JP2021070196A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printing device, which can sufficiently stir ink in an ink pack without removing the ink pack from the printing device.SOLUTION: A printing device comprises an ink cartridge 32 storing ink therein and an ink supply member in which an ink flow path through which the ink stored in the ink cartridge 32 is supplied to an inkjet head is formed. Further, the printing device comprises a pedestal part 34 on which the ink cartridge 32 is placed and which has a connection member connecting the ink cartridge 32 to the ink supply member. The pedestal part 34 has a turning center with which the ink cartridge is turned with the ink cartridge 32 connected to the connection member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.

Printing devices that eject ink from an inkjet head to form printed matter have become widespread. Some inks used in printing equipment have pigment settling, and such ink needs to be agitated regularly (for example, once a week) in order to eliminate the settling of the pigment.

In order to stir the ink, it is common practice to remove the ink pack attached to the printing apparatus and shake the ink pack. However, for example, when the ink pack is removed from the printing apparatus, problems such as ink leaking from the ink pack to the outside may occur.

Here, in Patent Document 1, in order to agitate the ink in the ink pack with the ink pack attached to the printer, the cartridge holder containing the ink pack is rotated about a support shaft. The printer is disclosed.

Japanese Patent No. 6585294

However, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, the support shaft is provided near the center of the side surface (wall surface) of the cartridge holder. At such a support shaft installation position, even if the cartridge is rotated, the amount of rotation is not large, and there is a possibility that the ink settled in the ink pack cannot be sufficiently agitated. In particular, for a relatively large ink pack in which the capacity of the ink pack exceeds, for example, 1 L, there is a possibility that the ink cannot be sufficiently agitated with the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of sufficiently stirring the ink in the ink pack without removing the ink pack from the printing apparatus.

The printing apparatus of the present invention includes an ink cartridge containing ink inside, and an ink supply member having an ink flow path for supplying the ink contained in the ink cartridge to the inkjet head. The printing apparatus includes a pedestal portion on which the ink cartridge is placed and has a connecting member for connecting the ink cartridge and the ink supply member, and the pedestal portion is in a state where the ink cartridge is connected to the connecting member. Has a rotation center for rotating the ink cartridge.

According to this configuration, since the ink cartridge rotates together with the pedestal portion in a state of being connected to the ink supply member, the ink in the ink cartridge can be sufficiently agitated without removing the ink cartridge from the printing apparatus.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the ink supply member is a tube in which the ink flow path is formed, and the rotation center is provided so as to be biased to one side with respect to the position of the center of gravity of the ink cartridge. The connecting member may be provided on the rotation center side with respect to the position of the center of gravity. According to this configuration, the length of the tube that supplies the ink to the inkjet head can be shortened.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the center of rotation may be provided so as to be biased downward in the direction of gravity with respect to the position of the center of gravity. According to this configuration, the ink in the ink cartridge can be sufficiently agitated without removing the ink cartridge from the printing apparatus with a simple configuration.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the connecting member has a connector member that connects the ink outlet of the ink cartridge and the ink inlet of the ink supply member, and the connector member is connected to the ink outlet. If the problem is solved, the ink outlet may be sealed. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the ink outlet of the ink cartridge.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the pedestal portion supports an ink inlet of the ink supply member, a storage member that stores and rotates the ink cartridge, and a rotation shaft that serves as the rotation center. It may have a support member to be used. According to this configuration, since the storage member rotates while the ink cartridge and the ink supply member are connected, the ink in the ink cartridge is sufficiently agitated with a simple configuration without removing the ink cartridge from the printing device. it can.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the storage member has a flat surface member extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and the support member has an opposing member facing the flat surface portion. The flat member and the opposing member may be arranged so as to face each other in the entire range in which the storage member rotates. According to this configuration, the flat member has a function of reinforcing the storage member that rotates while the ink cartridge is stored, and the flat member and the opposing member face each other in the entire range in which the storage member rotates. Has a function of guiding the rotation of the storage member. Therefore, the ink cartridge can be rotated in a desired direction with a simple configuration.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, a groove cam is formed on one of the flat member and the facing member, and a protrusion engaging with the groove cam is formed on the other of the flat member and the facing member, and the groove is formed. The rotation of the storage member may be restricted by abutting the protrusion on the end of the cam. According to this configuration, the rotation of the pedestal portion is restricted by the groove cam, so that the amount of rotation of the ink cartridge can be easily adjusted.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the storage member and the support member may be provided for each ink cartridge. According to this configuration, since each ink cartridge can be rotated, even an ink cartridge having a large capacity can be rotated without requiring a large force.

