JP2020040278A - Portable image formation device and portable image formation device body - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a portable image formation device which can inhibit occurrence of short circuits in an electric connection part between a detachable unit and a device body when the detachable unit of the portable image formation device is removed, and to provide a portable image formation device body.SOLUTION: A portable image formation device includes: a recording part which records images on a recording material; and a device body which houses the recording part therein, and further includes: a cover member which can open or close and covers an interior of the device body; a detachable unit 40 which is detachably attached to the device body and electrically connected with the device body while being attached to the device body; opening/closing detection means 23 which detects an opening/closing state of the cover member; and block means 14 which blocks at least a part of an electric connection 40d between the device body and the detachable unit 40 when the opening/closing detection means 23 detects an opening state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable image forming apparatus and a portable image forming apparatus main body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a portable image forming apparatus including a recording unit that records an image on a recording material and an apparatus main body that houses the recording unit inside is known.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a portable image forming apparatus that has a recording unit on a lower surface and is manually operated on a recording material. This portable image forming apparatus has a configuration in which a head cartridge section having an ink tank is loaded in the apparatus main body.

  In the portable image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the detachable unit such as the head cartridge unit is detached, a short circuit occurs at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body, and the detachable unit and the portable image forming apparatus fail. There is a possibility that.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a portable image forming apparatus including: a recording unit that records an image on a recording material; and an apparatus main body that houses the recording unit therein. An openable / closable cover member that covers the device body, a detachable unit that is detachable with respect to the device main body, and that is electrically connected to the device main body when mounted on the device main body, and an open / close state of the cover member. Opening / closing detection means for detecting, wherein when it is detected that the opening / closing detection means is in an open state, there is provided a breaking means for breaking at least a part of an electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit. Is what you do.

  According to the present invention, when the detachable unit of the portable image forming apparatus is detached, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body, thereby avoiding failure of the apparatus main body and the detachable unit. There is an excellent effect that the reliability of the device can be remarkably improved.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a part of an electric circuit of the HMP. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a state where a capping unit is attached to the HMP. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the HMP with a capping unit removed. The external appearance perspective view which looked at the HMP from the left back side upper part. The external appearance perspective view which looked at HMP from diagonally downward. The bottom view of HMP. The schematic sectional drawing which looked at the HMP from the left side. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a user's hand and the HMP when operating the HMP. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which an image is formed on a recording sheet P by HMP. The external appearance perspective view which looked at the HMP from the left front side upper part. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the HMP with an upper unit in an open state. FIG. 4 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP with the ink cartridge popped up. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP in a state where an ink cartridge is taken out. FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view of a single ink cartridge. FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 12. 9 is a flowchart showing an outline of control for cutting off electrical connection to the ink cartridge. FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view of a cartridge contact portion. FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP shown in FIG. 11 as viewed from the near side of the cross section shown in FIG. 13. FIG. 20 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP in a state where the upper unit is detected as being opened while the upper unit is being closed from the state shown in FIG. 19. FIG. 20 is a side sectional view of the HMP in a state where the upper unit is closed from the state shown in FIG. 19 and the closed state is detected. FIG. 20 is a side sectional view of the HMP in a state immediately before the state shown in FIG. 19 is detected as a closed state in which the upper unit is closed. FIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of the upper unit of the HMP of the first modification in a closed state. FIG. 24 is a side sectional view of the HMP of Modification 1 in which the upper unit is opened from the state shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 25 is a side cross-sectional view of the HMP of the first modification in a state where the ink cartridge is popped up from the state shown in FIG. 24. FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state where an upper unit of the HMP according to a second modification is in an open state.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a handy mobile printer (hereinafter, referred to as “HMP”) which is a portable image forming apparatus will be described. First, a basic configuration of the HMP according to the embodiment will be described.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a state in which the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP 1 according to the embodiment, as viewed obliquely from above (above the right front side).
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the capping unit 8 is removed from the HMP 1, and is a perspective view of the HMP 1 and the capping unit 8 as viewed from above the right front side.

The HMP 1 according to the present embodiment includes a capping unit 8 that can be mounted. The capping unit 8 is made of a resin such as an ABS resin, and has a concave portion 81 formed on an inner wall surface thereof. When the capping unit 8 is mounted on the HMP 1, the protrusion 16 provided on the HMP 1 is hooked on the recess 81 by snap fitting. Thus, the state in which the capping unit 8 is mounted on the HMP 1 (the state shown in FIG. 2) is maintained.
When removing the capping unit 8 from the HMP 1, the user pulls the HMP 1 main body upward (in the Z-axis plus direction in the drawing) from the capping unit 8, so that the protrusion 16 caught by the snap fit is removed from the recess 81. Thus, the capping unit 8 can be removed from the HMP 1.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the HMP1 as viewed from the upper left rear side, and FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the HMP1 as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the HMP1.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the HMP 1 mainly includes an upper unit 2 and a lower unit 3. The HMP1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and its length in the scanning direction (= printing direction: X-axis direction in the drawing) is such that the user can grasp it with his / her palm.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the left-right direction (short direction) of the main body of the HMP1 is defined as an X-axis direction, and the main body longitudinal direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction is defined as a Y-axis direction. In a printing operation using the HMP1, the HMP1 is moved in the X-axis direction (scanning direction) when characters, pictures, and the like are printed linearly. Then, a line feed is performed by moving the HMP1 in the Y-axis direction.
However, the printing operation using the HMP1 is not limited to the operation described above. For example, when characters and pictures are arranged in a design manner, printing can be performed by moving the HMP 1 in an oblique direction other than the X-axis direction or in a curved manner. It is also possible to move the HMP1 in a direction other than the Y-axis direction to start a line feed.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of the HMP1 viewed from the left side.
As shown in FIG. 7, the upper unit 2 has an L-shape including a horizontal extension 2a extending in the Y-axis direction and a vertical extension 2b extending in the Z-axis direction. A battery 15 as a power supply for supplying power to each device of the HMP 1 is disposed inside the vertically extending portion 2b of the upper unit 2. A control board 14 is disposed on the horizontally extending portion 2a, and a print button 5a and a power button 5b are connected to the control board 14. The power button 5b is a button for switching on / off (ON / OFF) the power of the HMP1, and the print button 5a is a button for operating the ink ejection timing.

The lower unit 3 includes an upper unit rotating shaft 3a that rotatably supports the upper unit 2, a position detection sensor 18, an FPC contact portion 13, an upper unit lock claw 11, a housing 80 that holds these, and the like. The position detection sensor 18 is an optical sensor (reflection type) for detecting position coordinates and detecting the presence or absence of a print target. Further, inside the housing 80 of the lower unit 3, an ink cartridge 40 (inkjet head) integrated with an ink tank integrally including a recording unit 41 (image forming unit) and an ink tank is detachably attached to the housing 80. Is housed. The ink cartridge 40 performs image formation by discharging ink droplets from the recording unit 41. When the HMP1 is used, the recording unit 41 that discharges ink droplets is directed vertically downward.
By rotating the upper unit 2 with respect to the lower unit 3 in the direction of the arrow “B” in FIG. 7, the opening above the housing 80 of the lower unit 3 is exposed, and the ink cartridge disposed inside the housing 80. 40 can be removed. In addition, the above “lower unit 3” corresponds to “apparatus main body” in claims, and “upper unit 2” corresponds to “cover member” in claims.

  In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, the battery 15 is disposed on the vertically extending portion 2 b of the upper unit 2 which is located so as to cover the front side (the right side in FIG. 7) of the lower unit 3. It is located on the front 35 side. For this reason, the height of the HMP 1 is reduced as compared with the configuration in which the heavy battery 15 is positioned above the ink cartridge 40. Thereby, the position of the center of gravity of the HMP1 can be lowered, and the fall of the HMP1 during the moving operation can be suppressed.

