JP2012187708A - Container holder and liquid ejecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container holder that can properly hold a liquid container, and to provide a liquid ejecting device including such the container holder.SOLUTION: The container holder includes: a holder body 34 to which an ink cartridge 14 for storing ink is mounted by being moved along a front-rear direction crossing a vertical direction; a protrusion 42 abutting on a front end of the ink cartridge 14 from a vertically lower side while the ink cartridge is mounted to the holder body 34; a pin 70 (and positioning pins 54a, 54b) abutting on a rear end of the ink cartridge 14 from a lower side in a vertical direction; and a non-abutment part 41a that is provided between the protrusion 42 and the pin 70 (and positioning pins 54a, 54b), and is in a positioning state unable to abutting to the ink cartridge 14 that is in a state mounted to the holder body 34, from a lower side.

Description

  The present invention relates to a container holder in which a liquid container that contains a liquid is detachably mounted, and a liquid ejecting apparatus including such a container holder.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet printers are widely known as one of liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid onto a recording medium (target). In this printer, printing is performed by ejecting ink (liquid) supplied from an ink cartridge (liquid container) to a recording medium from nozzles formed in a recording head (liquid ejecting head).

  In such a printer, recently, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, an ink cartridge is inserted into and removed from an insertion / extraction opening provided on one side surface of a cartridge holder (container holder). A device that is detachably attached to the device is known. That is, in this printer, the ink cartridge is inserted into the insertion / extraction port of the cartridge holder at the end on the side where the needle insertion port for inserting the ink supply needle (liquid outlet) provided in the inner part of the cartridge holder is formed. By being pushed inward in the state, the ink supply needle is inserted into the needle insertion port.

JP 2006-116793 A

  By the way, when the cartridge holder is formed of resin, the weight can be reduced as compared with the case of using metal. However, for example, when a guide portion or the like that guides the ink cartridge in which the end portion is inserted into the insertion / extraction opening to move along the insertion / extraction direction is formed of a resin, warping may occur. . When an external force is applied to the ink cartridge in a state where the convex portion formed by the warp of the guide portion and one side surface of the ink cartridge facing the guide portion are in contact, the ink cartridge is supported with the convex portion as a fulcrum. There is a possibility that the ink cartridge is inclined in an unintended direction and the ink cartridge cannot be properly mounted on the cartridge holder. In addition, even after mounting, the ink cartridge is tilted with the convex portion as a fulcrum, so that ink supply through the ink supply needle cannot be satisfactorily made, the contact of the connection terminal cannot be taken, and a lock mechanism, etc. There is a risk of problems such as failure to contact with the device.

  The present invention has been made in view of at least one of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a container holder capable of appropriately mounting a liquid container and a liquid ejecting apparatus including such a container holder. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the container holder of the present invention includes a mounting portion on which a liquid container for storing a liquid moves and is mounted along an insertion / extraction direction intersecting the vertical direction, and a state in which the liquid holder is mounted on the mounting portion A first abutting portion that abuts from the lower side in the vertical direction to one end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container, and an other end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container that is attached to the attachment portion. The second abutting portion that abuts from below in the vertical direction, and the first abutting portion and the second abutting portion in the insertion / extraction direction, and is mounted on the mounting portion. And a non-contact portion that is in a position in which the liquid container cannot be contacted from below in the vertical direction.

  According to this configuration, in the state in which the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, the one end side in the insertion / extraction direction and the other end side which is the opposite side are formed by the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the container holder. Abutted from below in the vertical direction and supported. At this time, the non-contact portion between the first contact portion and the other second contact portion in the insertion / extraction direction in the mounting portion does not contact the liquid container, and does not contact the liquid container. A gap is secured in the vertical direction. Therefore, even when the mounting part is made of a material that is likely to warp, the possibility that the convex part formed so that the top part is convex due to the warping will come into contact with the liquid container from below is reduced. It is possible to suppress an unintended inclination of the liquid container using the convex portion as a fulcrum. Therefore, even when the mounting portion is warped, the convex portion accompanying the warp is formed in a non-contact portion where a gap is secured between the liquid container and the convex portion. The liquid container can be appropriately mounted while suppressing contact between the portion and the liquid container. That is, it is possible to appropriately attach the liquid container to the attachment portion at the time of attachment, and it is possible to suppress attachment failure due to the inclination of the liquid container that is still attached to the attachment portion even after attachment.

  In the container holder of the present invention, the first contact portion is a side that is first inserted into the mounting portion when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container. It is formed in the position which supports the opposite side.

