JP2021115748A - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an inkjet printer configured so that air in an ink passage can be easily removed.SOLUTION: A printer 10 comprises: an ink head 21 that has a nozzle 23 for discharging ink, a first ink storage chamber 25 for storing ink and an ink discharge port 27 through which ink can be discharged; an ink passage 60 that has an upstream end part 62 that is attachably and detachably connected to an ink cartridge 45 and a downstream end part 63 connected to a first ink inflow port 26 of the ink head 21; a supply pump 68 that supplies ink toward the ink head 21; and an ink recovery container 80 which has a second ink storage chamber 83 for storing ink and a second ink inflow port 84, communicating with the second ink storage chamber 83, into which ink flows and is provided attachably and detachably in the ink head 21, in which the ink discharge port 27 can be communicated with the second ink inflow port 84 when the container is mounted on the ink head 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to an inkjet printer.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes an ink head having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink, an ink path connecting an ink cartridge for storing ink and an ink head, and ink arranged in the ink path and directed toward the ink head. An ink supply device and an ink dispenser including the ink supply device are disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-209826

By the way, at the time of initial setting of the inkjet printer, when ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the ink head for the first time, air is present in the ink path. If printing is performed in the presence of air in the ink path, air may be ejected from the nozzle instead of the ink, and the desired printing may not be performed. Therefore, at the time of the initial setting, the air existing in the ink path is removed.

Conventionally, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, an air discharge discharge path 122 provided in the ink head 121 and a waste liquid tank 123 connected to the discharge path 122 in order to remove air in the ink path 120 And the valve 124 provided in the discharge path 122 were used. By supplying the ink from the ink cartridge 125, the air in the ink path 120 was discharged to the waste liquid tank 123 together with the ink. In the case of the above configuration, a space for arranging the waste liquid tank 123 is required, and a space for handling the discharge path 122 is required, which may increase the size of the inkjet printer.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet printer capable of easily removing air in an ink path while suppressing an increase in size of the inkjet printer.

The inkjet printer according to the present invention includes a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink to a recording medium, a first ink storage chamber for storing ink, and a first ink inlet that communicates with the first ink storage chamber and allows ink to flow into the recording medium. An ink head having an ink discharge port that communicates with the first ink storage chamber and can discharge ink, an upstream end portion that is detachably connected to an ink cartridge that stores ink, and the ink head. An ink path having a downstream end connected to the first ink inlet and an intermediate portion located between the upstream end and the downstream end is arranged in the intermediate portion. An ink supply device that supplies ink from the ink cartridge to the ink head, a second ink storage chamber that stores ink, and a second ink inlet that communicates with the second ink storage chamber and allows ink to flow into the ink head. An ink recovery container that is detachably provided on the ink head and that allows the ink discharge port and the second ink inlet to communicate with each other when attached to the ink head. ing. The ink head opens the ink discharge port when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, and closes the ink discharge port when the ink recovery container is not attached to the ink head. It has a valve. The ink recovery container is configured so that the second ink inlet can be opened when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, and the second ink recovery container is not attached to the ink head. It is equipped with a second valve that closes the ink inlet. The second valve is configured to open the second ink inflow port by supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the first ink accommodating chamber by the ink supply device.

According to the inkjet printer of the present invention, the first valve of the ink head opens the ink ejection port when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, and the second valve of the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head by the ink recovery container. The second ink inlet can be opened when it is closed. Here, since the second valve is configured to open the second ink inflow port by supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the first ink storage chamber by the ink supply device, the air in the ink path is ink. The ink flows into the second ink storage chamber of the ink recovery container together with the ink through the discharge port and the second ink inlet. In this way, the air in the ink path is removed. Further, since the ink recovery container is detachably provided on the ink head, the ink recovery container can be removed after the removal of air in the ink path is completed. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a space for arranging the ink recovery container, and it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the inkjet printer. When the ink recovery container is removed from the ink head, the first valve closes the ink discharge port, so that ink does not leak from the ink discharge port. Further, since the second valve closes the second ink inlet, ink does not leak from the second ink inlet.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an inkjet printer capable of easily removing air in an ink path while suppressing an increase in size of the inkjet printer.

