JP2014083759A - Detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the reliability of a detection device.SOLUTION: A detection device includes: a film 109 which displaces according to the pressure in a cavity 113; a spring 103 which is provided in the cavity 113 and energizes the film 109 from the inside of the cavity 113; and a lever 111 which is provided at a position overlapping with the film 109 on the side opposite to the cavity 113 side of the film 109, is energized by the spring 103 through the film 109, and is rotated according to the displacement of the film 109. The lever 111 is provided with a bearing hole 141 engaged with a shaft part 151 serving as a fulcrum of rotation, and a clearance is provided between the bearing hole 141 and the shaft part 151.

Description

The present invention relates to a detection device and the like.

Conventionally, as a detection device for detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the liquid storage part, a cavity that constitutes a part of the flow path of the liquid, a film that seals the opening provided in the cavity, and the inside of the cavity One having a spring that biases the film outward and a lever that contacts the film from the outside of the cavity and operates as an amplified movement of the film is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

International Publication No. 2012/077290 Pamphlet

In the detection device described in Patent Document 1, the lever is configured to be rotatable about a shaft (hereinafter referred to as a rotation shaft) provided outside the cavity. The lever is provided with a hole that fits into the rotating shaft. In such a configuration, for example, when an impact is applied to the detection device due to dropping or the like, an impact force acts on the rotating shaft via the lever. Thereby, it is conceivable that the lever is detached from the rotation shaft or the rotation shaft is broken. When this occurs, the detection function is impaired. There are various types of liquids. Depending on the type of liquid, it may be difficult to use the film in common from the viewpoint of, for example, solubility resistance. For this reason, it is necessary to change the kind and structure of a film according to the kind of liquid. When the type and configuration of the film changes, the rigidity of the film may also change. When the rigidity of the film changes, the sensitivity for detection changes. That is, it is conceivable that the remaining amount that can be detected differs depending on the type of liquid, or the detection itself cannot be performed. As described above, the conventional detection device has a problem that it is difficult to improve reliability.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.

Application Example 1 An opening provided in the middle of the flow path of the liquid from a liquid storage section that stores a liquid to a supply port that supplies the liquid in the liquid storage section to the outside, and opens toward the outside A cavity that closes the opening and displaces according to the pressure in the cavity, and is provided in the cavity, and the diaphragm is moved from the inside of the cavity toward the outside of the opening. A biasing member for biasing is provided at a position overlapping the diaphragm on the side opposite to the cavity side of the diaphragm, biased by the biasing member via the diaphragm, and in response to displacement of the diaphragm A lever that rotates, and the lever is provided with either one of a protrusion serving as a pivot for rotation and a hole that fits into the protrusion. And the other of the protrusion and the hole is provided outside the cavity, and a gap is provided between the hole and the protrusion. .

In the detection device of this application example, a gap is provided between a protrusion that is a pivot point of the lever and a hole that fits into the protrusion. For this reason, for example, when an impact is applied to the lever, the lever can move by an amount corresponding to the gap between the hole and the protrusion. Since the impact force is weakened by the movement of the lever, it is possible to reduce the impact force acting on the holes and protrusions and to avoid the impact force acting on the holes and protrusions. Thereby, it is easy to avoid that the detection function in a detection apparatus is impaired. As a result, it is possible to easily improve the reliability of the detection device.

Application Example 2 In the above detection device, the gap along the biasing direction by the biasing member is larger than the gap along the direction intersecting the biasing direction. A detection device characterized by.

In this application example, among the gaps between the hole and the protrusion, the gap along the biasing direction by the biasing member is larger than the gap along the direction intersecting with the biasing direction. For this reason, since the dispersion | variation in the distance between the fulcrum of rotation and the biasing position of a lever can be reduced, the dispersion | variation in lever ratio can be reduced. As a result, variation in detection can be reduced.

Application Example 3 In the detection device described above, the detection device includes a base portion provided with the cavity, and a gap between the base portion and the lever is larger than the gap between the hole and the protrusion. A detection device characterized by being small.

In this application example, since the gap between the base and the lever is smaller than the gap between the hole and the protrusion, for example, when the lever is moved by an impact, before the hole and the protrusion collide with each other, The lever is braked by the base. For this reason, since it is easy to avoid that an impact force acts on a hole and a protrusion, it is easy to avoid that the detection function in a detection apparatus is impaired. As a result, it is possible to easily improve the reliability of the detection device.

Application Example 4 In the detection device described above, the diaphragm is joined to the cavity in an initially bent state from the edge of the opening of the cavity toward the back side of the cavity. A detecting device characterized by that.

In this application example, since the diaphragm is initially bent and joined to the cavity, it is possible to easily match the detection sensitivity between the diaphragm types even if the diaphragm types are different. As a result, it is possible to easily improve the reliability of the detection device.

Application Example 5 In the above detection device, the liquid is an aqueous liquid, and the diaphragm includes a polyethylene layer having a thickness of 40 μm, an adhesive layer having a thickness of 3 μm, a printed layer having a thickness of 5 μm, And having a configuration in which a vapor-deposited polyethylene terephthalate layer having a thickness of 12 μm is laminated, and the diaphragm is bent by 0.17 mm from the edge of the opening of the cavity toward the back of the cavity. The detection device is joined to the cavity.

In this application example, the sensitivity of detection with respect to an aqueous liquid can be made equal to the sensitivity of detection with respect to other types of liquid.

