JP3103177B2 - Ink tank / head replaceable inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink tank for performing recording by ejecting ink by integrally connecting a replaceable ink tank for supplying ink to a recording head and a replaceable recording head on a carriage. The present invention relates to a head exchange type ink jet recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In many cases, an ink jet recording apparatus has been conventionally composed of a recording head (hereinafter referred to as "PH") which can be used semi-permanently and a replaceable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the PH. However, PH
In this case, it is difficult to eliminate accidental failures due to clogging of dust in the nozzles and the like and time-dependent failures due to deterioration of the ejection element, and there is a problem in the reliability of the recording apparatus itself, and there is a problem in the recording performance. A special maintenance service system was required for maintenance. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the reliability, the recording head which is likely to be broken is periodically replaced at a predetermined interval, and the recording head can be reliably replaced for each predetermined ink amount from the viewpoint of the ease of replacement. An ink jet recording apparatus using a disposable exchange type head cartridge (hereinafter referred to as "DH") in which an ink tank and a recording head are integrated has also been put to practical use.

[0003]

However, the DH cannot increase the amount of usable ink from the viewpoint of securing reliability and the size and weight of the DH cartridge itself. In addition, since the recording head must be discarded even if the recording head still functions sufficiently when the ink is used up, inconsistencies relating to environmental problems, which is a worldwide trend in recent years, have arisen. Therefore, in recent years, an ink jet recording apparatus of a type in which the recording head and the ink tank are configured so that they can be exchanged independently in consideration of the running cost increase and the global environment while taking advantage of the features of the DH in terms of reliability. Has been proposed.

In particular, a configuration in which an ink tank and a recording head are integrally connected on a carriage to eject ink to perform recording so that ink can be efficiently supplied to the recording head is regarded as important. I have. The problems of the ink jet recording apparatus having this configuration relate to the fixing of the recording head to the carriage for holding the recording head and performing print scanning and the coupling of the ink flow path for supplying ink from the ink tank to the recording head. It is.

In many cases, electrical control of the recording head is performed. Therefore, with respect to the mounting and fixing of the recording head, the problem of electrical connection with the carriage is also an important issue. Regarding the ink flow path connection, even solid ink can be a problem, but especially when using liquid ink, it is important to prevent contamination inside the machine, recording paper, hands, etc. due to leakage of ink from the connection part. Is an important task.

[0006] In particular, regarding the ink flow path connection, both the characteristics are required by a simple configuration because a reliable connection is required due to the above problem and a simple separation is required due to the ease of ink tank replacement. There are few practical examples that are difficult to satisfy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems to be solved by the prior art, and when mounting and fixing an ink tank and a recording head to a carriage, the ink tank and the recording head, and the recording head and the carriage. It is an object of the present invention to realize an ink tank / head exchange type ink jet recording apparatus in which the coupling between the ink tank and the recording head is ensured while ensuring the coupling between the ink tank and the recording head.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink tank comprising:
The head replaceable inkjet recording device discharges ink
Recording head for performing recording by supplying the recording head
The ink tank that holds the ink can be separated from each other.
In an ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink tank and the recording head are mounted on a carriage by using urging means for urging the ink tank, the urging means comprises
The recording head and the ink in the biasing direction of the ink tank.
Component in the coupling direction in the ink supply section with the ink tank
And the recording head is attached via the ink tank.
Position of the recording head and the carriage in the direction in which
It has a biasing component in the engagement direction at the predetermined engagement portion.
And features .