It is a perspective view of the printer which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a front view of the main part of the printer which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the ink supply system which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a bottom view of the carriage which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the state which the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head. It is sectional drawing which shows the state before the ink recovery container is attached to an ink head. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the ink recovery container was attached to the ink head. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the ink recovery container was removed from the ink head. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure which removes air from an ink path in a conventional printer.

Hereinafter, the inkjet printer (hereinafter referred to as the printer 10) according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described herein are, of course, not intended to specifically limit the present invention. In addition, members and parts that perform the same action are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the printer 10 according to the present embodiment. In the following description, the reference numerals F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom when the printer 10 is viewed from the front. The reference numeral Y in the drawing indicates the main scanning direction, and the reference numeral X in the drawing indicates the sub-scanning direction. In the present embodiment, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction. The sub-scanning direction X is a front-rear direction, which is orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y in a plan view. However, these directions are merely the directions defined for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the installation mode of the printer 10 at all, and do not limit the present invention at all.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 prints on the recording medium 12. The recording medium 12 is used, for example, formed in a long length and wound in a roll shape. The recording medium 12 may be a sheet-like one wound in a roll shape and cut to a predetermined length. The recording medium 12 is, for example, a recording paper. However, the recording medium 12 is not limited to the recording paper. For example, the recording medium 12 includes a sheet formed of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyester, a sealant made of a mount and a release paper laminated on the mount and coated with an adhesive, and the like. Is done.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a base member 40, a main body case 50, a right leg portion 16R, a left leg portion 16L, an ink head unit 20 (see FIG. 2), and a control device 100 (FIG. 2). See) and. The base member 40 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The base member 40 includes a platen 15. The right leg portion 16R and the left leg portion 16L are attached to the lower portion of the base member 40. The right leg portion 16R and the left leg portion 16L support the base member 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head unit 20 is provided on the base member 40. The ink head unit 20 is arranged inside the main body case 50. The ink head unit 20 is arranged above the platen 15. The ink head unit 20 includes a carriage 22, an ink head 21 described later, and a damper 70.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a guide rail 13 provided on the base member 40. The guide rail 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 22 of the ink head unit 20 is engaged with the guide rail 13. The carriage 22 is reciprocated along the guide rail 13 in the main scanning direction Y by the carriage moving mechanism 8. The carriage moving mechanism 8 has a left pulley 19a arranged on the left end side of the guide rail 13 and a right pulley 19b arranged on the right end side of the guide rail 13. A carriage motor 8a is connected to the pulley 19b on the right side. The carriage motor 8a may be connected to the pulley 19a on the left side. The pulley 19b on the right side is driven by the carriage motor 8a. An endless belt 16 is wound around the left pulley 19a and the right pulley 19b, respectively. The carriage 22 is fixed to the belt 16. When the left pulley 19a and the right pulley 19b rotate and the belt 16 travels, the carriage 22 moves in the main scanning direction Y. As described above, the carriage 22 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 13 in the main scanning direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 2, the platen 15 is provided in the central portion of the base member 40. The platen 15 is arranged between the left front cover 54L and the right front cover 54R of the main body case 50. The recording medium 12 is placed on the platen 15. The platen 15 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The platen 15 is provided with a plurality of grit rollers 17. The grit roller 17 is arranged at a position facing the pinch roller (not shown) provided on