Ink box for supplementing ink to drawing machine

Abstract

The invention provides an ink cartridge for replenishing ink to a plotter. The ink cartridge is compact in the height direction, and the connectivity of terminals arranged on the ink cartridge is improved. The ink cartridge (300) includes a housing (320), a recording medium for recording information related to the ink cartridge (300), an access terminal (342) electrically connected to the recording medium and accessed by the plotter-side terminal through the ink cartridge receiving portion, and a holding member (343) for holding the recording medium and the access terminal (342). The holding member (343) is supported by the housing (320) and is switchable between an extended position at which the access terminal (342) is in contact with the plotter-side terminal and a retracted position at which the access terminal (342) is separated from the plotter-side terminal.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ink cartridge for supplementing ink to a plotter. BACKGROUND

[0002] For example, an inkjet printing device is known that employs a drop-on-demand (DOD) method to eject ink to a packaging material such as paperboard to print characters (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-131141).

[0003] In the inkjet printing device of Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-131141, a large ink reservoir for containing ink is provided laterally of a print head that ejects ink.

[0004] However, in the case where an ink reservoir is provided as in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-131141, when ink needs to be supplemented, it is necessary to open a lid of the ink reservoir, then pour the supplemental ink, and close the lid after the ink has been poured, which is a cumbersome operation that makes it inconvenient to use. In addition, when the supplemental ink is poured into the ink reservoir, there is a risk that the supplemental ink will spill and contaminate the surrounding environment.

[0005] In this regard, for example, an ink cartridge is used, and the supplement of ink can be completed simply by performing a dismounting operation of the ink cartridge, so there is no risk of the supplemental ink leaking, and it is possible to prevent the surrounding environment from being contaminated.

[0006] However, generally, an ink cartridge is in an elongated shape that extends in the direction of insertion when inserted into a machine case, so if an attempt is made to increase the capacity of the ink cartridge, the length of the ink cartridge that protrudes from the outer surface of the machine case increases, which hinders the convenience of the user.

[0007] In addition, by providing a recording medium on which information about the ink cartridge is recorded on the ink cartridge, it is possible to be used for, for example, ink quality management and the like. In this case, when the ink cartridge is mounted on a plotter, it is necessary to prevent poor electrical connection between a terminal connected to the recording medium of the ink cartridge and a terminal provided on the plotter side.

[0008] In view of this, an object of the present disclosure is to achieve a small size of an ink cartridge in the height direction while improving the connectivity of a terminal provided on the ink cartridge. SUMMARY

[0009] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present disclosure can be premised on an ink cartridge that is inserted into an ink cartridge receiving portion provided on a plotter for replenishing ink to the plotter that ejects ink for plotting information to a plotted object conveyed by a conveyer. The ink cartridge includes an ink accommodating portion that accommodates ink; a piping member that has a flow path that communicates with an internal space of the ink accommodating portion; a housing that supports the piping member and exposes one end of the piping member to the outside; a recording medium that records information related to the ink cartridge; an access terminal that is electrically connected to the recording medium and is accessed from a terminal on the plotter side through the ink cartridge receiving portion; and a holding member that holds the recording medium and the access terminal and is supported by the housing in a manner that is switchable between an extended position in which the access terminal is in contact with the terminal on the plotter side and a retracted position in which the access terminal is away from the terminal on the plotter side.

[0010] According to this structure, since the ink cartridge only needs to be replaced at the time of ink replenishment, the situation of ink spillage at the time of ink replenishment does not occur, and it is possible to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment, and also, it is not necessary for the user to perform a complicated operation. Furthermore, since it is an ink cartridge that is inserted into the ink cartridge receiving portion of the main body, it is possible to sufficiently secure the capacity of the ink cartridge while achieving miniaturization in the height direction of the ink cartridge. In addition, by switching the holding member to the extended position, it is possible to bring the access terminal into contact with the terminal on the plotter side.

[0011] As described above, it is possible to achieve miniaturization of the ink cartridge in the height direction, and also, it is possible to improve the connectivity of the terminal provided on the ink cartridge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the inkjet printing apparatus;

[0014] Figure 3 is a plan view showing an installation example of a plotter and an inspection machine;

[0015] Figure 4 is a front view showing an installation example of a plotter and an inspection machine;

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a plotter as viewed from the front;

[0017] Figure 6 is a view showing a state in which the ink cartridge is removed, which corresponds to Figure 5

[0018] Figure 7 is a front view of a plotter;

[0019] ​Figure 8 is a perspective view of the plotter from the rear with the ink cartridge removed;

[0020] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the plotter from above with the ink cartridge removed;

[0021] Figure 10 is Figure 9 is a sectional view along the line X-X of Fig. 5;

[0022] Figure 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing the ink cartridge in the receiving-in-progress state; Figure 10

[0023] Figure 12 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 showing the ink cartridge in the receiving-completed state; Figure 10

[0024] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge;

[0025] Figure 14 is a plan view of the ink cartridge;

[0026] Figure 15 is a bottom view of the ink cartridge;

[0027] Figure 16 is a front view of the ink cartridge;

[0028] Figure 17 is a back view of the ink cartridge;

[0029] Figure 18 is a right side view of the ink cartridge;

[0030] Figure 19 is a left side view of the ink cartridge;

[0031] Figure 20 is a perspective view of the ROM unit;

[0032] Figure 21 is Figure 18 is a sectional view along the line XXI-XXI of Fig. 9 showing the holding member in the extended position;

[0033] Figure 22 is a view corresponding to Fig. 9 showing the holding member in the retracted position; Figure 21

[0034] Figure 23 is a sectional view of the ROM unit and the vicinity of the switching section of the modification 1 of the embodiment;

[0035] Figure 24A is a sectional view of the ROM unit and the vicinity of the switching section of the modification 2 of the embodiment showing the ROM unit in the retracted position; ​​​

[0036] Figure 24B is a view corresponding to FIG. 10 showing the ROM unit in the process of switching to the extended position; Figure 24A

[0037] Figure 24C is a view corresponding to FIG. 11 showing the ROM unit in the state of switching to the extended position; Figure 24A

[0038] Figure 25A is a sectional view of the ROM unit and the vicinity of the switching section of the modification 3 of the embodiment, showing the ROM unit in the retracted position;

[0039] Figure 25B is a view corresponding to FIG. 12 showing the ROM unit in the state immediately before switching to the extended position; Figure 25A

[0040] Figure 25C is a view corresponding to FIG. 13 showing the ROM unit in the process of switching to the extended position; Figure 25A

[0041] Figure 25D is a view corresponding to FIG. 14 showing the ROM unit in the state of switching to the extended position; Figure 25A

[0042] Figure 26 is a perspective view of the plotter from above in the state of removing the upper cover;

[0043] Figure 27 is a perspective view showing the state of removing the case that accommodates the sponge;

[0044] Figure 28 is a perspective view showing the state of removing the ink receiving section;

[0045] Figure 29 is a view from above showing the positional relationship of the print head, the ink receiving section, and the ink tank;

[0046] Figure 30 is a sectional view of the ink receiving section;

[0047] Figure 31 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge of the modification 4 of the embodiment from below;

[0048] Figure 32 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge of the modification 4 of the embodiment from above; and

[0049] Figure 33 is a perspective view showing the structure of the ink cartridge of the modification 5 of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] ​​​​​Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the following description of preferred embodiments is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present application, its application, or its uses.

[0051] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing the entire configuration of an inkjet printing apparatus 1 including a plotter 2 related to the embodiment of the present application at the time of use, and Figure 2 is a block diagram of the inkjet printing apparatus 1. The inkjet printing apparatus 1 is provided with, for example, the plotter 2, an inspection machine 3, a controller 4, and an operation terminal 5.

