JP3697054B2 - Printer ink cartridge mounting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink cartridge mounting mechanism in a printer having an inkjet head.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a printer equipped with an ink jet head, a printer that uses an ink cartridge to supply ink to the ink jet head is known. When the ink in the ink cartridge runs out, the ink cartridge can be replaced with a new one. Yes. The ink cartridge mounting mechanism includes an ink supply needle disposed at a fixed position, and the ink cartridge is mounted so that the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink cartridge.
[0003]
As an ink cartridge, an ink cartridge having a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-16378 by the present applicant is known. The ink cartridge includes a flexible ink bag in which ink is sealed, an ink outlet formed in the ink bag, and a hard plastic case in which the ink bag is built. Generally, a plastic case has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an ink outlet formed in an ink bag is exposed on the front end surface of the case. Therefore, the ink cartridge is mounted so that the ink supply needle on the printer side is inserted into the ink outlet.
[0004]
In order for the ink supply needle of a certain length to be inserted and fixed in an appropriate state at the ink outlet, it is necessary to slide the ink cartridge in the insertion direction. Generally, a mounting portion for an ink cartridge is arranged at a front side or a back side portion of the printer, and the ink cartridge can be attached and detached by sliding it horizontally from the front side or the back side.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the mechanism for mounting the ink cartridge by sliding it in one direction from the front side or the rear side of the printer as described above, it is necessary to widen the mounting side portion of the mounting portion. For this reason, there are the following problems.
[0006]
First, in a printer in which a cartridge is mounted from the rear side, the printer cannot be installed on the wall. Therefore, even if the bottom area of the printer itself is reduced, a large space is required for installation.
[0007]
Further, in a printer in which an ink cartridge is mounted from the front side, a device related to the printer cannot be placed on the front side. For example, in a printer for POS use, an input device such as a tablet, a keyboard, or a scanner, or a display device that displays data input by these input devices may be arranged in front of the printer. For this reason, a printer in which an ink cartridge is mounted from the front side must move these devices when replacing the ink cartridge, which is not preferable for ease of use.
[0008]
As described above, the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the conventional printer has a problem to be solved that the installation place of the printer is restricted and requires a lot of installation places. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to propose an ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer that can solve these problems.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the present invention, an ink cartridge is mounted on the ink supply needle disposed in the ink cartridge mounting portion of the printer from a different direction, and then the ink cartridge can be mounted in the direction of the ink supply needle. Thus, an ink cartridge mounting mechanism is configured so that less space is required for mounting the ink cartridge than when the ink cartridge is mounted from one direction as in the prior art.
[0010]
That is, the present invention includes a mounting portion for detachably mounting the ink cartridge and an ink supply needle disposed in the mounting portion, and the ink supply needle is inserted and connected to an ink outlet port of the ink cartridge. In the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of a printer that mounts the ink cartridge on the mounting portion, the mounting portion includes an opening that receives the ink cartridge from a direction different from the axial direction of the ink supply needle when the ink cartridge is mounted. A box-shaped receiving portion, and a slide mechanism for moving the receiving portion in the axial direction of the ink supply needle so that the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink cartridge accommodated in the receiving portion; It is characterized by having.
[0011]
In a typical embodiment of the present invention, the ink cartridge receiving direction of the receiving portion is a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction of the ink supply needle. Of course, the direction may be an acute angle or an obtuse angle instead of an orthogonal direction.
[0012]
The slide mechanism includes a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, an operation lever that is formed to be rotatable on the guide frame side, and a rotational movement of the operation lever that moves the receiving portion. A configuration having a mechanism for converting to a linear motion to be slid can be employed.
[0013]
More specifically, for example, a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, a rack formed on the receiving portion side, and a pinion that is formed on the guide frame side and meshes with the rack In order to rotate the pinion, a configuration including an operation lever extending in the radial direction from the rotation center of the pinion can be employed. If the slide mechanism of this structure is used, the slide operation of the receiving part can be easily performed with a small force by lengthening the operation lever.
[0014]
In addition to the slide mechanism using a rack and a pinion as described above, for example, a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, a protrusion formed on the receiving portion, and the guide frame And an operation lever that slides on the receiving portion, engages with the protrusion, and has a grooved cam formed on the receiving portion side, and is formed on the guide frame side. The receiving portion may be slid using a configuration having an operation lever provided with a projection that engages with the cam.
