JP2008126591A - Liquid jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid jet device which permits a consumption of a liquid to be reduced by reducing the frequency of execution of cleaning actions to discharge the air bubbles in a liquid channel by restraining air to be air bubbles from penetrating into a liquid introduction needle when a liquid storage member is replaced. <P>SOLUTION: The ink introduction needle 21 in the printer comprises a tapered portion 48 which gradually expands to the base side from the apex 23 formed at the tip, and a straight portion 51 continuously formed in the tapered portion 48, wherein a groove portion 54 is provided in the exterior of the ink introduction needle 21 from the position disconnected from the apex 23 to the boundary between the tapered portion 48 and the straight portion 51. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus, and in particular, introduces a liquid stored in a liquid storage member to a liquid ejecting head side through a liquid introducing needle, and supplies the liquid from a nozzle opening of the liquid ejecting head. The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that discharges water.

  A typical example of a liquid ejecting apparatus that includes a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting liquid and ejects various liquids from the ejecting head includes, for example, ink for recording paper or the like as an ejection target (recording medium) An image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer that performs recording by discharging and landing droplets can be used. In recent years, it is applied not only to this image recording apparatus but also to various manufacturing apparatuses. For example, in a display manufacturing apparatus such as a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or an FED (surface emitting display), various liquid materials such as coloring materials and electrodes are used for pixel formation regions and electrode formation. A liquid ejecting apparatus is used for discharging to an area or the like.

  As this type of liquid ejecting apparatus, various types have been developed that use cartridge-type liquid storage members that can be easily put on the market and handled easily. For example, ink jet printers (hereinafter simply referred to as printers) that use ink cartridges that enclose liquid ink are widely used. In this configuration, the ink cartridge is installed in the cartridge mounting portion, and the ink introduction needle (liquid introduction needle) is inserted into the ink cartridge, so that the ink introduction hole opened on the tip (taper portion) side of the ink introduction needle. The ink in the ink cartridge is introduced to the recording head side which is a kind of liquid ejecting head through the (liquid introduction hole). In general, in such an ink cartridge, in order to prevent leakage of ink to the outside and evaporation of the ink, thin PP (polypropylene) or the like that can break the opening of the needle insertion opening provided on the bottom surface thereof, etc. The ink introduction needle breaks the sealing film and is inserted into the needle insertion opening when mounted on the printer.

  In the configuration using such an ink cartridge, it is ideal that the ink flow path (liquid flow path) from the ink introduction needle to the nozzle opening of the recording head is filled with ink. In some cases, bubbles may enter the ink flow path, and it is difficult to completely prevent this. This is because, when an unused ink cartridge is installed, the sealing film at the needle insertion port is broken by the tip of the ink introduction needle by pushing the ink introduction needle into the needle insertion port of the ink cartridge. At the time of breakage, the sealing film bends and temporarily comes into close contact with the tip side of the ink introduction needle, and air compressed between the sealing film and the ink introduction needle in this tight contact state enters the ink introduction needle from the ink introduction hole. It is because it enters and becomes a bubble. The bubbles that have entered the ink flow path gradually grow and become large, and when a part of the excessively grown bubbles moves to the pressure chamber side by the flow of ink, the bubbles absorb the pressure fluctuation during the ejection operation. There is a risk of inconveniences such as pressure loss due to this and insufficient supply of ink due to air bubbles blocking the flow path.

  For the purpose of preventing such problems due to bubbles, a plurality of ribs project from the inner peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion toward the center in the enlarged diameter portion formed at the proximal end of the ink introduction needle, A bubble chamber is defined by both ribs adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and the bubble flowing above the filter (upstream side) is moved into the bubble chamber by the downward flow of ink passing through the ink introduction needle, thereby increasing the contact area of the bubble with the filter. There has been proposed a structure that improves the bubble discharge efficiency and discharges the bubbles outside the recording head (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-069168 A