[0052] The plotter 2 is a portion that performs a plot processing on an object of a plot target, and is configured separately from the controller 4. The inspection machine 3 is a portion that determines whether or not a plot state of the plot processing performed by the plotter 2 on the object of the plot target is acceptable, and is configured separately from the controller 4. The inkjet printing apparatus 1 related to the embodiment is a kind of inkjet printing apparatus that ejects ink for plotting information to an object and determines whether or not a plot state is acceptable by imaging, because it is provided with the plotter 2 and the inspection machine 3.

[0053] The controller 4 is a portion that controls the plotter 2 and the inspection machine 3, and can also be referred to as a control device, a control unit, or the like. Further, the operation terminal 5 is configured by a personal computer or the like, and is a portion in which a user performs, for example, plot information input, various settings, selection, confirmation, and the like. The operation terminal 5 includes a terminal-side display portion 5a configured by a liquid crystal display or the like, and a terminal-side operation portion 5b configured by a keyboard, a mouse, a pointing device, or the like.

[0054] The above-described configuration example is merely one example, and the present application is not limited to the above-described configuration example. That is, the controller 4 can be built in the operation terminal 5, or can be built in the plotter 2. Further, the operation terminal 5 can also function as the controller 4. In addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 An external device 6 configured by a programmable logic controller (PLC) or the like is shown in FIG. 6, and the external device 6 is communicably connected to the controller 4. A control signal output from the external device 6 is input to the controller 4. The external device 6 can be a device that constitutes a part of the inkjet printing apparatus 1, or can be a device separate from the inkjet printing apparatus 1.

[0055] The inkjet printing apparatus 1 is a kind of apparatus for forming a plot pattern on a workpiece W (an example of a plot target) conveyed in a horizontal direction by a conveyor (an example of a conveying device) 10, and is assembled to be used in a manufacturing line (also referred to as a production line), and is a kind of apparatus for use in a line. The conveyor 10 is, for example, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or the like. The aforementioned production line is configured by the conveyor 10. The aforementioned production line is installed in various factories or in warehouses or the like. A relative position of the plotter 2 with respect to the conveyor 10 is fixed at a predetermined positional relationship.

[0056] At the time of operation of the inkjet printing apparatus 1, a plurality of workpieces W are sequentially conveyed in the direction of the arrow A as shown in the drawing, in a state of being placed on the conveying surface 10a of the conveyor 10. Therefore, the upstream side in the conveying direction is the left side of the drawing, and the downstream side in the conveying direction is the right side of the drawing. The plurality of workpieces W are placed on the conveying surface 10a in a state of being kept apart in the conveying direction, that is, the direction of the arrow A. The direction perpendicular to the direction of the arrow A and along the conveying surface 10a is defined as the width direction. Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 1

[0057] The workpiece W is not particularly limited, and for example, various kinds of packaging materials and the like can be cited. As a typical example of the packaging material, for example, a corrugated box and the like can be cited. The inkjet printing apparatus 1 draws information such as characters containing numbers, symbols, bar codes, two-dimensional codes, images, marks, illustrations, and combinations thereof on the workpiece W conveyed by the conveyor 10. In the case of drawing only characters, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 can be referred to as a character printing apparatus or the like, and the plotter 2 can be referred to as a character printer. Furthermore, the information drawing by the inkjet printing apparatus 1 also includes the case of printing an image and the like. In this case, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 can be referred to as a printing apparatus. In the following description, the character printing and the printing are collectively referred to as plotting.

[0058] Furthermore, the encoder 7 and the detection sensor 9 and the like described later, which are used to detect the position of the workpiece W, are connected to the controller 4. The controller 4 detects the position of the workpiece W on the basis of signals output from the encoder 7 and the detection sensor 9. The controller 4 controls the plotter 2 so as to start plotting when the workpiece W reaches a predetermined position.

[0059] (Configuration of the plotter 2)

[0060] The plotter 2 is a plotter of a DOD (Drop On Demand) system that ejects ink only when a plotting operation is required, but can also be a plotter of a CIJ (Continuous Ink Jet) system other than the DOD system that ejects ink even when a plotting operation is not required. Hereinafter, a case where the plotter 2 of the present embodiment is described with respect to a plotter using the DOD system.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1, the plotter 2 is equipped with an ink supply section 20, a print head driving section 21, and a DOD print head (hereinafter referred to as a print head) 22. The plotter 2 is also equipped with a plotter main body 25 on which the print head 22 is mounted (as shown in FIG. 2). The plotter main body 25 is fixed to the conveyor 10 or the like. Figure 2 Figure 1

[0062] ​​​​​The print head 22 is housed in a fixed state inside the plotter body 25, which is in a fixed positional relationship with the print head 22. In addition, the ink supply portion 20 and the print head drive portion 21 are also housed inside the plotter body 25.

[0063] The print head 22 of the DOD-type plotter 2 is, for example, a component corresponding to an ejection portion, and ejects ink supplied from the detachable ink cartridge 300 toward the workpiece W conveyed by the conveyer 10. The nozzle group 22a provided on the front end face of the print head 22 is arranged in the direction of gravity, i.e., the up-and-down direction. A plot pattern is formed on the workpiece W by the ink ejected from the nozzle group 22a of the print head 22. The print head 22 has various structures, and can be, for example, any one of a thermal ink jet type, a valve jet type, and a piezoelectric type. In the present embodiment, a piezoelectric type print head capable of plotting from a low resolution to a high resolution, having a wide plot width, and having high durability is used as the print head 22. The ink ejected from the print head 22 flies from the plotter body 25 to the outside of the plotter body 25, and adheres to the workpiece W.

[0064] The ink supply portion 20 is a portion that supplies ink to the print head 22, and has an ink tank 20a for housing the ink supplied to the print head 22, and an ink cartridge 300 for replenishing the ink tank 20a with ink.

[0065] The print head drive portion 21 is controlled by the control portion 40 described later when a plot operation is performed. The print head drive portion 21 generates a drive electrical waveform for driving the print head 22, and outputs the same to the print head 22. The drive electrical waveform is a waveform for individually driving drive elements (piezoelectric vibrators) provided at each ejection port of the print head 22, based on the timing of a plot instruction output from the control portion 40.

[0066] (Configuration of the inspection machine)

[0067] The inspection machine 3 is a device that determines whether or not the plot pattern plotted on the plot target workpiece W is good or not in accordance with the plot data, and determines an imaged image obtained by imaging the plot target workpiece W, and corresponds to an image inspection portion. In addition, the inspection machine 3 can also be referred to as an image inspection device. The inspection machine 3 is provided on the downstream side of the plotter 2, and is capable of inspecting the plot state of the workpiece W plotted by the plotter 2.

[0068] The inspection machine 3 has an illumination section 30, an imaging section 31, a control section 32, and a storage section 33. The illumination section 30 is constituted by, for example, a light-emitting diode, and is controlled by the control section 32 to emit light at a prescribed timing to illuminate the drawn portion of the workpiece W. The imaging section 31 is a section for imaging the drawn pattern formed on the workpiece W and generating an imaged image. This imaging section 31 has an optical system 31a including a lens for receiving light rays that are emitted from the illumination section 30 and reflected from the surface of the workpiece W, an image sensor 31b for receiving the light rays emitted from the optical system 31a, and an AF motor 31c. The AF motor 31c is a section for automatically focusing the drawn portion of the workpiece W by driving the focusing lens of the optical system 31a. The manner of automatic focusing is not particularly limited, and for example, a contrast method or the like can be cited.

[0069] The image sensor 31b is constituted by a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor or the like. The image sensor 31b images the workpiece W that is the object of drawing and generates an imaged image. For example, although not shown, the light-receiving amount signal of the light-receiving element possessed by the image sensor 31b is output to an FPGA (field programmable gate array) for processing, and is also output to a DSP (digital signal processor) for processing.

