JP2006021398A - Mounting structure for liquid storage vessel, liquid storage vessel, and liquid jet apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mounting structure for a liquid storage vessel, which enables the liquid storage vessel to be easily attached/detached and which can prevent the erroneous mounting of the liquid storage vessel, the liquid storage vessel, and a liquid jet apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: This mounting structure for the liquid mounting vessel is equipped with: at least one almost rectangular parallelepiped-shaped ink cartridge 10 as the liquid storage vessel for use in the storage of a liquid, which comprises a main tank 11 as a magnetic substance part composed of a magnetic material, and a base part 12 as a non-magnetic substance part composed of a non-magnetic material; a holder 30 to which the one or more ink cartridges 10 are to be each detachably attached; a receiving part 40 for housing the holder 30 by turning it; and permanent magnets 50 and 51 which are arranged on the surface, connected to the ink cartridge 10, of the holder 30. The ink cartridge 10 is attracted and guided by the permanent magnets 50 and 51, so as to be mounted on the holder 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure for a liquid container, a liquid container, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a mounting portion for detachably mounting an ink cartridge as a liquid storage container and an ink supply needle disposed in the mounting portion are provided, and the ink supply needle is inserted and connected to an ink outlet port of the ink cartridge. In the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the printer that mounts the ink cartridge on the mounting portion, the cover includes a cover that can be opened and closed on the mounting portion, and the ink cartridge that is inserted into the mounting portion with the cover open. There is a known ink cartridge mounting structure for a printer, characterized in that an interlocking mechanism is provided for moving the ink supply needle to a position where the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink cartridge by closing the cover (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-348303 (page 7, FIG. 7)

In such Patent Document 1, in order to move the ink supply needle to the insertion position by inserting the ink cartridge into the mounting portion with the cover open and closing the cover, in addition to the mounting direction length of the ink cartridge, There is a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the size of the cover because it requires a large opening / closing range.
In addition, when a plurality of ink cartridges are configured in parallel, there are adjacent ink cartridges, so that there is a problem that the space for the attaching / detaching operation is small and the operation is difficult.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for a liquid storage container, a liquid storage container, and a liquid jet capable of easily attaching and detaching a small and thin liquid storage container and preventing erroneous mounting of the liquid storage container. apparatus.

  The mounting structure of the liquid container according to the present invention includes one or a plurality of liquid containers that contain a liquid composed of a magnetic part made of a magnetic material and a nonmagnetic part made of a nonmagnetic material, and the one Alternatively, a holder to which each of the plurality of liquid storage containers is detachably mounted, a receiving portion for rotating and storing the holder, and a permanent magnet disposed on a connection surface of the holder with the liquid storage container, And the liquid container is attached to the holder by being attracted and guided by the permanent magnet.

  Here, as the magnetic body part, for example, a box-shaped member obtained by processing a metal material having magnetism by deep drawing or the like, and as the non-magnetic body part, a synthetic resin material is processed by injection molding. Two liquid storage containers are formed.

According to the present invention, since the liquid container is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet disposed in the holder and mounted in the holder, the force for mounting may be small, and the liquid container may be smoothly inserted into the holder. Can be installed. Since the attachment of the holder to the receiving portion is also a simple structure that is attracted and fixed by the permanent magnet 54 provided in the receiving portion 40, an inexpensive liquid storage container mounting structure can be provided.
Further, since the ink cartridge is attracted by the permanent magnet even after the mounting, the ink cartridge does not move in the holder, and the position at the time of mounting can be maintained.

  In addition, since the magnetic part can be formed of metal, the structural strength is high, a thin container can be manufactured, and the liquid storage capacity can be increased. The non-magnetic body portion can be formed into a complicated shape by injection molding or the like, and can provide suitable shapes such as an air release portion and a liquid supply portion. Since the magnetic body portion is attracted by the permanent magnet even after the mounting, the liquid container does not move in the holder, and the mounting position can be maintained.

  In addition, the magnetic body part can be formed of metal, has high structural strength, and can be used to manufacture a thin-walled container, and can increase the liquid storage capacity. The non-magnetic body part can be manufactured by injection molding or the like. Since it can be manufactured by means and a complicated shape can be formed, it is possible to expand the options of the structure by distributing the functions taking advantage of each feature.

  Further, the holder is provided with an operation portion protruding from the outer shape of the holder, and the operation portion is operated to rotate the holder to a position where the liquid storage container can be visually recognized. Is preferably attached to and detached from the holder.

  According to such a structure, since the liquid container is attached to and detached from the holder after the holder is rotated to a position where the liquid container can be visually recognized, the attachment and detachment operation can be easily performed. Further, since the holder is provided with an operation portion and is rotated via the operation portion, the operability can be improved even with a thin liquid container.

  The non-magnetic body portion of the liquid container is provided with an air release portion and a liquid supply portion, and the holder or the receiving portion is provided with at least one of a ventilation needle or a liquid supply needle, When the liquid storage container is attached to the holder or the receiving part, the atmosphere release part and the ventilation needle, the liquid supply part and the liquid supply needle communicate with each other, and the inside of the liquid storage container is opened to the atmosphere. Or it is preferable that liquid supply becomes possible.

  In this way, by attaching the liquid container to the holder or the receiving part, it is possible to start opening the atmosphere and supplying the liquid in the liquid container without performing a special operation for opening the atmosphere or supplying the liquid. Can be.

In addition, according to the above-described structure, it is preferable that the liquid storage container and either the holder or the receiving portion are provided with an erroneous mounting prevention portion for the liquid storage container.
Here, prevention of erroneous mounting means that, for example, when a plurality of types of liquid storage containers are used, the wrong liquid storage container is prevented from being mounted on a predetermined holder. As will be described in detail later, the erroneous mounting preventing portion is provided between the liquid storage container and the holder, the liquid storage container and the receiving portion, and further between the liquid storage container, the holder and the receiving portion.

