Cartridge for Inkjet Recording Apparatus

Abstract

To provide a cartridge for an inkjet recording device which achieves reduction of dirt adhering to a reservoir terminal and good usability.SOLUTION: A ROM unit 900 attached to a bottle 800 has, on its front end surface, a plurality of terminal plates 910. The ROM unit 900 may slide in a direction orthogonal to a bottle axis Ax and be placed in a retreat position RP where the ROM unit 900 avoids interference with pollution prevention eaves 620 and a contact position CP where the ROM unit 900 protrudes forward farther than when the ROM unit 900 is in the retreat position RP. The terminal plate 910 is placed in the contact position CP to be electrically connected with a reservoir terminal 602.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge for an inkjet recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] An inkjet recording apparatus is used to print characters and figures on the surface of a workpiece. Patent Document 1 details a cartridge-type inkjet recording apparatus. A cartridge for replenishing ink or a solvent is attached to a reservoir of the apparatus main body. The reservoir is provided with a receiving port for receiving the mouth portion of the cartridge, and a hollow needle stands upright at the central portion of this receiving port. The cartridge has a rubber stopper for sealing the mouth portion. By performing a pressing-down operation in which the user attaches the cartridge, a state can be created in which the hollow needle penetrates the rubber stopper and the content liquid can be taken out by the hollow needle. In this state, the axis of the cartridge bottle is aligned with the hollow needle. To remove the cartridge, the reverse lifting operation is performed.

[0003] The cartridge has a recording medium portion at the bottle neck, and this recording medium portion includes a bottle-side terminal. On the other hand, the reservoir is provided with a terminal on the apparatus main body side (referred to as a "reservoir terminal"). When the cartridge is attached, the bottle-side terminal and the reservoir terminal are connected.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the cartridge-type inkjet recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a user can attach or detach it by simply pushing down or pulling up the cartridge (bottle) along the axis of the hollow needle. Then, by performing the pushing-down or pulling-up operation of the user, the bottle-side terminal and the reservoir terminal can be connected or disconnected. Here, since the reservoir terminal is disposed in a state of protruding inside the reservoir on the side wall surface of the reservoir and is in a state where it can be visually recognized when viewed from the cartridge insertion direction, dust and dirt from the outside are likely to adhere. In addition, there is also a possibility that ink or a solvent adheres to the reservoir terminal and the reservoir terminal becomes dirty (contaminated). When dirt adheres to the reservoir terminal, the user has been performing cleaning work such as wiping off the dirt.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to prevent contamination of the reservoir terminal as much as possible and reduce the burden of cleaning work by the user, first, it is conceivable to provide, for example, a shade adjacent to the upper side of the reservoir terminal. For example, when a shade is provided adjacent to the reservoir terminal, the bottle-side terminal interferes with the shade when the cartridge is attached or detached. On the other hand, it is also possible to require the user to operate the cartridge so as not to interfere with the shade when the cartridge is attached or detached. However, requiring this is not preferable for a user accustomed to the simple attachment and detachment operation of the cartridge, and it deteriorates the usability of the cartridge.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge for an inkjet recording apparatus that reduces dirt adhesion to the reservoir terminal and has good usability.

[0008] According to the present invention, the above technical problem is solved by A cartridge for replenishing ink or a solvent to a continuous inkjet recording apparatus, A bottle body having an internal space for storing ink or a solvent, A bottle neck portion having a pipe extending along a first direction from the bottle body and communicating with the internal space of the bottle body, the bottle neck portion On both sides is provided with a guide extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction groove and a unit body holding a first terminal electrically connected to a recording medium recording information about the cartridge , including The unit body has a pair of arm portions that are received in the guide groove, and the pair of arm portions are guided by the guide groove so that the unit body can be displaced in the second direction is achieved by providing a cartridge characterized by the above.

[0009] The effects and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

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Figure 12B

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Figure 22

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Examples

[0011] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

[0012] <Automatic Printing System and Inkjet Printer> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of an automatic printing system including an inkjet recording apparatus. The illustrated automatic printing system 1 is composed of an inkjet recording apparatus 2, a work detection sensor 4, a conveyance speed sensor 6, a display device 8, and the like.

[0013] The inkjet recording apparatus 2 is generally called an "inkjet printer". This inkjet printer 2 is a continuous printer that continuously ejects ink. The inkjet printer 2 is installed on a work conveyance line 10 and prints characters and graphics on a work W flowing through the work conveyance line 10. The work W to be printed is, for example, an electronic component, a plastic bag, or the like. The work detection sensor 4 detects the presence or absence of the work W and outputs a trigger to start printing. Upon receiving this trigger signal, the inkjet printer 2 starts printing.