the base member 40. The grit roller 17 is connected to the feed motor 17a. The grit roller 17 is rotationally driven by the feed motor 17a. When the grit roller 17 rotates while the recording medium 12 is sandwiched between the grit roller 17 and the pinch roller, the recording medium 12 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X (see FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of ink cartridges 45 are housed in the main body case 50. The ink cartridge 45 is a container for storing ink. In the present embodiment, eight ink cartridges 45 are housed in the main body case 50, but the number of ink cartridges 45 is not limited to eight. The ink cartridge 45 is detachably connected to an upstream end portion 62 (see FIG. 3) of an ink path 60 (see FIG. 3) described later. As shown in FIG. 3, when the ink cartridge 45 is attached to the upstream end portion 62, the ink cartridge 45 is located above the ink head 21. The ink cartridge 45 contains, for example, process color inks such as cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, light cyan ink, light magenta ink, and black ink, and special color inks such as white ink, metallic ink, and clear ink. One of the inks is stored.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes an ink supply system 55 for each ink cartridge 45. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an ink supply system 55 that supplies ink from the ink cartridge 45 to the ink head 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply system 55 includes an ink head 21, an ink path 60, a valve 64, a supply pump 68, and a damper 70 in addition to the ink cartridge 45. The supply pump 68 is an example of an ink supply device. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink head 21 and the damper 70 are mounted on the carriage 22 and reciprocate in the main scanning direction Y. On the other hand, the ink cartridge 45 is not mounted on the carriage 22 and does not reciprocate in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, most of the ink path 60 (at least half of the total length) is arranged so as to extend in the main scanning direction Y so that the ink path 60 is not damaged even if the carriage 22 moves in the main scanning direction Y. There is. In this embodiment, a total of eight ink paths 60 are provided. The ink path 60 is covered with a cable protection guide device 46.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink head 21 is formed in a shape in which the length in the sub-scanning direction X (front-back direction) is longer than the length in the main scanning direction Y (left-right direction). The ink head 21 includes a plurality of nozzles 23 arranged in the sub-scanning direction X, and a nozzle surface 24 on which the nozzles 23 are formed. The nozzle 23 ejects ink to the recording medium 12. The inside of the nozzle 23 is set to a negative pressure (pressure lower than atmospheric pressure). Since the nozzle 23 is very small, a plurality of nozzles 23 are represented by a straight line in FIG. The ink head 21 is housed in the carriage 22 so that the nozzle surface 24 is exposed to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink head 21 includes a first ink accommodating chamber 25 for accommodating ink, an ink inflow portion 25A communicating with the first ink accommodating chamber 25 and into which ink flows, and a first ink accommodating chamber 25. It is provided with an ink discharging unit 25B that can communicate and discharge ink. The ink inflow unit 25A and the ink discharge unit 25B are arranged above the first ink storage chamber 25. The ink inflow portion 25A is formed in a tubular shape. The ink inflow portion 25A extends in the vertical direction. Further, the ink head 21 has a first ink inflow port 26 and an ink discharge port 27. The first ink inflow port 26 is formed in the ink inflow portion 25A. The first ink inlet 26 communicates with the first ink storage chamber 25. The first ink inlet 26 is configured to allow ink to flow into the first ink inlet 26. The ink discharge port 27 is formed in the ink discharge portion 25B. The ink discharge port 27 communicates with the first ink storage chamber 25. The ink ejection port 27 is configured to be able to eject ink. The ink flowing from the first ink inlet 26 is stored in the first ink storage chamber 25. The first ink storage chamber 25 communicates with the nozzle 23. The ink in the first ink accommodating chamber 25 is ejected from the nozzle 23. When the ink in the first ink storage chamber 25 is discharged from the ink discharge port 27, the air in the first ink storage chamber 25 is also discharged at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ink discharge unit 25B includes an ink discharge tube 28, a tube 29, and a connecting member 30. The ink discharge tube 28 is formed in a tubular shape. The ink discharge tube 28 extends in the vertical direction. The ink discharge pipe 28 communicates with the first ink storage chamber 25. The tube 29 communicates the ink discharge pipe 28 and the connecting member 30. The connecting member 30 includes a case 31, a first valve 32, an elastic member 33, and a sealing member 34.

