JP2005329709A - Ink vessel, inkjet recording head, and inkjet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce problems, which are caused by ink color mixing occurring in connecting parts between an inkjet recording head and ink vessels for storing at least three different kinds of ink, by repeatedly connecting and disconnecting the ink vessels and the inkjet recording head. <P>SOLUTION: A cyan ink, a magenta ink and a yellow ink are stored in an ink cartridge 20. The ink cartridge 20 has a joint part which is connected to a recording head unit when the ink is supplied to the recording head unit. A supply part 25C for the cyan ink, a supply part 25M for the magenta ink, and a supply part 25Y for the yellow ink are arranged in the joint part in this order. An interval W1 between the supply part 25Y and the supply part 25M is longer than an interval W2 between the supply part 25C and the supply part 25M. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink container, an ink jet recording head, and an ink jet recording apparatus used for ink jet recording. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ink container that contains three or more types of ink, an ink jet recording head that can eject ink supplied from such an ink container, and the ink container and the ink jet recording head. The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium using the.

  In recent years, as an ink jet recording apparatus, a device that records a color image using a plurality of ink jet recording heads that eject inks of different colors has become widespread. As a form of the plurality of ink jet recording heads, not only an independent form but also a form of a recording head unit in which they are integrated.

  In general, when recording a color image, three colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), or a total of four inks including black (B) in these three colors are used. Color ink is used. As the ink jet recording head, those capable of discharging these inks are used. As the number of colors of ink used increases, the ink container that supplies ink to the ink jet recording head is configured to contain a plurality of colors of ink. As the ink container, there is an ink cartridge that is detachable from the ink jet recording head. In addition to the above four color inks, a light magenta (LM) ink and a light cyan (LC) ink are also used, and a total of six colors of ink are used to record an image with high-definition photographic image quality. Possible ink jet recording apparatuses have been put into practical use.

  An ink cartridge as an ink container is detachable directly or indirectly with respect to the ink jet recording head. When the ink in the ink cartridge runs out, the ink can be continuously supplied to the ink jet recording head by replacing it with a new ink cartridge. In the connecting portion between the ink jet recording head side and the ink cartridge side, the ink jet recording head side is provided with a receiving portion for receiving ink, while the ink cartridge side is provided with a supplying portion for supplying ink. Yes.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus for color image recording as described above, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration example of a connecting portion for connecting an ink jet recording head and an ink cartridge. Hereinafter, the structure of the connecting portion will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

  The ink cartridge 500 stores inks of three colors, and three ink bags 511 for storing the inks of these colors are provided inside the container main body 510. The ink cartridge 500 includes a total of three ink supply units 520 corresponding to the respective color inks in order to supply three color inks to an ink jet recording head (not shown). The ink supply unit 520 includes an ink supply port 521 formed in the container main body 510 and a coupling member 522 located in the ink supply port 521. The coupling member 522 is fixed to the opening of the ink bag 511. Further, the coupling member 522 is made of an elastic member such as rubber, and a slit is formed at the center thereof.

  The ink jet recording head includes an ink ejection unit corresponding to each color ink, and an ink receiving unit 550 that receives ink from the ink cartridge 500. The ink receiving unit 550 includes a total of three ink supply pipes 551 connected to each of the ink discharge units, and a pipe fixing member 552 that holds these ink supply pipes 551. The three ink supply ports 521 in the ink cartridge 500 are provided at regular intervals, and the pipe fixing member 552 holds the three ink supply pipes 551 at the same intervals as those ink supply ports 521.

  In such a configuration, the ink jet recording head and the ink cartridge 500 are connected such that the ink supply pipe 551 is inserted into the connecting member 522 through the corresponding ink supply port 521. As a result, the ink in the ink bag 511 can be supplied to the ink discharge portion of the ink jet recording head through the ink supply pipe 551.

  By the way, there is a so-called pit-in supply method as an ink supply method in the ink jet recording apparatus. In the pit-in supply system, for example, an ink cartridge is detachably mounted on the main body side of the ink jet recording apparatus, and separately from this, a sub tank having a smaller capacity than the ink cartridge is provided in the ink jet recording head. If necessary, the ink cartridge and the sub tank on the ink jet recording head side are connected to supply ink from the former ink cartridge to the latter sub tank. An ink receiving unit communicating with the sub tank is provided on the ink jet recording head side, while an ink supply unit is provided on the ink cartridge side. Then, based on the detection result of the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank, the ink receiving section on the ink jet recording head side and the ink supply section on the ink cartridge side are connected to fill the ink from the ink cartridge to the sub tank.

  The ink jet recording head is mounted on a carriage that can move in the main scanning direction. When the ink is filled from the ink cartridge to the sub tank, the carriage on which the ink jet recording head is mounted moves to a predetermined position, so that the ink receiving portion on the ink jet recording head side and the ink cartridge side mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus are on the side. And an ink supply unit. When such ink is filled, since the ink jet recording head is restrained at a predetermined position together with the carriage, a recording operation cannot be performed. When the recording operation is performed, the connection between the ink receiving unit on the ink jet recording head side and the ink supplying unit on the ink cartridge side is released.

  Such an ink jet recording apparatus alternately performs an operation of ejecting ink while the ink jet recording head moves in the main scanning direction together with the carriage, and an operation of transporting a predetermined amount of the recording medium in a direction crossing the main scanning direction. By repeating, an image is recorded on the recording medium. Such a recording operation is the same as that of a general serial scan type ink jet recording apparatus.