  The size (apparatus width) of the HMP 1 in the scanning direction (X-axis direction) is slightly larger than that of the ink cartridge 40. By making the apparatus width as small as possible, the range in which the HMP 1 can be moved in the scanning direction on the surface of the recording paper P can be widened, and the recordable range on the surface of the recording paper P can be made as large as possible.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the HMP 1 has a recording surface 30 that is an opposing surface that causes the recording unit 41 of the ink cartridge 40 to face a recording material such as paper. Further, it has an upper surface 31 opposite to the recording surface 30, a left side surface 32 extending in a scanning orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) which is a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the HMP1. Further, it has a right side surface 33 extending in the scanning orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing), a back surface 34 extending in the scanning direction (X-axis direction in the drawing), a front surface 35 extending in the scanning direction, and the like. . The HMP 1 is used in a posture in which the recording surface 30 is directed downward in the vertical direction and the upper surface 31 is directed upward in the vertical direction.

  A print button 5a and a power button 5b are provided in the outer edge (in the frame) of the upper surface 31. A USB connection port 9 is provided on the left side surface 32 of the upper unit 2. The USB connection port 9 is for connecting a USB cable. The battery 15 can be charged by supplying power from an external power supply to the rechargeable battery 15 mounted in the HMP 1 via a USB cable connected to the USB connection port 9.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, the L-shaped upper unit 2 is disposed so as to cover the upper surface 31 side and the front surface 35 side of the lower unit 3. The width (the length in the X-axis direction) is larger than that of No. 3.
The surface of the lower unit 3 on the upper surface 31 side is referred to as “first surface” in the claims, and the surfaces of the lower unit 3 on the front surface 35 side, the left side surface 32 side, the right side surface 33 side, and the back surface 34 side are referred to in the claims. This corresponds to the “second surface” in the section.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the user's hand H and the HMP1 when the user operates the HMP1.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the user moves the HMP 1 on the surface of the recording paper P in the scanning direction (the X-axis direction in the figure, the left-right direction in FIG. Hold and move HMP1. By making the upper unit 2 wider than the lower unit 3, the shape becomes easy for the user to hold by hand, and the vertically extending portion 2 b can be used as a housing portion for the battery 15. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a concave holding portion 39 is formed on the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33 of the lower unit 3. The grip portion 39 is formed at a position where the user touches the finger of the hand H holding the upper unit 2 (usually a position where the thumb and the middle finger or the ring finger are respectively touched) when the user holds and uses the HMP1. ing. The user can stably hold the HMP1 by placing his / her finger on the holding portions 39 of the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33 and holding the HMP1 so as to sandwich the HMP1.

  The HMP1 can switch on / off (ON / OFF) the power by long pressing the power button 5b by the user. When the power is turned on, image information can be acquired by the control board 14 provided in the upper unit 2 of the HMP 1 by wireless communication with a smartphone or the like using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or the like.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which an image is formed on the recording paper P by the HMP1.
After the image information is obtained, the HMP 1 is placed on the surface of the recording paper P in such a manner that the recording surface 30 faces the surface of the recording paper P. After that, once the print button 5a is pressed, the image can be formed on the surface of the recording paper P by moving the HMP 1 along the scanning direction (X-axis direction) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, in the image formation using the HMP1, printing can be performed while confirming the printed portion W1 on which printing has been performed and the scheduled printing portion W2 on which printing is to be performed.

The HMP 1 is returned to one of the scanning directions (the X-axis direction in the figure) by the user's moving operation (manual scanning) (to the right in FIG. 9) and to the other (to the left in FIG. 9). An image can be formed on the surface of the recording paper P each time when the recording paper P is moved. The ejection of the ink from the ink cartridge 40 may be performed continuously after the user presses and releases the print button 5a once, or may be performed only while the user presses the print button 5a.
The recording material is not limited to papers such as recording paper P, but includes OHP, cloth, cardboard, packaging containers, glass, substrates, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the recording unit 41 of the ink cartridge 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 is exposed to the outside on the surface (the lower surface of the housing 80) forming the recording surface 30 of the lower unit 3. Opening 30a is provided. The recording unit 41 of the ink cartridge 40 has a plurality of ejection holes 41a, and can individually eject ink droplets from each of the ejection holes 41a by driving the piezoelectric element.
The width of the recording area of the image of the recording unit 41 (the length of the image in the direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the scanning direction) is determined by the distance between the ejection holes 41a located at both ends in the Y-axis direction of the plurality of ejection holes 41a. Equivalent to.
The ink discharged from the recording unit 41 passes through the discharge opening 30a and reaches the recording paper P, where an image is formed.

  The ink cartridge 40 can use an electromechanical transducer (such as a piezoelectric actuator) using a laminated piezoelectric element, a thin film piezoelectric element, or the like as a drive source for discharging ink. As another configuration of the drive source, an electrothermal conversion element such as a heating resistor, an electrostatic actuator including a diaphragm and a counter electrode, or the like can be used.

  A well-known configuration can be applied to a so-called ink-jet mechanism that performs recording by discharging a liquid such as ink or droplets from the ink cartridge 40. In addition, as long as the inkjet mechanism can be mounted on the HMP1, the inkjet mechanism can be appropriately adopted. In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, the ink jet mechanism corresponds to the recording unit 41 that records an image on the recording paper P, and the recording unit 41 is stored in the housing 80 of the lower unit 3.

  The ink (liquid) ejected from the ejection hole 41a of the recording unit 41 is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid having a viscosity and a surface tension that can be ejected from the ejection hole 41a. However, the viscosity is preferably 30 [mPa · s] or less at normal temperature and normal pressure or by heating and cooling. Specifically, the ink (liquid) includes a solvent such as water or an organic solvent, a coloring agent such as a dye or a pigment, a functionalizing material such as a polymerizable compound, a resin, or a surfactant, a DNA, an amino acid, a protein, or a calcium. Solutions, suspensions, emulsions and the like containing biocompatible materials, edible materials such as natural pigments, and the like. These can be used, for example, for ink-jet inks, surface treatment liquids, liquids for forming components of electronic elements and light-emitting elements, liquids for forming resist patterns for electronic circuits, and material liquids for three-dimensional modeling.

A position detection sensor 18 is provided in the outer edge of the recording surface 30 as position detection means for detecting the position of the HMP1 on the recording paper P in a non-contact manner. On the lower surface of the housing 80 forming the recording surface 30, a detection opening 302 for exposing the detection unit of the position detection sensor 18 is formed.
In a contact-type sensor using a rotary encoder or the like, it is necessary to bring the sensor into contact with the printing surface, and a detection error due to the contact state is likely to occur. Specifically, when the detection unit of the contact-type sensor moves away from or slips on the printing surface, the actual movement distance differs from the movement distance calculated based on the detection result, resulting in a detection error. . On the other hand, by using an optical sensor as the position detection sensor 18 to detect the print surface in a non-contact manner, it is possible to detect the print surface with high accuracy.

  Further, a left first roller 37a, a left second roller 37b, a right first roller 38a, a right second roller 38b, and the like, which are rotatably attached to the housing 80, are provided inside the outer edge of the recording surface 30. I have. The left first roller 37a and the left second roller 37b are fixed to a left rotation shaft 37c, and the left rotation shaft 37c is held rotatably with respect to the housing 80. Similarly, the right first roller 38a and the right second roller 38b are fixed to a right rotation shaft 38c, and the right rotation shaft 38c is held rotatably with respect to the housing 80.

  When the user moves the HMP1 in the scanning direction, the four rollers (37a, 37b, 38a and 38b) in contact with the surface of the recording paper P rotate like tires. By providing such a roller, the user can make the HMP1 travel straight along the scanning direction. Further, when the HMP1 is moved straight in the scanning direction, only the four rollers (37a, 37b, 38a and 38b) provided on the HMP1 contact the surface of the recording paper P or the surface of the table on which the recording paper P is placed. The recording surface 30 is prevented from contacting the surface of the recording paper P. Therefore, the user can move the HMP 1 straight along the scanning direction while keeping the distance between the recording unit 41 of the ink cartridge 40 and the surface of the recording paper P constant, and form a desired high-quality image. be able to. That is, the four rollers function as movement assisting means for guiding the movement of the HMP 1 in the scanning direction and assisting the linear movement in the scanning direction.

