Liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of preventing leakage of a liquid.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a container including a storage part for storing a liquid supplied to discharge means for discharging a liquid, and an injection part for injecting the liquid to the storage part; and a seal part for detachably sealing the injection part by being inserted to the injection part, wherein the seal part includes a cap member swingably supported on the shaft part, and in the seal part, a plurality of grooves from inside to outside of the seal part are formed in a circumferential direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As an example of a liquid ejection device, a recording device that ejects ink onto a recording medium such as paper to record an image is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a recording device that includes an ink tank having an inlet for refilling the ink, a recording head that ejects the ink supplied from the ink tank, and a valve that can open and close a passage between the recording head and the ink tank. When refilling the ink, the valve is closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-79910 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the fill port is closed with a cap, ink may leak if a foreign object is caught between the fill port and the cap.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique capable of preventing liquid leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a container including a storage section for storing a liquid to be supplied to a discharge means for discharging the liquid, and an injection section for injecting the liquid into the storage section; a cap member including a seal portion that is inserted into the injection portion to detachably seal the injection portion, the seal portion being supported by a shaft portion so as to be swingable; The seal portion has a plurality of grooves formed in a circumferential direction from the inside to the outside of the seal portion. A liquid ejection device is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention provides a technique capable of preventing liquid leakage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a liquid ejection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal mechanism of the liquid ejection device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a container and its surroundings. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the liquid ejection device of FIG. [Diagram 5] 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams showing the ink refill procedure. [Figure 6] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing the ink refilling procedure, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the open state of the injection part. [Figure 7] 7(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap member and the cover part are in the middle of being moved to a closed position, and (B) is an enlarged view of a P1 portion in FIG. 7(A). [Figure 8] 8(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap member and the cover part have been moved to a closed position, and FIG. 8(B) is an enlarged view of part P2 in FIG. 8(A). [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the peripheral structure of each container, a valve, and a discharge head. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of the cover part and the valve. [Figure 11] (A)~(C) are diagrams explaining the operation of the valve. [Figure 12] (A)~(C) are diagrams explaining the operation of the valve. [Figure 13] (A) and (B) are diagrams explaining the operation of the valve. [Figure 14] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of control. [Figure 15]1A is a side view of the cap portion, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view and a partially enlarged view of the cap portion. [Figure 16] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of an ink leakage location, and FIGS. 1B and 1C are diagrams showing other examples of groove configurations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <Outline of the liquid ejection device> 1 is an external view of a liquid ejection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. The liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is an inkjet recording device that ejects ink as a liquid to perform recording on a recording medium, but the present invention is also applicable to various liquid ejection devices other than inkjet recording devices. In the figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction (direction of gravity). The X direction is the width direction (left-right direction) of the liquid ejection device 1. The Y direction is the depth direction of the liquid ejection device 1.

[0011] In addition, "recording" includes not only the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also the formation of images, patterns, and the like 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 visually perceived by humans. In addition, although a sheet of paper is assumed as the "recording medium" in this embodiment, it may also be cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0012] The liquid ejection device 1 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and includes a device main body 2 and a cover section 3. The cover section 3 is provided so as to cover the device main body 2, and constitutes the top section of the liquid ejection device 1. The cover section 3 of this embodiment is provided with a reading unit (scanner unit) 3a that reads images from a document. The front section of the liquid ejection device 1 is provided with an ejection section 10 from which recorded recording media are ejected. The front section of the liquid ejection device 1 is also provided with an operation unit 36 ​​that accepts user operations. The operation unit 36 ​​includes a touch panel display section, and in addition to accepting input operations from the user, displays information to the user.

[0013] A housing forming the outer wall of the device main body 2 has a plurality of windows 2a to 2d formed therein. A user can visually check the internal configuration of the device main body 2 through the windows 2a to 2d. In this embodiment, a user can visually check the remaining amount of liquid contained in the containers 5Bk, 5C, 5M, and 5Y (hereinafter, when collectively referred to or not distinguished, they will be referred to as containers 5) through the windows 2a to 2d. The containers 5 are ink tanks that contain ink as liquid, and the four containers 5 contain different types of ink. In this embodiment, the container 5Bk contains black ink, the container 5C contains cyan ink, the container 5M contains magenta ink, and the container 5Y contains yellow ink. The types of ink are not limited to four types as in this embodiment, but may be one type or multiple types other than four types, and the number of containers 5 may be greater than or equal to the number of types of liquid ink.

[0014] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal mechanism of the liquid ejection device 1. The liquid ejection device 1 includes an ejection head 4 that ejects liquid. In this embodiment, the ejection head 4 is a recording head that performs recording by ejecting ink supplied from a container 5 onto a recording medium. The ejection head 4 has an ejection surface 4a (see FIG. 3) in which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed. Each nozzle is provided with, for example, an electrothermal conversion element (heater), which is heated by passing electricity through the element to cause the ink to bubble, and the resulting bubbling energy is used to eject the ink.