As described above, the ink jet recording head mounted on the carriage is provided with the small-capacity sub tank, and ink is supplied to the sub tank from the ink cartridge provided on the main body side of the ink jet recording apparatus. Thereby, the capacity of the sub tank can be reduced, and the carriage on which the ink jet recording head is mounted can be downsized. Along with this, the mechanism in the driving portion of the carriage can be made compact, and as a result, the entire inkjet recording apparatus can be miniaturized.
JP-A-6-8463

  The connecting portion described in Patent Document 1 described above is based on the premise that after the ink cartridge and the inkjet recording head are connected, the connected state is maintained until the ink in the ink cartridge is used up. Yes.

  On the other hand, in the pit-in supply method, each time ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the sub tank, the connection and release of the ink supply unit on the ink cartridge side and the ink receiving unit on the ink jet recording head side are repeated. Therefore, in the pit-in supply method, the inkjet recording head on the carriage is repeatedly connected to the same ink cartridge a plurality of times. In particular, in the case of a large-capacity ink cartridge, the number of times of ink supply from the ink cartridge to the sub tank of the ink jet recording head may be repeated from several tens to several hundreds.

  As described above, in the pit-in supply method, the connection and release of the connection between the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording head are repeated many times. Therefore, if the alignment accuracy between the ink supply unit on the ink cartridge side and the ink receiving unit on the ink jet recording head side is poor, excess ink may remain in the ink supply unit on the ink cartridge side. The residual ink is accumulated in the ink supply unit of the ink cartridge by repeatedly connecting and releasing the connection between the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording head. When the accumulation of the residual ink proceeds, the ink may spread around the ink supply unit.

  When the ink jet recording head uses a plurality of colors of ink, a plurality of ink supply portions of the ink cartridge are provided corresponding to the plurality of colors of ink. As described above, when the ink cartridge includes a plurality of ink supply units, when the accumulation of the residual ink proceeds in each ink supply unit, the residual inks of different colors spread around the ink supply units adjacent to each other. May mix and cause color mixing.

  The mixed ink around the ink supply unit may be supplied to the ink jet recording head at the next ink replenishment, that is, when the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording head are next connected. When mixed color ink is supplied to the ink jet recording head, the hue of the ink ejected from the ink jet recording head may change, and the image quality may be deteriorated. Among the three color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), the yellow (Y) ink is particularly susceptible to color mixing, and the color change is noticeable on the recorded image. In addition, once color mixing occurs, it is conceivable to perform a recovery operation for forcibly sucking and discharging ink from the ink jet recording head. However, it is necessary to suck and discharge a large amount of ink before the ink ejected from the ink jet recording head returns to the original hue, and the ink is wasted.

  The object of the present invention is to reduce the influence of color mixing when there is a risk of color mixing of ink in the connected portion due to repeated connection and disconnection between the ink container and the inkjet recording head, This is to reduce the size of the ink jet recording head and the ink jet recording apparatus.

  An ink container according to the present invention is an ink container that can be connected to and disconnected from an ink supply path, and includes a plurality of ink storage portions for storing three or more different inks, and a connection to the ink supply path. A plurality of supply units that can be disconnected and can supply a plurality of inks stored in the plurality of ink storage units to the ink supply path. A supply unit of interest for supplying the ink with the largest change, wherein the plurality of supply units are arranged at intervals, and the interval between the supply unit of interest and the other supply unit adjacent thereto Is larger than the interval between the other supply units excluding the noted supply unit.

  The ink jet recording head of the present invention is an ink jet recording head that can be connected to and disconnected from an ink container, and is connected to and connected to a plurality of ink discharge portions capable of discharging three or more different inks. A plurality of receiving units that are releasable and capable of receiving the plurality of inks ejected from the plurality of ink ejecting units from the ink container, wherein the plurality of receiving units have a color of the color mixture of the inks. A receiving unit for receiving ink having the greatest change, the plurality of receiving units being arranged at intervals, and an interval between the receiving unit of interest and the other receiving unit adjacent to the receiving unit; The interval is larger than the interval between other receiving units excluding the noted receiving unit.

  The ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium using an ink jet recording head capable of discharging ink supplied from an ink container, the ink container and the ink jet recording head described above. And an attachment part for attaching and detachably connecting to each other.

  In the ink container of the present invention, each of the plurality of supply units is arranged at intervals, and attention is paid to the supply unit for supplying ink having the largest color change due to the color mixture of the inks among the plurality of supply units. To do. And the space | interval of the notable supply part and the other supply part adjacent to it is made larger than the space | interval of other supply parts. This reduces the risk of color mixing for inks that are most affected by ink color mixing. And since only the space | interval of some supply parts is enlarged, the size of the arrangement | positioning part of those supply parts can be completed to the minimum.

  In the ink jet recording head of the present invention, each of the plurality of receiving units is arranged at intervals, and among the plurality of receiving units, a receiving unit for receiving the ink having the largest color change due to the color mixture of the inks Pay attention to. And the space | interval of the attention receiving part and the other receiving part adjacent to it is made larger than the space | interval of other receiving parts. This reduces the risk of color mixing for inks that are most affected by ink color mixing. And since only the space | interval of some receiving parts is enlarged, the size of the arrangement | positioning part of those receiving parts can be completed to the minimum.