According to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the ink cartridge may be provided with a handle member that rotates together with the pedestal portion. According to this configuration, the ink cartridge can be easily rotated manually.

The printing apparatus assembly method of the present invention has an effect that the ink in the ink pack can be sufficiently agitated without removing the ink pack from the printing apparatus.

It is a schematic overall view of the printer of this embodiment. It is an external perspective view of the ink storage part of this embodiment. It is a side view of the ink storage part where the ink cartridge of this embodiment is a normal position. It is a side view of the ink storage part in which the ink cartridge of this embodiment is a normal position, and is the figure which shows the structure under the pedestal part. It is a side view of the ink storage part in which the ink cartridge of this embodiment is a rotation position. It is a side view of the ink storage part in which the ink cartridge of this embodiment is a rotation position, and is the figure which shows the structure below the pedestal part. It is a figure which shows the structure of the lower surface of the pedestal part and the upper surface of the main body part of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the printing apparatus assembly method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall view of the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment. The printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is a so-called inkjet printer as described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 10 includes a leg portion 12 installed on the floor and a main body portion 14 arranged on the upper side (z direction) of the leg portion 12. The main body 14 includes a guide rail 16, a carriage 18, a platen 20, and the like.

The guide rail 16 extends in the left-right direction (Y direction) of the printing device 10 and guides the movement of the carriage 18 in the scanning direction. The carriage 18 is equipped with a plurality of inkjet heads 24 that eject ink to a recording medium (hereinafter referred to as “media”) 22, and moves along the guide rail 16 in the Y direction, which is the main scanning direction.

The platen 20 is a mounting table on which the media 22 is mounted. The media 22 mounted on the platen 20 is conveyed by the conveying mechanism in the X direction, which is the sub-scanning direction (front direction of the printing apparatus 10) orthogonal to the scanning direction of the carriage 18. As the media 22, a sheet-shaped recording medium such as paper, vinyl chloride film, rubber sheet, or cloth can be applied.

The printing apparatus 10 having such a configuration mainly moves the carriage 18 with respect to the media 22 in the main scanning direction Y, and ejects ink toward the media 22 from the nozzles of the inkjet head 24 mounted on the carriage 18. Printing in the scanning direction Y is executed. Then, each time the printing device 10 finishes printing in the main scanning direction Y, the printing device 10 conveys the media 22 in the sub-scanning direction X by the conveying mechanism. That is, the printing device 10 prints on the media 22 by repeating the ejection of ink in the main scanning direction Y by the inkjet head 24 and the transfer of the media 22 in the sub-scanning direction X. The direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction and parallel to the weight direction is the Z direction.

Further, the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes an ink storage unit 30. The ink storage unit 30 stores ink by storing a plurality of ink cartridges 32 in which ink is stored. The ink storage unit 30 is arranged on the upper surface of the printing apparatus 10 as an example. The ink storage unit 30 supplies ink from the ink cartridge 32 to the inkjet head 24 by the head difference.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the ink storage unit 30 of the present embodiment. The ink storage unit 30 is composed of a pedestal unit 34 and a main body unit 36. The ink cartridge 32 is placed on the pedestal portion 34. The main body 36 is formed in a box shape by the front member 38, the side member 40, the back member 42, and the like, and a plurality of pedestals 34 are arranged on the upper surface thereof. As an example, the main body 36 of the present embodiment includes seven pedestals 34, and ink cartridges 32 are placed on each of the plurality of pedestals 34.

The pedestal portion 34 and the ink cartridge 32 are connected by a connecting member 52 (see FIG. 3). More specifically, the pedestal portion 34 and the ink cartridge 32 are connected by inserting the ink cartridge 32 from above the pedestal portion 34. On the other hand, by operating the lever 44 provided on the front surface of the pedestal portion 34, the connection between the pedestal portion 34 and the ink cartridge 32 is released, that is, the ink cartridge 32 is removed from the pedestal portion 34.

Here, some of the inks contained in the ink cartridge 32 contain components that settle. The ink cartridge 32 containing such ink needs to be agitated regularly (for example, once a week) so that the precipitated components become uniform. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the ink storage unit 30 of the present embodiment agitates the ink in the ink cartridge 32 by rotating the pedestal portion 34 on which the ink cartridge 32 is placed in the vertical direction. ..

