JP2009051224A - Method of indicating remaining amount, and method of detecting remaining amount - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable prevention of an amount of ink from being erroneously detected by moving regularly every time, and to make mounting work easy by much mounting accuracy play. <P>SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 2 includes: a flexible ink bag 10 varying in thickness according to an ink amount; a chassis 11 housing the ink back; a plate 12 fixed on the surface of the ink bag, movable together with the ink bag, and having a pin 12a protruding toward the side face of the chassis; a reflector plate 13 reflecting a detecting light L entering from the outside of the chassis; a lever part 14 the base end side of which is rotatably attached on a side face of the chassis so as to slide on the side face; and a long hole shaped leading groove 14a leading the pin accompanying transfer of the plate and formed from the front end side to the base end side of the lever in a dimension as large as the tip of the pin is inserted, wherein the lever part is rotated by inserting the pin into the leading groove accompanying transfer of the plate so that a non-reflecting plate 14e prevents a detected light from reflecting when remaining ink goes out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge that is used in an ink jet recording apparatus that records images, characters, and the like on recording paper by ejecting ink droplets from nozzles, and a recording apparatus having the ink cartridge. In particular, the present invention relates to an ink remaining amount display method and a remaining amount detection method of an ink cartridge.

  Currently, many ink jet recording apparatuses (ink jet printers) are provided which record images, characters and the like by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording medium such as recording paper. This ink jet printer performs recording by supplying ink from an ink cartridge to a recording head via an ink supply tube, and ejecting ink droplets from the nozzles of the recording head onto recording paper.

  In general, an ink cartridge used for an ink jet printer contains an ink bag in which ink is sealed in advance in a casing. Since this ink bag has flexibility, it is deformed and changes its thickness in accordance with the remaining amount of ink. Then, the remaining amount of ink is estimated by measuring the thickness of the ink bag. This is because the remaining amount of ink cannot be directly measured.

  Various methods for measuring the thickness of the ink bag are provided. In general, a plate is attached to the upper surface of the ink bag, and a change in the thickness of the ink bag is detected as a displacement in the vertical direction of the plate. The method is known. According to this method, the remaining amount of ink can be measured by detecting the displacement of the plate. Therefore, by detecting that the plate has reached the position where the remaining amount of ink becomes “zero”, it can be detected that the ink has run out.

  However, in recent years, an aluminum bag or the like is used as a material for an ink bag in order to ensure airtightness, and an ink bag having a high rigidity has begun to be used. Therefore, the ink bag is difficult to be smoothly deformed following the remaining amount of ink. Therefore, it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of ink with high accuracy. In particular, as the remaining amount of ink decreases, the detection accuracy decreases significantly.

  Therefore, an ink cartridge is known that can detect the remaining amount of ink without being affected by the rigidity of the ink bag (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The ink cartridge is installed such that the ink bag is not horizontally placed but is turned sideways, that is, the plate fixed to the upper surface of the ink bag is oriented in the vertical direction. The plate is formed with a detection projection for operating an external detection device. The detection protrusion is formed so as to be positioned below the ink bag when the ink cartridge is installed, and protrudes to the outside from the window formed in the casing as the remaining amount of ink decreases. Yes. Further, the protruding detection protrusion reaches an ink end detector (detection device) provided outside the casing. The ink end detector detects that the ink has run out due to the arrival of the detection protrusion.

  In particular, since the ink bag is installed sideways, when the ink in the ink bag starts to be consumed, the remaining ink starts to accumulate in the lower part of the ink bag due to gravity. In the initial state, the plate is inclined obliquely. When the ink accumulated in the lower part of the ink bag further flows out due to further consumption of ink, the lower side of the ink bag starts to be crushed, so that the plate moves so as to rotate around the upper part of the ink bag. Thereby, the detection protrusion formed on the lower side of the ink bag moves toward the casing window and jumps out of the casing. When the detection protrusion reaches the ink end detector, the remaining amount of ink is detected.

