JP7439977B2 - liquid injection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting device and a detection method for the liquid ejecting device.

2. Description of the Related Art Liquid ejecting apparatuses have been known that perform printing on a print medium such as printing paper by ejecting liquid from a print head onto the print medium (for example, Patent Document 1).
The liquid ejecting device described in Patent Document 1 includes a liquid supply device that supplies ink stored in a tank (liquid storage section) to a print head via a supply tube, and a supply tube (flow path) that can be manually opened and closed. It has a flow path opening and closing device. By manually closing the flow path using this flow path opening/closing device, the liquid ejection device can be transported without ink leaking even if the liquid ejection device is filled with ink. I can do it.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-134485

However, in order to manually open and close the flow path, the liquid ejecting device was transported with the flow path closed, and the user forgot to open the flow path after transporting the liquid ejecting device, resulting in printing with the flow path closed. There was a risk that a problem would occur in which the system would be restarted.

The liquid ejecting device of the present application includes a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium, a liquid storage section storing the liquid, and a supply flow path communicating the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. , an opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing section for opening or closing the supply flow path, and an operating section for operating the opening/closing section, the liquid ejecting section and the opening/closing mechanism, and reciprocating in the main scanning direction. a movable carriage, a contact part that contacts the opening/closing mechanism when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, and a detection part that detects contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact part; It is characterized by having the following.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the contact portion is provided in a casing that accommodates the liquid ejecting portion and the carriage.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the contact portion contacts the operation portion when the carriage is moved with the supply channel in a closed state.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operation section includes a lever that is rotatable between an open position where the supply channel is opened and a closed position where the supply channel is closed, and the opening/closing section has a pressing member that closes the supply channel when the lever is located in the closed position and opens the supply channel when the lever is located in the open position, and the supply channel is It is preferable that the lever contacts the contact portion when the carriage is moved in the closed state.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operating section is movable between an open position where the supply channel is opened and a closed position where the supply channel is closed, and the contact section is movable between the The operating section located at the open position is disposed outside a moving area that moves as the carriage moves, and the operating section located at the closed position is located outside of a moving area that moves as the carriage moves. Preferably, it is located inside.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the opening/closing mechanism includes a displacement member that is displaced in conjunction with the operation section, and the contact section is configured to move the carriage when the supply flow path is closed. Preferably, it is in contact with the displacement member.

The liquid ejecting device of the present application includes a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium, a liquid storage section storing the liquid, and a supply flow path communicating the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. , equipped with an opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing section for opening or closing the supply flow path and an operation section for operating the opening/closing section, and the liquid ejecting section, and capable of reciprocating in the main scanning direction. , comprising a carriage having a contact portion that can contact the opening/closing mechanism when the supply channel is in a closed state, and a detection portion capable of detecting contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact portion. do.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the operation section contacts the contact section when the carriage is moved with the supply channel in a closed state.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the opening/closing mechanism includes a displacement member that is displaced in conjunction with the operation section, and the displacement member is configured to move the carriage when the supply flow path is closed. It is preferable to contact the contact portion.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operation unit includes a lever that is rotatable about a shaft between an open position where the supply flow path is opened and a closed position where the supply flow path is closed. The opening/closing section includes a pressing member that closes the supply channel when the lever is in the closed position and opens the supply channel when the lever is in the open position; It is preferable that the displacement member has a shaft portion, and that the displacement member is displaced in conjunction with movement of the lever via the shaft portion.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that when the supply flow path is in a closed state, the displacement member is located within a movement region of the carriage.

The liquid ejecting device described above further includes a control unit that controls movement of the carriage, and the control unit moves the carriage in a first direction in the main scanning direction and detects a closed state of the supply flow path. In this case, it is preferable to move the carriage in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

Preferably, the liquid ejecting device described above further includes a notification section that notifies that the supply channel is in a closed state.

A detection method for a liquid ejecting device according to the present application includes: a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a liquid storage section storing the liquid; and a supply connecting the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. A detection method for a liquid ejecting device comprising a flow path, an opening/closing mechanism for opening or closing the supply flow path, and a carriage mounted with the liquid ejecting section and capable of reciprocating in a main scanning direction. The present invention is characterized in that it is detected that the supply channel is in a closed state by movement of the carriage.

In the above detection method for a liquid ejecting device, it is preferable to detect that the supply flow path is in a closed state when movement of the carriage is obstructed when the carriage is moved.

In the liquid ejecting device detection method described above, it is preferable that the liquid ejecting device further include a carriage motor for moving the carriage, and detect that the supply flow path is in a closed state by a driving load of the carriage motor. .

In the liquid ejecting device detection method described above, it is preferable that the carriage is moved when the power is turned on, and the state of the supply flow path is detected by the movement of the carriage.

1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejecting device according to a first embodiment. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejecting device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid ejecting device when the scanner according to the first embodiment is removed. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the liquid ejecting device according to Embodiment 1 when viewed from the Z(+) direction side. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a liquid ejecting device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 of the opening/closing mechanism in a state where the supply flow path is open according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6 of the opening/closing mechanism in a state where the supply flow path is closed according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejecting device according to a second embodiment when viewed from the Z(+) direction side. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejecting device according to a second embodiment when viewed from the X (-) direction side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an opening/closing mechanism according to a second embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These embodiments represent one aspect of the present invention, do not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1)
1 and 2 are perspective views of a liquid ejecting device 1A according to a first embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which the scanner 5 is closed to the apparatus main body 2, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the scanner 5 is opened to the apparatus main body 2.
First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a schematic configuration of a liquid ejecting apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment will be described.

In the following description, the width direction of the liquid ejecting device 1A will be referred to as the X direction, the depth direction of the liquid ejecting device 1A will be referred to as the Y direction, and the height direction of the liquid ejecting device 1A will be referred to as the Z direction. The X direction and the Y direction are directions along a horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Further, the tip side of the arrow indicating the direction is the (+) direction, and the base end side of the arrow indicating the direction is the (-) direction.
Note that the X direction is an example of a "main scanning direction."

<<<About liquid injection device>>>
The liquid ejecting apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment is, for example, an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, which is an example of a "liquid," onto a medium such as paper. Note that in each of the following figures, the scale of each layer and each member is different from the actual scale in order to make each layer and each member large enough to be recognized.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid ejecting device 1A includes a device main body 2 and a scanner 5 that is arranged on the top of the device main body 2 and is rotatable with respect to the device main body 2. The apparatus main body 2 includes a liquid ejecting section 50 (see FIG. 5), a carriage 30 (see FIG. 3), a transport mechanism 25 (see FIG. 5), a liquid storage unit 10, and a supply channel 40 (see FIG. 3). , an opening/closing mechanism 60A (see FIG. 6), an operation panel 6, and a control section 80 (see FIG. 5).
Note that the operation panel 6 is an example of a "notification unit".

The device main body 2 includes a casing 3 that is an exterior frame of the device main body 2. A liquid ejecting section 50, a carriage 30, a supply channel 40, and a control section 80 are arranged in the housing 3.

The operation panel 6 is arranged on the front side of the device main body 2 in the device depth direction (Y(+) direction side). The operation panel 6 is provided with a display section 7 such as a liquid crystal panel, and operation buttons 8 including a plurality of input buttons, a power switch, and the like. The operation panel 6 is rotatably attached to the device main body 2 on the front side in the depth direction of the device (Y(+) direction side).

When the operation panel 6 is rotated toward the front side in the depth direction of the apparatus (Y(+) direction side) with respect to the apparatus main body 2, a medium ejection tray (not shown) stored in the apparatus main body 2 is exposed. The medium ejection tray is configured to be able to move back and forth between a position where it is stored in the apparatus main body 2 and a position where it is pulled out from the apparatus main body 2 toward the front side in the depth direction of the apparatus.

A medium accommodating portion 22 capable of accommodating a medium is provided on the lower side of the apparatus main body 2 in the apparatus height direction (Z(-) direction side). The medium storage section 22 can be inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 2 from the front side in the apparatus depth direction (Y(+) direction side).

The scanner 5 is configured to be rotatable relative to the device main body 2 using the back side in the depth direction (Y(-) direction side) as a rotation fulcrum, and is in a closed position relative to the device main body 2 (see Fig. 1). ) and an open position (see Figure 2). The scanner 5 is located above the carriage 30 (described later) in the device height direction (Z(+) direction side). Then, by switching the scanner 5 to the closed or open position, the upper surface inside the device main body 2 can be exposed or covered.
Note that the liquid ejecting device 1A may be configured without the scanner 5. Instead of the scanner 5, a top cover may be provided that covers the inside of the device main body 2 from above.

The liquid storage unit 10 is provided on the right side in the device width direction (X(-) direction side) of the device main body 2 and on the front side in the device depth direction (Y(+) direction side). The liquid storage unit 10 includes a plurality of liquid storage sections 13 that store ink, a casing 12 that covers the plurality of liquid storage sections 13, and a cover 11 that is rotatably attached to the casing 12. ing.

The liquid storage unit 10 is disposed below the scanner 5 which is at least partially closed in the device width direction (X direction). In this embodiment, five liquid reservoirs 13 are provided. In each liquid storage section 13, one of black ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, cyan ink, and photo black ink is stored in order from the X(+) direction side. Further, the liquid storage section 13 in which black ink is stored is set to have a larger ink storage capacity than the other liquid storage sections 13 . Furthermore, a display section 14 is provided on the front side of the liquid storage section 13 in the device depth direction (on the Y(+) direction side) so that the remaining amount of ink in each liquid storage section 13 can be checked.

The liquid storage section 13 has an atmosphere communication section (not shown) and a supply port (not shown) that communicate with the inside of the liquid storage section 13 . The atmosphere communication section is an inlet of the atmosphere into the liquid storage section 13. When the ink in the liquid storage part 13 is consumed and the amount of ink in the liquid storage part 13 decreases, the pressure in the liquid storage part 13 becomes lower than atmospheric pressure. At this time, the atmosphere can flow into the liquid storage section 13 from the atmosphere communication section, and the pressure inside the liquid storage section 13 is maintained at atmospheric pressure. The supply port is a discharge port that can discharge the ink in the liquid storage section 13 to the outside of the liquid storage section 13 . The liquid storage section 13 and the liquid injection section 50 are communicated with each other through a supply channel 40. The ink in the liquid storage section 13 is supplied toward the liquid ejection section 50 via a supply port connected to the supply channel 40 .

