JP2018052005A - Printing fluid cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide means capable of suppressing damage of a light attenuation part even when a printing fluid cartridge has been dropped or collided.SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 30 comprises: body 31 storing an ink; an ink supply part 34 disposed on a front surface 40 of the body 31 and allowing the stored ink to be discharged; a residual amount detection part 35 disposed on an upper surface 39 of the body 31, and having an indicator part 62 of a sensor arm 60 attenuating light radiated from outside; and a lock lever 80 movable to a first position and a second position, and capable of returning from the second position to the first position by an elastic force. With respect to the lock lever 80, a maximum distance L1 between the first position and the upper surface 39 is shorter than a maximum distance L2 between the second position and the upper surface 39, and the first position is farther away from the upper surface 39 than the sensor arm 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing fluid cartridge having a light attenuating portion and a moving member.

  Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that records an image on recording paper using ink is known. The image recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head, and selectively ejects ink droplets from a nozzle of the recording head toward a recording sheet. The ink droplets land on the recording paper, whereby a desired image is recorded on the recording paper. The image recording apparatus is provided with an ink cartridge for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head. The ink cartridge can be attached to and detached from a mounting portion provided in the image recording apparatus (Patent Document 1).

  The ink cartridge is provided with an arm whose posture varies depending on the amount of ink consumed. The posture of the arm can be detected by an optical sensor through a remaining amount detecting unit that transmits light. The image recording apparatus can determine that the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge has reached a predetermined amount by optically detecting the position of the arm.

  On the other hand, an electronic component such as a memory module may be provided in order to individually grasp the ink color, material, remaining amount, maintenance state, and the like. The memory module or the like is electrically connected to a contact provided in the cartridge mounting portion in a state where the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, and the stored data can be read (Patent Document 2).

JP 2009-1332098 A JP 2013-212587 A

  When the ink cartridge is dropped on the floor or collides with something, the remaining amount detection unit may be damaged. After the damage, there is a possibility that the remaining amount of the ink cartridge cannot be detected or the ink cartridge cannot be mounted on the image recording apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide means capable of suppressing the damage of the light attenuating portion even when the printing fluid cartridge is dropped or collided.

  (1) A printing fluid cartridge according to the present invention includes a main body in which a printing fluid is accommodated, a supply unit that is disposed on the first surface of the main body, and that allows the accommodated printing fluid to flow out, and a second of the main body. A detected portion having a light attenuating portion that is disposed on the surface and attenuates light emitted from the outside, is movable to the first position and the second position, and is elastic from the second position to the first position. And a movable member that can be restored by force. The moving member has a maximum distance L2 from the second surface at the second position that is shorter than a maximum distance L1 from the second surface at the first position, and from the detected portion at the first position. It is away from the second surface.

  Since the moving member is farther from the second surface than the detected portion at the first position, the moving member is likely to come into contact with the floor or the like from the detected portion when the printing fluid cartridge falls or collides. Further, the moving member moves from the first position to the second position, so that the impact at the time of dropping or collision is reduced.

  (2) Preferably, the printing fluid cartridge further includes an electrical interface disposed on the second surface of the main body.

  (3) Preferably, the moving member is rotatable with respect to the main body.

  (4) Preferably, the moving member is rotatable with respect to the main body by elastic deformation.

  According to the said structure, a moving member can be comprised with an integral member.

  (5) Preferably, the moving member is connected to the main body and has elasticity, and the first surface is disposed at a position farther from the first surface than the light attenuation portion from the connection portion. Includes an engagement surface facing in the opposite direction, and an operation unit disposed at a position farther from the first surface than the engagement surface.

  According to the said structure, a moving member can play the role of a lever and can protect a to-be-detected part with the elasticity.

  (6) Preferably, the moving member is an elastic member disposed between the moving member and the second surface and in contact with at least one of the second surface or the moving member at the first position. The first position is restored by being energized.

  (7) Preferably, the moving member is slidable with respect to the main body, and is urged by an elastic member disposed between the moving member and the second surface to move to the first position. Restore.

  (8) Preferably, the printing fluid cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction, and the moving member is engageable with the cartridge mounting portion.

  According to the above configuration, since the engagement with the cartridge mounting portion is realized by the moving member, the configuration of the printing fluid cartridge is simplified.

  (9) Preferably, the moving member and the light attenuating portion are arranged side by side in the insertion direction. The moving member in the first position is engageable with the cartridge mounting portion at a position farther from the second surface than a portion of the light attenuating portion farthest from the second surface.

  According to the above configuration, the movable member and the light attenuating portion are arranged side by side in the insertion direction, thereby contributing to downsizing the size in the direction (width direction) orthogonal to the insertion direction and further engaging positions. Is higher than the light attenuating portion, the printing fluid cartridge can be taken out simply by moving the moving member from the first position to the second position.