As shown in FIG. 6, the case 31 is formed in a tubular shape. The case 31 includes a first portion 31A to which the tube 29 is connected, a second portion 31B accommodating the first valve 32 and the elastic member 33, and a third portion 31C accommodating the seal member 34. The second portion 31B is arranged above the first portion 31A and below the third portion 31C. The ink discharge port 27 is formed in the second portion 31B. The ink discharge port 27 opens upward.

As shown in FIG. 6, the first valve 32 is arranged so as to close the ink discharge port 27. The first valve 32 is configured so that the ink discharge port 27 can be opened and closed. The first valve 32 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction. A gap is provided between the first valve 32 and the inner wall of the second portion 31B in the horizontal direction. The first valve 32 is configured to open the ink discharge port 27 when the ink recovery container 80, which will be described later, is attached to the ink head 21 (see FIG. 7). In the present embodiment, the first valve 32 opens the ink discharge port 27 by being pushed down by the ink supply pipe 89 described later of the ink recovery container 80. The first valve 32 is configured to close the ink ejection port 27 when the ink recovery container 80 is not attached to the ink head 21. In the present embodiment, the first valve 32 closes the ink discharge port 27 by being pushed up by the elastic member 33. The first valve 32 includes a ring-shaped protrusion 32A. The ink discharge port 27 is closed when the protrusion 32A comes into contact with the partition wall 31D that separates the first portion 31A and the second portion 31B. The first valve 32 is made of, for example, a rubber material.

As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic member 33 is connected to the lower part of the first valve 32. The elastic member 33 urges the first valve 32 in the direction in which the ink discharge port 27 is closed by the first valve 32. Here, the elastic member 33 urges the first valve 32 upward. The elastic member 33 is, for example, a compression spring. The seal member 34 is formed in a ring shape. The ink supply pipe 89 of the ink recovery container 80 is inserted into the seal member 34. The seal member 34 holds the ink supply pipe 89. The seal member 34 is made of, for example, a rubber material.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ink cartridge 45 and the ink head 21 communicate with each other via the ink path 60. The ink path 60 has an upstream end 62, a downstream end 63, and an intermediate 65. The upstream end 62 is detachably connected to the ink outlet of the ink cartridge 45. The downstream end 63 is connected to the ink head 21. More specifically, the downstream end 63 is connected to the first ink inlet 26 of the ink head 21. The midway portion 65 is located between the upstream end 62 and the downstream end 63. The ink path 60 forms a flow path that guides ink from the ink cartridge 45 to the ink head 21. The ink path 60 has flexibility and flexibility, and is configured to be elastically deformable. The configuration of the ink path 60 is not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, it is a resin-made tube that is easily deformable. However, it may be made of a material other than the tube. A part of the ink path 60 may be composed of a tube.

As shown in FIG. 3, the midway portion 65 includes a tube 65A, a tube 65B, a tube 65C, and a tube 65D. The tube 65A communicates the ink cartridge 45 with the bulb 64. The tube 65B communicates the valve 64 with the supply pump 68. The tube 65C communicates the supply pump 68 and the damper 70. The tube 65D communicates the damper 70 with the first ink inlet 26 of the ink head 21. The tube 65D is connected to the ink inflow portion 25A. The upstream end 62 is provided on the tube 65A. The downstream end 63 is provided on the tube 65D.

As shown in FIG. 3, the valve 64 is arranged in the middle portion 65. The valve 64 is arranged between the ink cartridge 45 and the supply pump 68. The valve 64 is arranged in the main body case 50. The valve 64 is configured so that the midway portion 65 can be opened or closed. That is, when the valve 64 is opened, the halfway portion 65 is opened, and when the valve 64 is closed, the halfway portion 65 is closed. Note that the valve 64 opening the halfway portion 65 means a case where the valve 64 completely opens the halfway portion 65 and a case where the valve 64 partially opens the halfway portion 65, and the valve 64 opens the halfway portion 65. Closing means that the valve 64 completely closes the midway 65. When the valve 64 opens the halfway portion 65, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 45 can be supplied to the ink head 21. On the other hand, when the valve 64 closes the halfway portion 65, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 45 cannot be supplied to the ink head 21. The valve 64 is controlled by the control device 100.

As shown in FIG. 3, the supply pump 68 is arranged in the middle portion 65. The supply pump 68 is arranged between the valve 64 and the damper 70. The supply pump 68 supplies ink from the ink cartridge 45 toward the ink head 21. That is, when the valve 64 is open, the supply pump 68 supplies ink from the ink cartridge 45 toward the ink head 21. The type of the supply pump 68 is not particularly limited. The supply pump 68 is, for example, a diaphragm pump, a tube pump, or the like. Further, the supply pump 68 is controlled by the control device 100.

