JP5083537B2 - Ink supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink supply device in which an ink cartridge mounted on a cartridge mounting portion is urged by an elastic member to be removed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus that records an image on a recording sheet (recording medium) using ink is known. This image recording apparatus includes an ink jet recording head, and selectively ejects ink droplets from a nozzle of the recording head toward a recording sheet. The ink droplets land on the recording paper, whereby a desired image is recorded on the recording paper. This image recording apparatus is provided with an ink container for storing ink to be supplied to the recording head. In many cases, the ink container adopts a cartridge format and is detachable from a cartridge mounting portion provided in the image recording apparatus. Such a cartridge type ink container is also referred to as an ink cartridge.

  When the ink in the ink cartridge runs out, the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge mounting portion of the image recording apparatus, and a new ink cartridge for storing ink is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion. In such an image recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge can be attached to and detached from the cartridge mounting portion, a structure for positioning the ink cartridge and locking the mounting state of the ink cartridge is employed.

  In Patent Document 1, when the ink cartridge (14) is mounted in the refill unit (13) and the door (41) is closed, a pressing portion (200a) which is a part of the back surface of the ink cartridge (14) is disclosed. ), The ink cartridge (14) is held by the urging force of the coil spring (66) of the pressure holding member (61), while the door (41) is opened. A configuration is disclosed in which a drawer member (65) provided on the door (41) allows the ink cartridge (14) to be pulled out from the refill unit (13).

  The ink cartridge (14) mainly includes an ink reservoir (100) that stores ink and a case (200) that covers substantially the entire ink reservoir (100).

  The ink cartridge (14) is provided with a supply valve (620). The supply valve (620) is opened by inserting an ink needle (49) provided in the multi-function device (1). When the supply valve (620) is opened, the ink stored in the ink reservoir (100) flows out to the multi-function device (1) through the ink needle (49).

JP 2007-196653 A

  However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to increase the rotation range of the drawer member (65) with respect to the change in the posture of the door (41), and the ink cartridge (14) is removed by the opening operation of the door (41). Since it cannot be pulled out largely from the refill unit (13), there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to hold the ink cartridge (14) to be replaced.

  On the other hand, if the ink cartridge (14) attached to the refill unit (13) is provided in the refill unit (13) such as a coil spring that urges the ink cartridge in the pulling direction, the door (41) is opened when the door (41) is opened. The ink cartridge (14) receiving the force can be ejected from the refill unit (13). However, the ink cartridge (14), which has been reduced in weight as a result of consumption of ink, may become violent when it jumps out of the refill unit (13) by receiving an urging force. As a result, the supply valve (620) and the ink needle (49) Ink droplets adhering to the surface of the refill unit (13) and the ink cartridge (14) are contaminated with ink.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide means that can prevent the ink cartridge that is urged in the removal direction and jumps out of the cartridge mounting portion from being unrested. It is in.

(1) An ink supply device according to the present invention includes an ink chamber for storing ink and an engaged portion, and is provided with a friction member capable of generating sliding friction in a withdrawal direction that intersects the direction of gravity. An ink cartridge, a cartridge mounting portion in which the ink cartridge can be inserted into and removed from the frame through an opening, the friction member of the ink cartridge provided in the cartridge mounting portion, and the ink cartridge A sliding contact member that is movably contacted in the removal direction, an elastic member that urges the ink cartridge inserted in the cartridge mounting portion in the removal direction, and the cartridge mounting portion only . Moves in the direction of appearing in and out of the inner space of the frame on the back side from the opening and intersecting the removal direction And having a lock portion that can be engaged with and disengaged from the engaged portion without closing the opening, and the lock portion moves away from the engaged portion by moving to the inner surface side of the frame. A first posture that allows the ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion to move in the removal direction, and the lock portion engages with the engaged portion by moving to the side protruding from the inner surface of the frame. A lock member having an operation lever for operating the change in posture of the lock portion , wherein the posture of the ink cartridge is changed to a second posture in which the ink cartridge is restrained against the urging force of the elastic member in the withdrawal direction; Are provided. The friction member is a cylindrical member that constitutes a first port through which ink can flow out from the ink chamber. The sliding contact member is an ink circulation pipe inserted into the cylindrical member. The elastic member moves the ink cartridge in the mounted posture in the removal direction against the sliding friction caused by the contact between the friction member and the sliding contact member when the lock portion is in the first posture .

  The ink cartridge stores ink in the ink chamber. The ink cartridge is provided with an engaged portion that can engage with the lock member. In addition, the ink cartridge is provided with a friction member that comes into contact with the sliding contact member to generate sliding friction.

  The cartridge mounting portion has a space that can accommodate the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion is urged by the elastic member in the removal direction in which the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge mounting portion. On the other hand, the lock member in the second posture is engaged with the engaged portion of the ink cartridge, and the ink cartridge is prevented from moving in the removal direction against the biasing of the elastic member. When the lock member is in the first posture and the engagement with the engaged portion is released, the ink cartridge is biased by the elastic member and moved in the removal direction.

  In a state where the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the friction member of the ink cartridge and the sliding contact member of the cartridge mounting portion come into contact. When the friction member and the sliding contact member come into contact with each other, sliding friction occurs between them. Further, the ink cartridge is movable in the removal direction in a state where the friction member and the sliding contact member are in contact with each other. When the ink cartridge is biased by the elastic member and moves in the removal direction, the friction member slides while generating sliding friction with respect to the sliding contact member. Since this sliding friction becomes a load with respect to the urging of the elastic member, the ink cartridge that has been unlocked does not rush out in the removal direction.

  The ink in the ink chamber can flow out through the first port which is the inner hole of the cylindrical member. The cartridge mounting part is provided with an ink circulation pipe, and the ink circulation pipe is inserted into the first port in a state where the ink cartridge is attached to the cartridge mounting part. The direction in which the ink circulation pipe is removed from the first port is the same as the direction in which the ink cartridge is removed from the cartridge mounting portion. Further, when the ink circulation pipe is removed from the first port, sliding friction is generated between the cylindrical member and the ink circulation pipe. Therefore, the ink cartridge is removed and the ink circulation pipe is removed from the first port, and the sliding friction generated at that time becomes a load against the biasing of the elastic member.

(2) The ink cartridge further includes a first valve body capable of changing its posture between an open posture in which the first port is opened and a closed posture in which the first port is closed by being brought into contact with and separated from the cylindrical member. And at least one of the elastic members may urge the first valve body to a closed posture.

  As one of the elastic members in the present invention, one that urges the first valve body that opens and closes the first port can be considered.

(3) The ink cartridge includes a main body having the ink chamber and an engaged portion, a first position provided on the front side of the main body in the insertion direction, and spaced apart from the main body toward the front side in the insertion direction. A slider slidable between a second position closer to the main body side, and at least one of the elastic members is provided in the ink cartridge and biases the slider to the first position. It may be.

  As an aspect of the ink cartridge according to the present invention, an ink cartridge having a slider that contacts and separates from a main body having an ink chamber can be considered. In such an aspect, one of the elastic members in the present invention may bias the slider.

(4) The ink cartridge has a second valve whose posture can be changed between a second port communicating with the air layer of the ink chamber, an open posture for opening the second port, and a closed posture for closing the second port. And a pressing member that presses the second valve body into an open posture with respect to the ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, and at least one of the elastic members includes the first member The two-valve element may be urged to the closed posture.

