JP2005186344A - Valve gear and liquid jet apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a valve gear and a liquid jet apparatus which can be made compact. <P>SOLUTION: The valve gear 1 is equipped with a pressure reducing valve 5 for reducing the pressure of a liquid in a pressure chamber 4 which communicates with a liquid inlet 2 and a liquid outlet 3 and stores the liquid to a predetermined pressure. The pressure reducing valve 5 has a passage forming member 8 with a rectangular groove-like passage 7 which communicates with the liquid inlet 2 and the liquid outlet 3, a valve body 9, a spring for pressure adjustment 10, an operation lever 11 for pressing the valve body 9 to the opening valve position side against an urging force of the spring 10, and a film member 6 which forms the pressure chamber 4 by sealing the groove-like passage 7. The pressure reducing valve 5 is designed so that the film member 6 is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber 4 when the pressure of the pressure chamber 4 becomes a negative pressure, and the operation lever 11 presses the valve body 9 to the opening valve position side by an acting force of a multiplied pressing force at the time when the film member 6 is elastically deformed. A rectangular part of the film member 6 which seals the groove-like passage 7 is made a pressure receiving part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve device including a pressure reducing valve and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

Conventionally, a pressure reducing valve for reducing a fluid to a predetermined constant pressure is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-227656 A

  By the way, in the conventional pressure reducing valve described in Patent Document 1 and the like, the center of the circular diaphragm and the valve body are coupled by a shaft rod. That is, the valve shaft is arranged at the center of the circular diaphragm. For this reason, since a valve body is pushed in the center of a diaphragm, it can push only with the force according to the area of the diaphragm. Therefore, it is difficult to generate a force larger than the pressure receiving area of the diaphragm, and it is difficult to reduce the size.

  Further, in the above conventional pressure reducing valve, the pressure receiving portion is circular, that is, a circular diaphragm. Therefore, the area loss (useless area) when arranging a plurality of pressure reducing valves is large, and a plurality of pressure reducing valves are highly integrated. Difficult to do.

The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a valve device and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can be miniaturized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve device and a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of highly integrating the pressure reducing valve and reducing the overall thickness thereof.

  In the valve device according to the present invention, the valve device includes a pressure reducing valve that reduces the liquid in the pressure chamber that stores the liquid and communicates with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively. The pressure reducing valve is a pressure in the pressure chamber. Has a pressure receiving member that elastically deforms inwardly of the pressure chamber when the pressure becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, and the liquid inlet side by an operating force that doubles the pressing force when the pressure receiving member elastically deforms inwardly. The gist of the present invention is that the valve is in an open state in which liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber.

  According to this, when the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, the pressure reducing valve is opened by an operating force that is a boost of the pressing force when the pressure receiving member is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber. Liquid is supplied from the inlet side into the pressure chamber. When the pressure in the pressure chamber reaches a predetermined pressure as the liquid increases in the pressure chamber, the pressure receiving member returns to the form before elastic deformation and the pressing force disappears. Therefore, the pressure reducing valve is moved from the liquid inlet side to the pressure chamber. The valve returns to the closed state where the supply of liquid is blocked.

  Thus, when the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes lower than the predetermined pressure, the pressure reducing valve is opened by an operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force of the pressure receiving member, and is closed when the pressure in the pressure chamber reaches the predetermined pressure. By returning, the liquid in the pressure chamber is reduced to a predetermined pressure. For this reason, it is possible to obtain a force greater than the pressure receiving area of the pressure receiving member, that is, an operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force, and overcome the “seal load” with the force to open the pressure reducing valve. As a result, the pressure receiving area of the pressure receiving member is small, and the size can be reduced. The “seal load” here refers to a force that presses the seal member against the seat surface to hold the pressure reducing valve in the closed state.

  In this valve device, the pressure reducing valve includes a flow path forming member having a substantially rectangular groove-shaped flow path that communicates with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, and an opening that brings the liquid inlet and the groove-shaped flow path into communication. A valve body that is displaceable between a valve position, a valve closing position that brings the liquid inlet and the groove-like channel out of communication, and a pressure adjusting spring that biases the valve body toward the valve closing position And an operation lever that presses the valve body toward the valve opening position against the biasing force of the spring, and the pressure receiving member that seals the groove-like flow path to form the pressure chamber, When the pressure in the pressure chamber is lower than a predetermined pressure, the operating lever opens the valve body with an operating force that is a boost of the pressing force when the pressure receiving member is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber. The gist of this is to press.

  According to this, since the substantially rectangular portion of the pressure receiving member that seals the groove-shaped flow path is the pressure receiving portion, the area when the plurality of pressure-reducing valves are configured by arranging the plurality of groove-shaped flow paths in parallel. Loss (useless area) is small, and high integration of pressure reducing valves is possible. Moreover, since it is thin plate shape except a valve body and a pressure adjustment spring, the whole thickness can be reduced.

  In this valve device, the actuating lever is a cantilever in the groove-like flow path and supported at one end side by the flow path forming member, and the valve body is located at the one end from the center of gravity of the actuating lever. The gist is that the actuator is arranged to receive the operating force from the operating lever at a position close to the side.

  According to this, since the valve body is disposed so as to receive the operating force from the operating lever at a position closer to one end side thereof than the center of gravity of the operating lever, the operating lever applies the force received by the pressure receiving member to this principle. The valve body can be displaced to the valve opening position side by the actuating force boosted by the pressure, that is, the force greater than the pressure receiving area of the pressure receiving member. For this reason, the area of the pressure receiving portion, which is a substantially rectangular portion of the pressure receiving member, can be small. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the overall size and highly integrate the pressure reducing valves.

