JP6318567B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a target.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a type of recording apparatus, an ink jet printer that performs recording (printing) by ejecting ink as an example of a recording liquid from a liquid ejecting head to a target such as paper is known. In such a printer, in order to stably eject ink from the liquid ejecting head, cleaning that discharges ink from the liquid ejecting head by suction, flushing that ejects ink from the liquid ejecting head by forced ejecting, etc. Maintenance is performed. In addition, at the time of so-called borderless printing in which recording (printing) is performed up to the end portion of the target, ink is ejected to the region protruding from the end portion of the target and discarded. For this reason, an ink absorbing material that absorbs the discarded ink is provided.

  Such maintenance of the liquid ejecting head increases the number of times it is performed in order to stably eject ink from the liquid ejecting head when a relatively large amount of printing is performed in the printer. Therefore, the ink recovery tank (liquid recovery unit) that recovers the ink (waste liquid) discharged from the liquid ejecting head during maintenance can be recovered corresponding to the increased number of maintenance times in order to suppress an increase in the replacement frequency. It is necessary to increase the amount of ink. The need for this is the same for borderless printing.

  Therefore, in order to collect the ink (waste liquid) discharged during maintenance and borderless printing, an ink collection tank is provided in a unit separate from the printer main unit (device main unit), which is related to the size of the printer. There has been proposed a configuration that allows the size and shape of the ink recovery tank to be freely set (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-305941 A

  In the printer having such a configuration, the ink collection tank (separate unit) is installed in a place that does not hinder the operation of the printer. For example, the ink collection tank is not installed on the front side of the printer main body from which the recorded target is discharged, but is installed on the side of the printer main body that is the left and right direction when viewed from the front side. It may be installed on the rear side of the printer body that is on the opposite side. Therefore, when exchanging the ink collection tank, the user needs a troublesome work with a load of moving the printer body from the installation location to a place where the ink collection tank can be easily exchanged.

  In addition, since the ink collection tank is provided separately from the printer body, an installation place for the ink collection tank (separate unit) is required in addition to the installation place of the printer body, which increases the overall installation area. There is a problem.

  Note that this situation is not limited to a printer, and a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a target, a discharge unit that discharges the target, and a liquid ejecting head that is discharged during maintenance of the liquid ejecting head. In general, the recording apparatus includes a liquid recovery unit that can recover the liquid to be recovered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus in which the liquid recovery unit can be easily replaced while suppressing an increase in installation area.

Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the effects thereof will be described.
A recording apparatus that solves the above problems includes a liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a target, and a discharge port that includes a discharge region from which the target recorded by the liquid ejecting head is discharged. And a liquid recovery unit capable of recovering the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head during maintenance of the liquid ejecting head, the liquid recovering unit being more vertical than the discharge unit. It is provided at a position below the direction and overlapping the discharge portion in the vertical direction.

  According to this configuration, the liquid recovery unit is provided below the target discharge unit and at a position overlapping the discharge unit. Therefore, in the recording apparatus, the liquid recovery unit is accessed from the occupied area of the discharge unit provided on the target discharge side without disturbing the target discharge and without the user moving the recording apparatus. The replacement work can be easily performed. Further, since the liquid recovery unit is provided in the apparatus main body of the recording apparatus, an increase in the installation area of the recording apparatus can be suppressed.

  In the recording apparatus, the apparatus main body can store the target, and a supply cassette capable of supplying the stored target to the liquid jet head is below the discharge unit in the vertical direction. And it is provided in the position which overlaps with the said discharge | emission part perpendicularly, and it is preferable that the said liquid collection | recovery part is provided between the said discharge | emission part and the said supply cassette.

  According to this configuration, in the recording apparatus including the supply cassette, the liquid recovery unit overlaps the discharge unit below the discharge unit, thereby suppressing an increase in the installation area of the recording apparatus. In addition, since the liquid recovery unit is located above the supply cassette and does not leave the liquid ejecting head, the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head can be easily recovered.

  In the recording apparatus, the apparatus main body can store the target, and a supply cassette capable of supplying the stored target to the liquid jet head is below the discharge unit in the vertical direction. And it is provided in the position which overlaps with the said discharge | emission part perpendicularly, and it is preferable that the said liquid collection | recovery part is provided under the said supply cassette.

  According to this configuration, the supply path of the target from the supply cassette is changed by changing the size (thickness) of the liquid recovery unit while suppressing an increase in the installation area by overlapping the liquid recovery unit with the discharge unit. It is possible to easily increase the amount of liquid that can be collected in the liquid collection unit without changing.

  In the recording apparatus, the discharge unit is formed on a discharge direction side of the target from discharge means including a discharge roller that discharges the target and a driven roller that is disposed to face the discharge roller. It is preferable.

According to this configuration, since the discharge unit is positioned on the target discharge direction side in the apparatus main body, the liquid recovery unit can be easily accessed from the target discharge side.
In the above recording apparatus, it is preferable that the apparatus main body is provided with a moving mechanism capable of moving the liquid recovery unit.

According to this configuration, the liquid recovery unit can be extracted from the apparatus main body and moved to a replaceable position, so that the operator can easily perform the replacement operation of the liquid storage unit.
In the recording apparatus, it is preferable that the apparatus main body includes a storage unit that stores the liquid recovery unit, and the moving mechanism moves the liquid recovery unit by moving the storage unit.