  By using such an ink container and an ink jet recording head, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention reduces the risk of color mixing for the ink that is most affected by the color mixing of the ink. In addition, the size of the connecting portion between the ink container and the inkjet recording head can be minimized.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the influence of the color mixture can be suppressed to a small extent with respect to the ink having the largest color change due to the color mixture of the ink, the color of the ink is stably maintained and a high-quality image is recorded. Can do. In addition, the structure for suppressing color mixing of ink is extremely simple, and the size of the connecting portion between the ink container and the inkjet recording head can be minimized. Therefore, the increase in size of the ink container, the ink jet recording head, and further the ink jet recording apparatus can be suppressed.

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

  FIG. 1A is an external perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus with an upper cover removed.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 1 of this example includes a recording mechanism unit 4, a sheet feeding mechanism unit 5, and a sheet feeding cassette 6. The recording mechanism unit 4 performs a recording operation, and the paper feeding mechanism unit 5 conveys a recording sheet P such as paper or a resin film to the recording mechanism unit 4. The paper feed cassette 6 is detachably provided on the paper feed mechanism unit 5 and stacks recording sheets P to be supplied to the paper feed mechanism unit 5. The recording mechanism unit 4 and the sheet feeding mechanism unit 5 are covered with an upper case 2 and a lower case 3 that constitute an exterior. Each of the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 may be composed of one part, or may be composed of a combination of a plurality of parts. A discharge port 8 for discharging the recording sheet P after recording is opened on the front surface of the upper case 2.

  The recording mechanism unit 4 includes a recording head unit 10, various rollers (not shown), and a head recovery mechanism (not shown). The recording head unit 10 is supported by a guide shaft so as to be reciprocally movable along the main scanning direction of the arrow X, and various rollers (not shown) feed the recording sheet P sent from the paper feeding mechanism unit 5 in the main scanning direction. Is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction indicated by an arrow Y that intersects with. A head recovery mechanism (not shown) performs a recovery operation to be described later in order to maintain the ink ejection characteristics of the recording head unit 10 satisfactorily.

  The recording head unit 10 can record a full-color image on the recording sheet P by ejecting three colors of ink (specifically, yellow, magenta, and cyan ink) based on the ejection signal. is there. Therefore, the recording head unit 10 includes three ink ejection portions (not shown) corresponding to the respective color inks, and three sub tanks (not shown) that store ink to be supplied to the ink ejection portions. The ink ejection unit includes a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, and each nozzle is provided with an energy generating element that generates energy for ejecting ink. As the energy generating element, an element using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, or an element using an electrothermal transducer having a heating resistor can be applied. When the electrothermal conversion element is used, ink droplets can be ejected from the ejection port at the tip of the nozzle by utilizing the foaming energy when the ink is heated and foamed.

  A home position is set at one end of the reciprocating range of the recording head unit 10. The installation position of the head recovery mechanism is set to a position facing the recording head unit 10 when the recording head unit 10 is positioned at the home position. The head recovery mechanism performs a recovery operation for maintaining a good ink discharge state of the recording head unit 10. Therefore, the head recovery mechanism includes a cap for capping the ink discharge portion, a wiping member for wiping the nozzle opening surface (formation surface of the discharge port) of the ink discharge portion, and a suction for forcibly sucking and discharging ink from the nozzle. It has a pump.

  Recording on the recording sheet P by the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is performed as follows.

  First, the sheet feeding mechanism 5 operates to send out the recording sheets P stacked in the sheet feeding cassette 6 one by one. The recording sheet P sent out from the paper feed cassette 6 is further conveyed by the paper feed mechanism section 5. After the recording sheet P is conveyed to a predetermined position, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head unit 10 toward the recording sheet P while moving the recording head unit 10 in the main scanning direction. The recording sheet P is intermittently fed in the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined pitch every time when the recording head unit 10 moves in one direction or every one reciprocal movement. As a result, an image is recorded on the entire recording sheet P.

  Further, an ink cartridge 20 is detachably attached to the ink jet recording apparatus 1. The ink cartridge 20 contains ink of each color to be supplied to the recording head unit 10. The ink remaining in the sub-tank of the recording head unit 10 decreases due to the ejection of ink from the recording head unit 10, and the recording head unit 10 becomes home when the ink remaining amount becomes small or disappears. Move to position. The recording head unit 10 is connected to the ink cartridge 20 at the home position, and ink of each color is replenished from the ink cartridge 20 to each sub tank of the recording head unit 10. Details of ink replenishment will be described later.

  A cartridge replacement cover 7 is provided on the side surface of the lower case 3 so as to be freely opened and closed. By opening the cartridge replacement cover 7, the used ink cartridge 20 can be replaced with a new one.

  In the following, the ink cartridge 20 and the recording head unit 10 will be described focusing on the structure related to the connection between them.

  First, the ink cartridge 20 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 20 shown in FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the exterior of the ink cartridge 20 includes a main housing 21, a lid member 22, and a bottom plate 23. In the internal space of the ink cartridge 20, ink storage portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y that store cyan ink (C), magenta ink (M), and yellow ink (Y), respectively, are stored. Further, the ink cartridge 20 contains a waste ink absorbing member 27 and a waste ink holding member 28.

  Two engagement grooves 21 b located on both sides of the ink cartridge 20 in the width direction are formed in a portion of the main housing 21 located at one end in the longitudinal direction of the ink cartridge 20. The engaging groove 21b engages with a lever member (not shown) provided in the ink jet recording apparatus 1 when the ink cartridge 20 is attached to the ink jet recording apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1) from the direction of arrow E. . As a result, one end of the ink cartridge 20 is positioned in the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The lever member is provided so as to be movable up and down, and is also used for connecting the ink cartridge 20 and the recording head unit 10 (see FIG. 1).