  The gist of this valve device is that the one end side of the operating lever supported by the flow path forming member is lower in rigidity than the pressing portion of the operating lever that presses the valve body.

The one end side, which is the support portion of the operating lever, only needs to be rigid enough to support the operating lever itself, and the pressing portion of the operating lever presses the valve body.
According to this, since the rigidity of the one end side of the operating lever is made lower than that of the pressing portion, the moment generated on the one end side which is the supporting portion of the operating lever can be reduced, and the adverse effect due to the moment can be reduced.

The gist of the valve device is that the operating lever is formed of a single thin plate, and the pressing portion of the operating lever is bent in a U shape in cross section.
According to this, since the operation lever can be integrally formed with one thin plate, the operation lever can be easily positioned and handled easily. Moreover, since the cross section of the pressing portion of the actuating lever is bent in a U shape, it is possible to ensure greater rigidity than the support portion that is a thin plate.

  In this valve device, the valve body includes a valve shaft and a seal member, the flow path forming member includes an inlet-side flow path having the liquid inlet, the valve body and the communication port connected to the inlet-side flow path. A liquid supply chamber that houses a pressure adjusting spring, and a hole that is a communicating portion that connects the liquid supplying chamber and the pressure chamber are formed. The pressure adjusting spring includes the valve body, the liquid supply chamber, The valve body is interposed between the holding member that seals the opening end, and the seal member is pressed against the seal surface of the liquid supply chamber in a state where the valve shaft is inserted in the hole leaving a gap. The gist is that the pressure adjusting spring is biased toward the valve closing position.

According to this, the valve body is urged by the pressure adjusting spring toward the valve closing position where the seal member is pressed against the seal surface of the liquid supply chamber in a state where the valve shaft is inserted leaving a gap in the hole. With this configuration, a shaft support structure that requires parts accuracy is unnecessary, so that assemblability is improved and costs can be reduced.

  In this valve device, the valve body is in the groove-shaped flow path, is rotatably supported by the flow path forming member, and is pressed by a first lever portion having a seal member and the operating lever. 2 is a substantially L-shaped lever integrated with a lever portion, and the flow path forming member is formed with an inlet-side flow path having the liquid inlet and communicating with the pressure chamber, and the substantially L-shaped lever. The gist is that the sealing member is biased by the pressure adjusting spring toward the valve closing position pressed against the sealing surface of the pressure chamber.

  According to this, the substantially L-shaped lever has a shaft support that requires parts accuracy due to the configuration in which the sealing member is biased by the pressure adjusting spring toward the valve closing position pressed against the sealing surface of the pressure chamber. Since the structure is unnecessary, the assemblability is improved and the cost can be reduced. In addition to this, a pressure adjusting spring is accommodated in the pressure chamber of the flow path forming member, and the flow path forming member may have a configuration including the pressure chamber and an inlet side flow path communicating with the liquid inlet. The structure of the member is simplified, and a holding member for holding the pressure adjusting spring is not required. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the assemblability and reduce the cost.

The gist of this valve device is that a plurality of the groove-like flow paths for storing different types of liquids are arranged in parallel.
Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the size and thickness of a valve device used in a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention, the valve device is provided in the middle of a liquid supply path that guides the liquid from the liquid storing means that temporarily stores the liquid to the liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid from the nozzle to the target. The pressure reducing valve senses the pressure in the pressure chamber where the liquid decreases as the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and switches supply and non-supply of the liquid from the liquid supply path to the pressure chamber. Is the gist.

  Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the size and thickness of the liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer.

Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of each embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[First embodiment]
The valve apparatus 1 which concerns on 1st Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIGS. 1-3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the valve device 1 includes a pressure reducing valve 5 that communicates with a liquid inlet 2 and a liquid outlet 3 to reduce the liquid in a pressure chamber 4 that stores liquid such as ink to a predetermined pressure.
The pressure reducing valve 5 has a film member 6 as a pressure receiving member that is elastically deformed inwardly (downward in FIG. 1) of the pressure chamber 4 when the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure (when a predetermined negative pressure is reached). And a valve opening state in which liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet 2 side into the pressure chamber 4 by an operating force that is a boost of the pressing force when the film member 6 is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber 4. It is configured.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressure reducing valve 5 includes a flow path forming member 8 having a rectangular groove-shaped flow path 7 communicating with the liquid inlet 2 and the liquid outlet 3, a valve body 9, and a pressure adjusting valve. Actuating lever 11 for pressing the valve body 9 toward the valve opening position against the urging force of the spring 10 and the pressure adjusting spring 10
And a film member 6 that seals the groove-like flow path 7 and forms the pressure chamber 4.

  The film member 6 is made of a material that does not have a scientific influence on the ink properties when ink is used as a liquid, and further has low moisture permeability, oxygen, and nitrogen permeability. That is, the film member 6 is formed of, for example, a film having a structure in which a nylon film coated with vinylidene chloride is bonded and laminated to a high-density polyethylene film or a polypropylene film. Such a film member 6 is heat-sealed to the surface of the flow path forming member 8 so as to seal the opening of the groove-shaped flow path 7. Therefore, the film member 6 constitutes a part of the pressure chamber 4.

  The valve body 9 has a valve opening position where the liquid inlet 2 and the groove-like flow path 7 are in communication with each other, and a valve closing position where the liquid inlet 2 and the groove-like flow path 7 are not in communication (position shown in FIG. 1). The pressure adjustment spring 10 is biased toward the valve closing position.