  According to this configuration, even a liquid recovery unit that does not include a moving mechanism can be moved to an easily replaceable position in the apparatus main body by storing the liquid recovery unit in the movable storage unit.

  In the recording apparatus, the apparatus main body is provided with a supply cassette capable of storing the target and capable of supplying the stored target to the liquid ejecting head so as to be inserted / removed below the discharge unit, The liquid recovery unit is preferably provided in the supply cassette.

  According to this configuration, since the liquid recovery unit is provided in the supply cassette below the discharge unit, an increase in the installation area of the recording apparatus is suppressed, and the liquid recovery unit is attached to the apparatus main body by being extracted from the apparatus main body. It can be moved outside.

In the recording apparatus, it is preferable that the liquid recovery unit is provided on the supply cassette on the side in the direction of extraction from the apparatus main body.
According to this configuration, the operator can easily move the liquid recovery unit located on the front side of the apparatus main body to the outside of the apparatus main body by extracting a part of the supply cassette. Can be replaced.

In the above recording apparatus, it is preferable that the supply cassette is provided with a liquid storage portion that can store the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head.
According to this configuration, the recording apparatus can supply the liquid from the supply cassette to the liquid ejecting head and collect the liquid discharged from the liquid ejecting head by the liquid recovery unit provided in the supply cassette into the supply cassette.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a printer as an example of an embodiment of a recording apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a paper discharge unit included in the printer. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a paper supply cassette provided in the printer. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a liquid storage unit included in the printer. (A), (b) is a perspective view which shows the arrangement | positioning state of a liquid supply tube, and a liquid collection | recovery part. The perspective view which shows the connection state to the liquid storage part of a liquid supply tube, and a liquid collection | recovery part. The top view which looked at the printer from the upper direction of the perpendicular direction. The front view which shows the printer of the structure by which a liquid accommodating part is located below a supply cassette. The perspective view which shows the printer by which the liquid collection part was provided in the supply cassette. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the printer in a state where a liquid recovery unit provided in a supply cassette is pulled out from the printer main body.

  Hereinafter, as an embodiment of a recording apparatus, a liquid ejecting head that ejects ink as an example of a recording liquid is provided, and an image including characters and figures is ejected by ejecting ink onto a sheet as an example of a target. An ink jet printer for printing (recording) will be described with reference to the drawings.

<< First Embodiment >>
As shown in FIG. 1, a printer 11 as an example of a recording apparatus includes an upper housing 12A positioned on the antigravity direction (+ Z direction) side in the vertical direction and a lower housing positioned on the gravity direction (−Z direction) side. The apparatus main body includes a printer body 12 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including a side housing 12B and a lid housing 12C located across the housings 12A and 12B. The casings 12A, 12B, and 12C are connected and fixed to each other by screws 13 or the like. The printer 11 includes a liquid ejecting head 16, a discharge unit 20 from which the paper P is discharged, a liquid containing unit 30 that can store ink to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16, and a liquid ejecting unit. And a supply cassette 40 capable of storing the paper P supplied to the head 16. Furthermore, a liquid recovery unit 60 that recovers ink discharged from the liquid ejecting head by ejection or suction is provided behind the liquid storage unit 30 (−Y direction).

  The liquid jet head 16 is positioned above the discharge unit 20 on the antigravity direction (+ Z direction) side in the vertical direction, and is transported below the liquid jet head 16 on the gravity direction (−Z direction) side. Ink is ejected onto the paper P to be printed. Further, the liquid ejecting head 16 is movable in a scanning direction (± X direction) that intersects the transport direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P. That is, the liquid ejecting head 16 is attached to the carriage 15 that slides along the guide rails 14A and 14B while being supported by the two guide rails 14A and 14B extending in the scanning direction. Accordingly, as the carriage 15 is moved in the scanning direction by a drive mechanism (not shown), the liquid ejecting head 16 moves in the scanning direction (± X direction).

  The printer 11 performs printing on the paper P by appropriately ejecting ink from the liquid ejecting head 16 that moves in the scanning direction to the paper P that moves in the transport direction, and the printed paper P is transferred from the printer main body 12. Discharge. In the present embodiment, the discharge direction when the printed paper P is discharged from the printer main body 12 is the same direction as the transport direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P, and this discharge direction side is the front side of the printer main body 12. That is, the front side.

  In the carriage 15, a plurality of liquid supply tubes 50 for supplying ink stored in the liquid storage unit 30 are provided on the front (+ Y direction) opposite to the rear side supported by the two guide rails 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B. ) Is connected to the side. Each liquid supply tube 50 has a deformable curved portion 50R, and supplies ink from the liquid storage portion 30 to the carriage 15 via the curved portion 50R. The ink supplied to the carriage 15 is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16 via an ink flow path (not shown) provided in the carriage 15. In the present embodiment, the six liquid supply tubes 50 are connected to the carriage 15 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction.

  The liquid storage unit 30 is provided below the discharge unit 20 on the gravity direction (−Z direction) side in the vertical direction and at a position overlapping the discharge unit 20 in the vertical direction. Similarly, the supply cassette 40 is located at a position that overlaps the discharge portion 20 in the vertical direction, and is positioned below the liquid storage portion 30 so as to substantially overlap the liquid storage portion 30 in the left-right direction. That is, the liquid storage unit 30 is provided between the discharge unit 20 and the supply cassette 40.