  However, the invention of Patent Document 1 does not prevent bubbles from entering the ink introduction needle, but processes the bubbles that have entered. For this reason, in order to discharge the bubbles in the ink introduction needle, it is necessary to frequently perform a cleaning operation that generates an ink flow having a flow rate several times that in the recording operation, and the ink is consumed wastefully. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the entry of air that becomes bubbles into the liquid introduction needle when the liquid storage member is replaced. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of suppressing the consumption of liquid by reducing the number of times of execution of a cleaning operation for discharging bubbles therein.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a liquid storage member that has a needle insertion port and stores liquid therein,
A liquid storage member mounting portion on which the liquid storage member is detachably mounted;
A liquid introduction needle for introducing the liquid in the liquid storage member into the internal liquid flow path from the liquid introduction hole in a state of being inserted into the needle insertion port of the mounted liquid storage member;
A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting the liquid introduced from the liquid introducing needle from a nozzle opening by the operation of a pressure generating unit;
The liquid introduction needle is composed of a tapered portion that gradually increases in diameter from the sharp tip formed at the distal end toward the proximal end side, and a straight portion that is formed continuously from the tapered portion,
A groove is provided on the outer surface of the liquid introduction needle from the position away from the tip to the boundary between the tapered portion and the straight portion.

  In the above configuration, it is preferable that the groove portion is formed so as to penetrate the boundary between the tapered portion and the straight portion from the vicinity of the tip.

  According to these configurations, since the groove portion is provided on the outer surface of the liquid introduction needle so as to penetrate the boundary between the tapered portion and the straight portion from the vicinity of the tip, when the liquid storage member is mounted on the liquid storage member mounting portion, In addition, the sealing film that seals the needle insertion port bends and comes into close contact with the tip of the liquid introduction needle and the outer surface of the tapered portion, and air is compressed between the sealing film and the outer surface of the tapered portion. Even so, the air can flow out from the boundary side between the tapered portion and the straight portion where the sealing film is not in close contact with the groove portion. Therefore, when the liquid storage member is mounted, it is possible to suppress the entry of air that becomes bubbles into the liquid introduction needle. For this reason, the execution frequency of the cleaning operation for discharging the bubbles that have flowed into the liquid introduction needle to the outside can be reduced as compared with the conventional case. As a result, ink consumption associated with the cleaning operation can be reduced.

  In each of the above configurations, it is preferable that the groove portion extends continuously from the tapered portion to the middle of the straight portion.

  According to this configuration, since the groove portion extends continuously from the tapered portion to the middle of the straight portion, when the liquid storage member is mounted, the sealing film of the needle insertion port is formed on the tapered portion of the liquid introduction needle. Even if the outer surface of the straight portion is in close contact with the outer surface, the air between the sealing film and the outer surface of the tapered portion is surely externally provided through the groove extending to the outer peripheral surface of the straight portion. Can be drained into. Therefore, when the liquid storage member is mounted, it is possible to further suppress the air from entering the liquid introduction needle from the liquid introduction hole.

  In each of the above configurations, it is desirable that the liquid introduction hole is formed in a state of opening in the groove portion.

  According to this configuration, since the liquid introduction hole is formed so as to open into the groove portion, the liquid introduction hole does not directly contact the sealing film when the liquid storage member is attached. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the air between the sealing film and the outer surface of the taper portion is directly pushed into the liquid introduction hole, and this air can be discharged to the outside through the groove portion where the liquid introduction hole is opened. . For this reason, when the liquid storage member is mounted, it is possible to further suppress the air from entering the liquid introduction needle from the liquid introduction hole.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments described below, various limitations are made as preferred specific examples of the present invention. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following description unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In this embodiment, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer) which is a typical liquid ejecting apparatus will be described as an example.
1 is a perspective view of a printer represented by an ink jet recording apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the recording head, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the recording head, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the recording head, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the recording head.

  First, a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus (a type of liquid ejecting apparatus, hereinafter referred to as a printer) equipped with a recording head will be described with reference to FIG. The illustrated printer 1 is a device that records an image or the like by ejecting ink droplets onto the surface of a recording medium (ejection target) 2 such as recording paper. The printer 1 includes a recording head 3, a carriage 4 to which the recording head 3 is attached, a carriage moving mechanism 5 that reciprocates the carriage 4 in the main scanning direction, and a recording medium 2 in the sub-scanning direction (in the main scanning direction). A paper feed mechanism 6 and the like for feeding in a direction orthogonal to each other are provided. Here, the ink is a kind of liquid in the present invention, and is stored in the ink cartridge 7 (a kind of liquid storage member). The ink cartridge 7 is detachably attached to the carriage 4 of the recording head 3.

  The carriage moving mechanism 5 includes a timing belt 8. The timing belt 8 is driven by a pulse motor 9 such as a DC motor. Accordingly, when the pulse motor 9 is operated, the carriage 4 is guided by the guide rod 10 installed on the printer 1 and reciprocates in the main scanning direction (width direction of the recording paper 2).

