Patent Grant
10457064
The present disclosure relates to a liquid consumption apparatus that consumes liquid stored in a cartridge.
For example, each of Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-238792 and 2008-230162 discloses an inkjet recording apparatus including a cartridge that stores ink, an attachment section to which the cartridge is detachably attached, a subsidiary tank that stores ink supplied from the cartridge attached to the attachment section due to a water head difference, and a recording section that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink stored in the subsidiary tank.
In the inkjet recording apparatuses described in the above-described publications, image recording can be continuously performed by using ink stored in the subsidiary tank during a period from when ink stored in the cartridge runs out (hereinafter, referred to as “cartridge empty”) to when the cartridge is replaced with a new one. However, if the capacity of the subsidiary tank is increased in order to extend the period during which image recording can be performed after cartridge empty, the amount of ink that is to be transferred from a cartridge to the subsidiary tank when the cartridge is newly attached to the attachment section will also increase.
That is, if the capacity of the subsidiary tank is simply increased, it will take a longer period of time from when the cartridge is newly attached to the attachment section and until transfer of the ink from the cartridge to the subsidiary tank is completed, that is, until liquid surfaces of ink in the subsidiary tank and in the cartridge become equal to each other in their heights. Users will have such impression that a large amount of ink from a cartridge is consumed when the cartridge is newly attached to the attachment section.
It is desirable that a plurality of types of cartridges having different ink storage amounts are selectable in accordance with recent diversification of utilization of the inkjet recording apparatus. Further, the different types of cartridges desirably have different outer shapes so as to allow users to easily recognize differences in the amount of stored ink.
However, there exist components that should be disposed at the same position among all cartridges, such as an ink supply portion for supplying ink and an engaged part configured to be engaged with the attachment section to lock the cartridge relative to the attachment section. Thus, the outer shape of the cartridge cannot freely be changed in accordance with a change in the volume inside the cartridge.
For example, in order to enlarge the size of the outer shape of the cartridge described in each of the above-described publications, the length of the cartridge in the insertion direction with respect to the attachment section needs to be increased. However, in order to attach the cartridge elongated in the insertion direction to the attachment section, then the size of the inkjet recording apparatus in the depth direction needs to be increased.
In view of the above-described problems, an object of the disclosure is to provide a liquid consumption apparatus capable of continuously consuming liquid even after the cartridge has become empty and also capable of suppressing the amount of liquid to flow out from the cartridge at the time of attachment.
Another object of the disclosure is to provide a liquid consumption apparatus capable of being attached with a plurality of types of cartridges having different ink storage amounts, without involving an increase in the size of the liquid consumption apparatus.
According to one aspect, a liquid consumption apparatus includes: a cartridge; a cartridge attachment section; and a consuming device. The cartridge includes: a first storage chamber; a first air communication portion; and a supply portion. The first storage chamber stores a liquid. The first air communication portion allows the first storage chamber to communicate with an atmosphere. The supply portion is configured to supply the liquid stored in the first storage chamber. The cartridge attachment section includes: a connecting portion; and a tank. The connecting portion is configured to be connected with and disconnected from the supply portion. The tank includes: a liquid flow-in port; a second storage chamber; a liquid flow-out port; and a second air communication portion. The liquid flow-in port allows the liquid, which has been supplied from the first storage chamber through the supply portion and the connecting portion connected with the supply portion, to pass though the liquid flow-in port. The second storage chamber is configured to store the liquid that has flown through the liquid flow-in port. The liquid flow-out port is disposed at a position below the liquid flow-in port and configured to allow the liquid stored in the second storage chamber to flow out of the second storage chamber. The second air communication portion allows the second storage chamber to communicate with the atmosphere. The consuming device is configured to consume the liquid flown from the second storage chamber through the liquid flow-out port. The cartridge further includes a wall defining a first base part and a first protruding part. The first storage chamber extends over insides of both of the first base part and the first protruding part. The tank further includes a wall defining a second base part and a second protruding part. The second storage chamber extends over insides of both of the second base part and the second protruding part. In a used posture of the liquid consumption apparatus, the first protruding part protrudes in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of the first base part that is defined in a vertical direction, and the second protruding part protrudes in the horizontal direction from a lower portion of the second base part that is defined in the vertical direction. In a state where the supply portion is connected to the connecting portion, the first base part and the first protruding part have the following positional relationship with the second base part and the second protruding part:
as viewed in the horizontal direction, the first base part is overlapped with both of the second base part and the second protruding part;
as viewed in the vertical direction, the first base part is not overlapped with the second base part, and is not overlapped with the second protruding part;
as viewed in the horizontal direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second base part, but is not overlapped with the second protruding part; and
as viewed in the vertical direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second protruding part, but is not overlapped with the second base part.
