JP2005040967A - Valve unit, inkjet recorder, liquid ejector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a valve unit capable of preventing leakage of ink more reliably when a recorder is set in an inclining state. <P>SOLUTION: A valve 50 provided in an ink channel interconnecting an ink cartridge and an inkjet recording head has a spherical body 55 in an ink chamber 52 formed in the body 51. The ink chamber 52 is provided with an opening 56 communicating with the inkjet recording head and an opening 57 communicating with the ink cartridge such that the openings 56 and 57 face each other and the ink chamber 52 is filled with ink. When the inkjet recorder is used, the spherical body 55 rests at the intermediate position of the openings 56 and 57 by gravity to open the ink channel. When the inkjet recorder inclines, the spherical body 55 rolls to the side of the opening 56 or 57 which is thereby closed thus closing the ink channel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus that includes an ink cartridge independent of a carriage, and that is configured to communicate the ink cartridge and a recording head mounted on the carriage with an ink supply tube. The present invention relates to a valve device that opens and closes an ink flow path with a head and an ink jet recording apparatus including the valve. The present invention also relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus.
[0002]
Here, the liquid ejecting apparatus uses an ink jet recording head, and is not limited to a recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine that discharges ink from the recording head to perform recording on a recording medium. And a device that ejects the liquid corresponding to the application from the liquid ejecting head corresponding to the ink jet recording head to the ejected medium corresponding to the recording material, and adheres the liquid to the ejected medium. .
[0003]
In addition to the recording head, as a liquid ejecting head, a color material ejecting head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, and an electrode material (conductive paste) used for forming an electrode such as an organic EL display or a surface emitting display (FED) Examples thereof include an ejection head, a bioorganic matter ejection head used for biochip production, and a sample ejection head as a precision pipette.
[0004]
[Prior art]
An example of an ink jet recording apparatus or a liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer includes an ink jet recording head in a carriage, and the carriage is reciprocated in the main scanning direction while being guided by guide means (for example, a guide shaft) extending in the main scanning direction.
Here, some carriages are equipped with ink cartridges, and some are not equipped with ink cartridges. A printer equipped with an ink cartridge reciprocates in the main scanning direction with the ink cartridge mounted, and supplies ink to the ink jet recording head inside the carriage. In the case where the ink cartridge is not mounted, the ink cartridge is provided on the main body (base) side of the ink jet printer independently of the carriage, and the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording head are communicated with each other by an ink supply tube.
[0005]
Here, when the ink cartridge is disposed below the ink jet recording head, for example, at the bottom of the ink jet printer, if the ink jet printer is tilted greatly during transportation or handling, the ink may leak from the recording head due to a water head difference. Will occur. Therefore, in order to prevent such a problem, a valve for opening and closing the ink flow path is provided between the ink cartridge and the ink jet recording head (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-70668
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described prior art, since the valve opening / closing operation is performed by the paper feed roller driving means, for example, when the valve outlet is suddenly pulled out in the valve open state, the valve is opened in the abnormal end. If the inkjet printer is tilted in this state, ink may leak out. Such a problem also occurs in an electromagnetic valve type valve that opens and closes the valve with electric power.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the problem is to obtain a valve device that can more reliably prevent ink leakage when the recording device is placed in an inclined state. There is.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, a first aspect of the present invention includes a carriage that includes a recording head that performs recording on a recording medium and that is driven to reciprocate in the main scanning direction, and an ink cartridge that is provided independently of the carriage. And an ink supply tube that communicates the ink cartridge and the recording head, and a valve device that opens and closes an ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head. In the ink chamber in which the first opening that communicates with the recording head and the second opening that communicates with the ink cartridge are formed, the first opening and The ink flow path is opened by stopping at a position where the second opening is not blocked, and the ink jet recording is performed. When the posture of the device changes from the posture at the time of use, the first opening or the second opening is displaced by the action of gravity toward the first opening or the second opening. The valve body is configured to be closed and thereby close the ink flow path.
