JP3617328B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs printing with liquid ink.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, thermal ink jet printers (recording apparatuses) have become mainstream. The thermal ink jet recording apparatus includes a print head (ink jet head) having a plurality of heat generating elements arranged in an array on a substrate, and the heat generating elements of the print head are selectively heated according to print information. The fine ink discharge arranged corresponding to each heating element is performed by heating the ink supplied onto the heating element and utilizing the film boiling phenomenon that instantaneously generates bubbles at the interface between the ink and the heating element. Ink droplets are ejected from the outlet to print on the recording paper. The ink consumed for printing is supplied (supplemented) from the ink cartridge to the print head. In general, there are ink cartridges that are separate from the print head and those that are integrated.
[0003]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing the ink jet recording apparatus as described above. As shown in the figure, in the ink jet recording apparatus 1, the print head 2 is held by a carriage 3 and faces the platen roller 4. The carriage 3 is slidably held by a guide shaft 5 and is engaged with a toothed belt 6. The toothed belt 6 is driven to rotate forward and backward via a gear (not shown) when the motor 7 rotates in both forward and reverse directions. As a result, the print head 2 prints characters, images, and the like on the paper 8 while sliding along the platen 4 in the width direction (main scanning direction) indicated by the double arrow A in the drawing of the paper 8.
[0004]
The platen 4 sandwiches the paper 8 between the auxiliary rollers 9 and is driven by a motor 10 to intermittently convey the paper 8 in the vertical direction (sub-scanning direction). Proceed to. A head cleaning device 11 is disposed at the right end of the platen 4 (in the oblique upper right direction in the figure). The head cleaning device 11 includes a cleaning port 12 that faces the ink ejection surface of the print head 2 when the print head 2 is at the rightmost home position. At this time, the ink discharge surface of the print head 2 is engaged with the cleaning device 11 by the cleaning port 12 as necessary or periodically, and the ink discharge surface is cleaned, whereby the ink discharge surface of the print head 2 is discharged. Nozzle clogging is eliminated or prevented.
[0005]
Two types of ink cartridges, a black ink cartridge 13 and a color ink cartridge 14, are detachably mounted on the carriage 3.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the carriage 3, the black ink cartridge 13 and the color ink cartridge 14 mounted on the carriage 3. As shown in the figure, the carriage 3 is provided with lock lids 15a and 15b (not shown in FIG. 17). The lock lid 15a is provided with a lock claw 16a, and the lock lid 15b is provided with a lock claw 16b.
[0006]
When the lock lid 15 a is closed, the lock claw 16 a is locked to the locking portion 17 a on the side surface of the carriage 3 to fix the mounted black ink cartridge 13 to the carriage 3. Similarly, when the lock lid 15 b is closed, the lock claw 16 b is locked to the locking portion 17 b on the side surface of the carriage 3, and the mounted color ink cartridge 14 is fixed to the carriage 3. An annular engaging portion 18 is formed at the lower rear portion of the carriage 3 so as to be engaged with the guide shaft 5 shown in FIG.
[0007]
FIG. 19 is an external perspective view of the color ink cartridge 14 described above, with a part cut away.
FIG. 20A is a perspective view for explaining assembly at the time of manufacturing the color ink cartridge 14, and FIG. 20B is a side sectional view of the finished product. 19 and 20A and 20B, the color ink cartridge 14 has three ink chambers 20 (20-1) inside the cartridge main body 19 by two partition walls 21-1 and 21-2. , 20-2, 20-3). Each ink chamber 20 has a built-in ink holding member 22 made of sponge or the like, and each ink of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), which are three primary colors of subtractive color mixing, is fully filled. Thereafter, the lid 23 is adhered to the cartridge body 19 by, for example, ultrasonic fusion, and shipped from the factory.
[0008]
Each of the three ink chambers 20 is provided with an ink supply unit 24 at the bottom thereof, and a seal 25 made of, for example, aluminum foil or the like is attached to the end thereof. When this is mounted on the carriage 3 and the lock lid 15 b is closed as shown in FIG. 18, the ink supply unit 24 is connected to a communication part (not shown) with the print head 2 disposed on the carriage 3. Thereafter, the ink in each ink chamber is supplied to the print head 2.
