JP3170602U - Adapter for ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

An adapter for an ink cartridge capable of easily removing an ink cartridge from a cartridge mounting portion is provided. When removing the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280 of the cartridge mounting portion 276, the engagement of the claw 294 and the groove 299 is released from the locked state, and the lock lever 283 is pulled upward to open the opening 284. . At this time, the ink cartridge 25 together with the adapter 27 is pushed backward in the insertion direction 30 by the elastic force of the coil springs 109 and 110, and the ink cartridge 25 is exposed to the outside through the opening 284. [Selection] Figure 14

Description

  The present invention relates to an adapter for an ink cartridge that is detachably attached to a cartridge mounting portion and is used in association with an ink cartridge.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter abbreviated as “recording apparatus”) that records an image on recording paper by selectively ejecting ink from a recording head is known. The recording apparatus includes a cartridge mounting unit. An ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording head is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.

  As a method for taking out the ink cartridge attached to the cartridge attachment portion, a removal mechanism using a lever (engaging member) rotatably provided on the cartridge attachment portion is known (see FIG. 30 of Patent Document 1). When the lever is rotated in a predetermined direction, the pull-out mechanism engages a claw (engagement end) at the end of the lever with an engagement portion provided at the lower end of the ink cartridge. This is a mechanism in which the ink cartridge is pulled out in the removal direction along with the rotation. The user picks up and pulls out the end portion of the ink cartridge that has popped out of the insertion port of the cartridge mounting portion, thereby taking out the ink cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion.

JP 2007-144811 A

  However, the known removal mechanism described above does not always work well. That is, the lever claw and the ink cartridge engaging portion are physically separated from each other. Therefore, in order for the lever claw and the engaging portion of the ink cartridge to engage with each other when the lever is rotated, they must be accurately aligned. If the engaging position between the lever claw and the ink cartridge engaging portion is deviated, the lever claw and the ink cartridge engaging portion may not be engaged, and the ink cartridge may not be pulled out. . In addition, when the lever claw is broken, the above-mentioned removal mechanism does not operate, and there is a problem that the ink cartridge cannot be removed. Further, in the conventional removal mechanism, the pull-out amount of the ink cartridge by rotating the lever is small, so that the gripping portion that pops out from the cartridge mounting portion is small. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to pick up the grip portion with a small pop-out amount with a fingertip, and it is difficult to pull out the ink cartridge.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for an ink cartridge that can easily take out the ink cartridge from the cartridge mounting portion.

  The present invention is an adapter for an ink cartridge (hereinafter, simply referred to as “adapter”) used in connection with an ink cartridge that can be mounted on a cartridge mounting portion. This adapter has an elastic member. The elastic member is disposed between the adapter and the first wall constituting the cartridge mounting portion in the cartridge mounting portion in a state where the adapter is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion.

  The elastic member is disposed while maintaining a compressed state between the first wall constituting the cartridge mounting portion and the adapter in a state where the adapter is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion. For example, with the elastic member in contact with the first wall of the cartridge mounting portion, the adapter is mounted at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion, the ink cartridge is mounted behind the adapter, and the ink cartridge further connects the adapter to the back side. When the ink cartridge is fixed in a state where the ink cartridge is fixed in a state where the ink cartridge is pressed, that is, in a state where the elastic member is pressed against the first wall of the cartridge mounting portion and compressed, the present invention The adapter moves so as to be pushed out in the direction of detaching from the cartridge mounting portion (first opening side) by the elastic force generated when the elastic portion expands. Such movement is due to an elastic force inherent in the compressed elastic member and returning to the original shape. With such movement of the adapter, the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion is pulled out of the cartridge mounting portion. Thereby, the ink cartridge can be easily taken out from the cartridge mounting portion.

  It is preferable that the adapter has a storage space that can store at least a part of the ink cartridge that can be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion.

  With this configuration, a part of the ink cartridge can be accommodated in the adapter. In the cartridge mounting portion, when the adapter is moved in a state where the ink cartridge is accommodated in the adapter, the ink cartridge moves together with the adapter so as to be held by the adapter. Thereby, when the adapter is pushed out by the elastic member, the ink cartridge is reliably pulled out of the cartridge mounting portion.

  The adapter has a second opening that communicates the accommodation space with the outside. The second opening is for positioning an attachment member attached to the ink cartridge from the accommodation space to the outside of the adapter when the ink cartridge is accommodated in the accommodation space.

  Thereby, even when the adapter and the ink cartridge are mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the attached member is exposed to the outside of the second opening adapter, so that the attached member is not interfered by the adapter.

  It is conceivable that the attachment member protrudes from the outer wall of the ink cartridge, and an ink supply unit through which the ink in the ink cartridge is led out.

  According to the present invention, the ink cartridge can be easily taken out from the cartridge mounting portion.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. The following embodiments are merely examples in which the present invention is embodied, and the embodiments can be appropriately changed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

<< First Embodiment >>
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Outline of Recording Device 250]
First, with reference to FIG. 1, an outline of the configuration and operation of an ink jet recording apparatus 250 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing an internal mechanism of the recording apparatus 250.

