The present invention relates to an ink supply unit and an inkjet printing apparatus.
In regard to the conventional ink supply units and inkjet printing apparatuses, Patent Literature 1 discloses an ink supply device for inkjet printers characterized by the following technical features; ink tanks containing different color inks are located distantly from color ink nozzle units, ink buffers disposed in the color ink nozzle units are connected to the ink tanks with ink supply tubes and ink replenishment tubes, the ink supply tubes each have an energizing means, and the ink replenishment tubes each have a tube opening/closing means. This ink supply device is operable to select any one of initial ink supply to the color ink nozzle units, deairing, and ink replenishment during priming and printing by choosing to activate or deactivate the energizing means, and choosing to open or close the tube opening/closing means. The ink tanks of this ink supply device containing different color inks each have an upper part configured to have an ink cassette be attachable and detachable to and from the upper part via a liquid level conserving means.
The ink supply device described in aforementioned Patent Literature 1 may need further improvements in workability, for example, at the time of replenishing the ink tanks with inks:
The ink supply device described in aforementioned Patent Literature 1 may also need further improvements in versatility, for example, to be usable with a broader range of printers.
Faced with such needs, the present invention provides an ink supply unit that may be improved in workability of ink replenishment, and an inkjet printing apparatus.
To meet the needs, the present invention further provides an inkjet printing apparatus that may be improved in versatility.
To this end, an ink supply unit according to the present invention includes: an ink container for storage of an ink; a cap fittable to the ink container, the cap having an opening that allows the ink stored in the ink container to flow out therethrough, a valve body that allows the opening to open and close, and an elastic body that biases the valve body from an inner side of the ink container toward a closing position; an ink tank structured to hold the ink container fitted with the cap at a cap-side part of the ink container; a pivotable lever disposed on the ink tank pivotably around a pivot axis that is a pivoting center; an anti-rotation mechanism configured to restrict relative rotations of the ink container and of the cap to the ink tank with the ink container being held in the ink tank; a conversion mechanism configured to convert the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever into linear motions of the ink container and of the cap in a direction along the pivot axis; and a valve-opening projection disposed inside of the ink tank, the valve-opening projection serving to press the valve body toward an opening position when the cap is drawn nearer to the ink tank by the linear motions of the ink container and of the cap.
In the ink supply unit, the pivotable lever is pivoted, with the rotations of the ink container and of the cap being restricted by the anti-rotation mechanism, and the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever is converted by the conversion mechanism into linear motions of the ink container and of the cap. Then, the cap is drawn nearer to the ink tank by the linear motions to have the valve body of the cap be opened by the valve-opening projection. Resultantly, the ink tank may be replenished with the ink from the ink container. Further advantageously, the ink supply unit, by pivoting the pivotable lever in a direction reverse to the before-mentioned direction, moves the ink container and the cap away from the ink tank to close the valve body of the cap. Resultantly, the ink replenishment into the ink tank may be stopped. This ink supply unit thus structured and operated may successfully improve workability of ink replenishment into the ink tank.
The ink supply unit may be further characterized in that the pivotable lever has a cylindrical shape and is pivotably supported by the ink tank, the pivotable lever having a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape and having the cap be inserted therein, and a lever portion radially projecting from the cylindrical portion, the conversion mechanism has a guiding projection radially projecting from the cap, and a guiding recess formed in a wall surface of the cylindrical portion, the guiding recess being inclined relative to the direction along the pivot axis and having the guiding projection be inserted therein, and the guiding recess guides the guiding projection in the direction along the pivot axis in conjunction with relative rotations of the pivotable lever and of the cap.
In the ink supply unit, with the guiding projection being inserted in the guiding recess, relative rotations of the pivotable lever and of the cap allow the guiding recess to guide the guiding projection in the direction along the pivot axis. Then, the conversion mechanism can convert the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever into linear motions of the ink container and of the cap in the direction along the pivot axis.
The ink supply unit may be further characterized in that the anti-rotation mechanism has an anti-rotation projection radially projecting from the ink container or the cap formed in a cylindrical shape; and an anti-rotation engaging portion formed in the ink tank and engageable with the anti-rotation projection.
With the ink container being held in the ink tank, the anti-rotation engaging portion is engaged with the anti-rotation projection. The anti-rotation mechanism is thereby allowed to restrict relative rotations of the ink container and of the cap to the ink tank around the pivot axis.
The ink supply unit may further include: an open-to-atmosphere tube that communicates inside of the ink tank with the atmosphere, with the ink container being held in the ink tank; and an open-to-atmosphere projection disposed on the pivotable lever and movable to and from a releasing position and a constricting position, the releasing position and the constricting position respectively being positions at which the open-to-atmosphere tube is released and the open-to-atmosphere tube is pressed to be constricted in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever, wherein the open-to-atmosphere projection is located at the releasing position when the valve body is at the opening position, and the open-to-atmosphere projection is located at the constricting position when the valve body is at the closing position.
In the ink supply unit thus characterized, the open-to-atmosphere projection allows the open-to-atmosphere tube to be constricted or released in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever. This ink supply unit thus structured may have the advantages; adequate replenishment of the ink by opening the ink tank to the atmosphere, and prevention of outflow of the ink left in the open-to-atmosphere tube into the ink tank at the time of removal of the ink container.
