Viscous fluid supply device and cartridge

Abstract

This viscous fluid supply device supplies a viscous fluid to be used for printing. The viscous fluid supply device comprises: a holder that includes an opening through which a cartridge accommodating a viscous fluid can be inserted and removed, and a mounting part to which the cartridge is mounted by pushing the cartridge from the opening toward the back in the horizontal direction; and a first air supply unit that is provided in the mounting part so as to be connected to the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted to the mounting part, and that supplies, to the cartridge, first air for discharging the viscous fluid from the cartridge.

Description

Viscous fluid supply device and cartridge

[0001] This specification discloses a viscous fluid dispensing device and cartridge.

[0002] A conventional printer that uses a screen mask to print solder as a viscous fluid on a substrate has been proposed, which includes a supply head that supplies solder stored in a cartridge onto the screen mask (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The supply head includes a cylindrical air supply unit that connects to a hole in the top of the cartridge to supply air, and a hollow, disk-shaped clamp that fits into the bottom of the cartridge and secures the cartridge when the air supply unit is connected to the cartridge. The cartridge includes a cylindrical main body (housing), a container (cup) that contains solder, and a lid member that fits into the opening of the container and has a nozzle (discharge port) formed in its center. The cartridge discharges solder from the nozzle by moving the container and the lid member relative to each other using the pressure of air supplied from the air supply unit to the main body, thereby forcing the lid member into the container.

[0003] International Publication No. 2017 / 006382

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, the hole at the top of the cartridge is inserted into a cylindrical air supply unit, and then a hollow, disk-shaped clamp is rotated to fit the clamp into the bottom of the cartridge and secure it in place, which makes the structure complicated and makes it difficult to attach and detach the cartridge.

[0005] A primary object of the present disclosure is to make it easier to attach and detach a cartridge.

[0006] The present disclosure has adopted the following means to achieve the above-mentioned main object.

[0007] The viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure is a viscous fluid supply device that is mounted on a printing machine and supplies a viscous fluid used in printing, and comprises: a holder including an opening through which a cartridge that stores a viscous fluid can enter and exit, and an attachment portion into which the cartridge is attached by being pressed horizontally backward from the opening; and a first air supply portion that is provided on the attachment portion so as to be connected to the cartridge when the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion, and that supplies first air to the cartridge for ejecting the viscous fluid from the cartridge.

[0008] In the viscous fluid supply device disclosed herein, the cartridge can be attached to the holder by simply pressing the cartridge horizontally backward through the opening, and the first air supply unit can be connected to the cartridge at the same time, making it easier to attach and detach the cartridge.

[0009] The cartridge of the present disclosure is a cartridge that is detachably attached to a printing machine and contains a viscous fluid used in printing, and comprises: a cylindrical cup with a bottom that contains the viscous fluid; a sliding member that is slidably arranged on the inner surface of the cup and has a discharge port; and a housing that contains the cup and the sliding member so as to have a gap on its inner surface and has an air inlet that inputs air for discharging the viscous fluid in the cup from the discharge port, wherein the air inlet is arranged on a side surface of the housing; identification information that can be read by a reader is arranged on the bottom surface of the cup; and at least a portion of the housing that corresponds to the identification information is made of a transparent member.

[0010] In the cartridge of the present disclosure, the identification information is provided on the bottom surface of the cup, and at least the portion of the housing that accommodates the cup that corresponds to the identification information is made of a transparent material. This allows the identification information to be easily read by a reader from outside the housing, making cartridge management easier.

[0011] 1 is a perspective view of a printing press; a top view of a printing press; a partial external view of the front side of a printing press; a perspective view of a solder supply device; a partially enlarged view of a holding portion of the solder supply device; a perspective view of the external appearance of a cartridge; a cross-sectional view of the cartridge cut along a plane passing through the central axis and the solder supply air inlet; an explanatory diagram explaining the solder dispensing operation using solder supply air; a cross-sectional view of the cartridge cut along a plane passing through the central axis and the solder cutting air inlet; an explanatory diagram explaining the solder cutting operation using solder cutting air; an explanatory diagram showing how an identification code is read.