  A liquid recovery unit 60 is provided behind the liquid storage unit 30 (−Y direction). Accordingly, the paper P stored in the supply cassette 40 is supplied through a supply path KK (see FIG. 6) provided on the rear side of the liquid recovery unit 60 by a transport mechanism (not shown) provided in the printer main body 12. From the cassette 40, it is supplied (supplied) to the liquid jet head 16 as shown by a broken line arrow K1 in FIG.

Next, the discharge unit 20, the supply cassette 40, and the liquid storage unit 30 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 2, the discharge unit 20 includes a first support base 21 that can be pulled out from the printer body 12 to the front side (+ Y direction side), and a second support base 21 that can be pulled out from the first support base 21 to the front side. A support base 22 is provided. Furthermore, a third support base 23 is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 23a having an axis in the left-right direction (± X direction) at the front end portion of the second support base 22. The discharge unit 20 supports the paper P discharged from the printer main body 12 after printing from below.

  That is, as shown by a broken line arrow in FIG. 2, the discharge unit 20 is pulled out by first sliding the second support base 22 forward from the first support base 21 (printer body 12). Subsequently, the first support base 21 slides forward together with the second support base 22 and is pulled out from the printer main body 12. Further, the third support base 23 rotates so that its tip end is lifted from the rear side to the front side, and is pulled out from the second support base 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the discharge unit 20 has a discharge port 25 formed in front of the printer main body 12, and the printer main body 12 that is on the discharge direction side from the discharge port 25 by the discharge means of the paper P. It is discharged to the front side. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the upper surfaces of the respective support bases 21, 22, and 23 pulled out in the discharge direction side of the paper P as described above are used as the discharge area of the paper P, and support the paper P from below. When the printing unit 20 does not print on the paper P, the first support base 21, the second support base 22, and the third support base 23 are accommodated in the printer main body 12 as shown in FIG. 1. It is assumed that it was done.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a roller pair of a discharge roller 27 that discharges the printed paper P and a driven roller 28 that is disposed to face the discharge roller 27 in the printer main body 12. It has a discharge means. Accordingly, the discharge unit 20 is formed to have a discharge region on the discharge direction side of the paper P from the discharge unit. Of course, the discharging means can adopt other configurations such as a conveyor belt in addition to such a pair of rollers.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the supply cassette 40 is provided so as to be insertable / removable from the front side (front side) of the printer body 12 at the lowermost part of the printer body 12, which is below the discharge unit 20 in the vertical direction. . That is, the supply cassette 40 can be slid in the front-rear direction (± Y direction) with respect to the printer main body 12 by a slide structure (not shown). It is pulled out forward as shown by. Then, after the paper P is stored, the supply cassette 40 is inserted into the printer main body 12 again as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the supply cassette 40 is inserted into the printer body 12, below the liquid storage unit 30, that is, below the discharge unit 20 in the vertical direction, and in the vertical direction with respect to the discharge unit 20. It is provided at the overlapping position (see FIG. 7).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the liquid storage unit 30 has six liquid storage bodies 31 (see FIG. 5B) that store different types (for example, colors) of ink. doing. The liquid container 30 can be separated into the six liquid containers 31 individually, and is arranged in a line in the horizontal direction (± X direction) that is the scanning direction, and is a substantially box-shaped container 32 that opens upward. It is stored in. The liquid storage unit 30 stored in the storage unit 32 is provided at the end of the storage unit 32 on the paper P discharge direction (+ Y direction) side. 12 (refer to FIG. 1).

  Each liquid container 31 is capable of injecting ink by being drawn forward as indicated by a broken arrow in FIG. That is, the storage portion 32 has a slide mechanism (not shown) that allows the storage portion 32 to move in the front-rear direction (± Y direction) with respect to the printer main body 12 on both side surfaces in the left-right direction (± X direction). , Provided as a moving mechanism. Therefore, the storage unit 32 is provided in the printer main body 12 so as to be movable. As a result, the liquid storage unit 30 (and the liquid recovery unit 60) stored in the storage unit 32 is slidably moved in the front-rear direction (± Y direction) with respect to the printer main body 12, so that the printer The main body 12 can be pulled out and stored in the printer main body 12.

  Further, in the present embodiment, each liquid container 31 of the liquid container 30 is a substantially box-shaped container formed of a rigid material (resin or metal) that can store ink therein, a so-called ink tank. ing. Further, the liquid storage unit 30 includes six injection ports 35 each capable of injecting ink into each liquid container 31. Each injection port 35 is an opening on one end side of a cylindrical portion 36 that protrudes upward at the front end portion of the upper surface of each liquid container 31. That is, each cylindrical portion 36 has a communication hole in which one end side communicates with the atmosphere and the other end side communicates with the liquid container 31, and the opening on one end side communicating with the atmosphere of the communication hole functions as the injection port 35. By doing so, ink can be injected into the liquid container 31.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an expandable bellows portion is formed in the cylindrical portion 36, and the injection port 35 is provided to be displaceable with respect to the printer body 12 by expanding and contracting the bellows portion. For example, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, the injection port 35 can be displaced away from the printer body 12 by extending the bellows portion.

  Although not shown in FIG. 4, a cap for preventing ink leakage from the injection port 35 and ink evaporation is attached to each liquid container 31 as necessary. Of course, when the ink is injected, the cap is removed from the injection port 35.