[0015] The ejection head 4 is mounted on a carriage 6. The carriage 6 is reciprocated in the X direction (main scanning direction) by a drive unit 7. The drive unit 7 includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley (only the driven pulley 7b is shown in FIG. 2) that are spaced apart in the X direction, an endless belt 7c wound around these pulleys, and a carriage motor 7a that is a drive source for rotating the drive pulley. The carriage 6 is connected to the endless belt 7c, and the carriage 6 moves in the X direction by running the endless belt 7c. During the movement of the carriage 6, an image is recorded by ejecting ink from the ejection head 4 onto a recording medium. This operation is sometimes called recording scanning.

[0016] Thus, the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment is a serial type inkjet recording device in which the ejection head 4 is mounted on a reciprocating carriage 6. However, the present invention is also applicable to other recording devices, such as an inkjet recording device equipped with a so-called full-line ejection head (recording head) in which multiple nozzles are provided to eject liquid in an area corresponding to the width of the recording medium.

[0017] The liquid ejection device 1 includes a feeding unit 8 and a transport unit 9 for transporting a recording medium. The feeding unit 8 includes a tray 8a on which sheet-shaped recording media are stacked, and a recording medium feeding mechanism (not shown). The feeding mechanism includes, for example, a feeding roller for feeding the recording media on the tray 8a, and a feeding motor 8b (FIG. 4) that is a drive source for rotating the feeding roller.

[0018] The transport unit 9 is a mechanism that transports the recording medium fed from the feeding unit 8 in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction). The transport unit 9 includes a transport roller 9a and a transport motor 9b (FIG. 4) that is a drive source for rotating the transport roller 9a. A pinch roller (not shown) is pressed against the transport roller 9a, and the recording medium is sandwiched in the nip between them. The recording medium is intermittently transported to the ejection head 4 by the rotation of the transport roller 9a. The recording operation is performed by alternately repeating the transport operation of the recording medium by the transport unit 9 and recording scanning.

[0019] In this embodiment, the container 5 is a stationary container that is fixed to the liquid ejection device 1. When the remaining amount of ink is low, a user refills the container 5 with ink without removing the container 5 from the liquid ejection device 1.

[0020] The containers 5C, 5M, and 5Y have the same structure, and the container 5Bk has a larger capacity than the containers 5C, 5M, and 5Y. Therefore, the container 5Bk is wider in the X direction than the containers 5C, 5M, and 5Y. The container 5Bk is disposed at the left end in the front part of the liquid discharger 1. The containers 5C to 5Y are disposed side by side in the X direction at the right end in the front part of the liquid discharger 1. That is, the containers are disposed so that the discharge unit 10 is located between the container 5Bk and the containers 5C to 5Y. The top of the container 5Bk is covered with a cover part 13A, and the tops of the containers 5C to 5Y are covered with a cover part 13B common to these.

[0021] <Container structure> FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of the container 5 and its surroundings. As described above, the container 5Bk and the containers 5C to 5Y have different volumes, but basically have the structure shown in FIG. 3. The container 5 includes a storage section 54 for storing ink, an air-liquid exchange section 52, and a buffer chamber 53. The air-liquid exchange section 52 is a section into which the same amount of air as the ink ejected from the ejection head 4 is introduced, and the ink is usually held at the position shown in FIG. 3 by the meniscus of the ink. The buffer chamber 53 can store the ink pushed out by breaking the meniscus of the ink in the air-liquid exchange section 52 when the air in the storage section 54 expands due to changes in air pressure or temperature. An injection section 5a for refill liquid (refill ink) is provided at the top of the container 5. The injection section 5a is closed by a cap section 120. When refilling ink, the user removes the cap section 120 from the injection section 5a and performs the ink refilling work with the injection section 5a open. A cap portion 120 is provided for each container 5 (cap portions 120Bk, 120C, 120M, and 120Y, as described below).

[0022] Passages 14a and 15a communicate with the inside of the container 5. The passage 14a communicates with the storage portion 54, is a liquid supply path (ink supply path) that supplies ink from the container 5 to the ejection head 4, and is formed by a supply tube 14 that is a flexible tube. The passage 15a communicates with the buffer chamber 53, is an atmosphere communication path that connects the inside of the container 5 to the atmosphere, and is formed by an atmosphere communication tube 15 that is a flexible tube. The valve 16 opens and closes the passages 14a and 15a simultaneously. In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the valve 16 includes a valve 16A for the container 5Bk and a valve 16B that is common to the containers 5C to 5Y.

[0023] The gas-liquid exchanger 52 is provided at a position lower than the ejection surface 4a of the ejection head 4 by a height H. In other words, the ejection surface 4a is configured to be subjected to a negative pressure caused by a head difference of height H. This makes it possible to prevent ink from leaking out from the ejection surface 4a. The buffer chamber 53 is also located at the bottom of the container 5. This makes it possible to prevent ink from leaking out from the atmosphere communication passage 15a.