  The recording apparatus 250 records a color image or a monochrome image on a recording sheet using a plurality of colors of ink, for example, four colors of ink of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (Bk). Is. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 250 includes a paper feeding device 252, a transport device 253, a recording unit 254, and a cartridge mounting unit 276 (an example of the cartridge mounting unit of the present invention). An ink cartridge 25 (an example of the ink cartridge of the present invention) and an adapter 27 (an example of an adapter for the ink cartridge of the present invention, see FIG. 4) are mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 276. In addition, illustration of the adapter 27 is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.

  A paper feed tray 257 is provided on the bottom surface of the recording apparatus 250. The recording paper loaded on the paper feed tray 257 is fed to the transport path 259 by the paper feed device 252 and then transported by the transport roller pair 261 and the transport roller pair 262 of the transport device 253.

  The recording sheet fed to the conveyance path 259 is conveyed toward the platen 264 by the conveyance roller pair 261. Above the platen 264, a carriage 266 that can reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. A recording head 272 is mounted on the carriage 266, and ink is selectively ejected from the recording head 272 toward the recording paper passing over the platen 264, thereby forming an image on the recording paper. Then, the recording sheet that has passed through the platen 264 is discharged to a discharge tray 258 provided on the most downstream side of the transport path 259 by the transport roller pair 262.

  In the present embodiment, the cartridge mounting portion 276 has four cases 280 corresponding to the respective colors. The ink cartridge 25 and the adapter 27 are configured to be detachable from the cartridge mounting portion 276, that is, the corresponding case 280. In the present embodiment, the adapter 27 is attached to the back of the case 280, and the ink cartridge 25 is attached behind the adapter 27 in the case 280 (see FIG. 9). That is, the adapter 27 is attached to the back side of the case 280 with respect to the ink cartridge 25. When the ink cartridge 25 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 276, ink can be supplied from the ink chamber 100 inside the ink cartridge 25 to the recording head 272 through the ink tube 278.

  The ink cartridge 25 contains ink inside. The ink cartridge 25 serves as an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to the recording head 272. The adapter 27 is a member used when removing the ink cartridge 25 from the cartridge mounting portion 276. Hereinafter, each configuration of the ink cartridge 25 and the adapter 27 will be described in detail.

[Ink cartridge 25]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the ink cartridge 25. As shown in FIG. 2, the ink cartridge 25 is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape. Specifically, the ink cartridge 25 is thin in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31), and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the height direction (the direction of the arrow 32) and the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33) are longer than the width direction 31. Is formed. The ink cartridge 25 is in the state shown in FIG. 2, that is, the lower surface in the drawing is the bottom wall, and the upper surface in the drawing is the upper wall, and the arrow with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 276 of the recording apparatus 250 It is inserted in a direction indicated by 30 (hereinafter referred to as “insertion direction 30”). In the present embodiment, in the ink cartridge 25, the front surface in the insertion direction 30 is the front wall 41, the rear surface in the insertion direction 30 is the rear wall 42, the vertically upper surface is the upper wall 43, and the vertically lower surface. The side surface is a lower wall 44. Further, two surfaces that are adjacent to the front wall 41, the rear wall 42, the upper wall 43, and the lower wall 44 and that face each other are referred to as a left side surface 45 and a right side surface 46, respectively. Here, when viewed from the front wall 41, the left side is the left side surface 45 and the right side is the right side surface 46. In the present embodiment, the pair of left side surface 45 and right side surface 46 has a maximum area in the ink cartridge 25.

  3A is a front view of the ink cartridge 25, and FIG. 3B is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, the ink cartridge 25 is roughly composed of a frame 50, a film 60, an air communication part 80, an ink supply part 90, a detected part 140, and an arm 70. .

  The frame 50 is a member constituting the casing of the ink cartridge 25, and forms the four walls 41 to 44 of the ink cartridge 25. The frame 50 is made of a translucent transparent or translucent resin material. Examples of the resin material include polyacetal, nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene (PP). The frame 50 is obtained by injection molding a resin material. In this embodiment, the frame 50 is formed with a thickness of 1 mm using polypropylene. The frame 50 may be made of any material as long as at least the detected part 140 has translucency.

  The frame 50 has a structure having high rigidity in order to hold the outer shape of the ink cartridge 25 without being deformed even when a pressing force is applied from the outside. Specifically, the frame 50 is formed in an annular shape along the front wall 41, the upper wall 43, the rear wall 42, and the lower wall 44 that define the ink chamber 100 so that the ink chamber 100 is formed inside. ing.

  By forming the frame 50 in an annular shape, openings are formed on both sides of the frame 50. A film 60 made of a transparent resin is attached to the edge of the opening by a known heat welding method. The opening of the frame 50 is closed by the film 60. As a result, the space surrounded by the frame 50 and the film 60 is partitioned as the ink chamber 100. Ink is stored in the ink chamber 100 thus partitioned. In this embodiment, the ink chamber 100 is formed by the frame 50 and the filter 60. However, for example, the ink chamber 100 can be formed inside the frame 50 by forming the frame 50 itself in a rectangular parallelepiped container shape. . Further, in order to reinforce the both side surfaces 45 and 46 of the ink cartridge 25 and improve its rigidity, a resin cover (not shown) that covers the ink cartridge 25 from both side surfaces 45 and 46 may be provided. Good.