[0070] The control section 32 has an imaging setting section 32a. The imaging setting section 32a is a section for setting imaging setting parameters and reflecting the set imaging setting parameters at the time of imaging of the workpiece W. The imaging setting parameters include, for example, the illumination timing of the illumination section 30, the brightness (amount of light emission), the exposure time of the imaging section 31, the focus (focal position) of the imaging section 31, and the like. Although not shown, a GUI related to the setting of the imaging setting parameters is provided with areas in which the illumination brightness, the exposure time, the focus, and the like can be set individually. When the user inputs each parameter on the GUI, the imaging setting section 32a accepts the setting operation of the user, and outputs each parameter to the storage section 33, for example, and causes the storage section 33 to store. Each parameter can be read from the storage section 33 as needed.

[0071] At the time of acquisition of the imaged image data of the workpiece W, the imaging setting section 32a outputs the imaging setting parameters to the illumination section 30 and the imaging section 31. The illumination section 30 and the imaging section 31 operate in accordance with the imaging setting parameters. The illumination section 30, upon receiving the imaging setting parameters, sets within the imaging section 31 in order to reflect the received imaging setting parameters at the time of imaging. Also, the imaging section 31, upon receiving the imaging setting parameters, sets within the imaging section 31 in order to reflect the received imaging setting parameters at the time of imaging. The illumination section 30 and the imaging section 31, upon receiving the imaging trigger, illuminate the workpiece W in accordance with the imaging setting parameters, and simultaneously perform imaging to acquire the imaged image data of the workpiece W.

[0072] The control unit 32, acting as an inspection tool, can be a part that performs rule-based image inspection, a part that performs image inspection using a trained model, or a part that performs both rule-based and trained model-based image inspection simultaneously. For example, the control unit 32 causes the imaging unit 31 to image the workpiece W, acquiring image data of the workpiece W, and performs inspection on the acquired image of the workpiece W according to a pre-set inspection tool. During inspection, the control unit 32 crops out the area to be inspected from the image. The control unit 32 extracts feature values ​​from the cropped inspection area and determines the extracted feature values ​​using a determiner. If the cropped inspection area contains text, the inspection machine 3 can use a dictionary to perform text recognition processing, i.e., OCR. Furthermore, if the workpiece W has a barcode or QR code, the inspection machine 3 can read the barcode or QR code.

[0073] The pass / fail determination unit 32b, installed in the control unit 32 of the inspection machine 3, generates the inspection result of the inspection tool and compares it with the inspection conditions. The inspection conditions are obtained from the drawing data generation unit 40b of the controller 4. For example, the pass / fail determination unit 32b compares the text recognition processing result performed by the control unit 32 with the correct string obtained from the drawing data generation unit 40b. If they match, it is determined to be passable; if they do not match, it is determined to be failable. In the case of barcodes or QR codes, the reading result of the control unit 32 is compared with the code information obtained from the drawing data generation unit 40b. If they match, it is determined to be passable; if they do not match, it is determined to be failable.

[0074] For example, if there is only one pre-set inspection tool, the inspection result of the pre-set inspection tool will be directly output. However, if there are multiple pre-set inspection tools, an inspection result will be further generated based on the inspection results of each inspection tool and output from the pass / fail determination unit 32b.

[0075] (Integral fastener)

[0076] like Figure 1 As shown, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 includes an integrated fastener 90 for fixing the inspection machine 3 to the plotter body 25, which houses the printhead 22. The integrated fastener 90 has a portion for mounting the plotter body 25 and a portion for mounting the inspection machine 3. The integrated fastener 90 has a defined dimension in the conveying direction of the workpiece W. By fixing the inspection machine 3 to the plotter body 25 using the integrated fastener 90, the inspection machine 3 and the printhead 22 can maintain a spaced-apart positional relationship, i.e., a fixed positional relationship, in the conveying direction of the workpiece W. By fixing the inspection machine 3 to the plotter body 25 using the integrated fastener 90, a fixed relative positional relationship with the printhead 22 is defined.

[0077] The shape and structure of the one-piece metal fitting 90 can be arbitrarily set. Further, the length of the one-piece metal fitting 90 can be arbitrarily set. The one-piece metal fitting 90 can adjust the length of the work W in the conveyance direction. In addition, the one-piece metal fitting 90 can be configured to be able to change the spacing distance of the inspection machine 3 with respect to the plotter main body 25.

[0078] The one-piece metal fitting 90 can be detachably attached to the plotter main body 25 by, for example, a fastener, and can also be detachably attached to the inspection machine 3 by, for example, a fastener. Therefore, the inspection machine 3 can be detached with respect to the plotter main body 25.

[0079] The one-piece metal fitting 90 can be various. One-piece metal fittings 90 of different sizes can be prepared in advance, and the one-piece metal fitting 90 of an appropriate length can be selected according to the user's environment, and the inspection machine 3 can be fixed to the plotter main body 25.

[0080] Figure 3 is a plan view showing an example of attachment of the plotter 2 and the inspection machine 3. When the work W is conveyed in the direction of the arrow A, by providing the one-piece metal fitting 90 shown by the solid line, the inspection machine 3 can be attached to the work W conveyance direction downstream side of the plotter 2.

[0081] On the other hand, when the work W is conveyed in the direction of the arrow B opposite to the direction of the arrow A, by providing the one-piece metal fitting 90 shown by the dotted line, the inspection machine 3 can be attached to the work W conveyance direction downstream side of the plotter 2. Further, by simultaneously providing the one-piece metal fitting shown by the solid line and the one-piece metal fitting 90 shown by the dotted line, both of the conveyance directions of the arrow A direction and the arrow B direction can be accommodated.

[0082] Figure 4 shows an example of attachment of the plotter 2 and the inspection machine 3, and is a view (front view) from the ink ejection side. As shown in Figure 4 , the inspection machine 3 is fixed to the plotter main body 25 by the one-piece metal fitting 90 so that the central part in the up-down direction of the drawing area and the central part in the up-down direction of the field of view of the imaging portion 31 of the inspection machine 3 are at the same height.

[0083] (detection sensor)

[0084] As shown in Figure 1As shown, the inkjet printing apparatus 1 includes a detection sensor 9 for detecting the arrival of a workpiece W conveyed by the conveyor 10. The detection sensor 9 is mounted on the upstream side of the workpiece W in the conveying direction, relative to the plotter 2. The detection sensor 9 is equipped with, for example, an optical motion measurement sensor and a distance sensor (not shown), which can detect the arrival of the conveyed workpiece W. When the detection sensor 9 detects the arrival of the workpiece W, it sends a detection signal to the controller 4. Based on the detection signal output from the detection sensor 9, the controller 4 determines that the workpiece W has reached a predetermined position and, after a predetermined plotting delay time, causes the plotter 2 to begin plotting.

[0085] (Structure of controller 4)

[0086] like Figure 2 As shown, the controller 4 includes a control unit 40, a storage unit 41, and an operation display unit 42. The control unit 40 is, for example, a microcomputer including a central processing unit, various memories, etc., and is capable of executing pre-stored software. The control unit 40 is provided with a drawing setting unit 40a, a drawing data generation unit 40b, a verification setting unit 40c, a display screen generation unit 40d, and a mode switching unit 40e. The drawing setting unit 40a, drawing data generation unit 40b, verification setting unit 40c, display screen generation unit 40d, and mode switching unit 40e of the control unit 40 are hardware and software components. For convenience, although they are described as drawing setting unit 40a, drawing data generation unit 40b, verification setting unit 40c, display screen generation unit 40d, and mode switching unit 40e, they can be integrated in hardware.

[0087] The operation display unit 42 includes a controller-side display unit 42a, which is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, and a controller-side operation unit 42b, which is composed of operation keys, etc. The controller-side operation unit 42b is responsible for receiving various operations such as drawing content and setting parameters. Various screens generated by the display screen generation unit 40d are displayed on the controller-side display unit 42a, allowing the user to operate the controller-side operation unit 42b while viewing the controller-side display unit 42a. The operation status of the controller-side operation unit 42b can be obtained by the control unit 40.

[0088] The controller-side operation unit 42b can be a touch panel. A touch panel is a component capable of detecting user finger movements. The form of the touch panel is not particularly limited; examples include capacitive and infrared types. User operation information on the touch panel is sent to the control unit 40.

