Inkjet recording device

Abstract

To provide a smaller ink jet recording device.SOLUTION: In a printer 100, a substrate 99 extends in a front-rear direction Y and a left-right direction X, and a range occupying in a vertical direction Z overlaps a range occupied by a residual amount sensor 93 and a waste liquid sensor 98 in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, a vertical distance from a controller 99A to each of the residual amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 becomes short, and the controller 99A and each of the residual amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 can be connected to each other via a shorter signal line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In an inkjet recording device, a control unit mounted on a substrate controls each unit. The control unit controls the ejection of ink from the nozzles of the recording head onto a sheet during image recording. Ink is supplied to the recording head from an ink reservoir in accordance with the amount of ink consumed during image recording.

[0003] The control unit controls the maintenance unit during maintenance. In the maintenance unit, a pump sucks ink from the recording head as waste liquid and sends it to a waste liquid storage unit through a waste liquid tube. The waste liquid storage unit has a waste liquid absorber inside a housing of the waste liquid storage unit and has a waste liquid detection unit outside the housing. The waste liquid detection unit is electrically connected to the control unit by an electric wire and outputs a signal indicating the amount of waste liquid stored in the absorber to the control unit through the electric wire. The control unit notifies the user of the timing to replace the waste liquid absorber based on the output signal from the waste liquid detection unit (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] The ink storage unit generally has a remaining amount detection unit on the outside of the housing. The remaining amount detection unit outputs a signal indicating the amount of ink in the housing to the control unit. The control unit notifies the user when it is time to replace the ink storage unit or when it is time to refill the ink, based on the output signal from the remaining amount detection unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-56503 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If the heights of the substrate, the waste liquid detection unit, and the remaining amount detection unit are different from each other, the wiring connecting the control unit to the waste liquid detection unit and the remaining amount detection unit will occupy a large space, resulting in an increase in the size of the inkjet recording device.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to reduce the size of an inkjet recording apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The inkjet recording device of the present invention includes a housing having an internal space. In the internal space of the housing, a recording head having an ink ejection port, a container accommodating an ink storage section for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head, a first sensor for detecting the ink stored in the ink storage section, a maintenance unit for discharging ink from the ejection port of the recording head, a waste liquid unit for storing the ink discharged by the maintenance unit, a second sensor for detecting the ink in the waste liquid unit, and a substrate on which a controller for receiving signals output from the first sensor and the second sensor is mounted are positioned. The substrate has a flat surface extending in the front-rear and left-right directions, and the range that the substrate occupies in the up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear and left-right directions overlaps with the range that the first sensor and the second sensor occupy in the up-down direction. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the inkjet recording apparatus can be made compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a printer 100. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of a housing 1 of the printer 100. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the layout of the main parts inside the housing 1. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the layout of the main parts inside the housing 1. [Diagram 5] 5 is a plan view showing a state in which guide rails 81B, 81F, etc. are removed from the main part shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 6A is a front view of a CTG case 91R, and FIG. 6B is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in FIG. 6A as viewed from the left. [Figure 7] FIG. 2A is an external perspective view of the CTG 92, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the CTG 92. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a CTG case 91 and a CTG 92 attached to the CTG case 91. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a maintenance unit 95. [Figure 10] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a substrate 99 of the embodiment, a remaining amount sensor 93, and a waste liquid sensor 98, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a substrate 99 of a modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a maintenance unit 95 according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The printer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The embodiment is merely one example of the present invention, and the embodiment can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0012] [Terminology definition] In the following, the direction of an arrow from its starting point to its end point is expressed as its direction, and the flow on the line connecting the starting point and end point of the arrow is expressed as its direction.

[0013] In each drawing and the following description, the up-down direction Z is defined based on the state in which the printer 100 is installed and ready for use (the state in FIG. 1). The front-rear direction Y is defined as the front side of the printer 100 where the opening 13 is provided. The left-right direction X is defined when the printer 100 is viewed from the front.

[0014] In the following description, "within range" or "contained" firstly means that both ends of a certain member constituting the printer 100 in a specific direction are inside both ends of another member constituting the printer 100 in the same direction. "Within range" or "contained" secondly means that both ends of a certain member constituting the printer 100 in a specific direction are inside both ends of the space in the printer 100 in the same direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the left-right direction X, the range occupied by the pump 95B is contained in the range occupied by the space between the cap 95A and the waste liquid unit 96. In this case, the right end of the pump 95B is located to the left of the right end of the cap 95A, and the left end of the pump 95B is located to the right of the left end of the waste liquid unit 96.

[0015] [Printer 100] In Fig. 1, printer 100 is an example of an image recording device and has a printing function. Printer 100 records an image on a sheet S (see Fig. 2) such as paper or an OHP sheet by an inkjet method. Printer 100 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 1. The image recording device may not be printer 100, but may be a multifunction machine having a scanning function and a FAX function in addition to the printing function.

[0016] [Case 1] In Fig. 1, the housing 1 divides an internal space 11 (see Fig. 2, etc.) of the printer 100 from the outside by a plurality of outer walls 12. The plurality of outer walls 12 include a bottom wall 12A, a top wall 12T, a front wall 12F, a rear wall 12B, a left wall 12L, and a right wall 12R. In Figs. 3 to 5, the outline of the housing 1 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0017] The bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction Z. Each of the bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T is generally rectangular in a plan view, and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0018] The front wall 12F extends vertically and horizontally and is connected to the front ends of the bottom wall 12A and the top wall 12T. Near the lower end of the front wall 12F is an opening 13 facing forward. The left and right ends of the opening 13 are located closer to the left-right center (i.e., more inward) than the left wall 12L and the right wall 12R. The shape of the opening 13 is a rectangle that is long in the left-right direction X when viewed from the front.