As described above, by moving the ink remaining in the ink bag to the lower side of the ink bag and rotating the plate, the plate can be more accurately displaced according to the remaining amount of ink. Therefore, even if an ink bag having a slight rigidity is used, the remaining amount of ink can be detected without being affected by the rigidity. In particular, even when the remaining amount of ink is low, the remaining amount of ink can be detected with high accuracy.
Japanese Patent No. 3141894

  However, the conventional ink cartridge still has the following problems.

  In other words, the conventional ink cartridge is configured to detect the remaining amount of ink in response to the detection protrusion formed on the plate reaching the ink end detector, so that it can be accurately positioned at a predetermined position of the ink bag. It was necessary to fix the plate. If the fixing position is shifted from the fixed position, the detection protrusion does not jump out of the window, or the detection protrusion reaches the ink end detector first while the ink bag is deforming. May cause false detections.

  In particular, since this plate is bonded and fixed to the ink bag with a double-sided tape or the like, it is necessary to apply the plate while carefully and accurately positioning it, which is very time-consuming. Further, even if the attaching operation is performed with caution, there is a possibility that erroneous detection may occur because there is no play in the mounting accuracy.

  Further, since the detection protrusion is formed on the plate fixed to the ink bag, it moves three-dimensionally in accordance with the movement of the ink bag. In addition, the movement of the ink bag is not a regular movement every time, and it is expected that the ink bag will move differently depending on the installation status, usage frequency, and the like. For this reason, it has not been assured that the detection protrusions are accurately projected from the window each time in accordance with the remaining amount of ink to reach the ink end detector. In this respect as well, there is a possibility of erroneous detection.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to make regular movements every time to prevent erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink, and there is play in the mounting accuracy. It is an object to provide an ink cartridge remaining amount display method and remaining amount detection method capable of easily performing work.

  The present invention provides the following means in order to solve the above problems.

  As a first aspect, in the remaining amount display method of the ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which the ink is enclosed and the thickness changes according to the amount of the ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag, An ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag and has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, a lever through which the pin is inserted, and a base end rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing And an opening provided on a side surface of the housing, the lever portion moves in conjunction with the plate according to the ink amount, and the display plate according to the ink amount The remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is displayed depending on whether it is displayed from the opening or not.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for displaying a remaining amount of an ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which ink is enclosed and the thickness changes in accordance with the amount of ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag. The ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag, has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, the pin is inserted, and a base end is rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing. A lever portion provided with a non-reflective plate, a reflective plate that reflects light emitted from the outside of the housing, and an opening provided on a side surface of the housing, the ink amount The thickness of the ink bag changes according to the change, the pin moves in conjunction with the movement of the plate according to the change in the thickness of the ink bag, and the lever portion moves according to the movement of the pin. Along with this, the non-reflective plate is moved. When the non-reflecting plate moves, the reflecting plate is displayed from the opening when the ink is present in the ink bag, and when the ink is not present in the ink bag, the non-reflecting plate is displayed from the opening. It is displayed.

  Further, a guide member for preventing the lever portion from moving in the thickness direction and guiding the rotation operation of the lever portion is provided on the housing, and the lever portion slides on a side surface of the housing by the guide member. It can be characterized by rotating while.

  Alternatively, the lever portion has a sharp tip, and the lever portion slides on a side surface of the housing.

  Still further, a guide hole is provided in the distal end portion of the lever portion in parallel with the length direction of the lever portion, the pin is inserted into the guide hole, and the pin is attached to the plate according to the ink amount. By moving in the guide hole, the lever portion can be rotated around the base end side.

  As another aspect, in a method for detecting the remaining amount of an ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which ink is enclosed and the thickness changes according to the amount of ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag, The ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag, has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, the pin is inserted, and a proximal end is rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing. A non-reflective plate, a reflective plate that reflects light emitted from the outside of the housing, and an opening provided on a side surface of the housing, and the ink bag according to a change in the ink amount The thickness of the ink bag changes, the pin moves in conjunction with the plate according to the change in the thickness of the ink bag, the non-reflective plate moves according to the movement of the pin, the movement of the non-reflective plate, The ink is the ink bag When present, the non-reflective plate is displayed from the opening, and when the ink is not in the ink bag, the non-reflective plate is displayed from the opening, and is disposed outside the ink cartridge. The detection unit irradiates light to the reflection plate through the opening, and detects that the ink remains in the ink cartridge by receiving detection light when reflected by the reflection plate, When no light is reflected by the non-reflecting plate, the absence of the ink in the ink cartridge is detected by not receiving detection light.