  As an aspect of the ink cartridge according to the present invention, an aspect in which the second port for setting the air layer of the ink chamber to atmospheric pressure is provided and the second port is opened and closed by the second valve body is conceivable. In such an aspect, one of the elastic members in the present invention may bias the second valve body.

  As described above, according to the ink supply device of the present invention, the elastic member urges the ink cartridge in the removal direction with respect to the ink cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and the friction member and the sliding contact member Since the sliding friction is generated by the contact, when the lock by the lock member is released and the ink cartridge moves in the removal direction, the sliding friction becomes a load with respect to the biasing of the elastic member. As a result, the unlocked ink cartridge does not jump out in the removal direction vigorously, so that the ink droplets are prevented from scattering when the ink cartridge is taken out.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, this embodiment is only an example of this invention, and it cannot be overemphasized that embodiment can be changed suitably in the range which does not change the summary of this invention.

[Explanation of drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of an ink supply apparatus 200 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the ink supply device 200 (mounted state). FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 2A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 2B shows that the slider 41 is in the second position. The state is shown. 3A and 3B are side views of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 3A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the slider 41 is in the second position. It is shown. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the cartridge mounting unit 202. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cartridge mounting portion 202. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line VII-VII in FIG. 8 to 10 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. FIG. FIG. 8 shows a process of mounting the ink cartridge 100, FIG. 9 shows a state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted and locked, and FIG. 10 shows an ink cartridge immediately after unlocking. 100 states are shown.

[Schematic Configuration of Ink Supply Device 200]
Hereinafter, a schematic configuration of the ink supply apparatus 200 will be described. The ink supply device 200 is applied to a device that consumes ink (hereinafter, also referred to as “ink consumption device”) such as an inkjet printer. The ink supply device 200 may be integrated with the ink consumption device. For example, an opening that can be opened and closed by a door is provided in the casing of the ink consuming apparatus, and the ink supply apparatus 200 is exposed to the outside through the opening.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply device 200 mainly includes an ink cartridge 100 and a cartridge mounting unit 202. The ink cartridge 100 is a cartridge type and can be attached to and detached from the cartridge mounting portion 202. In the ink supply device 200, four types of ink cartridges 100 are configured to be detachable. Each ink cartridge 100 contains ink of any one of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Each ink stored in each ink cartridge 100 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202 in the ink supply device 200 is supplied to the ink consuming device.

[Ink cartridge 100]
The detailed configuration of the ink cartridge 100 will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink cartridge 100 has a flat, substantially hexahedron outer shape, that is, a flat rectangular parallelepiped. Specifically, the outer shape of the ink cartridge 100 is narrower in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31), and is higher than the width direction in the height direction (the direction of the arrow 32) and the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33). It is a long, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The ink cartridge 100 is in the upright state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, that is, the lower surface in the drawing is the bottom surface, and the upper surface in the drawing is the top surface, and the arrow 30 with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 202. Is inserted in the direction indicated by (hereinafter referred to as “insertion direction 30”), and is extracted in the direction indicated by arrow 29 (hereinafter referred to as “extraction direction 29”). The removal direction 29 and the insertion direction 30 are two opposite directions. In this specification, the bottom and top surfaces of the ink cartridge 100 refer to those in the standing state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 unless otherwise specified.

  The ink cartridge 100 roughly includes a container main body 40 (see FIG. 4) in which ink is stored, a slider 41, a main body cover 42, and coil springs 48 and 49 (see FIG. 4). The exterior of the ink cartridge 100 is generally constituted by a slider 41 and a main body cover 42. The container body 40 is generally covered with a slider 41 and a body cover 42. The container main body 40 and the main body cover 42 correspond to the main body in the present invention. The slider 41 corresponds to the slider in the present invention. The coil springs 48 and 49 correspond to one of the elastic members in the present invention.

  The main body cover 42 substantially covers the container main body 40, but the stopper 125 of the container main body 40 is exposed from the main body cover 42. The slider 41 is disposed on the front side in the insertion direction 30 with respect to the main body cover 42 and covers the back surface portion 46. The back portion 46 of the main body cover 42 is a part of the main body cover 42 that is the front side with respect to the insertion direction 30.

  The slider 41 is slidable in the depth direction of the ink cartridge 100 (the direction of the arrow 33), and is the first position (FIG. 2) farthest from the back surface 34 (see FIG. 4) of the container body 40 to the front side in the insertion direction 30. (See (A)) and a second position (see FIG. 2B) closest to the back surface 34 of the container body 40. When the slider 41 is in the second position, a cap 95 (see FIG. 4) of the ink supply valve 90 described later protrudes from the slider 41 to the outside. When the slider 41 reaches the first position, the cap 95 is immersed in the slider 41. Detailed configurations of the container body 40, the body cover 42, and the slider 41 will be described later.

[Container body 40]
Below, the detailed structure of the container main body 40 is demonstrated. The container body 40 has an approximately hexahedron outer shape that is generally flat. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in the container main body 40, the front surface with respect to the insertion direction 30 is the back surface 34, and the back surface with respect to the insertion direction 30 is the front surface 35. The upper surface is the upper surface 36 with respect to the direction of gravity (the lower direction in FIG. 4), and the lower surface is the bottom surface 37 with respect to the direction of gravity.

  The container body 40 is roughly composed of a frame 50, an arm 70, an atmosphere communication valve 80, an ink supply valve 90, and a film (not shown) made of a transparent resin. Although not shown in FIG. 4, films are welded to both sides of the frame 50, and a fixed space is formed in a liquid-tight manner by the film and the frame 50. A constant space inside the frame 50 is an ink chamber 102. Predetermined ink is injected and stored in the ink chamber 102.

  In the present embodiment, an aspect in which the ink chamber 102 is formed by the frame 50 and the film is shown. However, for example, the frame 50 itself may be a rectangular parallelepiped container shape and the internal space may be the ink chamber 102. Good.

  The frame 50 is a substantially ring-shaped member that constitutes the outer wall of the container body 40. As described above, the frame 50 has a ring shape by forming the back surface 34, the front surface 35, the top surface 36, and the bottom surface 37 of the container body 40. In the frame 50, the width of the back surface 34, the front surface 35, the top surface 36, and the bottom surface 37 (in the direction of arrow 31 in FIG. 2) is substantially constant. The frame 50 is made of a translucent member, for example, a transparent or translucent resin material, and is obtained by, for example, injection molding of a resin material. Examples of such a resin material include polyacetal, nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

  A detection unit 140 is formed on the back surface 34 of the frame 50. The detection unit 140 is for optically detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 102. The detection unit 140 is formed integrally with the frame 50. Therefore, the detection unit 140 is made of the same material as that of the frame 50, that is, a transparent or translucent resin material having translucency, and can transmit light from the outside. Light can be irradiated from the optical sensor 181 (see FIG. 7) provided in the cartridge mounting unit 202 to the irradiation region 144 (the region surrounded by the broken line in FIG. 4) below the detection unit 140.

  The detection unit 140 protrudes from the middle of the back surface 34 of the container body 40 to the outside of the container body 40. The detection unit 140 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape partitioned by five wall surfaces, and has a hollow space 142 therein. The space 142 is in communication with the ink chamber 102. The indicator 72 of the arm 70 disposed in the ink chamber 102 can enter the space 142.