[0019] An operation panel may be disposed on the front wall 12F above the opening 13. The operation panel includes a plurality of operation buttons and a display, and is operated by a user.

[0020] The rear wall 12B, the left wall 12L, and the right wall 12R close the rear end, the left end, and the right end of the housing 1, respectively.

[0021] 2, the main components of the printer 100 are a supply tray 21, a discharge tray 22, a feeding mechanism 30, a transport path 40, a pair of transport rollers 50, a pair of discharge rollers 60, a recording unit 70, and a platen 71 located in the internal space 11.

[0022] [Supply tray 21, discharge tray 22] 1 and 2, the supply tray 21 is positioned in the internal space 11 through the opening 13. The supply tray 21 has a box shape that is thin in the up-down direction Z. The supply tray 21 supports a plurality of sheets S in a stacked state on its bottom wall.

[0023] The discharge tray 22 is located above the supply tray 21 and in front of the pair of discharge rollers 60, and supports the sheet S on which an image is recorded as a printed matter. A user removes the printed matter on the discharge tray 22 through the opening 13.

[0024] [Feeding mechanism 30] In FIG. 2, the feeding mechanism 30 is located between the supply tray 21 and the platen 71 in the vertical direction Z. The feeding mechanism 30 includes a feeding roller 31 and a feeding arm 32. The feeding roller 31 is supported on the tip of the feeding arm 32 so as to be rotatable around its own axis. The base end of the feeding arm 32 is located above and forward of its own tip. The feeding arm 32 has a support shaft 33 at its base end. The feeding arm 32 is supported on the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the support shaft 33. The feeding roller 31 abuts against the topmost sheet S supported on the supply tray 21. The feeding roller 31 rotates by the power from a motor 53 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). As a result, a rearward conveying force is applied to the topmost sheet S, and the sheet S is introduced to the upstream end of the conveying path 40.

[0025] [Transport path 40] In FIG. 2, the conveying path 40 is a so-called U-turn path, and has a curved portion 41 and a straight portion 42. The curved portion 41 extends upward while curving from the rear end of the supply tray 21. The curved portion 41 faces forward near the upper wall 12T (see FIG. 1). The curved portion 41 is defined by an outer guide member 43 and an inner guide member 44. The straight portion 42 is continuous with the downstream end of the curved portion 41, expands from the downstream end of the curved portion 41 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and extends forward in a generally straight line. The straight portion 42 reaches the rear end of the discharge tray 22. The upper side of the straight portion 42 is defined by the lower surface of the recording unit 70. The lower side of the straight portion 42 is defined by the upper surface of the platen 71.

[0026] The sheet S is conveyed in the conveying path 40 in a conveying direction a indicated by a dashed arrow. In particular, in the curved portion 41, the sheet S is conveyed to the conveying roller pair 50 while being guided mainly by the guide member 43. In the straight portion 42, the sheet S is supported by the platen 71 and conveyed by the rotating conveying roller pair 50 and the discharge roller pair 60.

[0027] [50 pairs of conveyor rollers, 60 pairs of discharge rollers] 2, a pair of conveying rollers 50 and a pair of discharging rollers 60 convey the sheet S in a conveying direction a on the conveying path 40. The conveying direction a is forward on the downstream side of the pair of conveying rollers 50.

[0028] The conveying roller pair 50 is located at the downstream end of the curved portion 41, and includes a drive roller 51 and a pinch roller 52. The drive roller 51 and the pinch roller 52 extend left and right at positions close to the rear wall 12B and the upper wall 12T (see FIG. 1), respectively. The drive roller 51 and the pinch roller 52 abut against each other in the vertical direction Z along the upper and lower sides of the conveying path 40. The drive roller 51 rotates by the power from a motor 53. The pinch roller 52 rotates following the rotation of the drive roller 51. The sheet S is nipped by the rotating conveying roller pair 50 and conveyed in the conveying direction a.

[0029] In FIG. 2, the discharge roller pair 60 includes a drive roller 61 and a plurality of spurs 62. The drive roller 61 is located in front of the conveying roller pair 50 in the front-rear direction Y and near the center of the housing 1 (see FIG. 1) in the front-rear direction Y. The drive roller 61 is located below the straight portion 42 in the up-down direction Z. The drive roller 61 extends left and right along the conveying path 40 and rotates by power from a motor 53 (see FIG. 3, etc.). The plurality of spurs 62 are aligned left and right at intervals from each other and abut against the drive roller 61 from above. Each spur 62 rotates following the rotation of the drive roller 61. The sheet S is nipped by the rotating discharge roller pair 60, conveyed in the conveying direction a, and discharged to the discharge tray 22.

[0030] In the embodiment, the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 are rotated by the power of the motor 53. However, this is not limited thereto, and the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 may be rotated by the power of different motors. Alternatively, at least two of the drive rollers 51, 61 and the feed roller 31 may be rotated by the power of the same motor.