[0009] Further, the recording is performed by ejecting ink to perform recording.
And an ink holding ink to be supplied to the recording head.
And the ink tank can be separated from each other.
The ink tank and the recording device are urged by urging means.
Ink jet recording device with head mounted on carriage
In the carriage, the urging means
The carriage of the recording head via an ink tank
Electrical contact with the recording head on the surface that intersects the mounting direction
Provide a support plate for electrical connection with electrodes for making connections
The electrical connection provided in the mounting direction on the carriage.
The recording head having a continuation portion is provided on the carriage.
The biasing means moves the electrical connection supporting plate against the supporting plate.
It is characterized in that it is urged through a tank. Further, the recording head performs connection with the ink tank.
A filter at the end of the ink flow path for
An ink provided in the ink tank by the urging means
To be in contact with the ink absorber ,
To couple the recording head with the ink tank
Ink supply of the ink tank around the ink flow path of
Seal member for sealing a hole except for the ink flow path
May be provided . in addition,
The carriage positions and fixes the recording head.
Electrical connection between the fixing part for recording and the recording head
An electrical connection for the recording head,
A positioning part for positioning with the fixed part, and the carrier
A pad for making an electrical connection with the ink cartridge, and the ink tank
And an engagement guide for coupling with the ink tank.
And an ink flow path for introducing ink.
The connecting portion of the flow path with the ink tank is located in front of the engagement guide.
Characterized in that it is located between
You.

[0010]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the recording head and the ink tank are substantially engaged with each other on the carriage, and then the ink tank is urged in the negative direction. The connection and the connection between the recording head and the ink tank can be performed reliably and simultaneously.

In addition, the electrical connection between the recording head and the carriage
By making the connection direction of the electrical connection portion for making the connection substantially the same as the biasing direction of the ink tank, the electrical connection can be reliably performed with a simple configuration. Further, by providing an independent coupling means for the ink tank and the recording head, it is possible to couple and separate the ink tank and the recording head outside the carriage.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the state of connection of a recording head, an ink tank and a carriage of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

The recording head 10A in this embodiment is of a bubble jet type which performs recording by using an electrothermal converter which generates thermal energy for causing ink to cause film boiling in response to an electric signal.

In FIG. 1, the main configuration of the recording head 10A is such that all the positioning projections 11A-1 and 11A-2 provided on the head base plate 11A are used as a positioning reference for bonding or pressure bonding on the head base plate 11A. Become.

Here, the vertical direction in the plane of FIG.
A is positioned by the reference surface 104A-1 and the protrusion 11A-1, and the horizontal direction in the plane of FIG.
And the projection 11A-2. Further, in the vertical direction of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, a part of the protrusion 11A-2 protrudes so as to cover the head positioning portion 104A, and is positioned by the protrusion (not shown) of the protrusion 11A-2 and the head positioning portion 104A. You.

The heater board 13A-2 is formed by forming a plurality of electrothermal transducers (discharge heaters) on an Si substrate and electric wires such as aluminum for supplying electric power to the heater boards by a film forming technique. Each of the wires corresponds to a head flexible substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a “head PCB”) 13A having a wire in which an pad 13A-1 for receiving an electric signal from the main body device is disposed at an end. They are connected by bonding. A common liquid chamber for introducing ink from the replacement ink tank 1A and supplying the ink to the ink flow path and a plurality of discharge ports are formed through partition walls and flow paths for dividing the plurality of ink flow paths corresponding to the discharge heaters. An orifice to be formed is integrally molded with polysulfone or the like, and the groove top plate 12A is pressed against the heater board 13A-2 by a spring (not shown), and is pressed and fixed and sealed with a sealant to form an ink ejection portion. . In this embodiment, the flow path 15A joined and sealed to the grooved top plate 12A passes through holes provided in the head PCB 13A and the head base plate 11A so as to be connectable to the replacement ink tank 1A, and is opposite to the head base plate 11A. And is adhesively fixed to the head base plate 11A at the penetrating portion.

A filter 8A is provided at the end of the flow path 15A on the side connected to the ink tank 1A to prevent dust and unwanted bubbles from flowing into the discharge section. Further, the ejection portion of the recording head 10A and the pad 1 for electrical connection are used.
A head cover 18A is provided to protect 3A-1 and to make it easier to hold the recording head 10A from the handling side.