Hereinafter, the configuration of the ink storage unit 30 and the stirring of the ink of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7.

3 and 4 are side views of the ink storage unit 30 in which the ink cartridge 32 of the present embodiment is in a normal position. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which the support member 62 is removed in FIG. The normal position is a position where the ink cartridge 32 is in the vertical state, and when the printing apparatus 10 is operating, the ink cartridge 32 and the pedestal portion 34 are set to the normal positions shown in FIGS. .. The broken line in FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the ink pack 46, the ink supply member 50, and the like, and the configuration shown by the broken line in FIG. 3 is omitted in other drawings.

5 and 6 are side views of the ink storage unit 30 in which the ink cartridge 32 of the present embodiment is in the rotating position. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing a state in which the support member 62 is removed in FIG. The rotation of the ink cartridge 32 and the pedestal portion 34 is performed when the printing device 10 is not operating.

Further, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lower surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the upper surface of the main body portion 36 of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment includes an ink supply member 50 in which an ink flow path for supplying the ink contained in the ink cartridge 32 to the ink cartridge 32 is formed, and an ink cartridge 32. The pedestal portion 34 has a connecting member 52 for connecting the ink cartridge 32 and the ink supply member 50. The pedestal portion 34 of the present embodiment has a rotation center C1 that rotates the ink cartridge 32 in a state where the ink cartridge 32 is connected to the connecting member 52. The rotation center C1 of the present embodiment corresponds to a shaft (hereinafter referred to as a “rotation shaft”) 54 extending in the Y direction.

With such a configuration, since the ink cartridge 32 of the present embodiment rotates together with the pedestal portion 34 in a state of being connected to the ink supply member 50, the ink cartridge 32 in the ink cartridge 32 can be stored without removing the ink cartridge 32 from the printing device 10. The ink can be sufficiently agitated. Further, as will be described in detail later, since the rotation center C1 is not on the ink cartridge 32 but at a position away from the ink cartridge 32, the entire ink cartridge 32 can be rotated significantly, and as a result, the ink cartridge 32 as a whole can be rotated significantly. The ink in the ink cartridge 32 can be sufficiently agitated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply member 50 of the present embodiment is a tube in which an ink flow path is formed, and the rotation center C1 is on one side of the center of gravity position C2 of the ink cartridge 32. The connecting member 52 is provided unevenly, and the connecting member 52 is provided on the rotation center C1 side, for example, on the lower side of the ink cartridge 32 with respect to the center of gravity position C2. As a result, the length of the tube that supplies the ink to the inkjet head 24 can be shortened, the ink from settling in the tube can be suppressed, and the storage area of the tube can be reduced. The tube routing shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and is not limited to this.

As an example, the rotation center C1 of the present embodiment is provided so as to be biased downward in the direction of gravity with respect to the position of the center of gravity C2. More specifically, the rotation center C1 is below the ink cartridge 32 and is on the front side of the printing apparatus 10 (on the left side of the paper surface in FIG. 3 and the like).

That is, in the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 34 is rotated around a rotation shaft 54 provided below and in the horizontal direction of the ink cartridge 32 mounted on the pedestal portion 34. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the ink cartridge 32 moves up and down and the entire ink cartridge 32 rotates, so that the ink in the ink cartridge 32 is agitated more reliably. ..

Here, the connecting member 52 of the present embodiment has a connector member 56 that connects the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 and the ink inlet 50B of the ink supply member 50, and the connector member 56 is connected to the ink outlet 32A. When is resolved, the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 is sealed.

In the present embodiment, as an example, the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 and the ink outlet of the ink pack 46 are common, and the ink outlet 32A of the ink pack 46 is provided with a valve as a sealing member. ing. When the connector member 56 is connected to the ink outlet 32A, the valve of the ink pack 46 is pushed up so that ink can be supplied from the ink pack 46 to the ink supply member 50. On the other hand, when the connection between the connector member 56 and the ink outlet 32A is disconnected, the valve of the ink pack 46 pushed up by the connector member 56 is lowered, so that the ink outlet 32A is sealed. As a result, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 (ink pack 46).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the flow of ink from the ink cartridge 32 (ink pack 46) is controlled by opening and closing the valve of the connector member 56. Not limited to this, the structures of the connector member 56 and the ink cartridge 32 (ink pack 46) are not limited as long as the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 can be sealed when the connection with the ink outlet 32A is disconnected.