According to another aspect, a liquid consumption system includes: a cartridge; and a liquid consumption apparatus. The cartridge includes: a first storage chamber; a first air communication portion; and a supply portion. The first storage chamber stores a liquid. The first air communication portion allows the first storage chamber to communicate with an atmosphere. The supply portion is configured to supply the liquid stored in the first storage chamber. The liquid consumption apparatus is configured to consume the liquid supplied from the supply portion of the cartridge. The liquid consumption apparatus includes: a cartridge attachment section; and a consuming section. The cartridge attachment section includes: a connecting portion; and a tank. The connecting portion is configured to be connected with and disconnected from the supply portion. The tank includes: a liquid flow-in port; a second storage chamber; a liquid flow-out port; and a second air communication portion. The liquid flow-in port allows the liquid, which has been supplied from the first storage chamber through the supply portion and the connecting portion connected with the supply portion, to pass though the liquid flow-in port. The second storage chamber is configured to store the liquid that has flown through the liquid flow-in port. The liquid flow-out port is disposed at a position below the liquid flow-in port and configured to allow the liquid stored in the second storage chamber to flow out of the second storage chamber. The second air communication portion allows the second storage chamber to communicate with the atmosphere. The consuming section is configured to consume the liquid flown from the second storage chamber through the liquid flow-out port. The cartridge further includes a wall defining a first base part and a first protruding part. The first storage chamber extends over insides of both of the first base part and the first protruding part. The tank further includes a wall defining a second base part and a second protruding part. The second storage chamber extends over insides of both of the second base part and the second protruding part. In a used posture of the liquid consumption apparatus, the first protruding part protrudes in a horizontal direction from an upper portion of the first base part that is defined in a vertical direction, and the second protruding part protrudes in the horizontal direction from a lower portion of the second base part that is defined in the vertical direction. In a state where the supply portion is connected to the connecting portion, the first base part and the first protruding part have the following positional relationship with the second base part and the second protruding part:
as viewed in the horizontal direction, the first base part is overlapped with both of the second base part and the second protruding part;
as viewed in the vertical direction, the first base part is not overlapped with the second base part, and is not overlapped with the second protruding part; as viewed in the horizontal direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second base part, but is not overlapped with the second protruding part; and as viewed in the vertical direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second protruding part, but is not overlapped with the second base part.
According to still another aspect, a liquid consumption apparatus includes: a first cartridge; a second cartridge; a cartridge attachment section; and a consuming device. Each of the first cartridge and the second cartridge is a cartridge which includes: a first storage chamber; and a supply portion. The first storage chamber stores a liquid. The supply portion is configured to supply the liquid stored in the first storage chamber. The cartridge attachment section includes: a connecting portion; and a tank. The connecting portion is configured to be connected with and disconnected from the supply portion of a selected one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge. The tank has a second storage chamber configured to store the liquid supplied from the first storage chamber through the supply portion and the connecting portion connected with the supply portion. The consuming device is configured to consume the liquid stored in the second storage chamber. The supply portion of a cartridge and the connecting portion are connected together in a case where the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge attachment section in an inserting direction that is parallel to a first direction. The supply portion of the cartridge and the connecting portion are separated from each other in a case where the cartridge is detached from the cartridge attachment section in a detaching direction that is opposite to the inserting direction. The first cartridge includes a wall defining both of a first base part and a first protruding part. The first protruding part protrudes in the inserting direction from part of the first base part that is defined in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first storage chamber of the first cartridge extends over insides of both of the first base part and the first protruding part. The second cartridge includes a wall defining at least the first base part. The first storage chamber of the second cartridge is provided in an inside of the at least the first base part. In a case where the wall of the second cartridge defines both of the first base part and the first protruding part, the first protruding part of the second cartridge has a protruding amount smaller than that of the first protruding part of the first cartridge. The first storage chamber of the second cartridge has an internal volume smaller than that of the first storage chamber of the first cartridge. The tank includes a wall defining a second base part and a second protruding part. The second protruding part protrudes in the detaching direction from part of the second base part that is defined in the second direction. In a state where the supply portion of either one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge is connected to the connecting portion:
as viewed in the first direction, the first base part is overlapped with both of the second base part and the second protruding part; and
as viewed in the second direction, the first base part is not overlapped with the second base part, and is not overlapped with the second protruding part. In a state where the supply portion of the first cartridge is connected to the connecting portion:
as viewed in the first direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second base part, but is not overlapped with the second protruding part; and
as viewed in the second direction, the first protruding part is overlapped with the second protruding part, but is not overlapped with the second base part.
The particular features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
A multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment will be described while referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts and components are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid duplicating description.
Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described. An up-down direction 7 is defined with reference to the posture (posture illustrated in
[Entire Configuration of Multifunction Peripheral 10]
As illustrated in
[Feed Tray 15, Discharge Tray 16, Feed Roller 23]
As illustrated in
[Conveying Path 17]
As illustrated in
[Conveying Roller Pair 25]
The conveying roller pair 25 is disposed upstream of the recording part 24 in the conveying direction. The conveying roller pair 25 includes a conveying roller 25A and a pinch roller 25B which are opposed to each other. The conveying roller 25A is driven by the unillustrated motor. The pinch roller 25B is rotated following the rotation of the conveying roller 25A. The paper sheet 12 is held between the conveying roller 25A and the pinch roller 25B, while the conveying roller 25A is rotated in a normal direction by a normal-rotation drive force transmitted from the motor, thereby to be conveyed in the conveying direction.
[Discharge Roller Pair 27]
The discharge roller pair 27 is disposed downstream of the recording part 24 in the conveying direction. The discharge roller pair 27 includes a discharge roller 27A and a spur 27B which are opposed to each other. The discharge roller 27A is driven by the unillustrated motor. The spur 27B is rotated following the rotation of the discharge roller 27A. The paper sheet 12 is held between the discharge roller 27A and the spur 27B, while the discharge roller 27A is rotated in the normal direction by a normal-rotation drive force transmitted from the motor, thereby to be conveyed in the conveying direction.