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printing machine 10. FIG. 2 is a top view of the printing machine 10. FIG. 3 is a partial external view of the front side of the printing machine 10. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the solder supplying device 40. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the holding portion 42 of the solder supplying device 40. FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of the cartridge 60. In FIGS. 1 to 4, the left-right direction is the X-axis, the front-rear direction is the Y-axis, and the up-down direction is the Z-axis.

[0014] The printer 10 of this embodiment uses a squeegee 22 to push solder paste on a screen mask M into pattern holes formed in the screen mask M, thereby printing the solder paste through the pattern holes onto the underlying substrate S. The printer 10 is combined with a component mounter that mounts electronic components on the substrate S on which solder has been printed, to form a production line.

[0015] 1, the printer 10 includes a printer main body 11, a housing 12 that houses the printer main body 11, and a control device (not shown) that controls the entire printer. The printer main body 11 includes a head device 20, a substrate transport device 30, and a solder supply device 40 that serves as a viscous fluid supply device of this embodiment.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, the front surface of the housing 12 is provided with a window 13 that can be opened and closed by a door (sliding door) 14 .

[0017] The head device 20 is installed in the upper section of the printing machine main body 11. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the head device 20 includes a head main body 21 and a head moving unit 26 that moves the head main body 21 in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction), which is the printing direction. The head moving unit 26 includes a guide rail 28 extending in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction), a Y-axis slider 27 that moves along the guide rail 28, and a slider drive unit (not shown) that drives the Y-axis slider 27. The slider drive unit may be configured, for example, with a ball screw mechanism and a motor, or with a linear motor. The head main body 21 includes a pair of front and rear squeegees 22 and a squeegee lifting unit (not shown) that is configured, for example, with an air cylinder, that lifts and lowers the corresponding squeegees 22. The pair of squeegees 22 are plate-shaped members that extend in the left-to-right direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to the printing direction and are inclined so as to move apart from each other as they extend downward when viewed from the left-to-right direction.

[0018] The board transport device 30 is installed in the lower section of the printing machine main body 11. The board transport device 30 has a conveyor device (not shown) that transports the board S by a conveyor belt.

[0019] The solder supply device 40 holds a cylindrical cartridge 60 that contains solder, and supplies the solder from the cartridge 60 onto the screen mask M. As shown in FIG. 1 , the solder supply device 40 has a holder 41 that detachably holds the cartridge 60, and a holder moving unit 46 that moves the holder 41 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

[0020] The holder moving unit 46 has a guide rail 47 provided on the Y-axis slider 27 so as to extend in the left-right direction (X-axis direction), an X-axis slider 48 that moves along the guide rail 47, and a slider drive unit (not shown) that drives the X-axis slider 48. The slider drive unit may be, for example, one formed of a ball screw mechanism and a motor, or one formed of a linear motor. The holder 41 is moved in the front-rear and left-right directions by the head moving unit 26 and the holder moving unit 46.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 4, the holder 41 is a box-shaped member having an opening 41a formed in the front and a through-hole 41b formed in the bottom, which penetrates vertically. As shown in Fig. 3, an operator can attach or detach the cartridge 60 to or from the holder 41 from the front of the housing 12 by opening the door 14 when the holder 41 has been moved to the front of the window 13 of the housing 12.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4 , the holder 41 is provided with a holding portion 42 , a connected portion 50 , a seating sensor 54 , remaining amount sensors 55 and 56 , and a reading portion 57 .

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the holding portion 42 is provided around the through-hole 41b and positions and holds the cartridge 60 on the through-hole 41b. In this embodiment, the bottom of the holder 41 is provided with a plurality (two) of through-holes 41b and holding portions 42 aligned in the left-right direction, allowing the holder 41 to hold a plurality (two) of cartridges 60. This allows the holder 41 to store a plurality of cartridges 60 containing different types of solder in advance, thereby eliminating the need to replace the cartridges 60 when switching the type of solder to be supplied. Note that the holder 41 may also be designed to hold only one cartridge 60.

