JP2001130029A - Liquid conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid conveying device capable of surely preventing leakage or bleed of a liquid and reducing the number of processes for assembling. SOLUTION: This liquid conveying device 1 comprises an ink receiving section 2 which is provided to a lower section of a print head 10 and receives waste ink, a collecting box 4 which collects the waste ink gathered by the ink receiving section 2 and a tube pump 6 that conveys the waste ink gathered by the ink receiving section 2 to the collecting box 4. The tube pump 6 has one continuous waste liquid tube 8 having one end 8a connected to a waste liquid pipe 2a of the ink receiving section 2 and the other end 8b contacted to an upper face of an absorption member 4a contained in the collecting box 4. As the ink receiving section 2 and collecting box 4 are connected with one waste liquid tube 8, it is possible to suppress leakage or bleed of the ink from a connection part of the tube 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid feeding device for feeding a liquid stored in a first storage section to a second storage section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for sending liquid between two storage units, a liquid sending device for sending waste ink from an ink receiver for receiving waste ink of an ink jet printer to a collection box for collecting waste ink is known. ing. This liquid sending device has a pump for sending waste ink from the ink receiver to the collection box, connects the ink receiver and the pump with one tube, and connects one pump between the pump and the collection box. It is constituted by being connected by a tube.

In general, an ink jet printer has a plurality of heads for each color facing a recording medium, and each head has a large number of elongated nozzles. In order to achieve high resolution printing, each nozzle is formed very thin and arranged at high density. For this reason, when supplying ink to each nozzle by filling each head with ink, or at the time of regular maintenance for preventing nozzle clogging, many nozzles of each head are used without a recording medium. Immerse the ink through.

At this time, the waste ink discharged through each nozzle is once collected in an ink receiver and sent to a collection box by a pump.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional liquid feeding apparatus, a single tube is provided between an ink receiver for collecting waste ink discharged through each nozzle and a pump for liquid feeding. Since the connection and the pump and the collection box are connected by one tube, each tube is connected to the ink receiver, the pump and the collection box at a plurality of connection points connected to the ink and leaks or seeps out. Could occur.

Further, in the above-described configuration, since the liquid feeding device is assembled using two tubes, there is a problem that connection of each tube is troublesome and the number of assembling steps is increased.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to surely prevent liquid leakage and bleeding.
An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid feeding device that can reduce the number of assembly steps.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a liquid feeding apparatus according to the present invention comprises a first storage section for storing a liquid and a second storage section for storing the liquid sent from the first storage section. Unit and the first storage unit and the second storage unit are connected by a continuous tube, and the liquid stored in the first storage unit is sent to the second storage unit via the tube. Means.

As described above, by connecting the first storage portion and the second storage portion with one continuous tube, it is possible to reliably prevent the leakage or seepage of the liquid in the flow path of the liquid.

Further, according to the invention described above, the liquid feeding means has a tube pump provided with a roller which rolls along the liquid feeding direction while pressing the tube.

Further, according to the invention described above, the end of the tube on the side of the second storage portion is in contact with the absorbing member stored in the second storage portion.

As described above, by bringing the drain-side end of the tube into contact with the absorbing member, the liquid remaining at the drain-side end of the tube can be completely absorbed by the absorbing member.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a liquid feeding device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A liquid feeding device 1 includes an ink receiving portion 2 as a first storage portion disposed below a print head 10 for each color of an ink jet printer, and a second device for collecting waste ink collected by the ink receiving portion 2. It has a collection box 4 as a two-storage section and a tube pump 6 as a liquid sending means for sending waste ink collected in the ink receiving section 2 to the collection box 4.

The tube pump 6 has one end 8 a connected to a drain pipe 2 a provided at the bottom of the ink receiving section 2,
One continuous drain tube 8 having the other end 8b in contact with the upper surface of the absorbing member 4a accommodated in the collection box 4 is provided. The drainage tube 8 is formed of a soft material such as a vinyl tube.

The collection box 4 is detachably attached to the housing 5. Further, the absorbing member 4a housed in the collection box 4 is made of an inexpensive material such as paper, and is disposed and removed from the collection box 4 or from the collection box 4.

A drain nozzle 9 is mounted on one side wall of the housing 5 so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum (not shown). The other end 8 b of the drainage tube 8 is inserted into the drainage nozzle 9, and the end 8 b protruding beyond the drainage nozzle 9 is in contact with the upper surface of the absorbing member 4 a in the collection box 4.