[0009]
According to the first aspect, in the valve device that opens and closes the ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head, the first opening communicating with the recording head and the second opening communicating with the ink cartridge are formed. The ink chamber is provided with a valve body, and the valve body is stationary at a position where the first opening and the second opening are not blocked when the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus is in use. Open the ink flow path. However, when the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus changes from the posture at the time of use, the valve body is displaced toward the first opening or the second opening by the action of gravity, so that the first Since the ink flow path is closed by closing the opening or the second opening, that is, the ink flow path is opened and closed according to the attitude of the ink jet recording apparatus. Therefore, when the ink jet recording apparatus is placed in an inclined posture, the ink flow path is always closed, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent ink leakage. Also, the ink flow path closes when the ink jet recording device is tilted regardless of the power supply state, so that there is a problem that the valve remains open during abnormal operation, such as a solenoid valve, and ink leaks out. Does not occur.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the valve body is a spherical body that rolls on a bottom surface or a top surface of the ink chamber.
According to the second aspect, since the valve body is a spherical body, it easily rolls when the ink jet recording apparatus is tilted, and the ink flow path is surely secured when the ink jet recording apparatus is tilted. Can be closed.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the bottom surface of the ink chamber has the first opening and the second opening in a posture when the ink jet recording apparatus is used. A substantially V-shaped shape is formed so as to go obliquely upward from a substantially intermediate position of the portion toward the first opening and the second opening.
According to the third aspect, the bottom surface of the ink chamber moves from a substantially intermediate position between the first opening and the second opening to the first opening and the second opening. Since the valve body (particularly, the spherical body) has a substantially V-shaped shape so as to be inclined upward, the valve body (particularly, the spherical body) is stable at the center of the substantially V-shaped shape in the posture when the ink jet recording apparatus is used. Thus, the ink flow path can be appropriately maintained in an open state.
[0012]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, in the posture when the ink jet recording apparatus is used, the top surface of the ink chamber is connected to the first opening and the first aspect. A substantially V-shape is formed so as to obliquely upward from the position of the substantially intermediate position of the second opening toward the first opening and the second opening.
According to the fourth aspect, the top surface of the ink chamber is inclined obliquely from the substantially middle position between the first opening and the second opening to the first opening and the second opening. Since it is substantially V-shaped so as to be directed upward, even when the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus is largely changed so as to be upside down, the valve body (particularly, the spherical body) is the first body. Since it rolls toward the opening or the second opening and closes the ink flow path, it is possible to reliably prevent ink leakage.
[0013]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a carriage having a recording head for recording on a recording medium and reciprocatingly driven in the main scanning direction, an ink cartridge provided independently of the carriage, the ink cartridge, and the recording An ink jet recording apparatus comprising an ink supply tube communicating with a head, wherein the valve apparatus opens and closes an ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head. The ink flow path is opened in a posture during use, and the ink flow path is closed accordingly when the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus changes from the posture during use.
[0014]
According to the fifth aspect, the valve device that opens and closes the ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head opens the ink flow path when the ink jet recording apparatus is in use, and the ink jet recording apparatus Since the ink flow path is closed accordingly when the position of the ink jet changes from the position during use, the ink flow path is always closed when the ink jet recording apparatus is placed in a tilted position, which causes ink leakage. Can be reliably prevented. Also, the ink flow path closes when the ink jet recording device is tilted regardless of the power supply state, so that there is a problem that the valve remains open during abnormal operation, such as a solenoid valve, and ink leaks out. Does not occur.
[0015]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium, comprising the valve device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects. To do.
According to the sixth aspect, since the ink jet recording apparatus includes the valve device described in any of the first to fifth aspects, the first to the first described above in the ink jet recording apparatus. The same effect as any one of the six aspects can be obtained.
[0016]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, the ink jet recording is provided in the valve device so that the first opening and the second opening are opposed to each other. In a posture when the apparatus is used, a straight line connecting the first opening and the second opening is at a predetermined angle with respect to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in a plan view of the ink jet recording apparatus. It is provided so that it may comprise.
[0017]
According to the seventh aspect, since the first opening and the second opening are provided so as to face each other, the valve body includes the first opening and the second opening. It is displaced straight (in plan view) between the openings. Therefore, when the ink jet recording apparatus is tilted in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction, the valve body is not displaced to either side of the first opening and the second opening, and is stationary. The state may be maintained and the ink flow path may not be closed.
[0018]
Here, when the straight line connecting the first opening and the second opening is arranged so as to be parallel to the main scanning direction, for example, the inkjet recording apparatus is centered on an axis orthogonal to the main scanning direction. In the case of tilting to rotate, the ink flow path is opened / closed. However, in the case of tilting to rotate about an axis parallel to the main scanning direction, the ink flow path is not opened / closed. Therefore, a separate valve device that opens and closes the ink flow path when tilted in this direction is required. The same applies to the case where they are arranged in parallel to the sub-scanning direction. In this case, when the ink channel is tilted so as to rotate about an axis parallel to the sub-scanning direction, the ink flow path opening / closing operation is performed. Not done.