  According to the remaining amount display method and the remaining amount detection method of the ink cartridge according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink by making a regular movement every time, and there is play in the mounting accuracy and the mounting work. Can be easily performed.

  In addition, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, since the ink cartridge in which erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink is prevented is provided, the ink cartridge can be replaced in a state where the ink is used without waste, and the running cost can be reduced. Can be suppressed. Therefore, it is easy for the user to use and is economical.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a recording apparatus and an ink cartridge according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink jet printer (recording apparatus) 1 according to the present embodiment directs a plurality of ink cartridges 2 each having ink of different colors and the detection light L to the reflection plate 13 of the ink cartridge 2. The detection unit 3 receives the detection light L reflected and reflected by the reflecting plate 13 and detects the remaining amount of the ink F based on the light reception result, and the recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording paper (recording medium) P. The recording head 4, the ink supply pipe 5 for supplying the ink F from the ink cartridge 2 to the recording head 4, the carriage 6 that houses the recording head 4 and slides on the recording paper P, and the recording paper P. A recording paper transport mechanism (recorded transport section) 7 for transporting and a base 8 on which these components are installed are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink cartridge 2 contains a flexible pouch (ink bag) 10 in which the ink F is enclosed in advance and the thickness changes according to the amount of ink, and the pouch 10 is accommodated. A case (housing) 11, a plate 12 fixed to the surface of the pouch 10 so as to be movable together with the pouch 10, and having pins 12 a protruding toward the side surface of the case 11, and a predetermined distance from the side surface of the case 11 A reflection plate 13 that is provided at a position separated from the inside and reflects the detection light L incident from the outside of the case 11, and is formed so as to extend in one direction from the base end side toward the tip end side, and the case A lever portion 14 having a non-reflective sheet (non-reflective plate) 14e on the side surface thereof, the base end side of which is rotatably attached to the side surface so as to slide on the side surface of 11 and which prevents reflection of the detection light L; 2a is formed to extend from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the lever portion 14 in such a size that the distal end of the lever portion 14 is inserted, and has an elongated hole-shaped guide groove 14a that guides the pin 12a as the plate 12 moves. Yes.

  In order to improve the gas barrier property, the pouch 10 is formed by stacking two aluminum foil films, for example, two aluminum laminate films sandwiched between a nylon film on the outside and a polyethylene film on the outside, and heat-sealing the periphery. It is configured by joining. At one end of the pouch 10, an ink outlet 10a for discharging the ink F sealed inside is joined by thermal welding or the like. The ink outlet 10a is formed in a pipe shape from plastic or the like, and a plurality of fixing grooves for attachment to the case 11 are formed on the outer peripheral surface.

  The pouch 10 configured in this manner is fixed to the bottom surface 11a by bonding or the like with the back surface 10b facing the bottom surface 11a side of the case 11. At this time, the fixing groove of the ink outlet 10 a is securely fixed in a state where the fixing groove is fitted in the fitting groove 11 b provided in the case 11.

  The plate 12 is formed in a T-shape when viewed from above with plastic or the like, and is fixed to a substantially intermediate position on the surface side of the pouch 10 by adhesion or the like. The pin 12 a is formed integrally with the plate 12, and has a length at which the tip reaches the vicinity of the side surface of the case 11.

  The case 11 is formed of a case body 15 and a cover portion 16 which are formed in a box shape of plastic or the like and are detachable from each other by a fastening member such as a screw. That is, the fitting groove 11b is provided on the bottom surface 11a of the case body 15 so that the pouch 10 is fixed. The case body 15 is formed with an insertion port 11c for inserting a supply needle 25 described later into the ink extraction port 10a at a position facing the ink extraction port 10a of the pouch 10.