  The arm 70 is rotatably supported by the support member 74 in the ink chamber 102. The support member 74 is formed integrally with the frame 50 and has a support shaft 77 for supporting the arm 70. The arm 70 is a rod-like member bent in a Z shape, and a flat plate-like indicator 72 is provided at one end. The indicator 72 enters the space 142 and can move in the vertical direction in the space 142 as the arm 70 rotates. The indicator 72 can block the light emitted from the optical sensor 181.

  A float 73 is provided at the other end of the arm 70. The float 73 has a predetermined buoyancy with respect to the ink stored in the ink chamber 102. The buoyancy of the float 73 is adjusted by, for example, the volume or material of the hollow portion formed inside the float 73. When the ink stored in the ink chamber 102 is consumed, the liquid level of the ink in the ink chamber 102 falls, and the posture of the float 73 changes (displaces) as the liquid level drops. The arm 70 can be rotated by the displacement of the float 73.

  When there is more ink than the predetermined amount in the ink chamber 102, the float 73 rises. As the float 73 rises, the indicator 72 moves downward in the space 142 to a light shielding posture (the posture represented by the solid line in FIG. 4). The light blocking posture indicator 72 blocks light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 181 in the irradiation region 144 below the detection unit 140. When the ink in the ink chamber 102 falls below a predetermined amount, the float 73 descends as the ink level drops, and as the float 73 descends, the indicator 72 moves above the space 142 and transmits light ( (The posture represented by the broken line in FIG. 4). The indicator 72 of the light transmitting posture does not exist in the irradiation region 144 and does not block the light irradiated from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 181 with respect to the irradiation region 144.

  A valve housing chamber 55 is formed in the upper part of the back surface 34 of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 55 is a cylindrical space extending from the back surface 34 of the frame 50 to the inside of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 55 opens at the back surface 34 of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 55 communicates with the upper space (air layer) of the ink chamber 102 at the back. An air communication valve 80 is accommodated in the valve accommodating chamber 54.

  The air communication valve 80 is a valve that opens or closes an air path from the opening of the valve storage chamber 55 to the ink chamber 102. The air communication valve 80 mainly includes a valve body 87, a coil spring 86, a seal member 83, and a cap 85. The valve main body 87 is slidable in the depth direction of the container main body 40 in the valve accommodating chamber 55. The valve main body 87 has a lid 88 and a rod 84. The valve body 87 corresponds to the second valve body in the present invention, and the rod 84 corresponds to the pressing member in the present invention.

  The valve body 87 slides in the valve storage chamber 55 to change its posture between a closed posture in which the lid 88 contacts the seal member 83 and an open posture in which the lid 88 separates from the seal member 83. When the lid 88 comes into contact with the seal member 83, an atmosphere communication port 81 to be described later is closed, and when the lid 88 is separated from the seal member 83, the atmosphere communication port 81 is opened. The rod 84 projects substantially horizontally from the center of the lid 88 to the outside of the frame 50 through the air communication port 81. The tip of the rod 84 is positioned on the outermost side among the members provided on the back surface 34 side of the container body 40.

  A cap 85 is attached to the opening of the valve accommodating chamber 55 with a seal member 83 interposed. Each of the cap 85 and the seal member 83 has a through hole (not shown), and these through holes communicate with each other. The through holes of the cap 85 and the seal member 83 form an atmosphere communication port 81 that communicates the inside and the outside of the valve housing chamber 55. The atmosphere communication port 81 corresponds to the second port in the present invention.

  The coil spring 86 is provided in the valve housing chamber 55 and urges the valve body 87 toward the closed posture side. That is, the coil spring 86 urges the valve body 87 in a direction in which the lid 88 is brought closer to the seal member 83. Accordingly, the atmospheric communication valve 80 is biased by the coil spring 86 and closes the atmospheric communication port 81 by the lid 88 when no external force is applied. On the other hand, when the rod 84 is pressed from the outside by an external force, the cover 88 of the valve main body 87 is separated from the seal member 83 against the bias of the coil spring 86 and the atmosphere communication port 81 is opened. As a result, the air layer in the ink chamber 102 becomes atmospheric pressure. The coil spring 86 corresponds to one of the elastic members in the present invention.

  A valve housing chamber 54 is formed in the lower portion of the back surface 34 of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 54 is a cylindrical space extending from the back surface 34 of the frame 50 to the inside of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 54 opens on the back surface 34 of the frame 50. The valve storage chamber 54 communicates with the lower space of the ink chamber 102 at the back. An ink supply valve 90 is accommodated in the valve accommodating chamber 54.

  The ink supply valve 90 is a valve that opens or closes the ink path from the back surface 34 of the frame 50 to the ink chamber 102. The ink supply valve 90 mainly includes a seal member 93, a cap 95, a coil spring 96, and a valve body 97. The seal member 93 corresponds to the cylindrical member and the friction member in the present invention. The coil spring 96 corresponds to one of the elastic members in the present invention. The valve body 97 corresponds to the first valve body in the present invention.

   A cap 95 is attached to a portion where the valve housing chamber 54 is opened on the back surface 34 of the frame 50 with a seal member 93 interposed. The seal member 93 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape. The inner hole of the seal member 93 constitutes a part of the ink supply port 91 as described later. The seal member 93 is an elastically deformable material such as rubber, and can be made liquid-tight by bringing it into close contact with another member, and sliding due to friction when the other member slides. It creates a load. The seal member 93 is attached to the valve accommodating chamber 54 such that the axis 151 of the inner hole thereof is parallel to the removal direction 29 and the insertion direction 30. The diameter of the inner hole of the seal member 93 is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the ink needle 209 described later. Accordingly, the ink needle 209 inserted into the inner hole of the seal member 93 is elastically deformed so as to increase the diameter of the inner hole of the seal member 93 and comes into pressure contact with the seal member 93.

  The cap 95 is provided with a through hole (not shown). The through hole of the cap 95 is on the axis 151 of the inner hole of the seal member 93. The inner hole of the seal member 93 together with the through hole of the cap 95 forms an ink supply port 91 that communicates the inside and the outside of the valve housing chamber 54 on the back surface 34 of the frame 50. A tubular ink needle 209 (see FIG. 7) is inserted into the ink supply port 91 when the ink cartridge 100 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 202. The ink supply port 91 corresponds to the first port in the present invention.

  The valve main body 97 is guided and slid by the inner wall of the valve accommodating chamber 54, and can change its posture between an open posture separating from the seal member 93 and a closed posture in close contact with the seal member 93. The valve storage chamber 54 is a circular hole that forms part of the ink chamber 102, and its radial direction is slightly larger than the outer shape of the valve main body 97, and the axial direction is long enough to accommodate the slide of the valve main body 97 and the coil spring 96. It is. The valve body 97 has a cylindrical shape and has a contact wall 94 on the side facing the seal member 93. When the abutment wall 94 comes into close contact with the seal member 93, the ink supply port 91 is closed. A gap is provided between the peripheral surface of the valve body 97 and the inner wall of the valve storage chamber 54 so that ink can flow.