  The position detection sensor 18 is a sensor that detects the distance to the surface of the recording paper P and the surface state (for example, unevenness), and detects the moving distance of the HMP1, and is, for example, an optical mouse (pointing device) of a personal computer. The same ones as those used in can be used. The position detection sensor 18 irradiates light to the place (recording paper P) where it is placed, and reads the state of that part as a “pattern”. Then, the movement amount is calculated by continuously capturing how the “pattern” moves in response to the movement of the position detection sensor 18. As the position detection sensor 18, any sensor other than the optical sensor, such as an ultrasonic sensor, may be used as long as it can detect a change in position with respect to the recording paper P in a non-contact manner. Further, the position detecting means provided in the portable image forming apparatus such as the HMP1 to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to a non-contact type sensor such as the position detecting sensor 18, but a contact type sensor using a rotary encoder or the like. May be.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a part of the electric circuit of the HMP1.
The control board 14 includes a CPU 55 for performing various arithmetic processes and programs, a Bt board 52 for short-range wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), a RAM 53 for temporarily storing data, a ROM 54, a recording control unit 56, and the like. ing. The control board 14 is fixed at a position inside the USB connection port 9 in the hollow of the upper unit 2.

  The Bt board 52 performs data communication by short-range wireless communication with an external device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The ROM 54 stores firmware for controlling hardware of the HMP 1, driving waveform data of the ink cartridge 40, and the like. The recording control unit 56 executes data processing for driving the ink cartridge 40 and generates a drive waveform.

  A gyro sensor 58, a position detection sensor 18, a temperature sensor 19, an LED lamp 59, an ink cartridge 40, a print button 5a, a power button 5b, a battery 15, and the like are electrically connected to the control board 14. The gyro sensor 58 detects the inclination and the rotation angle of the HMP 1 by a known technique, and transmits the result to the control board 14. The LED lamp 59 is provided inside an exterior cover made of a light transmissive material for the print button 5a, and causes the print button 5a to emit light.

  When the power of the HMP 1 is turned on by pressing the power button 5 b, power is supplied to each module, and the CPU 55 starts a start operation based on a program stored in the ROM 54, and develops the program and each data in the RAM 53. When image data of an image on which image formation is to be performed is received from an external device by short-range wireless communication, the recording control unit 56 generates a drive waveform according to the received image data. Then, the ejection of ink from the ink cartridge 40 is controlled so as to form an image corresponding to the position on the surface of the recording paper P detected by the position detection sensor 18.

  The target image can be printed by detecting the direction, speed, and distance of movement of the HMP 1 with the position detection sensor 18 and adjusting the amount and position of ink ejection based on the detection result. The discharge start position can be adjusted using the sub-scanning guide 7 provided on the left side surface 32 and the right side surface 33 of the housing 80 and the main scanning guide 10 provided on the back surface 34 of the housing 80. More specifically, the main scanning guide 10 is used to position the HMP1 with respect to the recording paper P in the main scanning direction (the X-axis direction in the figure), and the subscanning guide 7 is used to position the HMP1 in the subscanning direction (with respect to the recording paper P). The discharge start position can be adjusted by adjusting the position in the Y-axis direction in the figure.

  When acquiring image data by short-range wireless communication with an external device, the control board 14 causes the LED lamp 59 to blink, thereby causing the light-transmitting print button 5a to emit light and blink. Upon seeing this, the user knows that the HMP1 has finished acquiring image data, places the HMP1 on the recording paper P, and presses the print button 5a.

  On the other hand, when the control board 14 starts the blinking control of the LED lamp 59, the control board 14 waits until the print button 5a is pressed. Then, when the print button 5a is pressed, the LED button 59 is continuously turned on, so that the print button 5a emits light continuously. Upon seeing this, the user starts a moving operation (manual scanning) of the HMP1 in the scanning direction.

  After completing the movement operation (manual scanning) of the HMP1, the user presses the print button 5a again. Thereby, the control board 14 turns off the LED lamp 59 and stops the light emission of the print button 5a. Further, there is a case where the HMP 1 is picked up from the recording paper P without pressing the print button 5a and is placed on a table or the like as it is, or is mounted on a cover member covering the recording surface 30 and placed. In these cases, the position detection sensor 18 cannot detect the position when the HMP 1 is picked up from the recording paper P. The control board 14 turns off the LED lamp 59 and stops the light emission of the print button 5a at the timing when the position detection sensor 18 stops detecting the position. The user who sees this can know that the printing process of the HMP1 has been completed.

  In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to keep pressing the print button 5a during the moving operation (manual scanning). If the print button 5a is pressed and released prior to the moving operation, the printing process is continued until a predetermined timing. Examples of the predetermined timing include timing when the image forming process based on the detection result by the position detection sensor 18 ends image formation, timing when the print button 5a is pressed again, or timing when the position detection sensor 18 cannot detect the position. be able to.

  When image formation is not performed, for example, after image formation is completed, the capping unit 8 is attached to the HMP1. Thus, drying of the ink in the ejection holes 41a can be prevented.

Next, the shape of the upper unit 2 of the HMP 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
The HMP 1 includes a lower unit 3 and an upper unit 2. The lower unit 3 is an apparatus main body having a recording unit 41. The upper unit 2 is a cover member that opens and closes the recording unit opposite surface (the upper opening of the housing 80) on the opposite side of the recording unit arrangement surface (the lower surface of the housing 80) of the lower unit 3 where the recording unit 41 is arranged. .

  As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, the upper unit 2 has an “L-shaped” shape including a horizontally extending portion 2a and a vertically extending portion 2b. The horizontal extending portion 2a is a first covering portion that covers an upper portion of the housing 80 that is opposite to a lower surface of the housing 80 in which the recording unit 41 in the lower unit 3 is disposed. The vertically extending portion 2b extends from the horizontal extending portion 2a to the side of the recording arrangement surface (downward), and the side surface between the lower surface and the upper surface of the lower unit 3 (the left side surface 32, the right side surface 33, the back surface 34, and The second covering portion covers at least a part of the front surface 35).

  As a portable image forming apparatus such as the HMP1, a manual scanning printer has been already known for printing on books and notebooks which cannot be printed by a conventional inkjet printer.

Patent Literature 1 describes that a head cartridge unit in which an ink tank and a head unit are integrated is loaded in a main body unit. Patent Literature 1 does not disclose a cover member that opens and closes a space in the main body section where the head cartridge section is loaded.
When the cover member is disposed only above the apparatus main body (the lower unit 3 of the present embodiment) that forms a space for mounting the head cartridge unit, the opening / closing force is held only by the upper part of the apparatus during the opening / closing operation. There is no choice but to give it, and the operability may deteriorate.

  In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, the upper unit 2 serving as a cover member is L-shaped, and has a vertically extending portion 2b extending from the horizontally extending portion 2a to (below) the recording surface. By having the vertical extending portion 2b, not only the horizontal extending portion 2a but also the vertical extending portion 2b can be used as a portion to be touched by hand at the time of opening / closing operation to apply the opening / closing force. Therefore, one of or both the horizontal extending portion 2a on the opposite side of the recording surface 30 in the HMP1 and the vertical extending portion 2b on the side of the recording surface 30 has an opening / closing portion that easily applies an opening / closing force. The operation can be performed, and the operability of the opening and closing operation of the upper unit 2 can be improved.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, a relatively heavy battery is disposed above the portable image forming apparatus in parallel with the recording surface. In the configuration in which the battery is disposed at the upper part, the center of gravity is located at the upper part of the portable image forming apparatus, and the portable image forming apparatus is likely to fall over, and the operability of the user may be deteriorated.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the battery 15 is disposed in a vertically extending portion 2 b which is a portion of the L-shaped upper unit 2 extending in the vertical direction of the HMP 1. I have. Thus, the relatively heavy battery 15 can be arranged not on the lower unit 3 but on the side. Further, the longitudinal direction of the battery 15 having a relatively large specific gravity can be arranged in the height direction of the HMP1. Therefore, it is possible to lower the center of gravity of the entire apparatus, to realize a configuration in which the HMP1 is unlikely to fall and the operability of the user is improved.
As described above, by improving the operability of the user, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the printed image due to the deterioration of the operability of the HMP1.

  Here, the reason why the battery 15 is provided in the vertically extending portion 2b of the L-shaped upper unit 2 will be briefly described. In the HMP 1 according to the present invention, the following three places can be considered as places for installing the battery 15 other than the vertically extending portion 2b.