  Therefore, such an erroneous mounting preventing portion can be used with confidence without making a mistake in the insertion target holder of the liquid container, and further, failure of the device due to erroneous mounting can be prevented.

  In addition, it is desirable that the erroneous mounting preventing unit is provided with a color identification display unit at a position that can be visually recognized when the liquid container is mounted on the receiving unit.

  In this way, the color displayed on the liquid container and the color displayed on the holder or the receiving part are recognized, and the liquid container is mounted on the holder displayed in the same color or the same color. Since it can be attached to the holder corresponding to the receiving portion displayed, it is possible to prevent the liquid container from being erroneously attached.

Furthermore, it is desirable that the erroneous mounting preventing portion described above is formed such that the mounting portions of the liquid container and the holder have a paired shape.
Here, when the shapes are in a paired relationship, for example, when the shape of the part into which the liquid storage container of the holder is inserted is matched with the shape of the insertion part of the liquid storage container, Only indicates that it can be installed.

  According to such a structure, even if an attempt is made to insert a liquid storage container having a shape other than a predetermined shape, the liquid storage container cannot be inserted into the holder. In addition, it is possible to prevent a failure of the device due to erroneous mounting.

  Further, as a structure for preventing erroneous mounting of the liquid storage container, at least the position of one of the vent needle and the liquid supply needle varies depending on the type of the liquid storage container, and the atmosphere opening section and the liquid supply section Are preferably provided at positions corresponding to the vent needle and the liquid supply needle.

  In this way, when a liquid storage container that does not correspond to the predetermined holder is used for mounting among a plurality of types of liquid storage containers, the air release part or the liquid supply part is connected to the ventilation needle or the liquid supply needle. Cannot be installed due to different position. Accordingly, it is possible to use the holder for inserting the liquid storage container without making a mistake, and it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the device due to erroneous mounting.

Further, in the present invention, the liquid storage container is attached to the holder in such a manner that the non-magnetic body portion and the magnetic body portion are sequentially stacked and integrated from the connection surface with the receiving portion, It is preferable that the permanent magnet is provided on each of two surfaces that are connected to and intersect the magnetic body portion of the holder.
Here, the two surfaces intersecting the holder indicate a surface in the mounting direction of the liquid storage container and a surface in the shape surface direction of the liquid storage container intersecting the surface.

  According to the above structure, since the permanent magnet is provided at the upper corner of the liquid container in the mounting direction and sucks the liquid container, the liquid container is always sucked and fixed in one direction. The mounted position can be accurately maintained. This can prevent the liquid container from moving in the holder during use.

  Further, in the liquid container, the non-magnetic body part and the magnetic body part are integrally formed in order from the mounting direction to the holder, and the liquid container is opposite to the connection surface with the receiving part. It is desirable that a permanent magnet is disposed at the upper surface position so as to intersect the connecting portion between the non-magnetic body portion and the magnetic body portion.

  With such a structure, since the permanent magnet is arranged so as to cross the connection portion between the non-magnetic body portion and the magnetic body portion, even if there is only one permanent magnet, the liquid container is oriented in one direction, That is, suction can be performed in the mounting direction of the holder.

  In addition, since the non-magnetic part capable of forming a complicated shape is provided on the connection part side with the holder, it is possible to concentrate the air release part and the liquid supply part on one side of the non-magnetic part. In addition to simplifying the structure of the liquid container, the structure of the receiving portion can be easily achieved, and the overall cost can be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the polar orientations of the permanent magnets adjacent in the mounting direction of the plurality of liquid storage containers to the holder are the same.

  Accordingly, when the liquid container is attached or detached, the permanent magnets provided in the adjacent holders when the holders are rotated repel each other because the same polarities are close to each other, so that the positional relationship shifted from each other is maintained. work. This makes it possible to improve the operability of the operation of attaching and detaching the liquid container because the adjacent holder does not become an obstacle to the operation.

  In addition, a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described structure for mounting a liquid storage container.

  As described above, since the liquid ejecting apparatus includes the above-described mounting structure for the liquid storage container, the structure for attaching and detaching the liquid storing container is simple and can be configured with a small number of parts. it can. In addition, since the mounting structure of the liquid storage container includes the erroneous mounting prevention unit, it is possible to prevent the liquid storage container from being erroneously mounted on the holder and to prevent the liquid ejecting apparatus from being damaged due to erroneous mounting. Can do.

  The liquid container of the present invention is a liquid container that contains a liquid and is attached to a holder having a permanent magnet, and is attached to a receiving portion together with the holder, wherein the liquid container is a magnetic material. The magnetic body part is integrally formed with a non-magnetic body part made of a non-magnetic material, and the magnetic body part is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet and attached to the holder.

  The magnetic part can be made of metal, has a high structural strength, can be manufactured into a thin container, can increase the liquid storage capacity, and the non-magnetic part can be manufactured by means such as injection molding. Since it can be manufactured and a complicated shape can be formed, it has the effect of expanding the options of the structure by distributing the functions taking advantage of each feature.

In addition, since such a liquid container is attracted and guided by a permanent magnet provided in the holder and mounted in the holder, the force for mounting may be small, and it can be smoothly inserted into the holder. Can be installed. Since the attachment of the holder to the receiving portion is also a simple structure that is attracted and fixed by the permanent magnet provided in the receiving portion, an inexpensive structure for mounting the liquid container can be provided.
Further, since the ink cartridge is attracted by the permanent magnet even after the mounting, the ink cartridge does not move in the holder, and the position at the time of mounting can be maintained.