[0089] The drawing setting section 40a is a section that sets the drawing content to be drawn on the work W as the drawing object. The drawing data generating section 40b is a section that specifies the ink ejection from the nozzle 22 and generates the drawing data corresponding to the drawing content set by the drawing setting section 40a. The control section 40 outputs a control signal to the nozzle driving section 21 based on the drawing data generated by the drawing data generating section 40b, and controls the ink ejection from the nozzle outlet of the nozzle 22.

[0090] The inspection setting section 40c is a section that performs the inspection setting of the inspection machine 3. The storage section 41 is a section that memorizes the relative positional relationship between the inspection machine 3 and the print head 22. The inspection setting section 40c performs the support for the user's inspection setting based on the drawing content set by the drawing setting section 40a and the relative positional relationship stored in the storage section 41.

[0091] (Detailed structure of the plotter)

[0092] Figures 1 to 4 The shapes of the plotter 2, the print head 22, the plotter main body 25, the ink cartridge 300, and the like are schematically shown, but the detailed shapes of the plotter 2, the print head 22, the plotter main body 25, the ink cartridge 300, and the like are shown in the respective drawings described later. Figure 5 The shapes shown in the respective drawings described later. Figure 5 The shapes shown in the respective drawings described later. Figures 1 to 4 may differ in some parts from the shapes shown in the respective drawings described later. Figures 1 to 4 are drawings for conceptual explanation.

[0093] As shown in Figure 5 , the plotter main body 25 has a box-shaped casing 200 extending in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figure 2 , the ink tank 20a is provided inside the casing 200 and cannot be seen from the outside. In the installed state of the plotter 2, the longitudinal direction of the casing 200 coincides with the width direction of the conveyer 10. In the present specification, the longitudinal direction of the casing 200 is defined as the front-rear direction, and the side opposite to the work W at the time of installation is defined as the front side. Further, the portion located on the right side when the plotter 2 is viewed from the front side is defined as the right side, the portion located on the left side when the plotter 2 is viewed from the front side is defined as the left side, and the left-right direction of the plotter 2 is defined as the width direction. Such definitions of the directions are made for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the directions involved in the present application.

[0094] As shown in Figures 5 to 9 , the casing 200 has a substantially cuboid shape that is longer in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the front-rear direction dimension of the casing 200 is longer than the left-right direction dimension of the casing 200 and the up-down direction dimension of the casing 200.

[0095] Because the outer casing 200 has a near-cubic-pole shape, its outer peripheral surface comprises six faces. Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the outer casing 200 includes: a front face 201 opposite to the workpiece W; a rear face 202 opposite to the front face 201; a right face 203 located on the right side when viewed from the direction facing the front face 201; a left face 204 located on the left side when viewed from the direction facing the front face 201; a top face 205; and a bottom face 206. The front face 201, rear face 202, right face 203, and left face 204 constitute the outer surface of the outer casing 200. One end face along the long side of the outer surface of the outer casing 200 is the front face 201, and the other end face along the long side is the rear face 202. A printhead 22 for ejecting ink onto the workpiece W being transported is provided on the front face 201. Additionally, the front face 201 can also be referred to as the front side, and the rear face 202 can also be referred to as the back side.

[0096] like Figures 10 to 12 As shown, an ink cartridge receiving section 210 for receiving ink cartridges 300 is provided on the upper part 205 of the outer casing 200. Figure 10 This displays the status of ink cartridge 300 before it was received. Figure 11 It shows the intermediate state where ink cartridge 300 is being received, while Figure 12 The status of ink cartridge 300 reception is displayed, that is, ink cartridge 300 has been installed on plotter body 25.

[0097] It should be noted that although this embodiment describes the case where the ink cartridge receiving part 210 is located on the upper surface 205 of the outer casing 200, it is not limited to this. Although not shown in the figure, the ink cartridge receiving part can be located on any of the outer surfaces of the outer casing 200 other than the front surface 201, namely the rear surface 202, the right side surface 203, and the left side surface 204. For example, when the ink cartridge receiving part is located on the rear surface 202, the receiving port only needs to be located on the rear surface 202; when the ink cartridge receiving part is located on the right side surface 203, the receiving port only needs to be located on the right side surface 203; when the ink cartridge receiving part is located on the left side surface 204, the receiving port only needs to be located on the left side surface 204. Hereinafter, the ink cartridge receiving part 210 located on the upper surface 205 of the outer casing 200 will be described.

[0098] The ink cartridge receiving portion 210 extends along the long side of the outer casing 200. The ink cartridge receiving portion 210 includes a receiving port 211 that opens at the top 205 of the outer casing 200 to receive the ink cartridge 300 from above, and a bottom surface 212 that contacts the side of the opening portion (described later) of the ink cartridge 300 when the ink cartridge 300 is received from the receiving port 211. In other words, the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 is the side facing the side of the opening portion (described later) of the ink cartridge 300 when the ink cartridge 300 is received from the receiving port 211. Since the receiving port 211 opens upwards, the receiving direction of the ink cartridge 300 is from top to bottom.

[0099] The ink cartridge receiving section 210 has an approximately rectangular receiving port 211 and a bottom surface 212, with its long side aligned with the long side (front-to-back) of the outer casing 200. Both the long side dimension and the short side dimension (left-to-right) dimension of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 are larger than the receiving direction dimension of the ink cartridge 300 within the ink cartridge receiving section 210. Therefore, the short side dimension of the bottom surface 212 is larger than the receiving direction dimension of the ink cartridge 300 within the ink cartridge receiving section 210. When the ink cartridge 300 is not installed, almost the entire bottom surface 212 can be seen through the receiving port 211 when viewed from above the outer casing 200.

[0100] Thus, the width of the bottom surface 212 of the roughly rectangular ink cartridge receiving section 210, i.e., the length of the rectangle, is longer than the receiving dimension of the ink cartridge 300. The bottom surface of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 can be roughly square, roughly circular, or roughly elliptical, and the width of each of these shapes, i.e., one side of the square, the diameter of the circle, and the major axis of the ellipse, is longer than the receiving dimension of the ink cartridge 300 in the ink cartridge receiving section 210.

[0101] like Figure 9 As shown, the ink cartridge receiving section 210, in addition to the bottom surface 212, also has a right inner side surface 213, a left inner side surface 214, a front inner side surface 215, and a rear inner side surface 216. The right inner side surface 213 extends upward from the right edge of the bottom surface 212 toward the receiving port 211. The left inner side surface 214 extends upward from the left edge of the bottom surface 212 toward the receiving port 211. The front inner side surface 215 extends upward from the front edge of the bottom surface 212 toward the receiving port 211. The rear inner side surface 216 extends upward from the rear edge of the bottom surface 212 toward the receiving port 211. Therefore, the right inner side surface 213 and the left inner side surface 214 face each other, and the front inner side surface 215 and the rear inner side surface 216 also face each other.

[0102] The front-to-back dimensions of the right inner side 213 and the left inner side 214 correspond to the dimensions of the long side of the base 212, while the left-to-right dimensions of the front inner side 215 and the rear inner side 216 correspond to the dimensions of the short side of the base 212. Therefore, the front-to-back dimensions of the right inner side 213 and the left inner side 214 are longer than the left-to-right dimensions of the front inner side 215 and the rear inner side 216.

[0103] The plotter main body 25 is provided with a hollow needle 220. The hollow needle 220 is provided protruding from the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 toward the receiving port 211 side, and is used to draw ink from a rubber plug 312 (described later) provided in the ink cartridge 300 when the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 receives the ink cartridge 300. The lower side portion of the hollow needle 220 is held by the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210. The lower end portion of the hollow needle 220 is connected to the ink tank 20a through an ink channel not shown. Thus, the ink stored in the ink cartridge 300 is circulated through the ink channel after flowing through the inside of the hollow needle 220, and is then stored in the ink tank 20a.