  A detected portion 140 is formed on the front wall 41 of the frame 50. The detected portion 140 is for optically detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 100. The detected part 140 is formed integrally with the frame 50. Therefore, the detected portion 140 is made of the same material as that of the frame 50, that is, a translucent transparent or translucent resin material. Therefore, the detected part 140 can transmit light from the outside. Note that the detected portion 140 is irradiated with light by an optical sensor 230 (see FIG. 5) provided in the recording apparatus 250. The optical sensor 230 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element. In the present embodiment, when the light emitted from the light emitting element is applied to the side wall 140B of the detected portion 140 and the light is transmitted through the side wall 140B, the light is received by the light receiving element disposed on the opposite side. .

  The detected portion 140 is provided so as to project away from the front wall 41 in the vicinity of the middle stage of the front wall 41 of the ink cartridge 25. As shown in the figure, the detected portion 140 is partitioned by five substantially rectangular wall surfaces, and the inside is formed in a substantially box shape having a hollow shape. Specifically, the detected portion 140 includes a rectangular front wall 140A that is parallel to the front wall 41 and spaced apart from the front wall 41 by a predetermined distance, and a width direction of the front wall 140A. It is partitioned by a pair of side walls 140B including two sides, an upper wall 140C including the upper side of the front wall 140B, and a lower wall 140D (see FIG. 2) including the lower side of the front wall 140A. Note that the width of the front wall 140A (the dimension in the direction of arrow 31 in FIG. 3) is smaller than the width of the front wall 41.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, a space 142 surrounded by a front wall 140A, a side wall 140B, an upper wall 140C, and a lower wall 140D is formed in the detected portion 140. The space 142 continues to the ink chamber 100.

  An arm 70 is provided in the ink chamber 100. The arm 70 is a member that can be displaced according to the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 100. An indicator portion 72 that enters the space 142 is provided at one end of the arm 70. A float portion 73 is provided at the other end of the arm 70. A shaft 66 is provided between the indicator portion 72 and the float portion 73. The shaft 66 is supported by a bearing (not shown) provided on the frame 50. Thereby, the arm 70 can be rotated in the ink chamber 100.

  The arm 70 is made of a light shielding resin material. The arm 70 is obtained, for example, by injection molding a resin material. Examples of the resin material include nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate, polyolefin, and an acrylic resin to which carbon black is added. The arm 70 should just be comprised so that the light radiate | emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 230 (refer FIG. 5) at least can be blocked (for example, intercepted or reflected). That is, the entire arm 70 does not necessarily have light shielding properties.

  For example, the float portion 73 is formed in a hollow shape and plays a role of a buoyancy body having buoyancy with respect to ink. Therefore, the float part 73 is displaced up and down according to the position of the ink liquid level. As a result, the arm 70 rotates about the shaft 66 according to the displacement of the float portion 73. As the arm 70 rotates, the indicator portion 72 of the arm 70 moves up and down.

  When a sufficient amount of ink is stored in the ink chamber 100, the indicator portion 72 is disposed in the space 142 at a position in contact with the lower wall 140D (the posture indicated by the solid line in FIG. 3B). Is done. On the other hand, when the ink is consumed and less than a predetermined amount, the float portion 73 descends and the indicator portion 72 moves upward away from the lower wall 140D and comes into contact with the upper wall 140C (FIG. 3B). In a posture indicated by a broken line in FIG. Since the arm 70 operates as described above, the amount of ink in the ink chamber 100 is determined by detecting the presence or absence of the indicator unit 72 in the space 142 by the optical sensor 230 (see FIG. 5) from the outside of the detected unit 140. Whether there is a certain amount can be detected.

  An air communication part 80 is provided on the upper part of the ink cartridge 25. The atmospheric communication part 80 is provided above the front wall 41 of the frame 50, in other words, above the detected part 140. The air communication unit 80 includes a communication hole 81 for communicating the air layer in the ink chamber 100 and the outside of the ink cartridge 25, a cap 85 (corresponding to the accessory member and closing member of the present invention), and the communication hole 81. And a valve to be closed or opened. The cap 85 is provided on the front wall 41 as an accessory part of the ink cartridge 25. The cap 85 is provided on the front wall 41 so as to cover the communication hole 81 from the outside. Therefore, the cap 85 protrudes outward from the front wall 41. As the valve, a valve mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-144811) and other known valve mechanisms can be applied. This valve closes the communication hole 81 when no external force is applied. In FIG. 3B, the detailed configuration of the valve is omitted, and only the rod-shaped pin 84 (one component of the valve) exposed to the outside from the ink chamber 100 is shown. The valve is configured such that when the pin 84 is pressed against the ink chamber 100, the valve is operated to open the communication hole 81.