  (10) Preferably, the moving member includes an operation portion and an engagement portion that engages with the cartridge mounting portion, and the operation portion is located behind the engagement portion in the insertion direction. Located in.

  According to the said structure, it is easy to move a moving member by operation of an operation part.

  (11) Preferably, the printing fluid cartridge is disposed between a front surface including the first surface and a rear surface including the first surface, a main body having an upper surface including the second surface, and a front surface of the main body. A supply section for discharging the contained printing fluid; an electrical interface disposed on the upper surface of the main body; and an upper surface of the main body, and intersecting the front direction and the rear direction, and the upper direction and the lower direction. A light attenuating unit for attenuating light emitted from the direction of movement, a first position and a second position closer to the upper surface of the main body than the first position, and elastic from the second position to the first position. And the light attenuating portion is disposed closer to the rear surface than the electrical interface, and the moving member is located closer to the rear surface than the light attenuating portion. Close to Are arranged to, in the first position, away from said top surface than the optical attenuation unit.

  (12) Preferably, the light attenuating portion is a light shielding plate that shields light that extends from the second surface and travels in a direction along the second surface, and the moving member is an extended end of the light shielding plate. It is arranged outside than.

  (13) Preferably, the detected part extends from the second surface, and includes a container capable of accommodating the light attenuating part therein and allowing light from outside to access the light attenuating part. The light attenuating portion extends from the second surface, and a first position for attenuating light emitted from the outside according to the amount of the printing fluid contained in the main body; The position of the movable member can be changed to a second position outside the optical path of light, and the moving member is further away from the second surface than a portion of the container that is farthest from the second surface.

  (12) Preferably, the moving member has an engaging portion that engages with the cartridge mounting portion in a mounting posture in which the printing fluid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. When the moving member is at the first position, it engages with the cartridge mounting portion, and when the moving member is at the second position, the engagement with the cartridge mounting portion is released.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress damage to the light attenuating portion even if the printing fluid cartridge falls or collides.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of a printer 10 including a cartridge mounting unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the ink cartridge 30. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the cartridge mounting part 110. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110 showing a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110 showing a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110 in the first modification. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110 showing a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110 and the slider 96 is at the first position in the second modification. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge mounting portion 110 showing a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110 and the slider 96 is in the second position in the second modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The embodiment described below is merely an example in which the present invention is embodied, and it is needless to say that the embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Overview of Printer 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 records an image by selectively ejecting ink droplets onto a recording sheet based on an ink jet recording method. The printer 10 includes an ink supply device 100. The ink supply device 100 is provided with a cartridge mounting portion 110. An ink cartridge 30 (an example of a printing fluid cartridge) can be mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110. The cartridge mounting portion 110 is provided with an opening 112 whose one surface is open to the outside. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into or removed from the cartridge mounting part 110 through the opening 112.

  The ink cartridge 30 contains ink (an example of a printing fluid) that can be used by the printer 10. The ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are connected by the ink tube 20 in a state where the cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting unit 110. The recording head 21 is provided with a sub tank 28. The sub tank 28 temporarily stores the ink supplied through the ink tube 20. The recording head 21 selectively ejects the ink supplied from the sub tank 28 from the nozzles 29 by the ink jet recording method.

  The recording paper fed from the paper feed tray 15 to the transport path 24 by the paper feed roller 23 is transported onto the platen 26 by the transport roller pair 25. The recording head 21 selectively ejects ink onto a recording sheet that passes over the platen 26. Thereby, an image is recorded on the recording paper. The recording sheet that has passed through the platen 26 is discharged by a discharge roller pair 22 to a discharge tray 16 provided on the most downstream side of the transport path 24.

[Ink supply apparatus 100]
As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply device 100 is provided in the printer 10. The ink supply device 100 supplies ink to the recording head 21 provided in the printer 10. The ink supply device 100 includes a cartridge mounting unit 110 in which the ink cartridge 30 can be mounted. FIG. 1 shows a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110.

[Ink cartridge 30]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink cartridge 30 is a container for storing ink. The ink cartridge 30 is in the upright state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, that is, with the lower surface in the drawing as the bottom surface and the upper surface in the drawing as the top surface in the insertion direction 57 with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 110. And it is inserted and extracted along the take-out direction 58. The insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58 are each along the horizontal direction. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from the cartridge mounting portion 110 while standing. This standing state corresponds to the mounting posture. The direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110 is the insertion direction 57, and the direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is removed is the extraction direction 58. Further, the downward direction 52 in the standing state corresponds to the direction of gravity. In the present embodiment, the insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58 are along the horizontal direction, but the insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58 may be a gravity direction or a direction that intersects the horizontal direction and the gravity direction. . If the insertion direction 57 and the removal direction 58 are, for example, the gravitational direction, the front surface of the ink cartridge 30 is directed downward.