  In addition, the non-magnetic part is provided with an atmosphere opening part that communicates the inside and outside of the liquid container, and a liquid supply part, and the holder is provided with a vent needle, and is attached to the holder. The venting needle is inserted into the atmosphere opening portion to be released into the atmosphere, the receiving portion is provided with a liquid supply needle, and the liquid supply needle is attached to the receiving portion by attaching the liquid supplying needle to the receiving portion. It is preferable that the liquid is circulated by being inserted.

  In this way, the atmosphere can be released and ink can be supplied by a series of operations for sequentially mounting the liquid storage container to the holder and the receiving portion, so that the liquid storage container can be easily mounted.

  Further, the non-magnetic body part is provided with an atmosphere opening part that communicates the inside and outside of the liquid container, and a liquid supply part, and the holder is provided with a ventilation needle and a liquid supply needle. By mounting, it is preferable that the vent needle is inserted into the atmosphere opening portion to release the atmosphere, and the liquid supply needle is inserted into the liquid supply portion to supply ink.

  In this way, by attaching the liquid storage container to the holder, it becomes possible to open the atmosphere and supply the liquid. Therefore, it is possible to easily attach the liquid storage container, and the air release part and the liquid supply part are both non- Since it is provided in the magnetic part, the structure of the liquid container can be simplified.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that a guide rib protruding from the inner surface of the wall is formed on the inner surface of the wall in which the liquid container of the holder is stored.

  As described above, the liquid container according to the present invention is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet provided in the holder, and is attached to the holder. Therefore, by providing the guide rib on the inner wall surface of the holder, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance when the liquid container is inserted into the holder, and it can be smoothly mounted.

  Further, the guide rib has a function of reinforcing the wall of the holder, and even if the thickness of the wall is reduced, the guide rib can have sufficient strength, so that the thickness of the holder can be reduced. The liquid capacity of the minute can be increased.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 4 show the mounting structure of the liquid container of Example 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows Example 2, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show Example 3, and FIG. Example 4 is shown.
In the present embodiment, an ink cartridge as a liquid container used in an ink jet recording apparatus as a liquid ejecting apparatus will be described as an example, and ink will be described as an example of a liquid.

1 to 4 show an ink cartridge mounting structure according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the mounting structure of the ink cartridge of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a front view thereof. 1 and 2 show a state where a part of the wall of the receiving portion 40 is seen through for easy understanding, and the state where the holder 30 is attached to the receiving portion 40 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. A state when the cartridge 10 is attached and detached is indicated by a solid line.

  In FIG. 1, the mounting structure of the ink cartridge 10 as a liquid container shows the structure of a unit for supplying ink to an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as the apparatus main body). The receiving unit 40 is mounted on the apparatus main body (not shown), the holder 30 is rotatably held by the receiving unit 40, and the ink cartridge 10 is mounted in the holder 30. . In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, four ink cartridges 10 and holders 30 are juxtaposed and mounted on the receiving portion 40. In FIG. 1, one of them is illustrated and described.

  The receiving unit 40 is mounted on the apparatus main body, and is guided by the scanning guide member via a timing belt driven by a carriage motor (not shown) to be in the longitudinal direction of the paper feeding member, that is, the main scanning direction which is the width direction of the recording paper. It is configured to reciprocate. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a recording head is mounted on the surface of the receiving portion 40 that faces the paper feeding member.

  The receiving portion 40 is a box-like container having an opening on the inlet side to which the holder 30 is attached. An ink supply needle 45 as a hollow liquid supply needle is planted on the inner bottom surface 46. Is an ink flow path and communicates with an ink flow path (not shown) formed in the receiving portion 40. Further, the bottom surface 46 is formed with a recess for allowing a part of ink cartridge support portions 31 and 32 of the holder 30 described later to enter, and a permanent magnet 54 is provided inside the recess. A holder support portion 42 of the holder 30 is pivotally fixed to the receiving portion 40 by a holder shaft 41.

  The holder 30 is a box-shaped container having a space into which the ink cartridge 10 is inserted. One end of the holder 30 has an ink cartridge insertion portion 47 and a part of the end surface on the receiving portion 40 side opened. It is formed so that a part of can be seen. Ink cartridge support portions 31 and 32 are formed at both ends of the insertion range of the ink cartridge 10 of the holder 30. An ink cartridge guide wall 34 is provided between the ink cartridge support portions 31 and 32. The ink cartridge guide wall 34 is a guide wall for regulating the position when the ink cartridge 10 moves between the ink cartridge support portion 31 and the ink cartridge support portion 32.

  A vent needle 20 as an air release member projects from the ink cartridge connection surface 48 of the holder 30 against which the end surface 15 of the ink cartridge abuts when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the holder 30. Further, an arm-shaped holder support portion 42 that is continuous from the ink cartridge connection surface 48 of the holder 30 is provided, and is pivotally fixed to the receiving portion 40 by a holder shaft 41. The holder 30 is attached to and detached from the ink cartridge 10 receiving portion 40 with the holder shaft 41 as a rotation center (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure) and is attached and detached (indicated by a solid line in the figure). ) Can be rotated within the range up to.

  Further, an operation unit 35 having a width substantially the same as the thickness of the ink cartridge 10 is provided above the ink cartridge insertion portion 47 of the holder 30 toward the outside in the ink cartridge insertion direction. The operation unit 35 is used when the holder 30 is rotated as described above. A slope 33 is provided above the entrance for inserting the ink cartridge 10 so that the ink cartridge 10 can be easily attached and detached.