[0019]
However, according to the seventh aspect, a straight line connecting the first opening and the second opening is in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in a plan view of the ink jet recording apparatus. Since it is provided to form a predetermined angle, when tilted to rotate around an axis parallel to the main scanning direction and when tilted to rotate about an axis parallel to the sub-scanning direction In any case, since the valve body is displaced toward the first opening or the second opening and the ink flow path is opened and closed, the normal ink jet recording apparatus is easily tilted. It is possible to cope with the tilt direction with one valve device.
[0020]
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a carriage that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto an ejected medium and that is driven to reciprocate in the main scanning direction, a liquid cartridge that is provided independently of the carriage, and the liquid cartridge. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid supply tube that communicates with the liquid ejecting head; and a valve device that opens and closes a liquid flow path between the liquid cartridge and the liquid ejecting head. However, in the liquid chamber in which the first opening that communicates with the liquid ejecting head and the second opening that communicates with the liquid cartridge are formed, the first opening and When the second flow passage is stopped at a position where the second opening is not blocked and the liquid flow path is opened, and the posture of the liquid ejecting apparatus changes from the posture at the time of use, And a valve body that closes the first opening or the second opening by being displaced toward the first opening or the second opening by the action of, and thereby closes the liquid flow path. It is characterized by being configured.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an apparatus main body of an ink jet printer (hereinafter referred to as “printer”) 1 as an example of “ink jet recording apparatus” and “liquid ejecting apparatus” according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the valve 50, FIG. 4 is a perspective view thereof, and FIGS. In the following, the upstream side (right side in FIG. 2) of the paper transport path (sub-scanning direction) is simply referred to as “upstream side”, and the downstream side (left side in FIG. 2) of the paper transport path is simply referred to as “downstream side”. I will say.
[0022]
First, the configuration of the printer 1 will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The printer 1 is configured in a small size suitable for recording on a recording paper P such as a “recording medium”, an “ejecting medium” as a postcard, and an L size, and is suitable for A4 size recording. As in the case of a typical ink jet printer, a paper feeding device 2 capable of setting a plurality of recording papers P in an inclined posture at the rear of the apparatus, and a carriage 25 provided so as to be able to reciprocate in the main scanning direction in the middle of the apparatus. Is provided with a stacker (not shown) for stacking recording sheets P on which recording has been performed.
[0023]
The paper feeding device 2 includes a hopper 10, a movable guide 9, a fixed guide 8, a feeding roller 11, a friction separating material 13, and a paper return lever 12. The hopper 10 is provided so as to be oscillated and driven by a driving means (not shown) around the oscillating fulcrum 10a. The hopper 10 supports the recording paper P in an inclined posture and records the recording paper P on the feeding roller 11 when the recording paper P is fed. The paper P is brought into pressure contact. The fixed guide 8 and the movable guide 9 provided in the hopper 10 regulate the position of the side edge of the recording paper P, and the movable guide 9 has a width of the recording paper P so as to correspond to each size of the recording paper P. It is slidable in the direction.
[0024]
The feeding roller 11 has a substantially D shape when viewed from the side, and a rubber material is wound around the outer periphery thereof. The feeding roller 11 is selectively rotated when a sheet is fed by a driving motor (not shown). At the time of paper feeding, the uppermost sheet of the recording paper P pressed against the feeding roller 11 by the circular arc portion is fed to the downstream side, and when the paper feeding is completed, the conveyance operation by the downstream conveyance driving roller 21 is performed. At this time, control is performed so that a flat portion in a substantially D shape in a side view is opposed to the friction separating member 13 so as not to cause a conveyance load. Note that a roller indicated by reference numeral 14 is a freely rotatable idle roller, and is rotated in contact with the recording sheet P being conveyed so that the recording sheet P being conveyed does not contact the feeding roller 11 to cause a conveyance load. . In this embodiment, the idle rollers 14 are provided on both sides of the feed roller 11 so as to sandwich the feed roller 11.
