JPS59155052A - Ink feeder of ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To electrically detect the residual amount of ink by utilizing the ink of a cartridge by providing a pathway leading to the cartridge through paired needles to be thrust into the cartridge and opening on the side of a base board. CONSTITUTION:An ink cartridge 3 and a dilution liquid cartridge 4 are detachably attached to a base board 1, and pairs of needles 11, 12 and 13, 14 are thrust into each of the cartridges. Pathways 15-18 are formed in the base board 1, one end sides of them are led to the ink cartridge through the needles, and the other end sides are opened on the side of the base board 1. Screws 19-22 to close the side opening are electrically connected to a control circuit base plate, and conductive ink, contact springs 23-26, the screws 19-22 and the control circuit base plate are connected to form an electric circuit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to an ink supply device for an inkjet printer, and particularly to an electrical connection configuration between a control circuit unit of the ink supply device and ink (conductive ink).

<Prior Art> In general, the ink supply system of an inkjet printer is equipped with a cartridge container filled with ink, and the cartridge container is loaded into the system to replenish ink to the system, and when the ink in the cartridge runs out. The cartridge container is configured to be replaced from time to time.

In this case, a means for detecting the remaining amount of ink in the car 1-IJ is provided in the reservoir for the cartridge loaded in the system.

Conventionally, an optical sensor has been used as a means for detecting the remaining amount of ink, but in this case, there were restrictions on the components of the cartridge and the surrounding structure, which caused problems in terms of structure and cost. .

On the other hand, it is also possible to use a sensor that electrically detects the ink (conductive ink) in the cartridge, but in this case, there are problems such as ink leakage and the connection configuration of the ink supply device to the control circuit unit. (Wiring configuration) was also complicated.

<Purpose> The present invention was proposed in order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and adopts a configuration that electrically detects the amount of ink remaining using the ink (conductive ink) in the cartridge, and prevents ink leakage. The object of the present invention is to provide an ink supply device that is designed to provide reliable and easy wiring, and a simplified configuration.

<Example> 2 Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the main components of an ink supply device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the mounting structure of the control circuit board. It is a diagram.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a base port on which each component of the ink supply system is installed. Reference numeral 2 denotes a cartridge storage box for accommodating an ink cartridge, which is provided along one side of the base port. 3
An ink cartridge is detachably installed in the storage box 2.

Further, reference numeral 4 denotes a diluent cartridge detachably installed in the housing box 2 alongside the ink cartridge 3.

The ink cartridge 3 supplies ink to the ink supply system, and the diluent cartridge 4 supplies diluent (conductive liquid) to the chain yarn when the ink concentration in the ink supply system exceeds a certain value. This is to keep the ink density of the system constant.

The ink cartridge 3 and the diluent cartridge 4 have the same cartridge configuration, and for convenience, the ink cartridge 3 will be specifically described.

The ink cartridge 3 is made of a member such as resin, and a cylindrical protrusion (not shown) with an open top is integrally formed in the upper part of the ink cartridge 3, and a camp 5 having a screw hole is attached to this protrusion. It is being

That is, a screw is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion, and a screw hole of the cap 5 is screwed into the thread to open and close the opening of the protrusion. Therefore, the cap 5 has a rectangular appearance so that it can be screwed by hand.

The opening of the protruding portion is for sealing ink into the cartridge 3, and the cap 5 is a lid that seals the opening, and is also for guiding the inside of the cartridge 3 to atmospheric pressure when the cartridge 3 is used. be. Therefore,
When in use, the screw of the cap 5 is loosened, and the inside of the cartridge 3 is communicated with the outside through the screw portion and the opening.

On the other hand, the bottom wall of the cartridge 3 is provided with two connections 6, 7 for connection to the ink supply system.

These two connections 6.7 have the same construction, and for convenience only one of the connections shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

That is, this connecting portion 6 is provided with a cylindrical projection 62 having an ink passage 61 projecting downward from the bottom wall of the cartridge 3, and a screw 62a is formed on the outer peripheral wall of this projection 62. Further, a bottomed cylindrical cartridge camp 63 is attached to the projection 62, and the cartridge cap 63 is attached to the projection 62.
3 has a threaded portion screwed into the screw 62a on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and has an opening 63a on the bottom surface. Furthermore, a protrusion 6 is provided between the protrusion 62 and the cartridge cap 63.
A sealing rubber member 64 sealing the second ink passage 61 and an ink absorbing member 65 made of, for example, a porous material (sponge) are interposed below this member 64, respectively.

