Liquid dispensing device

Abstract

To suppress a change in a fixing position of a discharge head.SOLUTION: A liquid discharge device includes: a head holding part for holding a discharge head for discharging a liquid to a medium; a flow channel formation member for forming a flow channel for supplying the liquid to the discharge head; a joint unit for detachably connecting the flow channel formation member to the discharge head; and an operation lever which is rotatably supported by the head holding part and moves the joint unit toward the discharge head. The operation lever includes a transmission part for transmitting a force generated by rotation operation for the operation lever, to the joint unit. The joint unit includes a transmitted part for receiving a force by contacting the transmission part. The transmission part and the transmitted part are configured to transmit a force in a first direction of moving the joint unit toward the discharge head, and not to transmit a force in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In an inkjet recording device, which is an example of a liquid ejection device, a configuration is known in which a recording head and an ink tank are connected by a tube. In such a configuration, when replacing the recording head, it is necessary to disconnect the recording head from the tube. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a joint between the recording head and the tube is operated by a lever. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-47547 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When connecting the joint part to the discharge head by rotating the lever, a force may act on the joint part in a direction intersecting the direction toward the discharge head. This force may cause the fixed position of the discharge head to change when the discharge head is connected to the joint part. The change in the fixed position of the discharge head may cause a decrease in the quality of the formed image due to a change in the discharge position of the liquid.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for suppressing changes in the fixed position of the ejection head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a head holding unit that holds a discharge head that discharges liquid onto a medium; a flow path forming member that forms a flow path for supplying liquid to the ejection head; a joint unit that detachably connects the flow path forming member to the ejection head; an operation lever that is rotatably supported by the head holding portion and that moves the joint unit toward the ejection head, the operating lever includes a transmission portion that transmits a force generated by a rotational operation of the operating lever to the joint unit, the joint unit includes a transmitted part that receives the force by contacting the transmitting part, The transmitting portion and the receiving portion are configured to transmit a force in a first direction that moves the joint unit toward the ejection head, but not to transmit a force in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. R, The joint unit is a communication portion that connects the ejection head and the flow path forming member so that liquid can communicate with each other; a support portion that supports the communication portion so as to be movable in the second direction, A liquid ejection device comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress changes in the fixed position of the ejection head. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a view showing the recording apparatus with the recording head removed. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are perspective views showing the mounting order of the recording heads. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a recording head. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a joint portion. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage and its surrounding structure. [Figure 8]5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the joint unit when the joint unit is attached to the recording head. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a carriage and its surrounding structure according to an embodiment. 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] In this specification, "recording" (sometimes called "printing") refers not only to the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also to the formation of images, patterns, etc. on a recording medium, regardless of whether they are visible to humans or not, or to the processing of the medium.

[0011] In addition, the term "recording medium" refers not only to paper used in general recording devices, but also broadly to anything capable of receiving ink, such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, and leather.

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

[0013] In the following description, the X and Y directions indicate the horizontal direction, and the Z direction indicates the up-down direction (vertical direction). Furthermore, when describing each direction with special distinction, it may be expressed by adding a positive or negative sign, such as +X direction, -X direction, etc.

[0014] First Embodiment <Outline of the inkjet device> FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording device 1 (hereinafter, recording device 1) as an example of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment. The recording device 1 includes a recording head 14 (see FIG. 3) that ejects ink onto a recording medium, and an ink tank 17 that stores ink to be supplied to the recording head 14. The recording device 1 also includes a supply tube 15 that is an example of a flow path forming member that forms a liquid flow path. The supply tube 15 forms an ink supply path for supplying ink from the ink tank 17 to the recording head 14. The recording device 1 also includes a carriage 13 that is removably mounted with the recording head 14 and is capable of reciprocating motion. The carriage 13 functions as a head holding unit that holds the recording head 14.