[0024] The holding portion 42 has a pressed portion 43 provided closer to the back of the holder 41 than the through-hole 41b, a front guide portion 44 provided at the bottom of the holder 41 and closer to the front of the holder 41 than the through-hole 41b, and side guide portions 45 provided at the bottom of the holder 41 and on both sides of the through-hole 41b. The pressed portion 43 is a portion against which the cartridge 60, inserted deep in the front-to-rear direction (Y-axis direction) through the opening 41a of the holder 41, is pressed. In this embodiment, two pressed portions 43 are provided, and a connection portion 50 is provided between the pressed portions 43. The front guide portion 44 is formed in a slope that rises from front to rear. The side guide portions 45 are strip-shaped members extending in the front-to-rear direction and guide the cartridge 60 from both sides. When the cartridge 60 is inserted deep in the front-rear direction through the opening 41a of the holder 41, it is guided by the side guide portions 45 and pressed against the pressed portion 43. Then, while pressed against the pressed portion 43, the cartridge 60 fits into the step between the bottom of the holder 41 and the end of the slope of the front guide portion 44, and is thereby positioned by the pressed portion 43, the front guide portion 44, and the side guide portions 45.

[0025] 5, the connection part 50 has an engagement pin 51 that protrudes forward, a solder supply air inlet 52 located on one of the left and right sides of the engagement pin 51, a solder cutting air inlet 53 located on the other of the left and right sides of the engagement pin 51, and a seating sensor 54 that detects the seating of the cartridge 60. In this embodiment, the seating sensor 54 is configured as an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit that are arranged facing each other at a predetermined distance. Note that the seating sensor 54 may also be configured as a proximity sensor or the like.

[0026] The remaining amount sensors 55, 56 are provided on the rear surface of the holder 41. The remaining amount sensors 56, 56 are, for example, optical sensors that detect the position of the cup 61 containing the solder to detect the remaining amount of solder in the cup 61. The remaining amount sensors 55, 56 are installed at different heights on the holder 41. In this embodiment, the remaining amount sensor 55 is installed at a position slightly lower than the remaining amount sensor 56 so that the remaining amount sensor 55 detects when there is no solder remaining, and the remaining amount sensor 56 detects when there is only a small amount of solder remaining. Note that the remaining amount sensors 55, 56 may also be configured to detect the remaining amount of solder by detecting the weight of the cartridge 60.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 6 , the cartridge 60 includes a cup 61, a lid member 62, a housing 70, and a connection portion 80. The cup 61 is a cylindrical member with a bottom that is open downward and contains solder. An identification code 65 (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, etc.) for identifying the type of solder contained therein is affixed to the bottom of the cup 61. A reader 57 for reading the identification code 65 is provided on the top of the holder 41 (holding portion 42) so as to face the identification code 65 affixed to the bottom of the cup 61 when the cartridge 60 is attached to the holder 41.

[0028] The lid member 62 is a disk-shaped member that is in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cup 61. A cylindrical discharge tube 63 that has a bottom and is open at the bottom and has a height similar to that of the cup 61 is connected to the underside of the lid member 62. A through-hole 62a that passes through from top to bottom is formed in the center of the lid member 62, and a through-hole 63a that passes through from top to bottom is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the discharge tube 63. The lid member 62 and the discharge tube 63 are connected to each other so that the through-holes 62a, 63a are in communication with each other.

[0029] The housing 70 includes a cylindrical lower housing 71 with a bottom and an open top, a cylindrical upper housing 72 with a bottom and an open bottom, and a connecting member 73 that connects the lower housing 71 and the upper housing 72 with their openings facing each other. The outer peripheral surface of the lower housing 71 is provided with a connecting portion 80 and a two-sided width portion 71c. The two-sided width portion 71c has a width slightly smaller than the width between the pair of side guide portions 45, and is formed at a position (phase) on the outer peripheral surface of the lower housing 71 where the connecting portion 80 slides against the side guide portions 45 while facing the connected portion 50. This allows the operator to attach the cartridge 60 (connecting portion 80) to the holder 41 (connected portion 50) simply by aligning the two-sided width portion 71c so that it is guided by the side guide portions 45 and pushing the cartridge 60 in.

[0030] A through-hole 71a is formed in the center of the bottom surface (lower surface) of the lower housing 71. The lower end surface of the discharge tube 63 is fixed to the bottom surface of the lower housing 71 so as to communicate with the through-hole 71a. Therefore, the solder in the cup 61 is discharged from the through-hole 62a of the lid member 62, through the discharge tube 63, and through the through-hole 71a of the lower housing 71 to the outside.