  A part of the lid member 22 is notched, and a joint portion 24 for connecting to the recording head unit 10 (see FIG. 1) is provided in the notched region. When supplying ink to the recording head unit 10, the recording head unit 10 stops at a position where at least a part of the recording head unit 10 faces the joint portion 24. The joint portion 24 is located on one end side in the longitudinal direction of the ink cartridge 20. The joint unit 24 includes a supply unit 25C for cyan ink, a supply unit 25M for magenta ink, and a supply unit 25Y for yellow ink.

The ink storage portions 26 </ b> C, 26 </ b> M, and 26 </ b> Y store ink to be supplied to the recording head unit 10 and are disposed in a space formed by the main housing 21 and the bottom plate 23. In this example, as the ink containing portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y, those in which a film is formed in a bag shape so as to be deformable as the ink is led out are used. The film for forming the ink containing portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y has a laminated structure of a polyethylene terephthalate layer, an aluminum layer, and a polypropylene layer from the viewpoint of ease of manufacture, securing necessary mechanical strength, and air permeability. A laminate film can be used. The thickness of these layers is several μm to several tens of μm. The capacities of the ink storage portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y can be appropriately determined according to the use of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1). In this example, 4 mm ³ of ink is stored in each of the ink storage portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y so that recording can be performed on 50 commonly used A4 size recording sheets P.

  The waste ink holding member 28 holds waste ink sucked and discharged from the recording head unit 10 by the suction pump during the above-described recovery operation, and includes a space for storing the ink storage portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y. Separately, it is arranged in a space formed in the main housing 21. Waste ink sucked by the suction pump is introduced and held in a waste ink holding member 28 from a waste ink introduction port 21a formed in the main housing 21 through a pipe (not shown) such as a pipe.

  The waste ink absorbing member 27 is disposed in a space formed by the main housing 21 and the lid member 22. The waste ink absorbing member 27 is ejected from the recording head unit 10 when the recording head unit 10 is used to perform marginless recording (also referred to as “marginless recording”) on a recording sheet P such as plain paper or a postcard. The ink that has not landed on the recording sheet P is received and absorbed. The lid 22 is formed with an opening 22 a for exposing the ink absorbing member 27. A portion of the waste ink absorbing member 27 is in contact with the waste ink holding member 28, and the waste ink that cannot be held by the waste ink holding member 28 is absorbed by the waste ink absorbing member 27. In this example, as the waste ink absorbing member 27, a pulp non-woven fabric and a synthetic fiber non-woven fabric are layered to have a thickness of about 3 mm. The thickness of the waste ink absorbing member 27 is based on the amount of ink absorbed by the waste ink absorbing member 27 before the ink in the ink cartridge 20 is used up, and the area of the area where the waste ink absorbing member 27 is installed. Can be set as appropriate. In this example, the waste ink absorbing member 27 and the waste ink holding member 28 are configured as separate members. However, the waste ink absorbing member 27 and the waste ink holding member 28 may be configured as a single member, for example, by bending the end portion of the waste ink absorbing member 27.

  In FIG. 4, connecting members 32C, 32M, and 32Y are connected to the ink storage portions 26C, 26M, and 26Y via coupling members 33, respectively. The connection members 32 </ b> C, 32 </ b> M, and 32 </ b> Y are tubular members that are bent toward the joint portion 24. The leading ends of the connection members 32C, 32M, and 32Y are blocked by the seal member 31, which prevents ink leakage from the ink cartridge 20 and ink evaporation when the ink cartridge 20 is not used. . The seal member 31 is formed with a slit 31a penetrating the front and back. As the material of the seal member 31, a material that is resistant to the ink to be used and that causes less ink to evaporate from the seal portion is preferable. Further, as the material of the seal member 31, it is desirable that a pipe member on the recording head unit 10 side described later can be inserted with a small force. In this example, chlorinated butyl rubber is used as the material of the seal member 31. As a material of the seal member 31, for example, silicone rubber or styrene rubber capable of forming an elastomer can be used.

  The seal member 31 is fixed to each of the tips of the connection members 32C, 32M, and 32Y. The respective seal members 31 are collectively fixed to the tip ends of the connection members 32C, 32M, and 32Y by the presser plate. The holding plate 34 is formed with three openings corresponding to the positions of the respective seal members 31, and these openings serve as the supply sections 25C, 25M, and 25Y described above.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ink cartridge 20 is provided with an absorbing member 30. The position of the absorbing member 30 is set to a position in contact with the wiping member of the recovery mechanism described above in a state where the ink cartridge 20 is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1). Thereby, the absorption member 30 can absorb the adhering matter adhering to the wiping member after the wiping operation. The material of the wiping member is a material that can absorb and hold ink, and further has a resistance to the ink to be used and is a material that is strong and chemically stable even in long-term contact with the wiping member. It is desirable. In this example, a polyethylene porous member having a thickness of 1.2 mm is used as the absorbing member 30. As the absorbing member 30, for example, polypropylene or polyurethane-based fiber body can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the supply units 25C, 25M, and 25Y are arranged on the same plane, and are arranged in a line on the same straight line in that order. W1 is an interval between the supply unit 25Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 25M for magenta ink adjacent thereto. W2 is an interval between adjacent supply units excluding the supply unit 25Y for yellow ink, that is, an interval between the supply unit 25C for cyan ink and the supply unit 25M for magenta ink adjacent thereto. It is. The interval W1 is larger than the interval W2.