[0015] The recording device 1 also has a plurality of rollers (not shown) that feed a sheet-like recording medium, and these rollers transport the recording medium in a transport direction (sub-scanning direction, Y direction) perpendicular to the movement direction (main scanning direction, X direction) of the carriage 13 (recording head 14). A platen 22 is provided below the range in which the recording head 14 moves so as to face the recording head 14. The platen 22 supports the bottom surface of the recording medium on which recording is performed by the recording head 14.

[0016] The recording device 1 also includes a housing 11 that covers all of these internal components. The housing 11 includes a main body 111 having an opening 114, and a cover member 112 that covers the opening 114. The cover member 112 is supported on the main body 111 so as to be openable and closable. The cover member 112 is provided with a panel unit 113 that accepts various operations by the user of the recording device 1.

[0017] For example, when replacing the recording head 14 of the recording device 1, the user opens the cover member 112 and replaces the recording head 14 through the opening 114. In this embodiment, the recording device 1 is configured to be able to replace the recording head 14 in the following manner in order to prevent ink leakage. That is, when the cover member 112 is opened, the carriage 13 does not move to the head replacement position 13b in this state, but remains at the standby position 13a (see FIG. 1(a)). When the user selects the head replacement mode on the panel unit 113, the ink supply path is blocked by a flow path blocking mechanism (not shown) provided in the ink supply path of the supply tube 15. In this way, the carriage 13 moves to the head replacement position 13b (see FIG. 1(b)) in a state in which ink leakage is suppressed.

[0018] 1(b) shows the recording device 1 in a state where the recording head 14 has been removed after the carriage 13 has moved to the head replacement position 13b. The carriage 13 has a head set lever 131 that is rotatably supported. The recording device 1 also includes an operation lever 19 that is rotatably supported and moves the joint unit 2 toward the recording head 14. In this embodiment, the operation lever 19 is also rotatably supported with respect to the carriage 13. The specific configuration of the operation lever 19 will be described in <Configuration of joint lever>.

[0019] The recording head 14 is removed as follows. First, with the carriage 13 in the head replacement position 13b, the user operates the operation lever 19 to remove the joint part 18 of the joint unit 2 from the recording head 14. After that, the user can rotate the head set lever 131 to remove the recording head 14.

[0020] 2(a) to 2(c) are perspective views showing the mounting order of the recording head 14. FIG. 2(a) shows a perspective view of the carriage 13 in a state where the recording head 14 is removed. At this time, both the head set lever 131 and the operation lever 19 are in an open state. The recording head 14 is inserted from the front in a direction 14a, and moves to a position where it can be mounted on the carriage 13. FIG. 2(b) shows a perspective view of the carriage 13 in a state after the recording head 14 is inserted. At this time, the recording head 14 is not yet fixed. In this state, when the head set lever 131 is rotated in a direction 131a, the recording head 14 is fixed to the carriage 13 (FIG. 2(c)). After that, the operation lever 19 is rotated in a direction 19a, and the recording head 14 and the joint portion 18 are connected (FIG. 2(d)).

[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an outline of the recording head 14. The recording head 14 performs recording by discharging ink from a discharge unit 145 constituted by, for example, a plurality of nozzles. In this embodiment, the recording head 14 is fixed to the carriage 13 by pressing the head inclined surface 143 with the head set lever 131 and abutting it against the positioning surface of the carriage 13. In this embodiment, the recording head 14 includes joint rubbers 142 the number of which corresponds to the number of types of ink that can be discharged (four in this embodiment). The joint rubbers 142 seal the joint needles 182 (see FIG. 7) of the joint unit 18 inserted therein. The joint needles 182 are provided in the same number as the joint rubbers 142. In addition, the recording head 14 includes head positioning holes 141 for positioning the recording head 14 and the joint unit 18. The number of the positioning holes 141 can be changed as appropriate.

[0022] <Composition of the joint unit and its surroundings> The configuration around the joint unit 2 will be described below. In this embodiment, the recording device 1 includes a joint unit 2 that detachably connects the supply tube 15 to the recording head 14. The joint unit 2 includes a joint portion 18 and a joint link 20. The joint portion 18 is an example of a communication portion that connects the recording head 14 and the supply tube 15 as a flow path forming member so that liquid communicates with each other. The joint link 20 is an example of a support portion that supports the joint portion 18 so that the joint portion 18 can move in a direction perpendicular to the direction (Y direction) toward the recording head 14, for example, in the up-down direction (Z direction). Each component will be described below.

