JPS61125849A - Liquid jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make accurate electrical connections between a cartridge side and a carriage side to facilitate attachment and detachment of a cartridge by fixing a car tridge to the carriage using an elastomer, a keep plate or a fixing member consisting of a protrusion or a concave hook and simultaneously pressing the cartridge with a spring. CONSTITUTION:A cartridge 1 is pressed into a groove-like position for attachment of a cartridge which is held between the both side protrusions 2a and the rear protrusions 2b of a carriage 2 and a top board 4 is restored to a horizontal position. Then the hook 46 of the top board 4 is fitted to a concave part 1a of the cartridge 1. Under this condition, the cartridge 1 and an upper connecting cable 1a are attached under pressure to an electrode 4a on the lower surface of the top board to establish an electrical connection. A connecting cable 1b on the lower part of the cartridge 1 is attached under pressure to an electrode 7 provided at a cartridge attachment position in the carriage 2 to provide an electrical connection. At the same time, the cartridge 1 is fixed at a prearranged position by protrusions 2a, 2b and a hook 46. In this case, an electrode 4a on the lower part of the top board is connected to a flexible cable 8 with a keep plate 10 on the upper part of the top board after passing through the top board 4 and an electrode 7 in the carriage 2 is connected to the flex ible cable 8 by the keep plate 10 at the rear of the cable.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a liquid jet recording device that records character images, etc. on a recording medium by forming flying droplets by converting electric signals into thermal energy or the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a liquid jet recording apparatus in which a cartridge-type recording head unit, which integrally includes a liquid jet recording head section and a recording liquid container, can be attached to and detached from a carriage.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of liquid jet recording apparatus, a connector is generally used for electrical connection between the recording head section of a cartridge type recording head unit (hereinafter referred to as a cartridge) and a carriage. If it is a connector connection #
There was a drawback that the position of the recording head section had to be adjusted after the first printing. Furthermore, when electrically connecting a multicolor recording cartridge containing multiple sets of recording liquid containers and recording heads in one unit to the carriage, the number of electrical connection points becomes extremely large. However, there was a drawback in that joining using the above-mentioned connectors was extremely difficult.

[Objective] An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a cartridge that can easily electrically connect not only a cartridge containing a single recording head but also a cartridge containing a plurality of recording heads to a carriage. Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid jet recording device in which the position of the recording head can be fixed at a predetermined position on the carriage and does not require position adjustment.

In order to achieve this object, the present invention integrates a liquid jet recording head that forms flying droplets in response to an electrical signal and records on a recording medium, and a container that stores recording liquid to be supplied to the recording head. The present invention is characterized by comprising a fixing member with a hook for fixing the head unit having the head unit at a predetermined position on the carriage, and a carriage-side terminal attached to the fixing member and connected to a unit-side terminal on the head unit when installed.

[Example〕 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows an external appearance of a configuration example of a cartridge and a carriage, which are the main parts of the device of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows an A-A' in Fig. 1.
A cross section taken along the cross-sectional line is shown, where 1 is a cartridge (cartridge type recording head unit), which includes a recording head unit that ejects droplets formed by an energy conversion unit (not shown) and a recording liquid that becomes the droplets. The cartridge 1 has a recording liquid chamber (ink tank) that stores (ink), and a large number of connecting wires 1a are fixed to the upper and lower surfaces of the cartridge 1 by contact portions or the like. Further, lc is a plurality of ejection orifices opened in four rows on the front surface of the recording head section of cartridge L,
A droplet formed by an energy conversion unit (for example, an electrothermal conversion element) is ejected from this ejection orifice IC onto a recording medium (recording paper) (not shown) by 1'"'"1°.
12 is a carriage on which a cartridge L is removably mounted and moves in the main scanning direction parallel to the recording medium; 3 is a pair of sliding holes provided parallel to the lower part of carriage 2; 3a; are a pair of sliding shafts (guide rails) that penetrate through the sliding hole 3 and allow the carriage 2 to freely slide. It is driven by a motor and guided in the main scanning direction by a sliding shaft 3a.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a movable top plate (fixing member) which is disposed above the cartridge mounting position of the carriage 2, fixes the cartridge L in the vertical direction, and also connects the cartridge L and the carriage 2 electrically. Reference numeral 4a denotes an electrode provided on the lower surface of the movable top plate 4, which contacts the connecting wire 1a on the upper surface side of the cartridge l. A hook 4b is provided protruding from the lower end of the top plate 4, and is fitted into a recess rb provided on the upper surface of the cartridge l to fix the cartridge in the front-rear direction (toward the recording medium).