  Next, the recording head unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, the recording head unit 10 includes an ink ejection unit and a sub tank corresponding to each color ink of cyan, magenta, and yellow. In addition, three pipe members 11 </ b> C, 11 </ b> M, and 11 </ b> Y constituting a receiving portion are provided as protruding portions from the recording head unit 10 as connecting portions with the ink cartridge 20. Each pipe member 11C, 11M, 11Y corresponds to each color ink. That is, the cyan ink pipe member 11C is connected to the cyan ink sub tank, the magenta ink pipe member 11M is connected to the magenta ink sub tank, and the yellow ink pipe member 11Y is connected to the yellow ink sub tank. It is connected. That is, each of the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y is provided for each ink discharge portion corresponding to each ink color, and is connected to the ink discharge portion corresponding to each ink color via the sub tank.

  When the recording head unit 10 is supplied with ink from the ink cartridge 20, that is, when the recording head unit 10 is in the connection position with the ink cartridge, the pipe members 11 </ b> C, 11 </ b> M, and 11 </ b> Y correspond to the corresponding ink cartridges 20. Opposite the supply parts 25C, 25M, 25Y. Each pipe member 11C, 11M, 11Y is provided so as to extend toward the corresponding supply part 25C, 25M, 25Y.

  In this example, the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y are arranged on the same line in this order on the surface of the recording head unit 10 facing the ink cartridge 20. Further, the interval between adjacent ones of the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y is set to be equal to the interval between adjacent ones of the supply units 25C, 25M, and 25Y in the ink cartridge 20. That is, the interval (distance between the centers) between the pipe member 11Y for yellow ink and the pipe member 11M for magenta ink adjacent thereto is W1 (see FIG. 5). Further, the interval between the cyan ink pipe member 11C and the magenta ink pipe member 11M adjacent to the cyan ink pipe member 11C is W2 (see FIG. 5).

  During the recording operation, the recording head unit 10 reciprocates in the main scanning direction at a position above the ink cartridge 20. The recording sheet P (see FIG. 1) is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction between the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20. A platen (not shown) that supports the recording sheet P is disposed in a region facing the recording head unit 10 during the recording operation. The platen is located above the ink cartridge 20.

  Accompanying the recording operation, the ink in the sub tank of the recording head unit 10 is consumed. The remaining amount of ink in the sub tank is detected by an appropriate method. As a method of detecting the remaining amount of ink, a method using the conductivity of ink, a method of indirectly detecting from the number of ink droplets ejected from the ink ejection section (a number corresponding to the number of ink dots formed), etc. A known method can be used. Based on the detection result of this detection method, when it is determined that the remaining amount of ink in the sub tank is little or no longer, the recording head unit 10 is moved to the home position.

  Thereafter, the aforementioned lever member engaged with the engaging groove 21b of the ink cartridge 20 is raised, and accordingly, one end of the ink cartridge 20 provided with the engaging groove 21b faces the recording head unit 10. Rise. Thereby, each pipe member 11C, 11M, and 11Y passes the slit 31a (refer FIG. 4) of each seal member 31 from each supply part 25C, 25M, and 25Y, and is inserted in each connection member 32C, 32M, and 32Y. Is done. As a result, the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20 are connected, and an ink supply path is formed through the hollow portions of the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y.

  After such connection of the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 20 to the recording head unit 10. The ink supply method is arbitrary, and for example, the above-described head recovery mechanism can be used. Specifically, ink can be supplied by capping the ink discharge portion of the recording head unit 10 with a cap and driving the suction pump in this state. The cap and the suction pump may be provided for each ink discharge unit, and in this case, ink of each color can be supplied individually.

  When the ink supply from the ink cartridge 20 to the recording head unit 10 is completed, the lever member is lowered. Along with this, one end of the ink cartridge 20 is also lowered, and the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y are pulled out from the slits 31a of the seal members 31, and the connection between the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20 is released. . Each seal member 31 from which the pipe members 11C, 11M, and 11Y have been removed closes the slit 31a due to its elasticity. For this reason, ink does not leak or evaporate from the ink cartridge 20. Then, after the connection between the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20 is released, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1) continues the recording operation, and the above-described series of ink supply operations as necessary. To do.

  If excessive residual ink spreads around the supply units 25C, 25M, and 25Y by repeatedly connecting and releasing the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20, the residual inks of different colors are mixed together. Color mixing may occur. In order to suppress the occurrence of such color mixture, it is conceivable to set wide intervals between the supply units 25C, 25M, and 25Y. However, in this case, the size of the joint portion 24 (see FIG. 1) is increased, and accordingly, the size of the recording head unit 10 is increased, and as a result, miniaturization of the entire inkjet recording apparatus 1 is hindered. .

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, attention is paid to the ink that is most susceptible to the mixed color among the plurality of types of ink to be used, that is, the yellow ink that has the largest color change due to the mixed color. The yellow ink supply unit 25Y is arranged farther away from the other ink supply units (cyan and magenta ink supply units 25C and 25M). That is, the interval between the supply unit 25Y for yellow ink and the supply unit for other inks adjacent thereto is made larger than the interval between the supply units for other inks. Specifically, as described above, the interval W1 between the yellow ink supply unit 25Y and the magenta ink supply unit 25M that are adjacent to each other is equal to the magenta ink supply unit 25M and the cyan ink supply unit that are adjacent to each other. It was larger than the interval W2 between the supply unit 25C.

