JP4442271B2 - Inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet printer that performs recording by discharging ink from nozzles onto a recording medium, and more particularly to an ink jet printer in which an ink jet head and an ink tank are connected by a tube.

Conventionally, as an ink jet printer of this type, as shown in Patent Document 1, an ink jet head, a container rod having a plurality of air traps independent for each ink color, and a joint member are mounted on a carriage and placed at a stationary position. It is known that ink in a plurality of ink tanks provided is supplied to a joint member via a flexible tube and supplied from the joint member to a container bowl.
The joint member of Patent Document 1 is configured by stacking three parts of a lower case, an upper case, and a lid, and two of the flexible tubes provided for each ink color are connected to one side surface of the joint member. The other two tubes are connected to the connection port on the other side surface separately in a lower case and an upper case. Each connection port is communicated with four discharge ports on the front surface of the joint member via a flow path formed by bending over three parts, and each discharge port is connected to each air trap of the container bowl via a cylindrical seal member. Connected.

JP2003-127415A (FIGS. 6 to 8)

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the joint member is configured by overlapping three parts, and the structure is complicated. Further, the joint member is attached to the carriage, and the discharge port of the joint member is connected to the container bowl. It is necessary to connect each air trap with a cylindrical seal member, and there is a problem that it takes time to manufacture. In addition, there is a problem that it takes time to maintain and replace the ink jet head and the container basket.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to realize an ink jet printer capable of simplifying the structure of the connecting device and shortening the manufacturing time. Another object of the present invention is to realize an ink jet printer that can save maintenance work.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an inkjet head in which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink to a recording medium by driving an actuator is arranged, and the inkjet head is mounted so that the inkjet head faces the recording medium. A head holder that scans the ink, an ink tank that supplies ink to the inkjet head, and an ink tank that is connected between the ink tank and the inkjet head, and supplies the ink contained in the ink tank to the inkjet head A tube that is attached to the head holder and stores ink supplied from the ink tank via the tube, and is connected between the tip of the tube and the ink reservoir. The tube and the ink reservoir. In an inkjet printer comprising a connection device for connection, the connection device has a connection portion for connecting a tip of the tube, and an ink outlet port through which ink in the tube connected to the connection portion flows out. A first connection means; a second connection means having an ink supply port for supplying the ink flowing out from the ink outlet to the ink reservoir; a predetermined portion of the first connection means; and the second connection. A spring member that sandwiches a predetermined portion of the means, and the first connection means and the second connection means are connected to each other by a spring force of the spring member. Use.

  For example, in the best mode for carrying out the invention described later, in the inkjet printer 1 (FIG. 1), the tube joint 20 (connection device) is connected to the connection portions 21a to 21d (FIG. 8) for connecting the tips of the tubes 14a to 14d. ), And a first connecting member 21 (first connecting means) having ink outlets 21g to 21i (FIG. 5) through which the ink in the tube connected to the connecting part flows out, and outflowing from the ink outlet. A second connecting member 22 (second connecting means) having ink supply ports 22a to 22d (FIG. 8) for supplying the ink to the ink reservoir in the buffer tank 40, and a predetermined portion of the first connecting member 21. And a spring-like member 60 (spring-like member, FIG. 8) sandwiching a predetermined portion of the second connection member 22, and the first connection member 21 and the second connection member 22 are spring-like members. They are connected to each other by the spring force of 0 (Fig. 9).

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer according to the first aspect, the technical means that the spring member is detachable is used.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer according to the second aspect, the spring member is detachably locked to at least one of the first connecting means and the second connecting means. Technical means that a stop is provided.

  For example, in the best mode for carrying out the invention described later, the first connecting member 21 (first connecting means) is provided with locking portions 23 and 24 for detachably locking the spring member 60. (FIG. 9).

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer according to any one of the first to third aspects, the second connecting means is formed in a portion that is integrally extended from the ink reservoir. Use technical means.

