JPH04141445A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the thickening or fixing of ink in an ink supply path as low as possible and to reduce the effect of viscosity or the like on the apparatus by more shortening the lengths of the routes corresponding to color inks easy to generate fixing among the ink supply routes between a recording head and an ink supply source. CONSTITUTION:Ink supply pipes 703 (703BK, 703C, 703M, 703Y) are connected to the ink receiving parts of ink tanks and waste ink pipes 707 (707BK, 707C, 707M, 707Y) communicate with pumps and the waste ink receiving parts of the respective ink tanks. Inks are different in easiness to generate thickening and fixing at every colors from the aspect of the compositions thereof. For example, thickening and fixing are easy to generate in the order of black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y). Then, the lengths of the supply pipes corresponding to the inks easy to generate thickening and fixing are more reduced in the order of black, cyan, magenta and yellow from the left. By this method, the invasion amounts of air and the evaporation amounts of a solvent can be reduced corresponding to the inks easier to generate thickening and fixing. This constitution is provided even in the ink discharge system reaching the waste ink receiving parts in the same way.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording device. [Conventional technology 1 Conventionally, paper, 0) Recording devices that record on recording media such as IP sheets (hereinafter referred to as recording paper or simply paper) are equipped with recording heads using various recording methods. Proposed. These recording heads include those based on a wire tod type, a thermal type, a thermal transfer type, and an inkjet type. Among these, the inkjet method in particular jets ink directly onto recording paper, and is attracting attention as a recording method that has advantages such as low running costs and quiet recording operation. In addition, in recent years, inkjet recording devices, especially recording heads, have been manufactured using film-forming technology and micro-processing technology in semiconductor devices, and smaller and cheaper recording heads are being realized. be. Along with this, the configuration of the device itself has also been made smaller and simpler. On the other hand, inkjet recording devices that have the numerous advantages mentioned above include electronic typewriters, word processors,
It is becoming widely used as a recording device for various devices such as facsimiles and copying machines. In this case, the inkjet recording apparatus has a configuration that corresponds to functions, usage patterns, etc. specific to these apparatuses. In addition, one of the trends in electronic typewriters, word printers, etc. is to make them compact, lightweight, and portable, and from this point of view as well, a compact and simple configuration of the inkjet recording device used in these devices is desired. ing. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In one of the recent trends in inkjet recording devices as described above, the influence of thickening or fixation of ink on the device becomes relatively large. For example, since the ejection ports of the print head and the liquid paths communicating therewith are extremely minute, the influence of ink viscosity on ink ejection etc. is relatively large. The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned viewpoint, and provides an ink-jet recording device that includes a plurality of recording heads and ink supply sources corresponding to each of these recording heads, in which an ink supply path between the recording heads and the ink supply source is connected. An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device in which the influence of viscosity increase on the device is reduced by minimizing the increase in viscosity or sticking of ink in the supply path by shortening the supply path for ink that tends to thicken. shall be. [Means for Solving the Problem J: Inkjet recording comprising a plurality of recording heads provided corresponding to inks of different tones, and an ink supply source that supplies ink of the tones corresponding to the recording heads. The apparatus is characterized in that the ink supply path between the recording head and the ink supply source is configured and arranged so that the length of the path becomes shorter for color inks that are more likely to stick. [Function] According to the above configuration, the ink supply path between the plurality of recording heads corresponding to each ink color and the plurality of ink supply sources storing ink corresponding to each of these inks is likely to thicken. Is the supply path for ink short? 1 is a schematic external perspective view of an inkjet recording apparatus according to an example. In FIG.
01 is a main case that forms part of the device case, and is fixed to a part of the frame of the inkjet recording device, which will be described later in FIG. Cover the area excluding the area corresponding to the width. A home position of the print head is defined in one of the two end portions, and the main case 2001 houses the print head in this position during non-printing and an ejection recovery unit that performs capping of the ejection port surface of the print head at this position. covered by. As a result, when a part of the device case is opened to perform maintenance and inspection of the device, it is possible to prevent the recording head or ejection recovery unit from being accidentally touched, causing their position to shift, or damaging them themselves. I can do it. Reference numeral 2003 is a middle case that similarly forms part of the device case, and mainly covers the part where the recording head moves during recording. The middle case 2003 is provided so that it can be easily attached and detached, and a spur is attached to a part of it to correspond to a paper ejection roller, which will be described later. It is pressed against the paper ejection roller with a certain pressing force. Reference numeral 2005 denotes a paper feed lid that forms part of the device case and is provided so as to be openable and closable. The paper feed lid 2005 is pivoted at both ends of the near side in the drawing in its approximately rectangular shape, and is provided so that it can be opened upward in the drawing and held at a predetermined angle using this as a rotation axis. When the paper feed lid 2005 is held at this angle, it is almost in a straight line with a paper feed tray, which will be described later, and recording paper can be placed thereon. Reference numeral 2007 is an ink lid provided on the front side of the apparatus and forming a part of the apparatus case. The ink lid 2007 is rotatably supported by a shaft provided at the lower part of the front side of the device, and the lid 2007 can be rotated as needed.
007 can be opened towards the front. This makes it possible to perform attachment/detachment operations such as attachment and detachment of the ink cartridge housed inside. Reference numeral 2009 is a paper discharge tray that is detachably attached to the apparatus. A paper discharge tray 2009 is mounted at a predetermined angle at the rear of the apparatus, and can sequentially stack recording papers that have been recorded. Reference numeral 2011 denotes an operation section, which is provided on one side of the main case 2G in front of the device. Operation unit 2011
includes a display section 201.1B that displays the status of the device, etc., and keys 2011A for inputting various commands to the device. FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B) are a side sectional view and a top view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with the apparatus cover shown in FIG. 1 removed. In addition, the second
Figure (B) shows a state in which the recording head, the carriage on which it is placed and moved, and the drive system for moving these are omitted. In FIGS. 2(A) and (B), 601 is a paper feed tray, and the paper feed lid 2005 shown in FIG. 1 is opened (not shown in FIGS. 2(A) and (I+1)).
Together with this, the paper feed section is configured. The paper feed tray 601 has a rotating shaft 601A provided at its rear end in the paper feed direction.
is rotatably supported by a side plate 2017 forming the device frame, and the front end of the paper feed tray 601 is supported by a spring 60.
2 to the upper force shown in FIG. 2(A). With these configurations, recording paper stacked on the paper feed tray 601 (not shown in FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B)).
In the following, recording paper includes plastic sheets, etc.
The tip of the wide (meaning the recording medium) is pressed by a pickup roller 604 . In the paper feeding mechanism described above, 601G shown in FIG. 2(B) is a guide plate for guiding paper feeding according to the size of the recording paper.
01D is a groove through which the guide plate 601C moves according to the size of recording paper. The pickup roller 604 consists of a pair of rollers, a half-moon roller 604A and an idler roller 604B, and the half-moon roller 604A has a cross section in which a part of a circle is cut out, as shown in FIG. 2 (A+). The idler roller 604B has a circular cross section with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the circumferential portion of the half-moon roller 604A.The pickup roller 604 is made up of these single rollers.
are placed at a predetermined interval near the front end of the paper feed tray 601.
These two pairs of pickup rollers 604 are fixed to a pickup roller shaft 604C that extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which recording paper is fed. One end of the pickup roller shaft 604C is rotatably supported by a part of the frame 2017, and the other end is connected to the clutch 619. As a result, the driving force of the motor (not shown) is transferred to the clutch 619.
The signal is transmitted to the pickup roller shaft 604C via the pickup roller shaft 604C, and the pickup roller 604 can be rotated. The recording paper stacked on the paper feed tray 601 is pressed by the pickup roller 604 as described above, so when the pickup roller 604 rotates, the recording paper first
The recording sheet is pushed out by the shoulder portion that connects the cutout portion and the circumferential portion of the half-moon roller 604A, and further, the recording paper conveyance path sent to. Reference numeral 606 denotes a paper feed roller disposed on the downstream side of the pickup roller 604 on the recording paper conveyance path. As shown in FIG. 2 (Bl), four paper feed rollers 606 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the recording paper being conveyed. It is fixed to a roller shaft 606A (not shown in FIG. 2(B)).Thereby, the driving force of a paper feed motor (not shown) is transmitted to the paper feed roller shaft 606A, causing the paper feed motor 606 to rotate. 607 is a pinch roller provided corresponding to each of the paper feed rollers 606, and is arranged so that its circumferential surface is in contact with the circumferential surface of the paper feed roller 606. 61'l
A pinch roller holder is provided corresponding to each of the pinch rollers 607, and one end of the pinch roller holder rotatably supports the pinch roller 607. Reference numeral 613 denotes a carriage rail, which is provided so as to extend over the movement area of the carriage, which will be described later. Pinch roller holder 6
1] has its other end pivotally supported by a carriage rail 613, and is biased diagonally downward in FIG. 2(A) by a spring 614 held between the carriage rail 613 and the pinch roller holder 611. has been done. As a result, the pinch roller 607 presses the recording paper conveyed between the pinch roller 607 and the paper feed roller 606, and the paper feed roller 606 can convey the recording paper by the frictional force generated by this pressing force. can. Reference numeral 608 denotes a platen for regulating the recording surface of the recording paper, and is disposed on the recording paper conveyance path at a location downstream of the paper feed roller 606 and the like and facing a recording head to be described later. Furthermore, a paper discharge roller 609 is provided on the downstream side of the platen 608. The paper ejection roller 609 is shown in FIG. 2 (B
), nine rollers are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the conveyed recording paper, and these rollers are connected to the paper ejection roller shaft 609A.
