JP2022082975A - Liquid jetting device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid jetting device that can reduce the possibility of injection of liquid exceeding an upper limit.SOLUTION: A liquid jetting device includes: a liquid storage body 19 including a storage chamber 33 capable of storing liquid and an injection part 34 capable of injecting liquid into the storage chamber 33; a liquid jetting head for jetting the liquid supplied from the liquid storage body 19; and a detector 42 for detecting whether a level 40 of the liquid injected from the injection part 34 reaches an upper limit position P2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid injection device such as a printer.

For example, as in Patent Document 1, there is a liquid injection device that prints by injecting a liquid supplied from a liquid container from a recording head, which is an example of a liquid injection head. The liquid container includes a liquid storage unit, which is an example of a storage chamber capable of storing liquid, a liquid injection port, which is an example of an injection unit for injecting liquid into the liquid storage unit, and a visual recognition where the liquid level can be visually recognized from the outside. Has a face and. The liquid container is provided with an upper limit portion which is an example of an upper limit scale for identifying the upper limit of the liquid that can be contained.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-168730

The user injects the liquid through the liquid inlet so that the liquid level reaches the upper limit. However, if the user injects a liquid in excess of the upper limit, the liquid may overflow from the liquid container.

The liquid injection device for solving the above problems injects the liquid container having a storage chamber capable of containing the liquid and an injection unit capable of injecting the liquid into the storage chamber, and the liquid supplied from the liquid container. It includes a liquid injection head and a detection unit that detects that the liquid level of the liquid injected from the injection unit has reached the upper limit position.

The perspective view of one Embodiment of the liquid injection device. Schematic front view of the liquid container. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the liquid injection device will be described with reference to the drawings. The liquid injection device is, for example, an inkjet printer that injects and prints ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper.

In the drawing, the direction of gravity is shown by the Z axis, and the direction along the horizontal plane is shown by the X axis and the Y axis, assuming that the liquid injection device 11 is placed on the horizontal plane. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, the direction parallel to the Z axis is also referred to as the vertical direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid injection device 11 may include a device main body 12 and an image reading device 13. The image reading device 13 can read an image of a document (not shown). The image reading device 13 may be provided on the device main body 12 so as to be openable and closable with respect to the device main body 12.

The liquid injection device 11 may include an operation panel 15. The operation panel 15 may have an operation unit 16 for operating the liquid injection device 11 and a notification unit 17. The notification unit 17 of the present embodiment is a monitor capable of displaying characters, images, and the like.

The liquid injection device 11 may include a liquid container 19 and a housing 20 that houses the liquid container 19. The housing 20 may have a window 21 that exposes a portion of the liquid container 19. The window 21 makes the liquid contained in the liquid container 19 visible from the outside.

The liquid injection device 11 may include a plurality of liquid containers 19 and a plurality of windows 21. The plurality of liquid containers 19 may contain different types of liquids. Although the plurality of liquid containers 19 differ in the type of liquid to be stored, the structure of each liquid container 19 is the same. Therefore, in the following description, one liquid container 19 will be described.

The liquid injection device 11 includes a liquid injection head 23 that injects the liquid supplied from the liquid container 19. The liquid injection head 23 injects liquid from a nozzle (not shown) and prints on the medium 24. The liquid injection device 11 may include a supply unit 25 that supplies the liquid contained in the liquid container 19 to the liquid injection head 23, and a carriage 26 that holds the liquid injection head 23. The carriage 26 is reciprocating along the X-axis and moves the liquid injection head 23.

The liquid injection device 11 includes a control unit 28. The control unit 28 may control various operations executed by the liquid injection device 11. The control unit 28 is α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program, β: one or more dedicated hardware such as an integrated circuit for a specific application that executes at least a part of the various processes. It can be configured as a wear circuit or a circuit including γ: a combination thereof. The processor includes a CPU and a memory such as a RAM and a ROM, and the memory stores a program code or a command configured to cause the CPU to execute a process. Memory or computer readable media includes any readable medium accessible by a general purpose or dedicated computer.

<Liquid container>
As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid container 19 may include a case 30 and a film 31. The film 31 may form the air chamber 32 and the accommodating chamber 33 by closing the opening of the concave portion of the case 30. The liquid container 19 has a storage chamber 33 capable of containing the liquid and an injection unit 34 capable of injecting the liquid into the storage chamber 33.