Therefore, the cartridge cap 63 is loaded in advance with the ink absorbing member 65 and the sealing rubber member 64 stacked therein, and the cap 63 is attached to the screw 62 of the protrusion 62.
The cap 63 is attached by screwing 9 onto a.

The configuration of the other connecting portion 7 of the cartridge 3 is also similar to that described above.

In addition, in the above description, only the ink cartridge 3 has been described, and the structure of the diluent cartridge 4 is also the same, and 8 is a cap corresponding to the cap 5, and 9 and 10 are the same.
is a connection portion corresponding to the connection portion 6.7.

Next, the configuration of the cartridge storage box 2 side in which the second cartridges 3 and 4 are stored will be explained.

The bottom wall of this box 2 has connections 6.7 and 9 provided at the bottom of the cartridge 3.4, as shown in FIG.
Recessed grooves 2a, 2a, . In addition, those grooves 2a, 2a・
At the center position of ... there is an indicator needle 11.1 made of conductive material.
2, 13, and 14 are implanted, respectively, and the tips of the positioning needles 11 to 14 are sharp and protrude further upwards than the groove 2a, and their lower ends are fitted into the base port.

Therefore, when the cartridge 3.4 is inserted into the cartridge storage box 2, the positioning needle 11 penetrates the ink absorbing member 65 and the seal rubber member 64 from the opening 63a of the cartridge cap 63 and protrudes as shown in FIG. 6
The car 1-1) is inserted into the Fuji 3 through the ink passage 61 of No.2. The other position hands 12 to 14 have similar relationships with respect to the corresponding connecting portions 7 to 1o.

The positioning needles 11 and 12 serve as electrodes that are electrically connected via the ink in the ink cartridge 3, and the positioning needles 13 and 14 serve as electrodes that are electrically connected via the diluent in the diluent cartridge 4. ing.

Further, the positioning needle 11 also serves as an ink lead-out needle for guiding the ink in the ink cartridge 3 to the ink supply system, and the positioning needle 12 is used to collect unnecessary ink that did not contribute to recording and return it to the ink cartridge 3. It also serves as an ink introduction needle.

Further, the positioning needle 13 also serves as a diluent lead-out needle for guiding the diluent in the diluent cartridge 4 to the ink supply system. Note that the positioning needle 14 acts simply as an electrode that guides the diluent.

Next, the structure of the base port 1 will be described. Inside the base port 1, a hollow passage 15. 16.17 and 18
The passages 15 to 18 are respectively opened on the sides of the base holder 1. These openings are sealed with conductive screws 19-22 via seal rubbers 19a-22a.

Further, conductive contact springs 23 to 26 are interposed in the passages 15 to 18, respectively, and these contact springs 23 to 26 are pressed into the passages 15 to 18 by the screws 19 to 22, respectively. provided.

Therefore, one end of each spring 23-26 is connected to a corresponding screw 19-22, and the other end is connected to a corresponding position needle 11-14.
Connect the lower ends of the needles 11 to 14 and the screws 19 to 22.
An electrical circuit is provided between this base port 1
Each passage 15 to 18 on the upper side of the ink storage box 2
Although not particularly shown, each component constituting the ink supply system is mounted on the base port 1 at the portion where the ink supply system is located.

It consists of a pressure pump that supplies ink to the nozzles, an accumulator that statically pressures the ink flow from the pressure pump, a solenoid valve, and a suction pump that collects ink that does not contribute to recording and returns it to the ink cartridge 3. etc.

Therefore, ink is guided from the ink cartridge 3 via the position needle 11 to the passage 15 communicating with the lower end of the position needle (ink lead-out needle) 11 of the ink cartridge 3.
Although not particularly shown, it is connected to an ink supply passage that communicates with the pressure pump side of the ink supply system. In addition, a passage 1 communicating with the lower end of the placing needle (ink introducing needle) 12 is provided.
6 is connected at the midpoint of the passage 16 to a return passage in which a suction pump for recovering ink that has not contributed to recording is interposed, and the collected ink is passed through the passage 16 through a tube needle and a holder needle 13 of the diluent cartridge 4. A diluent is introduced from the diluent cartridge 4 through one passage communicating with the lower end of the diluent cartridge 4, and the passage 17 is not particularly shown or is connected to an ink supply passage via a control valve in the middle thereof. Further, the positioning needle 14 simply acts as an electrode.

As shown in FIG. 3, an ink supply system control circuit board 30 is directly attached to the side surface of the base port 1 where the screws 19 to 22 are located.