[Recording Part 24, Platen 26]
As illustrated in
The recording part 24 includes a carriage 22 and a recording head 21 mounted on the carriage 22. The carriage 22 receives drive force from the unillustrated motor to reciprocally move in the left-right direction 9. A plurality of nozzles 29 are formed in the lower surface of the recording head 21. The recording head 21 oscillates oscillation elements such as piezoelectric elements to eject ink droplets from the nozzles 29. In the process of movement of the carriage, the recording head 21 selectively ejects ink droplets toward the paper sheet 12 supported by the platen 26 to thereby record an image on the paper sheet 12.
The carriage 22 is connected with ink tubes and a flexible flat cable. The ink tubes connect a cartridge attachment section 110 (see
[Cover 87]
An opening 85 is formed in the front surface 14A of the housing 14 at the right end portion thereof in the left-right direction 9. The housing 14 has a cover 87 that can be pivotally moved between a closed position (position illustrated in
[Cartridge Attachment Section 110]
As illustrated in
[Cartridge-Housing Case 101]
The cartridge-housing case 101 forms a casing of the cartridge attachment section 110. The cartridge-housing case 101 has a box shape having an inner space for housing the ink cartridges 30 therein. The cartridge-housing case 101 has: a top wall 141 defining the upper end of the inner space of the cartridge-housing case 101; a bottom wall 142 defining the lower end of the inner space of the cartridge-housing case 101; a rear wall 143 defining the rear end of the inner space of the cartridge-housing case 101 in the front-rear direction 8; and a pair of side walls 144 and 145 defining a pair of opposite ends of the inner space of the cartridge-housing case 101 in the left-right direction 9. On the other hand, the front end of the cartridge-housing case 101 that is opposed to the rear wall 143 in the front-rear direction 8 has an opening 112 through which the inner space of the cartridge-housing case 101 is exposed. The opening 112 is exposed outside the multifunction peripheral 10 through the opening 85 of the housing 14 when the cover 87 is at the open position.
Each ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge attachment section 110 in the rearward direction (an example of an inserting direction) along the front-rear direction 8 through the opening 85 of the housing 14 and opening 112 of the cartridge attachment section 110, and is removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 in the forward direction (an example of a detaching direction) along the front-rear direction 8. The bottom end portion of each ink cartridge 30 is inserted into a corresponding one of guide grooves 109, which are provided on the bottom wall 142 at respective positions that are apart from one another in the left-right direction 9, whereby the ink cartridge 30 is guided in the front-rear direction 8. Three plates 104 are provided in the cartridge-housing case 101 for partitioning the inner space into four spaces adjacent to each other in the left-right direction 9. Four ink cartridges 30 storing inks of respectively different colors are housed in their corresponding spaces partitioned by the plates 104.
[Contacts 106]
As illustrated in
[Rod 125]
As illustrated in
[Attachment Sensor 113]
As illustrated in
The attachment sensor 113 outputs different detection signals according to whether or not light emitted from the light emitting part in the left-right direction 9 is received by the light receiving part. For example, the attachment sensor 113 outputs a low level signal to the control board when the light outputted from the light emitting part is not received by the light receiving part (that is, intensity of a received light is smaller than a predetermined level). On the other hand, the attachment sensor 113 outputs a high level signal to the control board when the light outputted from the light emitting part is received by the light receiving part (that is, intensity of a received light is larger than or equal to the predetermined level). The attachment sensor 113 is an example of a reading device that reads out information held by the light shielding plate 67.
[Locking Part 129]
As illustrated in
The locking part 129 holds each ink cartridge 30 attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 at the attachment position illustrated in
[Tanks 103]
As illustrated in
At least a part of the rear wall 154 may be formed of a film welded to the end faces of the respective upper wall 151, lower wall 153, and side walls 144 and 145. Further, in the above description, the side walls 144 and 145 serve as side walls of both of the cartridge-housing case 101 and the tanks 103. However, the side walls of the tanks 103 may be provided separately from the side walls 144 and 145 of the cartridge-housing case 101. Further, the four tanks 103 that are arranged adjacent to one another in the left-right direction 9 are partitioned by unillustrated partition walls. The four tanks 103 have substantially the same configuration with one another.
The upper wall 151 is composed of a first upper wall 151A and a second upper wall 151B. The first upper wall 151A is positioned rearward of the second upper wall 151B in the front-rear direction 8 and above the second upper wall 151B in the up-down direction 7. The front wall 152 is composed of a first front wall 152A and a second front wall 152B. The first front wall 152A is positioned rearward of the second front wall 152B in the front-rear direction 8 and above the second front wall 152B in the up-down direction 7. The first front wall 152A is connected to both of the front end of the first upper wall 151A and the rear end of the second upper wall 151B. The upper end of the second front wall 152B is connected to the front end of the second upper wall 151B. A connection part 107 is provided on the second front wall 152B. A first communication port 120 (an example of a liquid flow-in port) is formed through the second front wall 152B to communicate the connection part 107 with a storage chamber 121 of the tank 103 to be described later.
The first upper wall 151A may be composed of a greater number of walls. The same can be applied to each of the second upper wall 151B, first front wall 152A, and second front wall 152B. (The same can be applied also to each of a first upper wall 39A, a second upper wall 39B, a first rear wall 40A, a second rear wall 40B, a third rear wall 40C, a first lower wall 42A, and a second lower wall 42B of the ink cartridge 30 to be described later).