[0024] The recovery unit 11 is a mechanism for maintaining the ink ejection performance of the ejection head 4, and is disposed at one end of the moving range of the carriage 6. The recovery unit 11 includes a cap 11a for covering the ejection surface 4a of the ejection head 4, and a pump 11b for sucking ink from the ejection head 4 through the cap 11a. The cap 11a can be displaced between a position covering the ejection surface 4a and a position spaced apart from the ejection surface 4a by a mechanism not shown. By covering the ejection surface 4a with the cap 11a (capping), the ink on the ejection surface 4a can be prevented from drying. In addition, by operating the pump 11b with the ejection surface 4a capped with the cap 11a, the thickened ink adhering to the ejection head 4 can be removed and the passage 14a and the ejection head 4 can be filled with ink. When a recording operation is performed with the passage 14a and the ejection head 4 filled with ink, the ink is supplied from the container 5 in an amount equivalent to the amount of ink that has been removed from the ejection head 4 (the amount of ink that has been ejected).

[0025] <Control unit> 4 is a block diagram of the control unit 30 of the liquid ejection device 1. The MPU 31 is a processor that controls each operation of the liquid ejection device 1 and processes data. The MPU 31 executes a program stored in a storage device 32 to control the entire liquid ejection device 1. The storage device 32 is composed of, for example, a ROM or a RAM. The storage device 32 stores various data required for processing, such as data received from the host computer 100, in addition to the program executed by the MPU 31.

[0026] The MPU 31 controls the ejection head 4 via a driver 34a. The MPU 31 controls the carriage motor 7a via a driver 34b. The MPU 31 also controls the transport motor 9b and the feed motor 8b via drivers 34c and 34d.

[0027] The MPU 31 also performs control operations by acquiring detection results from a group of various sensors 35 provided in the liquid ejection device 1. The group of sensors 35 includes a cover detection sensor 35a. The MPU 31 also controls the display of a display unit 36 ​​and accepts user operations on the operation unit 36.

[0028] The host computer 100 is, for example, a personal computer or a mobile terminal (for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal) used by a user. A printer driver 101 that performs communication between the host computer 100 and the liquid ejection device 1 is installed in the host computer 100. The liquid ejection device 1 has an interface unit 33, and communication between the host computer 100 and the MPU 31 is performed via the interface unit 33. For example, when a user inputs an instruction to execute a recording operation to the host computer 100, the printer driver 101 collects data of an image to be recorded and settings related to recording (information such as the quality of the recorded image), and instructs the liquid ejection device 1 to execute the recording operation.

[0029] <Operation when refilling liquid> The operation procedure for refilling the container 5 with ink will be described with reference to Figs. 5(A) to 6(B). When refilling the container 5 with ink, it is necessary to expose the injection part 5a. In the liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment, the cover part 3 is configured to be movable between a closed position (position in Fig. 1) that covers the inside of the device body 2 and an open position that exposes the inside of the device body 2 by a manual operation by a user. Fig. 5(A) shows a state in which the cover part 3 has been moved to the open position. In this embodiment, the cover part 3 is supported by the device body 2 so as to be able to swing between the open position and the closed position. The swing center 3b of the cover part 3 is parallel to the X direction and is set at the rear of the cover part 3 (and the device body 2). In other words, the front part of the liquid ejection device 1 is opened by the cover part 3.

[0030] When the cover part 3 moves to the open position, the cover parts 13A and 13B that were covered by the cover part 3 in the closed position are exposed. In the liquid discharge device 1 of this embodiment, the cover parts 13A and 13B are configured to be movable between a closed position (position in FIG. 5(A)) that covers the upper part of the container 5 and an open position (position in FIG. 5(B)) that exposes the upper part of the container 5 by a manual operation by a user. FIG. 5(A) shows a state in which the cover parts 13A and 13B have each moved to the closed position. In this embodiment, the cover parts 13A and 13B are supported by the device body 2 so as to be freely swingable between the open position and the closed position. The swing center 13a of the cover parts 13A and 13B is parallel to the X direction and is set at the rear of the cover parts 13A and 13B. The cover part 13A covers the injection part 5a of the container 5Bk in its closed position, and exposes the injection part 5a in its open position (the injection part 5a is normally covered by the cap part 120Bk as shown in FIG. 5(B)). In other words, when the cover part 13A is in the open position, the user is allowed to access the injection part 5a. The cover part 13B covers each of the injection parts 5a of the containers 5C to 5Y in its closed position, and exposes each of the injection parts 5a in its open position (the injection parts 5a are normally covered by the corresponding cap parts 120C to 120Y as shown in FIG. 5(B)). In other words, when the cover part 13B is in the open position, the user is allowed to access the injection part 5a.

[0031] Then, by removing the cap portion 120 from the container 5 to be refilled with ink, the injection portion 5a is exposed, and ink can be refilled. FIG. 6(A) shows a state in which the cap portions 120 of all containers 5 are removed from the injection portions 5a. FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the cover portion 13A is in the open position and the cap portion 120Bk is removed from the container 5Bk. The other containers 5C to 5Y, the cover portion 13B, and the cap portions 120C to 120Y are in the same state. In this state, the user can refill the container 5 with ink from the injection portion 5a. After refilling, the cap portion 120 closes the injection portion 5a, the cover portions 13A and 13B are moved to the closed position, and the cover portion 3 is further moved to the closed position. With the above, the ink refilling operation is completed and recording can be performed.

