JP2012166473A - Liquid supply apparatus and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid supply apparatus that achieves reduction in device height, and a liquid ejecting apparatus.SOLUTION: A liquid supply apparatus 20 of a printer 11 includes: a cartridge holder 14 that is disposed at a position corresponding to a moving region of a carriage 17, which reciprocatingly moves along in a main scanning direction X intersecting with a vertical direction Z while supporting a liquid ejection head 19 for ejecting ink, in order to mount thereon ink cartridges 15 storing ink; each pump 29 that is disposed so as to be side by side with the cartridge holder 14 in the apparatus depth direction intersecting with the main scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z and performs suction operation to suck the ink stored in each ink cartridge 15 and ejection operation to eject the sucked ink toward the side of the liquid ejection head 19; and each buffer 30 that is disposed so as to be side by side with the cartridge holder 14 in the main scanning direction X and temporarily stores the ink ejected from each pump 29.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply apparatus for supplying a liquid such as ink and a liquid ejecting apparatus including the liquid supply apparatus.

  2. Related Art As a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid onto a target such as paper, an ink jet printer (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as “printer”) is widely known. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some printers include a liquid supply device that uses a pulsating pump such as a diaphragm pump to supply ink to a liquid ejecting head that ejects ink (liquid). 1).

  The pulsating pump alternately performs a suction operation for sucking ink from a liquid supply source such as an ink cartridge and a discharge operation for discharging ink sucked by the suction operation toward the liquid ejecting head. During the suction operation, the ink supply is temporarily stopped. For this reason, the liquid supply device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a buffer chamber for storing ink discharged from the pump in order to supply ink toward the liquid ejecting head even during the suction operation.

JP 2009-160912 A

  In such a printer 110, as shown in FIG. 17, a cartridge holder 123 for mounting the ink cartridge 122 may be provided above the carriage 121 that supports the liquid ejecting head 120. Further, when the target paper P is fed from the back side of the printer 110, a transport mechanism 125 for transporting the paper P to the back side of the carriage 121 and the liquid supply device 124 may be disposed. Furthermore, the pump 126 and the buffer chamber 127 constituting the liquid supply device 124 may be arranged in the vertical direction for each ink color on the back side of the cartridge holder 123 as shown in FIG.

  In such a printer, the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced by downsizing the ink cartridge. However, if the pump and the buffer chamber are arranged in the vertical direction on the back side of the cartridge holder, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the height of the apparatus even if the ink cartridge is downsized.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a liquid supply apparatus and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can reduce the height of the apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention supports a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid in a main scanning direction that intersects the vertical direction in order to mount the liquid container that contains the liquid. A liquid container holder disposed at a position corresponding to a carriage movement area that reciprocates along, and is arranged so as to be aligned with the liquid container holder in the depth direction of the apparatus that intersects the main scanning direction and the vertical direction, A pump that performs a suction operation for sucking the liquid stored in the liquid container and a discharge operation for discharging the sucked liquid toward the liquid ejecting head; and the liquid container holder in the main scanning direction; A buffer chamber that is arranged side by side and temporarily stores the liquid discharged from the pump.

  According to this configuration, since the buffer chamber is arranged so as to be aligned with the pump in the main scanning direction intersecting with the vertical direction, the apparatus is compared with the case where the pump and the buffer chamber are arranged so as to be aligned in the vertical direction. Can be reduced.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the liquid container holder is a cartridge holder in which a black ink cartridge containing black ink and a color ink cartridge containing color ink are detachably mounted, and the pump and A plurality of the buffer chambers are provided to correspond to the inks of the respective colors, and the black buffer chamber that is the buffer chamber for storing the black ink is a color that is the buffer chamber for storing the color ink. The storage capacity is larger than the buffer room.

  According to this configuration, since the storage capacity of the black buffer chamber is larger than that of the color buffer chamber, the maximum supply amount of black ink per unit time can be increased. Thus, even when the consumption of black ink per unit time increases, such as when performing monochrome printing, it is possible to suppress a shortage of black ink supply.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the cartridge holder and each buffer chamber are disposed above the moving region, and the black buffer chamber is disposed above the color buffer chamber.

  According to this configuration, since the cartridge holder and each buffer chamber are disposed above the carriage movement region, the supply of ink to the liquid ejecting head is assisted by the water head difference between each buffer chamber and the liquid ejecting head. Can do. Furthermore, since the black buffer chamber is disposed above the color buffer chamber, the water head difference from the liquid ejecting head is larger than that of the color buffer chamber. As a result, even when the consumption of black ink per unit time increases, such as when performing monochrome printing, the black ink can be efficiently supplied with a large water head difference.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of the color ink cartridges containing the color inks of different colors are mounted on the cartridge holder, and a plurality of the color buffer chambers are provided corresponding to the color inks. And arranged in the main scanning direction.

  According to this configuration, since the plurality of color buffer chambers are arranged so as to be arranged in the main scanning direction, compared with the case where the plurality of color buffer chambers are arranged in the vertical direction, the height of the apparatus is high. Can be reduced.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid, a carriage that supports the liquid ejecting head and reciprocates along a main scanning direction, and the liquid supply device. .

  According to this structure, the same effect as the said liquid supply apparatus can be acquired.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention as seen from the back side. The disassembled perspective view of the front side part of the liquid supply apparatus concerning this invention. The disassembled perspective view of the rear side part of the liquid supply apparatus concerning this invention. The rear view of a flow-path formation member. The front view of a flow-path formation member. The disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the structure of a pump. The disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the structure of a discharge side one way valve. The disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the structure of a suction side one way valve. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the suction operation of a pump. Sectional drawing for demonstrating discharge operation | movement of a pump. Sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure of a buffer. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the choke valve at the time of valve opening, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the choke valve at the time of valve closing. The front view which shows the modification of a discharge side valve body. The front view which shows the modification of a discharge side valve body. The front view which shows the modification of a discharge side valve body. The front view which shows the modification of a discharge side valve body. Sectional drawing which looked at the conventional liquid ejecting apparatus from the side surface side. Sectional drawing which looked at the conventional liquid ejecting apparatus from the back side.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the invention is embodied in an ink jet printer will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, when referring to “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, and “up-down direction”, the direction indicated by an arrow in each figure is used as a reference. In addition, in the arrows indicating the upward direction, the right direction, and the forward direction in the drawing, those in which dots are indicated in circles (the view of the tip of the arrow viewed from the front) are arrows pointing from the back of the page to the front. This means that a circle with a cross mark (a view of the arrow blade from behind) means an arrow heading from the front to the back of the page.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the printer 11 according to the present embodiment, a conveyance direction that intersects the main scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z that are the longitudinal direction of the frame 12 on a support member 13 disposed in the frame 12. The paper P is conveyed along (in the present embodiment, the front-rear direction).