As illustrated in
The tank 103 has a box shape, and has a storage chamber 121 and a buffer chamber 122 therein. The storage chamber 121 and buffer chamber 122 are arranged in the up-down direction 7 with the buffer chamber 122 positioned above the storage chamber 121. The storage chamber 121 and buffer chamber 122 communicate with each other through a flow path 123 extending in the up-down direction 7. The storage chamber 121, buffer chamber 122, and flow path 123 are an example of a second storage chamber. The storage chamber 121 is formed to extend over the insides of both of the second base part 118 and the second protruding part 119. Accordingly, the horizontal cross sectional area of a part of the storage chamber 121 that is positioned below the second upper wall 151B is larger than the horizontal cross sectional areas of: a part of the storage chamber 121 that is positioned above the second upper wall 151B; the buffer chamber 122; and flow path 123.
The storage chamber 121 communicates with the connection part 107 through the first communication port 120 (an example of a liquid flow-in port), and communicates with an ink flow path 126 (
The buffer chamber 122 is in communication with an air communication port 124 (an example of a second air communication portion) provided at the upper portion of the tank 103. More specifically, an air flow path is provided between the buffer chamber 122 and the air communication port 124 to establish communication between the buffer chamber 122 and the air communication port 124. As shown in
[Connection Part 107]
The connection part 107 includes: a tubular-shaped ink needle 102 (an example of a second cylindrical part) made of resin; and a guide part 105. The ink needle 102 protrudes forward from the second front wall 152B. An opening 116 is formed in the protruding end (tip end) of the ink needle 102. The inner space of the ink needle 102 communicates with the inside of the storage chamber 121 through the first communication port 120. The ink needle 102 is disposed at a position corresponding to an ink supply part 34 (an example of a supply portion) of the ink cartridge 30 mounted in the cartridge attachment section 110.
The guide part 105 is a cylindrical member disposed around the ink needle 102. The guide part 105 protrudes forward from the second front wall 152B. An opening is formed in the protruding end (tip end) of the guide part 105. The ink needle 102 is disposed to extend along the central axis of the cylindrical guide part 105. When the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink supply part 34 enters the inside of the guide part 105.
A valve 114 and a coil spring 115 are housed in the inner space of the ink needle 102. The valve 114 is configured to move in the front-rear direction 8 between a closed position, at which the valve 114 closes the opening 116, and an open position, at which the valve 114 opens the opening 116. The coil spring 115 biases the valve 114 in the forward direction to move the valve 114 to the closed position. The front end of the valve 114 at the closed position protrudes further forward from the opening 116 of the ink needle 102.
[Pivot Member 50]
As illustrated in
The pivot member 50 has the float 51 at its lower portion. The float 51 is formed of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of ink stored in the storage chamber 121. The shafts 52 protrude from the right and left surfaces of the float 51 outwardly in the left-right direction 9. The shafts 52 are inserted into holes formed in the support member. With this configuration, the pivot member 50 is supported by the support member so as to be pivotally movable about the shafts 52. The arm 53 protrudes substantially upward from the float 51. The detected part 54 is formed at the protruding end (tip end) of the arm 53. The detected part 54 is formed into a plate shape extending in both of the up-down direction 7 and front-rear direction 8. The detected part 54 is formed of a material that shields light outputted from the light emitting part of a liquid surface sensor 55 to be described later.
When the liquid surface of ink is higher than a boundary position P1, the pivot member 50 pivotally moves in the direction of the arrow 58 due to buoyancy and is maintained at a position indicated by the solid line in
The boundary position P1 according to the present embodiment is a position defined in the up-down direction 7 at the same height with both of: the axial center of the ink needle 102; and the center of an ink supply port 71 of the ink cartridge 30 to be described later. However, the boundary position P1 is not limited to the above-described position as long as the boundary position P1 is positioned above the second communication port 128 in the up-down direction 7. Alternatively, the boundary position P1 may be set at the same height with: the upper or lower end of the internal space of the ink needle 102; or the upper or lower end of the ink supply port 71. The boundary position P1 is desirably below the second upper wall 151B.
[Liquid Surface Sensor 55]
Each liquid surface sensor 55 is configured to detect whether or not the detected part 54 of the pivot member 50 provided in the corresponding tank 103 is located at the detection position. The liquid surface sensor 55 according to the present embodiment includes a light emitting part and a light receiving part disposed apart from each other in the left-right direction 9. The liquid surface sensor 55 outputs different detection signals according to whether or not light emitted from the light emitting part is received by the light receiving part. That is, the concrete configuration of the liquid surface sensor 55 may be the same as that of the attachment sensor 113.
When the liquid surface of ink stored in the storage chamber 121 is higher than the boundary position P1, light outputted from the light emitting part is shielded by the detected part 54 and is thus not received by the light receiving part. Thus, in this case, the liquid surface sensor 55 outputs a low level signal to the control board. On the other hand, when the liquid surface of ink stored in the storage chamber 121 is lower than or equal to the boundary position P1, light outputted from the light emitting part is received by the light receiving part. Thus, in this case, the liquid surface sensor 55 outputs a high level signal to the control board. That is, the liquid surface sensor 55 detects whether or not the liquid surface of ink stored in the storage chamber 121 is higher than the boundary position P1 according to the position of the detected part 54. A combination of the liquid surface sensor 55 and the detected part 54 is an example of a detector.