To serve the purpose described earlier, an inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an ink container for storage of an ink; and an inkjet head connectable via a connector to an ink supply port of the ink container to be supplied with the ink from the ink container, the connector including: a rotary member disposed on one end side of an ink supply system having the inkjet head installed on the other end side thereof, the rotary member being independently rotatable and having a recess formed in the ink supply port and engaging a projection, or a projection formed in the ink supply port and engaging a recess; and a stopper operable to stop rotation of the ink container, wherein rotation of the ink container is stopped by the stopper, linear motion of the ink container is effected by relative movements of the recess and of the projection in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary member, and the ink supply port closed then is opened by the linear motion to supply the ink.
The rotation of ink container is stopped by the stopper, linear motion of the ink container is effected by relative movements of the recess and of the projection in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary member, and the closed ink supply port is opened by the linear motion of the ink container to supply and replenish the inkjet head with the ink from the ink container. The inkjet printing apparatus thus advantageous may improve workability of ink replenishment.
To achieve the purpose described earlier, an inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a liquid storage container for storage of a liquid; and a liquid tank disposed on a vertically lower side of the liquid storage container that stores therein the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, the liquid tank having a coupling section coupled to the liquid storage container be tightly sealed, the inkjet printing apparatus being structured to supply the inkjet head with the liquid stored in the liquid tank, wherein the liquid tank has an opening that communicates inside of the liquid tank with outside and opens toward the atmosphere, the opening has an open-to-atmosphere tube that communicates inside of the liquid tank with the atmosphere, and the open-to-atmosphere tube extends to a vertically upper side of the liquid storage container coupled to the liquid tank to prevent at least the liquid in the liquid tank from flowing out.
In case the inkjet printing apparatus has the liquid tank be replenished with a liquid from a liquid storage container with no opening communicating with outside (atmosphere), it may be useful to dispose the liquid tank on the vertically lower side of the liquid storage container to supply the liquid tank with the liquid. The inkjet printing apparatus using a liquid storage container with an opening communicating with outside (atmosphere) or a liquid-filled container, on the other hand, may be fraught with the risk described below. For example, even while the liquid tank is already filled with the liquid to its full capacity, all of the liquid of the liquid storage container may flow out into the liquid container on the vertically lower side, starting to run over the liquid tank. The inkjet printing apparatus disclosed herein, however, may prevent such overflow of the liquid by tightly sealing the coupling section of the liquid tank coupled to the liquid storage container. Once the liquid storage container becomes empty, the liquid is supplied from the liquid tank into the inkjet head. In case, however, the inkjet printing apparatus uses a liquid storage container with no opening communicating with outside (atmosphere) or a liquid-filled container, there is no air inflow into the liquid tank since the coupling section is tightly sealed, producing a negative pressure in the liquid tank. When the negative pressure goes beyond a predetermined pressure value, the liquid supply may be disabled although the liquid tank still contains the liquid. In an attempt to solve this problem, a through hole was formed in a part of the liquid tank as an opening communicating with outside. This is, however, not an effective solution with the inkjet printing apparatus using a liquid storage container with an opening communicating with outside (atmosphere) or a liquid-filled container, posing the risk of liquid overflow through the opening. The inkjet printing apparatus is, therefore, provided with the open-to-atmosphere tube in the opening, wherein the open-to-atmosphere tube extends to the vertically upper side of the ink container to prevent overflow of at least the liquid in the liquid tank. This technical solution may allow the inkjet printing apparatus to cope with various types of liquid storage containers, including containers having openings communicating with outside (atmosphere), containers with no opening communicating with outside (atmosphere), and liquid-filled containers, thus conducing to improved versatility.
The inkjet printing apparatus may be further characterized in that the inkjet head is connectable via a connector to a liquid supply port of the liquid storage container to be supplied with the liquid from the liquid storage container, the connector including: a rotary member disposed on one end side of a liquid supply system having the inkjet head installed on the other end side thereof, the rotary member being independently rotatable and having a recess formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a projection, or a projection formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a recess; and a stopper operable to stop rotation of the liquid storage container, wherein rotation of the liquid storage container is stopped by the stopper, linear motion of the liquid storage container is effected by relative movements of the recess and of the projection in conjunction of the rotation of the rotary member, and the liquid supply port closed then is opened by the linear motion to supply the liquid, the inkjet printing apparatus further including a sealing member that tightly seals a gap between the liquid supply port and a wall surface that defines a liquid storage space of the liquid tank, with the liquid storage container and the liquid supply port being coupled to the liquid tank, to tightly seal the coupling section of the liquid tank coupled to the liquid storage container.
In the inkjet printing apparatus, rotation of the ink storage container is stopped by the stopper, linear motion of the ink storage container is effected by relative movements of the recess and the projection in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary member, and the closed liquid supply port is opened by the linear motion of the ink storage container to replenish the liquid tank with the liquid from the liquid storage container and supply the inkjet head with the liquid from the liquid tank. Further advantageously, the inkjet printing apparatus may tightly seal, using the sealing member, the coupling section of the liquid tank coupled to the liquid storage container.
The inkjet printing apparatus may further include an open-to-atmosphere projection disposed on the rotary member and movable to and from a releasing position and a constricting position, the releasing position and the constricting position respectively being positions at which the open-to-atmosphere tube is released and the open-to-atmosphere tube is pressed to be constricted in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary member, wherein the open-to-atmosphere projection is located at the releasing position when the liquid supply port is open, and the open-to-atmosphere projection is located at the constricting position when the liquid supply port is closed.
