JP2010082994A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce environmental load and to improve operability in attachment/detachment while preventing an increase in the manufacturing cost of an ink cartridge attached to and detached from a printer. <P>SOLUTION: The ink cartridge has a liquid storage container 220 filled with ink; an outer body 240 of box shape into which the liquid storage container 220 is inserted; an engaging surface 210 arranged at one end of the outer body of box shape in the state of the liquid storage container 220 being inserted in the outer body 240; an ink supply port 230 turned on the same axis as an inserting direction D1 of the liquid storage container 220 into the outer body and engaged with the printer side in the engaging surface 210; and a fitting part 212 forming a part of the engaging surface 210 and fitted to be gripped by a grip means provided on the printer side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge that can be attached to and detached from a printing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet printers use an ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus that contains an ink container having an ink lead-out part and an ink containing part in order to supply ink to an ink head.

  There is a demand for this ink cartridge to be easily detachable from the ink jet recording apparatus, to be resistant to drops during transportation and handling, vibration during transportation, and to be manufactured at low cost. As a technology that responds to this, a technique having an inner bag made of a multilayer thermoplastic film material filled with ink and an outer box such as cardboard for storing the inner bag has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

According to such a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, an ink cartridge can be manufactured at low cost while maintaining resistance during handling such as attachment and detachment and transportation by using corrugated cardboard as the outer box. By using a film material for the inside, it is possible to ensure ink filling and facilitate transportation and handling.
JP 2006-069051 A

  However, in the ink cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1, the ink supply unit coupled to the ink jet recording apparatus side is on the bottom surface side of the outer box, and the user can operate in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the joint portion that cannot be visually recognized at the time of mounting. The cartridge must be attached while applying pressure to the ink supply, and an excessive stress may be applied to the ink supply unit due to an erroneous operation, which may cause the supply port to bend or break.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and an ink cartridge capable of reducing environmental burden and improving operability during attachment / detachment while preventing an increase in manufacturing cost in a printing apparatus. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ink cartridge that is detachable from a printing apparatus, a liquid storage container in which ink is enclosed, a box-shaped exterior body in which the liquid storage container is inserted, With the liquid storage container inserted into the exterior body, the engagement surface disposed at one end of the box-shaped exterior body, and the engagement surface are oriented on the same axis as the insertion direction of the liquid storage container with respect to the exterior body. And a supply port that is engaged with the printing apparatus side, and a fitting portion that forms a part of the engagement surface and is fitted so as to be gripped by gripping means provided on the printing apparatus side.

  According to the present invention, in the ink cartridge that is detachable in the horizontal direction, the supply port on the engagement surface of the exterior body is directed on the same axis as the insertion direction of the liquid storage container with respect to the exterior body. Since the engaging surface including the mouth is gripped by the printing apparatus side, when the operator pulls or presses and presses and removes, the stress applied to the exterior body and the supply port does not act, and the ink cartridge smoothly It can be attached and detached, and the operability during attachment and detachment can be improved.

  In the above invention, the engagement surface is made of a hard material containing either resin or metal, and the exterior body is made of a material softer than the engagement surface containing either paper or wood. Is preferred. In this case, since the engaging surface is formed of a hard material, durability against stress at the time of attaching / detaching operation is improved, dimensional accuracy with respect to the printing apparatus can be secured, and operability at the time of attaching / detaching is facilitated. Further, since the exterior body is formed of a soft material, the resin material can be reduced, and the environmental burden can be reduced.

  In the above invention, the engagement surface is preferably a contact surface that comes into contact with the printing apparatus. In this case, the engagement surface is a contact surface with respect to the printing apparatus side, so that the dimensional accuracy and strength of the engagement portion can be ensured.

  In the above invention, it is preferable that a communication tag for performing non-contact communication with a receiver provided on the printing apparatus side is attached to the abutting surface. In this case, since the abutting surface comes into contact with the printing apparatus side when the ink cartridge is mounted, the communication tag can reliably contact the receiver, and the information of the communication tag can be read.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in an ink cartridge that can be attached to and detached from a printing apparatus, it is possible to reduce the environmental load and improve the operability during attachment and detachment while preventing an increase in manufacturing cost.

(Overall configuration of printing device)
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a printing paper conveyance path of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of ink heads on which a large number of nozzles are formed, discharges black or color ink from each of the ink heads, performs printing in units of lines, and prints on the printing paper on the conveyance belt. An ink jet line color printer that forms a plurality of images so as to overlap each other will be described as an example.

