JPH02187357A - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate a fear of losing a cap by providing a discharge port of a recording head, a detachable cap at a preset position on the surface of a cartridge, and a retaining member deviated upon pressing of the cage protruding on the carriage for holding the cap or the recording head. CONSTITUTION:When a cartridge 1 is mounted on a carriage 4, the protrusion 5 of the cartridge 1 on which a cap 3 is mounted at the opposite side of a discharge port 2A is inserted to the supporting member 6 of the carriage 4 horizontally, and the upper surface of the cartridge is pressed down from a direction F against a compression coil spring 8. When the cap 3 is moved down upon pressing while pressing to extend outward a retaining member 7, the cap 3 is locked by the pawl at the top of the retaining member 7. Thus, the cartridge 1 is held by the carriage 4. Accordingly, when the cap is not mounted at a predetermined position of the cartridge, the retaining member of the carriage is not pressed to by extended. Thus, the end of the retaining member is collided with the cartridge to prevent the cartridge from moving down so that the cartridge cannot be held.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus that supplies ink to a recording head element mounted on a carriage and is equipped with a cartridge that is detachably attached to the carriage. .

[Conventional technology]

For example, serial type inkjet recording devices can be roughly divided into two types: (1) the recording head (recording head element) is fixed to a carriage and the ink tank is replaceable; and (2) the recording head element and ink tank are integrally configured. There are two methods: , and mount this on a carriage so that it can be replaced. Among these methods, method (3) stores ink of each color (for example, four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black) in each of the integrated recording heads, and the recording material can be colored by such a recording head. In other words, it has the feature that colorization can be easily achieved by simply replacing the cartridge.

Furthermore, in order to protect the ejection ports of the print head and prevent the ink from drying out at the ejection ports, methods of sealing or capping the ejection ports have also been proposed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in conventional inkjet recording apparatuses, it is difficult to seal the ejection ports, resulting in damage to the seal, or once peeled off, it is difficult to reattach. For this reason, if the cartridge is replaced with a cartridge of a different ink color while some ink remains, the discharge ports of the removed cartridge are exposed to the atmosphere, which tends to cause clogging due to drying of the ink. Furthermore, there is a risk of damage to the vicinity of the discharge port.

Furthermore, there is a possibility that the cartridge may be replaced without realizing that the ejection port is sealed.

Further, in the case of a device that caps the discharge port, since the cap is removable, it is possible to re-cap the removed cartridge by a replacement operation, but the cap is easily lost.

〔the purpose〕

The purpose of the present invention is to improve such conventional technical problems,
In an inkjet recording apparatus having a carriage to which a recording head can be removably attached, which integrates a recording head element having an ejection port for discharging ink and an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the recording head element, a cap that can be attached to a predetermined location on the ejection port of the recording head and the surface of the cartridge;
The recording head is configured to include a holding member that protrudes from the carriage and is displaced by the pressure of a cap attached to the preset portion to hold the cap or the recording head.

[Effect]

When the cap is removed from the ejection port and attached to a predetermined part of the cartridge (for example, the surface opposite to the ejection port surface or the bottom surface), when the cap is attached to the carriage, the presser member provided on the carriage is pressed down while the top surface of the cartridge is pressed down. When the cartridge is pushed open, the claws engage the cartridge or camp, and hold the cartridge while fixing it to the carriage.

If the cap is not attached to a predetermined portion of the cartridge, the pressing member of the carriage is not pushed open, so the end of the pressing member hits the cartridge, prevents the cartridge from coming down, and does not hold the cartridge. Therefore, it becomes mandatory to attach the cap to the cartridge, and there is no risk of losing the cap.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a carriage in which the cartridge of FIG. 1 is mounted.