[0031] The housing 70 (lower housing 71 and upper housing 72) is formed so that its inner circumferential surface has a radial gap with respect to the outer circumferential surfaces of the cup 61 and the discharge tube 63. In this embodiment, the upper housing 72 is formed from a transparent member (e.g., acrylic or polycarbonate) so that the identification code 65 affixed to the bottom surface of the cup 61 can be read by the reader 57. It is sufficient that at least the portion of the upper housing 72 that corresponds to the bottom surface (top surface) of the cup 61 is formed from a transparent member.

[0032] The connecting portion 80 has an engagement hole 81, a solder supply air inlet 82, a solder cutting air inlet 83, and a detection piece 84. When the connecting portion 80 and the connected portion 50 are facing each other, the engagement hole 81, the solder supply air inlet 82, the solder cutting air inlet 83, and the detection piece 84 are arranged in positions corresponding to the engagement pin 51, the solder supply air supply port 52, the solder cutting air supply port 53, and the seating sensor 54, respectively. When the connecting portion 80 connects to the connected portion 50, the engagement pin 51 engages with the engagement hole 81, and the cartridge 60 is attached (positioned) in the holder 41. At the same time, the solder supply air inlet 82 is connected to the solder supply air supply port 52 to supply solder supply air, and the solder cutting air inlet 83 is connected to the solder cutting air supply port 53 to supply solder cutting air. Furthermore, since the detection piece 84 blocks the gap between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the seating sensor 54 (optical sensor), the seating sensor 54 detects that the cartridge 60 has been seated (mounted). This allows the solder supplying device 40 to supply solder from the cartridge 60 after confirming that the cartridge 60 has been mounted.

[0033] Solder supply air is supplied from a solder supply air inlet 82 provided on the side of the cartridge 60 (lower housing 71). Because there are gaps between the outer circumferential surfaces of the discharge tube 63 and cup 61 and the inner circumferential surface of the housing 70 (lower housing 71, upper housing 72, and connecting member 73) and between the bottom surface of the cup 61 and the bottom surface of the upper housing 72, solder supply air is introduced into these gaps, creating a pressure difference due to the difference in pressure-receiving area between the opening side and the bottom side of the cup 61 (see FIG. 7). This presses the cup 61 downward relative to the lid member 62 (see FIG. 8). The solder in the cup 61 is then discharged to the outside via the through-hole 62a, the discharge tube 63, and the through-hole 71a in that order. Furthermore, the remaining amount of solder in the cup 61 is detected by remaining amount sensors 55 and 56 depending on the position of the cup 61.

[0034] Solder-cutting air is supplied from a solder-cutting air inlet 83 provided on the side of the cartridge 60 (lower housing 71). Air passages 71b, 63b for solder-cutting air are formed in the lower housing 71 and the discharge tube 63 fixed to the lower housing 71. An annular groove 63c is formed on the inner periphery of the through-hole 63a of the discharge tube 63, which communicates with the through-hole 62a of the lid member 62. The solder-cutting air passing through the air passages 71b, 63b is supplied to the annular groove 63c and released radially inward from the annular groove 63c. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10 , the solder hanging in icicle form from the through-hole 62a is cut by the high-pressure air. Therefore, after solder is supplied from the cartridge 60 onto the screen mask M, the remaining solder is prevented from being left hanging in icicle form and falling to a location other than the screen mask M.

[0035] When not in use, the cartridge 60 is stored in the housing 70 on a shelf or the like in a storage facility. When in use, an operator removes the cartridge 60 from the shelf and installs it in the solder supply device 40 (holder 41) of the printing machine 10. As described above, the identification code 65 is affixed to the bottom surface of the cup 61, and the upper housing 72 covering the cup 61 is formed of a transparent material. Therefore, even if multiple cartridges 60 are densely arranged on a shelf or the like in a storage facility, as shown in FIG. 11 , an operator can easily read the identification code 65 using the code reader 100. This allows the operator to easily find the cartridge 60 containing the required type of solder when using it.