Fixed. The paper ejection roller shaft 609A is rotated by a motor (not shown), and the main case 2001 shown in FIG.
The recording paper is ejected to the paper ejection tray 2009 shown in FIG. 1 by cooperation with the spur held by. In the recording paper transport path described above, the paper feed tray 601
The recording sheets stacked on top are separated one by one by a pick-up roller 604 and a separating plate 605 and fed to a conveyance path, and the fed recording sheets are guided by a paper guide 608A and passed through a paper feed roller 606. pinch roller 6
07. During this transport, the recording paper
One end of the paper edge detection sensor lever 615 is contacted, and the resulting movement of the other end of the lever 615 causes the paper edge photosensor 6 to
By changing the detection state by 17, it is possible to detect the edge of the recording paper. Further, a reflective paper width sensor 623 is provided at the bottom of the carriage, which will be described later, and can detect the paper width of the recording paper being conveyed. The paper feed roller 606 conveys the recording paper onto the platen 608 in response to the recording operation by the recording head, for example, one line at a time recorded by the recording head, thereby recording one character image or the like on the recording paper. . At this time, the recording paper is urged toward the platen 608 by the paper presser plate spring 621, so that the recording area of the recording paper can be kept flat. The recorded paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray by a paper discharge roller 609. As is clear from FIG. 2(A), the recording paper conveyance path from the wetted paper feed tray 601 to the paper ejection roller 609 and further to the paper ejection tray 2009 shown in FIG.
Since it is shaped like a letter, the stiffness of the recording paper allows the recording paper to come into close contact with the platen 608, thereby making it possible to keep the recording area on the recording paper flat. In FIG. 2(A), 1 is a recording head section, and a third
It is equipped with four recording head chips corresponding to each ink color detailed in the figure. These head chips are attached to the carriage body 201 of the carriage section 200 so that they can be easily attached and detached. 203 is a carriage cover, and
205 is a head cover. By attaching these covers to the carriage main body 201, electrical connection to the recording head chip and positioning of the chip are performed.
Fixation etc. are done. In addition, 300 is the carriage main body 20
1. The sub-ink tank 300 collects air bubbles in the ink supply system and buffers pressure fluctuations that occur in the ink supply system as the carriage moves. It is possible to prevent the recording head from being affected by the fluctuation. The above-mentioned recording head unit 1 and other elements mounted on the carriage body 201 are arranged so that the carriage body 201 is attached to a guide shaft 213 (only its cross section is shown in FIG. 2(A)).
A belt that is slidably engaged with the guide shaft 213 and connects the carriage main body 201 and a portion thereof is driven by a carriage motor (not shown), thereby making it possible to move along the guide shaft 213. Further, in FIG. 2(A), reference numeral 211 is a position lever whose position can be changed manually by the operator, and one end thereof is rotated by a shaft 211C provided in a part of the carriage body 201. Freely pivoted. Further, a hemispherical convex portion 211B is provided at the other end of the position lever 211, and this is connected to the carriage portion 20.
The position lever 211 can be fixed in three positions by engaging with recesses formed at three locations on the side plate (not shown) of the 0. The position lever 211 is as shown in Fig. 2 (A).
When the carriage main body 201, that is, the recording radar chip mounted thereon, is in the positions I and II shown in FIG.
13 as the rotation axis, and the position lever 211
The carriage rail 613 assumes a position corresponding to the contact between the carriage rail 613 and the carriage rail 613. That is, the position lever 21 shown in FIG. 2(A)
1, a portion of the carriage body 201 is slidably abutted against the upper surface of the carriage rail 613, as shown in detail in FIG. In this abutting relationship, the recording RAD tip is located relatively close to the platen 608. On the other hand, when the position lever 211 is at position (2), the holding member 211A provided integrally with the position lever 211 comes into contact with the upper surface of the carriage rail 613. As a result, the carriage main body 201 uses this contact area as a point of action and also uses the guide shaft 213 as a fulcrum to rotate with the upward force shown in FIG. take a position. In the above-mentioned structure of the position lever, when recording paper with relatively poor ink absorption characteristics is used, for example, by setting the lever 211 to position (2), the RAD tip for recording is moved relatively far away from the platen 608. This is because, in the above case, the recording paper may cause phenomena such as waving due to ink from recording, and this may cause problems such as the recording paper rubbing against the recording surface and damaging the ejection orifice surface of the RAD chip. This is because by setting the lever 211 to position (3), this problem can be prevented from occurring. Furthermore, when recording paper having relatively excellent ink absorption characteristics is used, such consideration is not necessary, and the position lever 211 may be set to position I. Further, the position Il+ of the position lever 211 is a position for preventing the carriage section 200 from moving to the right when the carriage section 200 is at the home position. That is, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the latching hole 61 provided near the left end of the carriage rail 613
3B is engaged with the protrusion 211D provided at the tip of the position lever 211, and the carriage part 200 (Fig.
(not shown) is prevented from moving to the right. Note that the position of the position lever 211 can also be notified by display or sound. That is, as described above, the position of the position lever 211 is manually changed by the operator of the apparatus, and for example, if the carriage unit 200 is at the home position and the position lever 211 is forgotten to be at position III. If an attempt is made to record without changing the position, a message may be displayed indicating that the position lever will be released. Also, depending on the three positions of the position lever 211,
The current position of the position lever 211 may be displayed. Furthermore, when a vibration of more than a predetermined level is applied to the device during transportation of the device, etc., this is detected and at the same time the position of the position lever is detected, and this is the position li+, that is,
If the carriage part is not in the fixed position, a sound such as a buzzer may be used to notify that fact. According to this configuration for preventing carriage movement, it is possible to prevent accidents such as unnecessary movement of the carriage section 200 and recording head section 1 during transportation of the present recording apparatus, and damage to these and other parts of the apparatus. can. In FIG. 2(A), a cover 230 is fixed to the apparatus frame, and protects the ink supply tube flexible cable and the like that follow the carriage part 200 as it moves. Figure 2 (A) and (B) i, m, 901.8
In, 901C. 901M and 901Y are ink cartridges installed in the ink supply unit described below, and are ink bags that store ink of black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), respectively. Also, a waste ink bag for storing ink discharged by ink suction or the like in the ejection recovery process is stored. An ink absorber 911 is provided at the bottom of the ink supply unit to which the ink cartridge is attached. The inflow absorber 911 has a restoring force against external forces such as pressure, and is inserted in a compressed state between the recess of the frame 913 forming the supply unit and the bottom plate 2015 forming the device frame. Thereby, even if ink leaks from the ink cartridge 901, it can be absorbed by the absorber 911. In addition, vibrations caused by the drive of the motor transmitted through the bottom plate 2015 and the like can be absorbed by the absorber 911, thereby reducing noise caused by the drive of the device. Note that the absorber used for absorbing vibrations does not necessarily need to be disposed at the lower part of the ink supply unit, such as the upper part (it can be disposed at a more effective position for reducing device noise). FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the gear ridge section 200 and the head section 1 showing details of the recording head section 1 mounted on the carriage main body 201 described above. In FIG. 3, lO corresponds to each of the four colors of ink. The first recording chip provided is a rad tip, and the 4
Only one is shown in the sectional view of FIG. 3 because there are two. The head chip IO has the shape shown in the same figure and is connected in such a way that a substrate made of Si is laminated on a base made of A4 plate and made of A4 paper. An electrothermal transducer for generating electricity, electrode wiring for supplying power thereto, and a head driver for driving the electrothermal transducer according to a recording signal are formed on this substrate. The recording head depth 10 is joined together with a top plate having a concave portion for forming an ejection port, a liquid path communicating therewith, and a common liquid chamber for supplying ink to the liquid path, with the concave portion inside. configured. The recording chip of this example has 64 ejection ports on its front surface where the ejection ports are provided. A front plate having openings corresponding to the areas where these ejection ports are provided]l is a recording chip 1.