[0014] The inkjet printer 2 has a printer main body 200 and a head 300, and the printer main body 200 and the head 300 are connected by a flexible hose 12. A quick-drying ink liquid is circulated between the printer main body 200 and the head 300, and printing is performed by the head 300.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the overall configuration of the inkjet printer 2. The printer main body 200 has a main tank 202 inside, and a quick-drying ink liquid is stored in this main tank 202. The ink liquid in the main tank 202 is supplied to the nozzles 302 of the head 300 by a first pump (ink supply pump) 204. The supply of the ink liquid to the nozzles 302 is continuously carried out at all times. Among the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles 302, the ink droplets not used for printing on the work W are received by a gutter 304. The ink droplets dripping onto the gutter 304 are sucked by a gutter pump 206 and then recovered into the main tank 202. In the figure, F indicates a filter.

[0016] The inkjet printer 2 has a cartridge type for replenishing ink and solvent. An ink cartridge 400 and a solvent cartridge 500 are detachably attached to the printer main body 200. The ink cartridge 400 stores an ink liquid for replenishing the main tank 202. The solvent cartridge 500 stores, for example, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), which is a solvent for keeping the viscosity of the ink liquid constant.

[0017] In the inkjet printer 2, a cleaning process for cleaning the inside of the nozzles 302 of the head 300 is performed when starting up or shutting down the ink circulation system. When cleaning the nozzles 302, the solvent in the solvent cartridge 500 is directly supplied to the nozzles 302 of the head 300 by the solvent pump 212. Then, the solvent discharged from the nozzles 302 is received by the gutter 304. The solvent received by the gutter 304 is sucked by the gutter pump 206 and sent to the conditioning tank 210. The solvent in the conditioning tank 210 is supplied to the main tank 202 as needed by the replenishing / circulating pump 216, and thus the recovered solvent is reused.

[0018] The replenishing / circulating pump 216 also has a function of sending the replenishing ink liquid in the ink cartridge 400 to the main tank 202 as needed and circulating the ink in the main tank 202. The ink liquid in the main tank 202 is constantly circulated by the replenishing / circulating pump 216. A viscometer 218 is attached to the main tank 202. The viscometer 218 detects the viscosity of the ink liquid in the main tank 202, and the viscosity of the ink liquid in the main tank 202 is kept constant by supplying the solvent from the conditioning tank 210 to the main tank 202 according to the viscosity detected by the viscometer 218.

[0019] <Ink cartridge, Solvent cartridge> Figures 3 to 5 show the printer main body 200 with the front door removed. Figure 3 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 are removed. Referring to this Figure 3, the printer main body 200 has two reservoirs 600 for receiving the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500, and the reservoirs 600 have substantially the same configuration for the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500. The reservoir 600 is swingable. When the reservoir 600 swings about the horizontal axis, the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 can take two postures: first, a state of standing upright in the vertical direction (see Figure 5); and second, a state of tilting at a predetermined angle outward from the vertical direction of the printer main body 200 (see Figure 4).

[0020] The state shown in Figure 4 shows the state when the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 are mounted or removed. As shown in Figure 4, by tilting the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 at a predetermined angle outward from the printer main body 200, the attachment and detachment operations of the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 can be easily performed. Figure 5 shows the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 in the use state. In the use state, the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 are housed in the printer main body 200 in a state of extending in the vertical direction.

[0021] <Bottle> Figure 6 shows the bottle 800, and Figures 7 to 9 are enlarged views showing the neck portion 810 and the mouth portion 812 of the bottle 800. The bottle 800 is a plastic molded product and is commonly applied to the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500. A recording medium portion provided with a recording medium is provided on the bottle neck portion 810. Specifically, the recording medium portion is composed of a ROM unit 900, and this ROM unit 900 is mounted on the bottle neck portion 810. Figure 9 shows a state before the ROM unit 900 is mounted. After the bottle 800 is filled with the content liquid (ink or solvent), a rubber stopper (reference numeral 812a in Figure 17) is inserted into the mouth portion 812 to seal the bottle 800.

[0022] As best understood from FIG. 9, the bottle 800 has a guide rod 820 extending horizontally in the neck portion 810, and the guide rod 820 is integrally formed with the bottle 800. Specifically, the guide rod 820 extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (bottle axis) Ax of the bottle 800 and away from the neck portion 810. Further, the neck portion 810 has guide grooves 822 on the left and right side surfaces (the guide grooves on the opposite side do not appear in the figure for drafting reasons), and the pair of left and right guide grooves 822 extend in a direction perpendicular to the bottle axis Ax.

[0023] Note that the bottle 800 is an example of a main body portion having an internal space for storing ink or a solvent. Further, the neck portion 810 and the mouth portion 812 extend along the direction of the bottle axis Ax from the bottle 800 and have a pipeline communicating with the internal space of the bottle 800, and are an example of a pipeline portion. To supplementarily explain this with reference to FIG. 6, the bottle 800 has a bottle main body 800bo having an internal space for storing ink or a solvent, and a pipeline portion 800co provided at one end in its longitudinal direction. The pipeline portion 800co extends from the bottle main body 800bo in a first direction. The pipeline portion 800co is constituted by the mouth portion 812 described above, and the base end portion of the mouth portion 812 is constituted by the neck portion 810. The ink or solvent in the bottle main body 800bo can flow out through the pipeline constituted by the pipeline portion 800co. The extending direction of this pipeline portion 800co, that is, the first direction, is defined by the central axis of the bottle 800 and substantially constitutes the bottle axis Ax.

