Inkjet recording device

Abstract

To suppress leakage of liquid from a hole part communicating with the ambient air when switching flow channels in a constitution that performs recovery operation by switching the flow channels for liquid.SOLUTION: A liquid recovery device includes: a reception part receiving liquid from a liquid discharge head; a storage part storing the liquid; and a transportation part for transporting the liquid to the storage part which has a flow channel formation part for flowing the liquid and a pressure generating part generating to the flow channel pressure to move the liquid to the storage part. The flow channel formation part is provided with a casing and a movable body. The flow channel formation part and the movable body are configured to be relatively movable so as to take a first relative position where the liquid introduction part and the storage part communicate and a second relative position where the atmosphere introduction part, the hole part and the storage part communicate, and have a step or an inclined plane the hole part rise in the opposite direction to a gravity direction, the closer the hole part approaches the atmosphere side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Inkjet recording devices that perform recording on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a liquid ejection head perform a head cleaning (recovery operation) in which ink adhering to the nozzles of the liquid ejection head is removed by sucking it up with a pump. To prevent color mixing, the flow paths for discharging the sucked ink during this recovery operation are typically configured as two separate systems: one for colors such as yellow, magenta, and cyan, and one for black. When performing a recovery operation to discharge ink using this type of flow path configuration, a mechanism for switching between the color flow paths and the black flow path can be used to share the ink waste system unit.

[0003] In this switching mechanism, after ink suction, so-called "dry suction" is performed, in which ink in the ink suction path from the cap that receives ink in the liquid ejection head during recovery operations to the ink absorber is discharged into the ink absorber to prevent ink from remaining in the ink suction path. Because ink may leak from a hole (atmosphere vent) that is provided in the flow path mechanism for dry suction and communicates with the atmosphere, an absorber sheet is often placed in advance in areas that are likely to be contaminated. Patent Document 1 discloses a hole structure technology that prevents backflow of liquid as a means of solving the problem of contamination caused by ink leaking from the atmosphere vent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-124619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the air vent for discharging ink is required to have the function of taking in air to prevent ink leakage while ensuring the flow of ink in the suction path. However, if the air vent is a very small hole as in Patent Document 1, and the liquid is highly viscous, such as ink, the ink may evaporate when it comes into contact with air, causing a change in viscosity, which could result in the air vent becoming clogged with ink. Furthermore, foreign matter such as dust may get mixed in when air is taken in, which could result in the air vent becoming clogged with foreign matter.