[0023] (Joint part) 4 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the joint portion 18. The joint portion 18 includes a positioning pin 181 and a joint needle 182.

[0024] The joint needle 182 is for supplying the ink that has passed through the supply tube 15 to the recording head 14, and one side of the joint needle 182 is provided so as to be connected to the supply tube 15. The other side of the joint needle 182 is provided so as to be insertable into the joint rubber 142. By inserting the joint needle 182 into the joint rubber 142, the flow path of the supply tube 15 and the recording head 14 are communicated. That is, the joint needle 182 may have, for example, a cylindrical shape through which liquid can pass. Also, the end of the joint needle 182 on the side inserted into the joint rubber 142 may have a shape that tapers to a tip. Also, in this embodiment, the joint needle 182 is arranged so that the axial direction of the cylindrical shape is the mounting direction (Y direction) of the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14.

[0025] The positioning pin 181 is a member for positioning the joint portion 18 with respect to the recording head 14. The positioning pin 181 is inserted into a positioning hole 141 provided in the recording head 14, thereby defining a relative positional relationship between the recording head 14 and the joint portion 18. This also defines a positional relationship between the joint needle 182 and the joint rubber 142. For example, when attaching the joint portion 18 to the recording head 14, the positioning pin 181 may be inserted into the positioning hole 141 before the joint needle 182 is inserted into the joint rubber 142. In this embodiment, the positioning pin 181 has a cylindrical shape and is disposed so that its axial direction corresponds to the attachment direction (Y direction) of the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14.

[0026] (Joint link) Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the joint link 20. Fig. 6 is a left side view of the carriage 13. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage 13 and its surrounding structure. The joint link 20 includes a support hole 201, a sliding portion 202, and a transmitted portion 203.

[0027] The support hole 201 supports the joint portion 18 so as to be movable in the up-down direction (Z direction). Specifically, the support hole 201 is disposed so as to surround the joint link boss 183 provided in the joint portion 18. At this time, the support hole 201 is provided so that the size of the hole in the up-down direction is larger than the size of the joint link boss 183 in the up-down direction so that the joint link boss 183 can move in the up-down direction within a predetermined range within the hole. In other words, the support hole 201 supports the joint portion 18 so as to have some play in the up-down direction (Z direction) while restricting the movement of the joint portion 18 in the movement direction (Y direction) when attached to the recording head 14.

[0028] The slide portion 202 is a member that is movable by sliding in the movement direction (Y direction) when attached to the recording head 14. Here, in this embodiment, the carriage 13 includes a guide rail 132 as a guide member that regulates the movement of the joint unit 2 in the Z direction and guides the movement of the joint unit 2 in the Y direction (see FIG. 4). The movement of the slide portion 202 on the guide rail 132 allows the joint link 20 to move in the Y direction.

[0029] The transmitted force receiving part 203 is a member that receives a force by coming into contact with the transmitting part 190 (described later, see FIG. 7) of the operating lever 19. As will be described in detail in <Operation of the Joint Unit>, when the transmitted force receiving part 203 receives a force from the transmitting part 190, the joint link 20 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 132. As a result, the joint part 18 supported by the joint link 20 moves in the Y direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the transmitted part 203 is an opening formed in the joint link 20. More specifically, the transmitted part 203 is an opening formed in a plate-like part extending in the YZ direction of the joint link 20. The transmitted part 203 includes an inner wall part 2031 that forms a wall surface so as to surround the transmitting part 190. The inner wall part 2031 forms a wall surface 2031a that extends so as to intersect with the moving direction (+Y direction) when the joint part 18 is attached to the recording head 14. The wall surface 2031a abuts against the transmitting part 190 and receives a force in the +Y direction, so that the joint part 18 moves in the moving direction +Y direction. The inner wall part 2031 also includes a wall surface 2031b that faces the wall surface 2031a. The wall surface 2031b abuts against the transmitting part 190 and receives a force in the moving direction (-Y direction) when the joint part 18 is removed from the recording head 14, so that the joint part 18 moves in the -Y direction.