[0031] [Recording unit 70, platen 71] In FIG. 2, the recording unit 70 and the platen 71 are each located between the pair of transport rollers 50 and the pair of discharge rollers 60 in the front-rear direction Y. The platen 71 has a support surface for the sheet S that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions immediately below the straight portion 42 in the up-down direction Z. The recording unit 70 is located above the transport path 40 and includes a carriage 72 and a recording head 73. The carriage 72 is above the platen 71 and can reciprocate in the left-right direction X by power provided by a CR transport mechanism 80 (see FIGS. 3 to 5). The carriage 72 has the recording head 73 mounted on its lower surface. The recording head 73 has a plurality of ejection ports 74 on its lower surface.

[0032] The recording head 73 ejects ink stored therein from a plurality of ejection openings 74 while the carriage 72 moves under the control of a controller 99A (see FIG. 4).

[0033] [Carriage transport mechanism 80] 3 to 5, the printer 100 further includes a carriage transport mechanism (hereinafter also referred to as the "CR transport mechanism") 80 in the housing 1. The CR transport mechanism 80 includes two guide rails (hereinafter also referred to as the "rails") 81B, 81F, two pulleys 82L, 82R, an endless belt 83, and a carriage motor (hereinafter also referred to as the "CR motor") 84. In FIG. 3, the pulley 82R is hidden by the carriage 72. In FIG. 4, the pulley 82R and the CR motor 84 are hidden by the carriage 72. In FIG. 5, the rails 81B, 81F are omitted from illustration.

[0034] In Fig. 4, rail 81B extends left and right above and behind platen 71. Rail 81F extends left and right above and in front of platen 71. Rails 81B and 81F are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction Y, sandwiching platen 71 therebetween. In Figs. 3 and 4, both left and right ends of rails 81B and 81F are positioned outside both left and right ends of conveying roller pair 50. Carriage 72 is spanned between rails 81B and 81F.

[0035] 5, the pulleys 82L, 82R are each located within a range (see FIG. 4) occupied by the rail 81F in the front-rear direction Y. The pulleys 82L, 82R are each located outside the left and right ends of the straight portion 42 in the left-right direction X. The pulleys 82L, 82R are provided to protrude upward from the upper surface of the rail 81F and are rotatable in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis along the up-down direction Z.

[0036] 5, the endless belt 83 is wound around pulleys 82L and 82R. As is clear from FIGS. 3 to 5, the carriage 72 is fixed to the endless belt 83 at a position between the pulleys 82L and 82R.

[0037] 3, the CR motor 84 is located near the right end of the rail 81F in the left-right direction X, slightly to the left of the right wall 12R, and below the rail 81F in the up-down direction Z. As shown in FIG 5, the CR motor 84 is located slightly forward of the cap 95A in the front-rear direction Y and rearward of the cartridge case 91R.

[0038] In FIG. 5, the CR motor 84 is a brushed DC motor or the like, and has an output shaft directly connected to the rotating shaft of the pulley 82R. The output shaft of the CR motor 84 is parallel to the vertical direction Z. The CR motor 84 rotates under the control of the controller 99A, and generates power for rotating the pulley 82R in the output shaft. As a result, the endless belt 83 runs left and right between the pulleys 82L and 82R, and the carriage 72 reciprocates in the left and right direction X within the range between the right wall 12R and the left wall 12L of the housing 1. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in the movement range 72a of the carriage 72, a position off to the right of the straight portion 42 of the conveying path 40 is defined as a capped position P1. The carriage 72 is capped by the cap 95A at the capped position P1.

[0039] [Internal configuration of case 1] 3 to 5, two cartridge cases (hereinafter also referred to as "CTG cases") 91, four ink cartridges (hereinafter also referred to as "CTG") 92, four ink level sensors 93, and four ink tubes 94 are located in the internal space 11. Note that in Figs. 3 to 5, the ink tubes 94 are indicated by dashed lines.

[0040] [CTG Case 91 (an example of a containment unit)] The two CTG cases 91 are an example of a container and contain four CTGs 92. In the embodiment, the two CTG cases 91 are CTG cases 91L and 91R. In FIG. 3, each CTG case 91 is located in a range from immediately behind the front wall 12F to a position farther forward than the rail 81F and the recording unit 70 in the front-rear direction Y. Each CTG case 91 is located in a range from near the bottom wall 12A to near the top wall 12T in the up-down direction Z. The CTG case 91R is located to the right of the supply tray 21, the discharge tray 22, and the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. The right end position of the CTG case 91R is the same as the right end position of the movement range of the carriage 72, or is located closer to the left-right center than this.

[0041] 1 and 6, the CTG case 91R is a box having a plurality of inner walls 911. The plurality of inner walls 911 include a bottom wall 911A, a top wall 911T, a rear wall 911B, a left wall 911L, a right wall 911R, and two partition walls 911P and 911Q.

[0042] The bottom wall 911A and the top wall 911T are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction Z and extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. The rear wall 911B extends in the vertical and left-right directions and is connected to the rear ends of the bottom wall 911A and the top wall 911T. The left wall 911L and the right wall 911R are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction X and extend in the front-rear and up-down directions. The partition walls 911P and 911Q extend in the front-rear and up-down directions at approximately equal intervals between the left wall 911L and the right wall 911R. The CTG case 91R is divided into three internal spaces 912 by the inner walls 911. The front end of each internal space 912 is an opening facing forward. One CTG 92 (specifically, the CTG 92B described below) is attached and housed in each internal space 912 through the opening.