  According to this configuration, the first abutting portion of the container holder is inserted into the mounting portion first at the one end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container in a state of being mounted on the mounting portion, that is, when mounted on the mounting portion. Since it is formed so as to support the end opposite to the side, it is more convex than the case where it is formed so as to support the part on the other end side in the insertion / extraction direction from that end. An area where contact between the liquid container and the liquid container can be suppressed can be expanded in the insertion / extraction direction. Accordingly, it is possible to further suppress an unintended inclination of the liquid container when the mounting portion is warped.

  The container holder of the present invention is a recess formed on a surface that is first inserted into the mounting portion when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion in the insertion / extraction direction. For the purpose of alignment, the projection further includes a projecting portion that can be inserted and removed along the insertion / removal direction, and the second contact portion is configured by the projection.

  According to this configuration, when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, the convex portion is positioned by inserting the convex portion into the concave portion, while the convex portion is vertically below the inner peripheral surface of the concave portion. By abutting, the liquid container can be appropriately supported in cooperation with the first abutting portion.

  In the container holder of the present invention, the concave portion has an upper concave portion and a lower concave portion that form a pair in the vertical direction in a state where the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, while the convex portion corresponds to the upper concave portion. It has a lower convex part corresponding to the upper convex part and the lower concave part, and the second convex part is constituted by the upper convex part.

  According to this configuration, when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, it is possible to accurately align the upper and lower convex portions by inserting the upper and lower convex portions that are also paired with the upper and lower convex portions, respectively. Makes contact with the inner peripheral surface of the upper concave portion from the lower side in the vertical direction, thereby supporting the liquid container in cooperation with the first contact portion.

  In the container holder of the present invention, the concave portion has an upper concave portion and a lower concave portion that form a pair in the vertical direction in a state where the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, while the convex portion corresponds to the upper concave portion. It has a lower convex part corresponding to the upper convex part and the lower concave part, and the second convex part is constituted by the lower convex part.

  According to this configuration, when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, it is possible to accurately align the upper and lower concave portions by inserting the upper and lower convex portions, respectively. When the portion comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the upper concave portion from the lower side in the vertical direction, the liquid container can be supported in cooperation with the first contact portion.

  The container holder of the present invention is engaged while moving forward and backward in the insertion / removal direction with respect to an engagement groove formed on a surface of the liquid container along the insertion / removal direction when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion. The pin portion further includes a pin portion that forms the second contact portion.

  According to this configuration, when the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion, the pin portion provided in the attachment portion moves forward and backward in the insertion / removal direction with respect to the engagement groove formed on the surface along the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container. Since the liquid container can be held in the mounting portion, the liquid container is supported in cooperation with the first contact portion by the pin portion coming into contact with the engagement groove from the lower side in the vertical direction. can do.

  The container holder according to the present invention has an abutting portion that is provided so as to be able to abut on the liquid container that is mounted on the mounting portion in a vertical direction from the side opposite to the second abutting portion. Further, at least one of the opposite contact portion and the second contact portion is biased to the other side in the vertical direction.

  According to this configuration, the liquid container is supported while the other end side in the insertion / extraction direction is sandwiched from both sides in the vertical direction by the opposite contact portion and the second contact portion in a state where the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion. Therefore, the stable mounting state of the liquid container with respect to the mounting portion can be maintained.

  In the container holder of the present invention, the container holder further includes a connection portion connected to a terminal provided in the liquid container when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, and the opposite contact portion is configured by the connection portion. Is done.

According to this configuration, since the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion in a state where an unintended inclination is suppressed, the connection accuracy between the connection portion and the terminal can be improved.
The liquid ejecting apparatus of the present invention includes a container holder having the above-described configuration, a liquid lead-out unit that draws out liquid from the liquid container attached to the mounting unit, and a liquid led out from the liquid lead-out unit to the target A liquid ejecting head.

  According to this structure, there can exist an effect similar to said container holder.