Permanent magnets 50 and 51 are provided on the surfaces near the corners where the inner upper surface 49 of the holder 30 to which the ink cartridge 10 is mounted and the ink cartridge connection surface 48 intersect each other. These permanent magnets 50 and 51 are slightly buried so as not to protrude from the inner upper surface 49 of the holder 30 and the surface of the ink cartridge connection surface 48. In addition, backup plates 52 and 53 made of a magnetic material are provided outside the permanent magnets 50 and 51. The backup plates 52 and 53 are provided so that a closed magnetic circuit is formed between the permanent magnets 50 and 51 and the permanent magnets are not demagnetized with respect to the magnetic flux from the outside.
Although the ink cartridge 10 will be described in detail later, since the main tank 11 is made of a magnetic material, the ink cartridge 10 is guided by the attractive force of the permanent magnets 50 and 51 and is attached to the holder 30. At this time, the ventilation needle 20 is inserted into the atmosphere release portion 18 so that the inside of the ink cartridge (an ink chamber described later) is opened to the atmosphere.

  The ink cartridge 10 includes a main tank 11 as a magnetic body portion and a base portion 12 as a non-magnetic body portion that are vertically stacked. An ink chamber (FIG. (Not shown) is formed. The main tank 11 is a box-like container having one side opened, and a metal material having magnetism is formed by a processing means such as deep drawing, but the material is ferritic stainless steel in consideration of corrosion resistance and workability. Is preferably adopted. The base 12 is a box-shaped container that is formed of a synthetic resin and has an opening on one side. The openings of the main tank 11 and the base 12 are closely fixed to form a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container, and the inside is airtight. An ink chamber. In addition, the corner | angular part of the insertion direction to the holder 30 of the main tank 11 and the base 12 is rounded, and it is set as the shape which is easy to insert in a holder.

  An air release portion 18 is provided on the end surface 15 of the base portion 12 on the ink cartridge support portion 32 side at a position corresponding to the vent needle 20 described above. The air release portion 18 is an elastic valve formed of a rubber material that blocks the ink chamber and the outside of the ink cartridge. Further, an ink supply unit 19 as a liquid supply unit is provided on the receiving unit side end surface 14 of the base 12 at a position corresponding to the ink supply needle 45 described above. The ink supply unit 19 is an elastic valve formed of a rubber-based material that blocks an ink supply path (not shown) between the ink chamber and the receiving unit 40.

In the ink cartridge 10, the main tank 11 moves from the ink cartridge insertion portion 47 of the ink cartridge support portion 31 to the holder 30 until the end surface 15 of the ink cartridge 10 contacts the ink cartridge connection surface 48 of the holder 30. Aspirated and worn.
A plate 37 made of a magnetic material is attached to the bottom surface of the ink cartridge support portion 31.

  Next, an operation for attaching / detaching the ink cartridge 10 to / from the holder 30 and an operation for rotating the holder 30 to attach the ink cartridge 10 to the receiving portion 40 will be described. In FIG. 1, a state indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates a state in which the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the receiving portion 40 (the ink cartridge 10 is not mounted and a state before use is also illustrated). First, the operation unit 35 of the holder 30 is picked, and the holder 30 is rotated in the arrow Z direction from the wall 43 around the receiving unit 40 to the range where the inlet side end surface of the ink cartridge 10 can be visually recognized from the arrow X direction. At this time, the holder 30 is attracted by the permanent magnet 54, but is detached by the operation of the operation unit 35.

  At this time, if the ink cartridge 10 is already mounted in the holder 30, the ink cartridge 10 is picked with a finger and pulled out from the holder 30. Thereafter, the new ink cartridge 10 is inserted from the ink cartridge insertion portion 47 of the holder 30. When the ink cartridge 10 approaches the permanent magnet 50, the ink cartridge 10 is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet 50 and contacts the inner upper surface 49 of the holder 30. Further, when the ink cartridge 10 is pushed, the permanent magnet 51 attracts the ink cartridge 10 toward the ink cartridge connection surface 48 of the holder 30. Then, the ventilation needle 20 is inserted into the atmosphere release portion 18 to release the ink chamber to the atmosphere, and the mounting of the ink cartridge 10 to the holder 30 is completed.

  Next, the operation unit 35 of the holder 30 is operated to rotate the holder 30 in the direction opposite to the arrow Z direction until the end surface 14 on the receiving unit side of the ink cartridge 10 contacts the bottom surface 46 of the receiving unit 40. . At this time, the ink supply needle 45 inserts the ink supply unit 19, and the ink in the ink chamber flows through the flow path of the ink supply needle 45 and flows out to the ink flow path (not shown) of the receiving unit 40. Is ready to print. At this time, the holder 30 is attracted by the permanent magnet 54 and is attracted and fixed so that the ink cartridge 10 does not move even when the recording apparatus is used.

  As the structure for mounting the holder 30 to the receiving portion 40, in addition to attracting and fixing by a permanent magnet, although not shown, a latching lever or the like is provided on the upper surface of the holder and can be latched and fixed.

  Next, an operation for removing the ink cartridge 10 from the receiving unit 40 and the holder 30 will be described. As described above, first, from the state where the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the holder 30 and the receiving portion 40 (indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure), the position at which the ink cartridge 10 can be taken out by grasping the operation portion 35 of the holder 30 ( It is rotated until it is indicated by a solid line in the figure. At this time, the ink supply needle 45 is detached from the ink supply unit 19. Since the ink supply unit 19 is formed of a rubber-based material having elasticity as described above, the insertion portion of the ink supply needle 45 is closed by its own elastic force, and ink does not flow out.

  Then, the ink cartridge 10 is pulled out from the holder 30 and removed. At this time, the holder 30 is preferably provided with a notch 17 so that the user can easily pull out the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge 10 is pulled out, the ventilation needle 20 is separated from the atmosphere opening portion 18. Since the atmosphere opening portion 18 is formed of a rubber-based material having elasticity as described above, the insertion portion of the ventilation needle 20 is closed by its own elastic force and the communication of the atmosphere is closed.