[0043] In Fig. 6, the CTG case 91R has one ink needle (hereinafter also simply referred to as "needle") 913 in each internal space 912. Each needle 913 extends forward from a position in the left-right center near the lower end of the rear wall 911B. The needle 913 is a long, thin tube, and has an ink flow path 913A. Note that Fig. 6(B) illustrates the rightmost internal space 912 of the three internal spaces 912.

[0044] 3, the CTG case 91L has roughly the same configuration as the CTG case 91R, except for the following three differences. The first difference is that the CTG case 91L is located to the left of the supply tray 21, the discharge tray 22, and the transport path 40 in the left-right direction X. The second difference is that the left end of the CTG case 91L is located at the same position as the left end of the movement range of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, or is located closer to the left-right center than the left end. The third difference is that one CTG 92 is attached and housed in the internal space 912.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the CTG cases 91R, 91L are located within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X and are separated into two sides in the left-right direction X with respect to the conveying path 40.

[0046] In Fig. 1, covers 14 corresponding to each CTG case 91 are provided on the front wall 12F. The covers 14 are covers 14L and 14R. The cover 14L can be rotated in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis 15L parallel to the left-right direction X between a first closed position (see Fig. 1(A)) that closes the opening of the CTG case 91L and a first open position (see Fig. 1(B)) that opens the opening by a user operation. The cover 14R can be rotated in the circumferential direction of a rotation axis 15R parallel to the left-right direction X between a second closed position (see Fig. 1(A)) that closes the opening of the CTG case 91R and a second open position (see Fig. 1(B)) that opens the opening by a user operation.

[0047] [Remaining amount sensor 93 (an example of a first sensor)] In FIG. 6, the remaining amount sensor 93 is an example of the first sensor, and is a photointerrupter having a light emitting element and a light receiving element. One remaining amount sensor 93 is attached to each internal space 912. Specifically, each remaining amount sensor 93 is mounted on a board 931 (see FIG. 6(B)) together with a peripheral circuit. The board 931 is attached to an upper wall 911T of each internal space 912. As a result, the light emitting element and the light receiving element of each remaining amount sensor 93 protrude downward from near the upper end of the internal space 912. The light emitting element and the light receiving element of each remaining amount sensor 93 face each other with a gap between them on the left and right. Each light emitting element emits light toward the opposing light receiving element. The light receiving element outputs a signal indicating the amount of received light to the controller 99A. Specifically, when there is nothing blocking the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element, the light receiving element outputs a high level signal in response to receiving the light emitted by the light emitting element. When there is something blocking the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element and the light emitted by the light emitting element cannot be received, the light receiving element outputs a low level signal.

[0048] [CTG92 (example of ink storage section)] 1, the four CTGs 92 are an example of ink storage units, and store ink to be supplied to the recording unit 70. The ink colors are, for example, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). In the embodiment, the CTGs 92 for YMC colors are attached to a CTG case 91R, and the CTGs 92 for K color are attached to a CTG case 91L. In each of FIGS. 7 and 8, the CTGs 92 are shown in the orientation when attached to the CTG case 91. In the following explanation, for convenience, the CTGs 92 in the attached orientation will be explained.

[0049] 7, each CTG 92 includes a plurality of outer walls 921, an ink storage chamber 922 (see FIG. 7(B)), an atmosphere communication hole 923, an ink outlet portion 924, and a detection portion 925.

[0050] The multiple outer walls 921 are made of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin, and separate the ink storage chamber 922 from the outside. The ink storage chamber 922 stores ink. The multiple outer walls 921 include a bottom wall 921A, a top wall 921T, a front wall 921F, a rear wall 921B, a left wall 921L, and a right wall 921R.

[0051] The bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T are spaced apart from each other in the up-down direction Z and extend in the front-rear and left-right directions. The front wall 921F extends in the up-down and left-right directions and is connected to the front ends of the bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T. The rear wall 921B extends in the up-down and left-right directions and is connected to the rear ends of the bottom wall 921A and the top wall 921T. The left wall 921L and the right wall 921R extend in the front-rear and up-down directions and close the left and right sides of the ink storage chamber 922, respectively.

[0052] 7(B), the atmosphere communication hole 923 is a hole formed near the upper end of the rear wall 921B and penetrating the rear wall 921B from front to rear. When the CTG92 is attached to the CTG case 91 and the ink in the ink storage chamber 922 is sent out to the outside of the CTG92, outside air is introduced into the ink storage chamber 922 through the atmosphere communication hole 923.

[0053] The ink leading portion 924 leads ink from the ink storage chamber 922 to the outside of the CTG 91 through a hole 924A formed near the lower end of the rear wall 921B. In detail, in FIG. 7(B), the ink leading portion 924 has a valve 924B. The valve 924B is movable to a third open position (see FIG. 8) in which the hole 924A is opened, and to a third closed position (see FIG. 7(B)) in which the hole 924A is closed. The valve 924B is biased by a biasing member 924C, such as a spring, in a direction in which the hole 924A is closed.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6B, the CTG 92 is moved backward by the user through the corresponding opening of the internal space 912 and attached to the internal space 912. During this process, the needles 913 in the internal space 912 come into contact with the valves 924B. The needles 913 apply a forward force to the valve 924B in a direction opposite to the urging force of the urging member 924C. This causes the valve 924B to move from the third closed position (see FIG. 6B) to the third open position (see FIG. 8). As a result, the ink in the ink storage chamber 922 is discharged from the hole 924A to the outside of the CTG 92 in response to the ink being consumed by the recording unit 70.