Application Example 6 In the above detection device, the liquid is a solvent-based liquid, and the diaphragm includes a nylon layer having a thickness of 30 μm, an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer layer having a thickness of 4 μm, and a thickness. The diaphragm is formed by laminating a 46 μm polyethylene layer, and the diaphragm is bent by 0.6 mm from the edge of the opening of the cavity toward the back side of the cavity. A detection device characterized by being joined to a tee.

In this application example, the detection sensitivity with respect to the solvent-based liquid can be matched with the detection sensitivity with respect to other types of liquid.

Application Example 7 In the detection device described above, a bank having an inclined surface inclined with respect to the diaphragm from the opening side toward the back side of the cavity is provided in the cavity. And the inclined surface is inclined from the inner edge side of the opening toward the inside of the opening as it goes from the opening to the inner side of the cavity. .

In this application example, since the bank is provided inside the cavity, the volume of the cavity can be reduced. Thereby, the amount of liquid remaining in the cavity can be reduced. In addition, since the bank is provided with an inclined surface, it is possible to prevent the movement of the diaphragm from being hindered by the bank.

Application Example 8 In the above-described detection device, the bank includes at least a part of an inner side wall of the cavity.

In this application example, since the bank constitutes at least a part of the inner side wall of the cavity, the volume of the cavity can be reduced as compared with the case where the bank is provided independently from the side wall. Thereby, the amount of liquid remaining in the cavity can be further reduced.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a main configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing a recording head in the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the cartridge in this embodiment. The disassembled perspective view which shows the cartridge in this embodiment. The disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the outline of the flow-path unit in this embodiment. Sectional drawing in the AA in FIG. The enlarged view of the cavity in FIG. The enlarged view of the cavity in FIG. The external view which shows the lever in this embodiment. The external view which shows the flow-path member in this embodiment. The external view which shows the flow-path unit in this embodiment. The figure explaining the residual amount detection method in this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the film applied to the water-system ink in this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the film applied to the solvent-type ink in this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows typically the bending of the film in this embodiment. The figure explaining the joining method of the film in this embodiment. The figure explaining the joining method of the film in this embodiment. The figure which shows the combination of the lever and flow-path member in this embodiment.

An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, taking an ink jet recording apparatus as one of liquid ejecting apparatuses as an example. In addition, in each drawing, in order to make each structure the size which can be recognized, the structure and the scale of a member may differ. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 in the present embodiment includes a transport device 3, a recording unit 5, a moving device 7, an ink supply unit 9, and a control unit 11. The conveying device 3 intermittently conveys a recording medium P such as recording paper in the sub-scanning direction in the figure. The recording unit 5 performs recording on the recording medium P conveyed by the conveying device 3 with ink. The moving device 7 reciprocates the recording unit 5 in the main scanning direction in the drawing. The ink supply unit 9 supplies ink to the recording unit 5. The control unit 11 controls the driving of each of the above components. In FIG. 1, for easy understanding, an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis that are orthogonal to each other are illustrated. XYZ axes that are orthogonal to each other are also attached to the drawings shown thereafter, as necessary. The XYZ axes in FIG. 1 correspond to the XYZ axes in the other drawings. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction corresponds to the X-axis direction, and the sub-scanning direction is Y.
Corresponds to the axial direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the transport device 3 includes a driving roller 12 a, a driven roller 12 b, and a transport motor 13. The driving roller 12a and the driven roller 12b are configured so as to be rotatable with each other in contact with the outer periphery. The conveyance motor 13 generates power for rotationally driving the drive roller 12a. The power from the transport motor 13 is transmitted to the drive roller 12a through the transmission mechanism. Then, the recording medium P sandwiched between the driving roller 12a and the driven roller 12b is intermittently conveyed in the sub scanning direction. The recording unit 5 includes four relay units 15, a carriage 17, and a recording head 19. The relay unit 15 relays the ink supplied from the ink supply unit 9 to the recording head 19. The recording head 19 performs recording on the recording medium P by ejecting ink as ink droplets. The carriage 17 has four relay units 15 and a recording head 19 mounted thereon.

Here, details of the recording head 19 will be described. The recording head 19 has a nozzle surface 21 as shown in FIG. 2 which is a bottom view. A plurality of nozzles 23 for ejecting ink droplets are formed on the nozzle surface 21. In FIG. 2, the nozzles 23 are exaggerated and the number of the nozzles 23 is reduced in order to clearly show the nozzles 23. In the recording head 19, the plurality of nozzles 23 form eight nozzle rows 25 arranged along the sub-scanning direction. The eight nozzle rows 25 are arranged in a state where there is a gap between them in the main scanning direction. In each nozzle row 25, the plurality of nozzles 23 are formed at a predetermined nozzle interval L along the sub-scanning direction. In the following, when each of the eight nozzle rows 25 is identified, the nozzle row 25a, the nozzle row 25b, the nozzle row 25c, the nozzle row 25d, the nozzle row 25e, the nozzle row 25f, the nozzle row 25g, and the nozzle row 25h The notation is used.