  The timing of inserting or removing the ventilation needle 20 and the ink supply needle 45 is determined such that when the use is started, the ventilation needle 20 is first inserted and air communication is performed, and then the ink supply needle 45 is inserted and the ink supply path is inserted. Is released. On the other hand, when separating, the ink supply needle 45 is first detached to close the ink flow path, and then the ventilation needle 20 is detached to close the atmosphere communication.

Next, the structure when four ink cartridges 10 are arranged in parallel will be described.
FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the mounting structure of the liquid container according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, a part of the wall 43 of the receiving portion 40 is omitted for easy understanding of the inside. In FIG. 2, four ink cartridges 10 (10A to 10D) are provided, and the ink cartridges 10A to 10D are mounted on holders 30A to 30D, respectively, and can be rotated by a holder shaft 41 in parallel in the receiving portion 40. The shaft is fixed. Here, the ink cartridge 10A is rotated to a detachable position by the holder 30A. That is, the lower surface of the ink cartridge 10 </ b> A has been moved to substantially the same position as the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the wall 43 of the receiving portion 40. The shapes of the ink cartridges 10A to 10D and the holders 30A to 30D are the same and are omitted in FIG.

  Below the front surfaces of the ink cartridges 10A to 10D, color identification display portions 25A to 25D are provided as erroneous mounting preventing portions corresponding to the type of ink stored. In the color identification display unit, for example, sheets of colors corresponding to black, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are attached to the ink cartridges 10A to 10D, respectively. In addition, sheets (color identification display portions) 36A to 36D of colors corresponding to black, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are attached to the upper surfaces of the operation portions 35 of the holders 30A to 30D. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous mounting by mounting according to the colors of the color identification display portions 36A to 36D corresponding to the holders 30A to 30D and the color identification display portions 25A to 25D of the ink cartridges 10A to 10D.

In FIG. 2, the holder 30 </ b> A has been moved to a position where the ink cartridge 10 </ b> A can be attached and detached. At this time, the color identification display unit 25 </ b> A protrudes from the upper surface of the wall 43 of the receiving unit 40, so be able to.
Note that the color identification display units 25A to 25D are not limited to the positions shown in FIG. 2, but can be arbitrarily set to positions and sizes that are easily visible.

  Although not shown, a sheet of a color corresponding to each ink of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan is attached to the upper surface of the peripheral wall 43 of the receiving unit 40 in the direction in which the ink cartridge is attached / detached. Thus, it is possible to prevent erroneous mounting, and it is possible to provide both the color identification display portions 25A to 25D of the ink cartridge, the color identification display portions 36A to 36D of the holder, and the color identification display portion of the receiving portion.

Next, the mutual relationship of the ink cartridges described above will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing a mutual positional relationship when a plurality of ink cartridges according to the first embodiment are attached and detached. Here, two adjacent ink cartridges 10A and 10B are illustrated and described. In FIG. 3, ink cartridges 10A and 10B are mounted on holders 30A and 30B, respectively. The permanent magnets 50A, 50B and 51A, 51B are mounted in the same positional relationship with respect to the respective holders.

  The permanent magnets 50A and 50B are polarly oriented in the same direction, and the permanent magnets 51A and 51B are similarly polarly oriented. In FIG. 3, the polarity N pole is indicated as N, and the polarity S pole is indicated as S. When attaching or detaching the ink cartridge, the holder is moved to a detachable position. For example, when the holder 30A and the holder 30B are moved to the same position, the adjacent permanent magnets 50A and 50B are repelled because they are aligned with the same polarity, and the positions are shifted. Since the N pole and S pole of each permanent magnet attract each other at the closest position, the permanent magnet is stopped at that position. That is, the positions of the adjacent holders are restricted by the permanent magnet.

  Since the positions of the holders 30A and 30B are shifted by the action of such permanent magnets, the ink cartridges 10A and 10B mounted on the holders are also shifted from each other. The ink cartridge is easy to operate without getting in the way. The same applies to the permanent magnets 51A and 51B. However, as shown in FIG. 3, when the rotation angle of the holder is the same, the distance between the permanent magnets is larger than that of the permanent magnets 50A and 50B, so the degree of influence is small. Become.

Further, the structure of the ink cartridge and the holder will be described.
FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating a state where the ink cartridge 10 is inserted into the holder 30. In FIG. 4, one ink cartridge and a holder will be described as an example. In FIG. 4, the ink cartridge 10 is inserted into the holder 30, and two guide ribs 38 are provided on both sides of the inner surface of the ink cartridge guide wall 34 of the holder 30.

  The guide rib 38 protrudes from the inner surface of the ink cartridge guide wall 34 in a substantially semicircular shape, and the position of the ink cartridge 10 in the lateral direction in the drawing is controlled by the top surface of the guide rib 38. As described above, the guide rib 38 reduces the contact area and reduces the frictional resistance because the ink cartridge 10 is attracted and guided by the permanent magnets 50 and 51 when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the holder 30. Is provided. Further, these guide ribs 38 have a function of reinforcing the thin ink cartridge guide wall 34.

  In FIG. 4, the guide rib 38 is provided on the holder 30, but it can also be provided on the ink cartridge.

