JP2008302631A - Ink jet recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the problem that a clearance is generated in the slit part provided in an elastic body with resulting in an ink leakage occurrence in a septum unit which is the connection part of an ink tube and the ink feeding port of an ink container. <P>SOLUTION: In the septum unit 51 for connecting the ink tube 50 to an ink jet head or an ink tank, the elastic body 512 in which a pipe 45 connected to an ink channel is inserted is structured so that, while the pipe 45 penetrating a slit may be fitted, an inner hole connecting to the ink channel be provided, and the periphery part may contact the internal diameter part of a connector 511 forming the ink channel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus.

A general configuration of this type of ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head that selectively ejects ink, a carriage on which the recording head is mounted, a main scanning drive unit that reciprocates the carriage in the main scanning direction, and recording paper. Is provided to form a desired image on the recording paper by synchronizing the main scanning, the sub-scanning and the ink ejection of the recording head.
As the ink supply means, a method in which the ink cartridge is supplied to the recording head through a joint for communicating the ink cartridge and the recording head, or an apparatus in which the ink cartridge and the recording head are integrally formed is used. It is necessary that negative pressure is applied to the ink to be supplied to the nozzle. Therefore, in this kind of ink cartridge, the ink is soaked into the compressed porous body, and the capillary force of the porous body is used. A negative pressure mechanism that generates negative pressure in ink is built in. In addition, it is configured to be attachable to and detachable from the recording head or carriage so that the ink cartridge can be replaced with a new cartridge when the ink runs out.
JP 2003-326732 A

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the type in which the cartridge is mounted on the carriage, if the amount of ink stored in the cartridge is increased, a problem such as an increase in weight and an obstacle to high-speed movement of the carriage occurs. Cannot be made too large, and is not suitable for an ink jet recording apparatus that records on a large recording paper such as A0 size. For this reason, this type of large format inkjet recording apparatus employs a system in which ink is supplied from an ink tank provided in the recording apparatus body to a recording head mounted on the carriage via a tube.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the main configuration of this type of large format ink jet recording apparatus. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 1 denotes a recording paper transported in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction) by a sub-scanning driving unit (not shown). A platen 2 placed on the platen 1 is provided with a guide rail extending in the main scanning direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording paper placed on the platen 1, 3 is a carriage slidably provided on the guide rail 2, and 4 is ink. An inkjet head that discharges droplets onto recording paper, 5 is a flexible tube for supplying ink to the head 4, and 6 is an ink tank that stores and holds ink supplied to the head 4.
As shown in the drawing, the carriage 3 is configured to be movable in the main scanning (Y-axis) direction along the guide rail 2, and four recording heads 401 to 404 are mounted on the carriage 3.
Each of the recording heads 401 to 404 is connected to an ink tank 6 in which inks of different colors are held via the ink tubes 5, and the ink flow paths of these recording heads 4 -tube 5 -ink tank 6 are respectively It is provided to have a sealed structure. As a result, when ink is ejected from the ejection nozzle provided in the recording head 4, the inside of the recording head 4 becomes negative pressure according to the amount of ejected ink, and further, the ink tank 6 passes through the tube 5 according to this negative pressure. Ink is supplied to the recording head 4.
On the platen 1 immediately below the moving path of the recording head 4, a recording sheet is mounted so as to be movable in the sub-scanning (X-axis) direction. In the recording operation, the recording paper is moved in the X-axis direction, the recording head 4 is moved in the Y-axis direction, and desired recording is performed by selectively ejecting ink from each of the recording heads 401 to 404. ing.
JP 2002-240316 A

