JPH043806Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a liquid supply device including a replaceable cartridge.

(b) Prior Art There is an ink cartridge that is replaceable and serves as an ink reservoir for storing a liquid such as ink. It is important that such ink cartridge replacement be easy and reliable. Figure 1 is from the 1980s.
This type of liquid supply device is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 26757, and this liquid supply device is applied to an inkjet printer that prints arbitrary images such as characters and figures by ejecting minute ink droplets from an ink head. There is. In the figure, 1 is an amorphous bag-like storage body that stores about 100 to 200 c.c. of ink 2, 3 is a cartridge body that houses the storage body 1, and 4 is one end 4a from the cartridge 3. is a needle-shaped ink supply body that supplies ink with a protruding outward part, and the supply body 4
is hollow, and communicates the side surface of one end 4a with openings 5a and 5b bored in the other end 4b, respectively. Reference numeral 6 is provided on an extension line of the ink supply body 4, and when the supply body 4 is inserted, the opening 5a is opened.
8 is a needle-shaped air introducing body formed integrally with the ink coupler 6 and projects toward the cartridge side; 9 is a protruding side surface of the ink supply body 4 in the cartridge body 3; An air coupler is installed in the cartridge and connects the air introduction tube 10 and the inside of the cartridge 11 by inserting the air introduction body 8 into the cartridge. The ink 2 inside the body 1 is pressurized from the surroundings with a constant pressure.

The ink 2 in the storage body 1 to which the air flow is applied in this way can be kept in a constant pressurized state regardless of the remaining amount of ink, so it is led out through the ink supply tube 7 and is not shown in the figure. The pressure of the ink supplied to the ink head is constantly maintained at the same level, and stable ink droplet ejection operation can be performed.

However, in a liquid supply device having such a structure, that is, an ink supply device, the ink supply body 4 and the air introduction body 8 protruding in mutually opposite directions are connected to the ink coupler 6 and the air coupler 1 provided at opposing positions, respectively.
Since the ink cartridge is replaced by inserting the ink cartridge into the ink cartridge 0, there is a gap between the ink supply body 4 and the insertion point of the air coupler 10 on the ink cartridge side, and a distance between the insertion point of the ink coupler 6 and the air coupler side on the ink cartridge side. If the distance between the introduction body 8 and the introduction body 8 does not match accurately, there is a risk that the respective connections will be incomplete, resulting in leakage of ink or air flow.

(c) Purpose of the invention The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a liquid supply device in which replacement work can be easily and reliably performed.

(d) Structure of the invention The liquid supply device of the present invention is a liquid supply device in which a cartridge containing liquid is replaceably installed, and includes a liquid supply body and an air introduction body protruding outward from the front surface of the cartridge, and A liquid coupler and an air coupler into which the supply body and the air introduction body are inserted and coupled, and arranged on the liquid supply device side,
a support for supporting the coupler, and at least one of the liquid coupler and the air coupler is movably movable with respect to the support in a direction perpendicular to the insertion and coupling direction of the liquid supply body or the air introduction body. It is in the configuration that is worn.

(E) Embodiments Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an ink supply device for supplying ink to an ink head of an inkjet print as described above will be described in detail.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a replaceable ink cartridge applied to an embodiment of the present invention.
is an amorphous bag-like storage body that stores approximately 100 to 200 c.c. of ink 21, and is made of a copolymer film of vinylidene chloride and vinyl chloride, which has extremely low gas permeation to suppress air intrusion. It is made of a low gas permeability film sheet such as nylon film. In this case, the ink 21 has been subjected to deaeration treatment in advance. 22 is a sealing plate that liquid-tightly closes the opening of the storage body 20 by screwing; 23;
The ink 21 is sealed liquid-tightly by the sealing plate 22.
24 is a needle-shaped ink supply body that supplies ink with one end 24a protruding outward from the cartridge body 23; 25 is a pair with the ink supply body 24; None A needle-shaped detection electrode with one end 25a protruding detects the remaining amount of ink as an electrical quantity, such as a resistance value, and the other ends 24b and 25b of the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25 are housed through the sealing plate 22. It is arranged almost to the center inside the body 20. Therefore, the ink supply body 4 and the detection electrode 25
comes into contact with the ink 21 when the storage body 20 is filled with the ink 21.