The replacement ink tank 1A has a rib 1A-
Ink supply for filling the ink absorber 2A impregnated with ink into the tank case 1A-1 having almost no gap and inserting the end of the flow path 15A provided with the filter 8A into the tank case 1A-1. A replacement portion 4A (hole) and an atmosphere communication portion 3A (hole) for introducing an atmosphere corresponding to the outflow of ink from the replacement ink tank 1A into the replacement ink tank 1A to prevent excessive negative pressure from being generated. .
In order to prevent direct air communication along the inner wall of the tank case 1A-1 to the ink supply unit 4A and to use the ink in the entire area of the ink absorber 2A as efficiently as possible by using the capillary force, A rib 1A-2 is provided on the inner wall of 1A-1 and an air communication section 3A is preferably provided as an ink supply section 4A.
Installed away from The rib 1A-2 also functions as a reinforcing portion of the tank case 1A-1 and improves the operability when replacing the tank. The initial amount of impregnated ink in the ink absorber 2A is determined based on the functional purpose for applying a negative head pressure to the meniscus of the ejection port at the time of coupling with the recording head 10A to enable stable ejection and the ink tank. For the purpose of operability to prevent the ink from leaking even if a slight impact is given at the time of replacement, the ink is filled with a smaller amount of ink than the ink absorber 2A can absorb. The ink absorber 2A of the air communication portion 3A may be liquid-repellent or may be configured using a separate liquid-repellent absorber to restrict the leakage of ink from the air communication portion 3A. The ink supply limit of the ink exchange ink tank 1A is determined by the fact that the amount of ink impregnated in the ink absorber 2A becomes extremely small, and the recording head 10 due to the capillary force of the ink path communicating with the ink ejection port.
The ink suction force of the ink absorber 2A becomes stronger than the ink supply ability to the ink A or the air communication portion 3 around the filter 8A.
This is the case where the air introduced from A increases and the air in the ink absorber 2A is supplied in a large amount via the filter 8A.

Recording head 10A and replacement ink tank 1A
1, the recording head 10A is coupled to the carriage HC at the same time as the recording head 10A is coupled to the carriage HC by the urging force of the pressing hook 103A.

Here, the operation of the recording apparatus will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 4 in order to explain the arrangement and operation of the recording head in the recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which the recording head and the replacement ink tank of the first embodiment are used. The recording medium P is guided upward from below the paper surface by using a platen roller 5000, and the carriage is moved in the carriage moving direction by a paper pressing plate 5002. Over the platen roller 5000. Carriage HC
Are a lead screw 5005 which operates as a drive source by inserting a carriage drive pin into the spiral groove 5004 and rotating itself, and a lead screw 5005.
Are reciprocally moved left and right along the recording surface of the recording medium P guided and supported on the platen roller 5000 by being supported and engaged with a slider 5003 arranged in parallel with the recording medium P. Lead screw 5
005 is rotationally controlled in conjunction with forward and reverse rotation of a drive motor 5013 via drive transmission gears 5011, 5010, and 5009.

Photocouplers 5007 and 5008 are home position detecting means for confirming the presence of the lever 5006 of the carriage HC in this area and switching the rotation direction of the drive motor 5013. The image recording signal is generated by timing the movement of the carriage HC on which the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A are mounted.
The recording is performed by ejecting ink droplets at predetermined positions. Reference numeral 5016 denotes a member that supports a cap member 5022 that caps the front surface of the print head. Reference numeral 5015 denotes suction means that suctions the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the print head through the opening 5023 in the cap. Guide member 5019
Are members that allow the cleaning blade 5017 to move in the front-rear direction, and these are supported by the main body support plate 5018. It is needless to say that the suction means, the blade and the like do not have to be in this form, and known means can be applied.

Reference numeral 5012 denotes a lever for determining the timing of the suction recovery operation. The lever 5012 moves with the movement of the cam 5020 engaging with the carriage HC.
The driving force from the motor 13 is controlled by known transmission means such as clutch switching. These recovery means are provided when the carriage comes to the home position side area when the lead screw 50 is moved.
It is configured such that a desired process can be performed at a predetermined timing at the corresponding position by the operation of 05.

The recording head 10 on the carriage HC described above
A and the replacement ink tank 1A are mechanically and electrically connected as follows.

The carriage HC includes a front plate 101A located on the platen side (front side of the head) and a recording head 10A.
When mechanically fixing the recording head 10A with the flexible sheet 102A-1 provided with the head drive electrode 102A corresponding to the pad 13A-1 on the head PCB 13A, and the electrical connection support plate 100A pressing the flexible sheet 102A-1 from the back side. And a pressure hook 103A for urging and supporting the replacement ink tank 1A and the recording head 10A in the negative direction.