The above-described ink cartridge insertion structure and the apparatus main body on which the ink cartridge 10 is mounted are guided by the scanning guide member via a timing belt driven by a carriage motor (not shown), that is, the longitudinal direction of the paper feed member, that is, the recording paper. It is configured to be reciprocated in the main scanning direction, which is the width direction. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a recording head is mounted on the surface of the receiving portion 40 that faces the paper feeding member.
From the ink cartridge 10 mounted on the receiving portion 40, ink is supplied to the recording head through the flow path of the ink supply needle 45, and is printed based on external recording information.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment described above, the ink cartridge 10 is attracted and guided by the permanent magnets 50 and 51 provided in the holder 30 and mounted in the holder 30, so that the mounting force is small. It can be inserted into the holder smoothly and mounted. Furthermore, an inexpensive ink cartridge mounting structure can be provided with a simple structure in which the holder support portion 31 of the holder 30 is also attracted and fixed by the permanent magnet 54 provided in the receiving portion 40.
Since the ink cartridge 10 is attracted by the permanent magnet 54 even after the mounting, the ink cartridge 10 does not move in the holder 30 and the position at the time of mounting can be maintained.

  In addition, since the main tank 11 can be made of metal, it has a high structural strength, can produce a thin container, and can increase the liquid storage capacity. The base 12 can form a complicated shape by injection molding or the like, and can provide each suitable function.

  In addition, since the ink cartridge 10 is attached to or removed from the holder 30 after the holder 30 is rotated to a position where the ink cartridge 10 can be visually recognized, the operable space is widened, so that the attachment / detachment operation can be easily performed. Further, since the holder 30 is provided with an operation unit 35, and the operation unit 35 is operated and rotated, the operability can be further improved even with a thin ink cartridge.

In addition, the base 12 of the ink cartridge 10 is provided with an air release portion 18 and an ink supply portion 19. When the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the holder 30 or the receiving portion 40, air communication and ink supply are performed. Thus, it is possible to start the air release and ink supply in the ink cartridge 10 without performing any special operation for air release or liquid supply.
Further, since the air release unit 18 and the ink supply unit 19 are made of elastic rubber material, when the ventilation needle 20 or the ink supply needle 45 is removed, the ventilation needle 20, Since the insertion trace of the ink supply needle 45 can be closed, ink leakage can be prevented with a simple structure.

  In addition, since the ink cartridge 10 and the holder 30 or the receiving unit 40 are provided with a color identification display unit as an erroneous attachment preventing unit, the color displayed on the ink cartridge 10 and the holder 30 or the receiving unit 40 are displayed. The ink cartridge 10 can be attached to the holder 30 that is displayed in the same color or the holder corresponding to the receiving portion 40 that is displayed in the same color. Incorrect mounting can be prevented.

  Further, since the adjacent permanent magnets provided in the holder 30 are oriented in the same polarity, when the ink cartridge 10 is moved to the detachable position by operating the holder 30, the adjacent permanent magnets repel each other. Since the position of the mating holder is shifted, the attaching / detaching operation can be performed without being disturbed by the adjacent holder.

  Further, since the guide rib 38 is provided on the ink cartridge guide wall 34 of the holder 30, the frictional resistance when the ink cartridge 10 is inserted into the holder 30 is reduced, and the permanent magnets 50 and 51 can perform smooth suction induction. Can do. Further, by providing the guide rib 38, the structural strength of the ink cartridge guide wall 34 can be increased and a thin wall can be formed, so that the ink cartridge 10 having a large ink capacity can be provided.

  Further, the ink jet recording apparatus equipped with the ink cartridge 10 and the ink cartridge mounting structure as described above can easily attach and detach the ink cartridge 10 and can prevent the ink cartridge 10 from being erroneously mounted. In this way, it is easy to handle and it is possible to prevent failure of the apparatus main body due to incorrect mounting.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the erroneous mounting prevention portion of the ink cartridge in the holder changes the position of the holder support portion of each of the adjacent holder and the ink cartridge and the position of the ink supply portion as compared with the first embodiment described above. Since the other structures are the same, the description is omitted, and the same reference numerals are given to the same functional parts. Further, the holder 30 and the ink cartridge 10 will be described by illustrating the adjacent holders 30A and 30B and the ink cartridges 10A and 10B.

  FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating one form of an ink cartridge mounting structure according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 5, the holder 30 </ b> A has the same configuration and the same position as the holder 30 described in the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). In the holder 30B, compared to the holder 30A, the ink cartridge support portion 31B is moved closer to the holder shaft 41 than the ink cartridge support portion 31A of the holder 30A. Further, in the ink cartridge 10B, the ink supply unit 19B has moved outward in the drawing from the ink cartridge support unit 38B as compared to the ink supply unit 19A of the ink cartridge 10A. The concave portion in which the holder support portion 31 provided in the receiving portion 40 is inserted is also moved.

  Accordingly, in the receiving unit 40, the ink supply needle 45A is planted at a position corresponding to the ink supply unit 19A, and the ink supply needle 45B is planted at a position corresponding to the ink supply unit 19B. The permanent magnets 50 and 51 and the ventilation needle 20 and the air release portion 18 are provided so as to have the same relationship as in the first embodiment. That is, in the second embodiment, the positions of the holder support portions of the holders 30A to 30D shown in FIG. 2 are different, and accordingly, the positions of the ink supply portions of the ink cartridges 10A to 10D are changed and received. The positions of the ink supply needles planted in the section 40 are changed. As a result, the ink cartridge can be attached only to a predetermined holder, and when it is attached to a holder other than the predetermined holder, it cannot be attached to the receiving portion.

  Therefore, according to the above-described second embodiment, when an ink cartridge that does not correspond to the predetermined holder among a plurality of types of ink cartridges is to be mounted, the ink cartridge support portion 31 cannot be inserted into the recess of the receiving portion 40. The holder 30 remains floating from the receiving part. Furthermore, since the air release part or the ink supply part is different from the position of the ink supply needle 45, it cannot be mounted. Therefore, the holder for inserting the ink cartridge can be used without an error, and the malfunction of the device due to erroneous mounting can be prevented.