  An ink supply unit 90 is provided below the ink cartridge 25. The ink supply unit 90 is provided below the front wall 41 of the ink cartridge 25, in other words, below the detected unit 140. The ink supply unit 90 supplies a supply hole 91 (corresponding to the ink hole of the present invention) for leading the ink in the ink chamber 100 to the outside, a cap 95 (corresponding to the accessory member and blocking member of the present invention), and supply The valve 91 is configured to close or open the hole 91. The cap 95 is provided on the front wall 41 as an accessory part of the ink cartridge 25. The cap 95 is provided on the front wall 41 so as to cover the supply hole 91 from the outside. Therefore, the cap 95 protrudes outward from the front wall 41. As the valve, a well-known valve mechanism can be applied in the same manner as the valve of the atmospheric communication portion 80. This valve closes the supply hole 91 when no external force is applied. In FIG. 3B, the detailed structure of the valve is omitted. When an ink needle 285 (see FIG. 5) described later is inserted into the supply hole 91, ink can be supplied from the ink chamber 100 to the recording head 272 (see FIG. 1) through the supply hole 91 and the ink needle 285.

[Adapter 27]
Next, the configuration of the adapter 27 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the adapter 27 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The adapter 27 assists the work of removing the ink cartridge 25 from the cartridge mounting portion 276. The adapter 27 is mounted in the case 280 of the cartridge mounting portion 276 together with the ink cartridge 25, and the adapter 27 is related to the ink cartridge 25 in this respect.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the adapter 27 is formed in a box shape in which at least one surface capable of accommodating a front portion (hereinafter referred to as “front portion”) 28 in the insertion direction 30 in the ink cartridge 25 is opened. Yes. The adapter 27 is made of a resin material such as nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate, polyolefin, or ABS, and can be obtained by injection molding the resin material. In this embodiment, the adapter 27 is formed to a thickness of 0.7 mm using ABS. Here, the front portion 28 is a portion closer to the front wall 41 than the surface indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The front part 28 is a part of the ink cartridge 25, and the front wall 41 of the ink cartridge 25 and each accessory part (atmospheric communication part 80, detected part 140, ink supply part 90) provided on the front wall 41. Including. In the present embodiment, the adapter 27 is described as accommodating a part of the ink cartridge 25 (the front portion 28). However, the adapter 27 is configured to accommodate the entire ink cartridge 25. Also good.

  The adapter 27 is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape corresponding to the outer shape of the front portion 28. Specifically, the adapter 27 includes a front wall 162 that faces the front wall of the front portion 28 (the front wall 41 of the ink cartridge 25), an upper wall 163 that faces the upper wall of the front portion 28, and the front portion 28. A lower wall 164 facing the lower wall, and a left side wall 165 and a right side wall 166 facing both side walls of the front portion 28 are provided. An internal space surrounded by the walls 162 to 166 is a housing space for housing the front portion 28. The adapter 27 has an opening 159. The opening 159 is formed on a side surface facing the front wall 162. The opening 159 is formed by an upper wall 163, a lower wall 164, and both side walls 165, 166. When the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is inserted into the accommodation space of the adapter 27 from the opening 159, the front portion 28 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the adapter 27.

  The upper wall 163, the left side wall 165, the right side wall 166, and the lower wall 164 extend from the front wall 162 in the direction of the arrow 33 of the ink cartridge 25 and cover the four side walls of the front portion 28. Therefore, when the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated in the adapter 27, the inner surface of each wall of the adapter 27 serves as a guide surface that guides the front portion 28 in the accommodation direction. Thereby, the ink cartridge 25 can smoothly enter the accommodation space of the adapter 27.

  The adapter 27 includes a detected portion 186 serving as a light irradiation surface, a notch 187, openings 177 and 178 (an example of the second opening of the present invention), and a rod 169 (an example of the moving means and the extending member of the present invention). ).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the notch 187 is formed near the middle of the front wall 162. The notch 187 forms an opening (notch portion 190) for exposing the detected portion 140 to the outside of the adapter 27 when the ink cartridge 25 is attached to the cartridge attachment portion 276 via the adapter 27. Therefore, the notch 187 is formed in a position, size, and shape corresponding to the front wall 140A and the side wall 140B of the detected portion 140. Specifically, the notch 187 is formed by cutting the side wall 165 and the side wall 166 into a rectangular shape from the front wall 162 side to the rear in the insertion direction 30.

  The detected part 186 disposed on the upper wall 163 of the adapter 27 is used for detecting the presence or absence of the ink cartridge 25 in the cartridge mounting part 276. The detected portion 186 is a portion that enters the optical path 236 (see FIG. 5) of the optical sensor 235 provided in the cartridge mounting portion 276 in the process of mounting the adapter 27 on the cartridge mounting portion 276. The detected portion 186 is configured not to transmit light. For example, when the detected portion 186 is integrally formed with the adapter 27, the adapter 27 is formed of a material in which a color material is mixed into resin. It is possible to do. The detected portion 186 is configured as a flat rib extending on the upper wall 163 and extending in the insertion direction 30. In the process in which the adapter 27 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 276, the detected unit 186 enters the optical path 236 of the optical sensor 235 and blocks the light.

  The notch 187 is provided with a bridge portion 189 so as to bridge the notch 187 in the vertical direction. The bridge portion 189 is configured by a flat plate member. The bridge portion 189 and the notch 187 form a notch portion 190 that is a rectangular opening in a side view. In the process of mounting the adapter 27 to the cartridge mounting portion 276, the bridge portion 189 crosses the optical path 231 (see FIG. 5) of the optical sensor 230. When the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 276 (for example, at the back of the case 280), the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor 230 are disposed so as to face the notch 190. Therefore, in a state where the adapter 27 is attached, the light emitted from the light emitting element passes through the notch 190.