  For example, in the best mode for carrying out the invention to be described later, the second connecting member 22 (second connecting means) is provided in an extended portion 40a (part) integrally extending from the buffer tank (40). It is formed (FIG. 8).

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the inkjet printer according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the head holder is attached in parallel with the first and second connecting means. It has an arm portion, and the spring-like member uses technical means of fixing the three members with the first connecting means, the second connecting means, and the mounting arm portion interposed therebetween.

  For example, in the best mode for carrying out the invention described later, the head holder 9 is parallel to the first connecting member 21 (first connecting means) and the second connecting member 22 (second connecting means). The spring-like member 60 has the extended attachment arm portion 9a, and fixes the three members with the first connection member 21, the second connection member 22 and the attachment arm portion 9a interposed therebetween (FIG. 9).

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet printer according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the ink tank, the tube, the ink reservoir, the connecting portion of the first connecting means, and the ink outlet A plurality of ink supply ports of the second connection means are provided corresponding to the types of ink, and a plurality of connection portions and ink outlets of the first connection means and a plurality of second connection means are provided. The technical means that the ink supply ports are arranged in parallel to the surfaces orthogonal to the direction sandwiched between the spring members is used.

  For example, in the best mode for carrying out the invention described later, the ink tanks 5a to 5d, the tubes 14a to 14d, the ink reservoir in the buffer tank 40, and the connection of the first connection member 21 (first connection means). Each of the portions 21a to 21d, the ink outlets 21g to 21i, and the ink supply ports 22a to 22d of the second connecting member 22 (second connecting means) are provided in correspondence with four types of ink. . The spring member 60 sandwiches the upper surface of the first connection member 21 and the lower surface of the second connection member 22. In other words, the direction in which the material is squeezed is a direction (height direction) from the upper surface of the first connection member 21 toward the lower surface of the second connection member 22. The plurality of connection portions 21a to 21d and the ink outlets 21g to 21i of the first connection member 21 and the plurality of ink supply ports 22a to 22d of the second connection member 22 are surfaces orthogonal to the above direction ( (Planes in the width direction) are arranged in parallel with each other.

(Effect of the invention of claim 1)
Since the first connecting means and the second connecting means are connected to each other by the spring force of the spring member that sandwiches the predetermined portion of the first connecting means and the predetermined portion of the second connecting means, the connecting device The structure can be simplified, and the manufacturing time can be shortened.

(Effect of the invention described in claim 2)
Since the spring-like member is detachable, the state where the first and second connection means are connected to each other can be released simply by removing the spring-like member from the connection device. Save time and effort.

(Effect of the invention according to claim 3)
Since at least one of the first connecting means and the second connecting means is provided with a locking portion for detachably locking the springy member, if the springy member is locked to the locking portion, There is no possibility that the spring-like member will come off naturally from the locking portion. Moreover, when attaching a spring-like member to a connection apparatus, since a latching | locking part can be attached to a mark, attachment work can be performed easily.

(Effect of invention of Claim 4)
Since the second connecting means can be manufactured integrally with the ink storage portion, the manufacturing process can be omitted compared with the case where the second connecting means is manufactured separately from the ink storage portion, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost. be able to.

(Effect of invention of Claim 5)
The head holder has an attachment arm portion extending in parallel with the first and second connection means, and the spring-like member sandwiches the first connection means, the second connection means, and the attachment arm portion. The three parties can be fixed. In other words, since the three members can be fixed at once with only the spring member, the structure for fixing is simplified and the time required for fixing is more than when fixing the three members using a plurality of members. Can be shortened. Furthermore, if the spring-like member is removed, the connection state of the three parties can be released, so that maintenance and replacement time of the connection device can be shortened.