A rubber pad may be interposed between the flexible sheet and the electrical connection support plate 100A.
In this case, an elastic force is generated to press the flexible sheet from the back side.

The front plate 101A is a positioning reference surface 104A.
-1 to the head base plate 11 of the recording head 10A.
A has two corresponding projections 11A-1 and 11A-2 for positioning. The pressing hook 103A of the carriage HC is configured to generate an urging force in a pressing direction indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. 1, that is, a direction inclined about 10 degrees with respect to the moving direction of the carriage HC. The recording head 10A is pressed by the force in two directions: the front plate 101A direction and the electrical connection support plate 100A. At the same time, the support plate 100A for electrical connection
The head positioning unit 104A is also urged in the moving direction of the carriage HC with the fulcrum as a fulcrum. This pressing hook 103
The pressing engagement operation of A may be any operation, but is preferably a configuration that can be performed by a lever or the like that can be operated from the upper surface side of the carriage HC. In any case, this pressing hook 103A
When the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1
A indicates that the first projection 11A-1 and the second projection 11A-2 for positioning are slightly rotated on the carriage HC and the front plate 1A.
Since the electrical connection is made after contacting the reference surface 104A-1 of 01A, the positioning between the pad 13A-1 on the head PCB 13A and the head drive electrode 102A is also reliably performed.

Recording head 10A and replacement ink tank 1
A is not completely connected as shown in FIG. 2 before pressurization by the press hook 103A. In the state of FIG. 2, the carriage HC, the print head 10A, the print head 10A, and the replacement ink tank 1A Are separated from each other, and only the respective engaging portions are in contact with each other. The engagement between the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A is started by aligning the engagement hook 17A provided on the head base plate 10A with the engagement guide 5A provided on the replacement ink tank 1A as shown in FIG. The position of the engaging portion is set with respect to the operating point of the pressing hook 103A of the carriage HC,
By arranging it between A and the head positioning portion 104A, it is possible to reliably connect the ink supply path during pressurization.

That is, as apparent from FIG. 2, when considering the connection between the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A, the force applied to the replacement ink tank 1A by the pressing hook 103A, which is the point of force, is changed in the clockwise direction in the figure. When the replacement ink tank 1A is rotated, the ink supply unit 4A is set with the engagement portion between the engagement hook 17A and the engagement guide 5A as a fulcrum.
Becomes an action point, so that the ink absorber 2A and the end of the flow path 15A having the filter 8A as a coupling surface are coupled,
Further, the elastic ring seal 9A sandwiched between the head base plate 11A and the outer wall surface of the replacement ink tank is pressurized and deformed and adheres to each other, so that the communication between the inside of the replacement ink tank 1A and the atmosphere is completed in the ink supply unit 4A. Can be sealed. If this sealing is insufficient, the replacement ink tank 1A accompanying the supply of ink to the recording head 10A
Since the introduction of air into the interior is performed directly at this portion without passing through the ink absorber 2A, it becomes difficult to effectively use the ink impregnated in the ink absorber 2A. Pressure hook 1
03A, as described above, in order to position the recording head 10A in the direction of the paper surface with respect to the carriage HC, the pressurizing direction is set to a direction inclined by 10 degrees, so that the recording head 10A and the exchange ink tank 1A When the connection is considered, a force in the direction orthogonal to the connection direction is applied.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a force in that direction is received by engagement between the tank guide 7A and the tank guide hole 16A. That is, the tank guide 7A is joined to the inner wall of the tank guide hole 16A in the paper surface direction, and the recording head 10A is positioned and coupled to the carriage HC in the head positioning section 104A by receiving the force.

In this embodiment, the flow path 1 which is directly connected to the discharge section which requires particularly high precision in the recording head 10A.
In order to prevent an excessive mechanical force from acting on the ink supply section 5A, the flow path 1 in the ink supply section 4A of the replacement ink tank 1A is
The play of the tank guide 7A in the tank guide hole 16A is set to be larger than the play of the tank guide 7A in the tank guide hole 16A.
It is to be received at the joint of A. On the other hand, the orthogonal force may be simultaneously received by the engagement portion of the engagement hook 103A and the engagement guide 5A.

