JP2009012273A - Fluid ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid ejector capable of achieving improvement of working efficiency and effectively preventing failure caused by adhesion of a fluid to respective connectors. <P>SOLUTION: A first channel forming member forming a first channel is provided with a first joint for connecting a first channel to another channel and a first connector for transmitting a signal for a head. A second channel forming member arranged between the head and the first channel forming member and forming a second channel is provided with a second joint connected to the first joint to make the second channel communicate with the first channel and a second connector connected to the first connector to transmit the signal for the head. The attachment/detachment of the first connector and the second connector is performed with the attachment/detachment of the first joint and the second joint by relative movement of the second channel forming member to the first channel forming member in a predetermined direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid ejection device.

As an ink jet printer which is a kind of fluid ejecting apparatus, a printer having a so-called line head provided with a plurality of nozzles in the width direction of the paper has been proposed. Some printers have a line head in which a plurality of short heads are attached to a base substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-329595 A

  In such a printer, it is necessary to transmit various signals for controlling ink ejection to the head. In this regard, in the case of adopting the above-described printer configuration, it is usual that each short head is attached to the base substrate and wiring is connected separately. When the mounting of the head to the base substrate and the necessary wiring work are performed separately, there is a problem that workability is poor. This is particularly noticeable in a configuration in which a plurality of short heads are attached to the base substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve workability.

The main invention for achieving the object is as follows:
(A) a head for discharging fluid;
(B) a first flow path forming member that forms a first flow path for fluid discharged by the head,
(B1) a first joint for connecting the first flow path to another flow path;
(B2) a first connector for transmitting a signal for the head;
A first flow path forming member having
(C) a second flow path forming member that is disposed between the head and the first flow path forming member and forms a second flow path for the fluid,
(C1) a second joint that communicates with the first flow path by being connected to the first joint;
(C2) a second connector that transmits the head signal by being connected to the first connector;
(C3) The first connector and the second connector are attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment of the first joint and the second joint by relative movement in a predetermined direction with the first flow path forming member. A second flow path forming member to be performed;
It is a fluid discharge apparatus which has (D).
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  At least the following will be made clear by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

That is, (A) a head that discharges fluid, and (B) a first flow path forming member that forms a first flow path for fluid discharged by the head, and (B1) the first flow path A first flow path forming member having a first joint for connecting to another flow path, and (B2) a first connector for transmitting a signal for the head; (C) the head and the first A second flow path forming member disposed between the first flow path forming member and forming the second flow path for the fluid. (C1) The second flow path by being connected to the first joint. A second joint that communicates a path with the first flow path; and (C2) a second connector that transmits a signal for the head by being connected to the first connector, and (C3) the first Relative movement in a predetermined direction between the first flow path forming member and the first joint and the second joint. A second flow path forming member desorption of the with wearing first connector and said second connector is carried out, is the having, clear that the fluid ejection device can be realized (D).
According to such a fluid ejecting apparatus, the first joint and the second joint are attached and detached together by the relative movement in the predetermined direction between the first passage forming member and the second passage forming member. Since the connector and the second connector are detached, the workability can be improved.

In this fluid ejection apparatus, the first flow path forming member is attached to the apparatus main body, and the second flow path forming member is attached to and detached from the first flow path forming member together with the head. It is preferable.
According to such a fluid ejection device, since the head can be attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment of the second flow path forming member, the workability can be improved.

In this fluid ejection device, it is preferable that the second connector is located above a connection position of the first joint and the second joint in a state where the second connector is connected to the first connector.
According to such a fluid ejection device, it is possible to effectively prevent problems caused by the fluid adhering to each connector.

In the fluid discharge device, the second flow path forming member is attached to and detached from the first joint and the second joint by a relative movement in the vertical direction with respect to the first flow path forming member. At the same time, it is preferable that the first connector and the second connector are attached and detached.
According to such a fluid ejection device, it is possible to more effectively prevent problems caused by fluid adhering to each connector.

In this fluid ejecting apparatus, the head is a short head having a plurality of nozzles that ejects fluid in a range narrower than the maximum width of the medium, and the plurality of nozzles extends over at least the entire width of the medium. It is preferable that a plurality of short heads are provided so as to be arranged.
According to such a fluid ejection device, since a plurality of short heads that are easy to manufacture are used, manufacturing can be facilitated.