[Ink Cartridge 30]
The ink cartridge 30 is a container, in which ink is stored. As illustrated in
The rear wall 40 is composed of a first rear wall 40A, a second rear wall 40B, and a third rear wall 40C. The first rear wall 40A is positioned forward of the second rear wall 40B in the front-rear direction 8 and upward of the second rear wall 40B in the up-down direction 7. The second rear wall 40B is positioned rearward of the third rear wall 40C in the front-rear direction 8 and upward of the third rear wall 40C in the up-down direction 7. The third rear wall 40C is positioned forward of the first rear wall 40A in the front-rear direction 8 and downward of the first rear wall 40A in the up-down direction 7. An air communication port 96 is formed at the first rear wall 40A, and the ink supply part 34 is provided at the third rear wall 40C.
The upper wall 39 is composed of a first upper wall 39A and a second upper wall 39B. The first upper wall 39A is positioned forward of the second upper wall 39B in the front-rear direction 8 and upward of the second upper wall 39B in the up-down direction 7. The rear end of the first upper wall 39A is connected to the upper end of the first rear wall 40A. The front end of the first upper wall 39A is connected to the upper end of the front wall 41. Further, the second upper wall 39B is connected to both of the lower end of the first rear wall 40A and the upper end of the second rear wall 40B. On the first upper wall 39A, a convex part 43, an operation part 90, the light shielding plate 67, and the IC substrate 64 are provided.
The lower wall 42 is composed of a first lower wall 42A and a second lower wall 42B. The first lower wall 42A is positioned rearward of the second lower wall 42B in the front-rear direction 8 and upward of the second lower wall 42B in the up-down direction 7. The first lower wall 42A is connected to both of the lower end of the second rear wall 40B and the upper end of the third rear wall 40C. The second lower wall 42B is connected to the lower ends of both of the third rear wall 40C and the front wall 41.
As illustrated in
That is, the first protruding part 49 protrudes rearward from a part of the first base part 48 defined in the up-down direction 7. More specifically, the first protruding part 49 protrudes rearward from the upper portion of the first base part 48 defined in the up-down direction 7. The boundary between the first base part 48 and the first protruding part 49 in the front-rear direction 8 may be: the extension line of the first rear wall 40A; the extension line of the third rear wall 40C; or a virtual line connecting the lower end of the first rear wall 40A and the upper end of the third rear wall 40C.
The convex part 43 protrudes upward from the outer surface of the first upper wall 39A and extends in the front-rear direction 8. More specifically, the convex part 43 is desirably provided at the first base part 48. A surface of the convex part 43 that faces forward is defined as a lock surface 62. The lock surface 62 is positioned above the first upper wall 39A. In a state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the lock surface 62 is in abutment with the locking part 129. The abutment between the lock surface 62 and the locking part 129 maintains the ink cartridge 30 to be held at the attachment position against the biasing force of the coil springs 78, 98, and 115.
An inclined surface 63 is formed on the convex part 43 at an opposite side of the lock surface 62 in the front-rear direction 8. In the process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the locking part 129 is guided along the inclined surface 63. As a result, the locking part 129 is guided to a position, at which the locking part 129 abuts against the lock surface 62. The state where the lock surface 62 is in abutment with the locking part 129 is an example of a locked state where connection of the ink supply part 34 to the connection part 107 is maintained against the biasing force of the coil springs 78, 98, and 115.
The operation part 90 is provided on the outer surface of the first upper wall 39A at a position forward of the lock surface 62. When an operation surface 92 of the operation part 90 is pushed downward in a state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink cartridge 30 is pivotally moved to shift the lock surface 62 to a position below the locking part 129. This allows the ink cartridge 30 to be removed from the cartridge attachment section 110. The state where the lock surface 62 is separated away from the locking part 129 is an example of a released state, at which the ink cartridge 30 can be moved forward.
The light shielding plate 67 is provided on the outer surface of the first upper wall 39A at a position rearward of the convex part 43. The light shielding plate 67 protrudes upward from the outer surface of the first upper wall 39A and extends in the front-rear direction 8. More specifically, the light shielding plate 67 is desirably provided at the first base part 48 of the casing 31. The light shielding plate 67 shields light outputted from the light emitting part of the attachment sensor 113. One or more cutouts 66 is formed in the light shielding plate 67. Each cutout 66 is a space recessed downward from the upper end of the light shielding plate 67 and extends in the front-rear direction 8. When a cutout 66 of the light shielding plate 67 is disposed in the optical path of the light outputted from the attachment sensor 113, the light is not shielded by the light shielding plate 67, but reaches the light receiving part.
That is, in the process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, a high level signal of a pattern corresponding to the positions, sizes, and the number of the cutouts 66 formed in the light shielding plate 67 is outputted to the control board. Accordingly, the control board can identify the type of the ink cartridge 30 (ink color, initial storage amount, and the like) based on the pattern of the signal outputted from the attachment sensor 113. The light shielding plate 67 is an example of an information holding portion that retains information indicating the type of the ink cartridge 30.
The IC substrate 64 is provided on the outer surface of the first upper wall 39A at a position between the light shielding plate 67 and the convex part 43 in the front-rear direction 8. More specifically, the IC substrate 64 is desirably provided at the first base part 48 of the casing 31. The IC substrate 64 has an IC (not illustrated) and electrodes 65. The IC stores information concerning the ink cartridge 30, such as a lot number, a manufacturing date, an ink color, and the like in such a manner that the information is readable from the IC. Each electrode 65 is electrically connected to the IC. The electrodes 65 are exposed on the upper surface of the IC substrate 64 so as to be electrically accessible.
In a state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, each electrode 65 is electrically conducted to the corresponding contact 106. This allows the control board to access data stored in the IC through the contacts 106. The IC substrate 64 is an example of an information holding portion that holds information indicating the type of the ink cartridge 30.