As shown in FIG. 2, when the scanner 5 takes an open position with respect to the apparatus main body 2, the cover 11 that covers the upper part of the liquid storage section 13 in the liquid storage unit 10 is completely exposed. The cover 11 is rotatably attached to the housing 12. Then, by leaving the cover 11 completely exposed and additionally rotating the cover 11 with respect to the housing 12, the upper part of the liquid storage section 13 can be exposed.

An injection port (not shown) and a lid 16 that seals the injection port and are rotatable with respect to the liquid storage section 13 are provided at the top of the liquid storage section 13 . When the cover 11 is in a position exposing the upper part of the liquid reservoir 13 and the lid 16 is opening the inlet, the inlet is connected to a refill container (not shown) containing ink. Then, the ink in the replenishment container is replenished into the liquid reservoir 13 through the injection port.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liquid ejecting device 1A with the scanner 5 removed. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the liquid ejecting device 1A viewed from the Z(+) direction side.
1 and 2 are perspective views of the liquid ejecting device 1A viewed from the Y(+) direction side (front side). On the other hand, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the liquid ejecting device 1A viewed from the Y(-) direction side (rear side).
Further, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the carriage 30 is located at the home position HP. In FIG. 4, the carriage 30, the lever 62A (operating section 61), the housing 3, and the liquid storage unit 10 are schematically illustrated, and illustration of other components is omitted. Furthermore, in FIG. 4, the Y(+) direction side of the device main body 2 is illustrated, and illustration of the Y(−) direction side of the device main body 2 is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a carriage 30 is arranged on the Y (-) direction side of the liquid storage unit 10. The carriage 30 is capable of reciprocating in the X direction (main scanning direction) by driving force applied from a carriage motor 31 (see FIG. 5). The carriage 30 is equipped with a liquid ejecting section 50 and an opening/closing mechanism 60A.

A drive pulley (not shown) is provided on a guide shaft (not shown) of the carriage motor 31. Further, a driven pulley (not shown) is provided within the device main body 2 at a distance from the drive pulley in the device width direction (X direction). An endless belt (not shown) is wound around the driving pulley and the driven pulley. At least a portion of the endless belt grips the carriage 30 at a grip portion (not shown) provided at the rear end of the carriage 30. When the carriage motor 31 is driven to rotate, the endless belt rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the carriage motor 31, causing the carriage 30 to reciprocate in the device width direction (X direction).

Furthermore, a linear encoder 75 (see FIG. 5) is provided within the housing 3 to detect the position and speed in the X direction (main scanning direction) of the reciprocating carriage 30. The linear encoder 75 includes a linear code plate (not shown) provided on the housing 3 and parallel to the X direction (main scanning direction), and a photosensor 76 provided on the carriage 30 (see FIG. 5). A predetermined electrical signal corresponding to the moving state of the carriage 30 is output from the photosensor 76.

In FIG. 4, a frame 4 forming a part of the housing 3 is hatched.
The frame 4 is a component of the housing 3 and is arranged on the Z(+) direction side with respect to the carriage 30. Therefore, when viewed from the side in the Y direction, the frame 4 and the carriage 30 do not overlap, and when the carriage 30 is moved in the X direction, the carriage 30 and frame 4 do not interfere.
On the other hand, in a side view seen from the Y direction side, the frame 4 and the lever 62A overlap.

Furthermore, the frame 4 is provided with an opening OA. By providing the opening OA in the frame 4, the user can access the carriage 30 disposed inside the apparatus main body 2, the lever 62A of the opening/closing mechanism 60A, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the carriage 30 is reciprocated along the guide shaft extending in the and a non-printing area RA where the unit 50 does not print.
The non-print area RA includes a non-print area RA1 located on the X (-) direction side with respect to the print area PA, and a non-print area RA2 located on the X (+) direction side with respect to the print area PA. Print area PA is arranged between two non-print areas RA1 and RA2.

A home position HP, which is a position where the carriage 30 waits during non-printing, is arranged in the non-printing area RA1.
A side wall is provided on the X(-) direction side of the housing 3, and the carriage 30 moving in the X(-) direction can come into contact with this side wall during non-printing. The position of the carriage 30 when it contacts the side wall becomes the reference position when the carriage 30 reciprocates in the X direction.

A plurality of relay adapters (not shown) are mounted on the carriage 30. The relay adapter is a container that can temporarily store ink. The relay adapter is connected to the liquid storage section 13 via the supply channel 40 and temporarily stores ink. The ink stored in the liquid storage section 13 is supplied to the liquid ejection section 50 via the supply channel 40 and the relay adapter.
The carriage 30 is a hollow container having a carriage cover 32 on the Z(+) direction side. The carriage 30 is equipped with a relay adapter in addition to the liquid ejecting section 50 and the opening/closing mechanism 60A. The relay adapter is covered by a carriage cover 32 and placed inside the carriage 30.

Furthermore, the opening/closing mechanism 60A mounted on the carriage 30 has a lever 62A on the Z(+) direction side. A lever 62A of the opening/closing mechanism 60A protrudes upward from the carriage cover 32. That is, the lever 62A of the opening/closing mechanism 60A is arranged outside the carriage 30, and the other parts of the opening/closing mechanism 60A are arranged inside the carriage 30.

Further, a liquid ejecting section 50 is provided at the lower part of the carriage 30. The liquid ejecting section 50 includes a pressure generating chamber (not shown), a piezoelectric element (not shown), and a nozzle 51 (see FIG. 3). The nozzle 51 is located on the Z (-) direction side of the liquid ejecting section 50 and is arranged to face the medium. The nozzle 51 is communicated with the relay adapter via a flow path (not shown) provided in the liquid ejecting section 50. The piezoelectric element vibrates a diaphragm (not shown) that forms part of the pressure generation chamber, causing pressure fluctuations in the pressure generation chamber, and by utilizing this pressure fluctuation, ink is sprayed from the nozzle 51 onto the medium. Injected. The lower surface of the liquid ejecting section 50 is configured as a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzles 51 are provided. Although not shown, as an example, the plurality of nozzles 51 are arranged along the device depth direction (Y direction) to form a nozzle row.
In this way, the liquid ejecting section 50 has the nozzle 51 that ejects ink onto the medium.

Further, in this embodiment, a maintenance unit 55 (see FIG. 5) that performs maintenance of the liquid ejecting section 50 including cleaning of the nozzle 51 is disposed directly below the carriage 30 that has moved to the home position HP. The maintenance unit 55 includes, for example, a cap (not shown) that can come into contact with the liquid ejecting section 50 so as to surround the nozzle 51, and reduces the pressure in the space formed by the abutment of the cap to remove unnecessary ink and the like inside the nozzle 51. The nozzle 51 is cleaned by discharging air bubbles.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a liquid receiving section (not shown) is provided directly below the carriage 30 that has moved to the non-printing area RA2. The liquid receiving section receives ink discharged from the nozzle 51 due to idle ejection, which is a type of maintenance. The idle ejection refers to discharging ink that is not used for printing from the nozzle 51 by driving a piezoelectric element to eliminate thickening of the ink within the nozzle 51.

<<<About the control unit>>>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 80 includes a CPU (central processing element) 81, a memory 82, an interface unit (I/F) 83, a detection unit 84, etc. provided on a control board.

The I/F 83 transmits and receives data between an external personal computer (PC) 110 and the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A. The PC 110 and the liquid ejecting device 1A may be connected directly via a cable or the like, or may be connected indirectly via a network or the like. Furthermore, data may be transmitted and received between the PC 110 and the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A via wireless communication.

The CPU 81 is an arithmetic processing unit for controlling the entire liquid ejecting device 1A.
The memory 82 is a storage medium that secures an area for storing programs to be operated by the CPU 81 and an operating area for operating the programs, and is formed by a storage element such as a RAM or an EPROM.

The control unit 80 creates print data based on the image data output from the PC 110, and controls the liquid ejecting unit 50, the transport mechanism 25, the carriage motor 31, etc. based on the print data.
Note that the PC 110 may create print data, and the control unit 80 may control the liquid ejecting unit 50, the transport mechanism 25, the carriage motor 31, etc. based on the print data received from the PC 110. Furthermore, the control unit 80 creates print data based on the operation command input by the user using the operation button 8 of the operation panel 6, and based on the print data, the liquid ejecting unit 50, the transport mechanism 25, the carriage motor 31 A configuration that controls such things may also be used.

Further, the control unit 80 drives the piezoelectric element provided in the liquid ejection unit 50 to eject ink from the plurality of nozzles 51 toward the medium. Further, the control unit 80 supplies a drive signal to drive the carriage motor 31. Further, the control section 80 controls the carriage motor 31, the transport mechanism 25, the liquid ejecting section 50, etc., and records an image on the medium.

Here, the medium printing operation of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A will be described.
The medium accommodated in the medium storage section 22 is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 25 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction intersecting the main scanning direction. Then, the transport mechanism 25 transports the medium to a platen (not shown) provided in a region facing the liquid jet unit 50 on the lower side of the liquid jet unit 50 . Then, ink is ejected from the nozzle 51 of the liquid ejecting section 50 onto the surface of the medium supported by the platen that faces the liquid ejecting section 50 . As a result, printing is performed on the surface of the medium facing the liquid ejecting section 50. The printed medium is then discharged toward the medium discharge tray.

The control unit 80 receives an electrical signal output from a linear encoder 75 (photo sensor 76) for detecting the position and speed of the carriage 30 moving as the carriage motor 31 is driven.

The control unit 80 drives the transport mechanism 25 to move the medium in a transport direction intersecting the X direction (main scanning direction).
The control unit 80 performs maintenance operations on the liquid ejecting unit 50 by controlling the maintenance unit 55 .

The control unit 80 receives commands from the operation buttons 8 operated by the user and performs various controls.
The control unit 80 receives the open/close state of the scanner 5 by an open/close detecting unit 85 including an optical sensor (not shown) or the like.

The control unit 80 calculates the position and moving speed of the carriage 30 in the X direction (main scanning direction) using the electrical signal output from the linear encoder 75 (photo sensor 76). That is, the control unit 80 controls the movement of the carriage 30.
The detection unit 84 in the control unit 80 detects the driving load of the carriage motor 31 by detecting the rotational torque of the carriage motor 31. Although details will be described later, the detection unit 84 detects contact between the opening/closing mechanism 60A (lever 62A) and the contact unit 100 based on the driving load of the carriage motor 31.