  The cartridge holder 14 as an example of the liquid container holder disposed on the first end side (the left end side in FIG. 1) in the longitudinal direction of the frame 12 is an example of a liquid container that stores ink as an example of liquid. A plurality of ink cartridges 15 (15B, 15C) are detachably mounted. In the present embodiment, one black ink cartridge 15B for storing black ink and three color ink cartridges 15C for storing different color inks are mounted on the cartridge holder 14. .

  A guide shaft 16 extending in the main scanning direction X intersecting the vertical direction Z is installed in the frame 12, and a carriage 17 is slidably supported on the guide shaft 16. The carriage 17 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction X along the guide shaft 16 by driving a carriage motor (not shown).

  A liquid ejecting head 19 provided with a plurality of nozzles 18 for ejecting ink is supported on the lower surface side of the carriage 17. The plurality of nozzles 18 arranged in the transport direction form a nozzle row that ejects the same color ink. The liquid ejecting head 19 has a plurality (four in this embodiment) of nozzle rows corresponding to different color inks along the main scanning direction X.

  A liquid supply device 20 for supplying the ink stored in each ink cartridge 15 to the liquid ejecting head 19 is disposed on the back side of the cartridge holder 14. The liquid supply device 20 is provided with a connection portion 21, and an upstream end of a flexible ink supply tube 22 is connected to the connection portion 21 of the liquid supply device 20. Each ink cartridge 15 is connected to the liquid ejecting head 19 via the liquid supply device 20 and the ink supply tube 22.

  That is, the printer 11 is a so-called off-carriage type printer that supplies ink from the ink cartridge 15 provided on the frame 12 side to the liquid ejecting head 19 mounted on the carriage 17. The printer 11 performs printing processing on the paper P by ejecting ink onto the paper P from the nozzles 18 by driving a piezoelectric element (not shown) provided in the liquid ejecting head 19.

  The second end side (the right end side in FIG. 1) in the movement range along the main scanning direction X of the carriage 17 in the frame 12 is the home position HP. A maintenance device 23 for performing various maintenance processes on the liquid ejecting head 19 is disposed at a position corresponding to the home position HP in the frame 12.

  The maintenance device 23 includes a bottomed box-like cap 24 formed in a size corresponding to the liquid ejecting head 19, an elevating mechanism 25 for moving the cap 24 up and down, and a suction pump for sucking the inside of the cap 24. 26.

  The cap 24 moves upward and comes into contact with the liquid ejecting head 19 so as to surround the opening of the nozzle 18 that ejects ink of the liquid ejecting head 19 disposed at the home position HP. A closed space area is enclosed and formed between the opening and the lower surface side. In this state, the suction pump 26 is driven to generate a negative pressure in the closed space region, and suction cleaning for discharging the ink in the liquid ejecting head 19 through the nozzle 18 is executed.

Next, a schematic configuration of the liquid supply apparatus 20 will be described.
As shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, the liquid supply device 20 has a liquid supply path 27 for supplying ink from the upstream side, which is the ink cartridge 15 side, to the downstream side, which is the liquid ejecting head 19 side. It is provided for each ink color. Further, the upstream end of each liquid supply path 27 serves as a connection portion 28 inserted into the corresponding ink cartridge 15. Further, the downstream end of each liquid supply path 27 is a connecting portion 21 to which the upstream end of the corresponding color ink supply tube 22 is connected.

  In the middle of each liquid supply path 27, there is a diaphragm pump 29 that performs a suction operation for sucking the ink stored in the ink cartridge 15 and a discharge operation for discharging the sucked ink toward the liquid ejecting head 19. Is provided. Further, in each liquid supply path 27, a buffer 30 (30 </ b> B, 30 </ b> C) that temporarily stores the ink discharged from the pump 29 is provided on the downstream side of the pump 29. That is, in this embodiment, the liquid supply device 20 is provided with four pumps 29 and four buffers 30 each.

  The black buffer 30B, which is a buffer 30 for storing black ink, has a larger storage capacity than the color buffer 30C, which is a buffer 30 for storing color ink. The black buffer 30B is disposed above the color buffer 30C, and a plurality (three in the present embodiment) of color buffers 30C are arranged in the main scanning direction X.

  A suction side that opens when the pump 29 performs a suction operation and closes when the pump 29 performs a discharge operation between the connection portion 28 connected to the ink cartridge 15 and the pump 29 in each liquid supply path 27. A one-way valve 31 is provided. A discharge-side one-way valve 32 that closes when the pump 29 performs a suction operation and opens when the pump performs a discharge operation is provided between the pump 29 and the buffer 30 in each liquid supply path 27. Is provided. The suction-side one-way valve 31 and the pump 29 are in communication with each other through a first flow path 27 a constituting the liquid supply path 27. In addition, the discharge-side one-way valve 32 and the buffer 30 communicate with each other through the second flow path 27 b constituting the liquid supply path 27.

  Further, a choke valve 33 as an example of a differential pressure valve is provided between the buffer 30 and the ink supply tube 22 connected to the liquid ejecting head 19 in each liquid supply path 27. The choke valve 33 closes and closes the liquid supply path 27 when the downstream negative pressure on the liquid jet head 19 side becomes larger than the upstream pressure on the buffer 30 side. Yes. The buffer 30 and the choke valve 33 communicate with each other through a third flow path 27 c that forms the liquid supply path 27, and the choke valve 33 and the connection portion 21 form a fourth flow path 27 d that forms the liquid supply path 27. Communicate through.