[0024] <ROM Unit> FIGS. 10 and 11 show a ROM unit 900 constituting a recording medium portion. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the ROM unit 900 viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 11 is a view of the ROM unit 900 viewed obliquely from below. The ROM unit 900 has a unit main body 902 on which a recording medium is mounted and a pair of arm portions 906, and the pair of arm portions 906 and the unit main body 902 are integrally formed.

[0025] The ROM unit 900 is detachably and laterally slidably mounted on the bottle neck 810 with a pair of arm portions 906 received in the guide grooves 822 (FIGS. 7 and 8). Specifically, the pair of arm portions 906 have retaining protrusions 906a at their tip ends (FIGS. 10 and 11), and the retaining protrusions 906a prevent the ROM unit 900 from falling off the bottle neck 810.

[0026] As a modification of the ROM unit 900, the pair of arm portions 906 may be swingable. FIGS. 12A and 12B show that in the modified ROM unit 950, each arm portion 906 is swingable about the vertical axis 950a, and each arm portion 906 is biased in the closing direction by a spring 952. FIG. 12A shows the pair of arm portions 906 in the closed position. When the pair of arm portions 906 take the closed position due to the spring biasing, the ROM unit 950 is locked to the bottle neck 810. FIG. 12B shows the pair of arm portions 906 in the open position. By the user operating to position the pair of arm portions 906 against the spring biasing in the open position, the ROM unit 950 can be removed from the bottle neck 810.

[0027] The unit body 902 of the ROM unit 900 incorporates an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), which is a non-volatile memory as a recording medium. In addition to information such as the lot number specific to the cartridge, the manufacturer identification number, the cartridge version, the manufacturer identification number, the type of ink or solvent, the serial number, and the manufacturing date of (ink or cartridge), the remaining amount of the ink or solvent contained in the bottle 800 is recorded in the EEPROM. Further, preferably, the EEPROM records the unique identification number (or serial number) of the ink cartridge 400 or the solvent cartridge 500 to which the ROM unit 900 is attached, and based on this identification number, the printer main body 200 side may manage the remaining amount of the ink or solvent of the ink cartridge 400 or the solvent cartridge 500.

[0028] On the unit body 902, a plurality of vertically long terminal plates (bottle-side terminals) 910 are arranged side by side on its end face (Fig. 10). Referring to Fig. 11, a recess 912 extending in a direction perpendicular to the bottle axis Ax is formed in the unit body 902, and the above-described guide rod 820 (Fig. 9) is slidably received in the recess 912. Note that the bottle-side terminal 910 is an example of a terminal accessed from the printer main body 200 of the inkjet printer 2.

[0029] As can be understood from the above description, the ROM unit 900 and the bottle neck portion 810 have two displacement guiding mechanisms SL. The first is composed of the guide rod 820 on the bottle side and the recess 912 on the ROM unit side. The second is composed of a pair of arm portions 906 and a guide groove 822 for receiving the same. By these two displacement guiding mechanisms SL, the ROM unit 900 can move laterally, whereby the terminal plate 910 can take a contact position (Fig. 8) located relatively outward and a retracted position (Fig. 7) located relatively inward. That is, the terminal plate 910 can translate between a retracted position RP (Fig. 7) approaching the bottle axis Ax to avoid interference with the contamination prevention cover 620 and a contact position CP (Fig. 8) relatively far from the bottle axis Ax. At the contact position, the terminal plate 910 can be electrically connected to the reservoir terminal 602. Note that the pair of arm portions 906 and / or the retaining projection 906a, etc. constitute a guide portion for guiding the displacement of the terminal plate 910 in a predefined direction (in the first embodiment, a direction perpendicular to the bottle axis Ax).

[0030] As described above, the bottle 800 constituting the main part of the cartridge includes the ROM unit 900, and the terminal plate 910 is displaceable between a retracted position RP (Fig. 7) and a contact position CP (Fig. 8) in a preferred embodiment. The bottle 800 includes a mechanism for guiding the displacement of the terminal plate 910. This mechanism is composed of the above-described guide portion.

[0031] <Reservoir> Figs. 13 and 14 show a reservoir 600 for receiving the mouth portion 812 of a bottle 800. The reservoir 600 has a rectangular wall in plan view and has a plurality of reservoir terminals 602 formed by bending springy metal bars on one of its walls. Each reservoir terminal 602 is arranged at a position corresponding to each terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900.