The control unit 80 brings the carriage 30 into contact with the side wall of the casing 3 by moving it in the X (-) direction. When the carriage 30 comes into contact with the side wall of the housing 3, the carriage 30 is prevented from moving in the X (-) direction and stops. Since the carriage 30 is inhibited from moving in the X (-) direction, the driving load on the carriage motor 31 increases. The control unit 80 uses the position of the carriage 30 when the detection unit 84 detects an increase in the driving load of the carriage motor 31 as a reference position, and sets the home position HP in the X direction, non-printing area RA1, non-printing area RA2, and printing area. Define each position of the PA. Note that the home position HP may be provided at a position when the carriage 30 comes to a stop by contacting the side wall of the housing 3, or may be provided at a position where the carriage 30 moves in the X (+) direction from the stop position. It's okay.

<<<About the opening/closing mechanism>>>
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism 60A. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism 60A. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along the line BB in FIG. 6 of the opening/closing mechanism 60A viewed from the Z(-) direction side.
In FIGS. 8A and 8B, illustration of the case 69 is omitted. 8A shows a state in which the supply channel 40 is open, and FIG. 8B shows a state in which the supply channel 40 is closed.
Next, the opening/closing mechanism 60A will be explained using FIGS. 6, 7, 8A, and 8B.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the opening/closing mechanism 60A includes an opening/closing section 63 that opens or closes the supply channel 40, and an operating section 61 that operates the opening/closing section 63. The opening/closing section 63 includes a supply channel support section 68 , a shaft section 64 , a pressing member 66 , a cam member 65 , and a case 69 . The operating section 61 has a lever 62A.
The case 69 and the supply channel support section 68 are an exterior frame of the opening/closing section 63 (opening/closing mechanism 60A). A shaft portion 64, a cam member 65, and a pressing member 66 are arranged between the case 69 and the supply channel support portion 68 in this order from the case 69 side. Further, the supply channel 40 is arranged between the pressing member 66 and the supply channel support section 68.

The supply channel support portion 68 is provided with a plurality of grooves 70 extending in the X direction. The plurality of grooves 70 are lined up along the Z direction. The supply channel 40 is inserted into the groove 70 . Thereby, the five supply channels 40 are lined up along the Z direction in the supply channel support section 68. The pressing member 66 is arranged so as to be able to press the five supply channels 40 between the pressure member 66 and the supply channel support section 68 .
The shaft portion 64 is provided with a cam member 65 at a portion of the shaft portion 64 that is long in the Z direction and faces the pressing member 66 . Further, an operating section 61 (lever 62A) is provided at the end of the shaft section 64 on the Z (+) direction side.
In this embodiment, the shaft portion 64, the cam member 65, and the lever 62A are integrally molded using resin. Further, the case 69, the pressing member 66, and the supply channel support portion 68 are all molded products of resin.

The lever 62A and the cam member 65 are rotatable about a rotation axis A of the shaft portion 64, which is indicated by a dashed line in the figure. When the opening/closing mechanism 60A is mounted on the carriage 30, the rotation axis A is arranged along the Z direction.
Since the lever 62A is disposed outside the carriage 30, when the user rotates the lever 62A by pinching the lever 62A with his or her hand, the cam member 65 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the lever 62A.

The supply channel support portion 68 is provided with a recess 71 into which the pressing member 66 can be inserted. The pressing member 66 is inserted into the recess 71 of the supply channel support 68 and is movable along the recess 71 . For example, the pressing member 66 is movable to a position where it abuts the bottom of the recess 71.
That is, the recess 71 guides the pressing member 66 in the moving direction.

The pressing member 66 is arranged to sandwich the supply channel 40 disposed in the groove 70 between the press member 66 and the supply channel support portion 68 . The five supply channels 40 are arranged between the supply channel support section 68 and the pressing member 66, and can be pressed by the supply channel support section 68 and the pressing member 66.

The shaft portion 64 extends along the Z direction, and has a length spanning the five supply channels 40 aligned along the Z direction in the supply channel support portion 68 . The two cam members 65 are provided on the shaft portion 64 and are lined up along the Z direction. Then, the cam member 65 is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the pressing member 66.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the rotation center of the cam member 65 is different from the rotation center of the shaft portion 64 (rotation axis A), and the rotation center of the cam member 65 is eccentric with respect to the shaft portion 64. When the cam member 65 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft portion 64, the cam member 65 rotates eccentrically.
Then, the position of the outer circumferential surface of the cam member 65 that contacts the pressing member 66 changes, and the position of the pressing member 66 changes.
In the state shown in FIG. 8A in which the supply channel 40 is open, when the lever 62A is rotated in the clockwise direction shown by the arrow in the figure and the shaft portion 64 and the cam member 65 are rotated clockwise, the pressing member The position of the pressing member 66 changes in the direction in which the pressing member 66 approaches the supply channel support portion 68. When the pressing member 66 approaches the supply channel support section 68, as shown in FIG. 8B, the supply channel 40 is pressed by the press member 66 and the supply channel support section 68, the supply channel 40 is collapsed, and the supply flow path 40 is The path 40 is in a blocked state (closed state).

When the lever 62A shown in FIG. 8A is rotated clockwise, the pressing member 66 approaches the supply channel support part 68, and as shown in FIG. 8B, the supply channel 40 is collapsed, and the supply channel 40 is It is closed, and communication of ink between the liquid storage section 13 and the liquid ejection section 50 is cut off. That is, the supply channel 40 is in a closed state. At this time, the supply channel 40 does not need to be completely closed.
When the lever 62A shown in FIG. 8B is rotated counterclockwise, the pressing member 66 moves away from the supply channel support part 68, and as shown in FIG. 8A, the collapse of the supply channel 40 is eliminated, and the supply channel 40 is opened, allowing communication of ink between the liquid storage section 13 and the liquid ejection section 50. That is, the supply channel 40 is in an open state.
In this way, the opening/closing part 63 includes the pressing member 66 that closes the supply channel 40 when the lever 62A is in the closed position and opens the supply channel 40 when the lever 62A is in the open position.

The position of the lever 62A shown in FIG. 8A is an open position in which the supply channel 40 is opened.
The position of the lever 62A shown in FIG. 8B is a closed position that closes the supply channel 40. By rotating around the rotation axis A of the shaft portion 64, the lever 62A rotates between an open position where the supply flow path 40 is opened and a closed position where the supply flow path 40 is closed.
In this manner, the operating section 61 includes a lever 62A that is rotatable between an open position in which the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position in which the supply channel 40 is closed. The operating portion 61 (lever 62A) is movable between an open position where the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position where the supply channel 40 is closed. In other words, the operating section 61 operates the lever 62A, which is rotatable about the shaft section 64, between an open position where the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position where the supply channel 40 is closed. include.

Returning to FIGS. 6 and 7, the case 69 is configured to be able to engage with the supply channel support section 68, and is configured to move the shaft section 64, the pressing member 66, and the cam member 65 toward the Y (-) direction side. covered from Thereby, the shaft portion 64, the pressing member 66, and the cam member 65 are protected by the case 69 and the supply channel support portion 68.

In this way, the opening/closing mechanism 60A opens and closes the five supply channels 40.
For example, when moving or transporting the liquid ejecting device 1A, if the opening/closing mechanism 60A is closed, ink may leak from the nozzle 51 of the liquid ejecting unit 50. It becomes difficult.
Specifically, when the liquid ejecting device 1A is transported, vibrations and shocks act on the ink within the liquid storage section 13 and the supply channel 40. When vibrations or shocks act on the ink in the liquid storage section 13 or the supply channel 40, pressure acts on the ink in the nozzles 51 of the liquid ejection section 50, and there is a risk that the ink may leak out from the nozzles 51 of the liquid ejection section 50. be.
If the supply flow path 40 is closed by the opening/closing mechanism 60A before transporting the liquid ejecting device 1A, pressure fluctuations acting on the ink in the liquid ejecting section 50 can be kept low when transporting the liquid ejecting device 1A. Therefore, the risk of ink leaking from the nozzle 51 of the liquid ejecting section 50 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the user manually moves the lever 62A to the closed position and transports the liquid ejecting device 1A with the supply channel 40 closed. When the transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed, the user manually changes the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position to open the supply channel 40.
However, since the user manually operates the lever 62A to the closed position or the open position, the user may forget to change the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position even after transportation of the liquid injection device 1A is completed. , there is a risk that the printing process will be performed with the supply flow path 40 blocked, ink will not be ejected from the liquid ejecting unit 50, and an image will not be formed on the medium.

In this embodiment, after the transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed, the user forgets to change the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position, and the printing process is performed with the supply channel 40 blocked. Since it has an excellent configuration that makes it difficult to cause such a problem, the details will be explained below.

<<<About the method of detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel>>>
In FIG. 4, the lever 62A in the open position is illustrated with a solid line, and the lever 62A in the closed position is illustrated with a chain double-dashed line. Note that the lever 62A in the open position is a lever 62A that is arranged at a position to open the supply flow path 40. The lever 62A in the closed position is a lever 62A disposed at a position that closes the supply flow path 40. That is, when the lever 62A is located at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, the supply flow path 40 is opened, and when the lever 62A is located at the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, the supply flow path 40 is closed.
Furthermore, in FIG. 4, when the opening/closing mechanism 60A (lever 62A) is moved from the home position HP together with the carriage 30 in the X (+) direction, the movement area TA in which the lever 62A in the open position moves is indicated by a broken line. The moving region TB in which the lever 62A in the closed position moves is indicated by a chain line.
Furthermore, in the following description, the movement area TA in which the lever 62A in the open position moves as the carriage 30 moves is referred to as the movement area TA of the lever 62A in the open position. The movement area TB in which the lever 62A in the closed position moves as the carriage 30 moves is referred to as the movement area TB of the lever 62A in the closed position.
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, a method of detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40, that is, a method of detecting the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A according to the present embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the lever 62A in the open position shown by the solid line in the figure is rotated 180 degrees counterclockwise, the lever 62A in the closed position shown by the chain double-dashed line in the figure becomes the lever 62A. Further, when the lever 62A in the closed position shown by the chain double-dashed line in the figure is rotated 180 degrees clockwise, the lever 62A in the open position shown by the solid line in the figure becomes the lever 62A. In this way, the positions of the lever 62A in the open position and the lever 62A in the closed position are different.