In the recording head 19, the nozzle row 25a and the nozzle row 25b are shifted from each other by a distance of L / 2 in the sub-scanning direction. The nozzle row 25c and the nozzle row 25d are also shifted from each other by a distance of L / 2 in the sub-scanning direction. Similarly, the nozzle row 25e and the nozzle row 25f are also shifted from each other by a distance of L / 2 in the sub-scanning direction, and the nozzle row 25g and the nozzle row 25h are also shifted from each other by a distance of L / 2 in the sub-scanning direction. . In the recording head 19, the eight nozzle rows 25 are divided for each ink type. In the present embodiment, the nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25a and the nozzle row 25b eject black (K) ink as ink droplets. The nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25c and the nozzle row 25d eject cyan (C) ink as ink droplets. The nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25e and the nozzle row 25f eject magenta (M) ink as ink droplets. The nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25g and the nozzle row 25h discharge yellow (Y) ink as ink droplets. The recording head 19 is connected to the control unit 11 through a flexible cable as shown in FIG. The ejection of ink droplets from the recording head 19 is controlled by the control unit 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the moving device 7 includes a timing belt 43, a carriage motor 45, and a guide shaft 47. The timing belt 43 is stretched between the pair of pulleys 41a and 41b. The pair of pulleys 41a and 41b are arranged along the main scanning direction. For this reason, the timing belt 43 is stretched along the main scanning direction. The carriage motor 45 generates power for rotationally driving the pulley 41a. The guide shaft 47 extends in the main scanning direction. Both ends of the guide shaft 47 are supported by a housing (not shown) and guide the carriage 17 in the main scanning direction. The carriage 17 is fixed to a part of the timing belt 43. Power is transmitted to the carriage 17 from the carriage motor 45 via the pulley 41 a and the timing belt 43. The carriage 17 is configured to reciprocate in the main scanning direction by the transmitted power.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply unit 9 includes four cartridges 51, a holder 53, and a pump unit 55. The holder 53 holds the four cartridges 51. The four cartridges 51 are configured to be detachable from the holder 53. Each cartridge 51 contains ink. The ink is accommodated in the cartridge 51 in a state of being sealed in an ink pack formed of a flexible sheet. In the ink jet recording apparatus 1, when the ink in the ink pack is consumed, it is replaced with a new cartridge 51.

The four cartridges 51 contain different types of ink. In the present embodiment, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) inks are stored in different cartridges 51, respectively. The cartridge 51Y contains an ink pack in which yellow ink is sealed. Similarly, an ink pack in which magenta ink is sealed is stored in the cartridge 51M, an ink pack in which cyan ink is sealed is stored in the cartridge 51C, and an ink pack in which black ink is sealed in the cartridge 51K. Is housed. Here, an ink supply tube 61 is connected to the ink pack in each cartridge 51. The ink supply tube 61 is connected to the relay unit 15 of the recording unit 5 on the side opposite to the cartridge 51 side. The pump unit 55 pumps up ink in the cartridge 51 attached to the holder 53. Then, the pump unit 55 sends the ink pumped from the cartridge 51 to the relay unit 15 via the ink tube. As a result, the ink in the cartridge 51 is supplied to the relay unit 15.

The ink supplied to the relay unit 15a is supplied from the relay unit 15a to the nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25a and the nozzle row 25b shown in FIG. The ink supplied to the relay unit 15b is supplied from the relay unit 15b to the nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25c and the nozzle row 25d. Similarly, the ink supplied to the relay unit 15c is supplied from the relay unit 15c to the nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25e and the nozzle row 25f. The ink supplied to the relay unit 15d is supplied from the relay unit 15d to the nozzles 23 belonging to the nozzle row 25g and the nozzle row 25h. In the ink jet recording apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the driving of the transport motor 13 is controlled by the control unit 11, and the transport apparatus 3 intermittently transports the recording medium P in the sub-scanning direction while facing the recording head 19. At this time, the control unit 11 controls the drive of the carriage motor 45 to control the drive of the recording head 19 while reciprocating the carriage 17 in the main scanning direction, thereby ejecting ink droplets at a predetermined position. With such an operation, dots are formed on the recording medium P, and recording is performed on the recording medium P based on recording information such as image data.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cartridge 51 includes a case 71, a lid 73, and a substrate 75. The case 71 is provided with a handle portion 77 and a rail portion 79. The user can grip the cartridge 51 by gripping the handle portion 77 when the cartridge 51 is attached to or detached from the holder 53 (FIG. 1). When the cartridge 51 is attached to the holder 53, it is inserted into the holder 53 from the lid 73 of the cartridge 51. At this time, the rail portion 79 of the cartridge 51 is inserted into a guide groove (not shown) of the holder 53, whereby the cartridge 51 is guided along the Y-axis direction in the holder 53.

The substrate 75 is provided on the lid 73. The substrate 75 is provided with a plurality of terminals. A storage device electrically connected to the terminals of the substrate is provided on the back side of the substrate 75. In the storage device, for example, information about ink stored in the cartridge 51 is recorded. A contact mechanism (not shown) is provided in the holder 53 (FIG. 1). The contact mechanism in the holder 53 is electrically connected to the control unit 11. When the cartridge 51 is mounted on the holder 53, the plurality of terminals of the substrate 75 abut on the contact mechanism in the holder 53. Thereby, information can be exchanged between the storage device provided on the substrate 75 and the control unit 11.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the cartridge 51 has an ink pack 81 and a flow path unit 83. The case 71 has a first case 71a and a second case 71b. When the first case 71 a and the second case 71 b are assembled as the case 71, a space is formed in the case 71. The ink pack 81 is accommodated in a space in the case 71. The ink pack 81 includes a sheet 81a and a sheet 81b. The sheet 81a and the sheet 81b are welded to each other in the peripheral region 85 in a state where they are overlapped with each other. Thereby, the ink pack 81 has a bag-like form. Ink is stored in the ink pack 81.

As the material of the sheet 81a and the sheet 81b, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, polyethylene, or the like can be employed. A laminated structure in which films made of these materials are laminated may also be employed. In such a laminated structure, for example, the outer layer can be made of PET or nylon having excellent impact resistance, and the inner layer can be made of polyethylene having excellent ink resistance. Furthermore, a film having a layer on which aluminum or the like is deposited may be employed. Thereby, gas barrier property can be improved.