[0016]
In the case of using the ink cartridge of this configuration, it is desirable from the viewpoint of reducing ink leakage that the ink supply needles are arranged horizontally.
[0017]
In addition, it is desirable to attach a lid to the opening of the receiving portion so that foreign matter does not enter the receiving portion of the ink cartridge mounting portion when the ink cartridge is removed. In this case, the lid is configured such that the opening of the receiving portion is sealed in a state where the lid can be opened in the receiving direction of the ink cartridge, the spring biasing the lid in the blocking direction, and the lid And an engagement portion holding the ink cartridge in a sealed state, and the engagement portion is movable in a direction in which the engagement is released by the ink cartridge pushed into the receiving portion. Since the lid opens and closes in conjunction with the attaching / detaching operation, the operability is improved.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A configuration of a printer including an ink cartridge mounting mechanism to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0019]
(Entire printer configuration)
1 and 2 are perspective views of an ink jet printer to which the present invention is applied as viewed obliquely from the front and obliquely rear, respectively, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the paper conveyance path.
[0020]
Referring to these drawings, the ink jet printer 1 has a roll paper loading mechanism 2 and a paper feed port 3 for A4 size cut paper, slip paper, etc., and is supplied from the roll paper loading mechanism 2. The roll path 4 and the slip paper 5 inserted from the paper feed port 3 are configured to be conveyed through the printing position 11 (area surrounded by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 1). An ink jet head 8 is held by a carriage mechanism 9 so as to face the surface of the roll paper 4 and slip paper 5 passing through the printing position 11.
[0021]
The carriage mechanism 9 includes a guide shaft 6, a carriage 7 that is held along the guide shaft 6 so as to be capable of reciprocating in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the roll paper 4 and the slip paper 5, and a carriage driving motor ( (Not shown).
[0022]
The carriage 7 can reciprocate in the width direction within a range including the printing position 11, and a capping mechanism that is a retracted position of the inkjet head 8 is located at a position off the printing position 11 on one side in the width direction. An 11B capping surface 11C is arranged. The ink jet head 8 is set in a state where its nozzle surface is blocked by the capping surface 11C in a state of waiting for the printing operation, thereby preventing the ink meniscus of each ink nozzle from retreating, ink drying, and the like.
[0023]
Ink is supplied to the inkjet head 8 from an ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 as an ink supply unit mounted at a position adjacent to the roll paper loading mechanism 2 via an ink tube (not shown). As can be seen from FIG. 2, the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 includes an ink cartridge mounting unit 30 in which the ink cartridge 20 is mounted in a detachable state.
[0024]
(Ink supply system and ink cartridge)
Here, an outline of an ink supply system for supplying ink to the inkjet head 8 will be described with reference to FIG. An ink supply needle 31 is disposed in the ink cartridge mounting portion 30 of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10, and the ink cartridge 20 is mounted so that the ink supply needle 31 is completely inserted. The ink supplied from the ink cartridge 20 to the ink supply needle 31 is supplied to the inkjet head 8 through the ink tube 32. By driving the inkjet head 8, ink droplets are ejected from each ink nozzle (not shown) onto the recording paper transported through the printing position 11. In a state where the ink-jet head 8 is blocked by the capping surface 11C of the capping mechanism 11B, the ink pump 33 is driven to suck ink from the nozzle surface and pass through the waste ink tube 34, and then the waste ink collection unit 35. Can be recovered.
[0025]
Next, the outline of the internal structure of the ink cartridge 20 will be described with reference to FIG. The ink cartridge 20 includes a flexible ink bag 21 in which ink is sealed, an ink outlet 22 formed in the ink bag 21, and a hard case 23 in which the ink bag 21 is built. It has become. The case 23 includes a case main body 23a and a case lid 23b. A front end surface 23c of the case 23 includes a needle insertion hole 23d through which the ink supply needle 31 can be inserted into the ink outlet port 22 from the outside, and positioning of the three ink cartridges. Hole 23e is open. A detection plate 24 for detecting the remaining amount of ink is attached to the side surface of the ink bag 21.
[0026]
(Ink cartridge mounting mechanism)
Next, the configuration of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 incorporated in the printer 1 will be described.
[0027]
FIGS. 5A and 5B are views showing the state of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 before the ink cartridge 20 is mounted. FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating how the ink cartridge 20 is moved by the slide mechanism. The states before and after sliding toward the supply needle 31 are shown.