First, the first location is “the front side 35 of the lower unit 3”. This is a form in which the horizontal extension portion 2a and the vertical extension portion 2b of the upper unit 2 are separated, and the separated vertical extension portion 2b is arranged on the front surface 35 side of the lower unit 3.
Next, the second location is “on the upper surface 31 side of the lower unit 3”. This is a form in which the battery 15 is provided on the horizontally extending portion 2a of the upper unit 2 and the control board 14 is provided on the vertically extending portion 2b. That is, the positions of the battery 15 and the control board 14 are interchanged.
Finally, the third point is "the back side 34 of the lower unit 3".

  However, these three locations each have disadvantages. The disadvantages of each installation location are described below.

<Disadvantages of the first location (front 35 side of lower unit 3)>
The control board 14 and the battery 15 must always be connected by a harness. Therefore, when the battery 15 is provided separately from the control board 14 at the rear end of the lower unit 3 (apparatus main body), the harness connecting them is connected to the upper unit 2 of the upper unit 2 installed at the front end of the lower unit 3. The connection must be made through the shaft 3a. Then, the length of the harness becomes longer, and the cost of the harness itself increases.
In addition, when the harness becomes longer, the route of traversing the harness becomes complicated, and the cost increases due to an increase in the number of assembling steps. Further, as described above, it is necessary to provide a route somewhere in the lower unit 3 for crawling the harness from the battery 15 at the rear end of the lower unit 3 to the upper unit rotating shaft 3a at the front end of the lower unit 3. Then, when the lower unit 3 is enlarged to secure the installation space, the HMP 1 itself is also enlarged.

<Demerit of the second part (the upper surface 31 side of the lower unit 3)>
When the battery 15 is installed on the horizontally extending portion 2a of the upper unit 2 and the control board 14 is arranged on the vertically extending portion 2b, the print button 5a and the power button 5b set with the control board 14 This means that it has to be arranged on the front surface 35 side. As a result, the operability during printing of the HMP1 is significantly deteriorated. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to dispose a control board for the print button 5a and the power button 5b further above the battery 15 separately disposed on the horizontally extending portion 2a (the HMP of Patent Document 1 is a This configuration). Therefore, it is necessary to increase the height of the upper unit 2 in order to secure the installation space for the control board 14, and as a result, the height of the entire HMP1 increases, which leads to an increase in the size of the HMP1.
Further, since the position of the battery 15 is located above the HMP1 as in Patent Document 1, the position of the center of gravity of the entire apparatus is increased, so that the operability is deteriorated such that the apparatus is likely to fall down during the printing operation of the operator. Will also be invited.

<Demerit of the third part (the back side 34 of the lower unit 3)>
As in the case of the first place, the battery 15 and the control board 14 are separated from each other, so that the harness connecting them becomes longer, and the harness crawls because the upper unit rotating shaft 3a has to be passed. Turning becomes complicated. This leads to an increase in cost due to an increase in the length of the harness and an increase in the number of assembly steps.
Further, it is best to arrange the position of the head (printing position) at the upper part in the longitudinal direction of the HMP 1 from the viewpoint of user operability. However, when the battery 15 is arranged at the front end of the lower unit 3, the longitudinal dimension of the HMP1 becomes large, and the printing position has to be relatively arranged at the center of the HMP1 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the arrangement is such that the user feels strange from the viewpoint of the operability of the user.

  The portable image forming apparatus may include a lock mechanism (upper unit lock claw 11 of the present embodiment) for fixing the cover member to the apparatus main body so that the cover member does not open and close during an image forming operation. desirable. However, when the cover member is disposed only above the apparatus main body, the lock mechanism has a structure in which the operation unit of the lock mechanism is disposed on the side surface (right side, left side, front and back) or the upper surface of the apparatus main body. With this structure, it is possible for the user to come into contact with the operation unit of the lock mechanism while the apparatus is placed on the paper, and the user operates the lock mechanism incorrectly during the image forming operation, and the cover member is released. There is a possibility that it will.

  In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b forms a part of the recording surface 30, and a direction from the upper surface 31 of the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b toward the recording surface 30 ( The lower position is the same position as the lower surface of the housing 80. A discharge opening 30a is provided on the lower surface of the housing 80, and an upper unit lock claw 11 serving as a lock mechanism is arranged on the recording surface 30, which is the same surface as the discharge opening 30a. The upper unit lock claw 11 is an operation unit operated to release the fixing of the upper unit 2 to the lower unit 3.

  The recording surface 30 provided with the ejection opening 30a is the lower surface of the HMP1, and the recording surface 30 faces the paper surface when the HMP1 is placed on the paper surface. Can be prevented from contacting the user. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously operating the upper unit lock claw 11 during the image forming operation (during the printing operation), and to prevent the upper unit 2 from being released due to the erroneous operation.

  In addition, by disposing the upper unit lock claw 11 on the lower surface of the HMP 1, the user can contact the upper unit lock claw 11 not only during the printing operation but also at an unintended timing, such as when the user has no hand. Can be prevented. Thus, it is possible to reduce a possibility that a problem that the upper unit 2 is released at an unintended timing occurs.

  The configuration that can prevent the user from erroneously operating the lock mechanism during the image forming operation is not limited to the configuration in which the lower end of the vertically extending portion 2b is at the same position as the lower surface of the housing 80. If the shape includes the vertical extension portion 2b, the lock mechanism is arranged on the lower surface serving as the lower end portion of the vertical extension portion 2b or on the side surface of the housing 80 adjacent to the lower surface, so that the vertical extension portion 2b The user can be prevented from contacting the lock mechanism. By inhibiting the contact with the lock mechanism, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously operating the lock mechanism during the image forming operation.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (upper view), FIGS. 4 and 5, the left side face 32 and the right side face 33 are each provided with a grip portion 39. It is desirable that the grip 39 be disposed at a position that is the center of gravity of the HMP1 in the YZ plane. Specifically, the HMP 1 is arranged such that the center of gravity of the HMP1 in the YZ plane is located inside the grip portion 39 in the YZ plane. By providing the grip portion 39 for placing a finger when the user grips the HMP1 at the position of the center of gravity of the HMP1, the user can be operated with the center of gravity of the HMP1 close to the center of the HMP1. Operation can be realized.

Next, an operation of taking out the ink cartridge 40 of the HMP1 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the HMP 1 as viewed from the upper left front side, and FIG. 11 is a view of rotating the upper unit 2 in the direction of arrow “B” in FIG. 7 with respect to the lower unit 3 from the state shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of HMP1 of the state made to be made.
As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, an upper unit lock claw is provided near the boundary between the lower unit 3 (the lower surface of the housing 80) and the upper unit 2 (the lower surface of the vertically extending portion 2b) on the recording surface 30 of the HMP1. 11 are arranged. By operating the upper unit lock claw 11 to move it in the direction of arrow “C” in FIG. 7, the fixing of the upper unit 2 to the lower unit 3 is released. In the state where the fixing is released, the upper unit 2 is rotated with respect to the lower unit 3 in the direction of the arrow “B” in FIG. 7 around the upper unit rotation shaft 3 a, as shown in FIG. Is opened.

  As shown in FIG. 11, by opening the upper unit 2, the ink cartridge 40 and the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 are exposed. As shown in FIG. 11, a head pressing biasing member 21 for pressing and locking the ink cartridge 40 mounted in the lower unit 3 is fixed to the inner surface of the upper unit 2.

FIG. 12 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP 1 in a state where the ink cartridge 40 is popped up by operating the attachment / detachment operation section 12 a of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 of the HMP 1 in the state shown in FIG. 11.
The ink cartridge 40 pops up from the state shown in FIG. 11 to the state shown in FIG. 12 by pulling the attachment / detachment operation unit 12a of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 toward the front side as shown by an arrow “D” in FIG. Then, the ink cartridge 40 can be taken out.

  FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. The cross section shown in FIG. 13 is a cross section at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80. FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view of the entire HMP1, and FIG. 13B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region “α” indicated by a broken line in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the front side (the right side in FIG. 13) of the ink cartridge 40 is pressed by the pressing portion 12 c of the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12, as shown by an arrow “E” in FIG. 13. Then, the ink cartridge 40 is pressed toward the rear side (the left side in FIG. 13). Thus, the contact of the ink cartridge 40 is pressed against the FPC contact 13 fixed to the HMP1 main body.