  The coil spring 96 is provided in the valve housing chamber 54 and biases the valve body 97 toward the closed posture. That is, the coil spring 96 urges the valve main body 97 in a direction to approach the seal member 93. Therefore, if no external force is applied to the ink supply valve 90, the coil spring 96 causes the valve body 97 to be in close contact with the seal member 93, thereby closing the ink supply port 91. On the other hand, when the ink needle 209 is inserted into the ink supply port 91 from the outside, the tip of the ink needle 209 pushes the valve body 97, and the valve body 97 is separated from the seal member 93 against the urging force of the coil spring 96. At the same time, the ink supply port 91 is liquid-tightly sealed by the outer peripheral surface of the ink needle 209. Then, the ink in the ink chamber 102 flows into the tip of the ink needle 209 that has entered the inside from the ink supply port 91, and the ink can flow out from the ink chamber 102 through the ink needle 209.

  Spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111 are formed near the upper end and the lower end of the back surface 34 of the frame 50, respectively. Each of the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111 is a substantially cylindrical hole bored from the back surface 34 of the frame 50 toward the ink chamber 102. Coil springs 48 and 49 are accommodated in the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111, respectively. The coil springs 48 and 49 urge the slider 41 in the insertion direction 30. The positions of the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111, the inner diameter dimension or the depth dimension of the holes, and the like are elements that are appropriately determined according to the specifications of the accommodated spring, but the height direction of the container body 40 (arrow 32). In order to evenly urge the slider 41 that is long in the direction of 2) to maintain a stable posture with respect to the container body 40, as shown in the present embodiment, the upper and lower parts separated in the height direction of the container body 40 It is desirable that the pair of spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111 is disposed at the position. The coil springs 48 and 49 correspond to one of the elastic members in the present invention.

  A support member 115 is provided on the upper surface 36 of the frame 50 on the front side in the insertion direction 30. A support member 116 is provided on the bottom side 37 of the frame 50 on the front side in the insertion direction 30. Each support member 115 and 116 is formed integrally with the frame 50. The support members 115 and 116 are respectively engaged with projecting pieces 192 and 193 formed on the slider 41 to support the slider 41 so as to be slidable with respect to the container body 40. Further, since the support members 115 and 116 are engaged with the slider 41, the slider 41 is not detached from the container body 40.

  The support member 115 includes a base 118 projecting vertically upward from the upper surface 36 of the frame 50, and a flange 119 formed at an end of the base 118 on the back surface 34 side. The collar portion 119 has a collar shape that bends upward from the insertion direction 30. The support member 116 includes a base 121 that protrudes vertically downward from the bottom surface 37 of the frame 50, and a flange 122 that is formed at an end of the base 121 on the back surface 34 side. The collar portion 122 has a collar shape that bends downward from the insertion direction 30.

  A base 124 is provided on the upper surface 36 of the frame 50. The platform 124 has a generally trapezoidal shape protruding upward from the upper surface 36, and from the intermediate portion in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33) on the upper surface 36 to the rear side in the insertion direction 30, that is, the front surface 35 of the container body 40. It is extended to the side. When the container main body 40 is covered with the main body cover 42, the platform 124 is exposed to the outside through an opening 128 (see FIG. 2) provided on the upper surface of the main body cover 42.

  The base portion 124 is provided with a stopper 125. The stopper 125 is provided at the front end of the pedestal 124 in the insertion direction 30 and protrudes further upward from the upper surface of the pedestal 124. The stopper 125 includes a vertical wall 126 that stands substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the base portion 124, and a rib 127 that descends while the upper surface is inclined to the front side in the insertion direction 30 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the upper end of the vertical wall 126. And have. When the container main body 40 is covered with the main body cover 42, the stopper 125 is exposed to the outside through an opening 128 (see FIG. 2) provided on the upper surface of the main body cover 42. The stopper 125 is for locking the mounting state so that the ink cartridge 100 is not removed from the cartridge mounting unit 202 when the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. This locking will be described later. This is achieved by engagement with the lock portion 237 (see FIG. 7) of the lock arm 230. The stopper 125 corresponds to the engaged portion in the present invention.

  A plurality of through holes 130 are provided in the frame 50. Each through hole 130 is penetrated in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6) in the frame 50, and four each are formed on the upper surface 36 side and the bottom surface 37 side in the frame 50. The container main body 40 and the main body cover 42 are assembled by the engagement claws 132 of the main body cover 42 engaging with the through holes 130 respectively.

[Slider 41, body cover 42]
Hereinafter, detailed configurations of the slider 41 and the main body cover 42 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body cover 42 has a container shape that can substantially accommodate the container main body 40. The main body cover 42 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped outer shape corresponding to the outer shape of the container main body 40.

  A step 43 is formed on the side surface of the main body cover 42 in the vicinity of the center in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33). The side surface of the main body cover 42 is divided through a step 43 into a front portion 47 on the front surface 35 side of the ink cartridge 100 and a back surface portion 46 on the back surface 34 side. The rear portion 46 is narrower than the front portion 47 in the width direction (in the direction of the arrow 31), whereby the side surface of the main body cover 42 has two steps. The step 43 corresponds to the thickness of the left side wall 165 and the right side wall 166 of the slider 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an opening 128 is provided on the upper surface of the front portion 47 of the main body cover 42. The opening 128 is a rectangular long hole through which the pedestal 124 and the stopper 125 of the container body 40 can be exposed. When the main body cover 42 is assembled to the container main body 40, the base portion 124 and the stopper 125 are exposed to the outside from the opening 128.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main body cover 42 includes a pair of a left cover 44 and a right cover 45 that are symmetrical with respect to the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31). The left cover 44 and the right cover 45 have a plurality of engaging claws 132 (see FIG. 4) that protrude substantially horizontally from the inner surface thereof. The container main body 40, the left cover 44, and the right cover 45 are integrally assembled so that the engaging claws 132 are engaged with the through holes 130 of the container main body 40 to sandwich the container main body 40, respectively.

  The slider 41 has a container shape capable of accommodating the back portion 46 of the main body cover 42 and has a flat outer shape. Specifically, the slider 41 includes a rear wall 161 corresponding to the rear surface 34 of the container body 40, an upper wall 163 corresponding to the upper surface of the rear surface portion 46 of the main body cover 42, and a lower wall 164 corresponding to the lower surface of the rear surface portion 46. And a left side wall 165 and a right side wall 166 corresponding to both side surfaces of the back surface portion 46. A back portion 46 of the main body cover 42 can be accommodated in the internal space of the slider 41 surrounded by these walls.

  In the vicinity of the middle stage of the rear wall 161 of the slider 41, a notch 187 is formed in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31). The notch 187 is a window for exposing the detection unit 140 of the container body 40 to the outside, and the side wall 165 and the side wall 166 are rectangular in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31) leaving a part on the rear wall 161 side. It has been cut through. The notch 187 can transmit light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 181 (see FIG. 7).

  As shown in FIG. 4, rods 168 and 169 are provided inside the slider 41. The rods 168 and 169 protrude in a substantially horizontal direction from the inner surface of the rear wall 161 of the slider 41 toward the back surface 34 of the container body 40. The rod 168 is disposed on the upper side of the rear wall 161, and the rod 169 is disposed on the lower side of the rear wall 161. A coil spring 48 disposed in the spring accommodating chamber 110 of the container main body 40 is externally fitted to the rod 168, and a coil spring 49 disposed in the spring accommodating chamber 111 of the container main body 40 is externally fitted to the rod 169. When the coil springs 48 and 49 are contracted, the rods 48 and 49 are inserted into the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111, respectively.

