Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To suppress liquid leakage while suppressing increase in the size of a device.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes a tank constituted of a tank container having a storage chamber capable of storing a liquid supplied to a discharge head for discharging a liquid, in which in the storage chamber, a side face of the tank container is opened, and the outer frame of the opening is surrounded by a first rib, and a film sealing the opening, and a wall part which is arranged at a position facing the film and has a projection part projecting to the film, wherein the projection part faces a second rib provided on the tank container separately from the first rib, and does not face the first rib.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] An inkjet recording device, as an example of a liquid ejection device, includes an ink tank capable of storing ink to be supplied to a recording head that ejects liquid. An ink tank is provided for each type of ink that can be ejected by the recording head, and a configuration in which a plurality of ink tanks are arranged in a line in one direction is generally known. Also, a configuration in which an ink tank is configured such that a storage chamber for storing ink is formed by attaching a film to a tank container that has one side open.

[0003] The liquid ejecting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a plurality of ink tanks are arranged at intervals sufficient to prevent the films from being damaged by contact between the ink tanks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-168835 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, the tanks are arranged with sufficient intervals between them, which may result in an increase in the size of the device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a liquid ejection device that can suppress liquid leakage while preventing the device from becoming large in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the liquid ejection device of the present invention is a tank container having a storage chamber capable of storing liquid to be supplied to an ejection head that ejects liquid, the storage chamber comprising a tank container having an opening on a side of the tank container and an outer frame of the opening surrounded by a first rib and a film that seals the opening, and a wall portion arranged opposite the film and having a protrusion that protrudes toward the film, the protrusion facing a second rib provided on the tank container separately from the first rib, and not facing the first rib. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid ejection device that can suppress liquid leakage while suppressing an increase in size of the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a configuration of an ink tank that contains yellow ink according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating ribs to which a film is thermally welded in the ink tank according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an ink tank according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a case to which an ink tank according to the first embodiment can be fixed. [Figure 6] 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating restrictions on movement of the ink tank in the Z direction according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between the ink tank and the case according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of an ink tank and a case according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of an ink tank and a case according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the relative arrangements, shapes, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0011] Incidentally, "recording" includes not only the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also the formation of images, patterns, designs, etc. on a recording medium, whether meaningful or insignificant, or the processing of the medium, regardless of whether it is manifested in a way that can be perceived by humans visually. In addition, although paper is assumed as the "recording medium" in this embodiment, it may also be cloth, plastic, film, etc.

[0012] In addition, "ink" (sometimes called "liquid") should be interpreted broadly in the same way as the definition of "recording" above. Therefore, it refers to a liquid that can be applied to a recording medium to form an image, design, pattern, etc., to process the recording medium, or to treat the ink (for example, to solidify or insolubilize the coloring material in the ink applied to the recording medium).

[0013] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus 50 (hereinafter, recording apparatus 50) as a liquid ejection apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Recording apparatus 50 includes a feed roller (not shown) for feeding a recording medium (not shown), a transport roller 1 for transporting the recording medium, and a pinch roller 2 driven by the transport roller 1. The recording medium is transported onto a platen 3 while being sandwiched between the transport roller 1 and the pinch roller 2. The transport roller 1 is a metal roller processed so that a large frictional force can be generated by forming fine irregularities on its surface. The pinch roller 2 is elastically biased against the transport roller 1 by a pressing means such as a spring (not shown).

[0014] The platen 3 supports the back surface of the recording medium so as to maintain a constant or predetermined distance between the ink ejection surface of the recording head 4 (ejection head) that ejects ink and the surface of the recording medium facing the ink ejection surface. After an image is recorded on the recording medium supported by the platen 3 by the recording head 4, the recording medium is ejected outside the recording device 50 by an ejection roller (not shown) and a spur that is a rotating body driven by the ejection roller. The ejection roller is a rubber roller with a large friction coefficient. The spur is elastically biased against the ejection roller by a pressing means such as a spring (not shown).

[0015] The recording head 4 is mounted on a carriage 7 and can be moved back and forth in the X direction along guide rails 5 and 6 arranged above and below by a driving means such as a motor (not shown). When recording on the recording medium, the recording head 4 ejects ink while moving in the X direction together with the carriage 7, and records an image of one line having a predetermined length in the Y direction. Thereafter, the recording medium is transported a predetermined distance by the transport roller 1 and the pinch roller 2, and the recording head 4 again records an image of one line on the recording medium.