As shown in FIG. 3, the damper 70 is arranged in the middle portion 65. The damper 70 is arranged between the supply pump 68 and the ink head 21. The damper 70 has a storage chamber 71 in which ink is temporarily stored. The ink supplied from the ink cartridge 45 is temporarily stored in the storage chamber 71. The damper 70 communicates with the ink head 21. The damper 70 is provided, for example, on the upper part of the ink head 21.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 10 includes a capping device 41. The capping device 41 is provided in the main body case 50. The capping device 41 is arranged to the right of the platen 15. The capping device 41 includes a removable cap (not shown) on the ink head 21. The cap is a member that prevents the ink adhering to the nozzle 23 (see FIG. 4) of the ink head 21 from being cured and clogging the nozzle 23. The caps are attached to the ink heads 21 and cover the nozzle surface 24 during the printing standby. That is, when the carriage 22 moves to the home position, the caps are attached to the ink heads 21, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 5, the printer 10 includes an ink recovery container 80 detachably provided on the ink head 21. The ink recovery container 80 is detachably provided on the ink discharge portion 25B of the ink head 21. When the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21, the ink discharge port 27 (see FIG. 6) and the second ink inlet 84 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, are configured to be able to communicate with each other. When the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21, the ink recovery container 80 is located above the ink head 21. The ink recovery container 80 is used to discharge the air existing in the ink path 60 together with the ink. The ink recovery container 80 is typically used at the time of initial setting of the printer 10 (that is, when ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 45 to the ink head 21 for the first time). The ink recovery container 80 can also be used when parts in the ink supply system 55 such as the ink head 21 are replaced.

As shown in FIG. 6, the ink recovery container 80 includes a first case 81, a second case 82, a second ink storage chamber 83, a second ink inlet 84, an air outlet 85, and a lid 86. , The absorber 87, the second valve 88, and the ink supply pipe 89. The first case 81 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example. The second case 82 is formed in the lower part of the first case 81. The second case 82 and the first case 81 communicate with each other. The second ink accommodating chamber 83 is formed inside the first case 81. The second ink storage chamber 83 stores ink. The absorber 87 is arranged in the second ink storage chamber 83. The absorber 87 absorbs ink. The absorber 87 is, for example, a porous body such as a sponge. The air outlet 85 is formed on the upper part of the first case 81. The air outlet 85 opens upward. The air discharge port 85 communicates with the second ink storage chamber 83. The air discharge port 85 discharges the air in the second ink storage chamber 83. The lid 86 is formed on the upper part of the first case 81. The lid 86 is formed so as to be elastically deformable (flexible). The lid 86 is formed so that the air discharge port 85 can be opened and closed. When the air discharge port 85 is closed by the lid 86, the air in the second ink storage chamber 83 is not discharged to the outside through the air discharge port 85. The lid 86 may be formed separately from the first case 81.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second ink inlet 84 is formed in the second case 82. The second ink inlet 84 opens downward. The second ink inlet 84 communicates with the second ink accommodating chamber 83. Ink flows into the second ink inlet 84. The second valve 88 is housed in the second case 82. The second valve 88 is arranged so as to close the second ink inflow port 84. The second valve 88 is configured to be able to open and close the second ink inflow port 84. The second valve 88 is configured so that the second ink inflow port 84 can be opened when the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21. The second valve 88 is configured to close the second ink inflow port 84 when the ink recovery container 80 is not attached to the ink head 21. The second valve 88 is configured to open the second ink inflow port 84 by supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the first ink accommodating chamber 25 of the ink head 21 by the supply pump 68. That is, when the ink in the first ink accommodating chamber 25 flows into the second valve 88 via the ink discharging unit 25B and the pressure of the ink in the second valve 88 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure, the second valve 88 is opened. It is configured in. The second valve 88 is, for example, a Duckbill valve. The second valve 88 may be a solenoid valve. The ink supply tube 89 is attached to the lower part of the second case 82. The ink supply tube 89 is formed in a tubular shape. Inside the ink supply pipe 89, a flow path 89A through which ink flows is formed. The flow path 89A communicates with the second valve 88. The flow path 89A has an opening 89B that opens in the horizontal direction. The ink supply pipe 89 is inserted into the case 31 of the connecting member 30 and is formed so that the first valve 32 can be pressed.