5 is the rear lower surface of the movable top plate 4 and the rear upper part of the carriage 2 (
6 is the rear end of the movable top plate 4. It is a toshi heavy bar spring interposed between 2b and exerts a restoring force in the direction that makes the movable top plate 4 horizontal, that is, in the downward direction that fixes the cartridge 1. and the rear upper end 2b of the carriage 2, and the top plate 4 can be rotated about this rotation shaft 6 in the vertical direction of the cartridge l.

Further, reference numeral 7 denotes an electrode that comes into contact with the connection line 1a on the lower surface side of the cartridge 1, and is provided on the cartridge mounting surface of the carriage 2. Reference numeral 8 designates a pair of flexible printed circuit boards (hereinafter referred to as flexible cables) each connected to one of the above-mentioned top plate side electrode 4a or cartridge device surface side electrode 7, and transmits electrical signals to the electrodes 4a, 7 and the connecting wire. 1
It is supplied into the cartridge 1 through a. Reference numeral 10 denotes a pair of holding plates for crimping the flexible cable 8 to the electrode 7 of the carriage 2 on the top plate 10ti, which are provided at the top of the top plate IO and at the rear end of the cartridge 2, respectively.

With the above configuration, cartridge 1 can be moved to carriage 2.
In order to attach it to the carriage, follow the steps below: Open the movable top plate 4 on the carriage 2 in the clockwise direction (upward direction) in FIG. Push the cartridge 1 into the groove-shaped cartridge mounting position sandwiched between the rear protrusion 2b and the rear protrusion 2b, return the top plate 4 to the horizontal position, and insert the hook part 4b of the top plate 4 into the cartridge mounting position.
It fits into the recess la.

In this state, the connection wire 1a on the top of the cartridge 1 is crimped with the electrode 4a on the bottom of the top plate 4, and electrically f
The connecting wire 1b at the bottom of the cartridge L is crimped and electrically connected to the electrode 7 provided at the cartridge mounting position in the carriage 2, and at the same time, the cartridge 1 is also connected to the projections 2a, 2b and the hook portion 4b. and fixed in place. At this time, the electrode 4a on the lower side of the top plate passes through the inside of the top plate 4 and is connected to the 7-wire cable 8 by the holding plate 10 on the upper side of the top plate, and the electrode 7 in the carriage z is also connected to the cable 8 by the holding plate 10 behind the carriage. Since it is connected to the flexible cable 8, the signal from the flexible cable 8 is transmitted to the cartridge l.

On the other hand, when removing the cartridge 1 from the carriage 2, the movable top plate 4 is rotated until it becomes almost vertical, and the cartridge 1 is pulled upward from the carriage 2. According to this method, the electrical connection and fixing of the cartridge at a predetermined fixing position are made accurately at the same time as the cartridge 1 is installed, so there is no need for conventional connector wiring work or position adjustment, which simplifies the configuration. , which greatly facilitates the operation work.