[0032] The reference numeral 610 shown in Figs. 13 and 14 is a receiving port that opens upward, and the bottle mouth portion 812 (Fig. 7) is fitted into this receiving port 610. A hollow needle 612 is arranged at the central portion of the bottom of the receiving port 610. The hollow needle 612 stands coaxially with the axis Ax of the bottle. By mounting and pressing down the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 onto the reservoir 600, the hollow needle 612 penetrates the rubber stopper (reference numeral 812a in Fig. 17) of the bottle mouth portion 812. In this state, the hollow needle 612 is coaxial with the bottle axis Ax, and the content liquid of the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 can be taken out through the hollow needle 612. Note that the receiving port 610 has a function of constituting a part of a cartridge receiving portion into which the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 are inserted.

[0033] The reservoir 600 has a contamination-preventing cover 620 above and in the vicinity of the reservoir terminal 602, and the contamination-preventing cover 620 protrudes more than the reservoir terminal 602 to prevent the reservoir terminal 602 from being contaminated by ink or solvent.

[0034] Figs. 15A to 15C are diagrams for explaining that the ROM unit 900 is displaced laterally in a manner mechanically linked to the operation of mounting the ink cartridge 400 and the solvent cartridge 500 onto the reservoir 600 and the operation of removing them from the reservoir 600, and the terminal plate 910 takes a retracted position RP and a contact position CP.

[0035] As described above, the reservoir 600 has a contamination-preventing cover 620 located above the reservoir terminal 602. When mounting the ink cartridge 400 or the solvent cartridge 500 onto the reservoir 600, the movement of the bottle 800 is a downward movement from above. And this downward movement of the bottle 800 is a movement along the bottle axis Ax, and the bottle axis Ax is coaxial with the axis of the hollow needle 612.

[0036] FIG. 16 shows the movement locus of the terminal plate 910 interlocked with the pushing-down or lifting operation of the bottle 800. In the process of pushing down the bottle 800, in the step where the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 interferes with the contamination-preventing cover 620, the terminal plate 910 is located at a position where it does not interfere with the contamination-preventing cover 620, that is, the retracted position RP. When the terminal plate 910 is lower than the contamination-preventing cover 620, the terminal plate 910 advances and displaces to the contact position CP where it can contact the reservoir terminal 602. This series of displacements of the terminal plate 910 is mechanically interlocked with the pushing-down operation of the bottle 800.

[0037] That is, as the bottle 800 is pushed down, in the step where the terminal plate 910 passes through the contamination-preventing cover 620, it descends along the bottle axis Ax while being in the retracted position RP. The terminal plate 910 in the retracted position RP does not interfere with the contamination-preventing cover 620 on the printer main body 200 side. When the terminal plate 910 moves below the contamination-preventing cover 620, the terminal plate 910 begins to protrude forward as it moves downward. And after the hollow needle 612 penetrates the mouth portion 812, the terminal plate 910 is located at the contact position CP and is in a state of being electrically connected to the reservoir terminal 602 on the printer main body 200 side.

[0038] <The displacement guiding mechanism SL included in the interlocking mechanism 700> As described above, the ROM unit 900 is movable in the lateral direction. That is, the ROM unit 900 is movable in a direction orthogonal to the bottle axis Ax by the displacement guiding mechanism SL, whereby the terminal plate 910 can be displaced laterally between a contact position CP (FIG. 8) where it is relatively located outward and contacts the reservoir terminal 602, and a retracted position RP (FIG. 7) where the terminal plate 910 is relatively located inward.

[0039] <Inclined cam surface 630 of reservoir 600> Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the reservoir 600 has an inclined main body side cam surface 630 at its bottom. The main body side inclined cam surface 630 is fixed to the printer main body 200 via the reservoir 600. The main body side inclined cam surface 630 is located below the reservoir terminal 602.

[0040] The main body side inclined cam surface 630 is located in front of the reservoir terminal 602, and the lower block 630B including the main body side inclined cam surface 630 constitutes a contamination prevention wall for preventing contamination of the reservoir terminal 602.

[0041] The main body side inclined cam surface 630 is composed of an upward-facing surface, with the end closer to the hollow needle 612 being relatively positioned at a higher level and the end farther from the hollow needle 612, i.e., from the bottle axis Ax, being at a lower level. That is, the main body side inclined cam surface 630 is composed of an inclined surface that slopes downward and forward from the end closer to the bottle axis Ax to the end farther away when viewed in plan. This main body side inclined cam surface 630 constitutes a "drive cam portion" in relation to the inclined cam follower surface 930 of the ROM unit 900 described below.

[0042] <Inclined cam follower surface 930 of ROM unit 900> As can be best understood from FIG. 11, an inclined cam follower surface 930 is formed on the ROM unit 900. This inclined cam follower surface 930 is composed of a downward-facing surface, with the end closer to the bottle axis Ax (FIG. 9) positioned higher and the end farther from the bottle axis Ax (FIG. 9) positioned lower. This inclined cam follower surface 930 constitutes the "cam follower part" in relation to the main body side inclined cam surface 630 of the above-described reservoir 600, that is, the drive cam part on the main body side.