[0028]
Referring to these drawings, the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 includes a mounting portion 30 for mounting the ink cartridge 20 in a detachable manner. The mounting portion 30 includes a hood portion 40 in which an ink supply needle 31 is horizontally attached to a side surface, and a distal end side of the ink supply needle 31 is in an open state. Three positioning pins 42 protrude horizontally from the side surface of the hood portion 40 in the same direction as the ink supply needle 31. Further, the mounting portion 30 includes a box-shaped ink cartridge receiving portion 50 that is slidable in the axial direction of the ink supply needle 31, that is, in the horizontal direction with respect to the hood portion 40. Further, a slide mechanism 60 for sliding the receiving portion 50 in the horizontal direction is provided.
[0029]
The box-shaped receiving part 50 has an opening 51 on the upper side, and the ink cartridge 20 can be mounted in the receiving part 50 in the vertical direction from the upper side of the upper opening 51. That is, the ink cartridge 20 can be received from a direction substantially orthogonal to the ink supply needle 31. An opening 52d and a positioning hole 52e are formed in the front end surface 52 of the receiving portion 50 at positions corresponding to the needle holes 23d and the three positioning holes 23e formed in the front end surface 23 of the mounted ink cartridge 20, respectively. ing.
[0030]
A lid 53 is attached to the upper opening 51 of the receiving portion 50. The lid 53 can pivot downward (ink cartridge receiving direction) around the pivot shaft 53a on one side of the receiving portion 50, and is normally biased in a closing direction by a spring force. . Further, when the lid 53 is closed, the distal end is fitted into the engagement groove 54 formed on the side surface of the receiving portion 50 and is locked. A protrusion 25 is formed on the side surface of the bottom of the ink cartridge 20 so as to move the engagement groove 54 in the lateral direction. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 20 is pushed in from above, the portion where the engaging groove 54 is formed by the protrusion 25 moves elastically, and the lid lock is released. After this, the lid 53 turns downward together with the ink cartridge 20 and is pressed against the side surface of the receiving portion 50. When the ink cartridge 20 is pulled up from the receiving portion 50, the lid 53 is pivoted upward by the spring force and returns to the locked state shown in FIG. 5B again.
[0031]
The slide mechanism 60 for sliding the receiving portion 50 includes a guide frame 61 that supports the receiving portion 50 so as to be slidable. The guide frame 61 includes a guide formed along the bottom surface of the receiving portion 50. A rail groove 62 into which the rail 56 is slidably fitted is formed. On the side surface of the receiving portion 50, a rack 63 is formed facing downward in the sliding direction. On the other hand, a pinion 64 is rotatably attached to the side of the guide frame 61 so as to engage with the rack 63. On the side surface of the pinion 64, an operation lever 65 extends from the turning center 66 of the pinion 64 in a substantially radial direction.
[0032]
(Ink cartridge loading operation)
With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the mounting operation of the ink cartridge 20 in the ink cartridge mounting mechanism 10 of the present example configured as described above will be described.
[0033]
First, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, when the ink cartridge receiving portion 50 is pulled out from the hood portion 40, the ink cartridge 20 is pushed into the upper opening 53 from the upper side as indicated by an arrow. . As a result, the lid 53 is pushed and opened, and the ink cartridge 20 is received inside. In this state, the needle hole 23d opened in the front end surface 23 of the ink cartridge 20 and the three positioning holes 23e are respectively aligned with the opening 52d opened in the front end surface of the receiving portion 50 and the positioning hole 52e. I'm doing it.
[0034]
In this way, the state of FIG. 6A is formed. Thereafter, the operation lever 65 in a state of being tilted sideways is operated in a direction to raise upward. As a result of this operation, the receiving portion 50 on which the ink cartridge 20 is mounted slides in the horizontal direction toward the ink supply needle 31 side.
[0035]
When the operation lever 65 is completely raised, the front end surface 52 of the receiving portion 50 comes into contact with the side surface of the hood portion 40 as shown in FIG. In the middle of reaching this state, the three positioning pins 42 are inserted into the positioning hole 52e on the front end surface of the receiving portion and the hole 23e on the front end surface of the ink cartridge. Guided and positioned. The ink supply needle 31 protruding horizontally also passes through the opening 52d on the front end surface of the receiving portion and the needle hole 23d on the front end surface of the ink cartridge 20, and is completely inserted into the ink intake port 22 inside. As a result, an ink supply system from the ink cartridge 20 to the ink jet head 8 is formed.