When the collection box 4 is mounted on the housing 5, the drainage nozzle 9 is pushed by the collection box 4 and pivots to the position shown in the drawing, and the other end 8b of the drainage tube 8 is placed on the upper surface of the absorbing member 4a. It is inclined downward so as to make contact. Further, when the recovery box 4 is pulled out from the housing 5, the end on the drain side of the drain nozzle 9 is rotated upward,
The dripping of the waste ink is prevented. Since the other end 8b of the drainage tube 8 is set to contact the upper surface of the absorbing member 4a in a state where the drainage nozzle 9 is rotated to the position shown in the drawing,
The waste ink attached to the other end 8b of the drain tube 8 can be completely absorbed by the absorbing member 4a.

In the middle of the drainage tube 8, a drainage roller 12 having four rollers 11 on its circumference is pressed so as to roll freely. At a position sandwiching the drainage tube 8 with the drainage roller 12, a pressing guide 13 curved along the drainage roller 12 is provided. In the tube pump 6 configured as above, when the drainage roller 12 is rotated in a predetermined direction, the drainage tube 8 is pressed by the four rollers 11 and the waste ink in the drainage tube 8 is sent in a predetermined direction. In addition, by stopping the liquid discharging roller 12 at a predetermined position, the liquid discharging roller 12 functions as a valve for inhibiting liquid feeding.

A gear 15 is mounted on a rotating shaft 14a of a motor 14 for rotating the liquid discharging roller 12.
Is geared with the gear 16. A gear 18 provided coaxially with the gear 16 is meshed with a gear 18 provided coaxially with the drainage roller 12. Therefore, the motor 14
The rotational driving force of the rotating shaft 14a, gears 15, 16, 17,
18 to the drainage roller 12 and the drainage roller 1
2 is rotated in the direction of sending waste ink, that is, clockwise.

When assembling the above-described liquid feeding device 1, one end 8a of the drain tube 8 of the tube pump 6 is connected to the drain pipe 2a of the ink receiving section 2, and the other end 8 of the drain tube is connected.
b is passed through the drain nozzle 9 and brought into contact with the upper surface of the absorbing member 4a housed in the collection box 4. In the present invention, since the tube pump 6 in which the ink receiving section 2 and the collection box 4 are connected by one continuous drain tube 8 is employed, the number of assembling steps of the liquid feeding device 1 is reduced, and the liquid feeding device is reduced. 1
Is easy to assemble.

Hereinafter, the operation of the liquid feeding device 1 having the above configuration will be described.

For example, at the time of maintenance of the print head 10, the print head 1 is maintained without a recording medium interposed.
Ink is ejected through a number of nozzles 0 (not shown). The waste ink discharged from each nozzle is once collected in the ink receiving section 2.

The waste ink collected by the ink receiver 2 is
By driving the motor 14 of the tube pump 6,
It is sent to the collection box 4. At this time, drain tube 8
The drain roller 12 that presses the drain tube 8 between itself and the pressing guide 13 is rotated in the direction in which the waste ink is fed, and the waste ink in the tube 8 is sent as the drain tube 8 is deformed. The waste ink sent through the drain tube 8 is absorbed by the absorbing member 4 with which the other end 8b of the drain tube 8 contacts.
a is absorbed and held.

The absorbing member 4a filled with waste ink is
Each collection box 4 or only the absorbing member 4a is removed and discarded.

As described above, according to the present invention, the pump 6 for sending waste ink from the ink receiving section 2 to the collection box 4 is provided with a single drain tube 8 connecting the ink receiving section 2 and the collection box 4. Therefore, unlike a conventional apparatus using a plurality of tubes, there is no need to worry about ink leakage or bleeding during the feeding of waste ink. In the present invention, 1
Since all the components are connected only by the drainage tube 8, the number of assembling steps can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be simplified as compared with the conventional apparatus.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid feeding device including one drain tube has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may include, for example, an exhaust tube that exhausts gas containing ink mist.

[0029]

As described above, the liquid feeder of the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation.
Leakage and bleeding of the liquid in the liquid flow path can be reliably prevented, and the number of assembling steps of the apparatus can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a liquid feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid sending apparatus, 2 ... Ink receiving part, 2a ... Drainage pipe, 4 ... Recovery box, 4a ... Absorbing member, 5 ... Housing, 6 ... Tube pump, 8 ... Drainage tube, 8a ... One end, 8b ... Others End, 9: drain nozzle, 10: print head, 11: roller, 12: drain roller, 13: pressing guide, 14: motor.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first storage section for storing a liquid, a second storage section for storing a liquid sent from the first storage section, and a continuous space between the first storage section and the second storage section. A liquid sending device which is connected by a tube and sends the liquid contained in the first containing portion to the second containing portion via the tube. 2. The liquid feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid feeding means has a tube pump provided with a roller that rolls along the liquid feeding direction while pressing the tube. 3. The tube according to claim 1, wherein an end of the tube on the side of the second housing portion is in contact with an absorbing member housed in the second housing portion. The liquid sending device according to any one of the preceding claims.