[0055] 3, the shapes and dimensions of the four CTGs 92 may be the same as or different from one another. Furthermore, the shape and dimensions of one or more of the four CTGs 92 may be different from the shapes and dimensions of the other CTGs 92. For example, the left-right dimension of the CTG 92 for K may be different from the left-right dimension of the CTG 92 for YMC.

[0056] [Detected part 925] In FIG. 7, detected portion 925 has a protrusion 925A, a detected member 925B, and a float 925C.

[0057] The convex portion 925A is integral with the upper wall 921T made of a light-transmitting material, and protrudes upward from the upper wall 921T. A space that is continuous with the ink storage chamber 922 is formed in the convex portion 925A. In FIG. 8, the convex portion 925A is located between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the ink level sensor 93 when the CTG 92 is attached to the CTG case 91. In other words, the ink level sensor 93 is located above the ink storage chamber 922 of the CTG 92.

[0058] The detected member 925B is supported by a rotation shaft 925D extending in the left-right direction X at a position near the bottom of the ink storage chamber 922. The upper end of the detected member 925B enters the space of the convex portion 925A. The detected member 925B is rotatable in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 925D. The float 925C is attached to the lower end of the detected member 925B, and has a specific gravity smaller than that of the ink in the ink storage chamber 922. Therefore, the float 925C generates buoyancy when present in the ink in the ink storage chamber 922.

[0059] When the ink storage chamber 922 is almost filled with ink, the buoyancy of the float 925C causes the upper end of the detected member 925B to rotate counterclockwise in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 925D in FIG. 7B, and as a result, the detected member 925B abuts against the rear wall of the protrusion 925A. This maintains the position of the detected member 925B. In this state, the upper end of the detected member 925B blocks the optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the remaining amount sensor 93.

[0060] The vertical position of the float 925C also drops in response to the drop in the ink level in the ink storage chamber 922. This causes the upper end of the detected member 925B to rotate clockwise in the circumferential direction of the rotation shaft 925D in FIG.

[0061] [Ink tube 94 (an example of an ink flow path)] 4 to 6, one end of each of the four ink tubes 94 is connected to the rear side of the four needles 913. The other ends of the four ink tubes 94 are connected to the recording unit 70. When the four CTGs 92 are attached to the two CTG cases 91, the four needles 913 are inserted into the holes 924A of the ink outlet portion 924. This forms an ink flow path that is continuous from the ink storage chambers 922 of each CTG 92 to the holes 924A, the ink flow paths 913A of the needles 913, and the ink tubes 94. Ink stored in the ink storage chambers 922 is supplied to the recording unit 70 through this ink flow path.

[0062] In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the three ink tubes 94 extend leftward from the rear side of the three needles 913 (see FIG. 6(B)) of the CTG case 91R toward the left-right center of the housing 1. The remaining ink tube 94 extends rightward from the rear side of the needle 913 of the CTG case 91L toward the left-right center of the housing 1. The four ink tubes 94 are bundled together at a fixed position P2 in the housing 1 and fixed to the housing 1. The front-rear position of the fixed position P2 is between the four CTGs 92 and the recording unit 70. The left-right position of the fixed position P2 is near the center of the housing 1. The up-down position of the fixed position P2 is above the supply tray 21. The portions of the four ink tubes 94 between the fixed position P2 and the recording unit 70 move in accordance with the movement of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X.

[0063] [Internal configuration of housing 1 (maintenance unit 95, etc.)] 5 and 9, in the internal space 11, a maintenance unit 95, a waste liquid unit 96, a waste liquid tube 97, and a waste liquid sensor 98 are located.

[0064] The maintenance unit 95 is a purge mechanism, and under the control of a controller 99A, performs a purge to suck and remove air bubbles and foreign matter together with ink from the ejection ports 74 of the recording unit 70. The maintenance unit 95 has a cap 95A, a pump 95B, and an elevation mechanism 95C.

[0065] [Cap 95A] The cap 95A is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and is brought into close contact with the bottom surface of the recording head 73 by a lifting mechanism 95C to cover the multiple ejection ports 74. An air intake 95D is formed in the bottom of the cap 95A. One end of an upstream tube 97A is connected to the air intake 95D.

[0066] The cap 95A is disposed in a position within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X, off to the right of the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40, and below the capped position P1 (see FIG. 4). In detail, the left end of the cap 95A is located to the right of the right end of the substrate 99. The cap 95A is disposed in approximately the same position as the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the front-rear direction Y, and is located below the carriage 72 in the up-down direction Z.

[0067] [Pump 95B] In Fig. 5, the pump 95B is, for example, a rotary tube pump. The pump 95B is located to the left of the CR motor 84 and to the right of the straight section 42 within the movement range 72a of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X. In detail, the left end of the pump 95B is located to the right of the right end of the substrate 99, similar to the left end of the cap 95A. In Fig. 9, the pump 95B is located below the rail 81F (see Fig. 4) in the up-down direction Z and above the bottom wall 911A of the CTG case 91. The pump 95B is located in front of the cap 95A and behind the CTG case 91 in the front-rear direction Y.

[0068] 9, the pump 95B has an inlet 95E and an outlet 95F. The other end of the upstream tube 97A is connected to the inlet 95E. One end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to the outlet 95F. The pump 95B communicates with the cap 95A via the upstream tube 97A. The pump 95B is driven under the control of the controller 99A to push the ink therein from the outlet 95F to the downstream tube 97B.

