rotated to the closed position.
4 is hermetically sealed. That is, the joining member 35 connected to the ink flow path 36 is sealed inside the joining receiving portion 34. As shown in FIG. 3, when the ink cartridge 3 is mounted from this state, the two lid bodies 42 are pushed in by the ink cartridge 3 and rotate inward against the torsion coil springs 44, so that the joint receiving portions of the joint 24 are joined. 34 is allowed.

As described above, the joining member 35 connected to the nozzle 31a is automatically sealed in the joining receiving portion 34 by the lid 41 in a state where the ink cartridge 3 is pulled out. It is possible to effectively prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the nozzle and vaporization of the ink remaining in the nozzle 31a and the ink flow path 36. For this reason,
Even if the ink cartridge 3 has been pulled out for a long period of time, the next time the ink cartridge 3 is mounted, there will be no trouble such as ink clogging.
This can be used appropriately.

Next, a second embodiment of the lid 41 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, both lid bodies 42 are configured to be rotatable without using the support shaft 43. Each lid body 42 is made of rubber, resin, or the like having a sufficient spring property, and is fixed to the opening edge 39 at the base. Further, a cut portion 42a cut from the back side is formed at the base of the lid main body 42, and the lid main body 42 is configured to rotate downward around the thin portion of the cut portion 42a. In this embodiment as well, each side end sealing piece 48 of the lid body 42 is closed and the opening edge 39 is closed.
The tip sealing piece 49 is in close contact with the short side projection 39b formed at
In a closed state so as to overlap the tip sealing piece 49 of the other lid body 42.

Also in this configuration, the joining member 35 connected to the nozzle 31a is automatically sealed in the joining receiving portion 34 by the lid 41 with the ink cartridge 3 pulled out. It is possible to effectively prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the nozzle and vaporization of the ink remaining in the nozzle 31a and the ink flow path 36.

Next, a third embodiment of the lid will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the lid 41 is formed as a single unit, and the lid 41 is
The opening 38 is opened and closed in conjunction with. The cover 41 includes a cover main body 51 that covers the opening 38 from above, a rectangular seal member 52 fixed to the back surface of the cover main body 51 according to the shape of the opening 38, and the cover main body 51 rotatably at the base. It is composed of a supporting shaft 53 for supporting and an arm portion 54 extending the lid main body 51 from the base. On the other hand, the pressing lid 37 also has an arm 37a extending from the base on the support shaft side, and the arm 37a and the arm section 54 of the lid main body 51 are connected by an interlocking link 55.

The interlocking link 55 is configured by interposing a coil spring 59 between a first link 57 and a second link 58 which are slidably engaged in a sheath tube form. When the pressing lid 37 is opened, the lid 41 is opened via the interlocking link 55. On the other hand, when the pressing lid 37 is closed, the lid 41 is closed via the interlocking link 55 in the reverse order, and the pressing lid 37 is closed.
Is completely closed, the lid 41 is closed and the coil spring 59 is slightly extended. Due to the extension of the coil spring 59, the lid 41 is pressed against the opening edge 39, and the seal member 52 comes into close contact with the opening edge 39. Further, when the pressing lid 37 is closed while the ink cartridge 3 is mounted, the lid 41 is prevented from being closed by the ink cartridge 3 and the coil spring 59 is extended, so that only the closing of the pressing lid 37 is allowed. .

Also in this configuration, the joining member 35 connected to the nozzle 31a is automatically sealed in the joining receiving portion 34 by the lid 41 in a state where the ink cartridge 3 is pulled out. It is possible to effectively prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the nozzle and vaporization of the ink remaining in the nozzle 31a and the ink flow path 36.

In this embodiment, the case where the print head device of the present invention is applied to a tape printing device has been described. However, it goes without saying that this configuration can be applied to a general ink jet printer. Further, the lid of the present invention gives priority to its automatic opening and closing, and as long as the lid is closed, the airtightness may be somewhat impaired.

[0042]

As described above, according to the print head device of the present invention, the joining member can be sealed in the joining receiving portion by the lid in a state where the ink cartridge is pulled out. Is protected from adhesion of dust and dirt, and the evaporation of moisture of the ink from the joining member is suppressed. Therefore, even if the ink cartridge is not mounted by mistake for a long period of time, ink clogging and the like can be prevented as much as possible.

Further, according to the ink jet printer of the present invention, even if the ink cartridge is pulled out and left, it is possible to improve reliability without causing trouble such as ink clogging at the time of reuse. In addition, a user-friendly printer can be configured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tape printing apparatus to which a print head device and an inkjet printer according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the print head unit (removal of an ink cartridge) according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view around a print head unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the area around the print head unit (ink cartridge mounted) according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around a print head unit according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view around a print head unit according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 tape printing device 2 device main body 3 ink cartridge 4 tape cartridge 10 print head unit 24 joining portion 25 ink supply port 31 print head 31a nozzle 34 joining receiving portion 35 joining member 37 pressing lid 38 opening 39 opening edge 39a long side Projecting piece 39b Short side projecting piece 41 Lid body 42 Lid body 43 Support shaft 44 Torsion coil spring 47 Base end sealing piece 48 Side end sealing piece 49 End sealing piece 55 Interlocking link T tape

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A print head unit having an ink jet type print head mounted thereon, and an ink cartridge detachably mounted on the print head unit, wherein the ink supply of the ink cartridge is performed with the mounting of the ink cartridge. A print head device in which a joining member of the print head unit is fitted and connected to a mouth, wherein the joining portion of the ink cartridge having the ink supply port is formed in a convex shape, and the print head having the joining member formed thereon. The joint receiving portion of the unit is formed in a concave shape into which the joining portion can be inserted, and a lid is provided at an opening of the joint receiving portion to open and close the opening in accordance with an attaching / detaching operation of the ink cartridge. Print head device. 2. The print head device according to claim 1, wherein the lid is in close contact with an edge of the opening in a closed state to hermetically seal the inside of the joint receiving portion. . 3. The print head device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of two cover members that are opened and closed in a door-like manner on the inside. 4. Each of the lid members has a lid main body, a support shaft that rotatably supports the lid main body, and a spring that biases the lid main body in a closing direction. Claim 3
A print head device according to claim 1. 5. A base end sealing portion which is in close contact with an inner surface of the joint receiving portion at a closed position and is integrally formed at an end of the lid main body on the support shaft side. Item 6. A print head device according to item 4. 6. A side end sealing portion is integrally formed on each of both side end portions of the lid main body, and each side end sealing portion is formed on an inner surface of the joint receiving portion at a closed position from below. The print head device according to claim 4, wherein a protruding portion in close contact is formed. 7. The print head device according to claim 3, wherein each of the lid members is formed of a member having a spring property at least at a base and maintaining a closed position in a free state. 8. The print head device according to claim 3, wherein the two lid members overlap each other airtightly in a closed state. 9. An ink jet printer comprising the print head device according to claim 1 and a cartridge containing a tape on which printing is performed by the print head device.