Next, Example 3 according to the present invention will be described. Embodiment 3 shows another embodiment relating to prevention of erroneous mounting of an ink cartridge, and is characterized in that the shape of the holder in the ink cartridge insertion portion of the holder and the shape of the ink cartridge are in a paired relationship.
Since other configurations and shapes are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  6 and 7 are front views illustrating an erroneous mounting prevention portion of the ink cartridge according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 6, the ink cartridge 10 </ b> A has a slope 60 formed at the corner portion on the lower right side as viewed from the front. Further, an inclined surface 61 corresponding to the inclined surface 60 of the ink cartridge 10A is formed in the ink cartridge insertion portion of the holder 30A. Thus, since the ink cartridge 10A and the holder 30A are formed with inclined surfaces, ink cartridges with inclined surfaces formed at other corners cannot be inserted.

  FIG. 7 shows a mounted state of the holder 30B and the ink cartridge 10B adjacent to the holder 30A described in FIG. In FIG. 7, the ink cartridge 10 </ b> B has a slope 62 formed at a lower left corner different from the corner shown in FIG. 6. The holder 30B is formed with a slope 63 corresponding to the slope 62 of the ink cartridge 10B. As described above, the ink cartridge 10B and the holder 30B are formed with inclined surfaces. Ink cartridges with slopes formed at other corners cannot be inserted. For example, the ink cartridge 10A shown in FIG. 6 cannot be mounted on the holder 30B because the slope position is different.

  In this manner, the slope position of the insertion portion of the adjacent ink cartridge and holder is sequentially changed. In the case of four ink cartridges as in the first embodiment, it is only necessary to form slopes at the four corners, and when there are more than four ink cartridges, a plurality of slopes can be combined, In addition to the slope, the ink cartridge and the holder are formed with irregularities, and the combination thereof can be freely selected.

  Therefore, according to the above-described third embodiment, even if an ink cartridge having a cross-sectional shape that does not correspond to a predetermined holder is to be inserted, the ink cartridge cannot be inserted into the holder. It can be used with more confidence, and further, it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the device due to incorrect mounting.

Next, a fourth embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The fourth embodiment is characterized in that a main tank and a base portion constituting the ink cartridge are arranged in the ink cartridge insertion direction. The difference from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described.
FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating an ink cartridge mounting structure according to the fourth embodiment. In order to make the explanation easy to understand, a part of the peripheral wall 43 of the receiving portion 40 is omitted. In FIG. 8, the ink cartridge 10 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape by laminating a base portion 12 made of a non-magnetic material and a main tank 11 made of a magnetic material from the mounting portion with the holder 30 in the ink cartridge insertion direction. ing.

  The configuration of the receiving portion 40 is the same as that of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1). A ventilation needle 20 and an ink supply needle 45 are planted in a mounting portion (a connecting portion with the base portion) of the holder 30 with the ink cartridge 10. The ink supply needle 45 communicates with the ink receiving portion 71 and the tube 72. The tube 72 has a length that can be accommodated when the holder 30 is rotated, and an end portion thereof communicates with an ink flow path provided in a receiving unit 40 (not shown) and a recording head. The functions of the ventilation needle 20 and the ink supply needle 45 are described in the first embodiment.

  The holder 30 is provided with a permanent magnet 50 at a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction so as to cross the coupling portion between the base portion 12 and the main tank 11. The permanent magnet 50 is buried and stuck with a slight gap from the surface 49 with which the upper surface of the ink cartridge 10 abuts. When the ink cartridge 10 is inserted to the vicinity of the permanent magnet 50, it is attracted in the direction of the arrow in the drawing by the permanent magnet 50 and further pushed in, so that the vent needle 20 is inserted into the atmosphere opening portion 18 first. The ink chamber communicates with the ink chamber that does not, and the ink chamber is opened to the atmosphere. Subsequently, the ink supply needle 45 inserts the ink supply unit 19 so that ink can be supplied. In this state, the permanent magnet 50 attracts and fixes the ink cartridge 10 and does not move in the normal use state.

  When the ink cartridge 10 is removed from the holder 30, first, the ink supply needle 45 is removed from the ink supply unit 19, the ink flow path is closed, and then the ventilation needle 20 is removed from the atmosphere release unit 18. Close the open air. Thus, the distances between the ink supply needle 45 and the ink supply unit 19 and between the ventilation needle 20 and the air release unit 18 are set.

  Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment described above, the permanent magnet 50 is disposed so as to cross the coupling portion between the main tank 11 made of a magnetic material and the base portion 12 made of a non-magnetic material, and the ink cartridge is sucked. Therefore, even with one permanent magnet, the ink cartridge 10 can be attracted in one direction, that is, in the direction in which the ink cartridge 10 is attached to the holder 30.

  In addition, since the base 12 capable of forming a complicated shape is provided on the mounting portion side with the holder 30, the atmosphere opening portion 18 and the ink supply portion 19 can be concentrated on one side of the base 12. In addition to simplifying the structure of the ink cartridge, since the receiving portion 40 does not need to be provided with the ventilation needle 20 and the ink supply needle 45, the structure of the receiving portion 40 can be simplified and the overall cost can be reduced. There is.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned Example, The deformation | transformation in the range which can achieve the objective of this invention, improvement, etc. are included in this invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiments, the ink is used as the liquid, and the recording apparatus is used as the liquid ejecting apparatus. However, the liquid is not limited to the ink and can be used as a fluid liquid. In addition, it can also be employed in devices for controlling the discharge of liquid, manufacturing apparatuses, and the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the permanent magnet 50 or 51 for attracting and guiding the ink cartridge 10 is provided in the holder. However, the permanent magnets 50 and 51 can be provided in the ink cartridge 10. Even if it does in this way, the effect equivalent to the effect demonstrated in the above-mentioned Example can be acquired.