[Main unit 31]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink cartridge 30 includes a main body 31 having a three-dimensional shape formed of a flat surface or a curved surface, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The main body 31 as a whole has a small size along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56, a size along the upper direction 51 and the lower direction 52, and a size along the front direction 53 and the rear direction 54. The flat shape is larger than the dimension along the right direction 56.

  The wall surface of the main body 31 that is in front of the insertion direction 57 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110 is the front surface 40 (an example of the first surface), and the wall surface of the main body 31 that is in the rear of the insertion direction 57 is the rear surface 41. It is. The front surface 40 and the rear surface 41 face each other in the insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58. The front surface 40 and the rear surface 41 connect a pair of left and right side surfaces 37, 38 extending in the insertion direction 57 and the take-out direction 58, the side surfaces 37, 38 and the front surface 40 and the rear surface 41, and from the upper end of the front surface 40 to the upper end of the rear surface 41. An upper surface 39 (an example of a second surface) that extends along the insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58, and a lower surface 42 that extends across the insertion direction 57 and the extraction direction 58 from the lower end of the front surface 40 to the lower end of the rear surface 41; Are divided by four walls.

  Note that the front surface 40, the rear surface 41, the upper surface 39, the lower surface 42, and the side surfaces 37 and 38 do not necessarily have to be configured by one plane, and the main body 31 has a front direction 53, a rear direction 54, and an upper direction 51. The whole of a plurality of surfaces that can be recognized as projection surfaces when viewed from the lower direction 52, the left direction 55, and the right direction 56 are the front surface 40, the rear surface 41, the upper surface 39, the lower surface 42, and the side surfaces 37 and 38, respectively. It may be recognized.

  A space formed inside the main body 31 is an ink chamber 36 in which ink is stored. The ink chamber 36 is formed by the internal frame 32 provided inside the main body 31, but the ink chamber 36 may be formed by the internal space of the main body 31 itself without providing the internal frame 32. The ink chamber 36 is located between the front surface 40 and the rear surface 41 of the main body 31.

[Ink supply unit 34]
An ink supply unit 34 (an example of a supply unit) is provided below the front surface 40 of the main body 31. The ink supply unit 34 has a cylindrical outer shape and protrudes from the front surface 40 along the front direction 53. In the present embodiment, the ink supply unit 34 is formed integrally with the inner frame 32, and protrudes outward from the main body 31 through the opening of the front surface 40 of the main body 31. An ink supply port 71 is formed at the protruding end of the ink supply unit 34.

  An ink flow path 72 that leads from the ink supply port 71 to the ink chamber 36 through the internal space of the ink supply unit 34 is formed. The ink supply port 71 is configured to be opened and closed by an ink supply valve 70. The ink supply valve 70 is urged in a direction in which the ink supply port 71 is sealed by the coil spring 73 disposed in the ink flow path 72, that is, the front direction 53. When the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110, the ink needle 122 (see FIG. 4) provided on the cartridge mounting portion 110 is inserted into the ink supply port 71 and resists the biasing force of the coil spring 73. The ink supply valve 70 is moved in the backward direction 54. As a result, the tip of the ink needle 122 enters the ink flow path 72, and the ink flows out from the ink chamber 36 through the ink flow path 72 to the ink needle 122.

  The ink supply port 71 is not necessarily limited to a configuration that can be opened and closed by the ink supply valve 70. For example, the ink supply port 71 is closed with a film or the like, and the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110. The ink supply port 71 may be opened by the ink needle 122 breaking through the film. Although not shown in the present embodiment, the main body 31 may be provided with an air communication port for setting the atmospheric pressure of the ink chamber 36 in a state maintained at a negative pressure to the external atmospheric pressure.

[Remaining amount detection unit 35]
As shown in FIG. 3, the remaining amount detection unit 35 (an example of a detected unit) includes a container 33 and a sensor arm 60.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a housing 33 that houses a part of the sensor arm 60 is provided near the center of the front direction 53 and the rear direction 54 on the upper surface 39 of the main body 31. The container 33 has a box shape in which one side is opened so as to communicate with the ink chamber 36. The container 33 transmits light that is emitted from the optical sensor 114 (see FIG. 4) and travels in the left direction 55 or the right direction 56 (an example of a direction along the upper surface 39), for example, infrared light. And a pair of translucent front walls, an upper wall, and a rear wall that define the container 33. The walls constituting the container 33 transmit light traveling in the left direction 55 or the right direction 56. The housing 33 is formed integrally with the inner frame 32 and protrudes upward from the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 through an opening formed in the upper surface 39 of the main body 31. The remaining amount detection unit 35 may be a reflecting member that reflects light when light is incident on the translucent resin at an angle exceeding the critical angle, or may be a prism or the like. . The light may be infrared light or visible light.