[0036] Here, the correspondence between the main elements of the embodiment and the main elements of the present disclosure described in the claims will be described. Specifically, the solder supply device 40 of the present embodiment corresponds to the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure, the cartridge 60 corresponds to the cartridge, the connection portion 50 corresponds to the mounted portion, the holder 41 corresponds to the holder, and the solder supply air supply port 52 corresponds to the first air supply portion. The cup 61 corresponds to the cup, the lid member 62 corresponds to the sliding member, and the lower housing 71, upper housing 72, and connecting member 73 correspond to the housing. The solder cutting air supply port 53 corresponds to the second air supply portion. The reading unit 57 corresponds to the reading unit. The side guide portion 45 corresponds to the guide portion. The seating sensor 54 corresponds to the mounting detection unit.

[0037] It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0038] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the holder 41 has the solder cutting air supply port 53 and the cartridge 60 has the solder cutting air inlet 83, but these may be omitted.

[0039] In the above-described embodiment, the identification code 65 is attached to the bottom surface of the cup 61, and the upper housing 72 is formed of a transparent material so that the identification code 65 can be read from above the housing 70. However, the identification code 65 may be attached to the side surface (outer peripheral surface) of the cup 61. Alternatively, the identification code 65 may be attached to the housing 70.

[0040] In the above-described embodiment, the viscous fluid supply device (solder supply device 40) supplies solder as a viscous fluid to the printer 10, and the printer 10 prints the solder on the target object, the substrate S. However, the viscous fluid may be a conductive paste or adhesive, and the target object may be another substrate, such as a three-dimensional object.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment, the operator mounts the cartridge 60 in the holder 41 of the solder supply device 40. However, the printing machine 10 may also be provided with a cartridge storage area that stocks a plurality of cartridges 60, and an automatic cartridge exchange device that automatically exchanges the cartridges 60 between the cartridge storage area and the holder 41. Because the cartridge 60 can be mounted in the holder 41 simply by pressing it horizontally backward, the configuration of the automatic cartridge exchange device can be simplified.

[0042] As described above, in the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure, the cartridge can be attached to the holder by simply pressing the cartridge horizontally backward through the opening, and the first air supply unit can be connected to the cartridge at the same time. As a result, the cartridge can be more easily attached and detached.

[0043] In the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure, the cartridge may include a cylindrical cup with a bottom that contains the viscous fluid, a sliding member that is slidable on the inner surface of the cup and has a discharge port, and a housing that houses the cup and the sliding member with a gap on its inner surface, and the first air supply unit may supply first air from a side of the housing to the gap, and move the cup relative to the sliding member by a differential pressure corresponding to a difference in pressure-receiving area between the bottom side and the opening side of the cup to discharge the viscous fluid from the discharge port. This allows the device to be more compact than one that supplies first air from the top surface of the housing.

[0044] In this case, the mounting portion may include a second air supply portion that supplies second air for cutting the viscous fluid discharged from the discharge port, and the sliding member may have a path for the second air toward the discharge port. This prevents the remaining viscous fluid from being left hanging down after the viscous fluid has been supplied and from dropping to a location different from the supply position.

[0045] In these cases, a reading unit may be provided for reading identification information, the identification information being provided on the bottom of the cup, at least the portion of the housing corresponding to the identification information being formed of a transparent material, and the reading unit may be positioned so that the bottom of the cup is included in its reading range when the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion. In this way, the printer can recognize information about the solder when the cartridge is attached to the holder.

[0046] In the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure, the holder may include a guide portion that guides horizontal movement of the cartridge, thereby making it easier to attach and detach the cartridge.

[0047] Furthermore, the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure may further include a mounting detection section provided in the mounting section for detecting whether the cartridge is mounted to the mounting section, thereby making it possible to mount the cartridge more reliably.

[0048] In the viscous fluid supply device of the present disclosure, the holder may be configured to allow a plurality of the cartridges to be mounted so that they are aligned in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the cartridge insertion / removal direction. In this way, by storing a plurality of cartridges containing different types of solder in the holder, the labor of replacing cartridges can be eliminated when switching the type of solder to be supplied.

[0049] Although the present disclosure has been described as a viscous fluid supply device, it may also be in the form of a cartridge. In the cartridge of the present disclosure, the identification information is provided on the bottom surface of the cup, and at least the portion of the housing that accommodates the cup that corresponds to the identification information is made of a transparent material. This allows the identification information to be easily read by a reader from outside the housing.