The flow path unit 83 is sandwiched between the sheet 81 a and the sheet 81 b in the peripheral region 85. In the peripheral region 85, the flow path unit 83 and the sheet 81a are welded to each other. Similarly, in the peripheral region 85, the flow path unit 83 and the sheet 81b are welded to each other. The flow path unit 83 is provided with a supply pipe 87. The inside and the outside of the ink pack 81 communicate with each other through the supply pipe 87. In a state before the cartridge 51 is attached to the holder 53, the supply pipe 87 is blocked by the sealing film 89. Thereby, the inside of the ink pack 81 is kept sealed. The supply pipe 87 is exposed through an opening 91 provided in the lid 73. The lid 73 is provided with a recess 93. The substrate 75 is provided in the recess 93.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge 51 having the above configuration is inserted into the holder 53 along the Y-axis direction. A hollow needle (not shown) is provided in the holder 53 (FIG. 1). The hollow needle in the holder 53 communicates with the ink supply tube 61. When the cartridge 51 is mounted on the holder 53, the hollow needle in the holder 53 is inserted into the supply pipe 87 of the flow path unit 83 (FIG. 4). The sealing film 89 is broken by the hollow needle inserted into the supply pipe 87, and the inside and the outside of the ink pack 81 communicate with each other through the hollow needle. Accordingly, the ink pack 81 and the ink supply tube 61 (FIG. 1) communicate with each other, and the ink in the ink pack 81 can be supplied to the ink supply tube 61.

Details of the flow path unit 83 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the flow path unit 83 includes a flow path member 99, a spring 103, a check valve 105, a pressure receiving member 107, a film 109, and a lever 111. The flow path member 99 includes a base 101, a cavity 113, a stopper 115, and a supply pipe 87. The base 101 has a surface 101a directed to the opposite side to the ink pack 81 side (FIG. 4). A cavity 113, a stopper 115, and a supply pipe 87 are provided on the surface 101a so as to protrude from the surface 101a toward the side opposite to the ink pack 81 side. As shown in FIG. 6, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5, the cavity 113 and the supply pipe 87 communicate with each other through a flow path 119 provided on the surface 101a on the ink pack 81 side. The cavity 113 and the ink pack 81 communicate with each other through a flow path 121 provided on the surface 101a on the ink pack 81 side. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 121 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow path 119.

As shown in FIG. 7 which is an enlarged view of the cavity 113 in FIG. 6, the cavity 113 is surrounded by a bank 123 protruding from the surface 101a toward the side opposite to the flow path 119 side (ink pack 81 side). It is. The cavity 113 has a concave shape that is concave toward the surface 101 a in the region surrounded by the bank 123. In the cavity 113, an inflow port 125 and an outflow port 127 are provided. The ink in the ink pack 81 flows from the inlet 125 into the cavity 113 through the flow path 121. Further, the ink in the cavity 113 flows out from the outlet 127 to the supply pipe 87 through the flow path 119. In the present embodiment, the inner wall of the bank 123 constituting the concave cavity 113 is constituted by a conical slope 129. The inclined surface 129 is inclined in a direction from the inner edge 131 a side of the opening 131 toward the inner side of the opening 131 as it goes from the opening 131 side of the cavity 113 to the inner side of the cavity 113. The inflow port 125 is located outside the conical slope 129. The outlet 127 is open to the slope 129.

At the bottom of the cavity 113, a convex portion 133 is provided that protrudes from the surface 101a toward the side opposite to the base 101 side. An end portion of the convex portion 133 opposite to the base portion 101 side is located in the cavity 113. As shown in FIG. 6, a spring 103 is fitted into the convex portion 133. In the present embodiment, a compression coil spring is employed as the spring 103. The spring 103 protrudes on the opposite side of the base 101 side from the convex portion 133 in a state of being fitted into the convex portion 133.

The check valve 105 is provided on the cavity 113 side of the inlet 125. The check valve 105 suppresses the back flow of ink from the cavity 113 into the inlet 125. A pressure receiving member 107 is provided on the check valve 105 on the cavity 113 side (downstream side in the ink flow). As shown in FIG. 5, the pressure receiving member 107 includes a supported portion 107a and a spring receiving portion 107b. The supported portion 107a and the spring receiving portion 107b are connected to each other by the arm portion 107c. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the supported portion 107 a of the pressure receiving member 107 is supported by the bank 123. Note that a flow hole (not shown) is provided in the supported portion 107a. The ink that has flowed from the inlet 125 to the supported portion 107a side can flow to the downstream side of the supported portion 107a through the flow hole of the supported portion 107a.

The spring receiving portion 107b extends to the central portion of the cavity 113 by the arm portion 107c. Thereby, the spring receiving portion 107 b faces the convex portion 133. The spring 103 is sandwiched between the bottom of the cavity 113 and the spring receiving portion 107b. Thereby, the spring receiving part 107b is urged | biased by the spring 103 at the opposite side to the base 101 side. The opening 131 of the cavity 113 is sealed with a film 109. Thereby, the inside and the outside of the cavity 113 are separated by the film 109. The film 109 is joined to the bank 123. Thereby, the opening 131 of the cavity 113 is sealed with the film 109. In this embodiment, the film 109 is welded to the bank 123. In a state where the opening 131 of the cavity 113 is sealed with the film 109, the bias of the pressure receiving member 107 by the spring 103 also reaches the film 109. That is, the film 109 is urged toward the side opposite to the base 101 side by the spring 103 via the pressure receiving member 107.