In the inkjet printing apparatus thus characterized, the open-to-atmosphere tube may be constricted or released by the open-to-atmosphere projection in conjunction with the rotation of the rotary member. The inkjet printing apparatus, by way of adequate ink replenishment by opening the ink tank to the atmosphere, may properly manage residual ink of the liquid tank. Further advantageously, the liquid remaining in the open-to-atmosphere tube may be prevented from flowing out into the liquid tank at the time of removal of the liquid storage container.
The ink supply unit and the inkjet printing apparatus according to the present invention may advantageously improve workability of replenishment of the ink into the ink tank.
The ink supply unit according to the present invention may be advantageously improved in versatility.
Embodiments according to the present invention are hereinafter described in detail referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not restricted by the embodiments hereinafter described. Structural elements described in the embodiments may include replaceable and readily available or substantially identical components.
As illustrated in
Specifically, the ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment includes ink containers 2, caps 3, ink tanks 4, pivotable levers 5, anti-rotation mechanisms 6, conversion mechanisms 7, and valve-opening projections 8, as illustrated in
The ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of sets of these components correspondingly to the number of printable colors, wherein each set consists of an ink container 2, a cap 3, an ink tank 4, a pivotable lever 5, an anti-rotation mechanism 6, a conversion mechanism 7, and a valve-opening projection 8. As illustrated in
The cap 3 having an opening 33 constitutes an ink supply port of the ink container 2. The pivotable lever 5 and the anti-rotation mechanism 6 constitute the connector described earlier. The connector is interposed between the ink supply port and the inkjet head. The connector has a pivotable lever 5 and an anti-rotation mechanism 6. The pivotable lever 5 is a rotary member disposed on one end side of the ink supply system having the inkjet head installed on the other end side thereof. The rotary member is independently rotatable and has a recess formed in the ink supply port and engaging a projection, or a projection formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a recess. The anti-rotation mechanism 6 is a stopper that stops rotation of the ink container. The ink supply system refers to an ink supply passage including the ink tube T. Rotation of the ink container 2 is stopped by the anti-rotation mechanism 6, and linear motion of the ink container 2 is effected by recess-projection relative movements in conjunction with the rotation of the pivotable lever 5. Then, the closed ink supply port (cap 3) is opened by the linear motion to supply the ink.
Specifically, the ink container 2 is a container that stores therein an ink. The ink container 2 may be any one of a closed ink bottle, an aluminum foil bag, or a release-type ink bottle as described earlier. Unless stated otherwise, the ink container 2 hereinafter described is a closed ink bottle. The ink container 2 described herein has a substantially cylindrical shape. The ink container 2 has one end part being closed and the other end part forming an ink flow-out opening 2a (see
The cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2. The cap 3 is a member in the form of a lid to be fitted to the ink flow-out opening 2a of the ink container 2. The cap 3 described herein is specifically a cylindrical screw cap.
More specifically, as illustrated in
The inner cylinder member 31 has a cylinder portion 31a, a threaded groove 31b, a toroidal plate-like portion 31c, a valve body hole 31d, and a cylindrical spring holder 31e, all of which are integrally formed. The cylinder portion 31a has a cylindrical shape. The cylinder portion 31a has a plurality of stepped parts 31f and 31g in the form of a toroidal plate. The threaded groove 31b is formed in a spiral shape on the inner-peripheral surface side at one end part of the cylinder portion 31a. The toroidal plate-like portion 31c is formed in the shape of a toroidal plate on the inner-peripheral surface side at the other end part of the cylinder portion 31a. The cylinder portion 31a reduces in diameter by stages, at the stepped part 31g, and then at the stepped part 31g, in a direction from the threaded groove 31b toward the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The valve body hole 31d is a circular hole formed in the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The cylindrical spring holder 31e is formed in a cylindrical shape on the inner-peripheral surface side of the cylinder portion 31a. One end part of the cylindrical spring holder 31e is connected to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The cylindrical spring holder 31e extends from the toroidal plate-like portion 31c toward the threaded groove 31b. Of end parts of the cylindrical spring holder 31e, an end part nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c communicates with the valve body hole 31d, and the other end part nearer to the threaded groove 31b is closed. The cylinder portion 31a, the toroidal plate-like portion 31c, the valve body hole 31d, and the cylindrical spring holder 31e are formed to be substantially coaxial.
The outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the outer-peripheral surface side of the cylinder portion 31a of the inner cylinder member 31. The outer cylinder member 32 has a cylinder portion 32a, a toroidal plate-like portion 32b, and a toroidal plate-like portion 32c, all of which are integrally formed. The cylinder portion 32a has a cylindrical shape. The toroidal plate-like portion 32b, being mounted to one end part of the cylinder portion 32a, i.e., the inner cylinder member 31, is provided in the form of a toroidal plate on the outer-peripheral surface side at an end part nearer to the threaded groove 31b. The toroidal plate-like portion 32c, being mounted to the other end part of the cylinder portion 32a, i.e., the inner cylinder member 31, is provided in the form of a toroidal plate on the inner-peripheral surface side at an end part nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c.
The opening 33 allows the ink stored in the ink container 2 to flow out therethrough. The opening 33 is a circular hole formed in the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The opening 33 is smaller in diameter than the valve body hole 31d. The opening 33, the cylinder portion 32a of the outer cylinder member 32, the toroidal plate-like portion 32b, and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c are formed to be substantially coaxial.
The valve body 34 allows the opening 33 to open and close. The valve body 34 described herein is a spherical body (ball). The valve body 34 has an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the valve body hole 31d and greater than the diameter of the opening 33.