In this type of ink jet recording apparatus, an initial filling operation for guiding ink from the ink cartridge to the discharge nozzle of the ink jet recording head into the ink tube is required. As described, a suction cap that faces the recording head and adheres to the head surface when necessary and a suction pump that communicates with the suction cap are provided. In an apparatus having an ink tank configured to guide into a nozzle or an ink tank, a pump using a drive source such as a manual or a motor that discharges air to a sub tank of the recording head is provided, and ink is supplied from the ink tank through a tube by this pump. To fill the sub tank or ink tank Tube - the pump provided in one of the ink flow path of the recording head, a method is used such to supply ink to the recording head from the ink tank. This necessitates an operation for the initial operation, and the work is complicated. Moreover, since the number of parts increases as a whole device, the manufacturing cost is increased, and the device itself becomes large.
In order to solve this problem, the present applicant has provided an ink jet head in advance so as to accommodate a predetermined amount of ink, and can perform recording with the ink accommodated in advance, and the inside of the ink jet head by ink discharge accompanying recording. There has been proposed an ink jet recording apparatus configured to supply ink from an ink tank to an ink jet head via an ink tube by using a negative pressure.
FIG. 2 is an external view showing the main configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus, and the recording paper placed on the platen 1 is supported so that it can be conveyed in the sub-scanning direction (X direction in the figure) by a sub-scanning driving means (not shown). Then, the carriage 3 slides on the guide rail 20 and the guide shaft 21 provided so as to extend in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the recording paper conveyance direction, whereby the ink jet head 4 is moved in the main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure). The ink jet head 4 ejects ink droplets to perform desired recording on the recording paper. Further, the ink jet head 4 is configured to be supplied with ink from an ink tank 6 supported by the recording apparatus main body via an ink tube 5.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the carriage, the inkjet head and the cover member of the inkjet recording apparatus, and the ink flow path constituted by the inkjet head-ink tube-ink tank. The guide shaft 21 is slidably supported, and is provided so as to be movable in the main scanning direction by main scanning driving means (not shown). An ink jet head 4 is mounted on the carriage 3 and a cover member 7 is provided so as to be opened and closed. The cover member 7 includes a cover 70 that closes the inkjet head 4 and an arm 71 that supports the cover 70, and the arm 71 from the side that supports the cover 70 to the other end that sandwiches the guide rail 20. Are supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the carriage 3. Further, the cover 70 abuts against the inkjet head 4 when the cover member 7 is closed, and contacts the inkjet head 4 with the head pressing portion 72 that urges this toward the carriage 3 by the restoring force of the compression spring. A lever 73 is provided so as to contact and elastically deform and urge and hold it in the direction of the guide rail 20, and a hook 74 that engages with the carriage and fixes the cover member 7. Further, the cover 70 supports a septum unit 51 which is a connection portion of the ink tube 5.
An ink tank 6 installed in the recording apparatus main body is connected to the other end side of the ink tube 5. The ink jet head 4 is configured to be sealed as will be described later, and the ink tube connected to the ink jet head 4. 5. An ink flow path is formed by the ink in the ink tank 6 to which the ink tube 5 is connected. As shown in the drawing, the ink tank 6 is provided with an atmosphere opening portion for connecting the inside of the ink tank and the outside air in the vertical upward direction with respect to the installation surface, and is thereby stored in the ink tank 6. The ink is provided so that atmospheric pressure acts.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inkjet head 4 is provided with a head portion 41 having an ink discharge nozzle array on the surface facing the recording paper, that is, the bottom surface, and a cartridge 42 as an ink storage portion for containing ink. A lid 43 for sealing the upper opening of the cartridge 42, a cylindrical member 44 attached to the lid 43, a pipe 45 provided on the cylindrical member 44, and an ink holder 46 accommodated in the cartridge 42. ing.
The pipe 45 is a tubular tube member, which connects the ink tube 5 to the inkjet head 4 as will be described later, and supplies ink from the ink tank 6 to the cartridge 42 of the inkjet head 4 via the ink tube 5.