The Y(-) direction end 4A of the frame 4 is arranged on the Y(-) direction side of the opening OA, and the Y(+) direction end 4B of the frame 4 is arranged on the Y(+) direction side of the opening OA. is located. The opening OA is provided between an end 4A of the frame 4 on the Y(-) direction side and an end 4B of the frame 4 on the Y(+) direction side. The end 4B of the frame 4 on the Y(+) direction side has a portion 91 placed on the home position HP side (X(-) direction side) and a portion 91 placed on the side opposite to the home position HP (X(+) direction side) 92. At the end 4B of the frame 4 on the Y(+) direction side, the portion 92 is disposed near the end 4A of the frame 4 on the Y(-) direction side, and the portion 91 is disposed near the end 4A of the frame 4 on the Y(-) direction side. placed far away. That is, the distance between the portion 92 and the end 4A of the frame 4 on the Y(-) direction side is shorter than the distance between the portion 91 and the end 4A of the frame 4 on the Y(-) direction side.
Therefore, at the end 4B of the frame 4 on the Y(+) direction side, the portion 92 protrudes further than the portion 91 on the Y(−) direction side. Furthermore, at the end 4B of the frame 4 on the Y(+) direction side, the contact portion 100 is the end on the X(-) direction side of the portion 92 that projects toward the Y(-) direction side.
In this way, the contact portion 100 is provided on the frame 4. Further, since the frame 4 is a component of the casing 3, the contact section 100 is provided in the casing 3 that houses the liquid ejecting section 50 and the carriage 30.

In a top view seen from the Z(+) direction side, the parts 91 and 92 (contact part 100) of the frame 4 are arranged outside the movement area TA of the lever 62A in the open position, and the parts 91 and 92 (contact part 100) of the frame 4 are arranged outside the movement area TA of the lever 62A in the open position, and are When moved together with the carriage 30 from the home position HP in the X (+) direction, the lever 62A in the open position does not overlap the parts 91 and 92 of the frame 4.
Therefore, when the opening/closing mechanism 60A (lever 62A) is moved together with the carriage 30 from the home position HP in the X (+) direction, the lever 62A at the open position and the frame 4 do not interfere with (contact). As a result, movement of the carriage 30 is not hindered.
In other words, since the contact portion 100 is arranged outside the movement area TA where the operation portion 61 (lever 62A) located in the open position moves with the movement of the carriage 30, the contact portion 100 and the operation portion 61 ( There is no interference with the lever 62A), and movement of the carriage 30 is not inhibited.
In this way, the lever 62A (operating section) does not contact the contact section 100 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the open state.

In a top view from the Z(+) direction side, a portion 91 of the frame 4 is disposed outside the movement area TB of the lever 62A in the closed position, and a portion 92 (contact portion 100) of the frame 4 is located outside the movement area TB of the lever 62A in the closed position. When the opening/closing mechanism 60A (lever 62A) is moved from the home position HP together with the carriage 30 in the X (+) direction, the lever 62A in the closed position It does not overlap part 91, but overlaps part 92 (contact part 100) of frame 4.
In this way, the contact portion 100 is arranged inside the movement region TB where the operation portion 61 (lever 62A) located in the closed position moves as the carriage 30 moves.
Furthermore, in a side view seen from the Y direction side, the frame 4 and the lever 62A overlap, so when the carriage 30 located at the home position HP is moved in the X (+) direction, the lever 62A at the open position Although it does not contact the portion 91, the lever 62A in the closed position contacts the portion 92 (contact portion 100) of the frame 4. Then, movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed.
That is, when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state (when the lever 62A in the closed position is moved together with the carriage 30), the lever 62A (opening/closing mechanism 60A) in the closed position is moved to the contact portion 100. Contact. In other words, the contact portion 100 comes into contact with the operating portion 61 (lever 62A) when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state.
In this way, the lever 62A (operating section) contacts the contact section 100 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state.

Furthermore, in a side view from the Y direction side, the carriage 30 and frame 4 do not overlap, so when moving the carriage 30 located at the home position HP in the X (+) direction, the carriage 30 and frame 4 will interfere. Therefore, the movement of the carriage 30 is not hindered.
When moving the carriage 30 located at the home position HP in the X(+) direction, the carriage 30 and the portion 92 (contact portion 100) of the frame 4 overlap when viewed from the top in the Z(+) direction. Even when the carriage 30 is moved in the X (+) direction, the carriage 30 does not interfere with the portion 92 (contact portion 100) of the frame 4, and the movement of the carriage 30 is not inhibited.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the opening/closing mechanism 60A is moved in the X (+) direction together with the carriage 30 located at the home position HP, the lever 62A located at the open position is moved toward the contact portion 100 of the frame 4. An opening OA is provided in the frame 4 such that the lever 62A located in the closed position contacts the contact portion 100 of the frame 4 without contacting the contact portion 100 of the frame 4. When the opening/closing mechanism 60A is moved in the X (+) direction together with the carriage 30 located at the home position HP, the lever 62A located at the closed position contacts the contact portion 100 of the frame 4, and the carriage 30 movement is inhibited.

In this embodiment, the user turns off the power of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A, changes the lever 62A from the open position to the closed position, and transports the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A. With this configuration, even if a user transports the liquid ejecting device 1A filled with ink, the ink will not leak out. Further, when transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed, the user changes the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position, turns on the power of the liquid ejecting device 1A, and resumes printing on a medium such as paper.

In this embodiment, when the liquid ejecting device 1A is powered off, the carriage 30 enters a standby state at the home position HP. Further, when transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed and the power of the liquid ejecting device 1A is turned on, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 located at the home position HP in the X (+) direction (first direction). .

If the user forgets to change the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position and the lever 62A is located at the closed position, if the carriage 30 located at the home position HP is moved in the X (+) direction, the lever 62A will be closed. Since the lever 62A located at this position contacts the contact portion 100 of the frame 4, the movement of the carriage 30 is inhibited, the carriage 30 comes to a halt, and the driving load on the carriage motor 31 increases.

The detection unit 84 always detects the drive load of the carriage motor 31. Specifically, the detection unit 84 moves the carriage 30 on which the opening/closing mechanism 60A is mounted from the home position HP in the Contact between the contact portion 100 and the lever 62A is detected when the movement of the carriage 30 is inhibited.
The control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state when the detection unit 84 detects contact between the contact unit 100 and the lever 62A. Further, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 on which the opening/closing mechanism 60A is mounted in the X (+) direction from the home position HP, and if the drive load of the carriage motor 31 does not exceed a predetermined threshold, the control unit 80 It is determined that the supply channel 40 is in an open state because the lever 62A and the lever 62A are not in contact with each other.
In this way, when transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed and the power of the liquid ejecting device 1A is turned on, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 and checks whether the supply flow path 40 is in the open state or not. It is determined whether the flow path 40 is in a closed state. In other words, in the detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment, the carriage 30 is moved when the power is turned on, and the state of the supply channel 40 is detected by the movement of the carriage 30.

In addition, the detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment detects that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state due to movement of the carriage 30. In other words, the detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment detects that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state when the carriage 30 is moved and the movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. In other words, in the detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment, the liquid ejecting device 1A includes the carriage motor 31 that moves the carriage 30, and the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state due to the drive load of the carriage motor 31. Detect something.
The threshold value that serves as a reference for determining that the supply flow path 40 is in a closed state is the drive load of the carriage motor 31 when the carriage 30 is moved in the X direction, and the drive load of the carriage motor 31 when the movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. It is set between the driving load. In other words, the threshold value used as a reference for determining that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state is greater than the driving load of the carriage motor 31 when the carriage 30 is moved in the X direction, and when the movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. The driving load of the carriage motor 31 is smaller than that of the carriage motor 31.

The control unit 80 is configured to determine that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state when the drive load of the carriage motor 31 detected by the detection unit 84 exceeds a predetermined threshold for a certain period of time. It's okay.
There is a possibility that the driving load of the carriage motor 31 may suddenly rise suddenly and exceed a threshold value due to a malfunction. In such a case, the control unit 80 erroneously detects that movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. If the control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is closed when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded for a certain period of time, the driving load of the carriage motor 31 may suddenly suddenly increase due to malfunction. The control unit 80 also reduces the possibility that the control unit 80 will make false detections, and the control unit 80 will detect that the lever 62A located in the closed position contacts the contact portion 100 of the frame 4, inhibiting the movement of the carriage 30, and causing the supply flow path 40 to close. The closed state can be properly detected.
Note that the above-mentioned certain period of time is, for example, one second or more.

Further, when the supply channel 40 is in an open state, that is, when the lever 62A is located at the open position, even if the carriage 30 is moved in the X (+) direction (first direction), the lever 62A at the open position is Since the contact portion 100 of the frame 4 is not contacted, the driving load of the carriage motor 31 is smaller than the threshold value and does not exceed the threshold value. In such a case, the control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is open.

When the control unit 80 detects the blockage (closed state) of the supply channel 40, it moves the carriage 30 in the X (-) direction. That is, when the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 in the X(+) direction (first direction) in the X direction (main scanning direction) and detects the closed state of the supply channel 40, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 in the X(+) direction ( The carriage 30 is moved in the X (-) direction (second direction), which is the opposite direction to the first direction), and the carriage 30 is moved to the home position HP.
In this embodiment, the X(+) direction corresponds to the "first direction in the main scanning direction" and the X(-) direction corresponds to the "second direction opposite to the first direction."
When the carriage 30 is moved in the X (-) direction (second direction) to the home position HP, the opening/closing mechanism 60A (lever 62A) mounted on the carriage 30 comes into contact with the contact portion 100 of the frame 4. is eliminated, and no extra force is applied to the carriage 30 or the opening/closing mechanism 60A. Furthermore, when the contact between the lever 62A and the contact portion 100 is released, it becomes easier to change the position of the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position.
Note that when the control unit 80 detects the closed state of the supply channel 40, that is, when the opening/closing mechanism 60A mounted on the carriage 30 and the contact portion 100 of the frame 4 come into contact, the carriage 30 or the opening/closing mechanism 60A It is preferable that the control unit 80 temporarily stop driving the carriage motor 31 so that no unnecessary force is applied.

Further, the control unit 80 inputs a signal to the operation panel 6 to notify the user that the supply flow path 40 is in a closed state, and the operation panel 6 outputs information based on the signal, that is, the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state is displayed on the display section 7 of the operation panel 6. That is, the operation panel 6 functions as a "notification unit" that notifies the user that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state.
In other words, the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment includes the operation panel 6 (notifying section) that notifies that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state.
The "notification unit" that notifies the user that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state is a flashing lamp (Patlite (registered trademark)), and the light causes an alarm that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state. You may notify. The "notification unit" that notifies the user that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state is a buzzer, and may notify an alarm that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state by sound.