  The case 11 can be detachably mounted in the holder 20 shown in FIG. 2 with the pouch 10 accommodated therein. At this time, the case 11 is mounted in the holder 20 fixed to the base 8 with the side to which the lever portion 14 is attached facing down. That is, in this embodiment, the case 11 is installed sideways so that the plate 12 faces the vertical direction.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the reflection plate 13 is formed on the bottom surface 11 a of the case main body 15, and a reflection sheet (not shown) is attached to a surface facing the side surface of the case main body 15. . An opening 11d is formed on the side surface of the case body 15 facing the reflecting plate 13, and the detection light L is incident from the outside through the opening 11d. As shown in FIG. 2, the detection unit 3 is provided below the holder 20, and when the case 11 is mounted in the holder 20, the detection unit 3 is directed from below the holder 20 toward the reflection plate 13 through the opening 11 d. The detection light L is emitted. Similarly, the detection light L reflected by the reflection plate 13 enters the detection unit 3 again through the opening 11d.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lever portion 14 is formed in a flat plate shape extending in one direction, and a protruding portion 14 b is formed on the side surface on the base end side. The projecting portion 14 b includes a cylindrical shaft portion 14 c and a flat plate portion 14 d extending in the same direction as the lever portion 14. Note that the length of the shaft portion 14 c is slightly longer than the thickness of the case body 15, and the center of the shaft portion 14 c is the rotation center of the lever portion 14. And the guide groove 14a mentioned above is formed in the front-end | tip of the lever part 14. As shown in FIG. Further, the above-described non-reflective sheet 14 e is attached to the lever portion 14 on the surface facing the side surface of the case body 15.

  On the other hand, a through hole 11e is formed on the side surface of the case body 15 in the vicinity of the opening 11d to allow the protrusion 14b to pass therethrough. At this time, the through hole 11e is formed so that the flat plate portion 14d passes in a state in which the flat plate portion 14d faces the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the case main body 15. That is, when attaching the lever part 14 to the case main body 15, the protrusion part 14b can be inserted in the through-hole 11e in the state standing upright. Further, after the insertion, the lever portion 14 is rotated so that the flat plate portion 14d comes into contact with the outer surface of the case body 15, so that the lever portion 14 does not fall off. On the contrary, when removing, the lever portion 14 is rotated to stand vertically, so that the protruding portion 14b can be pulled out from the through hole 11e and removed.

  In this way, the lever portion 14 can be attached to and detached from the case main body 15 by utilizing the fitting direction of the protruding portion 14b and the through hole 11e.

  The lever portion 14 attached to the side surface of the case main body 15 is in a state where the pin 12a is inserted into the guide groove 14a and mechanically combined with the plate 12.

  Further, an L angle (guide member) 21 is provided on the bottom surface 11 a of the case main body 15 so as to be in surface contact with the side surface on the distal end side of the lever portion 14 and guide the rotation operation of the lever portion 14.

  When the thus configured ink cartridge 2 is mounted in the holder 20 as shown in FIG. 2, the supply needle 25 provided in the holder 20 penetrates the ink outlet 10a through the insertion port 11c, It reaches the inside of the ink F bag. The supply needle 25 is connected to the ink supply pipe 5 through a filter 26 that filters fine foreign matters in the ink F. The ink supply tube 5 is formed of a flexible tube and is adjusted to a length that does not affect the recording head 4 that slides together with the carriage unit 6.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the carriage unit 6 is connected to a conveyance belt 28 wound around a pair of pulleys 27. The pair of pulleys 27 are rotated by receiving a rotational driving force from a motor (not shown). The base 8 is provided with a guide rail 29 that guides the slide movement of the carriage unit 6. The guide rail 29 and the conveyance belt 28 are provided on the base 8 so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the recording paper P is conveyed. Accordingly, the carriage unit 6 slides in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper P.

  The recording head 4, the carriage unit 6, the conveyance belt 28, the pair of pulleys 27, the drive motor, and the guide rail 29 described above constitute a print recording mechanism 30 that prints and records characters, figures, and the like on the recording paper P. ing.

  The recording paper transport mechanism 7 includes a transport roller 31 that transports the recording paper P, a platen 32 that supports the recording paper P, and a pressing member 33 that presses the recording paper P against the transport roller 31. The platen 32 is provided on the base 8 so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the recording paper P is conveyed, similarly to the moving direction of the carriage unit 6.