[0031] Moreover, in this embodiment, the inner wall portion 2031 is formed so as to be longer in the up-down direction (Z direction) than the transmission portion 190. As described later, the transmission portion 190 moves in the circumferential direction (YZ direction) of a circle centered on the rotation center 191 of the operating lever 19. By forming the inner wall portion 2031 so as to be longer in the up-down direction than the transmission portion 190, the transmission portion 190 is prevented from contacting the upper and lower wall portions of the inner wall portion 2031. For example, the inner wall portion 2031 may be formed so that the transmission portion 190 does not come into contact with the upper and lower wall portions of the inner wall portion 2031 even if the transmission portion 190 is displaced in the up-down direction within the rotation range of the operating lever 19.

[0032] In this embodiment, the wall surface 2031a is provided so as to extend in the ZX direction perpendicular to the moving direction (Y direction). However, the wall surface 2031a may be formed so as to be inclined with respect to the ZX direction. From another aspect, the wall surface 2031a may be formed so that its normal vector includes a Y-direction component.

[0033] In this embodiment, an opening is formed in the joint link 20 as the transmitted part 203, but the form of the transmitted part 203 is not limited to this. For example, the transmitted part 203 may be a recess or a protrusion formed in the joint link 20. In other words, the transmitted part 203 may come into contact with the transmission part 190 that functions as a transmission part on the operating lever 19 side, and may appropriately have a shape including a wall part or the like that can receive a force in the Y direction from the transmission part 190.

[0034] <Joint lever configuration> Please refer to Fig. 7 in addition to Fig. 6. As described above, the operating lever 19 is a lever for operating the joint unit 2. The operating lever 19 includes a transmission portion 190 and an operating portion 195.

[0035] The transmission part 190 transmits a force generated by a rotational operation of the operating lever 19 to the transmitted part 203 of the joint unit 2. In this embodiment, the transmission part 190 is a rib part. In this embodiment, the transmission part 190 transmits a force generated by a rotational operation of the operating lever 19 to the transmitted part 203 by abutting against an inner wall part 2031 of the transmitted part 203. In other words, the transmission part 190 may be an abutting part that abuts against the inner wall part 2031.

[0036] In this embodiment, the transmission unit 190 is provided extending in the axial direction (X direction) of the rotation shaft of the operating lever 19. Furthermore, when the operating lever 19 is rotated, the transmission unit 190 moves in the YZ direction. More specifically, when the operating lever 19 is rotated, the transmission unit 190 moves in the YZ plane along an arc-shaped trajectory centered on the rotation center 191 of the operating lever 19. The transmission unit 190 comes into contact with a wall surface 2031a extending intersecting the Y direction by the movement in the YZ direction accompanying the rotation operation of the operating lever 19, and can transmit the force generated by the rotation operation to the joint unit 2.

[0037] In this embodiment, the transmission part 190 includes a first lever rib 192 and a second lever rib 193. When the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14, the first lever rib 192 abuts against a wall surface 2031a which is a portion of the inner wall part 2031 on the recording head 14 side. When the joint unit 2 is removed from the recording head 14, the second lever rib 193 abuts against a wall surface 2031b which is a portion of the inner wall part 2031 facing the wall surface 2031a.

[0038] In this embodiment, the transmission part 190 is formed in an arc shape at the contact part with the inner wall part 2031. The shape of the contact part of the transmission part 190 with the inner wall part 2031 can be changed as appropriate.