  In addition, the liquid storage unit 30 includes a first cover member 37 and a second cover member 38 that cover the top surface of each liquid container 31 in order to suppress adhesion of foreign matter to the injection port 35 and the vicinity of the injection port 35. ing. The first cover member 37 is provided on the front side of the second cover member 38 so as to cover the inlet 35 and is detachably attached to the upper surface of each liquid container 31. That is, by removing the first cover member 37 as shown by the solid line arrow in FIG. 4, the inlet 35 of each liquid container 31 is exposed.

  Note that six substantially triangular separation walls 38 a are formed on the second cover member 38 so as to correspond to the cylindrical portions 36 of the respective liquid storage portions 30. The separation wall 38a prevents the ink spilled from the injection port 35 from flowing into another injection port 35, and keeps the ink spilled from the injection port 35 around the cylindrical portion 36 including the injection port 35. The flow is suppressed.

  In addition, the liquid storage unit 30 includes a liquid amount visualizing unit 33 that can visually recognize the liquid amount (remaining amount) of the ink stored in each liquid container 31. The liquid amount visualizing portion 33 is an area portion of the liquid containing portion 30 (liquid containing body 31) that is visible through a substantially rectangular through hole 32H provided on the front side surface of the containing portion 32, and this liquid amount visualizing portion. In 33, the liquid level of the ink in the liquid container 31 is formed so as to be visible. Furthermore, the liquid container 30 has a lower liquid level line 34b indicating that it is necessary to inject ink into the liquid container 31 and the ink injection into the liquid container 31 in the liquid amount visualizing unit 33. An upper limit liquid level line 34a indicating the limit is formed.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid containers 31 may be stored in the storage unit 32 in a state of being joined to each other. Also, each liquid container 31 does not necessarily contain six different types of ink, and may contain two or more and five or less types of ink. Furthermore, one type (for example, black) of ink may be stored in a plurality (here, a maximum of six) of liquid containers 31. Further, in this case, a plurality of liquid containers 31 containing the same type (for example, black) of ink may be connected to form one liquid container 31.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 5A, 5 </ b> B, and 6, the arrangement state of the liquid supply tube 50 that supplies ink from the liquid storage unit 30 to the liquid ejecting head 16 and the liquid ejecting head 16. The liquid recovery unit 60 that recovers the discharged ink will be described. 5A shows the printer 11 with the upper housing 12A of the printer main body 12 removed, and FIG. 5B shows the liquid container 30 in FIG. 5A. The upper component and the second cover member 38 are further removed. Further, FIG. 6 is illustrated in a state where the state of FIG. 5B is viewed from a different direction.

First, the arrangement state of the liquid supply tube 50 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 5A, 5 </ b> B, and 6, the printer 11 is supplied from the liquid container 31 of the liquid container 30 provided in the lower housing 12 </ b> B of the printer body 12 from the discharge unit 20. Ink is supplied to the carriage 15 (liquid ejecting head 16) located above by the liquid supply tube 50, respectively. In other words, each liquid supply tube 50 has flexibility, and one end 51 a of the liquid supply tube 50 is a side end portion in the direction (−Y direction) opposite to the discharge direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P with respect to the liquid storage unit 30. And communicates with each liquid container 31. The liquid supply tube 50 is located on the outer side of the discharge unit 20 in the left-right direction (± X direction) intersecting with the discharge direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P, from the lower side (−Z direction side) of the discharge unit 20 to the upper side. A substantially C-shaped bent channel portion 52C for supplying ink to the (+ Z direction side) is disposed. That is, the liquid supply tube 50 is discharged from the discharge unit 20 when the bent flow path unit 52C is positioned outside the discharge unit 20 in the right direction (+ X direction) when viewed from the front side of the printer main body 12. It is configured not to engage with the paper P.

  Furthermore, after the liquid supply tube 50 is disposed above the discharge part 20 so as to extend leftward (−X direction) from the bent flow path part 52C, the other end has a substantially semicircular shape. A curved portion 50R that is curved is formed and connected to the carriage 15. Therefore, the ink flowing out from the liquid storage unit 30 flows from the lower side to the upper side in the bent flow path part 52C located at the outer end of the discharge part 20 in the right direction (+ X direction), and then the liquid supply tube 50 is further bent. It flows through the part 50R and flows into the carriage 15.

  As a result, in the liquid supply tube 50, the bending portion 50R functions as a deformable movable portion that follows and deforms while changing the formation position as the carriage 15 moves, and ink is supplied from the liquid storage portion 30 to the moving carriage 15. Supply. The ink supplied to the carriage 15 is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16 via an ink flow path (not shown) provided in the carriage 15. In this way, in the printer 11, the ink is supplied from the liquid storage unit 30 provided on the lower side of the printer main body 12 to the liquid ejecting head 16 provided on the upper side of the printer main body 12 by the flexible liquid supply tube 50. Supply is possible.

  In the present embodiment, the length of the liquid supply tube 50 that supplies ink from the liquid storage unit 30 to the liquid ejecting head 16 is substantially constant regardless of the size of the supply cassette 40. For example, even if the supply cassette 40 has a thick shape with a large vertical length capable of supplying a relatively large number of sheets P, the liquid storage unit 30 is located immediately below the discharge unit 20. The liquid storage unit 30 and the liquid ejecting head 16 are not far apart.