In the above-described embodiment, the main tank 11 is made of a magnetic material. However, the main tank 11 is made of a non-magnetic material, for example, synthetic resin, and the magnetic material plate is placed at a position corresponding to the permanent magnets 50 and 51. Can be provided.
In this way, the main tank and the base can be integrally formed by molding means such as injection molding, and an inexpensive ink cartridge can be provided.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a permanent magnet is employed as a means for attracting and guiding the ink cartridge 10, but the present invention is not limited to a permanent magnet, and for example, an attracting means such as an electromagnet may be employed.
In this way, the suction force can be increased, the ink cartridge can be more securely held, and if the power supplied to the electromagnet is cut off when the ink cartridge is separated, the suction force disappears. The ink cartridge can be easily separated, and the effect that the ink cartridge can be easily attached and detached can be obtained.

  Therefore, in the above-described first to fourth embodiments, the mounting structure of the liquid storage container that can easily attach and detach the small and thin liquid storage container and can prevent erroneous mounting of the liquid storage container. A liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus can be provided.

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the mounting structure of the ink cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating an ink cartridge mounting structure according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the mutual positional relationship of the ink cartridges according to the first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a state where the ink cartridge according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into a holder. FIG. 6 is a side view showing an ink cartridge mounting structure according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view showing an erroneous mounting prevention portion of an ink cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view showing an erroneous mounting prevention portion of an ink cartridge according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a side view showing an ink cartridge mounting structure according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Ink cartridge as a liquid storage container, 11 ... Main tank as a magnetic body part, 12 ... Base part as a nonmagnetic body part, 30 ... Holder, 40 ... Receiving part, 50, 51 ... Permanent magnet.

Claims (15)

One or a plurality of liquid storage containers for storing a liquid composed of a magnetic body portion made of a magnetic material and a non-magnetic body portion made of a non-magnetic material;
A holder to which each of the one or more liquid storage containers is detachably mounted;
A receiving portion for rotating and storing the holder;
A permanent magnet disposed on a connection surface of the holder with the liquid container,
A mounting structure for a liquid storage container, wherein the liquid storage container is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet and mounted on the holder. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1,
The holder is provided with an operation portion protruding from the outer shape of the holder,
A mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein the operation unit is operated to rotate the holder to a position where the liquid container can be visually recognized, and the liquid container is attached to and detached from the holder. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1,
The non-magnetic body portion of the liquid storage container is provided with an atmosphere opening portion and a liquid supply portion, and the holder or the receiving portion is provided with at least one of a ventilation needle or a liquid supply needle, and the liquid storage When the container is attached to the holder or the receiving part, the atmosphere opening part and the vent needle, the liquid supply part and the liquid supply needle communicate with each other, and the inside of the liquid container is opened to the atmosphere, or A mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein the liquid can be supplied. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1 or 2,
A mounting structure for a liquid storage container, wherein the liquid storage container and either the holder or the receiving portion are provided with an erroneous mounting prevention section for the liquid storage container. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 4,
A mounting structure for a liquid storage container, wherein the erroneous mounting prevention section is provided with a color identification display section at a position that can be visually recognized when the liquid storage container is mounted on the receiving section. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 4,
The mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein the erroneous mounting preventing part is formed such that the mounting parts of the liquid container and the holder have a paired shape. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 3 or 4,
The position of at least one of the ventilation needle and the liquid supply needle differs depending on the type of the liquid container, and the atmosphere opening part and the liquid supply part correspond to the ventilation needle and the liquid supply needle. A mounting structure for a liquid container, which is provided in the container. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1,
In the liquid container, the non-magnetic body portion and the magnetic body portion are sequentially laminated in a layered manner from the connection surface with the receiving portion, and are integrally formed and attached to the holder, and the magnetic body of the holder A mounting structure for a liquid storage container, wherein the permanent magnet is provided on each of two surfaces that are connected to each other and intersect. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1,
In the liquid container, the non-magnetic body part and the magnetic body part are integrally formed in the mounting direction to the holder, and the liquid container is at an upper surface position opposite to the connection surface with the receiving part. A mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein a permanent magnet is disposed so as to intersect a connection portion between the non-magnetic member and the magnetic member. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to any one of claims 1 or 8, or 9,
A mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein the permanent magnets adjacent to each other in the mounting direction of the plurality of liquid containers are in the same orientation. In the mounting structure of the liquid container according to claim 1,
A mounting structure for a liquid container, wherein a guide rib projecting from the inner surface of the wall is formed on an inner surface of the wall in which the liquid container of the holder is stored.   A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising the mounting structure for a liquid storage container according to claim 1. A liquid storage container that contains a liquid, is attached to a holder having a permanent magnet, and is attached to a receiving portion together with the holder,
The liquid container is integrally formed of a magnetic body portion made of a magnetic material and a non-magnetic body portion made of a non-magnetic material, and the magnetic body portion is attracted and guided by the permanent magnet and attached to the holder. A liquid container. The liquid container according to claim 13,
The non-magnetic body portion includes an atmosphere opening portion that communicates the inside and outside of the liquid container, and a liquid supply portion.
The holder is provided with a ventilation needle,
By attaching to the holder, the ventilating needle is inserted into the atmosphere opening portion to release the atmosphere,
The receiving part is provided with a liquid supply needle,
The liquid container, wherein the liquid supply needle is inserted into the liquid supply unit and the liquid is circulated by being attached to the receiving unit. The liquid container according to claim 13,
The non-magnetic body portion includes an atmosphere opening portion that communicates the inside and outside of the liquid container, and a liquid supply portion.
The holder includes a ventilation needle and a liquid supply needle,
By attaching to the holder, the ventilation needle is inserted into the atmosphere opening portion and opened to the atmosphere,
A liquid container, wherein a liquid supply needle is inserted into the liquid supply unit and ink is supplied.

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