The elastic body 35 biases the valve body 34 from the inner side of the ink container 2 toward a closing position. The elastic body 35 described herein is a helical compression spring.
The elastic body 35 of the cap 3 is held by the cylindrical spring holder 31e of the inner cylinder member 31, and the valve body 34 of the cap 3 is located at a position nearer to the valve body hole 31d of the elastic body 35. With the cap 3 being thus positioned, the outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the inner cylinder member 31 from the direction of the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. In the cap 3 having the outer cylinder member 32 be mounted to the inner cylinder member 31, the stepped part 31g and the toroidal plate-like portion 32b are in contact against each other, while the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c are oppositely disposed with a predetermined interval therebetween. With the outer cylinder member 32 of the cap 3 being mounted to the inner cylinder member 31 thereof, the outer-peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 31a nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the inner-peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 32a are in contact against each other. In the cap 3, the outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the inner cylinder member 31, and the elastic body 35 and the valve body 34 are held. Then, the outer cylinder member 32 is secured to the inner cylinder member 31 with machine screws into an integral unit. With the inner cylinder member 31 and the outer cylinder member 32 being integrally joined, the threaded groove 31b is threaded into a threaded groove 2b of the ink container 2. As a result, the cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2. The threaded groove 2b of the ink container 2 is formed on the outer-peripheral surface side in a projecting part of the ink container 2 where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed. In the cap 3 thus having the inner cylinder member 31 and the outer cylinder member 32 be integrally joined, the valve body 34 is pressed by the energizing force of the elastic body 35 toward the opening 33, specifically, pressed from the inner side of the ink container 2 toward the closing position.
With the cap 3 being fitted to the ink container 2, a toroidal sealing member 36 is interposed between the stepped part 31f and an end part of the ink container 2 where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed. The sealing member 36, after the cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2, serves to seal any gap between the stepped part 31f and the end part where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. The cap 3 is further provided with a toroidal O-ring 37 at a position along the outer periphery of the opening 33 between the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c. The O-ring 37 serves to seal any gap between the valve body 34 and the opening 33 when the valve body 34 is closed, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. Furthermore, a toroidal O-ring 38 is fitted to the outer-peripheral surface of the stepped part 31g of the cap 3. The O-ring 38 serves to seal any gap between the cap 3 and an ink storage space wall surface 41a described later after the ink container 2 and the cap 3 are securely held in the ink tank 4, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. This will be described later in further detail.
As illustrated in
The ink supply unit 1 further has an open-to-atmosphere tube 10 communicating inside of the ink tank 4 with the atmosphere (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The anti-rotation projection 61 of the cap 3, the paired guiding projections 71, the anti-rotation projection 62 on the wall surface 44 of the ink tank 4, and the paired guiding recesses 72 of the pivotable lever 5 have a positional relationship in which the paired guiding projections 71 are respectively insertable in the paired guiding recesses 72 and the anti-rotation projection 61 is insertable in the anti-rotation engaging portion 62, after the pivotable lever 5 is set on the ink tank 4, and the cap 3 and the ink container 2 are inserted in the cylindrical portion 51 of the pivotable lever 5.
As illustrated in
As described earlier, the ink supply unit 1 includes the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 that communicates the ink storage space 41 of the ink tank 4 with outside, opening inside of the ink storage space 41 to the atmosphere. As illustrated in
The operation of the ink supply unit 1 is hereinafter described referring to
In the ink supply unit 1, before the ink tank 4 starts to be replenished with the ink, the ink container 2 fitted with the cap 3 is inserted in the cylindrical portion 51 of the pivotable lever 5 from the direction of the cap 3 (setting starts), as illustrated on the left row of
In the setting-completed ink supply unit 1, the pivotable lever 5, currently in the pre-pivoting state, starts to be pivoted clockwise (fixing direction), as illustrated in
As illustrated in
To remove the ink container 2 from the ink tank 4, the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted in a direction reverse to the before-mentioned direction. In the ink supply unit 1, with the ink container 2 being fixed in the ink tank 4, the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted counterclockwise (releasing direction), as illustrated in
By moving the lever portion 52 in the fixing direction, the ink container 2 is fixed in the ink tank 4, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 is opened (open-to-atmosphere projection 13 is released), and the ink supply starts through the gap defined by a degree of contact between the valve body 34 and the valve-opening projection 8. Thus, the ink supply unit 1 may be capable of achieving the three functions by simply manipulating the lever portion 52 once. By moving the lever portion 52 in the releasing direction, the ink container 3 is removed from the ink tank 4, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 is constricted (by the open-to-atmosphere projection 13), and the valve body 34 and the open-to-atmosphere projection 8 move away from each other to close the gap, stopping the ink supply. Thus, the ink supply unit 1 may be capable of achieving the three functions by simply manipulating the lever portion 52 once. This ink supply unit 1 may advantageously improve handleability at the time of insertion and removal of the ink container 2 and also suppress users' operational variability.
In the ink supply unit 1 and the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C thus characterized, the cap 3 and the ink container 2 are inserted in the pivotable lever 5, and the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted with rotations of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3 being restricted by the anti-rotation mechanism 6. The pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5 is converted by the conversion mechanism 7 into linear motions of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3, and the cap 3 is drawn nearer to the ink tank 4 by the linear motions to have the valve body 34 of the cap 3 be opened by the valve-opening projection 8. Resultantly, the ink tank 4 may be replenished with the ink from the ink container 2. In the ink supply unit 1, pivoting the pivotable lever 5 in the reverse direction moves the ink container 2 and the cap 3 away from the ink tank 4 to close the valve body 34 of the cap 3, stopping the ink replenishment for the ink tank 4. The ink supply unit 1 thus configured and operated may successfully improve workability of ink replenishment for the ink tank 4.
