JP2023136539A - printer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printer which is easy for a user to use.SOLUTION: A printer, which is equipped with an ink tank that is refilled with ink from a bottle storing the ink, comprises a cover member covering an upper surface of the ink tank. The cover member can turn with a first turning shaft as a center with respect to the ink tank, where the first turning shaft extends in a direction which is parallel to a direction in which a paper printed in the printer is ejected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a printer.

Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, a printer is known that includes an ink tank having an ink introduction tube, a cap member capable of sealing the ink introduction tube, and a tank cover that covers the top of the ink tank. There is.

JP2019-202464A

In the printer described in Patent Document 1, the extending direction of the rotating shaft for opening and closing the cap member and the extending direction of the rotating shaft for opening and closing the tank cover are perpendicular to the print medium discharge direction. It is. However, depending on the user, it may be more convenient to open and close the cap member and the tank cover in a direction different from the conventional direction.

The printer includes an ink tank that is replenished with ink from a bottle containing the ink, and includes a cover member that covers the top surface of the ink tank, and the cover member is configured to rotate about a first rotation axis. The first rotating shaft extends parallel to the direction in which paper printed in the printer is discharged.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a cap member according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printer according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the configuration of an ink tank unit according to a third embodiment.

1. First Embodiment First, the configuration of the printer 10 will be described. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of the printer 10, FIG. 2 shows the lid 16 in the printer 10 in an open state, and FIG. 3 shows the printer 10 in a state in which a medium P (for example, paper) is ejected.
Hereinafter, in each figure, the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are shown. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are orthogonal to each other. The Z-axis is an axis extending in the vertical direction. The X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the horizontal plane. When the printer 10 is installed on the XY plane (horizontal plane), the direction along the Z axis is the up-down direction, the +Z direction is the upward direction, and the -Z direction is the downward direction. Further, in the printer 10, the direction along the Y axis is the front-back direction, the +Y direction side is the front direction (front side, front side), and the -Y direction side is the back direction (back side). Further, in the printer 10, the direction along the X axis is the left-right direction (width direction), the -X direction is the left side, and the +X direction is the right side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting liquid ink onto a medium P.
The printer 10 includes an ink jetting head (not shown) that jets ink, and a printing mechanism section (not shown) including the ink jetting head. The printing mechanism section is a mechanism that includes a carriage, a drive motor for moving the carriage and conveying the medium P, and the like. The ink ejecting head is mounted on a carriage that can move in the direction along the X axis, and while reciprocating in the direction along the X axis, ejects ink onto the medium P that is conveyed in the +Y direction. Form (print) an image on top. The upper part of the printing mechanism part is covered by a lid part 16.

The printer 10 includes a device main body 12. The apparatus main body 12 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 13 and a document reading device 14 disposed on the housing 13. The document reading device 14 includes a horizontal document placement surface 15 made of transparent glass or the like on which a document for reading is placed, and a lid portion 16 that can cover the document placement surface 15.
The lid section 16 has two states: a closed state (FIG. 1) in which it covers the document placement surface 15 from above, and an open state (FIG. 2) in which it opens from the closed state to open the upper area of the document placement surface 15. It is provided so that it can be opened and closed about the X-axis. The lid portion 16 of this embodiment is an ADF (Auto Document Feeder), and is provided with a feeding port 16a for feeding a document. By feeding the original through the feeding port 16a, copying, reading, etc. can be easily performed.

Further, the document reading device 14 is provided so as to be able to open and close around the X-axis. When the document reading device 14 is in the open state, the user can insert his or her hand into the housing 13 for maintenance or the like.

In the direction along the X-axis, the length of the housing 13 and the length of the lid portion 16 are approximately the same. Also in the direction along the Y-axis, the length of the casing 13 is approximately the same as the length of the lid 16, but the length of the casing 13 at the position where the ink tank unit 100 is provided is the same as the length of the lid 16. It's longer than Sayori.

On the outer surface of the casing 13, on the front side of the apparatus main body 12, a discharge port 18 for discharging the medium P from inside is provided. The medium P is conveyed in the +Y direction and is discharged to the outside via the discharge port 18. A stacker 19 is provided below the discharge port 18 to support the medium P discharged from the inside of the casing 13 in the +Y direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the stacker 19 is configured to be movable in the +Y direction from inside the housing 13, and the stacker 19 moves in the +Y direction and supports the medium P when the medium P is discharged.
Further, a paper cassette 11 is provided in the -Z direction of the stacker 19. In this embodiment, two paper cassettes 11 are arranged in the direction along the Z-axis. The paper cassette 11 accommodates a pile of media P to be printed. The paper cassette 11 is configured to be removably attached to the apparatus main body 12.

