Patent Application
20200023646
The present application is based on, and claims priority from JP Application Serial Number 2018-134284, filed Jul. 17, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer.
For example, JP-A-2017-43086 describes a printer as an example of a liquid ejecting apparatus. The printer includes a container that houses an ink pack filled with an ink that is an example of a liquid, and a container housing portion that is an example of an attachment portion that houses the container. The ink pack is housed in the container in a state in which an adapter is attached to the ink pack. The adapter side of the container is inserted into the container housing portion such that the adapter is located on the deep side with respect to the ink pack.
In a state in which a portion of the container is pulled out from the container housing portion, the adapter is located in the container housing portion, and hence replacement of the ink pack is difficult. Thus, the replacement of the ink pack is performed in a state in which the container is removed from the container housing portion and is troublesome work.
Such a problem possibly occurs, without being limited to the printer in which the container housing portion houses the container, in a liquid ejecting apparatus in which a container is attached to an attachment portion.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid ejecting apparatus that addresses the above-described problem includes a container on which a liquid container is removably mounted, the container having an engaging portion, the liquid container containing a liquid and having a grip portion that is gripped by a user; an attachment portion into which the container is inserted in an attachment direction from an attachment port and to which the container is attached; and a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container mounted at the container. The attachment portion has an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion of the container in a process of pulling out the container from the attachment portion. The container causes the grip portion to be located on an outer side with respect to the attachment port when the container is in an engaged state in which the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion and the engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged next to each other in the attachment direction.
An embodiment of a liquid ejecting apparatus is described below with reference to the drawings. The liquid ejecting apparatus is, for example, an ink jet printer that performs printing by ejecting an ink, which is an example of a liquid, on a medium such as a sheet of paper.
As illustrated in
In the drawing, based on an assumption that the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, the Z axis indicates the direction of gravity and the X axis and Y axis indicate directions along a plane intersecting with the Z axis. When the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are orthogonal to one another, the X axis and Y axis extend along the horizontal plane. In the following description, the direction indicated by the X axis is also referred to as a width direction X, the direction indicated by the Y axis is also referred to as a depth direction Y, and the direction indicated by the Z axis is also referred to as a vertical direction Z.
As illustrated in
The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes a container 26 at which a liquid container 25 that houses a liquid is mounted, and an attachment portion 27 to which the container 26 is detachably attached. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include a plurality of attachment portions 27. One or a plurality of containers 26 are attached to the attachment portion 27. For example, one container 26 having a large size in the width direction X may be attached to lower one of the attachment portions 27. Three containers 26 each having a small size in the width direction X may be arranged next to one another and attached to upper one of the attachment portions 27.
When the liquid ejecting apparatus 11 includes the plurality of containers 26, a plurality of liquid housing bodies 25 mounted at the containers 26 may house liquids of different types. The liquids of different types may be, for example, inks of different colors, such as black, cyan, magenta, and yellow.
The container 26 is inserted from an attachment port 29 into the attachment portion 27, is pushed in the depth direction Y, and is attached to the attachment portion 27. The attachment portion 27 may have a second guide 30 that guides the movement of the container 26 when the container 26 is attached or detached. For example, the second guide 30 is one or a plurality of protruding threads or recessed threads extending in the depth direction Y. A rail 31 that extends along a protrusion or a recess of the second guide 30 may be provided at a bottom surface of the container 26. The second guide 30 guides the engaged rail 31, and hence guides the container 26 that is attached to the attachment portion 27, and the container 26 that is pulled out from the attachment portion 27.
The container 26 and the liquid container 25 are attached to the attachment portion 27 in an attachment posture in which the size in the vertical direction Z is larger than the size in the width direction X. The size of the attachment portion 27 in the width direction X may be larger than the size of the container 26 in the attachment posture. A first gap 33 may be provided between the attachment portion 27 and the container 26 attached to the attachment portion 27 in the width direction X. The first gap 33 may be provided on each of both sides of the container 26 in the width direction X.
As illustrated in
In the movement path 38, the direction from the attachment port 29 toward the coupling portion 36 is indicated as an attachment direction D1, and the direction from the coupling portion 36 toward the attachment port 29 is indicated as a pull-out direction D2 opposite to the attachment direction Dl. The attachment direction D1 in this embodiment agrees with the depth direction Y, and intersects with the width direction X and the vertical direction Z. The container 26 is inserted in the attachment direction D1 from the attachment port 29 into the attachment portion 27 and is attached to the attachment portion 27. The container 26 attached to the attachment portion 27 is pulled out in the pull-out direction D2. The attachment portion 27 may include a roller bearing 40 for allowing the container 26 that is attached to or detached from the attachment portion 27 to easily move.
When the container 26 is attached to the attachment portion 27, the liquid container 25 mounted at the container 26 is coupled to the coupling portion 36. The liquid housed in the liquid container 25 is supplied to the liquid ejecting head 20 via the coupling portion 36. That is, the liquid ejecting head 20 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container 25 mounted at the container 26.