[0069] [Lifting mechanism 95C] 9, the lifting mechanism 95C is provided at the same position as the cap 95A and within the movement range of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X and the front-rear direction Y. The lifting mechanism 95C is located below the cap 95A in the up-down direction Z.

[0070] The cap 95A is moved in the vertical direction Z between the capping position P3 and the separated position P4 below the capping position P3. The capping position P3 is a position where the upper end of the cap 95A is in close contact with the lower surface of the recording unit 70 at the capped position P1, and the cap 95A covers the ejection port 74. The separated position P4 is a position where the upper end of the cap 95A is separated from the lower surface of the recording unit 70 at the capped position P1. As the lifting mechanism 95C, for example, a mechanism that lifts the cap 95A to the capping position P3 by the power from a motor after the carriage 72 moves to the capped position P1 (see FIG. 4) can be used. However, the lifting mechanism 95C is not limited to the above, and other known mechanisms may be used.

[0071] As described above, the range occupied by the maintenance unit 95 in the left-right direction X overlaps with the movement range of the carriage 72.

[0072] "Overview of Maintenance Unit 95 Operation" When the time to perform purging arrives, the CR transport mechanism 80 moves the carriage 72 to the capped position P1. The lift mechanism 95C moves the cap 95A to the capping position P3. Thereafter, the pump 95B is driven to reduce the air pressure inside the cap 95A that is in close contact with the recording unit 70, and ink is discharged from the recording unit 70 to the cap 95A as waste liquid. The waste liquid flows from the intake port 95D of the cap 95A into the upstream tube 97A, and then flows from the pump 95B through the downstream tube 97B into the waste liquid unit 96. The waste liquid is stored in the waste liquid unit 96.

[0073] [Waste Liquid Unit 96] 3 to 5, the waste liquid unit 96 stores the ink discharged from the recording unit 70 by the maintenance unit 95. As shown in FIG.

[0074] The waste liquid unit 96 is located in a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. That is, the right end position of the waste liquid unit 96 is to the left of the left end position of the CTG case 91R. The left end position of the waste liquid unit 96 is to the right of the right end position of the substrate 99, similar to the maintenance unit 95. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the waste liquid unit 96 is located in a range from immediately behind the front wall 12F to the front end of the rail 81F in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. 3, the recording unit 70 and the maintenance unit 95 are located behind the waste liquid unit 96. That is, the front end positions of the recording unit 70 and the maintenance unit 95 are located behind the rear end position of the waste liquid unit 96. As shown in FIG. 10(A), the waste liquid unit 96 is located in a range between the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40 and the upper wall 12T in the up-down direction Z. That is, the waste liquid unit 96 is located above the transport path 40 .

[0075] As shown in FIG. 9, the area occupied by the waste fluid unit 96 overlaps with the area occupied by the CTG case 91 in both the front-rear direction Y and the up-down direction Z.

[0076] 4, the waste fluid unit 96 has a case 96A that is roughly rectangular in plan view, and an ink absorbing member 96B attached inside the case 96A. The case 96A is a box made of resin or the like, and is open at the top. The ink absorbing member 96B is made of a porous, electrically insulating material, such as polyurethane foam, and absorbs ink.

[0077] [Waste liquid tube 97 (an example of a waste liquid flow path)] In FIG. 9, the waste liquid tube 97 includes an upstream tube 97A and a downstream tube 97B. One end and the other end of the upstream tube 97A are connected to an intake port 95D of the cap 95A and an intake port 95E of the pump 95B, respectively. One end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to an outlet port 95F of the pump 95B. The other end of the downstream tube 97B is connected to a connecting portion 96C provided at the rear end of the case 96A. Also, in FIG. 5, the downstream tube 97B three-dimensionally intersects with the ink tube 94 extending from the CTG case 91R in the up-down direction 7 at a position slightly rearward of the connecting portion 96C.

[0078] [Waste liquid sensor 98 (an example of the second sensor)] 3, the waste liquid sensor 98 is an example of a second sensor, and has a plurality of electrodes 98A that contact the front end of the ink absorbing member 96B from above the ink absorbing member 96B. The front end conceptually includes the front end and the vicinity of the front end of the ink absorbing member 96B. Like the waste liquid unit 96, the waste liquid sensor 98 is located within a range from the left end of the CTG case 91R to the right end of a substrate 99 (described later) in the left-right direction X.

[0079] The electrodes 98A are mounted on a substrate 98B together with peripheral circuits (not shown). The waste liquid sensor 98 outputs a high-level signal to the controller 99A in response to ink reaching the electrodes 98A. The waste liquid sensor 98 outputs a low-level signal to the controller 99A when ink has not reached the electrodes 98A.

[0080] [Substrate 99 (an example of a substrate)] 3 to 5, a board 99 is located in the internal space 11. A controller 99A for controlling each component of the printer 100 is mounted on the board 99. The controller 99A includes various electronic components such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, EEPROM, ASIC, and connectors. The various electronic components are connected to each other by an internal bus, wiring formed on the board, etc.