Furthermore, on the front surface 17 of the +Y direction end of the housing 13, an operating section 20 that is operated by the user is provided. The operation unit 20 is a horizontally elongated panel whose longitudinal direction is along the X axis, and includes a power button 21 that is operated when turning on or off the printer 10 and an operation that is operated when inputting various operation information. A display panel 23 (for example, a liquid crystal panel) is provided to display the buttons 22, operation status, and the like.

The ink tank unit 100 is arranged on the front side of the printer 10. The ink tank unit 100 is arranged on the front surface 17 of the casing 13 in the apparatus main body 12 at a position adjacent to the discharge port 18 in the width direction. The ink tank unit 100 supplies ink to the ink jet head. The ink tank unit 100 includes an ink tank 30 and the like. The ink tank 30 is a container that can contain ink. The ink tank 30 (ink tank unit 100) of this embodiment is arranged on the left side with respect to the discharge port 18 when the printer 10 is viewed from the front (-Y direction). The ink tank 30 is provided so as to protrude further forward (in the +Y direction) than the front surface 17 of the housing 13 . That is, the ink tank 30 secures an ink storage space in an area outside the casing 13 that constitutes the apparatus main body 12.

The printer 10 includes a viewing window 24 through which the ink level in the ink tank 30 can be visually checked from the outside. The viewing window 24 may be a through hole penetrating the housing 13, or may have a configuration in which the housing 13 is made transparent or semitransparent. Further, the viewing window 24 may be configured to include a display section that indicates an upper limit level, a lower limit level, or an intermediate level of ink. Note that a portion of the ink tank 30 corresponding to the viewing window 24 is formed transparent or semitransparent. Alternatively, the ink tank 30 may be provided with a display section that indicates the ink level. The viewing window 24 of this embodiment is arranged in front of the ink tank 30 (in the +Y direction) when the printer 10 is viewed from the front. Thereby, the amount of ink contained in the ink tank 30 can be easily confirmed from outside the printer 10.

Next, the configuration of the ink tank unit 100 will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink tank unit 100 includes an ink tank 30 and a cover member 25 that covers the top surface of the ink tank 30. The cover member 25 and the housing 13 are connected by a hinge portion 26, and the cover member 25 is rotatable with respect to the ink tank 30. The cover member 25 is a bowl-shaped lid. The cover member 25 can be rotated by the user's hand or finger into a closed state (FIG. 3) that covers the top surface of the ink tank 30 and an open state (FIG. 4) that opens the top surface of the ink tank 30. configured. The hinge portion 26 of this embodiment is an end portion of the casing 13 in the −X direction, and is arranged on the −X direction side of the ink tank 30.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the cover member 25 is opened, the ink tank 30 is refilled with ink from the bottle BT containing ink through the ink inlet 31 (FIG. 6B). can do. Note that replenishing ink and injecting ink refer to filling an empty ink tank 30 with ink when setting up the printer 10, or when the ink level in the ink tank 30 reaches the lower limit level that requires ink replenishment. Including refilling. Furthermore, even if the ink in the ink tank 30 is above the lower limit level, it is not necessary to increase the amount of ink by adding more ink or increase the amount of ink to the upper limit level (full); This also includes increasing the amount of ink even if it is not full (full).

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the cover member 25 is rotatable relative to the ink tank 30 around a first rotation shaft 27 provided in the hinge portion 26. As shown in FIGS. The first rotation axis 27 is arranged to extend in the direction along the Y-axis. That is, the direction in which the first rotation shaft 27 extends is parallel to the discharge direction (+Y direction) in which the medium P is discharged. Note that "parallel" includes a substantially parallel state.

When the printer 10 is viewed in the −Y direction, the cover member 25 of this embodiment rotates to the left with respect to the ink tank 30 about the first rotation axis 27 and opens. With the cover member 25 in the open state, the cap member 50 that can be attached to the ink tank 30 can be accessed.

In the printer 10 of this embodiment, one ink tank 30 is arranged. The ink tank 30 stores, for example, black pigment ink. The ink tank 30 includes an ink accommodating portion capable of accommodating ink, and an ink inlet 31 is formed in the upper part of the ink accommodating portion. The ink inlet 31 is a tube (cylindrical portion) that communicates with the ink storage section, and protrudes from the top surface of the ink storage section.