  The space between the pair of left and right walls of the container 33 is hollow so that ink can be stored. As shown in FIG. 3, an indicator portion 62 (an example of a light attenuating portion and a light shielding plate) of the sensor arm 60 is located between the pair of left and right walls of the container 33. The sensor arm 60 has a plate-like indicator portion 62 provided at the upper end of a plate-like arm main body 61 and a float portion 63 provided at the rear end. In the ink chamber 36, the sensor arm 60 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 64 that extends along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. The sensor arm 60 rotates according to the amount of ink present in the ink chamber 36. The sensor arm 60 can change its posture between a posture in which the indicator portion 62 is located at the first position in front of the housing body 33 and a posture in which the indicator portion 62 is located in the second position behind the housing body 33. In FIG. 3, the posture of the sensor arm 60 in which the ink is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount and the indicator unit 62 is located at the first position is indicated by a solid line, and the indicator arm 62 is located at the second position. The posture is indicated by a broken line.

  In a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110, the remaining amount detection unit 35 performs infrared light traveling in the left direction 55 or the right direction 56 relative to the optical sensor 114 provided in the cartridge mounting unit 110. And a state in which the remaining amount detection unit 35 shields or attenuates infrared light below a predetermined amount. If the indicator unit 62 is in the second position, the remaining amount detection unit 35 transmits infrared light, and if the indicator unit 62 is in the first position, the remaining amount detection unit 35 blocks or attenuates infrared light. It is determined that the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 36 has become less than a predetermined amount according to the light transmission state of the remaining amount detection unit 35.

  The remaining amount detection unit 35 may not have the sensor arm 60. In the optical sensor 114, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged to face in the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. The light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 114 travels in the left direction 55 or the right direction 56 and is received by the light receiving element. Infrared light emitted from the light emitting element is blocked or attenuated when there is a predetermined amount or more of ink in the ink chamber 36, and emitted from the light emitting element when the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 36 is less than the predetermined amount. You may be comprised so that infrared light may permeate | transmit a predetermined amount or more. Further, a soft film may be configured instead of the container 33. In other words, the film swells in a state where there is ink in the ink chamber 36, and the lever is held at a position where the lever blocks the infrared light by contacting the rotatable lever with the film. On the other hand, in a state where there is no ink in the ink chamber 36, the film is deflated due to the reduced pressure in the ink chamber 36 as the ink decreases, and the rotatable lever rotates downward to a position where the infrared light is not blocked. You may be comprised so that it may rotate. In addition, in a state where there is ink in the container 33, infrared light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 114 is reflected so as not to reach the light receiving element, and in a state where there is no ink in the container 33, the light emitting element. The infrared light emitted from the light may be reflected so as to reach the light receiving element.

[Shading plate 43]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a light shielding plate 43 is provided in front of the housing 33 on the upper surface 39 of the main body 31. The light shielding plate 43 is a thin rib extending in the upward direction 51 with the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 as the thickness direction. The dimensions of the light shielding plate 43 along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 are smaller than the dimensions of the container 33 along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. The light shielding plate 43 attenuates or blocks light emitted from the optical sensor 115 (see FIG. 4) and traveling in the left direction 55 or the right direction 56, for example, infrared light.

  The light shielding plate 43 may be formed with a through hole penetrating in the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. Whether the through hole is formed or not depends on, for example, the initial capacity of ink in the ink chamber 36 of the ink cartridge 30 and the composition of the ink. The through hole of the light shielding plate 43 transmits the light emitted from the optical sensor 115 without being attenuated or blocked when the ink cartridge 30 is attached, and allows the light to reach the light receiving portion of the optical sensor. In accordance with the light transmission state of the light shielding plate 43, it is determined that the ink cartridge 30 has been mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 110, or the initial ink capacity and ink composition in the ink chamber 36 of the ink cartridge 30.

[IC substrate 74]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an IC substrate 74 (an example of an electrical interface) is provided in front of the light shielding plate 43 on the upper surface of the main body 31. Therefore, the container 33 is disposed at a position closer to the rear surface 41 of the main body 31 than the IC substrate 74. The IC substrate 74 is electrically connected to the contact 106 (see FIG. 4) while the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110, and is also connected to the contact 106 even when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110. To do.

  On the IC substrate 74, an IC and three electrodes 75, a HOT electrode, a GND electrode, and a signal electrode, are mounted. The IC is a semiconductor integrated circuit, and stores information that can be read out of information related to the ink cartridge 30 that does not need to be updated when the ink cartridge 30 is replaced, for example, information such as ink color and manufacturer. .