  An opening 177 is provided in the upper part of the front wall 162. The opening 177 communicates with the accommodation space inside the adapter 27. The opening 177 is formed at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication portion 80. The opening 177 is formed in a size that allows the pressing portion 216 (see FIG. 5) provided in the cartridge mounting portion 276 to be inserted. When the adapter 27 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 276, the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177, and the pin 84 is pushed into the ink chamber 100 side.

  An opening 178 is provided in the lower portion of the front wall 162. The opening 178 is formed at a position corresponding to the ink supply unit 90. The opening 178 is formed in a size that allows the cap 95 of the ink supply unit 90 to be inserted. When the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion 276, and then the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is mounted in the case 280 (see FIG. 5) of the cartridge mounting portion 276, the front portion 28 is accommodated in the adapter 27. When accommodated in the space, the cap 95 of the ink supply unit 90 is exposed to the outside from the opening 178, and the ink supply unit 90 is connected to the ink needle 285 (see FIG. 5). Since the opening 178 is provided, even if the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280, the cap 95 is not interfered by the adapter 27.

  The rod 169 is provided below the adapter 27. The rod 169 is for moving the adapter 27 mounted in the case 280 of the cartridge mounting portion 176 in a direction opposite to the insertion direction 30, that is, in a direction in which the adapter 27 is detached from the case 280. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rod 169 is a rectangular bar-shaped member having a rectangular cross section. The width of the rod 169 is set to be smaller than the width of the adapter 27. The rod 169 extends from the bottom wall 164 toward the opening 284 (an example of the first opening of the present invention, see FIG. 5) in a state where the adapter 27 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 176. A handle 170 is provided at the extended end of the rod 169, that is, at the end on the opening 284 side. The handle 170 is a part that is held by a user's finger when the adapter 169 is mounted on the case 280 of the cartridge mounting unit 276. In the present embodiment, the handle 170 is disposed at a position outside the opening 284 of the case 280 with the adapter 27 being mounted at the mounting position of the case 280. That is, the length in the longitudinal direction of the rod 169 is set such that the handle 170 is disposed outside the case 280 in a state where the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position of the case 280.

  The handle 170 is formed higher in the height direction 32 than the body 171 at the tip of the body 171 of the rod 169. Specifically, the upper surface of the handle 170 is flush with the upper surface of the body 171 of the rod 169, and the lower surface of the handle 170 is located below the lower surface of the body 171 of the rod 169. A step 173 is formed between the portions 171. When the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position of the case 280, the step 173 elastically contacts the end 289 (see FIG. 5) on the opening 284 side of the bottom surface 288 of the case 280. The thickness, width, length, etc. of the handle 170 and the body 171 of the rod 169 are arbitrarily determined according to the size of the case 280, the ease of holding the handle 170, the rigidity of the body 171 required, and the like. Element. In this embodiment, the rod 169 is used. However, instead of the rod 169, a flat bar member, a round bar, or the like may be used. In this embodiment, the rod 169 extends from the bottom wall 164 in a predetermined direction, but the base end of the rod 169 is not limited to the bottom wall 164. For example, the rod 169 may extend from the side walls 165, 166 or the upper wall 163, and in that case, an attachment position where the tip of the rod 169 is elastically contacted is provided on the side or upper portion of the cartridge 276, respectively. ing.

[Cartridge mounting portion 276]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 276 to which the ink cartridge 25 and the adapter 27 are mounted will be described.

  The cartridge mounting portion 276 is configured by arranging four cases 280 corresponding to each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in parallel.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 276. As shown in FIG. 5, the case 280 includes a case main body 281 and a lock lever 283. A housing chamber 282 is formed in the case main body 281. In the storage chamber 282, the ink cartridge 25 and the adapter 27 are stored. An opening 284 is provided on the front surface of the case main body 281. The ink cartridge 25 and the adapter 27 are inserted into the storage chamber 282 through the opening 284. In the present embodiment, the adapter 27 is first accommodated in the accommodation chamber 282 and disposed in the back of the accommodation chamber 282. Thereafter, the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 282 in a state where the adapter 27 is attached to the back of the accommodation chamber 282. As a result, the ink cartridge 25 is arranged behind the adapter 27 in the insertion direction 30.

  An optical sensor 230 and an optical sensor 235 are provided on the back side of the storage chamber 282. In the present embodiment, a transmissive photo interrupter having a light emitting element and a light receiving element is used as the optical sensors 230 and 235. The light emitting element and the light receiving element are arranged at a predetermined distance in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The optical sensors 230 and 235 are connected to a main control unit (not shown), and an electric signal output from the light receiving element in response to light from the light emitting element is output to the main control unit.

  The optical sensor 230 is provided on a wall surface 286 (an example of the first wall of the present invention) on the opposite side of the opening 284 among the wall surfaces constituting the case body 281. The optical sensor 230 is used for detecting whether or not the amount of ink in the ink cartridge 25 has reached a predetermined amount. An optical path 231 of light emitted from the light emitting element is formed between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor 230. The optical path 231 extends in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The main control unit determines whether or not the remaining amount of ink has reached a predetermined amount based on the output signal (light reception amount) of the optical sensor 230 in a state where the detected portion 140 of the ink cartridge 25 is inserted in the optical path 231. To do.

