Container housing device and ink jet recording apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a container storage device and an ink jet recording apparatus. The container storage device includes a device main body, a plurality of container storage portions, and a plurality of cover members. The plurality of container accommodating parts have openings arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction on a side surface of the device main body, and accommodate ink containers filled with ink. The plurality of cover members are attached to the device main body so as to be capable of opening and closing the opening. The cover member is provided with an inclined part, and the inclined part inclines from the outer side of the container accommodating part to the inner side along with the direction from the upper part to the lower end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container accommodating device and an inkjet recording device. Background Art

[0002] As image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers, inkjet recording apparatuses that record images by ejecting ink onto recording media such as paper are widely used because they can record high-definition images.

[0003] Such inkjet recording devices are often equipped with a plurality of cover members as an outer package of the device body. With respect to the inkjet recording device, the cover members are opened to allow access to the inside of the device. Thus, the inkjet recording device can handle, for example, paper jams of recording paper, maintenance of the device, and replacement of an ink container that has been filled with empty ink. Summary of the invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a container housing device and an inkjet recording device, which can improve the visual visibility of the lower part of the device and make it easy to replace the ink container.

[0005] The container storage device of the first structure of the present invention comprises a device body, a plurality of container storage parts and a plurality of cover members. The plurality of container storage parts have openings arranged adjacent to each other in the up-down direction on the side of the device body, and store ink containers filled with ink. The plurality of cover members are mounted relative to the device body in a manner that the openings can be opened and closed. The cover member has an inclined portion, and the inclined portion is inclined from the outside of the container storage part to the inside as it moves from the top to the bottom.

[0006] According to the first structure of the present invention, the inclined portion makes it easy to visually identify the portion of the container storage device below the cover member. Therefore, in the container storage device, the visual recognition of the lower part of the device can be improved, and the ink container can be easily replaced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional front view of an inkjet recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the recording portion of an inkjet recording device. Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top view of the periphery of a recording unit of an inkjet recording device. Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The present invention is a three-dimensional view of the recording portion of the present invention, and is a view showing a state in which the tray of the container accommodating device is pulled out. Figure 5 yes Figure 2A sectional side view of a container receiving device. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 0 is a sectional side view of the container housing device, and is a view showing a state in which the cover member is opened. Figure 7 yes Figure 5 0 is a partial three-dimensional view of a container storage device, and is a view showing a state in which a cover member is opened. Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An enlarged stereoscopic view of a container receiving device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the following contents.

[0009] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional front view of the inkjet recording device 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a recording unit 3 of an inkjet recording device 1. Figure 2 In the figure, the description of some components of the recording unit 3 is omitted. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the following drawings, arrow lines indicating the left-right lateral direction Dx, the front-back direction Dy, and the up-down direction Dz of the device are drawn as appropriate.

[0010] The inkjet recording device 1 is, for example, an inkjet recording printer. Figure 1 As shown, the inkjet recording apparatus 1 includes a paper supply unit 2 , a recording unit 3 , a drying unit 4 , a paper discharge unit 5 , and a control unit 6 .

[0011] The paper supply unit 2 is disposed at the most upstream portion in the paper conveying direction Dc in the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The paper supply unit 2 accommodates a plurality of sheets of paper (recording media) S, and separates and feeds the sheets of paper S one by one during recording.

[0012] The recording section 3 is connected to the downstream side of the paper supply section 2 in the paper conveying direction Dc of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The recording section 3 includes a belt conveying section 31 and a recording unit 32.

[0013] The belt conveyor 31 has a conveyor belt 311 formed in an endless shape, and a paper suction unit 312. The conveyor belt 311 has a plurality of holes (not shown) penetrating the front and back surfaces. The paper suction unit 312 is arranged adjacent to the upper portion of the conveyor belt 311 on the inner side of the conveyor belt 311. A suction unit (not shown) composed of a plurality of holes for sucking air downward is formed on the upper surface of the paper suction unit 312.

[0014] The belt conveyor 31 conveys the paper S by sucking and holding the paper S on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 311 with the paper suction unit 312. The belt conveyor 31 is disposed below the recording unit 32 and faces the recording unit 32, and conveys the paper S received from the paper supply unit 2.

[0015] The recording unit 32 is disposed opposite to the belt conveying unit 31. The recording unit 32 is disposed above the conveying belt 311 at a predetermined interval, opposite to the sheet S being sucked and held on the upper surface of the conveying belt 311 for conveyance.

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A top view of the periphery of the recording unit 32 of the inkjet recording device 1. Figure 3 As shown, the recording unit 32 holds head units 321B, 321C, 321M, and 321Y corresponding to four colors of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively. The head units 321B, 321C, 321M, and 321Y are arranged along the paper conveying direction Dc in such a manner that the long side direction is parallel to the paper width direction Dw, and the paper width direction Dw is orthogonal to the paper conveying direction Dc. In addition, the four head units 321B, 321C, 321M, and 321Y have the same basic structure, so in the following description, the identification marks "B", "C", "M", and "Y" representing various colors are sometimes omitted except for cases that require special limitation.

