JP3371370B2 - Ink supply mechanism of ink jet recording apparatus and ink cartridge - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording head, and more particularly to an ink cartridge positioning means. 2. Description of the Related Art An ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording head through an ink supply tube has an ink outlet for supplying ink to the recording head as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-3-7350. A rectangular ink bag provided on one end side and made of a flexible material in which ink is sealed,
It is composed of a case for storing the ink bag and a lid. Such an ink cartridge is loaded into a recording apparatus such that the ink outlet is located at the tip, and ink is supplied to the recording head through an ink supply tube through an ink supply needle on the recording apparatus side. In order to accurately position the ink outlet of the ink cartridge with the ink supply needle of the recording apparatus, such an ink cartridge is provided on the ink outlet side of the ink cartridge as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-99633. It has been proposed to form an engagement recess and an engagement projection on the recording device side. By the way, in order to cope with a large amount of ink consumption in high-speed printing or the like, if the ink storage capacity of the ink cartridge is increased and the weight becomes heavy, the ink cartridge needs to be provided with a holder for holding the cartridge. A large pushing force is required due to friction or the like, and if it is attempted to position only the concave portion and the protrusion near the ink supply needle, these may be damaged, and the ink supply needle is inserted into a position shifted from the center of the ink outlet. Therefore, there is a problem that ink leakage occurs for a long period of time. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable the ink outlet and the ink supply needle to be accurately engaged even with a large ink cartridge. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink supply mechanism for an ink jet recording apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge suitable for the ink supply mechanism. In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an ink supply needle which communicates with a recording head, and which protrudes from the ink supply needle to the tip side.
A holder provided with a positioning shaft disposed at a position sandwiching the ink supply needle, an ink outlet provided with an ink outlet through which the ink supply needle is inserted at one end side, and an ink bag filled with ink; The ink bag is accommodated so that ink can be supplied to the outside from an outlet, and is attached to the holder to engage with each of the two positioning shafts.
An ink cartridge provided with a case having two positioning holes formed therein. When the ink cartridge is inserted into the holder, the two positioning holes are
The ink supply needle after being more guides the positioning shaft of the present is configured to engage the ink outlet. [0006] [action] when inserting the ink cartridge in the holder, the cartridge has two positioning holes are more guided by ink outlet in a position <br/> decided axis of two opposite to the ink supply needle Position, and then the ink supply needle is inserted into a predetermined position of the ink outlet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the ink cartridge according to the present invention. The flexible ink bag 1 is made of two sheets of aluminum foil, for example, an outer foil to improve gas barrier properties. With a nylon film and an aluminum laminated film sandwiching the inside with a polyethylene film. Two aluminum laminated films are superposed and the periphery is joined by heat welding or the like. Joint surface (shown as hatched in the figure)
An ink outlet 2 for drawing out the ink in the ink bag 1 to the outside is joined to one side of the above by heat welding or the like. Ink outlet 2
Is a plastic molded product, the joint surface of which is formed in at least a pair of opposing tapered knife-edge shapes, and has a sufficient thickness to ensure a sufficient heat fusion area (so-called glue) of the joint surface. It is thick. A fixing groove 2a is provided in the ink outlet 2, and the ink outlet 2 is fitted and fixed to the case body 4. Since the fixing groove 2a is provided in the ink outlet 2, the shape of the fitting portion 4b of the case 4 is complicated.
And the ink outlet 2 of the ink bag 1
It can be easily mounted at the correct position. Case body
Reference numeral 4 denotes a positioning hole 4 on the surface in the insertion direction , that is, the surface on which the fixing groove 2a is formed, so as to sandwich the fixing groove 2a.
a and a guide hole 4g. The ink bag 1 thus constructed is fixed to the bottom surface of the case body 4 with a double-sided tape (not shown), and a detection plate 5 for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink bag 1 is provided on the lid side. And so on. For detection plate 5
When the remaining amount of ink is low,
A protruding detection projection 5a is formed. The lid 6 is fixed to the case body 4 by fitting a pair of corners 6a and a pair of holes 4d of the case body 4 and snap-fitting a pair of claws 6b and a pair of recesses 4e. First, the corner 6a and the hole 4d are fitted together, and then the claw 6b and the recess 4e are snap-fitted and fixed. The claw 6b is configured to bend in the direction of arrow D. When the cover 6 is inserted in the direction of arrow E, the claw 6b bends and fits into the recess 4e. When removing the lid 6, it is possible to easily remove the lid by inserting a jig into the notch 4f of the case body 4 and prying in the F direction. Next, a mechanism for mounting the ink cartridge and the recording apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows a mechanism for positioning the ink cartridge of the present invention in the holder of the recording apparatus. The holder 9 provided in the recording apparatus guides the insertion of the ink cartridge 8 and moves the ink cartridge 8 to a predetermined position. The upper and lower frames 10 for holding the frame 8 are provided. The holder 9 is provided with a shutter 12 for protecting the supply needle 15 and the like provided on a needle seat frame (not shown) of the holder 9 from touching when the ink cartridge 8 is not present. The frame 10 is provided with a pair of elastically displaceable lock arms 10a (only one side is shown) for locking the shutter 12 at the illustrated position. The shutter 12 is rotatably supported about a rotation center 12a, and is urged to a position shown by a shutter spring (not shown). At this time, the shutter 12 is engaged with the groove of the lock arm 10a and is in a holding state (locked state). When the ink cartridge 8 is inserted between the upper and lower frames 10 in the direction of arrow I, a pair of functional ribs 4c are guided by a pair of rails 10b on the upper surface and the lower surface of the ink cartridge 8 on the ink outlet side and move to the back. . A pair of functional ribs 4 of the ink cartridge 8