The connecting portion of the tank guide 7A in this embodiment is further provided with a function of preventing the rotation of the replacement ink tank 1A on the surface of the head base plate 11A, and the play on the action surface is also reduced. Similarly, care is taken to ensure that no extra force acts on the flow path. The connecting portion of the tank guide 7A is provided with a pressing hook 10 which is a point of force in the configuration of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 so that the force applied thereto is not so large in terms of the strength of the constituent members.
Preferably, it is provided near the engaging portion of 3A. Of course, it is needless to say that it is more preferable to arrange the tank guide 7A as far as possible as long as the tank guide 7A can be arranged outside the pressurizing or pressing means which is the point of force with respect to the fulcrum. In the present embodiment, the ring seal 9A is formed of a somewhat thick elastic ring so that a joint portion with the outer wall of the replacement ink tank 1A can be made wider so as to allow backlash of the ink supply unit 4A.

As described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, after the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A are substantially engaged on the carriage HC, the replacement ink tank 1A is attached in the negative direction. The positioning and coupling between the carriage HC and the recording head 10A and the recording head 10
A and the replacement ink tank 1A can be reliably and simultaneously connected. That is, the ink jet recording apparatus has independent connecting means for the ink tank and the head.

Further, in this embodiment, since the electrical connection between the carriage HC (printing apparatus main body) and the printhead 10A is made at the same time, the operability when replacing the printhead 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A is improved. Although it is good, it is also possible to increase the degree of freedom in the configuration for ensuring the positioning of the recording head and the coupling with the replacement ink tank more reliably by using a separate connector connection method or the like for the electrical connection.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state before the replacement ink tank 1A is used. In order to prevent leakage and evaporation of ink during distribution, the air communication section 3A and the ink supply section 4A are connected to each other. A communication part seal 3A-1 and a supply part seal 4A-1 which are sealing members are provided so as to be removable, and they are removed in the direction of the arrow when using the replacement ink tank 1A.

In this embodiment, a single color recording apparatus having one recording head has been described. However, a plurality of recording heads capable of ejecting inks of different colors, for example, a color having four heads of Bk, C, M, and Y It is also applicable to an ink jet recording apparatus, and it is also applicable to a recording head capable of discharging inks of a plurality of colors with one recording head.In that case, if a means for regulating the coupling position and direction of the exchange tank is added, good.

As described above, in this embodiment, the replacement ink tank 1A is attached after the coupling direction between the carriage HC and the recording head 10A and the coupling direction between the recording head 10A and the replacement ink tank 1A are substantially the same. As a result, the operability at the time of replacement of the recording head and the replacement ink tank is good, and their mechanical and electrical connection can be reliably performed with a simple configuration. .

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing how the printhead, the replacement ink tank and the carriage HC are connected in the ink jet printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Members having the same names as those in the above-described embodiment have the same functions.

In this embodiment, the upper surface of the paper is
Scans while ejecting ink downward, the position of the print head 10B in the paper plane direction with respect to the carriage HC is determined by utilizing the weight of the print head 10B by using a notch (not shown) formed at the lower end of the head base plate 11B. (Shown) is brought into close contact with the reference surface of the electrical connection support of the carriage HC. As shown in FIG.
The positioning in the recording scanning direction of 0B is performed by the pressing force of the pressing means 103B, which is an urging (pressing) member provided on the carriage, acting on the recording head 10B via the exchange ink tank, and the recording head is positioned by the head positioning unit 104B. This is achieved by pressing the reference surface of the projection 11B-1 of 10B against the reference surface of the carriage.

In the present embodiment, the electrical connection is made to the head PCB 102B on the carriage HC by the pressing force via the replacement ink tank 1B as in the previous embodiment.
The pad 13B-1 on 13B is configured to be in pressure contact with the pad 13B-1.