FIG. 14 is a perspective explanatory view of the HMP 1 in a state where the upper unit 2 is in the open state and the ink cartridge 40 is removed, as viewed obliquely from the upper front side. FIG. 14A is an overall perspective explanatory view of the HMP1, and FIG. 14B is an enlarged perspective view of a region “β” indicated by a broken line in FIG. 14A.
As shown in FIG. 14, an FPC contact portion 13 is arranged on the inner wall surface on the back side of the space in the lower unit 3 where the ink cartridge 40 is arranged.

  FIG. 15 is an explanatory perspective view of the ink cartridge 40 alone. 15A is an explanatory perspective view of the ink cartridge 40 as viewed from the upper left rear side, and FIG. 15B is an explanatory perspective view of the ink cartridge 40 as viewed from the lower right rear side. As shown in FIG. 15, a cartridge contact portion 40b is disposed on the outer wall surface on the back side of the ink cartridge 40.

  When the ink cartridge 40 is mounted on the lower unit 3 and the FPC contact 13 and the cartridge contact 40b are electrically connected, power is supplied from the power supply (battery 15) to the ink cartridge 40. Further, an electric signal for controlling the ink cartridge 40 is transmitted to the ink cartridge 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 7, 11, and 15, a flexible flat cable 25 is disposed on the side of the back surface 34 of the upper unit rotating shaft 3a, and the control board 14 in the upper unit 2 and the flexible flat cable 25 in the lower unit 3 And the FPC contact section 13 are connected. The flexible flat cable 25 can be deformed in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the upper unit 2, and can maintain the connection state between the control board 14 and the FPC contact section 13 even if the opening / closing operation of the upper unit 2 is repeated.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. The cross section shown in FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80, as in FIG.
By pulling the attachment / detachment operation section 12a of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 toward the front surface 35 as shown by an arrow "D" in FIG. 13, the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 moves toward the front surface 35 around the attachment / detachment mechanism rotation shaft 12e. Rotate. At this time, the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 rotates to a position where the stopper protrusion 12d provided on the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 fits into the stopper groove 83 provided on the housing 80. By this rotation, the push-up lever 12b of the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 pushes up the flange portion 40a of the ink cartridge 40 from the state shown in FIG. 13, and the ink cartridge 40 pops up from the state shown in FIG. 13 to the state shown in FIG. . Thus, the ink cartridge 40 can be taken out.

  The HMP 1 according to the present embodiment releases the fixing of the upper unit 2 to the lower unit 3 by operating the upper unit lock claw 11 and opens the upper unit 2. Then, when the upper unit 2 is opened and the exposed cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is operated, the ink cartridge 40 pops up. The cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 may be a mechanism that pops up the ink cartridge 40 in conjunction with the operation of opening the upper unit 2.

When the ink cartridge 40 is mounted in the HMP 1 of this embodiment, the ink cartridge 40 is set in the cavity of the lower unit 3 with respect to the main body of the HMP 1 in which the upper unit 2 shown in FIG. At this time, the upper surface of the ink cartridge 40 is pressed and inserted until the state shown in FIG. 13 is reached, and the upper unit 2 is closed. This makes it possible to form an image using the installed ink cartridge 40.
Further, in the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to close the upper unit 2 in the state shown in FIG. 16 without inserting it to the state shown in FIG. In this case, the top surface of the ink cartridge 40 at the same position as when the pop-up is performed is pressed by the head pressing urging member 21 of the upper unit 2, and the ink cartridge 40 can be mounted at the position shown in FIG.

  In the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, only the upper unit 2 has a cover member that is opened when the ink cartridge 40 is attached or detached. For this reason, compared to a configuration including a plurality of cover members, the configuration can be simplified and the device can be reduced in size. Further, the number of members opened by the user is reduced, so that when the ink cartridge 40 is attached or detached, Can be reduced, and operability can be improved.

  As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 13 and 16, the HMP 1 pops up the ink cartridge 40 with the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b still in contact. Therefore, if all electrical connections between the battery 15 and the ink cartridge 40 via the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b are maintained during pop-up, the following problem occurs. May occur. That is, a short circuit (short circuit) may occur due to unintended connection between the contacts, and the ink cartridge 40 or the HMP1 main body may be damaged.

  The ink cartridge 40 of the HMP1 of the present embodiment includes a heater for discharging ink, a control board for controlling the heater, and the like, and a voltage of “11 [V]” is applied from the main body of the HMP1 to the ink cartridge 40. Is supplied. Further, the contact (terminal) of the cartridge contact portion 40b is slightly opened by 1 [mm]. Further, when removing the ink cartridge 40, the user operates the detachable operation unit 12a to pop it up and removes it. However, the ink cartridge 40 pops up almost vertically (in the direction along the surface of the FPC contact portion 13).

  Also, the FPC contact portion 13 on the lower unit 3 side has a contact (terminal). When the ink cartridge 40 is lifted vertically, the lower contact point of the cartridge contact portion 40b rubs with the contact of the FPC contact portion 13 to which other contacts to be contacted are raised, and the ink cartridge 40 rises. Come. At this time, if the upper contact of the cartridge contact portion 40b is energized to the contact on the FPC contact portion 13 side to be contacted, the lower portion of the cartridge contact portion 40b which is not an object to be electrically connected to this contact. Power is supplied to the contact on the other side, and a short circuit may occur. For this reason, when taking out the ink cartridge 40, it is desirable to make a state in which electricity is not flowing to the contact on the FPC contact portion 13 side that may cause a short circuit.

  In order to realize this, in the HMP 1 of the present embodiment, when the user opens the upper unit 2, the control board 14 serving as the blocking unit makes at least a part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40. It is configured to perform control to shut off. When removing the ink cartridge 40, the upper unit 2 must be opened. When the open state of the upper unit 2 is detected, at least a part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 is cut off, thereby causing a short circuit. To prevent the occurrence of

  The HMP 1 of the present embodiment includes an upper unit open / close detector that detects that the upper unit 2 has been opened. When the upper unit 2 is detected to be in the open state, at least a part of the electrical connection from the battery 15 to the FPC contact 13 via the control board 14 is cut off. Specifically, at least a part of the electrical connection between the control board 14 and the plurality of contact points of the FPC contact portion 13 is disconnected. Thereby, at least a part of the electrical connection of the portion indicated by the arrow “40d” in FIG. 1 is disconnected. In the HMP 1 according to the present embodiment, the control board 14 serving as the cutoff unit does not perform transmission / reception of an electric signal to / from a plurality of contact points of the FPC contact unit 13 that are to be disconnected. I do. Thus, the electrical connection to the contact point can be cut off, and the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 via the contact point can be cut off.

With such a configuration, when the user opens the upper unit 2, at least a part of the electrical connection between the lower unit 3 and the ink cartridge 40 can be cut off.
As a configuration for interrupting a part of the electrical connection, it is preferable that an electrical connection for supplying power to a heater having relatively large power consumption among the members included in the ink cartridge 40 is interrupted.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an outline of control for interrupting the electrical connection to the ink cartridge 40.
When the power of the HMP 1 is turned “ON” and “started”, as shown in step “S11” in FIG. 17, the control for determining whether or not the upper unit 2 is open is repeatedly executed. If it is not in the open state ("No" in S11), the control for determining whether the state is the open state is repeated as it is. On the other hand, when it is in the open state (“Yes” in S11), as shown in step “S12” in FIG. 17, the control board 14 serving as the cutoff means cuts off the electrical connection to the ink cartridge 40. Execute
In the HMP 1 of the embodiment, the control board 14 as the control unit can constantly monitor the open / closed state of the upper unit 2 by repeating the control of the flowchart illustrated in FIG.

  Since the open / close state of the upper unit 2 is constantly monitored, even when the power of the HMP 1 is turned on when the upper unit 2 as the cover member is in the open state, the electrical connection to the ink cartridge 40 as the detachable unit can be cut off. it can. Further, while the power of the HMP 1 is on, the electrical connection to the detachable unit can be cut off in conjunction with the operation of shifting the upper unit 2 from the closed state to the open state. Therefore, when the upper unit 2 is opened and the ink cartridge 40 is to be taken out, the electrical connection between the ink cartridge 40 and the HMP1 main body can be cut off. For this reason, when removing the ink cartridge 40, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring at a contact portion between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b, which is an electrical connection portion between the ink cartridge 40 and the HMP1 main body.