  In this way, the interval between all the supply units adjacent to each other is not uniformly increased, but the interval between the supply unit 25Y for yellow ink and the supply unit for other inks adjacent thereto is particularly set. Increased. This can reduce the risk of color mixing for yellow ink that is susceptible to color mixing. As a result, the size of the connecting portion between the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20 can be minimized while minimizing the possibility of image quality degradation due to color mixing. That is, while suppressing increase in size of the recording head unit 10 and the ink cartridge 20, and thus the entire inkjet recording apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1), the occurrence rate of yellow ink color mixture is greatly reduced, and high-quality images are recorded. can do.

  When the connection between the ink cartridge 20 and the recording head unit 10 and the release thereof are repeated as in the pit-in supply system of this example, the size of the ink cartridge 20 can be reduced while the ink cartridge 20 is used up to the final stage. It is possible to record a high-quality image having a stable color with almost no discoloration.

  Moreover, each supply part 25C, 25M, 25Y in this example is formed as an opening part provided in the pressing board 34 (refer FIG. 5). Thereby, each supply part 25C, 25M, 25Y can be formed on the same plane, and the positional accuracy of supply part 25C, 25M, 25Y becomes high. As a result, the ink cartridge 20 and the recording head unit 10 can be connected with high accuracy, and the occurrence of ink leakage at the time of connecting and releasing the connection can be suppressed. Furthermore, by forming the supply units 25C, 25M, and 25Y on the same plane, it is not necessary to form the supply units on separate planes for each ink color, and the size can be further reduced.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the positional relationship between the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 7, the recording head unit, and FIG. 9A and 9B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a joint portion of the ink cartridge shown in FIG.

  The ink cartridge 60 of this example is basically configured similarly to the ink cartridge 20 of the above-described embodiment. That is, the ink cartridge 60 accommodates three colors of ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink, and serves as a joint portion 64 with the recording head unit 50 as a supply portion 65C for cyan ink, magenta. An ink supply unit 65M and a yellow ink supply unit 65Y are provided. In FIG. 9, W1 is an interval W1 between the supply unit 65Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 65M for magenta ink, and W2 is a supply unit 65M for magenta ink and a supply unit 65C for cyan ink. Is the interval between. The interval W1 is larger than the interval W2.

  The recording head unit 50 is basically configured similarly to the recording head unit 10 of the above-described embodiment. That is, the recording head unit 50 includes a cyan ink pipe member 51C, a magenta ink pipe member 51M, and a yellow ink pipe member 51Y as a receiving unit that receives ink of each color from the ink cartridge 60. ing. The interval between the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y is set in the same manner as the interval between the supply portions 65C, 65M, 65Y of the ink cartridge 60.

  In this example, when the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 are connected, both are positioned. Other configurations are the same as the configurations in the above-described embodiment, and the same effects are provided, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  Hereinafter, a configuration for positioning the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 will be described.

  A reference hole 68 is formed in the ink cartridge 60 for positioning when the ink cartridge 60 is connected to the recording head unit 50. The reference hole 68 is located on the same plane as the supply parts 65C, 65M, 65Y in the joint part 64. As described above, among the cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, the yellow ink is most susceptible to a change in color due to color mixing. A reference hole 68 is formed between the yellow ink supply unit 65Y and the magenta ink supply unit 65M adjacent thereto.

  On the other hand, the recording head unit 50 is provided with positioning reference pins 52 at positions facing the reference holes 68. In other words, the reference pin 52 is provided between the pipe member 51Y for yellow ink and the pipe member 51M for magenta ink. The reference pin 52 is provided so as to protrude in the same manner as the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y. The reference pin 52 faces the reference hole 68 of the ink cartridge 60 when the recording head unit 50 is in a position to receive ink supplied from the ink cartridge 60. The reference pin 52 is formed to have a size that can be inserted into the reference hole 68. Further, the projecting length of the reference pin 52 from the recording head unit 50 is longer than that of the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y.

  When the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 are connected, the joint portion 64 of the ink cartridge 60 and the receiving portion (pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y) of the recording head unit 50 are relatively close to each other. Accordingly, first, the reference pin 52 is inserted into the reference hole 68, and then the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y are inserted into the supply portions 65C, 65M, 65Y. Thus, the reference pin 52 is inserted into the reference hole 68 prior to the insertion of the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y into the supply portions 65C, 65M, 65Y. As a result, when the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 are connected, both of them are positioned with high accuracy.

  Further, the positioning structure (reference pin 52 and reference hole 68) includes a connection structure (yellow pipe 51Y and supply part 65Y) relating to yellow ink and a connection structure (pipe member 51M and supply part 65M) relating to magenta ink. ). Thereby, the connection accuracy between the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 is further improved. That is, when the positional relationship between the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 is shifted in the rotation direction about the axis of the reference pin 52 and the reference hole 68, the shift amount of the connecting structure portion between them is suppressed to a small value. . If the structure portion (reference pin 52 and reference hole 68) for positioning is provided at a position away from the joint portion 64 and the receiving portion (pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y), the reference pin 52 and the reference pin are provided. When the positional relationship between the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50 is shifted in the rotation direction about the axis of the hole 68, the shift amount of the connecting structure portion is increased.

  As described above, the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit are provided by providing the positioning structural portions (the reference pins 52 and the reference holes 68) at the positions of the joint portion 64 and the receiving portions (the pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y). The amount of shift of the connecting structure portion with respect to 50 can be kept small, and the connecting accuracy between them can be improved. In addition to the joint part 64 and the receiving part (pipe members 51C, 51M, 51Y), the structure part for positioning can be provided efficiently in terms of space. By providing the structure portion for positioning in this way, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the ink cartridge 60, the recording head unit 50, and the ink jet recording apparatus.