[0025]
A friction separating material 13 is provided at a position facing the feeding roller 11. The friction separating material 13 is pressed against the arc portion of the feeding roller 11 during paper feeding to form a pressure contact, whereby the uppermost recording paper P to be fed and the next order to be double fed. The subsequent recording paper P is separated. Further, a paper return lever 12 is provided at a position facing the feeding roller 11. The paper return lever 12 is provided so as to be able to swing around a swinging fulcrum 12a. During the one rotation operation of the feeding roller 11, the paper return lever 12 is temporarily set so as to open the feeding path of the recording paper P from the standby state shown in FIG. By falling down and rising again as shown in FIG. 2, the next and subsequent recording sheets P to be double fed are returned onto the hopper 10.
[0026]
The paper feeding device 2 has been described above. A paper detector 17 including a lever 15 and a detection unit 16 is provided between the feeding roller 11 and the conveyance driving roller 21 on the downstream side of the paper feeding device 2. It has been. The lever 15 is provided so as to be able to oscillate about the oscillating shaft 15a, and the upper part from the oscillating shaft 15a is configured to come into contact with the recording paper P to be fed. The detection unit 16 is an optical sensor, and when the lower part of the lever 15 enters the detection unit 16 as shown in the figure, the light from the light emitting unit to the light receiving unit is blocked, and the recording paper P is not loaded. A passing state is detected. When the lever 15 swings with the passage of the recording paper P, the lower portion of the lever 15 from the swinging shaft 15a is disengaged from the detecting unit 16, thereby detecting the passage of the leading edge of the recording paper P. It can be done. Further, when the trailing edge of the recording paper P passes, the lower end portion of the lever 15 enters the detection unit 16 again, whereby the passage of the trailing edge of the recording paper P can be detected.
[0027]
Next, a transport driving roller 21 and a transport driven roller 22 are provided on the downstream side of the paper detector 17. The transport drive roller 21 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown), and the transport driven roller 22 is pressed against the transport drive roller 21 and rotated. The transport driving roller 21 is formed by attaching a coating film to the outer periphery of a metal rod that is long in the direction of the rotation axis. A plurality of transport driven rollers 22 are provided at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the transport driving roller 21. It is done. Then, the recording paper P fed by the feeding roller 11 is nipped between the transport driving roller 21 and the transport driven roller 22 and transported to the recording head 26.
In addition, a free-rotating guide roller 23 is provided at the downstream end of the conveyance driven roller holder 20 that pivotally supports the conveyance driven roller 22. The guide roller 23 is a roller for preventing the recording paper P from lifting from the platen 28, and thereby the distance between the recording paper P and the recording head 14 is kept constant.
[0028]
Next, a recording head 26 and a platen 28 are provided on the downstream side of the transport driving roller 21 so as to face each other. The recording head 26 is provided at the bottom of the carriage 25, and performs recording by ejecting (jetting) ink droplets as an example of a liquid toward the recording paper P. A carriage guide shaft 27 extending in the main scanning direction is inserted into the carriage 25, and is fixed to a part of an endless belt 24 (FIG. 1) extending in the main scanning direction. Then, it receives the power of a carriage drive motor (not shown) and is reciprocated in the main scanning direction while being guided by the carriage guide shaft 27.
[0029]
In the present embodiment, the carriage 25 does not have an ink cartridge mounted thereon, and ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 4 detachably provided on the bottom of the printer 1 to the recording head 26 via the ink tube 43 shown in FIG. Is configured to be supplied. The ink tube 43 is bundled with a plurality of flexible tubes corresponding to each color of a plurality of colors of ink (in this embodiment, 6: 2 horizontal x 3 vertical) by a binding tool not shown. The ink cartridge 4 provided at the bottom of the main body of the printer 1 and the recording head 26 communicate with each other. In the vicinity of the carriage 25, the ink tube 43 is provided with a curved reversal portion formed between the base side holding portion 46 and the carriage side holding portion 45 so as to form a substantially U shape along the main scanning direction. It can be deformed as the carriage 25 moves. The ink tube 43 extends from the substrate side holding part 46 to the lower part of the printer and extends to an ink cartridge 4 provided at the bottom of the printer via a valve 50 described in detail later (details are not shown).
[0030]
Returning to FIG. 2, the platen 28 defines the gap between the recording paper P and the recording head 25 by supporting the recording paper P from below, but a concave portion 28 a is formed on the surface facing the recording head 25. Is formed. This is for printing without margins on the recording paper P. When ink droplets are ejected to the edge of the recording paper P, ink droplets are ejected to the part off the recording paper P, Then, so-called borderless printing is performed by discarding into the concave portion 28a. An ink absorbing material 36 (FIG. 1) that absorbs ink droplets is disposed in the recess 28a.