[0104] On the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, a standing wall 212a is provided around the hollow needle 220. The standing wall 212a is provided in a plurality of numbers at intervals in the circumferential direction of the hollow needle 220. The standing wall 212a can protect the hollow needle 220. In addition, when the ink cartridge 300 is received, the opening portion 311 can be guided to a prescribed position by the standing wall 212a.

[0105] Figures 13 to 19 is a view showing the appearance of the ink cartridge 300. The cross section of the ink cartridge 300 is as shown in Figure 11 and Figure 12 The shape of the ink cartridge 300 is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 of the housing 200. When the ink cartridge 300 is received in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the upper portion of the ink cartridge 300 protrudes upward from the upper surface 205 of the housing 200. In this way, not the entire ink cartridge 300 is accommodated in the housing 200, but only the lower portion of the ink cartridge 300 is accommodated in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 of the housing 200. Further, the portion of the ink cartridge 300 which is not accommodated in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 is exposed to the outside of the housing 200. In this embodiment, since the ink cartridge 300 protrudes upward from the upper surface 205 of the housing 200, the ink cartridge 300 can be made large in capacity and a portion thereof can be arranged outside the housing 200 without affecting the components provided on the side surface of the housing 200 or the components provided at the rear of the housing 200, etc.

[0106] Further, the ink cartridge 300 can contain a liquid for cleaning the device in addition to the ink. The present application is applicable to any case.

[0107] As shown in Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown, the ink cartridge 300 has a bagged body 310 that is an ink container that contains ink, a case 320 that contains at least a portion of the bagged body 310, and an outer packaging material 330. The bagged body 310 is a bag-like member that encloses ink and air (an example of a gas) inside, and is composed of a thin film or sheet-like member that has flexibility. By enclosing a small amount of air in the bagged body 310, the ink inside the bagged body 310 can be drawn out last. Further, by providing a plate or the like inside the bagged body 310, the vicinity of the ink outlet can not be clogged, and the ink inside the bagged body 310 can be drawn out last. By the ratio of the longitudinal dimension to the lateral dimension of the bagged body 310, the manner in which the bagged body 310 collapses when the ink is reduced can be controlled.

[0108] The member that constitutes the bagged body 310 is a member that is resistant to ink, and the material or structure thereof is not particularly limited, and for example, a member in which a resin layer and an aluminum layer are laminated can be used.

[0109] The bagged body 310 is elongated in the front-rear direction. Further, the bagged body 310 is a hemmed bagged body that has a hem. The respective dimensions of the bagged body 310 are such that the bagged body 310 can be contained in the case 320 and the outer packaging material 330 while ensuring the largest internal volume. In addition, the ink container can be constituted by a member other than the bagged body 310, such as a hard resin container or the like. Further, the outer packaging material 330 can be provided as needed, or can be omitted. The shape of the ink container can also be a shape other than the elongated shape in the front-rear direction, such as a bottle shape that has a neck.

[0110] The lower portion of the bagged body 310 is provided with a mouth portion 311. The mouth portion 311 is made of a hard resin material or the like having higher rigidity than the components that make up the bagged body 310, and is a tubular component extending in the up-down direction. The interior of the mouth portion 311 is formed with a flow path that communicates with the interior space of the bagged body 310. The mouth portion 311 is provided with a rubber plug 312 that closes the flow path. Because of the provision of the rubber plug 312, ink does not leak out of the mouth portion 311 when the ink cartridge 300 is transported or stored. On the other hand, when the ink cartridge 300 is received in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the hollow needle 220 penetrates the rubber plug 312, and the tip portion of the hollow needle 220 reaches the flow path above the rubber plug 312. In this way, it is possible to cause ink to flow into the interior of the hollow needle 220. In other words, the housing 320 supports the mouth portion 311 so that the rubber plug 312 is exposed to the outside, so that it is possible to access the ink contained in the bagged body 310 from the outside. The housing 320 positions and supports the mouth portion 311 with respect to the bottom wall portion 321 so that, when the ink cartridge 300 is received in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the hollow needle 220 comes into contact with the rubber plug 312. In the state in which the hollow needle 220 penetrates the rubber plug 312, the rubber plug 312 is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the hollow needle 220, so that leakage of ink is suppressed. When the ink cartridge 300 is removed from the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the hollow needle 220 is pulled out of the rubber plug 312, and the hole into which the hollow needle 220 is inserted is closed, so that leakage of ink is suppressed. Because of the provision of the rubber plug 312, the force required to insert or pull out the hollow needle 220 is small.

[0111] The housing 320 is made of a hard resin material or the like having higher rigidity than the components that make up the bagged body 310, and has an elongated shape in the front-rear direction. That is, the housing 320 has a bottom wall portion 321, a front side wall portion 322, a rear side wall portion 323, a right side wall portion 324, and a left side wall portion 325, which have elongated shapes in the front-rear direction. The front side wall portion 322 stands up from the edge (edge extending in the short direction) of the front side of the bottom wall portion 321 and extends upward. The rear side wall portion 323 stands up from the edge (edge extending in the short direction) of the rear side of the bottom wall portion 321 and extends upward. The right side wall portion 324 stands up from the edge (edge extending in the long direction) of the right side of the bottom wall portion 321 and extends upward. The left side wall portion 325 stands up from the edge (edge extending in the long direction) of the left side of the bottom wall portion 321 and extends upward. Thus, the front side wall portion 322 and the rear side wall portion 323 face each other, and the right side wall portion 324 and the left side wall portion 325 also face each other.

[0112] The upper side of the case 320 is open, and the bagged body 310 is housed in the inside of the case 320 through this open portion. In the middle portion in the longitudinal direction and the middle portion in the lateral direction of the bottom wall portion 321 of the case 320, an annular protrusion portion 321a is formed. The lower side portion of the mouth portion 311 is held in a fitting state on the inner side of the annular protrusion portion 321a. Thus, the mouth portion 311 is held in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction and the middle portion in the lateral direction of the bottom wall portion 321. In other words, the annular protrusion portion 321a formed on the bottom wall portion 321 of the case 320 exposes one end of the mouth portion 311 to the outside and holds it. Note that by "exposed to the outside", it is not necessary that the one end of the mouth portion 311 of the ink cartridge protrude from the bottom wall portion 321, but it can be recessed with respect to the bottom wall portion 321. As long as the hollow needle 220 provided in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 can pass through the rubber plug 312 of the ink cartridge 300 and the tip portion of the hollow needle 220 can reach the flow path above the rubber plug 312, the ink contained in the bagged body 310 can be accessed from the outside.

[0113] The outer packaging material 330 is open downward, and serves as a lid member of the case 320, and is formed of, for example, a hard paper or a resin material. The bagged body 310 is protected by covering it from above with the outer packaging material 330. The outer surface of the outer packaging material 330 is provided with a display region that displays, for example, information about the ink.

[0114] In the case of increasing the ink capacity, it is possible to consider coping with it by enlarging the bagged body 310. In this case, since the size of the case 320 is suitable for being received by the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 of the main body 200, it is not possible to enlarge the case 320 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. Therefore, it is necessary to realize the large capacity by increasing the height of the bagged body 310.

[0115] In the present embodiment, since the outer packaging material 330 is separate from the case 320, it is possible to cope with the increase in the height of the bagged body 310 by replacing the outer packaging material 330 with one having a higher height, without changing the case 320. In other words, even in the case of further increasing the capacity, enlarging the size of the ink cartridge 300 in the vertical direction, the upper side portion of the ink cartridge 300, that is, the outer packaging material 330, will only protrude greatly from the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, without changing the case 320 or the main body 200, and the large capacity of the ink cartridge 300 will not affect the side surface or the rear of the main body 200.

[0116] As Figure 13 , Figure 15 , Figure 18As shown, a movable ROM unit 340 is provided on the right side wall 324 of the ink cartridge 300. A recess 324a for accommodating the ROM unit 340 is formed in the middle of the right side wall 324 in the front-rear direction. The ROM unit 340 is positioned above the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving part 210, thereby preventing ink from adhering to the ROM unit 340.