It is arranged on the front side of 0. The electrothermal converter is disposed in the ink liquid path communicating with each of these ejection ports, and the electrothermal converter generates heat in response to the application of electric pulses to cause film boiling in the ink. , ink is ejected from the ejection outlet ['' based on the generation of bubbles due to this film boiling. The gear ridge cover 203, which constitutes one of the mounting members for the recording RAD chip 10, has a connector 207 for electrical connection with the electrical wiring terminal of the recording RAD chip 10.
are held together according to the recording head depth lO, and when the cover 203 is attached, that is, from the state in which the cover 203 is removed, which is indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Connectors 207 connect the RAD chips IO to their respective corresponding records during the mounting state shown in FIG. This connection is recorded by Radchip 10
This is done by inserting the terminal into the recess of the connector 207. At this time, the four recording RAD chips 10 are attached to predetermined positions of the carriage body 201 in an accurately positioned state, and the connectors 207 are connected along these positions. Therefore, the insertion opening of the recess of the connector 207 is formed in an R shape so that the terminal can be inserted smoothly. The operation of the carriage cover 203 is shown in FIG. 2(A).
As shown in FIG. 2, the movement of the carriage body 201 is guided by engagement of a long hole 223 formed in a part of the carriage cover 203 with a shaft 221 provided on the carriage body 201. This carriage cover can particularly protect the recording chip and its terminal portion. FIGS. 4(A) to 4(C) are diagrams for explaining how to attach the RAD tip IO to recording, and FIG. 4(A) is a front view of the carriage body 201 and the recording head IO, and FIG.
B) is a partial side cross-sectional view of the carriage body 201, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the recording RAD chip 10. In these figures, reference numeral 15 denotes a guide groove formed in the recording head IO, and a guide 21 provided in the head mounting portion of the carriage body 201 when the head chip 10 is mounted.
5. Reference numeral 13 denotes an inward supply pipe for supplying ink to the common liquid chamber in the distribution head depth IO.
It is inserted into the supply port 2+9 provided in 1. With this configuration, from the sub-ink tank 300 to the supply tube 31
1. Ink is supplied to the common liquid chamber via the supply port 219 and the supply pipe 13. The attachment of the recording RAD chip 10 to the carriage body 201 will be explained with reference to FIG. 4(A). When installing the head depth 10, first, the guide groove 15 of the head chip 10 engages with the guide 215 on the carriage side, and the head chip 10 is moved in accordance with this engagement.
is moved downward, and the supply pipe 13 is inserted into the supply port 219 on the carriage side. The supply pipe 13 can be smoothly inserted into the supply port 219 by the guide. This movement is stopped when a portion of the bottom of the Herad tip 10 hits a portion of the bottom of the head mounting portion on the carriage side. At this time, a part of the head chip IO is inserted into a recess formed in the carriage body 201, as shown in FIG.
The position of the discharge direction is determined. Thereafter, the positions of the RAD chips for individual recording and the pitch between these chips are determined by mounting the head cover 205 as detailed in FIG. FIGS. 5(A) to 5(C) are diagrams showing details of the head cover 205, with FIG. 5(A) being a front view of the head cover viewed from the back side, and FIG. 5(B) being a perspective view of the head cover viewed from the side. , the same figure (C1
is a partial sectional view seen from above. Below, the positioning of the head chip 10 by the head cover 205 will be explained in FIGS. 3, 4 (A) and 5 (A).
) to (C). As explained in FIG. 4, the head cover 205 is attached to the head cover 205 for the recording chip 10 attached to the carriage main body 201.
It is attached to the carriage main body 201 so as to cover the sides of the main body 201. By this attachment, the leaf springs 221 and 223 of the head cover 205 shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 use their elastic force to push the head chip lO as shown in FIG.
It is pressed toward the reference surface 217 shown in A) and the bottom surface 221 of the head chip attachment section shown in FIG. direction) and the arrangement direction of the discharge ports (Fig. 4 (
A) Positioning is performed in the vertical and vertical directions. At this time, the four reference surfaces 217 and the bottom surface 22 shown in FIG.
Since the mutual positional relationship between the head chips 1 and 1 is precisely determined, the pitch between the ejection port rows of each head chip and the above-mentioned vertical positional relationship are accurately determined by mounting the head cover 205. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of positioning using a head cover. As shown in FIG. 6, instead of the leaf spring 221 shown in FIG. 5, the head cover 205 is provided with a leaf spring 225 corresponding to each recording RAD chip. The leaf spring 225 is attached to the end of the head cover 205, and presses the chamfered portion of the head chip 10 when the cover 205 is attached. Thereby, this pressing force generates component forces in the ejection direction and the ejection port arrangement direction, and positioning in each direction in the head chip IO can be performed. FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B) are perspective views showing details of the sub-tank 300, which is smaller than that shown in FIG. 2(A), etc., and FIG. Figure CB) shows the opposite side. Moreover, FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view showing the sub-tank in an exploded manner. As shown in these figures, the sub-tank 300 consists of three parts. That is, a tank member 331 for forming an ink chamber and an air chamber. Intermediate plate 33 with connecting holes formed
3. and a connecting plate 33 in which a connecting groove and a connecting pipe are formed.
Consists of 5. Each of these members can be obtained, for example, by molding a resin material, and the members can be joined by ultrasonic welding. The tank member 331 has four chambers 3 corresponding to each color of ink.
318, 331c, 331M, and 331Y. The middle plate 333 has, as shown in detail in FIG.
Connecting holes connecting each chamber of the tank member 331 and the connecting groove of the connecting plate 335 are formed, and among these connecting holes, reference numeral 34
1 is the connecting pipe 321 shown in FIG. 7(A).
The one designated by the reference numeral 343 is connected to the connection pipe 323 shown in FIG. It constitutes a part of the air flow path sucked from each of the above chambers by the suction force of the recovery unit. Although not shown in FIG. 8, connection holes forming part of the ink supply path to the head chip IO are formed corresponding to the positions of the respective connection pipes 325 shown in FIG. 7(A). There is. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the connection plate 335 has three
Types of connecting pipes are formed. That is, the connection tube 321 is connected to the ink supply tube from the ink cartridge 901 described above, and the connection tube 323 is connected to the suction pump of the ejection recovery unit, and the connection tube 325 is connected to the ink supply tube from the ink cartridge 901. The ink supply tube to the recording chip 1o is connected to the connecting tube. Furthermore, the arrangement of the connecting pipes is determined as follows. As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and (B),
First, the sub-tank 300 is attached to the carriage main body 201.
is attached so that its longitudinal direction is along the arrangement direction of each recording head. At this time, each of the connecting tubes 325 is arranged on the connecting plate 335 so as to be located below the corresponding recording RAD chip 10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the ink supply tubes 311 that connect the respective connecting tubes 325 and the RAD chips 10 to each record can be smoothly supplied by simply bending within the plane of the figure. Become. Furthermore, since the direction of bending of the tube 311 is limited to within the above-mentioned plane, the influence of carriage movement on ink supply can be reduced. Connecting pipe 3 filled with water
Considering the shortest path from each chamber of the tank member 331 to each connection chamber and the influence of carriage movement under the installation position condition of 25, the installation position of the connection pipe 325 is as shown in FIG. 7(A).
As shown in FIG. 3, the positions are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the sub-tank 300. Therefore, connecting holes are provided in the intermediate plate 333 at positions corresponding to the respective connecting pipes 325 as described above. The arrangement of the connecting pipes 321 and 323 is determined as follows. First, the tubes connected to these connecting tubes are
The position of the connecting tube is determined along the longitudinal direction of the sub-ink tank 300, that is, along the moving direction of the carriage section indicated by arrow A in FIG. Second, the arrangement of the connecting tubes is determined so that the tubes corresponding to each of the four colors of ink are integrally connected to the connecting tube. Based on the above first and second arrangement conditions, the connection pipes 323 and 325 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage, respectively. FIG. 10 is a top view showing the tube unit connected to the connecting pipes 321 and 323.