[0032] <Configuration of Cap Member and Cover Portion> The cap parts 120Bk to 120Y are provided on the cap members 12Bk to 12Y, respectively. The configurations of the cap members 12Bk to 12Y and the configurations of the cover parts 13A and 13B will be described with reference to Figs. 6(A) to 10. Fig. 7(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap member 12Bk and the cover part 13A are in the middle of being moved to the closed position, and Fig. 7(B) is an enlarged view of a P1 part in Fig. 7(A). Fig. 8(A) is a diagram showing a state in which the cap member 12Bk and the cover part 13A have been moved to the closed position, and Fig. 8(B) is an enlarged view of a P2 part in Fig. 8(A). Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the peripheral structure of each container 5, the valves 16A and 16B, and the discharge head 4. Figs. 10(A) and 10(B) are explanatory views of the cover part 13A and the valve 16A.

[0033] Although the configurations of the cap member 12Bk and the cover portion 13A will be mainly described here, the cap members 12C to 12Y and the cover portion 13B have the same configuration.

[0034] First, the cap member 12Bk will be described. The cap member 12Bk has an arm portion 121. The cap portion 120Bk is replaceably supported at one end of the arm portion 121, and a shaft portion 122 is formed at the other end. The arm portion 121 branches into two branches from a midpoint in the longitudinal direction to the other end, and a gap 121a is formed therebetween. The cap member 12Bk is supported by the device body 2 at the shaft portion 122 so as to be freely swingable, and the swing center 12a (FIG. 6(A)) is parallel to the X direction.

[0035] The cap portion 120Bk is a cylindrical member that is open at the tip side and closed at the base side, and a seal portion 123 is formed in the middle of the axial direction, and the tip portion 124 defines a circular opening. The injection portion 5a has a cylindrical injection hole 5b and a tube portion 5c erected inside the injection hole 5b. An ink refill bottle is inserted into the injection hole 5b, and the ink in the bottle is injected into the container 5Bk through the tube portion 5c. The tip portion 124 is located closer to the tip of the cap portion 120Bk than the seal portion 123 in the insertion direction into the injection hole 5b.

[0036] Cap member 12Bk is movable between an open position shown in Fig. 6(B) and a closed position shown in Fig. 8(A). In the closed position, cap portion 120Bk is inserted into injection hole 5b to close injection portion 5a. In the open position, cap portion 120Bk is removed from injection hole 5b to open injection portion 5a.

[0037] A user can manually move the cap member 12Bk from the closed position to the open position by pulling it up, and can also manually move the cap member 12Bk from the open position to the closed position by pushing it down.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cap member 12Bk is disposed in the swing space of the cover portion 13A, and the swing center 12a is located between the swing center 13a and the injection portion 5a in the Y direction. Therefore, when the cover portion 13A is in the closed position, the cap member 12Bk is covered by the cover portion 13A. Therefore, the cap member 12Bk cannot be moved to the open position unless the cover portion 13A is moved to the open position. By covering the cap member 12Bk with the cover portion 13A, it is possible to prevent the cap member 12Bk from unexpectedly moving to the open position to open the injection portion 5a and cause ink to leak from the injection portion 5a.

[0039] The cap member 12Bk can be moved from the open position to the closed position by itself, but the cap member 12Bk can be moved from the open position to the closed position by moving the cover part 13A from the open position to the closed position. The inner wall surface of the cover part 13A is formed with a pressing part 134 that abuts against the cap member 12Bk when moving from the open position to the closed position. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the pressing part 134 abuts against the cap member 12Bk in the middle of moving the cover part 13A from the open position to the closed position, and moves the cap member 12Bk to the closed position. After refilling with ink, the user can simultaneously move the cap member 12Bk to the closed position and close the injection part 5a by performing an operation to move the cover part 13A to the closed position. This configuration can also prevent a situation in which the user forgets to move the cap member 12Bk to the closed position (forgets to close the injection part 5a).

[0040] Next, the cover part 13A will be described. The cover part 13A has an engagement part 130 at one end and a pair of bearing parts 132 at the other end. A shaft part of a cam member 162 of the valve 16A described later is inserted into the bearing part 132, and the cover part 13A is supported around this shaft part so as to be freely swingable. The engagement part 130 engages with an engagement part 20 on the device main body 2 side. The engagement part 20 is formed on a member provided on the inside of the outer wall of the device main body 2, and its position is fixed. By engaging with the engagement part 130, the engagement part 20 restricts the cover part 13A from moving from the closed position to the open position, and maintains the cover part 13A in the closed position.

[0041] The engaging portion 130 in this embodiment has a hook shape or a hook shape with a protrusion 130a at its tip end protruding toward the swing center 13a in the Y direction. On the other hand, the engaging portion 20 is a protrusion protruding toward the opposite side of the swing center 13a in the Y direction, and is formed by forming a recess below the protrusion. The protrusion 130a comes into contact with the lower surface 20a of the engaging portion 20, thereby restricting the movement of the cover portion 13A from the closed position to the open position. Figures 7(A) to 8(B) show the engagement state between the engaging portion 130 and the engaging portion 20 when the cover portion 13A is moved from the open position to the closed position.