Further, the ink cartridge 32 is provided with a handle member 58 that allows the ink cartridge 32 to rotate together with the pedestal portion 34. As a result, the manager or the like of the printing apparatus 10 grips the handle member 58 and moves the ink cartridge 32 mounted on the pedestal portion 34 in the vertical direction, so that the ink cartridge 32 can be easily rotated manually. Can be made to.

Next, the structure of the pedestal portion 34 will be described in detail.

The pedestal portion 34 of the present embodiment is provided with an ink inlet 50B of the ink supply member 50, and supports a storage member 60 that stores and rotates the ink cartridge 32 and a rotation shaft 54 that serves as a rotation center C1. It has a member 62. As a result, the storage member 60 rotates with the ink cartridge 32 and the ink supply member 50 connected to each other.

The storage member 60 of the present embodiment has a flat member 64 (see FIGS. 4 and 6) extending in the orthogonal direction (XZ plane direction) with respect to the rotation shaft 54. A hole is formed in the upper part of the flat member 64 and on the front side of the printing apparatus 10 into which the rotation shaft 54 supported by the support member 62 is inserted. Further, the support member 62 of the present embodiment has an opposing member 62A facing the flat member 64. The flat member 64 and the opposing member 62A are arranged so as to face each other in the entire range in which the storage member 60 rotates.

With such a configuration, the flat member 64 has a function of reinforcing the storage member 60 that rotates while the ink cartridge 32 is stored, and the flat member 64 and the facing member 62A rotate in the entire range in which the storage member 60 rotates. Since they face each other in the above, the facing member 62A has a function of guiding the rotation of the storage member 60.

More specifically, the flat member 64 is provided on both side surfaces below the storage member 60, and the opposing member 62A is provided on the outside of the flat member 64 (see FIG. 7). The front side of the facing member 62A is joined to the front member 38 forming the main body 36, and the bottom plate member 66 is joined to the lower end of the facing member 62A. The facing member 62A is formed by extending the supporting member 62 in the XZ plane, and the supporting member 62 and the facing member 62A are formed as substantially the same member.

The support member 62 (opposing member 62A) and the bottom plate member 66 are plate-shaped members and are provided on the main body portion 36. That is, the pedestal portion 34 is connected to the main body portion 36 via a rotation shaft 54 supported by the support member 62 (opposing member 62A). Then, the flat member 64 provided below the storage member 60 enters the main body 36 when the pedestal portion 34 is in the normal position (see FIG. 4), and when the pedestal portion 34 is in the rotation position. Is pulled out from the main body 36 in response to the rotation of the pedestal 34 (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

Then, since the rotation of the storage member 60 is guided by the facing member 62A, the pedestal portion 34 can rotate the ink cartridge 32 in the front direction, which is a desired direction, without tilting in the Y direction.

Further, a groove cam 70 is formed on one of the flat member 64 and the facing member 62A, and a protrusion 72 that engages with the groove cam 70 is formed on the other of the flat member 64 and the facing member 62A, and the end of the groove cam 70 is formed. The rotation of the storage member 60 is restricted by the contact of the protrusions 72. In the present embodiment, as an example, the groove cam 70 is formed on the facing member 62A, and the protrusion 72 is formed on the flat member 64.

The groove cam 70 of the present embodiment is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation center C1, and as an example, the pedestal portion 34 is formed so as to be tilted by a maximum of 40 °. The rotation angle of the pedestal portion 34 is such that the ink cartridge 32 does not come off from the pedestal portion 34 and the ink can be sufficiently agitated.

The protrusion 72 of the present embodiment is formed as a shaft (hereinafter referred to as “guide shaft”) 74 that engages with the groove cam 70 of the left and right facing members 62A. The guide shaft 74 is a shaft that is parallel to the rotation shaft 54, that is, extends in the Y-axis direction, and is provided for each pedestal portion 34. Instead of providing the guide shaft 74, a protruding shape serving as a protrusion 72 may be formed on the left and right flat members 64.

According to such a configuration, the rotation of the pedestal portion 34 is restricted by the groove cam 70, so that the rotation amount of the ink cartridge 32 can be easily adjusted.

