JP4155324B2 - Liquid ejector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle to a target.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet printers are widely known as liquid ejecting apparatuses that eject liquid from a nozzle of a liquid ejecting head to a target. For example, a serial printing type ink jet printer includes an ink jet recording head (hereinafter referred to as a recording head) that is mounted on a carriage and reciprocates in a main scanning direction, and a recording paper in a sub scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. And a paper feed means for conveying the ink, and printing is performed on the recording paper by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head based on the print data. In many ink jet printers of this type mainly used as home use, each ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording head can be detachably mounted on a carriage on which the recording head is mounted. It is configured.

  By the way, in the on-carriage type ink jet printer in which the ink cartridge is mounted on the carriage as described above, there is a limit to the ink capacity of the ink cartridge, and when a relatively large amount of printing is to be executed, The ink cartridge must be replaced frequently. For this reason, it is inevitable that not only the replacement work of the cartridge requires manpower but also the running cost increases as a result. Therefore, for example, in an ink jet printer used for business use, a large-capacity ink cartridge may be disposed on the case side of the ink jet printer. A configuration (off-carriage type) is used in which ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to a recording head mounted on the carriage via a supply tube.

  In such an off-carriage type configuration, as the printer size (paper size) increases, the supply tube drawing distance increases and the pressure change in the supply tube from the ink cartridge to the carriage increases. For this reason, it is necessary to adopt a large inner diameter of each supply tube, and it is necessary to further increase the driving force of the carriage, for example, in order to overcome the increase in bending resistance of each tube generated accordingly. Therefore, the technical problem that the ink jet printer is further increased in size and the cost is increased is caused.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the influence of the pressure fluctuation in the supply tube described above, an ink pressure supply system that pressurizes the ink pack in the ink cartridge with air and supplies the ink to each sub tank mounted on the carriage. The applicant has already made a proposal (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  According to the ink jet printer that employs the ink pressure supply system in Patent Document 1, ink is always supplied from each ink cartridge to each sub-tank by pressurized air, and is always in each sub-tank. A certain range of ink is stored. As a result, it is possible to guarantee a more stable ink droplet ejection action than the recording head.

  However, in order to store the ink from the respective ink cartridges sent by the pressurized air so as to have a predetermined liquid level in each sub tank, it is necessary to provide a liquid level detection mechanism for each sub tank. Will occur. In the case of adopting such a liquid level detection mechanism, it is inevitable that the cost increases in order to improve the reliability of the mechanism of the liquid level detection mechanism. In addition, in order to cope with the use environment of an ink jet printer and abnormal use conditions such as vibration, it is inevitable that the control system becomes complicated and the mechanism becomes larger.

In view of this, a configuration of an ink jet printer having a back pressure adjuster for adjusting the pressure of ink supplied to a print head between a reservoir as an ink cartridge and a print head as a recording head has been proposed ( For example, see Patent Document 2.) Specifically, this back pressure regulator includes a diaphragm, a diaphragm piston, a lever, a valve seat, and a nozzle. When the back pressure in the print head drops below a predetermined value, a force is applied to the diaphragm piston by the diaphragm, and the lever rotates to separate the valve seat provided in the lever from the nozzle. Then, ink is allowed to flow into the print head. Therefore, regardless of the pressure fluctuation in the supply tube, the ink is supplied to the printer head at a uniform pressure by the back pressure regulator, so that the print quality can be improved. In addition, since there is no need to provide a liquid level detection mechanism or the like, the problems as described in Patent Document 1 can be solved.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-199080 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-11488

  However, since the back pressure regulator in Patent Document 1 described above has a plurality of parts interposed between the diaphragm and the valve seat, the configuration becomes complicated, it is difficult to reduce the size, and power transmission loss occurs. There was a problem that it was easy.

  Therefore, the present applicant has already proposed an ink jet printer that can solve the above-described conventional problems. More specifically, the ink supply from the ink cartridge disposed on the main body side of the ink jet printer is received by an ink supply valve unit having a self-sealing function on the carriage side. The ink supply valve unit includes an ink supply chamber and a pressure chamber, and the ink supplied from the ink cartridge is supplied from the ink supply chamber to the recording head via the pressure chamber. A movable valve is provided between the ink supply chamber and the pressure chamber, and the ink supply chamber and the pressure chamber are connected or disconnected by opening and closing the movable valve.

  The film member constituting a part of the pressure chamber is displaced by decreasing the amount of ink inside the pressure chamber, and the movable valve is operated by directly transmitting the displacement to the movable valve. ing. Accordingly, since the displacement of the film member is directly transmitted to the movable valve, the power transmission loss can be suppressed.

  Then, the ink is consumed in the recording head and the amount of ink in the pressure chamber decreases. When the pressure decreases, the movable valve is opened, and ink is supplied from the ink supply chamber to the pressure chamber. As a result, ink corresponding to the amount of ink consumed in the recording head is supplied to the pressure chamber, and the influence of pressure fluctuations in the supply tube upstream of the valve unit does not occur. Yes. Therefore, according to this ink supply valve unit, the reliability of ink supply is assured in a state where the loss of power transmission is suppressed.

  By the way, a recording head used in this type of ink jet printer performs printing by ejecting ink pressurized in a pressure generating chamber onto a recording sheet as ink droplets from a nozzle opening. In this relationship, normal ink droplet ejection operation is caused by an increase in ink viscosity due to evaporation of ink solvent (for example, moisture) from the nozzle opening, solidification of ink, adhesion of dust, and mixing of bubbles. It was sometimes damaged. As a result, there was a problem of causing printing defects.

  For this reason, in this type of ink jet printer, capping means that can seal the nozzle formation surface of the recording head when not printing, and cleaning the nozzle formation surface of the recording head by wiping as necessary. A wiping means is provided. The capping unit functions as a lid for preventing the ink in the nozzle openings of the recording head from being dried during the pause of the printing operation of the ink jet printer. In addition, when clogging occurs in the nozzle opening, the nozzle forming surface is sealed by capping means, and negative pressure from the suction pump is applied to suck and discharge ink from the nozzle opening to eliminate clogging. It also serves as a maintenance function.

  The forced ink suction and discharge process performed to eliminate clogging of the recording head is called a cleaning operation. For example, it is automatically performed when printing is resumed after a long printing operation pause of an ink jet printer. To be executed. Also, it is executed when the user recognizes a printing defect and operates a cleaning switch, for example.

  The recording head maintenance function by the cleaning operation described above is an operation of sucking the nozzle forming surface of the recording head through the capping means, so even if the negative pressure is released after the suction operation, there is a slight amount in the recording head. Negative pressure is accumulated. Further, since the ink discharged into the capping means is in a bubbled state, an action of sucking bubbles from the nozzle opening occurs. As a result, despite the execution of the cleaning operation, nozzle missing and print quality deterioration are caused, and the reliability of the cleaning operation described above is lowered.

  Further, in the valve unit as described above, air bubbles mixed in the ink from the ink cartridge, air bubbles remaining at the time of initial filling, air bubbles sucked from the nozzle opening of the recording head, etc. stay in the pressure chamber. There was a thing. Then, the ink filling properties in the pressure chambers are reduced by these bubbles, and the bubbles in the pressure chambers flow out during printing, which may cause a decrease in print quality.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the technical problems described above, and a first object of the invention is to provide a liquid supply head unit having a self-sealing function while enjoying the function of the liquid supply valve unit. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of improving the reliability of a cleaning operation.

  In addition, the second object is to more efficiently discharge bubbles accumulated in the pressure chamber of the liquid supply valve unit to improve the liquid filling property and to improve the reliability of liquid supply in the liquid ejecting head. The object is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus.

The present invention provides a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid storing unit that stores a liquid; a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid; and a liquid supply path that supplies the liquid in the liquid storing unit to the liquid ejecting head. The pressure chamber in which the liquid is temporarily stored on the liquid supply path, and the temporarily stored liquid decreases as the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head; and the liquid supply path to the pressure chamber An open / close valve for switching between supply and non-supply of the liquid and a flexible pressure chamber side film member constituting a part of the pressure chamber, and the pressure chamber side film member reduces the liquid in the pressure chamber. and displaced by the negative pressure due to, at least the opening and closing valve, opening, or the liquid supply valve unit having a configured opening and closing valve operating member so as to close The on-off valve in the liquid supply valve unit, at least, a flow rate adjusting means for forcibly opening or forcibly forcibly change the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply passage by closing Equipped with.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path can be forcibly changed by the flow rate adjusting means. For example, the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path can be decreased, , The pressure of the liquid in the liquid supply path can be reduced. Then, by increasing the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the liquid supply path by the flow rate adjusting unit, it is possible to cause the liquid to flow from the liquid storing unit to the liquid ejecting head all at once. As a result, bubbles or the like that have convected into the pressure chamber in the liquid supply valve unit can be discharged together from the liquid ejecting head, and so-called choke cleaning can be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce bubbles that are mixed in the liquid in the pressure chamber and cause a decrease in the ejection performance of the liquid ejecting head, and the liquid filling property of the pressure chamber can be improved. The above choke cleaning can be performed using the liquid supply valve unit, and the apparatus can be used effectively.

  For example, the liquid in the liquid supply valve unit can be forced to flow to the liquid ejecting head by forcibly increasing the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path. As a result, it is possible to execute a so-called cleaning operation that eliminates clogging of the liquid ejecting head by the liquid and discharges the thickened ink. As described above, it is possible to favorably eject the liquid from the liquid ejecting head.

The opening / closing valve operating member is made of a flexible pressure chamber side film member that constitutes a part of the pressure chamber. For this reason, the opening / closing valve operating member can be displaced by receiving a negative pressure accompanying a decrease in the liquid in the pressure chamber, and the opening / closing valve can be opened or closed by this displacement. That is, when the liquid is consumed in the liquid ejecting head, the flexible pressure chamber side film member is displaced under the negative pressure accompanying the decrease in the liquid in the pressure chamber. The on-off valve is opened using the displacement action of the pressure chamber side film member, and the liquid supplied from the liquid storage means is supplied into the pressure chamber. Accordingly, the liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber each time it receives the negative pressure corresponding to the amount of liquid consumed in the liquid ejecting head. Therefore, an amount of liquid corresponding to the amount of liquid consumed in the liquid ejecting head is replenished in the pressure chamber regardless of the pressure of the liquid sent from the liquid storage means to the liquid supply valve unit. Accordingly, it is possible to guarantee a liquid ejection action that is more stable than the liquid ejecting head with a simple configuration.

  In addition, by forcibly opening the open / close valve, the recording head and ink can flow down from the liquid storage means, and ink clogging that occurs at the nozzle opening during the pause of the printing operation can be prevented. It is possible to execute the maintenance operation of the recording head that eliminates the viscosity and discharges the thickened ink. Therefore, the problem that a slight negative pressure is left in the recording head due to the execution of the cleaning operation as in the conventional maintenance operation and bubbles are sucked from the nozzle openings can be solved. As a result, the reliability of the recording head cleaning operation can be greatly improved. Furthermore, since a suction pump for generating a negative pressure via the capping unit is not required, the liquid ejecting apparatus can be downsized.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, after the flow rate adjusting means forcibly reduces the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path, suction is performed by the suction means provided on the liquid ejecting head side. The flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path is forcibly increased.

  According to this, after the suction process is finished, the opening and closing valve is opened from a state in which the pressure chamber and the liquid ejecting head are in a negative pressure, so that the liquid is vigorously discharged to the outside of the liquid ejecting head. Can do.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, suction is performed by suction means provided on the liquid ejecting head side in a state where the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path is forcibly reduced by the flow rate adjusting means. The flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path is forcibly increased during the process.

  According to this, by opening the open / close valve from a state in which the pressure chamber and the liquid ejecting head have become negative pressure during the suction process, the liquid can be expelled to the outside of the liquid ejecting head. .