23 connected to Shiloh India 351 and 353 respectively
is shown. These tubes 355 and 357 follow the movement of the carriage in the direction shown by arrow C in the figure, and the arrangement of the connecting tubes shown above allows the tubes to be moved in a fixed direction (carriage movement direction). In this trailing portion of the tube, the tube only bends in certain directions. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of carriage movement on ink supply and the like. According to the arrangement of the connecting pipes 321 and 323 shown above, grooves 337 and 339 as shown in FIG.
31 (BK, C, M, Y) are connected. FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the sub-ink tank 300. As shown in the figure, grooves for connecting each tank chamber and the connecting pipe can also be formed in the middle plate 333. Figure 11 (A) and (B) are respectively Figure 2 (A)
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing details of the paper feeding mechanism shown in FIGS.
B) shows the case of transporting cardboard. In these figures, the pinch roller 607 is rotatably supported by a pinch roller holder 611, and the pinch roller holder 611 rotatably engages with the carriage rail 613 at an end 611B. Further, a spring 614 is inserted between the pinch roller holder 611 and the carriage rail 613, and a spring 614 is inserted between the pinch roller holder 611 and the carriage rail 613.
13 is biased downward in FIG. 11 by springs 631 hooked to hooks 613B at both ends thereof, as shown in FIG. 2(B), and abuts against a part of the device frame (not shown). It is being As a result, the pinch roller 607 can press the paper feed roller 606 due to the elastic force of the spring 614. In the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 11(A), when relatively thin recording paper is conveyed, the pinch roller 6
The displacement of the pinch roller 607 caused by the thickness of the recording paper between the recording paper 07 and the paper feed roller 606 is absorbed by only the pinch roller holder 611 being displaced upward in FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11(B), in the case of relatively thick recording paper, the pinch roller 60 due to the thickness of the paper
The displacement of 7 cannot be completely absorbed by the rotational displacement of the pinch roller holder 611, and the pinch roller holder 611 further displaces in accordance with the displacement of the pinch roller 607 and abuts its end 611A against the carriage rail 613, thereby releasing the spring. Push it up against the elastic force of 631. That is, the displacement of the pinch roller 607 when relatively thick recording paper is conveyed is absorbed by the displacement of the pinch roller holder 611 and the subsequent displacement of the carriage rail 613. At this time, the carriage rail 613 is Depending on the position of the position lever 211, the carriage body 201
Alternatively, since it is in contact with the pressing member 211^, the carriage section 200, that is, the recording head section l is displaced in accordance with the displacement of the -carriage rail 613. According to the paper feeding mechanism described above, when the recording paper used is relatively thin, the pinch roller 607 feeds the paper through the recording paper by displacing the pinch roller holder 611 and applying an appropriate pressing force depending on the paper thickness. The roller 606 can be acted upon. Also, if the recording paper is relatively thick, use the pinch roller holder 6.
11 and the carriage rail 613, the pinch roller 607 can apply an appropriate pressing force to the paper feed roller 60G according to the paper thickness, and
It can be set appropriately depending on the distance between the recording paper and the recording head and the thickness of the paper. It goes without saying that the paper feeding mechanism described above operates effectively regardless of the position (■ or It) of the position lever 21.1. The configuration and operation of the paper feeding device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 12FA) and FIG. 12(8). In addition, in FIG. 12(A), the recording paper is a thin sheet 610A.
In the case of FIG. 12(B), the recording paper is a thick sheet 610B.
The behavior of the separation plate 605 in the case of the following is shown. In these figures, 651 is a loosely fitting groove for supporting the separation plate 605 provided in the support member 603 that forms part of the device frame, and the opening direction of the groove 651 is approximately oriented toward the center of the axis of the pickup roller 604. It is formed like this. The separation plate 605 also has a spring 612 held between the spring holding portion 605A and the bottom of the loose fitting groove 651, and has hook-shaped claw portions 605B extending downward from both sides of the spring holding portion 605A. These claws 605
By fitting B into the engagement hole 651A provided at the bottom of the loose fit groove 651, the separation plate 605 is prevented from falling out of the loose fit groove 651. With the above configuration, the loose fitting groove 6 is supported by the separating plate 605 and the spring 612.
51 and vertical movement is possible. Note that the spring 612 is selected to have an appropriate spring constant depending on the expected stiffness range of the recording paper used for recording. In the paper feeding device configured as described above, FIG.
As shown in A), a thin sheet 610A that is relatively weak as recording paper is placed in the feeding cassette, that is, the paper feeding tray 60.
]. When the pickup roller 604 is driven by the feed signal in this state, the feed cassette 6
The thin sheet 610A located on the second side of the sheet 01 is sent out. Then, the leading end of the sheet 610A first comes into contact with the separation plate 605. In response, the separation plate 605 is displaced to a position corresponding to the stiffness of the thin sheet 610A and the spring force of the spring 612 supporting the separation plate 605, and the approach angle of the thin sheet 610A to the separation plate 605 ( The angle between the input direction of the distribution sheet and the plane of the separating plate can be set to the optimal angle.
It is possible to improve the conveyance force (frictional force) generated between the half-moon roller 604A and the recording sheet. Further, when a thick sheet 610B with relatively strong stiffness is stored and fed in the feeding cassette h601 as shown in FIG. Even if the thick sheet 610B is guided between the separation plate 605 and the separation plate 605, the separation plate 6
05 is pushed down and its shoulder 605C hits the bottom of the groove 651, and it rotates using this shoulder 605C as a rotation fulcrum. As a result, the angle of approach formed between the recording sheet and the separation plate 605 can be made smaller than that shown in FIG. It is possible to prevent the conveyance force (frictional force) from becoming excessive and avoid paper feeding failures in the case of thick paper. (Recovery Unit) FIG. 13 shows a schematic configuration of a recovery unit 400 according to this example. Here, 401 is a unit casing, and the following parts are held in this unit casing 401. 403
is the motor that is the driving source for the operation of each part in the unit,
Driving force is transmitted to the worm wheel shaft 411 via a worm 407 attached to the motor output shaft 405 and a sub-worm wheel 409 that meshes with the worm 407 . Reference numeral 420 denotes a cap portion that can come into contact with the ejection port forming surface IA of the recording head 1 to cover the ejection port periphery, and at least the portion that contacts the forming surface is formed of an elastic member such as rubber. Reference numeral 430 denotes a cap press-contact/equalization part for press-contacting the cap part 420 to the discharge port forming surface IA and ensuring a close contact state by conforming to the cap part 420. 440 is a pump, and the suction duplex 4 communicates with the cap portion 420.
42 and the above-mentioned sub-tank 300 through a suction tube 444 communicating with the sub-tank 300, suction force is applied to each of the ink suctioned into the waste ink absorber (not shown) in the ink tank through the waste ink duplex 446. Discharge. This pump 440 is driven by a pump drive cam 450 provided on the shaft 411 and a pump drive lever 452 engaged with the pump drive cam 450. In this example, the duplex 442 that connects the cap portion 420 and the pump 440 is bent vertically upward from the in-cap communication hole 442A to which the tube 442 is connected, and is then connected to the pump 440 located below. It has become. As a result, after ink is suctioned from the ejection port via the cap part 420, if suction processing (empty suction) is not performed in the uncapped state or is not performed sufficiently, a small amount of ink can be removed from the duplex 442. remain within. That is, the presence of the bend prevents all ink from flowing into the pump. By utilizing this, for example, the ejection port forming surface IA can be kept in a moist atmosphere in the capped state when recording is interrupted or when recording is stopped.
It protects the discharge port from drying out and prevents clogging. Therefore, the suction process when restarting recording can be made unnecessary or minimal. In addition, when the ink is not in use for a long time or the power is turned off, sufficient empty suction is performed to prevent ink from remaining in the tube, thereby preventing the ink from sticking in the tube. Further, in this example, when the unit 1-400 is attached to the device, the pump 440 is arranged such that the discharge side is located on the lower side in the vertical direction and the discharge flow path faces downward. Thereby, the ink is discharged smoothly from the pump 440 under the action of gravity. FIG. 14(A) is a side sectional view of the recovery unit 1-400. Here, 461 is an access lever whose tip 461A enters the recess 205H provided in the recording head cover 205 to directly face the cap portion 420 to the ejection port forming surface IA, and at least its tip portion is used for scanning the recording head. It can be displaced or deformed in the direction (perpendicular to the drawing). 465 is an access lever drive arm, which is coupled to the access lever 461. This arm is also rotatable around an axis 465A near one end. 467 is a cam provided on the shaft 4+1, and the arm 465
It engages the upper bin 468. 469 is a spring for restricting the movement of the arm 465 by aligning the bottle 468 with the contour of the cam 467;
65 is given a rotational habit toward the cam 467 side. 471 is a cap holder that holds the cap portion 420;
473 is a holder guide lever provided integrally with the cap holder 471, and its tip 475 is connected to the housing 40.