[0016] The X and Y directions represent horizontal directions that intersect each other (perpendicular to each other in this embodiment). The Z direction is a direction that intersects both the X and Y directions (perpendicular to each other in this embodiment) and corresponds to the direction of gravity.

[0017] The recording head 4 is equipped with a means (e.g., a heat generating resistor element) that generates thermal energy to be used for ejecting ink, and uses a method in which the thermal energy causes a change in the state of the ink (film boiling). This achieves high density and high definition recording. Note that the ejection method of the recording head 4 is not limited to a method using thermal energy, and vibration energy may also be used.

[0018] The recording head 4 is provided with nozzle rows for ejecting different color inks, one for each color. A plurality of independent ink tanks 8 are fixed to the device body corresponding to the colors of ink ejected from the recording head 4. The ink tanks 8 and the recording head 4 are connected by joints (not shown) through a plurality of supply tubes 10 corresponding to the respective colors of ink. The ink stored in each ink tank 8 is supplied independently to each nozzle row of the corresponding recording head 4 via the supply tubes 10.

[0019] In a non-printing area, which is within the reciprocating movement range of the recording head 4 but outside the passing range of the transported recording medium, a recovery unit 11 is disposed so as to face the ink ejection surface of the recording head 4. The recovery unit 11 has a capping portion for capping the ink ejection surface of the recording head 4, a suction mechanism for forcibly sucking ink from the recording head 4 while the ink ejection surface is capped, and a wiper for wiping off dirt from the ink ejection surface.

[0020] An ink tank 8 is provided for each corresponding ink color, and each ink tank is attached with a supply tube 10. The recording device 50 is equipped with an ink tank 8K that contains black ink, an ink tank 8C that contains cyan ink, an ink tank 8M that contains magenta ink, and an ink tank 8Y that contains yellow ink, which are collectively referred to as ink tanks 8. Each ink tank 8 is fixed to a case 301 provided in the recording device 50. In this embodiment, the ink tanks 8C, 8M, and 8Y that contain the color inks use common parts, and the ink tank 8K that contains black ink is configured with a different shape from the other three ink tanks.

[0021] An injection port 23 (see FIG. 2) is opened at the top of the ink tank 8, which enables the user to inject ink from a storage container such as an ink bottle into the inside of the ink tank 8, and a plug member 22 that seals the injection port 23 is attached so as to be able to be opened and closed for each color of ink.

[0022] Next, the configuration of the ink tank 8 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2, 3 and 6. Figure 2 is a side view showing the configuration of an ink tank 8Y that contains yellow ink. Figure 2(a) is a side view of the left side of the ink tank 8Y when the recording device 50 is viewed from the front, and Figure 2(b) is a side view of the right side of the ink tank 8Y when the recording device 50 is viewed from the front. Note that ink tanks other than the ink tank 8Y have the same basic configuration, so their descriptions will be omitted.

[0023] Ink injected from the inlet 23 passes through a flow path 141 and is contained in the ink containing chamber 127 via an opening 142. An opening 126 provided on the bottom surface or near the bottom surface of the ink containing chamber 127 and a tube joint 24 to which the supply tube 10 is connected are communicated with each other via a communication passage 125. The tube joint 24 also serves as an outlet through which the ink contained in the ink containing chamber 127 exits the ink tank 8.

[0024] The ink storage chamber 127 has an opening on the left side, and the opening is sealed by heat welding a film (not shown) to enable the ink to be stored. Similarly, the communication passage 125 is a groove shape with an opening on the right side, and is sealed by heat welding a film separate from the film heat-welded to the ink storage chamber 127, and functions as a flow path through which ink can pass. In other words, the ink tank 8 of this embodiment refers to a tank container having the ink storage chamber 127 and the communication passage 125, to which a film has been heat-welded.

[0025] The ink tank 8Y has a buffer chamber that communicates with the atmosphere and also functions as a storage chamber capable of storing ink that overflows from the ink storage chamber 127. For example, if the ink tank 8Y is tilted and a change in attitude occurs while ink is contained in the ink storage chamber 127, ink may overflow from the ink storage chamber 127, and each buffer chamber is configured to be able to store the overflowed ink. The ink tank 8Y has multiple buffer chambers, and is formed so that all of the buffer chambers are located above the ink storage chamber 127 when the recording device 50 is in the usage position.