In this fluid ejection device, it is preferable that the short head is attached to the second flow path forming member.
According to such a fluid ejection device, it is easy to attach the head.

In this fluid ejecting apparatus, it is preferable that the head is a long head provided with a plurality of nozzles so that fluid can be ejected in a range not less than the maximum width of the medium.
According to such a fluid ejection device, since the head is a long head, the size of the device can be reduced.

In this fluid ejection device, it is preferable that the second flow path forming member is provided integrally with the long head.
According to such a fluid ejection device, the device can be miniaturized.

In this fluid ejection device, the set of the first connector and the second connector is provided on one end side in the short direction in a part of the long head in the long direction, and in the short direction in the other part. It is preferable that it is provided on the other end side.
According to such a fluid ejection device, the number of connectors can be increased to a necessary and sufficient number.

=== First Embodiment ===
<Outline of Printer 1>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 1. The illustrated printer 1 corresponds to a fluid ejecting apparatus, and ejects ink that is a kind of fluid toward a medium such as paper, cloth, or film. The printer 1 ejects four colors of ink including black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. The medium is an object to which fluid is ejected, for example, paper.

  The printer 1 includes a paper transport mechanism 10, a drive signal generation circuit 20, a head unit 30, an ink supply mechanism 40, an ink recovery mechanism 50, a detector group DG, and a printer-side controller 60.

  The paper transport mechanism 10 corresponds to a medium transport unit that transports a medium, and transports a paper sheet as a medium in a predetermined transport direction. The drive signal generation circuit 20 functions as a drive signal generation unit, and generates a drive signal used for ejecting ink. This drive signal is supplied to a head 32 included in the head unit 30. The drive signal is applied to a drive element (a heating element or a piezo element, not shown) included in the head 32.

  The head unit 30 includes a head control unit 31 and a head 32. The head controller 31 controls application of a drive signal to the drive element. The head control unit 31 according to the present embodiment applies a necessary portion of the drive signal to the drive element based on a head control signal (a type of head signal) transmitted from the printer-side controller 60. The head 32 is a kind of short head, and ejects ink from nozzles. As shown in FIG. 3, the head unit 30 of this embodiment has a plurality of heads 32. The head unit 30 will be described later.

  The ink supply mechanism 40 supplies ink to the plurality of heads 32 included in the head unit 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply mechanism 40 includes an ink cartridge 41, a pressure pump 42, and a flow path forming member 70. In the printer 1, printing is performed using four colors of ink. For this reason, the ink cartridge 41 stores four colors of ink. The ink supply mechanism 40 will also be described later.

  The ink collection mechanism 50 collects ink discharged from the plurality of heads 32. The ink recovery mechanism 50 includes a cap unit 51, a suction pump 53, and the like. The ink recovery mechanism 50 will also be described later.

  The detector group DG includes various detectors that monitor the status of the printer 1. The plurality of detectors include a transport amount detector that detects the transport amount of the paper and a paper sensor that detects the presence or absence of the paper. Then, the detection result by each detector is output to the printer-side controller 60.

  The printer-side controller 60 is a central part of control in the printer 1, and is used for the interface 61 for communicably connecting to the computer CP, the CPU 62 as an arithmetic processing unit that performs overall control, and the CPU 62. And a memory 63 for storing various types of information. Then, the printer-side controller 60 controls each unit based on the print data received from the computer CP and the detection result by the detector group DG, and prints an image on a sheet. For example, a transport signal is output to the paper transport mechanism 10 to transport the paper. A pressure signal and a selection signal are output to the ink supply mechanism 40 to supply ink to each head 32. A capping signal and a suction signal are output to the ink collection mechanism 50, and the ink discharged from the head 32 is collected.

=== Main Parts of Printer 1 ===
<About the head unit 30>
As shown in FIG. 2, the head unit 30 has a frame 33. The frame 33 is attached to a housing in the printer 1. A plurality of heads 32 are attached to the frame 33 via the flow path forming member 70. Each head 32 included in the head unit 30 has a plurality of nozzles. This nozzle is a portion from which ink is ejected. The plurality of nozzles are grouped for each type of ink to be ejected, and are provided at a predetermined pitch in a predetermined direction to constitute a nozzle row 321 (see FIG. 3).