[0117] Figure 20 This diagram shows the main body of the ROM unit 340. The ROM unit 340 includes a recording medium 341 for recording information about the ink cartridge 300, an access terminal 342 electrically connected to the recording medium 341, and a holding member 343 for holding the recording medium 341 and the access terminal 342. The recording medium 341 can be composed of a read-only memory (ROM), or, when it is necessary to update the information about the ink cartridge 300, it can be composed of a read-write memory (RAM). When it is composed of RAM, it can be called a RAM unit. The information recorded on the recording medium 341 can, for example, list the type and remaining amount of ink sealed in the cartridge 310.

[0118] Access terminal 342 is located via ink cartridge receiver 210 from the body-side terminal 221 on the plotter 2 side (e.g., ...). Figure 6 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 (As shown) The access terminal. The main body terminal 221 contacts the access terminal 342 when the ink cartridge 300 is received by the ink cartridge receiving unit 210, forming part of the communication path.

[0119] like Figure 2 As shown, the plotter body 25 is equipped with a recording media management unit 23, which communicates with the recording media 341 via a communication path including an access terminal 342 and a body-side terminal 221. The recording media management unit 23 is a part that controls the plotter 2 based on information obtained from the recording media 341, or sends information obtained from the recording media 341 to the controller 4.

[0120] The retaining component 343 can be switched to the extended position where the access terminal 342 contacts the body-side terminal 221 by sliding in a direction perpendicular to the right side wall 324 of the housing 320 (left-right direction). Figure 12 and Figure 21 (as shown) and the retracted position of access terminal 342 away from the body-side terminal 221 (as shown) Figure 11 and Figure 22 (As shown), and is supported by the housing 320. The retaining component 343 can be directly mounted on the housing 320 and directly supported by the housing 320, or it can be mounted on other components supported by the housing 320 and indirectly supported by the housing 320.

[0121] Specifically, the holding member 343 has a pair of arm portions 343a disposed apart from each other in the front-rear direction. Each arm portion 343a extends in the left direction, and a protrusion portion 343b is formed at the end thereof so as to project toward each other. On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a pair of guide surfaces 321b extending in the left-right direction are formed on the bottom wall portion 321 of the housing 320, and these guide surfaces 321b are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The protrusion portion 343b on the front side of the holding member 343 is guided in the left-right direction by the guide surface 321b on the front side by sliding in the left-right direction. In addition, the protrusion portion 343b on the rear side of the holding member 343 is guided in the left-right direction by the guide surface 321b on the rear side by sliding in the left-right direction. Thus, each guide surface 321b is a guide portion for guiding the holding member 343 to move in a direction perpendicular to the right side wall portion 324 of the housing 320. Figure 21 and Figure 22

[0122] In addition, on the bottom wall portion 321 of the housing 320, a side protrusion portion 321c projecting in the right direction is formed. On the other hand, on the holding member 343, a guide groove 343c for inserting the side protrusion portion 321c is formed. The side protrusion portion 321c is guided in a direction perpendicular to the right side wall portion 324 of the housing 320 in a state of being inserted into the guide groove 343c. Thus, the guide groove 343c also functions as a guide portion. The holding member 343 is guided to move in the left-right direction by the guide portion, but hardly moves in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, and is fixed to the bottom wall portion 321 in a state in which the movement in the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is restricted.

[0123] Figure 6 As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the body-side terminal 221 is provided on the right inner side surface 213 of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 so as to project toward the inner side (left direction) of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210. The height of the body-side terminal 221 is the same as the height of the access terminal 342 of the ink cartridge 300 in the received state in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210. In addition, the position of the body-side terminal 221 in the front-rear direction is the same as the position of the access terminal 342 of the ink cartridge 300 in the received state in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210. Thus, when the ink cartridge 300 is received in the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the body-side terminal 221 comes into contact with the access terminal 342, and thus conduction is possible.

[0124] ​​The main body terminal 221 is constantly subjected to pressure towards the inside of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 via a pressure member (not shown in the figure). When not in contact with the access terminal 342, the main body terminal 221 is located closer to the inside of the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 than its contact position with the access terminal 342. When in contact with the access terminal 342, the main body terminal 221 moves to the right, overcoming the pressure of the pressure member, due to the rightward pressure applied by the access terminal 342. In this state, the main body terminal 221 remains in contact with the access terminal 342, thus ensuring that even if the relative positional relationship between the main body terminal 221 and the access terminal 342 changes in the left-right direction due to manufacturing errors or other reasons, the main body terminal 221 remains firmly pressed against the access terminal 342 and maintains conductivity.

[0125] A shielding portion 213a is formed on the right inner side 213 of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 to prevent contamination of the body-side terminal 221. This shielding portion is located on the receiving port 211 side (upper side) of the body-side terminal 221. The shielding portion 213a protrudes from the right inner side 213 toward the interior of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 and has a predetermined width in the front-back direction. When the ink cartridge receiving section 210 is viewed from directly above, the body-side terminal 221 is shielded by the shielding portion 213a and is in a concealed position. Therefore, dust, components, ink, etc. falling from above are unlikely to come into contact with the body-side terminal 221, thereby protecting the body-side terminal 221.

[0126] Although the main body side terminal 221 can be protected by providing the canopy 213a, the access terminal 342 may come into contact with the canopy 213a during the process of receiving the ink cartridge 300 into the ink cartridge receiving section 210, making it difficult for the ink cartridge 300 to be received. To address this problem, in this embodiment, the holding member 343 that holds the recording medium 341 and the access terminal 342 can be moved from the extended position to the retracted position. Furthermore, a switching part 217 is formed on the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 for switching the holding member 343 from the retracted position to the extended position when the access terminal 342 is closer to the bottom surface 212 than the canopy 213a during the process of receiving the ink cartridge 300.

[0127] like Figure 10 As shown, the switching part 217 protrudes upward from the bottom surface 212 of the cartridge receiving part 210 and is located between the hollow needle 220 and the body-side terminal 221. The switching part 217 has a body-side inclined surface 217a, which gradually descends to the right, making the position lower as you move to the right. On the other hand, below the holding member 343, a cartridge-side inclined surface 343d is formed at a position corresponding to the body-side inclined surface 217a. The cartridge-side inclined surface 343d is similar to the body-side inclined surface 217a, also gradually descending to the right, making the position lower as you move to the right.

[0128] By the ink cartridge-side inclined surface 343d contacting and sliding with the main body-side inclined surface 217a, the holding member 343 can be moved in the left-right direction with respect to the bottom wall portion 321 of the housing 320, from the retracted position to the projected position. The timing of switching the holding member 343 from the retracted position to the projected position, the moving speed at the time of switching from the retracted position to the projected position, and the moving amount of the holding member 343 can be arbitrarily changed by the position or the inclined angle of the main body-side inclined surface 217a and the ink cartridge-side inclined surface 343d in the height direction.

[0129] In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 6A and 6B, the holding member 343 is switched from the retracted position to the projected position during the process of moving the ink cartridge 300 from above to below the ink cartridge receiving portion 210 and completely fitting into the ink cartridge receiving portion 210. Specifically, during the process of moving the ink cartridge 300 downward, until the holding member 343 passes the eave 213a and reaches below the eave 213a, the holding member 343 is kept in the retracted position, for which the height of the ink cartridge-side inclined surface 343d and the main body-side inclined surface 217a is set. This can avoid interference between the holding member 343 and the eave 213a. Figure 11 Figure 12 When the ink cartridge 300 is further moved downward and the holding member 343 reaches a position below the eave 213a, the ink cartridge-side inclined surface 343d contacts and slides with the main body-side inclined surface 217a in the right direction, thereby moving the holding member 343 in the right direction, i.e., to the projected position. Then, when the ink cartridge 300 is further moved downward and is completely received by the ink cartridge receiving portion 210, the holding member 343 is switched to the projected position, and the access terminal 342 contacts with the main body-side terminal 221.