It protrudes through the hole made in 1. The cap holder 471 can move forward and backward with respect to the recovery unit 400 while holding the cap part 420, and as the cap holder 471 moves forward, the cap part 420 comes into contact with the discharge port forming surface IA, and as it retreats, this contact is released. In addition, the cap part 4
20 to the cap holder 471 are movable in the recording head scanning direction. Reference numeral 477 is a spring for making the holder-side engaging portion move against the cam that restricts the forward and backward movement of the cap holder 471, and is provided at the tip end portion 475 of the holder guide lever. The gap portion 420 is provided with an atmospheric communication hole, which will be described later.
This communication hole is also opened and closed via a cam 5]3 and a drive lever 511, which will be described later. The opening/closing mechanism of the atmosphere communication hole, the advancing/retracting mechanism of the cap portion, the advancing/retracting mechanism of the access lever, etc. will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17. In FIG. 14(A), reference numeral 481 denotes a lock portion for obtaining a locked state between the recovery unit 400 and the carriage portion 200 during recovery processing or the like. In addition, in this example, the pump 440 is
Holder 48 as shown in FIG. 14(B) provided in 01A
It is held at 3. This holder 483 has a substantially C-shape, and holds the pump 440 by its elastic deformation and restoring force. Note that 491 and 493 are locking portions on the housing side and the pump side, respectively, and are used for positioning the pump 440 and maintaining the mounting position. Figure 15 shows the opening and closing of the gap part, A, and the opening hole 1147.
84 view of the recovery unit drawn around 4, 1, 1st
FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the first unit drawn around the opening/closing mechanism, the cap part advancing/retracting mechanism tM, and the access lever advancing/retracting mechanism. First, the atmospheric communication mechanism will be explained. In these figures, 501 is an atmosphere communication hole of the cap portion 420. Reference numeral 503 denotes an opening/closing lever, which includes an arm portion 503A provided with a pad 505 for closing the atmosphere communication hole portion 501 and an arm portion 503 that engages with the operating lever 511.
B, and is rotatably supported around a shaft 507. Reference numeral 509 is a spring for giving the opening/closing lever 503 the ability to rotate in the direction of closing the atmospheric communication hole. The operating lever 511 includes a portion 511A that engages with the communication hole opening/closing cam 513 and an arm portion 503B of the opening/closing lever 503.
It has a portion 511B that engages with, and is rotatable around a shaft 515. 517 spring, which imparts a pivoting behavior to the operating lever 511 in the direction in which the portion 511A abuts the cam 513. As a result, as the cam 513 is displaced, the space inside the cap portion 420 is communicated with/cut off from the atmosphere. The advancing and retracting mechanism of the next number O cap portion 420 will be explained. In FIG. 16, the cap holder 4718 and the holder guide lever 473 are indicated by two-dot chain lines. 521
is a roller provided on the holder guide lever 473, which engages with the cap advancing/retracting cam 523. 531 is an elongated hole provided in the longitudinal direction of the access lever 461, into which a bottle 533 protruding from the cap holder 471 is fitted. Therefore, in this example, the cap portion 420 is guided by the elongated hole 531 when moving forward or backward. In addition, an access lever 461 is provided in the recording head scanning direction.
It will be linked to A spring 535 cooperates with the spring 477 to bias the cap portion 420 in the backward direction. Further, 205H is a recess provided in the recording head cover 205 to receive the entry of the access lever 461. Note that in FIG. 16, the access lever drive arm 465 is shown in a different position from that in FIG. 14 to simplify the illustration. Next, the movement of the access lever 461 and the cap portion 420 into and out will be explained. -M, it is difficult to accurately stop the carriage at a position where the recording head ejection opening forming surface and the cap directly face each other. Therefore, for example, a member that can protrude toward the recovery unit side and a member that can receive it on the recording head side are provided, and by pushing the former into the latter, the carriage is forcibly set in a position where the recording head side directly faces the cap. It is possible to do so. However, a carriage like the one in this example is equipped with four recording heads, which are heavy, and forcibly displacing them as described above not only requires a large amount of force. This also causes an excessive load on the protruding member, cap, etc. Therefore, in this example, a configuration is adopted in which the cap portion 420 side is displaced so as to directly face the recording head ejection port forming surface. This will be explained using FIGS. 17(A) to (C). First, the arrangement range H of the four recording heads to be covered by the cap parts and the arrangement range C of the four cap parts each covering the ejection orifice forming surface of the recording head separately are set as shown in FIG. Suppose that the carriage deviates by a certain amount and then stops. When the access lever 461 is protruded from this state, the tapered portion 461 of the tip portion 461A eventually engages with the recess 205H of the head cover 205, and the access lever 461 is supported so as to be displaceable in the carriage scanning direction S. If so, it will move to the left in the figure and then enter the recess 205H, as shown in FIG. Moreover, the leftward movement is caused by the bin 533 and the elongated hole 531.
Since these are engaged with each other, the cap holder 471 and the cap portion 420 are displaced in the same direction. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 4C in which the access lever tip 461A has completed entering the recess 205H, there is no deviation between the range H and the range C, that is, the recording head and the cap portion 4
20, so that accurate capping can be performed by advancing the cap portion 420. In this example, strict accuracy is not required for controlling the stop position of the carriage, and the access lever can enter the recess as long as a certain degree of accuracy is secured. In other words, the first dimension of the access lever tip shape, the first dimension of the recess shape, etc. are selected depending on the precision of the carriage stop position. In order for the tip of the access lever to enter smoothly, the entire access lever must be attached to the housing so that it can be displaced in translation in the scanning direction S, as described above, or it must be centered around the rear swing fulcrum. It can be mounted on the housing so that it can be oscillated, and furthermore, the tip
61A may be elastically deformable to some extent, or a combination thereof may be adopted. In any case, it is sufficient that the elongated hole 531 constitutes a path for guiding the cap portion 420 to a predetermined position (accurate cap position) via the bottle 533 when the plunge is completed. For example, if the access lever 461 is swingable about the rear fulcrum, unlike in FIG. 17, the access lever 461 will be tilted when the entry is completed, and the ranges H and C will not face each other when the cap is not on. However, since the elongated hole 531 is also inclined, if the bottle 533 moves forward along this elongated hole 531, the cap portion 420 will eventually be able to accurately cover the recording head ejection opening forming surface. Access lever 4 due to such entry on the cap side
In order to be able to follow the displacement or deformation of the elongated hole 61 or the elongated hole 531 without restricting it, and to be able to move forward and backward along the elongated hole that has been displaced or deformed in this way, it is necessary to is preferably attached to the housing with some play. Note that in FIGS. 17(A) to (C), 540 is a blade, which, like the above-mentioned parts, can move forward and backward by a cam provided in the recovery unit 400, and performs recording according to the scanning of the carriage in the protruding state. It engages with and cleans the head discharge port forming surface. Figures 18(A) to (C) show the pump 4 used in this example.
40 configuration examples are shown. Pump 440 includes a cylinder body 551, cylinder heads 553 and 555, a piston 557, and a valve unit 559. The valve unit 559 is attached to one cylinder head 553, and the cylinder head 553 has a portion 563 that is snap fastened to a projection 561 on the cylinder body 551.
This makes it possible to easily attach the valve unit 559 and cylinder head 553. The valve unit 559 includes a valve element 565 that can open and close the ink inlet from the cap side and the sub-tank side, and a spring 567 that biases the valve element in the closing direction. The piston 557 is arranged between a piston shaft 557A in which a flow path 556 is formed in a part, a valve body 571 and a flange portion 573 provided on the piston shaft 557A, and the valve body and the flange in a loosely fitted state on the shaft 557A. , and a frame 570 having an ink flow path 570A formed therein. Further, the cylinder head 555 has a sealing portion 555A,
Similar to the cylinder head 553 above, the cylinder body 551
mounted on. In such a configuration, when the piston 557 is displaced downward in the figure as shown in FIG.
opens the ink introduction port, thereby suctioning ink from the cap side and the sub-tank side, and since the valve body 571 closes the flow path 570A, the ink in the lower chamber flows through the pipe portion 575 without causing backflow. is discharged through. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the piston 557 is displaced upward, the valve body 571
is opened, and the ink stored in the upper chamber flows into the flow path 57.