The user reliably understands that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state based on the information (alarm) displayed on the display section 7 of the operation panel 6. Then, at the home position HP, the user rotates the lever 62A 180° clockwise when viewed from the Z(+) direction, changes the lever 62A from the closed position to the open position, and opens the supply flow path 40. state.
Note that when the lever 62A and the contact portion 100 are in contact with each other, it is difficult to rotate the lever 62A located in the closed position clockwise, so in this embodiment, the lever 62A located in the closed position is rotated clockwise. In order to do this, the carriage 30 is moved in the X (-) direction (second direction).

Further, the lever 62A located in the closed position may be configured to rotate in the X (+) direction (first direction) and not to rotate in the X (-) direction (second direction). . According to such a configuration, even if the lever 62A located at the closed position contacts the contact portion 100, the lever 62A located at the closed position does not rotate in the X (-) direction side (second direction side). Therefore, it is possible to prevent the carriage motor 31 from being subjected to a driving load.

Further, the contact portion 100 is provided on the X (−) direction side (second direction side) in the X direction in which the carriage 30 moves. Therefore, when the supply flow path 40 is in a closed state, the contact portion 100 is provided on the X(+) direction side (first direction side) in the X direction of the movement area TA of the carriage 30. , contact between the contact portion 100 and the lever 62A can be detected quickly. Therefore, the throughput of the detection operation of the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 can be improved.

Further, the opening/closing mechanism 60A is provided on the X(+) direction side (first direction side) of the carriage 30. Therefore, contact between the contact portion 100 and the lever 62A can be detected earlier than when the opening/closing mechanism 60A is provided on the X(-) direction side (second direction side) of the carriage 30. Therefore, the throughput of the detection operation of the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 can be improved.

Further, the moving speed of the carriage 30 when detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 is set to be slower than the moving speed of the carriage 30 when printing. By doing so, when the contact part 100 and the lever 62A come into contact, it is possible to suppress a large force from acting on the lever 62A and the contact part 100, and to suppress a problem in which the contact part 100 is deformed, for example. I can do it.

<<<About the timing of detection>>>
Here, the timing at which the control unit 80 detects the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 will be explained.
The timing at which the control unit 80 detects the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 may be any time between when the power of the liquid ejecting device 1A is turned on and until the ink is first discharged from the nozzle 51 after the power is turned on. . Specifically, during the period from when the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A is powered on until the first dry ejection after the power is turned on, the ink is removed by the first cleaning after the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A is powered on. The period from when the power of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1A is turned on until the time when ink is ejected for the first printing after the power is turned on may be any one of the following periods.
Further, at any of the timings described above, the carriage 30 is moved toward the X (+) direction (first direction) by a drive signal sent from the control unit 80 to the carriage motor 31 when the liquid ejecting device 1A is powered on. The open/closed state of the supply channel 40 may be detected by the moving operation.

Another timing for detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 will be explained.
When the power is on, the opening/closing operation of the scanner 5 can be detected by the opening/closing detection section 85. When the scanner 5 is opened, the operation unit 61 may be operated by the user, and the supply channel 40 may be blocked. Then, there is a risk that the user may close the scanner 5 while keeping the supply channel 40 blocked. Therefore, when the power is on, it is desirable that the period is from after the opening/closing operation in which the scanner 5 is opened and then closed until the ink is first discharged from the nozzle 51 after the opening/closing operation. Specifically, during the period from the opening/closing operation of the scanner 5 when the power is on until the first dry ejection after the opening/closing operation, and from after the opening/closing operation of the scanner 5 when the power is on until after the opening/closing operation. During the period from when the scanner 5 opens and closes while the power is on until the ink is discharged by the first cleaning of the scanner 5, until the ink is ejected for the first printing after the opening and closing operation when the scanner 5 is turned on. Good to have. By performing the operation of detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 at the above timing, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to close the supply channel 40.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the transportation of the liquid ejecting device 1A is completed and the power of the liquid ejecting device 1A is turned on, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 located at the home position HP in the X (+) direction. (one direction) to detect whether the supply channel 40 is open or closed.

As described above, in the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment, when the carriage 30 is moved in the main scanning direction (X direction) with the supply channel 40 in the closed state, the opening/closing mechanism 60A contacts the contact portion 100. When the carriage 30 is moved in the main scanning direction (X direction) with the supply flow path 40 in the open state, the opening/closing mechanism 60A does not contact the contact section 100. The open/closed state of the supply channel 40 can be detected by contact. In the liquid ejecting device 1A according to the present embodiment, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 is suppressed, and furthermore, the problem of printing with the supply channel 40 in a closed state is suppressed. Ru.

In addition, in this embodiment, among the components of the liquid ejecting device 1A, the opening/closing mechanism 60A, the housing 3 (frame 4), the carriage 30, the control section 80 (detection section 84), and the operation panel 6 are used, The open/closed state of the supply channel 40 is detected. Furthermore, the components (opening/closing mechanism 60A, housing 3, carriage 30, control unit 80, operation panel 6) that detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40 are components for the liquid ejecting device 1A to print on the medium. be.
That is, in this embodiment, since the liquid ejecting device 1A detects the open/close state of the supply channel 40 by utilizing the component for printing on the medium, a new Compared to the case where a new component is required to detect the open/closed state of the supply channel 40, the cost of the liquid ejecting device 1A can be reduced.

The effects of the liquid ejecting device 1A according to this embodiment will be described below.
(1-1) In order to open and close the supply channel 40 by manually operating the operation unit 61, the liquid ejecting device 1A is transported with ink filled inside the liquid ejecting device 1A, and printing is resumed. In some cases, the user may forget to open the supply channel 40. In this regard, the detection unit 84 can detect that the opening/closing mechanism 60A comes into contact with the contact unit 100 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state. Thereby, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(1-2) The contact section 100 is provided in the casing 3 (frame 4) that houses the liquid ejecting section 50 and the carriage 30. Since the housing 3 has high rigidity, the contact portion 100 is not easily deformed, and the detection portion 84 can stably detect contact between the opening/closing mechanism 60A and the contact portion 100.

(1-3) The contact portion 100 comes into contact with the operating portion 61 (lever 62A in the closed position) when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state. Thereby, when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state, the detection section 84 can detect that the operation section 61 and the contact section 100 are in contact with each other, so that the user can This can reduce the risk of forgetting to open the

(1-4) The operating section 61 includes a lever 62A that is rotatable between an open position in which the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position in which the supply channel 40 is closed. , a pressing member 66 that closes the supply channel 40 when the lever 62A is in the closed position and opens the supply channel 40 when the lever 62A is in the open position, and the supply channel 40 is in the closed state. When the carriage 30 is moved, the lever 62A comes into contact with the contact portion 100. As a result, when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply flow path 40 in the closed state, the detection unit 84 can detect that the lever 62A located in the closed position contacts the contact portion 100, so that the user can The possibility of forgetting to open the flow path 40 can be suppressed.

(1-5) The operating portion 61 (lever 62A) is movable between an open position where the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position where the supply channel 40 is closed. , the operating section 61 located at the open position is disposed outside the movement area TA (movement area TA of the lever 62A at the open position) that moves with the movement of the carriage 30, and the operating section 61 located at the closed position is disposed outside the movement area TA that moves with the movement of the carriage 30. It is arranged inside the movement area TB (the movement area TB of the lever 62A in the closed position) that moves with the movement of the carriage 30. Since the contact portion 100 is disposed inside the movement area TB in which the operation portion 61 located in the closed position moves as the carriage 30 moves, the contact portion 100 comes into contact with the operation portion 61 when the carriage 30 moves in the X direction. do. Therefore, since the detection section 84 can detect the contact between the operation section 61 and the contact section 100, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40.

(1-6) The control unit 80 further includes a control unit 80 that controls movement of the carriage 30, and the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 in the X (+) direction (first direction) in the main scanning direction and When the closed state is detected, the carriage 30 is moved in the X(-) direction (second direction), which is the opposite direction to the X(+) direction (first direction). This allows the user to operate the operation unit 61. Therefore, the user can prevent printing defects.

(1-7) The apparatus further includes a notification section that notifies that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state. Thereby, the user can know that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, so it is possible to suppress the possibility that the user will forget to open the supply channel 40.

(1-8) The detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A can detect that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state by the movement of the carriage 30. Therefore, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(1-9) The detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A can detect that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state when the carriage 30 is moved and the movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. Therefore, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(1-10) The detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A can detect that the supply channel 40 is in a closed state due to the driving load of the carriage motor 31. Therefore, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(1-11) The detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1A is to move the carriage 30 when the power is turned on, and detect the state of the supply channel 40 by the movement of the carriage 30. When closing the opening/closing mechanism 60A (supply channel 40), the power is not turned on, such as when transporting the device, so it is sufficient to detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40 when the power is turned on. With this configuration, the number of detections can be reduced, so throughput can be improved.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4, and is a schematic diagram of the liquid ejecting device 1B according to the second embodiment when viewed from the Z(+) direction side. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the liquid ejecting device 1B according to the second embodiment when viewed from the X (-) direction side. FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 7, and is an exploded perspective view of the opening/closing mechanism 60B according to the second embodiment.
In FIG. 9, a region TC in which the carriage 30 moves (hereinafter referred to as a movement region TC of the carriage 30) is illustrated with a broken line. Furthermore, in FIG. 9, illustration of the frame 4 is omitted. In FIG. 10, the carriage 30, lever 62B, and liquid storage unit 10 are schematically illustrated, and illustration of other components is omitted. Furthermore, in FIGS. 9 and 10, the displacement member 67 when the supply channel 40 is in the open state is illustrated by a solid line, and the displacement member 67 when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state is illustrated by a chain double-dashed line. ing.