The septum unit 51, which is a connection part of the ink tube 5, has a connector 511 formed of a cylindrical tube at the center part to which the ink tube 50 is connected, and an end part of the connector 511 and a slit formed at the center part. An elastic body 512 made of rubber or the like, and a cap 513 that is caulked and fixed to the connector 511 so as to expose the slit of the central portion of the elastic body 512 and cover the elastic body 512, are configured with the ink tube 50, the connector An ink flow path is formed by the cylindrical tube 511 and the slit of the elastic body 512.
The septum unit 51 is fitted to a cylindrical member 44 provided in the inkjet head 4 to connect the ink tube 5 and the inkjet head 4 together.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the connection between the ink tube 5 and the inkjet head 4, and when the septum unit 51 is not connected to the inkjet head 4 as shown in FIG. The slit is in a closed state, whereby the inside of the ink tube 5 (ink flow path) is sealed.
When the ink tube 5 is connected to the inkjet head 4, the pipe 45 of the inkjet head 4 is brought into contact with the slit of the elastic body 512 of the septum unit 51, and further pushed, the pipe 45 elastically deforms the elastic body 512. The slit is opened and inserted. When the septum unit 51 is completely fitted into the cylindrical member 43, the ink flow path of the ink tube 5 and the cartridge 42, which is the ink storage part of the inkjet head 4, are connected as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the ink tank section 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. A base 60 provided to be fixed to the recording apparatus main body 1 and an ink container 61 to be attached to and detached from the base 60 are shown. It is comprised by.
The ink container 61 is provided so as to store ink in the container, and is connected to a space that is not filled with ink formed in the container and the outside air, and the ink stored in the container is opened to the atmosphere. An atmosphere opening 66 for applying atmospheric pressure and an ink supply port 64 for supplying ink in the container to the ink flow channel from the lower side of the container are configured to be provided on the same side surface of the container in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface. Yes. The atmosphere opening port 66 and the ink supply port 64 are in contact with connectors 661 and 641 in which tubes that pass through the ink container 61 to form flow paths are provided at the center thereof, and the end portions of the connectors, Elastic bodies 662 and 642 made of rubber or the like having a slit formed in the central portion, and caps 663 and 643 that are exposed to the slits in the central portion of the elastic body and are caulked and fixed to the connector so as to cover the elastic body. It is comprised by. In a state where the ink container 61 is removed from the base 60, the elastic bodies 662 and 642 of the atmosphere opening port 66 and the ink supply port 64 are in a state where the slits are closed. The container 61 is sealed.
A guide 62 is provided close to the surface of the ink container 61 where the air opening 66 and the ink supply port 64 are provided. The guide 62 is formed so as to have an outer shape larger than the cross-sectional shape of the ink container 61. As will be described later, the guide 62 abuts on the base 60 and functions as a guide member when slidably connected to the base 60. Is provided. Further, a projection 67 is provided on the surface of the ink container 61 where the atmosphere opening port 66 and the ink supply port 64 are provided, and the ink container 61 is prevented from being erroneously inserted in combination with a projection 68 of the base 60 described later. It is configured as follows.
The base 60 is provided so as to be fixed to the recording apparatus main body 1, and corresponds to the air opening port 66 and the ink supply port 64 of the ink container 61, and an air joint 65 as a second joint connected to them. A joint 63 as a first joint is provided in the vertical direction.
Also, as shown in the right side of FIG. 6, the upper and lower side inner surfaces 602 and 601 of the base 60 are provided with guides 62 to be described later so that the shapes of the guides 62 of the supported ink container 61 substantially coincide with each other. Sliding rails 601 and 602 are provided to form.
The air joint 65 as the second joint is a tubular member 651 into which the atmosphere opening 66 (the cap 663) of the ink container 61 is fitted, and a tubular tube member provided at the central portion of the tubular member 651. A pipe 652 and an air joint body 653 that is attached to the base 60 and connected to the flow path of the pipe 652 to open to the atmosphere and to be branched into a vertical downward flow path. ing. The joint 63 that is the first joint includes a cylindrical member 631 into which the ink supply port 64 of the ink container 61 is fitted, and a pipe 632 that is a tubular tube member provided in the central portion of the cylindrical member 631. The connector 633 is attached to the base 60 and connects the flow path of the pipe 631 and the ink tube 5.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, when the ink container is inserted into the recording apparatus main body, the atmosphere opening port and the ink supply port are fitted into the respective joints 65 and 63, and when further pressed, the pipe 652 provided in each joint. , 632 elastically deform the elastic bodies 662 and 642 to open the slit, and when this is completely fitted, the tip of the pipe 652 comes into contact with the tube provided at the center portion of the connector 661 from the atmosphere opening 66 and is connected. As a result, the inside of the ink container is opened to the atmosphere. Similarly, the tip of the pipe 632 is connected to the tube provided in the central portion of the connector 641 from the ink supply port 64, whereby the ink stored in the ink container is connected to the ink tube 5 (ink flow path). Is done. (Fig. 7)