The ink supply unit 1, by setting the ink container 2 in the ink tank 4 and pivoting the pivotable lever 5, may initiate and end the ink replenishment. Therefore, the ink supply from the ink container 2 into the ink tank 4 may be successfully completed with relative rotations of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3 being restricted. The ink supply unit 1 may effectively prevent the cap 3 from accidentally loosening, thereby reducing the likelihood of ink leakage during the ink replenishment. This may ensure safety of the ink supply from the ink container 2 into the ink tank 4. The ink supply unit 1 is further advantageous in that insertion and removal of the ink container 2 in and out of the ink tank 4 may be safely and mechanically enabled by simply pivoting the pivotable lever 5. This may lessen users' operational variability, affording improved workability for different users.
Further advantageously, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 may be constricted or opened by the open-to-atmosphere projection 13 in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5 at the time of inserting and removing the ink container 2 in and out of the ink tank 4. The ink supply unit 1 may resultantly perform adequate ink replenishment by opening the ink tank 4 to the atmosphere and also prevent the ink remaining in the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 from flowing out into the ink tank 4 at the time of removal of the ink container 2.
The ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment described earlier includes the ink containers 2, caps 3, ink tanks 4, pivotable levers 5, anti-rotation mechanisms 6, conversion mechanisms 7, and valve-opening projections 8. The ink containers 2 each contain an ink. The cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2. The cap 3 has the opening 33 that allows the ink stored in the ink container 2 to flow out therethrough, the valve body 34 that allows the opening 33 to open and close, and the elastic body 35 that biases the valve body 34 from the inner side of the ink container 2 toward the closing position. The ink tank 4 holds the ink container 2 fitted with the cap 3 at the cap 3-side part of the ink container 2. The pivotable lever 5 is disposed on the ink tank 4 pivotably on the pivot axis X which is the pivoting center. The anti-rotation mechanism 6 restricts relative rotations of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3 to the ink tank 4, with the ink container 2 being held in the ink tank 4. The conversion mechanism 7 converts the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5 into linear motions of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3 in the direction along the pivot axis X. The valve-opening projection 8 is formed inside the ink tank 4. The valve-opening projection 8 presses the valve body 34 toward the opening position when the cap 3 is drawn nearer to the ink tank 4 by the linear motions of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3.
The inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C provided as examples of the inkjet printing apparatus each include ink containers 2 for ink storage, and an inkjet head connected via connectors to ink supply ports (caps 3) of the ink containers 2 to be supplied with the inks from the ink containers 2, wherein the connectors each include a pivotable lever 5 and an anti-rotation mechanism 6. The pivotable lever 5 is disposed on one end side of the ink supply system (ink tube T) having the inkjet head disposed on the other end side thereof. The pivotable lever 5 is independently pivotable and has recesses (guiding recesses 72) formed in the ink supply port and engaging a projection (guiding projection 71), or a projection formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a recess. The anti-rotation mechanism 6 stops rotation of the ink container 2. Rotation of the ink container 2 is stopped by the anti-rotation mechanism 6, and linear motion of the ink container 2 is effected by recess-projection relative movements in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5. Then, the closed ink supply port is opened by the linear motion to supply the ink.
The ink supply unit 1 and the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C, by setting the ink container 2 in the ink tank 4 and pivoting the pivotable lever 5, may initiate and end the ink replenishment, improving workability of ink replenishment for the ink tank 4.
The ink supply unit and the inkjet printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may not necessarily be configured as described so far, and may be variously modified within the scope of the appended claims.
Although it has so far been described that the recesses (guiding recesses 72) are formed at positions nearer to the rotary member (pivotable lever 5), and the projections (guiding projections 71) are formed at positions nearer to the ink supply port (cap 3), these positions of the recesses and projections may be reversed. Also, it has so far been described that that the guiding recess 72 is an example of the recess, and the guiding projection 71 is an example of the projection. Instead, they may be an external threaded groove and an internal threaded groove threaded into each other.
As illustrated in
Specifically, the ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment includes ink containers 2, caps 3, ink tanks 4, pivotable levers 5, anti-rotation mechanisms 6, conversion mechanisms 7, and valve-opening projections 8, as illustrated in
The ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a plurality of sets of these components correspondingly to the number of printable colors, wherein each set consists of an ink container 2, a cap 3, an ink tank 4, a pivotable lever 5, an anti-rotation mechanism 6, a conversion mechanism 7, and a valve-opening projection 8. As illustrated in
The cap 3 having an opening 33 constitutes a liquid supply port of the ink container 2. The pivotable lever 5 and the anti-rotation mechanism 6 constitute the connector described earlier. The connector is interposed between the liquid supply port and the inkjet head. The connector has a pivotable lever 5 and an anti-rotation mechanism 6. The pivotable lever 5 is a rotary member disposed on one end side of a liquid supply system having the inkjet head installed on the other end side thereof. The rotary member is independently rotatable and has a recess formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a projection, or a projection formed in the liquid supply port and engaging a recess. The anti-rotation mechanism 6 is a stopper that stops rotation of the ink container. The liquid supply system described herein refers to a liquid (ink or cleaning liquid) supply passage including the ink tube T. Rotation of the ink container 2 is stopped by the anti-rotation mechanism 6, and linear motion of the ink container 2 is effected by recess-projection relative movements in conjunction with the rotation of the pivotable lever 5. Then, the closed ink supply port (cap 3) is opened by the linear motion to supply the ink.