In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the flow rate adjusting means at least forcibly opens the open / close valve in the liquid supply valve unit even in a state of receiving a negative pressure accompanying a decrease in the liquid in the pressure chamber. Alternatively, the valve is forcibly closed .

Accordingly, in the liquid supply valve unit, the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the liquid supply path can be forcibly changed. Accordingly, the pressure of the liquid in the liquid supply path can be reduced by reducing the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path and sucking the liquid from the liquid ejecting head. Then, by increasing the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the liquid supply path by the flow rate adjusting unit, it is possible to cause the liquid to flow from the liquid storing unit to the liquid ejecting head all at once. As a result, bubbles or the like that have convected into the pressure chamber in the liquid supply valve unit can be discharged together from the liquid ejecting head, and so-called choke cleaning can be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce bubbles that are mixed in the liquid in the pressure chamber and cause a decrease in the ejection performance of the liquid ejecting head, and the liquid filling property of the pressure chamber can be improved.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1 and 2 are schematic views of a main part of an ink jet printer 11 as a liquid ejecting apparatus. The ink cartridge 23 as a liquid storage means and the ink pack 23a as a liquid pack are arranged on the main body side of the ink jet printer 11. Then, the ink as the liquid accommodated in the ink pack 23a is supplied to the recording head 19 as the liquid ejecting head through the supply tube 28 and the valve unit 21 as the liquid supply valve unit. The supply tube 28 and the valve unit 21 constitute a liquid supply path.

  As such an ink jet printer, for example, a printer capable of printing on a recording sheet as a large target such as A0 size, which needs to store a large amount of ink due to a large amount of ink consumption. is there. Such a printer employs an off-carriage configuration in which the ink cartridge 23 is not mounted on the carriage 15.

  In recent years, printers that are reduced in size and thickness have been used in which an off-carriage is used to provide flexibility in the layout of the ink cartridge. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the present invention is embodied in printers that print on large-size recording paper, but may be embodied in these printers that are smaller and thinner.

  Here, the ink supply system shown in FIG. 1 is an air pressure supply type. That is, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a main part of an ink jet printer 11 that supplies ink by pressurizing the ink pack 23a with air pressure. The ink cartridge 23 includes an outer case 24 formed in an airtight state, and an ink pack 23a made of a flexible material such as a laminate film obtained by depositing aluminum on a polyethylene film is provided in the outer case 24. Yes. The ink pack 23a is filled with ink. A needle mounting portion 23b is formed on one side of the ink pack 23a, and a needle 23c provided in an ink cartridge holder (not shown) that accommodates the ink cartridge 23 is configured to be mounted on the needle mounting portion 23b. ing. The needle 23 c is connected to one end of the supply tube 28 and can supply ink to the valve unit 21. The supply tube 28 is formed of a flexible member such as polyethylene. Further, the supply tube 28 may have a double structure in which an interior made of a flexible member such as a polyethylene resin having excellent chemical resistance is covered with a vinyl chloride or metal film having an excellent hermetic barrier property as an exterior. Good.

  A space S is formed between the ink cartridge 23 and the ink pack 23 a so that pressurized air is introduced by the pressure pump 29. The ink cartridge 23 is formed in a sealed state. By sending air into the space S by the pressurizing pump 29, the ink pack 23a is pressurized. The ink sealed in the ink pack 23 a flows into the valve unit 21 on the carriage 15 through the supply tube 28 by positive pressure.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the ink jet printer 11 that supplies ink by a water head difference. An ink outlet 23d as a lead-out portion formed in the ink pack 23a is disposed above the valve unit 21 and the recording head 19 in the gravity direction. Ink is supplied to the recording head 19 through the supply tube 28 and the valve unit 21 by a positive pressure based on the water head difference generated thereby. The ink jet printer 11 according to the present invention can use any of the ink supply systems described above. FIG. 3 shows a basic configuration of the ink jet printer 11 that employs the ink supply system shown in FIG. 1, and shows a plan view of the ink jet printer 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the ink jet printer 11 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped frame 12 having an upper opening, and a paper feed member 13 is installed on the frame 12, and this paper feed mechanism is not shown by a paper feed mechanism (not shown). Paper is fed on the member 13. Further, a guide member 14 is installed on the frame 12 in parallel with the paper feed member 13, and the carriage 15 is inserted into and supported by the guide member 14 so as to be movable in the axial direction of the guide member 14. The carriage 15 is connected to a carriage motor 18 via a timing belt 17, and is reciprocated along the guide member 14 by driving the carriage motor 18.

  The recording head 19 is mounted on the surface of the carriage 15 that faces the paper feed member 13. On the carriage 15, the valve units 21B, 21C, 21M, and 21Y for supplying ink to the recording head 19 (in the following, each valve unit may be represented simply as “valve unit 21” in some cases. ) Is installed. In this embodiment, each of the valve units 21B, 21C, 21M, and 21Y stores ink colors (black ink B, cyan C, magenta M, and yellow Y) in order to temporarily store ink therein. Four color inks are provided correspondingly.

  A nozzle discharge port (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of the recording head 19, and ink is supplied from the valve units 21B, 21C, 21M, and 21Y to the recording head 19 by driving a piezoelectric element (not shown), and is applied onto the paper. Ink droplets are ejected and printing is performed.

  Four cartridge holders 22 are formed at the right end of the frame 12. The cartridge holder 22 is detachably equipped with the ink cartridges 23B, 23C, 23M, and 23Y (in the following, each ink cartridge may be represented simply as “ink cartridge 23”). It has been. Each of the ink cartridges 23B, 23C, 23M, and 23Y includes the outer case 24 that is airtight inside, and an ink pack 23a (see FIG. 1) provided inside the outer case 24. The ink pack 23a stores the black ink B and the color inks C, M, and Y, respectively.

  The ink pack 23a of the ink cartridge 23 and the valve unit 21 include the flexible supply tubes 28B, 28C, 28M, and 28Y (in the following, each supply tube will be referred to simply as “supply tube 28”). May be shown as).

  Further, the pressurizing pump 29 is provided on the ink cartridge 23Y for storing the yellow ink Y. The pressurizing pump 29 is connected to the ink cartridge via air supply tubes 26B, 26C, 26M, and 26Y. It is connected to each outer case 24 of 23B, 23C, 23M, 23Y. Accordingly, the air pressurized by the pressure pump 29 is introduced into the outer case 24 of each ink cartridge 23B, 23C, 23M, 23Y via the air supply tubes 26B, 26C, 26M, 26Y, The ink is introduced into the space S (see FIG. 1) formed between the ink pack 23a.

  That is, when air is introduced into the outer case 24 by driving the pressure pump 29, the ink pack 23a is crushed by the pressurized air. Each ink stored in the ink pack 23a is supplied to the valve units 21B, 21C, 21M, and 21Y via the supply tubes 28B, 28C, 28M, and 28Y.

  A flow path valve 30 as a flow rate adjusting means is provided in the middle of the flow path of the supply tubes 28B, 28C, 28M, 28Y, that is, upstream of the valve units 21B, 21C, 21M, 21Y. The flow path valve 30 is fixed to the frame 12 in the vicinity of the ink cartridge 23, and can change the flow rate of the ink flowing through the supply tubes 28B, 28C, 28M, and 28Y.

  On the other hand, in a non-printing area (home position) on the movement path of the carriage 15, a capping unit 31 that can seal the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 19 is disposed. Further, on the upper surface of the capping means 31, a cap member 31a formed of an elastic material such as rubber that can be sealed in close contact with the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 19 is disposed. When the carriage 15 moves to the home position, the capping unit 31 moves (rises) toward the recording head 19 so that the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 19 can be sealed by the cap member 31a. Has been.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cap member 31 a functions as a lid that seals the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 19 and prevents drying of the nozzle openings during the rest period of the ink jet printer 11. Further, one end of a tube 31c in a suction pump (tube pump) 31b as a suction means is connected to the lower bottom portion of the cap member 31a, and negative pressure by the suction pump 31b is applied to the recording head 19 so that the recording head 19 is operated. Also, a function of performing a cleaning operation for sucking and discharging ink from the ink is fulfilled.

  As described above, there is so-called choke cleaning as a method of performing suction by the suction pump 31b and discharging bubbles in the valve unit 21 or the recording head 19. In this choke cleaning, the valve upstream from the recording head 19 is closed (choke state), and suction is performed from the nozzle forming surface side by the suction pump 31b. Then, the bubbles are expanded by setting the inside of the valve unit 21 and the recording head 19 to a high negative pressure, and the bubbles are drawn downstream from the filter of the recording head 19. In this state, the valve is opened to discharge the bubbles. The ink sucked by the suction pump 31b is collected in the waste liquid collection box 31e. In the waste liquid recovery box 31e, a plurality of layers of waste liquid absorbent 31f are provided, and the recovered ink is stored.

  On the other hand, a wiping member 32 in which an elastic material such as rubber is formed in a strip shape is disposed adjacent to the printing area side of the capping means 31, and advances to the moving path of the recording head 19 in the horizontal direction as necessary. The nozzle forming surface can be wiped off and cleaned.

Next, the valve unit 21 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
4 and 5 are perspective views of the recording head 19 and the valve unit 21, FIGS. 6 and 7 are side views of the valve unit 21, FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the valve unit 21, and FIGS. 10 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the valve unit 21. 4 and 5 show a state in which only two valve units 21 are mounted on the top of the recording head 19 for convenience of explanation, and the remaining two are omitted. .

  In addition to this, the valve unit 21 may further include a plurality of valve units corresponding to the ink colors ejected from one recording head 19. In addition, a configuration in which a plurality of sets of a plurality of valve units 21 mounted on a single recording head 19 can be employed.

  4 and 5, the valve unit 21 includes a synthetic resin unit case 35 formed in a substantially circular flat shape, and the supply tube 28 is connected to a connection portion 36 formed at one end thereof. Has been. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, an ink lead-out portion 37 is formed at the other end. The ink lead-out portion 37 is connected to the recording head 19 via an annular connection member 38 and a plate-like head support 39. It is connected to the.

  Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a substantially cylindrical small concave portion 41 is formed on one side surface 21 a of the unit case 35. As shown in FIG. 6, a groove 42 is formed on the one side surface 21a so as to draw a square shape from the small recess 41 toward the connecting portion 36, and the end of the groove 42 is It communicates with a hole 43 formed in the connecting portion 36. Further, a first film member 45 as a flexible liquid supply chamber side film member is attached to the one side surface 21a by heat welding so as to close the small concave portion 41 and the groove 42. . Therefore, an ink supply chamber 46 as a substantially cylindrical liquid supply chamber is formed by the small concave portion 41 and the first film member 45, and an ink introduction path 47 is formed by the groove 42 and the first film member 45. Is formed. The ink flowing from the supply tube 28 flows into the ink supply chamber 46 through the hole 43 of the connecting portion 36 and the ink introduction path 47.

  It is important that the first film member 45 is a material that does not have a chemical effect on the ink properties and that has a low moisture permeability, oxygen permeability, and nitrogen permeability. Therefore, it is desirable that the first film member 45 has a configuration in which a nylon film coated with vinylidene chloride (saran) is bonded and laminated to a high-density polyethylene film or a polypropylene film. Or you may comprise from the PET raw material by which the alumina vapor deposition or the silica vapor deposition was carried out.

  6 and 8, in the first film member 45, the surface on the ink supply chamber 46 side has a spring seat having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the ink supply chamber 46. 45a is attached so as to be positioned concentrically with the ink supply chamber 46. The spring seat 45a may be attached in advance to the first film member 45 by heat welding, or may be attached by an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape. The spring seat 45a is provided with an annular step 45b on the surface opposite to the first film member 45.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a large concave portion 48 having a substantially truncated cone shape is formed on the other side surface 21 b of the unit case 35. The large recess 48 is provided so as to be concentrically positioned with a larger diameter than the small recess 41.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a groove 49 is formed on the other side surface 21 b of the unit case 35 from the end of the large recess 48 toward the ink outlet 37. The end portion communicates with a hole 51 formed in the ink outlet portion 37. Further, on the other side surface 21b, a second film member 52 as a flexible pressure chamber side film member is attached by heat welding so as to close the large concave portion 48 and the groove 49. Accordingly, the large concave portion 48 and the second film member 52 form a substantially frustoconical pressure chamber 53, and the groove 49 and the second film member 52 form an ink outlet path 54. The ink in the pressure chamber 53 is discharged to the recording head 19 through the ink outlet path 54 and the hole 51 of the ink outlet portion 37.