  Next, a case where characters, figures, and the like are recorded on the recording paper P using the inkjet printer 1 configured as described above will be described below.

  It is assumed that the ink cartridge 2 is set to an unused cartridge in which the ink F is completely clogged in the pouch 10. That is, in the initial state, the pouch 10 is swelled most, so that the plate 12 is farthest from the bottom surface 11a of the case body 15 as shown in FIGS. Further, the lever portion 14 is stably supported by the pin 12a through the guide groove 14a in a state in which the distal end is farthest from the bottom surface 11a of the case body 15. Further, the detection light L emitted from the lower part of the case body 15 by the detection unit 3 strikes the reflection plate 13 through the opening 11d formed on the side surface of the case body 15 and is reflected. The detection unit 3 receives the reflected detection light L and determines that the ink F in the pouch 10 still remains.

  Next, when the ink jet printer 1 is operated, the ink F in the pouch 10 passes through the filter 26 and is supplied to the recording head 4 by the ink supply pipe 5. At the same time, the carriage unit 6 that accommodates the recording head 4 by the conveyance belt 28 slides in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording paper P while being guided by the guide rail 29. The recording head 4 records characters, figures, and the like by ejecting ink droplets from the supplied ink F onto the recording paper P while the carriage unit 6 slides. Simultaneously with this recording, the recording paper transport mechanism 7 transports the recording paper P little by little.

  As a result, various types of information can be appropriately recorded at predetermined positions on the recording paper P.

  When such recording is performed and the ink F in the pouch 10 is started to be consumed, the pouch 10 is gradually deformed according to the amount of ink remaining inside, and the thickness starts to change. For this reason, the plate 12 and the pin 12 a fixed to the surface of the pouch 10 also gradually start moving toward the bottom surface 11 a of the case body 15. Then, the lever portion 14 is pulled by the pin 12a inserted through the guide groove 14a and starts rotating around the shaft portion 14c on the proximal end side. That is, the distal end side of the lever portion 14 gradually rotates toward the bottom surface 11 a of the case main body 15. At this time, the lever portion 14 is in a state of sliding while sliding on the side surface of the case body 15. Further, while the pin 12a moves toward the bottom surface 11a of the case body 15, the lever portion 14 rotates around the base end side, so that the pin 12a is guided by the guide groove 14a and the tip of the lever portion 14 is moved. It moves to the base end side from the side. Therefore, the lever portion 14 rotates while smoothly following the movement of the pin 12a.

  When the ink F is further consumed and the ink F in the pouch 10 is exhausted, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pouch 10 is most deflated, so the plate 12 and the pin 12a are also in the case. The main body 15 is closest to the bottom surface 11a. Therefore, similarly, the lever portion 14 stops rotating with the tip end side closest to the bottom surface 11a of the case body 15. That is, the lever portion 14 is in a state along the bottom surface 11 a of the case body 15.

  At this time, the non-reflective sheet 14 e of the lever portion 14 provided so as to face the side surface side of the case main body 15 is located between the side surface of the case main body 15 and the reflection plate 13, and And the reflection of the detection light L is prevented. Therefore, the detection unit 3 cannot detect the reflected light, and can detect that the ink F in the pouch 10 has run out (ink end).

  In particular, in the ink cartridge 2 of the present embodiment, the displacement of the pouch 10 is rotated by the lever portion 14 that slides on the side surface of the case body 15 via the plate 12 and the pin 12 a, that is, the straight line in the thickness direction of the pouch 10. Can be changed to move. Therefore, even if the pouch 10 moves irregularly three-dimensionally, the lever portion 14 itself always slides while sliding on the side surface. Therefore, the lever part 14 can be moved regularly every time, and the non-reflective sheet 14e can be reliably moved between the side surface and the reflecting plate 13. In other words, since the lever portion 14 simply slides on the side surface, the non-reflective sheet 14e can be reliably positioned without the possibility of coming into contact with the reflecting plate 13 and the reflection of the detection light L can be prevented. Therefore, erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink F can be prevented. Further, the fact that the distance between the lever part 14 and the detection part 3 is always unchanged also leads to prevention of erroneous detection.