(Effect of the invention described in claim 6)
Since the plurality of connection portions and the ink outlet of the first connection unit and the plurality of ink supply ports of the second connection unit are arranged in parallel to the plane orthogonal to the direction sandwiched between the spring members, Since an equal spring force can be exerted on each connecting portion, each ink outlet, and each ink supply port, the spring force is biased to a part, and liquid tightness between some ink outlets and ink inlets. There is no risk of degradation.

Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(Main components of inkjet printer)
First, the main configuration of the ink jet printer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing the main configuration of the ink jet printer.
Two guide shafts 6 and 7 are provided inside the inkjet printer 1, and a head holder 9 that also serves as a carriage is attached to the guide shafts 6 and 7. The head holder 9 holds an inkjet head 30 that performs recording by discharging ink onto the recording paper P. The head holder 9 is attached to an endless belt 11 that is rotated by a motor 10, and moves along the guide shafts 6 and 7 by driving the motor 10.
Further, at a stationary position of the main body of the inkjet printer 1, an ink tank 5a containing yellow ink, an ink tank 5b containing magenta ink, an ink tank 5c containing cyan ink, and black ink are contained. And an ink tank 5d. Each of the ink tanks 5a to 5d is connected to the tube joint 20 by flexible tubes 14a, 14b, 14c, and 14d, respectively.

(Main structure of head holder and tube joint)
Next, the main structure of the head holder and the tube joint will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the head holder. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 2 viewed from the nozzle surface side. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the ink flow path of the second connecting member 22 shown in FIG. 2, that is, the extending portion 40 a of the buffer tank 40. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the tube joint and the vicinity thereof. 9A is a partial perspective view showing the assembled state of FIG. 8, and FIG. 9B is an enlarged plan view of a locking portion that locks the spring-like member 60. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a head holder, an inkjet head, a buffer tank, and the like.
In the following description, the side from which ink is ejected is the lower surface and the downward direction, and the opposite side is the upper surface and the upward direction. Further, in FIG. 1, when the inkjet printer is viewed from the lower side of the drawing, that is, from the front, the left end side is the left direction, the right end side is the right direction, the lower side of the drawing is the front, and the upper side of the drawing is the rear.

As shown in FIG. 10, the head holder 9 also serving as a carriage is formed in a box shape having an open top surface, and the inkjet head 30 is held on the bottom surface of the bottom wall 9c (FIG. 4).
The inkjet head 30 is configured by laminating a cavity portion 32 having a large number of ink flow paths and a piezoelectric actuator 31 that selectively applies ejection pressure to ink in the ink flow paths. The nozzle rows 35 to 38 are arranged for each ink color, and independent ink inlets 32a to 32d are provided on the upper surface for each ink color.
A frame-shaped reinforcing frame 33 is bonded and fixed to the upper surface of the inkjet head 30. In the reinforcement frame 33, ink passage ports 33a to 33d corresponding to the ink inflow ports 32a to 32d are formed. A frame-shaped frame 34 surrounding the nozzle rows 35 to 38 is bonded and fixed to the lower surface of the inkjet head 30.