As shown in FIG. 9A, which is a plan view, the lever 111 has a base portion 135, two bearing portions 137, and two hooks 139. The base 135 has a plate-like appearance, and as shown in FIG. 9B, which is a side view, a first surface 135a and a second surface 135b that is a surface opposite to the first surface 135a. have. The two bearing portions 137 and the two hooks 139 protrude from the first surface 135a of the base portion 135 in a convex direction toward the side opposite to the base portion 135 side. The two bearing portions 137 are provided on one end side of the base portion 135 in the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9C, which is a side view, the two bearing portions 137 are arranged in the X-axis direction with a gap therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 9B, the two hooks 139 are provided on the other end side of the base portion 135 in the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9A, the two hooks 139 are arranged in the X-axis direction with a gap therebetween. One of the two bearing portions 137 and one hook 139 of the two hooks 139 located on the one bearing portion 137 side in the X-axis direction are arranged along the Z-axis direction. Further, the other of the two bearing portions 137 and the other of the two hooks 139 are aligned along the Z-axis direction. Each of the two hooks 139 has an end opposite to the base 135 side bent in a hook shape in a direction opposite to the bearing portion 137 side. Each of the two bearing portions 137 is provided with a bearing hole 141 penetrating the bearing portion 137 in the X-axis direction on the end portion side opposite to the base portion 135 side. Further, the first surface 135a of the base portion 135 is provided with a protrusion 143 that protrudes from the first surface 135a toward the side opposite to the base portion 135 side.

As shown in FIG. 10A, which is a plan view, the stopper 115 has a support portion 145 and two shaft portions 147. As shown in FIG. 10B, which is a side view, the support portion 145 protrudes from the surface 101 a of the base portion 101 to the side opposite to the base portion 101 side. The two shaft portions 147 are provided on the support portion 145, respectively. The two shaft portions 147 are provided so as to float from the surface 101a. That is, a gap is provided between the two shaft portions 147 and the surface 101a. The two shaft portions 147 extend from the support portion 145 in a direction away from each other in the X-axis direction. Two shaft portions 151 are provided outside the bank 123 constituting the cavity 113. The two shaft portions 151 protrude in opposite directions with the cavity 113 sandwiched in the X-axis direction. Each of the two shaft portions 151 is provided in a state of floating from the surface 101a. That is, a gap is provided between the two shaft portions 151 and the surface 101a.

In the flow path unit 83, the lever 111 is assembled to the flow path member 99 as shown in FIG. In a state where the lever 111 is assembled to the flow path member 99, the first surface 135 a of the lever 111 is directed to the surface 101 a of the base 101. The two shaft portions 151 of the flow path member 99 are fitted into the two bearing holes 141 of the lever 111 with the hook 139 of the lever 111 facing the stopper 115. The two hooks 139 are inserted between the surface 101a and the shaft portion 147, respectively. In a state where the lever 111 is assembled to the flow path member 99, the lever 111 is configured to be rotatable about the two shaft portions 151 as fulcrums. The rotation of the lever 111 is restricted by the two hooks 139. The rotation range of the lever 111 is a range between a position where the hook 139 contacts the shaft portion 147 and a position where the hook 139 contacts the surface 101a.

In a state where the lever 111 is assembled to the flow path member 99, the protrusion 143 of the lever 111 faces the spring receiving portion 107b of the pressure receiving member 107 with the film 109 interposed therebetween. As described above, the film 109 is urged toward the side opposite to the base 101 side by the spring 103 via the pressure receiving member 107. For this reason, the lever 111 is biased through the protrusion 143 in such a direction that the angle between the first surface 135a and the surface 101a opens, that is, the lever 111 moves away from the base 101. In the flow path unit 83 having the above configuration, the lever 111 is displaced within the rotation range according to the amount of ink in the cavity 113. In the present embodiment, the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 51 is detected based on the displacement of the lever 111.

A method for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 51 (hereinafter referred to as a remaining amount detection method) will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12A, the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 51 is detected by detecting the displacement of the lever 111 by the optical sensor 153. The displacement of the lever 111 is detected via the detection rod 155. In the present embodiment, the detection rod 155 and the optical sensor 153 are provided in the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The detection rod 155 is in contact with the second surface 135 b of the lever 111. The detection rod 155 is urged in the direction of the arrow in the drawing via an urging mechanism (not shown). The direction of the urging force applied to the detection rod 155 is opposite to the direction of the urging force by the spring 103. The biasing force applied to the detection rod 155 acts on the lever 111 via the detection rod 155. For this reason, the lever 111 stops in a state where the urging force from the detection rod 155 and the urging force from the spring 103 are balanced. In this state, the positions of the optical sensor 153 and the detection rod 155 are set at positions where the detection rod 155 is detected by the optical sensor 153.

When ink is sucked from the supply pipe 87, the amount of ink in the cavity 113 decreases. Here, as described above, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the flow path 121 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow path 119. For this reason, the resistance of the ink flowing through the flow path 119 is larger than the resistance of the ink flowing through the flow path 121. Thus, when ink is sucked from the supply pipe 87, the inside of the cavity 113 is in a decompressed state (hereinafter referred to as a decompressed state). At this time, as shown in FIG. 12B, the spring 103 is compressed from the film 109 side to the surface 101 a side by the pressure in the cavity 113 in the decompressed state and the biasing force from the detection rod 155. The Thereby, the film 109 bends toward the surface 101a side, that is, toward the inner side of the cavity 113. As a result, the lever 111 is displaced in a direction in which the angle between the first surface 135a and the surface 101a is closed, that is, in a direction in which the lever 111 approaches the base 101. In this state, the positions of the optical sensor 153 and the detection rod 155 are set at positions where the detection rod 155 is out of the detection range of the optical sensor 153.