  FIG. 18 is an enlarged explanatory view of the cartridge contact portion 40b. Each of the squares shown in FIG. 18 is a terminal on the side of the cartridge contact portion 40b, and the terminal on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 shown in FIG. A static connection is formed.

  In addition to the temperature sensor 19 on the main body side of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. 1, a cartridge-side temperature sensor as a temperature detecting means is also provided on the ink cartridge 40 side. This is because the recording unit 41, which is the ink-jet head unit, properly discharges ink only within a certain temperature range, so it is necessary to control the head temperature to be within a certain range by a cartridge-side temperature sensor. It is.

  Of the plurality of terminals of the cartridge contact portion 40b shown in FIG. 18, two terminals "S1" and "S2" located at the lowermost portion are for supplying power to the cartridge-side temperature sensor. Therefore, when detecting that the upper unit 2 is in the open state and interrupting at least a part of the electrical connection between the control board 14 and the FPC contact section 13, the two terminals “S1” and “ S2 "is maintained. Specifically, the configuration is such that the electrical connection between the two terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 facing the two terminals “S1” and “S2” and the control board 14 is maintained. This is because if the electrical connection to the two terminals “S1” and “S2” is cut off, the temperature of the recording unit 41 cannot be controlled.

  When the ink cartridge 40 pops up with respect to the housing 80, the cartridge contact portion 40b moves in the direction of arrow "F" in FIG. There are no terminals below the two terminals “S1” and “S2”. For this reason, at the time of pop-up, the two terminals on the FPC contact portion 13 facing “S1” and “S2” do not come into contact with other terminals on the cartridge contact portion 40b. Therefore, at the time of pop-up, a short circuit does not occur even if the two terminals on the side of the FPC contact portion 13 facing “S1” and “S2” are kept energized. Furthermore, in the HMP1 of the present embodiment, since the voltage input to the two terminals “S1” and “S2” is a relatively low voltage of “3.3 [V]”, a short circuit hardly occurs. Since no short circuit occurs at the time of pop-up, even if the upper unit 2 is open, there is no need to cut off the electrical connection to the two terminals “S1” and “S2”. Temperature control becomes possible.

Next, an upper unit opening / closing detecting means for detecting that the upper unit 2 has been opened will be described.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. 11 as viewed from the left side surface 32 side. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the HMP 1 shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the position of a wall surface. Therefore, in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 19, the outer wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the lower unit 3 can be visually recognized.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross-section as FIG. 19, and is a cross-sectional view of the state shown in FIG. FIG. 20A is an overall cross-sectional view of the HMP1, and FIG. 20B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region “γ” indicated by a broken line in FIG.
FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross section as FIG. 19, and is a cross-sectional view of the state where the upper unit 2 is closed from the state shown in FIG. 19 and the closed state is detected. FIG. 21A is an overall cross-sectional view of the HMP1, and FIG. 21B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region “γ” indicated by a broken line in FIG. 21A.

  The order of operation when the upper unit 2 in the open state is closed is changed from the state shown in FIG. 19 to the state shown in FIG. 20, and the operation is performed to the state shown in FIG. When shifting the upper unit 2 to the closed state, the filler 22 rotatably locked to the upper unit 2 is pushed upward by the striker 82 provided in the lower unit 3. The opened / closed state of the upper unit 2 can be detected by turning the open / close detection switch 23 connected to the control board 14 by the pushed filler 22 ON / OFF. More specifically, when the filler 22 comes into contact with the open / close detection switch 23 and further pushes it up (the state shown in FIG. 21), the open / close detection switch 23 is turned “ON”, and it can be detected that the upper unit 2 is closed.

By providing the upper unit opening / closing detection means (striker 82, filler 22, opening / closing detection switch 23, and control board 14) for detecting opening / closing of upper unit 2, HMP1 is turned on only when upper unit 2 is in the closed state. be able to. Further, when it is detected that the upper unit 2 has shifted from the closed state to the open state while the power is on, the power can be automatically turned off. That is, in the open state, the power supply is always “OFF”.
In addition, by performing the control shown in FIG. 17, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being taken out while the HMP1 main body and the ink cartridge 40 remain electrically connected.

  The configuration may be such that the power supply is "ON" even in the open state, but in this case, control is performed so that even if the print button 5a which is an operation button is pressed, no operation is performed. Thereby, printing can be prevented in a state where the upper unit 2 is kept open.

  In a configuration in which the short circuit does not occur even when the ink cartridge 40 is attached or detached while the control board 14 detects the open state of the upper unit 2, the electrical connection between the ink cartridge 40 and the lower unit 3 is cut off. Not limited to things. For example, when removing the ink cartridge 40, the ink cartridge 40 may be slid in a direction in which the cartridge contact portion 40b is separated from the FPC contact portion 13, and the contacts may be separated before the ink cartridge 40 is removed.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the same cross section as FIG. 19, and shows a state immediately before the upper unit 2 is detected to be in the closed state from the state shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which this is detected).
The opening “ε” illustrated in FIG. 22 is an access path for the mounting / dismounting operation section 12a of the cartridge mounting / dismounting mechanism 12 illustrated in FIG. 11 or the like. However, the opening “ε” in the state immediately before the closed state shown in FIG. 22 is detected (the state detected as the open state) is sufficiently narrow. For this reason, in the state where the closed state where the opening “ε” is further narrowed is detected, the attaching / detaching operation section 12a of the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 cannot be accessed. Therefore, when the upper unit 2 in which power is supplied to the ink cartridge 40 is in the closed state, the user cannot access the attachment / detachment operation section 12 a of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12. For this reason, the occurrence of a short circuit at the connection position between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b can be prevented.

  In the HMP 1 according to the present embodiment, when the upper unit 2 is detected to be in the closed state, the striker 82 functions as an access path shielding member that narrows the opening “ε”. As a result, in a state immediately before switching from the closed state to the open state, with a slight gap between the upper unit 2 and the lower unit 3, the user inserts a finger or the like into this gap and the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism. It is possible to prevent the user from operating the attachment / detachment operation section 12a of the reticle 12. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being taken out while power is supplied to the ink cartridge 40, and to prevent occurrence of a short circuit at the connection position between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b.

  The HMP 1 according to the present embodiment is a mechanical upper unit open / close detecting unit using the filler 22 and the striker 82. The upper unit opening / closing detection means is not limited to a mechanical configuration, and may be a configuration using a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor. However, by using the filler 22 and the striker 82 as the upper unit opening / closing detecting means, these can be used also as an access path shielding member.

  The HMP 1 according to the present embodiment includes an upper unit 2 that is an upper structure that holds a battery 15 that is a power supply and a control board 14 that is a board that controls the operation of the HMP 1 that is a manual scanning printer. Further, the HMP 1 includes a position detection sensor 18 which is a position detection mechanism for acquiring position information for performing ink ejection control, and a lower unit 3 which is a lower structure holding the ink cartridge 40. Further, in the HMP 1, the upper unit 2 as an upper structure has an L-shaped shape. With such a configuration, the position of the center of gravity of the HMP1 can be lowered, and the fall of the HMP1 during the moving operation can be suppressed.

[Modification 1]
Next, as a first modified example, a modified example in which the position of the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 in the lower unit 3 is different from the above-described embodiment (hereinafter, referred to as “modified example 1”) will be described.
23, 24, and 25 are cross-sectional views of the HMP 1 according to the first modification viewed from the left side surface 32 side. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the upper unit 2 in a closed state, FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the upper unit 2 in an open state from the state shown in FIG. 23, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a state where a cartridge 40 is popped up. These sectional views are sectional views at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80, as in FIG.