  The nozzle row 321 is determined to have a length for ejecting ink in a range narrower than the maximum width of the paper, and is provided for each color, for example. In an attached state to the printer 1 (head unit 30), a plurality of nozzles belonging to a certain nozzle row 321 are arranged in the paper width direction, which is the paper width direction. The paper width direction corresponds to a crossing direction that intersects the paper transport direction, and is determined in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. Since the printer 1 ejects four colors of ink, one head 32 is provided with four nozzle rows 321. The plurality of nozzle rows 321 included in one head 32 are provided at intervals in the transport direction.

  The heads 32 are arranged with their positions shifted from each other. Specifically, the positions of the nozzles are shifted so that the nozzles are arranged at equal intervals over the entire sheet of the maximum size in the paper width direction. For this reason, an image can be printed at a desired position on the paper sheet by carrying the paper sheet once. In short, in this printer 1, it can be said that a line head is produced using a plurality of short heads.

  Such a short head has a better yield than the long head. Here, the long head is a head whose nozzle row length is equal to or larger than the paper width of the maximum size paper. If a line head is manufactured using a plurality of short heads with good yield, the line head can be easily manufactured. In addition, since a defective short head can be dealt with by replacement, manufacturing can be facilitated also in this respect.

<Ink Supply Mechanism 40>
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply mechanism 40 includes an ink cartridge 41, a cartridge pressure pump 42, and a flow path forming member 70.

  The ink cartridge 41 is a kind of fluid reservoir that stores fluid, and is provided in a form that can be replaced by a user. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink cartridge 41 includes a case 411 and an ink pack (not shown) accommodated in the case 411. The inside of the case 411 is airtightly provided, and the ink pack is pressurized through a valve body (not shown) provided in the case 411. The ink cartridge 41 is provided for each type of ink to be ejected. Therefore, in this printer 1, an ink cartridge 41 is prepared for each of the four color inks.

  One end of an ink tube 43 communicates with each ink cartridge 41. The ink tube 43 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ink cartridges 41. That is, it is provided for each type of fluid. The other end of the ink tube 43 is connected to the flow path forming member 70. Accordingly, the ink from the ink cartridge 41 is supplied to the flow path forming member 70 via the ink tube 43. The cartridge pressurizing pump 42 is for pressurizing the ink in the ink cartridge 41. In the printer 1, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 41 is supplied to the flow path forming member 70 through the ink tube 43. Thus, when supplying ink through the ink tube 43, ink can be reliably supplied with respect to the head unit 30 by giving sufficient pressure difference. The cartridge pressurizing pump 42 pressurizes the inside of the case 411 in the ink cartridge 41 with air in order to ensure the supply pressure of the ink. The cartridge pressure pump 42 is operated by a pressure signal from the printer-side controller 60.

  The flow path forming member 70 supplies ink (fluid) supplied from the ink cartridge 41 side to each head 32. The flow path forming member 70 includes a common flow path forming member 71 attached to the frame 33 and an individual flow path forming member 72 to which the head 32 is attached and attached to and detached from the common flow path forming member 71 (see FIG. 3). .) These members will be described later.

<About the ink recovery mechanism 50>
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink recovery mechanism 50 includes a cap unit 51, a moving mechanism 52, a suction pump 53, and an ink recovery unit 54.

  The cap unit 51 has a plurality of caps 511 (see FIG. 3). Each cap 511 is a box-like member having an opening surface facing the nozzle, and receives the ink discharged from the head 32 in the inner space. For this reason, each cap 511 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle surface of the head 32, and is provided by the moving mechanism 52 so as to be movable in a direction approaching the head unit 30 and a direction separating it.

  Each cap 511 is used during maintenance for bringing the head 32 into a normal state. For example, at the time of flushing in which the ink in the nozzle is forcibly ejected, each cap 511 receives the ejected ink. Further, at the time of suction cleaning for forcibly sucking out the ink in the head 32, each cap 511 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface and receives the ink sucked from the head 32. These flushing and suction cleaning are performed in order to remove the thickened ink from the head 32. It is also performed when air bubbles in the head 32 are removed.

  The suction pump 53 is used for the above-described suction cleaning and the like, and generates a negative pressure in the inner space of the cap 511. As this suction pump 53, for example, a tube pump is used. In the printer 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the number of suction pumps 53 corresponding to the number of caps 511 is provided.