If ink remains in the ink pack 81, the ink is supplied into the cavity 113 as time passes, so that the pressure in the cavity 113 is restored. That is, the deflection of the film 109 is recovered after a predetermined time has elapsed since the ink was sucked from the supply pipe 87. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12A, the lever 111 is displaced in the direction in which the angle between the first surface 135a and the surface 101a opens, that is, the direction in which the lever 111 moves away from the base 101. For this reason, when a predetermined time elapses after the ink is sucked from the supply pipe 87, the detection rod 155 is again detected by the optical sensor 153. As a result, it is possible to detect that ink remains in the ink pack 81.

On the other hand, if there is not enough ink remaining in the ink pack 81 to recover the pressure in the cavity 113, the pressure in the cavity 113 will not recover even after a predetermined time has elapsed. For this reason, even if a predetermined time elapses after the detection rod 155 is removed from the detection range of the optical sensor 153, the detection rod 155 is not detected again by the optical sensor 153. Thus, it can be detected that no ink remains in the ink pack 81. Based on the above, based on the displacement of the lever 111, the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 51, that is, whether or not ink remains in the ink pack 81 is detected.

The structure of the film 109 and a method for welding the film 109 to the bank 123 (also referred to as a sealing method for the cavity 113) will be described. In the present embodiment, the ink types are roughly classified into water-based inks and solvent-based inks. The configuration of the film 109 is different for each type of ink. In the following, when the film 109 is identified for each ink type, the film 109 applied to the water-based ink is referred to as a film 109A, and the film 109 applied to the solvent-based ink is referred to as a film 109S.

As the water-based ink, for example, the ink described in JP-A-2004-91617 can be employed. The black ink in the water-based ink contains a surface-treated pigment that can be dispersed and / or dissolved in water without a dispersant, and water as a main solvent. The chromatic color ink in the water-based ink includes a pigment, a polymer that includes the pigment and enables the pigment to be dispersed in the ink composition, and water as a main solvent. The polymer in the chromatic ink has a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group, and is not substantially dissolved in the ink composition.

As shown in FIG. 13, the film 109A applied to the water-based ink has a PE (polyethylene) layer 161, an adhesive layer 163, a printed layer 165, and a vapor-deposited PET (polyethylene terephthalate) layer 167. ing. The thickness of the PE layer 161 is about 40 μm. The thickness of the adhesive layer 163 is about 3 μm. The thickness of the printing layer 165 is about 5 μm. The thickness of the deposited PET layer 167 is about 12 μm. Examples of the vapor deposition type of the vapor deposition PET layer 167 include aluminum vapor deposition, alumina vapor deposition, and silica vapor deposition. The film 109A having the above structure is welded to the bank 123 with the PE layer 161 facing the cavity 113 (FIG. 8).

As the solvent-based ink, for example, the ink described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-249597 can be employed. The solvent-based ink includes an organic solvent as a solvent and a pigment. As a solvent for the solvent-based ink, an organic solvent containing a compound represented by the following (1) and a lactone can be used.

Examples of the function of the compound represented by the formula (1) include improving the surface drying property and the fixing property of the ink deposited on the low-absorbency recording medium. In particular, the compound represented by the above formula (1) is excellent in the action of dissolving the vinyl chloride resin. Therefore, the compound represented by the above formula (1) can dissolve the recording surface containing the vinyl chloride resin and allow the ink to penetrate into the low-absorbency recording medium. As the ink penetrates into the low-absorbency recording medium in this way, the ink is firmly fixed and the surface of the ink is easily dried. Therefore, the obtained image is excellent in abrasion resistance and surface dryness.

Examples of the function of lactones include improving the fixability of ink deposited on a low-absorbency recording medium. In particular, lactones are not as good as the compounds represented by the above formula (1), but have a good effect of dissolving vinyl chloride resins, so that the ink of a low-absorbency recording medium containing vinyl chloride resins can be used. Fixability can be improved. Moreover, as a pigment, pigments, such as a colored inorganic pigment or a colored organic pigment normally used for the conventional solvent-based ink composition, can be used. These pigments may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

As shown in FIG. 14, the film 109 </ b> S applied to the solvent-based ink has a nylon layer 171, an EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer) layer 173, and a PE layer 175. The thickness of the nylon layer 171 is about 30 μm. The thickness of the EVOH layer 173 is about 4 μm. The thickness of the PE layer 175 is about 46 μm. The film 109S having the above configuration is welded to the bank 123 with the nylon layer 171 facing the cavity 113 (FIG. 8).

As described above, the configuration of the film 109 differs depending on the type of ink. When the configuration of the film 109 is different, the thickness and rigidity of the film 109 are different. When the thickness and rigidity of the film 109 change, the sensitivity for detecting the remaining amount changes. Of the film 109A and the film 109S, the film 109S is thicker and more rigid than the film 109A. As shown in FIG. 15, the displacement (deflection) of the film 109 due to a pressure change (reduced pressure state) in the cavity 113 is different between the thick film 109S having high rigidity and the thin film 109A having low rigidity. The film 109S which is thick and has high rigidity has a smaller displacement (deflection) of the film 109 due to the pressure change in the cavity 113 than the thin film 109A which has low rigidity. That is, the thick and highly rigid film 109S is not easily displaced even when the pressure in the cavity 113 changes.