[0017] Each color head unit 321 includes a line-jet recording head 322. In each color head unit 321, a plurality of recording heads 322 (eg, three (322a, 322b, 322c)) are arranged in a staggered pattern along the paper width direction Dw.

[0018] The recording head 322 has a plurality of ink ejection nozzles 3221 at the bottom. The plurality of ink ejection nozzles 3221 are arranged in a row along the paper width direction Dw, and can eject ink to the entire recording area on the paper S. The recording unit 32 ejects ink from the recording heads 322 of the four color head units 321B, 321C, 321M, and 321Y in sequence toward the paper S transported by the transport belt 311, and records a full-color image or a black-and-white image on the paper S.

[0019] Back to Figure 1 The drying section 4 is connected to the downstream side of the recording section 3 in the paper conveying direction Dc of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. The drying section 4 includes a belt conveying section 41 and a heating unit 42.

[0020] The belt conveyor 41 has a conveyor belt 411 formed in an endless shape, and a paper suction unit 412. The conveyor belt 411 has a plurality of holes (not shown) penetrating the front and back surfaces. The paper suction unit 412 is arranged adjacent to the upper portion of the conveyor belt 411 on the inner side of the conveyor belt 411. A suction unit (not shown) composed of a plurality of holes for sucking air downward is formed on the upper surface of the paper suction unit 412.

[0021] The belt conveyor 41 conveys the paper S by sucking and holding the paper S on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 411 with the paper suction unit 412. The belt conveyor 41 is disposed below the heating unit 42 and faces the heating unit 42, and conveys the paper S received from the paper supply unit 2.

[0022] The heating unit 42 is disposed opposite to the belt conveying section 41. The heating unit 42 is disposed above the conveying belt 411 at a predetermined interval opposite to the paper S that is held by suction on the upper surface of the conveying belt 411 for conveyance. The heating unit 42 has a heat source such as a heater for heating and drying the paper S. In the drying section 4, the ink is dried while the paper S on which the ink image is recorded by the recording section 3 is held by suction on the belt conveying section 41 for conveyance.

[0023] The paper discharge section 5 is connected to the downstream side of the drying section 4 in the paper conveying direction Dc of the inkjet recording device 1. The paper S on which the ink is dried by the drying section 4 and the recording (printing) is completed is conveyed to the paper discharge section 5. In the paper discharge section 5, the printed paper (printed material) is taken out from the top or the side.

[0024] The control unit 6 includes a CPU, a storage unit, and other electronic circuits and electronic components (all not shown). The CPU controls the operation of each component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 according to the control program and data stored in the storage unit, and performs processing related to the function of the inkjet recording device 1. The paper supply unit 2, the recording unit 3, the drying unit 4, and the paper discharge unit 5 receive instructions from the control unit 6 separately, and record on the paper S in a linked manner. The storage unit is composed of a combination of a non-volatile storage device such as a program ROM (Read Only Memory) and a data ROM, and a volatile storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0025] Furthermore, the inkjet recording device 1 includes Figure 1 and Figure 2 The container storage device 7 shown. The container storage device 7 is formed integrally with the recording unit 3 on the lower side of the recording unit 3.

[0026] In addition, the container housing device 7 may be configured integrally with the inkjet recording device 1 as in the present embodiment, or may be configured as an optional device that is attachable to and detachable from the inkjet recording device 1 .

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 3, and is a diagram showing a state where a tray of the container accommodating device 7 is pulled out. Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A sectional side view of a container receiving device 7. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the container storage device 7, and is a diagram showing a state in which the cover member is opened. Figure 4 In, with Figure 2 Similarly, the depiction of some components of the recording unit 3 is omitted. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The figure shows a state where a joint portion 725 of the container housing device 7 described later and a cap portion 102 of the ink container 100 are connected.

[0028] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the container storage device 7 is disposed below the recording unit 3. The container storage device 7 stores a plurality of ink containers 100 filled with ink to be supplied to the recording unit 3. The container storage device 7 includes a plurality of container storage portions 72 and a plurality of cover members 73 in a device body 71.

[0029] The plurality of container storage sections 72 are arranged adjacent to each other in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the container storage device 7 includes twelve container storage sections 72. The twelve container storage sections 72 are arranged adjacent to each other in four rows in the horizontal direction Dx and in three layers in the vertical direction Dz.

[0030] The container housing portion 72 has an internal space of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the front-rear direction Dy of the device body 71. The container housing portion 72 houses the ink container 100 filled with ink in the internal space. The plurality of container housing portions 72 each have an opening 721 communicating with the outside at the front edge portion. The plurality of openings 721 are arranged adjacently in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction on the side (front) of the device body 71. The ink container 100 can enter and exit the container housing portion 72 through the opening 721.