1 is a perspective view of a printer in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printer with a main body case removed. The perspective view of a holder main body. The perspective view of a locking mechanism. The bottom view of a latch groove. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a holder body. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the holder body in the middle of mounting the ink cartridge.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the following description of the present specification, when referring to “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, “up-down direction”, the front-rear direction (insertion / removal direction) and the left-right direction (scanning direction) indicated by arrows in each figure ) And the vertical direction (vertical direction).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 11 as a liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet serial type printer, and includes a substantially square box-shaped main body case 12 that covers the entire apparatus. The main body case 12 includes a printing unit 13 that performs printing (recording) on a sheet P (see FIG. 2) as a target, and a plurality of (four in the present embodiment) located on the right side of the printing unit 13. And a cartridge holder 15 as a container holder to which an ink cartridge 14 as a liquid container is mounted. The ink cartridge 14 is inserted into the insertion / extraction port 15b from the front side with the lid 15a provided on the front surface of the cartridge holder 15 open, and is further pushed into the rear side to be attached to and detached from the cartridge holder 15. It is designed to be installed in a freely (insertable / removable) state.

  In addition, a paper feed cassette 17 in which a plurality of sheets P before printing are accommodated is detachably mounted in a storage recess 16 positioned below the printing unit 13 and opened forward. The paper P is fed (conveyed) from the paper feed cassette 17 into the printing unit 13 by a feeding device (not shown).

Next, the printing unit 13 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the printing unit 13 includes a frame 18 having a substantially rectangular box shape. A support base 19 that supports the paper P that is transported (feeded) from the rear side in the transport direction (feeding direction) to the front is extended in the left-right direction in the lower portion of the frame 18. Yes. Further, a bar-shaped guide shaft 20 parallel to the longitudinal direction (left-right direction) of the support table 19 is provided above the support table 19 in the frame 18. A carriage 21 is supported on the guide shaft 20 so as to be capable of reciprocating along the axial direction (scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction).

  A driving pulley 22 and a driven pulley 23 are rotatably supported at positions corresponding to both ends of the guide shaft 20 on the inner surface of the rear wall of the frame 18. An output shaft of a carriage motor 24 serving as a drive source when the carriage 21 is reciprocated is connected to the drive pulley 22, and an endless shape in which a part is connected to the carriage 21 between the pair of pulleys 22 and 23. The timing belt 25 is hung. Accordingly, the carriage 21 is moved in the left-right direction via the endless timing belt 25 by the driving force of the carriage motor 24 while being guided by the guide shaft 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a linear encoder provided in the frame 18 is provided with a tape 26 to be detected that is disposed on the inner surface side of the rear wall and extends in the left-right direction, and a detection unit (not shown) provided on the carriage 21. 28 is provided.

  The carriage 21 is connected to each ink cartridge 14 mounted on the cartridge holder 15 via a plurality of (for example, four) ink supply tubes (not shown) attached to the flexible wiring board 29. As shown in FIG. 2, a recording head as a liquid ejecting head to which ink (liquid) is supplied from each ink cartridge 14 via a flexible wiring board 29 or the like is provided on the lower surface side of the carriage 21 facing the support base 19. 30 is mounted. Then, ink droplets are ejected from a plurality of nozzles (not shown) opened on the lower surface (also referred to as “nozzle formation surface”) of the recording head 30 onto the paper P fed to the recording position on the support base 19. Printing is performed.

  Further, a home position area where the paper P is not fed is formed on the right side of the print area where the paper P is fed within the frame 18. In the home position area, a maintenance device 32 for performing various maintenance such as cleaning of the recording head 30 is provided.

Next, the cartridge holder 15 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, a holder main body 34 is disposed inside the cartridge holder 15 as a mounting portion that is substantially L-shaped in a side view when the front side is the front side. The holder main body 34 includes a substrate 35 formed of a resin material so as to form a rectangular shape in plan view from above, and a wall body 36 attached to the upper surface of the rear portion of the substrate 35.

  The substrate 35 is a mounting table for mounting the ink cartridges 14 side by side in the left-right direction when the ink cartridges 14 are inserted from the insertion / extraction openings 15b. On the substrate 35, a plurality of guide portions 39 are arranged along the insertion / extraction direction of the ink cartridge 14 (front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) so as to individually partition the mounting locations 38 a to 38 d of the ink cartridges 14. They are arranged to extend.

  The guide portion 39 includes a partition portion 40 formed to have a triangular shape in front view, and rail portions 41 formed on the left and right sides of the partition portion 40, and the partition portion 40 and the rail portion 41 are Each is formed to extend in the insertion / extraction direction. In other words, the mounting portions 38 a to 38 d are partitioned by the partition portions 40 on both sides in the left-right direction. The ink cartridges 14 mounted in the mounting locations 38a to 38d are arranged along the front-rear direction which is the insertion / removal direction in a state where both the left and right sides are supported by the rail portion 41 from the lower side during insertion and extraction. Moved.

