JP3547201B2 - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus which supplies an ink to a recording head by mounting an ink cartridge on a carriage having an ink jet recording head, and more specifically, waste ink discharged when clogging of the recording head is eliminated. And a mechanism for processing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Ink jet recording devices perform printing by ejecting ink droplets from the nozzle openings of the recording head.Thus, the ink thickens near the nozzle openings, solidifies to reduce the ejection characteristics of the ink droplets, and prints are difficult. Sometimes it is impossible.
In preparation for such a situation, the recording head may discharge ink droplets regardless of print data, or apply a negative pressure to the nozzle openings to discharge ink, and store the discharged ink in a waste ink cartridge. Is configured.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
For this reason, the waste ink cartridge needs to have a volume capable of accommodating at least the amount of ink discharged during a period in which the printing apparatus can be operated, and there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce the size of the printing apparatus.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the present invention in order to achieve the above problem, a carriage ink jet recording head is provided, supplies ink to the ink jet recording head detachably mounted ink cartridge, also discharged from the ink jet recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus which accommodates ink to the waste ink cartridge, the waste ink cartridge comprises a member for inhibiting the attachment of the pre-Symbol ink cartridge, the ink cartridge only when the waste ink cartridge has been removed to allow detachable Is configured.
[0005]
[Action]
Only when the waste ink cartridge is removed, the ink cartridge becomes detachable, so that when the ink cartridge is replaced, the replacement of the waste ink cartridge is prompted.
[0006]
【Example】
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. A carriage motor 1 moves a carriage 4 along a carriage shaft 3 via a belt 2. The carriage 4 holds an ink cartridge holder 5 into which an ink cartridge 6 can be inserted, and an ink head 7 that ejects ink from an ink nozzle 8 in the form of particles.
[0007]
The ink cartridge 6 can be inserted into and removed from the ink cartridge holder 5 from above in FIG. 2, but since the frame top 14 covers the moving range of the carriage 4 other than the upper part of the waste ink pump 9, the ink cartridge 6 6 can be replaced only when the carriage 4 is located above the waste ink pump 9. The ink cartridge 6 is configured by storing ink in a laminate pack 13.
[0008]
The waste ink pump 9 draws dummy ink from the ink head 7, that is, discharges ink irrespective of print data, or sucks ink discharged to eliminate clogging and discharges it to the waste ink cartridge 11.
The waste ink cartridge 11 is detachably accommodated in a holder 10 fixed outside the non-printing area of a box (not shown). The waste ink cartridge 11 is configured in a cartridge shape and accommodates an ink absorber 12 therein to prevent leakage of waste ink.
[0009]
The waste ink cartridge 11 has a front surface rising upward and extending rearward at an upper end, that is , extending to a region where the ink cartridge is inserted and removed, and only when the ink cartridge 6 is removed from the waste ink cartridge holder 10. The structure is such that the area for insertion and removal of the is not opened .
[0010]
In the drawing, reference numeral 15 denotes a PF motor, 16 denotes a transmission gear, and 17 denotes a platen. By rotating the PF motor 15, the paper on which one line is printed is fed, and the next line can be printed.
[0011]
In this embodiment, when it is necessary to replace the ink cartridge, first, the waste ink cartridge 11 is removed from the waste ink cartridge holder 10. As a result, the ink cartridge 6 and the waste ink cartridge 11 are replaced at the same time, so that the waste ink cartridge 11 has at most the same ink capacity as that of the ink cartridge 6, and is therefore extremely small.
By providing the user with the ink cartridge and the waste ink cartridge as a set, the ink cartridge and the waste ink cartridge can be more reliably replaced simultaneously.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when it is necessary to replace the ink cartridge, it is necessary to first remove the waste ink cartridge, and replace the waste ink cartridge with the replacement of the ink cartridge. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the container for storing the waste ink, thereby reducing the size and weight of the recording apparatus.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing one embodiment of the device.
[Explanation of symbols]
4 Carriage 5 Ink cartridge holder 6 Ink cartridge 7 Ink head 9 Waste ink pump 10 Waste ink cartridge holder 11 Waste ink cartridge 14 Frame top

Claims (1)

In an ink jet recording apparatus, an ink cartridge is detachably mounted on a carriage provided with an ink jet recording head to supply ink to the ink jet recording head, and ink discharged from the ink jet recording head is stored in a waste ink cartridge . the waste ink cartridge comprising a member which inhibits the attachment of pre-Symbol ink cartridge, an ink jet recording apparatus capable of the ink cartridge is removable only when the waste ink cartridge is removed.

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