0A and 556 into the lower chamber. Further, at this time, since the valve body 565 closes the ink inlet, ink does not flow back to the cap side and the sub tank side. The pump 440 configured and operated as described above is attached to the recovery unit housing 401 using a holder as shown in FIG. 14(B). In addition, in this example, the piston 44
A total of four 0s are provided, one for each cap, that is, one recording head. This has the following advantages: In the case of this example, four recording heads are provided corresponding to inks of different colors (yellow, magenta, cyan and black). However, the amount of ink to be sucked during recovery processing varies depending on the frequency of use, ink composition, etc. of each recording head. Therefore, if a pump is used in common, and if substantially the same negative pressure acts on each head, it is necessary to use a pump whose capacity is determined according to the amount of ink sucked from the recording head that requires the most ink consumption. This not only increases the size of the pump, but also causes more ink to be suctioned from the recording head, which requires less consumption during recovery processing. On the other hand, in this example, the capacity of each pump can be determined in accordance with the amount of ink suction required by each recording head, and the inconvenience caused when the pump is used in combination can be avoided. FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram of the drive system of four pumps according to this example. As shown in the figure, in this example, the pumps 440 are arranged in sets of two, and in each set, a -1 digit cam 440 is attached to the shaft 471.
50 and lever 452. In this example,
The cam phases of each set are equal, i.e. four pumps 44
0 are driven in the same phase. Therefore, assembly work becomes easy. However, it is also possible to make the feeding phase different, or it is also possible to prepare each pump such as a cam or a lever and drive each pump at a different phase. This is preferable from the viewpoint of arranging or driving the load in a well-balanced manner. The operation timings of the various cams of the recovery unit and the various parts driven by the cams are determined, for example, as shown in FIG. 20. In addition, in the figure, "sensor J" can be a sensor that detects the cap open state.In addition, in the "small recovery J" and "main recovery" modes, for example, the ink suction amount may be different, the so-called Preliminary discharge (=
I can be accompanied by I, etc. Further, after the recovery process, it is preferable to make the blade protrude and clean the discharge port forming surface. Furthermore, in this example, the access lever is protruded prior to capping, and conversely, the capping is released prior to retraction of the access lever. This is because the cap portion 420 is moved back and forth along the elongated hole 531 of the access lever described above. Also, when applying capping,
and when canceling this, at any other appropriate timing,
The atmospheric communication hole of the cap portion 420 is opened. this is,
This is effective in preventing undesirable pressure fluctuations occurring in the space within the cap when the cap is joined/separated, thereby preventing air from being taken into the ink discharge port or causing ink leakage. (Arrangement of Ink Tanks) FIG. 21 is a plan view of the ink tank storage section of the apparatus of this example. Here, 701 (7018, 701G, 701M, 7
01Y) is an ink tank in the form of a cartridge, which has an ink storage section serving as an ink supply source and a waste ink storage section serving as a waste ink reservoir, and is removably attached to the main body of the apparatus. 703f7038, 703G, 703M, 703Y
) is an ink supply pipe, which is connected to the ink storage section in the ink tank. Also, in 707 (7f) 78,
707C, 707M, 707Y) are waste ink pipes, which communicate the pump 440 with the waste ink storage portion in each ink tank. Regarding the arrangement of ink tanks, etc., the following points were particularly taken into consideration in this example. Due to its composition, ink has different susceptibility to thickening and sticking depending on the color. For example, thickening and sticking tend to occur in the order of black (BK), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). As a result, the ink tends to thicken and stick even within the ink supply pipe, which is a closed system. In this example, the supply pipe was constructed using a Bolier tube, but no matter what material the supply pipe is made of, a small amount of air may enter through the pipe wall.
Alternatively, the ink solvent may evaporate. Therefore, as the supply pipe becomes longer, the amount of air that enters or the amount of evaporation of the ink solvent also increases. Therefore, in this example, all the supply pipes are routed in the same direction (in this example, on the left side in the figure), and the ink tanks containing the ink that has thickened and solidified are closed in order of distance from the supplied side.

[I placed 2. In other words, the length of the ink supply pipe has been shortened to increase the viscosity and stickiness of the ink (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow from the left in the figure).
. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of intruding air or the amount of solvent evaporation for materials that are more likely to thicken and stick. Incidentally, the above also applies to the ink discharge system leading to the waste ink storage section. In the figure, reference numeral 800 denotes a remaining ink amount detection device, which will be described next, and is arranged between the ink storage section in the ink tank 701 and the ink supply pipe 703. Also, 707
Reference numeral 709 denotes a cable that brings together wiring related to the remaining ink amount detection device 800 and wiring related to a sensor that detects whether or not an ink tank is attached, and 709 is a connector portion thereof. (Remaining ink amount detection system) Figure 22 (A) is a plan view of the ink pressure detection device.
Figure (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the same device. 801 is a flow path member having an ink flow path 803 inside, and includes a pair of upper and lower members 801A and lower member 801B.
It consists of. Upper member 801A has a circular opening 805. 807 is a ring-shaped diaphragm, the peripheral portion of which is held between the upper member 801A and the pressing member 809, and covers the peripheral portion of the opening 805. At the upper four corners of the upper member 801, there are stop members 81 that are straight N1.
1 are provided at each of the four corners of the presser member 809,
Through-holes 813 are formed vertically, and a stepped portion 813A is formed at the upper outer side of each through-hole 813. The stop member 811 has elasticity, and a stop claw 811A is formed on the outside of the tip. The upper surface of the locking claw 811A is sloped. Each stop member 81 is provided in each through hole 813 of the holding member 809.
1 is located, and the locking claw 811A of the stopper member 811 is located at the stepped portion 8.
13A, the holding member 809 is fixed to the upper member 801A, and the diaphragm 807 is held between the second side member 801A and the holding member 809. Note that a protruding portion 881 is formed around the upper surface of the upper member 801A, and a notch 8 is formed around the lower surface of the corresponding presser member 809.
83 is formed, and by fitting the two, the holding member 809 is positioned and fixed to the lower member 801A. A support member 815 is attached to the center portion of the diaphragm 807 so as to close the inner opening, and a protrusion at the upper center of the support member 815 (located at the center of the opening 805) 8
The proximal end of the locking member 817 is fixed (for example, screwed) to the support member 815 so as to fit into the locking member 815A. The locking member 817 includes two elastic locking pieces 8 that stand upright.
19, and a locking claw 8 is provided on the outside of the tip of each locking piece 819.
19A is formed. The upper surface of the locking claw 819A is sloped. Note that the two locking pieces 819 are connected to the opening 805.
are placed symmetrically from the center of the A through hole 821 is formed vertically in the central part of the holding member 809, and two locking pieces 81 are inserted into this through hole 821.
9 is located. A coiled spring 82 is installed inside the through hole 821.
3 and a spring locking ring 825 are located, and the lower end of the spring 823 is located outside of the two locking pieces 819 through the through hole 82.
It is supported by an annular protrusion (spring receiver) 821A at the bottom of 1. The spring stop ring 825 has a locking piece 8 on the inside.
The spring 823 is prevented from being removed by the locking claw 819A of No. 19, and in this state, the upper end of the spring 823 is pushed down. The spring 823 is compressed by both (the annular protrusion 821A and the spring stop ring 825). Therefore, due to the repulsive force of the spring 823, (ignoring the ink pressure in the ink flow path 803)
b) The upper peripheral portion of the support member 815 is the annular protrusion 82]
The diaphragm 807 and the support member 815 are first pulled up so as to come into contact with the lower surface of the member A. A cutout 827 is formed in one example of the holding member 809, and the middle portion of a pair of contact members (conductive) 829, 831 is fixed to the bottom of the cutout 827. The tip ends of the pair of contact members 829 and 831 are in contact with the lower surface of the annular protrusion 821A through a hole 827A formed at the bottom of the notch 827, and the rear ends are provided with a connector (for detecting the remaining amount of ink). Lead wires 835 and 837 from 833 (for connection to an electric circuit for the purpose) are connected. A spring 823 is attached to the lower surface of the tip of the pair of contact members 829, 83.
The upper surface of the support member 815 is pressed by the repulsive force to the upper surface peripheral portion (which has conductivity), and the upper surface of the supporting member 815 becomes electrically conductive with the upper surface of the support member 815 . The ink pressure sensing device configured as described above can be assembled very easily as follows. First, the diaphragm 8 is placed on the opening 805 of the channel member 801.
07, and then lower the holding member 809 from above the channel member 801 so that the stopper members 811 are located in the through holes 813 at the four corners. As a result, the slope of the upper surface of the locking pawl 811A of the stopper member 811 hits the inner edge of the through hole 813 of the holding member 809, and the stopper member 811 is pushed by this.