[0026] The ink storage chamber 127 communicates with a buffer chamber 131 through an opening 128. The buffer chamber 131 communicates with a buffer chamber 133 through a flow path 132. The buffer chamber 133 communicates with a buffer chamber 135 through a flow path 134. The buffer chamber 135 communicates with a buffer chamber 137 through a flow path 136. The buffer chamber 137 communicates with a buffer chamber 139 through a flow path 138. The buffer chamber 139 communicates with the outside air through an atmosphere communication port 140.

[0027] The buffer chamber 131 opens in the opposite direction to the opening direction of the ink storage chamber 127, and is sealed by a film 203 (see FIG. 3(b)) that seals the opening of the communication passage 125. On the other hand, the flow passage 132 opens in the same direction as the opening direction of the ink storage chamber 127, and is sealed by the same film that seals the ink storage chamber 127. In other words, the buffer chamber 131 and the flow passage 132 are configured so that their opening directions are opposite to each other.

[0028] The other buffer chambers 133, 135, 137, and 139 open in the same direction as the opening direction of the ink storage chamber 127, and are sealed by the same film that seals the ink storage chamber 127. On the other hand, the flow paths 134, 136, and 138 open in the opposite direction to the opening direction of the ink storage chamber 127, and are sealed by the film 203 that seals the communication path 125. In other words, the buffer chambers 135, 137, and 139 are configured so that their opening direction is opposite to that of the flow paths 134, 136, and 138 that communicate with each other.

[0029] With the above configuration, if the ink tank 8Y is tilted so that its left side surface (the surface where the opening of the ink storage chamber 127 is provided) is facing down, each flow path will be located at the top. In other words, even if ink is stored in the buffer chamber 133, the flow path 134 will be located above the liquid level of the stored ink. In this way, the movement of ink from each buffer chamber to each flow path is inhibited, thereby suppressing ink leakage from the ink tank 8Y to the outside of the tank. This configuration is not limited to the ink tank 8Y, but can also be used for the ink tanks 8K, 8C, and 8M.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the rib to which the film 203 is heat-sealed in the ink tank 8Y. FIG. 3(a) is a right side view of the ink tank 8Y. An outer frame rib 201, which is an outer frame of the openings constituting the communication passage 125, the buffer chamber 131, and the flow paths 134, 136, 138, and 141, is provided on the right side of the ink tank 8Y. Furthermore, a rib 202a and a rib 202b are provided on the right side of the ink tank 8Y. The ribs 202a and 202b are provided so as to protrude outward from the outer wall constituting the ink storage chamber 127, and are formed in a straight line extending in the Y direction in this embodiment. The rib 202a and the rib 202b are arranged apart from each other in the Z direction. In the following, the ribs 202a and 202b may be collectively referred to as the rib 202.

[0031] 3(b) is a side view of the vicinity of the rib 202 when the ink tank 8Y is viewed from downstream in the Y direction. As described above, the film 203 is welded to the right side surface of the ink tank 8Y. Specifically, the film 203 is heat-welded to the outer frame rib 201 and the rib 202. As a result, the communication passage 125, the buffer chamber 131, and the flow paths 134, 136, 138, and 141 surrounded by the outer frame rib 201 are sealed. In addition, the protruding heights of the outer frame rib 201 and the rib 202 are aligned by the process of heat-welding the film 203, so that the right side surface of the ink tank 8Y to which the film 203 is attached is configured to be flat without any steps.

[0032] Next, the fixing of each ink tank 8 to the recording device 50 (case 301) will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of the ink tank 8K seen from below, and Fig. 4(b) is a perspective view of the ink tank 8Y seen from below. In this embodiment, since the ink tanks 8M and 8C have the same configuration as the ink tank 8Y, the ink tank 8Y will be used as an example for the description. However, in the present invention, the configuration may differ for each ink tank. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the case 301 capable of fixing each ink tank 8, seen from above.