  Therefore, when the suction cleaning is executed, the negative pressure increases on the downstream side of the choke valve 33, so that the choke valve 33 is closed. Further, the suction cleaning is further continued in a state where the liquid supply path 27 is closed by the closed choke valve 33, whereby the negative pressure in the liquid ejecting head 19 is increased. After that, when the pump 29 performs a discharge operation, the pressure on the upstream side of the choke valve 33 increases, and the choke valve 33 opens. Thereby, bubbles staying in the liquid ejecting head 19 together with ink ejected by the pump 29, ink having increased viscosity, and the like are expelled through the nozzle 18 vigorously. That is, the maintenance device 23 and the choke valve 33 perform choke cleaning, which is a type of discharge cleaning.

  The cartridge holder 14 is disposed at a position corresponding to the movement area of the carriage 17 along the main scanning direction X (specifically, above the left end side of the movement area). Further, the pump 29, the suction-side one-way valve 31, the discharge-side one-way valve 32, and the choke valve 33 are cartridge holders in the depth direction of the device that intersects the main scanning direction X and the up-down direction Z (the front-rear direction in this embodiment) 14 is arranged in the first region 34 </ b> L on the back side of the cartridge holder 14. On the other hand, each buffer 30 is arranged in the second region 34R located on the right side of the first region 34L so as to be aligned with the cartridge holder 14 in the main scanning direction X.

Next, the structure of the liquid supply apparatus 20 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid supply device 20 is disposed behind the cartridge holder 14 in the depth direction Y (conveyance direction) of the device that intersects the main scanning direction X and the vertical direction Z (in the present embodiment, orthogonal). A flow path forming member 35 having a plate shape is provided.

  On the first surface (front surface in the present embodiment) of the flow path forming member 35, one fluid flow path forming concave portion 37 having a groove shape and four grooves having a groove shape are formed at positions corresponding to the first regions 34L. The second flow path forming recess 38, four pump recesses 39 having a substantially circular shape in plan view, and four choke valve recesses 40 having a substantially circular shape in plan view are arranged from the upper side to the lower side. It is formed as follows. Further, the downstream end of the groove-like introduction recess 40a is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of each choke valve recess 40, respectively. Each of the four pump recesses 39 and the choke valve recess 40 is arranged so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction X.

  Further, at the position corresponding to the second area 34R on the front surface of the flow path forming member 35, the groove-shaped second flow path forming recess 38 continuing from the first area 34L, and four third flows having the same groove shape. A path forming recess 41 is formed.

  From the front surface of the flow path forming member 35, four cylindrical connecting portions 28 protrude in the main scanning direction X from the position between the pump recess 39 and the choke valve recess 40 in the vertical direction Z. It is installed. In addition, positioning projections 39a and 39b projecting forward are formed at positions corresponding to the outer peripheral portions of the openings of the pump recesses 39 on the front surface of the flow path forming member 35, respectively.

  A first film member 42 is welded to the front surface side of the flow path forming member 35 so as to cover the fluid flow path forming recess 37, the second flow path forming recess 38 and the third flow path forming recess 41. The second flow path forming recess 38 and the first film member 42 surround and form the second flow path 27b (see FIG. 1), and the third flow path forming concave portion 41 and the first film member 42 form the third flow. The upstream portion of the path 27c (see FIG. 1) is surrounded and formed.

  The second film member 43 is welded to the front surface side of the flow path forming member 35 so as to cover the choke valve recess 40 and the introduction recess 40a. Furthermore, from the lower left portion of the flow path forming member 35, an extending portion 35b extends downward, and a connecting portion 21 protrudes forward from the distal end side of the extending portion 35b. Yes.

  Between the flow path forming member 35 and the cartridge holder 14, at a position corresponding to each pump recess 39, a diaphragm 45 having a substantially circular shape in plan view, a spring seat 46 having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a first coil spring 47 are provided so as to be arranged from the rear side to the front side. Note that a protrusion 48 protrudes from the vicinity of the center on the front side of each diaphragm 45. The projection 48 and the inner peripheral surface of the spring seat 46 are engaged, and the outer peripheral surface of the spring seat 46 and the first coil spring 47 are engaged.

  Positioning holes 45 a and 45 b corresponding to the positioning protrusions 39 a and 39 b of the flow path forming member 35 are formed in the outer edge portion of each diaphragm 45. Further, through holes 45c are formed in the outer edge portions of the diaphragms 45 near the positioning holes 45a. The diaphragm 45 is configured to cover the pump recess 39 when the positioning holes 45a and 45b are inserted into the positioning protrusions 39a and 39b of the flow path forming member 35 and the positioning is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a fluid flow path having a groove shape at a position corresponding to the first region 34 </ b> L on the second surface (the rear surface in the present embodiment) opposite to the first surface of the flow path forming member 35. The formation recessed part 49 and the four discharge side recessed parts 50 which make a planar view substantially circular shape are formed. Further, on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35, below the discharge-side recess 50, four first flow path forming recesses 51 having a groove shape, and four suction side recesses 52 having a substantially circular shape in plan view, Four third flow path forming recesses 53 having a groove shape are formed so as to be aligned from the upper side to the lower side. Note that each of the four discharge-side recesses 50, the first flow path forming recesses 51, and the suction-side recesses 52 are arranged in the main scanning direction X, respectively.

  Further, at the position corresponding to the second area 34R on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35, a groove-shaped third flow path forming recess 53 continuing from the first area 34L and four buffers having a substantially circular shape in plan view are provided. Recesses 54 (54B, 54C) are formed. The three buffer recesses 54C corresponding to the color ink are arranged in the main scanning direction X, and the one buffer recess 54B corresponding to the black ink is arranged above the buffer recess 54C. Yes. The opening area of the buffer recess 54B is larger than the opening area of the three buffer recesses 54C.

  From the upper left part of the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35, one supply portion 35a for supplying a fluid such as air from the back side to the front side of the flow path forming member 35 protrudes rearward. ing. Further, in the lower left portion of the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35, there are formed connection flow path forming concave portions 35c having four groove shapes extending toward the extending portion 35b.

  On the rear surface side of the flow path forming member 35, a fluid flow path forming recess 49, a discharge side recess 50, a first flow path forming recess 51, a suction side recess 52, a third flow path forming recess 53, and a connection flow path forming recess 35c. The 3rd film member 55 as an example of a flexible member is welded so that it may cover. The fourth film members 56 (56B, 56C) are welded to the rear surface side of the flow path forming member 35 so as to cover the buffer recesses 54 (54B, 54C).