In the first embodiment described above, the opening/closing mechanism 60A is mounted on the carriage 30 and moves together with the carriage 30. A contact portion 100 that contacts the opening/closing mechanism 60A when the supply channel 40 is in a closed state is provided on the frame 4 and is stationary. Then, when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, the opening/closing mechanism 60A moves and contacts the contact portion 100.
In this embodiment, the contact portion 101 is provided on the carriage 30 and moves. The opening/closing mechanism 60B that contacts the contact portion 101 when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state does not move and remains stationary. Then, when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, the contact portion 101 moves and contacts the opening/closing mechanism 60B.
This point is the main difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1.
Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11, an overview of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment will be explained, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Further, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, the home position HP, where the carriage 30 waits during non-printing, is located in the non-printing area RA2. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the home position HP, which is the position where the carriage 30 waits during non-printing, is located in the non-printing area RA1.
The liquid storage unit 10 is arranged in the non-print area RA1.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the carriage 30 is equipped with the liquid ejecting section 50 and is not equipped with the opening/closing mechanism 60B. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the liquid ejecting section 50 and the opening/closing mechanism 60A are mounted on the carriage 30, and the opening/closing mechanism 60A moves together with the carriage 30.
The opening/closing mechanism 60B is arranged on the upper part of the liquid storage unit 10 so as to be in contact with the surface located on the Z(-) direction of the Z(+) direction side surfaces (upper surfaces) of the two liquid storage units 10. ing. Therefore, the opening/closing mechanism 60B does not move and remains stationary.

As shown in FIG. 11, the opening/closing mechanism 60B includes an opening/closing section 63 that opens or closes the supply channel 40, an operating section 61 that operates the opening/closing section 63, and a displacement member 67. The opening/closing section 63 includes a supply channel support section 68 , a shaft section 64 , a pressing member 66 , a cam member 65 , and a case 69 . The operating section 61 includes a lever 62B that is rotatable about the shaft section 64 between an open position in which the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position in which the supply channel 40 is closed. The pressing member 66 closes the supply channel 40 when the lever 62B is in the closed position, and opens the supply channel 40 when the lever 62B is in the open position.
The opening/closing mechanism 60B, except for the lever 62B, is arranged inside the casing 3 of the device main body 2. Therefore, the lever 62B protrudes from the side surface of the housing 3 on the X (−) direction side to the outside of the housing 3.
Note that the lever 62B may be provided inside the housing 3. In such a case, for example, it is preferable to provide an opening (not shown) in the frame 4 of the housing 3 so that the lever 62B can be accessed with the scanner 5 open.
The displacement member 67 is attached to the end of the shaft portion 64 opposite to the side on which the lever 62B is attached, and is displaced in conjunction with the movement of the lever 62B. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the opening/closing mechanism 60A includes the opening/closing section 63 and the operating section 61 and does not include the displacement member 67.
Furthermore, the lever 62B of this embodiment has a shorter dimension than the lever 62A of the first embodiment, and the shaft portion 64 is arranged at the center in the longitudinal direction of the lever 62B, making it easier for the user to grip and rotate the lever 62B. It has become.

The lever 62B rotates around a rotation axis A of the shaft portion 64 along the X direction. The lever 62B is attached to the end of the shaft section 64 in the X (-) direction, and the displacement member 67 is attached to the end of the shaft section 64 in the X (+) direction. As a result, the displacement member 67 is rotatable via the shaft portion 64 in conjunction with the lever 62B that rotates around the rotation axis A. In this way, the opening/closing mechanism 60B has a displacement member 67 that is displaced in conjunction with the lever 62B.
In this embodiment, the angle between the longitudinal direction of the lever 62B and the longitudinal direction of the displacement member 67 is 45 degrees. The angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the lever 62B and the longitudinal direction of the displacement member 67 can be changed as appropriate.

When the user pinches the lever 62B and turns the lever 62B in the direction in which the supply channel 40 is closed, the pressing member 66 crushes the supply channel 40, and the supply channel 40 is closed. When the user pinches the lever 62B and turns the lever 62B in the direction in which the supply channel 40 is in the open state, the squeezing of the supply channel 40 by the pressing member 66 is released, and the supply channel 40 is in the open state.

The displacement member 67 has an open position when the supply flow path 40 is in the open state (the position of the displacement member 67 shown by a solid line in FIG. 10), and a closed position when the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state (FIG. 10). (the position of the displacement member 67 shown by the two-dot chain line).
In the following description, the displacement member 67 when the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state is referred to as the displacement member 67 in the closed position, and the displacement member 67 when the supply flow path 40 is in the open state is referred to as the displacement member in the open position. It is called member 67.
In FIG. 10, when the displacement member 67 in the open position shown by the solid line in the figure is turned 180 degrees counterclockwise, the displacement member 67 in the closed position shown by the chain double-dashed line in the figure becomes the displacement member 67 in the closed position. When the displacement member 67 in the closed position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure is turned 180 degrees clockwise, the displacement member 67 in the open position is shown by the solid line in the figure.
Furthermore, in FIG. 10, when the displacement member 67 is viewed from the X direction side, the displacement member 67 in the open position indicated by the solid line in the figure does not overlap the carriage 30, and the displacement member 67 in the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure. The displacement member 67 overlaps the carriage 30.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state, the displacement member 67 in the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure is disposed inside the movement area TC of the carriage 30, and When the carriage 30 located at the position HP is moved in the X (-) direction, the surface (contact portion 101) on the X (-) direction side of the carriage 30 contacts the displacement member 67 in the closed position, and the carriage 30 is moved in the X (-) direction. Movement is inhibited.
That is, when the carriage 30 located at the home position HP is moved in the X(-) direction, the contact portion 101 is the surface on the X(-) side of the carriage 30 that comes into contact with the displacement member 67 in the closed position. Thus, in this embodiment, the contact portion 101 is provided on the carriage 30.
The displacement member 67 contacts the contact portion 101 provided on the carriage 30 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state. In other words, the carriage 30 is equipped with the liquid ejecting section 50, is movable back and forth in the X direction, and has a contact section that can come into contact with the displacement member 67 (opening/closing mechanism 60B) when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state. It has 101.
Note that the contact portion 101 may be provided on the carriage 30 as in this embodiment, or may be fixed to the casing of the carriage 30 and may be provided with a cushioning material that can buffer contact with the displacement member 67. It may be provided as a separate member from the carriage 30.

On the other hand, when the supply channel 40 is in the open state, the displacement member 67 in the open position shown by the solid line in the figure is disposed outside the movement area TC of the carriage 30, and moves the carriage 30 located at the home position HP by When the carriage 30 is moved in the -) direction, the surface (contact portion 101) on the X (-) direction side of the carriage 30 does not contact the displacement member 67 in the open position, and the movement of the carriage 30 is not inhibited.

<<<About the method of detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel>>>
Next, a method of detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 will be explained.
As described above, the control unit 80 detects the open/closed state of the supply channel 40 at specific timing. Further, since the lever 62B of this embodiment is provided outside the housing 3, it is not necessary to detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40 after the scanner 5 is opened/closed. Note that in the case of a configuration in which the lever 62B is provided inside the housing 3, it is preferable to detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40 after the scanner 5 is opened/closed.

First, the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 located at the home position HP in the X (-) direction (first direction).
When the supply channel 40 is in the open state, the displacement member 67 located in the open position is located outside the movement area TC of the carriage 30, so the carriage 30 is moved in the X (-) direction (first direction). Even in this case, the contact portion 101 and the displacement member 67 do not come into contact with each other. In this case, the driving load of the carriage motor 31 does not exceed the threshold value, and the detection section 84 does not detect contact between the contact section 101 and the displacement member 67. Then, the control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is in the open state.

When the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state, the displacement member 67 located in the closed position is located inside the movement area TC of the carriage 30, and therefore moves the carriage 30 located in the home position HP in the X (-) direction (first direction), the contact portion 101 and the displacement member 67 come into contact, the movement of the carriage 30 is inhibited, and the driving load on the carriage motor 31 increases. The detection unit 84 detects contact between the contact unit 101 and the displacement member 67 when the drive load of the carriage motor 31 exceeds a threshold value. Then, the control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state.
In this manner, the detection method of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment detects that the supply flow path 40 is in the closed state due to the movement of the carriage 30. In other words, the detection method of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1B according to the present embodiment detects that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state when the carriage 30 is moved and the movement of the carriage 30 is obstructed. In other words, in the detection method of the liquid ejecting device 1B according to the present embodiment, the liquid ejecting device 1B includes the carriage motor 31 that moves the carriage 30, and the supply flow path 40 is in a closed state due to the drive load of the carriage motor 31. Detect something.
Further, when the control unit 80 moves the carriage 30 in the X(-) direction (first direction) in the X direction (main scanning direction) and detects the closed state of the supply channel 40, the controller 80 moves the carriage 30 in the X(-) direction ( The carriage 30 is moved in the X(+) direction (second direction), which is the opposite direction to the first direction), and the carriage 30 is moved to the home position HP.
In this way, in this embodiment, the X (-) direction corresponds to the "first direction in the main scanning direction" and the X (+) direction corresponds to the "second direction opposite to the first direction". .

In addition, this embodiment uses the opening/closing mechanism 60B, the housing 3 (frame 4), the carriage 30, the control unit 80 (detection unit 84), and the operation panel 6 among the components of the liquid ejecting device 1B, The open/closed state of the supply channel 40 is detected. The components (opening/closing mechanism 60B, housing 3, carriage 30, control unit 80, operation panel 6) that detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40 are components for the liquid ejecting device 1B to print on a medium. .
In this embodiment, since the liquid ejecting device 1B detects the open/close state of the supply channel 40 by utilizing the components for printing on the medium, a new configuration is required to detect the open/close state of the supply channel 40. No element is required, and the cost of the liquid ejecting apparatus 1B can be reduced compared to the case where a new component is required to detect the open/closed state of the supply channel 40.

The effects of this embodiment will be explained below.
(2-1) In order to open and close the supply flow path 40 by manually operating the operation unit 61, the liquid ejecting device 1B is transported with ink filled in the liquid ejecting device 1B, and printing is resumed. In some cases, the user may forget to open the supply channel 40. In this regard, the detection unit 84 can detect that the opening/closing mechanism 60B comes into contact with the contact unit 101 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 in the closed state. Thereby, the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(2-2) The opening/closing mechanism 60B has a displacement member 67 that is displaced in conjunction with the operation section 61, and when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 closed, the Contact 101. Thereby, the detection unit 84 can detect that the displacement member 67 comes into contact with the contact unit 101 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply flow path 40 in the closed state. This can reduce the risk of forgetting to open the

(2-3) The operating unit 61 includes a lever 62B that is rotatable about the shaft portion 64 between an open position in which the supply channel 40 is opened and a closed position in which the supply channel 40 is closed. The opening/closing part 63 includes a pressing member 66 that closes the supply passage 40 when the lever 62B is in the closed position and opens the supply passage 40 when the lever 62B is in the open position, and a shaft part. 64, and the displacement member 67 is displaced via the shaft portion 64 in conjunction with the movement of the lever 62B. Thereby, the detection unit 84 can detect that the displacement member 67 comes into contact with the contact unit 101 when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply flow path 40 in the closed state. This can reduce the risk of forgetting to open the

(2-4) When the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, the displacement member 67 is located within the movement region TC of the carriage 30. As a result, when the carriage 30 is moved when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, the displacement member 67 comes into contact with the contact portion 101 . Therefore, since the detection section 84 can detect the contact between the contact section 101 and the displacement member 67, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the user forgets to open the supply channel 40.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention as understood from the claims and the entire specification, and various modifications may be made in addition to the above-described embodiments. Conceivable. Hereinafter, a modified example will be described.