  In addition, a protruding portion 42 as a first contact portion is formed at the front end of the rail portion 41 on the insertion / extraction port 15 b side so as to protrude upward from the middle portion of the rail portion 41. As shown in FIG. 6, when the ink cartridge 14 is inserted into the insertion / extraction port 15b from the front and further pushed back, the protrusion 42 is attached to each of the attachment locations 38a to 38d. The ink cartridge 14 comes into contact with the end 14a on the side of the insertion / extraction port 15b (the front side which is one end side) of the lower side surface 14d from the lower side in the vertical direction. On the other hand, in the rail portion 41, the height of the concave portion on the opposite side (the other end side) to the insertion / extraction opening 15 b in the front-rear direction (insertion / removal direction) than the protrusion 42 is set to be lower than the protrusion 42. Thus, the non-contact portion 41a is brought into a non-contact portion 41a that cannot be contacted from the lower side in the vertical direction with respect to the ink cartridge 14 mounted in the mounting portions 38a to 38d.

  Further, in the substrate 35, the ink is engaged with a positioning claw portion 44 (see FIG. 4) formed on the lower side surface 14 d of the ink cartridge 14 in the left-right direction at a position behind the guide portion 39. A positioning portion 45 for positioning the cartridge 14 in the left-right direction is provided.

  On the other hand, the wall body 36 is attached to the substrate 35 so as to form an opening on the front side, and includes a right wall portion 36a, a left wall portion 36b, a rear wall portion 36c (see FIG. 6), and each of these. An upper wall portion 36d that is supported by the upper ends of the wall portions 36a, 36b, and 36c and faces the substrate 35 is provided. The right wall portion 36a and the left wall portion 36b support the upper wall portion 36d at a height position slightly above the upper side surface 14c of the ink cartridge 14 mounted at each of the mounting locations 38a to 38d.

  Then, on the lower surface of the upper wall portion 36d, as shown in FIG. 6, when the ink cartridges 14 are respectively mounted in the mounting locations 38a to 38d, the insertion ports 15b on the upper side surfaces 14c of the ink cartridges 14 are opposite to each other. A connection portion (opposite side contact portion) 48 is provided which contacts and is electrically connected to the terminal 47 attached to the rear end portion which is the side (the other end side).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an engagement claw (not shown) formed on the upper side surface 14c of the ink cartridge 14 is provided at a position ahead of the position where the connection portion 48 is provided in the upper wall portion 36d. A rectangular top plate 51 on which an engaging portion 50 that can be engaged is formed is attached. The ink cartridge 14 is formed with engaging claws having different shapes depending on the color (type) of ink stored in the ink cartridge 14. For this reason, the top plate 51 is formed with engaging portions 50 at intervals that can be engaged with the engaging claws of the ink cartridges 14 to be mounted at the mounting positions 38a to 38d. Wearing is suppressed. Even when the ink cartridge 14 is inserted upside down, the positioning claw portion 44 and the engaging claw formed on the ink cartridge 14 and the positioning portion 45 and the engaging portion 50 formed on the holder main body 34 Incorrect mounting of the ink cartridge 14 upside down is obstructed.

  In the rear portion on the substrate 35, the plate-like slide plate 53 extending in the vertical direction is urged forward by a spring (not shown) at the front position of the rear wall portion 36c for each of the mounting locations 38a to 38d. The cartridge 14 is slidably mounted in the insertion / extraction direction (front-rear direction). That is, when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34, the slide plate 53 is pushed backward by the front end surface 14b (see FIG. 6) inserted first among the side surfaces of the ink cartridge 14. When the ink cartridge 14 is removed, the ink cartridge 14 is moved forward by the biasing force of the spring.

  The slide plate 53 has a pair of upper and lower insertion holes 55 through which a pair of upper and lower alignment pins (convex portions) 54a and 54b projecting forward from the rear wall portion 36c are inserted. A through hole 57 through which an ink supply needle 56 as a liquid lead-out portion is inserted is formed at a position between both the insertion holes 55 in the vertical direction.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the ink cartridge 14 is attached to the attachment locations 38 a to 38 d of the holder main body 34, the slide plate 53 pressed against the ink cartridge 14 moves rearward to adjust each position. The pins 54 a and 54 b are inserted into and engaged with a pair of alignment holes (recesses) 59 a and 59 b formed in the front end surface 14 b of the ink cartridge 14. Incidentally, the pair of alignment holes 59a, 59b is formed such that the upper alignment hole 59a on the upper side in the state where each ink cartridge 14 is mounted in the mounting positions 38a to 38d is a circular hole, while the lower side on the lower side. The alignment hole 59b is a long hole. In the state where the ink cartridge 14 is mounted in the mounting locations 38a to 38d, at least the upper alignment pin 54a of the pair of upper and lower alignment pins 54a and 54b with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the corresponding upper alignment hole 59a. Thus, the ink cartridge 14 is supported from the lower side in the vertical direction in cooperation with the protruding portion 42 of the rail portion 41.