  Further, unlike the conventional one in which the projections are directly formed on the plate 12, the plate 12 and the lever portion 14 are mechanically combined by fitting the pin 12a and the guide groove 14a. A slight fitting error (play) can be provided between the groove 14a. Therefore, even when the mounting position is slightly shifted when the plate 12 is fixed to the pouch 10, the positional shift can be corrected (absorbing the mounting error) by the fitting error between the pin 12a and the guide groove 14a. it can. Therefore, it is easier to carry out the mounting work than in the prior art, and no effort is required.

  Further, since the case body 15 is provided with the L angle 21, the lever portion 14 slides on the side surface of the case body 15 in a more stable state. Therefore, erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink F can be prevented more reliably.

  Furthermore, since the lever part 14 can be attached or detached from the case main body 15, only the lever part 14 can be replaced | exchanged according to a use frequency, aged deterioration, etc. For this reason, when a product other than the pouch 10 is regenerated and used, the running cost can be suppressed, and erroneous detection can be prevented over a long period of time with the minimum necessary replacement parts.

  As described above, according to the ink cartridge 2 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the erroneous detection of the remaining amount of the ink F by making a regular movement every time, and there is play in the mounting accuracy, and the mounting work is easily performed. be able to.

  In addition, in the ink jet printer 1 having the ink cartridge 2 having such advantages, it can be accurately detected that the ink F has run out. Therefore, the ink cartridge 2 can be replaced while using the ink F without waste, and the running cost can be reduced. Therefore, it is easy to use by a user and is economical.

  The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the ink cartridge is set sideways so that the plate faces the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the plate may be set horizontally such that the plate faces the horizontal direction. Even in this case, the same effect can be obtained.

  Another aspect of the present invention will be described. The ink cartridge of the present invention is fixed to the surface of the ink bag, the flexible ink bag in which the ink is sealed in advance and the thickness changes according to the amount of ink, the housing for housing the ink bag, and the ink bag. And a plate having a pin that protrudes toward the side surface of the housing and a position spaced inward by a predetermined distance from the side surface of the housing, and is incident from the outside of the housing. And a reflection plate that reflects the detected light, and is formed so as to extend in one direction from the proximal end side to the distal end side, and the proximal end side is rotatable to the side surface so as to slide on the side surface of the housing. A lever part that is attached and has a non-reflective plate that prevents reflection of the detection light on the side surface side, and is formed from the distal end side of the lever part to the proximal end side in a size that allows the distal end of the pin to be inserted, As the plate moves When the plate is moved by insertion of the pin and the guide groove, the lever portion rotates when the ink runs out. The non-reflective plate is positioned between a side surface and the reflective plate to prevent reflection of the detection light.

  In the ink cartridge according to the present invention, first, an ink bag having a plate fixed to the surface is accommodated in the housing. At this time, the ink bag is accommodated with the back side facing the bottom side of the housing. Further, the tip of the pin included in the plate is inserted into a guide groove of a lever portion that is rotatably provided on a side surface of the housing. That is, the plate and the lever portion are mechanically combined by fitting the pin and the guide groove.

  Here, when the ink bag is completely clogged with ink, the ink bag is most swelled, so that the plate is farthest from the bottom surface of the housing. Further, the lever portion is stably supported by the pin through the guide groove in a state where the distal end side is the most spaced from the bottom surface of the housing. Further, the detection light incident from the outside of the casing is reflected by being reflected by a reflection plate provided at a position spaced a predetermined distance inward from the side surface. Then, by detecting this reflected light, it is determined that ink still remains in the ink bag.

  Next, when the ink starts to be consumed from the state described above, the ink bag is gradually deformed according to the amount of ink remaining inside, and the thickness starts to change. Therefore, the plate and the pin fixed to the surface of the ink bag also start to move gradually toward the bottom surface of the housing. Then, the lever portion is pulled by the pin inserted through the guide groove and starts to rotate around the base end side. That is, the tip end side of the lever portion gradually rotates toward the bottom surface of the housing. At this time, the lever portion is slid and moved on the side surface of the housing. Furthermore, while the pin moves toward the bottom surface of the housing, the lever portion rotates around the base end side, so that the pin is directed from the tip end side to the base end side while being guided by the guide groove. To move. Therefore, the lever portion rotates while smoothly following the movement of the pin.