(Modification 1)
The liquid ejecting device 1A of the first embodiment may be configured to include the opening/closing mechanism 60B of the second embodiment instead of the opening/closing mechanism 60A. In other words, the displacement member 67 in the closed position and the contact portion 100 may be in contact with each other.

The contact portion 100 in the first modification is located outside the movement area where the displacement member 67 in the open position moves as the carriage 30 moves in the X direction. That is, the contact portion 100 in Modification 1 is located outside the movement area of the displacement member 67 in the open position. Therefore, when the supply channel 40 is in the open state, even if the carriage 30 moves in the first direction (X(+) direction), the displacement member 67 in the open position does not come into contact with the contact portion 100.

Further, the contact portion 100 is located inside a movement region in which the displacement member 67 in the closed position moves as the carriage 30 moves in the X direction. That is, the contact portion 100 in Modification 1 is located inside the movement area of the displacement member 67 in the closed position. Therefore, when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, when the carriage 30 moves in the first direction (X (+) direction), the displacement member 67 in the closed position contacts the contact portion 100, and the movement of the carriage 30 is stopped. inhibited.

With this configuration, when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 closed, the detection unit 84 can detect that the displacement member 67 comes into contact with the contact portion 100. The risk of forgetting to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(Modification 2)
The liquid ejecting device 1B according to the second embodiment may include the opening/closing mechanism 60A according to the first embodiment instead of the opening/closing mechanism 60B. In other words, the contact portion 101 and the lever 62A may be in contact with each other. In the second modification, the lever 62A in the closed position is arranged inside the movement area TC of the carriage 30, and the lever 62A in the open position is arranged outside the movement area TC of the carriage 30.

Therefore, when the supply channel 40 is in the open state, even if the carriage 30 moves in the first direction (X (-) direction), the lever 62A in the open position does not come into contact with the contact portion 101. Further, when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, when the carriage 30 moves in the first direction (X (-) direction), the lever 62A in the closed position contacts the contact portion 101, and the movement of the carriage 30 is inhibited. be done.

With this configuration, when the carriage 30 is moved with the supply channel 40 closed, the detection unit 84 can detect that the operation unit 61 comes into contact with the contact unit 101, so that the user The risk of forgetting to open the supply channel 40 can be suppressed.

(Modification 3)
The cam member 65, the shaft portion 64, and the pressing member 66 may be integrally formed. By doing so, the number of parts can be reduced. Further, the shaft portion 64 and the lever 62A may be integrally formed. Furthermore, the shaft portion 64, lever 62B, and displacement member 67 may be integrally formed.

(Modification 4)
In the above-described first embodiment, the control unit 80 sets a stop position, which is the position of the carriage 30 when the lever 62A in the closed position contacts the contact unit 100 and stops the movement of the carriage 30, in the main scanning direction; A deceleration position for decelerating the movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction may be set in advance between the home position HP and the home position HP. That is, when detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40, if the carriage 30 moves to the deceleration position, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is decelerated. Therefore, since the moving speed of the carriage 30 can be increased until it reaches the deceleration position, throughput can be improved.

(Modification 5)
In the second embodiment described above, the control unit 80 controls the stop position, which is the position of the carriage 30 when the displacement member 67 located at the closed position and the contact portion 101 come into contact with each other in the main scanning direction to stop the movement of the carriage 30. A deceleration position for decelerating the movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction may be set in advance between the position and the home position HP. That is, when detecting the open/closed state of the supply channel 40, if the carriage 30 moves to the deceleration position, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is decelerated. Therefore, since the moving speed of the carriage 30 can be increased until it reaches the deceleration position, throughput can be improved.

(Modification 6)
In each of the embodiments described above, the detection unit 84 detects that the drive load of the carriage motor 31 exceeds the threshold value due to the movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction being inhibited. Then, the control unit 80 determines that the supply channel 40 is in the closed state based on the detection result of the detection unit 84. Movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction is inhibited not only when the movement of the carriage 30 stops, but also when the speed at which the carriage 30 moves in the first direction becomes slow. In other words, inhibiting the movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction due to the contact between the contact section 100 and the operation section 61 or the contact between the contact section 101 and the displacement member 67 means that the movement of the carriage 30 is stopped. In addition, the moving speed of the carriage 30 is slowed down.

Even in such a case, the driving load on the carriage motor 31 increases while movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction is inhibited. Note that the change in the driving load of the carriage motor 31 when the moving speed of the carriage 30 becomes slow is smaller than the change in the driving load of the carriage motor 31 when the movement of the carriage 30 stops. Therefore, by setting the threshold value of the drive load of the carriage motor 31 when the moving speed of the carriage 30 becomes slower than the threshold value of the drive load of the carriage motor 31 when the carriage 30 stops, the movement of the carriage 30 can be reduced. If the contact between the contact section 100 and the operation section 61 or the contact between the contact section 101 and the displacement member 67 can be detected not only when the carriage 30 stops, but also when the moving speed of the carriage 30 slows down. good.

(Modification 7)
The operating section 61 may employ a sliding operating section 61 instead of the levers 62A and 62B that rotate around the shaft section 64. Alternatively, the displacement member 67 may be displaced by turning a knob serving as the operation section 61.

(Modification 8)
As a configuration in which the supply flow path 40 is closed other than by crushing the supply flow path 40 by the pressing member 66, by operating the operation unit 61, the flexible diaphragm is pressurized with air and the supply flow path 40 is closed. You may adopt such a configuration.

(Modification 9)
Each of the embodiments described above is not limited to a configuration in which the open/close state of the supply channel 40 is detected by detecting the drive load of the carriage motor 31. By providing an optical sensor that detects the operating section 61 or the displacement member 67 located in the closed position at a position where the movement of the carriage 30 in the first direction is stopped when the supply channel 40 is in the closed state, the operating section 61 The configuration may be such that contact between the contact portion 100 and the contact portion 100 or contact between the displacement member 67 and the contact portion 101 is detected.

(Modification 10)
In the first embodiment described above, the contact portion 100 may be configured of a component of the device main body 2 other than the frame 4 of the housing 3. For example, the contact section 100 may be provided in the housing of a maintenance box (not shown) that is provided in the apparatus main body 2 and that collects waste liquid discharged for maintenance of the liquid ejecting section 50.

(Modification 11)
The direction in which the plurality of supply channels 40 are arranged by the supply channel support section 68 may be changed as appropriate.

(Modification 12)
In the second embodiment described above, the opening/closing mechanism 60B is arranged on the liquid storage unit 10, but it may be arranged at any position inside the device main body 2.

(Modification 13)
Although each of the above embodiments employs five types of ink, any number of types of ink may be employed. In that case, the number of liquid reservoirs 13, supply channels 40, etc. may be made to correspond to the number of arbitrary types of ink to be employed.

(Modification 14)
The liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B may be liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B that eject liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B in the form of minute droplets includes particles, teardrops, and thread-like tails. The liquid here may be any material as long as it can be ejected from the liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B. For example, the liquid may be a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a high or low viscosity liquid, a sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, Includes fluids such as metal melts. The liquid includes not only a liquid as a state of a substance, but also particles of functional materials made of solid substances such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Typical examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks, oil-based inks, gel inks, and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B include liquids containing dispersed or dissolved materials such as electrode materials and coloring materials used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescent displays, surface emitting displays, color filters, etc. There is a device that discharges The liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B may be a device for discharging biological organic matter used in biochip production, a device used as a precision pipette for discharging a sample liquid, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid injection devices 1A and 1B are devices for pinpointly discharging lubricating oil to precision instruments such as watches and cameras, and are used to form ultraviolet curing resins and the like for forming minute hemispherical lenses, optical lenses, etc. used in optical communication devices, etc. The device may also be an apparatus that discharges a transparent resin liquid onto a substrate. The liquid ejecting devices 1A and 1B may be devices that eject an etching liquid such as acid or alkali to etch a substrate or the like.

Contents derived from the embodiments will be described below.

The liquid ejecting device of the present application includes a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium, a liquid storage section storing the liquid, and a supply flow path communicating the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. , an opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing section for opening or closing the supply flow path, and an operating section for operating the opening/closing section, the liquid ejecting section and the opening/closing mechanism, and reciprocating in the main scanning direction. a movable carriage, a contact part that contacts the opening/closing mechanism when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, and a detection part that detects contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact part; It is characterized by having the following.

According to this configuration, when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the contact part that comes into contact with the opening/closing mechanism is provided, so the detection part detects whether or not there is contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact part. , it is possible to detect the open/closed state of the supply channel. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the contact portion is provided in a casing that accommodates the liquid ejecting portion and the carriage.

According to this configuration, since the casing has high rigidity, when the contact part is provided in the casing, the contact part becomes difficult to deform, and the detection part can stably detect contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact part. can.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the contact portion contacts the operation portion when the carriage is moved with the supply channel in a closed state.

When the carriage is moved with the supply flow path in a closed state and the contact portion comes into contact with the operation portion, the detection portion detects the open/closed state of the supply flow path based on the presence or absence of contact between the operation portion and the contact portion. I can do it. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operation section includes a lever that is rotatable between an open position where the supply channel is opened and a closed position where the supply channel is closed, and the opening/closing section has a pressing member that closes the supply channel when the lever is located in the closed position and opens the supply channel when the lever is located in the open position, and the supply channel is It is preferable that the lever contacts the contact portion when the carriage is moved in the closed state.