  The ink collection unit 54 is a part that collects the ink received by each cap 511, and includes, for example, an ink absorber and a case that houses the absorber (none of which is shown). And each cap 511 is connected by the tube 541.

=== Details of Channel Forming Member 70 ===
<About the common flow path forming member 71>
As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the common flow path forming member 71 included in the flow path forming member 70 is a member in which a common flow path 71a is provided. The common flow path 71a is a flow path for flowing ink to be supplied to the plurality of heads 32, and corresponds to a first flow path. Therefore, the common flow path forming member 71 corresponds to the first flow path forming member. The common flow path 71a is provided in a number corresponding to the type of ink. In the printer 1, four types of ink having different colors are ejected from the head 32. For this reason, the common flow path forming member 71 is provided with four common flow paths 71a corresponding to the inks of the respective colors.

  The common flow path forming member 71 is provided with a common side joint 71b. The common side joint 71b is a part for connecting the common flow path 71a to another flow path, and corresponds to a first joint. The common joint 71b includes a cylindrical portion 71c, a packing 71d, a valve body 71e, and a spring 71f. The cylindrical portion 71 c is projected from the bottom surface of the common flow path forming member 71. The inside of the cylindrical portion 71c is used as an ink channel (also referred to as a connection channel 71g for convenience). The connection channel 71g communicates with the common channel 71a. Moreover, the cylindrical part 71c is provided about each of the some common flow path 71a. In the printer 1, since four common flow paths 71a are provided, four cylindrical portions 71c are also provided. The packing 71d is an elastic member having a property of not allowing liquid to pass through, and is fitted into a tip portion of the cylindrical portion 71c. An insertion hole penetrating in the thickness direction is provided at the center of the packing 71d. The insertion needle 72b (corresponding to the second joint) of the individual flow path forming member 72 is inserted into the insertion hole. The packing 71d is in a liquid-tight state around the introduction needle portion 72b in a state where the introduction needle portion 72b is inserted into the insertion hole, and suppresses ink leakage. The valve body 71e is disposed in the connection flow path 71g, and closes or opens the insertion hole (opening) of the packing 71d. The spring 71f applies a pressing force toward the packing 71d to the valve body 71e.

  In a state where the introduction needle portion 72b is not inserted (non-insertion state), the spring 71f presses the valve body 71e toward the packing 71d. Thereby, like the cylindrical part 71c located in the right side of FIG. 4B, the insertion hole of the packing 71d is closed by the valve body 71e (indicated by a one-dot chain line). As a result, the problem that the ink in the connection channel 71g leaks to the outside is suppressed. On the other hand, in a state where the introduction needle portion 72b is inserted (inserted state), as shown by a solid line in FIG. 4B, the valve body 71e is pushed by the introduction needle portion 72b and moves toward the spring 71f and leaves the packing 71d. . As a result, the tip portion of the introduction needle portion 72b is located in the connection channel 71g, and the ink in the connection channel 71g flows into the individual channel formation member 72 through this opening.

  A wiring board 73 and a male connector 74 are attached to the common flow path forming member 71. The wiring board 73 is provided with wiring for transmitting various signals such as a head control signal. Examples of the head control signal include a drive signal applied to the drive element, a clock signal, and dot formation data indicating the presence / absence of dots. The male connector 74 is a member connected to a female connector 76 (described later) provided in the individual flow path forming member 72 in order to transmit a head control signal or the like to each head 32, and transmits a head signal. This corresponds to the first connector. In the printer 1, the number of male connectors 74 corresponding to the individual flow path forming member 72 is provided. The wiring board 73 and the male connector 74 are attached to the flange portions 71h on both sides of the common flow path forming member 71, respectively. The wiring board 73 and the male connector 74 are attached to the common side joint 71b side surface of the flange portion 71h. Here, each common side joint 71 b is provided at a position farther from the flange portion 71 h than the male connector 74. The common flow path forming member 71 is attached to the frame 33 in a direction in which each common side joint 71b is positioned below. For this reason, in the attachment state of the common flow path forming member 71, the male connector 74 is positioned above each common side joint 71b.