[0031] The plurality of cover members 73 are disposed facing the respective openings 721 of the plurality of container housing portions 72. The cover member 73 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape having substantially the same size as the opening 721 when viewed from the front. The cover member 73 has a hinge portion 731 and an inclined portion 732.

[0032] The hinge portion 731 is disposed at one end (e.g., the left end) of the cover member 73 in the left-right lateral direction Dx. The hinge portion 731 is connected to the device body 71 and the cover member 73. The hinge portion 731 allows the cover member 73 to rotate relative to the device body 71 around a rotation axis extending in the up-down direction Dz. Thus, the plurality of cover members 73 are mounted relative to the device body 71 in a manner that the opening 721 can be opened and closed.

[0033] The inclined portion 732 is disposed at the lower front portion of the cover member 73. The inclined portion 732 is adjacent to the lower end of the cover member 73 and is formed from the lower end toward the upper side. The upper edge of the inclined portion 732 is located below the central portion of the cover member 73 in the up-down direction Dz. The inclined portion 732 extends over the entire area of ​​the cover member 73 in the left-right lateral direction Dx.

[0034] The inclined portion 732 is inclined from the outside to the inside of the container storage portion 72 as it moves from the top to the bottom. In the present embodiment, the inclined portion 732 is inclined from the front to the back of the container storage device 7 as it moves from the top to the bottom. In other words, the lower end periphery of the cover member 73 is inclined toward the inside (back side) of the container storage portion 72 and is recessed.

[0035] According to the above structure, if Figure 6 As shown in the figure, when the lower cover member 73 is opened, the state of the portion around the opening 721 in the lower container receiving portion 72 can be easily visually recognized. That is, the container receiving device 7 makes it easy to visually recognize the portion below the cover member 73 by the inclined portion 732. Therefore, in the container receiving device 7, the visual recognition of the lower portion of the device can be improved, and the ink container 100 can be easily replaced.

[0036] Furthermore, the container housing portion 72 includes a tray 722 , a slide rail 723 , an ink pipe 724 , and a joint portion 725 .

[0037] Here, the ink container 100 accommodated in the container accommodating portion 72 has a container body 101 and a cover 102. The container body 101 is composed of, for example, a laminated film as a flexible film, and is filled with ink inside. The container body 101 is, for example, a so-called gusset bag, and a lining (inward fold) is added to the side portion to give it thickness. The cover 102 is arranged at one end of the container body 101. The cover 102 has an ink flow channel that connects the inside and outside of the container body 101, and is an ink outflow port of the ink container 100.

[0038] The tray 722 is disposed in the container storage portion 72. The tray 722 is formed into a rectangular box shape with an open upper surface. A handle 722h is installed on the front of the tray 722. In the inner space of the tray 722, the ink container 100 is loaded from the upper surface opening. The tray 722 has a cover insertion portion 722a.

[0039] The cover insertion portion 722a is formed on the front wall portion 722w of the tray 722. The front wall portion 722w of the tray 722 extends in the horizontal direction Dx and the vertical direction Dz. The cover insertion portion 722a is configured as a groove portion extending downward from the upper edge of the front wall portion 722w by a predetermined length.

[0040] When the ink container 100 is stored in the container storage portion 72, the cover 102 of the ink container 100 is inserted into the cover insertion portion 722a from above. The cover 102 is inserted into the cover insertion portion 722a with the ink outlet facing the front side (front) of the tray 722.

[0041] When the container housing portion 72 is viewed from the front, a pair of slide rails 723 are disposed on the left and right sides of the tray 722. The pair of slide rails 723 are disposed between the inner side surface of the container housing portion 72 and the outer side surface of the tray 722, and are opposed to each other in the left and right lateral direction Dx across the tray 722. The slide rails 723 are composed of, for example, a fixed rail mounted on the inner side surface of the container housing portion 72, a front end rail mounted on the outer side surface of the tray 722, and an intermediate rail connected between the fixed rail and the front end rail.

[0042] The slide rail 723 extends in the insertion direction and the pull-out direction of the tray 722 relative to the container housing portion 72, that is, extends parallel to the front-rear direction Dy of the container housing device 7. The user holds the handle 722h on the front of the tray 722 to slide the tray 722 in the insertion direction and the pull-out direction. That is, the slide rail 723 holds the tray 722 so that it can slide in the insertion direction and the pull-out direction.

[0043] The ink pipe 724 is disposed in the container housing portion 72. The ink pipe 724 extends from the inside of the device body 71 toward the opening 721. The ink pipe 724 is composed of, for example, a flexible synthetic resin tube, and one end of the ink pipe 724 is connected to the recording head 322 via a suction pump and an auxiliary ink cartridge (all not shown). A joint portion 725 is provided at the other end of the ink pipe 724. The ink filled in the ink container 100 circulates inside the ink pipe 724.