  The first flow path forming recess 51 and the third film member 55 surround and form the first flow path 27a (see FIG. 1), and the third flow path forming concave portion 53 and the third film member 55 form a third flow. A downstream portion of the path 27c (see FIG. 1) is formed to be surrounded. Further, the fourth flow path 27d (see FIG. 1) is surrounded and formed by the connection flow path forming recess 35c and the third film member 55.

  Between the flow path forming member 35 and the third film member 55, at a position corresponding to each discharge-side recess 50, a discharge-side valve element 57 having a substantially circular shape in plan view, and a first disk-shaped first fixing member 58. Are arranged from the front side to the rear side.

  In addition, at a position corresponding to each suction side recess 52 between the flow path forming member 35 and the third film member 55, a suction side valve body 59 that covers the suction side recess 52, and an example of an urging member are provided. The second coil spring 60 and the substantially disk-shaped second fixing member 61 are provided so as to be aligned from the front side to the rear side. Each of the second coil springs 60 comes into contact with the suction side valve body 59 while the rear end comes into contact with the second fixing member 61 so that the corresponding suction side valve body 59 is brought into contact with the inner bottom surface of the suction side recess 52. It is designed to urge toward the side.

  The cover member 62 is assembled at a position corresponding to the second region 34R on the rear surface side of the flow path forming member 35 so as to sandwich the fourth film member 56 therebetween. And between the 4th film member 56 and the cover member 62, the pressure receiving member 63 (63B, 63C) arrange | positioned in the position respectively corresponding to the recessed part 54 (54B, 54C) for buffers, and the 3rd coil spring 64 ( 64B, 64C) are arranged from the front side to the rear side.

  The front side of each pressure receiving member 63 is formed in a planar shape and is fixed near the center on the rear surface side of the corresponding fourth film member 56. Further, locking portions 65 (65B, 65C) project from the vicinity of the center of each pressure receiving member 63 (63B, 63C) toward the rear. And the 3rd coiled spring 64 (64B, 64C) is latched by this latching | locking part 65 (65B, 65C). Each third coil spring 64 has a front end abutting against the pressure receiving member 63 and a rear end abutting the cover member 62, so that the corresponding fourth film member 56 faces the inner bottom surface side of the buffer recess 54. It comes to be energized.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the flow path forming member 35, through holes 66 are formed at positions corresponding to the connection portions 28 on the inner bottom surface of each suction side recess 52. Further, in the flow path forming member 35, a through hole 67 is formed at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the lower end of each pump recess 39, and a through hole is formed at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the upper end of each pump recess 39. A hole 68 is formed. The upstream end of the first flow path forming recess 51 is connected to the upper end portion of the suction side recess 52, and the downstream end of the first flow path forming recess 51 is in communication with the through hole 67. In the flow path forming member 35, the pump recess 39 and the discharge-side recess 50 are provided so as to overlap in the vertical direction, and the through hole 68 communicates the pump recess 39 and the discharge-side recess 50. The discharge side recess 50 is provided near the center of the inner bottom surface.

  In the flow path forming member 35, through holes 69 are formed in the vicinity of the upper ends of the respective discharge-side recesses 50. In the flow path forming member 35, a through hole 70 is formed near the lower end of each buffer recess 54, and a through hole 71 is formed near the upper end of each buffer recess 54.

  Further, the flow path forming member 35 is formed with a through hole 72 communicating with the downstream end of the fluid flow path forming concave portion 49 at a position aligned with each discharge-side concave portion 50, and the upper left portion of the flow path forming member 35. One through hole 73 is formed in communication with the upstream end of the fluid flow path forming recess 49.

  As shown in FIG. 5, on the front surface of the flow path forming member 35, the upstream end of the second flow path forming recess 38 communicates with the through hole 69, and the downstream end of the second flow path forming recess 38 is the through hole. 70. The upstream end of the third flow path forming recess 41 communicates with the through hole 71.

  To communicate the downstream end of the third flow path forming recess 41 and the upstream end of the third flow path forming recess 53 at a position corresponding to the downstream end of each third flow path forming recess 41 in the flow path forming member 35. Through-holes 76 are respectively formed. Further, through-holes 77 are formed at positions where the flow path forming member 35 communicates with the upstream ends of the respective introduction recesses 40a. The upstream end of the third flow path forming recess 53 communicates with the through hole 76, and the downstream end of the third flow path forming recess 53 communicates with the through hole 77.

  In the flow path forming member 35, through holes 78 are formed near the center of the inner bottom surface of each choke valve recess 40, respectively. Further, four through holes 79 arranged in the vertical direction are formed at positions corresponding to the connecting portions 21 in the flow path forming member 35. The upstream end of the connection flow path forming recess 35 c communicates with the through hole 78, and the downstream end of the connection flow path formation recess 35 c communicates with the through hole 79.

  In the present embodiment, the through holes 66 to 71 and 76 to 79 constitute the liquid supply path 27 (see FIG. 1). The through hole 67 constitutes the first flow path 27a (see FIG. 1), and the through holes 69 and 70 constitute the second flow path 27b (see FIG. 1). The through holes 71, 76, 77 and the introduction recess 40a constitute a third flow path 27c (see FIG. 1), and the through holes 78, 79 constitute a fourth flow path 27d (see FIG. 1).

  Further, each through hole 72 is located on the front surface of the flow path forming member 35 on the outer periphery of the opening of the pump recess 39 and near the positioning protrusion 39a. Further, the upstream end of the fluid flow path forming recess 37 is in communication with the supply part 35 a, and the downstream end of the fluid flow path forming recess 37 is in communication with the through hole 73.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of fluid chamber recesses 82 are formed on the rear surface of the cartridge holder 14 so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction X. A fluid introduction part 82 a is provided at a position in contact with 82. The spring seat 46 and the first coil spring 47 are accommodated in a space area surrounded by the diaphragm 45 and the pump recess 39.