  In the present embodiment, each liquid supply tube 50 includes at least two tubes that can be disconnected and connected. That is, each liquid supply tube 50 has an upstream tube 51 connected to the liquid storage unit 30 and a downstream tube 52 connected to the carriage 15 as shown in FIGS. The upstream tube 51 can be disconnected from and connected to the downstream tube 52 by a connecting portion 53 provided at the upstream end of the bent flow passage portion 52C. And the opening 12K for performing the isolation | separation operation | work or connection operation | work of the upstream side tube 51 and the downstream side tube 52 is provided in 12 A of upper side housing | casings and the lower housing | casing 12B, respectively. In the present embodiment, in each drawing, the opening 12K of the upper housing 12A is omitted.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, it is set as the structure covered with the lid | cover housing | casing 12C so that the bending flow path part 52C of each liquid supply tube 50 may not be exposed. That is, the lid housing 12C is detachably attached to the printer body 12 so as to close the openings 12K provided in the upper housing 12A and the lower housing 12B (see, for example, FIGS. 1 and 7). . When the upstream tube 51 and the downstream tube 52 are disconnected or connected, the printer body 12 is removed, and the upstream tube 51 and the downstream tube 52 are disconnected or connected. It is attached to the printer body 12 later.

Next, the liquid recovery unit 60 will be described.
The liquid recovery unit 60 recovers ink discharged from the liquid ejecting head 16 by ejection or suction during maintenance of the liquid ejecting head 16 via an ink recovery channel (not shown). Alternatively, for example, in borderless printing, ink that is not used for printing out of ink ejected from the liquid ejecting head 16 may be collected via a paper support unit that supports the paper P from below during printing.

  As shown in FIGS. 5B and 6, the liquid recovery unit 60 is inserted into the case body 61 with a bottomed box-type case body 61 having a substantially rectangular opening when viewed from above (+ Z direction). And an ink absorbing material 62 (a portion indicated by cross-hatching in the drawing) capable of absorbing the used ink. As the ink absorbing material 62, for example, a resin foam material such as sponge can be used. The liquid recovery unit 60 is provided with a cover member that suppresses evaporation of the ink solvent from the ink absorbing material 62 as necessary.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid recovery unit 60 is located at a position close to the liquid ejecting head 16 or a position close to the paper support unit, that is, the storage unit 32 in order to effectively recover ink without lengthening the ink recovery flow path. A case body 61 is accommodated at a position on the rear side of the liquid accommodating portion 30. Therefore, the supply path KK through which the paper P accommodated in the supply cassette 40 located below (−Z direction) the liquid recovery unit 60 is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16 includes the liquid recovery unit 60 and the liquid recovery unit 60. And the lower housing 12 </ b> B located behind the portion 60.

  In the present embodiment, the printer 11 has a configuration in which the ink absorbing material 62 can be replaced in the liquid recovery unit 60. That is, the liquid recovery unit 60 is provided below the discharge unit 20 similarly to the liquid storage unit 30, and is pulled out of the discharge unit 20 by the sliding movement of the storage unit 32, that is, the front (+ Y direction) side of the printer main body 12. Can be withdrawn to As a result of this drawing, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be positioned outside the printer main body 12 (lower housing 12B) as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  Therefore, the liquid recovery unit 60 that can be pulled out of the printer main body 12 in this way is formed such that the length of the case body 61 in the left-right direction (± X direction) is equal to or less than the length of the liquid storage unit 30. . In other words, the length of the case body 61 in the left-right direction can be increased to the same length as that of the liquid container 30. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the length of the case body 61 in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the length of the liquid container 30.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the length of the case body 61 of the liquid recovery unit 60 in the front-rear direction is such that the rear side of the case body 61 can form the paper P supply path KK and the front side thereof. It is possible to increase the length to a position where the side overlaps the discharge unit 20 in the vertical direction and is adjacent to the liquid storage unit 30. Further, since the discharge unit 20 has a length corresponding to the sheet P to be discharged in the front-rear direction, the liquid recovery unit 60 provided at a position overlapping the discharge unit 20 also has a length in the front-rear direction. It can be increased according to 20. As a result, the printer 11 can include the liquid recovery unit 60 having a large volume of the ink absorbing material 62 in the printer main body 12.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7, the operation of the present embodiment, that is, the replacement operation (operation) for replacing the ink absorbing material 62 with a new one in the liquid recovery unit 60 will be described. . This replacement operation is performed by a replacement operator (simply called “worker”) of the ink absorbing material 62 such as a user of the printer 11 or a contractor entrusted with replacement of the ink absorbing material 62 by the user.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when replacing the ink absorbing material 62 of the liquid recovery unit 60, the operator first pulls the liquid storage unit 30 from the printer main body 12 to the front side (front side). The storage portion 32 is slid. As the storage unit 32 slides, the liquid recovery unit 60 stored in the storage unit 32 discharges the paper P from the printer main body 12 together with the liquid storage unit 30 (+ Y direction) as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. ) To the outside of the printer main body 12.

  At this time, on the front side of the printer main body 12, a discharge space occupied by the discharge unit 20 that is normally drawn out to receive the discharged paper P is secured as an occupied area. Accordingly, the operator can move the liquid recovery unit 60 so that the liquid recovery unit 60 can be accessed from the front side (front side) of the printer main body 12 having the discharge space (occupied region) without moving the printer 11. The printer main body 12 can be extracted.

  Next, the operator accesses the extracted liquid recovery unit 60, takes out the ink absorbing material 62 from the case body 61, and replaces it with a new ink absorbing material 62. Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the operator again moves the liquid recovery unit 60 in which the ink absorbing material 62 has been replaced in this way into the printer main body 12 by sliding the storage unit 32 together with the liquid storage unit 30. Push in. By this pushing, the printer 11 is in a printable state in which the liquid recovery unit 60 and the liquid storage unit 30 are provided.