  When the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, the pressure reducing valve 5 elastically deforms the film member 6 inwardly of the pressure chamber 4, and has an operating force that doubles the pressing force when the film member 6 is elastically deformed. The operation lever 11 presses the valve body 9 toward the valve opening position.

  In this valve device 1, the elongated rectangular portion of the film member 6 that seals the groove-shaped flow path 7, that is, the portion of the film member 6 that seals the opening of the groove-shaped flow path 7 serves as the pressure receiving portion 6 a. Yes. Further, in this valve device 1, the operating lever 11 is a cantilever beam in the groove-shaped flow path 7 and supported at the one end 11 a side by the flow path forming member 8, and the valve body 9 is the operating lever 11. It arrange | positions so that the operating force may be received from the operating lever 11 in the position which approached one end side from the gravity center. The flow path forming member 8 and the operating lever 11 are made of, for example, metal.

  The one end 11a side of the operating lever 11 only needs to be rigid enough to support the operating lever 11 itself. Moreover, since the press part 11b which is parts other than the one end 11a of the action | operation lever 11 is a site | part for pressing the valve body 9, the one where rigidity is as high as possible is good. Therefore, the rigidity of the one end 11a side of the operating lever 11 is made lower than that of the pressing portion 11b. That is, in the valve device 1 of this example, the operating lever 11 is composed of one thin plate, and the pressing portion 11b of the operating lever 11 is bent into a U-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. The rigidity of the pressing portion 11b is higher than that of the one end 11a.

  In the valve device 1, the valve body 9 includes a valve shaft 12, a seal member 13, and a spring receiving portion 14. The seal member 13 is an O-ring. The flow path forming member 8 includes an inlet side flow path 15 having the liquid inlet 2, a liquid supply chamber 16 that communicates with the inlet side flow path 15 and accommodates the valve body 9 and the pressure adjusting spring 10, and the liquid supply chamber 16. A circular hole 17 that is a communication portion that communicates with the pressure chamber 4 and an outlet-side channel 18 that communicates with the pressure chamber 4 and has the liquid outlet 3 are formed.

  The pressure adjusting spring 10 is interposed between the spring receiving portion 14 of the valve body 9 and a holding member 19 that seals the open end of the liquid supply chamber 16. The valve body 9 is urged by the pressure adjusting spring 10 toward the valve closing position where the seal member 13 is pressed against the seal surface of the liquid supply chamber 16 with the valve shaft 12 inserted in the circular hole 17 leaving a gap. Has been.

In this valve device 1, when the liquid in the pressure chamber 4 decreases and the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 is elastically deformed inwardly of the pressure chamber 4, and one end 11a. The actuating lever 11, which is a cantilever beam supported on the side, is pressed downward in FIG. As a result, the operating lever 11 has the valve shaft 12 of the valve body 9 in the valve-closing position by the operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force when the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber 4. Is displaced to the valve opening position side, so that the pressure reducing valve 5 is opened, and the liquid is supplied into the pressure chamber 4 from the liquid inlet 2 side. When the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 reaches a predetermined pressure as the liquid in the pressure chamber 4 increases, the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 returns from the elastically deformed form to the original form. When the shaft 12 is displaced from the valve opening position to the valve closing position by the biasing force of the pressure adjusting spring 10, the pressure reducing valve 5 returns to the valve closing state, and the liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet 2 side into the pressure chamber 4. Be blocked.

According to 1st Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, there exist the following effects.
○ When the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, the pressure reducing valve 5 is opened by the operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force of the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6, and the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes the predetermined pressure. When it reaches, it returns to the valve closing state, thereby reducing the liquid in the pressure chamber 4 to a predetermined pressure. Therefore, a force greater than the pressure receiving area of the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6, that is, an operating force obtained by boosting the pressing force of the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 is obtained, and the pressure is reduced by overcoming the “seal load” with that force. 5 can be opened. Thereby, the area of the pressure receiving part 6a of the film member 6 can be small, and the size can be reduced.

  ○ Since the elongated rectangular portion of the film member 6 that seals the groove-like flow path 7 is the pressure receiving portion 6a, the area when the plurality of pressure-reduction valves 5 are configured by arranging the plurality of groove-like flow paths 7 in parallel. Loss (useless area) is small, and the pressure reducing valve 5 can be highly integrated.

O Since it is thin plate shape except the valve body 9 and the pressure adjustment spring 10, the whole thickness can be reduced.
○ Since the valve body 9 is disposed so as to receive the operating force from the operating lever 11 at a position closer to the one end 11 a side than the center of gravity of the operating lever 11, the operating lever 11 is a pressure receiving portion 6 a of the film member 6. The valve element 9 can be displaced to the valve opening position side by an actuating force obtained by multiplying the received force by this principle, that is, a force greater than the pressure receiving area of the pressure receiving portion 6a. For this reason, the area of the pressure-receiving part 6a which is an elongate rectangular part of the film member 6 needs to be small. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the overall size and highly integrate the pressure reducing valves.

  ○ The one end 11a side that is the support portion of the operating lever 11 only needs to be rigid enough to support the operating lever 11 itself, and the pressing portion 11b of the operating lever 11 is a portion that presses the valve shaft 12 of the valve body 9. It is better that the rigidity is as high as possible. Since the rigidity of the one end 11a side of the operating lever 11 is made lower than that of the pressing portion 11b, the moment generated on the one end 11a side of the operating lever 11 can be reduced, and adverse effects due to the moment can be reduced.

