JPS6316525Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink supply device used in an inkjet printer.

For example, FIG. 1 shows an ink supply device used in a charge control type inkjet printer. Two rubber caps 3 are provided at the bottom of an ink bottle 1 that stores ink 2. A supply needle 4 and a collection needle 5 are provided which pass through the rubber cap 3 and open into the ink bottle 1. The supply needle 4 is for supplying ink 2 to a nozzle (not shown), and the collection needle 5 is for returning ink that is not used for printing and is collected in a gutter (not shown) into the ink bottle 1. Further, a window 6 communicating with the hollow portion is provided at the upper part of these needles 4 and 5. The ink bottle 1 is designed to be replaced with a new ink bottle 1 when a predetermined amount of ink 2 is used.

In the ink bottle 1 having such a structure, when the ink bottle 1 is left attached, that is, the needles 4 and 5 are inserted into the rubber cap 3, and then the ink bottle 1 is pulled out.
There is a slight delay before the rubber cap 3 recovers, so if the ink 2 leaks out and the ink bottle 1 is inserted and removed more than once, the rubber cap 3
Since the edges of the windows 6 of the needles 4 and 5 are scraped, there is a drawback that when the ink bottle 1 is removed, the ink 2 leaks out from the scraped part of the rubber cap 3. Further, the needle 4,
The inner diameter, outer diameter, and tip of 5 must be small and sharp in order to minimize the ink leakage. For this reason, the fluid resistance against air bubbles becomes large, and the capacity of the pump must be increased, and it cannot be used simply by cutting a general pipe, and there are disadvantages such as making the needles 4 and 5 difficult and expensive. Ta.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, prevent ink leakage, and reduce the cost of the ink supply system.

This invention focuses on the fact that an elastic body returns to its pre-deformation state as long as it is elastically deformed, and is designed to prevent ink leakage while the supply pipe is inserted and ink leakage when the supply pipe is removed. In addition, the structure of the rubber cap has been devised. The present invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 showing examples.

2 and 3 show a state in which the supply pipe 40 is inserted, that is, a state in which the ink bottle 1 is attached, and FIGS. 4 and 5 show a state in which the ink bottle 1 is attached.
Shown with removed. rubber cap 30
is press-fitted into the bottom of the ink bottle 1 with a tightness of, for example, 5 to 10%, and is fixed to the ink bottle 1 by a bushing 35. The slit 31, whose width is larger than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 40, is formed so that its depth is shallower than the thickness of the rubber cap 30. Furthermore, holes 32 are provided at both ends of the slit 31 to prevent the slit 31 from expanding beyond a predetermined size. A concave guide 33 and a coupling hole 34 are provided on the outer and inner sides of the center of the rubber cap 30. It should be noted that the outside 33 and the coupling hole 34 are connected by a slit 31. The diameter of the coupling hole 34 is smaller than the outer diameter of the supply pipe 40.

In the state shown in FIG. 4, the slit 31 is closed with the tightening margin, and the ink 2 will not leak. The supply pipe 40 is first guided by the concave guide 33, pushed out and inserted into the slit 31, and then inserted into the coupling hole 34.
It is inserted by pushing it apart. In the state shown in FIG. 2 (FIG. 3), the slit 31 is open, but the coupling hole 34
Since the ink 2 and the supply pipe 40 are connected with a tightness of, for example, about 12%, the ink 2 will not leak out.
Further, when the supply pipe 40 is removed, the slit 31 immediately returns to its original state due to the elasticity of the rubber cap 30 (the tightness of the slit 31 when the supply pipe 40 is inserted is about 25%), so that the ink 2 does not leak out.

As described above, according to the present invention, ink in an ink bottle can be reliably prevented from leaking. Also, since there is no need to sharpen the tip of the supply pipe,
There are advantages such as being able to obtain the supply pipe easily and inexpensively, and also being able to arbitrarily select the diameter of the supply pipe.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of an ink bottle used in a conventional device, Figs. 2 to 5 show main parts of the ink supply device of the present invention, and Fig. 2 shows the state when the supply pipe is inserted. 3 is a side view of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing when the supply pipe is removed, and FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4. In the figure, 1 is an ink bottle, 2 is ink,
3, 30 are rubber caps, 31 is a slit, 4
0 is the supply pipe.

Claims (1)

[Claim for Utility Model Registration] At least one rubber cap is attached to the bottom of an ink bottle containing ink in a radially compressed state, and the rubber cap is penetrated and opened inside the ink bottle. An ink supply device is provided with a supply pipe, and the ink in the ink bottle is supplied through the supply pipe, the concave guide and coupling hole extending in the thickness direction from the outside and inside of the central part of the rubber cap. established,
A slit whose width is larger than the diameter of the outer surface of the supply pipe and the concave guide is provided between the concave guide and the coupling hole, and holes are provided at both ends of the slit, and the rubber cap is attached to the bottom of the ink bottle. An ink supply device characterized by having a button fixed to the ink supply device.