An adapter 35 is arranged above the ink tank 30. The adapter 35 is formed with a slot portion 36 having a recess. The slot portion 36 is formed to be concave toward the -Z direction from the top surface of the adapter 35 in the Z-axis direction. A through hole 36a is formed at the bottom of the slot portion 36. The through hole 36a passes through the adapter 35 along the Z axis. The ink inlet 31 of the ink tank 30 projects upward through the through hole 36a.

The cap member 50 opens and closes the ink inlet 31 of the ink tank 30. When injecting ink, the user operates the cap member 50 to open the ink injection port 31 (FIG. 6B). As a result, the ink inlet 31 is exposed, and by connecting the outlet of the bottle BT to the ink inlet 31, it is possible to replenish ink from the bottle BT to the ink tank 30 (FIG. 5). Further, when the ink replenishment is completed, the cap member 50 is operated to the closed state (FIG. 6A) so as to close the ink injection port 31. This closes the ink injection port 31.

The cap member 50 is rotatably supported on the upper surface of the adapter 35. Specifically, the second rotation shaft 37 is provided at the end of the top surface of the adapter 35 in the -X direction, and on the -X direction side of the ink injection port 31. The second rotation shaft 37 is arranged to extend in the direction along the Y-axis. That is, the direction in which the second rotation shaft 37 extends is parallel to the discharge direction (+Y direction) in which the medium P is discharged. Note that "parallel" includes a substantially parallel state. The cap member 50 rotates around the second rotation shaft 37. The cap member 50 of this embodiment rotates to the left with respect to the ink tank 30 about the second rotation shaft 37 and opens. This exposes the ink injection port 31, allowing the ink tank 30 to be replenished with ink.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cap member 50 includes an elastically deformable cap 52 that closes or opens the ink injection port 31, and a holding member 51 that holds the cap 52. The cap 52 is inserted into the slot portion 36 when the cap member 50 is in the closed state.
The holding member 51 has a substantially rectangular plate shape that is long in one direction, and includes one end 511 and the other end 512 in the longitudinal direction.

A grip portion 53 is provided at one end 511 of the holding member 51 to be gripped by a user. The grip portion 53 extends in the direction from the other end 512 of the holding member 51 to the one end 511 and in the direction from the surface (back surface) of the holding member 51 on the cap 52 side to the surface (front surface) on the opposite side. The other end 512 of the holding member 51 is provided with an engaging portion 54 that can engage with the second rotation shaft 37 . The width of the engaging portion 54 is slightly shorter than the axial length of the second rotation shaft 37. Further, the engaging part 54 has a C-shaped cross section with a part of the ring cut out, and by pushing the opening side of the engaging part 54 toward the second rotation shaft 37, the cap member 50 can be moved to the second position. It is engaged with the rotation shaft 37. The surface of the engaging portion 54 that comes into contact with the second rotation shaft 37 has a curved surface. Thereby, the cap member 50 becomes rotatable with respect to the ink injection port 31 around the second rotation shaft 37 .

The cap 52 is arranged in the holding member 51 at a position between the gripping part 53 and the engaging part 54. The user can open and close the cap member 50 by pinching the grip portion 53 located closer to the one end 511 of the holding member 51 than the cap 52 with his/her fingers, so that the ink attached to the cap 52 is less likely to come into contact with the user. Moreover, the cap member 50 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the holding member 51 is along the X-axis. As a result, compared to the conventional configuration in which the holding member 51 is arranged in the direction along the Y-axis, the length dimension of the cap member 50 (holding member 51) can be secured, and the cap centering on the second rotation axis 37 can be secured. The rotation operation of the member 50 can be performed smoothly. This makes it easy to open and close the cap 52 with respect to the ink injection port 31.

The holding member 51 has higher rigidity than the cap 52. The holding member 51 is made of a non-flexible member, and the cap 52 is made of a flexible member. Examples of the material for the non-flexible member include plastic and metal. Furthermore, examples of the material of the flexible member include rubber and elastomer. Further, the adapter 35 and the ink tank 30 are formed of non-flexible members. As for the material of the ink tank 30, it is preferable to select a material that is compatible with the characteristics of the ink contained therein and that can perform the functions required of the ink tank 30. Note that the materials of the holding member 51, the second rotation shaft 37, and the adapter 35 may be the same or different.

Cap 52 is supported by holding member 51. The cap 52 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom in order to cover the ink injection port 31 . Although various connection structures can be used to connect the cap 52 to the holding member 51, this embodiment employs a connection mechanism that takes into account ease of assembly. The holding member 51 has a through hole 51a (FIG. 6A) at the connection location of the cap 52. In this embodiment, a portion of the cap 52 is fitted into the through hole 51a. Further, the holding member 51 includes a support portion that can support a portion of the cap 52. Thereby, the holding member 51 and the cap 52 are reliably connected.