  In the printer 11 in the printable state, in the printer main body 12, the liquid recovery unit 60 is vertically below the discharge unit 20 (−Z direction) and overlaps the discharge unit 20 in the vertical direction. Prepare for position. Therefore, the printer 11 of the present embodiment includes the liquid recovery unit 60 without increasing the area occupied for the installation, that is, the area of the printer main body 12 viewed from the vertical direction.

According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) A liquid recovery unit 60 is provided below the paper P discharge unit 20 and at a position overlapping the discharge unit 20. Therefore, in the printer 11, the liquid recovery unit 60 is accessed from the occupied area of the discharge unit 20 provided on the discharge side of the paper P without disturbing the discharge of the paper P and without the operator moving the printer 11. The operation of exchanging the liquid recovery unit 60 can be easily performed. In addition, since the liquid recovery unit 60 is provided in the printer main body 12 of the printer 11, an increase in the installation area of the printer 11 can be suppressed.

  (2) In the printer 11 including the supply cassette 40, the liquid recovery unit 60 overlaps the discharge unit 20 below the discharge unit 20, thereby suppressing an increase in the installation area of the printer 11. In addition, since the liquid recovery unit 60 is located above the supply cassette 40 and does not move away from the liquid ejecting head 16, the ink discharged from the liquid ejecting head 16 can be easily recovered.

  (3) Since the liquid recovery unit 60 can be extracted from the printer main body 12 and moved to a position where the ink absorbing material 62 can be replaced, the operator can replace the liquid recovery unit 60 (ink absorbing material 62). It can be done easily.

(4) Since the discharge unit 20 is positioned on the discharge direction side of the paper P in the printer main body 12, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be easily accessed from the discharge side of the paper P.
(5) Even if the liquid recovery unit 60 does not include a moving mechanism, the liquid recovery unit 60 is moved to a position where it can be easily replaced in the printer main body 12 by storing the liquid recovery unit 60 in the movable storage unit 32. Can be made.

<< Second Embodiment >>
The printer 11 according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which the liquid recovery unit 60 (liquid storage unit 30) is provided below the supply cassette 40 instead of between the discharge unit 20 and the supply cassette 40 in the first embodiment. Have The printer 11 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to here, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the printer 11 of the second embodiment, the supply cassette 40 is arranged above the lower housing 12 </ b> B of the printer body 12, and the liquid storage unit 30 and the liquid recovery unit 60 are provided in the supply cassette 40. It is arrange | positioned in the downward direction (-Z direction) so that it may overlap with a perpendicular direction. Accordingly, the storage unit 32 that stores the liquid recovery unit 60 is also disposed below the supply cassette 40. As a result, the supply path KK of the paper P supplied from the supply cassette 40 toward the liquid ejecting head 16 is formed above (+ Z direction) the liquid recovery unit 60 stored behind the liquid storage unit 30. .

  For this reason, although not shown here, it is not necessary to provide the paper P supply path KK behind the liquid recovery unit 60, and the paper P supply path KK changes depending on the shape of the liquid recovery unit 60. Nor. Further, the occupied area of the liquid recovery unit 60 allowed in the lower housing 12B of the printer main body 12 does not need to provide the paper P supply path KK behind the liquid recovery unit 60. It is possible to make it larger than the first embodiment in a certain front-rear direction (± Y direction).

  Since the liquid recovery part 60 (liquid storage part 30) is disposed below the supply cassette 40, the bent flow path part 52C has a vertical direction as compared with the case of the above embodiment as shown by a broken line in FIG. Length increases. The lid housing 12C that covers the long bent flow path portion 52C also has a shape that is long in the vertical direction.

According to 2nd Embodiment, it replaces with the effect (2) in the said 1st Embodiment, and there exists the following effect.
(6) Supplying the paper P from the supply cassette 40 by changing the size (thickness) of the liquid recovery unit 60 while suppressing an increase in the installation area by overlapping the liquid recovery unit 60 with the discharge unit 20. It is possible to easily increase the amount of ink that can be collected in the liquid collection unit 60 without changing the path KK.

«Third embodiment»
The printer 11 according to the third embodiment has a configuration in which the liquid recovery unit 60 is provided in the supply cassette 40 in the first embodiment. An example of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings referred to here, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the printer 11 according to the third embodiment includes a supply cassette 40 that can be inserted into and removed from the lower housing 12 </ b> B that is positioned on the gravity direction (−Z direction) side in the vertical direction. The supply cassette 40 is provided with a liquid recovery unit 60 (case body 61) that recovers ink discharged from the liquid ejecting head 16.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid recovery unit 60 is provided on the supply cassette 40 on the side in the direction of extraction from the printer main body 12, and in the supply cassette 40 by a slide structure (not shown) provided in the case body 61 (± Y direction) is slidable. In addition, the liquid collection | recovery part 60 is directly provided in the case body 61, without providing the accommodating part 32 in said 1st Embodiment. Of course, also in the present embodiment, the case body 61 may be housed in the housing portion 32 that is slidable.