  A sliding groove 171 is formed on the back surface side of the upper wall 163 in the slider 41. The sliding groove 171 is formed by an upper wall 163, a part of the left side wall 165, and a part of the right side wall 166, and has an inverted U shape with the lower side opened in the longitudinal section. Further, the rear wall 161 side of the sliding groove 171 is opened. In the sliding groove 171, the projecting piece 192 is suspended from the back surface of the upper wall 163. Although most of the support member 115 is slidable with respect to the protruding piece 192, the flange portion 119 of the support member 115 abuts. The flange portion 119 comes into contact with the projecting piece 192 from the rear wall 161 side. This contact prevents the slider 41 from falling off the container body 40. In a range where the flange portion 119 does not contact the projecting piece 192, the slide of the slider 41 with respect to the container main body 40 is guided in a certain direction by the base 118, and the slider 41 is slidable with respect to the container main body 40.

  A sliding groove 172 is formed on the back side of the lower wall 164 in the slider 41. The sliding groove 172 is formed by the lower wall 164, a part of the left side wall 165, and a part of the right side wall 166, and has a U shape with the upper side opened in the longitudinal section. Further, the rear wall 161 side of the sliding groove 172 is opened. In the sliding groove 172, a protruding piece 193 is erected from the back surface of the lower wall 164. Although most of the support member 116 is slidable with respect to the projecting piece 193, the flange 122 of the support member 116 abuts. The flange 122 abuts against the protrusion 193 from the rear wall 161 side. This contact prevents the slider 41 from falling off the container body 40. In a range where the flange 122 does not come into contact with the projecting piece 193, the slide of the slider 41 with respect to the container body 40 is guided in a certain direction by the base 121, and the slider 41 is slidable with respect to the container body 40. The protrusions 192 and 193 are at the same position with respect to the depth direction of the slider 41 (the direction of the arrow 33). Therefore, the slide position of the slider 41 where the collar portion 119 contacts the projecting piece 192 is the same as the slide position of the slider 41 where the collar portion 122 contacts the projecting piece 193.

  In a state where the slider 41 is mounted on the container body 40, the slider 41 is urged in a direction away from the back surface 34 of the container body 40 by the coil springs 48 and 49. When no external force is applied to the slider 41, the slider 41 comes to rest at the first position shown in FIG. 3A, with the flanges 119 and 122 abutting against the projecting pieces 192 and 193, respectively. On the other hand, when an external force is applied to the slider 41 from the rear wall 161 side, the slider 41 can slide to the second position shown in FIG. 3B against the urging force of the coil springs 48 and 49.

  The slider 41 has an opening 177 on the upper side of the rear wall 161. In the state where the slider 41 is assembled to the container main body 40, the height position of the opening 177 corresponds to the atmospheric communication valve 80. The opening 177 is circular when viewed from the rear wall 161 side, and is a size through which the pressing portion 216 (see FIG. 7) provided in the cartridge mounting portion 202 can be inserted. In the process of mounting the ink cartridge 100 to the cartridge mounting portion 202, the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177.

  The slider 41 has an opening 178 on the lower side of the rear wall 161. In the state where the slider 41 is assembled to the container main body 40, the height position of the opening 178 corresponds to the ink supply valve 90. The opening 178 has a shape and size through which the cap 95 of the ink supply valve 90 can be inserted. The cap 95 is exposed from the opening 178 when the slider 41 is in the second position.

[Cartridge mounting unit 202]
The detailed configuration of the cartridge mounting unit 202 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge mounting portion 202 is mainly formed by a frame 204 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having an opening 207 on the front surface. Each ink cartridge 100 is accommodated in the internal space of the frame 204. In the present embodiment, the cartridge mounting unit 202 is one space corresponding to each ink cartridge 100. That is, four cartridge mounting portions 202 are arranged side by side in the width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 5), and four ink cartridges 100 corresponding to each color of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are arranged in each cartridge mounting portion 202. Can be accommodated. The width direction in which the cartridge mounting portions 202 are arranged is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the insertion direction 30 of the ink cartridge 100.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the frame 204 is provided with three plates 223 that partition the internal space. The ink cartridge 100 is accommodated in each of the four spaces (cartridge mounting portions 202) partitioned by the plate 223. The plate 223 is a thin plate that protrudes from the back surface of the frame 204 to the front surface side, and its front and back surfaces extend in the vertical direction in the internal space of the frame 204. Each plate 223 is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the frame 204 (the left-right direction in FIG. 5). The space between the inner surface of the frame 204 and the plate 223 or between a pair of adjacent plates 223 corresponds to the width of the ink cartridge 100 to be accommodated therebetween. The ink cartridge 100 is accommodated in the cartridge mounting portion 202 which is each space defined by the frame 204 and the plate 223. The ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge mounting unit 202 from the back side.

  Four guide grooves 206 are provided at the bottom of the inner surface of the frame 204. Each guide groove 206 is provided between the inner surface of the frame 204 and the plate 223 or between a pair of adjacent plates 223, and is formed in a straight line shape from the front surface of the frame 204 to the inner part. The ink cartridge 100 accommodated in each space in the frame 204 is guided in each guide groove 206 and is inserted into and removed from the frame 204 in a predetermined insertion / removal direction. The insertion / extraction direction of the ink cartridge 100 is two opposite directions, and the removal / extraction direction 29 and the insertion direction 30 are two opposite directions along the guide groove 206. The direction extending from the back of the frame 204 to the opening 207 is the removal direction 29, and the direction extending from the opening 207 of the frame 204 to the back is the insertion direction 30.

  A joint 208 is provided behind the inner surface of the frame 204. The joint 208 is connected to the ink supply port 91 of the ink cartridge 100 to lead out the ink in the ink chamber 102. Accordingly, four joints 208 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 accommodated in each cartridge mounting portion 202. Since the four ink cartridges 100 are accommodated in the frame 204 in the width direction, the four joints 208 are also arranged in the width direction of the frame 204, and the height positions of the joints 208 are at the cartridge mounting portion 202. This corresponds to the height position of the ink supply port 91 in the accommodated ink cartridge 100. In FIG. 5, the joint 208 arranged on the rightmost side does not appear hidden behind the frame 204.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, each joint 208 has an ink needle 209 and a holding part 210. The ink needle 209 is a cylindrical tube and protrudes in a substantially horizontal direction from the back surface of the frame 204 toward the front surface. The axis 153 of the ink needle 209 coincides with the removal direction 29. The outer diameter of the ink needle 209 is substantially constant with respect to the axial direction 153 and is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the seal member 93 of the ink supply valve 90. The ink needle 209 is slidable in the direction of the axis 153 in a state in which its outer peripheral surface is in liquid-tight contact with the peripheral surface of the inner hole of the seal member 93, and a sliding load due to friction is generated during the sliding. The tip of the ink needle 209 is open, and the tip is inserted into the ink supply valve 90 of the ink cartridge 100 to open the ink supply valve 90. The internal space of the ink needle 209 is a flow path leading from the distal end to the proximal end, and ink can flow through the flow path. The ink needle 209 corresponds to the ink circulation pipe and the sliding contact member in the present invention.

  The proximal end of the ink needle 209 is connected to the ink tube 212 on the back side of the frame 204 as shown in FIG. As a result, the ink tube 212 forms an ink flow path together with the ink needle 209. In FIG. 7, the ink tube 212 is divided in the middle, but actually, the ink tube 212 is extended to an ink consuming device such as a recording head of an ink jet printer.