  In the present embodiment, the ink head includes four ink heads arranged side by side along the paper conveyance direction, and forms a color image by overlapping a plurality of images. The printing apparatus 100 includes an arithmetic processing unit 330. The arithmetic processing unit 330 also performs control related to ink supply from the ink cartridge in addition to the above-described print processing by the ink head, drive control of the transport mechanism, and the like. Do.

  The arithmetic processing unit 330 is configured by a processor such as a CPU or DSP (Digital Signal Processor), memory, hardware such as other electronic circuits, software such as a program having the function, or a combination thereof. Various functional modules are virtually constructed by appropriately reading and executing a program, and various functional modules for processing related to image data, operation control of each unit, and user operations are constructed by each constructed functional module. Process. In addition, an operation panel 340 is connected to the arithmetic processing unit 330, and an instruction and a setting operation by a user can be received through the operation panel 340.

  The printing apparatus 100 is provided with a cartridge mounting mechanism 30 for mounting the ink cartridge 200 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1. A plurality (four in this case) of the ink cartridges 200 of the respective colors are arranged with respect to the cartridge mounting mechanism. Loaded. The cartridge mounting mechanism 30 is provided with a holder portion, which is an ink cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism, oriented in the horizontal direction. An upper surface device 350 is disposed so as to cover the upper part of the cartridge mounting mechanism 30, and the ink cartridge 200 is loaded by inserting it horizontally between the lower surface of the upper surface device 350 and the upper surface of the printing apparatus main body 1. Done. The upper surface device 350 is provided with, for example, a sheet feeder and an operation panel.

(Overall configuration of ink cartridge)
FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of the ink cartridge 200, and FIG. 2B is a front view of the engagement surface. 3A is a side sectional view of the ink cartridge 200, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged sectional view showing the engaging surface portion of FIG. 3 shows a state in which the engagement surface 210 is attached to the exterior body 240, but the internal liquid storage container is omitted.

  The ink cartridge 200 is an elongated casing that is attached to and detached from the printing apparatus 100 in the horizontal direction (attachment / detachment operation direction D2), and includes a liquid storage container 220 that encloses ink, and an outside in which the liquid storage container 220 is inserted. It is comprised roughly from the exterior body 240 which is a box.

  The exterior body 240 is a cylindrical body having a rectangular inner surface in cross section, and in the present embodiment, a lateral side parallel to a horizontal plane including the attaching / detaching operation direction of the ink cartridge 200 and a vertical side perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The ratio is about 2 to 1. In other words, the ratio of the width w to the height h of the ink cartridge 200 when the engagement surface 210 on the printing apparatus 100 side is the front when the attachment operation is performed in the attachment / detachment operation direction as shown in FIG. Is about 2 to 1.

  Further, an engagement surface 210 that is engaged with the cartridge mounting mechanism 30 on the printing apparatus 100 side is fitted into the end surface of the exterior body 240 on the printing apparatus 100 side. The engagement surface 210 is formed of a hard material such as resin or metal, and is a contact surface that comes into contact with the cartridge mounting mechanism 30 of the printing apparatus 100.

  An ink supply port 230 is disposed at the center of the engagement surface 210, and the left and right surfaces of the supply port become the abutting surfaces 210a and 210a. The abutting surfaces 210a and 210a are members integrally formed of resin or metal, and are fitted into the end of the box-shaped exterior body 240, and are fixed to the exterior body 240 with a paper label 210b having an adhesive surface. ing.

  A fitting portion 212 is formed above and below the center portion of the engaging surface 210 so as to be fitted by gripping means provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. Triangular convex portions are arranged in the fitting portion 212 and are fitted to gripping means provided on the holder portion 310 on the apparatus main body 1 side. This gripping means has a mechanism for gripping a pair of upper and lower concave portions by elastic force, and the convex portion of the fitting portion 212 is pushed between the concave portions of the gripping means between the gripping means. The fitting portion 212 is fitted with a click feeling.

  In addition, a pair of shielding projections 211 protrude from the top of the engagement surface 210. The shielding convex portion 211 is provided on only one surface so as not to make a mistake in the vertical direction when the cartridge is attached. Further, when the shielding convex portion 211 is fitted to the printing apparatus 100, it is detected by an attachment detection sensor provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. Specifically, the attachment detection sensor is a light receiving sensor, and detects the presence of the shielding object by blocking light reception. The shield convex portion 211 is approached to the light receiving sensor at the time of attachment, and the attachment is detected by blocking light reception.