1 tilts inward and enters the through hole 813 (that is, the pressing member 809 descends), and with the pressing member 809 pressing the diaphragm 807 from above, it enters the through hole 813.
The locking claw 811A of the stopper member 811 is attached to the upper step portion 813A.
is elastically moved (returned) and locked, and the presser member 809 is positioned and fixed to the upper member 801A. Next, the spring 823 is inserted into the through hole 821, its lower end is placed on the annular protrusion 821A, and the spring stop ring 825 is placed on the annular protrusion 821A.
is positioned above the two locking pieces 819 and pushed down. As a result, the slopes of the upper surfaces of the locking claws 819A of the two locking pieces 819 are pressed against the inner edge of the spring stop ring 825, and the two
The two locking pieces 819 are inclined inwardly to each other due to their elasticity.
The spring locking ring 825 descends, and the two locking pieces 819 are tilted outward from each other due to the elasticity again, and the two locking claws 819A are locked to the inner upper surface of the spring locking ring 825, thus preventing the spring from tightening. The retaining ring 825 is prevented from being removed by the two retaining pieces 819, and the spring 823 is compressed by the spring retaining ring 825 and the annular protrusion 821A. Note that the pair of contact members 829 and 831 are attached to the presser member 809 in advance (. According to the above configuration, the distance between the spring retaining ring 825 and the annular protrusion 821A is constant, and the spring 82
The compressive force (repulsive force) of No. 3 falls within a predetermined range. Thus, diaphragm 807 responds to negative pressure within a predetermined range of ink within ink flow path 803, causing support member 815 to open a pair of contact members 829, 831. Therefore, according to the ink pressure detection device of the present invention, the detected pressure falls within the range in which the remaining amount of ink is stabilized, for example as shown by arrow A in FIG. 24, without any adjustment. n Normally, the ink pressure in the ink flow path is detected by an ink sensor when the carriage is stopped or while the carriage is running (excluding when the carriage returns). This is because, as shown in FIGS. 23(A) and CB), when the carriage 851 returns to the left side and returns to the right side, an inertial force acts on the ink in the ink flow path 853 as shown by the arrow in the figure, and due to the influence When the left side returns, extra negative pressure is applied to the ink in the ink flow path, and when the right side returns, extra pressure is applied to the ink in the ink flow path, and the ink sensor 855
This is because the true amount of ink remaining in the ink cartridge 857 cannot be detected. For reference, FIGS. 25(A) and 25(B) show a plan view and a vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional ink pressure detection device (ink sensor). 859 is a channel member having an ink channel 861 inside, 863 is a holding member, these members 859 and 863 sandwich the diaphragm 865, and the supporting member 8 is attached to the center of the diaphragm 865.
A center portion 867A of 67 protrudes into a through hole 869 at the center of the holding member 863, and a ring-shaped adjuster 871 is screwed into the upper part of this center portion 867A. The spring 873 is compressed by the portion 869A, and when the ink in the ink flow path 861 is higher than a predetermined negative pressure, the diaphragm 865 and the support member 867 are arched up by the repulsive force of the spring 873, and the annular protrusion 869A The upper surface of the peripheral portion of the support member 867 presses the tips of the pair of contact members 875 and 877 located on the lower surface of the support member 867 to bring them into contact with each other. According to such a configuration, when the ink in the ink flow path 861 falls below a predetermined negative pressure, the diaphragm 865 responds and the support member 867 descends, and as a result, the pair of contact members 875 and 877 The support member is separated from the tip and a predetermined negative pressure is thus detected. Therefore, the negative pressure detected by the pair of contact members 875 and 877 is caused by the spring 87
Corresponds to the repulsive force of 3. However, in the conventional ink pressure detection device as described above, extremely troublesome adjustments must be made during assembly to bring the detected negative pressure to a predetermined value. In other words, the spring 87 can be adjusted by appropriately turning the Asia scoop 871.
3, the detected negative pressure value varies. For example, Figure 24 shows the relationship between the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge (g) and the negative pressure of ink in the ink flow path. As shown in the figure, the value of negative pressure to be detected is set to 65 ± 5 mm.
In order to make it approximately q, the pressure of the spring 873 must be finely adjusted using the adjuster 871, which is extremely troublesome. (Supply Pipe Connection Portion) FIGS. 26(A) and 26(B) show an example of the configuration of the ink supply tube connection portion. Here, 901 is a joint made of rubber, for example, attached to the main body frame 900, and is attached to the ink tank 7018.
~703Y is fitted into the ink supply pipe 7038 from 701Y, and ~9 is fitted into the communication pipe section 9258 described below.
It has a receiving part that receives the fitting of 25Y. This receiving part 9
03 is provided with a valve body 905 that narrows the ink flow path to such an extent that no ink leakage occurs when ~925Y is not attached to the communicating pipe portion 9258, and opens the ink flow path when it is attached. Reference numeral 921 is a joint that is connected to the joint 901 on the main body frame 900 side to introduce ink to the recording head side, and the joint 921 has a distal end portion inserted into the receiving portion 903 of the joint 901 and a tube extending rearward. ~ 925Y to the communicating pipe section 925B having the section and the main body frame 900.
a latch portion 927 that engages with a locking portion 907 provided on the holder, an operating portion 929 for releasing the engaged state by opening the latch portion 927 outward, and a protrusion 931 that will be described later with reference to FIG. , a frame section 92 that holds these
3 are integrally formed by molding, for example, resin. A joint member 915 made of, for example, rubber is held on the frame portion 923 and has four flow paths formed therein. A communicating pipe portion 9 is provided at one end of the flow channels.
The rear extending portion of ~925Y is inserted into 258, and ~301Y is inserted into the supply pipe 3018 leading to the recording head at the other end. In addition, 917 indicates 〈'B'', ``C'', ``M'', and ``Y'' provided near the connecting portion of the joint member 915 to the supply pipe 301 by printing or pasting a sticker.
301G in the supply pipes 3018 for black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. This is a display to prevent erroneous connection of 301M and 301Y. When joining the joint 921 to the joint 901, move the joint 921 in the direction of the arrow from the state shown in FIG. When engaged, the latch portion 927 is pushed outward as the mounting operation is performed. When the surface portion 927T passes over the locking portion 907, the latch portion 927 is restored due to its spring property, and the joint 921 is locked as shown in FIG. 9(B). Also, in this state, the communication pipe portion 925 has entered the receiving portion 903 with the valve body 905 being pushed out, so that there is ink communication between both joints, that is, ink communication between the ink tank side and the recording head side. will be done. By the way, in such a mounting operation, it is conceivable that the operator performs an erroneous operation, that is, performs an erroneous mounting operation in which the joint 921 shown in FIGS. 26(A) and 26(B) is turned upside down. In order to prevent this reliably and with a simple configuration, the following configuration is adopted in this example. FIG. 27 is a side sectional view of the ink supply pipe connection section. In this example, the operating portion 929 and the protrusion 931 are connected to the joint 92.
1, and the operating portion 929 has a shape with a portion 943 for preventing erroneous attachment. On the other hand, the body frame 900 is provided with a locking portion 941 that does not interfere with the portion 943 during normal mounting as shown in the figure, but engages with the portion 943 to prevent the mounting operation when the front and back surfaces are reversed and incorrectly mounted. This prevents incorrect mounting of the joint 921 with the front and back sides reversed, and prevents ink of a different color from being introduced into the recording head provided corresponding to each color.
Inconveniences such as color mixing can be prevented. Note that the portion 943 for preventing incorrect attachment may be provided on the frame portion 923, or may be formed by extending the protrusion 931 inward of the frame portion and rising from the extending portion. According to this example, the ink supply tube can be connected with a simple operation without causing incorrect installation.
By operating the operation part 929 from the state shown in FIG. 1, the engagement between the latch part 927 and the locking part 907 can be released, so that the joint 921 can be easily removed. Such ease of removal improves maintenance workability. Further, by this removal, the valve body 905 returns to the state shown in FIG. 9A, so that no ink leakage occurs. Now, considering the further improvement of the workability of maintenance that involves the removal of the joint 921, it is strongly recommended that the operator not be burdened with paying attention to the location of the removed joint 921. Therefore, in this example, as shown in FIG.
is provided on the side plate 2017. The receiver portions 2021 may be provided as a set in a number corresponding to the number of protrusions 931, but they may also be provided corresponding to any two of the temples while maintaining balance. In addition, its location is on the side plate 20.