[0042] When the user operates the cover part 13A from the open position to the closed position, as shown in Fig. 7(A) and Fig. 7(B), the protrusion 130a abuts against the engagement part 20, and the engagement part 130 elastically deforms in the direction of the arrow D1 (the opposite direction to the swing center 13a in the Y direction). Then, when the protrusion 130a overcomes the engagement part 20 downward, the engagement part 130 elastically returns in the direction of the arrow D2 (towards the swing center 13a in the Y direction) as shown in Fig. 8(A) and Fig. 8(B). This engages the engagement part 130 and the engagement part 20. When the user operates the cover part 13A from the closed position to the open position, the engagement part 130 and the engagement part 20 are released from engagement by the reverse phenomenon. In this embodiment, the engagement part 130 side is configured to be elastically deformed, but conversely, the engagement part 20 side may be configured to be elastically deformed. Or, both may be configured to be elastically deformed. Alternatively, the engaging portion 130 and the engaging portion 20 may be displaced by elastically deforming either or both of the cover portion 13A and a part of the device body 2.

[0043] When engaging portion 130 elastically deforms from the state of Fig. 7(B) to the state of Fig. 8(B), a suitable clicking sensation can be given to the user performing the operation, which allows the user to feel that cover portion 13A has moved to the closed position and entered the engaged state (that injection portion 5a has been blocked by cap portion 120Bk).

[0044] Here, in order to give the user a comfortable clicking sensation, it is necessary to appropriately manage the amount of interference (amount of overlap in the Y direction in a natural state) when the protrusion 130a overcomes the engaging portion 20. If the amount of interference is large, the amount of elastic deformation of the engaging portion 130 becomes large when the protrusion 130a overcomes the engaging portion 20, requiring a large operating force from the user. If the operating force is large, the user may mistakenly believe that the cover portion 13A has moved to the closed position. Conversely, if the amount of interference is small, the amount of elastic deformation of the engaging portion 130 is small, and a sufficient clicking sensation may not be generated.

[0045] In terms of design, the amount of interference can be adjusted by the distance L0 from the swing center 13a of the cover part 13A to the protrusion 130a and the engagement part 20, as shown in Fig. 8(A). However, in this embodiment, the cover part 13A is supported so as to be able to swing freely by using a part of the valve 16A (cam member 162). The amount of interference may vary depending on the dimensional tolerances and assembly errors of each part.

[0046] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cover part 13A has a configuration in which an intermediate position in the Y direction is positioned in the closed position. Specifically, a plate-shaped abutment part 131 protruding from an inner wall surface of the cover part 13A is provided integrally with the cover part 13A. The abutment part 131 protrudes in a direction intersecting a direction connecting the swing center 13a and the engagement part 130 at a position between the swing center 13a and the engagement part 130, and protrudes downward in the Z direction when the cover part 13A is in the closed position. An abutment part 21 that abuts against the abutment part 131 is provided on the side of the device main body 2.

[0047] The contact operation between the contact portion 131 and the contact portion 21 will be described with reference to Figs. 7(A) and 8(A). Fig. 7(A) shows a state in the middle of moving the cover portion 13A from the open position to the closed position. The tip side of the contact surface 131a of the contact portion 131 is curved and the remaining part is flat. At the stage of Fig. 7(A), the tip side of the contact surface 131a starts to contact the contact portion 21. The contact surface 21a of the contact portion 21 is a vertical surface. At the stage of Fig. 8(A) (when the cover portion 13A reaches the closed position), the flat part of the contact surface 131a and the contact surface 21a of the contact portion 21 are in contact. In this embodiment, the contact surface 131a and the contact surface 21a contact in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cover portion 13A (the shaft portion of the cam member 162).

[0048] With this configuration, the amount of interference can be adjusted by adjusting the distance L1 from the contact surface between the contact portion 131 and the contact portion 21 to the protrusion 130a and the engagement portion 20, as shown in Fig. 8(A). It is possible to minimize the variation in the amount of interference caused by the dimensional tolerances of each part and assembly errors. This allows the user to feel a comfortable clicking sensation.

[0049] <Valve> Next, the valves 16A and 16B will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 13(B). Figures 11(A) to 11(C), 12(A) to 12(C), 13(A) and 13(B) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the valve 16A. The valve 16A simultaneously opens and closes the passages 14a and 15a (total of two passages) of the container 5Bk. The valve 16B simultaneously opens and closes the passages 14a and 15a (total of six passages) of the containers 5C to 5Y.

[0050] During the recording operation, in terms of supplying ink to the ejection head 4, both the ink supply path 14a and the air communication path 15a must be open. On the other hand, when refilling the container 5 with ink, both the ink supply path 14a and the air communication path 15a must be closed. When refilling ink is injected, the ink level in the container 5 functions as an air-liquid exchanger by opening the injection part 5a, and there is a risk that the air-liquid exchanger will be higher than the height of the ejection surface 4a of the ejection head 4 (FIG. 3). If the ink supply path 14a is open, pressure due to the head difference of height Hm is applied to the ejection surface 4a, and ink may leak from the ejection surface 4a. It is possible to design the ink level in the container 5 so that it is not higher than the height of the ejection surface 4a of the ejection head 4, but this will restrict the ink capacity of the container 5 and the design freedom in the Z direction of the liquid ejection device 1. Furthermore, if the air communication path 15a is not closed, there is a risk that the filled ink will flow into the buffer chamber 53. In such a case, there is a risk that the buffer chamber 53 will not be able to fully perform its role of storing ink pushed out from the storage portion 54 when there is a change in air pressure or temperature.