The upper attachment portion 27 has an engaged portion 42 arranged next to the attachment port 29 in the attachment direction Dl. The engaged portion 42 is located on the deep side with respect to the attachment port 29, and is provided in the movement path 38 of the container 26 that is pulled out from the attachment portion 27. The engaged portion 42 is a recessed portion recessed in the vertical direction Z.
The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include an arm 44 that determines the pivot range of the cover 17. The cover 17 is located at a closing position illustrated in
An embodiment of the liquid container 25 and the container 26 is described next.
The drawings illustrate the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis in an attachment posture when the container 26 and the liquid container 25 are attached to the attachment portion 27.
As illustrated in
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The container 26 may have one or a plurality of first guides 49 that guide the liquid container 25 when the liquid container 25 is removed from the container 26. In this embodiment, two first guides 49 are provided at positions between center 26c and the leading end 26a in the attachment direction D1, at an interval in the width direction X.
The liquid container 25 includes a bag 51 capable of housing a liquid, a supply portion 52 for supplying the liquid housed in the bag 51 to the liquid ejecting apparatus 11, and a handle 53 provided at the supply portion 52. The bag 51 is formed by stacking two rectangular film members and joining the four sides of the film members. The supply portion 52 is attached to a short side of the bag 51.
The handle 53 may be constituted of a member that differs from the supply portion 52. The handle 53 has a grip portion 53a that is gripped by a user when the liquid container 25 is mounted at or removed from the container 26. The grip portion 53a of the handle 53 becomes easily gripped when the grip portion 53a is pivotable around a pivot shaft 53b. The grip portion 53a is located nearer to a trailing end 26b than the pivot shaft 53b.
The supply portion 52 has a guided portion 55 formed through the supply portion 52 in the vertical direction Z. In this case, two guided portions 55, two being the same as the number of the first guides 49 of the container 26, are provided. The two guided portions 55 are provided at positions on both sides of the pivot shafts 53b in the width direction X, so as to be arranged in line with the pivot shafts 53b.
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The container 26 includes an engaging portion 59 that is located nearer to the leading end 26a than the center 26c of the container 26 in the attachment direction Dl. The engaging portion 59 is formed to protrude downward in the vertical direction Z from the bottom surface of the container 26. The engaging portion 59 is a protruding portion that is engaged with the engaged portion 42 in a process of pulling out the container 26 from the attachment portion 27. The engaging portion 59 may be located between the rail 31 and the leading end 26a. The engaging portion 59 may be located between the leading end 26a and the first guide 49 in the attachment direction D1.
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Regarding the size of the container 26 in the vertical direction Z, the size at the portion provided with the engaging portion 59 is smaller than the size at the center 26c. The engaging portion 59 descends the inclined portion 61 and engages with the engaged portion 42. Hence, the container 26 in the engaged state is located at the position lower in the vertical direction Z than the position in the state indicated by two-dot chain lines in
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An operation of this embodiment is described.
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The container 26 can be inclined in the vertical direction Z or the width direction X and can cause the cover 17 to support the container 26 while being kept in the engaged state. The liquid container 25 can be removed from the container 26 in the engaged state or can be replaced.
Advantageous effects of this embodiment are described.
(1) In the engaged state, since the engaging portion 59 and the engaged portion 42 are arranged next to each other in the attachment direction D1, a portion of the container 26 is located in the attachment portion 27. The container 26 in the engaged state causes the grip portion 53a of the liquid container 25 to be located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port 29. Accordingly, the user can grip the grip portion 53a in a state in which a portion of the container 26 is located in the attachment portion 27. Thus, the liquid container 25 can be easily removed from the container 26.
(2) When the container 26 is in the engaged state, the first guide 49 is located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port 29. Accordingly, the user can remove the liquid container 25 while watching at the first guide 49. Thus, even when the container 26 includes the first guide 49, the liquid container 25 can be easily removed from the container 26.
(3) The engaging portion 59 is located nearer to the leading end 26a than the center 26c of the container 26, and the engaged portion 42 is located nearer to the attachment port 29 than the center 26c of the container 26. The size of the container 26 at the leading end 26a is smaller than the size of the container 26 at the center 26c. Accordingly, the container 26 can be inclined such that the trailing end 26b opposite to the leading end 26a moves in the vertical direction Z while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container 25 can be more easily removed from the container 26.
(4) The first gap 33 is provided between the attachment portion 27 and the container 26 attached to the attachment portion 27 in the width direction X. However, since the attachment portion 27 has the second guide 30 that guides the container 26, the container 26 can be stably moved. After the guide of the container 26 by the second guide 30 is removed, the engaging portion 59 engages with the engaged portion 42. Accordingly, when the container 26 is in the engaged state, the second guide 30 does not guide the container 26. Since the first gap 33 is provided between the container 26 and the attachment portion 27, the container 26 can be inclined such that the trailing end 26b opposite to the leading end 26a moves in the width direction X while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container 25 can be further easily removed from the container 26.
(5) The engaged portion 42 is the recessed portion recessed in the vertical direction Z. Accordingly, since the engaging portion 59 falls into the engaged portion 42 and engages with the engaged portion 42, the second gap 62 located at the upper position in the vertical direction Z between the attachment portion 27 and the container 26 in the engaged state increases. Thus, the container 26 in the engaged state can be easily inclined such that the trailing end 26b that is pulled out first is located at the position lower than the leading end 26a in the vertical direction Z.