[0081] The substrate 99 is located in the range from the left end of the waste liquid unit 96 to the right end of the CTG case 91L in the left-right direction X. In other words, the right end position of the substrate 99 is to the left of the left end position of the waste liquid unit 96, and the left end position of the substrate 99 is to the right of the right end position of the waste liquid unit 96. The substrate 99 is located in the range from immediately behind the front wall 12F to the fixed position P2 in the front-rear direction Y. That is, the entire substrate 99 is located forward of the fixed position P2. The substrate 99 is located in the range between the straight portion 42 of the transport path 40 and the upper wall 12T in the up-down direction Z. That is, the entire substrate 99 is located above the transport path 40, and the lower end of the substrate 99 is not located below the upper end of the transport path 40.

[0082] 10(A), the area that the substrate 99 occupies in the up-down direction Z overlaps with that of the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98. Specifically, it is preferable that the mounting surface of the substrate 99 on which the controller 99A is mounted, the mounting surface of the substrate 931 on which the remaining amount sensor 93 is mounted, and the mounting surface of the substrate 98B on which the electrode 98A is mounted are aligned in the up-down direction. In this position, the substrate 99 extends in the front-rear direction Y and the left-right direction X.

[0083] 3, the substrate 99 is located forward of the recording unit 70 and to the left of the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96. In detail, the rear end of the substrate 99 is located forward of the front end of the recording unit 70. The right end of the substrate 99 is located to the left of the left ends of the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96.

[0084] The controller 99A receives the output signal of the remaining amount sensor 93 and the output signal of the waste liquid sensor 98. In response to the output signal of the remaining amount sensor 93 transitioning from a low level to a high level, the controller 99A causes the display to display a screen for prompting replacement of the corresponding CTG 92. In addition, in response to the output signal of the waste liquid sensor 98 transitioning from a low level to a high level, the controller 99A causes the display to display a screen for prompting replacement of the waste liquid unit 96.

[0085] [Effects of the embodiment] In this embodiment, the board 99 extends in the front-rear direction Y and the left-right direction X, and the range it occupies in the up-down direction Z overlaps with the range that the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 occupy in the up-down direction Z. This shortens the vertical distance from the controller 99A to each of the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98, allowing the controller 99A to be connected to each of the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 with shorter signal lines. This allows the space inside the housing 1 to be used effectively, making it possible to reduce the size of the printer 100.

[0086] In the embodiment, the recording unit 70 and the maintenance unit 95 are located behind the waste liquid unit 96, the substrate 99 and each CTG case 91 are located forward of the recording unit 70, and the waste liquid sensor 98 is located at or near the front end of the waste liquid unit 96. With this configuration, the front-to-rear distance from the maintenance unit 95 to the waste liquid unit 96 is shorter than when the waste liquid sensor 98 is located closer to the rear end of the waste liquid unit 96, and the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 can be connected by a shorter waste liquid tube 97.

[0087] In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the straight portion 42 of the sheet S extends along the front-rear direction Y, and the recording unit 70 is located above the transport path 40 in the up-down direction Z. As shown in Fig. 10(A), the waste liquid unit 96 and the substrate 99 are laid out in the space in front of the recording unit 70 and above the discharge tray 22 in the internal space 11. That is, the waste liquid unit 96 and the substrate 99 are located above the transport path 40 in the up-down direction Z so as not to obstruct the discharge of the printed matter. In this way, in the embodiment, the space in front of the recording unit 70 is effectively utilized, so that the front-rear and left-right dimensions of the printer 100 can be reduced.

[0088] In this embodiment, the CTG cases 91L and 91R are within the movement range of the carriage 72 in the left-right direction X and are positioned separately on both the left and right sides of the conveying path 40 for the sheet S, so that the left-right dimension of the printer 100 can be made compact.

[0089] In the embodiment, the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 are positioned in the same direction (specifically, to the right) with respect to the substrate 99 in the left-right direction X. This allows the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 to be connected by a shorter waste liquid tube 97. The waste liquid sensor 98 is positioned between the substrate 99 and the CTG case 91L in the left-right direction X. This allows the controller 99A and the waste liquid sensor 98 to be connected by a shorter signal line.

[0090] In this embodiment, the area occupied by each CTG case 91 in both the front-to-rear direction Y and the up-down direction Z overlaps with the area occupied by the waste fluid unit 96 in both the front-to-rear direction Y and the left-to-right direction X. In addition, each remaining amount sensor 93 and waste fluid sensor 98 are located above each CTG 92 and waste fluid unit 96. This allows the front-to-rear dimension of the printer 100 to be reduced in size.

[0091] [Variations] In the embodiment, the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 are mounted on a board 931 and a board 98B that are different from the board 99. However, this is not limited to the above, and as shown in FIG. 10B, the remaining amount sensor 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 may be mounted on the board 99 together with the controller 99A. This reduces the number of steps required to remove the remaining amount sensor 93, the waste liquid sensor 98, and the controller 99A when repairing or maintaining the printer 100. In this modification, the planar shape of the board 99 may be rectangular, or may be an irregular shape such as a T-shape or an inverted T-shape.

[0092] In the embodiment, the waste liquid unit 96 and the substrate 99 are located above the transport path 40. However, this is not limiting, and at least one of the waste liquid unit 96 and the substrate 99 may be located above the transport path 40.

[0093] In the embodiment, two CTG cases 91L, 91R are arranged separately on the left and right sides of the supply tray 21 in the internal space 11. However, this is not limited to the above, and a single CTG case 91 may be arranged on one side of the supply tray 21 in the left-right direction X. If the printer 100 supports full-color printing, the single CTG case 91 can accommodate four CTGs 92. Also, if the printer 100 supports only monochrome printing, the single CTG case 91 only needs to be able to accommodate one CTG 92.