  Furthermore, a communication tag 250 is attached to the engagement surface 210 to perform non-contact communication with a non-contact communication interface (I / F) 430 provided on the printing apparatus 100 side. The communication tag 250 generates internal power using radio waves received from the non-contact communication (I / F) 430, reads and writes data to and from the memory using the power, and transmits and receives data through the antenna. In this embodiment, in this embodiment, the ink color of the cartridge, the type of water / oil property, the number of times of attachment / detachment, and the like are stored, and when the attachment is detected by the cartridge attachment mechanism 30, communication with the non-contact communication interface is started. Then, the data stored in the device is transmitted.

  In the engagement surface 210, the ink supply port 230 is directed in the opposite direction on the same axis as the insertion direction D1 of the liquid container 220 with respect to the exterior body 240, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. The ink outflow direction D3 from the ink supply port 230 is opposite to the insertion direction D1. The ink supply port 230 has a supply port side joint portion 232 that is fitted to the holder portion 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side. The inside of the supply port side joint portion 232 has a hollow cylindrical shape. In the cylinder, an inner plug 231 for sealing the ink supply port 230 is attached so as to be movable forward and backward. The inner plug 231 is pressed outward by the pressure from the inside of the liquid storage container 220, and the ink supply port 230 is sealed by pressing the enlarged diameter portion of the tip toward the inside of the supply port opening. Yes.

  The holder portion 310 to which the ink supply port 230 is engaged is inserted into the engaged supply port side joint portion 232 and the insertion shaft 312 for pushing the inner plug 231 into the supply port side joint portion 232 protrudes. An outflow path 233 communicating with the ink path 311 is opened by pushing the inner plug 231 by the insertion shaft 312. As a result, the ink in the liquid storage container 220 flows out in the ink outflow direction D3.

  The tip of the supply port side joint portion 232 of the ink supply port 230 is located in the same plane as the abutting surface 210 a of the engagement surface 210. That is, the supply port side joint portion 232 is embedded in the engagement surface 210 and is flush with the abutting surface 210a. An annular groove 232a is formed at the periphery of the opening of the supply port side joint 232, and the outer edge 313a of the holder side joint is fitted into the groove 232a (see FIG. 11).

  According to such an ink cartridge 200 according to this embodiment, the ink supply port 230 on the engagement surface 210 of the exterior body 240 is in the opposite direction on the same axis as the insertion direction D1 of the liquid storage container 220 with respect to the exterior body 240. When the operator pulls or presses the engagement surface 210 including the ink supply port 230 toward the printing apparatus 100 side in the horizontal direction (detachment operation direction D2), the exterior body 240 and Unbiased stress does not act on the ink supply port 230, the ink cartridge 200 can be attached and detached smoothly, and the operability during attachment and detachment can be improved. Further, the holding part 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side is fitted so as to grip the fitting part 212 of the ink cartridge, whereby the holding force of the ink cartridge 200 to the printing apparatus 100 is improved.

  In particular, the engagement surface 210 is an abutting surface that comes into contact with the printing apparatus 100 side, and is formed of a hard material containing either resin or metal, so that it is durable against stress during attachment and detachment operations. Is improved, dimensional accuracy with respect to the holder portion 310 can be ensured, and operability during attachment and detachment becomes easy. At this time, the distal end of the supply port side joint portion 232 is embedded in the engaging surface 210, and the opening surface thereof is positioned in the same plane as the abutting surface 210a. Therefore, unnecessary protrusions are formed on the surface of the engaging surface 210. Therefore, when the cartridge 200 is attached and detached, it is possible to avoid unnecessary stress from being concentrated on the engaging portion.

  Moreover, since the exterior body 240 is formed of a material softer than the engagement surface 210 including either paper or wood, the resin material can be reduced, and the environmental burden is reduced. Furthermore, since the engagement surface 210 and the exterior body 240 are formed so as to be fixed by the label 210b, it is excellent in assembling and disassembling, and workability can be improved.

  Further, since the communication surface 250 that performs non-contact communication with the receiver provided on the printing apparatus 100 side is affixed to the engagement surface 210, the communication tag 250 is surely in contact with the receiver of the printing apparatus 100. The information of the communication tag 250 can be read.