[0043] <Operation of the interlocking mechanism 700> Referring to FIG. 17, the displacement of the terminal plate 910 accompanying the pushing-down or lifting operation of the bottle 800 is carried out by a mechanical interlocking mechanism 700 basically composed of a displacement guiding mechanism SL (FIGS. 8, 9, 11), the main body side inclined cam surface 630 of the reservoir 600 (FIG. 13), and the inclined cam follower surface 930 of the ROM unit 900 (FIG. 11).

[0044] FIG. 15A shows a state in which, during the downward movement of the bottle 800, the upper end of the vertically long terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 is positioned at the height level Lv of the peak 620a of the shielding peak 620 of the contamination-preventing shield 620. In this state, the hollow needle 612 of the reservoir 600 has started to pierce the rubber stopper 812a of the bottle mouth portion 812.

[0045] FIG. 15B shows a state in which the bottle 800 has further descended. When the bottle 800 further descends from the state shown in FIG. 15A and the terminal plate 910 comes to be positioned below the peak 620a of the shield, the inclined cam follower surface 930 on the ROM unit 900 side comes into contact with the main body side inclined cam surface 630. Note that when the bottle 800 is further pushed downward from the position shown in FIG. 15A, the hollow needle 612 of the reservoir 600 deeply pierces the rubber stopper 812a of the bottle mouth portion 812.

[0046] When the bottle 800 is further pushed downward from the position shown in Fig. 15B, due to the action of the main body side inclined cam surface 630 and the inclined cam follower surface 930, the ROM unit 900 moves horizontally in the forward direction, that is, away from the bottle axis Ax. Then, when the user further pushes the bottle 800 to the lower end position, the hollow needle 612 of the reservoir 600 penetrates into the interior of the bottle 800, and the interior of the bottle 800 communicates with the printer main body 200. Also, along with the downward movement of the bottle 800, according to the movement locus described above with reference to Fig. 16, the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 is displaced and finally takes the contact position CP (Fig. 15C). As a result, the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 and the reservoir terminal 602 on the main body side are electrically connected.

[0047] When the user lifts the emptied bottle 800 and removes the empty bottle 800, due to the action of the mechanical interlocking mechanism 700 (Fig. 17) accompanying the upward movement of the bottle 800, the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 described above is displaced from the contact position CP to the retracted position RP and takes the retracted position RP. This displacement to the retracted position RP is completed before reaching the height level Lv of the peak 620a of the shield (Fig. 15A). As a result, the empty bottle 800 can be removed without the terminal plate 910 on the bottle side interfering with the contamination prevention shield 620 on the main body side.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, when mounting the bottle 800, after the terminal on the ROM unit 900 side, that is, the bottle-side terminal plate 910, avoids interference with the contamination-preventing visor 620, access is made to the terminal on the main body side, that is, the reservoir terminal 602. Conversely, when removing the empty bottle 800, the terminal plate 910 moves away from the reservoir terminal 602 and is displaced to a retracted position RP where interference with the contamination-preventing visor 620 can be avoided. As shown in FIG. 15A, when the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 is in the retracted position RP, the distance from the bottle axis Ax to the terminal plate 910 is approximately 25 mm. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15C, when the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 is in the contact position CP, the distance from the bottle axis Ax to the terminal plate 910 is approximately 33 mm. That is, the displacement amount when the terminal plate 910 is displaced from the retracted position RP to the contact position CP is approximately 8 mm. In other words, when based on the distance (about 25 mm) to the bottle axis Ax, the terminal plate 910 is displaced by approximately 30% of the distance in the direction away from the bottle axis Ax.

[0049] <Retraction position holding mechanism for the terminal plate> Referring to FIG. 16, the contamination-preventing visor 620 preferably has a triangular shape in side view. That is, the contamination-preventing visor 620 preferably has a visor peak 620a closest to the bottle axis Ax, an upper inclined surface 620b located above it, and a lower inclined surface 620c located below it. The upper inclined surface 620b is composed of a first inclined surface that gradually approaches the bottle axis Ax as it goes downward toward the visor peak 620a. The lower inclined surface 620c is composed of a second inclined surface that moves away from the bottle axis Ax as it goes toward the lower end.

[0050] Regarding the shape of the above contamination-preventing visor 620, the unit main body 902 preferably has a second cam follower portion 940 on its front end face. Referring to FIG. 15A, the middle portion 940a of the second cam follower portion 940 is located at a position protruding forward from the bottle-side terminal 910. That is, the middle portion 940a is located at a position farther from the bottle axis Ax than the bottle-side terminal 910.