However, in this embodiment, the electric wiring to the recording head 10B is arranged on the head PCB 13B having excellent flexibility, and the surface of the head base plate 11B opposite to the ejection portion of the recording head 10B has elasticity. Since the member 105B is provided, the reliability of the connection is improved as compared with the embodiment in which the recording head 10B is slightly rotated and mounted.

Further, as a modification, a reference projection (not shown) for positioning is provided near the electrode at the rear end of the head base plate 11B in order to prevent the recording head from being inclinedly mounted.
And a thicker and higher elastic member than that of the above-described embodiment is disposed under the head drive electrode in order to make the electrode connection more reliable.
An appropriate pressure contact force is obtained between the electrode and the head drive electrode. That is, in this modification, the pressing force acting on the recording head via the replacement ink tank is received by reference projections provided before and after the head base plate.

Unlike the first embodiment, the flow path 15B in this embodiment is provided immediately above the liquid chamber 14B, and is configured so as to be connected to the replacement ink tank 1B on the ejection side of the head base plate 11B. I have. Since it does not penetrate the head base plate 11B, it is easy to make the flow path 15B short and thick, and the fluid resistance of the flow path 15B can be made smaller than that of the first embodiment. The pressure loss at the time of ink supply is reduced, and the recording frequency can be improved. On the other hand,
In this embodiment, the mechanical strength of the flow path forming member 15B-1 is increased because the pressing force at the time of coupling the replacement ink tank 1B and the recording head 10B easily acts on the discharge portion via the flow path 15B. Above, the flow path 15B is directly fixed and supported on the head base plate 11B, and the tightness of the joint between the flow path 15B and the liquid chamber 14B is achieved by applying a sufficient sealant. Conversely, the configuration of the recording head 10B of this embodiment is such that the heater board 13B is provided on the head base plate 11B.
And the grooved top plate 12B are stacked, so that the pressure applied via the exchange ink tank 1B may be adjusted to an appropriate pressure, and then the bonding force thereof may be reinforced.

The attachment and detachment of the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B of the present embodiment are detachable from the recording apparatus. Of course, auxiliary means for facilitating attachment / detachment of the carriage HC may be provided to enable attachment / detachment on the carriage HC. The mounting of the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B is performed using the tank guide 16B and the engagement guide 5B of the ink supply unit 4B so as to change from the state of FIG. 6 to the state of FIG.

The tank guide 16B has a function of roughly controlling the rotation of the replacement ink tank 1B on the upper surface of the recording head 10B, and the engagement guide 5 which is a connection of the ink supply section 4B.
There is a play to prevent the connection of B from being alienated. The ink supply unit 4B is connected to an elastically deformable engagement guide 5B provided in the replacement ink tank 1B and a flow path forming member 15 supported by a head base plate 11B of the recording head 10B.
This is performed by fitting the concave portion of B-1. Therefore, the distal end of the engagement guide 5B is rounded.

In this embodiment, three engagement guides 5B (one not shown) are provided, and the engagement portions are connected to the cylindrical flow path forming member 15B-1 at three points.

However, the number of engagement guides may be more or more cylindrical, and the engagement portion of the flow path forming member may not be non-cylindrical.

The engaging guide elastic force of 5B is not made firm to facilitate detachment, thus, the ring seal 9 binding is not sufficient for the ink supply unit 4B in the state of FIG. 7
The deformation adhesion of B and the contact between the filter 8B and the ink absorber 2B are also insufficient, but the coupling force is such that the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B can be integrally handled at the time of replacement.

The recording head 10B in this state which is substantially connected
Then, the replacement ink tank 1B is mounted on the carriage HC of the recording apparatus main body as shown in FIG. As described above, after the reference surface of the positioning protrusion 11B-1 of the recording head 10B is engaged with the head positioning portion 104B on the carriage HC, the replacement ink tank 1B is moved by the pressing means 103B disposed on the carriage HC. In the direction of the dashed arrow.
By pressurizing the replacement ink tank 1B, the recording head 1
0B is fixed to the carriage HC by pressure, and the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B are completely connected. That is, as shown in FIG.
The engagement guide 5B of B is inserted deeper than the recessed portion of the flow path forming member 15B-1, and the filter 8B at the end of the flow path 15B and the ink absorber 2B of the ink supply section 4B are brought into close contact with each other. And the ring seal 9B is elastically deformed until the outer wall of the replacement ink tank 1B and the upper surface of the end of the flow path 15B come into contact with each other, thereby completely sealing the direct communication with the atmosphere at the joint. . Even in this state, the tank guide section 16B is arranged so as to leave a sufficient gap in the connection direction between the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B, so that unnecessary force does not act on the connection in the ink supply section 4B. ing.