  A capping mechanism 12 is disposed at a home position that is a non-recording area of the printer 1. The capping mechanism 12 has a tray-like cap member 12 ′ that can come into contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 3. In the capping mechanism 12, the space in the cap member 12 'functions as a sealing void, and the nozzle opening 14 (see FIG. 5) of the recording head 3 faces the nozzle forming surface in the sealing void. It is configured to be in close contact. Further, a pump unit 13 is connected to the capping mechanism 12, and the inside of the sealed empty space can be made negative pressure by the operation of the pump unit 13. When the pump unit 13 is operated in close contact with the nozzle forming surface and the inside of the sealing empty portion (sealed space) is made negative pressure, the ink and bubbles in the recording head 3 are sucked from the nozzle openings 14 to cap the cap member. It is adapted to be discharged into the 12 'sealing space. That is, the capping mechanism 12 is configured to perform a cleaning operation for forcibly sucking and discharging ink and bubbles in the recording head 3 (in the ink flow path). In this cleaning operation, the pump unit 13 is operated in a state where the cap member 12 ′ is in close contact with the nozzle forming surface, and an ink flow having a flow rate several times that in a normal recording operation is generated in the ink flow path (ink introduction path 38). The air bubbles generated in the above-described enlarged diameter portion 52 are put on this ink flow, and are pressed against the upper surface (upstream side) of the filter 19 to move to the downstream side. The ink is discharged from the nozzle opening 14 to the outside of the recording head 3 through a series of ink flow paths.

  Next, the configuration of the recording head 3 will be described. The illustrated recording head 3 is generally composed of an introduction needle unit 15, a head case 16, a flow path unit 17, a vibrator unit 18, and the like.

  The introduction needle unit 15 is made of, for example, synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of cartridge mounting portions 15 ′ (a kind of liquid storage member mounting portion) are provided on the upper surface thereof. Each cartridge mounting portion 15 'has an ink introduction needle 21 (corresponding to a liquid introduction needle in the present invention) with a filter 19 for filtering the ink in the ink flow path interposed therebetween, and the tip protrudes upward. Each is attached in the state. In addition, an ink cartridge 7 storing various inks is mounted on these cartridge mounting portions 15 '. When the ink cartridge 7 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 15 ′, the ink introduction needle 21 is inserted into the ink cartridge 7. As a result, the ink storage space inside the ink cartridge 7 and the ink flow path inside the recording head 3 communicate with each other through the ink introduction hole 24 (see FIG. 7) opened at the tip of the ink introduction needle 21. The ink stored in the recording head 3 is introduced into the recording head 3 through the ink introduction hole 24. Details of the ink cartridge 7 and the ink introduction needle 21 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a circuit board 25 is attached between the lower surface of the introduction needle unit 15 on the opposite side to the cartridge mounting portion 15 ′ and the upper surface of the head case 16. The circuit board 25 includes, for example, a circuit pattern for supplying a drive signal to the piezoelectric vibrator 26 (see FIG. 5), a connector for connection to the printer 1 main body side, and the like. The circuit board 25 is attached to the introduction needle unit 15 via a sheet member 27 that functions as a packing.

  The head case 16 is a hollow box-shaped member for housing the vibrator unit 18 having the piezoelectric vibrator 26. Inside the head case 16, an accommodation space 28 (see FIG. 5) that can accommodate the transducer unit 18 is formed. The vibrator unit 18 is housed in the housing space 28 and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the housing space 28 by bonding or the like. A flow path unit 17 is fixed to the front end surface of the head case 16 opposite to the mounting surface of the introduction needle unit 15 with an adhesive or the like. In the flow path unit 17, the nozzle plate 30 is disposed on one surface side of the flow path formation substrate 29 with the flow path formation substrate 29 interposed therebetween, and the vibration plate 31 is disposed on the other side opposite to the nozzle plate 30. It is manufactured by joining and integrating with an adhesive or the like in a state of being arranged and laminated on the surface side.