  Further, the ink supply needle 56 is inserted into a needle insertion hole 60 formed in the front end surface 14 b of the ink cartridge 14. The front end surface 14b of the ink cartridge 14 is a rear surface that is inserted first when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34. An ink supply tube is connected to the proximal end (rear end) of the ink supply needle 56 so that ink drawn from the ink cartridge 14 via the ink supply needle 56 is supplied to the recording head 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, at a position between the substrate 35 and the slide plate 53, there is a latch groove (engagement groove) 62 formed at a position closer to the rear side on the lower side surface 14 d of the ink cartridge 14. A lock mechanism 64 that restricts the movement of the ink cartridge 14 in the insertion / extraction direction by being engaged is provided.

  The lock mechanism 64 includes a lock lever 65, a first spring 66 that urges the lock lever 65 upward in the vertical direction (vertical direction), and a counterclockwise direction when the lock lever 65 is viewed from below. And a second spring 67 urging toward the left direction. The lock lever 65 can also function as an arm portion 69 that can swing around a shaft 68 and a second contact portion that is formed to protrude upward at the tip position of the arm portion 69. The rocking range is restricted by a stopper 71 formed on the rear wall 36c.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the latch groove 62 includes a first groove 62 a to a fifth groove 62 e that are continuous in a circular shape. However, in the following description, when referring to the “front-rear direction”, “left-right direction”, and “up-down direction” of the latch groove 62, the conveyance of the paper P is based on the state in which the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder body 34. It is assumed that the front-rear direction, which is also the direction (feeding direction), matches the insertion / extraction direction of the ink cartridge 14.

First, the first groove 62a is formed along the front-rear direction, and has a rearwardly inclined surface 73 so that the depth of the groove at the front end is shallower than the depth of the groove at the rear end. Yes.
The second groove 62b has a left rear end communicating with the front end of the first groove 62a, and a straight groove portion from the left rear end toward the right front end is formed obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction. . Further, a part of the second groove 62b is a slope 74 that is slanted to the right front and lower so that the depth of the groove at the right front end is deeper than that of the left rear end. Note that the depth of the left rear end of the second groove 62b coincides with the depth of the front end of the first groove 62a.

  Further, the right end of the third groove 62c communicates with the right front end of the second groove 62b, and is formed along the left-right direction. The fourth groove 62d has a substantially L shape in bottom view in which the right end communicates with the left end of the third groove 62c, and is formed along the left-right direction at a position rearward of the third groove 62c. And the left end side is formed along the front-rear direction. The depths of the third groove 62c and the fourth groove 62d coincide with the depth of the right front end of the second groove 62b.

  The front end of the fifth groove 62e communicates with the left end of the fourth groove 62d, is formed along the front-rear direction, and the depth of the groove at the rear end is shallower than that of the front end. A part of the slope 75 has a downward slope. Note that the depth of the rear end of the fifth groove 62e is shallower than the depth of the first groove 62a. Therefore, a stepped portion 76 is formed between the rear end of the fifth groove 62e and the first groove 62a.

Next, the operation of the lock mechanism 64 when the ink cartridge 14 is inserted into and removed from the cartridge holder 15 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the pin portion 70 enters the latch groove 62 as the ink cartridge 14 is pushed into the holder main body 34, the pin portion 70 is moved to the first by the urging force of the second spring 67. The groove 62a is moved along the stepped portion 76 located on the left side (position A shown in FIG. 5). Further, since the first groove 62 a has a rearwardly inclined surface 73, the pin portion 70 gradually pushes the ink cartridge 14 upward in the vertical direction (vertical direction) by the urging force of the first spring 66. It moves forward in the first groove 62a.

  When the ink cartridge 14 is further pushed into the holder main body 34 and moved rearward, the pin portion 70 moves relative to the front in the latch groove 62. That is, the pin portion 70 moves from the left rear end to the right front end of the second groove 62b after moving the first groove 62a along the stepped portion 76 to the front end (position B shown in FIG. 5). ), Moves to the left end of the third groove 62c and stops (position C shown in FIG. 5).