  The HOT electrode, the GND electrode, and the signal electrode are electrically connected to the IC. Each of the HOT electrode, the GND electrode, and the signal electrode extends along the front direction 53 and the rear direction 54 and is spaced apart in the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. The HOT electrode, the GND electrode, and the signal electrode are exposed on the upper surface of the IC substrate 74 so as to be electrically accessible. That is, the HOT electrode, the GND electrode, and the signal electrode are exposed so as to be accessible from above the ink cartridge 30 in the mounted posture. As shown in FIG. 5, the IC substrate 74 provided on the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 is connected to the contact 106 by the lower surface 42 of the main body 31 being in contact with and supported by the bottom surface of the cartridge mounting portion 110 in the mounting posture. It is kept in an electrically conductive state.

[Lock lever 80]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a lock lever 80 (an example of a moving member) is provided on the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 behind the housing 33. The lock lever 80 extends obliquely upward from the rear side of the housing body 33 toward the upper direction 51 and the rear direction 54 on the upper surface 39. The lock lever 80 has a generally flat plate shape in which an engagement surface 81 (an example of an engagement portion) extending in the downward direction 52 is formed as a step near the center of the front direction 53 and the rear direction 54. The extending end of the lock lever 80 is an operation portion 82, which is located on the uppermost side of the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 and on the rear side of the rear surface 41 of the main body 31.

  The front end of the lock lever 80 is continuous with the upper surface of the main body 31, and the lock lever 80 is moved so that the engagement surface 81 and the operation portion 82 approach the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 by elastic deformation of the front end portion. It can be rotated to. In FIG. 3, a natural state where no external force is applied to the lock lever 80 is indicated by a solid line, and the position of the lock lever 80 in this state is an example of the first position. For example, when the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 is pushed downward by the user, the lock lever 80 rotates so that the engagement surface 81 and the operation portion 82 approach the upper surface 39 of the main body 31. The lock lever 80 in this state is indicated by a broken line in FIG. The position of the lock lever 80 in this state is an example of the second position. Therefore, the lock lever 80 in the second position is elastically restored and returned to the first position when no external force is applied. As shown in FIG. 3, the distance L1 between the rear end of the operating portion 82 of the lock lever 80 and the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 in the first position in the vertical direction 51, 52 (an example of the maximum distance L1) is the second position. The distance L2 (an example of the maximum distance L2) in the vertical direction 51, 52 between the rear end of the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 and the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 is short (L1> L2). In other words, the engagement surface 81 of the lock lever 80 is located closer to the upper surface 39 in the second position than in the first position. The engaging surface 81 of the lock lever 80 is disposed above the indicator unit 62 of the remaining amount detecting unit 35 and the upper end of the housing unit 33 at the first position.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end of the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 in the first position is farther from the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 than the upper end of the container 33 and the upper end of the light shielding plate 43. Further, the rear end of the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 at the first position is located above the indicator portion 62 of the sensor arm 60.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the mounting posture in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110, the engagement surface 81 of the lock lever 80 in the first position is positioned in front of the lock pin 117 of the cartridge mounting portion 110. And abut. In the mounted posture, the urging force in the take-out direction 58 acts on the ink cartridge 30 from the coil spring 73 compressed in the ink supply unit 34. When the engaging surface 81 is engaged with the lock pin 117 from the front, the ink cartridge 30 is held in the mounting posture against the urging force of the coil spring 73. For example, when the user pushes down the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 to move the lock lever 80 to the second position, the engagement surface 81 is positioned below the lock pin 117. As a result, the engagement between the engagement surface 81 and the lock pin 117 is released, and the ink cartridge 30 moves in the take-out direction 58 by the urging force of the coil spring 73.

[Cartridge mounting part 110]
As shown in FIG. 4, the case 101 forming the housing of the cartridge mounting unit 110 has an opening 112 on the front side of the printer 10. The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from the case 101 through the opening 112. The case 101 can accommodate four ink cartridges 30 corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, but FIG. 4 shows the space of the case 101 that can accommodate one ink cartridge 30. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a connection portion 103 is provided below the end surface 102 of the case 101. The connecting portion 103 is disposed on the end surface 102 at a position corresponding to the ink supply portion 34 of each ink cartridge 30 attached to the case 101.

  The connection unit 103 includes an ink needle 122 and a holding unit 121. The ink needle 122 is made of a tubular resin needle. The ink needle 122 is connected to the ink tube 20 on the outer surface side that is opposite to the end surface 102 of the case 101. Each ink tube 20 drawn from each ink needle 122 to the outer surface side that forms the front surface and the back surface of the case 101 is pulled upward along the outer surface of the case 101, and then ink is supplied to the recording head 21 of the printer 10. The distribution is extended. In FIG. 4, the ink tube 20 is omitted.