<Regarding the individual flow path forming member 72>
The individual flow path forming member 72 included in the flow path forming member 70 is a member in which an individual flow path 72a is provided. The individual flow path 72a is a flow path for flowing the ink supplied to the specific head 32, and corresponds to a second flow path. Accordingly, the individual flow path forming member 72 corresponds to a second flow path forming member. In the printer 1, one head 32 attached to the individual flow path forming member 72 corresponds to a specific short head. The individual flow path 72a is a hole provided so as to penetrate the individual flow path forming member 72 from the mounting surface of the head 32 in the individual flow path forming member 72 to the opposite surface, and is supplied through the common flow path 71a. Ink is supplied to the head 32. This individual flow path 72a is also provided with a number corresponding to the type of ink. That is, four individual flow paths 72a are provided corresponding to each color ink.

  An introduction needle portion 72 b is formed on the surface of the individual flow path forming member 72 opposite to the mounting surface of the head 32. For convenience, in the following description, this surface is also referred to as a needle portion forming surface 72c. As described above, the introduction needle portion 72b is inserted into the common side joint 71b. The introduction needle portion 72b is a hollow tube whose tip is processed obliquely, and the internal space is a part of the individual flow path 72a. Such an introduction needle part 72b is equivalent to the 2nd joint which connects the 2nd channel to the 1st channel by being connected to the 1st joint. Then, four introduction needle portions 72b are protruded from the needle portion forming surface 72c corresponding to the type of ink. The leading end of the introduction needle portion 72b is processed obliquely so that the opening faces the connection channel 71g when the valve element 71e is pushed up. Thereby, even if the valve body 71e is pushed up, the opening is not blocked, and the ink in the connection channel 71g can be introduced into the individual channel 72a.

  A pair of guide wall portions 72d are provided at positions outside the introduction needle portion 72b in the arrangement direction of the introduction needle portions 72b in a state of protruding from the needle portion forming surface 72c. These guide wall portions 72 d guide the individual flow path forming member 72 when the individual flow path forming member 72 is attached to the common flow path forming member 71. In this printer 1, the distance between the inner side surfaces of the guide wall portion 72d is slightly wider than the width of the main body portion (portion excluding the flange portion 71h) of the common flow path forming member 71. For this reason, when attaching the individual flow path forming member 72 to the common flow path forming member 71, the inner side surface of the guide wall portion 72 d abuts on the side surface of the common flow path forming member 71 as appropriate to restrict the movement direction.

  Inside the guide wall portion 72d, there is provided a cable through hole 72e penetrating from the front end surface of the guide wall portion 72d to the head 32 mounting surface. That is, the guide wall portion 72d is provided in a hollow shape. The cable through hole 72 e is for inserting the wiring cable 75. The wiring cable 75 transmits a head signal to the head 32. For this reason, one end of the wiring cable 75 is connected to the female connector 76 and the other end is connected to the head 32. The female connector 76 is joined to the distal end surface of the guide wall portion 72d. In the illustrated individual flow path forming member 72, a female connector 76 is joined to each of the pair of guide wall portions 72d. The female connector 76 is connected to the male connector 74 to transmit a head signal to the head 32. Therefore, the female connector 76 corresponds to a second connector that transmits a head signal by being connected to the first connector.

<Attaching the individual flow path forming member 72>
Next, attachment / detachment of the individual flow path forming member 72 with respect to the common flow path forming member 71 will be described. In the first embodiment, the common flow path forming member 71 is attached to the casing of the printer 1 via the frame 33. Then, by moving the individual flow path forming member 72 to which the head 32 is attached in a predetermined direction with respect to the common flow path forming member 71, the common side joint 71b (first joint) and the introduction needle part 72b (second The male connector 74 (first connector) and the female connector 76 (second connector) are attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment with the joint. This will be described below.

  First, the case where the individual flow path forming member 72 is attached to the common flow path forming member 71 will be described. In this case, the head 32 is attached to the individual flow path forming member 72 in advance. 4A, the individual flow path forming member 72 is positioned below the common flow path forming member 71 in a state where the introduction needle portion 72b is opposed to the common side joint 71b. Next, the position of the individual flow path forming member 72 is adjusted. That is, the position of the individual flow path forming member 72 is adjusted so that the corresponding female connector 76 is positioned directly below each male connector 74. When the position is adjusted, the individual flow path forming member 72 is moved upward. At this time, the individual flow path forming member 72 is lifted so that each female connector 76 just fits into the corresponding male connector 74.