  At this time, the ink cartridge 14 is inserted so as to press and contract a spring (not shown) that urges the slide plate 53 forward. Accordingly, when the pushing of the ink cartridge 14 is released, the ink cartridge 14 moves forward together with the slide plate 53. Therefore, the pin portion 70 positioned at the C position moves rearward relative to the ink cartridge 14 and moves leftward by the urging force of the second spring 67 (D position shown in FIG. 5). At this time, the pin portion 70 is locked in the fourth groove 62d, so that the forward movement of the ink cartridge 14 is restricted, that is, the ink cartridge 14 is locked to the holder main body 34. .

  Further, in this state, when the ink cartridge 14 is again pushed into the holder main body 34 and moves backward, the pin portion 70 moves forward relative to the latch groove 62 and is also urged by the urging force of the second spring 67. Move to the left (position E in FIG. 5). Thereafter, when the push-in of the ink cartridge 14 is released, the ink cartridge 14 is pressed forward by the slide plate 53, so that the pin portion 70 moves rearward relative to the latch groove 62. That is, the pin portion 70 moves rearward in the fifth groove 62e (F position in FIG. 5).

  The lock lever 65 is biased upward by the first spring 66. Therefore, when the pin portion 70 moves to the rear end of the fifth groove 62e, the pin portion 70 moves over the step portion 76 to the first groove 62a located above the rear end (position A shown in FIG. 5). Therefore, the ink cartridge 14 is in a state where the forward movement from the holder main body 34 is released and the ink cartridge 14 can be extracted, that is, the lock is released.

  Next, with respect to the printer 11 configured as described above, the operation when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder body 34 in which the warp with the upper side protruding on the substrate 35 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. . However, in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the positional relationship between the convex part 78 formed with the warp of the substrate 35, the projecting part 42 serving as the one end side support part and the other end side support part, and the pin part 70 is shown. It is shown with emphasis.

  Now, as shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge 14 pushed in by the user from the insertion / extraction opening 15b is slidably brought into contact with the rail portion 41 of the guide portion 39 at the rear end portion of the lower side surface 14d. Move toward the back, which is the inner depth side. In the ink cartridge 14, the alignment pins 54a and 54b are respectively inserted into the alignment holes 59a and 59b formed in the front end surface 14b in a state in which the lateral displacement is suppressed by the partition portion 40 and the positioning portion 45. Plugged in. That is, the ink cartridge 14 is inserted into the corresponding alignment holes 59a and 59b, and the alignment pins 54a and 54a are in contact with the inner peripheral surfaces of the alignment holes 59a and 59b from the lower side in the vertical direction. The ink supply needle 56 is inserted into the needle insertion hole 60 in a state where the ink supply needle 56 is positioned in the vertical direction by the b.

  At this time, the ink cartridge 14 is inserted in a tilted state such that the front end side (rear side) inserted earlier is lower in the vertical direction than the rear end side (front side). However, there is no problem even if the posture of the ink cartridge 14 in the middle of insertion is inclined, and after that, when the ink cartridge 14 is moved further rearward and has been attached to the holder main body 34, the lower side surface 14d of the ink cartridge 14 is reached. As long as the contact of the convex part 78 formed with the warp of the substrate 35 is suppressed.