[0130] The timing of the hollow needle 220 penetrating the rubber plug 312 of the bagged body 310 is set at a timing before the access terminal 342 contacts with the main body-side terminal 221. That is, the timing of the hollow needle 220 penetrating the rubber plug 312 can be arbitrarily changed according to the protruding height of the hollow needle 220 and the height of the rubber plug 312, etc. In the present embodiment, at the stage when the holding member 343 is in the retracted position, the hollow needle 220 starts to pierce the rubber plug 312, and the hollow needle 220 penetrates the rubber plug 312 before the holding member 343 is switched to the projected position. That is, the timing of connection is set to be after the fluid connection by the hollow needle 220 is completed, and then the electrical connection of the access terminal 342 and the main body-side terminal 221 is performed.

[0131]

[0132] Figure 23 ​​is a sectional view of the ROM unit 340 and the vicinity of the switching section 217 according to Modification 1 of the embodiment of the present application. In this Modification 1, a spring 345 that applies a biasing force to the holding member 343 toward the extended position is provided. The spring 345 is arranged so that the direction of extension of the spring 345 is the direction of movement of the holding member 343. The spring 345 is arranged between the holding member 343 and the bottom wall section 321 of the housing 320. In Modification 1, the holding member 343 is inserted into the ink cartridge receiving section 210 in the state where the holding member 343 is in the extended position, but during the insertion, when the holding member 343 hits the shield section 213a, the holding member 343 is switched to the retracted position by being pressed by the shield section 213a in the retraction direction. After passing over the shield section 213a, the holding member 343 is switched to the extended position. Instead of the spring 345, a rubber or the like can also be used.

[0133] Figures 24A to 24C is a sectional view of the ROM unit 340 and the vicinity of the switching section 217 according to Modification 2 of the embodiment of the present application. In this Modification 2, a hole 340A is formed in the holding member 343. The hole 340A is inclined to the right, and the position is lower the farther to the right. On the other hand, a protrusion section 217A that inserts the hole 340A is formed in the bottom surface 212 of the ink cartridge receiving section 210. The protrusion section 217A is inclined to the left, and the position is higher the farther to the left, and is one example of a switching section that switches the holding member 343 from the retracted position to the extended position. As shown in Figure 24A , when the ink cartridge 300 enters the ink cartridge receiving section 210, the upper end section of the protrusion section 217A and the lower end section of the hole 340A form a position relationship in which they face each other. As shown in Figure 24B , when the ink cartridge 300 moves downward, the upper end section of the protrusion section 217A is inserted into the lower end section of the hole 340A. When the ink cartridge 300 moves further downward and is completely fitted into the ink cartridge receiving section 210, the holding member 343 is switched to the extended position by the protrusion section 217A. In this way, the holding member 343 can also be switched to the extended position by the hole 340A and the protrusion section 217A.

[0134] Figures 25A to 25D is a sectional view of the ROM unit 340 and the vicinity of the switching section 217 according to Modification 3 of the embodiment of the present application. In this Modification 3, the holding member 343 is provided with a triangular link 346. The triangular link 346 is formed with an elongated hole 346a that extends in the vertical direction. An axis 347 that extends in the front-rear direction is inserted into the elongated hole 346a of the triangular link 346. Thus, the triangular link 346 can rotate around the axis 347 and can move in the length direction of the elongated hole 346a.

[0135] As shown in Figure 25A , when the ink cartridge 300 enters the ink cartridge receiving section 210, the left side section of the axis 347 of the triangular link 346 and the upper end section of the body side inclined surface 217a form a position relationship in which they face each other. As shown inFigure 25B As shown, when the ink cartridge 300 moves downward, the left side portion of the shaft 347 of the triangular linkage 346 is pushed upward by the upper end of the inclined surface 217a of the machine body. Therefore, as Figure 25C As shown, the triangular link 346 begins to rotate about the axis 347, while simultaneously moving upwards relative to the axis 347. This triangular link 346 engages with the retaining member 343, and the movement of the triangular link 346 causes the retaining member 343 to be pushed and moved in the extending direction. Then, as... Figure 25D As shown, when the ink cartridge 300 moves further downward and is fully installed in the ink cartridge receiving section 210, the triangular linkage 346 contacts and is guided along the inclined surface 217a of the body, and the retaining component 343 is switched to the extended position.

[0136] like Figure 5 As shown, the plotter 2 has a top cover 230 that can be detached from the plotter body 25. Figure 26 The image shows the top cover 230 removed. The plotter 2 has an absorber 240 for absorbing ink leaking from the printhead 22 (only in...). Figure 26 (shown in the figure) and a housing 241 that contains the absorbent 240. The absorbent 240 is made of sponge or fiber, etc.

[0137] The outer casing 241 is elongated in the vertical direction and is detachably mounted on the front 201 of the chassis 200, located to the left of the printhead 22. Figure 27 The image shows the state where the outer casing 241 has been removed from the plotter body 25 and moved forward. (As shown) Figure 27 As shown, the outer casing 241 can be removed from the plotter body 25 for replacement without removing the top cover 230.

[0138] The absorber 240 is provided only on the left and right sides of the plotter body 25. In this example, since the outer casing 241 housing the absorber 240 is located on the left side of the plotter body 25, the absorber 240 is not provided on the right side of the plotter body 25. Therefore, a detachable box-shaped component 242 that does not house the absorber 240 is provided on the right side of the plotter body 25. The shape of the box-shaped component 242 is symmetrical to that of the outer casing 241. Alternatively, when the absorber 240 is located on the left side of the plotter body 25, the outer casing 241 housing the absorber 240 can be detachably provided on the left side of the plotter body 25, and the box-shaped component 242 can be detachably provided on the right side.

[0139] Below the printhead 22 in the plotter body 25, an ink receiving section 245 is provided, which has a liquid delivery structure that guides ink leaking from the printhead 22 to the absorber 240. The ink receiving section 245 is detachably provided on the lower part of the front surface 201 of the plotter body 25. Figure 28The state in which the case 241 and the box-shaped member 242 and the ink receiving portion 245 are detached from the plotter main body 25 and the ink receiving portion 245 is moved to the front side is shown.

[0140] As shown in Figure 29 , the ink receiving portion 245 is formed so as to extend to the left and right sides in the lower direction of the print head 22, and has a concave shape as a whole which is open upward. Above the left side of the ink receiving portion 245, the case 241 which accommodates the sponge 240 is positioned, and above the right side of the ink receiving portion 245, the box-shaped member 242 is positioned. As shown in Figure 30 , the bottom surface 245a of the ink receiving portion 245 is inclined downward from the central portion in the left-right direction to the left side. With this structure, after the ink which has leaked from the print head 22 is received by the bottom surface 245a of the ink receiving portion 245, it is made to flow to the left side, that is, the side on which the sponge 240 is provided, so that it can be ensured that the ink is firmly absorbed by the sponge 240. In the case where the sponge 240 is provided on the right side, it is only necessary to install an ink receiving portion 245 whose bottom surface 245a is inclined in the opposite direction.

[0141] Figure 29 The positional relationship of the ink tank 20a and the print head 22 is shown. The ink tank 20a is installed in the lower portion of the plotter main body 25. As shown in Figure 29 , from a plan view, the ink tank 20a is formed so as to be disposed behind the print head 22, to the left and right sides of the print head 22, and not to the front of the print head 22. That is, the ink tank 20a of the present embodiment is provided so as to surround, from a plan view, the portion of the print head 22 other than the side having the nozzle group 22a. In other words, the ink tank 20a is provided so as to surround at least two of the three directions of the print head 22 other than the side having the nozzle group 22a.