[0006] In consideration of the above problems, the technology disclosed herein aims to prevent ink from leaking from holes communicating with the atmosphere during the flow path switching operation in a configuration in which recovery operations, including suction of various inks and empty suction, are performed by switching the ink flow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The liquid recovery device according to the technique disclosed herein comprises: a receiving section that receives the liquid from a liquid ejection head that ejects the liquid onto a recording medium; a reservoir that stores the liquid received by the receiver; a transport unit for transporting the liquid received by the receiving unit to the storage unit, the transport unit including a flow path forming unit that forms a flow path for the liquid to flow, and a pressure generating unit that generates pressure in the flow path that moves the liquid toward the storage unit; Equipped with The flow path forming portion is a casing having a liquid introduction portion for connecting the flow path to the receiving portion, an atmosphere introduction portion for connecting the flow path to the atmosphere, a hole portion for connecting the flow path to the atmosphere, and a discharge portion for connecting the flow path to the storage portion; a movable body configured to be movable relative to the casing, the movable body having a groove on a surface facing the casing that forms the flow path between the movable body and the casing; Equipped with The casing and the movable body are a first relative position in which the liquid inlet and the discharge portion communicate with each other via the flow path; a second relative position in which the atmosphere introduction portion, the hole portion, and the exhaust portion communicate with each other via the flow path; A liquid recovery device configured to be able to The hole is configured to have a step or an inclined surface that rises in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity as it approaches the atmosphere. The liquid recovery device includes: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the technology disclosed herein, in a configuration in which recovery operations including suction of various inks and empty suction are performed by switching the ink flow path, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking from holes communicating with the atmosphere during the flow path switching operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the inside of the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] A block diagram showing the ink supply and discharge shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4A] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4B] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4C] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4D] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment; [Figure 4E] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view of a switching valve according to a first embodiment; [Figure 5] An enlarged view of the atmosphere release port according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] An enlarged view of an atmosphere release port according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7]An enlarged view of an atmosphere release port according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Preferred embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described below should be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration and various conditions of the liquid recovery device and liquid ejection device to which the technology disclosed herein is applied. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the following description. Well-known or publicly known technologies in the relevant technical field can be applied to configurations and processes not specifically illustrated or described. Furthermore, redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0011] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "recording apparatus") 10, which is an example of a liquid ejection apparatus according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic view of the main parts inside the recording apparatus 10. The recording apparatus 10 has a recording medium input section 11 into which a recording medium such as paper is input, a recording medium output section 12 from which the recording medium is output after recording, a storage device 13 that stores ink to be ejected onto the recording medium, and an operation panel 14 that is operated by the user for recording operations.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the recording device 10 includes a cassette 24, a paper feed roller 25, and The cassette 24 includes a discharge roller 26, a positioning roller 27, a liquid ejection head 23, and a tube 22. The cassette 24 constitutes part of the recording medium input unit 11 and is a box-shaped container capable of holding multiple stacked recording media. The cassette 24 has a sliding mechanism that allows it to be moved horizontally in and out of the main body of the recording device 10. To load a recording medium into the cassette 24, the cassette 24 is pulled out of the recording device 10, the recording medium is loaded into the cassette 24, and the cassette 24 is then pushed into the recording device 10 to set it. Although not shown, the inside of the cassette 24 is provided with guides that can move in the width direction of the loaded recording medium and guides that can move in the depth direction of the loaded recording medium. Using these guides, recording media of various sizes (e.g., A4 size, postcard size, etc.) can be at least roughly centered inside the cassette 24.

[0013] The paper feed roller 25, discharge roller 26, and positioning roller 27 constitute a recording medium transport mechanism. The surface of the paper feed roller 25 that comes into contact with the recording medium is wrapped in rubber with a wave-like pattern called elephant skin. This paper feed roller 25 rotates at a controlled speed so as to pick up the recording media held in the cassette 24 one by one. The surface of the positioning roller 27 is covered with paint containing, for example, ceramic particles. The positioning roller 27 utilizes friction between its surface and the recording medium to transport the recording medium with high precision while maintaining the distance between the liquid ejection head 23 and the recording medium within a certain range. The discharge roller 26 is a roller for discharging the recording medium from the recording medium discharge unit 12 after recording.

[0014] The liquid ejection head 23 constitutes the recording unit, and receives document data or image data from a computer (not shown) or the like, and ejects droplets with high precision while moving in a width direction perpendicular to the feed direction D (see FIG. 2) of the recording medium, causing them to adhere to the recording medium, thereby performing recording on the recording medium. The tube 22 connects the moving liquid ejection head 23 as described above to the storage device 13 fixed to the recording device main body, and supplies liquid to the liquid ejection head 23.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that schematically shows the ink flow path from ink supply to ink discharge in the recording device 10. The symbol "b" in the diagram indicates the section related to black ink, and the symbol "c" indicates the section related to colored inks. The ink supply path consists of an ink tank 71, a supply tube 73, and a print head 70. The ink discharge path consists of a recovery unit 30, a cap tube 67, a cap tube 68, a switching valve 31, a pump tube 69, a pump 72, a pump waste tube 77, and a waste tank 32. The recovery unit 30 functions as a receiver that receives liquid from the liquid ejection head, and separate systems are used for the colored and black inks to prevent the colored and black inks from mixing (mixing).

[0016] When printing has not been performed for a certain period of time, such as immediately after the recording device 10 is turned on or after printing has finished, the recording device 10 performs a recovery operation to clean the nozzle portion of the print head from which ink is ejected. During the recovery operation, a recovery unit 30, which is composed of a so-called tube pump, is pressed against the print head 70, and the ink is sucked out by creating a negative pressure inside the tube through the rotation of a pump 72, and then discharged as waste liquid into a waste liquid tank 32, which serves as a storage unit for storing the sucked ink. The liquid recovery device according to this embodiment, as an example, includes a recovery unit 30, a switching valve 31, a waste liquid tank 32, a cover 40, a flow path member 44, and a pump 72. Details of each component are described below.