The liquid accommodating body 19 may have a visual recognition surface 36 that allows the liquid contained in the accommodating chamber 33 to be visually recognized from the outside, and a scale 37 provided on the visual recognition surface 36. At least a part of the viewing surface 36 and the scale 37 are exposed from the window 21 and can be visually recognized from the outside of the housing 20.

The scale 37 may include a lower limit scale 38 and an upper limit scale 39. The lower limit scale 38 is provided at a position corresponding to the lower limit position P1 of the visual recognition surface 36. Specifically, the lower limit scale 38 is provided at the same position as the lower limit position P1 in the vertical direction Z. The lower limit position P1 is the position of the liquid level 40 when the storage chamber 33 needs to be replenished with liquid.

The upper limit scale 39 is provided at a position corresponding to the upper limit position P2 of the visual recognition surface 36. Specifically, the upper limit scale 39 is provided at the same position as the upper limit position P2 in the vertical direction Z. The upper limit position P2 is the position of the liquid level 40 when the storage chamber 33 stores the maximum amount of liquid. Therefore, when the liquid container 19 stores the maximum amount of liquid, the liquid level 40 and the upper limit scale 39 overlap on the visual recognition surface 36.

The liquid injection device 11 includes a detection unit 42 that detects that the liquid level 40 of the liquid injected from the injection unit 34 has reached the upper limit position P2. The detection unit 42 of the present embodiment has two electrodes 43 provided so as to sandwich the storage chamber 33, and detects the capacitance. One of the two electrodes 43 is provided on the case 30, and the other electrode 43 is provided on the film 31. When the electrode 43 is provided outside the storage chamber 33, deterioration due to adhesion of the liquid can be suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the injection unit 34 may include a plurality of injection flow paths 45. Each injection flow path 45 connects a first end 46 that opens to the outside of the accommodation chamber 33 and a second end 47 that opens to the inside of the accommodation chamber 33. The plurality of first ends 46 may be located at the same position with each other in the vertical direction Z. The plurality of second ends 47 may be located at the same position with each other in the vertical direction Z.

Each injection flow path 45 may penetrate the ceiling 48 of the accommodation chamber 33. The second end 47 may be located below the first end 46 and the ceiling 48 and may be located at the upper limit position P2. That is, the second end 47 and the upper limit scale 39 may be located at the same position in the vertical direction Z.

The liquid container 19 may have an atmospheric open passage 50 that allows the storage chamber 33 to communicate with the atmosphere. The atmosphere opening path 50 connects a communication hole 51 opening in the accommodation chamber 33 and an opening hole 52 opened to the atmosphere. The communication hole 51 is located above the upper limit position P2. The liquid container 19 may have a plurality of air chambers 32. Each air chamber 32 may form a part of the open air passage 50. The liquid container 19 may include a gas-liquid separation membrane (not shown) that allows gas to permeate while limiting liquid permeation. By providing the gas-liquid separation membrane in the air opening path 50, the possibility of liquid leaking from the opening hole 52 can be reduced.

The operation of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, when injecting a liquid into the storage chamber 33, the user connects the bottle 54 containing the liquid for injection to the first end 46 of the injection unit 34. The liquid contained in the bottle 54 flows down a part of the injection flow paths 45 among the plurality of injection flow paths 45. At this time, the other injection flow path 45 through which the liquid does not flow becomes a flow path for allowing the air in the storage chamber 33 to flow into the bottle 54. That is, between the bottle 54 and the liquid container 19, the air in the storage chamber 33 flows into the bottle 54 by the amount of the liquid injected from the bottle 54 into the storage chamber 33, and so-called air-liquid exchange is performed.

When the liquid level 40 rises to the second end 47 and the second end 47 is blocked by the liquid, air does not flow into the bottle 54 through the injection flow path 45. Then, the pressure applied to the liquid level of the liquid in the bottle 54 decreases, and the inflow of the liquid from the bottle 54 into the storage chamber 33 is stopped. When the inflow of the liquid is stopped, the maximum amount of liquid is stored in the storage chamber 33, and the liquid level 40 is located at the upper limit position P2.

