JP2676159B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that supplies ink to a recording head element mounted on a carriage and includes a cartridge that is detachably mounted on the carriage. .

[Conventional technology]

For example, in a serial type ink jet recording apparatus, when roughly classified, a recording head (recording head element) is fixed to a carriage, and an ink tank is replaceable. The recording head element and the ink tank are integrally configured. There are two methods of mounting the carriage on the carriage in an exchangeable manner. Among these methods, each of the integrated recording heads accommodates ink of each color (for example, four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) so that the recording target is colored. If this is done, there is a feature that colorization can be easily achieved only by replacing the cartridge.

Further, in order to protect the ejection port of the recording head and prevent the ink of the ejection port from drying, a method of sealing the ejection port or capping the ejection port has been proposed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the conventional inkjet recording device,
It was difficult to seal the discharge port, and the seal was damaged, or once it was peeled off, re-adhesion was difficult. For this reason, when the cartridge ink is replaced with a cartridge of another ink color, the ejection port of the removed cartridge is exposed to the atmosphere, and the ink is likely to be clogged due to drying. In addition, the vicinity of the discharge port may be damaged.

Furthermore, there is a risk that the cartridge replacement operation may be performed without noticing that the discharge port is sealed. Also, in the case of the one that caps the discharge port, the cap is removable, so that it is possible to cap the cartridge that has been extracted by the replacement operation again, but this cap is easily lost.

〔Purpose〕

An object of the present invention is to improve such a conventional technical problem by integrating a recording head element having an ejection port for ejecting ink and an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head element. In an ink jet recording apparatus having a carriage to which a recording head can be removably mounted, a cap that can be mounted on a preset portion of the ejection port of the recording head and the surface of a cartridge, and the cap that is provided on the carriage and is preset. And a pressing member that is displaced by receiving the pressure of the cap attached to the above-mentioned portion and holds the cap or the recording head.

[Action]

When the cap is removed from the ejection port and attached to a predetermined portion of the cartridge (for example, the surface opposite to the ejection port surface or the bottom surface), when the cap is attached to the carriage, the cap provided on the carriage is pressed together with the pressing of the upper surface of the cartridge. The cartridge is expanded by pushing the cartridge or the cap, and the cartridge holds the cartridge while fixing it to the carriage. If the cap is not attached to a predetermined portion of the cartridge, the pressing member of the carriage cannot be expanded and the end portion of the pressing member hits the cartridge, which prevents the cartridge from falling and does not hold the cartridge. Therefore, it becomes obligatory to attach the cap to the cartridge, and the cap is not lost.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

1 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a carriage on which the cartridge of FIG. 1 is mounted.

In FIG. 1, a cartridge 1 includes a recording head element 2 having a discharge port 2A on the front surface, a discharge port 2A or a head 2.
It is composed of a cap 3 that can be mounted on the surface (rear surface) opposite to the above, and projections 5 that are provided in the vicinity of the recording head elements 2 on both side surfaces. When the cap 3 is attached to the discharge port 2A, it becomes as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, 4 is a carriage, 6 is a support member for supporting the projection 5 fitted in the horizontal direction, 7 is a pressing member which is provided on the opposite side of the mounting position of the support member 6 and exhibits a predetermined elasticity, 8 Is a compression coil spring provided in the vicinity of the pressing member 7, 9 is a contact formed in the vicinity of the compression coil spring 8, and 10 is a contact provided in the bottom surface of the cartridge 1 and in contact with the contact 9.

 Next, description will be given with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

When the cartridge 1 is mounted on the carriage 4, the protrusion 5 of the cartridge 1 in the state shown in FIG. 1 in which the cap 3 is mounted on the opposite side of the discharge port 2A is inserted into the support member 6 of the carriage 4 from the horizontal direction, and the compression coil spring is inserted. 4 against F8
Press the top surface of the cartridge from the direction. Along with this pressing, the cap 3 is lowered while pushing the pressing member 7 outward, and finally the cap 3 is locked by the claw portion on the upper part of the pressing member 7 as shown in FIG. As a result, the cartridge 1 is held by the carriage 4 (FIG. 5).

In addition, the state shown in FIG.
When the carriage 4 is mounted without being mounted on the carriage 4, the pressing member 7 is not pressed, so that the free end of the cartridge 1 is not locked and is lifted by the compression coil spring 8 as shown in FIG. It will be in a floating state,
It is not held by the carriage 4.

Next, FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of a cartridge and a carriage, respectively, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

The present embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that the cap 3 can be attached to the bottom surface of the cartridge 1 as shown in FIG.
A concave portion 11 into which is fitted can be provided near the compression coil spring 8.

Further, instead of the pressing member 7, a protrusion-shaped pressing member 12 that can be engaged with the free end of the cartridge 1 after being pressed horizontally along the inclined surface of the cap 3 is used.
The cartridge 1 is provided with a recess 13 into which the pressing member 12 can be fitted.

In the configuration of FIGS. 7 and 8, the cartridge 1
When the cartridge 1 is mounted, the cartridge 1 having the cap 3 mounted on the bottom surface as shown in FIG. 7 is inserted into the support member 6 with the projection 5 as shown in FIG. 9, and a force F is applied from the upper surface of the cartridge 1. The cartridge 1 is rotated while the pressing member 12 of the carriage 4 is being expanded by the cap 3, and the state shown in FIG. 10 is obtained. In this state, the claw of the pressing member 12 is fitted into the recess 13 of the cartridge 1, the cartridge 1 is locked, and the cartridge 1 is held by the carriage 4.

When the cartridge 1 is mounted on the carriage 4, if the cap 3 that protects the discharge port 2A is not mounted on the bottom surface but is mounted on the carriage 4, the pressing member 12 cannot be expanded and the top end is the bottom surface of the cartridge 1. Hit the
The cartridge 1 stops at a certain angle and is not set at a fixed position. Therefore, it is possible to easily notice the mounting error.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the cap that can be attached to the ejection port of the recording head and the surface of the cartridge set in advance, and the cap that protrudes from the carriage and that is attached to the preset site are provided. Since the cap or the pressing member for holding the recording head is displaced by receiving the pressure, the cartridge cannot be attached to the carriage unless the cap is attached to a predetermined portion of the recording head. There is no fear of loss.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a perspective view showing a cartridge according to an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a discharge port surface of a cap according to the present invention. And FIG. 5 are side views showing a state before and after mounting the cartridge of FIG. 1 on the carriage of FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an erroneous mounting of the cartridge. Side view showing the state,
7 and 8 are perspective views showing a cartridge and a carriage according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are before and after mounting the cartridge of FIG. 7 on the carriage of FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state of FIG. 7, and FIG. 11 is a side view showing the erroneous mounting state of the cartridge of FIG. 1 ... Cartridge, 2 ... Recording head element, 3
...... Cap, 4 ... Carriage, 5 ... Protrusion, 6 ...
Supporting member, 7, 12 ... pressing member, 8 ... compression coil spring, 13 ... recess.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A carriage, to which a recording head having an ejection port for ejecting ink and an ink tank for accommodating ink supplied to the recording head element is detachably mountable, is provided. In an inkjet recording apparatus, a cap that can be mounted on a preset portion of the ejection port of the recording head and the surface of a cartridge and a cap that is protruded from the carriage and that is mounted on the preset portion are pressed. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising: a cap member that is displaced and holds the cap or the recording head.