Thereby, even if ink is sucked from the supply pipe 87 and the inside of the cavity 113 is in a reduced pressure state, the position of the film 109 may not be lower than the detection position Pk toward the surface 101a. The detection position Pk is a position where the detection rod 155 is disengaged from the optical sensor 153. In the range closer to the surface 101a than the detection position Pk, the detection rod 155 is not detected by the optical sensor 153. On the other hand, the detection rod 155 is detected by the optical sensor 153 in a range opposite to the surface 101a side from the detection position Pk. Even if the inside of the cavity 113 is in a reduced pressure state, the remaining amount is not detected if the position of the film 109 cannot fall below the detection position Pk toward the surface 101a. In this way, it is conceivable that the remaining amount that can be detected differs depending on the type of ink, or the remaining amount cannot be detected.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the film 109 is initially bent from the edge of the bank 123 toward the back side of the cavity 113 (the surface 101a side) with a deflection amount of Tf. A method of welding the film 109 to the bank 123 is employed. According to this method, since the film 109 is initially bent and bonded to the bank 123, the position of the film 109 is lower than the detection position Pk on the surface 101a side when the inside of the cavity 113 is in a reduced pressure state. . Thereby, even if the configuration of the film 109 is different, the displacement of the film 109 due to the pressure change in the cavity 113 can be easily matched. For this reason, in this embodiment, even if the kind of ink differs, it can make it easy to match | combine the sensitivity concerning a residual amount detection. In other words, in the present embodiment, it is possible to easily match the displacement of the film 109 due to a pressure change in the cavity 113 between the thick and high-rigidity film 109 and the thin and low-rigidity film 109.

A method for sealing the cavity 113, that is, a method for joining the film 109 to the bank 123 will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, when the film 109 is joined to the bank 123, the welding head 181 and the pressing head 183 are utilized. The welding head 181 generates heat while the film 109 is pressed against the bank 123 when the film 109 is bonded to the bank 123. Thereby, the film 109 is welded to the bank 123. The pressing head 183 contacts the film 109 from the side opposite to the pressure receiving member 107 side of the film 109 and presses the film 109 toward the surface 101a side. The pressing head 183 presses the film 109 in the direction of the arrow in the drawing while facing the spring receiving portion 107b with the film 109 interposed therebetween. Thereby, the spring 103 is compressed to the surface 101a side, and the film 109 bends to the surface 101a side.

In the method of bonding the film 109 to the bank 123, the film 109 is pressed against the bank 123 by the welding head 181. Then, the film 109 is pressed toward the surface 101a by the pressing head 183. At this time, the pressing force to the film 109 by the welding head 181 is weaker than the pressing force to the film 109 by the pressing head 183. As a result, when the film 109 is pressed by the pressing head 183, the film 109 slides between the welding head 181 and the bank 123. As a result, the initial deflection amount Tf can be imparted to the film 109. The film 109 is welded to the bank 123 by heating the welding head 181 with the initial deflection amount Tf applied to the film 109. By the above, the film 109 is joined to the bank 123, and the cavity 113 is sealed.

In the present embodiment, the deflection amount Tf is set to 0.6 mm in the above-described film 109S. In the film 109A, the deflection amount Tf is set to 0.17 mm. Thereby, the displacement of the film 109 due to the pressure change in the cavity 113 can be matched between the film 109A and the film 109S. Therefore, the sensitivity for detecting the remaining amount can be matched between the water-based ink and the solvent-based ink. As a result, the reliability for detecting the remaining amount can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the bearing hole 141 in the lever 111 has a long hole in the Y-axis direction as shown in FIG. For this reason, when the lever 111 and the flow path member 99 are combined, as shown in FIG. 18, a gap C <b> 1 along the Y-axis direction is provided between the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151. Thereby, for example, when an impact is applied to the lever 111, the lever 111 can move by the gap C1 between the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151. Since the impact force is weakened by the movement of the lever 111, the impact force acting on the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151 is reduced, or the impact force acting on the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151 is avoided. Can do. Thereby, it is easy to avoid that the detection function concerning the remaining amount detection in the flow path unit 83 is impaired. As a result, the reliability for detecting the remaining amount can be improved.

In the present embodiment, when the lever 111 and the flow path member 99 are combined, the gap C1 along the Y-axis direction intersects the Y-axis direction in the gap between the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151. It is larger than the gap along the direction. In other words, the gap along the direction intersecting the Y-axis direction can be made smaller than the gap C1 along the Y-axis direction. As a result, the variation in the distance K1 between the pivot point and the protrusion 143 can be reduced, so that the variation in lever ratio can be reduced. As a result, variation in remaining amount detection can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the gap C2 between the base 101 and the bearing portion 137 of the lever 111 is smaller than the gap C1 between the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151. Thus, for example, when the lever 111 moves due to an impact, the lever 111 is braked by the bearing portion 137 and the base portion 101 before the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151 collide with each other. For this reason, since it is easy to avoid an impact force acting on the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151, it is easy to avoid that the detection function for detecting the remaining amount in the flow path unit 83 is impaired. As a result, it is possible to further improve the reliability of the remaining amount detection.

In general, the bearing hole 141 and the shaft portion 151 are designed to have a strength that can withstand an impact force acting on the flow path unit 83. When an impact force acts on the flow path unit 83, a shearing force is applied to the shaft portion 151 via the lever 111. For this reason, the shaft 151 is required to have a thickness that can withstand a shearing force caused by an impact. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the size of the shaft portion 151. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since it is easy to avoid that an impact force acts on the bearing hole 141 and the shaft part 151, the bearing hole 141 and the shaft part 151 can be easily reduced in size. As a result, the cartridge 51 can be easily downsized.