  O Since the operation lever 11 can be made integrally with a single thin plate, the operation lever 11 can be easily positioned and handled. Moreover, since the cross section of the pressing portion 11b of the operating lever 11 is bent in a U-shape, it is possible to ensure greater rigidity than the one end 11a (supporting portion) which is a thin plate.

  The valve element 9 is moved by the pressure adjusting spring 10 toward the valve closing position where the seal member 13 is pressed against the seal surface of the liquid supply chamber 16 with the valve shaft 12 inserted in the circular hole 17 leaving a gap. The biased configuration eliminates the need for a shaft support structure that requires parts accuracy, thereby improving assembly and reducing costs.

[Second Embodiment]
A valve device 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In this valve device 1A, in order to use, for example, six colors of ink as different types of liquids, six groove-like channels 7 _{1 to} 7 ₆ each storing ink of each color are arranged in parallel. One of the pressure reducing valve ₅ 1 to 5 ₆ are provided. Film member 6A has been heat sealed to the surface of the flow path forming member 8A to seal the opening of the groove-like passage 7 _{1-7 6.} Thereby, six pressure chambers 4 ₁ to 4 ₆ are formed. The film member 6 </ b> A constitutes a part of each of the pressure chambers 4 ₁ to 4 ₆ . Rectangular portion of the film member 6A to seal the groove-like passage ₇ 1-7 _6, i.e. the film member 6A, the groove-like passage ₇ 1-7 ₆ opening portion pressure receiving portion 6a which seals the _first It has become a ~6a _6.

And, inside each groove-like passage 7 _{1-7 6,} actuating lever 11 ₁ to 11 ₆ are disposed with one end is a cantilever supported on the respective flow path forming member 8A. Other configurations are the same as those of the valve device 1 of the first embodiment.

According to 2nd Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, in addition to the effect which the said 1st Embodiment show | plays, there exist the following effects.
○ Since six groove-shaped channels 7 _{1 to} 7 ₆ are arranged in parallel and six pressure reducing valves 5 _{1 to} 5 ₆ are provided, the valve device 1A used in a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet printer is small. And reduction in thickness can be realized.

[Third embodiment]
A valve device 1B according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this valve device 1B, the valve body 9B of the pressure reducing valve 5B is in the groove-like flow path 7 and is rotatably supported on both side walls of the flow path forming member 8B, and has a first lever portion having a seal member 13. 20 is a substantially L-shaped lever in which the second lever portion 21 pressed by the pressing portion 11b of the operating lever 11 is integrally formed. The seal member 13 is fixed to the front surface of the first lever portion 20.

  The valve body 9B, which is a substantially L-shaped lever, has left and right pins 22 and 22 protruding from both sides of the intersection of the first lever portion 20 and the second lever portion 21 (see FIG. 7). Further, the pins 22 and 22 are inserted into the inner surfaces of the both side walls of the flow path forming member 8B up to the positions shown in FIG. 5, respectively, and the pins 22 and 22 are rotatably supported at the insertion positions. An L-shaped guide groove 23 is formed (see FIG. 6).

  Further, an inlet-side channel 15 having the liquid inlet 2 and communicating with the pressure chamber 4 is formed on the side wall of the channel forming member 8B, and a leaf spring 10B as a pressure adjusting spring provided in the pressure chamber 4 is formed. Thus, the valve body 9B, which is a substantially L-shaped lever, is biased so that the seal member 13 is pressed against the seal surface of the pressure chamber 4. Other configurations are the same as those of the valve device 1 of the first embodiment. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 8a denotes a step portion of the flow path forming member 8 to which the one end 11a of the operating lever 11 is fixed by adhesion or the like.

  In this valve device 1B, when the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure (predetermined negative pressure), the pressure receiving portion of the film member 6 (the pressure receiving portion 6a similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2) is provided. The actuator lever 11 is elastically deformed inwardly of the pressure chamber 4 and presses the operating lever 11 which is a cantilever beam supported on the one end 11a side downward in FIG. As a result, the operating lever 11 pushes the second lever portion 21 of the valve body 9B in the valve-closed position downward by an operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force of the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6, whereby the valve body 9B is rotated around the pin 22 toward the valve opening position (clockwise in FIG. 5). As a result, the seal member 13 is separated from the sealing surface of the pressure chamber 4, and the pressure reducing valve 5 </ b> B is opened, and the liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet 2 side through the inlet side flow path 15 into the pressure chamber 4.

  When the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 reaches a predetermined pressure as the liquid increases, the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 returns to the original form from the elastically deformed form. As a result, the valve body 9B is rotated from the valve opening position to the valve closing position side (counterclockwise) around the pin 22 by the urging force of the leaf spring 10B, so that the seal member 13 is moved to the sealing surface of the pressure chamber 4. Since it is pressed, the pressure reducing valve 5B returns to the closed state, and the supply of liquid from the liquid inlet 2 side into the pressure chamber 4 is blocked.

According to 3rd Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, in addition to the effect which the said 1st Embodiment show | plays, there exist the following effects.
○ The substantially L-shaped lever constituting the valve body 9B of the pressure reducing valve 5B has a component accuracy due to the configuration in which the seal member 13 is urged by the leaf spring 10B toward the valve closing position pressed against the seal surface of the pressure chamber 4. Since the shaft support structure that requires this is unnecessary, the assemblability is improved and the cost can be reduced.