Next, the procedure for discharging the air in the ink path 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, first, the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21. That is, the ink supply pipe 89 of the ink recovery container 80 is inserted into the case 31 of the connecting member 30, and the first valve 32 is pushed down by the ink supply pipe 89. As a result, a gap is formed between the protrusion 32A of the first valve 32 and the partition wall 31D of the case 31, and the ink discharge port 27 is opened. Next, the supply pump 68 (see FIG. 3) is driven to supply ink from the ink cartridge 45 (see FIG. 3) to the ink head 21. The ink supplied to the first ink storage chamber 25 of the ink head 21 flows to the second valve 88 together with the air in the ink path 60 through the opened ink discharge port 27 and the flow path 89A of the ink supply pipe 89. Since the second valve 88 is configured to open when the ink pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure, the second valve 88 is closed when the ink pressure is less than the predetermined pressure. After that, the pressure of the ink in contact with the second valve 88 becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined pressure. As a result, the second ink inflow port 84 is opened, and the ink and air in the ink path 60 flow into the second ink accommodating chamber 83. Here, the ink that has flowed into the second ink storage chamber 83 is held by the absorber 87 arranged in the second ink storage chamber 83. Further, since the lid 86 is open (that is, the air discharge port 85 is open), the air that has flowed into the second ink storage chamber 83 together with the ink is collected as shown by the arrow H in FIG. It is discharged to the outside of the container 80. In this way, by driving the supply pump 68 for a predetermined time, the air in the ink path 60 can be removed. When the above-mentioned series of operations is performed, the ink head 21 is equipped with a cap of the capping device 41 (see FIG. 2).

After the air in the ink path 60 is sufficiently removed, the drive of the supply pump 68 is stopped. As a result, ink is no longer supplied to the first ink storage chamber 25. As a result, the pressure of the ink applied to the second valve 88 decreases, the second valve 88 is closed, and the second ink inflow port 84 is closed. As shown in FIG. 8, before removing the ink recovery container 80 from the ink head 21, the lid 86 is closed and the air discharge port 85 is closed. After that, the ink recovery container 80 is lifted upward and removed from the ink head 21. At this time, the ink supply pipe 89 is separated from the first valve 32, and the first valve 32 is pushed up by the elastic member 33. As a result, the ink discharge port 27 is closed by the first valve 32, so that the ink does not leak from the ink discharge port 27. Further, in the ink recovery container 80 removed from the ink head 21, since the air discharge port 85 and the second valve 88 are closed, ink does not leak from the ink inflow port 84.

As described above, according to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the first valve 32 of the ink head 21 opens the ink discharge port 27 when the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21, and the ink recovery container 80 The second valve 88 is configured so that the second ink inflow port 84 can be opened when the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21. Here, since the second valve 88 is configured to open the second ink inflow port 84 by supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the first ink accommodating chamber 25 by the supply pump 68, the inside of the ink path 60. Air flows into the second ink storage chamber 83 of the ink recovery container 80 together with the ink through the ink discharge port 27 and the second ink inlet 84. In this way, the air in the ink path 60 is removed. Further, since the ink recovery container 80 is detachably provided on the ink head 21, the ink recovery container 80 can be removed after the removal of air in the ink path 60 is completed. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a space for arranging the ink recovery container 80, and it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the printer 10. When the ink recovery container 80 is removed from the ink head 21, the first valve 32 closes the ink discharge port 27, so that ink does not leak from the ink discharge port 27. Further, since the second valve 88 closes the second ink inlet 84, ink does not leak from the second ink inlet 84.

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the ink recovery container 80 includes an air discharge port 85 that communicates with the second ink storage chamber 83 and discharges the air in the second ink storage chamber 83. As a result, the air in the ink path 60 can be discharged to the outside of the ink recovery container 80 through the air discharge port 85. Therefore, even if the volume of the second ink storage chamber 83 of the ink recovery container 80 is relatively small, more air can be discharged.