  In the HMP 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the mounting / dismounting operation portion 12a of the cartridge mounting / dismounting mechanism 12 is disposed near an end on the front surface 35 side of the lower unit 3, and the upper unit rotating shaft 3a is connected to the rear surface 34 end of the lower unit 3. It is arranged near the part. That is, in the HMP 1 of the above-described embodiment, the attachment / detachment operation section 12a and the upper unit rotation shaft 3a are provided on the opposite side of the lower unit 3 in the Y-axis direction.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of the first modification shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the attachment / detachment operation unit 12a of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 is disposed on the upper unit rotation shaft 3a side. Since the configuration other than the arrangement of the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is common to the embodiment, the description of the common configuration will be appropriately omitted.
In the above-described embodiment, the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is provided with the pressurizing unit 12c as the cartridge pressurizing unit that presses the ink cartridge 40 on the side of the FPC contact unit 13. On the other hand, in the first modification, the pressing spring 45 as the cartridge pressing means is disposed on the side opposite to the upper unit rotation shaft 3 a, and the ink cartridge 40 is pressed against the FPC contact portion 13 by the pressing spring 45. I have.

  As described above, in the HMP1 of the first modification, the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is disposed on the side of the upper unit rotation shaft 3a. Accordingly, even when the opening angle of the upper unit 2 is the same, the access path to the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is smaller than that of the embodiment in which the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 is provided on the opposite side of the upper unit rotating shaft 3a. Opening “ε” becomes smaller. Accordingly, it becomes more difficult to access the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 when the upper unit 2 is in the closed state, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a short circuit at the FPC contact portion 13.

[Modification 2]
Next, as a second modified example, a modified example in which the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 operates in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the upper unit 2 (hereinafter, referred to as “modified example 2”) will be described.
FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which the upper unit 2 of the HMP 1 according to the second modification is in an open state, as viewed from the left side surface 32 side. The cross section shown in FIG. 26 is a cross sectional view at the position of the inner wall surface of the wall on the left side surface 32 side of the housing 80, as in FIG.

  The HMP 1 shown in FIG. 26 has a structure in which the torsion spring 20 is provided on the attachment / detachment mechanism rotation shaft 12 e of the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12, and the cartridge attachment / detachment mechanism 12 rotates in conjunction with the operation of shifting the upper unit 2 to the open state. It has become. Accordingly, the ink cartridge 40 can be popped up in conjunction with the operation of the upper unit 2 shifting to the open state, and the number of operations required until the ink cartridge 40 can be removed can be reduced. it can. Thereby, the operability of the user can be improved.

On the other hand, in the HMP 1 of the above-described embodiment, the following two operations (1) and (2) are performed as an operation for popping up the ink cartridge 40.
(1) Open the upper unit 2.
(2) Operate the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 to pop up the ink cartridge 40.
As described above, the HMP 1 according to the embodiment has a configuration that requires two steps to take out the ink cartridge 40. By adopting a method that requires a long time, it is possible to reliably cut off the electrical connection between the ink cartridge 40 and the HMP1 main body before the ink cartridge 40 pops up.

  Further, in the HMP 1 of the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the upper unit opening / closing detecting means uses the striker 82 and the filler 22. By using these, the opening “ε” can be made smaller, making it difficult to access the cartridge attaching / detaching mechanism 12 when the upper unit 2 is closed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 40 from being taken out in a state where the ink cartridge 40 is not electrically interrupted, and it is possible to prevent a short circuit at the connection position between the FPC contact portion 13 and the cartridge contact portion 40b.

  In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the case where the detachable unit is the ink tank integrated type ink cartridge 40 integrally including the recording unit 41 (image forming unit) and the ink tank has been described. The detachable unit according to the present invention is not limited to a unit integrally including the recording unit 41 and the ink tank. For example, the present invention can be applied to a detachable unit that does not include the recording unit 41 and that can attach and detach the ink tank to and from the HMP1 main body as long as the ink tank and the HMP1 main body are electrically connected. In addition, the present invention is applicable to a detachable unit that does not include an ink tank and can detachably attach the recording unit 41 to the HMP1 main body as long as the recording unit and the HMP1 main unit are electrically connected.

  In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, an example in which the present invention is applied to the inkjet type HMP1 has been described. However, the configuration of the present invention can be applied to an apparatus using another image forming method. For example, the present invention can be applied to a recording apparatus of an appropriate system such as a thermal system or a thermal transfer system.

  What has been described above is merely an example, and each embodiment has a specific effect.

(Aspect 1)
In a portable image forming apparatus such as an HMP1 having a recording unit such as a recording unit 41 for recording an image on a recording material such as recording paper P, and an apparatus main body such as a lower unit 3 accommodating the recording unit therein, A cover member such as an openable upper unit 2 that covers the inside of the main body, and a detachable ink cartridge 40 and the like that is detachable from the apparatus main body and is electrically connected to the apparatus main body when mounted on the apparatus main body. A unit and an open / close detecting means (striker 82, filler 22, open / close detection switch 23, control board 14, etc.) for detecting the open / close state of the cover member. And a disconnecting unit such as a control board 14 for interrupting at least a part of the electrical connection between the unit and the detachable unit.
According to this, at least a part of the electrical connection can be cut off when the cover member is opened and the detachable unit is to be detached. For this reason, at least in the connection portion where the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body is cut off, it is possible to prevent a short circuit from occurring when the detachable unit of the portable image forming apparatus is removed. Therefore, when the detachable unit of the portable image forming apparatus is detached, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body. The reliability can be significantly improved.
In addition, the ink cartridge 40, which is a detachable unit in the HMP1 of the above-described embodiment and each modified example, is an ink head in which an ink tank and a head unit (recording unit 41) are integrated. For this reason, the HMP1 of the embodiment and each of the modifications can avoid the failure of the ink head which is a key part of the portable image forming apparatus, and has an excellent effect that the reliability of the apparatus can be remarkably improved. is there.

(Aspect 2)
In the first aspect, a detachment mechanism such as a cartridge detachment mechanism 12 for detaching the detachable unit from the apparatus main body is provided.
According to this, the detachable unit can be easily removed.

(Aspect 3)
In aspect 2, the apparatus main body includes a recording surface such as a recording surface 30 facing the recording material, a first surface such as an upper surface 31 provided on the opposite side of the recording surface, and a second surface other than the recording surface and the first surface. (A left side surface 32, a right side surface 33, a back surface 34, a front surface 35, and the like), and an operation unit (e.g., the attachment / detachment operation unit 12a) of the detaching mechanism includes a joint (a lower part) between the first surface and the second surface of the apparatus body. It is provided near the corner (between the upper surface 31 side and the front surface 35 side) of the unit 3.
According to this, the operation of the operation unit of the detachment mechanism is facilitated, and the detachment of the detachable unit is facilitated.

(Aspect 4)
In the second or third aspect, in a state in which the open / close detection unit detects that the opening / closing detection unit is in the closed state, the operation unit (the detachment operation unit 12a and the like) of the removal mechanism is configured to be covered by the cover member. .
According to this, by being covered with the cover member, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the operation unit of the removal mechanism, and it becomes difficult to operate the operation unit. As a result, it is possible to prevent the removal mechanism from being operated in a state where the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted, and to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body. it can.

(Aspect 5)
In any one of Embodiments 2 to 4, the cover member is held rotatably about the rotation shaft such as the upper unit rotation shaft 3a with respect to the apparatus main body, and is provided with an operation unit (removal operation unit) of the removal mechanism. 12a) is characterized in that it is arranged near the rotation axis.
According to this, as described in the first modification, the operation unit of the removal mechanism in the closed state is compared with the configuration in which the operation unit of the removal mechanism is located away from the rotation axis (the configuration of the embodiment). Access becomes difficult. This prevents the removal mechanism from being operated in a state where the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted, and suppresses the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body. it can.

(Aspect 6)
In any of the second to fifth aspects, the removal mechanism operates in conjunction with the opening operation of the cover member.
According to this, as described in Modification Example 2, it is possible to reduce the number of man-hours required until the detachable unit can be taken out, and to improve the operability of the user.

(Aspect 7)
In any of the second to fifth aspects, the cartridge removing mechanism does not operate unless two or more operations are performed from the closed state of the cover member.
According to this method, it is possible to surely cut off the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the main body before the detachable unit is taken out by adopting a method that requires time. For this reason, the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the main body can be suppressed.