The ink droplets discarded in the recess 28a are discharged downward from a discharge hole (not shown), and a waste liquid tray 31 for receiving the discharged ink droplets is provided below the platen 28. A waste liquid absorber 34 is provided inside the waste liquid tray 31 to reliably hold the ink waste liquid in the waste liquid tray 31.
[0031]
Subsequently, a discharge driving roller 29 and a discharge driven roller 30 are provided on the downstream side of the recording head 26. The discharge drive roller 29 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown), and the discharge driven roller 30 is driven to rotate in contact with the discharge drive roller 29. The recording sheet P on which recording has been performed is discharged toward a stacker (not shown) by being nipped by these rollers.
A discharge auxiliary roller 37 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge drive roller 29. The discharge auxiliary roller 37 is rotated according to the rotation of the discharge drive roller 29 by the belt 38 that is engaged with the rotation shaft 37 a and the rotation shaft 29 a of the discharge drive roller 29. The discharge auxiliary roller 37 functions to reliably drop the rear end of the recording paper P that is nipped between the discharge drive roller 29 and the discharge driven roller 30 and discharged toward the stacker.
[0032]
The above is the schematic configuration of the printer 1, and the valve 50 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the valve 50 cut along a vertical plane passing through the axis of the connecting pipes 53 and 54 in a state where the printer 1 is placed on a horizontal surface, that is, in a use state. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line c-c in FIG. 3B. 1 and 3 to 12, the z-axis indicates a vertical coordinate system, and the x-axis (and x′-axis) and the y-axis (and y′-axis) indicate a coordinate system orthogonal to each other on the horizontal plane. Further, in a state where the printer 1 is placed on a horizontal floor, that is, in a normal use state, the printer 1 is placed so that the main scanning direction is parallel to the x-axis as shown in FIG. In FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrating the structure of the valve 50, the longitudinal direction of the valve 50 is the x ′ axis, and the direction orthogonal to the x ′ axis (the depth direction of the valve 50) is the y ′ axis.
[0033]
The valve 50 is provided in the ink flow path between the ink cartridge 4 and the ink jet recording head 26 in order to open and close the ink flow path between the ink cartridge 4 and the ink jet recording head 26 (the approximate position is shown in FIG. 1). reference). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the valve 50 has connection pipes 53, 54 in a valve body 51 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an ink tube 43 communicating with the ink jet recording head 26 is connected to the connection pipe 53. The ink tube 43 is connected to the ink cartridge 4. Since one valve 50 is provided for each ink tube for each ink color, a total of six valves 50 are provided in this embodiment. The arrangement posture and the like are all the same.
[0034]
An ink chamber 52 is provided in the main body 51 of the valve 50, and a spherical body 55 as a “valve element” is provided in the ink chamber 52. In the ink chamber 52, an opening 56 as a “first opening” communicating with the ink jet recording head 26 and an opening 57 as a “second opening” communicating with the ink cartridge 4 are formed at positions facing each other. The ink supplied from the ink cartridge 4 is filled in the ink chamber 52 by the sealing lid 58.
[0035]
The bottom surface 52a of the ink chamber 52 is substantially V in a front view as shown in FIG. 3A so as to go obliquely upward from the intermediate position between the opening 56 and the opening 57 toward the opening 56 and the opening 57. When the printer 1 is used, the spherical body 55 is stationary at the central portion of the substantially V-shaped shape as shown in the figure. Similarly, the top surface 52b of the ink chamber 52 is inclined obliquely upward from the intermediate position between the opening 56 and the opening 57 toward the opening 56 and the opening 57 as shown in FIG. The ink chamber 52 is formed so as to have a substantially V-shape when viewed from the front.
[0036]
With the above configuration, for example, when the valve 50 in FIG. 4 is tilted so as to rotate about the axis n parallel to the y ′ axis, the spherical body 55 causes the bottom surface 52a of the ink chamber 52 to open the opening 56 or It rolls (displaces) toward the opening 57, thereby closing the opening 56 or the opening 57 and closing the ink flow path. When the valve 50 is brought into the horizontal state again, the spherical body 55 rolls toward the middle position of the bottom surface 52a due to the gravitational action, so that the spherical body 55 stops and neither the opening 56 nor the opening 57 is blocked. That is, the ink flow path is opened. Note that a predetermined interval is formed between the spherical body 55 and the top surface 52b so that the spherical body 55 does not block the ink flow path when the spherical body 55 is in the middle position of the ink chamber 52. Further, since the ink chamber 52 has a square shape as shown in FIG. 3C in a cross-sectional view, the ink can flow without stagnation.