As illustrated in
The upper storage chamber 32 and the lower storage chamber 33 are disposed adjacent to each other in the up-down direction 7, with a partition wall 45 partitioning the inner space of the casing 31 being interposed between the upper storage chamber 32 and the lower storage chamber 33. Further, the upper storage chamber 32 and lower storage chamber 33 communicate with each other through an unillustrated through-hole 47 (an example of a communication passage) formed in the partition wall 45. The through-hole 47 is desirably formed at a position forward of the third rear wall 40C in the front-rear direction 8. The capacity of the upper storage chamber 32 is greater than the capacity of the lower storage chamber 33. The capacity of the upper storage chamber 32 is greater than the total capacity of the lower storage chamber 33 and ink valve chamber 35. The upper storage chamber 32 extends over the insides of both of the first base part 48 and the first protruding part 49 of the casing 31. Accordingly, the horizontal cross sectional area of a part of the upper storage chamber 32 that is disposed above the first lower wall 42A is larger than the horizontal cross sectional areas of: a part of the upper storage chamber 32 that is disposed below the first lower wall 42A; the lower storage chamber 33; and the ink valve chamber 35.
The upper storage chamber 32 and the air valve chamber 36 are disposed adjacent to each other in the up-down direction 7, with a partition wall 44 partitioning the inner space of the casing 31 being interposed between the upper storage chamber 32 and the air valve chamber 36. Further, the upper storage chamber 32 and air valve chamber 36 communicate with each other through a through-hole 46 formed in the partition wall 44. The lower storage chamber 33 is positioned forward of the ink valve chamber 35 in the front-rear direction 8. The lower storage chamber 33 and ink valve chamber 35 communicate with each other through a through-hole 99. The capacity of the lower storage chamber 33 is smaller than the capacity of the storage chamber 121 of the tank 103. The total capacity of the lower storage chamber 33 and ink valve chamber 35 is smaller than the capacity of the storage chamber 121 of the tank 103.
The air valve chamber 36 is an air flow path provided above the upper storage chamber 32. More specifically, the air valve chamber 36 is desirably provided above the upper end of the first protruding part 49. Further, the second rear wall 40B is desirably positioned rearward of the air communication port 96 that is formed in the first rear wall 40A to communicate the inside of the air valve chamber 36 with the outside of the casing 31. As shown in
In the process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the rod 125 enters the air valve chamber 36 through the air communication port 96. The rod 125 having entered the air valve chamber 36 moves the valve 97 at the closed position in a forward direction against the biasing force of the coil spring 98. When the valve 97 is moved to the open position, the upper storage chamber 32 is opened to the atmosphere. The configuration for opening the air communication port 96 is not limited to the above-described example. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a film sealing the air communication port 96 is broken by the rod 125.
The ink supply part 34 protrudes rearward from the third rear wall 40C. More specifically, the ink supply part 34 is desirably provided on a surface of the first base part 48 that faces backward and at a position below the lower end of the first protruding part 49. The ink supply part 34 is a cylindrical member (an example of a first cylindrical part). The inner space of the ink supply part 34 serves as the ink valve chamber 35. The protruding end (tip end) of the ink supply part 34 is opened to the outside of the ink cartridge 30. The second rear wall 40B is positioned rearward of the protruding end (tip end) of the ink supply part 34. In the ink valve chamber 35, a seal member 76, a valve 77, and a coil spring 78 are housed.
The seal member 76 is a disk-shaped member in which a through-hole is formed at the center thereof. The seal member 76 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer. An ink supply port 71 is formed at the center of the seal member 76 so as to penetrate therethrough in the front-rear direction 8. The inner diameter of the ink supply port 71 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ink needle 102. In the ink valve chamber 35, the valve 77 is configured to move in the front-rear direction 8 between a closed position, at which the valve 77 abuts against the seal member 76 to close the ink supply port 71, and an open position, at which the valve 77 is apart from the seal member 76 to open the ink supply port 71. The coil spring 78 biases the valve 77 in the rearward direction to move the valve 77 to the closed position.
In the process of insertion of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink needle 102 enters the ink valve chamber 35 through the ink supply port 71. At this time, the ink needle 102 liquid-tightly contacts the inner peripheral surface of the seal member 76 that defines the ink supply port 71, while elastically deforming the seal member 76. When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further into the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink needle 102 moves the valve 77 to its open position against the biasing force of the coil spring 78. Simultaneously, the valve 77 moves the valve 114, which is protruding from the opening 116 of the ink needle 102, to its open position against the biasing force of the coil spring 115.
As a result, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As viewed in the front-rear direction 8, the first base part 48 is overlapped with both of the second base part 118 and the second protruding part 119. As viewed in the up-down direction 7, the first base part 48 is not overlapped with the second base part 118, and is not overlapped with the second protruding part 119. In other words, as viewed in the up-down direction 7, neither the second base part 118 nor the second protruding part 119 is overlapped with the first base part 48. More specifically, in the state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the third rear wall 40C is disposed forward of the second front wall 152B.
In addition, as viewed in the front-rear direction 8, the first protruding part 49 is overlapped with the second base part 118, but is not overlapped with the second protruding part 119. In other words, in the state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the second upper wall 39B is disposed below the first upper wall 151A, and the first lower wall 42A is disposed above the second upper wall 151B.