[0051] For the above reasons, erroneous opening and closing of the passages 14a, 15a by the valves 16A and 16B must be avoided. In this embodiment, the valve 16A opens and closes in conjunction with the movement of the cover part 3 and the cover part 13A, and the valve 16B opens and closes in conjunction with the movement of the cover part 3 and the cover part 13B. In other words, the cover part 3 and the cover parts 13A and 13B also serve as operation parts that accept the operation of the valves 16A and 16B by the user. This makes sensors and actuators unnecessary, allows the valves 16A and 16B to be opened and closed by manual operation by the user, and prevents erroneous opening and closing of the valves 16A and 16B.

[0052] The following describes the valve 16A. Although the configuration of the valve 16A will be mainly described here, the valve 16B has a similar configuration.

[0053] 10(A) and 10(B). The valve 16A includes a base member 160, a displacement member 161, a cam member 162, and a case 166. The base member 160 includes a Y-direction groove-shaped support portion 160a on which the middle portion of the supply tube 14 is placed, and a Y-direction groove-shaped support portion 160b on which the middle portion of the air communication tube 15 is placed. The base member 160 also has a slot 160c extending in a direction intersecting the support portion 160a and the support portion 160b (i.e., a direction crossing each of the tubes 14, 15), into which the displacement member 161 is inserted so as to be displaceable in the Z direction (the radial direction of the tubes 14, 15). The cam member 162 is an axial member as a whole, and is disposed on top of the displacement member 161 and supported by the case 166 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the X direction. The case 166 accommodates the displacement member 161 and the axial center portion of the cam member 162 and is fixed to the base member 160 .

[0054] The cam member 162 has a cam surface 163 in the center in the axial direction that abuts against the displacement member 161. The cam surface 163 is formed so that, when the cam member 162 rotates in the D3 direction, it presses the displacement member 161 in a direction that crushes the tubes 14, 15. This closes the passages 14a, 15a. The cam surface 163 is formed so that, when the cam member 162 rotates in the D4 direction (the opposite direction to the D3 direction), it releases the pressure on the tubes 14, 15, and the passages 14a, 15a are opened.

[0055] A lever-shaped contact portion 164 that comes into contact with the contact portion 133 of the cover portion 13A is formed at one axial end of the cam member 162. When the cover portion 13A swings in the opening direction, the contact portion 133 comes into contact with the contact portion 164, causing the cam member 162 to rotate in the direction D3. A lever-shaped contact portion 165 that comes into contact with the contact portion 3c (FIG. 13(B)) of the cover portion 3 is formed at the other axial end of the cam member 162. When the cover portion 3 swings in the closing direction, the contact portion 3c comes into contact with the contact portion 165, causing the cam member 162 to rotate in the direction D4.

[0056] Figures 11(A) to 11(C) show the manner in which passage 14a is blocked in stages. In Figure 11(A), valve 16A opens passage 14a. As cam member 162 rotates in the D3 direction as shown in Figure 11(B), cam surface 163 presses displacement member 161 against supply tube 14, and supply tube 14 begins to be crushed. Then, as shown in Figure 11(C), supply tube 14 is crushed and passage 14a is blocked. The same applies to passage 15a and atmosphere communication tube 15, which are not shown.

[0057] 12(A) to 12(C) show the rotation of the cam member 162 in conjunction with the movement of the cover portion 13A. FIG. 12(A) shows the state in which the cover portion 13A is located in the closed position. The valve 16A opens the passages 14a and 15a. FIG. 12(B) shows the state in which the cover portion 13A moves from the closed position to the open position. When the abutment portion 133 abuts against the abutment portion 164, the cam member 162 rotates in the D3 direction due to the movement of the cover portion 13A. As a result, the passages 14a and 15a are closed according to the principle explained in FIG. 11(A) to 11(C). When refilling ink, the passages 14a and 15a can be reliably closed by the valve 16A.

[0058] The contact between the contact portion 133 and the contact portion 164 is limited to the swing of the cover portion 13A in the opening direction. Even if the cover portion 13A is returned to the closed position as shown in Fig. 12(C) from the state shown in Fig. 12(B), the contact portion 133 does not come into contact with the contact portion 164, so that the cam member 162 does not rotate in the D4 direction, and the valve 16A is not linked to the movement of the cover portion 13A.

[0059] Thus, in this embodiment, the movement of the cover portion 13A does not cause the valve 16A to open. If the valve 16A is opened by moving the cover portion 13A to the closed position, if the movement is insufficient, the user may start a recording operation without noticing that the passages 14a and 15a are blocked. This embodiment can prevent such a situation. Furthermore, even if the cover portion 13A is mistakenly moved to the closed position before the cap portion 120 fully blocks the injection portion 5a, the valve 16A does not open, so ink leakage from the ejection head 4 and ink flow into the buffer chamber 53 can be prevented.