[0009]
Such an ink cartridge is replaced with a new ink cartridge when the ink becomes empty. The remaining amount of ink is managed, for example, by managing the number of ejected dots after installing a new ink cartridge on the printer body side, and appropriately issuing a warning for cartridge replacement when the ink runs out. Is.
[0010]
When the ink cartridge is replaced, the carriage 3 shown in FIG. 17 is moved to a home position near the position where the head cleaning device 11 in the upper right side of the drawing is disposed, that is, a position where the replacement work can be easily performed. It has become. If the print head is not integrated as described above, only the ink cartridge is removed and replaced with a new ink cartridge. In addition, if the print head integrated ink cartridge is used, the print head is removed from the printer and replaced with a new print head integrated ink cartridge. In any case, refilling of ink into the ink cartridge is not considered.
[0011]
However, there is a case where the ink is not refilled by the user of the printer and the ink cartridge is not considered. That is, after making a hole in an appropriate portion of the surface common to the outer wall of the cartridge body 19 of each ink chamber 20 to connect the ink chamber 20 and the outside, and refilling the same color ink from the outside through this hole, The hole is closed with a seal paper or a film paper with an adhesive material, or an elastic member such as a rubber material is filled into the hole and closed.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when new ink is refilled in the ink holding member in which the remaining of the original ink is still absorbed by the sponge body, inks having different characteristics can be obtained by using different inks. In other words, if the ink is refilled with low quality ink, the ink may be deteriorated. In particular, in full-color printing (printing) in which the color of an original image is reproduced by superimposing subtle colors, problems are often caused in the printed image.
[0013]
Not only that, but when the quality of the ink changes not only to the hue but also to the composition, it causes nozzle clogging and printer failure. Furthermore, when low-quality ink is used for refilling, the low-quality ink itself can cause nozzle clogging before the quality change due to mixing with the remaining ink. Also, if the compatibility with the ink absorbing material is not good, ink leakage or supply failure opposite to this occurs. Further, since a hole for refilling is formed in the ink cartridge, the ink cartridge has insufficient strength, or ink leakage due to insufficient sealing of the hole occurs.
[0014]
When such a problem occurs, whether it is a print head integrated type or a cartridge-only replaceable type, the generated problem is a problem caused by refilled ink or a problem caused by the printer main body (or print head). Judgment becomes extremely difficult.
[0015]
If the cause of the failure cannot be clearly identified in this way, the responsibility for the occurrence of the failure is not only ambiguous, but the generated failure cannot be used for improving or improving the apparatus. If the device cannot be improved / improved, there is a possibility that similar problems will frequently occur in the future.
[0016]
An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus using an ink cartridge which is substantially impossible to refill ink in view of the above-described conventional situation.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described below.
The present inventionInsideThe partition wallNext to each other 2 Two containment chambers, 2 One of the two containment chambersContains ink insideA liquid different from the ink is stored in the other storage chamber.From the ink cartridgeThe inkSupplyWhilePrint headInThe present invention is applied to an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a sheet by discharging more.
[0018]
An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes an exchange instruction notifying unit for notifying the replacement of the ink cartridge in response to a decrease in the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge based on the ejection of the ink, and the replacement instruction. Based on notification of replacement of the cartridge by the notification means, a through-hole is formed in the internal partition before the cartridge is removed from the mounting position.And above 2 Ink replenishment prevention by allowing the ink and the liquid to be mixed by connecting two storage chambers to prevent refilling of the inkAnd a partition wall penetration mechanism.
[0019]
As a result, ink cartridges that have been used up due to running out of ink are substantially unable to be refilled with ink, so that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems that are difficult to determine the cause of using ink of unknown identity. This makes it possible to extend the life of the entire apparatus and stabilize the printing quality by using a regular ink cartridge.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1A is an external perspective view showing a color ink cartridge partially applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment, and FIG. It is a perspective view which shows an inside. The color ink cartridge (hereinafter simply referred to as a cartridge) 30 is a cartridge provided with a mechanism for penetrating a hole in the ink chamber wall when the cartridge is replaced. In the first embodiment, the apparatus body (inkjet recording apparatus), which will be described later, is combined with a carriage lock lid, and when the cartridge 30 is replaced when ink runs out, The whole is configured so that the cartridge 30 cannot be removed from the carriage unless the inner wall (partition wall) of the cartridge 30 is destroyed.