[0051] The middle portion 940a of the second cam follower portion 940 extends vertically in a direction parallel to the bottle axis Ax. The second cam follower portion 940 has an upper end portion 940b and a lower end portion 940c above and below the middle portion 940a, and both the upper end portion 940b and the lower end portion 940c are formed by inclined surfaces. The upper end portion 940b is formed by a first inclined surface that slopes downward in front with the upper end located closer to the bottle axis Ax than the lower end. The lower end portion 940c is formed by a second inclined surface that slopes obliquely downward with the upper end located farther from the bottle axis Ax than the lower end.

[0052] In the process of the terminal plate 910 passing through the contamination-preventing cover 620 along with the pushing-down or lifting operation of the bottle 800, the middle portion 940a of the second cam follower portion 940 abuts against the cover peak 620a, whereby the terminal plate 910 can be held at the retracted position RP.

[0053] Also, before and after the terminal plate 910 passes through the contamination-preventing cover 620, when the ROM unit 900 is located in an unintended position, the terminal plate 910 is guided by the relative sliding between the upper inclined surface 620b or the lower inclined surface 620c of the contamination-preventing cover 620 and the upper end portion 940b or the lower end portion 940c of the second cam follower portion 940 of the unit body 902, so that the terminal plate 910 can be positioned at the retracted position RP in the process of the terminal plate 910 passing through the contamination-preventing cover 620.

[0054] More specifically, when the bottle 800 is pushed down with the terminal plate 910 positioned at the contact position CP above the contamination-preventing cover 620 shown in FIG. 16, the lower end portion 940c (FIG. 15A) of the second cam follower portion 940 of the unit body 902 abuts against the upper inclined surface 620b of the contamination-preventing cover 620. Then, as the lower end portion 940c slides on the upper inclined surface 620b, the terminal plate 910 moves to the retracted position RP or near it (approaching the bottle axis Ax). When the bottle 800 is further pushed down, the lower end portion 940c and / or the inclined cam follower surface 930 abut against the inclined cam surface 630. Then, as the lower end portion 940c and / or the inclined cam follower surface 930 slide on the inclined cam surface 630, the terminal plate 910 moves to the contact position CP (moving away from the bottle axis Ax). Conversely, when the bottle 800 is lifted this time, the upper end portion 940b (FIG. 15A) of the second cam follower portion 940 of the unit body 902 abuts against the lower inclined surface 620c of the contamination-preventing cover 620. Then, as the upper end portion 940b slides on the lower inclined surface 620c, the terminal plate 910 moves from the contact position CP to the retracted position RP or near it (approaching the bottle axis Ax). In this way, the terminal plate 910 can be moved to a desired position in accordance with the pushing down or lifting operation of the bottle 800.

[0055] Note that the terminal plate 910 is held by the ROM unit 900 so as to be displaceable between the retracted position RP and the contact position CP. Further, the lower end portion 940c and / or the inclined cam follower surface 930 constitute a "sliding portion" that slides against the inclined cam surface 630 fixed to the apparatus side in order to displace the first terminal on the bottle side, that is, the terminal plate 910, in conjunction with the attachment or removal operation of the bottle 800. In other words, the sliding portion on the bottle 800 side has a function of supplying the terminal plate 910 with a movement amount corresponding to the user's operation amount of the ROM unit 900, that is, the terminal plate 910, with respect to the neck portion 810 corresponding to the insertion amount (insertion distance) of the cartridge based on the user's operation. Thereby, as the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving portion, the ROM unit 900, that is, the terminal plate 910 can be displaced from the retracted position RP to the contact position CP.

[0056] <First Modified Example of the Interlocking Mechanism> With reference to FIGS. 18A to 18C, a first modified example of the interlocking mechanism 700 described above will be described. The interlocking mechanism 710 of the first modified example includes an inclined pin 712 on the main body side and an inclined hole 714 on the ROM unit 900 side that receives the inclined pin 712. Note that the ROM unit 900 includes a displacement guide mechanism SL (FIG. 7 etc.) as in the interlocking mechanism 700. By the displacement guide mechanism SL, the terminal plate 910 can take the contact position CP and the retracted position RP (FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0057] The inclined pin 712 extends obliquely upward from the bottom surface of the reservoir 600. More specifically, the upper end of the inclined pin 712 is located relatively proximal to the bottle axis Ax, and the lower end is located relatively distal to the bottle axis Ax. The inclined hole 714 extends obliquely downward from the upper end. More specifically, the upper end of the inclined hole 714 is located relatively proximal to the bottle axis Ax, and the lower end is located relatively distal from the bottle axis Ax.

[0058] When the user performs an operation of pushing down the bottle 800 along the axis Ax, in conjunction with this operation, the inclined pin 712 on the printer main body side enters into the inclined hole 714 of the ROM unit 900, and displaces the terminal plate 910 (Fig. 18A) at the retracted position RP to the contact position CP (Fig. 18C). The intermediate state is illustrated in Fig. 18B.