  The holding part 121 is formed in a cylindrical shape. An ink needle 122 is disposed at the center of the holding part 121. As shown in FIG. 5, when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 110, the ink supply unit 34 is inserted inside the cylinder of the holding unit 121. At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the ink supply unit 34 is in close contact with the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the holding unit 121. Accordingly, the ink supply unit 34 is inserted into the holding unit 121 with a predetermined interval. When the ink supply unit 34 is inserted into the holding unit 121, the ink needle 122 is inserted into the ink supply port 71 of the ink supply unit 34. Thereby, the ink stored in the ink chamber 36 can flow out to the outside. The ink that has flowed out of the ink chamber 36 flows into the ink needle 122.

  As shown in FIG. 4, optical sensors 114 and 115 are provided on the top surface 104 that partitions the internal space of the case 101. The optical sensor 115 is located in front of the optical sensor 114.

  Each of the optical sensors 114 and 115 includes a light emitting element such as an LED and a light receiving element such as a phototransistor. The light emitting element and the light receiving element are each surrounded by a casing. The outer shape of the optical sensors 114 and 115 formed by the housing is a horseshoe shape. The light emitting element can irradiate light from the housing in one direction, in this embodiment, left direction 55 or right direction 56. The light receiving element can receive light emitted from one direction to the housing. Such a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged to face each other at a predetermined interval in the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 in a horseshoe-shaped housing.

  The light shielding plate 43 and the remaining amount detector 35 of the ink cartridge 30 can enter the space between the light emitting element and the light receiving element. The light shielding plate 43 of the ink cartridge 30 can enter the space between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor 115. When the remaining amount detector 35 enters the optical path of the optical sensor 114, the optical sensor 114 can detect a change in the amount of transmitted light by the remaining amount detector 35. When the light shielding plate 43 enters the optical path of the light sensor 115, the light sensor 115 can detect a change in the amount of transmitted light by the light shielding plate 43 by irradiating the light shielding plate 43 with light.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a contact 106 is provided on the top surface 104 of the case 101 at a position closer to the end surface 102 than the optical sensor 115. Three contacts 106 are arranged in the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 apart from each other. The arrangement of the three contacts 106 corresponds to the arrangement of the HOT electrode, the GND electrode, and the signal electrode on the IC substrate 74 of the ink cartridge 30. Each contact 106 is composed of a member having conductivity and elasticity, and can be elastically deformed upward.

  Each contact 106 is electrically connected to the arithmetic unit via an electric circuit. The arithmetic device includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and may be configured as a control unit of the printer 10. When the contact 106 and the HOT electrode are electrically connected, the voltage Vc is applied to the HOT electrode. When the contact 106 and the GND electrode are electrically connected, the GND electrode is grounded. When the contact 106 is electrically connected to the HOT electrode and the GND electrode, power is supplied to the IC. When the contact 106 and the signal electrode are electrically connected, data stored in the IC can be accessed. The output from the electric circuit is input to the arithmetic unit.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a lock pin 117 is provided on the top surface 104 of the case 101 at a position closer to the opening 112 than the optical sensor 114. The lock pin 117 is a cylindrical member extending along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56. The lock pin 117 is in a position where it does not come into contact with the IC substrate 74, the light shielding plate 43, and the remaining amount detection unit 35 in the process of inserting the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge mounting portion 110, that is, the IC substrate 74 and the light shielding plate in the mounting posture. 43 and the remaining amount detection unit 35. In the mounting posture, the engagement surface 81 of the lock lever 80 at the first position engages with the lock pin 117 to hold the ink cartridge 30 in the mounting posture.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
In the ink cartridge 30, the lock lever 80 in the first position is farther from the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 than the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the light shielding plate 43, so that the ink cartridge 30 faces the floor with the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 facing downward. The lock lever 80 is likely to come into contact with the floor or the like before the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the light shielding plate 43 when it falls to the wall or collides with a wall or another member. Thereby, damage to the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the light shielding plate 43 is suppressed. Further, when the ink cartridge 30 falls on the floor, the lock lever 80 moves from the first position to the second position, so that the impact applied to the ink cartridge 30 in the case of dropping or collision is reduced.

  Further, since the lock lever 80 can be rotated with respect to the main body 31 by elastic deformation, the lock lever 80 is configured integrally with the main body 31.

  Further, the lock lever 80 can protect the remaining amount detection unit 35 by its elasticity.

  Further, since the engagement surface 81 of the lock lever 80 engages with the lock pin 117 of the cartridge mounting portion 110, the configuration of the ink cartridge 30 that can be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110 is simplified.

  Further, by arranging the lock lever 80 and the light shielding plate 43 side by side in the insertion direction 57, it contributes to reducing the size of the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 (width direction), and further the position of engagement is light shielding. Since it is higher than the plate 43, the ink cartridge 30 can be taken out simply by moving the lock lever 80 from the first position to the second position.