  The holding unit 210 is provided on the back surface of the frame 204 and has a cylindrical shape surrounding the proximal end side of the ink needle 209. The axis of the holding part 210 and the axis 153 of the ink needle 209 substantially coincide. When the ink cartridge 100 is attached to the cartridge attachment portion 202, the cap 95 (see FIG. 2B) is fitted into the holding portion 210, and the ink needle 209 is attached to the seal member 93 (ink ink) of the ink supply valve 90. Inserted into the supply port 91).

  A pressing portion 216 is provided in the inner surface of the frame 204. The height position of the pressing unit 216 corresponds to the atmosphere communication valve 80 of the ink cartridge 100 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. Therefore, each pressing portion 216 is arranged above each joint 208 described above, and the four pressing portions 216 are arranged in the width direction of the frame 204. Each pressing portion 216 has a cylindrical shape protruding in the horizontal direction from the back surface of the frame 204 toward the front surface, and a circular recess 217 is formed at the tip thereof. In the process of mounting the ink cartridge 100 on the cartridge mounting portion 202, the pressing portion 216 is inserted into the opening 177 of the ink cartridge 100, and the recess 217 presses and pushes the rod 84 of the atmosphere communication valve 80. The atmospheric communication port 81 is opened by pushing the rod 84.

  An optical sensor 181 is provided in the inner surface of the frame 204. The height position of each optical sensor 181 corresponds to the detection unit 140 of the ink cartridge 100 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. Four optical sensors 181 are arranged in the width direction of the frame 204 corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 mounted in each cartridge mounting portion 202. In FIG. 4, the optical sensor 181 arranged on the rightmost side is hidden by the frame 204 and does not appear. The optical sensor 181 outputs a signal for detecting whether the amount of ink in the ink chamber 102 of the ink cartridge 100 has become a predetermined amount or less.

  The optical sensor 181 is a so-called photo interrupter, and the light emitted from the light emitting element is received by the light receiving element, and an electric signal corresponding to the received light intensity is output. The light emitted from the light emitting element of the optical sensor 181 is applied to the irradiation region 144 in the detection unit 140 of the ink cartridge 100, and the light passing through the irradiation region 144 is received by the light receiving element. Since the optical sensor 181 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the light intensity received by the light receiving element, based on the electrical signal from the optical sensor 181, whether or not the ink remaining in the ink chamber 102 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount is determined. Can be judged.

  In each optical sensor 181, the light emitting element and the light receiving element are disposed to face each other in the horizontal direction, and the detection unit 140 of the ink cartridge 100 can enter the optical path from the light emitting element to the light receiving element. By positioning the irradiation region 144 of the detection unit 140 at a position corresponding to the optical path of the optical sensor 181, a change in the posture of the indicator 72 in the detection unit 140 can be optically detected by the optical sensor 181.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a lock arm 230 and a coil spring 219 are provided on the upper surface of the frame 204. The lock member in the present invention is mainly composed of the frame 204, the lock arm 230, and the coil spring 219.

  The lock arm 230 is for locking the ink cartridge 100 in the mounted state in the cartridge mounting portion 202, and forms a part of the lock member in the present invention. In the frame 204, four lock arms 230 are arranged in the width direction corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lock arm 230 extends from the front surface to the back surface of the frame 204 and is bent in a crank shape with respect to the extending direction. A support shaft 232 is provided near the center in the extending direction of the lock arm 230. The support shaft 232 has a pin shape protruding in the horizontal direction from both ends of the lock arm 230. Although not shown in detail in FIG. 7, a pair of bearings capable of supporting the support shaft 232 are formed in the vicinity of the upper surface of the frame 204, and the support shafts 232 are respectively rotatably supported by the pair of bearings. Thus, the lock arm 230 is supported by the frame 204 so as to be rotatable around the support shaft 232. A support mechanism for the lock arm 230 is realized by the pair of bearings of the support shaft 232 and the frame 204.

  The lock arm 230 has an operation lever 234 at a first end that is the front side of the frame 204, and a lock portion 237 at a second end that is the back side of the frame 204. The operation lever 234 protrudes from the front surface of the frame 204 to the near side, and its upper surface has a dish shape along the belly of the finger of the hand. The thickness of the lock arm 230 in the width direction, in other words, the thickness in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the insertion direction 30 in which the ink cartridge 100 is inserted is smaller than the thickness of the ink cartridge 100. Thus, the lock arm 230 is disposed within the range of the width in which each ink cartridge 100 is accommodated. The lock portion 237 has a lower surface that forms a circumferential surface with respect to the extending direction and a tip that is substantially perpendicular to the extending direction.

  The lower corner 243 of the portion where the lock arm 230 bends into a crank shape abuts against the protruding piece 236 of the frame 204 protruding below the operating lever 234 when the operating lever 234 is pressed downward, The rotation range of the lock arm 230 is limited. On the other hand, the upper edge portion 205 on the front surface of the frame 204 is in contact with the upper surface of the lock arm 230 to limit the rotation range of the lock arm 230. That is, the rotation range of the lock arm 230 is limited by the projecting piece 236 and the upper edge portion 205 of the frame 204.

  A coil spring 219 is provided between the lock arm 230 and the frame 204. A hook portion 241 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the lock arm 230 in a crank shape is provided at the portion where the lock arm 230 bends in a crank shape. The hook 241 is for hooking one end of the coil spring 219. A hooking portion 239 for hooking the other end of the coil spring 219 protrudes from the upper surface of the frame 204 in the horizontal direction. Four hooks 239 are formed on the frame 204 corresponding to the four lock arms 230. Both ends of the hooks 239 and 241 are hooked, and a coil spring 219 is stretched between the lock arm 230 and the frame 204. The coil spring 219 generates a contracting force in a state where the coil spring 219 is stretched between the lock arm 230 and the frame 204. Due to the contraction force of the coil spring 219, the lock arm 230 is given a rotational force in the clockwise direction in FIG. 7 (the direction of the arrow 245).

  In a state where no external force is applied to the operation lever 234, the lock arm 230 is urged in the direction of the arrow 245 by the coil spring 219, and is held in a state in which the rotation is stopped by contacting the upper edge portion 205. . This posture is referred to as a second posture in this specification. In the second posture, the upper surface of the operation lever 234 is substantially horizontal, and the lock portion 237 protrudes downward from the inner surface of the frame 204. The protruding position of the lock portion 237 in the second posture is a position where it can come into contact with the ink cartridge 100 accommodated in the cartridge mounting portion 202. Specifically, the lock portion 237 in the second posture is engaged with the stopper 125 of the ink cartridge 100 and is a position where the ink cartridge 100 inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 202 can be restrained with respect to the removal direction 29. . When the operation lever 234 is lowered against the contraction force of the coil spring 219, the lock arm 230 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow 245, and the lock portion 237 is immersed in the inner surface of the frame 204 (see FIG. 10). This posture is referred to as a first posture in this specification. In the first posture, the lock portion 237 is in a position where it does not contact the ink cartridge 100 accommodated in the cartridge mounting portion 202.