  In addition, when the ink cartridge 14 is shifted from the state shown in FIG. 7 to the attached state as shown in FIG. 6 as described above, the lock mechanism 64 causes the pin portion 70 to enter the latch groove 62 and the first The ink cartridge 14 is biased upward by the biasing force of the spring 66. In the mounted state shown in FIG. 6, the ink cartridge 14 is biased by the first spring 66 between the pin portion 70 and the connection portion (opposite contact portion) 48 positioned on the opposite side in the vertical direction. Is sandwiched from both sides in the vertical direction. In the mounted state shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 42 and the pin 70 that respectively support the front and rear ends of the ink cartridge 14 from the lower side are the protrusion 42 and the pin in the front-rear direction of the substrate 35 of the holder body 34. 70, that is, located above the convex portion 78 formed by warping the concave non-contact portion 41 a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the convex portion 78 does not come into contact with the lower side surface 14 d of the ink cartridge 14 in a state of being mounted at the mounting locations 38 a to 38 d, and the convex portion 78 and the ink cartridge 14 are not contacted. A gap 79 is secured between the lower side surface 14d and the lower side surface 14d. Therefore, the ink cartridge 14 has a first protrusion portion 42 as a first contact portion that contacts the lower side surface 14d at a position higher in the vertical direction than the convex portion 78 formed by the warp of the substrate 35, and the pin portion 70 uses the first protrusion portion 42 as a fulcrum. The terminal 47 provided on the upper side surface 14 c is pressed against the connecting portion 48 by rotating in the clockwise direction in FIG. 6 (FIG. 7) by the pushing force based on the urging force of the first spring 66.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) When the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34, the front end side (one end side) that is the insertion / extraction port 15b side in the insertion / extraction direction (front-rear direction) and the rear end side (the other end side) that is the opposite side. Is abutted and supported from below in the vertical direction by a first abutting portion provided at one end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the cartridge holder 15 and a second abutting portion provided at the other end side. In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 42 that protrudes upward from the front end portion of the rail portion 41 functions as a first contact portion, and a pair of upper and lower alignment pins 54 a and 54 b and a pin portion 70 of the lock mechanism 64. At least one of these functions as a second contact portion. At that time, the non-contact between the first contact portion (projecting portion 42) and the second contact portion (respective alignment pins 54a, 54b, pin portion 70) in the front-rear direction of the holder main body 34 is performed. The portion 41 a does not come into contact with the ink cartridge 14, and a gap 79 is secured in the vertical direction between the portion 41 a and the ink cartridge 14. Therefore, even when the holder main body 34 is formed of a material that is likely to be warped, the convex portion 78 formed so that the top portion thereof becomes convex comes into contact with the ink cartridge 14 from the lower side as the warpage occurs. The fear can be reduced, and the unintended inclination of the ink cartridge 14 using the convex portion 78 as a fulcrum can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the holder main body 34 is warped, the convex portion 78 accompanying the warp is formed in the non-contact portion 41a in which the gap 79 is secured between the ink cartridge 14 and the convex portion 78. The ink cartridge 14 can be appropriately mounted while suppressing the contact between the convex portion 78 and the ink cartridge 14. That is, the ink cartridge 14 can be appropriately mounted on the mounting locations 38a to 38d at the time of mounting, and the mounting failure due to the inclination of the ink cartridge 14 that is still mounted on the mounting locations 38a to 38d can be suppressed. it can.

  (2) When the cartridge holder 15 is mounted on the insertion / extraction port 15b side (front side) in the insertion / extraction direction of the ink cartridge 14 in the state where the protruding portion 42 of the cartridge holder 15 is mounted on the holder main body 34, that is, when the cartridge is mounted on the mounting positions It forms so that the edge part 14a on the opposite side to the side inserted previously into 38a-38d may be supported from lower side. Therefore, the convex portion 78 and the ink cartridge 14 are compared with the case where the end portion 14a is formed so as to support the side (rear side) opposite to the insertion / extraction port 15b in the front / rear direction (insertion / removal direction). A region where contact with the surface can be suppressed can be expanded in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the unintended inclination of the ink cartridge 14 when the holder main body 34 is warped can be further suppressed.

  (3) When the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34, the rear end side (the other end side) of the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction (insertion / extraction direction) is the connection portion (opposite contact portion) 48. It is supported while being sandwiched from both sides in the vertical direction by the second contact portion (the respective alignment pins 54a and 54b, the pin portion 70). Therefore, a stable mounting state of the ink cartridge 14 with respect to the holder body 34 can be maintained.

(4) Since the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34 in a state where an unintended inclination is suppressed, the connection accuracy between the connection portion 48 and the terminal 47 can be improved.
In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.

  In the above embodiment, if the ink cartridge 14 can be connected to the terminal 47 provided on the ink cartridge 14 when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34, the connection portion 48 is connected to the upper wall portion 36 d of the wall body 36. You may make it provide not only in arbitrary positions. Further, the holder main body 34 may not be provided with the connection portion 48.

  In the above embodiment, the ink cartridge 14 may be formed with a latch groove on any one of the right side surface, the left side surface, the front end surface 14b, and the upper side surface 14c in a state where the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34. The lock mechanism 64 may be provided so that the pin portion 70 enters the latch groove when the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder main body 34. In addition, the lock mechanism 64 may be omitted.