A buffer tank 40 is accommodated in the head holder 9. In the buffer tank 40, ink storage portions 41 to 44 that are independent for each ink color are formed by partitions. The ink reservoirs 41 to 44 are respectively connected to the ink inlets 32a to 32d via the ink supply ports 39 and the ink passage ports 33a to 33d formed on the lower surface of the buffer tank 40 so as to correspond to the ink reservoirs 41 to 44. To communicate with each other. Each ink storage unit 41 to 44 stores a predetermined amount of air as is well known, and absorbs ink pressure fluctuations associated with scanning of the inkjet head 30. The air exceeding the predetermined amount is exhausted to the outside by the exhaust device 45 provided on the side surface of the buffer tank 40.
At the front end of the head holder 9, a mounting arm portion 9a that extends horizontally forward is integrally formed, and a tube joint 20 is attached to the upper surface of the portion of the mounting arm portion 9a that extends forward from the guide shaft. It has been.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the tube joint 20 includes a first connection member 21, a second connection member 22, a seal member 25, a spring member 60, and the like. In the first connecting member 21, connecting portions 21a to 21d for connecting the tubes 14a to 14d are formed integrally protruding from the base portion 21n. Each connection portion is arranged in a line in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the inkjet head, and the opening of each connection portion faces leftward. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, ink outlets 21g to 21j communicating with the respective connecting portions in a one-to-one correspondence are formed on the lower surface of the base portion 21n so as to open downward. A cable holding member 29 having a slit 29a for inserting the flat cable in the left-right direction is integrally formed at the front end of the first connecting member 21.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the second connecting member 22 is formed by using an extending portion 40 a that extends forward from the front surface of the buffer tank 40. On the upper surface of the second connecting member 22, ink supply ports 22 a to 22 d are formed at positions facing the ink outlets 21 g to 21 j of the first connecting member 21. On the bottom surface, ink flow paths 41a to 44a are formed in the shape of grooves, with one end connected to each of the ink supply ports 22a to 22d. Further, on the upper surface near the buffer tank 40, the ink flow paths 41b to 44b are formed in a groove shape so as to communicate with the other ends of the ink flow paths 41a to 44a through holes extending through the extending portions 40a in the thickness direction. ing. The other ends of the ink flow paths 41b to 44b communicate with the ink storage portions 41 to 44 of the buffer tank 40, respectively. The open lower surfaces of the ink channels 41a to 44a and the open upper surfaces of the ink channels 41b to 44b are covered with lid members 46 and 47, respectively. Specifically, a film material is used as the lid members 46 and 47, and bonding is performed by adhesion or ultrasonic welding along an outer peripheral wall that defines each flow path. Accordingly, the ink supply ports 22a to 22d communicate with the corresponding ink storage portions 41 to 44 through the ink flow paths 41a to 44a and 41b to 44b, respectively.

The seal member 25 is made of a rubber-like elastic material, and is formed by projecting four cylindrical joint rubbers 26 on a plate-like base portion 25c formed in a plate shape. The openings at the top of the seal portions 26a to 26d are provided at positions corresponding to the ink outlets 21g to 21j of the first connecting member 21, respectively. The member 22 is provided at a position corresponding to each of the ink supply ports 22a to 22d.
The ink outlets 21g to 21j of the first connecting member 21 and the ink supply ports 22a to 22d of the second connecting member 22 are stepped toward the open end so as to fit the seal portions 26a to 26d, respectively. It is enlarged to form. The seal portions 26a to 26d are fitted into enlarged portions of the ink outlets 21g to 21j and the ink supply ports 22a to 22d, abut on the stepped surfaces in the openings, and the elasticity of a spring member 60 described later. The force is compressed between the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22. Thus, the ink outlets 21g to 21j and the ink supply ports 22a to 22d are communicated with each other in a liquid-tight state.