[0060] 13(A) and 13(B) show the rotational state of the cam member 162 linked with the movement of the cover part 3. FIG. 13(A) shows the same state as FIG. 12(C), where the valve 16A closes the passages 14a and 15a, but the cover part 13A is in the closed position. When the cover part 3 is moved to the closed position from this state, the abutment part 3c protruding downward from the lower surface of the cover part 3 abuts against the abutment part 165 as shown in FIG. 13(B), causing the cam member 162 to rotate in the D4 direction. As a result, the passages 14a and 15a are opened. By linking the opening operation of the valve 16A with the movement of the cover part 3 to the closed position, the passages 14a and 15a can be opened more reliably before the recording operation. The abutment part 3c is provided on each of the valves 16A and 16B, and when the cover part 3 is moved to the closed position, both the valves 16A and 16B are simultaneously opened.

[0061] The contact between the contact portion 3c and the contact portion 165 is limited to the swing of the cover portion 3 in the closing direction. Even if the cover portion 3 is returned to the open position from the state of FIG. 13(B), the contact portion 3c does not come into contact with the contact portion 165, so the cam member 162 does not rotate in the D3 direction, and the valves 16A and 16B are not linked to the movement of the cover portion 3. In other words, the movement of the cover portion 3 does not cause the valves 16A and 16B to become blocked. The purpose of moving the cover portion 3 to the open position is not limited to refilling ink, but is related to general maintenance inside the device main body 2.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the cover members 13A and 13B are in the open position, as illustrated in Fig. 5(B), Fig. 6(B) and Fig. 12(B), the cover member 13A (and the cover member 13B) is tilted rearward from the vertical position and takes an upright position. Therefore, if an attempt is made to move the cover unit 3 from the open position to the closed position in this state, it will interfere with the cover members 13A and 13B and will not be able to move to the closed position. In other words, the open cover members 13A and 13B restrict the movement of the cover unit 3 to the closed position. This makes it possible to prevent the cover unit 3 from accidentally closing during ink refilling, causing the valves 16A and 16B to be in an open state.

[0063] <Example of cover opening / closing detection and control> The cover detection sensor 35a shown in FIG. 4 detects the position of the cover unit 3. For example, the cover detection sensor 35a is a mechanical switch that is pressed when the cover unit 3 is in the closed position, or an optical sensor that optically detects that the cover unit 3 is in the closed position. As described above, when the cover unit 3 is in the closed position, the valves 16A and 16B are in an open state, and ink can be supplied to the ejection head 4. In order to prevent the execution of a recording operation in a state in which ink cannot be supplied, the recording operation may be performed by referring to the detection result of the cover detection sensor 35a. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the MPU 31, which is a setting process related to permission and prohibition of execution of a recording operation, and is executed periodically.

[0064] In S1, the detection result of the cover detection sensor 35a is acquired. In S2, it is determined whether or not the cover unit 3 is in the closed position based on the detection result acquired in S1. If it is determined that the cover unit 3 is in the closed position, the process proceeds to S3, and if it is determined that the cover unit 3 is not in the closed position, the process proceeds to S4.

[0065] In S3, permission of the recording operation is set. When a new recording job is instructed by the host computer 100, the recording operation is started. In S4, prohibition of the recording operation is set. Even if a new recording job is instructed by the host computer 100, the recording operation is not started. Furthermore, when prohibition of the recording operation is set during a recording operation, the recording operation is interrupted. A notification may be given to the user to move the cover unit 3 to the closed position.

[0066] <Maintaining sealing performance with the cap> When the injection part 5a is closed by the cap part 120, ink may leak if a foreign object such as a hair is caught between the two. In order to prevent such leakage, it has been known to apply a sealing liquid to the seal part 123. The sealing liquid fills the gap and prevents ink leakage even if a foreign object is caught between the cap part 120 and the injection part 5a.

[0067] However, this sealing liquid may be accidentally wiped off by the user when refilling the ink, etc. If a foreign object is then caught, there is a risk of ink leaking. Therefore, a groove may be formed in the tip 124 of the cap part 120, and the sealing liquid may be applied to this groove. The sealing liquid is held in the groove, and it is possible to prevent it from being accidentally wiped off by the user.

[0068] Figures 15(A) and 15(B) are diagrams showing one example. Figure 15(A) is a side view of the cap portion 120, and Figure 15(B) is a perspective view and a partially enlarged view of the cap portion 120. A plurality of grooves 125 are formed in the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion 124 in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the grooves 125 are arranged at equal pitches in the circumferential direction.

[0069] Each groove 125 has a depth D in the radial direction of the opening defined by tip portion 124, a width W in the circumferential direction, and a length in a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction. Sealing liquid is applied to seal portion 123 and tip portion 124 in advance, such as at the factory shipping stage, and the sealing liquid is held in each groove 125.

[0070] According to this embodiment, even if a user attempts to wipe off the sealing liquid on the cap portion 120, the sealing liquid in the plurality of grooves 125 is located in a recessed position and is not completely wiped off. Therefore, even if a foreign object is subsequently caught between the cap portion 120 and the injection portion 5a, the sealing liquid in the grooves 125 is guided to the gap around the foreign object by capillary action, and ink leakage can be prevented. For example, even if a foreign object such as a hair is caught in the P3 portion (the portion between the seal portion 123 and the inner wall surface of the injection hole 5b) circled in FIG. 16(A) and a minute gap is generated, the sealing liquid in the grooves 125 can fill it and prevent ink leakage.