[Removal operation of ink cartridge 100]
Hereinafter, an operation of attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 100 to the cartridge mounting unit 202 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, when the ink cartridge 100 is not attached to the cartridge attachment portion 202 and no external force is applied to the operation lever 234 of the lock arm 230, the lock arm 219 contracts due to the contraction force of the coil spring 219. 230 is maintained in the second posture. In this second posture, the upper surface of the operation lever 234 is substantially horizontal, and the lock portion 237 protrudes downward from the inner surface of the frame 204. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 202, the vicinity of the lock portion 237 can come into contact with the ink cartridge 100. Further, in the ink cartridge 100 before insertion, the slider 41 is in the first position by being elastically biased by the coil springs 48 and 49.

  When the ink cartridge 100 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 8, the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 202 from the opening 207 of the frame 204. The insertion direction 30 of the ink cartridge 100 is the horizontal direction. The bottom surface of the ink cartridge 100 is fitted into a guide groove 206 formed in the frame 204, and when the ink cartridge 100 is pushed into the cartridge mounting portion 202, the ink cartridge 100 is linearly guided to the flange of the cartridge mounting portion 202 by the guide groove 206. Guided. The axial direction 151 of the seal member 93 in the ink cartridge 100 guided by the guide groove 206 coincides with the axial direction 153 of the ink needle 209 in the cartridge mounting portion 202.

  On the other hand, on the upper surface of the ink cartridge 100, the lock portion 237 of the lock arm 230 contacts the upper wall 163 of the slider 41. Since the lower surface of the lock portion 237 forms a circumferential surface with respect to the extending direction, the lock portion 237 is smoothly moved to the upper wall 163 of the slider 41 while being guided by this circumferential surface. As a result, the lock arm 230 rotates in the direction of the arrow 246 against the contraction force of the coil spring 219.

  When the ink cartridge 100 is further pushed into the cartridge mounting portion 202, the rear wall 161 of the slider 41 comes into contact with the back surface of the cartridge mounting portion 202. At this time, the lock portion 237 slides from the upper wall 163 of the slider 41 to the upper surface of the main body cover 42. Further, the notch 187 of the slider 41 enters the optical path of the optical sensor 181.

  When the ink cartridge 100 is further pushed into the collar of the cartridge mounting portion 202 after the slider 41 contacts the inner surface of the cartridge mounting portion 202, the coil springs 48 and 49 are compressed and contracted. The force for contracting the coil springs 48 and 49 is a force for the user to push the ink cartridge 100. Since the slider 41 is stopped by contacting the inner surface of the cartridge mounting portion 202, the main body cover 42 is pushed into the cartridge mounting portion 202 while moving relative to the slider 41, and as a result, the slider at the first position. 41 is slid to the second position.

  As the main body cover 42 moves, the container main body 40 also moves, the rod 84 of the air communication valve 80 comes into contact with the pressing portion 216, and the rod 84 is pushed against the biasing force of the coil spring 86. The force for contracting the coil spring 86 is a force for the user to push the ink cartridge 100 into the cartridge mounting portion 202. As a result, the valve body 87 is separated from the seal member 83 and the atmosphere communication port 81 is opened. As a result, the air layer in the ink chamber 102 is brought to atmospheric pressure.

  Also, the container body 40 moves together with the movement of the body cover 42, the cap 95 of the ink supply valve 90 is exposed from the opening 178 of the slider 41, fits with the holding portion 210 of the joint 208, and the coil spring 96. The ink needle 209 is inserted into the ink supply port 91 against the urging force. Since the axis 151 of the seal member 93 and the axis 153 of the ink needle 209 both coincide with the insertion direction 30, the ink needle 209 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 202, so that the ink needle 209 is inserted into the inner hole of the seal member 93. Inserted into. When the ink needle 209 expands the inner hole of the seal member 93 and the ink needle 209 and the seal member 93 are in sliding contact with each other, a sliding load due to friction is generated. The force for contracting the coil spring 96 against the sliding load is a force for the user to push the ink cartridge 100 into the cartridge mounting portion 202. As a result, the ink supply valve 90 is connected to the joint 208, and the ink in the ink chamber 102 can flow out to the outside through the ink supply port 91 and the ink needle 209.

  Further, the container body 40 moves together with the movement of the body cover 42, and the detection unit 140 enters the optical path of the optical sensor 181 through the notch 187 of the slider 41. When the slider 41 is in the second position, the irradiation region 144 of the detection unit 140 enters the optical path of the optical sensor 181. In this state, the optical sensor 181 can detect the posture change of the indicator 72 of the arm 70 through the detection window 140.

  Further, the container main body 40 moves together with the movement of the main body cover 42, and the lock portion 237 of the lock arm 230 reaches the rib 127 of the container main body 40 from the upper surface of the main body cover 42, and further on the upper surface of the rib 127. Guided and over the vertical wall 126 to the platform 124. When the lock part 237 reaches the base part 124, the lock arm 230 rotates in the direction of the arrow 245 and returns to the second posture.

  If the main body cover 42 is pushed in until the slider 41 reaches the second position, the user cannot push the ink cartridge 100 into the cartridge mounting portion 202 any more. As a result, it is recognized that the ink cartridge 100 has been pushed into the cartridge mounting portion 202 to the insertion limit. When the user stops pushing the ink cartridge 100, the slider 41 is urged by the coil springs 48 and 49 to return from the second position to the first position. That is, the container body 40 together with the body cover 42 tends to move relative to the slider 41 in the removal direction 29.

  Further, in the atmosphere communication valve 80, the valve main body 87 is urged by the coil spring 86 and tends to move toward the seal member 83, that is, toward the closed posture. In the ink supply valve 90, the valve main body 97 is urged by the coil spring 96 to move toward the seal member 93, that is, toward the closed posture.

  The container body 40 is urged by the coil springs 48, 49, 86, 96 described above to move in the removal direction 29, but the lock portion 237 in the lock arm 230 in the second posture is the vertical wall 126 of the stopper 125. The container body 40 is restrained with respect to the removal direction 29 by engaging with. As a result, the ink cartridge 100 is locked in the mounted state against the urging force of each coil spring 48, 49, 86, 96. As described above, since the front end surface of the lock portion 237 is a substantially vertical surface, it does not move to the upper end side of the vertical wall 126 when contacting the vertical wall 126.

  When ink is supplied from the ink supply device 200 to an ink consuming device such as a recording head of an ink jet printer and the ink in the ink cartridge 100 is consumed, the ink level gradually drops in the ink chamber 102. When the ink in the ink chamber 102 falls below a predetermined amount, the float 73 is lowered as described above, and the arm 70 is rotated by the amount of the drop. As the arm 70 rotates, the indicator 72 moves upward in the detection unit 140. When the indicator 72 moves upward until it goes out of the optical path of the optical sensor 181, the output signal of the optical sensor 181 changes. Based on the output change of the optical sensor 181, it can be determined that the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber 102 has become a predetermined amount or less. For example, when the display for prompting the replacement of the ink cartridge 100 is performed on the display of the ink consumption layer value, the user recognizes that the ink cartridge 100 needs to be replaced.

  When replacing the ink cartridge 100, the user pushes down the operation lever 234 of the lock arm 230 in order to unlock the ink cartridge 100. As a result, the lock arm 230 rotates about the support shaft 232 in the direction of the arrow 246, and the lock arm 230 changes its posture from the second posture to the first posture. When the lock arm 230 is in the first posture, the lock portion 237 moves away from the base portion 124 and moves upward from the vertical wall 126.