The spring-like member 60 is formed by bending a metal wire having elasticity, and has tip portions 61 and 69 formed in a bowl shape, and upper horizontal arms 62 extending from the respective tip portions 61 and 69 substantially horizontally to the right. 68, vertical portions 63 and 67 bent downward from the right ends of the upper horizontal arms 62 and 68, respectively, and lower horizontal arms 64 extending substantially horizontally leftward from the lower ends of the vertical portions 63 and 67, respectively. 66 and a connecting portion 65 that connects the front ends of the lower horizontal arms 64 and 66 and extends in the front-rear direction. That is, when the spring-like member 60 shown in FIG. 8 is viewed from the front, two U-shaped members are connected to each other at the lower left ends with the connecting member.
As shown in FIG. 9 (A), the spring-like member 60 has a U-shape, the right side surface of the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm portion 9a, the upper surface of the tube joint 20 (first connection member 21), and the attachment arm portion. It arrange | positions along the lower surface 9d of 9a. The upper horizontal arms 62 and 68 of the spring member 60 press the upper surface of the first connecting member 21 downward, and the lower horizontal arms 64 and 66 and the connecting portion 65 press the lower surface 9d of the mounting arm portion 9a upward. Thereby, the mutual connection state of the 1st connection member 21 and the 2nd connection member which comprise the tube joint 20 is maintained. Further, the sealing effect by the joint rubber 26 sandwiched between the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 is ensured. Furthermore, the mutual connection state of the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm part 9a is maintained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, locking portions 23 and 24 for locking the vertical portions 63 and 67 of the spring member 60 are integrally formed on the right side surface 21k of the first connecting member 21. Has been. As shown in FIG. 9B, the locking parts 23 and 24 have hook-shaped hook-like parts 23a and 24a, respectively, and there is a gap between the tip of each hook part and the right side surface 21k. 23b and 24b are respectively formed. The gaps 23b and 24b face each other.
The spring member 60 is inserted into the flanges 23a and 24a through the gaps 23b and 24b using the elasticity of the vertical parts 63 and 67, respectively, and contacts the inner surfaces facing the locking parts 23 and 24, respectively. By contacting, movement and detachment with respect to the tube joint 20 are prevented.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the tip portions 61 and 69 of the upper horizontal arms 62 and 68 of the spring member 60 and the tip portions of the lower horizontal arms 64 and 66 are respectively arranged in the arrangement direction of the seal portions 26a to 26d. The upper surface 21m of the base 21n of the first connecting member 21 and the lower surface of the mounting arm 9a are positioned so as to sandwich the center line (extending in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 6) from above and below and spaced in the arrangement direction 9b is pressed.
The plurality of connection portions 21 a to 21 d and the ink outlets 21 g to 21 j of the first connection member 21 and the plurality of ink supply ports 22 a to 22 d of the second connection member 22 are in the direction sandwiched by the spring member 60. Since each of the connecting portions 21a to 21d, each of the ink outlets 21g to 21j, and each of the ink supply ports 22a to 22d can have an equal spring force, The sealing effect by the seal portions 26a to 26d can be obtained uniformly.

  The attachment arm portion 9 a extends from the head holder 9 in parallel with the first connection member 21 and the second connection member 22. Protrusions 22e and 22f formed to project from the lower surface of the second connection member 22 are fitted into through-holes 9b and 9c that are formed to penetrate the mounting arm 9a in the vertical direction. In addition, the protrusions (a plurality including 21e and 21f) formed on the lower surface of the first connection member 21 are inserted into the through holes 25a to 25d formed in the plate-like base 25c of the seal member 25 in the vertical direction. Each of the protrusions is inserted into openings 22g and 22h formed in the upper surface of the second connection member 22, respectively. The remaining several protrusions (for example, 21e) are in contact with the upper surface of the second connection member 22 to keep the distance between the first connection member 21 and the second connection member 22 constant. Thereby, the 2nd connection member 22, the seal member 25, and the 1st connection member 21 are mutually positioned on the attachment arm part 9b, and will be in the state laminated | stacked in order. That is, the tube joint 20 is placed on the mounting arm portion 9b.

As described above, the spring member 60 is attached with the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm portion 9b interposed therebetween.
Thereby, the 1st connection member 21 and the 2nd connection member 22 are mutually connected in the state which pinched | interposed the sealing member 25, and the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm part 9b are also mutually connected. That is, the first connection member 21, the second connection member 22, and the attachment arm portion 9b are connected to each other.

[Effects of best mode]
(1) As described above, when the ink jet printer 1 according to the best mode is used, the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 are connected to each other by the spring force of the spring member 60. Therefore, unlike the configuration in which the bolts and nuts are connected to each other, it is not necessary to form bolt insertion holes or insert-mold the nuts, so that the structure of the tube joint 20 can be simplified. And since the process of screwing a bolt into a nut is unnecessary, manufacturing time can also be shortened.