In this embodiment, the first rotation shaft 27 and the second rotation shaft 37 are arranged on the −X direction side of the ink inlet 31, and the cover member 25 and the cap member 50 are arranged on the −X direction side (left side). Rotate. That is, the cover member 25 and the cap member 50 rotate in the same direction with respect to the ink tank 30. As a result, the direction in which the cover member 25 is opened and the direction in which the cap member 50 is opened are the same, making it easy for the user to operate and use.

8, 9, and 10 are cross-sectional views showing the configuration and operating method of the ink tank unit 100. Specifically, FIG. 8 shows the cover member 25 in a closed state and the cap member 50 in a closed state. FIG. 9 shows the cover member 25 in an open state and the cap member 50 in a closed state. FIG. 10 shows the open state of the cover member 25 and the open state of the cap member 50.

The cover member 25 transitions from the closed state to the open state by rotating about the first rotation shaft 27 in the −X direction through the upper direction with respect to the ink tank 30. The open state of the cover member 25 is a state in which the cover member 25 is rotated by 90 degrees or more with respect to the closed state of the cover member 25. In this embodiment, the cover member 25 rotates about 180 degrees about the first rotation axis 27. Thereby, a sufficient space for operating the cap member 50 can be secured.

Furthermore, a rib 28 is provided inside the cover member 25. The rib 28 is a plate-like member that protrudes downward from the top of the cover member 25 when the cover member 25 is in the closed state. The rib 28 presses the upper surface 51b of the holding member 51 of the cap member 50 in the -Z direction when the cover member 25 is in the closed state. As a result, the cap 52 becomes closed. Therefore, the cap 52 can be reliably moved from the floating state to the closed state by the pressure exerted by the ribs 28 of the cover member 25, so that leakage of ink from the ink inlet 31 can be prevented.

The cap member 50 shifts from the closed state to the open state by rotating in the -X direction through the upper part of the ink tank 30 about the second rotation shaft 37. The open state of the cap member 50 is a state in which the cap member 50 is rotated by 90 degrees or more from the closed state of the cap member 50. Specifically, the angle between the top surface 51b of the holding member 51 in the closed state of the cap member 50 and the top surface 51b of the holding member 51 in the open state of the cap member 50 is 90 degrees or more. Thereby, sufficient space can be secured for ink replenishment work. More specifically, a space for inserting the ink refill bottle BT into the ink injection port 31 can be secured. Note that the rotation angle of the cap member 50 from the closed state to the open state is preferably about 100° to 140°. Thereby, it is possible to further stably secure a space for ink replenishment work.

In addition, when the cover member 25 shifts from the open state to the closed state in the open state of the cap member 50, the tip portion 28a of the rib 28 comes into contact with the upper surface 51b of the holding member 51 of the cap member 50, and the cap member 50 It follows the rotational direction of the cover member 25 and shifts to the closed state. This facilitates the operation of the cover member 25 and the cap member 50.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, by making the direction in which the first rotation shaft 27 extends, the direction in which the second rotation shaft 37 extends, and the direction in which the medium P is discharged parallel to each other, the cover It is possible to provide a printer 10 with variations in the opening and closing directions of the member 25 and the cap member 50. This makes it possible to improve usability for the user.

2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same configurations as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.
Although the first embodiment had a configuration including one ink tank 30, the printer 10A of this embodiment has a configuration including a plurality of ink tanks 30.
The details will be explained below.

As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the ink tank unit 100A of this embodiment includes a plurality of (four in this embodiment) ink tanks 30 that can accommodate ink, a cap member 50, and a cover member. 25.

The plurality of ink tanks 30 are lined up along the Y axis and have the same structure and shape. These plurality of ink tanks 30 are bundled together by an adapter 35.

In this embodiment, each of the plurality of ink tanks 30 may be configured to contain different types of ink or may be configured to contain the same type of ink. Examples of the type of ink include the color of the ink. Therefore, in the present embodiment, either a configuration in which each of the plurality of ink tanks 30 stores inks of different colors or a configuration in which each of the plurality of ink tanks 30 stores inks of the same color may be adopted. Examples of ink colors include black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. Furthermore, the types of ink include inks containing dyes, inks containing pigments, and the like.

The printer 10A also includes a viewing window 24 that allows the ink level in the ink tank 30 to be viewed from the outside. In this embodiment, four viewing windows 24 are provided corresponding to each ink tank 30. The viewing window 24 of this embodiment is arranged on the -X direction side of the printer 10A (ink tank 30). The plurality of viewing windows 24 are arranged in the direction along the Y-axis.