  The plate spring 10B is accommodated in the pressure chamber 4 of the flow path forming member 8B, and the flow path forming member 8B may have a configuration including the pressure chamber 4 and the inlet side flow path 15 communicating with the liquid inlet 2. The structure of the path forming member 8B is simplified, and a holding member for holding the leaf spring 10B is not required. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the assemblability and reduce the cost.

[Fourth embodiment]
A valve device 1C according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the valve device 1C, the valve body 9C of the pressure reducing valve 5C is in the groove-like flow path 7 and is rotatably supported on both side walls of the flow path forming member 8C, and has a first lever portion having a seal member 13. 30 is a substantially L-shaped lever in which the second lever portion 31 pressed by the pressing portion 11b of the operating lever 11 is integrally formed. The seal member 13 is fixed to the front surface of the first lever portion 30.

  The valve body 9C has left and right pins 32, 32 protruding from both sides of the intersection of the first lever portion 30 and the second lever portion 31 (see FIG. 10). Further, the pins 32, 32 are respectively inserted into the inner surfaces of the both side walls of the flow path forming member 8C up to the positions shown in FIG. 8, and the pins 32, 32 are supported so as to be rotatable at the insertion positions. An L-shaped guide groove 33 is formed (see FIG. 9).

  In addition, an inlet-side channel 15C having the liquid inlet 2 and communicating with the pressure chamber 4 and an outlet-side channel 18 are formed on the bottom wall of the channel-forming member 8C. One end side of a tension spring 10 </ b> C as a pressure adjusting spring provided in the pressure chamber 4 is fixed to the wall portion of the flow path forming member 8 </ b> C, and the other end side is fixed to the second lever portion 31. As a result, the valve body 9C, which is a substantially L-shaped lever, is urged toward the valve closing position where the seal member 13 presses against the seal surface of the pressure chamber 4 by the tension spring 10C. Other configurations are the same as those of the valve device 1 of the first embodiment.

  In this valve device 1 </ b> C, when the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, the pressure receiving portion (the pressure receiving portion 6 a similar to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2) of the film member 6 is elastically inward of the pressure chamber 4. It deform | transforms and the action | operation lever 11 is pressed below FIG. As a result, the operating lever 11 pushes the second lever portion 31 of the valve body 9C in the valve-closed position downward by an operating force obtained by multiplying the pressing force of the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 so that the valve body 9C is rotated around the pins 32, 32 toward the valve opening position (clockwise in FIG. 8). As a result, the seal member 13 is separated from the sealing surface of the pressure chamber 4 and the pressure reducing valve 5C is opened, and the liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet 2 to the pressure chamber 4 through the inlet-side flow path 15C.

  When the pressure in the pressure chamber 4 reaches a predetermined pressure as the liquid increases in the pressure chamber 4, the pressure receiving portion 6a of the film member 6 returns from the elastically deformed form to the original form. As a result, the valve body 9 </ b> C rotates from the valve opening position to the valve closing position side (counterclockwise) around the pin 32 by the biasing force of the tension spring 10 </ b> C, so that the seal member 13 moves to the seal surface of the pressure chamber 4. Since it is pressed, the pressure reducing valve 5C returns to the closed state, and the supply of liquid from the liquid inlet 2 side into the pressure chamber 4 is blocked.

According to 4th Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, in addition to the effect which the said 1st Embodiment show | plays, there exist the following effects.
○ For the same reason as in the case of the third embodiment, it is possible to further improve the assemblability and reduce the cost.

[Fifth Embodiment]
A valve device 1D according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The valve device 1D is characterized in that the pressure reducing valve 5 has a function of a choke valve in the first embodiment shown in FIG. The “function of the choke valve” here means that the communication between the liquid supply chamber 16 and the pressure chamber 4 is forcibly cut off by forcibly holding the pressure reducing valve 5 at the valve closing position shown in FIG. The function to do.

  In the valve device 1D, in the first embodiment, instead of the holding member 19, a holding member 40 having a circular hole 41 is fixed to the lower surface of the flow path forming member 8. The circular hole 41 is located below the valve shaft 12 of the valve body 9, and a movable pin 42 for moving the valve shaft 12 up and down is disposed in the circular hole 41 so as to be movable up and down. The movable pin 42 is prevented from coming out by a sealing film member 43 fixed to the lower surface of the holding member 40 so as to cover the opening of the circular hole 41.

  Further, below the pressure reducing valve 5 of the valve device 1D, a choke position for pushing up the movable pin 42 to forcibly hold the valve body 9 at the valve closing position shown in FIG. A pin actuator 50 for displacing the movable pin 42 is provided between the choke release position for releasing the forced holding at.

  The pin actuator 50 includes a cylindrical body 51, a piezoelectric element 52 disposed in the center hole 51a, and a drive pin 53. When an AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 52, for example, the piezoelectric element 52 expands and contracts. Thus, the drive pin 53 is moved up and down. The drive pin 53 is displaceable between a first position where the movable pin 42 is displaced to the choke position and a second position (position shown in FIG. 11) lowered from the first position. When the drive pin 53 is displaced from the first position to the second position, the movable pin 42 at the choke position is lowered by its own weight and displaced to the choke release position.

  Further, when the application of the AC voltage is stopped (the power is turned off) in a state where the drive pin 53 is displaced to the first position (a state where the movable pin 42 is held at the choke position), the drive pin 53 becomes the cylindrical body 51. The movable pin 42 is held at the choke position as it is by being held at the first position by the frictional force with the central hole 51a.

  In this valve device 1D, when an AC voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 52 in a state where the drive pin 53 is in the second position shown in FIG. 11, the piezoelectric element 52 extends and the drive pin 53 is displaced to the first position. Thereby, the movable pin 42 is displaced from the choke release position to the choke position, and the valve element 9 is forcibly held at the valve closing position shown in FIG.