In the recording operation, when ink is ejected from the head portion 41 of the ink jet head 4, the ink held by the ink holding body 46 is drawn out to the head portion 41, and the inside of the ink jet head 4 in a sealed state becomes negative pressure. In this ink jet recording apparatus, the ink flow path is hermetically sealed and, as described above, the atmospheric pressure acts on the ink in the ink tank 6, so that the ink is sucked from the ink tank 6 and discharged. The same amount of ink is dropped into the cartridge 42 from the pipe 45 through the ink tube 50 and the septum unit 51 and is held by the ink holding body 46, that is, ink is supplied from the ink tank 6 to the inkjet head 4.
JP 2007-001294 A

In the above-described conventional ink jet recording apparatus, the elastic bodies 512, 662, and 642 are respectively circular plate-shaped in the septum unit 51 that is the connection portion of the ink tube 5, the atmosphere opening 66 of the ink container 61, and the ink supply port 64. Is provided with a slit into which the pipes 45, 652, and 632 are inserted, and a temperature change or a change with time of the surrounding environment where the ink jet recording apparatus is installed, or the pipes 45, 652, and 632 are inserted. In some rare cases, the slit portion may be destroyed, such as when the load exceeding the allowable amount is applied to the elastic bodies 512, 662, and 642 due to external factors or the like. This causes a problem that ink leakage occurs.
The inkjet head is also joined with the elastic body 512, and every time the print head is replaced, it is repeatedly inserted and removed at the slit part of the 512, due to the damage of the slit part due to the life and the load exceeding the allowable amount, There is a case where a gap is generated in the slit portion and the negative pressure in the ink jet head cannot be maintained, and ink from the ink tank cannot be supplied to the ink jet head.
The present invention has been made to solve these problems.

  In order to solve the above problems, in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, in a septum unit connecting an ink tube and an ink jet head or an ink tank, an elastic body into which a pipe connected to an ink flow path is inserted is provided with a slit. The inner pipe connected to the ink flow path is provided while the penetrating pipe is fitted, and the outer peripheral portion thereof is provided so as to contact the inner diameter portion of the connector forming the ink flow path.

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, in a septum unit that connects an ink tube and an ink jet head or an ink tank, ink leaks even if a gap occurs in the slit portion of the elastic body, and a problem that ink cannot be supplied to the ink jet head occurs. There is nothing.

The ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a septum unit for connecting an ink tube and an ink jet head or an ink tank in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In this description, a septum unit 51 which is a connecting portion provided on one end side of the ink tube 5. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the ink supply port 64 and the base provided in the ink container 61 which is an ink tank are shown. It is also possible to apply to the first joint 63 provided at 60.
The septum unit 51, which is a connecting portion of the ink tube 5 in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention, has a central portion to which the ink tube 50 is connected abuts against a connector 511 formed of a cylindrical tube and an end portion of the connector 511, and the center. An elastic body 512 made of rubber or the like having a slit formed in a portion thereof, and a cap 513 that is fixed to the connector 511 by caulking and fixing the slit of the central portion of the elastic body 512 while exposing the elastic body 512. The ink flow path is formed by the ink tube 50, the cylindrical tube of the connector 511, and the slit of the elastic body 512.
The elastic body 512 has a flat plate-like portion having a slit formed in the central portion thereof, and an inner hole that penetrates the slit and connects to the inner diameter portion of the connector that forms a hollow ink flow path provided in the central portion of the connector 511. As shown in the drawing, the outer peripheral portion of the conical portion is provided so as to contact the inner diameter portion of the connector 511, and in this state, the elastic body 512 is covered. A cap 513 is caulked and fixed to the connector 511 so as to expose the slit at the center. When the septum unit 51 is fitted to a cylindrical member 44 provided on the inkjet head 4 and the ink tube 5 and the inkjet head 4 are connected, the pipe 45 of the inkjet head 4 is inserted into the slit of the elastic body 512 of the septum unit 51. When the pipe 45 is pushed in, the pipe 45 elastically deforms the flat portion of the elastic body 512 to open the slit, and is inserted. When this is further pushed in and the septum unit 51 is fitted into the cylindrical member 43, the pipe 45 penetrating the slit is fitted into the inner hole of the conical portion as shown in the figure. At this time, the elastic body 512 is elastically deformed between the pipe 45 and the inner diameter portion of the connector 511, and the connector 511 and the pipe 45 are sealed in a state where an ink flow path is secured.
According to the elastic body 512 of the present invention, it is possible to double seal between the slit of the flat plate portion and the conical portion that is elastically deformed and sealed between the connector 511 and the pipe 45, thereby the slit portion. Even if there is a gap in the ink, it is possible to prevent ink leakage. In addition, the joint with the ink jet head is the same, and it becomes possible to perform double sealing, so that the negative pressure in the ink jet head can be maintained even if a gap is generated in the slit portion, and the ink from the ink tank is transferred to the ink jet head. Can be reliably supplied.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the septum unit in the inkjet recording device of this invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the inkjet head and cover member of the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection of the ink tube and inkjet head in the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ink tank part in the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the ink tank part in the inkjet recording device of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conventional inkjet recording device.

Explanation of symbols

1 Platen (recording device body)
2 Guide rail 3 Carriage 4 Inkjet head 5 Ink tube 6 Ink tank 7 Cover

Claims (2)

An ink tank supported by the recording apparatus main body and storing ink;
An inkjet head mounted on a carriage and moved in the main scanning direction;
An ink tube that forms an ink flow path from the ink tank to the inkjet head;
In an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving an inkjet head mounted on the carriage in the main scanning direction and discharging ink,
The ink jet head is provided with a pipe that is inserted into an elastic slit provided in the ink tube and elastically deforms it to open the ink flow path,
The elastic body provided in the ink tube into which the pipe is inserted is provided with an inner hole for fitting the pipe penetrating the slit and connecting to the ink flow path, and the outer peripheral portion thereof is the ink flow path of the ink tube. An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is provided so as to abut on an inner diameter portion of a connector that forms the connector. An ink tank supported by the recording apparatus main body and storing ink;
An inkjet head mounted on a carriage and moved in the main scanning direction;
An ink tube that forms an ink flow path from the ink tank to the inkjet head;
In an inkjet recording apparatus that performs recording by moving an inkjet head mounted on the carriage in the main scanning direction and discharging ink,
The ink tube is provided with a pipe that is inserted into a slit of an elastic body provided in the ink tank and elastically deforms it to open the ink flow path,
The elastic body provided in the ink tank into which the pipe is inserted is provided with an inner hole for fitting the pipe penetrating the slit and connecting to the ink flow path, and the outer peripheral portion thereof is the ink flow path of the ink tank. An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus is provided so as to abut on an inner diameter portion of a connector that forms the connector.

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