  The second film member 52 is soft so that the negative pressure state of the pressure chamber 53 can be efficiently sensed, does not have a chemical effect on the ink properties, and further transmits moisture. It is important that the material has a low degree of permeability and oxygen or nitrogen permeability. Therefore, it is desirable that the second film member 52 has a configuration in which a nylon film coated with vinylidene chloride (saran) is bonded and laminated to a high-density polyethylene film or a polypropylene film. Or you may comprise from the PET raw material by which the alumina vapor deposition or the silica vapor deposition was carried out.

  A pressure receiving plate 56 made of a material harder than that of the second film member 52 is attached to the surface of the second film member 52 opposite to the pressure chamber 53. The pressure receiving plate 56 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the pressure chamber 53. Then, when the carriage 15 is moved by a printing operation or the like, the pressure receiving plate 56 moves the second film member 52 and changes the pressure in the pressure chamber 53 by the weight of the pressure receiving plate 56 itself and the acceleration of the carriage 15. It is necessary to be lightweight so that it does not. Therefore, it is desirable to form the pressure receiving plate 56 with a light plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

  The pressure receiving plate 56 may be attached in advance to the second film member 52 by heat welding, or may be attached by an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the pressure receiving plate 56 is formed in a disc shape in the present embodiment, but is not particularly limited to a disc shape. However, when the pressure chamber 53 forms a very thin cylindrical space, it is preferable to use a disk-shaped pressure receiving plate 56 and to arrange the pressure receiving plate 56 concentrically with respect to the pressure chamber 53. .

  As shown in FIG. 8, a partition wall 58 is formed between the ink supply chamber 46 and the pressure chamber 53 of the unit case 35 so as to partition the chambers 46 and 53. A support hole 59 that constitutes an on-off valve that allows the ink supply chamber 46 and the pressure chamber 53 to communicate with each other is formed.

  A movable valve 61 constituting an on-off valve is slidably inserted and supported in the support hole 59. Specifically, the movable valve 61 includes a cylindrical rod member 62 and a plate-like member 63 having a circular cross section formed integrally with the rod member 62. The outer diameter of the plate member 63 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod member 62, and only the rod member 62 of the movable valve 61 is slidably inserted into the support hole 59 and supported. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the support hole 59 has four cutout holes 59a formed at equal intervals. Therefore, in a state where the rod member 62 is inserted and supported in the support hole 59, the ink flow path 59b as four liquid supply holes is formed by the rod member 62 and the notch hole 59a. As shown in FIG. 8, the plate-like member 63 is located in the ink supply chamber 46, and the plate-like member 63 has an annular step portion 63a on the surface on the ink supply chamber 46 side. Is formed.

  The stepped portion 45b of the spring receiving seat 45a and the stepped portion 63a of the plate-like member 63 are hung with a coil-shaped seal spring 65. By the action of the seal spring 65, the spring receiving seat 45a and the plate It is biased in a direction away from the shaped member 63.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a rubber seal member 66 formed in an annular shape so as to surround the support hole 59 is attached to the partition wall 58. Therefore, the plate-like member 63 in the movable valve 61 comes into contact with the seal member 66 by the biasing force of the seal spring 65. The seal member 66 may be an O-ring or the like, but an elastomer resin or the like may be integrally formed with the partition wall 58 by two-color molding. When the plate-like member 63 and the seal member 66 come into contact with each other, the ink flow path 59b is closed.

  In the valve unit 21 configured as described above, when the recording head 19 is in a non-printing state, that is, in a state where ink is not consumed, the spring load W1 by the seal spring 65 is the plate-like member of the movable valve 61. 63. The plate member 63 is also applied with the pressure P1 of the ink supplied to the ink supply chamber 46. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, the plate-like member 63 contacts the rubber seal member 66, and the ink flow path 59b (see FIG. 9) is closed. That is, the ink supply chamber 46 and the pressure chamber 53 are not in communication with each other, and the valve unit 21 is in a self-sealing state.

  On the other hand, when the recording head 19 is in a printing state and consumes ink, the second film member 52 is displaced toward the ink supply chamber 46 as the ink in the pressure chamber 53 decreases, and the second film member The central portion of 52 abuts on the end portion of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61. The displacement reaction force required for the displacement of the second film member 52 at this time is defined as Wd. As the ink is further consumed in the recording head 19, a negative pressure P2 is generated in the pressure chamber 53. At this time, when the relationship of P2> W1 + P1 + Wd is satisfied, the second film member 52 presses the rod member 62, whereby the contact of the seal member 66 by the plate-like member 63 is released, and FIG. As shown, the ink flow path 59b is opened.

  Accordingly, the ink in the ink supply chamber 46 is supplied into the pressure chamber 53 through the ink flow path 59 b from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53, and the ink flows into the pressure chamber 53 and flows into the pressure chamber 53. Negative pressure is eliminated. Along with this, the movable valve 61 moves to be closed again as shown in FIG. 8, and the supply of ink from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53 is stopped.

  The operation of the opening / closing valve of the movable valve 61 does not necessarily have to be an extreme operation in which the states shown in FIGS. 8 and 11 are repeated repeatedly. In reality, during the printing operation, the second film member 52 maintains a balanced state in contact with the end of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61, and opens slightly according to ink consumption, while the pressure chamber The ink 53 is supplied to the ink 53 sequentially.

  That is, the ink pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber 53 is limited to be within a certain range by opening and closing the movable valve 61, and is separated from the ink pressure change in the ink supply chamber 46. . Therefore, even if a pressure change occurs in the supply tube 28 due to the reciprocating movement of the carriage 15, it is not affected. As a result, the supply of ink from the pressure chamber 53 to the recording head 19 is favorably performed.

  The pressure receiving plate 56 can receive the displacement action of the second film member 52 over the entire area of the pressure receiving plate 56. Therefore, the displacement action of the second film member 52 can be reliably transmitted to the movable valve 61, and the reliability of the opening / closing valve action by the movable valve 61 can be improved.

  Further, according to the above-described configuration, the ink supply system from the ink cartridge 23 to the recording head 19 is a sealed path, and the sealed path can be filled with ink. Therefore, according to this configuration, by using the deaerated ink, it is possible to cause the ink to absorb a small amount of bubbles remaining in the ink supply system. Therefore, the degree of occurrence of printing defects called so-called dot omission due to bubbles remaining in the ink supply system can be greatly reduced.

Next, the flow path valve 30 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 12, the flow path valve 30 includes an ink flow path portion 71 and a pressing portion 72 as flow paths. The ink flow path portion 71 includes an ink flow path main body portion 71a formed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped flexible member, and four grooves 72B, 72C, 72M, 72Y are formed on the upper surface of the ink flow path main body portion 71a. Is formed. A sealing film 71b as a flexible member having flexibility is attached to the upper surface of the ink flow path main body 71a by heat welding so as to close the grooves 72B, 72C, 72M, 72Y. ing. Accordingly, the ink supply paths 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y are formed by the grooves 72B, 72C, 72M, and 72Y and the sealing film 71b.

  The ink supply paths 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y are located in the middle of the flow paths of the supply tubes 28B, 28C, 28M, and 28Y. Accordingly, the ink that flows out from the supply tube 28 on the upstream side of the flow path valve 30 flows into the ink supply paths 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y and then flows into the supply tube 28 on the downstream side of the flow path valve 30. It has become.

  The pressing part 72 is made of a harder material than the ink flow path part 71, and is moved in the vertical direction by a drive motor (not shown). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12, when the pressing portion 72 is positioned on the upper side, the ink supply passages 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y of the ink flow passage portion 71 have the maximum cross-sectional area, and the ink is supplied. It starts to flow at the maximum flow rate. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, when the pressing portion 72 is lowered, the pressing portion 72 presses the ink flow path portion 71 and deforms the entire ink flow path portion 71, so that the ink supply paths 73 </ b> B, 73 </ b> C, 73 </ b> M, 73 </ b> Y. Will be crushed. As a result, the cross-sectional areas of the ink supply paths 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y are reduced, and the ink flow rate is reduced. Accordingly, the flow path valve 30 can change the flow rate of the ink flowing through the supply tube 28 from the maximum to the minimum by moving the pressing portion 72 up and down.

  A large pressure fluctuation may occur in the ink in the supply tube 28 as the flow volume of the flow path valve 30 changes. However, the valve unit 21 is provided downstream of the flow path valve 30, and the ink pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 is always limited within a certain range. Accordingly, it is possible to minimize the influence of the ink pressure fluctuation caused by the flow path valve 30 on the ink supply to the recording head 19, and the ink pressure fluctuation is taken into consideration when designing the flow path valve 30. It is not necessary. Therefore, the position of the flow path valve 30 does not need to be on the carriage 15 and can be fixed to the frame 12 as in this embodiment, and the degree of freedom of design increases.

Next, the operation of the ink jet printer 11 configured as described above when improving the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 will be described.
First, when there is a bubble in the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 and the ink filling performance is reduced and the bubble flows out to the recording head 19 to cause a printing failure, the carriage 15 is moved to the non-printing area. Move to (Home position). Thereafter, the nozzle forming surface of the recording head 19 is sealed with the cap member 31a.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the pressing portion 72 of the flow path valve 30 is lowered to minimize the cross-sectional area of the ink supply paths 73B, 73C, 73M, and 73Y, thereby reducing the ink flow rate to a minimum. . When the suction pump is driven in this state, a large negative pressure is created in the pressure chamber 53, and when the relationship of P2> W1 + P1 + Wd is established, the ink flow path 59b is opened as shown in FIG. .

  As a result, the supply tube 28 downstream of the flow path valve 30 and the pressure chamber 53 are in communication with each other via the ink supply chamber 46 so that a large negative pressure is created in the entire downstream of the flow path valve 30. Become. The volume of the bubbles mixed in the ink in the pressure chamber 53 is increased.

  Thereafter, in this state, as shown in FIG. 12, when the pressing portion 72 of the flow path valve 30 is raised and the flow path valve 30 is opened at once, the ink flows from the ink cartridge 23, and the supply tube 28, The ink that has passed through the ink supply chamber 46 and the pressure chamber 53 is discharged from the recording head 19 vigorously. The bubbles whose volume has increased in the pressure chamber 53 due to the ink flow at this time are discharged from the recording head 19 together with the ink. Thereafter, the drive of the suction pump is stopped as necessary, the recording head 19 and the cap member 31a are separated, and the process is terminated. Thus, so-called chalk cleaning is performed. Then, bubbles in the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 are discharged, and the operation for improving the ink filling property is completed.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the first embodiment, in the ink jet printer 11, the valve unit 21 and the flow path valve 30 are provided on the supply tube 28 for supplying ink from the ink cartridge 23 to the recording head 19. I did it.

  Therefore, by pressing the ink flow path portion 71 with the pressing portion 72 of the flow path valve 30, the flow rate of the ink flowing through the supply tube 28 can be reduced. In this state, the recording head 19 is covered with the cap member 31 a and sucked by the suction pump 31 b, whereby the ink pressure downstream from the flow path valve 30 can be reduced. After that, the suction by the suction pump 31b is stopped, and the pressing portion 72 of the flow path valve 30 and the ink flow path portion 71 are separated at a stroke, whereby the ink stored in the ink cartridge 23 is transferred to the recording head 19 at a stroke. Can be flowed.