[0036]
On the other hand, when the empty ink cartridge 20 is replaced with a new one, an operation reverse to the above may be performed. That is, the operation lever 65 in the state shown in FIG. 6B is operated so as to be tilted backward. As a result, the receiving portion 50 slides rearward, and the upper opening 53 is completely pulled out from the hood portion 40. That is, the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the both side surfaces of the ink cartridge 20 exposed from the cutout portions 57a and 57b formed on both side surfaces of the receiving portion 50 may be grasped by hand and pulled out vertically.
[0037]
(Other Embodiments of Ink Cartridge Mounting Mechanism)
Next, another embodiment of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0038]
7A and 7B show states before and after the ink cartridge 20 is slid toward the ink supply needle 31 by the slide mechanism. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 denote the same elements, and the description of the same parts as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 will be omitted.
[0039]
Protrusions 71, 72, and 73 are provided on the side surface of the ink cartridge receiving portion 50 of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the present embodiment. When the operation lever 65b is rotated with the turning center 66 as a fulcrum, the lever 65b abuts against these protrusions 71, 72, 73 and presses the ink cartridge receiving portion 50 to slide in the horizontal direction. These protrusions are arranged at appropriate positions on the side surface of the receiving portion 50.
[0040]
The slide mechanism 60 for sliding the receiving portion 50 includes a guide frame 61 that supports the receiving portion 50 so as to be slidable. The guide frame 61 includes a guide formed along the bottom surface of the receiving portion 50. The rail groove 62 into which the rail 56 is slidably fitted is formed in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.
[0041]
The mounting operation of the ink cartridge 20 in the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described.
[0042]
FIG. 7A shows a state in which the ink cartridge receiving portion 50 is pulled out from the hood portion 40 and the ink cartridge 20 is mounted from the upper side. Thereafter, the operation lever 65b in a state of being tilted sideways is moved. Operate in the direction of raising. As a result of this operation, the receiving portion 50 on which the ink cartridge 20 is mounted slides in the horizontal direction toward the ink supply needle 31 side.
[0043]
That is, when the operation lever 65b is raised in the direction of the arrow, the side surface 67 of the operation lever 65b first contacts the protrusion 71. When the operation lever 65b is further raised, the protrusion 71 is pushed against the side surface 67 of the operation lever 65b. As a result, the receiving portion 50 slides in the direction of the arrow along the rail groove 62 in which the guide rail 56 formed along the bottom surface is fitted.
[0044]
Further, when the operation lever 65b is raised, the projection 72 is pushed toward the side surface 68 above the side surface 67 of the operation lever 65b. When the operation lever 65b is fully raised, the front end surface 52 of the receiving portion 50 comes into contact with the side surface of the hood portion 40 as shown in FIG. In this state, the horizontally extending ink supply needle 31 passes through the opening 52d on the front end surface of the receiving portion and the needle hole 23d on the front end surface of the ink cartridge 20, and is completely inserted into the ink intake port 22 inside. As a result, an ink supply system from the ink cartridge 20 to the ink jet head 8 is formed.
[0045]
In the middle of reaching this state, the three positioning pins 42 are inserted into the positioning holes 52e on the front end surface of the receiving portion and the holes 23e on the front end surface of the ink cartridge, as in the above-described embodiment. is there.
[0046]
On the other hand, when the emptied ink cartridge 20 is replaced with a new one, an operation reverse to the above is performed. That is, the operation lever 65b in the state shown in FIG. 7B is operated to be tilted backward. As a result, the protrusion 73 of the receiving portion 50 is pushed by the side surface 69 opposite to the side surface 67 of the operation lever 65b, and the receiving portion 50 slides backward.
[0047]
When the operation lever 65d is completely tilted, the upper opening 53 of the receiving portion 50 is completely pulled out from the hood portion 40. That is, the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the both side surfaces of the ink cartridge 20 exposed from the cutout portions 57a and 57b formed on both side surfaces of the receiving portion 50 may be grasped by hand and pulled out vertically.