(Exterior body)
The exterior body 240 is formed of a material softer than the engagement surface 210, such as paper or wood material, and can be cut out and bent. In the present embodiment, a recess 204 formed on the surface of the exterior body 240 is formed on the lower surface of the exterior body 240 opposite to the engagement surface 210, and serves as a handle when the ink cartridge 200 is pulled out. In this embodiment, the recess 204 is a hole that penetrates the surface of the exterior body 240 and communicates with the interior hollow. The hole cuts a part of the member surface of the exterior body 240, and this portion is formed on the inner surface. And is bent toward the end side.

  In addition, a partition member 202 that secures the shape of the internal space 201 between the inner surface of the exterior body 240 and the pointed outer surface at the end of the liquid storage container 220 is disposed at the inner end of the exterior body 240. The space secured by the partition member 202 has a triangular side cross section, and is located in the exterior body 240 corresponding to the back surface of the recess 204. The portion bent by the recess 204 is bent toward the terminal side of the exterior body 240 so as to be positioned in the internal space 201 secured by the partition member 202.

  The ink cartridge 200 described above is assembled by storing the liquid storage container 220 in which the ink is sealed in the box-shaped exterior body 240. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for assembling the exterior body 240 of the ink cartridge. FIG. 5A is a development view of the exterior body 240, and FIG. 5B is a development view of the partition member 202.

  In the present embodiment, the exterior body 240 is opened on the engagement surface 210 side by bending a single sheet member, which is a developed view as shown in FIG. A bottomed tubular body closed by the lids 240a and 201b is assembled.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a cutout is formed in the lower surface of the exterior body 240 to form a recess 204 for extraction, and the recess 204 is a hole that penetrates the surface of the exterior body 240. 204 is formed by bending the cut portion toward the inner surface side and the terminal side on the member surface of the exterior body. The partition member 202 is formed in a wedge shape having a triangular cross section by bending a sheet member as shown in FIG. 4A, the lids 240a and 201b opposite to the engagement surface 210 are opened, and the partition member 202 is disposed at the end of the exterior body 240 from the opened end side opening. Then, the lids 240a and 201b are closed.

  According to the exterior body 240 of this embodiment, the ink cartridge 200 has a flat shape in which the cross-sectional shape of the exterior body 240 is rectangular and the ratio of the width w to the height h is about 2: 1. By eliminating the difference in height between the supply port end and the terminal end, the ink flow can be made uniform and stable ink supply can be achieved. Further, since the height h of the ink cartridge 200 is reduced, the height of the space required for mounting the ink cartridge 200 is reduced, and the space above the loaded ink cartridge can be used effectively. The degree of freedom can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the partition member 202 is provided inside the exterior body 240, and the recess 204 is provided on the surface of the exterior body 240, so that when the operator performs the attachment / detachment operation of the ink cartridge, the recess 204 at the end of the exterior body 240 is provided. The ink cartridge can be pulled out and the ink cartridge 200 can be pulled out, so that the ink cartridge 200 can be easily attached and detached, and the workability is improved.

  Further, the internal space 201 defined by the partition member 202 for securing the liquid storage container 220 and securing the gradient can be a space in which an operator inserts his / her hand to grasp the exterior body 240. Since a part of the surface of the recess 204 member is bent toward the terminal end side, the stress when the operator pulls out the exterior body 240 can be appropriately transmitted to the exterior body 240. Furthermore, since the partition member 202 is provided, the operator's hand can be prevented from coming into contact with the liquid storage container 220 through the hole that is the recess 204, so that the liquid storage container 220 can be protected.

  In this embodiment, the engagement surface 210 and the exterior body 240 are attached and fixed with a label, so that the structure is simple and the assembly workability and the disassembly workability are excellent, and the manufacturing cost and the disposal cost are reduced. can do.

  In addition, the expanded view shown to Fig.5 (a) and (b) can be changed as shown in FIG.5 (c). FIG.5 (c) shows the expanded view at the time of forming the exterior body 240 and the partition member 202 integrally, and FIG.4 (b) is the assembly completion figure.

  That is, in this modified example, the partition member 202 is a part of a member constituting the exterior body 240 and is integrally formed with the exterior body portion in the developed view of the exterior body 240. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the partition member portion 202b is connected to the cubic exterior body portion 240e via an adhesive margin portion 202a that can be bent at the folding portion 240d.