  Further, since the operation portion 82 of the lock lever 80 is located behind the engagement surface 81 in the insertion direction 57, the lock lever 80 is operated by the operation portion 82 in a state where the ink cartridge 30 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 110. Easy to move.

[First Modification]
The ink cartridge 30 described above can be rotated with respect to the main body 31 instead of the lock lever 80 and restored to the first position by being biased by a leaf spring 91 (an example of an elastic member). A lock lever 90 (an example of a moving member) may be provided. Even the ink cartridge 30 having such a lock lever 90 has the same effects as the above-described embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the main body 31 is provided with a support portion 92 that protrudes upward from the upper surface 39. A support shaft 93 extending along the left direction 55 and the right direction 56 is provided near the upper end of the support portion 92. The lock lever 90 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 93.

  The lock lever 90 extends obliquely upward from the rear side of the housing body 33 toward the upper side and the rear side on the upper surface 39. The lock lever 90 has a substantially flat plate shape in which an engagement surface 94 (an example of an engagement portion) extending downward is formed as a step near the center of the front direction 53 and the rear direction 54. The engaging surface 94 can be engaged with the lock pin of the cartridge mounting portion 110. The extending end of the lock lever 90 is an operation unit 95, which is positioned above the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 and positioned rearward from the rear surface 41 of the main body 31.

  A leaf spring 91 is interposed between the lock lever 90 and the upper surface 39 of the main body 31. The leaf spring 91 urges the lock lever 90 upward, in other words, clockwise in FIG. The leaf spring 91 may be in a state in which only the lock lever 90 or the main body 31 is in contact in a natural state where no external force is applied. The leaf spring 91 may be fixed to the upper surface 39, may be fixed to the back surface of the portion extending between the engaging surface 94 of the lock lever 90 and the operation portion 95, or fixed to both. It may be. The lock lever 90 is restricted from rotating upward by contact with the support portion 92. FIG. 6 shows the lock lever 90 when the upper limit is reached. The position of the lock lever 90 at this time is the first position. For example, when the operation unit 95 is pushed downward by the user's operation, the lock lever 90 rotates downward against the urging force of the leaf spring 91, and the engagement surface 94 and the operation unit 95 are moved to the main body 31. Approaches the upper surface 39 of the. The position of the lock lever 90 at this time is the second position.

  Similar to the above-described embodiment, the operation of the lock lever 90 in the second position is determined from the distance L1 (an example of the maximum distance L1) between the rear end of the operation portion 95 of the lock lever 90 and the upper surface of the main body 31 in the first position. The distance L2 (an example of the maximum distance L2) between the rear end of the portion 95 and the upper surface of the main body 31 is short (L1> L2).

  Further, the rear end of the operation unit 95 of the lock lever 90 at the first position is farther from the upper surface 39 of the main body 31 than the upper end of the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the upper end of the light shielding plate 43. Further, the rear end of the operation portion 95 of the lock lever 90 in the first position is located above the indicator portion 62 of the sensor arm 60.

[Second Modification]
The ink cartridge 30 described above may be provided with a slider 96 (an example of a moving member) that can slide with respect to the main body 31 instead of the lock lever 80. Even the ink cartridge 30 having such a slider 96 has the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge 30 has a main body 99 that covers the front of the inner frame 32. The rear of the inner frame 32 is covered with a slider 96. The slider 96 has a box shape having an inner space larger than a dimension along the upper direction 51 and the lower direction 52 of the inner frame 32. Therefore, the slider 96 can move in the upward direction 51 and the downward direction 52 with respect to the internal frame 32. A coil spring 97 (an example of an elastic member) is interposed between the upper surface 44 (an example of the second surface) of the inner frame 32 and the slider 96. The coil spring 97 supports the slider 96 so as to hold it in the first position, and forms a space between the upper surface 44 and the slider 96.

The slider 96 is urged upward. The slider 96 urged upward is in contact with the lower surface of the inner frame 32, so that the upper slide limit is restricted. The position of the upper slide limit is an example of the first position.

  The slider 96 is formed with an engagement surface 98 extending upward from the upper surface. The engagement surface 98 can be engaged with the lock pin 117 of the cartridge mounting portion 110. As shown in FIG. 8, when the slider 96 is pushed downward against the urging force of the coil spring 97, the engagement between the engagement surface 98 and the lock pin 117 is released. The position pushed down is an example of the second position. When the force that pushes down the slider 96 disappears, the slider 96 is restored to the first position by the biasing force of the coil spring 97.