[0059] As can be understood from the above description, the inclined pin 712 on the printer main body side substantially constitutes the "main body side drive cam portion", the inclined hole 714 of the ROM unit 900 substantially constitutes the "cam follower portion", and also constitutes a sliding portion.

[0060] The timing at which the inclined pin 712 enters the inclined hole 714 is set to the timing when the terminal plate 910 is positioned below the contamination prevention cover 620. Referring to Fig. 17 described above, in this way, a state can be created in which the terminal plate 910 on the bottle side contacts the reservoir terminal 602 without interfering with the contamination prevention cover 620 on the main body side.

[0061] When the user lifts up the empty bottle 800 and removes the empty bottle 800, due to the action of the interlocking mechanism 710 of the first modification example accompanying the upward movement of the bottle 800, the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 900 described above is displaced from the contact position CP and takes the retracted position RP. This displacement to the retracted position RP is completed before reaching the contamination prevention cover 620 (Fig. 17A). Thereby, the empty bottle 800 can be removed without the terminal plate 910 on the bottle side interfering with the contamination prevention cover 620 on the main body side.

[0062] In the interlocking mechanism 710 of the first modification example, it is preferable to also include the retracted position holding mechanism of the terminal plate described above. As described above, when the ROM unit 900 is located at an unintended position before and after the terminal plate 910 passes through the contamination prevention cover 620, the upper inclined surface 620b or the lower inclined surface 620c of the contamination prevention cover 620 and the upper end portion 940b or the lower end portion 940c of the second cam follower portion 940 of the ROM unit 900 engage with each other to guide the terminal plate 910, and the terminal plate 910 can be positioned at the retracted position RP in the process of passing through the contamination prevention cover 620.

[0063] <Second Modification Example of the Interlocking Mechanism> A second modification example of the interlocking mechanism 700 will be described with reference to FIGS. 19A to 19C. The interlocking mechanism 720 of the second modification example includes a link 722 and a cam protrusion 724. Further, the ROM unit 900 includes a displacement guiding mechanism SL (FIG. 7) in the same manner as the interlocking mechanism 700 included in the first embodiment. By the displacement guiding mechanism SL, the terminal plate 910 can take the contact position CP and the retracted position RP (FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0064] The link 722 includes a first pin 722a fixed to the bottle 800 and is swingable about the first pin 722a. The link 722 has a long hole 726, and a second pin 722b inserted through the long hole 726 is fixed to the ROM unit 900.

[0065] The cam protrusion 724 is fixed to a reservoir 600 that forms a part of the printer main body 200. The cam protrusion 724 has an inclined cam surface 724a that slopes downward from the upper end to the lower end, and this inclined cam surface 724a constitutes the main body side drive cam portion 724a. On the other hand, the lower end surface 722c of the link 722 constitutes a cam follower portion.

[0066] The timing at which the link 722 abuts against the cam projection 724 is set to the timing at which the terminal plate 910 (not shown in FIGS. 19A to 19C for drawing reasons) is positioned below the contamination-preventing cover 620. Referring to FIG. 17 described above, when the bottle 800 is attached or removed, the terminal plate 910 is maintained in the retracted position RP when passing through the contamination-preventing cover 620 (FIG. 19A).

[0067] When the user further presses down the bottle 800, the link 722 begins to swing due to the action of the cam projection 724, and the ROM unit 900 is displaced toward the reservoir terminal 602 by the action of the link 722 (FIG. 19B). When the attachment of the bottle 800 is completed, the terminal plate 910 is positioned in the contact position CP (FIG. 19C).

[0068] The operation of the interlocking mechanism 720 of the second modification is substantially the same as the operation of the interlocking mechanism 700 described with reference to FIG. 17. By pressing down the bottle 800 along the axis Ax, the terminal plate 910 on the bottle side can be brought into contact with the reservoir terminal 602 without interfering with the contamination-preventing cover 620 on the main body side.

[0069] <Third Modification of the Interlocking Mechanism> A third modification of the interlocking mechanism 700 will be described with reference to FIGS. 20A and 20B. The interlocking mechanism 730 (FIG. 20A) of the third modification has a modified ROM unit 970. The ROM unit 970 has a ring-shaped portion 970a, and this ring-shaped portion 970a is supported by the bottle neck 810 and can freely rotate horizontally about the bottle axis Ax.

[0070] Note that the ROM unit 970 of the third modification does not include the displacement guiding mechanism SL (FIGS. 7, 8, etc.) described above.

[0071] The reservoir 600 has a cam portion 650 that bulges around a receiving port 610 for receiving the bottle mouth portion 812, and the cam portion 650 has a drive cam surface 650a. The drive cam surface 650a is an inclined surface that becomes lower as it approaches the reservoir terminal 602. The function of the cam follower with respect to this drive cam surface 650a is borne by a part of the lower surface of the ROM unit 970 of the modified example.