  As a result, it is possible to discharge bubbles or the like remaining in the pressure chamber 53 in the valve unit 21 from the recording head 19 to the outside, and so-called choke cleaning can be performed. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce bubbles that are mixed in the ink in the pressure chamber 53 and cause the ink ejection performance of the recording head 19 to deteriorate, and the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 can be improved. . As a result, the ink can be ejected from the recording head 19 satisfactorily.

(2) In the first embodiment, the flow path valve 30 is provided upstream of the valve unit 21.
Therefore, when ink is sucked from the recording head 19 side with the flow rate of the ink in the supply tube 28 reduced by the flow path valve 30, the pressure inside the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 can be reduced. it can. And the volume of the bubble which is convection inside the pressure chamber can be increased. From this state, the pressure portion 72 of the flow path valve 30 is raised to open the flow path valve 30, so that bubbles with increased volume are discharged from the recording head 19 together with the ink. Will be able to.

  Therefore, compared with the case where the flow path valve 30 is provided downstream of the valve unit 21, the bubble discharge performance is improved by the increase in the volume of bubbles that can be depressurized. As a result, it is possible to minimize bubbles that are mixed in the ink in the pressure chamber 53 and cause the ejection performance of the recording head 19 to deteriorate. Then, the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 is improved, and the recording head 19 can be ejected satisfactorily.

  (3) In the first embodiment, the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 is adapted to receive ink supply from the ink supply chamber 46 in accordance with a decrease in the internal ink. The pressure fluctuation is limited to be within a certain range. Therefore, the recording head 19 is not affected even if a pressure fluctuation occurs upstream of the pressure chamber 53. As a result, the flow path valve 30 provided upstream of the valve unit 21 has no problem even if it is a device that gives pressure fluctuations to the ink, and the degree of freedom in designing the device increases.

  (4) In the first embodiment, the flow path valve 30 includes the ink flow path portion 71 formed of a flexible material and the pressing portion 72 formed of a material harder than the ink flow path portion 71. And was made up of. Then, the flow rate of the ink flowing through the ink flow path portion 71 is changed by pressing the pressing portion 72 against the ink flow path portion 71 to narrow the flow path, or separating the press portion 72 to enlarge the flow path. I did it.

Therefore, the structure of the flow path valve 30 can be simplified, and the production efficiency of the ink jet printer can be improved.
(5) In the first embodiment, the recording head 19 is mounted on the carriage 15 that reciprocates with respect to the recording paper that ejects ink, and the flow path valve 30 is provided in the frame 12. According to this, the flow path valve 30 is provided at a place other than the carriage 15, but the pressure fluctuation generated in the flow path valve 30 is absorbed by the valve unit 21 downstream of the flow path valve 30. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the recording head 19 from being affected by pressure fluctuations. Further, the ink filling property in the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 can be improved, and the ink can be ejected favorably in the recording head 19.

  (6) In the first embodiment, the valve unit 21 mounted on the carriage 15 includes the movable valve 61 that supplies the ink provided via the supply tube 28 to the pressure chamber 53. The valve unit 21 includes a second film member 52, and the second film member 52 senses the negative pressure accompanying the decrease in the ink in the pressure chamber 53 consumed on the recording head 19 side. The movable valve 61 is slid to open the ink flow path 59b. Accordingly, the pressure chamber 53 receives the negative pressure corresponding to the amount of ink consumed in the recording head 19 and supplies ink each time. Thereby, it is possible to guarantee a stable ink droplet ejection action from the recording head 19.

  (7) In the first embodiment, the unit film 35 is provided with the second film member 52. For this reason, the second film member 52 can be displaced toward the pressure chamber 53 side under the negative pressure of the pressure chamber 53, and the movable valve 61 is moved by this displacement, so that the ink flow path 59b is opened or closed. can do. That is, with a simple configuration, it is possible to ensure a stable liquid ejection action from the recording head 19.

  (8) In the first embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 56 is provided on the second film member 52. Therefore, the pressure receiving plate 56 can receive the displacement action of the flexible second film member 52 over the entire area in contact with the second film member 52, and the displacement action of the second film member 52 can be more reliably performed by the rod. It can be transmitted to the member 62. Therefore, the reliability in the operation of opening or closing the valve unit 21 can be improved.

  (9) In the first embodiment, the ink jet printer 11 has an off-carriage configuration in which the ink cartridge 23 is disposed on the main body side, and is formed between the ink pack 23 a of the ink cartridge 23 and the outer case 24. Pressurized air was sent to the space S to supply ink to the pressure chamber 53. For this reason, the supply of ink to the pressure chamber 53 can be stabilized. In the configuration in which the ink outlet 23d is disposed above the valve unit 21 in the gravity direction and the ink is supplied to the valve unit 21 due to a water head difference, it is not necessary to provide a device such as a pressure pump, and the configuration is simplified. An ink supply system having a simple structure can be obtained.

  (10) In the first embodiment, the ink flow path 59b is closed when the seal spring 65 made of a coil spring urges the movable valve 61. For this reason, the movable valve 61 can be urged with a simple configuration, and the valve unit 21 can be opened by adding or not adding displacement by the second film member 52 to the movable valve 61. It is possible to block automatically. And the valve unit 21 which has what is called a self-sealing function can be obtained.

  (11) In the first embodiment, the movable valve 61 includes the plate-like member 63 that receives the biasing action of the seal spring 65 on one side and closes the ink flow path 59b on the other side, and the plate-like member 63. The rod member 62 is formed integrally with the central portion and slidably moves in the unit case 35 of the valve unit 21. The end portion of the rod member 62 is configured to receive a pressing action due to the displacement of the second film member 52. According to this, the ink flow path 59b can be reliably closed and opened.

  (12) In the first embodiment, the ink flow path 59b is formed along the periphery of the support hole 59 with the support hole 59 that slidably supports the rod member 62 of the movable valve 61 formed in the unit case 35. It is formed by intermittent notches. Therefore, if the ink flow path 59b and the plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61 are separated from each other, the flow path for supplying ink to the pressure chamber 53 is the rod member 62 if not formed. It will be blocked by. However, in the present embodiment, the ink flow path 59 b is formed by cutting out, so that the ink can flow into the pressure chamber 53 satisfactorily.

  (13) In the first embodiment, the annular seal member 66 is disposed so as to surround the outside of the ink flow path 59b. The plate-like member 63 in the movable valve 61 is in contact with the seal member 66 so that the ink flow path 59b is closed. Therefore, when the valve unit 21 is opened, the ink flow path 59b can be more reliably blocked by the movable valve 61.

  (14) In the first embodiment, after the flow path valve 30 is sucked in the closed state, the valve is opened. For this reason, by opening the valve from the state in which the pressure chamber 53 is at a negative pressure, the ink can be discharged to the recording head 19 with vigor.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the second embodiment, the flow path valve 30 of the first embodiment is not provided, and the structure of the valve unit 21 is merely changed. Therefore, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment. About the part, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the first embodiment, the flow path valve 30 is provided in the middle of the flow path of the supply tube 28, that is, upstream of the valve unit 21. Is not prepared.

  FIGS. 15 and 16 show perspective views of the recording head 19 and the valve unit 21 in the present embodiment, but the valve unit 21 in the present embodiment is not limited to the configuration in the first embodiment. A first pressing eccentric cam 81 as drive means is provided.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the first side so as to face the side surface of the unit case 35 constituting the valve unit 21, that is, the pressure receiving plate 56 attached to the second film member 52 described above. An eccentric cam 81 for pressing is arranged. As will be described in detail later, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is attached in an eccentric state to a drive rod 82 that is horizontally driven and rotationally driven.

  15 and 16, a drive unit 83 for rotating the drive rod 82 is disposed at the rear end of the unit case 35. As shown in FIG. The front end portion is rotatably supported by a rod receiving member 84 attached to the side surface of the unit case 35.

  With this configuration, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 receives the rotational drive of the drive rod 82 and operates to press the pressure receiving plate 56 toward the unit case 35, and the second film member 52 is also displaced in the same direction. Is done. As a result, the movable valve 61 disposed in the valve unit 21 is forcibly opened to introduce ink to which the positive pressure has been applied to the recording head 19 side. In this embodiment, the flow rate adjusting means includes the first pressing eccentric cam 81, the pressure receiving plate 56, the second film member 52, the movable valve 61, and the ink flow path 59b.

  FIG. 17 is a view of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment as viewed from the other side surface 21b, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the valve unit 21 in FIG. ing. In the valve unit 21 in the first embodiment, the outlet of the pressure chamber 53 connected to the ink outlet path 54 is formed at a relatively lower portion of the pressure chamber 53. In the present embodiment, 17 and 18, the outlet 86 is formed at the uppermost part in the direction of gravity. The ink outlet path 54 communicates with the outlet 86 of the pressure chamber 53 and is formed in an arc shape along the large recess 48 that forms the pressure chamber 53.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the outlet 86 of the pressure chamber 53 extending from the pressure chamber 53 to the recording head 19 is formed at the uppermost portion in the direction of gravity. In some cases, ink can be filled without leaving air (bubbles) in the pressure chamber 53.

  In other words, when air is present in the pressure chamber 53, the volume of the bubble changes due to a change in the environmental temperature, which causes a problem of changing the internal pressure in the pressure chamber based on this. As a result, there is a possibility that ink leaks from the nozzles of the recording head 19 when the internal pressure increases or air is drawn from the nozzles of the recording head 19 when the internal pressure decreases. Therefore, it is an important requirement in this type of valve unit 21 to form the outlet 86 of the pressure chamber from the pressure chamber 53 to the recording head at the top in the direction of gravity.

  The above is the description of the configuration of the ink jet printer 11 in the present embodiment. In the ink jet printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the operation of the valve unit 21 performed by consuming ink on the recording head 19 side is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. .

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, only the operation of the first pressing eccentric cam 81 that forcibly opens the movable valve 61 arranged in the valve unit 21 as described above will be described.

  As already described with reference to FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is used as a driving means for forcibly opening the movable valve 61 disposed in the valve unit 21. . The first pressing eccentric cam 81 is configured to be able to press the pressure receiving plate 56 toward the unit case 35 by receiving the rotational drive of the drive rod 82. Here, FIG. 18A shows a state in which the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is not acting, that is, a state in which the valve unit 21 can function as a self-sealing valve, and FIG. Shows a state where the first pressing eccentric cam 81 acts to forcibly open the movable valve 61 as an on-off valve.

  As shown in FIG. 18B, when the first pressing eccentric cam 81 acts to forcibly open the movable valve 61, it is supplied from the ink cartridge 23 in a positive pressure state. The ink is supplied to the recording head 19 as it is through the pressure chamber 53. As a result, the ink passes through the ink flow path of the recording head 19 and is discharged from the nozzle opening. As a result, the clogging of the recording head 19 can be eliminated and a cleaning operation for discharging the thickened ink can be executed.

  In this way, by using the valve unit 21 arranged on the upstream side of the recording head 19 and forcibly opening the movable valve 61 to perform the cleaning operation, the capping unit 31 is configured to perform the cleaning operation. As compared with the case where ink is sucked and discharged through the recording medium, negative pressure is not left in the recording head 19. For this reason, the problem of sucking bubbles from the nozzle openings after the cleaning operation can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of the cleaning operation, and it is possible to solve the problem of causing a printing defect by executing the cleaning operation. Further, the suction pump 31b for generating the negative pressure via the capping means 31 is not necessary.

  In the present embodiment, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is used as driving means for forcibly opening the movable valve 61 in the valve unit 21, and the movable valve 61 is rotated by the rotation of the first pressing eccentric cam 81. I try to move it. For example, an electromagnetic plunger or other actuator can be used as the driving means.