The detection unit 42 outputs the detected capacitance to the control unit 28. The permittivity is different between air and liquid. Therefore, the liquid is injected into the storage chamber 33, and the capacitance changes as the liquid level 40 rises. The control unit 28 may store in advance the capacitance when the liquid level 40 is located at the upper limit position P2. The control unit 28 may compare the capacitance detected by the detection unit 42 with the stored capacitance and determine whether or not the liquid level 40 exceeds the upper limit position P2. When the liquid level 40 reaches the upper limit position P2, the control unit 28 may control the notification unit 17 to notify that the liquid container 19 contains the maximum amount of liquid. That is, the notification unit 17 may notify the detection result of the detection unit 42.

The effect of this embodiment will be described.
(1) The liquid injection device 11 includes a detection unit 42 that detects that the liquid level 40 of the liquid injected from the injection unit 34 has reached the upper limit position P2. The liquid injection device 11 can reduce the possibility of injecting a liquid exceeding the upper limit by using the detection result of the detection unit 42.

(2) The liquid container 19 has a visual recognition surface 36 and an upper limit scale 39. By comparing the liquid level 40 of the liquid with the upper limit scale 39, the user can confirm that the liquid level 40 of the liquid contained in the storage chamber 33 has reached the upper limit position P2.

(3) The injection unit 34 has a plurality of injection flow paths 45. When the bottle 54 containing the liquid for injection is connected to the first end 46, a part of the injection flow path 45 becomes a flow path for injecting the liquid into the storage chamber 33, and the other injection flow path 45 becomes a flow path for injecting the liquid. It becomes a flow path for sending air from the storage chamber 33 to the bottle 54. When the liquid is injected into the storage chamber 33, the liquid level 40 in the storage chamber 33 rises. When the liquid level 40 reaches the second end 47, the second end 47 is blocked by the liquid, and air cannot be sent from the storage chamber 33 to the bottle 54. As a result, the inside of the bottle 54 becomes a negative pressure, and the injection of the liquid from the bottle 54 into the storage chamber 33 is stopped. The second end 47 is located at the upper limit position P2. Therefore, the injected liquid can be stopped at the upper limit position P2.

(4) The two electrodes 43 are provided so as to sandwich the storage chamber 33. Therefore, there is air between the two electrodes 43 before the liquid is injected into the containment chamber 33. When the liquid is injected, there is a liquid between the two electrodes 43. Since the dielectric constants of air and liquid are different, the detection unit 42 can detect the position of the liquid surface 40 by detecting the capacitance.

(5) The notification unit 17 notifies the detection result of the detection unit 42. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user that the liquid level 40 of the liquid contained in the storage chamber 33 has reached the upper limit position P2.
(6) For example, when the liquid adheres to the inside of the visual recognition surface 36, it may be difficult to visually recognize the liquid from the outside. At that point, the detection unit 42 detects that the liquid level 40 of the liquid contained in the storage chamber 33 has reached the upper limit position P2. Therefore, it is possible to support the injection of the liquid by the user.

This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. The present embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically consistent range.
The notification unit 17 does not have to notify the detection result of the detection unit 42. The liquid injection device 11 may include a prohibition mechanism for prohibiting the injection of liquid into the storage chamber 33. The stop mechanism may be a valve that closes the injection flow path 45, a moving mechanism that moves the bottle 54 and pulls it away from the injection portion 34, or a decompression mechanism that reduces the pressure inside the bottle 54. When the detection unit 42 detects that the liquid level 40 has reached the upper limit position P2, the control unit 28 may prohibit the injection of the liquid into the storage chamber 33.

The notification unit 17 may be a touch panel capable of displaying and inputting information. The notification unit 17 may be a speaker that notifies by sound or voice, or may be a light that notifies by turning on or blinking light. The liquid injection device 11 includes a plurality of notification units 17, and the notification units 17 may be combined to perform notification.