In this sense, as shown in FIG. 8, if the replacement ink tank 1C is formed in a columnar shape and the connecting direction of the replacement ink tank 1C on the upper surface of the recording head is freely (rotatable), there is no tank guide. May be.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the coupling direction between the carriage HC and the recording head 10B and the coupling direction between the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B are completely arranged in the same direction, the replacement ink tank Since the configuration is such that the recording heads and the replacement ink tank are exchanged at the same time, the operability at the time of replacement of the recording head and the replacement ink tank is good, and their mechanical and electrical connection can be performed more reliably with a simple configuration. It became so. Further, since the recording head 10B and the replacement ink tank 1B can be substantially integrated even without being mounted on the carriage, the handling at the time of replacement can be further improved.

The present invention is particularly applicable to an ink jet recording apparatus which includes means for generating thermal energy as energy used for ejecting ink, and a method of producing a state change of the ink by the thermal energy. In a head and a recording apparatus, an excellent effect is provided. According to such a method, the recording density is increased,
This is because high precision can be achieved.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to an electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or the channel in which , Heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and the film is boiled on the heat-acting surface of the recording head.
As a result, air bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with the drive signal, which is effective. The growth of this bubble,
The liquid (ink) is discharged through the discharge opening by contraction to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. The driving signal in the form of a pulse is disclosed in U.S. Pat.
Suitable are those described in 345262. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, The configurations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose the configuration in which the heat acting portion is arranged in the bending region, are also effective in the present invention.

In addition, JP-A-59-123670, which discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, or absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration in which an opening corresponds to a discharge unit.

Further, although the serial type ink jet recording apparatus has been described in the embodiment, the present invention can be effectively used for a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum recordable width. As a full-line type recording head, a combination of a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification, either a configuration that satisfies the length or a configuration as a single recording head that is integrally formed. Although good, the present invention can exhibit the above-mentioned effects more effectively.

It is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head and preliminary auxiliary means provided as components of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, for the recording head, a capping unit, a cleaning unit, a pressurizing or suctioning unit, a preheating unit using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element or a combination thereof, and a recording unit It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode for performing another ejection in order to perform stable printing.

The types and number of recording heads and inks to be mounted are, for example, monochromatic inks and 1-inks.
In addition to the recording heads provided with a plurality of recording heads, the recording heads may be provided with a plurality of heads corresponding to a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. The present invention is effective not only in a printing mode of black or the like as a printing mode of the printing apparatus, but also in each printing mode of a multi-color of different colors or a full color by mixing colors.

In the embodiment of the present invention described above,
Although the ink is described as a liquid, it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens or melts at room temperature, or the ink itself in the above-described ink jet has a temperature of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less. Generally, the temperature is controlled so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range by performing adjustment. Therefore, it is sufficient that the ink is in a liquid state when the use recording signal is applied.

In addition, in order to prevent the temperature from rising due to thermal energy, the ink is positively used as the energy of the phase change from the solid state to the liquid state, or solidified in a standing state for the purpose of preventing the evaporation of the ink. In some cases, the ink is liquefied by application of heat energy according to a recording signal, and the ink is liquefied and ejected as an ink liquid, or when the ink reaches a recording medium, it begins to solidify. Use of an ink having a property of being liquefied for the first time by thermal energy is also applicable to the present invention.

In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

The present invention also relates to an ink-jet system such as a piezo-jet system in which electricity is converted into a force to eject ink, a recording system in which a recording head is disposed in non-contact with a recording medium, and ink is ejected for recording. It is effective in.