When the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the lever in the closed position comes into contact with the contact section, so the detection section detects the open/closed state of the supply channel depending on whether or not the lever is in contact with the contact section. can be detected. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operating section is movable between an open position where the supply channel is opened and a closed position where the supply channel is closed, and the contact section is movable between the The operating section located at the open position is disposed outside a moving area that moves as the carriage moves, and the operating section located at the closed position is located outside of a moving area that moves as the carriage moves. Preferably, it is located inside.

The contact portion is disposed outside the movement area where the operation part located in the open position moves as the carriage moves, and inside the movement area where the operation part located in the closed position moves as the carriage moves. , the contact portion does not come into contact with the operating portion located in the open position, but comes into contact with the operating portion located in the closed position. Then, the detection section can detect the open/closed state of the supply flow path based on the presence or absence of contact between the operating section and the contact section. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the opening/closing mechanism includes a displacement member that is displaced in conjunction with the operation section, and the contact section is configured to move the carriage when the supply flow path is closed. Preferably, it is in contact with the displacement member.

When the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the displacement member comes into contact with the contact portion. Then, the detection section can detect the open/closed state of the supply flow path based on the presence or absence of contact between the displacement member and the contact section. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

The liquid ejecting device of the present application includes a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium, a liquid storage section storing the liquid, and a supply flow path communicating the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. , equipped with an opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing section for opening or closing the supply flow path and an operation section for operating the opening/closing section, and the liquid ejecting section, and capable of reciprocating in the main scanning direction. , comprising a carriage having a contact portion that can contact the opening/closing mechanism when the supply channel is in a closed state, and a detection portion capable of detecting contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact portion. do.

Since the carriage has a contact part that can come into contact with the opening/closing mechanism when the supply channel is in a closed state, the detection part detects the open/closed state of the supply channel based on the presence or absence of contact between the opening/closing mechanism and the contact part. be able to. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that the operation section contacts the contact section when the carriage is moved with the supply channel in a closed state.

According to this configuration, when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the operating section of the opening/closing mechanism comes into contact with the contact section, so the detection section detects the contact between the operating section of the opening/closing mechanism and the contact section. Depending on the presence or absence, the open/closed state of the supply channel can be detected. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the opening/closing mechanism includes a displacement member that is displaced in conjunction with the operation section, and the displacement member is configured to move the carriage when the supply flow path is closed. It is preferable to contact the contact portion.

According to this configuration, when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the displacement member comes into contact with the contact section, so the detection section detects the supply channel depending on whether or not there is contact between the displacement member and the contact section. It is possible to detect the open/closed state of the Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, the operation unit includes a lever that is rotatable about a shaft between an open position where the supply flow path is opened and a closed position where the supply flow path is closed. The opening/closing section includes a pressing member that closes the supply channel when the lever is in the closed position and opens the supply channel when the lever is in the open position; It is preferable that the displacement member has a shaft portion, and that the displacement member is displaced in conjunction with movement of the lever via the shaft portion.

According to this configuration, if the displacement member that is displaced in conjunction with the movement of the lever is provided, when the carriage is moved with the supply channel closed, the displacement member and the contact portion are brought into contact, and the supply channel is closed. When the carriage is moved in the open state, the displacement member and the contact portion can be brought into a non-contact state. Then, the detection section can detect the open/closed state of the supply flow path based on the presence or absence of contact between the displacement member and the contact section. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device described above, it is preferable that when the supply flow path is in a closed state, the displacement member is located within a movement region of the carriage.

When the supply channel is in the closed state, if the displacement member is located within the movement area of the carriage, the displacement member and the contact portion come into contact when the carriage is moved with the supply channel in the closed state.
Then, the detection section can detect the open/closed state of the supply flow path based on the presence or absence of contact between the displacement member and the contact section. Furthermore, by opening the supply flow path when the supply flow path is closed, the problem of restarting printing with the supply flow path closed can be suppressed.

The liquid ejecting device described above further includes a control unit that controls movement of the carriage, and the control unit moves the carriage in a first direction in the main scanning direction and detects a closed state of the supply flow path. In this case, it is preferable to move the carriage in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

When the carriage is moved in the first direction in the main scanning direction and the closed state of the supply flow path is detected, when the carriage is moved in the second direction, which is the opposite direction to the first direction, the supply flow path is moved to the second direction side. A work space is created for changing the supply channel from the closed state to the open state, and the work for changing the supply channel from the closed state to the open state can be appropriately carried out.

Preferably, the liquid ejecting device described above further includes a notification section that notifies that the supply channel is in a closed state.

Having a notification unit that notifies that the supply flow path is in the closed state makes it easier for the user to reliably understand that the supply flow path is in the closed state.

A detection method for a liquid ejecting device according to the present application includes: a liquid ejecting section having a nozzle for ejecting liquid onto a medium; a liquid storage section storing the liquid; and a supply connecting the liquid storage section and the liquid ejecting section. A detection method for a liquid ejecting device comprising a flow path, an opening/closing mechanism for opening or closing the supply flow path, and a carriage mounted with the liquid ejecting section and capable of reciprocating in a main scanning direction. The present invention is characterized in that it is detected that the supply channel is in a closed state by movement of the carriage.

According to this configuration, it is possible to detect that the supply flow path is in a closed state by moving the carriage, so if the supply flow path is opened when the supply flow path is closed, the supply flow path is closed. The problem of restarting printing in the closed state is suppressed.

In the above detection method for a liquid ejecting device, it is preferable to detect that the supply flow path is in a closed state when movement of the carriage is obstructed when the carriage is moved.

According to this configuration, when the movement of the carriage is obstructed, it is detected that the supply flow path is in a closed state, and when the supply flow path is closed, the supply flow path is opened. This prevents the problem of restarting printing when the is closed.

In the liquid ejecting device detection method described above, it is preferable that the liquid ejecting device further include a carriage motor for moving the carriage, and detect that the supply flow path is in a closed state by a driving load of the carriage motor. .

According to this configuration, by detecting the driving load of the carriage motor, it is possible to detect the open/closed state of the supply flow path, so if the supply flow path is opened when the supply flow path is closed, the supply flow path can be opened. The problem of restarting printing with the flow path closed is suppressed.

In the liquid ejecting device detection method described above, it is preferable that the carriage is moved when the power is turned on, and the state of the supply flow path is detected by the movement of the carriage.

If the carriage is moved when the power is turned on, the open/closed state of the supply flow path is detected, and the supply flow path is opened if the supply flow path is closed, printing will be resumed with the supply flow path closed. This prevents the problem of

1A, 1B...Liquid injection device, 2...Device main body, 3...Housing, 4...Frame, 5...Scanner, 6...Operation panel, 7...Display section, 8...Operation button, 10...Liquid storage unit, 11...Cover , 12... Housing, 13... Liquid storage section, 14... Display section, 16... Lid, 22... Medium storage section, 25... Transport mechanism, 30... Carriage, 31... Carriage motor, 32... Carriage cover, 40... Supply flow Path, 50...Liquid injection part, 51...Nozzle, 55...Maintenance unit, 60A, 60B...Opening/closing mechanism, 61...Operation part, 62A, 62B...Lever, 63...Opening/closing part, 64...Shaft part, 65...Cam member, 66...Press member, 67...Displacement member, 68 Supply channel support member, 69...Case, 70...Groove, 71...Recess, 75...Linear encoder, 76...Photo sensor, 80...Control unit, 81...CPU, 82... Memory, 83...Interface section (I/F), 84...Detection section, 85...Opening/closing detection section, 91...Part, 92...Part, 100...Contact part, 101...Contact part, 110...PC, HP...Home position, PA...print area, RA...non-print area, RA1...non-print area, RA2...non-print area, TA...movement area, OA...opening, A...rotation axis.

Claims (17)

a first liquid storage section that has an injection port for injecting the liquid and stores the liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection section that ejects the liquid;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
The operation unit can be operated from above the liquid ejecting device when the cover is open,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance section that conveys the recording medium in the first direction. a first liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to a liquid injection section that ejects liquid;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
a support part that supports a recording medium conveyed in a first direction at a position facing the liquid ejecting part ,
The operation unit is operable from above the liquid ejecting device when the cover is open,
The opening/closing part is located at a higher position than the supporting part ,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. a first liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to a liquid injection section that ejects liquid;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
a support part that supports a recording medium conveyed in a first direction at a position facing the liquid ejecting part ,
The operation unit can be operated from above the liquid ejecting device when the cover is open,
The operation part is located at a higher position than the support part ,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. comprising a second liquid storage section that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid injection section,
The liquid according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first liquid storage part and the second liquid storage part are arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction. Injection device. a first liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to a liquid injection section that ejects liquid;
a second liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection section;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
a support part that supports a recording medium conveyed in a first direction at a position facing the liquid ejecting part ,
The first liquid storage section and the second liquid storage section are arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
The operation section is provided at a higher position than the support section ,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. a first liquid storage section that has an injection port for injecting the liquid and stores the liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection section that ejects the liquid;
a second liquid storage section that has an injection port for injecting liquid and stores the liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection section;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
a conveyance unit that conveys the recording medium in the first direction;
The first liquid storage section and the second liquid storage section are arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. a first liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to a liquid injection section that ejects liquid;
a second liquid storage section that stores liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection section;
a first supply channel for supplying the liquid in the first liquid storage section to the liquid injection section;
An opening/closing mechanism having an opening/closing part that switches between an open state in which the first supply flow path is opened and a closed state in which the first supply flow path is closed, and an operation part that can operate switching between the opening and closing part;
a cover that covers the operation section;
a support part that supports a recording medium conveyed in a first direction at a position facing the liquid ejecting part ,
The first liquid storage section and the second liquid storage section are arranged side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction,
The operation section is provided at a higher position than the support section ,
A liquid ejecting device characterized in that when the opening/closing section is brought into the closed state by the operating section and the operating section is covered with the cover, the closed state of the opening/closing section is maintained. comprising a second supply flow path for supplying the liquid in the second liquid storage section to the liquid injection section,
The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the opening/closing section closes the second supply flow path in the closed state. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 5 to 8, further comprising a carriage that mounts the liquid ejecting section and moves in the second direction. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a first detection unit that detects that the cover is open. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a second detection section that detects that the opening/closing section is closed. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the first supply flow path has a deformable portion. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 3, 4, 6, and 8, wherein the first liquid storage section has an injection port for injecting liquid. 15. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 1, wherein the injection port is removably sealed by a lid member. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the opening/closing section is a member different from the operating section. The liquid ejecting device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising the liquid ejecting section.

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