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the ink recovery container 80 includes a lid 86 capable of opening and closing the air discharge port 85. By closing the air discharge port 85 with the lid 86 when removing the ink recovery container 80, it is possible to more reliably prevent the ink in the second ink storage chamber 83 from leaking from the second ink inlet 84. can.

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the ink recovery container 80 includes an absorber 87 that is arranged in the second ink storage chamber 83 and absorbs ink. As a result, the absorber 87 can hold the ink, so that it is possible to prevent the ink in the second ink storage chamber 83 from leaking from the second ink inlet 84 when the ink recovery container 80 is removed. ..

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, when the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21, the ink recovery container 80 is located above the ink head 21. Here, since the ink discharge port 27 is open upward, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from the ink discharge port 27 when the ink recovery container 80 is removed.

According to the printer 10 of the present embodiment, the second valve 88 is a Duckbill valve. Thereby, when the ink recovery container 80 is attached to the ink head 21, the second ink inflow port 84 can be easily opened and closed.

The printer 10 of the present embodiment is equipped with an ink head 21 and includes a carriage 22 that can move in the main scanning direction Y. Since the ink recovery container 80 can be removed after the removal of air in the ink path 60 is completed, the ink recovery container 80 is not mounted on the carriage 22. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the carriage motor 8 that moves the carriage 22. Further, if the ink head 21 mounted on the carriage 22 is provided with a tube for discharging the air in the ink path 60 separately, the handling of the tube connected to the waste liquid tank becomes complicated. In the printer 10, it is only necessary to remove the ink recovery container 80, and it is possible to realize the removal of air in the ink path 60 with a relatively simple configuration.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and the present invention can be implemented in various other embodiments.

In the above-described embodiment, the first valve 32 is configured to close the ink discharge port 27 by the urging force of the elastic member 33, but the first valve 32 may be a solenoid valve.

In the above-described embodiment, the ink head 21 is mounted on the carriage 22, and the ink head 21 itself is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction Y, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ink head may be a so-called line head extending and fixed in the main scanning direction Y.

10 printer (inkjet printer)
21 Ink head 22 Carriage 25 1st ink storage chamber 26 1st ink inlet 27 Ink outlet 32 1st valve 45 Ink cartridge 60 Ink path 68 Supply pump (ink supply device)
80 Ink recovery container 83 Second ink storage chamber 84 Second ink inflow port 85 Air outlet 86 Lid 87 Absorbent 88 Second valve

Claims (7)

A plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink to a recording medium, a first ink accommodating chamber for accommodating ink, a first ink inlet that communicates with the first ink accommodating chamber and into which ink flows, and the first ink accommodating chamber. An ink head having an ink ejection port that can communicate and eject ink,
An upstream end that is detachably connected to an ink cartridge that stores ink, a downstream end that is connected to the first ink inlet of the ink head, an upstream end and a downstream end. An ink path having an intermediate portion located between and
An ink supply device arranged in the middle portion and supplying ink from the ink cartridge to the ink head, and an ink supply device.
It has a second ink accommodating chamber for accommodating ink and a second ink inlet that communicates with the second ink accommodating chamber and allows ink to flow into the ink head, and is detachably provided on the ink head. It is provided with an ink recovery container capable of communicating the ink discharge port and the second ink inlet when attached to the ink head.
The ink head opens the ink discharge port when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, and closes the ink discharge port when the ink recovery container is not attached to the ink head. Equipped with a valve
The ink recovery container is configured so that the second ink inlet can be opened when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, and the second ink recovery container is not attached to the ink head. Equipped with a second valve that closes the ink inlet
The second valve is an inkjet printer configured to open the second ink inlet by supplying a predetermined amount of ink to the first ink storage chamber by the ink supply device. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink recovery container includes an air discharge port that communicates with the second ink storage chamber and discharges air from the second ink storage chamber. The inkjet printer according to claim 2, wherein the ink recovery container includes a lid capable of opening and closing the air discharge port. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ink recovery container is arranged in the second ink storage chamber and includes an absorber that absorbs ink. The ink ejection port opens upward and
The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the ink recovery container is attached to the ink head, the ink recovery container is located above the ink head. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second valve is a Duckbill valve. The inkjet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ink head is mounted and the carriage is movable in the main scanning direction.

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