In the present embodiment, the cavity 113 is partitioned by the bank 123 having the slope 129. The volume of the cavity 113 can be reduced by the inclined surface 129. Thereby, when it is detected that ink is consumed and the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 51 is exhausted, the amount of ink remaining in the cavity 113 can be reduced. Further, the inclined surface 129 is inclined in a direction from the inner edge 131 a side of the opening 131 toward the inner side of the opening 131 as it goes from the opening 131 side of the cavity 113 to the inner side of the cavity 113. For this reason, it is possible to avoid the movement of the film 109 being hindered by the bank 123.

In this embodiment, the ink pack 81 corresponds to the liquid storage portion, the supply pipe 87 corresponds to the supply port, the film 109 corresponds to the diaphragm, the spring 103 corresponds to the biasing member, and the shaft portion 151 corresponds to the protrusion. Correspondingly, the bearing hole 141 corresponds to the hole, and the inclined surface 129 corresponds to the inclined surface. In the present embodiment, in the remaining amount detection method, a method of indirectly detecting the displacement of the lever 111 via the detection rod 155 is employed. However, the method for detecting the displacement of the lever 111 is not limited to this, and a method for directly detecting the displacement of the lever 111 may be employed.

In this embodiment, the case where four types of inks of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are used has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and six types including light cyan and light magenta are arbitrarily added. This type of ink can be used. Further, the recording medium is not limited to the recording medium P, and any recording medium can be applied as long as ink droplets can adhere to form dots. The liquid is not limited to ink. As the liquid, for example, a liquid containing a material constituting a color filter or an alignment film used in a liquid crystal display device, a liquid containing a material constituting various functional films of an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) device, etc. Various liquids can also be employed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inkjet recording device, 9 ... Ink supply part, 11 ... Control part, 19 ... Recording head, 23 ... Nozzle, 51 ... Cartridge, 53 ... Holder, 55 ... Pump unit, 61 ... Ink supply tube, 81 ... Ink pack, 83 ... Flow path unit, 87 ... Supply pipe, 99 ... Flow path member, 101 ... Base part, 101a ... Surface, 103 ... Spring, 105 ... Check valve, 107 ... Pressure receiving member, 107a ... Supported part, 107b ... Spring holder , 107c ... arm part, 109 ... film, 111 ... lever, 113 ... cavity, 115 ... stopper, 119 ... channel, 121 ... channel, 123 ... bank, 125 ... inlet, 127 ... outlet, 129 ... Slope, 131 ... opening, 131a ... inner edge, 133 ... convex, 135 ... base, 135a ... first surface, 135b ... second surface, 137 ... bearing portion, 139 ... foot , 141 ... bearing hole, 143 ... projection, 151 ... shaft part, 153 ... optical sensor, 155 ... detection rod, 161 ... PE layer, 163 ... adhesive layer, 165 ... printed layer, 167 ... vapor deposited PET layer, 171 ... nylon layer 173 ... EVOH layer, 175 ... PE layer, 181 ... welding head, 183 ... pressing head.

Claims (8)

A cavity having an opening that is provided in the middle of the flow path of the liquid from a liquid storage section that stores the liquid to a supply port that supplies the liquid in the liquid storage section to the outside; A diaphragm that closes the opening and is displaced according to pressure in the cavity; and a bias that is provided in the cavity and biases the diaphragm from the cavity toward the outside of the opening. A member, a lever provided at a position overlapping the diaphragm on the opposite side of the cavity of the diaphragm, biased by the biasing member via the diaphragm, and rotated according to the displacement of the diaphragm; The lever is provided with either one of a protrusion serving as a pivot for rotation and a hole that fits into the protrusion. , Outside the cavity, said projections and said and other one is provided of the holes, the detection device comprising a gap is provided, it between the projection and the hole. The detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gap along the biasing direction by the biasing member is larger than a gap along a direction intersecting the biasing direction among the gaps. The base part provided with the cavity is provided, and a gap between the base part and the lever is smaller than the gap between the hole and the protrusion. The detection device described. 4. The diaphragm according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm is joined to the cavity in an initially bent state from an edge of the opening of the cavity toward a back side of the cavity. The detection device according to any one of the above. The liquid is an aqueous liquid, and the diaphragm is formed by laminating a polyethylene layer having a thickness of 40 μm, an adhesive layer having a thickness of 3 μm, a printing layer having a thickness of 5 μm, and a vapor-deposited polyethylene terephthalate layer having a thickness of 12 μm. The diaphragm is joined to the cavity in a state where the diaphragm is bent by 0.17 mm from the edge of the opening of the cavity toward the back side of the cavity. The detection device according to claim 4. The liquid is a solvent-based liquid, and the diaphragm has a configuration in which a nylon layer having a thickness of 30 μm, an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer layer having a thickness of 4 μm, and a polyethylene layer having a thickness of 46 μm are laminated. The diaphragm is joined to the cavity in a state of being bent by 0.6 mm from the edge of the opening of the cavity toward the back side of the cavity. Item 5. The detection device according to Item 4. A bank having an inclined surface inclined with respect to the diaphragm is provided in the cavity from the opening side toward the inner side of the cavity, and the inclined surface is formed from the opening side. The detection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is inclined from the inner edge side of the opening toward the inside of the opening as it goes toward the back side of the cavity. . The detection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bank constitutes at least a part of an inner side wall of the cavity.