  Then, by folding these members (exterior body portion 202e and partition member portions 202a and 202b) cut out as a development view, the exterior body 240 and the partition member 202 can be manufactured together, and the number of parts can be reduced. It can be reduced and the manufacturing process can be simplified. Also in this case, the position where the partition member 202 is incorporated into the exterior body 240 is on the opposite side (termination side) from the engagement surface 210, and a recess that is a hole penetrating the surface of the exterior body 240 on this termination side. The notch which forms the hole of this recessed part 204 is located in the internal space 201 ensured by the partition member 202.

(Liquid container)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the liquid storage container, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the shape of the liquid storage container. FIGS. 8 and 9 are explanatory diagrams showing changes in the shape of the liquid storage container when ink flows out of the liquid storage container.

  The liquid storage container 220 is a bag body in which ink is sealed, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the side surfaces are four surfaces in which four films 220 a to 220 d are bonded by thermal welding. The folds 223 are formed by thermal welding at the joining sides of the four-sided films 220a to 220d. As shown in FIG. 7A, in the state where the ink is sealed, the four sides of the bag body are The crease 223 is bent at a substantially right angle and has a quadrangular cross section. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7B, in a state where the ink of the liquid storage container 220 is sealed, the quadrangle of the cross section of the liquid storage container 220 is matched with the quadrangle that is the inner shape of the exterior body 240. Yes.

  The liquid storage container 220 has a pair of surfaces whose end 222 is parallel to a horizontal plane including the insertion direction (AA direction in FIG. 6A) of the liquid storage container 220 with respect to the exterior body 240 among the four surfaces. That is, the end portions 222 of the upper and lower surfaces 220a and 220b in the state loaded in the printing apparatus 100 are bonded to each other in the vertical direction to form a cusp.

  The bonded portions of the upper and lower surfaces at the pointed end 222 are linearly formed by heat welding, and this linear portion is an extension line in the ink outflow direction D3 (A-A in FIG. 6A) and the heat of the film. It lies within a horizontal plane (hereinafter referred to as horizontal plane AB) including the end 222 line (BB in FIG. 8A) bonded by welding. Furthermore, the liquid container 220 has a surface perpendicular to the horizontal plane AB including the ink outflow direction D3, that is, the left and right side surfaces 220c and 220d in a state of being loaded in the printing apparatus 100, and the exterior body 240 of the liquid container 220. A fold line 221 that is parallel to the insertion direction D1 is formed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the liquid storage container 220 is crushed according to the crease 221 as the ink inside flows out, and is placed on a horizontal plane AB including the end 222 bonded by thermal welding of the film. It will converge.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the liquid storage container 220 is stored in the exterior body 240 provided with the partition member 202. As shown in FIG. 10A, the ink cartridge 200 can be manufactured by inserting the liquid storage container 220 from the opening of the assembled exterior body 240 on the engagement surface 210 side.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 10B, the ink supply port 230 of the liquid storage container 220 is assembled to the engagement surface 210 and has adhesiveness at the opening end of the exterior body 240 together with the engagement surface 210. Affixed with a label 210b which is a paper seal. The label 210b extends from the opening end side surface of the exterior body 240 through the abutment surface 210a of the engagement surface 210 to the opposite opening end side surface in a state where the engagement surface 210 is fitted to the exterior body 240. By winding, the exterior body 240 is assembled and fixed to the exterior body 240 together with the engagement surface 210.

  Further, the ink supply port 230 is attached to the tip of the liquid storage container 220. The ink supply port 230 is positioned at the center of the engagement surface 210 in a state where the liquid storage container 220 is inserted into the exterior body 240, and is incorporated into the engagement surface 210. It is comprised so that it may become a part. In the storage state of the liquid storage container 220, the ink supply port 230 is directed in the opposite direction on the same axis as the insertion direction D1 with respect to the exterior body 240 of the liquid storage container 220, and is attached to and detached from the holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side. It has become so.

  According to such a liquid storage container 220 according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the insertion direction D1 of the liquid storage container 220 with respect to the outer body 240, the detachment operation direction D2, and the ink at the time of ink supply Since the outflow direction D3 is located on the same axis, excessive stress is not generated in the exterior body 240, and the possibility of damage to the attachment / detachment mechanism such as the ink supply port 230 and the holder portion 310 and the exterior body 240 body is reduced. can do.