[0050] This specification also discloses the technical idea of ​​changing "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3" in claim 5 as originally filed to "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4", the technical idea of ​​changing "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3" in claim 6 as originally filed to "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5", and the technical idea of ​​changing "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3" to "a viscous fluid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6" in claim 7 as originally filed.

[0051] The present disclosure is applicable to industries such as the manufacturing of printing machines and viscous fluid supply devices.

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Printing machine, 11 Printing machine body, 12 Housing, 13 Window, 14 Door, 20 Head device, 21 Head body, 22 Squeegee, 26 Head moving section, 27 Y-axis slider, 28 Guide rail, 30 Board transport device, 40 Solder supply device, 41 Holder, 41a Opening, 41b Through hole, 42 Holding section, 43 Pressed section, 44 Front guide section, 45 Side guide section, 46 Holder moving section, 47 Guide rail, 48 X-axis slider, 50 Connected section, 51 Engagement pin, 52 Solder supply air supply port, 53 Solder cut air supply port, 54 Seat sensor, 55, 56 Remaining amount sensor, 57 Reading section, 60 Cartridge, 61 Cup, 62 Lid member, 62a Through hole, 63 Discharge tube, 63a Through hole, 63b air passage, 63c annular groove, 65 identification code, 70 housing, 71 lower housing, 71a through hole, 71b air passage, 71c two-sided width portion, 72 upper housing, 73 connecting member, 80 connection portion, 81 engagement hole, 82 air inlet for solder supply, 83 air inlet for solder cut, 84 detection piece, 100 code reader, M screen mask, S substrate.

Claims

1. A viscous fluid supplying device that is mounted on a printing machine and supplies a viscous fluid used in printing, comprising: a holder including an opening through which a cartridge containing a viscous fluid can enter and exit, and an attachment portion into which the cartridge is attached by being pressed horizontally backward from the opening; and a first air supplying portion that is provided on the attachment portion so as to be connected to the cartridge when the cartridge is attached to the attachment portion, and that supplies first air to the cartridge for ejecting the viscous fluid from the cartridge.

2. A viscous fluid supplying device as defined in claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises a cylindrical cup with a bottom for containing a viscous fluid, a sliding member arranged to be slidable on the inner circumferential surface of the cup and having a discharge port, and a housing for containing the cup and the sliding member with a gap on its inner circumferential side, and the first air supplying unit supplies first air from a side surface of the housing to the gap, and moves the cup relative to the sliding member by a differential pressure corresponding to the difference in pressure-receiving area between the bottom side and the opening side of the cup, thereby discharging the viscous fluid from the discharge port.

3. A viscous fluid supplying device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a second air supplying section provided on the mounting section for supplying a second air for cutting off the viscous fluid discharged from the discharge port, and a path for the second air is formed in the sliding member toward the discharge port.

4. A viscous fluid supplying device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, comprising a reading unit for reading identification information, the identification information being provided on the bottom surface of the cup, at least a portion of the housing corresponding to the identification information being formed from a transparent material, and the reading unit being positioned so that the bottom surface of the cup is included in the reading range when the cartridge is attached to the mounting portion.

5. A viscous fluid supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holder includes a guide portion for guiding the horizontal movement of the cartridge.

6. A viscous fluid supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a mounting detection section provided in the mounting section for detecting whether or not the cartridge is mounted to the mounting section.

7. A viscous fluid supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the holder is configured to allow a plurality of the cartridges to be mounted so as to be aligned in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cartridges are inserted and removed.

8. A cartridge which is detachably attached to a printing machine and contains a viscous fluid used in printing, comprising: a cylindrical cup with a bottom for containing the viscous fluid; a sliding member which is slidably arranged on the inner surface of the cup and has an outlet; and a housing which contains the cup and the sliding member with a gap on its inner side and has an air inlet for inputting air for discharging the viscous fluid in the cup from the outlet, wherein the air inlet is arranged on a side surface of the housing, identification information readable by a reader is arranged on the bottom surface of the cup, and at least a portion of the housing which corresponds to the identification information is formed from a transparent material.

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