In addition to the above, the recording apparatus of the present invention may be provided as an output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a word processor or a computer as described above, as an integral or separate unit, or a copying apparatus combined with a scanner or the like. Alternatively, the present invention may take the form of a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function.

[0064]

As described above, the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus which is of an ink tank / head separation / replacement type and in which an ink tank and a head are mounted and fixed to a carriage by urging the ink tank. The biasing direction, the coupling direction of the ink tank and the head, and the coupling direction of the head and the carriage are all substantially the same direction, so that the coupling can be ensured and the exchangeability can be secured. Therefore, both the reliability and the running cost can be realized with a simple configuration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a replaceable recording head and a replacement ink tank mounted on a carriage according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a mounting procedure of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a replacement ink tank according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where a replaceable recording head and a replaceable ink tank are mounted on a carriage according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a procedure for attaching and detaching a recording head and a replacement ink tank according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a connection diagram of a recording head and a replacement ink tank according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the replacement ink tank of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A, 1B Replacement ink tank 2A, 2B Ink absorber 3A, 3B Atmospheric communication part 4A, 4B Ink supply part 5A, 5B Engagement guide 6A Pressure guide 7A, 16B Tank guide 8A, 8B Filter 10A, 10B Recording head 11A, 11B Head base plate 12A, 12B Groove top plate 13A, 13B Head PCB 14A, 14B Liquid chamber 15A, 15B Flow path 16A Tank guide hole 17A Engagement hook 100A Electrical connection support plate 101A Front plate HC carriage

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Kentaro Yano 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kiichiro Takahashi 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon (72) Inventor Tsutomu Iwasaki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Tsuneki Inuzuka 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. ( 56) References JP-A-2-39945 (JP, A) JP-A-61-230939 (JP, A) JP-A-2-187364 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , (DB name) B41J 2/01 B41J 2/175

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording head for performing recording by discharging ink.
And an ink tank for holding ink to be supplied to the recording head.
Links and are possible separated from each other, the ink jet recording apparatus for mounting the ink tank and the recording head on the carriage with a biasing means for biasing the ink tank
The urging unit may be configured to perform the recording in the urging direction of the ink tank.
Recording head and the ink tank in the ink supply section
Having a biasing component in the coupling direction, and via the ink tank
The recording head and the recording head are biased in a direction to bias the recording head.
Energizing in the direction of engagement at the positioning engagement part with the carriage
An ink jet recording apparatus having an ink tank / head exchange type , comprising a component . 2. A recording head for performing recording by discharging ink.
And an ink tank for holding ink to be supplied to the recording head.
Ink tank can be separated from each other, and the ink tank is biased.
The ink tank and the recording head are
To the ink jet recording device that mounts the
The carriage is provided with the ink tank by the urging means.
How to mount the recording head on the carriage via a head
Electrical connection with the recording head on the surface intersecting
Electrical connection portion provided with an electrical connection support plate provided with electrodes for mounting on the carriage.
The recording head having
The ink support is applied to the connection support plate by the urging means.
Ink tank characterized by being biased via ink
-Head exchange type ink jet recording device. 3. The recording head according to claim 1, wherein
Equipped with a filter at the end of the ink flow path for performing coupling
With the urging means.
Claims: Abutting the ink absorber that has been ejected.
Item 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to item 1 or 2, wherein the ink tank and the head are exchangeable. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said recording head and said ink tank are connected to each other.
The ink tank is provided around the ink flow path for performing the coupling.
The ink supply hole of the ink cartridge is sealed except for the ink flow path.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:
An ink-jet head-replaceable ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 3 . 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carriage positions the recording head.
A fixing part for fixing the arrangement and an electric power of the recording head.
An electrical connection portion for performing a pneumatic connection, wherein the recording head is positioned to perform positioning with the fixed portion.
A pad for making an electrical connection between the determining portion and the carriage
And an engagement guide for coupling with the ink tank;
Ink flow path for introducing ink in the ink tank
And a coupling part of the ink flow path with the ink tank is
Characterized in that it is located between the guide and the biasing means.
The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
Tank head replaceable inkjet recording device. 6. An independent ink tank and recording head.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting means.
6. The ink tank head replacement according to claim 5
Type inkjet recording device.