Liquid dispensing device

Abstract

To provide a liquid discharge device capable of suppressing dripping and scattering of liquid upon exchanging operation of a liquid storage part.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device 1 includes: a discharge port 38 which discharges liquid; a cover member 30 which covers the discharge port 38; a channel member 32 which is connected with the cover member 30 and allows liquid recovered from the discharge port 38 via the cover member 30 to flow therethrough; a liquid storage part 37 which is connected with the channel member 32 and stores the liquid flowing through the channel member 32; and a casing 10 which is provided with the discharge port 38, the cover member 30, the channel member 32, and the liquid storage part 37 in an internal part. A fixing member 41 which fixes an opening of an end part 32a on the liquid storage part side of the channel member 32 vertically upwardly is formed in the casing 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a liquid ejection device that uses inkjet recording technology to eject a liquid from a discharge port of a liquid ejection head and record an image, characters, etc. on a recording medium such as paper is known. In such a liquid ejection device, since the liquid near the discharge port is in contact with the outside air, the liquid may evaporate and thicken. Then, the thickened liquid clogs the flow path, causing a phenomenon in which the ejection of the liquid from the discharge port is hindered. Therefore, in a conventional liquid ejection device, the liquid in the discharge port of the liquid ejection head is sucked or pushed out by a pump and discharged, and the discharged liquid is stored in a liquid storage unit.

[0003] In recent years, in a liquid ejection device that is required to be miniaturized and thinned, it is difficult to secure the space for a large-capacity liquid storage unit. Therefore, a liquid ejection device has been devised in which the liquid storage unit is made replaceable to extend the life of the liquid ejection device itself. In such a liquid ejection device, when replacing the replaceable liquid storage unit, measures are taken to prevent the ink from dripping or scattering from the connection portion between the ink flow path through which the ink discharged from the discharge port of the liquid ejection head passes and the liquid storage unit. For example, in the liquid ejection device described in Patent Document 1, a negative pressure is generated in the waste liquid flow path in conjunction with the replacement operation of the liquid storage unit to suck the ink and prevent the ink from dripping.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, when replacing the liquid reservoir, the tip of the waste liquid channel member on the liquid reservoir side is facing vertically downward. Therefore, even if negative pressure is created inside the waste liquid channel member to suck out the liquid, if liquid remains at the tip of the waste liquid channel member on the liquid reservoir side, there is a risk of liquid dripping or splashing.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a liquid dispensing device that can suppress dripping and splashing of liquid during replacement work of the liquid storage section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for dispensing liquid Liquid dispensing head for Outlet of Cover for Covering member and One end It is connected to the covering member and, via the covering member, from the discharge port For recovering the liquid A flow channel member, and the flow channel member The other end opposite to the aforementioned one end and It has a connecting part The flow channel member Retrieved via Store liquid for Liquid storage section, A pump for supplying liquid from the discharge port to the liquid storage section, The aforementioned Liquid dispensing head , the covering member, the flow path member, the liquid storage section and the pump to the inside capacity A liquid dispensing device having a housing, When the flow channel member is connected to the liquid reservoir, the connection direction between the other end of the flow channel member and the connecting portion is not vertically upward, and when the flow channel member is not connected to the liquid reservoir, The flow channel member The other end The opening Within a range of +60 degrees to -60 degrees, with gravity pointing upward as the reference point. Fix for The fixing member The inside of the aforementioned housing A liquid dispensing device characterized by being equipped with [a specific feature / feature]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the dripping and splashing of liquid when replacing the liquid storage section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing a liquid dispensing device. [Figure 2]Schematic diagram showing the interior of a liquid ejection device. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram showing a maintenance section. [Figure 4] Schematic diagram showing a maintenance section provided with a fixing section. [Figure 5] Schematic diagram showing a maintenance section provided with an auxiliary member. [Figure 6] Schematic diagram showing a maintenance section provided with a display section.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions, and the scope of this invention is not intended to be limited to the following embodiments. In addition, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a liquid ejection device in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid ejection device 1 includes a housing 10, a print medium input unit 11 for inputting a print medium such as paper, a print output unit 12 for discharging printed matter, an ink storage unit 13 for storing ink for printing, and an operation panel unit 14 for performing a printing operation. Further, the liquid ejection device 1 has a maintenance unit 15 for maintaining the liquid ejection head 23 (FIG. 2) after performing a printing operation. The maintenance method will be described in detail later.

[0012] The internal structure of the liquid ejection device 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2. Inside the liquid ejection device 1, a cassette 24, a paper feed roller 25, a positioning roller 27, a liquid ejection head 23, an ink tube 22, and an ink storage unit 13 are configured.