According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (6) to (13) of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(15) In the second embodiment, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 that presses the movable valve 61 in the valve unit 21 via the second film member 52 and the pressure receiving plate 56 and forcibly moves the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is provided. I tried to provide it. As a result, the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 23 in a positive pressure state can be supplied to the recording head 19 as it is. Then, the clogging of the recording head 19 can be eliminated and a cleaning operation for discharging the thickened ink can be executed. Therefore, the reliability of the maintenance operation can be improved while enjoying the function of the valve unit 21 having a self-sealing function.

  (16) In the second embodiment, the outlet 86 of the pressure chamber 53 is formed at the uppermost part in the direction of gravity. According to this, the bubbles remaining in the pressure chamber 53 are normally positioned above the pressure chamber 53, and when the ink is filled in the pressure chamber 53, the bubbles are discharged from the outlet 86 of the pressure chamber 53. It becomes easy to be discharged to the outside through the recording head 19. Accordingly, since the bubbles can be efficiently discharged, the bubbles hardly remain in the pressure chamber 53, and printing can be performed satisfactorily.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, a third embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, the flow path valve 30 of the first embodiment is not provided, and the structure of the valve unit 21 is only changed. Therefore, the third embodiment is the same as the first embodiment. About the part, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  19 and 20 show perspective views of the recording head 19 and the valve unit 21 in the present embodiment. 21 and 22 are views seen from the other side surface 21b and one side surface 21a of the valve unit 21 in the present embodiment. Further, FIGS. 23A and 23B are cross-sectional views taken along line AA of the valve unit 21 in FIG. In the first embodiment, the valve unit 21 has been described by showing a state in which only two valve units 21 are mounted on the top of the recording head 19. In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, this will be described by showing a state in which four valve units 21 are mounted on the top of the recording head 19 having a configuration corresponding to each color ink.

  In the first embodiment, the flow path valve 30 is provided in the middle of the flow path of the supply tube 28, that is, upstream of the valve unit 21. In the present embodiment, the second embodiment is provided. In the same way as the above, this is not provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 22, in the unit case 35 in the present embodiment, a filter portion 89 that houses a filter 88 is formed between the connection portion 36 and the ink introduction path 47. Accordingly, the ink supplied from the connection portion 36 connected to the supply tube 28 is supplied to the ink supply chamber 46 formed in the substantially central portion of the unit case 35 through the ink introduction path 47 and the filter portion 89. It is configured to be.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, the inner wall surface of the pressure chamber 53 is provided with an ink outlet hole 91 as an outlet through which the ink in the pressure chamber 53 flows out. The ink lead-out hole 91 is formed so as to be arranged at the uppermost portion in the gravity direction of the pressure chamber 53 in a state where the valve unit 21 is mounted on the recording head 19.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the ink outlet path 54 is provided on the other side surface 21b side of the unit case 35. However, the ink outlet path 54 in the present embodiment is as shown in FIGS. In addition, it is provided on the side surface 21a side. The ink outlet path 54 communicates with the ink outlet hole 91 of the pressure chamber 53 and is formed in a groove shape from the upper side to the lower side of the unit case 35.

  Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the ink lead-out path 54 is formed by the second film member 52 that forms the pressure chamber 53. However, in this embodiment, the lead-out path-side film member 92 is replaced with the second film member 52. The unit case 35 is formed by heat welding.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 23A and 23B, a movable member 93 as a driving unit is provided outside the unit case 35 and on the ink supply chamber 46 side. . The movable member 93 is made of a magnetic material, and is inserted as an electromagnetic plunger so as to be reciprocally movable at the center of an electromagnet (not shown). When the movable member 93 is magnetized by the electromagnet, it is arranged so that the movable valve 61 can be pressed toward the seal member 66 via the first film member 45. In the present embodiment, the flow rate adjusting means includes the movable member 93, the first film member 45, the movable valve 61, and the ink flow path 59b.

  The above is the description of the configuration of the ink jet printer 11 in the present embodiment. In the ink jet printer 11 according to the present embodiment, the operation of the valve unit 21 performed by consuming ink on the recording head 19 side is the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. .

Therefore, in the present embodiment, only the operation of the movable member 93 arranged in the valve unit 21 as described above will be described.
As shown in FIG. 23A, the movable member 93 moves to the first film member 45 side and presses the first film member 45. Since this pressing force is larger than the spring load W 1 of the seal spring 65, the seal spring 65 contracts and transmits the pressing force to the plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61. For this reason, the pressed plate-like member 63 presses the seal member 66 to close the valve. In this state, the recording head 19 is capped by the cap member 31a disposed in the non-printing area, and chalk cleaning is performed to suck ink from the nozzle formation surface of the recording head 19. At this time, ink in the pressure chamber 53 is sucked from the ink lead-out path 54, and a high negative pressure state is set downstream of the support hole 59. In this state, the second film member 52 contacts the end of the rod member 62, but the pressing force by the movable member 93 is sufficiently larger than the pressing force by the second film member 52 and the biasing force of the seal spring 65. . For this reason, the movable valve 61 is not separated from the seal member 66 by the pressing force applied by the second film member 52 and the seal spring 65.

  As a result, the bubbles existing downstream from the support hole 59 expand and increase in volume when a high negative pressure state is reached. In particular, when the bubbles in the pressure chamber 53 are in a high negative pressure state, the bubbles expand and rise above the pressure chamber 53.

  In this manner, the suction by the suction pump 31b is finished in a state of high negative pressure downstream from the support hole 59, that is, downstream from the pressure chamber 53 and the pressure chamber 53. Then, as shown in FIG. 23B, the movable member 93 is separated from the second film member 52 to release the pressing force. In this case, the movable valve 61 is separated from the seal member 66 by the pressing force of the second film member 52 that has been in contact with the rod member 62, and is opened. At this time, since the pressure chamber 53 has a negative pressure, the ink in the ink supply chamber 46 suddenly flows into the pressure chamber 53. Since the ink outlet hole 91 of the pressure chamber 53 is formed at the uppermost part in the direction of gravity, the bubbles floating above the pressure chamber 53 are discharged from the ink outlet hole 91 together with the ink flowing from below. The ink discharged from the ink outlet hole 91 is discharged from the ink outlet 37 to the outside of the valve unit 21 through the ink outlet path 54. Further, ink in the recording head 19 and bubbled ink in the cap member 31a generated by the suction operation are also discharged.

According to the third embodiment, in addition to the features described in (6) to (14) of the first embodiment and (16) of the second embodiment, the following effects are obtained. be able to.
(17) In the third embodiment, the movable member 93 that presses the plate-like member 63 through the first film member 45 of the movable valve 61 to forcibly close the valve is provided. For this reason, when performing choke cleaning, it is possible to forcibly close the valve and set the downstream of the ink flow path 59b to a high negative pressure state. Furthermore, since the valve is opened while maintaining a high negative pressure state, it is possible to increase the flow rate of the ink to be introduced, and to improve the discharge of bubbles in the ink. Further, since the bubbled ink in the cap member 31a generated by the suction operation can be discharged, the reliability in cleaning can be improved.

  (18) In the third embodiment, the first film member 45 is provided in the unit case 35. The first film member 45 is deformed by receiving the pressing force of the movable member 93 and can transmit the pressing force of the movable member 93 to the movable valve 61.

  (19) In the third embodiment, the movable member 93 is closed by pressing the first film member 45 in the direction in which the movable valve 61 moves. Accordingly, since the pressing force by the movable member 93 is directly transmitted to the movable valve 61, the pressing force of the movable member 93 can be efficiently transmitted.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Note that the fourth embodiment is a configuration in which the configuration of the driving unit of the third embodiment is only changed, and thus detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, a suction eccentric cam 95 and a cam receiving portion 98 formed on the pressure receiving plate 56 are used as driving means for forcibly closing the flow path. As shown in FIGS. 24A and 24B, a suction eccentric cam 95 including a rotating shaft 96 and a cam 97 is disposed on the pressure receiving plate 56 side of the unit case 35. The rotary shaft 96 is pointed in the horizontal direction and fixed to a drive rod and a rod receiver (not shown), and a cam 97 is attached to the rotary shaft 96 in an eccentric state. A cam receiving portion 98 projects from the pressure receiving plate 56 facing the suction eccentric cam 95 so as to surround the cam 97.

  The cam receiving portion 98 is configured to receive or not receive a pressing force as the suction eccentric cam 95 rotates. 24A, when the cam receiving portion 98 receives a pressing force from the suction eccentric cam 95, the pressure receiving plate 56 integrated with the cam receiving portion 98 and the pressure receiving plate 56 are attached to the pressure receiving plate 56. The second film member 52 is displaced away from the ink supply chamber 46. In addition, it is assumed that the second film member 52 is displaced in a direction away from the ink supply chamber 46 as described above. Further, as shown in FIG. 24B, when the cam receiving portion 98 does not receive the pressing force from the suction eccentric cam 95, the second film member 52 and the pressure receiving plate 56 are not sucked.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 24A, when the cam receiving portion 98 receives a pressing force by the suction eccentric cam 95, a force sucked by the second film member 52 and the pressure receiving plate 56 is applied, and the second The film member 52 is not in contact with the movable valve 61. At this time, since the movable valve 61 is in contact with the seal member 66 by the biasing force of the seal spring 65 and the ink pressure in the ink supply chamber 46, the flow path is closed. In this state, when the ink in the pressure chamber 53 is caused to flow out from the ink outlet hole 91, the pressure chamber 53 is in a high negative pressure state.

  In the high negative pressure state, the bubbles in the pressure chamber 53 expand and increase in volume, and are easily discharged. In this state, when the suction eccentric cam 95 is further rotated while the suction operation by the suction pump 31b is continued to release the pressing force to the cam receiving portion 98, the pressure receiving plate 56 and the second film member 52 are sucked. Power is released. The second film member 52 is displaced in a concave shape toward the pressure chamber 53 and comes into contact with the rod member 62 of the movable valve 61 to separate the plate member 63 and the seal member 66 as shown in FIG. . For this reason, the flow path is opened, and the ink suddenly flows in due to the suction force by the suction pump 31 b and the suction force by the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53, and the bubbles in the pressure chamber 53 pass through the upper ink outlet hole 91. Discharged.

  In this embodiment, the flow rate adjusting means is constituted by the suction eccentric cam 95, the cam receiving portion 98 formed on the pressure receiving plate 56, the movable valve 61, and the ink flow path 59b.

Therefore, according to the fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects described in (6) to (13) of the first embodiment and (16) of the second embodiment. it can.
(20) In the fourth embodiment, the driving means for forcibly closing the flow path is constituted by the suction eccentric cam 95 and the cam receiving portion 98, and the drive means is arranged in the direction opposite to the ink supply chamber 46 side. A force for sucking the second film member 52 and the pressure receiving plate 56 is applied. For this reason, even if the pressure chamber 53 is in a high negative pressure state, the second film member 52 can be prevented from coming into contact with the movable valve 61, and the flow path is not opened. Therefore, the reliability of the operation for closing the flow path can be improved. Further, when performing choke cleaning, it is possible to forcibly close the valve and set the downstream side of the ink flow path 59b to a high negative pressure state. Furthermore, since the valve is opened while maintaining a high negative pressure state, it is possible to increase the flow rate of the ink to be introduced, and to improve the discharge of bubbles in the ink. Further, since the foamed ink in the cap member 31a generated by the suction operation can be discharged, the reliability in cleaning can be improved.

  (21) In the fourth embodiment, when performing chalk cleaning, the valve unit 21 is opened while performing the suction operation by the suction pump 31b. Therefore, since the pressure chamber 53 is opened from the state in which the pressure chamber 53 becomes a negative pressure during the suction process, the suction force can be further increased, and the ink can be discharged to the recording head 19 side vigorously.

(Fifth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, since the fifth embodiment is a configuration in which only the configuration of the valve unit 21 of the first embodiment is changed, detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 25, the valve unit 21 in this embodiment includes a coiled negative pressure holding spring 100 in the pressure chamber 53. The negative pressure holding spring 100 is arranged in the pressure chamber 53 so as to surround the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61. One end of the negative pressure holding spring 100 is held by an annular convex portion formed on the partition wall 58, and the other end is urged so as to abut against the second film member 52. That is, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is arranged so that its urging direction coincides with the moving direction of the pressure receiving plate 56 attached to the second film member 52 and expands the volume of the pressure chamber 53. Act on.