When the cover member 25 is in the open state, the viewing window 24 is arranged at a position where it can be viewed. Thereby, when replenishing ink from the bottle BT, the ink level in the ink tank 30 can be easily checked.

The cover member 25 is rotatable with respect to the ink tank 30 around a first rotation axis 27, and the direction in which the first rotation axis 27 extends (direction along the Y axis) is the direction in which the first rotation axis 27 extends. It is parallel to the ejection direction of the medium P to be printed. Further, the cap member 50 is rotatable relative to the ink inlet 31 about the second rotation shaft 37, and the direction in which the second rotation shaft 37 extends (the direction along the Y axis) is It is parallel to the discharge direction of the medium P. Then, the cover member 25 and the cap member 50 rotate in the same direction with respect to the ink tank 30. Thereby, effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described. Note that the same configurations as in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.
In the first embodiment, the first rotation shaft 27 (hinge portion 26) is arranged on the −X direction side of the ink tank 30, and the second rotation shaft 37 is arranged on the −X direction side of the ink inlet 31. However, the configuration is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 14, in the printer 10B of this embodiment, the first rotation shaft 27 (hinge portion 26) is arranged on the +X direction side of the ink tank 30. The cover member 25 of the ink tank unit 100B is rotatable with respect to the ink tank 30 around a first rotation shaft 27 provided in the hinge portion 26. The direction in which the first rotation shaft 27 extends (the direction along the Y-axis) is parallel to the discharge direction in which the medium P is discharged. When the printer 10B is viewed in the -Y direction, the cover member 25 of this embodiment rotates to the right with respect to the ink tank 30 about the first rotation axis 27 and opens.

The cap member 50 is rotatably supported on the upper surface of the adapter 35. A second rotation shaft 37 is provided on the +X direction end of the upper surface of the adapter 35 and on the +X direction side of the ink injection port 31 . The direction in which the second rotation shaft 37 extends (the direction along the Y-axis) is parallel to the discharge direction in which the medium P is discharged. The cap member 50 rotates around the second rotation shaft 37. When the printer 10B is viewed in the -Y direction, the cap member 50 of this embodiment rotates to the right with respect to the ink tank 30 about the second rotation axis 37 and opens.

In this embodiment, the first rotation axis 27 of the cover member 25 and the second rotation axis 37 of the cap member 50 are arranged on the +X direction side of the ink injection port 31, and the cover member 25 and the cap member 50 are arranged on the +X direction side. Rotate in the direction (to the right). That is, the cover member 25 and the cap member 50 rotate in the same direction with respect to the ink tank 30. As a result, the direction in which the cover member 25 is opened and the direction in which the cap member 50 is opened are the same, making it easy for the user to operate and use. Further, when the cover member 25 shifts to the open state, the cover member 25 does not protrude in the -X direction from the -X direction end surface of the housing 13. Therefore, the printer 10B can be placed with the end of the printer 10B in the -X direction adjacent to a wall or the like. Thereby, the space for arranging the printer 10B can be effectively utilized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10A, 10B...Printer, 13...Housing, 18...Ejection port, 20...Operation part, 24...Visibility window, 25...Cover member, 26...Hinge part, 27...First rotation shaft, 28...Rib, 28a...Tip portion, 30...Ink tank, 31...Ink inlet, 35...Adapter, 36...Slot portion, 36a...Through hole, 37...Second rotation shaft, 50...Cap member, 51...Holding member, 52... Cap, 53...gripping part, 54...engaging part, 511...one end, 512...other end, 100, 100A, 100B...ink tank unit.

Claims (4)

A printer equipped with an ink tank that is replenished with ink from a bottle containing ink, the printer comprising:
a cover member that covers the top surface of the ink tank;
The cover member is rotatable relative to the ink tank about a first rotation axis,
A printer characterized in that a direction in which the first rotation axis extends is parallel to a direction in which paper printed in the printer is discharged. The printer according to claim 1,
an ink inlet provided in the ink tank and capable of injecting the ink into the ink tank;
a cap member that closes the ink inlet;
The cap member is rotatable relative to the ink inlet about a second rotation axis,
A printer characterized in that a direction in which the second rotation shaft extends is parallel to the ejection direction. The printer according to claim 2,
A printer characterized in that the cover member and the cap member rotate in the same direction with respect to the ink tank. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When looking at the printer from the front,
The printer is characterized in that the ink tank is disposed on the front side of the printer and includes a viewing window through which the ink level of the ink in the ink tank can be visually checked.

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