(2) Particularly, since the spring member 60 is detachable, the first connecting member 21 and the second connecting member 22 are connected to each other only by removing the spring member 60 from the tube joint 20. Therefore, the maintenance and replacement of parts can be saved.

(3) Moreover, since the first connecting member 21 is provided with the locking portions 23 and 24 for detachably locking the spring-like member 60, the spring-like member 60 is attached to the locking portions 23 and 24. , There is no possibility that the spring-like member 60 will naturally come off from the locking portions 23, 24. Moreover, when attaching the springy member 60 to the tube joint 20, since the latching | locking parts 23 and 24 can be attached to a mark, attachment work can be performed easily.

(4) Moreover, since the 2nd connection member 22 can be manufactured integrally with the buffer tank 40, a manufacturing process can be skipped rather than the case where the 2nd connection member 22 is manufactured separately from the buffer tank 40. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(5) Furthermore, the head holder 9 has an attachment arm portion 9b extending in parallel with the first connection member 21 and the second connection member, and the spring member 60 includes the first connection member 21, The three members can be fixed with the second connecting member 22 and the mounting arm portion 9b interposed therebetween. That is, since the three members can be fixed at a time only by the spring member 60, the structure for fixing is simplified and the fixing is required as compared with the case where the three members are fixed using a plurality of members. Time can be shortened. Furthermore, if the spring-like member 60 is removed, the connection state between the three members can be released, so that the maintenance time of the tube joint 20 can be shortened.

(6) Further, the plurality of connecting portions 21 a to 21 d and the ink outlets 21 g to 21 j of the first connecting member 21 and the plurality of ink supply ports 22 a to 22 d of the second connecting member 22 are sandwiched by the spring member 60. Since they are arranged in parallel to the plane orthogonal to the direction, an equal spring force can be exerted on each of the connection portions 21a to 21d, each of the ink outlets 21g to 21j, and each of the ink supply ports 22a to 22d. Therefore, there is no possibility that the spring force is partially biased and the liquid tightness between some ink outlets and ink inlets is not lowered.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a modified example of the spring member. The upper surface of the first connecting member 21 is covered with a cover 91, and the lower ends of both sides of the cover 91 are detachably connected to the engaging portions on both sides of the mounting arm portion 9a by claw members 91b. A spring member 92 is interposed between the lower surface 91 a of the cover 91 and the upper surface 21 m of the first connecting member 21. The spring member 92 is formed of, for example, a leaf spring, and a plurality of spring members 92 are arranged in the arrangement direction of the ink outlets 21g to 21j. Each spring member 92 is interposed while being compressed in the vertical direction, and the upper surface 21m of the first connecting member 21 is pressed downward by the restoring force of each leaf spring. That is, the tube joint 20 is connected to the mounting arm portion 9 a by the cover 91 and the spring member 92.
Of course, the spring member can be changed into various shapes using various materials such as the metal wire, the leaf spring, and the resin material shown in the best mode.

(2) In addition, a plurality of spring members may be provided according to a portion that sandwiches the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm portion 9a. According to this configuration, even when the parts to be clamped are dispersed, each part can be clamped using a relatively small spring-like member. Moreover, since the magnitude | size per spring property member can be made smaller than the case where a large range is clamped with a big spring property member, a spring property member can be attached with a small force.
(3) Furthermore, three or more tip portions 61 and 69 of the spring member 60 may be formed. According to this configuration, since the number of places in contact with the upper surface 21m of the first connecting member 21 can be three or more, a wider range can be held than in the case of two places. It can be dispersed over a wide range.