Further, the storage member 60 and the support member 62 of the present embodiment are provided for each ink cartridge 32. That is, the pedestal portion 34 is provided so as to be rotatable for each ink cartridge 32. Along with this, a flat member 64, an opposing member 62A, and a guide shaft 74 are also provided for each pedestal portion 34. As a result, each ink cartridge 32 can be rotated, so that even an ink cartridge 32 having a large capacity can be rotated without requiring a large force. The rotating shaft 54 may be provided separately for each pedestal portion 34, but the rotating shaft 54 of the present embodiment is provided as a single shaft extending in the Y direction, and a plurality of pedestal portions are provided. It is shared at 34.

Further, the upper portion of the front member 38 forming the main body portion 36 is folded back to form the folded portion 76, and the pad 78 is provided below the front side of the pedestal portion 34. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the pedestal portion 34 rotates at the maximum angle, the pad 78 comes into contact with the folded portion 76, and the impact when the pad 78 rotates at the maximum angle is alleviated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, torsion coil springs 80 are provided at both ends of the rotating shaft 54 to facilitate manual rotation of the ink cartridge 32. Further, the tube which is the ink supply member 50 is fixedly arranged by the fastener 84 along the front member 38 and the bottom plate member 66 from the bottom surface portion 82 of the pedestal portion 34, and is connected to the inkjet head 24. By arranging the tube in this way, it is possible to prevent the tube from breaking regardless of whether the pedestal portion 34 is in the normal position or the rotating position.

Further, a magnet may be provided on the back surface of the pedestal portion 34 so as to be connected to and separated from the main body portion 36 by a magnetic force. As a result, it is possible to prevent the pedestal portion 34 from rotating unnecessarily for some reason.

Although the present invention has been described above using the above-described embodiment, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention, and the modified or improved forms are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the embodiment in which the ink cartridge 32 mounted on the pedestal portion 34 is manually rotated has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the ink cartridge 32 may be electrically rotated. In this embodiment, for example, the rotating shaft 54 is fixed to the pedestal portion 34, the rotating shaft 54 and the rotating shaft of the motor are connected, and the motor is rotationally driven to be mounted on the pedestal portion 34. The ink cartridge 32 rotates.

Further, in the above embodiment, the embodiment in which the ink cartridge 32 accommodates the ink pack 46 and stirs the ink in the ink pack 46 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the ink cartridge 32 directly causes ink. May be in the form of accommodating.

Further, in the above embodiment, the mode in which the pedestal portion 34 rotates for each ink cartridge 32 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the pedestal portion 34 is one in which a plurality of ink cartridges 32 can be placed. A plurality of ink cartridges 32 may be collectively rotated by rotating the pedestal portion 34 as a member.

Further, in the above embodiment, a mode in which the printing device 10 is a device for printing an image on a flat medium 22 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a printing device using a settling ink may be used. For example, it may be applied to a printing device for modeling a three-dimensional object such as a 3D printer.

(Effect of embodiment)
(1) The printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment has an ink cartridge 32 in which ink is stored and an ink supply in which an ink flow path for supplying the ink contained in the ink cartridge 32 to the inkjet head 24 is formed. In the printing apparatus 10 including the member 50, the ink cartridge 32 is placed, and the pedestal portion 34 having the connecting member 52 for connecting the ink cartridge 32 and the ink supply member 50 is provided, and the pedestal portion 34 is the ink cartridge. It has a rotation center C1 that rotates the ink cartridge 32 in a state where the 32 is connected to the connecting member 52.

According to the present embodiment, since the ink cartridge 32 rotates together with the pedestal portion 34 in a state of being connected to the ink supply member 50, the ink in the ink cartridge 32 can be sufficiently removed without removing the ink cartridge 32 from the printing device 10. Can be agitated.

(2) The printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is a tube in which the ink supply member 50 is formed with an ink flow path inside, and the rotation center C1 is biased to one side with respect to the center of gravity position C2 of the ink cartridge 32. The connecting member 52 is provided on the rotation center C1 side with respect to the center of gravity position C2. According to this embodiment, the length of the tube that supplies the ink to the inkjet head 24 can be shortened.

(3) In the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the rotation center C1 is provided so as to be biased downward in the direction of gravity with respect to the center of gravity position C2. According to this embodiment, the ink in the ink cartridge 32 can be sufficiently agitated without removing the ink cartridge 32 from the printing apparatus 10 with a simple configuration.

(4) In the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the connecting member 52 has a connector member 56 that connects the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32 and the ink inlet 50B of the ink supply member 50, and the connector member 56 has the ink outlet 32A. When the connection with the ink outlet 32A is broken, the ink outlet 32A is sealed. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the ink outlet 32A of the ink cartridge 32.