  In this embodiment, the coil diameter of the negative pressure holding spring 100 is a relatively small diameter that is substantially the same as the coil diameter of the seal spring 65. Through the second film member 52, the pressure receiving plate 56 is brought into contact with a substantially central portion.

The above is the description of the configuration of the valve unit 21 in the present embodiment. Next, the operation of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 25A, when the recording head 19 is in a non-printing state, that is, in a state where ink is not consumed, the spring load W1 due to the seal spring 65 in the valve unit 21 is a plate-like member in the movable valve 61. 63. The plate member 63 is also applied with the pressure P1 of ink supplied to the ink supply chamber 46. As a result, the plate-like member 63 comes into contact with the seal member 66 and is brought into a valve-closed state. That is, the valve unit 21 is in a self-sealing state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 25B, when the recording head 19 is in a printing state and consumes ink, the second film member 52 is moved to the unit case 35 as the ink in the pressure chamber 53 decreases. The pressure receiving plate 56 which is displaced toward the formed large concave portion 48 and attached thereto moves in a direction to reduce the volume of the pressure chamber 53. At this time, the above-described coiled negative pressure holding spring 100 is compressed, and the central portion of the pressure receiving plate 56 contacts the end of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61 via the second film member 52.

  The spring load of the negative pressure holding spring 100 at this time is W2, and the displacement reaction force required for the displacement of the second film member 52 is Wd. As the ink is further consumed in the recording head 19, a negative pressure P <b> 2 is generated in the pressure chamber 53. At this time, when the relationship of P2> W1 + P1 + Wd + W2 is satisfied, the second film member 52 presses the rod member 62, whereby the contact of the seal member 66 by the plate-like member 63 is released and the valve is opened. Made.

  Accordingly, the ink in the ink supply chamber 46 is replenished into the pressure chamber 53 through the support hole 59 extending from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53, and the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is caused by the inflow of ink into the pressure chamber 53. The pressure is relieved. Along with this, the movable valve 61 moves to be closed again as shown in FIG. 25A, and the ink supply from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53 is stopped.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of the open / close valve of the movable valve 61 is not necessarily an extreme operation in which the states shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B are repeated repeatedly. In reality, during the printing operation, the second film member 52 maintains a balanced state in contact with the end of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61, and opens slightly according to ink consumption, while the pressure chamber The ink 53 is supplied to the ink 53 sequentially.

  Here, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is in contact with the second film member 52 to press the pressure receiving plate 56, and is biased in the direction of expanding the volume of the pressure chamber 53 as described above. Therefore, even if the pressure receiving plate 56 is subjected to some acceleration / deceleration by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 15, for example, the movement of the pressure receiving plate 56 is suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  Further, the negative pressure holding spring 100 effectively suppresses the action of causing the second film member 52 to bulge further outward under the pressure chamber 53 when the ink receives gravity. That is, the negative pressure holding spring 100 has an effect of always maintaining the pressure chamber 53 in a slight negative pressure state, so that the pressure receiving plate 56 attached to the second film member 52 is always maintained in a vertical state. work. Thereby, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  Further, even when ink is supplied into the pressure chamber 53, the negative pressure holding spring 100 expands to maintain the pressure chamber 53 in a slightly negative pressure state, so that the pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is increased. Variations can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to guarantee a normal ink droplet ejection operation from the recording head.

  In addition, according to this embodiment, the pressure chamber 53 is configured to ensure a negative pressure state by applying a spring load from the negative pressure holding spring 100 and the seal spring 65. In other words, the spring load can be divided into the negative pressure holding spring 100 and the seal spring 65. Therefore, the seal spring 65 for bringing the movable valve 61 into contact with the seal member 66 in the closed state is provided. It becomes possible to select a small spring load.

  Therefore, the contact pressure on the seal member 66 due to the elastomer resin or the like can be reduced, and thereby abnormal deformation of the seal member 66 can be prevented. Further, since an inappropriate spring load can be prevented from being applied to the seal member 66, problems such as impurities such as oils and fats contained in the elastomer resin constituting the seal member 66 can be avoided. .

  On the other hand, in the above-described embodiment, when the movable valve 61 moves as much as possible based on the reduction in the volume of the pressure chamber, the negative pressure holding spring 100 has a further compressible stroke. It is desirable that the dimensional relationship be set so that it remains. FIG. 26 shows an example thereof, and shows an enlarged substantially central part of the valve unit 21. Note that the reference numerals shown in FIG. 26 correspond to the reference numerals of the parts already described. FIG. 26 shows a state where the negative pressure holding spring 100 is deformed (reduced) to the maximum based on the reduction of the volume of the pressure chamber 53.

  As shown in FIG. 26, the contact height of the seal spring 65 when the movable valve 61 moves to the maximum is indicated by L1, and the compressed height of the negative pressure holding spring 100 in this state is indicated by L2. Show. That is, even when the seal spring 65 is in close contact, the dimensional relationship is set so that the negative pressure holding spring 100 is not in close contact. In other words, when spring members of the same standard (size) are used as the seal spring 65 and the negative pressure holding spring 100, the relationship of L1 <L2 is established. In the form shown in this figure, since the ink flows into the pressure chamber 53 through the gap of the negative pressure holding spring 100, if the negative pressure holding spring 100 is in close contact, the ink flow path May become blocked, and ink may not be supplied. Therefore, this problem can be avoided by setting L1 <L2 as described above.

  For example, when the ink pressure supply system as shown in FIG. 1 is employed, the ink can be introduced into the pressure chamber 53 with the movable valve 61 slightly opened. The dimensional relationship as shown is not always necessary. However, in the case where a system for supplying ink by a water head difference as shown in FIG. 2 is adopted, the movable valve 61 is kept largely open because the ink supply pressure is low. Therefore, as described above, it is important that the contact pressure height of the negative pressure holding spring 100 is set to have a margin with respect to the moving stroke of the movable valve 61.

  In the present embodiment, the flow path valve 30 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the flow path valve 30 is opened and closed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. By doing so, the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 can be improved. Since the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

Therefore, according to the fifth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(22) According to the fifth embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring 100 abuts against the second film member 52 and presses the pressure receiving plate 56 so as to coincide with the moving direction, thereby reducing the volume of the pressure chamber 53. It is energizing in the direction of expansion. Therefore, even if the pressure receiving plate 56 is subjected to some acceleration / deceleration by the reciprocating movement of the carriage 15, for example, the movement of the pressure receiving plate 56 is suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  (23) According to the fifth embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring 100 also has an effect of causing the second film member 52 to bulge outwardly under the pressure chamber 53 when the ink receives gravity. Suppress it. That is, the negative pressure holding spring 100 has an effect of always maintaining the pressure chamber 53 in a slight negative pressure state, so that the pressure receiving plate 56 attached to the second film member 52 is always maintained in a vertical state. work. Thereby, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  (24) According to the fifth embodiment, even when ink is supplied into the pressure chamber 53, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is expanded to keep the pressure chamber 53 in a slight negative pressure state. Therefore, the pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber 53 can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to guarantee a normal ink droplet ejection operation from the recording head.

  (25) According to the fifth embodiment, a negative pressure state is secured in the pressure chamber 53 by applying a spring load from the negative pressure holding spring 100 and the seal spring 65. In other words, the spring load can be divided into the negative pressure holding spring 100 and the seal spring 65. Therefore, the seal spring 65 for bringing the movable valve 61 into contact with the seal member 66 in the closed state is provided. It becomes possible to select a small spring load. As a result, the contact pressure on the seal member 66 due to the elastomer resin or the like can be reduced, and thereby abnormal deformation of the seal member 66 can be prevented. Further, since an inappropriate spring load can be prevented from being applied to the seal member 66, problems such as impurities such as oils and fats contained in the elastomer resin constituting the seal member 66 can be avoided. .

  (26) In the fifth embodiment, the dimension is set so that the negative pressure holding spring 100 can be further compressed when the valve unit 21 detects the negative pressure accompanying the decrease in ink and is opened to the maximum. Has been made. According to this, since the negative pressure holding spring 100 can be further compressed when the valve unit 21 is opened to the maximum, the ink can pass through the gap of the negative pressure holding spring 100. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink supply from being hindered.

  (27) In the fifth embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is a coil spring, and the coil spring is disposed so as to be in contact with the central portion of the pressure receiving plate 56. According to this, the 2nd film member 52 can be urged | biased by a simple coil spring.

(Sixth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a sixth embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since the sixth embodiment has a configuration in which the structure of the negative pressure holding spring 100 of the fifth embodiment is changed, the same parts as those in the fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 27, in this embodiment, a coil spring similar to that of the fifth embodiment is used as the negative pressure holding spring 100, and the coil diameter thereof is compared with that shown in FIG. The bigger ones are used. Thus, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is configured to abut on the vicinity of the periphery of the pressure receiving plate 56 formed in a disc shape via the second film member 52.

  According to this configuration, the pressure receiving plate 56 receives contact with the negative pressure holding spring 100 in the vicinity of the peripheral edge thereof, so that the ink receives gravity and causes the second film member 52 to bulge outwardly under the pressure chamber 53. Even if it receives an action, the pressure receiving plate 56 is always maintained in a vertical state. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  Therefore, according to the sixth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (1) to (14) of the first embodiment and (22) to (26) of the fifth embodiment, the following effects are obtained. Can be obtained.

  (28) In the sixth embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is a coil spring, and the coil spring is disposed so as to contact the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the pressure receiving plate 56. According to this, the second film member 52 can be urged more stably, and the malfunction of the movable valve 61 that sequentially introduces ink into the pressure chamber 53 can be more effectively suppressed. .

(Seventh embodiment)
Hereinafter, a seventh embodiment of the liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Since the seventh embodiment has a configuration in which the structure of the negative pressure holding spring 100 according to the fifth embodiment is changed, the same parts as those in the fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 27B, a coil spring is used as the negative pressure holding spring as in the fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, a plurality of negative pressure holding springs 100a and 100b having a small coil diameter are used. Is being used. And each negative pressure holding spring 100a, 100b is arrange | positioned so that it may each contact | abut to the periphery vicinity of the said pressure receiving plate 56 formed in disk shape. Even in this configuration, the pressure receiving plate 56 is always maintained in a vertical state even when the ink is subjected to gravity and is subjected to the action of causing the second film member 52 to bulge outwardly below the pressure chamber 53. . Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the degree of malfunction in the on-off valve action by the movable valve 61.

  In addition, in this embodiment, although the state using the two negative pressure holding springs 100a and 100b is shown, more coil springs more than that can be utilized. Therefore, when n coil springs are used, when the spring load by the negative pressure holding spring is set to W2 as described above, the spring load by one coil spring is set to W2 / n. There is a need.

  Therefore, according to the seventh embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (1) to (14) of the first embodiment and (22) to (26) of the fifth embodiment, the following effects are obtained. Can be obtained.

  (29) In the seventh embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring 100 is constituted by a plurality of coil springs, and each coil spring is disposed so as to abut on the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the pressure receiving plate 56. According to this, the second film member 52 can be uniformly biased as a whole, and the malfunction of the movable valve 61 that sequentially introduces ink into the pressure chamber 53 can be more effectively suppressed. it can.

(Eighth embodiment)
Hereinafter, an eighth embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since the eighth embodiment has a configuration in which the structure of the negative pressure holding spring 100 according to the fifth embodiment is changed, the same parts as those in the fifth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown to Fig.28 (a), in this embodiment, the leaf | plate spring 101 is employ | adopted as a negative pressure holding spring. As shown in FIG. 28 (b), both end portions of the leaf spring 101 are bent in the same direction to form leg portions 101a and 101b as a pair of both end portions. And in the center part, the cut-and-raised part 101c is formed in the direction opposite to the bending direction of the said leg part.