It is assumed that a plurality of blind member springs 5 are present at the rear of the cartridge 2, and the spring strength thereof is sufficient for electrical connection. In addition, the electrode axis of the top plate 4 is arranged near the hook part 4b in front of the second illustration, and passes through the tip of the top plate 4 (the left end of the top plate in FIG. 2) and the top surface of the top plate. It is also possible to connect it to the flexible cable 8. In this case, the connecting line 1a on the cartridge l can be made shorter.゛1 Fig. 3 shows another configuration example of the present invention, where 9 is the above-mentioned rotating top plate 4.
Instead, it is a leaf spring installed at the same position as the top plate, and 8a
is an electrode attached or welded to substantially the entire surface of the hook portion at the tip of the leaf spring, and is connected to the flexible cable 8 by a holding plate IO at the position of the protrusion 2b that fixes the leaf spring 9. The hook portion of the leaf spring 9 is located in the recess 1b on the cartridge 1.
When the cartridge is installed, the electrode 9a on the hook portion and the connecting wire 1a on the recess lb are pressed together by the spring force of the plate spring 9 and electrically connected. The rest is the same as the previous embodiment, and there is a groove on the carriage 2 that matches the width of the cartridge 1. That is, when attaching the cartridge L to the carriage 2, align the cartridge with the groove and push it in from the front in the 8 direction in the figure. At this time, the hook part of the leaf spring 9 enters the groove 1b at the top of the cartridge L, so the cartridge are fixed and electrical connections are made at the same time. Further, when removing the cartridge 1, it is sufficient to slide it in the direction B' in the figure and pull it out.

FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment of the invention, in which: 1
1 is a coil spring, 12 is a pair of cartridge holding plates, 1
2a is a protrusion provided on the holding plate 12. This figure is a view of the cartridge l as seen from the front (discharge orifice side). ) It is arranged along the inside of wall 2a and attached to wall 2a via a plurality of coil springs 11. Also,
The protrusion 12a is formed opposite to the lower inner side of the presser plate 12, and fits into a recess in the lower part of the cartridge 1. The connection line 1d from the recording head of the cartridge 1 is drawn out to the side of the cartridge, unlike in the above two embodiments, and the connection line 1d is connected to one of the two holding plates 12.
A flexible cable 8 is pasted to be crimped and electrically connected to d. Further, the flexible cable 8 is fixed to the carriage 2 by another holding plate IO.

With the above configuration, when installing the cartridge L into the carriage 2, the cartridge L is inserted from above the carriage downwards, thereby connecting the connecting wire 1d on the side of the cartridge and the flexible cable 8 on the plate 12.
At the same time, the cartridge 1 is fixed at a predetermined position on the carriage 2 by fitting the protrusion 12a on the plate 12 into the recess on the side surface of the cartridge.

When removing the cartridge 1 from the carriage 2, it is sufficient to pull it upward.

[Effects] As explained above, according to the present invention, the cartridge is fixed to the carriage using a fixing member consisting of an elastic body and a protrusion of a presser plate or a hook of a recess, and at the same time, the cartridge side is crimped by spring force. Since the structure is configured to allow accurate electrical connection between the cartridge and the cow carriage side, it is extremely easy to install and remove the cartridge, resulting in a significant improvement in operability. . In general, the present invention has the advantage that even if a plurality of heads are housed in the cartridge and there are a large number of lead wires, this electrical connection can be easily made to the carriage. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

81m is a perspective view showing the external appearance of an embodiment of the present invention using a torsion bar spring, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the AA' cross-sectional line, and FIG. 144 is a front view seen from the front of the head, showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention using a coil spring. 1... Cartridge. la, ld...connection line, 1b...indentation, 1c...discharge orifice, 2...carriage, 4...top plate, 4a, 7, 7a...electrode. 4b...Hook portion of top plate, 5...Torsion bar spring, 8...Flexible cable, wood 9...Leaf spring, 10...Pressure plate, 11...Coil spring, 12...・Cartridge holding plate, 12a...protrusion.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A head unit that integrally includes a liquid jet recording head that forms flying droplets in response to an electrical signal and records on a recording medium, and a container that stores recording liquid to be supplied to the recording head. A fixing member with a hook that fixes it in place on the carriage,
and a carriage side terminal attached to the fixing member and connected to a head unit side terminal on the head unit when mounted.