(5) In the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the pedestal portion 34 is provided with the ink inlet 50B of the ink supply member 50, and the storage member 60 that stores and rotates the ink cartridge 32 and the rotation center C1. It has a support member 62 that supports the moving shaft 54. According to the present embodiment, since the storage member 60 rotates in a state where the ink cartridge 32 and the ink supply member 50 are connected, the ink cartridge 32 can be simply configured without removing the ink cartridge 32 from the printing apparatus 10. The ink inside can be sufficiently agitated.

(6) In the printing device 10 of the present embodiment, the storage member 60 has a flat member 64 extending in the orthogonal direction with respect to the rotation shaft 54, and the support member 62 faces the flat portion 62A. The flat member 64 and the opposing member 62A are arranged so as to face each other in the entire range in which the storage member 60 rotates. According to the present embodiment, the flat member 64 has a function of reinforcing the storage member 60 that rotates while the ink cartridge 32 is stored, and the flat member 64 and the facing member 62A rotate the storage member 60. Since they face each other in the range, the facing member 62A has a function of guiding the rotation of the storage member 60. Therefore, the ink cartridge 32 can be rotated in a desired direction with a simple configuration.

(7) In the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the groove cam 70 is formed on one of the flat member 64 and the opposing member 62A, and the protrusion 72 that engages with the groove cam 70 is formed on the other of the flat member 64 and the opposing member 62A. The shape is formed, and the protrusion 72 comes into contact with the end of the groove cam 70, so that the rotation of the storage member 60 is restricted. According to the present embodiment, since the rotation of the pedestal portion 34 is restricted by the groove cam 70, the rotation amount of the ink cartridge 32 can be easily adjusted.

(8) In the printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, a storage member 60 and a support member 62 are provided for each ink cartridge 32. According to the present embodiment, since the ink cartridge 32 can be rotated for each ink cartridge 32, even the ink cartridge 32 having a large capacity can be rotated without requiring a large force.

(9) The printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is provided with a handle member 58 for rotating the ink cartridge 32 together with the pedestal portion 34. According to this embodiment, the ink cartridge 32 can be easily rotated manually.

The present invention is useful as a printing device that makes it possible to stir the ink in the ink cartridge 32.

10 Printing device 24 Inkjet head 32 Ink cartridge 32A Ink outlet 34 Pedestal 50 Ink supply member 50B Ink inlet 52 Connecting member 54 Rotating shaft 56 Connector member 58 Handle member 60 Storage member 62 Support member 62A Opposing member 64 Flat member 70 Groove Cam 72 Protrusion C1 Rotation center C2 Center of gravity position

Claims (9)

In a printing apparatus including an ink cartridge containing ink inside and an ink supply member having an ink flow path for supplying the ink contained in the ink cartridge to an inkjet head.
A pedestal portion for mounting the ink cartridge and having a connecting member for connecting the ink cartridge and the ink supply member is provided.
The pedestal portion is a printing device having a rotation center for rotating the ink cartridge in a state where the ink cartridge is connected to the connecting member. The ink supply member is a tube in which the ink flow path is formed.
The center of rotation is provided so as to be biased to one side with respect to the position of the center of gravity of the ink cartridge.
The connecting member is provided on the rotation center side with respect to the position of the center of gravity.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotation center is provided so as to be biased downward in the direction of gravity with respect to the position of the center of gravity. The connecting member has a connector member that connects the ink outlet of the ink cartridge and the ink inlet of the ink supply member.
The connector member seals the ink outlet when the connection with the ink outlet is disconnected.
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The pedestal portion includes an ink inlet of the ink supply member, a storage member that stores and rotates the ink cartridge, and a support member that supports a rotation shaft that serves as a rotation center. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 4. The storage member has a flat member extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.
The support member has an opposing member facing the flat surface portion, and has an opposed member.
The flat member and the opposing member are arranged so as to face each other in the entire range in which the storage member rotates.
The printing apparatus according to claim 5. A groove cam is formed on one of the flat member and the facing member, and a protrusion that engages with the groove cam is formed on the other of the flat member and the facing member.
The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotation of the storage member is restricted by contacting the protrusion with the end of the groove cam. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the storage member and the support member are provided for each ink cartridge. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ink cartridge is provided with a handle member that rotates together with the pedestal portion.

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