  Further, since the inner surface shape of the liquid storage container 220 in the state where the ink is sealed and the inner surface shape of the exterior body 240 match, the liquid storage container 220 can be stored in the exterior body 240 without gaps, The ink amount of the ink cartridge can be increased, and the volume ratio of the ink cartridge can be improved.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the exterior body 240 has a rectangular inner surface shape in a cross section, the liquid storage container has four side surfaces, and folds 223 are formed by thermal welding on the joint surfaces of the four surfaces. Therefore, in a state where the ink is sealed, the liquid storage container 220 can be surely rectangular, and the outer shape of the liquid storage container 220 and the shape of the inner surface of the exterior body 240 can be matched more reliably. .

  Since the four surfaces of the liquid storage container 220 are configured by joining four films by heat welding, the bag shape of the liquid storage container 220 can be reliably formed with a simple configuration, and the volume ratio is improved. It is possible to maintain the cross-sectional shape necessary for the above.

  Furthermore, the liquid storage container 220 is formed by four surfaces, and a fold line 221 that is parallel to the insertion direction D1 is formed on a surface perpendicular to the horizontal plane AB among the four surfaces. When the ink remaining amount is reduced, the liquid storage container 220 is folded along the fold 221 parallel to the insertion direction D1 and converged on the horizontal plane AB, and is generated in an extra space in the liquid storage container 220. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the remaining amount of ink that is unused and replaced, and the ink in the liquid storage container 220 can be utilized to the maximum extent.

  By forming the end 222 of the liquid storage container 220 in a cusp shape, when the remaining amount of ink in the liquid storage container 220 is reduced, it is possible to secure a gradient for causing the ink to flow out by the cusp at the end 222. The ink can flow out without leaving ink. Moreover, the pointed shape of the end 222 can be reliably maintained by making the bonded portion of the end 222 linear by heat welding. Further, the end 222 of the liquid storage container 220 has a pointed shape and comes into contact with the partition member 202, whereby the liquid storage container 220 can be fixed inside the exterior body 240.

(Ink cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism)
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an attachment / detachment mechanism including the ink cartridge 200 and the holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side. As shown in the drawing, the ink supply port 230 is pressed outward by the pressure from the supply port side joint portion 232 and the supply port side joint portion 232, and the inner plug 231 that seals the ink supply port 230. It is roughly composed of

  The ink supply port 230 constitutes an attachment / detachment mechanism that is fitted to the holder unit 310 on the printing apparatus 100 side, and the ink cartridge 200 and the printing apparatus 100 are connected to each other by the attachment / detachment mechanism. Ink is supplied to 100.

  The holder part 310 includes a holder side joint part 313 fitted to the joint part 232 of the ink supply port 230 so as to cover the ink supply port 230, and the inside of the holder side joint part 313 includes a supply port. An ink path 311 that communicates with the ink supply port 230 on the ink cartridge 200 side is formed in the fitting state with the side joint portion 232. The supply port side joint portion 232 is embedded in the engagement surface 210, and an annular groove portion 232a is formed at the periphery of the opening portion. The outer edge 313a of the holder side joint portion is fitted into the groove portion 232a. The

  An insertion shaft 312 that protrudes toward the ink supply port 230 is provided in the ink path 311 of the holder portion 310. The insertion shaft 312 is inserted into the engaged supply port side joint portion 232, the inner plug 231 is pushed into the supply port side joint portion 232, and the outflow path 233 communicating with the ink path 311 is connected to the supply port side joint. The unit 232 is opened. The insertion direction of the insertion shaft 312 with respect to the supply port side joint portion 232 is such that the insertion direction D1, the attachment / detachment operation direction D2, and the ink outflow direction D3 with respect to the exterior body 240 of the liquid storage container 220 are located on the same axis. Has been.

  With such an ink cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 200 loaded in the printing apparatus main body 1 through an attachment / detachment mechanism including the ink supply port 230 and the holder unit 310. FIG. 12 is a schematic view schematically showing the mechanism of the ink supply system.