[0048]
In this embodiment, the example in which the protrusion is provided on the cartridge receiving portion side and the cartridge receiving portion is slid by pressing the protrusion with the operation lever has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various slide mechanisms may be used. it can. For example, a protrusion (cam follower) is provided on the operation lever side, and a groove-shaped cam that engages with the protrusion is provided on the cartridge receiving portion side, and a mechanism that slides the cartridge receiving portion according to the rotation of the operation lever is used. The rotational movement of the operating lever may be converted into a linear movement that slides the receiving portion.
[0049]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the printer of the present invention, by mounting the ink cartridge from a direction different from the ink supply needle, and then sliding the ink cartridge toward the ink supply needle, The mounting of the ink cartridge is completed. For this reason, as compared with the conventional mounting mechanism in which the ink cartridge is mounted from one direction, the space in the mounting direction can be reduced.
[0050]
Accordingly, the printer equipped with the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the present invention does not require a large space on the front or rear side thereof, so that it is not restricted by the installation location and does not require a large installation space. There is an effect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing an inkjet printer to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the ink jet printer of FIG. 1;
3 is an explanatory diagram showing a paper conveyance path in the ink jet printer of FIG. 1. FIG.
4A is a schematic configuration diagram showing an ink supply system in the ink jet printer of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4B is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an ink cartridge.
5A is an explanatory diagram showing a state of an ink cartridge mounting mechanism before mounting an ink cartridge, and FIG. 5B is a partial cross-sectional view thereof.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an ink cartridge mounting operation in the ink cartridge mounting mechanism.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an ink cartridge mounting operation in another embodiment of the ink cartridge mounting mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer 2 Roll paper loading mechanism 3 Paper feed port 4 Roll paper 6 Guide shaft 7 Carriage 8 Inkjet head 9 Carriage mechanism 10 Ink cartridge mounting mechanism 11 Printing position 20 Ink cartridge 23d Ink supply needle insertion hole 23e Positioning hole 25 Protrusion 30 Ink cartridge mounting portion 31 Ink supply needle 40 Hood portion 42 Positioning pin 50 Ink cartridge receiving portion 51 Upper opening 52d Ink supply needle opening 52e Positioning hole 53 Lid 54 Engaging groove 56 Guide rail 60 Slide mechanism 61 Guide frame 62 Rail groove 63 Rack 64 Pinion 65 Operation lever

Claims (8)

The ink cartridge includes a mounting portion that detachably mounts the ink cartridge and an ink supply needle disposed in the mounting portion, and the ink cartridge is mounted so that the ink supply needle is inserted and connected to an ink outlet of the ink cartridge. In the ink cartridge mounting mechanism of the printer to be mounted on the
The mounting portion includes a box-shaped receiving portion having an opening for receiving the ink cartridge from a direction different from the axial direction of the ink supply needle when the ink cartridge is mounted, and the receiving portion is disposed in the axial direction of the ink supply needle. An ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer, comprising: a slide mechanism configured to move the ink supply needle into a state where the ink supply needle is inserted into an ink outlet port of the ink cartridge accommodated in the receiving portion.   2. The ink cartridge mounting mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an ink cartridge receiving direction of the receiving portion is a direction substantially perpendicular to an axial direction of the ink supply needle.   3. The slide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the slide mechanism includes a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, and an operation lever that is formed to be rotatable on the guide frame side. An ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer, comprising a mechanism for converting the rotational movement of the operation lever into a linear movement that slides the receiving portion.   4. The slide mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the slide mechanism slidably supports the receiving portion, a rack formed on the receiving portion side, and formed on the guide frame side and meshes with the rack. An ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer, comprising: a pinion; and an operation lever extending in a radial direction from a rotation center of the pinion for rotating the pinion.   4. The slide mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the slide mechanism includes a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, a protrusion formed on the receiving portion side, and a guide frame that is formed on the guide frame side. And an operation lever for sliding the receiving portion, and an ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer.   4. The slide mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the slide mechanism is formed on a guide frame that slidably supports the receiving portion, a groove-shaped cam formed on the receiving portion side, and the guide frame side, An ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer, comprising: an operating lever having a protrusion that engages with a cam.   7. The ink cartridge mounting mechanism of a printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply needle is disposed horizontally.   The lid according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lid of the receiving portion is sealed in a state where the ink cartridge can be opened in the receiving direction of the ink cartridge, and the lid is biased toward the blocking direction. And an engaging portion that holds the lid in a sealed state, and the engaging portion is movable in a direction in which the engagement is released by the ink cartridge pushed into the receiving portion. An ink cartridge mounting mechanism for a printer.

Images