  The nozzle plate 30 is a member made of, for example, a thin plate made of stainless steel, and fine nozzle openings 14 are formed in a row at a pitch corresponding to the dot formation density of the printer 1 in the nozzle plate 30. The head cover 32 is made of, for example, a metal thin plate member, and is attached to the distal end portion of the head case 16 so as to surround the peripheral edge portion from the outside of the nozzle plate 30. The head cover 32 has a function of protecting the flow path unit 17 and the tip of the head case 16 and preventing the nozzle plate 30 from being charged.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the flow path forming substrate 29 joined to the nozzle plate 30 includes an empty portion that becomes the common ink chamber 33, a groove portion 54 that becomes the ink supply port 34, and an empty portion that becomes the pressure chamber 35. A plurality of plate-like members formed in correspondence with the respective nozzle openings 14 in a state of being partitioned by. The flow path forming substrate 29 is produced, for example, by etching a silicon wafer. The pressure chamber 35 is formed as a long and narrow chamber in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the nozzle openings 14 are arranged (nozzle row direction). The common ink chamber 33 is connected to the ink introduction path 38 (the liquid flow path of the liquid flow path) via a head flow path 37 (a kind of liquid flow path) formed through the height direction of the head case 16. A chamber that communicates with the ink cartridge 7 and into which ink stored in the ink cartridge 7 is introduced. The ink introduced into the common ink chamber 33 is supplied to each pressure chamber 35 through the ink supply port 34.

  The vibration plate 31 bonded to the other surface of the flow path forming substrate 29 opposite to the nozzle plate 30 is a double structure composite in which an elastic film is laminated on a metal support plate such as stainless steel. It is a board material. An island 40 for joining the tip of the free end of the piezoelectric vibrator 26 is formed in a portion corresponding to the pressure chamber 35 of the vibration plate 31, and this portion functions as a diaphragm portion. Further, the diaphragm 31 seals one opening surface of the empty portion that becomes the common ink chamber 33, and also functions as a compliance portion. Only the elastic film is used for the portion functioning as the compliance portion.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the vibrator unit 18 includes a piezoelectric vibrator group 41 as pressure generating means, a fixed plate 42 to which the piezoelectric vibrator group 41 is joined, and a circuit board on the piezoelectric vibrator group 41. 25, a flexible cable (not shown) for supplying a drive signal from 25, and the like. The piezoelectric vibrator group 41 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators 26 arranged in a comb shape. Each piezoelectric vibrator 26 has a fixed end joined to the fixed plate 42, and a free end protruding outside the front end surface of the fixed plate 42. That is, each piezoelectric vibrator 26 is mounted on the fixed plate 42 in a so-called cantilever state. The fixing plate 42 that supports each piezoelectric vibrator 26 is made of stainless steel having a thickness of about 1 mm, for example. In addition to the piezoelectric vibrator, an electrostatic actuator, a magnetostrictive element, a heating element, or the like can be used as the pressure generating means.

  In the recording head 3, when the piezoelectric vibrator 26 is expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction of the element, the island 40 moves in a direction toward or away from the pressure chamber 35. As a result, the volume of the pressure chamber 35 changes, and the pressure in the ink in the pressure chamber 35 varies. An ink droplet (a kind of droplet) is ejected from the nozzle opening 14 by this pressure fluctuation.

  Next, the ink cartridge 7 and the ink introduction needle 21 will be described. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the ink cartridge, FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the ink introduction needle, (a) is a plan view illustrating the tip and the tapered portion, and (b) is the longitudinal direction of the needle. FIG.