[0017] FIG. 4A is a top view of the switching valve 31, showing the flow path position when it is open to the atmosphere. FIG. 4B is the same as the above, but showing the flow path position when color inks are being sucked. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow A in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow B in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4E shows the configuration of the flow path member 44 when viewed from the side opposite to the cam 41 side. FIG.

[0018] The switching valve 31 is a transport unit for transporting the liquid received by the recovery unit 30, which is a receiving unit, to the waste liquid tank 32, which is a storage unit. The switching valve 31 functions as a transport unit that switches between a flow path that connects the recovery unit 30 and the waste liquid tank 32, a flow path that connects the atmosphere and the waste liquid tank 32, and a flow path that connects the ducts 45 to 47 and the atmosphere open port 43. In other words, the switching valve 31 functions as a flow path forming unit that forms a flow path for flowing the liquid. The communication between each flow path will be described later.

[0019] The cap port 56 and cap tube 66 for color inks used for ink suction, and the cap port 57 and cap tube 67 for black ink are connected to the switching valve 31. Furthermore, an atmosphere communication port 58 and atmosphere communication tube 68 are connected for idle suction to discharge ink remaining in the flow path after ink suction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4C , the switching valve 31 includes a flow path member 44 as a movable body for flowing ink, a cam 41 that transmits the rotational force of a motor (not shown) to the flow path member 44, and a cover 40 that serves as a casing for the flow path member 44. Therefore, the flow path member 44 is configured to be movable relative to the cover 40. The surface of the flow path member 44 facing the cover 40 is provided with a duct 45, which is a groove serving as a flow path for color inks, and a duct 47, which is a groove serving as a flow path for black ink. As shown in FIG. 4D , the switching valve 31 includes a duct 46, which is a groove serving as a flow path for air, between the flow path member 44 and the cover 40. As shown in FIG. 4E , ducts 45 to 47 are formed between the flow path member 44 and the cover 40. Because the flow path member 44 rotates when switching the flow path, gaps 51, 52, and 53 are provided to reduce friction between the flow path member 44 and the cover 40.

[0021] The cover 40 is also provided with a discharge port 42 as a discharge portion for discharging ink. The discharge port 42 communicates with a groove 50 in the flow path member 44, and the groove 50 further communicates with each of the ducts 45 to 47. The discharge port 42 is connected to a duct 48, and the duct 48 is connected to a pump port 59. The pump port 59 is connected to a pump tube 69, and the pump tube 69 is connected to a pump 72 for suctioning ink. As an example, the pump 72 functions as a pressure generating portion that generates pressure that moves the liquid in the flow path toward the waste liquid tank 32, which is a storage portion.

[0022] Next, the operation of the switching valve 31 will be described. The switching valve 31 has the function of switching communication between the cap ports 56, 57 and the atmosphere communication port 58 and the pump port 59. The cap ports 56, 57 function as liquid introduction sections that introduce liquid from the recovery unit 30 into the switching valve 31. The atmosphere communication port 58 also functions as an atmosphere introduction section that introduces air into the switching valve 31.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4B, when performing a recovery operation for black ink, the flow path member 44 connected to the cam 41 is rotated by the cam 41 around an axis extending in the direction of gravity, and stops at a position where the duct 47 communicates with the cap port 57. This position is an example of a first relative position where the liquid introduction section and the storage section communicate via a flow path. Thereafter, the black ink is discharged by sucking ink from the nozzle section of the black ink tank head using the pump 72 connected to the pump port 59. Furthermore, as with the black ink, when performing a recovery operation for color inks, the flow path member 44 is rotated and stops at a position where the duct 45 communicates with the cap port 56. Thereafter, the pump 72 sucks ink from the nozzle section of the ink tank head for the color inks, and the color inks are discharged. do.