  When the power is turned off while the movable pin 42 is in the choke position, the drive pin 53 is held at the first position by the frictional force with the cylindrical body 51, and the movable pin 42 is held at the choke position.

  When the AC voltage is applied again to the piezoelectric element 52 with the movable pin 42 held at the choke position, the piezoelectric element 52 contracts and the drive pin 53 is displaced from the first position to the second position. As a result, the movable pin 42 at the choke position is lowered by its own weight and displaced to the choke release position, and the forced holding of the valve body 9 at the valve close position is released.

According to 5th Embodiment comprised as mentioned above, there exist the following effects.
O Since the pressure reducing valve 5 itself has the function of a choke valve, when the valve device 1D is provided, for example, in a carriage of an ink jet printer, it is not necessary to provide a choke valve separately from the pressure reducing valve 5. For this reason, an ink jet printer having a choke valve function can be realized with a small number of parts and at a low cost.

○ The valve device 1D of this embodiment is applied to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and each of the _six pressure reducing valves 5 _{1 to} 5 ₆ has the function of a choke valve. Select cleaning can be performed by forcibly holding one or more of them in the valve closing position. “Select cleaning” refers to cleaning ink of a certain color, for example, six colors of ink. In this case, the movable pin 42 of the pressure reducing valve corresponding to the color to be cleaned is displaced to the choke position to forcibly hold the pressure reducing valve at the valve closing position.

  ○ Since the drive pin 53 is driven by the pin actuator 50 and the movable pin 42 is displaced between the choke position and the choke release position, the structure for providing the function of the choke valve is reduced to a small pressure reduction. It can be arranged in a small space under the valve 5.

  Even when the application of the AC voltage to the piezoelectric element 52 is stopped while the movable pin 42 is in the choke position, the drive pin 53 is held at the first position by the frictional force with the cylindrical body 51, and the movable pin 42 It is a structure held at the choke position. With this configuration, when the valve device 1D is configured on the carriage of an ink jet printer, it is possible to suppress ink leakage from the carriage head depending on the posture and environment of the printer with the printer turned off.

[Printer]
Next, an example of an ink jet printer using the valve device described in each embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, as an example, an ink jet printer in which the valve device 1 of the first embodiment is provided in a carriage will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a printer 100 as a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame 102. A paper feed tray 103 is provided on the upper surface of the frame 102, and a paper discharge tray 104 is provided on the front surface of the frame 102. The paper feed tray 103 and the paper discharge tray 104 are configured to be foldable with respect to the frame 102 by a hinge structure (not shown).

  A platen 105 is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the frame 102, and recording paper inserted into the frame 102 from the paper feed tray 103 is fed onto the platen 105 by a paper feed mechanism (not shown). It has become so. Then, the fed recording sheet is discharged from the discharge tray 104 to the outside of the frame 102.

  A guide member 106 is installed in the frame 102 in parallel with the platen 105. A carriage 107 is movably supported on the guide member 106. The valve device 1 is provided on the carriage 107. A carriage motor (not shown) is attached to the frame 102, and the carriage 107 is drivingly connected to the carriage motor via a timing belt (not shown) wound around a pair of pulleys (not shown). ing. With this configuration, when the carriage motor is driven, the driving force is transmitted to the carriage 107 via the timing belt. In response to this driving force, the carriage 107 is guided by the guide member 106 and reciprocates in parallel (main scanning direction) with the platen 105.

On the other hand, a recording head 108 as a liquid ejecting head is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 107 (the surface facing the platen 105). The recording head 108 has a nozzle forming surface 108a (see FIG. 13) so as to face the recording paper. The nozzle forming surface 108a has n nozzles N (n is a natural number) per row (FIG. 13). 6 rows of nozzle rows (not shown) are formed. In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, six nozzle rows composed of n nozzles N per row are formed, but this is not restrictive, and the number of nozzles N and the number of nozzle rows per row may be changed as appropriate. Also good.

  The recording head 108 has colors corresponding to the respective nozzles (in this embodiment, from the first and second ink cartridges 109 and 110 serving as liquid storage means provided in the frame 102, as will be described later. Black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, light magenta) ink is supplied. The ink flowing into the recording head 108 is pressurized by the piezoelectric element 108b (see FIG. 13), and is ejected as an ink droplet from the nozzle N of the recording head 108, thereby forming a dot. That is, black, cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, and light magenta, which are corresponding colors, are ejected from the nozzles N formed in the recording head 108, respectively.

  In the printer 100, an area for printing by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording sheet while reciprocating the carriage 107 is set as a printing area. Further, the printer 100 is provided with a non-printing region for sealing the nozzle N during non-printing, and a cap holder 111 is provided in the non-printing region as shown in FIG.

  The cap holder 111 is provided with a flexible cap member 112 so as to face the nozzle forming surface 108 a of the recording head 108. The cap holder 111 seals each nozzle N by bringing the cap member 112 into close contact with the nozzle forming surface 108a of the recording head 108 via a drive mechanism (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the cap member 112 is formed with communication ports 112a and 112b communicating with the inside of the cap member 112 at the bottom, and the communication port 112a is connected to the outside of the cap holder 111 via a tube T1. A cap opening valve 113 is connected. The cap opening valve 113 appropriately opens a space formed by bringing the cap member 112 and the nozzle forming surface 108a into close contact with each other. Further, the communication port 112b is connected to a suction port (not shown) of the gear pump GP through the tube T2. The gear pump GP includes gears G1 and G2. When a driving force is transmitted from a driving motor (not shown), the gears G1 and G2 are rotationally driven to apply a negative pressure to the cap member 112. . In other words, when the nozzle forming surface 108a is sealed by the cap member 112, the gear pump GP is driven so that the nozzle N on the nozzle forming surface 108a can be cleaned by applying a negative pressure. .