[0037]
Here, in order for the spherical body 55 to roll on the bottom surface 55a, an inclination angle equal to or larger than an angle (an angle α formed with the horizontal line H shown in FIG. 3 (A)) formed by the bottom surface 55a heading obliquely upward and a horizontal plane is required. Become.
When the top and bottom of the bulb 50 is reversed, the top surface 52b becomes the bottom surface of the ink chamber 52. However, since the top surface 52b is formed in a substantially V-shape as described above, the abbreviation is omitted. The spherical body 55 is not held at an intermediate position between the opening 56 and the opening 57 due to the V-shaped shape being reversed upside down, so that the spherical body 55 is almost always in the opening 56 or the opening 57. It moves (displaces) toward the side, closes the opening 56 or 57 and closes the ink flow path. That is, the valve 50 is stably held at the intermediate position of the bottom surface 52a only in the posture when the printer 1 is used, and opens the ink flow path.
[0038]
By the way, when the valve 50 is tilted so as to rotate about the m-axis of FIG. 4, that is, the straight line connecting the openings 56 and 57, the spherical body 55 is kept stationary at the intermediate position of the bottom surface 52a. The ink flow path is not closed. On the other hand, the direction in which the printer 1 is easily tilted during transportation or handling is an inclination direction that rotates about a straight line parallel to the x axis (main scanning direction) shown in FIG. 1 or the y axis (sub scanning direction). Therefore, if the m-axis of the valve 50 is arranged in parallel to either the x-axis or the y-axis in FIG. 1, it corresponds to both the above-mentioned tilt directions. In order to do so, it is necessary to provide another valve 50 so as to be in a direction perpendicular to the direction.
[0039]
However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the m-axis of the valve 50 is arranged so as to form a predetermined angle (45 ° in this embodiment) with the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction. As a result, the spherical body 55 rolls to close the opening 56 or 57 and close the ink flow path regardless of the tilt direction, so that the printer 1 can be easily tilted by one valve 50. It is possible to correspond to the direction.
[0040]
FIG. 6A shows an example in which the printer 1 is tilted so as to rotate around an axis parallel to the y axis from the posture in use shown in FIG. 5. In this case, FIG. , The spherical body 55 closes the opening 57 and closes the ink flow path. Note that the valve 50 shown in FIGS. 6B to 12B is drawn without changing the posture of the valve 50 for convenience of illustration, and the spherical body 55 is in any direction from the state of FIG. It is just to show you how it moved. FIG. 7 shows a case in which it is inclined to the opposite side to FIG. 6. In this case, the spherical body 55 closes the opening 56 and closes the ink flow path. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the top and bottom are reversed. In this case, the spherical body 55 rolls on the top surface 52b, closes the opening 56, and closes the ink flow path.
[0041]
Next, FIG. 10 shows an example in which the printer 1 shown in FIG. 9 is tilted so as to rotate around an axis parallel to the x axis from the posture in the use state. In this case, FIG. , The spherical body 55 closes the opening 56 and closes the ink flow path. FIG. 11 shows a case in which it is inclined to the opposite side to FIG. 10. In this case, the spherical body 55 closes the opening 57 and closes the ink flow path. Further, FIG. 12 shows an example in which the top and bottom are reversed. In this case, the spherical body 55 rolls on the top surface 52b, closes the opening 57, and closes the ink flow path.
[0042]
That is, as described above, the spherical body 55 serving as the valve body is stationary at a position where the opening 56 and the opening 57 are not blocked in the posture when the printer 1 is used, and the ink flow path is opened. When the posture changes from the posture at the time of use, it is displaced toward the opening 56 or the opening 57 by the action of gravity and closes the opening 56 or the opening 57 to close the ink flow path. The ink flow path is mechanically opened and closed in response to the above. Therefore, when the printer 1 is placed in a tilted posture, the ink flow path is always closed, thereby reliably preventing ink leakage. In particular, in the case of an electromagnetic valve type valve or the like, when an abnormality occurs such that the power outlet is disconnected while the valve is open, ink leakage occurs when the printer is tilted. The valve 50 does not need to use a power source for its opening / closing operation, and the ink flow path is mechanically closed when the posture of the printer 1 changes from the posture at the time of use, so that the ink leakage is always reliably prevented. can do.