  From the distance L1 (an example of the maximum distance L1) between the upper end of the engagement surface 98 of the slider 96 and the upper surface of the main body 99 at the first position shown in FIG. 7, the engagement of the slider 96 at the second position shown in FIG. The distance L2 (an example of the maximum distance L2) between the upper end of the surface 98 and the upper surface of the main body 99 is short (L1> L2).

  As shown in FIG. 7, the upper end of the engagement surface 98 of the slider 96 at the first position is farther from the upper surface of the main body 99 than the upper end of the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the upper end of the light shielding plate 43. . In addition, the upper end of the engagement surface 98 of the slider 96 at the first position is located above the indicator portion 62 of the sensor arm 60.

  In the above-described embodiment and each modification, the ink cartridge 30 includes the remaining amount detection unit 35 and the light shielding plate 43, but the ink cartridge 30 includes either the remaining amount detection unit 35 or the light shielding plate 43. Only may be provided.

30 ... Ink cartridge (printing fluid cartridge)
31 ... Body 32 ... Indicator unit 62 (light attenuation unit)
35 ... remaining amount detection part (detected part)
34: Ink supply unit (an example of a supply unit)
39 ... Upper surface (second surface)
40 ... Front side (first side)
74 ... IC board (electrical interface)
80 ... Lock lever (moving member)

Claims (14)

A main body that contains the printing fluid;
A supply section disposed on the first surface of the main body, for flowing out the stored printing fluid;
A to-be-detected part that is disposed on the second surface of the main body and has a light attenuating part for attenuating light emitted from the outside;
A movable member that is movable to the first position and the second position and that can be restored from the second position to the first position by elastic force,
The moving member has a maximum distance L2 from the second surface at the second position that is shorter than a maximum distance L1 from the second surface at the first position, and from the detected portion at the first position. A printing fluid cartridge spaced from the second surface;   The printing fluid cartridge of claim 1, further comprising an electrical interface disposed on the second surface of the body.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is rotatable with respect to the main body.   The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the moving member is rotatable with respect to the main body by elastic deformation. The moving member is
A connecting portion connected to the main body and having elasticity;
An engaging surface disposed at a position farther from the first surface than the light attenuating portion from the connection portion and facing in a direction opposite to the first surface;
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 4, further comprising: an operation unit disposed at a position farther from the first surface than the engagement surface.   The moving member is disposed between the moving member and the second surface, and is urged by an elastic member in contact with at least one of the second surface or the moving member at the first position. The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the printing fluid cartridge is restored to one position by an elastic force.   The said moving member is slidable with respect to the said main body, and restores | restores to the said 1st position by being urged | biased by the elastic member arrange | positioned between the said moving member and the said 2nd surface. 3. A printing fluid cartridge according to 2. The printing fluid cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction,
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is engageable with the cartridge mounting portion. The moving member and the light attenuating portion are arranged side by side in the insertion direction,
9. The moving member in the first position can be engaged with the cartridge mounting portion at a position farther from the second surface than a portion of the light attenuating portion farthest from the second surface. A printing fluid cartridge as described. The moving member has an operation part and an engaging part that engages with the cartridge mounting part.
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the operation unit is located behind the engagement unit in the insertion direction. A body containing printing fluid between a front surface and a rear surface including the first surface and having an upper surface including the second surface;
A supply unit that is disposed on the front surface of the main body and causes the contained printing fluid to flow out;
An electrical interface disposed on the top surface of the body;
A light attenuating portion disposed on the upper surface of the main body, for attenuating the light emitted from the front and rear directions and the direction intersecting the upper and lower directions;
A movable member that is movable from the first position to the second position closer to the upper surface of the main body than the first position, and is restored from the second position to the first position by an elastic force,
The light attenuating portion is disposed closer to the rear surface than the electrical interface,
The said moving member is arrange | positioned in the position close | similar to the said rear surface rather than the said light attenuation | damping part, and is separated from the said upper surface rather than the said light attenuation | damping part in the said 1st position. Printing fluid cartridge. The light attenuating portion is a light shielding plate that shields light that extends from the second surface and travels in a direction along the second surface,
The printing fluid cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the moving member is disposed outward from an extending end of the light shielding plate. The detected part extends from the second surface, and has a container capable of accommodating the light attenuating part therein and accessing light from the outside to the light attenuating part,
The light attenuating portion extends from the second surface, and deviates from a first position for attenuating the light emitted from the outside according to the amount of the printing fluid accommodated in the main body and the light path of the light. The position can be changed to the second position,
The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is further away from the second surface than a portion of the container that is farthest from the second surface. The moving member has an engaging portion that engages with the cartridge mounting portion in a mounting posture in which the printing fluid cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.
The engaging portion engages with the cartridge mounting portion when the moving member is at the first position, and releases the engagement with the cartridge mounting portion when the moving member is at the second position. The printing fluid cartridge according to claim 11.

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