  At this time, the common side joint 71 b and the introduction needle portion 72 b are hidden by the common flow path forming member 71. However, by aligning each male connector 74 and each female connector 76, each common joint 71b and each introduction needle portion 72b can also be aligned. For this reason, even if the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle portion 72b are hidden from the operator, these connections can be reliably performed.

  When the individual flow path forming member 72 is lifted, the introduction needle portion 72b is inserted into the common side joint 71b. At this time, the packing 71d of the common side joint 71b is deformed following the movement of the introduction needle portion 72b. For this reason, even if the introduction needle portion 72b moves slightly, the ink leakage can be suppressed. Each female connector 76 and each male connector 74 are also connected with the connection of the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle part 72b. As a result, the wiring on the wiring board 73 side and the wiring on the wiring cable 75 side are conducted, and a head signal is transmitted to the head 32. For this reason, it is not necessary to separately connect the connector, and workability can be improved.

  4B, in a state where the individual flow path forming member 72 is attached to the common flow path forming member 71, each connector 74, 76 is positioned above the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle portion 72b. is doing. For this reason, even if ink leaks to some extent as the introduction needle portion 72b is inserted into the common side joint 71b, the leaked ink is prevented from reaching the connectors 74 and 76. For this reason, it is possible to reliably prevent a problem that the connectors 74 and 76 are soiled by the leaked ink.

  Further, in this attached state, the introduction needle portion 72b pushes the valve body 71e upward, and the tip of the introduction needle portion 72b is opened obliquely, so that the common flow channel 71a is connected through the connection flow channel 71g. Can be reliably introduced into the individual flow path 72a.

  Next, the case where the individual flow path forming member 72 is removed from the common flow path forming member 71 will be described. In this case, the individual flow path forming member 72 is moved in the direction opposite to that at the time of attachment. That is, the individual flow path forming member 72 is moved downward. Thereby, the female connector 76 is removed from the male connector 74, and the introduction needle portion 72b is pulled out from the common side joint 71b. Here, since the valve body 71e is pressed to the packing 71d side by the spring 71f, it moves with the movement of the introduction needle portion 72b. When the introduction needle portion 72b is removed from the packing 71d, the valve body 71e closes an insertion hole (opening) provided in the packing 71d from the inside. Thereby, ink leakage can be suppressed. Even if the ink leaks, the female connector 76 is located above the introduction needle portion 72b at the time of removal, so that the female connector 76 is soiled by the leaked ink. Can be prevented.

<Summary>
As described above, in the printer 1, the individual flow path forming member 72 is moved in the vertical direction, so that the male connector 74 and the female connector 76 are attached and detached together with the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle portion 72b. Done. As a result, it is not necessary to separately perform the connector connection work, and workability can be improved.

  Further, the common flow path forming member 71 is attached to the frame 33, and the individual flow path forming member 72 with the head 32 attached thereto is attached to and detached from the common flow path forming member 71. For this reason, the head 32 can be attached and detached together with the individual flow path forming member 72 and the workability can be improved.

  Regarding the female connector 76, the female connector 76 is positioned above the connection position between the common side joint 71 b and the introduction needle portion 72 b in the connected state with the male connector 74. For this reason, the malfunction that ink adheres to each connector 74 and 76 can be prevented reliably.

=== Second Embodiment ===
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the printer of the second embodiment, mainly (1) a so-called long head is used, (2) an individual flow path forming member is provided integrally with the long head, and (3) a male connector. And a female connector pair is provided on one end side in the short direction in a part of the long head in the long direction, and on the other end side in the short direction in the other part in the long direction. have. This will be described below.

<About the head 34>
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in the head 34 of the printer 1, a plurality of nozzles 341 are provided in a state of being arranged at a predetermined pitch along the longitudinal direction of the head 34, thereby constituting a nozzle row 342. . As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the head 34 is attached so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the paper width direction (direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction). For this reason, the nozzle row 342 is also provided along the paper width direction. The length of the nozzle row 342 is determined to be longer than the paper width of the maximum size paper. In other words, the plurality of nozzles 341 are arranged so that ink can be ejected in a range equal to or larger than the maximum width of the paper (medium). Therefore, the head 34 corresponds to a so-called long head. In the printer 1 provided with the head 34 (long head), an image can be printed at a desired position on the paper by carrying the paper once. A plurality of nozzle rows 342 are provided for each color of ink to be ejected (for each type of fluid). Since the head 34 ejects ink of four colors, four nozzle rows 342 are provided. These nozzle rows 342 are provided with their positions shifted in the transport direction.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 6B, the head 34 is elongated by joining a plurality of units 34A to 34E. The ink is supplied from the common channel 71a for each unit. For this reason, each of the units 34A to 34E is provided with a plurality of sets of introduction needle portions 343a and individual flow paths 343b. And each introduction needle part 343a and each individual channel 343b are provided in case part 343 of each unit 34A-34E. That is, in the head 34, the case portion 343 is a second flow path forming member for forming the second flow path (individual flow path 343b). In other words, it can be said that the second flow path forming member is configured integrally with the head 34 (long head). Thereby, size reduction of an apparatus can be achieved.