(4) Protruding pieces protruding rightward can be formed on the vertical portions 63 and 67 of the spring member 60 so that each protruding piece can be picked with a finger or a tool. According to this configuration, even when the spring force of the spring member 60 is strong, the tube joint 20 and the attachment arm portion 9a can be easily held by the spring member 60.
(5) You may form the latching | locking parts 23 and 24 in the right side surface of the 2nd connection member 22 or the attachment arm part 9a.
(6) Only the upper surface 21 m of the first connection member 21 and the lower surface of the second connection member 22 can be clamped by the spring member 60. In this case, the heights of the vertical portions 63 and 67 of the spring member 60 do not need to consider the height (thickness) of the mounting arm portion 9a, and can be changed according to the height (thickness) of the tube joint 20. Good.

[Correspondence between each claim and embodiment]
The recording paper P corresponds to the recording medium of claim 1 and the tube joint 20 corresponds to the connecting device. The first connecting member 21 corresponds to the first connecting means, and the second connecting member 22 corresponds to the second connecting means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing a main configuration of an ink jet printer according to the best mode for carrying out the present invention. It is a top view of a head holder. It is explanatory drawing which looked at FIG. 2 from the nozzle surface side. It is AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which abbreviate | omits one part and shows the CC sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which abbreviate | omits one part and shows the BB arrow sectional drawing of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an ink flow path of a second connecting member 22 and an extending portion 40a of a buffer tank 40 shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective explanatory drawing of a tube joint and its vicinity. FIG. 9A is a partial explanatory view showing a state where the tube joint 20 and the mounting arm portion 9 a of the head holder 9 are connected by the spring member 60, and FIG. 9B locks the spring member 60. It is expansion explanatory drawing of the latching | locking part to perform. It is a disassembled perspective view of a head holder, an inkjet head, a buffer tank, etc. It is explanatory drawing equivalent to FIG. 6 which shows the example of a change of a spring property member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer 5a-5b Ink tank 9 Head holder 9a Mounting arm part 14a-14d Tube 20 Tube joint 21 1st connection member (1st connection means)
21g to 21j Ink outlet 22 Second connecting member (second connecting means)
22a to 22d Ink supply port 25 Seal member 35 to 38 Nozzle row 40 Buffer tank 41 to 44 Ink reservoir 60 Spring member

Claims (6)

An inkjet head in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink to a recording medium by driving an actuator are arranged;
A head holder that mounts the ink jet head and scans the ink jet head to face the recording medium;
An ink tank for supplying ink to the inkjet head;
A tube connected between the ink tank and the ink jet head, for supplying the ink contained in the ink tank to the ink jet head;
An ink reservoir attached to the head holder and storing ink supplied from the ink tank via the tube;
In an inkjet printer that is connected between the tip of the tube and the ink reservoir, and includes a connection device for connecting the tube and the ink reservoir.
The connecting device is
A first connecting means having a connecting portion for connecting the tip of the tube, and an ink outlet through which ink in the tube connected to the connecting portion flows out;
A second connecting means having an ink supply port for supplying the ink flowing out from the ink outlet to the ink reservoir;
A spring-like member sandwiching a predetermined portion of the first connecting means and a predetermined portion of the second connecting means;
The ink jet printer, wherein the first connecting means and the second connecting means are connected to each other by a spring force of the spring member.   The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein the spring member is detachable.   The inkjet according to claim 2, wherein a locking portion for detachably locking the spring-like member is provided on at least one of the first connecting means and the second connecting means. Printer.   4. The ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein the second connection unit is formed in a portion integrally extending from the ink storage unit. 5. The head holder has an attachment arm portion extending in parallel with the first and second connection means,
The said spring property member fixes the three of them on both sides of the said 1st connection means, 2nd connection means, and an attachment arm part, The Claim 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Inkjet printer. The ink tank, the tube, the ink reservoir, the connection portion and the ink outlet of the first connection means, and the ink supply port of the second connection means are provided in a plurality corresponding to the type of ink,
The plurality of connection portions and the ink outflow port of the first connection means and the plurality of ink supply ports of the second connection means are respectively arranged in parallel to a plane orthogonal to the direction sandwiched between the spring members. An ink jet printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein

Images