  If excess residual ink spreads around the magenta ink supply unit 65M by repeatedly connecting and releasing the ink cartridge 60 and the recording head unit 50, the residual ink is supplied to the yellow ink supply unit. Before reaching 65Y, it is secured by entering the reference hole 68. Thereby, the occurrence of yellow ink color mixture can be further suppressed. In the present embodiment, since the reference hole 68 is provided on the same plane as the supply units 65C, 65M, and 65Y, the intrusion of residual ink into the reference hole 68 is not hindered.

  The present invention has been described above by taking the representative embodiment as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

  In the example described above, the supply units for three colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow are arranged in a row in the ink cartridge. However, the type and number of ink colors to be used are not limited thereto, and the arrangement of the supply units does not have to be one row. Some examples will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 (a), 10 (b), and 10 (c).

  FIG. 10A shows an example of an ink cartridge that accommodates three colors of ink, similar to the example described above. The ink cartridge includes a supply unit 75C for cyan ink, a supply unit 75M for magenta ink, and a supply unit 75Y for yellow ink. However, these supply units 75C, 75M, and 75Y are not arranged on the same straight line but are arranged two-dimensionally. The yellow ink supply unit 75Y is adjacent to the cyan ink supply unit 75C and the magenta ink supply unit 75M. Wa1 is an interval between the supply unit 75Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 75C for cyan ink. Wa2 is an interval between the supply unit 75Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 75M for magenta ink. Wa3 is an interval between the supply unit 75C for cyan ink and the supply unit 75M for magenta ink. In such an arrangement form of the supply units 75C, 75M, and 75Y, the intervals Wa1 and Wa2 are made larger than the interval Wa3.

  By setting the intervals Wa1, Wa2, and Wa3 in this way, the color mixture of yellow ink can be effectively suppressed as in the case of the above-described example. The interval Wa1 between the yellow ink supply unit 75Y and the cyan ink supply unit 75C and the interval Wa2 between the yellow ink supply unit 75Y and the magenta ink supply unit 75M effectively reduce the color mixture of yellow ink. Any spacing can be used as long as it can be suppressed, and they may be different from each other.

  FIG. 10B shows an example of an ink cartridge that accommodates a total of four inks in which black ink is added to three inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow. The supply units 85B, 85C, 85M, and 85Y including the black ink supply unit 85B are arranged on the same straight line. Further, the supply unit 85Y for yellow ink is located at the end of the array of the supply units 85B, 85C, 85M, and 85Y and is adjacent to only the supply unit 85M for magenta ink. Wb1 is an interval between the supply unit 85Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 85M for magenta ink. Wb2 is an interval between the supply unit 85M for magenta ink and the supply unit 85C for cyan ink. Wb3 is the distance between the supply unit 85C for cyan ink and the supply unit 85B for black ink. In such an arrangement form of the supply units 85B, 85C, 85M, and 85Y, the interval Wb1 is larger than the intervals Wb2 and Wb3. Thereby, the color mixture of yellow ink can be suppressed effectively.

  FIG. 10C shows an example of an ink cartridge that accommodates four colors of ink, as in the example of FIG. 10B. The supply units 95C, 95M, 95Y, and 95B are arranged on the same straight line. Yes. However, the order of arrangement of the supply units 95C, 95M, 95Y, and 95B is different from the example of FIG. That is, the cyan ink supply unit 95C and the black ink supply unit 95B are positioned at both ends of the arrays, and the yellow ink supply unit 95Y includes the magenta ink supply unit 95M and the black ink supply unit. It is adjacent to the portion 95B. Wc1 is an interval between the supply unit 95Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 95B for black ink. Wc2 is an interval between the supply unit 95Y for yellow ink and the supply unit 95M for magenta ink. Wc3 is an interval between the supply unit 95C for cyan ink and the supply unit 95M for magenta ink. In such an arrangement, the intervals Wc1 and Wc2 are made larger than the interval Wc3. Thereby, the color mixture of yellow ink can be suppressed effectively.

  The examples shown in FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C are only a part. For example, the color of the ink stored in the ink cartridge may be 4 or 5 or more, and the number of supply units corresponding thereto may be 4 or 5 or more. In addition, if the supply unit for the ink of the color having the largest color change due to the mixed color is “specific supply unit” and the supply unit for the other color inks is “other supply unit”, those supply units It suffices if the parts can be arranged as follows. That is, the interval between the “specific supply unit” and the adjacent supply unit (including the “specific supply unit” and the “other supply unit”) is the interval between the “other supply units” adjacent to each other. It only has to be larger.

  Further, a reference hole as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B may be provided. In this case, the reference hole is provided between a supply unit for ink having the largest color change due to color mixing and a supply unit adjacent thereto.

The receiving portion (pipe member) of the recording head unit is arranged in the same manner as the supply portion of such an ink cartridge. That is, each receiving unit is arranged to face each supply unit of the ink cartridge. Specifically, when a receiving unit for ink of the color having the largest color change due to color mixing is a “specific receiving unit” and a receiving unit for ink of other colors is “another receiving unit”, Those receiving parts are arranged as follows. That is, the interval between the “specific receiving unit” and the adjacent receiving unit (including the “specific receiving unit” and the “other receiving unit”) is the interval between the “other receiving units” adjacent to each other. Larger than.
Further, the positioning structure portion (reference pin) is provided between the ink receiving portion for the color having the largest color change due to the mixed color and the receiving portion adjacent thereto.