[0039] In this embodiment, the first lever rib 192 and the second lever rib 193 are integrally formed. This can further simplify the structure of the transmission part 190. Note that the first lever rib 192 and the second lever rib 193 may be provided separately.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first lever rib 192 and the second lever rib 193 are located on a virtual circle of the same diameter centered on the rotation center of the operating lever 19. However, the positional relationship between the first lever rib 192 and the second lever rib 193 is not limited to this relationship.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14, the rotation center of the operating lever 19 and the joint unit 2 overlap in the vertical direction when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operating lever 19. This makes it possible to make the device more compact in the Y direction compared to, for example, a case in which the rotation center 191 of the operating lever 19 is disposed on an extension line of the attachment direction (Y direction) of the joint part 18.

[0042] Here, to explain the arrangement of the rotation center 191 in more detail, in this embodiment, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operation lever 19 with the joint unit 2 attached to the recording head 14, the rotation shaft (rotation center 191) of the operation lever 19 is located below the joint unit 2. In addition, the rotation center 191 may be located below the position of the joint needle 182 in the Z direction (dashed line 14b in FIG. 7).

[0043] The operation unit 195 is a portion that the user holds when rotating the operation lever 19. In this embodiment, the operation unit 195 is configured to be engageable with the head set lever 131, and the attachment of the joint unit 18 to the carriage 13 is completed by the engagement of the operation unit 195 with the head set lever 131.

[0044] In this embodiment, the joint unit 2 is moved by a force generated by a rotation operation of the operation lever 19, and the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14. Here, for example, when the joint unit 2 is fixedly connected to the operation lever 19 by a crank mechanism or the like, the joint unit 2 moves by receiving a force in the circumferential direction of the rotation center 191 due to the rotation of the operation lever 19. That is, the joint unit 2 moves while receiving a force in a direction intersecting the direction toward the recording head 14 (for example, the Z direction). If the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14 while receiving a force in such a direction, a force in a direction intersecting the recording head 14 (for example, the Z direction) acts, and the fixed position of the recording head 14 in the Z direction may vary. If the fixed position of the recording head 14 in the Z direction varies, the distance between the recording head 14 and the recording medium varies, and the quality of the recorded image may deteriorate.

[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, the joint unit 2 is configured to move in a direction (Y direction) toward the recording head 14 upon receiving a force generated by a rotational operation of the operation lever 19. In other words, a force in the circumferential direction (YZ direction) of the rotation center 191 generated by the rotational operation of the operation lever 19 is converted into a force in a direction (Y direction) toward the recording head 14 and transmitted to the joint unit 2. That is, the configuration is such that no force in the Z direction acts on the recording head 14. Specific operations of the joint unit 2 will be described below.

[0046] <Operation explanation of joint unit> 8(a) to 8(c) show an example of the operation of the joint unit 2 when the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14. In FIG.

[0047] FIG. 8(a) shows a state in which the recording head 14 is attached to the carriage 13 and fixed by the head set lever 131. When the user rotates the operation lever 19 from this state, the first lever rib 192 comes into contact with the wall surface 2031a of the transmitted portion 203 and presses the wall surface 2031a. When the wall surface 2031a is pressed by the first lever rib 192, the joint link 20 moves toward the recording head 14 (+Y direction) along the guide rail 132. Accordingly, the support hole 201 of the joint link 20 presses the joint link boss 183 in the +Y direction, so that the joint portion 18 supported by the joint link 20 also moves in the +Y direction. That is, the joint unit 2 moves in the +Y direction (FIGS. 8(a) to 8(b)).

[0048] Fig. 8(b) shows a state in which the joint unit 2 is connected to the recording head 14, more specifically, a state in which the joint needle 182 is inserted into the joint rubber 142. Fig. 8(c) shows a state in which the attachment of the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14 is completed.

[0049] 8(b), the positioning pin 181 is inserted into the positioning hole 141. This determines the position of the joint unit 2 in the ZX direction relative to the recording head 14. Note that since the joint part 18 is supported by the support hole 201 with some play in the vertical direction relative to the joint link 20, even if there is some positional deviation when the positioning pin 181 is inserted into the positioning hole 141, this deviation is absorbed by the play.