[0013] The cassette 24 is a so-called box container that can hold multiple sheets of recording paper as a printing medium in a stacked state. The cassette 24 has a slide mechanism that can be horizontally taken out from and inserted into the housing 10. When setting the paper, the cassette 24 is pulled out, and after setting the paper, the cassette 24 is pushed in. Also, movable guides are installed at two positions in the width direction and the depth direction inside the cassette 24 so that different paper sizes such as A4 size and postcard size can be centered to some extent.

[0014] The paper feed roller 25 is rotationally speed-adjusted to pick up one sheet of the recording paper held in the cassette 24 at a time. A rubber with a wave-like shape, so-called elephant skin, is wound around the contact surface with the paper. With such a configuration, it is easy to feed the recording paper one sheet at a time.

[0015] The positioning roller 27 accurately conveys the recording paper by the friction between the roller surface and the recording paper so that the distance between the liquid discharge head 23 and the recording paper is within a certain range. The roller surface is covered with, for example, a paint containing ceramic particles.

[0016] The liquid discharge head 23 receives document or image data from a PC (not shown) and performs printing by accurately discharging ink onto the recording paper from the discharge ports 38 (Fig. 3) that discharge the liquid. Also, the liquid discharge head 23 may be a so-called serial type that discharges ink while moving in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording paper, or a so-called full-line type that discharges ink over the entire width direction of the recording paper without movement.

[0017] The ink tube 22 individually connects the liquid discharge head 23 and the ink storage section 13 fixed to the housing 10 for each color. That is, the liquid is supplied from the ink storage section 13 to the liquid discharge head 23 through the ink tube 22. The ink storage section 13 is partitioned so that each color can be stored individually, and ink is replenished to the ink storage section 13 for each color with an ink bottle (not shown).

[0018] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the maintenance unit 15. The maintenance unit 15 is responsible for sucking and removing ink remaining in the liquid ejection head 23 after printing. The maintenance unit 15 comprises a movable part 31, a cam mechanism 33 for moving the movable part 31 vertically, a pump 34, a covering member 30 provided on the movable part 31, a flow path member 32, and a liquid storage unit 37 for storing the liquid removed from the liquid ejection head 23.

[0019] The covering member 30 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and is positioned opposite the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23 when the liquid discharge head 23 is located above the movable part 31.

[0020] The cam mechanism 33 is a mechanism for raising or lowering the movable part 31. By raising the movable part 31 using the cam mechanism 33, the covering member 30 can be brought into contact with the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23. On the other hand, by lowering the movable part 31 using the cam mechanism 33, the covering member 30 can be separated from the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23.

[0021] The covering member 30 is configured to cover the row of discharge ports 38 that discharge ink of each color when it comes into contact with the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23. When the covering member 30 is in contact with the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23, the space enclosed by the covering member 30 and the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23 is a substantially sealed space. This configuration prevents the ink near the discharge ports 38 from coming into contact with the outside air, thereby suppressing ink evaporation and viscosity increase.

[0022] The end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the liquid storage side is connected to the liquid storage section 37, and the end 32b of the flow channel member 32 on the covering member side is connected to the covering member 30. In other words, the flow channel member 32 is connected to the covering member 30, and the liquid recovered from the discharge port 38 flows through the flow channel member 32 via the covering member 30 and is stored in the liquid storage section 37. The flow channel member 32 is made of, for example, a flexible resin material.

[0023] Pump 34 is a rotary-type tube pump, for example, that operates using the driving force from motor 35. Pump 34 communicates with the substantially sealed space enclosed when the covering member 30 contacts the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23, via the flow path member 32. When motor 35 is driven while the covering member 30 is in contact with the lower surface of the liquid discharge head 23 and covering the discharge port 38, the substantially sealed space within the covering member 30 becomes negatively pressurized by pump 34, and ink is discharged from each discharge port 38. In this way, by removing ink that has thickened upon contact with the outside air during maintenance from each discharge port 38, discharge failures are suppressed.

[0024] The ink discharged from each discharge port 38 is received by the coating member 30. The received ink is then pumped 34 through the flow channel member 32 and flows from the liquid discharge head side end 32b to the liquid storage side end 32a. Since the liquid storage side end 32a is connected to the liquid storage section 37, the ink discharged from the discharge port 38 is ultimately stored in the liquid storage section 37.

