JPH058489Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an ink supply device for a recording device.

[Summary of the idea]

The present invention provides an ink supply device for a recording device.
Separate the ink pump section and the ink tank section, divide the ink tank section into a large upper chamber and a small lower chamber, and make the ink liquid level in the lower chamber almost the same level as the ink liquid level in the ink pump section. This ensures that a constant amount of ink is always supplied to the pen tip, making it easy to replenish ink.

[Conventional technology]

Fig. 2 shows an example of a conventional ink supply device for a recording device, and Fig. 2A is a perspective view showing the external appearance, and Fig. 2B is a perspective view showing the appearance.
is a sectional view showing the internal structure.

As shown in these figures, in the conventional ink supply device of a recorder, multiple ink pumps that supply ink to each pen tip are attached directly to the ink tank, and the ink pump section and the ink tank section are integrated. was. The ink pump is used to send ink to the tip of the pen by pushing the head of the ink pump before recording starts, and must be placed near the pen, so the ink tank is also located near the pen.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In the conventional device described above, as the ink level decreases as the ink is consumed, as shown by the broken line in Figure 2B, the ink pressure decreases and the amount of ink supplied to the pen tip decreases, causing the recorded waveform to become blurred. This had the disadvantage that clear records with uniform density could not be obtained. In addition, since the ink tank location was limited to the vicinity of the pen, when the operator refills the ink,
I couldn't get too close to the ink tank, and even though I was careful, I often spilled ink and stained the equipment.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention separates the ink tank section and the ink pump section of the ink supply device, and divides the ink tank section into a large upper chamber and a small lower chamber, so that the ink liquid level in the lower chamber and the ink pump section are separated. It was constructed so that the liquid level was always at the same level.

[Effect]

The ink tank section can be placed away from the ink pump section and closer to the operator, making it easier to refill ink.The liquid level in the lower chamber of the ink tank is always the same as the liquid level in the ink pump section, making it easier to replenish the pen tip. The ink pressure is maintained constant.

〔Example〕

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view showing the internal structure.

As shown in these figures, the ink tank section and the ink pump section are made separately, a communication hole is provided at the bottom of both, and they are connected by a connecting tube. In the ink pump section, a plurality of ink pumps are attached to an ink container smaller than conventional ones, and a ventilation hole is provided on the top surface of the container. The ink tank section is divided into a large upper chamber and a smaller lower chamber, so that atmospheric pressure is not applied to the upper chamber except when ink is injected, and atmospheric pressure is applied to the lower chamber at all times. The upper surface of the upper chamber is provided with a circular ink inlet, a corresponding ink inlet cap, and a ventilation hole. The ink injection cap has a cylindrical part that is inserted into the ink injection port,
The outer wall of the cylindrical portion and the inner wall of the ink inlet are sealed with a sealant such as an O-ring. A communication hole is provided at the boundary between the upper chamber and the lower chamber so that the ink can flow from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, and a ventilation hole on the upper surface of the upper chamber penetrates the upper chamber and opens on the upper surface of the lower chamber. Configure. The left half of the cross section of the ink tank section in FIG. 1B is taken along a plane passing through the ventilation hole, and the right half of the cross section shows a plane cut along a plane passing through the ink injection cap. Furthermore, a valve is provided at the boundary communication port between the upper chamber and the lower chamber to close the communication port when moving upward and to open the communication port when moving downward. The lower surface of this valve is supported by a spring provided around a communicating hole in the bottom of the lower chamber, and biased so that the upper end of the valve comes into contact with the cylindrical lower surface of the ink injection cap.

Next, the operation will be explained. First, remove the ink injection cap and fill it with ink from the ink injection port.
At this time, the valve is pushed upward by the spring and closes the communication port between the upper and lower chambers.
Ink does not flow from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. When you close the ink injection cap after ink injection, the valve is pushed by the cap and moves downward (to the position shown in the figure).
Ink flows from the upper chamber to the lower chamber. The ink that has flowed into the lower chamber further flows into the ink pump section through the connecting tube. With this ink injection cap closed, atmospheric pressure is not applied to the upper chamber. On the other hand, atmospheric pressure is constantly applied to the lower chamber through the ventilation hole. Furthermore, until the ink level in the lower chamber reaches level C, air flows from the lower chamber to the upper chamber through the boundary communication port.

In this way, ink flows into the ink pump section from the upper chamber via the lower chamber, and the ink liquid level rises, and when it reaches level C, air stops flowing from the lower chamber to the upper chamber. Then, the flow of ink from the upper chamber to the lower chamber and into the ink pump section also stops, resulting in an equilibrium state. At this time, the ink liquid levels in the lower chamber of the ink tank and in the ink tank section are both at position C. When recording, ink is supplied to the pen, and when the ink in the ink pump section decreases, the equilibrium state is disrupted, and the amount of ink that has decreased flows from the upper chamber to the lower chamber again to the ink pump section, and the above equilibrium is restored. Ink is replenished until the condition is reached. This operation continues until most of the ink in the large upper chamber is exhausted. Therefore, the liquid level in the ink pump section is always kept constant over a long period of time, so that the liquid pressure remains constant and a clear recorded waveform with uniform density can be obtained. In order to obtain the above-mentioned effects, it is necessary to arrange the ink tank section so that the liquid level in the lower chamber of the ink tank substantially coincides with the top surface of the ink pump section container.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified and changed in various ways within the scope of the claims for utility model registration.

[Effect of idea]

The effects of the present invention are as follows.

1 Even if ink consumption progresses, the ink pressure to the pen tip will not drop and the recording will not become blurred, and it is possible to obtain a clear recording with uniform density.

2. The ink tank can be placed close to the operator, making it easier to refill ink and eliminating the need to be careful not to spill it.

3. Since the ink tank section and ink pump section are separate, the mounting layout can be freely arranged.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a conventional example. Note that since no symbols were used in the drawings, the symbols will not be explained.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] An ink container to which multiple ink pumps are attached has an ink pump section with a ventilation hole on the top surface and a communication hole on the bottom surface, a large upper chamber and a small lower chamber, and an upper chamber. An ink inlet, an ink inlet cap, and a ventilation hole are provided on the top surface, and the ventilation hole passes through the upper chamber and opens on the upper surface of the lower chamber. an ink tank portion each having a communication hole provided on the bottom surface thereof, and a connecting tube connecting the communication holes of the ink pump portion and the ink tank portion, and the valve can be opened by removing the ink injection cap. An ink supply device for a recording device, wherein the boundary communication port is closed and the boundary communication port is opened when the ink injection cap is closed.