[0033] A protrusion 8a, a protrusion 8b, and a boss 8h are provided on the bottom surface of each ink tank 8. A rib 8e is provided on the ink tank 8K, and a rib 8f that can be engaged with the rib 8e is formed on each of the ink tanks 8C, 8M, and 8Y. The ink tank 8K is further provided with a fixed portion 8g.

[0034] Case 301 is provided with abutment surface 301a that abuts and engages with protrusion 8a, 301b that abuts and engages with protrusion 8b, and hole 301c that engages with boss 8h. These engagements regulate the movement of each ink tank 8 in the XY directions (horizontal directions) and Z direction (gravity direction). With the above-mentioned configuration, each ink tank 8 can be temporarily fixed to case 301 simply by attaching it to case 301 from above, making assembly easier.

[0035] Next, the restriction of movement of each ink tank in the Z direction will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which each ink tank 8 is attached to the case 301 from the state shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 6(b) is a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 6(a).

[0036] When the ink tanks 8 are mounted in the case 301, the ink tanks 8C, 8M, and 8Y for the color inks are mounted first, followed by the ink tank 8K for the black ink. By mounting the ink tank 8K last, the rib 8e is positioned vertically above each of the ribs 8f, as shown in Fig. 6(b). As a result, the movement of the ribs 8f of the ink tanks 8C, 8M, and 8Y in the Z direction is restricted by the rib 8e of the ink tank 8K.

[0037] Furthermore, the case 301 is formed with a fixing portion 301g corresponding to the fixed portion 8g of the ink tank 8K (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 6(a), the fixed portion 8g is fixed to the fixing portion 301g with a screw 25. With the above-described configuration, it is possible to restrict movement of each ink tank 8 relative to the case 301 in the Z direction.

[0038] Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the ink tank 8 and the case 301 when the ink tank 8 is attached to the case 301. Fig. 7(a) is a side view of the positional relationship between the ink tank 8 (ink tank 8Y in this embodiment) and the case 301, as viewed from downstream in the Y direction. Fig. 7(b) is a perspective view of the case 301 when the ink tank 8 is not attached, as viewed from downstream in the Y direction and from above.

[0039] The case 301 has a wall 301d facing the ink tank 8Y, and a protrusion 301e protruding from the wall 301d. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the protrusion 301e is formed in a straight line extending in the Z direction, and in this embodiment, three protrusions 301e are formed at intervals in the Y direction. The protrusions 301e are provided at a position facing the rib 202 of the ink tank 8Y, i.e., at a lower position in the Z direction. Therefore, the protrusions 301e are provided at a position not facing the outer frame rib 201.

[0040] That is, the distance 303 between the protrusion 301e and the film 203 welded to the rib 202 is smaller than the distance 302 between the wall 301d and the film 203 welded to the outer frame rib 201. With this configuration, for example, if an impact is applied during transportation of the recording device 50 and the ink tank 8 or the case 301 moves, the film 203 of the ink tank 8 is more likely to come into contact with the protrusion 301e than with the wall 301d. Therefore, damage to the film 203 welded to the outer frame rib 201 that constitutes each buffer chamber and flow path capable of storing ink can be prevented, and leakage of liquid from the ink tank 8 can be suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, with the above-mentioned configuration, there is no need to provide a separate protective member between the film 203 (ink tank 8) and the case 301. Therefore, compared to when a protective member is provided or when the ink tank 8 and the case 301 are placed sufficiently apart, the distance between the ink tank 8 and the case 301 can be made smaller, and the recording device 50 can be made smaller with a simple and inexpensive configuration.

[0042] Second embodiment The second embodiment will be described below, but the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the ink tank 8 and case 301 of the second embodiment. FIG. 8(a) is a right side view of the ink tank 8Y. In this embodiment, in addition to the ribs 202a and 202b of the first embodiment, ribs 202c and 202d are provided. The ribs 202c and 202d are provided above the ink tank 8Y. Hereinafter, the ribs 202a, 202b, 202c, and 202d will be collectively referred to as ribs 202.

[0043] 8(b) is a side view of the ink tank 8Y viewed from downstream in the Y direction, near the rib 202. In the second embodiment, the protrusion 301e of the case 301 is also provided at a position corresponding to the ribs 202c and 202d. In this way, by providing the rib 202 and the protrusion 301e at a different position from the first embodiment, it is possible to enhance the effect of suppressing leakage of liquid from the ink tank 8.