  The through hole 45c formed in the diaphragm 45, the fluid introduction part 82a formed in the rear surface of the cartridge holder 14, the supply part 35a formed in the flow path forming member 35, the fluid flow path forming recess 37, the through hole 73, the fluid flow path forming recess 49 and the through hole 72 constitute a fluid flow path 83.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the vicinity of the center of the discharge-side valve element 57 constituting the discharge-side one-way valve 32 is a contact portion 57a that can be deflected and displaced. Two arc-shaped communication holes 57b are formed. Further, on the front side of the first fixing member 58 constituting the discharge-side one-way valve 32, which is the discharge-side valve element 57 side, a columnar first protrusion 58a and two second protrusions having a substantially arc shape when viewed from the front. A portion 58b is formed. The discharge-side valve element 57 is fixed by the second protrusion 58 b of the first fixing member 58 coming into contact with the outer edge portion of the discharge-side valve element 57.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a through-hole 59 a having a circular shape when viewed from the front is formed in the center of the suction side valve body 59 constituting the suction side one-way valve 31. The suction side valve body 59 is formed with an annular protrusion 59b that protrudes toward the front side so as to surround the through hole 59a.

  A communication hole 61a having a circular shape when viewed from the front is formed in the center of the second fixing member 61 constituting the suction side one-way valve 31, and a rectangular shape when viewed from the front is formed to the left, right and below the communication hole 61a. A communication hole 61b having a shape is formed. Further, from the outer edge portion of the second fixing member 61, an annular protrusion 61c protrudes forward, and an annular protrusion 61d protrudes rearward.

  In the second fixing member 61, a communication hole 61e is formed above the communication hole 61a so as to cut out a part of the annular protrusion 61d. The suction-side valve body 59 is fixed by the annular protrusion 61 c of the second fixing member 61 coming into contact with the outer edge portion of the suction-side valve body 59.

Next, the configuration and operation of the pump 29 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 9, the pump 29 includes a diaphragm 45, a spring seat 46, and a first coil spring 47. Further, the pump 29 includes a working fluid chamber 84 formed by being surrounded by a fluid chamber recess 82 and a diaphragm 45 formed on the rear surface of the cartridge holder 14. The pump 29 is surrounded and formed by a pump recess 39 formed on the front surface of the channel forming member 35 and a diaphragm 45 attached to the channel forming member 35 so as to cover the opening of the pump recess 39. The pump chamber 85 is provided. The pump chamber 85 constitutes a part of the liquid supply path 27.

  The working fluid chamber 84 accommodates a first coil spring 47 that urges the diaphragm 45 toward the pump chamber 85 and a spring seat 46 disposed between the first coil spring 47 and the diaphragm 45. Yes. The working fluid chamber 84 is connected to a pressure adjusting device (not shown) including a pressure reducing pump and the like and an air release mechanism (not shown) through the fluid channel 83. The pressure adjusting device is configured to generate a negative pressure in the working fluid chamber 84, and the atmosphere release mechanism is configured to release the inside of the working fluid chamber 84 to the atmosphere to eliminate the negative pressure state. Yes.

  When a negative pressure is generated in the working fluid chamber 84 as the pressure adjusting device is driven, the diaphragm 45 expands the volume of the pump chamber 85 against the biasing force of the first coil spring 47 (this embodiment). Then, the pump 29 performs a suction operation by being displaced forward. When the atmosphere release mechanism is driven after the suction operation to open the working fluid chamber 84 to the atmosphere, the diaphragm 45 reduces the volume of the pump chamber 85 by the biasing force of the first coil spring 47 as shown in FIG. By displacing in the direction (backward in the present embodiment), the pump 29 performs a discharge operation.

Next, the configuration and operation of the suction side one-way valve 31 will be described.
The suction side one-way valve 31 includes a suction side valve body 59, a second coil spring 60, and a second fixing member 61. The suction-side one-way valve 31 includes a suction-side valve chamber 86 surrounded by a suction-side recess 52 and a third film member 55 formed on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35. The suction side valve chamber 86 constitutes a part of the liquid supply path 27. The suction-side valve chamber 86 is divided into an upstream portion (front side in the present embodiment) and a central portion by a suction-side valve body 59 that can close the liquid supply path 27, and a central portion by the second fixing member 61. And a downstream portion (rear side in this embodiment).

  The partitioned upstream portion and the central portion of the suction side valve chamber 86 can communicate with each other through a through-hole 59a formed in the suction side valve body 59, and the partitioned central portion of the suction side valve chamber 86 and The downstream portion can communicate with each other through communication holes 61 a, 61 b, 61 e formed in the second fixing member 61. The second coil spring 60 is disposed between the suction-side valve element 59 and the second fixing member 61 in the front-rear direction, and the annular protrusion 59b abuts against the inner bottom surface of the suction-side recess 52 to attract the suction-side valve chamber. The suction-side valve body 59 is urged so that the upstream portion and the central portion of 86 cannot communicate with each other, that is, in the direction in which the liquid supply path 27 is closed.

  When the pump 29 performs a suction operation, the ink in the suction side valve chamber 86 is sucked into the pump chamber 85 through the first flow path 27 a and a negative pressure is generated in the suction side valve chamber 86. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the annular protrusion 59 b of the suction side valve element 59 is separated from the inner bottom surface of the suction side recess 52 against the urging force of the second coil spring 60, and upstream of the suction side valve chamber 86. The part and the central part communicate with each other. That is, the suction side one-way valve 31 is opened to open the liquid supply path 27. As a result, the ink in the ink cartridge 15 is supplied toward the pump chamber 85 through the connection portion 28.

  On the other hand, when the pump 29 performs a discharge operation, the ink in the pump chamber 85 flows into the suction side valve chamber 86 through the first flow path 27a. As a result, the negative pressure in the suction side valve chamber 86 is eliminated, and the annular projecting portion 59b of the suction side valve body 59 is moved by the urging force of the second coil spring 60 as shown in FIG. Abut. That is, the suction side one-way valve 31 is closed to close the liquid supply path 27.

Next, the configuration and operation of the discharge side one-way valve 32 will be described.
The discharge side one-way valve 32 includes a discharge side valve body 57 and a first fixing member 58. Further, the discharge-side one-way valve 32 is a third film attached to the flow path forming member 35 so as to cover the discharge side recess 50 formed on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35 and the opening of the discharge side recess 50. A discharge side valve chamber 87 surrounded by the member 55 is provided. The discharge side valve chamber 87 constitutes a part of the liquid supply path 27.

  Although the discharge side valve chamber 87 and the pump chamber 85 can communicate with each other through the through hole 68, the opening of the through hole 68 with respect to the discharge side valve chamber 87 is normally blocked by the contact portion 57 a of the discharge side valve element 57. Has been. Further, the contact portion 57a of the discharge side valve element 57 is displaced according to the pressure difference between the upstream side that is the pump 29 side and the downstream side that is the buffer 30 side, thereby forming a through hole 68 that constitutes the liquid supply path 27. Is closed and opened.