The detection unit 42 may include a contact sensor that detects that a liquid has come into contact with the detection unit 42. A part of the detection unit 42 may be provided in the storage chamber 33. The detection unit 42 may include an electrode provided at the upper limit position P2 and detect resistance that changes due to contact with a liquid. The detection unit 42 may include a prism provided at the upper limit position P2, an irradiation unit that irradiates the prism with light, and a light receiving unit that receives the light refracted by the prism. When the liquid comes into contact with the prism, the light is diffused in the liquid and the amount of light received by the light receiving portion changes. The detection unit 42 may detect that the liquid level 40 has reached the upper limit position P2 from the change in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit.

The detection unit 42 may include an image sensor that detects an image. The detection unit 42 may detect the position of the liquid level 40 by analyzing the image detected by the image sensor.
The detection unit 42 may include a photoelectric sensor including a light emitting unit that irradiates light and a light receiving unit that receives light. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are provided so as to sandwich the liquid accommodating body 19, and the light receiving unit bears even if it receives light transmitted through the accommodating chamber 33. When a liquid is present between the light emitting part and the light receiving part, the light is blocked by the liquid. The detection unit 42 may detect the position of the liquid surface 40 from the change in the amount of light received by the light receiving unit. The light receiving unit may detect the position of the liquid surface 40 by receiving the light reflected by the liquid.

The detection unit 42 may include a float sensor that detects the position of the float floating on the liquid.
The liquid injection device 11 may include a plurality of types of detection units 42. The detection unit 42 may be selected according to the type of liquid contained in each liquid container 19.

When the liquid stored in the storage chamber 33 is supplied to the liquid injection head 23, the liquid level 40 of the liquid in the storage chamber 33 is lowered. The detection unit 42 may also detect that the descending liquid level 40 has reached the lower limit position P1. That is, one detection unit 42 may detect that the liquid level 40 has reached the lower limit position P1 and that the liquid level 40 has reached the upper limit position P2. The liquid injection device 11 may include a plurality of detection units 42 for one liquid container 19. That is, the liquid injection device 11 may include a detection unit for detecting that the liquid level 40 has reached the lower limit position P1 in addition to the detection unit 42 for detecting that the liquid level 40 has reached the upper limit position P2. ..

The injection unit 34 may be configured to include one injection flow path 45. The second end 47 of the injection flow path 45 may be located at a position different from the upper limit position P2. That is, the liquid level 40 of the liquid injected into the storage chamber 33 does not have to stop at the upper limit position P2.

The window 21 may be an opening formed in the housing 20. The window 21 may be composed of a transmissive member that transmits light. The transmissive member may be transparent or translucent. When the window 21 is made of a transparent member, the scale 37 may be provided on the transparent member.

-The liquid container 19 may be configured not to have a visual recognition surface 36. The control unit 28 may display the position of the liquid level 40 detected by the detection unit 42 on the notification unit 17.
The liquid container 19 may be provided on the carriage 26. The carriage 26 may move the liquid container 19 together with the liquid injection head 23.

The liquid injection device 11 may be a liquid injection device that injects or ejects a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected as a minute amount of droplets from the liquid injection device shall include those having a granular, tear-like, or thread-like tail. The liquid referred to here may be any material that can be injected from a liquid injection device. For example, the liquid may be in the state when the substance is in the liquid phase, and may be a highly viscous or low-viscosity liquid, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, etc. It shall contain a fluid such as a metal melt. The liquid includes not only the liquid as a state of the substance but also the particles of the functional material made of solid matter such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed or mixed in the solvent. Typical examples of the liquid include ink, liquid crystal, and the like as described in the above-described embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks, oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the liquid injection device, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescence display, a surface light emitting display, a color filter, etc. in a dispersed or dissolved form is injected. There is a device. The liquid injection device may be a device for injecting a bioorganic substance used for producing a biochip, a device for injecting a liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid injection device is a transparent resin such as an ultraviolet curable resin for forming a device that injects lubricating oil pinpointly into precision machines such as watches and cameras, a micro hemispherical lens used for an optical communication element, an optical lens, and the like. It may be a device that injects a liquid onto a substrate. The liquid injection device may be a device that injects an etching solution such as an acid or an alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like.

The technical ideas and their actions and effects grasped from the above-described embodiments and modifications are described below.
(A) The liquid injection device includes a liquid container having a storage chamber capable of containing the liquid and an injection unit capable of injecting the liquid into the storage chamber, and a liquid injection device for injecting the liquid supplied from the liquid container. It includes a head and a detection unit that detects that the liquid level of the liquid injected from the injection unit has reached the upper limit position.