[0024] Furthermore, after the color and / or black ink has been sucked and discharged, the flow path member 44 rotates and stops at a position where the atmosphere communication port 58 communicates with the pump port 59. This position is an example of a second relative position where the atmosphere introduction portion, the hole portion, and the reservoir portion communicate with each other via the flow path. Then, by using the pump connected to the pump port 59, ink is sucked from the ink suction path that runs from the cap that receives ink in the liquid ejection head to the ink absorber during the recovery operation, and is then expelled into the ink absorber, thereby discharging the ink from the ink suction path. As described above, in this embodiment, the switching valve 31 is configured so that the flow path forming portion and the port can move relative to each other.

[0025] In this way, the rotation of the cam 41 stops the flow path member 44 connected to the cam 41 at a predetermined position, thereby switching the communication between each flow path of the flow path member 44 and each pump tube. The cover 40 also has an atmosphere vent port 43 as a hole communicating with the atmosphere. As shown in FIG. 4A , when the pump port 59 communicates with the atmosphere vent port 58, the ducts 45 and 47 communicate with the atmosphere vent port 43. This facilitates the discharge of ink remaining inside the ducts 45 and 47. Therefore, in this embodiment, the duct 45 communicates with the cap port 56 and the atmosphere vent port 43, and the duct 47 communicates with the cap port 57 and the atmosphere vent port 43. Therefore, the cap ports 56 and 57 and the atmosphere vent port 43 are preferably located at the same height in the cross section shown in FIG. 4C .

[0026] When the switching valve 31 rotates to switch the flow path, the gaps 51 to 53 between the cover 40 and the flow path member 44 may temporarily become positively pressured. In this case, the positive pressure generated by the ink remaining in the gaps 51 to 53 may cause the ink to leak from the atmosphere vent port 43. As a countermeasure to prevent ink from leaking from the atmosphere vent port 43, an ink absorber may be placed below the switching valve 31 to absorb the leaked ink.

[0027] The structure of the atmosphere vent port 43 will now be described with reference to the examples in FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged views of the cross section of the atmosphere vent port 43 shown in FIG. 4C. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the left side of the cover 40 in the figures is the inside of the cover 40, i.e., the side where the flow path member 44 is located, and the right side of the cover 40 in the figures is the outside of the cover 40, where the atmosphere is located. In the example shown in FIG. 5A, when the atmosphere vent port 43 is viewed horizontally toward the atmosphere side, a step 43p is formed at the opening on the side of the atmosphere vent port 43 facing the atmosphere, which rises in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity (vertically downward in the figure) as it approaches the atmosphere side. This provides the effect of suppressing the movement of ink even if a positive pressure is created inside the cover 40 and ink moves toward the atmosphere side when ink remains in the atmosphere vent port 43. Furthermore, when the atmosphere vent port 43 is viewed in a direction from the flow path member 44 side (movable body side) toward the atmosphere side, a shielding portion 81 is provided that shields the area on the atmosphere side of the step 43p from the flow path member 44 side. As a result, when the ink flow path is switched by rotating the flow path member 44 in the switching valve 31, the possibility of ink inside the atmosphere vent port 43 leaking to the atmosphere side is reduced.

[0028] 5A, it is assumed that the atmosphere release port 43 is viewed in a direction from the flow path member 44 side toward the atmosphere side. In this case, it is preferable that the inner diameter (d1) of the atmosphere release port 43 in the upstream of the step 43p is larger than the inner diameter (d2) of the atmosphere release port 43 in the downstream of the step 43p. In other words, it is preferable that the atmosphere release port 43 is configured so that the relationship d1>d2 holds. Therefore, in the atmosphere release port 43, the size of the cross-sectional area of ​​the atmosphere release port 43 in the upstream of the step 43p is larger than the size of the cross-sectional area of ​​the atmosphere release port 43 in the downstream of the step 43p. The cross-sectional area of ​​the atmosphere vent port 43 is larger than that of the opening 43. In the atmosphere vent port 43, a liquid with a certain degree of viscosity, such as ink, is likely to form a liquid film due to surface tension and a meniscus. Therefore, if air pressure is applied from inside the atmosphere vent port 43 while a liquid film of ink has formed, the liquid film may be pushed toward the atmosphere, forming a balloon-like shape at the opening of the atmosphere vent port 43 and bursting, which could result in the ink contaminating the area around the switching valve 31. Therefore, in this embodiment, by configuring the atmosphere vent port 43 so that the respective inner diameters satisfy the above-mentioned relationship, it is expected that the possibility of a liquid film forming inside the port can be reduced.