[0021]
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a finished product of the cartridge 30. As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, the cartridge 30 is divided into three ink chambers 34, 35 and 36 by two partition walls 32 and 33 inside the cartridge body 31. Each ink chamber 34, 35 and 36 has an ink holding member 37 made of sponge or the like.
[0022]
These ink chambers 34, 35, and 36 are filled with yellow ink (Y), magenta ink (M), and cyan ink (C), respectively, and the lid 38 is ultrasonically fused to the cartridge body 30. It is adhered with etc. Each of the three ink chambers 34, 35, and 36 is provided with an ink supply unit 39 at the bottom thereof, and a seal 40 made of, for example, aluminum foil or the like is attached to the end thereof.
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, in the cartridge 30 of this example, a through hole 41 is previously formed in the partition wall 32 that partitions the Y ink chamber 34 and the M ink chamber 35, for example. For example, an aluminum seal 42 is bonded to the through hole 41, and the through hole 41 is sealed.
[0024]
On the other hand, a cylindrical portion 44 is integrated with the outer wall 43 of the Y ink chamber 34, and an aluminum seal 45 is similarly bonded to the cylindrical end portion in the Y ink chamber 34. Accordingly, except for the configuration of the through hole 41 and the cylindrical portion 44, the structure is the same as that of the conventional example, that is, the Y ink chamber 34, the M ink chamber 35, and the C ink chamber 36 are separated from each other. It is possible to provide a cartridge 30 that is filled with a sponge body and filled with ink as in the prior art.
[0025]
The cylindrical portion 44 is fitted with a penetrating pin 46 having a pin shape with a needle or a sharp projecting tip. A portion 46a of the penetrating pin 46 protruding outside the cartridge is slightly tightly fitted to the cylindrical portion 44, but can be pushed in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 (b).
[0026]
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a carriage to which the cartridge 30 is mounted, and shows the mounted color cartridge and black ink cartridge. FIGS. 4B, 4C, and 4D are views showing the engagement state of the carriage and the cartridge. In the following description, the description of the black ink cartridge will be omitted, and the relationship with the color cartridge 30 will be described.
[0027]
First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the lock lid 49 of the carriage 48 is further provided with a hook-shaped type in addition to a normal lock claw 52 that is locked to the locking portion 51 on the carriage body side and fixes the cartridge. The locking member 53 is provided. When the cartridge 30 is placed on the carriage 48, it is urged from below by a spring member (not shown), and is installed in a slightly floating state as shown in FIG.
[0028]
Thereafter, when the lock lid 49 is closed as indicated by an arrow B in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the cartridge 30 is pushed downward as shown in FIGS. Then, the ink supply part 39 of the cartridge 30 is connected to the communication part 54 with the print head provided in the carriage 48 so that the ink in each ink chamber is supplied to the print head. c) As shown by a double-pointed arrow C, the elastic lock member 53 engages with the protruding portion 46a of the penetrating pin 46 so that the collar portion can be displaced back and forth to fix the lock lid 49 to the cartridge 30, and the lock lid The 49 lock claws 52 are engaged with the engagement portions 51 of the carriage body, and the lock lid 49 is fixed to the carriage body.
[0029]
That is, as shown in FIG. 3D, after the lock lid 49 is closed, the lock member 53 is caught by the through pin 46 and cannot be opened even if the lock lid 49 is opened. That is, the cartridge 30 can be taken out. Is configured to not. Thereafter, a predetermined number of times of printing is executed, and a special operation is required from the user to remove the cartridge 30 that has run out of ink from the carriage 48.
[0030]
4A and 4B are views for explaining a method of taking out the cartridge 30 from the carriage 48, and FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow D in FIG. 3D. As shown in FIG. 3D and FIG. 4A, the lock member 53 of the lock lid 49 is engaged with the protruding portion 46 a of the penetrating pin 46.
[0031]
Here, the user is determined to push the penetrating pin 46 (46a) of the cartridge 30 in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 4A (or may be displayed on a display panel or the like). When the user pushes the penetrating pin 46 (46a) in the direction of arrow E as shown in FIG. 5B, the protruding portion 46a of the penetrating pin 46 is disengaged from the lock member 53, and the lock lid 49 is removed. The cartridge 30 can be removed from the carriage 48, and the tip of the through pin 46 breaks through the seal 45 of the cylindrical portion 44 and the seal 42 of the through hole 41 of the partition wall 32. As a result, the Y ink chamber 34 and the M ink chamber 35 communicate with each other.