  Specifically, when the pump 29 performs a discharge operation, the ink in the pump chamber 85 is discharged in a pressurized state through the through hole 68, so that the contact portion 57 a is brought into contact with the first fixing member 58 by the pressure of the ink. Displace to the side. That is, the discharge side one-way valve 32 is opened to open the liquid supply path 27. Then, ink flows into the discharge-side valve chamber 87 through the communication hole 57b, and the introduced ink is supplied to the buffer 30 located on the downstream side through the second flow path 27b.

  On the other hand, when the pump 29 performs the suction operation, the ink in the discharge side valve chamber 87 is sucked to the pump chamber 85 side through the through hole 68, so that the contact portion 57a is brought to the through hole 68 side as shown in FIG. Displacement closes the through hole 68. That is, the discharge-side one-way valve 32 is closed to close the liquid supply path 27.

Next, the configuration and operation of the buffer 30 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the black buffer 30B includes a pressure receiving member 63B and a third coil spring 64B. Further, the black buffer 30B includes a buffer chamber 88 (black buffer chamber 88B) formed by being surrounded by a buffer recess 54B formed on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35 and the fourth film member 56B. Each buffer chamber 88 constitutes a part of the liquid supply path 27.

  The pressure receiving member 63B is fixed to the rear surface of the fourth film member 56B, and the third coil spring 64B is disposed between the pressure receiving member 63B and the cover member 62. The fourth film member 56B is biased in the direction (in the present embodiment) in which the volume of the black buffer chamber 88B is reduced by the biasing force of the third coil spring 64B.

  The color buffer 30C includes a pressure receiving member 63C and a third coil spring 64C. Further, the color buffer 30C includes a buffer chamber 88 (color buffer chamber 88C) formed by being surrounded by a buffer recess 54C formed on the rear surface of the flow path forming member 35 and the fourth film member 56C.

  The pressure receiving member 63C is disposed on the rear surface side of the fourth film member 56C, and the third coil spring 64C is disposed between the pressure receiving member 63C and the cover member 62. The fourth film member 56C is biased in a direction (in the present embodiment) in which the volume of the color buffer chamber 88C is reduced by the biasing force of the third coil spring 64C.

  During the discharge operation of the pump 29, the pressurized ink flows into each buffer chamber 88 through the second flow path 27b. The urging force of each third coil spring 64 is set to be smaller than the applied pressure of the ink that flows in along with the discharge operation of the pump 29. Therefore, during the discharge operation of the pump 29, the fourth film member 56 is displaced in the direction (in the present embodiment, rearward) to increase the volume of the buffer chamber 88 against the urging force of the third coil spring 64 by the pressure of the ink. At the same time, the ink is pressurized and supplied toward the choke valve 33 through the third flow path 27c. Note that the pressure receiving member 63, the third coil spring 64, and the fourth film member 56 function as a movable unit for applying pressure to the ink temporarily stored in the buffer chamber 88. The fourth film member 56 functions as a movable wall for changing the volume of the buffer chamber 88.

  On the other hand, during the suction operation of the pump 29, the discharge-side one-way valve 32 is closed and the supply of ink from the pump 29 side is stopped. In the meantime, the fourth film member 56 is displaced in the direction of reducing the volume of the buffer chamber 88 by the urging force of the third coil spring 64 (forward in the present embodiment), and the choke valve 33 side through the third flow path 27c. Ink is supplied under pressure.

Next, the configuration and operation of the choke valve 33 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 12A, the choke valve 33 includes a differential pressure valve chamber 89 formed by being surrounded by a choke valve recess 40 formed on the front surface of the flow path forming member 35 and the second film member 43. Yes. The differential pressure valve chamber 89 constitutes a part of the liquid supply path 27.

  When the pump 29 is driven, ink is continuously supplied under pressure to the differential pressure valve chamber 89 through the third flow path 27c. Specifically, ink is supplied by the discharge force of the pump 29 during the discharge operation of the pump 29 and by the pressure applied by the buffer 30 during the suction operation of the pump 29. When the ink is supplied, the pressure in the differential pressure valve chamber 89 becomes positive. Therefore, the second film member 43 is held in a state of being separated from the opening of the through hole 78, and the liquid ejecting head 19 is passed through the fourth flow path 27d. Ink is supplied toward the side.

  On the other hand, when the suction cleaning is performed, the ink in the differential pressure valve chamber 89 flows out through the fourth flow path 27d as the ink in the liquid ejecting head 19 is discharged, and the pressure in the differential pressure valve chamber 89 becomes negative. . Then, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the second film member 43 is displaced in the direction (rearward in the present embodiment) to reduce the volume of the differential pressure valve chamber 89 and comes into contact with the opening of the through hole 78. That is, the choke valve 33 is closed to close the liquid supply path 27. Further, when the pump 29 performs a discharge operation in this state, ink is supplied into the differential pressure valve chamber 89 to eliminate the negative pressure, and the second film member 43 is separated from the opening of the through hole 78. That is, the choke valve 33 is opened to open the liquid supply path 27.

Next, the operation of the liquid supply device 20 will be described.
The buffer chamber 88 constituting the buffer 30 has a third film member 55 constituting a part of its wall surface as a movable part in order to pressurize and supply the temporarily stored ink toward the liquid ejecting head 19 side. Yes.

  And the 3rd film member 55 is welded to the flow-path formation member 35 in the state which had the bending, in order to ensure the flexibility. For example, the third film member 55 is pressed into the outer periphery of the buffer recess 54 in such a manner that the third film member 55 is pushed into the buffer recess 54 by a pressing member (not shown) along the shape of the buffer recess 54.

  For this reason, the movable part of the third film member 55 which is deflected and displaced becomes slightly stretched by being pushed in and becomes thinner than before the welding, so it is not preferable to apply an excessive load. In that respect, since the choke valve 33 is provided on the downstream side of the buffer chamber 88 in the printer 11 of the present embodiment, the choke valve 33 is closed during choke cleaning, so that excessive negative pressure is generated in the buffer chamber 88. It does not reach. Therefore, an excessive load is suppressed from being applied to the third film member 55 that constitutes the movable portion of the buffer chamber 88.