[0072] Before the user attaches the bottle 800 (not shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B), the terminal plate 910 of the ROM unit 970 is positioned at a position where it does not interfere with the contamination-preventing cover 620. That is, the ROM unit 970 is positioned at the retracted position RP. Then, when an operation of pushing down the bottle 800 along the axis Ax is performed, in conjunction with this operation, a part of the lower surface of the ROM unit 970 seats on the drive cam surface 650a on the main body side. FIG. 20A shows the state immediately before seating. In this state, the terminal plate 910 is already positioned below the contamination-preventing cover 620 and at the retracted position RP.

[0073] When a part of the lower surface of the ROM unit 970 seats on the drive cam surface 650a on the main body side, due to the action of the drive cam surface 650a of the reservoir 600, the ROM unit 970 rotates horizontally about the bottle axis Ax. This rotation direction is the direction in which the terminal plate 910 accesses the reservoir terminal 602 due to the action of the drive cam surface 650a. When the attachment of the bottle 800 is completed, the terminal plate 910 comes into contact with the corresponding reservoir terminal 602 (FIG. 20B). That is, the terminal plate 910 is positioned at the contact position CP.

[0074] When the user lifts the empty bottle 800 and removes the empty bottle 800, due to the action of the drive cam surface 650a of the reservoir 600, the above-described ROM unit 970 rotates reversely about the bottle axis Ax and returns from the contact position CP to the retracted position RP. As a result, the terminal plate 910 on the bottle side can remove the empty bottle 800 without interfering with the contamination-preventing cover 620 on the main body side. Note that a spring for returning to the original position (FIG. 20A) may be attached to the ROM unit 970.

[0075] According to the interlocking mechanism 730 of the above-described third modification example, referring to FIG. 21, when mounting the bottle 800, after the user positions the ROM unit 970 at the retracted position RP, the user starts the mounting operation of the bottle 800. Thereby, in the process of pushing down the bottle 800, the bottle-side terminal plate 910 does not interfere with the contamination-preventing cover 620. Then, immediately before finishing mounting the bottle 800, due to the action of the interlocking mechanism 730, the ROM unit 970 starts to rotate about the bottle axis Ax, and the bottle-side terminal plate 910 accesses the terminal on the main body side, that is, the reservoir terminal 602. And when finishing mounting the bottle 800, the ROM unit 970 is positioned at the contact position CP. Conversely, when removing the empty bottle 800, due to the action of the interlocking mechanism 730, the bottle-side terminal plate 910 rotates reversely about the bottle axis Ax and separates from the reservoir terminal 602, and is displaced to the retracted position RP where interference with the contamination-preventing cover 620 can be avoided.

Explanation of Signs

[0076] 2 Inkjet recording apparatus (inkjet printer) 400 Ink cartridge 500 Solvent cartridge 600 Reservoir 602 Reservoir terminal 610 Receiver 612 Hollow needle 620 Contamination-preventing cover Lv Height level of the cover 630 Main body side inclined cam surface (drive side cam portion) 700 Interlocking mechanism 710 Interlocking mechanism of the first modification example 712 Inclined pin constituting a part of the interlocking mechanism of the first modification example 714 Inclined hole constituting a part of the interlocking mechanism of the first modification example 720 Interlocking mechanism of the second modification example 722 Link 730 Interlocking mechanism of the third modification example 800 Bottle Ax Bottle axis 810 Header 900 ROM Unit SL Displacement Guide Mechanism 910 Terminal Plate on the Bottle Side (First Terminal) 930 Tilt Cam Follower Surface (Cam Follower Part) Retreat Position of RP Terminal Plate Contact Position of CP Terminal Plate

Claims

1. A cartridge for refilling a continuous type ink jet recording device with ink or solvent, comprising: A bottle body having an internal space for accommodating ink or a solvent; a bottle neck portion having a conduit extending from the bottle body along a first direction and communicating with an internal space of the bottle body; A guide groove is provided on both sides of the bottle neck and extends in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a unit body that holds a first terminal that is electrically connected to a recording medium that records information about the cartridge, The cartridge characterized in that the unit body has a pair of arm portions that are received in the guide grooves, and the pair of arm portions are guided by the guide grooves so that the unit body can be displaced in the second direction.

2. The inkjet recording device has an interference portion that interferes with the unit body when the cartridge is pressed down in the first direction to be attached to the inkjet recording device, 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the unit body has a sliding surface configured to slide against the interference portion and move the unit body away from the bottle neck when the cartridge is pressed down in the first direction.

3. 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said arm portion and said unit body are integrally formed.

4. 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said pair of arms are provided at their ends with anti-dislodgement projections.

5. the inkjet recording device is provided with a cartridge receiving portion that receives insertion of the cartridge, and a second terminal that is used when the inkjet recording device accesses the cartridge is provided on the inside of the cartridge receiving portion; 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal held by the unit body comes into contact with the second terminal when the unit body moves in the second direction.

6. The bottle neck has a guide rod extending in the second direction, 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the main body of the unit has a recess in which the guide rod is slidably received.

Images