In FIG. 1, a cartridge 1 includes a recording head element 2 having an ejection port 2A on the front, a cap 3 that can be attached to the ejection port 2A or the opposite surface (back surface) of the head 2, and a cap 3 that has a recording head element 2 on both sides. It is composed of protrusions 5 protruding from the vicinity. When the cap 3 is attached to the discharge port 2A, it looks as shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 2, 4 is a carriage, 6 is a support member that supports the protrusion 5 fitted from the horizontal direction, 7 is a presser member that projects on the opposite side of the mounting position of the support member 6 and exhibits a predetermined elasticity, and 8 Reference numeral 9 indicates a compression coil spring provided near the presser foot 7, 9 a contact formed near the compression coil spring 8, and 10 a contact provided on the bottom surface of the cartridge 1 that comes into contact with the contact 9.

Next, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

When attaching the cartridge 1 to the carriage 4, insert the protrusion 5 of the cartridge L in the state shown in FIG. Figure 4 F against 8
Press down on the top of the cartridge from the direction shown. As the cap 3 is pressed down, the cap 3 descends while pushing the presser member 7 outward, and finally the cap 3 is locked by the upper claw portion of the presser member 7 as shown in FIG. As a result, the quadrilateral l is held by the carriage 4 (FIG. 5).

Note that in the state shown in FIG. 3 or when the cap 3 is attached to the carriage 4 without being attached to the carriage 1, the free end of the cartridge 1 is not locked and the compression coil spring 8 As shown in FIG. 6, the free end is lifted up and is not held by the carriage 4.

Next, FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective views of a cartridge and a carriage, respectively, showing another embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. It is arranged near the coil spring 8.

Further, instead of the presser member 7, a protrusion-shaped presser member 12 is used which can engage the free end of the cartridge 1 after being pressed horizontally along the inclined surface of the camp 3.
A recess 13 into which the holding member 12 can fit is provided in the cartridge l.

In the configurations shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when installing the cartridge 1, the cartridge body 1 with the cap 3 attached to the bottom as shown in FIG. When the cartridge 1 is inserted into the support member 6 and a force F is applied from the upper surface of the cartridge knob 1, the cartridge 1 rotates while pushing and expanding the holding member 12 of the carriage 4 with the cap 3, resulting in the state shown in FIG.

In this state, the claw of the presser member 12 fits into the recess 13 of the cartridge knob 1, and the cartridge knob 1 is opened and closed.
Cartridge 1 is held in carry knob 4.

When attaching the cartridge 1 to the carriage 4, if the cartridge 1 is attached to the carriage 4 without attaching the can knob 3 that protects the ejection port 2A to the bottom surface, the presser member 12 will not be pushed out and the upper end will be attached to the cartridge 1. When the cartridge knob 1 hits the bottom surface of the cartridge, the cartridge knob 1 stops at an angle of 1, and is not turned into a fixed position. Therefore, mounting errors can be easily noticed.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a cap that can be attached to the ejection opening of the recording throat and a preset portion on the surface of the cartridge, and a cap that is provided protruding from the carrier and is attached to the preset portion. Since the cap is displaced by the pressure of the cap and is provided with a presser member that holds the cap, the knob, or the recording head, it is difficult to insert the cartridge unless the cap is attached to a predetermined part of the recording throat. Since it cannot be attached to the carry knob, there is no risk of losing the camp.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cartridge according to an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views showing the cartridge in FIG. 1 before and after the cartridge is installed in the carriage in FIG. 2; FIG. 7 and 8 are perspective views showing cartridges and carriages according to other embodiments of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are side views showing the cartridge in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the state before and after the cartridge is installed on the carriage, and FIG. 11 is a side view showing the cartridge shown in FIG. 7 in an incorrectly installed state. ■------1 cartridge, 2------m---
Recording head element, 3------camp, 4-----carry, 7-ji, 5------
-Protrusion, 6.--1--Supporting member, 7.12 Pressing member, 8--Compression coil spring, 13--1-
−・−Concavity.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Inkjet recording having a carriage that can be detachably attached to a printhead that integrates a printhead element equipped with ejection ports for ejecting ink and an ink tank for accommodating ink to be supplied to the printhead element. The apparatus includes a cap that can be attached to an ejection port of the recording head and a predetermined location on the surface of the cartridge, and a cap that protrudes from the carriage and is displaceable under pressure from the cap that is attached to the predetermined location. ,
An inkjet recording apparatus comprising the cap or a pressing member that holds the recording head.