JPS62220343A - Ink jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate no ink leak from a manometer, by a method wherein the inclination and vibration detector having the response switch being shut according to the inclination of not less than a specific angle and the vibration of not less than a specific value of a printer and when the printer is inclined or vibrated, the open air end of the manometer is immediately blockaded. CONSTITUTION:When a printer is equipped with a detector, a support stand 11 is fixed to the base part of a printer and a cylindrical electrode 13 is fixed to the upper part of the printer. If the printer is inclined by not less than a specific angle or loaded by vibration force of not less than a specific value even though a solenoid 5 is under an excited state while the printer is operated, a plumb 9 of the detector touches the cylindrical electrode 13 and an auxiliary switch 18 is opened. Therefore, the application of current to the solenoid 5 via the auxiliary switch 18 is interrupted. Consequently, a cap 4 is pushed onto the open air end of the manometer 3 and leakage from the manometer 3 is preliminarily prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to an inkjet printer, and more particularly, to an improvement of an ink remaining amount detection device installed in an inkjet printer.

[Background of the invention]

Known inkjet printers are equipped with a remaining ink amount detection device, so that the remaining amount of ink can be automatically detected.

FIG. 3 shows an overview of an ink supply and discharge system in a known inkjet printer.

In the figure, 1 is the print head of the printer, 2 is an ink cassette that is the ink supply source, 3 is a manometer that constitutes the main part of the remaining ink amount detection device, and 4 is the end of the manometer 3 that is open to the atmosphere is closed. 5 is a solenoid that is a driving source for pushing the cap 4 into the atmosphere open end of the manometer 3, 6 is a manometer three-figure head recovery device, 8 is a waste ink storage tank, and the thick black line is the ink piping. It shows the system.

The cap 4 and the solenoid 5 constitute an ink leak prevention device to prevent ink from leaking from the manometer 3. The solenoid 5 is kept in an excited state when the inkjet printer is in operation, and the cap 4 is used to prevent ink from leaking from the manometer 3. It is held in a state where it is pulled upward from the end open to the atmosphere.

In the above configuration, when the inkjet printer is not operating (power OFF state), the solenoid 5 is de-energized and the cap 4 closes the open end of the manometer 3 to the atmosphere, but when the printer is operating, the manometer 3 is closed. Since the atmosphere-opening end is open as shown in Figure 3, if the printer is tilted or strong vibrations are applied to the printer at this time, ink may overflow from the upper end of the manometer 3 and contaminate the inside of the printer. There was a possibility that various parts of the printer would malfunction.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the invention is to provide an improved inkjet printer that does not cause ink leakage from the manometer even when the printer is tilted during operation or when strong vibrations are applied from the outside. That's true.

[Summary of the invention]

In the improved inkjet printer according to the present invention, the printer is provided with a tilt and vibration detector having a responsive switch that closes in response to the printer being tilted by a predetermined angle or more or vibrating by a predetermined value or more. When the printer is tilted or vibrated, the solenoid is immediately de-energized and the end of the manometer that is open to the atmosphere is closed by the cap.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the tilt and vibration detector installed in the printer of the present invention. The tilt and vibration detector shown in the figure is an inverted pendulum type.
A weight 9, a vertical rod 10 supporting the weight 9, and the vertical rod 1
It has an inverted pendulum consisting of a support base 11 that pivots at the lower end of 0, and a spring 12 for keeping the vertical rod 10 vertical. A cylindrical electrode 13 is provided. The Il bolt 9 also serves as an electrode, and is connected to an electric wire W that is inserted into an electric wire passage hole penetrated into the vertical rod 10. The electric wire 1 is led out through the support stand 11 and connected to a printer protection circuit, which will be described later. On the other hand, cylindrical electrode 1
The electric wire W connected to 3 is also connected to the protection circuit. The weight 9 and the cylindrical electrode 13 thus constitute a switch responsive to the detector.

When installing the detector on the printer,
is placed between the 8th part of the printer, and the cylindrical electrode 13 is fixed to the upper part of the printer.

FIG. 1(b) shows an electrical connection diagram including the detector and the solenoid 5 in the printer of the present invention. In the figure, 14 is the main circuit of the printer;
5 is a power switch of the printer, 16 is a protection circuit of the printer, 5 is a solenoid, 17 is a main switch of the solenoid 5 and is linked to the power switch 15 of the printer, 18 is a cylinder shaped like the weight 9 of the detector. This is a sub switch of the solenoid 5 that is opened when it comes into contact with the electrode 13. As is clear from FIG. 1(b), even if the solenoid 5 is energized during printer operation (i.e., even if the open end of the manometer 3 is open)
When the printer is tilted at an angle greater than a predetermined angle or an excitation force greater than a predetermined value is applied, the weight 9 of the detector comes into contact with the cylindrical electrode 13, as shown in FIG. 2(a). Since the sub switch 18 is opened, the current to the solenoid 5 via the sub switch 18 is cut off, and as a result, as shown in FIG.
As shown in b), the cap 4 is pushed into the atmosphere open end of the manometer 3 to prevent ink from leaking from the manometer 3.

In the above embodiments, an inverted pendulum type detector is shown as the inclination and vibration detector, but it is not necessary to limit the detector to that of the above embodiments when implementing the present invention.

Further, an alarm device, indicator light, etc. may be provided in series with the response switch.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the printer of the present invention is provided with a tilt and vibration detector that operates in response to a tilt of a predetermined angle or more or an excitation force of a predetermined value or more, and a responsive switch for the detector. A solenoid sub-switch that opens when activated is installed in series with the main solenoid switch to prevent ink leakage, so even if the top end of the manometer is open while the printer is operating, it will not work if the printer is tilted beyond a predetermined angle or When an excitation force exceeding the value is applied to the printer, the open end of the manometer is immediately closed, and as a result, the printer of the present invention completely eliminates the risk of ink leakage.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of an embodiment of the tilt and vibration detector/device installed in the printer of the present invention, FIG. 1(b) is a partial wiring diagram of the printer of the present invention, and FIG. (a)
is a perspective view showing one state of the detector in Fig. 1(a), and Fig. 2(b) shows the states of the manometer, cap, and solenoid that occur depending on the state of the detector in Fig. 2(a). The perspective view and FIG. 3 are explanatory diagrams of main parts of a conventional inkjet printer. 1...Print head 2...Ink cassette 3
... Manometer 4 ... Cap 5 ... Solenoid 6 ... Electrode 7 ... Print head recovery device 8 ... Waste ink storage tank 9 ... Weight 10 ... Vertical rod 11 ... Support stand 12...spring
13... Cylindrical electrode 14... Printer main circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] A manometer for detecting the remaining amount of ink, a cap for closing an end of the manometer that is open to the atmosphere, and the cap is operated to close in a non-excited state and to open in an energized state. In an inkjet printer equipped with a remaining ink amount detection device having a solenoid for An inkjet jet apparatus characterized in that a tilt and vibration detector is provided, and when the detector is activated and the response switch is closed, the solenoid is de-energized and the cap closes the open end of the manometer. printer.