[0044] Third embodiment Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ink tank 8 and a case 301 according to the third embodiment. Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are right side views of an ink tank 8Y, and Figure 9(b) shows a modified example of Figure 9(a). In the first embodiment, a configuration in which multiple ribs 202 and multiple protrusions 301e are provided was described.

[0045] In this embodiment, multiple ribs 202 (three in FIG. 9(a)) are provided, and only one opposing protrusion 301e (dashed line in FIG. 9(a)) is provided. Also, in this embodiment, the rib 202 is formed linearly extending in the Z direction, and the protrusion 301e is formed linearly extending in the Y direction. In this way, by forming the rib 202 and the protrusion 301e to extend in directions perpendicular to each other, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the first embodiment, without providing multiple protrusions e.

[0046] FIG. 9(b) shows a configuration in which one rib 202 is provided, and multiple (three in FIG. 9(b)) opposing protrusions 301e (dashed lines in FIG. 9(b)) are provided. In the modified example shown in FIG. 9(b), the rib 202 is formed linearly extending in the Y direction, and the protrusions 301e are formed linearly extending in the Z direction. This modified example can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0047] The disclosure of the above-described embodiment includes the following configurations.

[0048] (Configuration 1) a tank container having a storage chamber capable of storing liquid to be supplied to an ejection head that ejects the liquid, the storage chamber having an opening on a side surface of the tank container, the opening having an outer frame surrounded by a first rib, and a film that seals the opening; a wall portion disposed in a position facing the film and having a protrusion protruding toward the film; The liquid ejection device, wherein the protrusion faces a second rib provided on the tank container separately from the first rib, and does not face the first rib.

[0049] (Configuration 2) The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1, wherein the wall portion is provided with a plurality of protrusions.

[0050] (Configuration 3) 3. The liquid ejection device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is formed in a straight line extending in the direction of gravity.

[0051] (Configuration 4) 4. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the second ribs are provided in the tank container.

[0052] (Configuration 5) 5. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the second rib is formed linearly extending in a horizontal direction.

[0053] (Configuration 6) the tank container has an outlet portion for discharging liquid in the storage chamber to the outside, and a communication passage that communicates the storage chamber with the outlet portion and opens in the same direction as the storage chamber, The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the opening of the communication path is sealed by the film.

[0054] (Configuration 7) 7. The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the tank container is provided with an inlet for injecting liquid into the storage chamber.

[0055] (Configuration 8) The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, further comprising a tube that supplies the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the ejection head.

[0056] (Configuration 9) The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that the tank container has a second storage chamber that opens in the opposite direction to the storage chamber and is capable of storing liquid, and the opening of the second storage chamber is sealed by a second film different from the film.

[0057] (Configuration 10) The liquid ejection device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, comprising the ejection head. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 4. Recording head (ejection head) 8 Ink Tank 50 Inkjet recording device 127 Ink chamber 201 Outer frame rib 202 Rib 203 Film 301d wall section 301e Protrusion

Claims

1. a tank container having a storage chamber capable of storing liquid to be supplied to an ejection head that ejects the liquid, the storage chamber having an opening on a side surface of the tank container, the opening having an outer frame surrounded by a first rib, and a film that seals the opening; a wall portion disposed in a position facing the film and having a protrusion protruding toward the film; The liquid ejection device, wherein the protruding portion faces a second rib provided on the tank container separately from the first rib, and does not face the first rib.

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the wall portion has a plurality of protruding portions.

3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is formed in a straight line extending in the direction of gravity.

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rib is provided in a plurality of parts on the tank container.

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the second rib is formed linearly extending in a horizontal direction.

6. the tank container has an outlet portion for discharging liquid in the storage chamber to the outside, and a communication passage that communicates the storage chamber with the outlet portion and opens in the same direction as the storage chamber, The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the communication passage is sealed by the film.

7. 2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, wherein the tank container is provided with an inlet for injecting the liquid into the storage chamber.

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising a tube for supplying the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the ejection head.

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank container has a second storage chamber that opens in the opposite direction to the storage chamber and is capable of storing liquid, and the opening of the second storage chamber is sealed by a second film different from the film.

10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , further comprising the ejection head.

Images