[0032]
Here, in the used cartridge 30 in which the penetrating pin 46 penetrates the partition wall 32, the Y ink chamber 34 and the M ink chamber 35 communicate with each other. The M ink will be mixed, so it can no longer be used again.
[0033]
Note that the operation of pushing the penetration pin 46 may be performed by providing the pushing member mechanism 55 on the apparatus main body side and pushing the penetration pin 46, as shown in FIG. The push member mechanism 55 shown in the figure is rotated by a cam 57 supported by a support shaft 56 and a pin 58 of the cam 57 slidably engaged with a long groove hole at one end so that the support shaft 59 serves as a fulcrum. A rotating arm 61 that moves, and a push rod member 64 that is slidably supported by a supporting and guiding member 63 with a pin 62 slidably engaged with a long groove hole at the other end of the rotating arm 61.
[0034]
In this configuration, when the cam 57 rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow F, the rotating arm 61 first rotates in the clockwise direction, that is, the other end rotates in the arrow G direction. Then, the push rod member 64 advances in the direction in which the penetrating pin 46 indicated by the arrow H is pushed. As a result, the through pin 46 is pushed into the cartridge 30 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the cam 57 continues to rotate counterclockwise, the rotating arm 61 rotates reversely and rotates counterclockwise, and the push rod member 64 is moved to the reference position (standby position) indicated by the arrow J. Pull back.
[0035]
In the above example, the Y, M, and C color cartridges 30 have been described, but a black ink cartridge can be configured in substantially the same manner.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the black ink cartridge. As shown in the figure, the black ink cartridge 65 is provided with a separate chamber 67 outside the ink chamber 66. This separate chamber 67 is filled with, for example, water or other liquid. A through-hole 69 is formed in advance in a partition wall 68 that partitions the separate chamber 67 and the black ink chamber 66 and sealed with an aluminum seal 71, and a cylindrical portion 73 is provided integrally with an outer wall 72 of the separate chamber 67, The tip is sealed with an aluminum seal 74. A through pin 75 is disposed in the cylindrical portion 73.
[0036]
Similarly, in this case, the black ink cartridge 65 that has been used due to running out of ink is pierced by the aluminum seal 71 before being taken out of the carriage 48, and the ink chamber is unsealed. Since other liquids enter the ink chamber 66, they cannot be used even if they are refilled with ink.
[0037]
In the above example, the YMC cartridge and the black cartridge are mounted on the carriage at the same time. However, the YMC cartridge and the black cartridge of the same type (the black ink capacity is three times that of the color single color ink). There is something that is used properly. In other words, when printing a color image, the YMC cartridge is mounted on the carriage, and when printing text or the like, the YMC cartridge is removed from the carriage and replaced with a black cartridge.
[0038]
In this case, when the cartridge once mounted on the carriage is taken out during use, it is uneconomical and troublesome for the user if it cannot be used again as described above. Therefore, an example in which such a case or when it is desired to take out the cartridge halfway for performing some maintenance work will be described.
[0039]
FIG. 6A is an external perspective view showing a part of the cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus in the second embodiment, and FIG. 6B shows the inside before the lid is attached. The perspective view and FIG. 10C are side sectional views of the finished product. As shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C, the cartridge 76 in this example is similar to the cartridge 30 shown in FIGS. However, the through pin 46 is removed from the cylindrical portion 77 as shown in FIG.
[0040]
That is, the through hole of the partition wall 79 and the inner end portion of the cylindrical portion 77 are simply sealed, and the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 77 is also simply sealed with the seal member 78. Other configurations are substantially the same as those of the cartridge 30 in FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIG. However, as described above, the appearance is slightly different as long as there is no penetrating pin in the cylindrical portion 77, and there is no protruding portion to the outside, and the side surface is formed smoothly.
[0041]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge 76 is mounted. The print head 82, carriage 83, platen roller 84, guide shaft 85, toothed belt 86, belt motor 87, paper 88, auxiliary roller 89, platen motor 90, head cleaning device 91, and head cleaning device 91 of the ink jet recording apparatus 80 shown in FIG. The structure of the cleaning port 92 is the same as that of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 17, that is, the print head 2, carriage 3, platen roller 4, guide shaft 5, toothed belt 6, motor 7, paper 8, auxiliary roller 9, motor 10. The configurations of the head cleaning device 11 and the cleaning port 12 are the same.