  When the paper P is accommodated in the supply cassette 40, a part of the supply cassette 40 is extracted forward from the printer main body 12 (lower housing 12B) as indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. At this time, the case body 61 of the liquid recovery unit 60 remains in the printer main body 12. As a result, it is possible to store the sheets P in a stacked state on the inner bottom surface of the supply cassette 40 from the front side of the liquid recovery unit 60. The supply cassette 40 is inserted into the printer main body 12 after the paper P is accommodated, and the paper P can be supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, the case body 61 of the liquid recovery unit 60 can be slid in the front-rear direction (± Y direction) when a part of the supply cassette 40 is extracted from the printer main body 12. It is. In the present embodiment, the movement of the case body 61 causes the liquid recovery unit 60 to draw the ink absorbing material 62 in the case body 61 out of the printer main body 12.

  Therefore, following the supply cassette 40, the operator slides the liquid recovery unit 60 forward as indicated by the broken-line arrow in FIG. 10 to move the ink absorbing material 62 to the front (+ Y direction) side of the printer main body 12. It is possible to replace the ink absorbing material 62. In other words, the ink absorbing material 62 is configured such that at least a part of the ink absorbing material 62 is pulled out of the printer main body 12 by the sliding movement of the case body 61 by the operator.

  Further, in the printer 11 of the third embodiment, the supply cassette 40 may be provided with a liquid storage unit 30 that can store ink to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16 in addition to the liquid recovery unit 60. For example, although not shown here, as shown in FIG. 6 in the first embodiment, the storage unit 32 in which the liquid storage unit 30 and the liquid recovery unit 60 are stored is slidable in the supply cassette 40. It may be configured to be provided. In this configuration, the liquid recovery unit 60 is stored in the storage unit 32 so as to be positioned in front of the liquid storage unit 30, and a part of the supply cassette 40 is extracted from the printer main body 12, thereby recovering the liquid. The part 60 can be moved to a position where the ink absorbing material 62 can be replaced.

According to the third embodiment, the following effects are obtained in addition to the effects (1) to (5) of the first embodiment.
(7) Since the liquid recovery unit 60 is provided in the supply cassette 40 below the discharge unit 20, an increase in the installation area of the printer 11 is suppressed and the liquid recovery unit 60 is removed by pulling out the supply cassette 40 from the printer main body 12. Can be moved out of the printer body 12.

  (8) The operator can easily move the liquid recovery unit 60 located on the front side of the printer body 12 to the outside of the printer body 12 by extracting a part of the supply cassette 40 from the printer body 12. The liquid recovery unit 60 can be easily replaced.

  (9) The printer 11 supplies ink from the supply cassette 40 to the liquid ejecting head 16 and collects ink discharged from the liquid ejecting head 16 by the liquid recovery unit 60 provided in the supply cassette 40 into the supply cassette 40. Can do.

Each of the above embodiments may be changed to another embodiment as described below.
In the first and second embodiments, the printer main body 12 may not include the liquid storage unit 30 that can store the ink supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16 via the liquid supply tube 50. For example, when the ink can be supplied from the ink cartridge provided in the carriage 15 to the liquid ejecting head 16, the liquid container 30 is not necessary. According to this configuration, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be enlarged to the area occupied by the liquid storage unit 30 in the printer main body 12.

  In the third embodiment, the supply cassette 40 may not include the liquid storage unit 30 that can store the ink supplied to the liquid ejecting head 16. For example, when the ink can be supplied from the ink cartridge provided in the carriage 15 to the liquid ejecting head 16, the liquid container 30 is not necessary. According to this configuration, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be enlarged to the area occupied by the liquid storage unit 30 in the supply cassette 40.

  In the first and second embodiments, the printer body 12 does not necessarily have to include a moving mechanism that can move the liquid recovery unit 60. For example, if a part of the case body 61 is configured to be removable and the ink absorbing material 62 can be replaced through an opening provided by removing the part, it is not necessary to move the liquid recovery unit 60.

  In the third embodiment, the liquid recovery unit 60 may be provided in the supply cassette 40 without sliding in the front-rear direction (± Y direction) in the supply cassette 40. Even with such a configuration, for example, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be extracted outside the printer main body 12 by extracting the supply cassette 40 from the printer main body 12.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the liquid recovery unit 60 may be provided on the front side of the printer main body 12 with respect to the liquid storage unit 30. When the frequency of ink injection into the liquid storage unit 30 is low or when the ink is not injected from the injection port 35 into the liquid storage unit 30, the liquid storage unit 30 is removed from the printer main body 12 in the ejection direction side (front side). The liquid recovery unit 60 is provided on the side of the printer main body 12 in the removal direction. In this way, the liquid recovery unit 60 can be extracted out of the printer body 12 with a small amount of movement.

  In the third embodiment, the liquid recovery unit 60 is not necessarily provided on the supply cassette 40 on the side in the direction of extraction from the printer main body 12. When the replacement frequency of the ink absorbing material 62 is low in the liquid recovery unit 60, or when the ink absorbing material 62 is separated from the liquid ejecting head 16 when located on the extraction direction side, in the supply cassette 40, the extraction direction side (front side) from the printer main body 12 is removed. It is good also as being provided in the back side on the opposite side.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid storage unit 30 may include a liquid storage body 31 having a structure other than the ink tank formed of a material having rigidity. For example, the liquid container 31 may be an ink bag that can store ink in a bag portion (bag) formed by a sheet member having a low rigidity and high flexibility.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid supply tube 50 does not necessarily have to be connected to the end of the liquid storage unit 30 on the opposite side of the paper P discharge direction (+ Y direction). For example, the liquid supply tube 50 may have one end 51 a connected to the gravity direction (−Z direction) side with respect to the liquid storage unit 30. Alternatively, for example, when the liquid storage unit 30 is formed of one liquid storage body 31, one end 51a of the liquid supply tube 50 may be connected to the right side (+ X direction) side with respect to the liquid storage unit 30. .