  Further, in the liquid supply device 20, since the storage capacity of the black buffer chamber 88B is larger than that of the color buffer chamber 88C, a large amount of black ink can be efficiently used even when the printer 11 is frequently used for monochrome printing. Can be supplied. The black buffer chamber 88B is arranged above the color buffer chamber 88C, so that black ink can be supplied from a high position. Supply can be assisted.

  On the other hand, since the plurality of color buffer chambers 88C are arranged so as to be arranged in the main scanning direction X, as compared with the case where the plurality of color buffer chambers 88C are arranged so as to be arranged in the vertical direction Z, The height of the liquid supply device 20 and the printer 11 is reduced.

  The pump 29, the suction-side one-way valve 31, the discharge-side one-way valve 32, and the choke valve 33 are arranged in the first region 34L of the flow path forming member 35, whereas each buffer chamber 88 is in main scanning. In the direction X, the second region 34R is arranged so as to be aligned with the first region 34L. Therefore, the storage capacity of the black buffer chamber 88B can be made larger than before without increasing the height of the liquid supply device 20 or the printer 11.

  Further, in the plate-shaped flow path forming member 35, the pump recessed portion 39 and the discharge-side recessed portion 50 are provided so as to overlap in the up-down direction Z. Therefore, the liquid supply device 20 and the printer correspond to the overlapped height. 11 is reduced. Further, in the flow path forming member 35, the liquid supply path 27 is configured by a through hole 68 provided in the flow path forming member 35 so as to communicate the pump recess 39 and the discharge-side recess 50. Therefore, the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the pump 29 and the discharge-side one-way valve 32 can be shortened to about the thickness of the flow path forming member 35.

  On the other hand, the first flow path 27a, which is the liquid supply path 27 between the suction-side one-way valve 31 and the pump 29, is constituted by the groove-shaped first flow path forming recess 51. The length of the flow path 27 a is longer than the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the pump 29 and the discharge-side one-way valve 32. For this reason, the flow path resistance between the suction-side one-way valve 31 and the pump 29 is larger than that between the pump 29 and the discharge-side one-way valve 32, and the backflow of ink from the pump 29 to the ink cartridge 15 side is suppressed. Is done.

  The suction side valve body 59 of the suction side one-way valve 31 is biased in the closing direction by the second coil spring 60, whereas the discharge side valve body 57 of the discharge side one-way valve 32 is attached. It is not urged by the urging member and is displaced only by the pressure of the ink. Accordingly, the suction side one-way valve 31 can suppress the back flow of ink from the pump 29 to the ink cartridge 15 side, while the discharge side one-way valve 32 can efficiently supply ink to the downstream side.

  The opening area of the suction side recess 52 is formed larger than the opening area of the discharge side recess 50. As a result, the pressure receiving area in the liquid supply path 27 of the suction side valve body 59 that covers the suction side recess 52 is larger than the pressure receiving area in the liquid supply path 27 of the discharge side valve body 57 that covers the discharge side recess 50. Yes. Accordingly, in the suction-side one-way valve 31, the suction-side valve element 59 can open the liquid supply path 27 against the urging force of the second coil spring 60.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the buffer chamber 88 is arranged so as to be aligned with the pump 29 in the main scanning direction X intersecting the vertical direction Z, it is compared with the case where the pump 29 and the buffer chamber 88 are arranged so as to be aligned in the vertical direction Z. Thus, the height of the device can be reduced.

  (2) Since the storage capacity of the black buffer chamber 88B is larger than that of the color buffer chamber 88C, the maximum supply amount of black ink per unit time can be increased. Thus, even when the consumption of black ink per unit time increases, such as when performing monochrome printing, it is possible to suppress a shortage of black ink supply.

  (3) Since the cartridge holder 14 and each buffer chamber 88 are disposed above the moving region of the carriage 17, ink is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 19 due to a water head difference between each buffer chamber 88 and the liquid ejecting head 19. Can assist. Further, since the black buffer chamber 88B is disposed above the color buffer chamber 88C, the water head difference with the liquid jet head 19 is larger than that of the color buffer chamber 88C. As a result, even when the consumption of black ink per unit time increases, such as when performing monochrome printing, the black ink can be efficiently supplied with a large water head difference.

  (4) Since the plurality of color buffer chambers 88C are arranged so as to be arranged in the main scanning direction X, compared to the case where the plurality of color buffer chambers 88C are arranged so as to be arranged in the vertical direction Z, The height can be reduced.

  (5) Since the choke valve 33 is provided between the buffer chamber 88 and the liquid jet head 19, that is, downstream of the buffer chamber 88, the liquid supply path 27 is blocked downstream of the buffer chamber 88 during choke cleaning. The Therefore, the negative pressure applied to the buffer chamber 88 during choke cleaning can be reduced, and the load on the fourth film member 56 can be suppressed.

  (6) Since the discharge side valve element 57 is displaced by the pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side to close and open the liquid supply path 27, the liquid supply path 27 is efficiently opened even by a slight pressure difference. be able to.

  (7) Since the suction-side one-way valve 31 has the second coil spring 60 that biases the suction-side valve body 59, the suction-side one-way valve 31 heads from the downstream side to the upstream side as compared with the case where the second coil spring 60 is not provided. Ink flow can be more reliably suppressed.

  (8) In the liquid supply path 27, the pressure receiving area of the suction side valve body 59 is larger than the pressure receiving area of the discharge side valve body 57, so the suction side one-way valve 31 is the second coil when the pump 29 performs the suction operation. The liquid supply path 27 can be opened against the urging force of the spring 60.

  (9) Since the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the suction side one-way valve 31 and the pump 29 is longer than the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the pump 29 and the discharge side one-way valve 32, the suction side The flow resistance between the one-way valve 31 and the pump 29 is larger than that between the pump 29 and the discharge-side one-way valve 32. As a result, the flow of ink from the pump 29 toward the ink cartridge 15 can be more reliably suppressed.