  When the lock portion 237 moves above the vertical wall 126, the container body 40 is not restrained with respect to the removal direction 29. Therefore, the container main body 40 moves in the removal direction 29 under the biasing force of the coil springs 48, 49, 86, 96 described above, and the slider 41 relatively slides from the second position to the first position.

  As the container main body 40 moves, the ink needle 209 is removed from the ink supply port 91 and the valve main body 97 closes the ink supply port 91 in the ink supply valve 90. Further, the cap 95 is detached from the holding portion 210 of the joint 208.

  Since the axis 151 of the inner hole of the seal member 93 forming the ink supply port 91 and the axis 153 of the ink needle 209 coincide with the removal direction 29 of the ink cartridge 100, the container body 40 moves in the removal direction 29. Accordingly, the seal member 93 moves in the removal direction 29 while being in sliding contact with the ink needle 209. Friction is generated by the sliding contact between the seal member 93 and the ink needle 209, and becomes a load against the urging force of each coil spring 48, 49, 86, 96.

  Therefore, even if the engagement between the stopper 125 and the lock portion 237 is released from the state in which the container body 40 and the body cover 42 are urged by the coil springs 48, 49, 86, 96, the container body 40 and the body cover Until the ink needle 209 is completely removed from the ink supply port 91 without being vigorously moved in the removal direction 29, the container main body 40 is gently received while receiving a load due to sliding friction between the seal member 93 and the ink needle 209. And the main body cover 42 moves in the removal direction 29. When the ink needle 209 is completely removed from the ink supply port 91, the urging force by the coil spring 96 disappears, and the urging force by each coil spring 48, 49, 86 is also caused by the ink needle 209 from the ink supply port 91. The container body 40 and the body cover 42 do not pop out more vigorously because they are attenuated by the stroke until they are completely removed.

  When the container main body 40 and the main body cover 42 move relative to the slider 41 until the slider 41 reaches the first position, a part of the main body cover 42 projects outward from the opening 207 of the cartridge mounting portion 202. Then, the user holds the part of the ink cartridge 100 protruding from the cartridge mounting unit 202 and pulls it out from the cartridge mounting unit 202, whereby the ink cartridge 100 is removed from the cartridge mounting unit 202.

[Operational effects of this embodiment]
As described above, according to the ink supply device 200 of the present embodiment, the coil springs 48, 49, 86, and the coil springs 48, 49, 86, and the main body cover 42 of the ink cartridge 100 mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202 are provided. 96 urges the container main body 40 and the main body cover 42 in the removal direction 29, and sliding friction is generated by the sliding contact between the seal member 93 of the ink supply valve 90 and the ink needle 209, so that the lock portion 237, the stopper 125, When the container main body 40 and the main body cover 42 are moved in the removal direction 29, the seal member 93 and the ink needle 209 are moved against the biasing force of the coil springs 48, 49, 86, 96. Sliding friction becomes a load. Thus, the unlocked ink cartridge 100 does not jump out from the cartridge mounting portion 202 in the removal direction 29 while being vigorously or violently, thus preventing ink droplets from being scattered when the ink cartridge 100 is taken out. The

  In this embodiment, the ink cartridge 100 includes the container body 40 and the slider 41, and coil springs 48 and 49 interposed therebetween, a coil spring 86 of the atmosphere communication valve 80, and a coil spring 96 of the ink supply valve 90. However, the elastic member in the present invention may be provided in the cartridge mounting portion 202. For example, assuming that the ink cartridge 100 does not have a member such as the slider 41, the cartridge mounting portion 202 may be provided with an elastic member such as a spring that elastically urges the ink cartridge 100 in the removal direction.

  Further, the coil springs 48, 49, 86, and 96 shown in the present embodiment are not all indispensable members as elastic members in the present invention, and even if any one of the coil springs realizes the elastic member in the present invention. Good.

  In the present embodiment, the load against the urging force of each coil spring 48, 49, 86, 96 is generated by the sliding contact between the seal member 93 of the ink supply valve 90 and the ink needle 209. Due to the sliding friction between the other members such as the sliding contact between the seal member 83 and the pressing portion 216 of the communication valve 80 and the sliding contact between the slider 41 and the cover main body 42, A load may be generated.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of an ink supply apparatus 200 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 2A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 2B shows that the slider 41 is in the second position. The state is shown. 3A and 3B are side views of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 3A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the slider 41 is in the second position. It is shown. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the cartridge mounting unit 202. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cartridge mounting portion 202. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line VII-VII in FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 202.

40 ... Container body (main body)
41 ... Sliders 48, 49, 86, 96 ... Coil springs (elastic members)
81 ... Air communication port (2nd port)
84 ... Rod (pressing member)
86 ... Valve body (second valve body)
91: Ink supply port (first port)
93 ... Seal member (friction member, cylindrical member)
96 ... Valve body (first valve body)
100 ... Ink cartridge 102 ... Ink chamber 125 ... Stopper (engaged portion)
200... Ink supply device 202... Cartridge mounting portion 209... Ink needle (sliding contact member, ink distribution pipe)
230 ... Lock arm (lock member)

Claims (4)

An ink cartridge having an ink chamber for storing ink and an engaged portion, and provided with a friction member capable of generating sliding friction in a withdrawal direction intersecting the direction of gravity;
A cartridge mounting portion in which the ink cartridge can be inserted into and removed from the frame through the opening ;
A sliding contact member provided in the cartridge mounting portion and in contact with the friction member of the ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion and the ink cartridge movably in the removal direction;
An elastic member for urging the ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in the removal direction;
It is provided only in the cartridge mounting portion, and closes the opening by moving in a direction that protrudes into and out of the internal space of the frame on the inner side of the opening and intersects the removal direction. Without being engaged with and disengaged from the engaged part, and the lock part is moved to the inner surface side of the frame to be separated from the engaged part and inserted into the cartridge mounting part. A first posture that allows the ink cartridge to move in the removal direction, and the lock portion moves to the side protruding from the inner surface of the frame to engage with the engaged portion, thereby moving the ink cartridge to the elastic member. attitude changes to a second position to stop against the removal direction against the bias of a lock member having an operating lever for operating the posture change of the locking portion It has been provided with a,
The friction member is a cylindrical member constituting a first port capable of flowing ink out of the ink chamber to the outside;
The sliding contact member is an ink circulation pipe inserted into the cylindrical member;
The elastic member is an ink that moves the ink cartridge in the mounted posture in the removal direction against sliding friction caused by contact between the friction member and the sliding contact member when the lock portion is in the first posture. Feeding device. The ink cartridge further includes a first valve body that is capable of changing in posture between an open posture in which the first port is opened and a closed posture in which the first port is closed by being brought into and out of contact with the cylindrical member,
The ink supply device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the elastic members biases the first valve body to a closed posture. The ink cartridge is
A main body having the ink chamber and the engaged portion;
A slider provided on the front side of the main body in the insertion direction and slidable between a first position spaced from the main body toward the front side in the insertion direction and a second position closer to the main body side than the first position; And
The ink supply device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the elastic members is provided in the ink cartridge and biases the slider to the first position. The ink cartridge is
A second port communicating with the air layer of the ink chamber;
A second valve body capable of changing its posture between an open posture for opening the second port and a closed posture for closing the second port;
A pressing member that presses the second valve body into an open posture with respect to the ink cartridge inserted into the cartridge mounting portion;
The ink supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein at least one of the elastic members biases the second valve body to a closed posture.

Images