[0029] Here, the positional relationship of each region related to the opening in a cross section of the atmosphere vent port 43 shown in FIG. 5A parallel to the direction of gravity will be described. Assume that the atmosphere vent port 43 shown in FIG. 5A is viewed horizontally from the flow path member 44 side (opening 43a side) toward the atmosphere side (opening 43b side). In this case, region 82 on the inner surface of cover 40 prevents ink from flowing into the atmosphere vent port 43. Furthermore, ink flowing into the atmosphere vent port 43 from opening 43a is blocked by region 83 of the shielding portion 81, which corresponds to the shape of opening 43a, preventing it from flowing to the atmosphere. Furthermore, region 84 of the shielding portion 81, which extends beyond region 83, also prevents ink from overflowing the shielding portion 81 and flowing to the atmosphere. Furthermore, the shielding portion 81 is configured so that opening 43a is not visible from opening 43b when opening 43b is viewed horizontally from the atmosphere side.

[0030] Next, in the example shown in FIG. 5B , in addition to the step 43p (step 43q in FIG. 5B ) of the atmosphere vent port 43 in FIG. 5A , a step 43r that descends in the direction of gravity toward the flow path member 44 is formed in the opening 43c of the atmosphere vent port 43 on the side facing the flow path member 44. Note that step 43r corresponds to the first step, and step 43q corresponds to the second step that is provided closer to the atmosphere than the first step. Furthermore, when the atmosphere vent port 43 is viewed in a direction from the flow path member 44 side toward the atmosphere side, a shielding portion 80 is provided that shields the area between step 43q and step 43r from the flow path member 44 side. The shielding portion 80 functions as a water stop that prevents ink from flowing into the atmosphere vent port 43 from the flow path member 44 side.

[0031] Furthermore, when viewing the atmosphere vent port 43 in the direction toward the flow path member 44, it is preferable that the inner diameter (d3) of the atmosphere vent port 43 upstream of the step 43r is smaller than the inner diameter (d1) of the atmosphere vent port 43 downstream of the step 43r. That is, in addition to the relationship between d1 and d2 described above, it is preferable that the relationship d1>d3 holds. The cross-sectional shape of the atmosphere vent port 43 in the short side direction may be any shape, such as a square, triangle, or circle. This is expected to have the effect of preventing ink from flowing out of the atmosphere vent port 43 to the atmosphere when the gaps 51-53 are placed under positive pressure when the switching valve 31 is rotated, due to the step 43r.

[0032] Here, the positional relationship of each region related to the opening in a cross section of the atmosphere open port 43 shown in FIG. 5B parallel to the direction of gravity will be described. Assume that the atmosphere open port 43 shown in FIG. 5B is viewed horizontally from the flow path member 44 side (opening 43c side) toward the atmosphere side (opening 43d side). In this case, a region 86 including the shielding portion 80 on the inner surface of the cover 40 blocks ink from flowing into the flow path member 44. Furthermore, ink flowing into the atmosphere open port 43 from opening 43a is blocked from flowing to the atmosphere by a region 87 corresponding to the shape of opening 43a in the step 43r of the atmosphere open port 43. Furthermore, ink flowing into the atmosphere open port 43 is blocked from flowing to the atmosphere by a region 88 of the shielding portion 81 corresponding to the inner diameter shape of the atmosphere open port 43. Furthermore, a region 89 of the shielding portion 81 beyond region 88 also blocks ink from overflowing into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the steps 43q and 43r are configured so that the opening 43c cannot be seen from the opening 43d when the opening 43d is viewed horizontally from the atmosphere side.