  As shown in FIG. 28A, the plate spring 101 having the above-described configuration has one leg portion 101 a fixed to the unit case 35 in the pressure chamber 53. Further, the rod member 62 of the movable valve is inserted into the opening formed by forming the cut-and-raised portion 101 c, and the leading end portion of the cut-and-raised portion 101 c is inserted into the pressure receiving plate 56 via the second film member 52. It is comprised so that it may contact | abut substantially the center part.

  Also in this configuration, the leaf spring 101 is urged in the direction of expanding the volume of the pressure chamber 53 so that the malfunction of the on-off valve is effectively suppressed even when subjected to acceleration / deceleration due to the reciprocating movement of the carriage, for example. Act on.

  Therefore, according to the eighth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (1) to (14) of the first embodiment and (22) to (26) of the fifth embodiment, the following effects are obtained. Can be obtained.

  (30) In the eighth embodiment, the negative pressure holding spring is the leaf spring 101, the leg portions 101 a, 101 b of the leaf spring 101 are supported, and the central portion thereof contacts the substantially central portion of the pressure receiving plate 56. It was arranged so that it could touch. According to this, the 2nd film member 52 can be urged | biased by the simple leaf | plate spring 101. FIG.

(Ninth embodiment)
A ninth embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Since the ninth embodiment has a configuration in which the structure of the valve unit 21 of the first embodiment is changed, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed description is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 29 and 30, the valve unit 21 according to the present embodiment includes the contact protrusion members 103 as four regulating members in the pressure chamber 53. Specifically, the contact projection member 103 is formed so as to protrude from the partition wall 58 of the valve unit 21 toward the pressure chamber 53 in the main scanning direction of the carriage 15. As shown in FIG. 30, the contact projection member 103 is formed by cutting out four members provided in an annular shape so as to surround the support hole 59 at equal intervals.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 29, the end portion of the contact projection member 103 on the pressure receiving plate 56 side and the pressure receiving plate of the movable valve 61 in a state where the movable valve 61 is in contact with the seal member 66, that is, in a closed state. The distance from the end on the 56 side is L3. Further, the distance between the spring seat 45a and the movable valve 61 is L4. Then, the dimensional relationship is set so that the length of the projecting member 103 for hitting in the main scanning direction is L3 <L4.

  Although the contact projection member 103 in this embodiment is formed so as to be integrated with the unit case 35 of the valve unit 21, an elastomer resin or the like is integrally formed with the partition wall 58 by two-color molding. Also good. Further, it may be formed of rubber or the like and attached to the partition wall 58.

The above is description about the structure of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment. Next, the operation of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 29, when the recording head 19 is in a non-printing state, that is, a state where ink is not consumed, a spring load W1 due to the seal spring 65 in the valve unit 21 is applied to the plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61. Yes. The plate member 63 is also applied with the pressure P1 of ink supplied to the ink supply chamber 46. As a result, the plate-like member 63 comes into contact with the seal member 66 and is brought into a valve-closed state. That is, the valve unit 21 is in a self-sealing state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 31, when the recording head 19 is in a printing state and consumes ink, the second film member 52 is formed in the unit case 35 as the ink in the pressure chamber 53 decreases. The pressure receiving plate 56 that is displaced toward the large concave portion 48 and is attached to the large concave portion 48 moves in the direction of reducing the volume of the pressure chamber 53. At this time, the central portion of the pressure receiving plate 56 comes into contact with the end portion of the rod member 62 of the movable valve 61 via the second film member 52.

  The displacement reaction force required for the displacement of the second film member 52 at this time is defined as Wd. As the ink is further consumed in the recording head 19, a negative pressure P <b> 2 is generated in the pressure chamber 53. At this time, when the relationship of P2> W1 + P1 + Wd is satisfied, the second film member 52 moves to the rod member 62 side and presses the rod member 62.

  As a result, the second film member 52 comes into contact with the contact projection member 103, and the contact of the seal member 66 by the plate-like member 63 is released, so that the valve is opened. At this time, since the sizing relationship is set so that the length in the main scanning direction of the contact projection member 103 is L3 <L4, the movement of the second film member 52 is restricted, The plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61 is not in contact with the spring receiving seat 45a.

  That is, the load generated in the second film member 52 when the movable valve 61 is opened as much as possible by greatly reducing the pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is the contact between the projecting member 103 for contact and the second film member 52. It mainly comes to the contact surface. As a result, the load applied to the movable valve 61 itself is reduced, and deformation of the movable valve 61 can be avoided.

  As described above, the ink in the ink supply chamber 46 is supplied into the pressure chamber 53 through the support hole 59 extending from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53. At this time, if the contact projection member 103 is provided in an annular shape around the support hole 59, the ink flow path is blocked and ink supply is not performed. there is a possibility. However, as shown in FIG. 30, the contact projection member 103 in this embodiment is formed by cutting out four members provided in an annular shape at equal intervals. Then, the ink flows into the pressure chamber 53. As a result, the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is eliminated by the inflow of ink into the pressure chamber 53. Along with this, the movable valve 61 moves and is closed again as shown in FIG. Ink supply from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53 is stopped.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of the opening / closing valve of the movable valve 61 is not necessarily an extreme operation in which the states shown in FIGS. 29 and 31 are repeated repeatedly. In reality, during the printing operation, the second film member 52 maintains a balanced state in contact with the end of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61, and opens slightly according to ink consumption, while the pressure chamber The ink 53 is supplied to the ink 53 sequentially.

  In the present embodiment, the flow path valve 30 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the flow path valve 30 is opened and closed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. By doing so, the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 can be improved. Since the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

Therefore, according to the ninth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (1) to (14) of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(31) In the ninth embodiment, the contact protrusion member 103 is provided to restrict the amount of displacement when the second film member 52 presses the movable valve 61. According to this, it can prevent that the 2nd film member 52 presses the movable valve 61 excessively, and a deformation | transformation etc. of the movable valve 61 can be avoided.

  (32) In the ninth embodiment, the dimensional relationship is set such that the length of the projection member 103 for hitting in the main scanning direction satisfies L3 <L4. Therefore, the movable valve 61 can be more reliably prevented from coming into contact with the spring seat 45a, and deformation of the movable valve 61 can be effectively avoided.

  (33) In the ninth embodiment, the contact projection member 103 is formed by cutting out four members provided in an annular shape at equal intervals. Therefore, if the protrusion member 103 for contact is provided in an annular shape around the support hole 59, there is a possibility that the ink flow path will be blocked and ink supply will not be performed. is there. However, since the contact projection member 103 in this embodiment is formed by notching, the ink flows into the pressure chamber 53 through the notched portion.

(Tenth embodiment)
A tenth embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The tenth embodiment has a configuration in which only the structure of the valve unit 21 of the ninth embodiment is changed. Therefore, the same parts as those in the ninth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 32, in this embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 56 is attached to the surface of the second film member 52 on the pressure chamber 53 side. Further, four contact projection members 103 are provided as in the ninth embodiment. In this embodiment, the pressure receiving plate 56 faces the ink supply chamber 46 from the pressure chamber 53 side surface. Thus, it is formed so as to protrude in the main scanning direction of the carriage 15.

  Further, in a state where the movable valve 61 is in contact with the seal member 66, that is, in a closed state, the distance between the end portion on the ink supply chamber 46 side of the contact projection member 103 and the partition wall 58 of the unit case 35 is L5. To do. Further, the distance between the spring seat 45a and the movable valve 61 is L6. Then, the dimensional relationship is set so that the length of the projecting member for contact 103 in the main scanning direction satisfies L5 <L6.

  In this embodiment, the contact protrusion member 103 is formed so as to be integrated with the pressure receiving plate 56. However, the elastomer resin or the like may be formed integrally with the pressure receiving plate 56 by two-color molding. Good. Further, it may be formed of rubber or the like and attached to the pressure receiving plate 56.

The above is description about the structure of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment. Next, the operation of the valve unit 21 in this embodiment will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 32, when the recording head 9 is in a non-printing state, that is, a state where ink is not consumed, a spring load W1 due to the seal spring 65 in the valve unit 21 is applied to the plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61. Yes. The plate member 63 is also applied with the pressure P1 of ink supplied to the ink supply chamber 46. As a result, the plate-like member 63 comes into contact with the seal member 66 and is brought into a valve-closed state. That is, the valve unit 21 is in a self-sealing state.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 33, when the recording head 19 is in a printing state and consumes ink, the second film member 52 is formed in the unit case 35 as the ink in the pressure chamber 53 decreases. The pressure receiving plate 56 that is displaced toward the large concave portion 48 and is attached to the large concave portion 48 moves in the direction of reducing the volume of the pressure chamber 53. At this time, the central portion of the pressure receiving plate 56 contacts the end portion of the rod member 62 of the movable valve 61.

  The displacement reaction force required for the displacement of the second film member 52 at this time is defined as Wd. As the ink is further consumed in the recording head 19, a negative pressure P <b> 2 is generated in the pressure chamber 53. At this time, when the relationship of P2> W1 + P1 + Wd is established, the second film member 52 moves to the rod member 62 side, and the pressure receiving plate 56 presses the rod member 62.

  As a result, the contact projection member 103 of the pressure receiving plate 56 contacts the partition wall 58, and the contact of the seal member 66 by the plate member 63 is released, and the valve is opened. At this time, since the dimensional relationship is set such that the length in the main scanning direction of the contact projection member 103 is L5 <L6, the movement of the pressure receiving plate 56 is restricted, and the movable valve 61 is controlled. The plate-like member 63 is not in contact with the spring seat 45a.

  That is, the load generated in the second film member 52 when the movable valve 61 is opened as much as possible by greatly reducing the pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is mainly applied to the contact surface between the contact projection member 103 and the partition wall 58. It will take to. As a result, the load applied to the movable valve 61 itself is reduced, and deformation of the movable valve 61 can be avoided.

  As described above, the ink in the ink supply chamber 46 is supplied into the pressure chamber 53 through the support hole 59 extending from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53. Note that the contact projection member 103 in this embodiment is also formed by notching four members provided in an annular shape at equal intervals in the same manner as in the ninth embodiment. The ink flows into the pressure chamber 53 through the portion that has been damaged. As a result, the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53 is eliminated by the inflow of ink into the pressure chamber 53. Along with this, the movable valve 61 moves and is closed again as shown in FIG. Ink supply from the ink supply chamber 46 to the pressure chamber 53 is stopped.

  In the present embodiment, the operation of the open / close valve of the movable valve 61 is not necessarily an extreme operation in which the states shown in FIGS. 32 and 33 are repeated repeatedly. Actually, during the printing operation, the pressure receiving plate 56 maintains a balanced state in contact with the end of the rod member 62 constituting the movable valve 61 and opens slightly according to the consumption of ink, while against the pressure chamber 53. The ink is replenished sequentially.

  In the present embodiment, the flow path valve 30 (see FIG. 3) is provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the flow path valve 30 is opened and closed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. By doing so, the ink filling property of the pressure chamber 53 of the valve unit 21 can be improved. Since the operation is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

Therefore, according to the tenth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in (1) to (14) of the first embodiment and (31) of the ninth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. it can.
(34) In the tenth embodiment, the dimensional relationship is set such that the length of the projection member 103 for hitting in the main scanning direction satisfies L5 <L6. Therefore, the movable valve 61 can be more reliably prevented from coming into contact with the spring seat 45a, and deformation of the movable valve 61 can be effectively avoided.