  The optical sensor 235 is provided in the vicinity of the wall surface 286 of the wall surface 287 constituting the upper surface of the case body 281. The optical sensor 235 is used as an application for detecting the presence / absence of the detected portion 186 at a predetermined position in the process in which the adapter 27 is attached to the case 280. An optical path 236 (an optical path extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 5) is formed between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor 235. When the detected portion 186 enters the optical path 236 of the optical sensor 235, the light is blocked and the amount of light received by the light receiving element varies. The main control unit detects the variation in the amount of received light, determines the presence / absence of the detected unit 186, and determines that the adapter 27 is mounted in the case 280 when it is determined that the detected unit 186 is present. To do.

  An ink needle 285 that can be connected to the supply hole 91 is provided below the wall surface 286 in the direction of gravity. The ink needle 285 is a tubular member that protrudes from the inner surface of the wall surface 286 toward the storage chamber 282. The ink needle 285 passes through the wall surface 286 and reaches from the inner surface of the storage chamber 282 to the back surface of the case main body 281. An ink tube 278 (see FIG. 1) is connected to the tip of the ink needle 285 exposed on the back surface of the case body 281. The ink needle 285 is provided at a position corresponding to the supply hole 91. When the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated in the case 280, the ink needle 285 is inserted into the supply hole 91. Thereby, the supply hole 91 and the ink needle 285 are connected, and the ink in the ink chamber 100 can be supplied to the outside through the ink needle 285 from the supply hole 91.

  A pressing portion 216 is provided on the upper surface of the wall surface 286 in the gravity direction. The pressing portion 216 is disposed on the wall surface 286 at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication portion 80 of the ink cartridge 25. The pressing portion 216 is a protrusion-like member that protrudes from the wall surface 286 to the accommodation chamber 282 side. The pressing portion 216 is inserted into the opening 177 (see FIG. 5) in the process in which the adapter 27 is accommodated in the accommodating chamber 282, and the pin 84 is inserted in the process in which the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated following the adapter 27. Push into the ink chamber 100 side.

  The lock lever 283 is for opening and closing the opening 284 and for surely positioning the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 in the storage chamber 282. The lock lever 283 is supported so as to be rotatable about a shaft 290 provided at the upper edge of the opening 284. The lock lever 283 is provided with an operation unit 293 and a claw 294. The operation unit 293 is provided on the rotating end side of the outer surface 297 of the lock lever 283. Further, the claw 294 is provided at the rotation end of the lock lever 283. A through hole 295 is formed in the lower part of the operation unit 293. As shown in FIG. 9, when the lock lever 283 is closed with respect to the opening 284, the handle 170 arranged outside enters the through hole 295. A groove 299 that engages with the claw 294 of the lock lever 283 is provided. A groove 299 that engages with a claw 294 provided on the lock lever 283 is provided at the lower edge of the opening 284.

[Mounting operation]
Hereinafter, an operation of mounting the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 in the case 280 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 are schematic cross-sectional views showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280. FIG.

  First, the adapter 27 is mounted in the accommodation chamber 282 of the case 280 (see FIG. 6). Specifically, the adapter 27 is inserted into the storage chamber 282 from the front wall 162 side of the adapter 27 through the opening 284. When the front wall 162 of the adapter 27 comes into contact with the wall surface 286 of the storage chamber 182, the mounting of the adapter 27 is completed. In the state where the adapter 27 is thus mounted, the handle 170 is exposed to the outside through the opening 284, as shown in FIG. In a state where the adapter 27 is mounted in the back of the storage chamber 282, the detected part 186 of the adapter 27 enters the optical path 236 of the optical sensor 235, and the notch 190 of the adapter 27 is disposed in the optical path 231 of the optical sensor 230. (See FIG. 7).

  Subsequently, the ink cartridge 25 is mounted in the storage chamber 282. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge 25 is inserted into the storage chamber 282 from the front wall 41 side of the ink cartridge 25 through the opening 284. At this time, the ink cartridge 25 is inserted in the insertion direction 30 so as to slide on the upper surface of the body 171 of the rod 169. When the ink cartridge 25 is pushed in the insertion direction 30 in the storage chamber 282, the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is guided to the upper surface of the body portion 171 as shown in FIG. It is accommodated in the accommodating space in the adapter 27 from the opening 159.

  In the process of moving the ink cartridge 25 forward in the insertion direction 30, the pin 84 is pressed by the pressing portion 216, and the ink chamber 100 communicates with the outside. When the ink cartridge 25 further moves in the insertion direction 30, the ink needle 285 is inserted into the supply hole 91, and the ink in the ink chamber 100 can be supplied to the outside. When the ink cartridge 25 moves to the mounting position, the detected part 140 is exposed from the notch 190 and the detected part 140 enters the optical path 231 of the optical sensor 230. Then, the light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 230 passes through the notch 190 and irradiates the side wall 140B of the detected portion 140. And when light permeate | transmits the space 142 inside the to-be-detected part 140, the light is received by the light receiving element arrange | positioned on the opposite side. Of course, when the light is blocked by the indicator unit 72 (see FIG. 3B), the light does not reach the light receiving element.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in a state where the ink cartridge 25 is in the mounting position in the storage chamber 282 (see FIG. 8), the lock lever 283 is rotated in the direction to close the opening 284, and the lock lever 283 is moved to the opening 284. When fully closed, the pawl 294 is fitted into the groove 299. At the same time, the handle 170 exposed from the opening 284 is inserted into the through hole 295. As a result, the lock lever 283 is locked with respect to the opening 284 and the opening 284 is closed by the lock lever 283. At this time, the rear wall 42 of the ink cartridge 25 is in contact with the inner surface 296 of the lock lever 283, and the state where the ink cartridge 25 is pressed in the insertion direction 30 with an appropriate force is maintained.