[0033] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIGS. 6A to 6C are views each showing a cross section of the atmosphere release port 43 according to this embodiment. FIGS. 6A to 6C also correspond to FIGS. 5A and 5B. In FIGS. 6A to 6C, the left side of the cover 40 is the inside of the cover 40, i.e., the side where the flow path member 44 is located, and the right side of the cover 40 is the outside of the cover 40, where the atmosphere is located.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C , when the atmosphere vent port 43 is viewed in a direction toward the atmosphere, the bottom surface of the atmosphere vent port 43 has an inclined surface 94 that rises in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity as it approaches the atmosphere. In this manner, in this embodiment, the atmosphere vent port 43 extends at an angle that slopes in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity as it approaches the atmosphere from the flow path member 44 side. Note that, in order to prevent ink in the atmosphere vent port 43 from leaking to the atmosphere when positive pressure is generated inside the cover 40, the inclination angle of this inclined surface 94 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably about 45°. However, if the ink viscosity and other ink characteristics prevent the ink from rising up the inclined surface 94 and leaking out of the opening of the atmosphere vent port 43 to the atmosphere, the angle of the inclined surface 94 may be set smaller.

[0035] 6A is, for example, a round hole with a circular cross section, and the inner diameter decreases from the flow path member 44 side to the atmosphere side. Also, the atmosphere vent port 43 shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C is, for example, a rectangular cross section, and the cross-sectional area decreases from the flow path member 44 side to the atmosphere side.

[0036] Here, the positional relationship of each region related to the opening in a cross section of the atmosphere open port 43 shown in FIG. 6A parallel to the direction of gravity will be described. Assume that the atmosphere open port 43 shown in FIG. 6A is viewed horizontally from the flow path member 44 side (opening 43e side) toward the atmosphere side (opening 43f side). In this case, ink in the flow path member 44 is prevented from flowing into the atmosphere open port 43 by a region 86 extending from the upper end of opening 43f on the inner surface of the cover 40 to the upper end of opening 43e. Furthermore, ink flowing into the atmosphere open port 43 from opening 43e is prevented from flowing out to the atmosphere by a region 92 of the inclined surface 94 of the atmosphere open port 43, which corresponds to the shape of opening 43e. Furthermore, ink flowing into the atmosphere open port 43 is prevented from flowing out to the atmosphere by a region 93 of the inclined surface 94 extending from region 92 to opening 43f. Furthermore, the inclined surface 94 is configured so that opening 43e is not visible from opening 43f when viewed horizontally from the atmosphere side.

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B , the inclined surface 94 and the top surface 95 of the atmosphere vent port 43 may be configured so that, when the atmosphere vent port 43 is viewed in a direction toward the atmosphere, the inner diameter of the atmosphere vent port 43 decreases toward the atmosphere-side opening. Therefore, of the two surfaces facing the direction of gravity, the surface that is lower in the direction of gravity is configured as the inclined surface 94. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6C , the top surface 95 of the atmosphere vent port 43 may be inclined so that it slopes downward in the direction of gravity as it approaches the atmosphere. This makes it possible to suppress the formation of a meniscus by ink inside the atmosphere vent port 43 while preventing ink from leaking from the atmosphere vent port 43 to the atmosphere side.

[0038] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIGS. 7A and 7B are views showing a cross section of the atmosphere release port 43 according to this embodiment. FIGS. 7A and 7B also correspond to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6A to 6C. In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the left side of the cover 40 in the drawing is the inside of the cover 40, that is, That is, the side where the flow path member 44 is located, and the right side of the cover 40 in the drawing is the outside of the cover 40, where the atmosphere is present.

[0039] 7A and 7B, a check valve 82 is provided at each opening of the atmosphere vent port 43. The shape of the check valve 82 may be a pot lid check valve as shown in FIG. 7A or a spherical check valve as shown in FIG. 7B, as long as it is effective in preventing ink from flowing into the atmosphere vent port 43 and ink from leaking from the atmosphere vent port 43 to the atmosphere side. However, because the inner surface of the cover 40 faces the flow path member 44, the check valve 82 is shaped so that it does not come into contact with the flow path member 44.