[0042]
The carriage 83 is mounted with the cartridge 76 and the black cartridge 93 shown in FIG. A carriage moving space 94 is provided further on the end side than the home position of the carriage 83 (the space above the head cleaning device 91), and a thrust pin 95 is fixedly provided here.
[0043]
In the second embodiment, the cartridge 76 can be replaced during a normal use period. In this case, the partition wall 79 (see FIG. 6C) of the cartridge 76 is not penetrated. In this example, cartridge replacement timing is performed by moving the carriage 83 to the rightmost end under the control of the control mechanism of the apparatus main body (inkjet recording apparatus 80).
[0044]
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the inkjet recording apparatus 80. As shown in the figure, the system configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus 80 includes a moving unit 96 which is a portion disposed on the carriage 83 and a stationary unit (control unit) 97 which is another fixed portion. I know. The one moving unit 96 includes a driver 98 that drives the print head 82 to print.
[0045]
The other stationary unit 97 is connected to the MPU (micro processing unit) 99, the I / F (interface) 102 and the head control unit 103 connected to the MPU 99 via the bus 101, and the I / F 102. And a memory B105 connected to the head controller 103.
[0046]
Print data and control data are input to the inkjet recording apparatus 80 via a I / F 102 from a PC (personal computer) 106 that is a host device. The MPU 99 receives the print data and the control data while controlling the memory A 104 via the I / F 102. Further, the MPU 99 receives an output 107 of a sensor for monitoring each part, and the MPU 99 receives a motor 90 for conveying the paper 88 and a belt motor 87 for reciprocating the toothed belt 86 (that is, the print head 82). A drive signal 108 for rotating the signal is output.
[0047]
Further, the MPU 99 expands the print data for each line in the memory B 105 via the head controller 103, and based on the expanded print data, the flexible communication cable not shown in the head controller 103 and FIG. The driver 98 is controlled via 109. Further, the MPU 99 drives these parts while referring to the output 107 of the sensor. Then, the ink discharge amount is calculated based on the print data, and the ink remaining amount in the cartridge 76 is detected.
[0048]
In general, for example, in an inkjet recording apparatus having a resolution of 720 dpi (dots / inch), the ejection amount of one drop (one dot) of normal ink is about 20 pl (picoliter), and when the resolution is 300 dpi, the ink ejection amount of one dot is about 50 pl. It is. In addition, the ink adhesion rate (printing rate) in the case of an image is about 50% on average, and the printing rate is about 5% for text printing. Further, the ink chamber capacity of a normal ink cartridge is often 10 ml (milliliter). The effective print area of A4 size paper is often set to approximately 2460 × 3300 dots when the resolution is 300 dpi. For these reasons, it is easy to calculate the ink discharge amount and detect the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 76.
[0049]
In the above configuration, the MPU 99 calculates the ink discharge amount and recognizes that the cartridge 76 has run out of ink, and moves the carriage 83 to the rightmost end of the apparatus main body.
[0050]
FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are views showing the operating state of the thrust pin 95 with respect to the cartridge 76 that is generated by moving the carriage 83 to the rightmost end of the apparatus main body. When the carriage 83 moves to the rightmost end of the apparatus main body, as shown in FIG. 6A, the thrust pin 95 on the apparatus main body side relatively approaches the cartridge 76, and eventually shown in FIG. Thus, the seal member 78 at the outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 77 on the outer wall side is pierced into the cylindrical portion 77, and as shown in FIG. The seal of the through hole 112 is released by breaking through the seal member 113 of the through hole 112 of the partition wall 79. As a result, the Y ink chamber 114 and the M ink chamber 115 communicate with each other through the through hole 112.
[0051]
FIG. 10A shows the cartridge 76 that is removed from the carriage 83 after the carriage 83 is moved to the rightmost end of the apparatus main body as described above, and then pulled back to the home position above the head cleaning device 91. As shown in FIG. 6A, since the Y ink chamber 114 and the M ink chamber 115 communicate with each other, the cartridge 76 can no longer be refilled with ink and used. In this case as well, a main body side pin moving mechanism similar to the pressing member mechanism shown in FIG. 4C may be provided.