[0142] As shown in Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the plotter 2 is equipped with an operation button 250. The operation button 250 is a component for receiving a user's instruction to control the plotter 2. The operation button 250 can be one, or two or more. The operation button 250 is provided in the upper portion of the rear face 202 of the case 200, on the side opposite to the side of the print head 22. By this, the user can operate the operation button 250 from the side opposite to the conveyer 10, and thus the operability is good. As the operation button 250, for example, a test button which is operated when test plotting is performed, or a cleaning button which is operated when the plotter 2 is cleaned, and the like can be cited, but a button which performs any function can also be used.

[0143] The plotter 2 is equipped with a waste ink bottle 251. The waste ink bottle 251 is located on the rear 202 of the chassis 200, on the side opposite to the print head 22. The waste ink bottle 251 is a container for storing ink supplied from the ink tank 20a to the print head 22 but not ejected onto the workpiece W. The opening of the waste ink bottle 251, i.e., the ink inlet (not shown in the figure), is located at the top of the waste ink bottle 251, above the ink tank 20a (e.g., [insert position here]). Figure 29 The ink level contained in the container (shown). Ink supplied to the print head 22 but not ejected onto the workpiece W is fed to the opening of the waste liquid bottle 251 by the delivery section, and then flows into the interior of the waste liquid bottle 251 from the opening. The waste liquid bottle 251 is configured to be detachable from the plotter body 25 so that the ink in the waste liquid bottle 251 can be drained when necessary.

[0144] like Figure 2 As shown, the plotter 2 includes an indicator light 24a and an illumination control unit 24b. The indicator light 24a is a component that informs the user about plotting information by indicating its illumination status. It can be, for example, composed of a light-emitting unit that can emit only one color of light or can emit multiple different colors of light. The illumination control unit 24b controls the illumination status of the indicator light 24a. For example, during normal plotting, it controls the indicator light 24a to emit a first light-emitting color; in case of a plotting error, it controls the indicator light 24a to emit a second light-emitting color different from the first light-emitting color. Alternatively, during normal plotting, the indicator light 24a can be kept off, and it can be illuminated or flashed in case of a plotting error.

[0145] Indicator light 24a is positioned on the upper 205 of the chassis 200, further forward than the ink cartridge receiving section 210. In this embodiment, two indicator lights 24a are respectively positioned on the left and right sides of the upper 205 of the chassis 200, but only one indicator light 24a may be provided. Since the user does not need to access the indicator lights 24a, the ease of use of the plotter 2 is not affected even if the indicator lights 24a are positioned further forward than the ink cartridge receiving section 210.

[0146] In addition, such as Figure 26 As shown, with the top cover 230 removed, the upper side of the plotter body 25 is equipped with an air filter 260 for filtering air drawn into the plotter body 25, a level 261, and a manual valve 262 for manually opening and closing internal pipes. The air filter 260, level 261, and manual valve 262 are located on the side of the ink cartridge receiving section 210 and arranged in the front-to-back direction. When the top cover 230 is installed on the plotter body 25, the air filter 260, level 261, and manual valve 262 are covered by the top cover 230 and are not visible from the outside.

[0147] Figure 31 andFigure 32 An ink cartridge 300 related to Modification 4 of the embodiment is shown. In Modification 4, the ROM unit 340 is supported by a support portion 327 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 321 of the housing 320. As shown in Modification 4, the ROM unit 340 can also be supported on a wall portion other than the right side wall portion 324 of the housing 320. The support portion 327 protruding from the bottom wall portion 321 is provided on a wall portion of the housing 320 and can be referred to as a portion forming a new wall supporting the ROM unit 340, i.e., an extension wall portion. The ROM unit 340 can be supported on the housing 320 by mounting the ROM unit 340 on the extension wall portion provided on the wall portion of the housing 320. Further, the extension wall portion can also be realized as an accessory detachably mounted on the wall portion of the housing 320.

[0148] Figure 33 is a perspective view showing the structure of the ink cartridge 300 related to Modification 5 of the embodiment. In the ink cartridge 300 of Modification 5, the bagged body 310 is separated from the housing 320 and can be disposed at a position away from the plotter main body 25. In other words, the housing 320 is formed in a semi-opened type and does not accommodate the bagged body 310. The bagged body 310 is provided with an ink tube 313 through which ink flows. The downstream end of the ink tube 313 is not shown but is provided with the mouth portion 311 of the rubber plug described above. The housing 320 supports the mouth portion 311 so that the rubber plug is exposed to the outside. Further, the bagged body 310 can be replaced with respect to the ink cartridge 300 in a detachable manner. The ink tube 313 and the end portion of the bagged body 310 can be detached, and when the ink contained in the bagged body 300 is used up, the plotter 2 cannot be supplied with ink, but by replacing the bagged body 300 with a new one, the plotter 2 can be supplied with ink again. At the timing of replacing the bagged body 300 with a new one, the information about the ink recorded on the recording medium 341 is updated. The information about the ink contained in the new bagged body 300 can be received from the plotter 2 through the access terminal 342 and written in the recording medium 341, or the recording medium 341 can be replaced with a new recording medium corresponding to the new bagged body 300.

[0149] Further, although not shown, the ROM unit 340 can also be directly mounted on the mouth portion 311. Since the mouth portion 311 is positioned and supported by the housing 320, the ROM unit 340 will be indirectly supported by the housing 320 through the mouth portion 311.

[0150] The above-described embodiment is merely an example in all aspects and should not be construed limitatively. Further, modifications or alterations within the equivalent range of the scope of claims are all within the scope of the present application.

[0151] As described above, the plotter related to the present disclosure can be used to draw information on, for example, an object to be drawn drawn by a conveyor.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge, inserted into an ink cartridge receiving section disposed on a plotter for replenishing ink to the plotter, the plotter dispensing ink for drawing information onto a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor, characterized in that, The ink cartridge includes: Ink container, which holds ink; A piping component having a flow path communicating with the internal space of the ink reservoir; A housing that supports the piping component and exposes one end of the piping component to the outside; A recording medium that records information related to the ink cartridge; An access terminal, electrically connected to the recording medium, is accessed from a terminal on the plotter side via the cartridge receiver; and A retaining component holds the recording medium and the access terminal, and is supported by the housing in a manner that allows switching between an extended position in which the access terminal contacts the terminal on the plotter side and a retracted position in which the access terminal is away from the terminal on the plotter side.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, The rigidity of the tubing component is higher than that of the ink reservoir. The housing has a bottom wall portion for holding the piping component and a side wall portion that stands upright from the edge of the bottom wall portion. The sidewall portion has a recess for accommodating the retaining member.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The retaining component slides in a direction perpendicular to the side wall portion of the housing.

4. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein, It has a guide portion that guides the retaining member toward the side wall portion perpendicular to the housing.

5. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The bottom wall portion of the outer casing is configured to be elongated in a specific direction. The piping component is held in the middle of the short side of the bottom wall. The access terminal is disposed on the side wall portion that is erected on the edge extending from the long side of the bottom wall portion.

6. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, The ink container is composed of a bag containing the ink.

7. The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein, The outer shell is elongated in a specific direction. The bag is elongated along the long side of the outer shell.

8. The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein, Gas is sealed inside the bag along with the ink.

9. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, The pipeline component is provided with a rubber plug for sealing the flow path.

10. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, The retaining component is mounted on the piping component and supported by the housing through the piping component.

11. An ink cartridge, inserted into an ink cartridge receiving section disposed on a plotter for replenishing ink to the plotter, the plotter dispensing ink for drawing information onto a workpiece conveyed by a conveyor, characterized in that, The ink cartridge includes: A piping component having a flow path communicating with the internal space of an ink reservoir containing ink; A housing that supports the piping component and exposes one end of the piping component to the outside; A recording medium that records information related to the ink cartridge; An access terminal, electrically connected to the recording medium, and accessible from a terminal on the plotter side via the cartridge receiver; and A retaining component holds the recording medium and the access terminal, and is supported by the housing in a manner that allows switching between an extended position in which the access terminal contacts the terminal on the plotter side and a retracted position in which the access terminal is away from the terminal on the plotter side.

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