  The ink cartridge 7 functions as a kind of the liquid storage member of the present invention and is a member that stores ink supplied to the recording head 3. The printer 1 of the present embodiment can eject eight types of ink, specifically, eight colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, matte black, photo black, red, blue, and gloss optimizer (clear). The recording head 3 is mounted with a total of eight ink cartridges 7 storing each ink individually.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a needle insertion port 44 into which the ink introduction needle 21 is inserted is provided on the bottom surface of each ink cartridge 7. The needle insertion port 44 is formed as a cylindrical portion that is short from the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 7 toward the outside, and is formed of an elastic material such as rubber on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion and near the tip opening. An O-ring 45 is provided, and a sealing film 46, which is a kind of sealing member, is bonded and sealed to the opening at the tip. The sealing film 46 is a seal for preventing leakage and evaporation of ink stored in the ink cartridge 7 when the ink cartridge 7 is not used. For example, the sealing film 46 can be broken thin (for example, PP having a thickness of about 39 μm). A resin film such as (polypropylene) is preferably used, and is broken by the ink introduction needle 21 when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, as will be described later. On the other hand, the O-ring 45 closely adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the straight portion 51 of the ink introduction needle 21 in a liquid-tight state after the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, and the ink stored in the ink cartridge 7 leaks to the outside. This is a sealing material for preventing this. The sealing material is not limited to the O-ring 45, and may have any configuration as long as it has a sealing function.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the ink introduction needle 21 inserted into the ink cartridge 7 is a hollow needle having an ink introduction path 38 (a kind of liquid flow path) formed therein, and is formed in a tapered shape at the tip. A sharp tip 23, a tapered portion 48 that gradually increases in diameter from the sharp tip 23 toward the proximal end side, a cylindrical straight portion 51 that is formed continuously with the tapered portion 48, and a lower end of the straight portion 51. The skirt-shaped enlarged diameter portion 52 is formed in a state where the diameter gradually increases toward the downstream side, and the tapered portion 48 on the distal end side introduces the ink that communicates the external space and the ink introduction path 38. A hole 24 (a kind of liquid introduction hole in the present invention) is opened. The ink introduction needle 21 is attached to the introduction needle unit 15 by, for example, ultrasonic welding in a state where the lower end opening of the enlarged diameter portion 52 faces the filter 19 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Thereby, the ink introduction path 38 of the ink introduction needle 21 and the head flow path 37 on the head case 16 side communicate with each other in a liquid-tight state, and the area of the lower end opening of the enlarged diameter portion 52 is disposed immediately below the filter 19. It is the area of the effective filtration surface. The ink introduction path 38 and the head flow path 37 function as a liquid flow path in the present invention.

  The straight portion 51 is a hollow cylindrical member that is inserted into the ink cartridge 7, and the conical pointed tip 23 formed at the tip of the straight portion 51 breaks the sealing film 46 when the ink cartridge 7 is attached to the needle. It is configured to be easily inserted into the insertion port 44. Then, four grooves 54 are provided from the position deviated from the tip 23, specifically, from the position slightly lowered along the inclination from the tip 23 toward the boundary between the tapered portion 48 and the straight portion 51. These groove portions 54 are arranged at an equal interval of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 and radially arranged with the tip of the pointed end 23 as the center. That is, the grooves 54 are arranged in a cross shape with the tip of the tip 23 as the center, with the phases being different by 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the tapered portion 48. In addition, each groove portion 54 of the present embodiment starts from the vicinity of the tip 23, and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 extends straight along the taper from the starting point, and the tapered portion 48, the straight portion 51, It is formed in a state of penetrating the boundary. In each of these groove portions 54, the ink introduction hole 24 described above is formed so as to open over the entire width of the groove portion 54.

  Next, the mounting of the ink cartridge 7 to the cartridge mounting portion 15 'will be described. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the main part for explaining the mounting of the ink cartridge to the ink introduction needle (cartridge mounting portion).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink introduction needle 21 is erected upward on the cartridge mounting portion 15 ′ in the present embodiment. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 15 ′, as shown in FIG. 8A, the ink cartridge 7 is placed above the cartridge mounting portion 15 ′ with the needle insertion port 44 facing downward. Push down from the bottom. By this pushing, the sealing film 46 of the needle insertion port 44 is bent and comes into close contact with the outer surface on the tip side of the ink introduction needle 21, that is, the tip 23 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48. When the ink cartridge 7 is pushed down to the ink introduction needle 21 side to some extent from this state, the ink introduction needle 21 ruptures the sealing film 46 at the tip 23 as shown in FIG.

  Here, at the tip of the ink introduction needle 21 of the present embodiment, as described above, each groove portion 54 is formed from the vicinity of the tip 23 to penetrate the boundary between the tapered portion 48 and the straight portion 51. When the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, even if the sealing film 46 of the needle insertion port 44 bends and comes into close contact with the tip 23 of the ink introduction needle 21 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48, FIG. As indicated by the arrows in (b), each of the compressed air between the sealing film 46 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 does not enter the ink introduction needle 21 through the ink introduction hole 24. The sealing film 46 can be allowed to flow out from the outside where the sealing film 46 is not in close contact through the groove 54, specifically from the boundary side between the tapered portion 48 and the straight portion 51. Further, even if the pressure in the air in the needle insertion port 44 of the ink cartridge 7 increases due to the curvature of the sealing film 46, the pressurized air is also discharged outside through the groove portion 54. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the entry of air that becomes bubbles into the ink introduction needle 21 can be suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the frequency of execution of the cleaning operation for discharging bubbles that have flowed into the ink introduction needle 21 (ink flow path) to the outside. As a result, ink consumption associated with the cleaning operation can be reduced.