This includes a control circuit board 30 on the side surface of the base port 1.
Screw holes 27.28 are formed for mounting the control circuit board 30, and screws 32.82 are screwed into the screw holes 27.28 through the insertion holes 81, 31 of the control circuit board 30, so that the control circuit board 30 is firmly fixed to the base port 1. mounted on.

Contacts 33 to 36 are provided on the control circuit board 3.0 in correspondence with the screws 19 to 221 on the side surface of the base port 1, and predetermined electric circuits are connected to these contacts 33 to 36. There is.

Conductive contact springs 37 to 40 are interposed between the contacts 33 to 36 of the control circuit board 30 and the corresponding screws 19 to 22 of the base port 1, respectively, and the board 30 is attached to the base port 1. At this time, the screws 19-22 and their corresponding contacts 33-36 are reliably electrically connected by the contact springs 37-40.

Therefore, an electric circuit is formed between the ink cartridge 3's indicator needles 11, 12 and the control circuit board 30 via the conductive ink.
3.14 Then, an electric circuit is formed with the control circuit board 30 via the diluent.

The electric circuit of this ink cartridge 3 is an ink sense circuit, and for example, an AC signal is supplied to the contact 33 from an AC oscillation source, and if there is ink in the cartridge 3, a closed circuit is established, and the other contact 32 is connected If the signal is guided and there is no ink in the cartridge 3, the circuit is open and there is no signal at the contact 32, and the presence or absence of the signal on the contact 32 side detects whether the ink cartridge 3 is out of ink. .

The same applies to the diluent car) IJ 4, which supplies an AC signal to the contact 33 from an AC source,
The state of running out of the diluent is detected by the presence or absence of a signal on the contact 34 side. -In addition, in the above embodiment, the positioning needle 1
Although 1 to 14 are made of a conductive material, they may be made of a non-conductive material and needle-shaped (protruding) for communicating the ink cartridge and the diluent cartridge 4 with the corresponding passages.

This is because the ink and diluent itself are electrically conductive. In this case, there is no need for one end of the coil springs 23 to 26 similarly arranged in the passages 15 to I8 to contact the positioning needle. This is because ink or diluent is introduced into the passages 15-18. Just coil spring 23~
Reference numeral 26 is provided to effectively conduct electricity within the passages 15-18.

Even when the positioning needles 11 to 14 are made of a non-conductive material, the liquid (ink or diluent) that extends from the passage into the cartridge
, contact spring, sealing screw (19-22)
A control circuit board and an electric circuit are formed through the.

Furthermore, the reason why an AC signal is used as the electric signal is to prevent electrolysis of the ink.

<Effects> The ink supply device of the present invention includes a base port on which components of the ink supply device are mounted, an ink cartridge removably installed at a predetermined position on the base port, and an ink cartridge disposed at a cartridge mounting position of the base port. a pair of needles that are inserted into the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is installed, and a pair of needles formed in the base port corresponding to the needles, one end communicating with the ink cartridge via the needle, and the other end communicating with the ink cartridge through the needle. a conductive sealing member that closes a side opening of the base port of the passageway, a conductive member interposed in the four paths between the needle and the sealing member, and a sealing of the base port. an ink supply system control circuit board attached to a side surface where the member is located and having contacts electrically connected to the member at positions corresponding to the sealing member; An electric circuit is formed between them, and the electric circuit can be formed between them electrically reliably and with a simple structure without fear of ink leakage.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main components of an ink supply device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the mounting structure of a control circuit board. 1: Base port, 2: Cartridge storage hook, 3
: ink cartridge, 4: diluent cartridge, 6.
7: Ink cartridge connection part. 11-I4: Placement needle, 15-18: Passage, 19-22: Screw (sealing member), 23-26: Contact spring,
30: Control circuit board, 33-36 contacts of two boards.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A base port on which components of an ink supply device are mounted, an ink cartridge removably installed at a predetermined position on the base port, and an ink cartridge disposed at a cartridge mounting position of the base port,
A pair of needles are inserted into the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is installed, and each needle is formed in the base port corresponding to the needle, and one end side communicates with the ink cart 1 through the needle and the other end side or the side surface of the base port. a conductive sealing member that closes a side opening of the base port of the passageway, a conductive member interposed in the passage between the needle and the sealing member, and a sealing member of the base port. an ink supply system control circuit board having contacts for electrical connection with the side member on which the ink supply system is located, and an electric circuit is formed between the ink and the control circuit board via the passage. Ink supply device.