[0052]
FIG. 7B shows such a main body side pin moving mechanism 116. In this way, it is not necessary to set a long carriage movement distance as in FIG. 7, and the width of the apparatus main body is made narrower. That is, it can be kept small. The structure of the main body side pin moving mechanism 116 is changed to a piercing pin member 117 having a sharply sharpened tip instead of the push rod member 64 of the push member mechanism 55 of FIG. The other structure is the same as that of the pushing member mechanism 55 of FIG.4 (c). The piercing pin 117 can be variously modified so that a solenoid or the like is provided and the piercing pin is actuated instantaneously to pierce the seal portion.
[0053]
Incidentally, as the cartridge, the partition wall 79 between the Y ink chamber 114 and the M ink chamber 115 can be directly penetrated and broken without providing the through hole 112 as shown in FIG.
[0054]
FIG. 11A is a sectional side view of a completed cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 11B is an ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge is mounted. FIG. As shown in FIG. 6A, the cartridge 120 is integrally provided with a cylindrical portion 122 similar to the cylindrical portion 77 of the cartridge 76 shown in FIG. No through hole is provided in 123.
[0055]
One ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge 120 is mounted is provided with a partition wall penetration mechanism including a rotation penetration mechanism 124 and a motor 125 outside the home position, as shown in FIG. In FIG. 7B, only the carriage 126 and the cartridge 120 mounted on the carriage 126 are numbered and the other components are the same as those of the ink jet recording apparatus 80 shown in FIG. Since the configuration is the same as the configuration excluding the carriage movement space 94 and the thrust pin 95, the numbers are omitted.
[0056]
12A is a perspective view showing the structure of the rotary penetrating mechanism 124 in perspective, and FIG. 12B is a side sectional view showing an engaged state of the rotary penetrating mechanism 124 and the motor 125. It is. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the rotary penetrating mechanism 124 includes a rotary penetrating member 128 having a drill blade 127 at the tip and a support member 129 that supports the rotating penetrating member 128.
[0057]
An internal thread 131 is cut in the support member 129, and an external thread 132 of the rotary penetrating member 128 is screwed into the internal thread 131. A flat hole 133 is formed from the motor side end of the rotation penetrating member 128, and a flat end portion 135 of the rotation shaft of the motor 134 is fitted in the hole 133.
[0058]
FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C show the rotation penetrating mechanism 124 with respect to the cartridge 120 generated by driving the partition wall penetrating mechanism on the apparatus main body side after moving the carriage 126 to the home position. It is a figure which shows an operation state. As shown in FIG. 5A, the drill blade 127 of the rotary penetrating mechanism 124 faces the cylindrical portion 122. The rotation penetrating member 128 is rotationally driven by the motor 125, and the male thread portion 132 of the rotating penetrating member 128 that engages with the scissors screw 131 of the support member 129 advances along the scissors screw 131.
[0059]
As a result, the drill blade 127 enters the cylindrical portion 122 as shown in FIG. 6B, and further enters the partition wall 123 to break it as shown in FIG. As a result, the two ink chambers on both sides of the partition wall 123 communicate with each other, and the ink refilling of the cartridge 120 is disabled. Instead of providing the rotation penetrating mechanism on the apparatus main body side, it can be built in the cartridge.
[0060]
FIG. 14A is a view showing an example in which the rotary penetration mechanism is built in the cartridge, and FIG. 14B is a view showing a motor on the apparatus main body side that drives the rotary penetration mechanism. As shown in FIG. 9A, a cylindrical portion 138 with a male screw is integrally formed on the outer wall 137 of the cartridge 136, and a rotary penetrating member 140 having a drill blade 139 at the tip is provided in the cylindrical portion 138. It is screwed. A flat hole 141 is bored from the outer end of the rotary penetrating member 140 to the inside, and a seal member 142 is bonded to the outer wall 137 so as to cover the hole 141 and the outer end of the rotary penetrating member 140.
[0061]
When the carriage moves further from the home position to the right end of the apparatus, the flat end 144 of the rotating shaft of the motor 143 on the apparatus main body side shown in FIG. 5B breaks through the seal member 142 and fits into the flat hole 141, and the motor 143 rotates and feeds the rotary penetrating member 140 to the left, and the drill blade 139 breaks through the seal member 147 sealing the hole 146 provided in the partition wall 145 to open the ink chambers on both sides of the partition wall 145. Communicate. The hole 146 may not be formed and only the partition wall 145 may be used.