The ink supply body 24 has a hollow shape, and one end 2
Openings 26 are formed in the side surface of 4a and the other end 24b, respectively.
a and 26b are communicated with each other. Reference numeral 27 denotes a rubber cap that liquid-tightly covers the opening 26a on the side surface of one end, and slides against the outer periphery of the detection electrode 25 against its elasticity. Reference numeral 28 denotes a tubular air introduction body protruding from the cartridge body 23 in the same direction as the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25, and a constant pressure air flow to pressurize the ink 21 in the storage body 20 through the introduction body 28. is added. Reference numerals 29a and 29b are a pair of hooks protruding from the side surface of the cartridge body 23, with which fingers or the like are engaged when replacing the cartridge.

4 and 5 show the exchange operation of the ink cartridge according to the state, 30 and 31 are the first and second combined electrodes into which the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25 are fitted, and 32 is the fourth In the state shown in the figure, the ink supply body 24 is provided on an extension line passing through the first coupling electrode 30, and when the supply body 24 is inserted, the opening 26a and the ink supply tube 33 are connected.
The ink coupler 34 connecting the air introducing body 28 is similarly provided on an extension line of the air introducing body 28.
The air couplers 36a and 36b that connect the air inlet tube 35 and the air inlet tube 35 are guide plates that guide the moving direction of the ink cartridge by slidingly contacting the peripheral walls of protrusions 37a and 37b protruding from the side surface of the cartridge body 23. The end portions of the guide plates 36a, 36b on the side of the coupling electrodes 30, 31 have a raised length so as to pass over the first coupling electrode 30 while covering the rubber cap 27 provided at the tip of the ink supply body 24. It's summery.

That is, an ink cartridge arranged as shown in FIG.
8 towards the first and second coupling electrodes 30, 31, ink coupler 32 and air coupler 34 to be coupled, respectively, the ink cartridge is moved in a defined manner by the guide plates 36a, 36b. After moving through the system, first, the coupling between the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25 and the coupling electrodes 30 and 31 is completed. If the pressing is continued further, the bonding electrode 30,
31 guides the movement of the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25, so that the tip of the ink supply body 24 enters the insertion hole 38 of the ink coupler 32 and the rubber stopper 39
At the same time, the air introducing body 28 is opposed to the air coupler 34 at a small distance. A pinhole is previously bored in the rubber plug 39, but the pinhole is closed by the contraction force of the rubber plug 39 itself. Therefore, by further pressing the ink supply body 24 whose tip is in contact with the rubber stopper 39, it passes through the pinhole leaving the rubber cap 27 behind.
An opening 26 is provided in the ink coupler 32 as shown in FIG.
facing the storage body 2 to the ink supply tube 33.
3 to allow ink 21 to flow out.

On the other hand, the air introduction body 28 is also inserted into the air coupler 34, and an O-ring 40 provided near the entrance thereof
By deforming the two, the two are airtightly joined.

FIG. 6 shows the first and second coupling electrodes 30, 31, ink coupler 32, and air coupler 34 viewed from the insertion direction of the ink cartridge, and is bent in a V-shape to provide elasticity in the left and right direction. The insertion hole 38 of the ink coupler 32 is located on the extension line of the first coupling electrode 30, and the air coupler 3
4 is loosely attached to the support body 41 to provide clearance in the vertical and horizontal directions. That is, the air coupler 34 has a tubular insertion portion 42 into which the air introducing body 28 is inserted, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
is made to protrude from the opening 43 of the support body 41, and by arranging the inserted portion 42, which has a diameter d smaller than the diameter D of the opening 43, concentrically, half of the diameter difference between the two (D-d) It becomes possible to move by /2=δ.