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid supply tube 50 does not necessarily have to be disposed outside the discharge unit 20 in a direction (± X direction) that intersects the discharge direction (+ Y direction) of the paper P. For example, the paper P may be disposed at a position that does not interfere with the feeding of the paper P supplied from the supply cassette 40 to the liquid ejecting head 16 in the opposite direction (−Y direction) to the paper P discharge direction (+ Y direction). . Of course, in this case, although a specific description is omitted, the arrangement position of the liquid supply tube 50 from the liquid container 30 to the carriage 15 in the printer main body 12 is different from that in the above embodiment.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid storage unit 30 may not necessarily include the liquid amount visualizing unit 33 that can visually recognize the amount of ink stored in the liquid storage unit 30. For example, the ink consumption amount ejected from the liquid ejecting head 16 in the printer 11 can be calculated, and the user can be notified of the remaining amount of ink in the liquid storage unit 30 using the calculated ink consumption amount. In this case, the liquid amount visualizing part 33 is unnecessary.

  In each of the above embodiments, the injection port 35 is not necessarily provided so as to be displaceable with respect to the printer main body 12. For example, if it is possible to inject ink from the injection port 35 without displacing the injection port 35, it is not necessary to displace the injection port 35.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid storage unit 30 does not necessarily include the injection port 35 that can inject ink. For example, in the case where the liquid storage unit 30 is configured with an ink bag as in the above-described modification, a new ink filled with ink without injecting the ink into the bag for the ink bag that has run out of ink. Replace with a bag. Therefore, in such a case, the liquid container 30 does not need to include the ink injection port 35.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid ejecting head 16 is not limited to a so-called serial head type that ejects ink by reciprocating with the carriage 15 in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the paper P. That is, in the state in which the length size forms an overall shape corresponding to the width size of the paper P and the longitudinal direction thereof is fixedly arranged so as to be along the width direction intersecting the transport direction of the paper P, substantially the entire longitudinal direction thereof It may be a so-called line head type in which liquid is ejected from a large number of nozzles provided so as to extend toward the medium.

  In each of the above embodiments, the printer 11 may be a recording device that ejects or discharges liquid other than ink. Note that the state of the liquid ejected as a minute amount of liquid droplets from the recording apparatus includes granular, tear-like, and thread-like ones. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the recording apparatus. For example, it may be in a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a liquid with high or low viscosity, sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals (metal melts ). Further, not only a liquid as one state of a substance but also a substance in which particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or a metal particle are dissolved, dispersed or mixed in a solvent is included. Typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes general water-based inks and oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks. As a specific example of the recording apparatus, for example, a liquid containing a material such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL (electroluminescence) display, a surface light emitting display, a color filter or the like in a dispersed or dissolved form There is a recording device that jets. Further, it may be a recording device for ejecting bioorganic substances used for biochip manufacturing, a recording device for ejecting liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. In addition, a transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curable resin is used to form a recording device that injects lubricating oil pinpointed into precision machines such as watches and cameras, and micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements. It may be a recording apparatus that jets onto a substrate. Further, it may be a recording apparatus that ejects an etching solution such as acid or alkali in order to etch a substrate or the like.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Printer (an example of a recording device), 12 ... Printer main body (an example of an apparatus main body), 16 ... Liquid ejecting head, 20 ... Discharge part, 25 ... Discharge port, 27 ... Discharge roller, 28 ... Driven roller, 30 ... Liquid Storage unit, 32... Storage unit, 40... Supply cassette, 60... Liquid recovery unit, P.

Claims (5)

A liquid ejecting head that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a target;
A discharge portion formed with a discharge port including a discharge region from which the target recorded by the liquid jet head is discharged;
A liquid storage section capable of storing the liquid supplied to the liquid jet head;
A liquid recovery unit capable of recovering the liquid discharged from the liquid jet head during maintenance of the liquid jet head;
A storage section for storing the liquid storage section and the liquid recovery section;
In the main body of the device,
The liquid storage portion and the liquid recovery unit is provided on the lower side in the vertical direction than the discharge portion,
The liquid storage part is placed on the front side of the apparatus main body from the liquid recovery part,
Wherein by drawing accommodating portion from the apparatus main body, the liquid containing portion and the liquid recovery unit, it characterized by exposing the recording apparatus. The apparatus main body is capable of accommodating the target, and a supply cassette capable of supplying the accommodated target to the liquid ejecting head is vertically below the discharge portion and the depth of the apparatus main body. It is provided at a position that overlaps the discharge part in the vertical direction in the direction,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid recovery unit is provided between the discharge unit and the supply cassette. The apparatus main body is capable of accommodating the target, and a supply cassette capable of supplying the accommodated target to the liquid ejecting head is vertically below the discharge portion and the depth of the apparatus main body. It is provided at a position that overlaps the discharge part in the vertical direction in the direction,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid recovery unit is provided below the supply cassette. The said discharge part is formed in the discharge direction side of the said target from the discharge means which has the discharge roller which discharges | emits the said target, and the driven roller arrange | positioned facing the said discharge roller. The recording apparatus according to any one of the above. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus main body includes a moving mechanism capable of moving the housing portion .