  When the ink is further consumed and the ink in the ink bag is exhausted, the ink bag is most deflated, so that the plate and the pin are closest to the bottom surface of the housing. Accordingly, the lever portion similarly stops rotating with the tip side closest to the bottom surface. At this time, the non-reflective plate of the lever portion provided so as to face the side surface side of the housing is positioned between the side surface of the housing and the reflective plate, thereby blocking detection light from entering the reflective plate. In addition, reflection of detection light is prevented. Therefore, the reflected light cannot be detected, and it can be detected that the ink in the ink bag has run out.

  In particular, the displacement of the ink bag can be changed to a rotation operation of the lever portion that slides on the side surface of the housing via the plate and the pin, that is, linear movement in the thickness direction of the ink bag. Therefore, even if the ink bag moves irregularly three-dimensionally, the lever portion itself always slides and slides on the side surface. Therefore, the lever portion can be moved regularly every time, and the non-reflective plate can be reliably moved between the side surface and the reflective plate. That is, since the lever portion simply slides on the side surface, the non-reflective plate can be surely positioned without any fear of coming into contact with the reflective plate to prevent detection light from being reflected. Therefore, erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink can be prevented.

  Further, unlike the conventional one in which the detection protrusion is directly formed on the plate, the plate and the lever portion are mechanically combined by fitting the pin and the guide groove, so that there is a slight gap between the pin and the guide groove. A fitting error (play) can be provided. Therefore, even if the mounting position is slightly shifted when the plate is fixed to the ink bag, the positional shift can be corrected (absorbing the mounting position error) by the fitting error between the pin and the guide groove. Therefore, it is easier to perform the mounting operation than in the prior art, and it does not take time and effort.

  As described above, according to the ink cartridge of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink by making a regular movement every time, and there is play in the mounting accuracy, and the mounting work can be easily performed. it can.

  The ink cartridge of the present invention is characterized in that, in the ink cartridge of the present invention, the housing is provided with a guide member for guiding the rotation operation of the lever portion.

  In the ink cartridge according to the present invention, since the casing is provided with the guide member, the lever portion rotates in a more stable state and slides on the side surface of the casing. Therefore, erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink can be prevented more reliably.

  The ink cartridge of the present invention is characterized in that, in the ink cartridge of the present invention, the lever portion is detachably attached to the housing.

  In the ink cartridge according to the present invention, since the lever portion can be attached and detached, only the lever portion can be exchanged in accordance with the frequency of use or aging. For this reason, when the one other than the ink bag is regenerated and used continuously, the running cost can be suppressed, and erroneous detection can be prevented over a long period of time by replacing the necessary minimum parts.

  Further, the recording apparatus of the present invention receives any of the ink cartridges of the present invention described above, the detection light radiated toward the reflection plate, and the detection light reflected by the reflection plate. A detection unit that detects a remaining amount of ink, a recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink droplets onto a recording medium, an ink supply pipe that supplies the ink from the ink cartridge to the recording head, and the recording head A carriage unit that accommodates and slides on the recording medium and a recording conveyance unit that conveys the recording medium are provided.

  In the recording apparatus according to the present invention, the ink sealed in the ink bag of the ink cartridge is appropriately supplied from the ink supply pipe to the recording head. The recording head performs recording by ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium while being slid by the carriage unit on the recording medium such as recording paper conveyed by the recording conveyance unit. Thereby, various characters, figures, and the like can be appropriately recorded on the recording medium.

  The detection unit detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink bag by receiving detection light reflected by the reflected light in the ink cartridge. That is, when the detection light reflected by the reflecting plate is received, it is determined that ink remains. Here, when the non-reflective plate provided on the lever portion of the ink cartridge prevents the detection light from being reflected, the detection unit determines that the ink is exhausted in the ink bag.