[0050] After the positioning pin 181 is inserted into the positioning hole 141, the joint needle 182 is inserted into the joint rubber 142. When the joint unit 2 then moves further in the Y direction, the operation portion 195 and the head set lever 131 engage with each other, and the attachment of the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14 is completed.

[0051] The action of the first lever rib 192 and the transmitted part 203 of the transmitting part 190 in the mounting operation of the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14 will be described in detail. The first lever rib 192 moves in the circumferential direction (YZ direction) of a circle centered on the rotation center 191. On the other hand, the transmitted part 203 abuts against the first lever rib 192 at the wall surface 2031a, but does not abut against the first lever rib 192 at the upper and lower wall surfaces of the inner wall part 2031. From another perspective, the first lever rib 192 pushes the wall surface 2031a in the Y direction while sliding in the Z direction. Therefore, it can be said that the inner wall part 2031 transmits the force received from the first lever rib 192 in the Y direction by the wall surface 2031a extending in the ZX direction, while the upper and lower wall surfaces of the inner wall part 2031 do not abut against the first lever rib 192, thereby releasing the force in the Z direction. This allows the joint unit 2 to move in the Y direction along the guide rail 132. Furthermore, when the positioning pin 181 is inserted into the positioning hole 141, or when the joint needle 182 is inserted into the joint rubber 142, no force in the vertical direction (Z direction) acts on the joint unit 2. This makes it possible to suppress the force in the vertical direction (Z direction) from acting on the recording head 14, and to suppress the change in the fixed position of the recording head 14 in the Z direction.

[0052] Furthermore, when the joint needle 182 is inserted into the joint rubber 142, a large resistance is generated in the joint needle 182. Therefore, a relatively large force is required to insert the joint needle 182. Therefore, in this embodiment, the position of the operation unit 195 held by the user is set to be located farther away than the transmission unit 190 when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation center 191.

[0053] Moreover, in order to reduce the operating force of the operating lever 19, the rotation center 191 may be disposed relatively far from the insertion portion of the joint needle 182. In this configuration, the rotation center 191 is disposed lower than the position of the joint needle 182 in the vertical direction, thereby ensuring these distances.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, the transmitting unit 190 and the transmitted unit 203 are configured to transmit a force in the Y direction that moves the joint unit 2 toward the recording head 14, while dissipating a force in the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. This configuration makes it possible to prevent the recording head 14 from receiving a force in the Z direction from the joint unit 2 when the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a change in the fixed position of the recording head 14 in the Z direction.

[0055] Second Embodiment 9 is a cross-sectional view of the carriage 13 and its surrounding structure according to the second embodiment. In the following, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0056] In the second embodiment, the rotation center 9191 of the operating lever 19 is disposed above the vertical position (dashed line 14b) of the joint needle 182. Even in such a configuration, the transmitting portion 190 and the transmitted portion 203 transmit the force in the Y direction that moves the joint unit 2 toward the recording head 14, while dissipating the force in the Z direction perpendicular to the Y direction. This makes it possible to prevent the recording head 14 from receiving the force in the Z direction from the joint unit 2 when the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the change in the fixed position of the recording head 14.

[0057] Also in this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when the joint unit 2 is attached to the recording head 14, the rotation center of the operating lever 19 and the joint unit 2 overlap in the vertical direction when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operating lever 19. Therefore, the device can be made smaller in size in the Y direction.

[0058] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the rib portion as the transmitting portion 190 provided on the operating lever 19 abuts against the inner wall portion 2031 provided on the joint link 20 of the joint unit 2. However, a wall portion forming a wall surface intersecting the direction toward the recording head 14 may be provided as the transmitting portion 190. And, an abutment portion, such as a rib, that extends in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operating lever 19 and abuts against the wall surface of the transmitting portion 190 may be provided as the transmitting portion 190 and the transmitting portion 203. That is, the relationship between the wall portion and the abutment portion may be reversed in the transmitting portion 190 and the transmitting portion 203.