  In the above embodiment, the protruding portion 42 as the first abutting portion is from a midway portion (intermediate position) in the insertion / extraction direction (front-rear direction) of the ink cartridge 14 in a state where the ink cartridge 14 is mounted on the holder body 34 May be provided on the insertion / extraction port 15b side (front side). That is, the position of the ink cartridge 14 supported by the protruding portion 42 is not limited to the end portion 14a on the insertion / extraction port 15b side (front side) of the lower side surface 14d. Further, the protruding portion 42 as the first contact portion may be formed to have a height higher than that of the rail portion 41 by forming the rail portion 41 in a concave shape. Furthermore, the first contact portion may be formed in the concave portion between the rail portion 41 and the rail portion 41 in each of the mounting locations 38a to 38d.

  In the above embodiment, the second contact portion engages with the upper alignment pin 54a corresponding to the upper alignment hole 59a, the lower alignment pin 54b corresponding to the lower alignment hole 59b, and the latch groove 62. What is necessary is just to be comprised by at least 1 of the pin parts 70 to do.

  In the above embodiment, the holder main body 34 of the ink jet printer 11 is embodied, but the present invention can also be applied to a container holder to which a liquid container for storing a liquid used in other apparatuses is mounted. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the liquid ejecting apparatus provided with the container holder is embodied in the ink jet printer 11, but may be embodied in a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink. The present invention 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 a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid 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, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile 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. The present invention can be applied to any one of these liquid ejecting apparatuses.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Printer (liquid ejecting apparatus), 14 ... Ink cartridge (liquid container), 14a ... End part, 15 ... Cartridge holder (container holder), 30 ... Recording head (liquid ejecting head), 34 ... Holder main body (mounting part) , 41a ... non-contact portion, 42 ... protrusion (first contact portion), 47 ... terminal, 48 ... connection portion (opposite contact portion), 54a ... upper alignment pin (upper convex portion, second contact portion) Contact portion), 54b ... lower alignment pin (lower convex portion, second contact portion), 56 ... ink supply needle (liquid outlet portion), 59a ... upper alignment hole (upper concave portion), 59b ... lower side Positioning hole (lower recess), 70... Pin part (second contact part).

Claims (9)

A mounting part in which a liquid container containing liquid moves and is mounted along the insertion / extraction direction intersecting the vertical direction;
A first abutting portion that abuts from the lower side in the vertical direction to one end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container in a state of being mounted on the mounting portion;
A second abutting portion that abuts from the lower side in the vertical direction to the other end side in the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container in a state of being mounted on the mounting portion;
It is provided between the first contact part and the second contact part in the insertion / extraction direction, and cannot contact the liquid container in a state of being attached to the attachment part from below in the vertical direction. A non-abutting portion that is in a state of being positioned;
A container holder comprising: The first abutting portion is an end portion opposite to a side that is first inserted into the mounting portion when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion in the insertion / extraction direction. The container holder according to claim 1, wherein the container holder is formed at a position that supports the container. For positioning with respect to the recess formed on the surface that is first inserted into the mounting portion when the liquid container that is mounted on the mounting portion is mounted on the mounting portion in the insertion / extraction direction. The container according to claim 1, further comprising a convex portion protruding so as to be insertable / removable along the insertion / extraction direction, wherein the second abutting portion is configured by the convex portion. holder. The concave portion has an upper concave portion and a lower concave portion that are paired up and down in a state where the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, while the convex portion includes an upper convex portion and a lower side corresponding to the upper concave portion. The container holder according to claim 3, wherein the container holder has a lower convex portion corresponding to the concave portion, and the second convex portion is constituted by the upper convex portion. The concave portion has an upper concave portion and a lower concave portion that are paired up and down in a state where the liquid container is mounted on the mounting portion, while the convex portion includes an upper convex portion and a lower side corresponding to the upper concave portion. The container holder according to claim 3, wherein the container holder has a lower convex portion corresponding to the concave portion, and the second convex portion is constituted by the lower convex portion. A pin portion that engages with an engagement groove formed on a surface along the insertion / extraction direction of the liquid container when the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion while moving forward / backward in the insertion / extraction direction; The container holder according to claim 1, wherein the second contact portion is configured by the pin portion. Further comprising an opposite contact portion provided so as to be able to contact from the opposite side of the second contact portion in the vertical direction with respect to the liquid container mounted on the mounting portion,
The at least one of the opposite-side contact portion and the second contact portion is biased to the other side in the vertical direction, according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Container holder. The liquid container further includes a connection portion connected to a terminal provided in the liquid container when the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion, and the opposite-side contact portion is configured by the connection portion. The container holder according to claim 7. The container holder according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A liquid lead-out portion for drawing liquid from the liquid container attached to the attachment portion;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid derived from the liquid deriving unit to a target.

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