[0062]
FIG. 15A is an external perspective view showing a cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the fourth embodiment with a part cut away, and FIG. 15B shows the inside before the lid is attached. The perspective view and FIG. 10C are side sectional views of the finished product. In this example, the seal member is provided on the partition wall between the Y ink chamber and the M ink chamber in the same manner as in the above-described example, but electrical control is used to destroy the seal member.
[0063]
That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5C, a large opening 149 is provided in the partition wall 148, and a seal wall 151 made of a relatively thin seal member is provided correspondingly. Glued. Nichrome wire 152 is wired on seal wall 151, and both ends 152 a and 152 b are connected to electrodes 154 a and 154 b on outer wall 153 of cartridge 150. The electrodes 154a and 154b are electrically connected to the two electrodes 155 on the apparatus main body side when the carriage moves to the home position or the like.
[0064]
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus according to this embodiment in which the cartridge is mounted. In FIG. 11, the rotary penetrating mechanism 124 and the motor 125 are removed from the configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 11B, and a power supply electrode is newly attached. The other configuration is shown in FIG. Since the configuration is the same as that of the ink jet recording apparatus, each component is not particularly shown with a number.
[0065]
In the ink jet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 16, when the cartridge 150 shown in FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C is out of ink, the carriage 156 is moved to the rightmost home position to The switch circuit of the power supply 157 (see FIG. 15C) is turned on for a predetermined time in a state where the electrodes 154a and 154b of the 150 nichrome wires 152 and the electrodes 155 (155a, 155b) on the apparatus body side are in contact Control. Thereby, the nichrome wire 152 generates heat and melts the seal wall 151 along the wiring path. As a result, the partition of the partition wall 148 is broken and the Y ink chambers on both sides communicate with the M ink. In this example, a large opening 149 is provided in the partition wall 148. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a hole to be sealed with a sealing member is formed to be small, and a heater is provided in the sealing seal. Also good. In short, the ink chambers on both sides may communicate with each other through the hole.
[0066]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, since the inner wall portion of the used cartridge is automatically destroyed due to running out of ink, it is possible to prevent refilling of ink into the ink cartridge. It is possible to prevent the print head and the printer main body from being broken by refilling the cartridge with different specifications of the ink, so that high quality printing can be performed with confidence over a long period of time. In addition, if a failure occurs, the cause can be investigated and improved and improved at an early stage, so that the trust in the product can be maintained and appropriate improvements can be made in response to the occurrence of defects. It can contribute to the improvement of technology.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is an external perspective view showing a partially cutaway color ink cartridge applied to an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the interior before the lid is attached. FIG.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a finished product of the cartridge of FIG.
3A is a perspective view of a carriage to which the cartridge of FIG. 2 is mounted, and FIGS. 3B, 3C, and 3D are views showing an engagement state of the carriage and the cartridge.
4A and 4B are views for explaining a method of taking out a cartridge from the carriage shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4C is a view showing a pressing member mechanism provided on the apparatus main body side as another example.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the black ink cartridge according to the first embodiment.
6A is an external perspective view showing a part of the cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing the interior before the lid is attached. c) is a side sectional view of the finished product.
7 is a perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge of FIG. 6 is mounted.
8 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG.
FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C are views showing an operating state of a thrust pin with respect to a cartridge by movement of the carriage to the rightmost end in the second embodiment. FIGS.
10A is a view showing a used cartridge removed from the carriage of the apparatus main body, and FIG. 10B is a view showing a main body side pin moving mechanism as another example.
11A is a sectional side view of a completed cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge is mounted.
12A is a perspective view showing a perspective view of the structure of the rotary penetrating mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 11, and FIG. 12B is a side sectional view showing an engaged state of the rotary penetrating mechanism and the motor.
FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C are views showing an operation state of the rotary penetrating mechanism with respect to the cartridge at the home position.
14A is a view showing an example in which a rotary penetrating mechanism is built in a cartridge, and FIG. 14B is a view showing a motor on the apparatus main body side for driving the mechanism.
15A is an external perspective view showing a cartridge applied to the ink jet recording apparatus according to the fourth embodiment with a part cut away, and FIG. 15B is a perspective view showing the inside before the lid is attached. c) is a side sectional view of the finished product.