c reaches the lock arm 10a, and the lock arm 10a
Is elastically displaced in the direction of arrow J. At this time shutter 12
Is released from the groove of the lock arm 10a, is pushed by the ink cartridge 8, rotates around the shutter rotation center 12a, and escapes to the upper part of the lid 6 of the ink cartridge 8. When the ink cartridge 8 moves further, the positioning hole 4a of the ink cartridge 8 engages with the positioning shaft 16 provided in the needle seat frame, and the vertical position of the ink cartridge 8 is determined. At the same time, the guide hole 4g formed in the upper part of the ink outlet of the ink cartridge 8
Left and right positions are determined. As shown in FIG. 5, the positioning shaft 16 and the guide shaft 17 are tapered at their tips and project from the tip of the ink supply needle 15 by ΔL, so that the functional rib 4c and the rail 10b Therefore, if the positioning hole 4a and the guide hole 4g are roughly positioned with an error of about the diameter of the guide hole 4g, the positioning shaft 16 and the guide shaft 17 are positioned before the ink supply needle 15 contacts the ink outlet 2. And the guide hole 4g is accurately guided to a predetermined position so that the center of the ink outlet 2 faces the tip of the ink supply needle 15. When the ink cartridge 8 moves further in this state, a pair of leaf springs 13 (only one side is shown) held by the upper and lower frames 10 are engaged with a pair of functional ribs 4c, and the ink cartridge 8 is moved to the upper and lower frames. 10
Is held. In this state, the elastic displacement of the lock arm 10a has the original shape (the shutter 12 and the lock arm 10a).
(a state in which the groove portion a is engaged). When the ink cartridge 8 is held by the upper and lower frames 10, the supply needle 15 passes through the outlet rubber 3 and the ink outlet 2 and reaches the ink in the ink bag 1. When the ink cartridge 8 is inserted into the holder 9 in a direction other than that shown in the drawing, the functional ribs 4c and the pair of erroneous insertion preventing ribs 4w of the ink cartridge 8 contact the pair of erroneous insertion preventing surfaces 10c of the upper and lower frames 10 and move to the holder 9. Prevent insertion. As described above, at the beginning of the insertion, the ink cartridge is moved by a long distance while positioning the ink cartridge by the functional rib 4c and the rail 10b, and the positioning hole 4a and the guide hole 4g are made immediately before coming into contact with the ink supply needle 15. Is positioned by the positioning shaft 16 and the guide shaft 17, the positional accuracy of the pair of frames 10 of the recording apparatus can be reduced to some extent, and play can be secured between the frame 10 and the ink cartridge at the beginning of insertion. A large cartridge can be easily moved to the back by the pressing force. When a force such as vibration is applied to the cartridge to cause the cartridge to fall down in a state of being mounted on the recording apparatus, the positioning shaft 16 and the guide shaft inserted into the upper and lower positioning holes 4a and the guide holes 4g of the ink outlet 2 are formed. Since the vertical posture can be maintained from the position 17, the bending force is prevented from acting on the ink supply needle 15. When the ink cartridge 8 is removed from the holder 9, the functional rib 4c and the leaf spring 13 are disengaged from each other, the functional rib 4c reaches the lock arm 10a, and elastically displaces the lock arm 10a in the direction of arrow J. At this time, the shutter 12 is moved by a shutter spring (not shown).
The shutter 12 is returned to the illustrated position and the lock arm 10 is
It engages with the groove part a, and becomes a holding state (lock state). According to the present invention, when inserting the ink cartridge in the holder, two by guiding the ink cartridge by a positioning shaft and two positioning <br/> Me holes, the ink supply The needle can be opposed to a predetermined position of the ink outlet, and then the ink supply needle can be engaged with the predetermined position of the ink outlet. Ink can be supplied.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of an ink cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a member forming an ink outlet. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a fixing groove of an ink outlet. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a snap-fit shape between a case and a lid. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a positioning mechanism when the ink cartridge of the present invention is mounted on a recording apparatus. [Description of Signs] 1 Ink bag 2 Ink outlet 4 Case main body 4a Positioning hole 4b Fitting portion 4c Function rib 4d Hole 4e Recess 4f Notch 4g Guide hole 4w Erroneous insertion prevention rib 4x Shutter rib 4y Guide rib 4z Projection 5 Detection plate 6 Lid 8 Ink cartridge 9 Holder 10b Rail 10c Mis-insertion prevention surface 15 Ink supply needle 16 Positioning shaft 17 Guide shaft

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-198862 (JP, A) JP-A-2-243351 (JP, A) JP-A-2-108551 (JP, A) (58) Fields studied (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] An ink supply needle communicating with a recording head,
A holder protruding toward the tip end side from the ink supply needle, and having a positioning shaft arranged at a position sandwiching the ink supply needle, and an ink outlet through which the ink supply needle is inserted is provided at one end side, An ink bag filled with ink, and two positioning units that house the ink bag so that ink can be supplied to the outside from the ink outlet and that are mounted on the holder and engage with each of the two positioning shafts. An ink cartridge comprising: a case having a hole formed therein; and the ink supply needle after the two positioning holes are guided by the two positioning shafts when the ink cartridge is inserted into the holder. Is an ink supply mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus that engages with the ink outlet.