Specifically, the ink container 2 is a container that stores therein an ink. The ink container 2 may be any one of a closed ink bottle, an aluminum foil bag, or a release-type ink bottle. Unless stated otherwise, the ink container 2 hereinafter described is a closed ink bottle 2A (see
The cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2. The cap 3 is a member in the form of a lid to be fitted to the ink flow-out opening 2a of the ink container 2. The cap 3 described herein is specifically a cylindrical screw cap.
More specifically, as illustrated in
The inner cylinder member 31 has a cylinder portion 31a, a threaded groove 31b, a toroidal plate-like portion 31c, a valve body hole 31d, and a cylindrical spring holder 31e, all of which are integrally formed. The cylinder portion 31a has a cylindrical shape. The cylinder portion 31a has a plurality of stepped parts 31f and 31g in the form of a toroidal plate. The threaded groove 31b is formed in a spiral shape on the inner-peripheral surface side at one end part of the cylinder portion 31a. The toroidal plate-like portion 31c is formed in the shape of a toroidal plate on the inner-peripheral surface side at the other end part of the cylinder portion 31a. The cylinder portion 31a reduces in diameter by stages, at the stepped part 31g, and then at the stepped part 31g, in a direction from the threaded groove 31b toward the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The valve body hole 31d is a circular hole formed in the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The cylindrical spring holder 31e is formed in a cylindrical shape on the inner-peripheral surface side of the cylinder portion 31a. One end part of the cylindrical spring holder 31e is connected to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The cylindrical spring holder 31e extends from the toroidal plate-like portion 31c toward the threaded groove 31b. Of end parts of the cylindrical spring holder 31e, an end part nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c communicates with the valve body hole 31d, and the other end part nearer to the threaded groove 31b is closed. The cylinder portion 31a, the toroidal plate-like portion 31c, the valve body hole 31d, and the cylindrical spring holder 31e are formed to be substantially coaxial.
The outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the outer-peripheral surface side of the cylinder portion 31a of the inner cylinder member 31. The outer cylinder member 32 has a cylinder portion 32a, a toroidal plate-like portion 32b, and a toroidal plate-like portion 32c, all of which are integrally formed. The cylinder portion 32a has a cylindrical shape. The toroidal plate-like portion 32b, being mounted to one end part of the cylinder portion 32a, i.e., the inner cylinder member 31, is provided in the form of a toroidal plate on the outer-peripheral surface side at an end part nearer to the threaded groove 31b. The toroidal plate-like portion 32c having the shape of a toroidal plate, being mounted to the other end part of the cylinder portion 32a, i.e., the inner cylinder member 31, is formed on the inner-peripheral surface side at an end part nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c.
The opening 33 allows the ink stored in the ink container 2 to flow out therethrough. The opening 33 is a circular hole formed in the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. The opening 33 is smaller in diameter than the valve body hole 31d. The opening 33, the cylinder portion 32a of the outer cylinder member 32, the toroidal plate-like portion 32b, and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c are formed to be substantially coaxial.
The valve body 34 allows the opening 33 to open and close. The valve body 34 described herein is a spherical body (ball). The valve body 34 has an outer diameter smaller than the diameter of the valve body hole 31d and greater than the diameter of the opening 33.
The elastic body 35 biases the valve body 34 from the inner side of the ink container 2 toward the closing position. The elastic body 35 described herein is a helical compression spring.
The elastic body 35 of the cap 3 is held by the cylindrical spring holder 31e of the inner cylinder member 31, and the valve body 34 of the cap 3 is located at a position nearer to the valve body hole 31d of the elastic body 35. With the cap 3 being thus positioned, the outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the inner cylinder member 31 from the direction of the toroidal plate-like portion 31c. In the cap 3 having the outer cylinder member 32 be mounted to the inner cylinder member 31, the stepped part 31g and the toroidal plate-like portion 32b are in contact against each other, while the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c are oppositely disposed with a predetermined interval therebetween. With the outer cylinder member 32 of the cap 3 being mounted to the inner cylinder member 31 thereof, the outer-peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 31a nearer to the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the inner-peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 32a are in contact against each other. In the cap 3, the outer cylinder member 32 is mounted to the inner cylinder member 31, and the elastic body 35 and the valve body 34 are held. Then, the outer cylinder member 32 is secured to the inner cylinder member 31 with machine screws into an integral unit. With the inner cylinder member 31 and the outer cylinder member 32 being integrally joined, the threaded groove 31b is threaded into the threaded groove 2b of the ink container 2. As a result, the cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2. The threaded groove 2b of the ink container 2 is formed on the outer-peripheral surface side in a projecting part of the ink container 2 where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed. In the cap 3 thus having the inner cylinder member 31 and the outer cylinder member 32 be integrally joined, the valve body 34 is pressed by the energizing force of the elastic body 35 toward the opening 33, specifically, pressed from the inner side of the ink container 2 toward the closing position.