[0059] When attaching the joint unit 2 to the recording head 14, a wall portion provided on the operating lever 19 and located farther from the recording head 14 than the rib portion may press the rib portion provided on the joint link 20 from the -Y side. When detaching the joint unit 2 from the recording head 14, a wall portion provided on the operating lever 19 and located closer to the recording head 14 than the rib portion may press the rib provided on the joint link 20 from the +Y side.

[0060] In this manner, one of the transmitting part 190 and the receiving part 203 may be a contact part extending in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operating lever 19. In addition, the other of the transmitting part 190 and the receiving part 203 may be a wall part forming a wall surface intersecting the direction toward the recording head 14 as the transmitting part 190.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the joint unit 2 includes the joint portion 18 and the joint link 20. However, a configuration in which these are provided integrally can also be adopted. In this case, for example, a guide member that guides the joint unit 2 toward the recording head 14 side (e.g., Y direction) may be provided. The joint unit 2 may be supported so as to have some play in a direction (e.g., Z direction) that intersects with the direction toward the head side relative to the guide member.

[0062] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the recording apparatus 1 is exemplified as a liquid ejection apparatus, but the configuration according to the above embodiment can also be applied to a liquid ejection apparatus including an ejection head that ejects liquid other than ink.

[0063] 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]

[0064] 1 recording device, 2 joint unit, 19 operating lever, 190 transmitting part, 203 transmitted part

Claims

1. a head holding unit that holds a discharge head that discharges liquid onto a medium; a flow path forming member that forms a flow path for supplying liquid to the ejection head; a joint unit that detachably connects the flow path forming member to the ejection head; an operation lever that is rotatably supported by the head holding portion and that moves the joint unit toward the ejection head, the operating lever includes a transmission portion that transmits a force generated by a rotational operation of the operating lever to the joint unit, the joint unit includes a transmitted part that receives the force by contacting the transmitting part, the transmitting portion and the receiving portion are configured to transmit a force in a first direction that moves the joint unit toward the ejection head, but not to transmit a force in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, The joint unit is a communication portion that connects the ejection head and the flow path forming member so that liquid can communicate with each other; a support portion that supports the communication portion so as to be movable in the second direction, A liquid ejection device comprising:

2. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 , a guide member that restricts movement of the joint unit in the second direction and guides movement of the joint unit in the first direction, A liquid ejection device comprising:

3. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, one of the transmitting portion and the transmitted portion is a contact portion extending in an axial direction of a rotation shaft of the operating lever, The other of the transmitting portion and the transmitting portion is a wall portion that forms a wall surface that intersects with the first direction. A liquid ejection device comprising:

4. 3. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1, the transmission portion is a rib portion extending in an axial direction of a rotation shaft of the operating lever, The transmitted portion is an inner wall portion that forms a wall surface so as to surround the rib portion. A liquid ejection device comprising:

5. The liquid ejection device according to claim 4, The rib portion is a first rib that comes into contact with a first portion of the inner wall portion on the discharge head side when the joint unit is attached to the discharge head; a second rib that comes into contact with a second portion of the inner wall portion that faces the first portion when the joint unit is removed from the discharge head; A liquid ejection device comprising:

6. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5 , the first rib and the second rib are located on a virtual circle of the same diameter centered on the rotation center of the operating lever, A liquid ejection device comprising:

7. 7. The liquid ejection device according to claim 5, The first rib and the second rib are integrally formed. A liquid ejection device comprising:

8. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The rib portion is formed in an arc shape at a contact portion with the inner wall portion. A liquid ejection device comprising:

9. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, When the joint unit is attached to the discharge head, a rotation center of the operating lever and the joint unit overlap in a vertical direction as viewed in an axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operating lever. A liquid ejection device comprising:

10. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, When the joint unit is attached to the discharge head, the rotation shaft of the operation lever is located below the joint unit as viewed in an axial direction of the rotation shaft of the operation lever. A liquid ejection device comprising:

11. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the head holding unit is a carriage that removably mounts the ejection head and is capable of reciprocating movement; A liquid ejection device comprising:

12. The liquid ejection device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The ejection head ejects ink onto a recording medium. A liquid ejection device comprising:

Images