The configuration of the valve 50 is not limited to this embodiment, and any configuration may be used as long as the valve is closed by the action of gravity according to a change in the posture of the printer 1.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an apparatus main body of a printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side sectional view of a printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an operation explanatory view of a valve according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet printer, 2 Paper feeder, 3 Frame, 4 Ink cartridge, 6 Coil spring, 10 Hopper, 11 Feed roller, 12 Paper return lever, 13 Friction separation material, 14 Idle roller, 15 Lever, 16 Detection part, 17 Paper detector, 18 paper guide member, 19 carriage motor, 20 holder member, 21 transport drive roller, 22 transport driven roller, 23 guide roller, 24 endless belt, 25 carriage, 26 inkjet recording head, 27 carriage guide shaft, 28 platen 28a Concave part 29 Discharge drive roller 30 Discharge driven roller 31 Waste liquid tray 32 Discharge frame 34 Waste liquid absorber 37 Discharge auxiliary roller 43 Ink tube 45 Carriage side holding part 46 Base side holding part 50 Valve, 51 body, 52 Ink chamber, 53 54 connecting pipe, 55 spheres, 56, 57 opening, 58 sealing lid, P recording paper

Claims (8)

A carriage having a recording head for recording on a recording medium and reciprocatingly driven in the main scanning direction;
An ink cartridge provided independently from the carriage;
In an ink jet recording apparatus comprising an ink supply tube that communicates the ink cartridge and the recording head, a valve device that opens and closes an ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head,
In the ink chamber in which the first opening that communicates with the recording head and the second opening that communicates with the ink cartridge are formed, the first opening and the second opening when the ink jet recording apparatus is in use. When the ink flow path is opened and the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus is changed from the posture in use, the first opening portion or the first opening portion is caused by the action of gravity. A valve body that is displaced toward the two openings and closes the first opening or the second opening, thereby closing the ink flow path.
A valve device characterized by that. The valve body according to claim 1, wherein the valve body is a spherical body that rolls on a bottom surface or a top surface of the ink chamber.
A valve device characterized by that. 3. The posture of the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom surface of the ink chamber is positioned between the first opening and the first opening from a substantially intermediate position between the first opening and the second opening. And substantially V-shaped so as to be inclined obliquely upward toward the second opening.
A valve device characterized by that. 4. The position of the ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the ink chamber is a substantially intermediate position between the first opening and the second opening. From the first opening and the second opening side to the side of the first opening and the second opening is formed in a substantially V shape so as to go obliquely upward,
A valve device characterized by that. A carriage having a recording head for recording on a recording medium and reciprocatingly driven in the main scanning direction;
An ink cartridge provided independently of the carriage;
In an ink jet recording apparatus comprising an ink supply tube that communicates the ink cartridge and the recording head, a valve device that opens and closes an ink flow path between the ink cartridge and the recording head,
In the posture when using the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink flow path is opened, and when the posture of the ink jet recording apparatus changes from the posture during use, the ink flow path is closed accordingly.
A valve device characterized by that. An ink jet recording apparatus for recording on a recording medium, comprising the valve device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. The valve device according to claim 6, wherein the first opening portion and the second opening portion are provided so as to face each other in the valve device, and the first recording device is in the posture when the ink jet recording apparatus is used. A straight line connecting the opening and the second opening is provided so as to form a predetermined angle with respect to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in a plan view of the ink jet recording apparatus.
An ink jet recording apparatus. A carriage that includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a medium to be ejected and is driven to reciprocate in the main scanning direction;
A liquid cartridge provided independently of the carriage;
A liquid supply tube communicating the liquid cartridge with the liquid jet head;
A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a valve device that opens and closes a liquid flow path between the liquid cartridge and the liquid ejecting head;
In the posture when the liquid ejecting apparatus is used, the valve device is in a liquid chamber in which a first opening communicating with the liquid ejecting head and a second opening communicating with the liquid cartridge are formed. When the opening of the liquid ejecting apparatus is stationary at a position where the opening and the second opening are not blocked and the liquid channel is opened, and the posture of the liquid ejecting apparatus changes from the posture during use, the first opening is caused by the action of gravity. Or a valve element that closes the first opening or the second opening and thereby closes the liquid flow path.
A liquid ejecting apparatus.

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