  In particular, since the ink cartridge in which erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink is prevented is provided, it is possible to accurately detect that ink has run out. Therefore, the ink cartridge can be replaced while using ink without waste, and the running cost can be suppressed. Therefore, it is easy for the user to use and is economical.

1 is a perspective view of an ink jet printer according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the attachment state of the ink cartridge which comprises the inkjet printer shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. It is a top view at the time of attaching the pouch shown in FIG. 3 to the case main body. It is a side view at the time of attaching an unused pouch to a case body. It is sectional drawing of the pouch and plate in the state shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state where ink is consumed from the state shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the pouch and plate in the state shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

F ink L detection light
P Recording paper (recording medium)
1 Inkjet printer (recording device)
2 Ink cartridge 3 Detection unit 4 Recording head 5 Ink supply tube 6 Carriage unit 7 Recording paper conveyance mechanism (recording conveyance unit)
10 Pouch (ink bag)
11 Case (housing)
12 Plate 12a Pin 13 Reflector 14 Lever 14e Non-reflective sheet (Non-reflective plate)
14a Guide groove 21 L angle (guide member)

Claims (6)

In a method for displaying the remaining amount of an ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which ink is enclosed and the thickness changes according to the amount of ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag,
The ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag, has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, the pin is inserted, and a proximal end is rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing. A lever portion and an opening provided on a side surface of the housing;
The lever portion moves in conjunction with the plate according to the ink amount,
A remaining amount display method for displaying an ink remaining amount of an ink cartridge depending on whether the display plate is displayed from the opening or not according to the ink amount. In a method for displaying the remaining amount of an ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which ink is enclosed and the thickness changes according to the amount of ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag,
The ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag, has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, the pin is inserted, and a base end is rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing. A lever portion provided with a non-reflective plate, a reflective plate that reflects light emitted from the outside of the housing, and an opening provided on a side surface of the housing;
The thickness of the ink bag changes according to the change in the ink amount, the pin moves in conjunction with the movement of the plate according to the change in the thickness of the ink bag, and the lever according to the movement of the pin The non-reflective plate moves as the part moves, and when the ink is present in the ink bag due to the movement of the non-reflective plate, the reflective plate is displayed from the opening, and the ink is put in the ink bag. A remaining amount display method in which the non-reflective plate is displayed from the opening when there is no opening.   A guide member that prevents the lever portion from moving in the thickness direction and guides the rotation operation of the lever portion is provided in the housing, and the lever portion rotates while sliding the side surface of the housing by the guide member. The remaining amount display method according to claim 2, which moves.   The remaining amount display method according to claim 2, wherein a tip of the lever portion has an acute angle, and the lever portion slides on a side surface of the housing.   A guide hole is provided at the tip of the lever portion in parallel with the length direction of the lever portion, the pin is inserted into the guide hole, and the pin is attached to the guide hole along with the plate according to the amount of ink. The remaining amount display method according to claim 2, wherein the lever portion pivots about a base end side by moving inward. In a method for detecting a remaining amount of an ink cartridge having a flexible ink bag in which ink is enclosed and whose thickness changes according to the amount of ink, and a housing that houses the ink bag,
The ink cartridge is fixed to the ink bag, has a plate having a pin protruding toward the side surface of the housing, the pin is inserted, and a proximal end is rotatably attached to the side surface of the housing. A non-reflective plate, a reflective plate that reflects light emitted from the outside of the housing, and an opening provided on a side surface of the housing, and the ink bag according to a change in the ink amount The thickness of the ink bag changes, the pin moves in conjunction with the plate according to the change in the thickness of the ink bag, the non-reflective plate moves according to the movement of the pin, the movement of the non-reflective plate, When the ink is in the ink bag, the non-reflective plate is displayed from the opening, and when the ink is not in the ink bag, the ink cartridge is displayed from the opening.
The detection unit disposed outside the ink cartridge irradiates the reflection plate with light through the opening, and when reflected by the reflection plate, receives the detection light to leave the ink in the ink cartridge. A remaining amount detecting method for detecting that the ink cartridge is out of ink by not detecting detection light when light is not reflected by the non-reflecting plate.

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