[Removal operation]
Hereinafter, an operation of removing the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic cross-sectional views showing a process in which the adapter 27 is taken out from the case 280. FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10, the engagement between the claw 294 and the groove 299 is released, and the lock lever 283 is pulled up to open the opening 284. Thereafter, when the user grasps the handle 170 of the rod 169 with a finger and pulls out the rod 169 rearward in the insertion direction 30 (right side in FIG. 10), the adapter 27 maintains the state in which the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated. In this state, the ink cartridge 25 is moved outside the opening 284 together with the ink cartridge 25. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the ink cartridge 25 is exposed to the outside of the case 280 through the opening 284 while being placed on the upper surface of the body 171 of the rod 169, and the user can easily remove the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280. Can be taken out.

[Effects of Embodiment]
As described above, in this embodiment, the rod 169 is provided on the adapter 27 as an example of the moving means of the present invention. Therefore, when the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position of the case 280 and the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is mounted on the adapter 27, the user holds the handle 170 and pulls the rod 169 toward the opening 284. The ink cartridge 25 can be moved together with the adapter 27, and the ink cartridge 25 can be moved outside the case 280 to a position where it can be easily taken out. Thereby, the user can easily take out the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the adapter 27 is mounted at the mounting position of the case 280, the handle 170 is disposed outside the case 280 through the opening 284. Therefore, the user can easily operate the rod 169 while holding the handle 170.

  In the present embodiment, when the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280, the front portion 28 of the ink cartridge 25 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the adapter 27 in the case 280. For this reason, when the rod 169 is operated, the ink cartridge 25 is held by the adapter 27 and moves reliably and stably to the opening 284 side together with the adapter 27.

<< Second Embodiment >>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, components common to those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals as those used in the components in the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof are omitted. .

  The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment described above in that the adapter 107 shown in FIG. 12 is mounted on the case 280 of the cartridge mounting portion 276. In the second embodiment, the configuration other than the adapter 107 such as the cartridge mounting portion 276 and the ink cartridge 25 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. Therefore, only the configuration of the adapter 107 will be described here, and description of other configurations will be omitted.

[Adapter 107]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the adapter 107 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the adapter 107 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical cross-sectional structure of the adapter 107.

  The adapter 107 assists in the operation of removing the ink cartridge 25 from the cartridge mounting portion 276, and is formed as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape corresponding to the outer shape of the front portion 28, similarly to the adapter 27 of the first embodiment described above. It is configured. The adapter 107 includes a detected portion 186, a notch 187, and openings 177 and 178 (an example of the opening of the present invention). The difference between the adapter 107 and the adapter 27 of the first embodiment is that the adapter 27 is provided with the rod 169, whereas the adapter 107 is not provided with the rod 169. Are provided with coil springs 109 and 110 (an example of the moving means and elastic member of the present invention).

  The coil springs 109 and 110 are provided on the front surface of the front wall 162 of the adapter 107. Specifically, the coil spring 109 is provided above the opening 177 in the gravity direction, and the coil spring 110 is provided below the opening 178 in the gravity direction. In the front wall 162, a spring accommodating chamber 112 that functions as a spring receiver is formed above the opening 177, and a spring accommodating chamber 113 that functions as a spring receiver is formed below the opening 178. The spring accommodating chambers 112 and 113 are substantially cylindrical holes drilled from the front surface of the front wall 162 to the inside of the adapter 107. The coil spring 109 is accommodated in the spring accommodating chamber 112, and the coil spring 110 is accommodated in the spring accommodating chamber 113. One end of each of the coil springs 109 and 110 is fixed at the bottom of the spring accommodating chambers 112 and 113. The coil springs 109 and 110 protrude from the front wall 162 to the outside in a state where no force is applied.

[Removable operation]
Hereinafter, the operation of attaching and detaching the adapter 107 and the ink cartridge 25 to the case 280 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16 are schematic cross-sectional views showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to and detached from the case 280. FIG.

  First, the adapter 107 is inserted up to the mounting position of the accommodation chamber 282 of the case 280. When the adapter 27 reaches the mounting position of the storage chamber 282, the coil springs 109 and 110 abut against the wall surface 286. When the adapter 107 is pushed in the insertion direction 30 against the elastic force (spring force) of the coil springs 109 and 110 in this state, the coil springs 109 and 110 are compressed and the adapter 107 moves in the insertion direction 30. When the force that presses the adapter 107 in the insertion direction 30 is loosened, the adapter 107 is returned to the rear of the insertion direction 30, that is, toward the opening 284 side by the elastic force of the coil springs 109 and 110.