  As shown in FIG. 12, ink from the ink cartridge 200 is filled into an ink tank 303 called a reservoir through an ink supply path 301. An electromagnetic opening / closing valve 302 is provided in the middle of the ink supply path 301, and the opening / closing of the flow path of the ink supply path 301 and the ink flow rate are controlled by the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 302. Further, in the ink tank 303, a liquid level sensor 303a for detecting the liquid level in the ink tank 303 and measuring the amount of filled ink is provided. Ink supply from the ink cartridge 200 to the ink tank 303 is performed by a pressure difference between the ink cartridge 200 disposed at a high place and the ink tank 303 disposed at a low place.

  The ink filled in the ink tank 303 is sent to the distributor 111 of the head unit 110 through the supply path 304, and is distributed from the distributor 111 to each of the ink heads 110a, 110b, 110c... The distributor 111 is provided with a temperature sensor 112 for measuring the temperature of the ink inside so that the ink temperature immediately before being supplied to the ink heads 110a, 110b, 110c can be detected.

  According to the attachment / detachment mechanism of this embodiment, in the ink cartridge 200 that is attached / detached in the horizontal direction, the ink supply port 230 in the engagement surface 210 of the exterior body 240 is inserted in the exterior direction of the liquid storage container 220 with respect to the exterior body 240. Since it is directed in the opposite direction on the same axis as D1, the attaching / detaching operation direction D2 and the ink outflow direction D3 are located on the same axis. Then, as the ink inside the liquid container 220 flows out, the liquid container 220 is crushed according to the fold line 221 and converges to the horizontal plane A-B including the end 222 bonded together by thermal welding of the film. The horizontal plane A-B includes an extension line (A-A in the figure) in the outflow direction D3 and a terminal end 222 and a fold 221 that are bonded to each other by heat welding of the film. In the process of deforming, the change in height difference between the supply port end and the terminal end is eliminated, the ink flow can be made uniform even with a slight gradient, and stable ink supply is possible.

It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of the printing paper conveyance path | route of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is an external view of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the procedure at the time of assembling the exterior body of the ink cartridge which concerns on embodiment. It is an expanded view of the exterior body and partition member which concern on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the liquid storage container which concerns on embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the shape of the liquid storage container which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the shape change of the liquid storage container when an ink flows out from the liquid storage container which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the shape change of the liquid storage container when an ink flows out from the liquid storage container which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which has accommodated the liquid storage container in the exterior body provided with the partition member which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment / detachment mechanism comprised from the ink cartridge which concerns on embodiment, and the holder part by the side of a printing apparatus. It is the schematic which shows typically the mechanism of the ink replenishment system which concerns on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus main body 30 ... Cartridge attachment mechanism 100 ... Printing apparatus 110 ... Head unit 110a, 110b, 110c ... Ink head 111 ... Distributor 112 ... Temperature sensor 200 ... Ink cartridge 201 ... Internal space 202 ... Partition member 204 ... Recessed part (hole) )
210 ... engaging surface 210a ... abutting surface 210b ... label 211 ... shielding convex part 212 ... fitting part 220 ... liquid container 220a-d ... film 220c ... side 221, 223 ... crease 222 ... end 230 ... ink supply port 231 ... Inner plug 232 ... Supply port side joint part 233 ... Outflow path 240 ... Exterior body 240a, 240b ... Cover body 250 ... Communication tag 301 ... Ink supply path 302 ... Electromagnetic switching valve 303 ... Ink tank 303a ... Liquid level sensor 304 ... Supply path DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 310 ... Holder part 311 ... Ink path 312 ... Insertion shaft 313 ... Holder side joint part 330 ... Arithmetic processor 340 ... Operation panel 350 ... Top surface apparatus

Claims (4)

An ink cartridge that can be attached to and detached from a printing apparatus,
A liquid container in which ink is enclosed;
A box-shaped exterior body into which the liquid storage container is inserted; and
With the liquid container inserted into the exterior body, an engagement surface disposed at one end of the box-shaped exterior body;
A supply port that is directed on the same axis as the insertion direction of the liquid container with respect to the exterior body, and is engaged with the printing apparatus side, in the engagement surface;
An ink cartridge comprising: a fitting portion that forms a part of the engagement surface and is fitted so as to be gripped by gripping means provided on the printing apparatus side. The engagement surface is formed of a hard material containing either resin or metal,
The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the exterior body is formed of a material softer than the engagement surface including any of paper and wood.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the engagement surface is an abutting surface that comes into contact with the printing apparatus.   The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein a communication tag that performs non-contact communication with a receiver provided on the printing apparatus side is attached to the abutting surface.