[0025] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the maintenance unit 15. Figure 4(a) shows the state in which the end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the liquid storage side is connected to the liquid storage unit 37. The liquid storage unit 37 is connected to the end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the liquid storage side. The ink that has flowed through the flow channel member 32 is absorbed by the absorbent 39 contained in the liquid storage unit 37. The liquid storage unit 37 is also in communication with the atmosphere through a tiny hole (not shown) formed on its upper surface. When the amount of waste liquid accumulated in the liquid storage unit exceeds a predetermined amount, the end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the liquid storage side is withdrawn from the liquid storage unit 37, and the liquid storage unit 37 is replaced. After replacing the liquid storage unit 37, the end 32a on the liquid storage side is reconnected to the new liquid storage unit 37.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4(a), a fixing member 41 is formed inside the maintenance section 15 to fix the liquid reservoir side end 32a of the flow path member 32. Figure 4(b) shows the state when the liquid reservoir side end 32a of the flow path member 32 is fixed to the fixing member 41 when the liquid reservoir 37 is replaced.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4(b), the fixing member 41 has a notch into which the end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the waste liquid storage side is fitted and fixed. This notch allows the opening of the end 32a to be fixed vertically upward even when the flow channel member 32 is pulled out of the liquid storage section 37 by fitting the end 32a on the liquid storage section side into the fixing member 41. Fixing the end 32a on the liquid storage section side prevents the opening of the end 32a on the liquid storage section side from facing downward, thus preventing ink from dripping or splashing. Fixing the end 32a on the liquid storage section side also prevents the end 32a from moving. This prevents ink from dripping or splashing due to movement of the end 32a. Here, "vertically upward" in this invention means an angle such that ink does not flow down from the end 32a on the liquid storage section side due to gravity. In other words, in this invention, "vertically upward" refers to a range from +60 degrees to -60 degrees relative to the upward direction of gravity.

[0028] In Figure 4(b), the fixing member 41 is shown as a notch, but this is not limited to any shape that can hold the liquid reservoir end 32a of the flow path member 32 in a vertically upward direction. For example, it may be a shape that fixes the liquid reservoir end 32a by inserting it vertically upward into a through hole.

[0029] Furthermore, if the fixing member 41 is a notch or a through hole, the diameter of the notch or through hole can be made smaller than the diameter of the flow channel member 32 to narrow the flow channel member 32. This further suppresses ink dripping. Also, although Figure 4 shows the fixing member 41 being provided on an existing rib inside the housing 10, the fixing member 41 may also be provided by, for example, creating a new cylindrical shape.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, an auxiliary member 42 for fixing to the fixing member 41 may be provided near the end 32a of the flow channel member 32 on the liquid storage member side. By providing the auxiliary member 42, the flow channel member 32 can be fixed more securely, and thus a better effect in preventing ink from dripping or splashing can be expected.

[0031] Furthermore, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the auxiliary member 42 is larger than the diameter of the fixing member 41. This ensures that the flow path member 32 is securely fixed by the fixing member 41.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the housing 10 may also be provided with a display unit 43 near the fixing member 41 to indicate that it is the fixing part of the flow path member 32. By providing the display unit 43, even a person who has never removed the flow path member 32 before can reliably fix the flow path member 32, and thus it is expected that ink dripping and splashing will be prevented even more effectively.

[0033] In this way, by providing a fixing member 41 when the flow path member 32 is removed from the liquid storage section 37, ink dripping and splashing can be prevented. Furthermore, a mechanism to prevent ink dripping and splashing becomes unnecessary, allowing for efficient use of space within the housing 10. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Liquid discharge device 10 cabinets 30 Covering member 32 Flow channel members 32a End portion on the liquid storage side 32b End portion on the covering member side 37 Liquid storage section 37a Tube connection section of the liquid storage section 38 Discharge port 41 Fixing member 42 Auxiliary members 43 Display section

Claims

1. A covering member for covering the discharge port of a liquid discharge head for dispensing liquid, A flow channel member is provided, with one end connected to the covering member, for recovering liquid from the discharge port via the covering member. The liquid storage section has a connecting portion that connects to the other end of the flow channel member opposite to the one end of the flow channel member, and stores the liquid recovered through the flow channel member, A pump for supplying liquid from the discharge port to the liquid storage section via the covering member, A liquid dispensing device comprising a liquid dispensing head, a covering member, a flow path member, a liquid storage section, and a housing capable of housing the pump inside, When the flow channel member is connected to the liquid reservoir, the connection direction between the other end of the flow channel member and the connecting portion is not vertically upward, A liquid dispensing device characterized in that, when the flow channel member is not connected to the liquid storage section, a fixing member is provided inside the housing for fixing the opening at the other end of the flow channel member within a range of +60 degrees to -60 degrees relative to the upward direction of gravity.

2. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a notch into which the other end is fitted for fixing.

3. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the diameter of the notch is smaller than the diameter of the flow channel member.

4. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixing member is a through hole into which the other end is inserted for fixing.

5. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein the diameter of the through hole is smaller than the diameter of the flow channel member.

6. The liquid dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the other end is provided with an auxiliary member for fixing to the fixing member.

7. The liquid dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the outer diameter of the auxiliary member is larger than the diameter of the fixing member.

8. The liquid dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the housing is provided with a display unit for displaying the position of the fixing member.

9. The liquid dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the flow channel member is a flexible resin member.

10. The liquid dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the connection direction is horizontal.

11. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein when the flow channel member is not connected to the liquid storage section, the opening at the other end of the flow channel member faces vertically upward.

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