  In the above-described embodiment, the ink container connected to supply ink to the recording head unit constitutes an exchangeable cartridge. However, the ink container only needs to be configured to be replenished with ink as necessary, and does not need to be in the form of a cartridge. For example, the ink container may be provided in the ink jet recording apparatus so that it cannot be removed.

Further, the present invention can be applied to a configuration in which the ink container can be connected to and disconnected from the ink supply path to the recording head, and can also be applied to ink supply methods other than the pit-in supply method. When the present invention is applied to an ink supply method other than the pit-in supply method, the recording head does not necessarily have a sub tank. In this case, each receiving unit on the recording head side is connected to a corresponding ink ejection unit via an ink flow path for each ink color.
Further, the ink supply path that can connect and disconnect the ink container may be formed in a portion other than the recording head. That is, the ink supply path may be formed in various members other than the recording head.

(A) is a perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a perspective view of a state where an upper cover is removed from the ink jet recording apparatus. It is a perspective view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VV of the ink cartridge illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a relationship between an ink cartridge and a recording head unit shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view of the ink cartridge in other embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view for explaining the relationship between the ink cartridge and the recording head unit shown in FIG. 7. (A) is an enlarged plan view of the joint part of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 7, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line IXB-IXB of the joint part shown in (a). (A), (b) and (c) is a top view which shows the example of a different arrangement | positioning of the supply part in an ink cartridge, respectively. It is a perspective view of the conventional ink cartridge. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the relationship between the ink cartridge and the recording head shown in FIG. 11.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet recording device 10 Recording head unit 11C, 11M, 11Y Pipe member 20 Ink cartridge (ink container)
25 (25C, 25M, 25Y) Supply section W1, W2 interval

Claims (21)

An ink container that can be connected to and disconnected from an ink supply path,
A plurality of ink storage portions for storing three or more different inks;
A plurality of supply units that can be connected to and disconnected from the ink supply path and can supply a plurality of inks stored in the plurality of ink storage units to the ink supply path;
With
The plurality of supply units include a notable supply unit for supplying ink having the largest color change due to color mixing of inks,
The plurality of supply units are arranged at intervals, and the interval between the noted supply unit and the other supply units adjacent thereto is greater than the interval between other supply units excluding the noted supply unit. An ink container that is large.   The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of supply units can be connected to and disconnected from the plurality of receiving units of the ink supply path. The ink stored in the plurality of ink storage units includes yellow ink, cyan ink, and magenta ink,
The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the ink having the largest color change due to the color mixture of ink is a yellow ink.   The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of supply units are arranged on the same plane. A connecting portion that can be connected to and disconnected from the ink supply path forming member in which the ink supply path is formed;
The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of supply units are disposed in the connection unit. The connecting portion includes a tubular connecting member communicated with the ink containing portion, a sealing member for sealing the tip of the connecting member, and a pressing member for fixing the sealing member to the tip of the connecting member. Including,
The ink container according to claim 5, wherein the supply unit is located in an opening formed in the pressing member.   The ink container according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the ink supply path forming member is a constituent member of an ink jet recording head.   The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising positioning means for positioning the ink container with respect to an ink supply path forming member in which the ink supply path is formed.   The ink container according to claim 8, wherein the positioning unit is located between the target supply unit and the other supply unit adjacent to the target supply unit.   10. The ink container according to claim 8, wherein the positioning unit includes a hole engageable with a protrusion provided in the ink supply path forming member. 11. An ink jet recording head that can be connected to and disconnected from an ink container,
A plurality of ink ejection units capable of ejecting three or more different inks;
A plurality of receiving units that are connectable and disengageable with respect to the ink container, and that can receive the plurality of inks discharged from the plurality of ink discharging units from the ink container;
With
The plurality of receiving units include a receiving unit of interest for receiving ink having the largest color change due to color mixing of inks,
The plurality of receiving units are arranged at intervals, and the interval between the notable receiving unit and the other receiving units adjacent thereto is larger than the interval between other receiving units excluding the notable receiving unit. An ink jet recording head characterized by being large.   The inkjet recording head according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of receiving units can be connected to and disconnected from the plurality of ink supply units of the ink container. The ink received by the plurality of receiving units includes yellow ink, cyan ink, and magenta ink,
The ink jet recording head according to claim 11, wherein the ink having the largest color change due to color mixture of ink is a yellow ink.   The ink jet recording head according to claim 11, further comprising positioning means for positioning the ink jet recording head with respect to the ink tank.   The inkjet recording head according to claim 14, wherein the positioning unit is located between the target receiving unit and the other receiving unit adjacent thereto.   16. The ink jet recording head according to claim 11, further comprising a sub tank in an ink supply path between the receiving unit and the ink discharge unit. An inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium using an inkjet recording head capable of discharging ink supplied from an ink container,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a mounting portion that mounts the ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and the ink jet recording head according to any one of claims 11 to 16 so as to be connected to and disconnected from each other.   The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the mounting unit detachably mounts the ink container. Means for relatively moving the inkjet recording head and the recording medium;
Means for relatively moving the ink jet recording head and the ink container closer and away from each other;
The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 17 or 18, further comprising: The ink jet recording head includes a sub tank in an ink supply path between the receiving unit and the ink discharge unit,
The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the ink jet recording head and the ink container are connected when a remaining amount of ink in the sub tank becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount. 21. The ink jet recording according to claim 17, wherein when the ink container and the ink jet recording head are connected, an ink flow from the ink container to the ink jet recording head is generated. apparatus.

Images