  An adjusting device 114 is connected to a discharge port (not shown) of the gear pump GP via a tube T3, and a first ink cartridge 109 is connected to the adjusting device 114 via a tube T4.

  The first ink cartridge 109 contains an ink pack B that stores black ink and an ink absorber 115 that absorbs ink. The ink pack B is connected to the recording head 108 of the carriage 107 via the tube T5. The ink absorber 115 is a porous material having water absorption, such as sponge.

With such a configuration, waste ink and air sucked from the cap member 112 by the gear pump GP flow into the first ink cartridge 109. At this time, the waste ink flowing into the first ink cartridge 109 is absorbed by the ink absorber 115. Further, the amount of waste ink and air flowing into the first ink cartridge 109 and the flow velocity thereof are adjusted by the adjusting device 114.

  A second ink cartridge 110 is connected to and communicates with the first ink cartridge 109 via a tube T6. The second ink cartridge 110 includes ink packs C, M, Y, LC, and LM that store cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, and light magenta inks, respectively. The ink packs C, M, Y, LC, and LM are connected to the recording head 108 of the carriage 107 via tubes T7 to T11, respectively. The second ink cartridge 110 is connected to an opening device 116 that appropriately opens the inside of the second ink cartridge 110 via a tube T12.

  With this configuration, when the gear pump GP is driven, waste ink and air are sucked from the cap member 112, and the waste ink and air are collected from the cap member 112 → tube T2 → gear pump GP → tube T3 → adjustment device 114 →. After sequentially flowing through the tube T4, it flows into the ink cartridge 109. At this time, waste ink that flows into the first ink cartridge 109 is absorbed by the ink absorber 115 described above, and therefore, air that has flowed into the first ink cartridge 109 (hereinafter referred to as pressurized air). Only flows. The pressurized air flows from the first ink cartridge 109 into the second ink cartridge 110 via the tube T6 and is then held by the opening device 116 connected to the tube T12. .

  That is, since the air pressures in the first and second ink cartridges 109 and 110 are always equal and without deviation, when the gear pump GP is driven, the air pressures in the first and second ink cartridges 109 and 110 are the same as described above. The ink packs B, C, M, Y, LC, and LM are pressurized by being pressurized by the pressurized air. As a result, the ink stored in each ink pack B, C, M, Y, LC, and LM is pumped to the recording head 108 of the carriage 107, respectively.

  That is, in the printer 100 of this embodiment, the gear pump GP includes a cleaning pump that applies negative pressure to the cap member 112, and a pressurizing pump that pressurizes each ink pack B, C, M, Y, LC, and LM. Doubles as When the gear pump GP is driven, negative pressure is applied to the cap member 112 to suck waste ink and air, and the ink packs B, C, M, Y, LC, and LM are pressurized, and the ink is applied to the recording head 108. Is supposed to be pumped.

The ink jet printer configured as described above has the following effects.
○ Miniaturization and thinning of the ink jet printer can be realized.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within a scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. For example, the following modifications can be made.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the film member 6 as the pressure receiving member has been shown as an example of a substance having a low water permeability, oxygen or nitrogen permeability, but is not limited thereto, and is not limited to this. It is also possible to apply a film. At this time, as measures against moisture permeation and oxygen or nitrogen permeation, another member may be provided on the film member.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the communication portion between the liquid supply chamber 16 and the pressure chamber 4 is a circular hole 17.
The valve shaft 12 of the valve body 9 is inserted into the circular hole 17 leaving a gap. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applicable to a configuration in which the communicating portion is a hole having an arbitrary shape other than a circular shape. Is applicable.

  In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the operating lever 11 is bent into a U-shaped cross section. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the one end 11a and the pressing portion 11b are separate members having different rigidity. The rigidity difference may be formed by being fixed by bonding, welding, or the like.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the valve device 1A that uses six colors of ink has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to six colors, and the valve device uses a plurality of colors of ink. Is also applicable. For example, in the case of a valve device that uses four color inks, four groove-shaped flow paths 7 _{1 to} 7 ₄ may be arranged in parallel to provide _four pressure reducing valves 5 _{1 to} 5 _4. Needless to say.

  In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a substantially L-shaped lever so that the sealing member 13 is pressed against the sealing surface of the pressure chamber 4 by a leaf spring 10 </ b> B as a pressure adjusting spring provided in the pressure chamber 4. However, the valve body 9B may be similarly urged by a torsion coil spring instead of the leaf spring 10B.

  The valve device of each of the above embodiments is a liquid ejecting apparatus other than an ink jet printer, for example, an ink jet recording apparatus that ejects ink (including a printing apparatus such as a fax machine or a copier), or a liquid ejecting liquid other than ink. It is also applicable to the device. For example, the present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL display, and a surface emitting display, and a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bioorganic material used for biochip manufacturing. It can also be applied to a sample injection device as a precision pipette.

  In FIGS. 12 and 13, the ink jet printer in which the valve device 1 according to the first embodiment is provided on the carriage has been described. However, the valve device 1 is not limited to the carriage, and the liquid storage unit to the liquid ejecting head. The present invention can also be applied to an ink jet printer provided in the middle of a liquid supply path for supplying a liquid.