With the cap 3 being fitted to the ink container 2, a toroidal sealing member 36 is interposed between the stepped part 31f and an end part of the ink container 2 where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed. The sealing member 36, after the cap 3 is fitted to the ink container 2, serves to seal any gap between the stepped part 31f and the end part where the ink flow-out opening 2a is formed, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. The cap 3 is further provided with a toroidal O-ring 37 at a position along the outer periphery of the opening 33 between the toroidal plate-like portion 31c and the toroidal plate-like portion 32c. The O-ring 37 serves to seal any gap between the valve body 34 and the opening 33 when the valve body 34 is closed, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. Furthermore, a toroidal O-ring 38, as a sealing member, is fitted to the outer-peripheral surface of the stepped part 31g of the cap 3. The O-ring 38 seals any gap between the cap 3 and an ink storage space wall surface 41a described later after the ink container 2 and the cap 3 are coupled to and securely held in the ink tank 4, thereby preventing leakage of the ink. This will be further described later.
As illustrated in
The ink supply unit 1 further has an open-to-atmosphere tube 10 communicating inside of the ink tank 4 with the atmosphere (see
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The anti-rotation projection 61 of the cap 3, the paired guiding projections 71, the anti-rotation projection 62 on the wall surface 44 of the ink tank 4, and the paired guiding recesses 72 of the pivotable lever 5 have a positional relationship in which the paired guiding projections 71 are respectively insertable in the paired guiding recesses 72 and the anti-rotation projection 61 is insertable in the anti-rotation engaging portion 62, after the pivotable lever 5 is set on the ink tank 4, and the cap 3 and the ink container 2 are inserted in the cylindrical portion 51 of the pivotable lever 5.
As illustrated in
As described earlier, the ink supply unit 1 includes the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 that communicates the ink storage space 41 of the ink tank 4 with outside, opening inside of the ink storage space 41 to the atmosphere. As illustrated in
The operation of the ink supply unit 1 is hereinafter described referring to
In the ink supply unit 1, before the ink tank 4 starts to be replenished with the ink, the ink container 2 fitted with the cap 3 is inserted in the cylindrical portion 51 of the pivotable lever 5 from the direction of the cap 3 (setting starts), as illustrated on the left row of
In the setting-completed ink supply unit 1, the pivotable lever 5, currently in the pre-pivoting state, starts to be pivoted clockwise (fixing direction) as illustrated in
As illustrated in
To remove the ink container 2 from the ink tank 4, the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted in a direction reverse to the before-mentioned direction. In the ink supply unit 1, with the ink container 2 being fixed in the ink tank 4, the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted counterclockwise (releasing direction), as illustrated in
By moving the lever portion 52 in the fixing direction, the ink container 2 is fixed in the ink tank 4, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 is opened (open-to-atmosphere projection 13 is released), and the ink supply starts through the gap defined by a degree of contact between the valve body 34 and the valve-opening projection 8. Thus, the ink supply unit 1 may be capable of achieving the three functions by simply manipulating the lever portion 52 once. By moving the lever portion 52 in the releasing direction, the ink container 3 is removed from the ink tank 4, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 is closed (by the open-to-atmosphere projection 13), and the valve body 34 and the open-to-atmosphere projection 8 move away from each other to close the gap, stopping the ink supply. Thus, the ink supply unit 1 may be capable of achieving the three functions by simply manipulating the lever portion 52 once. This ink supply unit 1 may advantageously improve handleability at the time of insertion and removal of the ink container 2 and also suppress users' operational variability.
In the ink supply unit 1 and the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C thus characterized, the cap 3 and the ink container 2 are inserted in the pivotable lever 5, and the pivotable lever 5 is pivoted with the rotations of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3 being restricted by the anti-rotation mechanism 6. The pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5 is converted by the conversion mechanism 7 into linear motions of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3, and the cap 3 is drawn nearer to the ink tank 4 by the linear motions to have the valve body 34 of the cap 3 be opened by the valve-opening projection 8. Resultantly, the ink tank 4 may be replenished with the ink from the ink container 2. In the ink supply unit 1, pivoting the pivotable lever 5 in the reverse direction moves the ink container 2 and the cap 3 away from the ink tank 4 to close the valve body 34 of the cap 3, stopping the ink replenishment for the ink tank 4. The ink supply unit 1 thus configured and operated may successfully improve workability of ink replenishment for the ink tank 4.
The ink supply unit 1 is, for example, operable to set the ink container 2 in the ink tank 4 as described and pivot the pivotable lever 5 to initiate and complete ink replenishment. This may allow the ink supply from the ink container 2 into the ink tank 4 to be successfully completed while regulating relative rotations of the ink container 2 and of the cap 3. The ink supply unit 1 may effectively prevent the cap 3 from accidentally loosening, thereby reducing the likelihood of ink leakage during the ink replenishment. This may ensure safety of the ink supply from the ink container 2 into the ink tank 4. Further advantageously, insertion and removal of the ink container 2 in and out of the ink tank 4 may be safely and mechanically enabled by simply pivoting the pivotable lever 5. This may lessen users' operational variability, affording improved workability for users.
Further advantageously, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 may be constricted or released by the open-to-atmosphere projection 13 in conjunction with the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever 5 at the time of inserting and removing the ink container 2 in and out of the ink tank 4. The ink supply unit 1 may resultantly perform adequate ink replenishment by reliably opening the ink tank 4 to the atmosphere. This may allow the residual ink of the ink tank 4 to be properly managed based on the detection result of the float-type sensor 14. Further advantageously, the ink remaining in the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 may be reliably prevented from flowing out into the ink tank 4 at the time of removal of the ink container 2.