  After the adapter 107 is inserted into the storage chamber 282, the ink cartridge 25 is inserted into the storage chamber 282 (see FIG. 14). In this state, when the lock lever 283 is rotated in a direction to close the opening 284, the inner surface 296 contacts the rear wall 42 of the ink cartridge 25 and presses the ink cartridge 25 in the insertion direction 30. Then, the adapter 107 is pressed in the insertion direction 30 by the ink cartridge 25. At this time, since the coil springs 109 and 110 are pressed while being in contact with the wall surface 286, the coil springs 109 and 110 are compressed against the elastic force. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the adapter 107 moves in the insertion direction 30, the detected part 186 enters the optical path 236, and the detected part 140 enters the optical path 231. Further, the pin 84 of the atmosphere communication unit 80 is pushed in by the pressing unit 216, and the ink needle 285 is connected to the ink supply unit 90.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the lock lever 283 is completely closed with respect to the opening 284 and the claw 294 is fitted into the groove 299, the lock lever 283 is locked with respect to the opening 284 and the opening 284. Is closed by the lock lever 283. At this time, the rear wall 42 of the ink cartridge 10 receives the elastic force of the coil springs 109 and 110 and is kept pressed by the inner surface 296 of the lock lever 283 with an appropriate force.

  When removing the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280, the engagement of the claw 294 and the groove 299 is released from the locked state shown in FIG. 16, and the lock lever 283 is pulled upward to open the opening 284. At this time, the ink cartridge 25 is pushed out in the insertion direction 30 together with the adapter 107 by the elastic force of the coil springs 109 and 110. Accordingly, since the ink cartridge 25 is exposed to the outside through the opening 284, the user can easily take out the ink cartridge 25 from the case 280.

  In the present embodiment, the coil springs 109 and 110 are provided on the front wall 162, but the number of coil springs, the elastic coefficient, and the like can be appropriately changed according to the required elastic force. Although the coil springs 109 and 110 are used as the elastic members, various spring members such as leaf springs can be applied instead of the coil springs 109 and 110. In addition, any member having elasticity such as rubber instead of the spring member can be applied.

  In the first and second embodiments described above, the adapters 27 and 107 are first inserted into the case 280, and then the ink tank 25 is inserted into the case 280. The adapters 27 and 107 may be attached to the front portion 28, and the adapters 27 and 107 and the ink tank 25 may be inserted into the case 280 in an integrated state.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal mechanism of the recording apparatus 250. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the ink cartridge 25. 3A and 3B are schematic views schematically showing the front and vertical cross sections of the ink cartridge 25. FIG. 3A is a front view, and FIG. 3B is a vertical cross section. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the adapter 27 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the cartridge mounting portion 276. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280, and shows a state where the adapter 27 is inserted into the storage chamber 282. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280. The adapter 27 is attached to the back of the storage chamber 282, and the ink cartridge 25 is inserted into the storage chamber 282. The state is shown. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are mounted on the case 280, and shows a state in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are mounted in the storage chamber 282. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to the case 280, and shows a state where the lock lever 283 is locked with respect to the opening 284. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 is taken out from the case 280, and shows a state where the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are mounted in the storage chamber 282. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 is taken out from the case 280, and shows how the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are pulled out from the back of the storage chamber 282. FIG. 12 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the adapter 107 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing a vertical cross-sectional structure of the adapter 107. FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to and detached from the case 280, and shows a state in which the lock lever 283 is opened and the opening 284 is opened. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to and detached from the case 280, and shows a state in which the lock lever 283 is in contact with the ink cartridge 25. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a process in which the adapter 27 and the ink cartridge 25 are attached to and detached from the case 280, and shows a state where the lock lever 283 is locked with respect to the opening 284.

25... Ink cartridges 27 and 107... Adapter 28... Front portion 50... Frame 70... Arm 80. ... Supply hole 100 ... Ink chamber 109,110 ... Coil spring 112,113 ... Spring housing chamber 140 ... Detected portion 162 ... Front wall 169 ... Rod 170 ... Handle 171 ... Body 173 ... Step 186 ... Detected part 250 ... Recording device 276 ... Cartridge mounting part 280 ... Case 284 ... Opening

Claims (4)

An adapter for an ink cartridge that is used in connection with an ink cartridge that can be attached to the cartridge attachment portion,
The cartridge mounting portion has a first opening through which the adapter is inserted,
In the cartridge mounting portion, the first wall constituting the cartridge mounting portion and the first opening of the adapter are opposed to the first opening in the insertion direction in a state where the adapter is disposed at the mounting position in the cartridge mounting portion. An adapter for an ink cartridge, comprising an elastic member disposed between the front wall and the ink cartridge.   The adapter for an ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the adapter has a storage space that can store at least a part of an ink cartridge that can be mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. The adapter has a second opening that communicates the accommodation space with the outside.
3. The second opening according to claim 2, wherein when the ink cartridge is accommodated in the accommodation space, an accessory member attached to the ink cartridge is positioned outside the adapter from the accommodation space. Adapter for ink cartridge.   4. The adapter for an ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the attachment member is an ink supply portion that protrudes from an outer wall of the ink cartridge and from which ink in the ink cartridge is led out.