[0094] In the embodiment, the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 are each located to the right of the substrate 99. However, this is not limited thereto, and the maintenance unit 95 and the waste liquid unit 96 may each be located to the left of the substrate 99.

[0095] In the embodiment, the remaining amount sensors 93 and the waste liquid sensor 98 are located above the CTGs 92 and the waste liquid unit 96. However, this is not limiting, and the remaining amount sensors 93 or the waste liquid sensor 98 may be located other than above the CTGs 92 or the waste liquid unit 96 (for example, in front of the CTGs 92 or the waste liquid unit 96).

[0096] In the embodiment, the waste liquid unit 96 is connected to the pump 95B constituting the purge mechanism by the downstream tube 97B. However, the waste liquid unit 96 may be connected to an ink receiver used for so-called flushing by a separate waste liquid tube.

[0097] In the embodiment, the CTG 92 that is detachable from the CTG case 91 is given as an example of the ink storage unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ink storage unit may be an ink tank that is installed in a container inside the housing 1.

[0098] In the embodiment, the remaining amount sensor 93 detects the position of the detection target portion 925 having the float 925C by a photointerrupter. However, the remaining amount sensor 93 is not limited to this, and a known liquid level sensor can be applied.

[0099] In the embodiment, the conveying path 40 has a curved portion 41 that extends from below the internal space 11 upward while bulging backward, and a straight portion 42 that extends forward from the downstream end of the curved portion 41. However, the conveying path 40 is not limited to this, and may have a curved portion that extends from below the internal space 11 upward while bulging rightward, and a straight portion that extends leftward from the downstream end of the curved portion.

[0100] In the embodiment, both left and right ends of the waste liquid unit 96 are located inside both left and right ends of the transport path 40. However, this is not limited thereto, and one of the left end and the right end of the waste liquid unit 96 may be located outside one of the left end and the right end of the transport path 40.

[0101] In the embodiment, the planar shape of the drainage unit 96 is a rectangle that is long in the front-rear direction Y. However, the planar shape of the drainage unit 96 is not limited to this, and may be an irregular shape such as an inverted L-shape or an inverted T-shape.

[0102] In the embodiment, the maintenance unit 95 is configured to perform suction purge in which ink in the recording unit 70 is discharged from the discharge port 74 to the cap 75A and guided to the waste liquid unit 96. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the maintenance unit 95 may be configured to perform exhaust purge. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the recording unit 70 is formed with an exhaust flow path 76 branched from the ink flow path 75. The exhaust flow path 76 is an exhaust port 77 (another example of the discharge port) on the lower surface of the recording unit 70. The recording unit 70 is provided with an exhaust valve 78 that opens and closes the exhaust port 77. In FIG. 11, the maintenance unit 95 has an exhaust cap 95J that covers the exhaust port 77 in addition to the cap 95A. An exhaust port 95K is formed at the bottom of the exhaust cap 95J. One end of an exhaust tube 97C is connected to the exhaust port 95K. The other end of the exhaust tube 97C merges with the upstream tube 97A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 100 Printer 1. Housing 11. Interior space 40...Transport path 70 Recording unit 72 Carriage 73 Recording head 74...Discharge port 91 Cartridge case (CTG case) 92···Ink cartridge (CTG) 93... Remaining amount sensor 94 Ink tube 95 Maintenance unit 96 Waste liquid unit 97 Waste liquid tube 98...Waste liquid sensor 99... Substrate 99A···Controller

Claims

1. The device includes a housing having an internal space, In the internal space of the housing, a recording head having an ink ejection port; a container that contains an ink reservoir that stores ink to be supplied to the recording head; a first sensor for detecting ink stored in the ink storage section; a maintenance unit for discharging ink from the ejection openings of the recording head; a waste liquid unit that stores the ink discharged by the maintenance unit; a second sensor for detecting ink in the waste liquid unit; a substrate on which a controller is mounted, the controller receiving signals output from the first sensor and the second sensor is mounted; An inkjet recording device in which the substrate has a plane extending in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and the range it occupies in the up-down direction perpendicular to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions overlaps with the range occupied in the up-down direction by the first sensor and the second sensor.

2. the recording head and the maintenance unit are located behind the waste liquid unit in the front-rear direction, the substrate and the container are located forward of the recording head in the front-rear direction, 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is located at a front end of the waste liquid unit.

3. a sheet transport path, at least a portion of which extends along the front-rear direction, is formed in an internal space of the housing; The recording head is located above the transport path, 3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the waste liquid unit and the substrate is positioned above the transport path in the vertical direction.

4. A carriage for carrying the recording head is further provided, the carriage moves along the left-right direction in the internal space of the housing, The container is a plurality of containers, An inkjet recording device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the containers is located forward of the recording head in the front-to-rear direction, within the range of movement of the carriage in the left-to-right direction, and is located on both sides of the sheet transport path in the left-to-right direction.

5. a range occupied by the maintenance unit in the left-right direction overlaps with a moving range of the carriage, the maintenance unit and the waste liquid unit are positioned in the same direction with respect to the substrate in the left-right direction, The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second sensor is located between the substrate and the container in the left-right direction.

6. the container and the waste liquid unit overlap with each other in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, The first sensor is located above the ink storage section, 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is positioned above the waste liquid unit.

7. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted on the substrate.

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