In the ink supply unit 1 according to this embodiment, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 extends to the vertically upper side of the ink container 2 to prevent at least the ink of the ink tank 4 from flowing out, with the ink container 2 being held in the ink tank 4. This may allow variously different ink containers 2 to be applicable to the ink supply unit 1, providing for improved versatility.
Referring to
With the ink container 2 being coupled to the ink tank 4, the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 extends at least to the vertically upper side of the ink container 2. The ink supply unit 1 thus structured is improved in versatility and thereby usable with various types of ink containers 2. This is an advantageous feature for manufacturing cost reduction.
For stability of ink supply in the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C each, the internal pressure of the ink tank 4 needs to stay within a certain range of pressures. Otherwise, a pressure difference between inside and outside of the ink tank 4 may be off-balanced. This may be detrimental to smooth ink supply, compromising a degree of precision in the control of an ink discharge quantity. On this count, the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C each, by equipping the ink tank 4 with the opening 45 and the open-to-atmosphere tube 10, may prevent the internal pressure of the ink tank 4 from overly elevating or dropping. In this regard, providing the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 in the ink tank 4 is actually not an indispensable requirement in the ink-replenishable ink container 2C opening to the atmosphere. However, this embodiment characterized as described so far may allow the ink supply unit 1 to be available with various types of ink containers 2, making it unnecessary to prepare any ink tank 4 and ink supply unit 1 for exclusive use with the tightly sealed ink container 2A, deformable ink container 2B such as an aluminum foil bag, or a release-type ink container 2C. As a result, an unnecessary increase of facility costs may be suppressible.
According to the inkjet printers 100A, 100B, and 100C of the embodiments described earlier, an inkjet printing apparatus includes: a liquid storage container (ink container 2) for storage of a liquid (ink); and a liquid tank (ink tank 4) disposed on the vertically lower side of the liquid storage container to store therein the liquid supplied from the liquid storage container, the liquid tank having a coupling section coupled to the liquid storage container be tightly sealed, the inkjet printing apparatus being structured to supply an inkjet head with the liquid stored in the liquid tank, wherein the liquid tank has an opening 45 that communicates inside of the liquid tank with outside and opens toward the atmosphere, the opening 45 has an open-to-atmosphere tube 10 that communicates inside of the ink tank with the atmosphere, and the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 extends to the vertically upper side of the liquid storage container coupled to the liquid tank to at least prevent the liquid in the liquid tank from flowing out. In the ink supply unit 1, the coupling section of the ink tank 4 coupled to the ink container 2 is tightly sealed, the liquid storage container (ink container 2) is coupled to the liquid tank (ink tank 4), and the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 extends at least to the vertically upper side of the ink container 2. These structural features may successfully prevent outflow of the liquid from the open-to-atmosphere tube 10 whichever of variously different liquid storage containers 2 is applied to the ink supply unit 1. Thus, the ink supply unit 1 improved in versatility may be advantageously provided.
The inkjet printing apparatus according to the aforementioned embodiments of the present invention may not necessarily be configured as thus far described, and may be variously modified within the scope of the appended claims.
Although it has so far been described that the recesses (guiding recesses 72) are formed at positions nearer to the rotary member (pivotable lever 5), and the projections (guiding projections 71) are formed at positions nearer to the ink supply port (cap 3), the positions of the recesses and projections may be reversed. It has so far been described that the guiding recess 72 is an example of the recess, and the guiding projection 71 is an example of the projection. Instead, the recess and projection may be an external threaded groove and an internal threaded groove threaded into each other.
In the description thus far given, an ink is stored, as an example of the liquid, in the liquid storage container and the liquid tank and supplied to the inkjet head. The liquid stored and supplied to the inkjet head may be a cleaning liquid.
The inkjet printing apparatus described earlier may include: a cap fittable to the ink container, the cap having an opening that allows the ink stored in the ink container to flow out therethrough, a valve body that allows the opening to open and close, and an elastic body that biases the valve body from an inner side of the ink container toward a closing position; a pivotable lever disposed on the ink tank pivotably around a pivot axis that is a pivoting center; an anti-rotation mechanism configured to restrict relative rotations of the ink container and of the cap to the ink tank, with the cap-fitted ink container being held in the ink tank at a cap-side part thereof; a conversion mechanism configured to convert the pivoting motion of the pivotable lever into linear motions of the ink container and of the cap in a direction along the pivot axis; a valve-opening projection disposed inside of the ink tank, the valve-opening projection serving to press the valve body toward an opening position when the cap is drawn nearer to the ink tank by the linear motions of the ink container and of the cap; and a sealing member that tightly seals a gap between the cap and a wall surface that defines an ink storage space in the ink tank, with the ink container and the cap being held in the ink tank, to tightly seal the coupling section of the ink tank coupled to the ink container.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2013-258328 | Dec 2013 | JP | national |
2013-258527 | Dec 2013 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2014/082962 | 12/12/2014 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2015/088001 | 6/18/2015 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
7431437 | Wilson, II | Oct 2008 | B2 |
20050151803 | Wilson, II et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2617572 | Jul 2013 | EP |
H10157154 | Jun 1998 | JP |
Entry |
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“International Search Report (Form PCT/ISA/210)”, dated Feb. 24, 2015, with English translation thereof, pp. 1-4. |
“Office Action of Japan Counterpart Application,” with English translation thereof, dated May 16, 2017, p. 1-p. 7. |
“Search Report of Europe Counterpart Application”, dated Dec. 19, 2017, p. 1-p. 9, in which the listed references were cited. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160355021 A1 | Dec 2016 | US |