[0071] By making the depth D of the groove 125 equal to or greater than the width (D≧W), the specific surface area can be increased, and the sealing liquid retention performance of the groove 125 can be improved. The sealing liquid may contain a hygroscopic component such as glycerin. This allows the sealing liquid to absorb moisture in the air inside the container 5, making it easier to fill the groove 125 with the sealing liquid.

[0072] The form of the groove 125 is not limited to the form exemplified in Figures 15(A) and 15(B). For example, as exemplified in Figures 16(B) and 16(C), the longitudinal direction of the groove 125 may be inclined in the circumferential direction with respect to a virtual plane passing through the central axis of the opening defined by the tip portion 124. In addition, in this embodiment, the cap portion 120 is inserted into the injection portion 5a to close the injection portion 5a, but a form in which the injection portion 5a is inserted into the cap portion 120 may also be adopted. In this case, the groove 125 may be formed on the inner wall surface of the opening into which the injection portion 5a is inserted.

[0073] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the cover 3 is provided with a reading unit (scanner unit) 3a, but the cover 3 may not have such a reading function, as represented by an access cover of an SFP (single function printer). In the above embodiment, the cover 3, 13A, and 13B are moved by swinging, but they may move between the open position and the closed position by translation. In the above embodiment, the valve 16 opens and closes both the passage 14a and the passage 15a, but the valve may open and close either one of the passages. In the above embodiment, the common cover 13B is used for the containers 5C to 5Y, but each container may be provided with an individual cover.

[0074] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for realizing one or more functions.

[0075] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Liquid discharge device, 4 Discharge head, 5 Container, 3 Cover part, 13A Cover part, 13B Cover part, 16A Valve, 16B Valve

Claims

1. a container including a storage section for storing a liquid to be supplied to a discharge means for discharging the liquid, and an injection section for injecting the liquid into the storage section; a cap member including a seal portion that is inserted into the injection portion to detachably seal the injection portion, the seal portion being supported by a shaft portion so as to be swingable; The seal portion has a plurality of grooves formed in a circumferential direction from the inside to the outside of the seal portion. A liquid ejection device comprising:

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , The sealing portion contacts an inner circumferential surface of the injection portion when inserted into the injection portion. A liquid ejection device comprising:

3. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, The plurality of grooves are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. A liquid ejection device comprising:

4. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , The plurality of grooves are formed to hold a sealing liquid applied to the sealing portion. A liquid ejection device comprising:

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, The sealing liquid contains a hygroscopic component. A liquid ejection device comprising:

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , a cover portion for covering an upper portion of the liquid ejection device; A rotation direction for opening the cover portion and a rotation direction for opening the cap member are the same. A liquid ejection device comprising:

7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , A tank cover is provided to cover the container and the cap member. A liquid ejection device comprising:

8. The liquid ejection device according to claim 7, a second container including a second storage portion for storing the liquid to be supplied to the discharge means; A liquid ejection device comprising:

9. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, The tank cover covers the second container. A liquid ejection device comprising:

10. 10. The liquid ejection device according to claim 8, a conveying roller for conveying the recording medium in a first direction; The container and the second container are arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction. A liquid ejection device comprising:

11. The liquid ejection device according to claim 10, a carriage for transporting the discharge means in the second direction; the container and the second container are aligned in the second direction; A liquid ejection device comprising:

12. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the remaining amount of the liquid contained in the container is visible from the front surface of the liquid ejection device; A liquid ejection device comprising:

13. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, An operation unit that accepts user operations; A liquid ejection device comprising:

14. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a valve capable of opening and closing a passage communicating between the storage portion and the discharge means; A liquid ejection device comprising:

15. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , a tube for supplying the liquid in the container to the discharge means; A liquid ejection device comprising:

16. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, The liquid is injected into the container by inserting a bottle containing the liquid into an injection hole of the injection part. A liquid ejection device comprising:

17. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, a recovery unit for maintaining the liquid ejection performance of the ejection means; A liquid ejection device comprising:

18. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the ejection means is an ejection head that ejects ink as the liquid; A liquid ejection device comprising:

19. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, The injection portion includes a cylindrical injection hole. A liquid ejection device comprising:

20. The liquid ejection device according to claim 16, The liquid in the bottle is injected into the container through a tube portion erected inside the injection hole, The sealing portion is located between the tube portion and an inner wall of the pouring hole when the bottle is inserted into the pouring hole. A liquid ejection device comprising:

21. 21. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, The cap member is movable between an open position where the cap member does not cover the injection portion and a closed position where the cap member covers the injection portion, a plurality of grooves formed in the sealing portion are exposed when the cap member is in the open position; A liquid ejection device comprising:

22. 22. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, The seal portion further includes a groove extending along a circumferential direction. A liquid ejection device comprising:

23. 23. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, the liquid is ink, the liquid ejection device is a recording device that performs recording by ejecting the ink onto a recording medium using the ejection means; A liquid ejection device comprising:

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