  The present invention can also be applied to an ink jet printer in which the valve device of the second to fifth embodiments is provided in the middle of a liquid supply path for supplying liquid to the carriage or from the liquid storage means to the liquid ejecting head. It is.

  -The liquid used for the valve device of each of the above embodiments is not limited to ink, but may be other liquid.

Sectional drawing which shows the valve apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment, and followed the AA line of FIG. The top view which shows the valve apparatus of FIG. Sectional drawing along the BB line of FIG. The top view which shows the valve apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the valve apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the flow-path formation member in the valve apparatus of FIG. The perspective view which shows the valve body of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the valve apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the flow-path formation member in the valve apparatus of FIG. The perspective view which shows the valve body of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the valve apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a printer. The block diagram which shows schematic structure of the printer of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

N: Nozzle, 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D ... Valve device, 2 ... Liquid inlet, 3 ... Liquid outlet, 4, 4 ₁ to 4 ₆ ... Pressure chamber, 5, 5 _{1 to} 5 ₆ , 5B, 5C ... pressure reducing valve, the film member as 6, 6A ... pressure receiving member, _6a, 6a 1 ~6a 6 _... pressure receiving portion, _7,7 1-7 6 _... groove shaped flow paths, 8, 8A, 8B, 8C ... flow path forming member , 9, 9B, 9C ... valve body, 10 ... pressure adjusting spring, 10B ... leaf spring as pressure adjusting spring, 10C ... tension spring as pressure adjusting spring, 11, 11 _{1 to} 11 ₆ ... operating lever, 11a: One end of an operating lever, 11b: Pressing portion of the operating lever, 12 ... Valve shaft, 13 ... Seal member, 14 ... Spring receiving portion, 15, 15C ... Inlet side flow path, 16 ... Liquid supply chamber, 17 ... Circular hole , 18... Outlet side flow path, 19, 40... Holding member, 20, 30. Over part, 21, 31 ... the second of the lever portion.

Claims (9)

In a valve device provided with a pressure reducing valve for reducing the liquid in the pressure chamber, which communicates with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively, and stores the liquid to a predetermined pressure,
The pressure reducing valve includes a pressure receiving member that elastically deforms inward of the pressure chamber when the pressure in the pressure chamber becomes lower than a predetermined pressure, and a pressing force when the pressure receiving member elastically deforms inward. A valve device configured to be in a valve-open state in which liquid is supplied from the liquid inlet side into the pressure chamber by a boosted operating force. The valve device according to claim 1,
The pressure reducing valve is
A flow path forming member having a substantially rectangular groove-shaped flow path communicating with the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; a valve opening position for bringing the liquid inlet and the groove-shaped flow path into communication; the liquid inlet and the groove; A valve body that is displaceable between a closed position that brings the cylindrical flow path into a non-communication state,
A pressure adjusting spring that biases the valve body toward the valve closing position;
An operating lever that presses the valve element toward the valve opening position against the biasing force of the spring;
The pressure receiving member that seals the groove-like flow path to form the pressure chamber;
When the pressure in the pressure chamber is lower than a predetermined pressure, the operating lever opens the valve body with an operating force that is a boost of the pressing force when the pressure receiving member is elastically deformed inward of the pressure chamber. A valve device that is pressed to the side. The valve device according to claim 1 or 2,
The actuating lever is a cantilever beam in the groove-like channel and supported at one end side by the channel forming member, and the valve body is located closer to the one end side than the center of gravity of the actuating lever. The valve device is arranged to receive the operating force from the operating lever. The valve device according to claim 2 or 3,
One end side of the said operation lever currently supported by the said flow-path formation member is lower in rigidity than the press part of the said operation lever which presses the said valve body. The valve device according to claim 4,
The actuating lever is composed of a single thin plate, and the pressing portion of the actuating lever is bent in a U shape in cross section. In the valve apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-5,
The valve body has a valve shaft and a seal member,
The flow path forming member includes an inlet-side flow path having the liquid inlet, a liquid supply chamber communicating with the inlet-side flow path and housing the valve body and the pressure adjusting spring, the liquid supply chamber, A hole which is a communication portion communicating with the pressure chamber is formed,
The pressure adjusting spring is interposed between the valve body and a holding member that seals the open end of the liquid supply chamber,
The valve body is biased by the pressure adjusting spring toward the valve closing position where the seal member is pressed against the seal surface of the liquid supply chamber in a state where the valve shaft is inserted leaving a gap in the hole. A valve device characterized by that. In the valve apparatus as described in any one of Claims 2-5,
The valve body is in the groove-shaped flow path, is rotatably supported by the flow path forming member, and has a first lever part having a seal member and a second lever part pressed by the operating lever. Are integrated into a substantially L-shaped lever, and the flow path forming member is formed with an inlet-side flow path having the liquid inlet and communicating with the pressure chamber, and the substantially L-shaped lever includes the seal member. Is urged by the pressure adjusting spring toward the valve closing position pressed against the sealing surface of the pressure chamber. In the valve apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-7,
A valve device characterized in that a plurality of the groove-like flow paths for storing different types of liquids are arranged in parallel. The valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the liquid supply path that guides the liquid from the liquid storing means that temporarily stores the liquid to the liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid from the nozzle to the target. Provided in
The pressure reducing valve senses the pressure in the pressure chamber where the liquid decreases as the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head, and switches supply and non-supply of the liquid from the liquid supply path to the pressure chamber. A liquid ejecting apparatus.

Images