[0044] The joint portion 725 is provided at the end of the ink pipe 724 extending from the inside of the device body 71. The joint portion 725 has an ink flow passage that connects the inside and the outside of the ink pipe 724, and is an ink inlet of the ink container 100. The joint portion 725 is detachably connected to the cover portion 102 of the ink container 100 loaded in the tray 722.

[0045] Moreover, if Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown in FIG. 1 , the joint portion 725 is disposed adjacent to the cover member 73 on the inner side of the cover member 73. According to this structure, the cover member 73 has the inclined portion 732, so that when the lower cover member 73 is opened, the state of the joint portion 725 in the lower container accommodating portion 72 can be easily visually recognized. Therefore, the workability of attaching and detaching the joint portion 725 to the cover portion 102 of the ink container 100 is improved. As a result, the ink container 100 can be easily replaced.

[0046] In addition, the inclined portion 732 of the cover member 73 has a handle portion 733. The handle portion 733 is formed in a concave shape that is recessed from the outer surface of the inclined portion 732 toward the inner side. In other words, the handle portion 733 is recessed from the outer side (front side) of the cover member 73 toward the inner side (back side) of the container storage portion 72. In addition, specifically, the handle portion 733 is arranged near the other end (right end) side opposite to the one end (left end) where the hinge portion 731 is arranged in the left-right lateral direction Dx of the cover member 73.

[0047] According to the above structure, the user can easily open and close the cover member 73 by placing a finger on the handle portion 733. Thus, when replacing the ink container 100, the workability can be improved. In addition, since the handle portion 733 is provided on the inclined portion 732, it is difficult to be seen from above. Therefore, the aesthetic appearance of the container storage device 7 can be improved.

[0048] Furthermore, the cover member 73 has a joint support portion 734 . Figure 7 yes Figure 5 1 is a partial three-dimensional view of the container housing device 7, and is a view showing a state in which the cover member 73 is opened. Figure 8 yes Figure 7 An enlarged stereoscopic view of the container receiving device 7. Figure 7 and Figure 8 This shows a state where the connection between the joint portion 725 and the cover portion 102 is released.

[0049] The joint support portion 734 is formed on the upper surface portion 73u of the cover member 73. The upper surface portion 73u of the cover member 73 extends in the left-right lateral direction Dx and the front-back direction Dy. The joint support portion 734 is configured as a groove portion extending from the edge portion of the back side of the upper surface portion 73u of the cover member 73 to the front side (front) with a predetermined length.

[0050] In a state where the cover member 73 is opened and the connection between the joint portion 725 and the lid portion 102 is released, the user can insert the joint portion 725 into the joint support portion 734. The joint portion 725 is inserted into the joint support portion 734 with the ink inlet facing upward.

[0051] The joint support portion 734 is a groove-shaped portion smaller than the flange portion 725f of the inserted joint portion 725, and supports the flange portion 725f from below. The joint portion 725 supported by the joint support portion 734 does not fall off the upper surface portion 73u of the cover member 73. In this way, the joint support portion 734 supports the joint portion 725 that is disconnected from the cover portion 102.

[0052] According to the above structure, the joint portion 725 before or after being connected to the cover portion 102 of the ink container 100 can be supported by the joint support portion 734. Since the ink inlet of the joint portion 725 supported by the joint support portion 734 faces upward, it is possible to prevent the ink in the ink pipe 724 from spilling. Therefore, when the ink container 100 is replaced, contamination of the container storage device 7 by the ink can be suppressed.

[0053] As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the scope of this invention is not limited to this, It can be implemented with various changes within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

Claims

1. A container receiving device, characterized in that: have: Device body; A plurality of container accommodating portions having openings arranged adjacent to each other in the up-down direction on the side surface of the device body, and accommodating ink containers filled with ink; as well as A plurality of cover members are mounted on the device body in a manner capable of opening and closing the opening. The cover member has an inclined portion that is inclined from the outside toward the inside of the container housing portion as it moves from the upper side toward the lower end.

2. The container receiving device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The container receiving portion comprises: a tray for loading the ink container; a slide rail that holds the tray slidably in an insertion direction and a pull-out direction; and The joint portion is provided at the end of the ink pipe extending from the inside of the device body and is connected to the cover portion serving as the ink outlet of the ink container. The joint portion is arranged inside the cover member and adjacent to the cover member.

3. The container receiving device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cover member includes a joint support portion that supports the joint portion that is disconnected from the lid portion.

4. The container receiving device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inclined portion has a handle portion formed in a concave shape that is recessed from an outer surface toward the inside.

5. An inkjet recording device, characterized in that: A container housing device according to claim 1 is provided.

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