  In the head 34, one guide wall portion 343c is provided for each of the units 34A to 34E. And the female connector 35 is attached to the front end surface of each guide wall part 343c. For example, the two female connectors 35 are attached side by side. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the set of the male connector 74 and the female connector 35 is provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the head 34 on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction. That is, the head 34 is provided at one end side in the short length direction at a certain portion in the long direction and provided at the other end side in the short length direction at the other portion.

<Summary>
Also in the printer 1 of the second embodiment, the common flow path forming member 71 is attached to the housing of the printer 1 via the frame 33. Then, by moving the head 34 in the vertical direction with respect to the common flow path forming member 71, the male connector 74 and the female connector 35 are attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment of the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle portion 343a. For this reason, it is not necessary to separately connect the connector, and workability can be improved.

  Since the head 34 of the second embodiment is a so-called long head, there is an advantage that the size can be reduced as compared with that of the first embodiment. In addition, since the individual flow path 343b and the introduction needle portion 343a are provided in the case portion 343 of the head 34, there is an advantage that downsizing can be achieved in this respect.

  In addition, the set of the male connector 74 and the female connector 35 is provided at one end side in the short length direction at a certain portion in the long direction of the head 34 and is provided at the other end side in the short length direction at the other portion. It can be set to a necessary and sufficient number. The head 34 is supported by each connector with respect to the common flow path forming member 71. Since the set of connectors is distributed and provided on one end side and the other end side in the short direction, the head 34 can be supported with sufficient strength with respect to the common flow path forming member 71.

=== Other Embodiments ===
The above-described embodiment has been described with respect to the printer 1, but the disclosure includes a fluid ejection device and a fluid ejection method. The above-described embodiments are for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In particular, the embodiments described below are also included in the present invention.

<Desorption of individual flow path forming member 72 and the like>
In the first embodiment described above, the individual flow path forming member 72 with the head 34 attached is detached from the common flow path forming member 71 attached to the main body of the printer 1. It is not limited to the configuration. For example, the common flow path forming member 71 may be removed from the frame 33 with the individual flow path forming member 72 attached, and then the common flow path forming member 71 and the individual flow path forming member 72 may be detached. In this case, due to the relative movement in the predetermined direction between the common flow path forming member 71 and the individual flow path forming member 72, the male connector 74 and the female connector 76 are attached together with the common side joint 71b and the introduction needle portion 72b. And desorption.

<About joints>
In each of the above-described embodiments, the common joint 71b provided in the common flow path forming member 71 is exemplified as the first joint, and the introduction needle provided in the case of the individual flow path forming member 72 and the head 34 as the second joint. The parts 72b and 343a are illustrated. The first joint and the second joint are not limited to these. That is, the first flow path (for example, the common flow paths 71a and 343b) and the second flow path (for example, the individual flow paths 72a and 343b) may be connected.

<About the connector shape>
In the first embodiment, the female connector 76 provided on one guide wall portion 72d and the female connector 76 provided on the other guide wall portion 72d have different shapes, and the male connector 76 is provided on the common flow path forming member 71 side. The shape of the connector 74 may be adapted to the corresponding female connector 76. In this way, the direction of the individual flow path forming member 72 can be determined based on the shape of the connectors 74 and 76. Therefore, it is possible to prevent in advance a problem that the mounting direction is wrong.

<About desorption direction>
In each embodiment mentioned above, the removal | desorption direction was the up-down direction, However, It is not restricted to an up-down direction. For example, it may be obliquely up and down. In short, it is only necessary that desorption is performed by relative movement in a predetermined direction.