Further, as viewed in the up-down direction 7, the first protruding part 49 is not overlapped with the second base part 118, but is overlapped with the second protruding part 119. In other words, in the state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the second rear wall 40B is disposed rearward of the second front wall 152B. More specifically, in the state where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, part of the upper storage chamber 32 disposed inside the first protruding part 49 and part of the storage chamber 121 disposed inside the second protruding part 119 are desirably overlapped with each other as viewed in the up-down direction 7.
In the present specification, the expression “the first protruding part 49 is overlapped with the second protruding part 119” is intended to mean that at least a part of the first protruding part 49 and at least a part of the second protruding part 119 are overlapped with each other. That is, the expression “the first protruding part 49 is overlapped with the second protruding part 119” includes: a state where the entire first protruding part 49 and entire second protruding part 119 are overlapped with each other; a state where the entire first protruding part 49 and a part of the second protruding part 119 are overlapped with each other; a state where a part of the first protruding part 49 and the entire second protruding part 119 are overlapped with each other; and a state where a part of the first protruding part 49 and a part of the second protruding part 119 are overlapped with each other. The same can be applied to the expressions “the first protruding part 49 is overlapped with the second base part 118”, “the first base part 48 is overlapped with the second base part 118”, and “the first base part 48 is overlapped with the second protruding part 119”.
According to the above-described embodiment, the first protruding part 49 of the ink cartridge 30 is disposed in the space obtained by recessing the cartridge attachment section 110 (that is, the space surrounded by the first front wall 152A and second upper wall 151B), and the second protruding part 119 of the tank 103 is disposed in the space obtained by recessing the ink cartridge 30 (that is, the space surrounded by the first lower wall 42 and third rear wall 40C). Thus, the ink cartridge 30 and cartridge attachment section 110 can be adequately laid out without involving an increase in the size of the multifunction peripheral 10. In particular, arranging a part of the upper storage chamber 32 that is disposed in the first protruding part 49 and a part of the storage chamber 121 that is disposed in the second protruding part 119 at such positions that the part of the upper storage chamber 32 and the part of the storage chamber 121 are overlapped with each other as viewed in the up-down direction 7, allows the sizes of the upper storage chamber 32 and storage chamber 121 to be increased without increasing the size of the multifunction peripheral 10.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the first protruding part 49 is provided at the upper part of the ink cartridge 30 in the up-down direction 7, and the second protruding part 119 is provided at the lower part of the cartridge attachment section 110 in the up-down direction 7. Accordingly, as described below, image recording can be continued even after cartridge empty, and also the amount of ink that will flow out of the ink cartridge 30 at the time of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110 can be suppressed.
First, the horizontal cross sectional area of a part of the storage chamber 121 at the lower portion of the cartridge attachment section 110 where the second protruding part 119 is formed, can be made greater than the horizontal cross sectional areas of: a part of the storage chamber 121 that is disposed above the second protruding part 119; the buffer chamber 122; and the flow path 123. That is, the capacity of the lower part of the storage chamber 121 where residual ink is supposed to remain until ink is completely consumed can be made relatively larger, so that a time period during which image recording can be continuously performed after cartridge empty can be prolonged.
Among: the part of the storage chamber 121 disposed above the second protruding part 119; buffer chamber 122; and flow path 123, only a part of the tank 103 in which ink can enter at the use posture of the multifunction peripheral 10, may have a horizontal cross sectional area smaller than that of a part of the storage chamber 121 disposed below the upper end of the second protruding part 119. In other words, such part of the tank 103 in which ink cannot enter (the upper region of the buffer chamber 122, for example) may have a horizontal cross sectional area greater than the horizontal cross sectional area of a part of the storage chamber 121 that is disposed below the upper end of the second protruding part 119. The “part of the tank 103 in which ink can enter” refers to, for example, a part of the tank 103 that is positioned below the liquid surface of ink of a maximum amount that is stored in an ink cartridge 30 at a timing immediately after the ink cartridge 30 is newly attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 and before ink starts flowing out of the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103.
Further, the capacities of: a part of the storage chamber 121 disposed above the second protruding part 119; the buffer chamber 122; and the flow path 123 can be made relatively small. This can shorten the length of time required after an ink cartridge 30 is newly attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 and until the liquid surfaces of ink in the upper storage chamber 32 and in the tank 103 (storage chamber 121, buffer chamber 122, and flow path 123) become equal to each other in their heights. Thus, the amount of ink that is to flow from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 when the ink cartridge 30 is newly attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 can be reduced. Further, the horizontal cross sectional area of a part of the upper storage chamber 32 that is disposed at the upper portion of the ink cartridge 30, where the first protruding part 49 is provided, can be made larger than the horizontal cross sectional areas of: a part of the upper storage chamber 32 disposed below the first protruding part 49; the lower storage chamber 33; and ink valve chamber 35. Thus, the ink cartridge 30 having the first protruding part 49 can suppress the amount, by which the level of the liquid surface of ink in the ink cartridge 30 lowers when the ink cartridge 30 is newly attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, as compared to such an ink cartridge having no first protruding part 49.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the ink supply part 34 is provided below the first protruding part 49. Accordingly, the amount of ink that does not flow out of the ink supply part 34 and remains in the lower storage chamber 33 and ink valve chamber 35 can be reduced. Further, the through-hole 47, through which the upper storage chamber 32 is communicated with the lower storage chamber 33, is provided at a position on the front part of the partition wall 45. This reduces the amount of ink that flows out of the ink supply part 34 when the ink cartridge 30 is oriented so that the ink supply port 71 faces downward. Thus, for example, even when the ink cartridge 30 is erroneously inclined by a user, the amount of ink to leak from the ink cartridge 30 can be reduced.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the ink supply part 34 is provided at the first base part 48, and the air communication port 96, in which the rod 125 enters, is provided above the first protruding part 49. Accordingly, a plurality of types of ink cartridges 30, which are different in the protruding amounts of the first protruding parts 49 and therefore which are different in the capacities of the upper storage chambers 32, can be selectively attached to the cartridge attachment section 110.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pivot member 50 for detecting the residual amount of ink is disposed inside the storage chamber 121, so that the configuration of the ink cartridge 30 can be made simple. As a result, a degree of freedom in design of the outer shape of the ink cartridge 30 is increased. Further, when the liquid surface of ink in the storage chamber 121 lowers to a position below the boundary position P1, the detection signal outputted from the liquid surface sensor 55 changes. This boundary position P1 is set below the upper end of the second protruding part 119 and above the second communication port 128. Accordingly, the liquid surface sensor 55 can adequately detect whether the ink residual amount in the storage chamber 121 has become small. However, the pivot member 50 may be disposed inside the ink cartridge 30.