  Even when the ink cartridge 7 that has been used once is mounted again, the sealing film 46 with the broken needle insertion port 44 abuts or slides on the taper portion 48, so that the sealing film 46 and the taper portion It is also conceivable that air is compressed between the sealing film 46 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 as described above. It is possible to prevent the ink from entering the ink introduction needle 21 through the ink introduction hole 24. As described above, when the groove portion 54 is provided on the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 at the tip of the ink introduction needle 21, bubbles are generated in the ink introduction needle 21 when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted regardless of whether the ink cartridge 7 is used or not used. Can be prevented from entering.

  Further, as described above, if the bubble can be prevented from entering the ink introduction needle 21 when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the pressure deficit during the ejection operation due to the bubble flowing into the ink flow path. In addition, not only can the occurrence of problems such as insufficient ink supply be reduced, but some air will be dissolved in the ink that has been degassed in advance, so there is almost no need to perform cleaning operations only to discharge bubbles. There are no obstacles.

  In addition, since the ink introduction hole 24 of this embodiment is formed in each groove portion 54, the ink introduction hole 24 does not directly contact the sealing film 46 when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the possibility that the air between the sealing film 46 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 is pushed directly into the ink introduction hole 24 can be reduced. 24 can flow out to the outside through the groove portion 54 formed. For this reason, this air can be further suppressed from entering the ink introduction needle 21 from the ink introduction hole 24.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the ink cartridge 7 is pushed down to the base of the ink introduction needle 21, the ink introduction needle 21 has the tip 23, the tapered portion 48, and a part of the straight portion 51 as the ink cartridge. 7 (inserted state of the ink cartridge 7), and after the straight portion 51 penetrates the O-ring 45, the valve 56 that prevents ink leakage when the ink cartridge 7 is not mounted is pushed at the tip 23. open. As a result, the inside of the ink cartridge 7 communicates with the ink introduction path 38 (ink flow path) through the ink introduction hole 24, and ink is introduced into the pressure chamber 35 side of the recording head 3.

By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made based on the description of the scope of claims.
In the above embodiment, the configuration in which each groove portion 54 of the ink introduction needle 21 is formed so as to penetrate the boundary between the tapered portion 48 and the straight portion 51 from the vicinity of the tip end 23 is exemplified. As shown in FIG. 3, the groove portions 54 may be formed continuously from the tapered portion 48 to the middle of the outer peripheral surface of the straight portion 51.

  With this configuration, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the sealing film 46 of the needle insertion port 44 is in close contact with the outer surface of the taper portion 48 of the ink introduction needle 21 to the outer peripheral surface of the straight portion 51. Even if it exists, the air between the sealing film 46 and the outer surface of the taper part 48 can be reliably flowed outside through each groove part 54 extended to the outer peripheral surface of the straight part 51. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the air between the sealing film 46 and the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 can be further reliably suppressed from entering the ink introduction needle 21 from the ink introduction hole 24. . In addition, each groove part 54 in the outer peripheral surface of the straight part 51 of the present embodiment is on the tip (taper part 48) side from the taper part 48 side to the O-ring contact area 57 with which the O-ring 45 abuts when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted. Is formed. This is because if these groove portions 54 extend to the O-ring contact region 57, the inside of the needle insertion port 44 cannot be liquid-tight when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, and ink leakage occurs. (See FIG. 9B).

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration in which the ink introduction hole 24 is opened in the groove portion 54 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ink introduction hole 24 is opened on the outer surface of the tapered portion 48 outside the groove portion 54. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that does this. For example, as shown in FIG. 10A, the ink introduction hole 24 may be opened between the groove portions 54. Further, the tip 23 and the groove 54 are not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above embodiments, but are formed so that each groove 54 communicates with the tip of the ink introduction needle 21 as shown in FIG. Also good. In this case, the tip of the ink introduction needle 21 functions as the tip 23 between the grooves 54. Further, by combining these, as shown in FIG. 3C, each groove portion 54 is formed to communicate with the tip of the ink introduction needle 21, and the ink introduction hole 24 is formed between these groove portions 54. It may be opened. In short, according to the present invention, when the ink cartridge 7 is mounted, the compressed air between the sealing film 46 and the tapered portion 48 flows out of the ink introduction needle 21 through the groove portion 54 without entering the ink introduction hole 24. If possible, the arrangement of the grooves 54 and the ink introduction holes 24 can be appropriately set. Further, the number of the groove portions 54 and the ink introduction holes 24 can be set as appropriate.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the on-carriage type in which the ink cartridge 7 is mounted on the carriage 4 as in the above-described embodiments, and the ink cartridge 7 is a cartridge holder on the housing side of the printer 1 (a kind of liquid storage member mounting portion). And an off-carriage type that supplies ink to the recording head 3 through an ink supply tube. That is, the configuration in each of the above-described embodiments can be applied to the ink introduction needle attached to the cartridge holder of the off-carriage type.