  (10) Since the recess 39 for pump and the discharge-side recess 50 of the discharge-side one-way valve 32 are provided in the flow path forming member 35 so as to overlap in the vertical direction Z, the height of the liquid supply device 20 is reduced. can do. Further, the through hole 68 that communicates the pump recess 39 and the discharge-side recess 50 is used as the liquid supply path 27, thereby shortening the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the pump 29 and the discharge-side one-way valve 32. Thus, the flow path resistance can be reduced.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
-The discharge side valve element of the discharge side one-way valve 32 may be changed as shown in FIGS. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the discharge-side valve body 100 may have a contact portion 100 a having a substantially circular shape in front view and one communication hole 100 b having a circular shape in front view. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 14, the discharge side valve element 101 extends from the outer edge side to the center with a substantially equal width, and the tip end side has a semicircular shape in plan view and one of the substantially arc-shaped front view. You may have the communicating hole 101b. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, the discharge-side valve body 102 may have a contact portion 102 a having a substantially circular shape in front view and four communication holes 102 b having a substantially arc shape in front view. In addition, in the same figure, the number of the communicating holes arrange | positioned so that the front-view substantially circular contact part may be enclosed can be changed arbitrarily, such as three or five or more. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 16, the discharge-side valve element 103 may have a contact portion 103b that can be displaced by a single notch 103a having a circular arc shape when viewed from the front.

  In the second region 34R, the size and arrangement of the buffer 30 corresponding to each color may be changed. For example, when a large amount of liquid of a specific color or type is used, the volume of the buffer chamber 88 can be changed so that the storage capacity of the liquid is increased. The number of buffers 30 may be arbitrarily changed according to the color of ink to be used and the type of liquid, or a plurality of buffers 30 may correspond to one color and type of liquid.

The second region 34R may be disposed on the left side of the first region 34L.
The liquid supply device 20 and the maintenance device 23 may be arranged on the same end side in the longitudinal direction of the frame 12.

  The length of the liquid supply path 27 between the suction side one-way valve 31 and the pump 29 and the length of the liquid supply path 27 between the pump 29 and the discharge side one-way valve 32 can be arbitrarily changed. . In the first region 34L, the arrangement and size of the pump 29, the suction side one-way valve 31, the discharge side one-way valve 32, and the choke valve 33 may be changed.

The choke valve 33 is not limited to a differential pressure valve that opens and closes according to a pressure difference between the upstream side and the downstream side, and may be an open / close valve such as an electromagnetic valve that can be opened and closed at an arbitrary timing.
The movable wall of the buffer 30 is not limited to a film member, and may be configured by a member such as a piston.

  The printer may be an on-carriage type in which the ink cartridge 15 is mounted on the carriage 17. Alternatively, not only a serial type printer in which the carriage 17 moves in the main scanning direction X, but also a line head type or a lateral type printer capable of printing in the maximum paper width range while the liquid ejecting head 19 is fixed. Good. Furthermore, an ink jet type label printer, a barcode printer, a ticket issuing device, or the like may be used.

  The liquid ejecting apparatus is not limited to a printer, but may be a FAX apparatus, a copying apparatus, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions. Furthermore, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or ejects liquid other than ink may be employed, and can be used for various liquid ejecting apparatuses including a liquid ejecting head that ejects a minute amount of liquid droplets. . In addition, a droplet means the state of the liquid discharged from the said liquid ejecting apparatus, and shall also include what pulls a tail in granular shape, tear shape, and thread shape. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, it may be in the state when the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid state with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts ) And a liquid as one state of a substance, as well as a material in which particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent. Further, representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface emitting display, a color filter, or the like in a dispersed or dissolved state. It may be a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting. Further, it may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a bio-organic matter used for biochip manufacture, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid as a sample that is used as a precision pipette, a printing apparatus, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, transparent resin liquids such as UV curable resin to form liquid injection devices that pinpoint lubricant oil onto precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid onto the substrate or a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali to etch the substrate may be employed.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Printer as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus, 14 ... Cartridge holder as an example of a liquid container holder, 15 ... Ink cartridge as an example of a liquid container, 15B ... Black ink cartridge, 15C ... Color ink cartridge, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 17 ... Carriage, 19 ... Liquid ejection head, 20 ... Liquid supply device, 27 ... Liquid supply path, 29 ... Pump, 31 ... Suction side one way valve, 32 ... Discharge side one way valve, 33 ... As an example of differential pressure valve Choke valve, 35 ... flow path forming member, 39 ... recess for pump, 45 ... diaphragm, 50 ... recess on the discharge side, 55 ... third film member as an example of a flexible member, 56 ... fourth functioning as a movable part As an example of a film member, 57, 100, 101, 102, 103 ... discharge side valve body, 59 ... suction side valve body, 60 ... urging member Second coil spring, 68 ... through hole, 85 ... pump chamber, 87 ... discharge side valve chamber, 88 ... buffer chamber, 88B ... black buffer chamber, 88C ... color buffer chamber, X ... main scanning direction, Y ... depth Direction, Z ... Up and down direction.

Claims (5)

In order to mount the liquid container containing the liquid, the liquid container is disposed at a position corresponding to a carriage moving area that supports the liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid and reciprocates along the main scanning direction that intersects the vertical direction. A liquid container holder,
In the depth direction of the apparatus crossing the main scanning direction and the vertical direction, the liquid container holder is arranged in a row direction, and the suction operation for sucking the liquid housed in the liquid container and the sucked liquid is the liquid. A pump that performs a discharge operation for discharging toward the ejection head side;
A liquid supply apparatus comprising: a buffer chamber that is arranged in line with the liquid container holder in the main scanning direction and temporarily stores the liquid discharged from the pump. The liquid container holder is a cartridge holder in which a black ink cartridge containing black ink and a color ink cartridge containing color ink are detachably mounted, and the pump and the buffer chamber include ink of each color A plurality are provided to correspond to
2. The black buffer chamber, which is the buffer chamber for storing the black ink, has a storage capacity larger than that of the color buffer chamber, which is the buffer chamber for storing the color ink. The liquid supply apparatus according to 1.   3. The liquid supply according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge holder and the buffer chambers are disposed above the moving region, and the black buffer chamber is disposed above the color buffer chamber. apparatus. A plurality of the color ink cartridges containing the color inks of different colors are attached to the cartridge holder,
4. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the color buffer chambers are provided corresponding to the respective color inks, and are arranged so as to be aligned in the main scanning direction. 5. A liquid ejecting head for ejecting liquid;
A carriage that supports the liquid ejecting head and reciprocates along the main scanning direction;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: the liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1.

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