JP3768615B2 - Inkjet head joint structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer that ejects ink droplets to form an ink image on a recording medium such as recording paper, and more particularly to a structure of a joint portion between an ink jet head and an ink cartridge of the ink jet printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An ink jet printer is a printer that can obtain good print quality by discharging ink from a plurality of nozzles of an ink jet head while keeping the direction, droplet diameter, and discharge speed constant. Furthermore, since the number of nozzles and the type of ink can be easily increased in an inkjet printer, colorization has progressed and it is now a mainstream printer. In such a printer, there are two types, a type in which the ink jet head and the ink cartridge can be inserted and removed separately, and a type in which the head and the cartridge are not inserted and removed integrally. In the present invention, the case where it can be inserted and removed will be described.
[0003]
Conventionally, when an ink cartridge is removable, there is a moment when the ink cartridge is removed from the ink-jet head when the ink cartridge is used up and replaced. Normally, a new ink cartridge is attached immediately, but if there is no stock of a new ink cartridge, it may be left unattended. In such a case, for example, in the structure of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-257252, the ink cartridge insertion section on the ink jet head side is exposed to the outside air, so that the ink near the insertion section is dried and solidified. May become unrecoverable. In general, in a structure in which the ink jet head and the ink cartridge are separated, the ink jet head is usually a permanent. Therefore, if the ink cartridge is left out of the ink jet head, the printer becomes unable to print before the life of the ink jet head is reached.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to provide a structure that prevents ink from drying and solidifying and becoming incapable of printing when the ink cartridge is removed from the inkjet head as described above and left for a long time. is there.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, in a joint portion between an ink jet head and an ink cartridge that supplies ink to the ink jet head, the ink cartridge side is provided with a protrusion and a tip of the protrusion. The inkjet head side is located behind the first elastic member, the second elastic member capable of sealing the protruding portion, and the protruding portion is the above-described cover member. After the elastic member is penetrated and jointed with the ink jet head, and the protruding portion is pulled out from the elastic member, the elastic member can seal the print head side flow path.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in a state where an ink cartridge is inserted into the ink jet head, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment, showing a state where the ink cartridge is removed from the ink jet head. FIG. 3 is a front view of the first elastic member. This embodiment is based on the premise that the ink jet head is permanent and the cartridge is a replaceable type.
[0007]
1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes an ink cartridge, and the ink cartridge 1 side includes a protruding portion 2, a cover member 3, a protruding portion outer wall 4, a cartridge filter 5, a small ink holder 6, and a large ink holder 7. Yes. The projecting portion 2 is at the center of the projecting portion outer wall 4 having a hollow cylindrical shape, and a cartridge-side ink flow path 2a for allowing ink to pass therethrough is opened at the center portion. The small ink holding body 6 and the large ink holding body 7 are configured for the purpose of holding ink, and the density of the small ink holding body 6 is set higher than the density of the large ink holding body 7 so that the ink is held in the small ink. Considered to be easy to collect in 6 parts of the body. The cover member 3 is attached to the surface of the protruding portion 2 by heat sealing or the like. The cartridge filter 5 is provided between the small ink holder and the protruding portion 2 and is configured to prevent dust from passing through the small ink holder 6 and the large ink holder 7.
[0008]
Reference numeral 8 denotes an ink jet head. On the ink jet head 8 side, a first elastic member 9, a second elastic member 10, a protrusion 11, a head filter 12, a head side ink flow path 8a, a head driving unit 8b, a holder 13, and a nozzle 14 are provided. Is provided. The first elastic member 9 is made of a porous body having closed cells, covers the cylindrical ring-shaped holder 13 as a cap, and a slit portion as shown in FIGS. 9a or 9b is provided. The second elastic member 10 is fitted to the inner wall of the holder 13 and plays a role of sealing when the protruding portion 2 is inserted. The protrusion 11 is located at the center of the holder 13 so that when the protrusion 2 is inserted, the ink on the cartridge 1 flows into the ink jet head 8 side by breaking through the cover member 3 attached to the tip of the protrusion 2. To do. The head filter 12 is on the back side of the second elastic member 10 and filters fine dust of ink. The ink that has passed through the head filter 12 is driven in the head driving unit 8b, and ink is ejected from the nozzles 13.
[0009]
In the configuration as described above, when the cartridge 1 is set on the ink jet head 8 (from the state of FIG. 2 to the state of FIG. 1), the protrusion 11 breaks through the cover member 3 at the tip of the protrusion 2 and the ink is on the cartridge 1 side. To the inkjet head 8 side. At this time, the protruding portion 2 is inserted into the inkjet head 8 side by pushing the slit portion 9 a or 9 b of the first elastic member 9. However, since the first elastic member has no sealing effect, the second elastic member 10 plays the role of sealing.
[0010]
When the ink in the cartridge 8 is used up, the user must replace the cartridge. Therefore, the cartridge 1 is pulled out from the inkjet head 8. At that time, the slit 9a or 9b of the first elastic member 9 returns to its original shape, and the head-side ink flow path 8a is sealed from the atmosphere to prevent the ink from drying. In particular, when the material of the first elastic member 9 is formed of a porous body having closed cells as in this embodiment, the shape recovery characteristics are good and the sealing performance of the head-side ink flow path 8a is improved. When there is no sealed structure like this structure, when the user removes the cartridge 8, the ink flow path is exposed to the atmosphere, and if left for a long time, the ink dries and recovers by the maintenance operation. It becomes impossible and the printer cannot print.
[0011]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the ink flow path is not exposed to the atmosphere when the cartridge is replaced, so that the ink is not dried and good print quality can be maintained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where a cartridge is mounted on an inkjet head.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the cartridge is detached from the inkjet head.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating the shape of a slit of a first elastic member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink cartridge 2 Projection part 3 Cover member 8 Inkjet head 8a Head side ink flow path 9 First elastic member 10 Second elastic member 11 Protrusion part

Claims (3)

  In a joint structure of an ink jet head that couples an ink jet head and an ink cartridge that supplies ink to the ink jet head, the ink cartridge has a hollow cylindrical protrusion having an ink supply path communicating with an ink tank inside. The inkjet head includes a first elastic member disposed at a front end portion of the head-side ink flow path, and a second elastic member disposed downstream of the first elastic member; When the ink cartridge is jointed, the protruding portion penetrates the first elastic member so that the ink supply path and the head-side ink flow path can communicate with each other, and the second elastic member protrudes from the protrusion. When the ink jet head and the ink cartridge are separated, the first portion is sealed. The ink member is configured to be able to seal the head-side ink flow path, and the ink cartridge includes a cover member provided at a tip of the protruding portion for closing the ink supply path, The ink jet head joint structure according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet head further includes a needle-like second protrusion for breaking through the cover member at the rear stage of the first elastic body. 2. The joint structure of an ink jet head according to claim 1, wherein the first elastic member is a porous body having closed cells. Joint structure of the ink-jet head according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the first resilient member and having a slit.

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