16 is a perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus to which the cartridge of FIG. 15 is mounted.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing a conventional ink jet recording apparatus.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a carriage of a conventional inkjet recording apparatus, a black ink cartridge mounted on the carriage, and a color ink cartridge.
FIG. 19 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the appearance of a conventional color ink cartridge.
FIG. 20A is a perspective view for explaining assembly in manufacturing a conventional color ink cartridge, and FIG. 20B is a side sectional view of the finished product.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Conventional inkjet recording apparatus
2 Print head
3 Carriage
4 Platen roller
5 Guide shaft
6 Toothed belt
7 Motor
8 paper
9 Auxiliary roller
10 Motor
11 Head cleaning device
12 Cleaning port
13 Black ink cartridge
14 Color ink cartridge
15a, 15b Lock lid
16a, 16b Lock claw
17a, 17b Locking part
18 Annular engagement part
19 Cartridge body
20 (20-1, 20-2, 20-3) Ink chamber
21-1, 21-2 Bulkhead
22 Ink holding member
23 Lid
24 Ink supply unit
25 Seal
30 Color ink cartridge according to the first embodiment
31 Cartridge body
32, 33 partition wall
34, 35, 36 Ink chamber
37 Ink holding member
38 lids
39 Ink supply section
40 seal
41 Through hole
42 Aluminum seal
43 Ink chamber outer wall
44 Tube
45 Aluminum seal
46 Through pin
46a Protruding part
48 Carriage
49 Lock lid
51 Locking part
52 Locking claw
53 Vertical lock member
54 Communication
55 Pushing member mechanism
56 Support shaft
57 cam
58 pins
59 Support shaft
61 Rotating arm
62 pins
63 Supporting and guiding members
64 Push rod members
65 Black ink cartridge according to the first embodiment
66 Ink chamber
67 Separate room
68 partition wall
69 Through hole
71 Aluminum seal
73 Tube
74 Aluminum seal
75 Through pin
76 Color ink cartridge according to the second embodiment
77 Tube
78 Sealing member
79 partition wall
80 Inkjet recording apparatus according to second embodiment
82 Print head
83 Carriage
84 Platen roller
85 Guide shaft
86 Toothed belt
87 Belt motor
88 paper
89 Auxiliary roller
90 Platen motor
91 Head cleaning device
92 Cleaning port
93 Black cartridge
94 Carriage movement space
95 thrust pin
96 Moving part
97 Stationary part (control part)
98 drivers
99 MPU (micro processing unit)
101 bus
102 I / F (interface)
103 Head controller
104 Memory A
105 memory B
106 PC (personal computer)
107 Sensor output
108 Drive signal
111, 113 Seal member
112 Through hole
114 Y ink chamber
115 M ink chamber
116 Body side pin moving mechanism
117 piercing pin member
120 Color ink cartridge according to the third embodiment
121 Exterior wall
122 cylinder
123 partition wall
124 Rotary penetration mechanism
125 motor
126 Carriage
127 drill blade
128 Rotating penetrating member
129 Support member
131 〆 Screw
132 Male thread
133 Flat hole
134 motor
135 Flat end of rotating shaft
136 cartridge
137 outer wall
138 Cylinder with 〆 thread
139 drill blade
140 Rotating penetrating member
141 Flat hole
142 Sealing member
143 Motor on the main unit side
144 Flat end of rotating shaft
145 partition wall
146 holes
147 Seal member
148 partition wall
149 large opening
150 cartridges
151 Seal wall
152 Nichrome wire
152a, 152b both ends
153 outer wall
154a, 154b Cartridge electrode
155 (155a, 155b) Body side electrode

Claims (1)

Has two accommodating chambers adjacent via the internal partition wall, detaching the ink cartridge containing different liquids and the ink in the other housing chamber housing the ink inside the one storage chamber of the two accommodating chambers in the ink jet recording apparatus for recording on paper more ejected to the print head freely mounted while supplying the ink from the ink cartridge,
A replacement instruction notifying means for notifying the replacement of the ink cartridge in accordance with a decrease in the amount of ink contained in the ink cartridge based on the ejection of the ink;
Wherein said ink by causing the penetrating portion is formed communicating the two accommodating chambers in the inner partition before the cartridge is disengaged from the mounting position on the basis of the exchange notification of the cartridge by said replacement instruction notification means liquid An ink replenishment prevention partition wall penetrating mechanism that makes mixing possible and prevents refilling of ink again ,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:

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