(Aspect 8)
In any one of the second to seventh aspects, the striker 82 or the filler that blocks at least a part of an access path that enables an external access to the operation unit of the detachment mechanism when the open / close detection unit detects the closed state. 22. An access path shielding member such as 22 is provided.
According to this, the access path shielding member hinders access to the operation unit of the removal mechanism, and it is possible to prevent the removal mechanism from being operated in a state where the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted. . For this reason, the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body can be suppressed.

(Aspect 9)
In the eighth aspect, the open / close detecting means includes a pressing portion such as a striker 82 disposed on one of the device main body or the cover member, and a filler 22 disposed on the other of the device main body or the cover member and displaced by being pressed by the pressing portion. And the like, wherein the open / close state of the cover member is detected based on the displacement of the displacement portion, and the access path shielding member is at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion. It is.
According to this, at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion hinders access to the operation portion of the removal mechanism, and the removal mechanism is operated in a state where the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit is not interrupted. Can be prevented. For this reason, the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body can be suppressed. Further, at least one of the pressing portion and the displacement portion can also be used as an access path shielding member, so that the number of members can be reduced.

  The configuration for suppressing the occurrence of a short circuit at the time of attaching / detaching the detachable unit is not limited to this. As in the embodiment, in a configuration in which a plurality of electrical connection portions are arranged in a mounting / removing direction (Z-axis direction or the like) of the mounting / removing unit with respect to the apparatus main body, for example, the following configuration may be employed. That is, after the detachable unit is moved in the direction (Y-axis direction) in which the connection unit (FPC contact unit 13 and the like) on the apparatus body side and the connection unit (cartridge contact unit 40b and the like) on the detachable unit side are separated from each other, the detachable unit is moved. May be moved in the attachment / detachment direction. In this configuration, after the connection portion on the apparatus main body side and the connection portion on the detachable unit side are separated from each other, the detachable unit is moved in the detaching direction, so that a short circuit can be generated without detecting the open / closed state of the cover member. Can be suppressed. This configuration is also applicable to a configuration without a cover member.

  In addition, regardless of the presence or absence of the cover member, a fixing mechanism for fixing the detachable unit to the apparatus main body may be provided so that the detachable unit can be detached after the fixing by the fixing mechanism is released. In this configuration, the occurrence of a short circuit is suppressed by interrupting at least a part of the electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit in conjunction with the operation of releasing the fixing by the fixing mechanism. As a configuration for interrupting the electrical connection in conjunction with the operation of releasing the fixing, the control unit detects that the fixing by the fixing mechanism has been released, and performs control to cut off the electrical connection based on the detection result. Alternatively, the electrical connection may be mechanically interrupted in conjunction with the fixing releasing operation.

  Further, in the configuration including the cover member, the configuration is not limited to the configuration based on the detection result of the open / close detection unit that detects the open / closed state of the cover member. It may be configured to cut off the electrical connection.

(Aspect 10)
In any one of the first to ninth aspects, the detachable unit has an image forming substance storage section such as an ink tank for storing an image forming substance such as ink used for image formation.
According to this, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit when attaching and detaching the attachment / detachment unit to replace the image forming substance storage unit, and to suppress the occurrence of a failure due to the short circuit.

(Aspect 11)
In any one of the first to tenth aspects, the detachable unit has a recording unit.
According to this, when attaching and detaching the detachable unit to replace the recording unit, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit, and to suppress the occurrence of a failure due to the short circuit.

(Aspect 12)
In a portable image forming apparatus main body such as an HMP1 main body in which a recording unit such as a recording unit 41 for recording an image on a recording material such as a recording paper P is detachable, the recording unit can be housed inside, and an ink cartridge 40 or the like is provided. And a cover member such as an openable and closable upper unit 2 that covers the inside of the device body, and a cover that covers the inside of the device body. An opening / closing detection means (striker 82, filler 22, opening / closing detection switch 23, control board 14, etc.) for detecting the opening / closing state of the member is provided. Is characterized by having a disconnecting means such as a control board 14 for interrupting at least a part of the electrical connection of the above.
According to this, similarly to the first aspect, when the detachable unit of the portable image forming apparatus is detached, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a short circuit at the electrical connection between the detachable unit and the apparatus main body. For this reason, failure of the apparatus main body and the detachable unit can be avoided, and the reliability of the apparatus can be significantly improved.

1 HMP
2 Upper unit 2a Horizontally extending part 2b Vertically extending part 3 Lower unit 3a Upper unit rotating shaft 5a Print button 5b Power button 7 Sub-scanning guide 8 Capping unit 9 USB connection port 10 Main scanning guide 11 Upper unit locking claw 12 Cartridge attachment / detachment Mechanism 12a Detachment operation part 12b Push-up lever 12c Pressing part 12d Stopper projection 12e Detachment mechanism rotation shaft 13 FPC contact part 14 Control board 15 Battery 16 Projection part 18 Position detection sensor 19 Temperature sensor 20 Torsion spring 21 Biasing member 22 Filler 23 Open / close detection switch 25 Flexible flat cable 30 Recording surface 30a Discharge opening 31 Top surface 32 Left side 33 Right side 34 Back 35 Front 37a Left first roller 37b Left second roller 38a Right first roller 38b Right second roller 3 9 Grasping part 40 Ink cartridge 40a Flange part 40b Cartridge contact part 41 Recording part 41a Discharge hole 45 Pressure spring 52 Bt substrate 56 Recording control part 58 Gyro sensor 59 LED lamp 80 Housing 81 Depression 82 Striker 83 Stopper groove P Recording paper W1 Printing Section W2 Print scheduled section

JP 2001-315385 A

Claims (12)

A recording unit for recording an image on a recording material,
A device body containing the recording unit therein, and a portable image forming apparatus comprising:
An openable and closable cover member for covering the inside of the device body,
A detachable unit that is detachable with respect to the apparatus main body and is electrically connected to the apparatus main body while being attached to the apparatus main body;
Opening and closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing state of the cover member,
A portable image forming apparatus, comprising: a cutoff unit that cuts off at least a part of an electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit when the open / close detection unit detects that the unit is in an open state. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
A portable image forming apparatus, comprising: a detaching mechanism for detaching the detachable unit from the apparatus main body. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 2,
The apparatus main body includes a recording surface facing the recording material, a first surface provided on a side opposite to the recording surface, and a second surface other than the recording surface and the first surface,
The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation unit of the detaching mechanism is provided near a joint between the first surface and the second surface of the apparatus main body. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The portable image forming apparatus is characterized in that, in a state in which the opening / closing detecting unit detects that the opening / closing detecting unit is in a closed state, an operation unit of the removal mechanism is covered with the cover member. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The cover member is held rotatably about a rotation axis with respect to the apparatus main body,
The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation unit of the detachment mechanism is disposed near the rotation shaft. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The portable image forming apparatus, wherein the removal mechanism operates in conjunction with the opening operation of the cover member. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The portable image forming apparatus is characterized in that the cartridge removal mechanism does not operate unless two or more operations are performed from the closed state of the cover member. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7,
A portable type comprising: an access path shielding member that closes at least a part of an access path that enables external access to an operation unit of the removal mechanism when the open / close detection unit detects a closed state. Image forming device. The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 8,
The opening / closing detection unit includes a pressing portion disposed on one of the device main body or the cover member, and a displacement portion disposed on the other of the device main body or the cover member and displaced by being pressed by the pressing portion. A configuration for detecting the open / closed state of the cover member based on the displacement of the displacement portion,
The portable image forming apparatus, wherein the access path shielding member is at least one of the pressing unit and the displacement unit. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The portable image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detachable unit includes an image forming substance storage unit that stores an image forming substance used for image formation. The portable image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The portable image forming apparatus, wherein the detachable unit includes the recording unit. In a main body of a portable image forming apparatus in which a recording unit for recording an image on a recording material is detachable,
An apparatus main body that can house the recording unit therein, and the detachable unit is detachable, and the detachable unit is electrically connected in a mounted state;
An openable and closable cover member for covering the inside of the device body,
Opening and closing detection means for detecting the opening and closing state of the cover member,
The portable image forming apparatus main body, further comprising: a cutoff unit that cuts off at least a part of an electrical connection between the apparatus main body and the detachable unit when the open / close detection unit detects that the unit is in an open state.

Images