It may be provided at any predetermined position on 17, or may be provided at various locations. FIG. 28(B) shows a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 28(A) with the joint 921 placed thereon. In this way, the protrusion 9
31 is received in the hole 2023, and the lower end surface of the frame portion 923 is placed on the upper surface of the receiver portion 2021, so that the joint 921 is stably held. Further, in this state, the tip of the communicating tube portion 925 faces upward, so that no ink leakage occurs. Note that various configurations for holding the joint 92 in this manner can be selected. For example, by utilizing the gap between the operating portion 929 and the protrusion 931 that appears in the side view, it is also possible to hook this onto a rod-shaped member provided on the side plate 2017 or the like, or an edge of the side plate or the like. In this case, duplex 30
1, the operating portion 929 is held upside down from that shown in FIG. . This is because even if it falls down, the extended portion engages with the side plate 2017 etc., thereby preventing further falling down. In addition, in the above description, the ink supply system has a joint with a valve body on the upstream side in the ink supply direction, and a joint with a valve body on the downstream side that opens in response to insertion, but it is also possible to reverse the configuration of both joints. good. In addition, such connections are used not only for the ink supply system, but also for
Of course, the present invention can also be adopted for an ink discharge system leading to a waste ink storage section (in this example, provided within an ink tank). It goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, on the upper side, an ink tank, an ink supply system, an ink discharge system, an ink communication member, etc. are provided for each recording head in response to ink of different colors, but not only ink of different colors but also shades of light and shade are provided. Each section may be provided corresponding to ink having widely different color tones, such as ink. (Others) Note that the present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in a bubble jet type recording head and recording apparatus among inkjet recording types. This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition. As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, the ink is placed in correspondence with the sheet holding the liquid (ink) and the liquid path. The electrothermal converter that
It corresponds to the recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling.
: The electrothermal converter generates thermal energy, causing film boiling on the heat-active surface of the recording head, resulting in the formation of bubbles in the liquid (ink) that correspond one-to-one to this drive signal. It is effective because it can be done. The growth and contraction of this bubble causes the liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening, forming a small droplet (at least one droplet).If this drive signal is in the form of a pulse, the growth and contraction of the bubble will occur immediately and appropriately. This makes it possible to achieve ejection of liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness, which is more preferable.As this pulse-shaped drive signal,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,359, U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,26
Those described in Specification No. 2 are suitable. Furthermore, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed. The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combination configuration of ejection ports, wave paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting part. The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose configurations in which the bending area is disposed. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1989-5 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part of a plurality of electrothermal converters.
No. 9-123670 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59/1989 which discloses a configuration in which a discharge portion is made to correspond to an opening that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy.
Even if the configuration is based on the publication No.-138461, the effects of the present invention i! It is valid. That is, regardless of the form of the recording head, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently. Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium that can be recorded by a recording apparatus. The recording head connected thereto may be configured to satisfy the length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or configured as a single recording head formed in one piece. In addition, even with the serial type shown above, the recording head is fixed to the device body, or by being attached to the device body, electrical connection to the device body and ink supply from the device body are possible. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip type recording head is used. Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, an electrothermal transducer or a separate heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which a preheating means and ejection other than printing is performed in order to perform stable printing. Furthermore, regarding the types and number of recording heads to be mounted, a plurality of recording heads may be provided corresponding to a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to a recording mode of only mainstream colors such as black, but may also include either an integrated recording head or a combination of a plurality of recording heads.
The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with multiple colors of different colors or full colors (or both) of mixed colors.Furthermore, the inkjet recording device of the present invention can be applied to an information processing device such as a computer. In addition to being used as an image output terminal of a device, it may also be a copying device combined with a reader or the like, or even a facsimile device having a transmitting and receiving function. [Effects of the Invention] It is clear from the above description. According to the present invention, the ink supply paths between the plurality of recording heads corresponding to each ink color and the plurality of ink supply sources storing ink corresponding to each of these inks are connected to a supply path for ink that tends to thicken. The path length is shortened.As a result, it is possible to minimize the influence of the thickening of the ink that causes ink in the ink supply path on the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the recording head section mounted on the carriage; Figures 4 (A) to (C) are the side sectional view and top view shown with the device cover removed; FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams for explaining details of the head cover according to this example. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing recording head positioning using a head cover according to another embodiment. 7(A) and (B) are perspective views showing an example of the configuration of the sub-tank shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a A sectional view for explaining another embodiment of the sub-tank, FIG. 1O is a top view showing a configuration example of a connecting pipe and a tube unit used in an ink supply system, and FIGS. , a side sectional view for explaining the operation of the paper feeding mechanism according to this example when conveying thin paper and thick paper, and FIGS. A side sectional view for explaining the operation of the paper feeding mechanism according to the example; FIG. 13 is a schematic side sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the recovery unit according to the present example; FIGS. 14 (A) and (B) are A detailed side sectional view of the recovery unit and a front view of the pump holding part, FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the recovery unit centered on the opening/closing mechanism of the atmospheric communication hole in the cap, and FIG. 16 is a detailed side sectional view of the recovery unit, and FIG. A side cross-sectional view of the recovery unit drawn as the center, Figures 17 (A) to (C) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the cap advancement/retraction mechanism, etc. according to this example, and Figures 18 (A) to (C) are in this example An explanatory diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the pump used, FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the pump drive system, and FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the timing of the operation of each part of the recovery unit according to this example. FIG. 21 is a plan view of an ink tank storage section for explaining the ink tank arrangement according to this example, and FIGS. A vertical cross-sectional view, FIGS. 23(A) and 23(B) are explanatory diagrams for explaining ink pressure fluctuations due to carriage operation, and FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the remaining amount of ink and the negative pressure in the ink flow path. 25(A) and (B) are a plan view and a vertical sectional view of a conventional ink pressure sensing device shown for comparison with the ink pressure sensing device of this example, and FIG. 26(A) and ( B) is a top view for explaining the configuration example and operation of the ink supply pipe connection part according to the present example, FIG. 27 is a side sectional view thereof, and FIGS. 28(A) and (B) are the connection parts thereof. FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a side sectional view showing an example of a configuration for holding one joint forming the side plate wall surface. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Recording Radchip, 11... Front plate, 13... Supply pipe, 15... Guide groove, 201... Carriage body, 203... Carriage cover 205... Head cover 211...・Position lever 213... Guide shaft, 215... Guide, 217... Reference surface, 221.223... Leaf spring, 300... Sub tank, 311... Tube, 3238K (C, M, Y), 3258K (C
, M, Y) 3218K (C, M, Yl... Connection pipe, 331... Tank member, 3318K (C, M, Y)... Storage chamber, 333...
Middle plate, 335... Connection plate, 337C (M), 339C (M+... Connection groove, 3
41C (M), 343C (M+... connecting hole, 400...
...Recovery unit, 401...Unit housing, 403...Motor, 407...Worm, 409...Worm wheel, 420...Cap section, 440...Pump, 450...Cam , 452...Lever 461...Access lever 471...Cap holder, 501...Atmospheric communication hole, 601...Paper feed tray, 602...Spring, 604...Pickup roller, 605... ... Separation plate, 606 ... Paper feed roller, 607 ... Pinch roller, 608 ... Platen, 609 ... Paper ejection roller, 6]1 ... Pinch roller holder, 613 ... Carriage rail , 614...Spring, 701BK (C, M, Y)...Ink tank, 703
8K (C, M, Y)...Ink supply tube, 7078
K (C, M, Y)...waste ink tube, 801...
Channel member, 803... Ink channel, 807... Diaphragm, 809... Holding member, 819... Latching piece, 823... Spring, 825... Spring retaining ring, 901.921 ... joint, 905 ... valve body, 925 ... communication pipe section. Fig. 4 (C) ■Old/145 (35) Fig. 22 ('A) AΔl Luci monk ° 1 return H 赳 Fig. 23 (B) To A) 301 Life CB> Procedural Amendment October 29, 1990

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In an inkjet recording apparatus comprising a plurality of recording heads provided corresponding to inks of different tones, and an ink supply source that supplies ink of the colors corresponding to the recording heads. An inkjet recording apparatus, characterized in that an ink supply path between the recording head and the ink supply source is configured and arranged such that the path length becomes shorter as the ink corresponds to a tone ink that is more likely to stick. 2) The plurality of recording heads are mounted on a member that scans in a predetermined direction with respect to the recording medium, and the path length increases as the ink tank serving as the ink supply source corresponds to the color of ink that is more likely to cause sticking. 2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inkjet recording apparatus is arranged such that the length is short. 3) The recording head is characterized in that it has an electrothermal transducer for generating thermal energy that causes film boiling in the ink, as an element that generates energy used to eject the ink. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1 or 2.