<About fluid ejection device>
In the above-described embodiment, the fluid discharge device is embodied in the ink jet printer 1, but is not limited thereto, and is not limited to this. Other fluids other than ink (liquids, liquids in which particles of functional material are dispersed, gels) Such a flow body and a solid that can be discharged and discharged as a fluid) can be embodied in a fluid discharge device that discharges or jets.

  For example, a liquid material ejecting apparatus that discharges a liquid material in the form of dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, EL (electroluminescence) displays, and surface-emitting displays, and biochip manufacturing It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic substance used in the above, or a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette.

  In addition, a transparent resin liquid such as UV curable resin is used to form a liquid ejection device that ejects lubricating oil pinpoint to precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. For example, a liquid discharge device that discharges a liquid onto a substrate, a liquid discharge device that discharges an etching solution such as acid or alkali to etch the substrate, a fluid discharge device that discharges gel, and a powder such as toner It may be a powder discharge type recording apparatus that discharges a solid. The present invention can be applied to any one of these discharge devices.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer. It is a perspective view explaining a head unit and its peripheral part. It is a perspective view explaining a head etc. FIG. FIG. 4A is a perspective view illustrating a flow path forming member. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the flow path forming member. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a common flow path forming member and a head according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5B is a view of the head as viewed from the nozzle surface side in the second embodiment. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the common flow path forming member and the head are attached to the housing in the second embodiment. FIG. 6B is a perspective view illustrating a state where the common flow path forming member and the head are separated from each other in the second embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

1 printer, 30 head units, 32 heads,
321 nozzle array, 33 frames, 34 heads,
34A to 34E units, 341 nozzles, 342 nozzle rows,
343 Case part, 343a Introducing needle part, 343b Individual flow path,
343c guide wall, 35 female connector, 70 flow path forming member,
71 common flow path forming member, 71a common flow path,
71b common side joint, 71c cylindrical part, 71d packing,
71e valve body, 71f spring, 71g flow path for connection,
72 individual flow path forming member, 72a individual flow path, 72b introduction needle part,
72c Needle part forming surface, 72d guide wall part, 73 wiring board,
74 Male connector, 75 Wiring cable, 76 Female connector

Claims (9)

(A) a head for discharging fluid;
(B) a first flow path forming member that forms a first flow path for fluid discharged by the head,
(B1) a first joint for connecting the first flow path to another flow path;
(B2) a first connector for transmitting a signal for the head;
A first flow path forming member having
(C) a second flow path forming member that is disposed between the head and the first flow path forming member and forms a second flow path for the fluid,
(C1) a second joint that communicates with the first flow path by being connected to the first joint;
(C2) a second connector that transmits the head signal by being connected to the first connector;
(C3) The first connector and the second connector are attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment of the first joint and the second joint by relative movement in a predetermined direction with the first flow path forming member. A second flow path forming member to be performed;
A fluid discharge device having (D). The fluid ejection device according to claim 1,
The first flow path forming member is:
It is attached to the device body side,
The second flow path forming member is
A fluid ejection device that is attached to and detached from the first flow path forming member together with the head. The fluid ejection device according to claim 1 or 2,
The second connector is
A fluid ejection device that is positioned above a connection position of the first joint and the second joint in a state of being connected to the first connector. The fluid ejection device according to claim 3,
In the second flow path forming member,
The first connector and the second connector are attached and detached together with the attachment and detachment of the first joint and the second joint by the relative movement in the vertical direction with the first flow path forming member. Fluid ejection device. The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The head is
A short head provided with a plurality of nozzles so as to discharge fluid in a range narrower than the maximum width of the medium, wherein the plurality of nozzles are provided so as to be arranged at least over the entire width of the medium. A fluid ejection device, which is a short head. The fluid ejection device according to claim 5,
In the second flow path forming member,
A fluid ejection device to which the short head is attached. The fluid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The head is
A fluid ejection device, which is a long head provided with a plurality of nozzles so that fluid can be ejected in a range equal to or greater than the maximum width of the medium. The fluid ejection device according to claim 7,
The second flow path forming member is
A fluid ejection device provided integrally with the long head. The fluid ejection device according to claim 7 or 8,
The set of the first connector and the second connector is:
The fluid ejection device, which is provided at one end side in the short length direction at a certain portion in the long direction of the long head and provided at the other end side in the short length direction at the other portion.

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