According to this configuration, the liquid injection device includes a detection unit that detects that the liquid level of the liquid injected from the injection unit has reached the upper limit position. The liquid injection device can reduce the possibility of injecting a liquid exceeding the upper limit by using the detection result of the detection unit.

(B) In the liquid injection device, the liquid container has a visible surface on which the liquid contained in the storage chamber can be visually recognized from the outside, and an upper limit scale provided at a position corresponding to the upper limit position of the visible surface. , May have.

According to this configuration, the liquid container has a visual plane and an upper limit scale. The user can confirm that the liquid level of the liquid contained in the storage chamber has reached the upper limit position by comparing the liquid level of the liquid with the upper limit scale.

(C) In the liquid injection device, the injection unit includes a plurality of injection flow paths connecting a first end that opens to the outside of the storage chamber and a second end that opens to the inside of the storage chamber. The second end may be located at the upper limit position.

According to this configuration, the injection section has a plurality of injection channels. When a bottle containing a liquid for injection is connected to the first end, some injection channels become channels for injecting liquid into the containment chamber and other injection channels from the containment chamber to the bottle. It becomes a flow path for sending air. When the liquid is injected into the containment chamber, the liquid level in the containment chamber rises. When the liquid level reaches the second end, the second end is blocked by the liquid and air cannot be sent from the storage chamber to the bottle. This creates a negative pressure inside the bottle and stops the injection of liquid from the bottle into the containment chamber. The second end is located at the upper limit position. Therefore, the injected liquid can be stopped at the upper limit position.

(D) In the liquid injection device, the detection unit may have two electrodes provided across the storage chamber and detect the capacitance.
According to this configuration, the two electrodes are provided so as to sandwich the accommodation chamber. Therefore, there is air between the two electrodes before the liquid is injected into the containment chamber. When the liquid is injected, there is a liquid between the two electrodes. Since the dielectric constants of air and liquid are different, the detection unit can detect the position of the liquid surface by detecting the capacitance.

(E) The liquid injection device may further include a notification unit that notifies the detection result of the detection unit.
According to this configuration, the notification unit notifies the detection result of the detection unit. Therefore, it is possible to notify the user that the liquid level of the liquid contained in the storage chamber has reached the upper limit position.

11 ... Liquid injection device, 12 ... Device body, 13 ... Image reader, 15 ... Operation panel, 16 ... Operation unit, 17 ... Notification unit, 19 ... Liquid container, 20 ... Housing, 21 ... Window, 23 ... Liquid Injection head, 24 ... medium, 25 ... supply unit, 26 ... carriage, 28 ... control unit, 30 ... case, 31 ... film, 32 ... air chamber, 33 ... accommodation chamber, 34 ... injection unit, 36 ... visual plane, 37 ... scale, 38 ... lower limit scale, 39 ... upper limit scale, 40 ... liquid level, 42 ... detector, 43 ... electrode, 45 ... injection flow path, 46 ... first end, 47 ... second end, 48 ... ceiling, 50 ... air opening path, 51 ... communication hole, 52 ... opening hole, 54 ... bottle, P1 ... lower limit position, P2 ... upper limit position, Z ... vertical direction.

Claims (5)

A liquid container having a storage chamber capable of containing a liquid and an injection unit capable of injecting the liquid into the storage chamber, and a liquid storage body.
A liquid injection head that injects the liquid supplied from the liquid container,
A detection unit that detects that the liquid level of the liquid injected from the injection unit has reached the upper limit position, and a detection unit.
A liquid injection device characterized by comprising. The liquid container is
A visible surface that allows the liquid to be stored in the storage chamber to be visually recognized from the outside,
An upper limit scale provided at a position corresponding to the upper limit position on the visual recognition surface, and
The liquid injection device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid injection device has. The injection unit includes a plurality of injection flow paths connecting a first end that opens to the outside of the storage chamber and a second end that opens to the inside of the storage chamber.
The liquid injection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second end is located at the upper limit position. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the detection unit has two electrodes provided across the storage chamber and detects a capacitance. .. The liquid injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a notification unit for notifying the detection result of the detection unit.

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