When the air coupler 34 is given clearance in the vertical and horizontal directions as described above, the distance between the ink supply body 24 and the air introduction body 28 becomes, for example, ±.
Even if there is a manufacturing error of several millimeters, each of the ink supply body 24 and the air introduction body 28 is reliably connected to the ink coupler 32 and the air coupler 34, respectively.

In this embodiment, in addition to the ink supply body 24 and the air introduction body 28, a detection electrode 25 protrudes from the cartridge body 23;
5 and the ink supply body 24 are electrically coupled to each other, the second and first coupling electrodes 30 and 31 have a V-shape as described above and have elasticity, so that clearance in the left and right direction is provided. , therefore the detection electrode 2
5 and the first and second coupling electrodes 30 and 31 do not impede the coupling operation of the ink supply body 24 and the air introduction body 28.

When the ink supply body 24 and the ink coupler 32 and the air introduction body 28 and the air coupler 34 are reliably coupled in this way, the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25 are connected to each other when the ink inside the storage body 20 is fixed. 21, and is electrically short-circuited via the ink 21. As the consumption of the ink 21 progresses and the remaining amount of the ink 21 becomes small, the ink 21 is pushed from the center to the periphery of the storage body 20 due to the addition of airflow, and the ink supply body 2
The amount of ink 21 existing between 4 and the detection electrode 25 decreases. Therefore, the resistance value increases in inverse proportion to the amount of ink remaining between the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25, and at the same time as the remaining amount becomes almost gone, the resistance value increases dramatically. That is, the remaining amount of ink can be detected by detecting the resistance value between the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25, and when the resistance value increases dramatically, the cartridge is replaced.

As mentioned above, in the case of the type in which air flow is introduced into the cartridge body 23, the pressure of the ink 21 drawn out from the storage body 20 can be kept constant, and the ink 21 can be drawn out from the center of the cartridge body 23. Since it can be pushed into the peripheral part, at least one side of the ink supply body 24 and the detection electrode 25 extending to the center part can be pushed in, as shown in FIG. By covering and insulating the heat-shrinkable insulating tube 44, it is possible to reliably detect the resistance value without being affected by a small amount of ink remaining at the peripheral edge.

(f) Effect of the invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a method in which at least one of the liquid coupler and the air coupler into which the liquid supply body and the air introduction body are inserted and coupled is disposed on the liquid supply device side, and the coupler is connected to the liquid coupler. Since the liquid supply body or the air introduction body was movably attached to the support in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion and connection of the liquid supply body or the air introduction body, variations occurred in the spacing between the liquid supply body and the air introduction body. Even so, the distance between the two couplers can be adjusted in a self-aligning manner during the replacement process, and such replacement work can be performed easily and reliably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a conventional example, Figures 2 and 3
The figures are a sectional view and a perspective view of an ink cartridge applied to an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 4A and 5A are sectional views showing the exchange operation of the present invention according to the state, and FIGS. 5. Figure B is a side view corresponding to each figure A.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing a main part of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another main part of the present invention. 21... Ink, 23... Cartridge body,
24... Ink supply body, 28... Air introducing body, 3
2... Ink cutlet, 34... Air cutlet,
41...Support.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a liquid supply device in which a cartridge for storing liquid is replaceably mounted, a liquid supply body and an air introduction body protrude outward from the front surface of the cartridge, and a liquid coupler into which the liquid supply body and the air introduction body are inserted and coupled. and an air coupler, and a support disposed on the side of the liquid supply device and supporting the coupler, and at least one of the liquid coupler and the air coupler is configured to introduce the liquid supply body or air into the support. A liquid supply device characterized in that the liquid supply device is freely attached so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of insertion and connection of the body.