  (35) In the tenth embodiment, the contact member 103 is provided so as to be integrated with the pressure receiving plate 56. Therefore, by modifying only the pressure receiving plate 56, the contact protrusion member 103 can be easily added, and the design can be easily changed.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the first embodiment, the valve unit 21 includes the pressure chamber 53 from the supply tube 28 by the second film member 52 that senses the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53, the movable valve 61, and the ink flow path 59b. The supply and non-supply of ink to the printer are switched. As long as it is possible to switch the supply and non-supply of the ink to the pressure chamber 53 by detecting the negative pressure accompanying the decrease in the ink in the pressure chamber 53, the valve unit 21 having another structure is used. You may make it do. For example, you may make it use what was provided with the back pressure regulator of the said patent document 2. FIG.

  In the first to tenth embodiments, the opening / closing valve operating member is made of the second film member 52. However, the opening / closing valve operating member can detect the negative pressure in the pressure chamber 53 and drive the movable valve 61. Others may be used. For example, a diaphragm may be used.

In the first to third and fifth to ninth embodiments, the pressure receiving plate 56 is attached to the second film member 52, but may not be attached.
In the first to tenth embodiments, the movable valve 61 is urged to be pressed against the seal member 66 attached to the partition wall 58 by the seal spring 65. Alternatively, the seal spring 65 may not be provided. In such a case, the plate-like member 63 of the movable valve 61 is changed so as to be pressed against the seal member 66 by receiving the pressure of the ink supplied from the supply tube 28. Also good.

  In the first to tenth embodiments, the movable valve 61 is configured by the rod member 62 and the plate member 63. Any other shape may be used as long as the ink channel 59b is opened and closed by receiving a pressing action due to the displacement of the second film member 52.

  In the first to tenth embodiments, the ink flow path 59b is formed by intermittently cutting the support hole 59. As long as the flow path can be opened and closed by the movement of the movable valve 61, it may be formed in another shape.

In the first to tenth embodiments, the partition wall 58 of the valve unit 21 is provided with the seal member 66, but may not be provided.
In the first to tenth embodiments, the seal spring 65 is made of a coil spring. However, the seal spring 65 may be made of another elastic member such as a leaf spring, a disc spring, or rubber.

-In the said 2nd-8th embodiment, although it was not made to provide especially the protrusion member 103 for a contact in the said 9th and 10th embodiment, you may make it provide.
In the second to fourth, ninth, and tenth embodiments, the negative pressure holding springs 100, 100a, and 100b in the fifth to seventh embodiments are not particularly provided. Also good.

In the second to fourth, fourth, ninth, and tenth embodiments, the leaf spring 101 in the eighth embodiment is particularly provided, but it may be provided.
In the fifth embodiment, when spring members of the same standard are used as the seal spring 65 and the negative pressure holding spring 100, the relationship of L1 <L2 is established. This may be such that L1 = L2 and L1> L2.

In the second to fourth embodiments, the flow path valve 30 in the first embodiment is not particularly provided, but may be provided.
In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the flow path valve 30 is provided on the upstream side of the valve unit 21, but may be provided on the downstream side.

  In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the flow path valve 30 is configured by the ink flow path portion 71 and the pressing portion 72. However, the flow rate of ink in the supply tube 28 is changed. Of course, a flow path valve having another structure may be used as long as it can be used.

  In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the flow path valve 30 has a structure in which a slight amount of ink flows even when the ink flow path portion 71 is most crushed by the pressing portion 72. However, the ink may not completely flow.

In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the flow path valve 30 is provided on the frame 12, but may be mounted on the carriage 15.
In the second embodiment, the first pressing eccentric cam 81 is provided as the driving means. However, the pressure receiving plate 56 may be pressed by other driving means. For example, a movable member 93 (see FIG. 23) in the third embodiment may be used.

  In the third embodiment, the movable member 93 is provided as the driving means. However, other driving means may be provided to press the first film member 45. For example, a cam similar to the first pressing eccentric cam 81 in the second embodiment may be provided as the second pressing eccentric cam at the same position as the movable member 93. And you may make it press the 1st film member 45 by rotation operation of the 2nd eccentric cam for a press. With such a configuration, the valve can be efficiently closed.

  In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the ink outlet of the pressure chamber 53 is formed in the lower part in the direction of gravity. This may be formed at the uppermost part in the direction of gravity, as in the second to fourth embodiments.

  In the first to third and fifth to tenth embodiments, when performing chalk cleaning, the valve unit 21 is opened after the suction operation by the suction pump 31b. Alternatively, the valve unit 21 may be opened while performing a suction operation by the suction pump 31b.

  In the fourth embodiment, when performing chalk cleaning, the valve unit 21 is opened while performing the suction operation by the suction pump 31b. Alternatively, the valve unit 21 may be opened after the suction operation by the suction pump 31b.

  In the first to tenth embodiments, the ink cartridge 23 is accommodated in the cartridge holder 22 provided in the frame 12 so as to be provided in the movement direction of the carriage 15 without movement. Alternatively, the ink cartridge 23 may be mounted on the carriage 15.

In the first to tenth embodiments, the ink introduction path 47 and the ink lead-out path 54 may be arranged at other positions of the unit case 35.
In the first and fifth to tenth embodiments, the ink supplied from the supply tube 28 to the valve unit 21 flows into the ink supply chamber 46 via the ink introduction path 47. As in the third and fourth embodiments, the filter unit 89 is provided in the valve unit 21 so that ink is supplied to the ink supply chamber 46 through the ink introduction path 47 and the filter unit 89. Also good.

  In the third and fourth embodiments, the filter unit 89 is provided in the unit case 35 of the valve unit 21, but it may not be provided. Further, the filter unit 89 may be disposed at another position of the unit case 35.

  In the third embodiment, the movable member 93 is moved toward the first film member 45 by an electromagnet. You may make it move this by mechanisms other than this, such as an actuator.

  In the fourth embodiment, the second film member 52 is formed of a flexible film, and the driving means is constituted by the suction eccentric cam 95 and the cam receiving portion 98 formed on the pressure receiving plate 56. It was made to be. Alternatively, the second film member 52 may be a magnetic body, and an electromagnet may be used as the driving means. Or you may make it stick a magnetic body to the 2nd film member 52, or make the pressure receiving plate 56 a magnetic body. If comprised in this way, magnetic force will generate | occur | produce at the time of electromagnet energization, and the 2nd film member 52 can be attracted | sucked and it can be set as a valve closing state.

  Or you may make it use the electromagnetic plunger which has a permanent magnet, an electromagnet, etc. as a drive means. With such a configuration, when the electromagnet is energized, the permanent magnet provided at the tip of the electromagnetic plunger moves to the second film member 52 side and attracts the second film member 52. Therefore, the on-off valve can be controlled by magnetic force.

  In the first to tenth embodiments, the ink jet printer 11 (including printing devices such as a fax machine and a copier) that ejects ink has been described as the liquid ejecting apparatus. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus ejects other liquids. It may be. For example, as a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting liquids such as electrode materials and color materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, EL displays, and surface-emitting displays, as a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting bioorganic materials used in biochip manufacturing, and as precision pipettes The sample injection device may be used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the ink jet printer according to the first embodiment. Similarly, the principal part schematic diagram of an inkjet printer. Similarly, a plan view of an ink jet printer. Similarly, a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit. Similarly, a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit. Similarly, the side view of a valve unit. Similarly, the side view of a valve unit. Similarly, sectional drawing of a valve unit. Similarly, principal part sectional drawing of a valve unit. Similarly, principal part sectional drawing of a valve unit. Similarly, the figure explaining the operation of a valve unit. Similarly, sectional drawing of a channel valve. The figure explaining the effect | action of a flow-path valve similarly. FIG. 6 is a plan view of an ink jet printer according to a second embodiment. Similarly, a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit. Similarly, a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit. Similarly, the side view of a valve unit. Similarly, it is a figure explaining the effect | action of a valve unit, (a) is the figure in a valve closing state, (b) has shown the figure in the forced valve opening state of a valve unit. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit according to a third embodiment. Similarly, a perspective view of a recording head and a valve unit. Similarly, the side view of a valve unit. Similarly, the side view of a valve unit. Similarly, it is a figure explaining the effect | action of a valve unit, (a) is the figure in the forced valve closing state of a valve unit, (b) has shown the figure in a valve opening state. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the valve unit of 4th Embodiment, (a) is the figure in the forced valve closing state of a valve unit, (b) has shown the figure in a valve opening state. It is a figure explaining the effect | action of the valve unit of 5th Embodiment, (a) is the figure in the valve closing state of a valve unit, (b) has shown the figure in a valve opening state. Similarly, the expanded sectional view which showed the relationship of the movable stroke of a negative pressure holding spring and a movable valve. It is sectional drawing of the valve unit of 6th and 7th embodiment, (a) is the figure in 6th Embodiment, (b) has shown the figure in 7th Embodiment. It is the figure which showed the valve unit of 8th Embodiment, (a) is sectional drawing of a valve unit, (b) has shown the perspective view of a leaf | plate spring. Sectional drawing of the valve unit of 9th Embodiment. Similarly, the fragmentary sectional view of a valve unit. Similarly, the figure explaining the operation of a valve unit. Sectional drawing of the valve unit of 10th Embodiment. Similarly, the figure explaining the operation of a valve unit.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS S ... Space part, 11 ... Inkjet printer as liquid ejecting apparatus, 15 ... Carriage, 19 ... Recording head as liquid ejecting head, 21 ... Valve unit as liquid supply valve unit, 23 ... Ink as liquid storing means Cartridge, 23a ... ink pack as liquid pack, 24 ... outer case, 30 ... flow path valve, 31b ... suction pump as suction means, 35 ... unit case, 45 ... first film as film member on liquid supply chamber side 46, an ink supply chamber as a liquid supply chamber, 52 ... a second film member as a pressure chamber side film member, 53 ... a pressure chamber, 56 ... a pressure receiving plate, 59 ... a support hole, 59a ... a notch hole, 59b Ink flow path as liquid supply hole 61 Movable valve 62 Rod member 63 Plate member 65 Shi A spring 66, a sealing member 71, an ink channel as a channel, 71b, a sealing film as a flexible member, 72, a pressing unit, 81, a first eccentric cam, 86, an outlet, 91 ... Ink outlet hole as outlet, 93 ... Movable member, 95 ... Eccentric cam for suction, 98 ... Cam receiving portion constituting drive means, 100, 100a, 100b ... Negative pressure holding spring, 101 ... Plate spring, 101a, 101b ... Legs as both ends.

Claims (4)

In a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid storing means for storing a liquid; a liquid ejecting head for ejecting the liquid; and a liquid supply path for supplying the liquid in the liquid storing means to the liquid ejecting head.
The liquid is temporarily stored on the liquid supply path, and the pressure chamber in which the temporarily stored liquid decreases as the liquid is ejected from the liquid ejecting head; and the liquid chamber from the liquid supply path to the pressure chamber An opening / closing valve for switching between supply and non-supply of liquid and a flexible pressure chamber side film member constituting a part of the pressure chamber, and the pressure chamber side film member is associated with a decrease in the liquid in the pressure chamber A valve unit for supplying liquid , which is displaced by receiving a negative pressure and has an open / close valve operating member configured to open or close at least the open / close valve;
A flow rate adjusting means for forcibly changing the flow rate of the liquid flowing in the liquid supply path by forcibly opening or forcibly closing the open / close valve in the liquid supply valve unit; A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1,
After the flow rate adjusting means forcibly reduces the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path, the liquid flow is passed through the liquid supply path after being suctioned by the suction means provided on the liquid ejecting head side. A liquid ejecting apparatus for forcibly increasing a flow rate of the liquid. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
In a state where the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid supply path is forcibly reduced by the flow rate adjusting unit , suction is performed by a suction unit provided on the liquid ejecting head side, and the liquid supply is performed during the suction A liquid ejecting apparatus for forcibly increasing a flow rate of the liquid flowing in a path . The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The flow rate adjusting means is
The closing valve in the liquid supply valve unit, even in a state where the receiving the negative pressure caused by the decrease of the liquid in the pressure chamber, at least, forced open, or a Turkey forcibly closed A liquid ejecting apparatus.

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