[0040] As described above, according to each embodiment of the present disclosure, it is expected that the effect of preventing or suppressing ink leakage from the atmosphere vent port 43 of the switching valve 31 can be achieved. As a result, the recording device 10 does not require an absorber to absorb ink leaking from the atmosphere vent port 43, which makes it possible to effectively utilize the space inside the device body and reduce manufacturing costs and complexity.

[0041] The above is a description of the present embodiment. However, the configuration and processing of the liquid recovery device described above are not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the technical concept and identity of the present invention. Therefore, for example, the shape of the atmosphere vent port 43 may be various shapes, such as a round hole (circular cross-section), a square hole (rectangular cross-section), or a hole with a polygonal cross-section. The cross-sectional shape of the atmosphere vent port 43 may also vary, or the shape of the hole may be a combination of various cross-sectional shapes. Furthermore, the shielding portions 80 and 81, the inclined surface 94, the upper surface 95, and the check valve 82 described in each of the above embodiments may be combined with the configurations of the other embodiments described above. In addition, in the above embodiments, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 94 and the upper surface 95 may change stepwise, or may be a gradually changing curved inclined surface, not limited to a linear inclination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 Recording device, 30 Recovery unit, 31 Switching valve, 32 Waste tank, 40 Cover, 43 atmospheric release port, 44 flow path member, 45 to 47 duct

Claims

1. a receiving section that receives the liquid from a liquid ejection head that ejects the liquid onto a recording medium; a reservoir that stores the liquid received by the receiver; a transport unit for transporting the liquid received by the receiving unit to the storage unit, the transport unit including a flow path forming unit that forms a flow path for the liquid to flow, and a pressure generating unit that generates pressure in the flow path that moves the liquid toward the storage unit; Equipped with The flow path forming portion is a casing having a liquid introduction portion for connecting the flow path to the receiving portion, an atmosphere introduction portion for connecting the flow path to the atmosphere, a hole portion for connecting the flow path to the atmosphere, and a discharge portion for connecting the flow path to the storage portion; a movable body configured to be movable relative to the casing, the movable body having a groove on a surface facing the casing that forms the flow path between the movable body and the casing; Equipped with The casing and the movable body are a first relative position in which the liquid inlet and the discharge portion communicate with each other via the flow path; a second relative position in which the atmosphere introduction portion, the hole portion, and the exhaust portion communicate with each other via the flow path; A liquid recovery device configured to be able to The hole is configured to have a step or an inclined surface that rises in the opposite direction to the direction of gravity as it approaches the atmosphere. A liquid recovery device characterized by:

2. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the hole portion is viewed in a direction from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side, the inner diameter of the hole portion in the front section of the step is larger than the inner diameter of the hole portion in the rear section of the step.

3. When the hole is viewed in a direction from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side, the cross-sectional area of ​​the hole in the front part of the step is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the hole in the rear part of the step.

2. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1.

4. A liquid recovery device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a shielding portion that shields the area of ​​the hole portion that is closer to the atmosphere than the step from the movable body side when the hole portion is viewed in a direction from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side.

5. the hole portion has, as the step, a first step and a second step provided closer to the atmosphere than the first step, a shielding portion that shields a region between the first step and the second step in the hole from the movable body side when the hole is viewed in a direction from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side; 5. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid recovery device is a liquid recovery device.

6. 6. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the hole extends at an angle so as to face in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side.

7. 7. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the hole portion is a round hole having a circular cross section, and the inner diameter of the hole portion decreases from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side.

8. 7. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the hole has a rectangular cross section, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the hole decreases from the movable body side toward the atmosphere side.

9. A liquid recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the hole has a rectangular cross section, has two surfaces facing each other in the direction of gravity, and the lower of the two surfaces in the direction of gravity is the inclined surface.

10. 10. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the movable body rotates around an axis extending in the direction of gravity so as to be switchable between the first relative position and the second relative position with respect to the casing.

11. 11. The liquid recovery device according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve at the opening of the hole.

12. A liquid recovery device described in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that a gap is formed between the casing and the movable body to reduce friction between the casing and the movable body when the casing and the movable body move relative to each other.

13. The liquid recovery device according to any one of claims 1 to 12; the liquid ejection head; A liquid ejection device comprising:

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