As illustrated in
As compared to the ink cartridge 30, the ink cartridge 60 is smaller in the protruding amount of the first protruding part 49. That is, in a state where the ink cartridge 60 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the first protruding part 49 of the ink cartridge 60 may be disposed at such a position that the first protruding part 49 of the ink cartridge 60 is not overlapped with the second protruding part 119 as viewed in the up-down direction 7. Further, as compared to the ink cartridge 30, the ink cartridge 60 is smaller in the capacity of the upper storage chamber 32. More specifically, in the ink cartridge 60 illustrated in
According to the above-described embodiment, by increasing or reducing the protruding amount of the first protruding part 49 and changing the capacity of the part of the upper storage chamber 32 disposed inside the first protruding part 49, the ink cartridges 30 and 60 having different capacities and different outer shapes can selectively be attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 without increasing the size of the multifunction peripheral 10 in the front-rear direction. In particular, by disposing the part of the upper storage chamber 32 inside the first protruding part 49 and the part of the storage chamber 121 inside the second protruding part 119 so as to be overlapped with each other as viewed in the up-down direction 7, the sizes of the upper storage chamber 32 and lower storage chamber 121 can be increased without involving an increase in the size of the multifunction peripheral 10.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, by setting the sizes of the ink cartridges 30 and 60 to be the same with each other in each of the up-down direction 7 and left-right direction 9, a desired one of the ink cartridges 30 and 60 that store ink of the same color can be selectively connected to a corresponding connection part 107 provided in the cartridge attachment section 110 that is configured to receive four ink cartridges 30 for four different colors at the same time.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, those components (for example, ink supply part 34, convex part 43, IC substrate 64, light shielding plate 67, operation part 90, and air communication port 96), each of which should be disposed at the same position among all the ink cartridges 30 and 60, are disposed at the first base part 48. This allows the plurality of types of the ink cartridges 30 and 60 having the first protruding parts 49 with different protruding amounts to be selectively attached to the cartridge attachment section 110.
Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the ink supply part 34 is disposed below the first protruding part 49. Thus, in such a type of multifunction peripheral 10, in which ink is supplied from the ink cartridge 30 to the tank 103 due to the water head difference, most of the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 can be supplied to the storage chamber 121 so as to be consumed by the recording head 21.
In the above-described embodiment, the air communication port 96 is opened and closed by the valve 97; however, the concrete configuration for communicating the inside of the upper storage chamber 32 of the ink cartridge 30 or 60 with the atmosphere is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the valve 97 and coil spring 98 may be omitted from the air valve chamber 36 so that the semipermeable membrane 95 provided in the air valve chamber 36 always communicates the inside of the air valve chamber 36 with the atmosphere. This configuration eliminates the need to have a component (for example, the rod 125) of the cartridge attachment section 110 abut against the ink cartridge 30 or 60 to open the air communication port 96 at a position above the liquid surface of ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 or 60. As a result, a degree of freedom in design of the outer shapes of the respective ink cartridges 30 and 60 is increased.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 or 60 is inserted into and removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 in the front-rear direction 8. However, the insertion/removal direction of the ink cartridge 30 or 60 is not limited to the front-rear direction 8, but may be the up-down direction 7 or left-right direction 9. Further, ink may be supplied from the ink cartridge 30 or 60 to the tank 103 not only due to the water head difference, but also by using a pump.
The positional relationship between: the first base part 48 and the first protruding part 49 of each of the ink cartridges 30 and 60; and the second base part 118 and the second protruding part 119 of the tank 103 is not limited to the above-described example. With reference to
It is noted that in all of these examples shown in
As a first example, an ink cartridge 30A illustrated in
As another example, an ink cartridge 30B illustrated in
As yet another example, an ink cartridge 30C illustrated in
The liquid stored in the ink cartridges 30 and 60 and tank 103 is not limited to ink. For example, pretreatment liquid, which is for being ejected onto a recording sheet before ink is ejected onto the recording sheet to print images, or water for cleaning the recording head 21 may be stored in the ink cartridges 30 and 60 and tank 103.
While the description has been made in detail with reference to specific embodiment thereof, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the above described aspects.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-256033 | Dec 2016 | JP | national |
| 2016-256034 | Dec 2016 | JP | national |
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/663,872, filed Jul. 31, 2017, which further claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2016-256033 and 2016-256034, both of which were filed Dec. 28, 2016. The entire contents of the all applications are incorporated herein by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15663872 | Jul 2017 | US |
| Child | 16390882 | US |