  In the above, the ink jet printer 1 which is a kind of liquid ejecting apparatus has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to other liquid ejecting apparatuses having a liquid introduction needle. For example, a display manufacturing apparatus that manufactures color filters such as liquid crystal displays, an electrode manufacturing apparatus that forms electrodes such as organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays and FEDs (surface emitting displays), and chips that manufacture biochips (biochemical elements) The present invention can also be applied to a manufacturing apparatus and a micropipette that supplies an accurate amount of a very small amount of sample solution.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printer. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a recording head. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a recording head. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of a recording head. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of a recording head. FIG. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of an ink cartridge. (A) is a plan view for explaining the tip and the tapered portion of the ink introduction needle, and (b) is a cross-sectional view in the needle longitudinal direction showing the configuration of the ink introduction needle. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining mounting of an ink cartridge to an ink introduction needle (cartridge mounting portion). (A) is a plan view for explaining the tip and the tapered portion of the ink introduction needle, and (b) is a cross-sectional view in the needle longitudinal direction showing the configuration of the ink introduction needle. It is a top view of the tip of an ink introduction needle and a taper part which show a modification in the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Recording medium, 3 ... Recording head, 4 ... Carriage, 5 ... Carriage moving mechanism, 6 ... Paper feed mechanism, 7 ... Ink cartridge, 8 ... Timing belt, 9 ... Pulse motor, 10 ... Guide rod, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Capping mechanism, 12 '... Cap member, 13 ... Pump unit, 14 ... Nozzle opening, 15 ... Introduction needle unit, 15' ... Cartridge mounting part, 16 ... Head case, 17 ... Flow path unit, 18 ... Vibrator unit , 19 ... Filter, 21 ... Ink introduction needle, 23 ... Pointed end, 24 ... Ink introduction hole, 25 ... Circuit board, 26 ... Piezoelectric vibrator, 27 ... Sheet member, 28 ... Housing empty part, 29 ... Flow path forming board , 30 ... Nozzle plate, 31 ... Vibration plate, 32 ... Head cover, 33 ... Common ink chamber, 34 ... Ink supply port, 35 ... Pressure chamber, 37 ... Head flow path, 38 ... Ink introduction path, 40 ... Island part, 41 ... Piezoelectric vibrator group, 42 ... Fixed plate, 44 ... Needle insertion port, 45 ... O-ring, 46 ... Sealing film, 48 ... Tapered part, 51 ... Straight part, 52 ... Diameter-enlarged part, 54 ... Groove part, 56 ... Valve, 57 ... O-ring contact area

Claims (4)

A liquid storage member having a needle insertion port and storing liquid therein;
A liquid storage member mounting portion on which the liquid storage member is detachably mounted;
A liquid introduction needle for introducing the liquid in the liquid storage member into the internal liquid flow path from the liquid introduction hole in a state of being inserted into the needle insertion port of the mounted liquid storage member;
A liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head capable of ejecting the liquid introduced from the liquid introducing needle from a nozzle opening by the operation of a pressure generating unit;
The liquid introduction needle is composed of a tapered portion that gradually increases in diameter from the sharp tip formed at the distal end toward the proximal end side, and a straight portion that is formed continuously from the tapered portion,
A liquid ejecting apparatus, wherein a groove portion is provided on an outer surface of the liquid introduction needle toward a boundary between a tapered portion and a straight portion from a position deviated from the tip.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the groove portion is formed so as to penetrate a boundary between the tapered portion and the straight portion from the vicinity of the tip.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the groove portion extends continuously from the tapered portion to the middle of the straight portion.   The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid introduction hole is formed in a state of opening in the groove portion.

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