(6) The length of the engaged portion 42, which is the recessed portion, in the attachment direction D1 is larger than the length of the engaging portion 59, which is the protruding portion, in the attachment direction D1. Since the first gap 33 is provided between the container 26 and the attachment portion 27 in the width direction X, the container 26 can be inclined such that the trailing end 26b opposite to the leading end 26a moves in the width direction X while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container 25 can be further easily removed from the container 26.
(7) The surface located on the deep side of the engaged portion 42 has the inclined portion 61 inclined downward from the deep side toward the attachment port 29. Accordingly, when the container 26 attached to the attachment portion 27 is pulled out, the engaging portion 59 is led by the engaged portion 42 along the inclined portion 61, and the engaging portion 59 can smoothly engage with the engaged portion 42.
(8) The engaged portion 42 is arranged next to the attachment port 29 in the attachment direction D1, and the engaging portion 59 is located between the leading end 26a and the first guide 49. Thus, when the container 26 is in the engaged state, the first guide 49 can be easily located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port 29.
(9) The container 26 in the engaged state contacts the cover 17 at the opening position. That is, since the container 26 is supported by the engaged portion 42 and the cover 17, the posture of the container 26 can be stable.
(10) When the trailing end 26b of the container 26 is gripped and the container 26 is pulled out from the attachment portion 27, the leading end 26a of the container 26 may fall. For example, when the container 26 attached to the upper attachment portion 27 falls in a state in which the container 26 attached to the lower attachment portion 27 is pulled out, the falling container 26 may hit the lower liquid container 25. In contrast, regarding the container 26 to be pulled out in the pull-out direction D2, the engaging portion 59 engages with the engaged portion 42 and the container 26 stops. Hence, the likelihood of the fall of the container 26 can be decreased.
This embodiment can be modified and implemented as follows. This embodiment and the following modifications can be implemented in combination with one another unless otherwise technically conflict with one another.
The grip portion 53a may be integrally provided with the supply portion 52.
The cover 17 may slide to be located at the closing position and the opening position. The container 26 may not contact the cover 17 located at the opening position. The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may include, separately from the cover 17, a support that supports the container 26 in the engaged state.
The first guide 49 may have a desirable shape, such as a prism or an elliptic cylinder. The first guide 49 may be integrally formed with a side plate of the container 26. For example, the first guide 49 may be formed in a substantially semicircular cylinder so as to protrude inward from the side plate of the container 26. The container 26 may not include the first guide 49.
The engaging portion 59 may have an inclined portion inclined such that a portion near the leading end 26a is located at an upper position in the vertical direction Z. In this case, the engaged portion 42 may not have the inclined portion 61.
Regarding the container 26 in which the engaging portion 59 engages with the engaged portion 42 in the attachment posture, the first guide 49 and the grip portion 53a may be located in the attachment portion 27. By changing the posture of the container 26 while being kept in the engaged state, the first guide 49 and the grip portion 53a may be located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port 29.
When the container 26 in the attachment posture becomes the engaged state and when the first guide 49 and the grip portion 53a are located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port 29, the liquid container 25 may be replaced while the container 26 is kept in the attachment posture. The container 26 may not change the posture when the container 26 becomes the engaged state. The container 26 may change the posture in one of the width direction X and the vertical direction Z when the container 26 becomes the engaged state. That is, the container 26 and the attachment portion 27 may have the same size in the width direction X. The length of the engaged portion 42 in the attachment direction D1 may be equivalent to the length of the engaging portion 59 in the attachment direction Dl.
The engaged portion 42 may be a protruding portion that protrudes to the movement path 38 of the container 26. The engaging portion 59 may be a recessed portion that is recessed upward in the vertical direction Z from the bottom surface of the container 26. At least one of the tip end of the protruding portion, the bottom surface of the recessed portion, and the side surfaces of the protruding shape and the recessed shape of the engaging portion 59 and the engaged portion 42 may be an arcuate shape, a hemispherical shape, or a sharp-pointed shape. Accordingly, the contact area between the engaging portion 59 and the engaged portion 42 can be decreased, and the container 26 can be more easily inclined.
The engaging portion 59 may have a circular cylinder or a circular column. The engaged portion 42 may be a hole having a diameter larger than the diameter of the engaging portion 59.
The engaged portion 42 may be constituted of a single member or a plurality of members. For example, the engaged portion 42 may be constituted of the exterior body 12 and the attachment portion 27.
The engaging portion 59 may engage with the engaged portion 42 in a state in which the second guide 30 and the rail 31 are engaged with each other.
In the vertical direction Z, the size at the leading end 26a of the container 26 may be the same as the size at the center 26c, or the size at the leading end 26a may be larger than the size at the trailing end 26b or the center 26c.
The liquid ejecting apparatus 11 may be a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects or discharges a liquid other than an ink. The state of the liquid that is ejected in a form of a very small amount of a liquid droplet from the liquid ejecting apparatus includes a grain form, a tear form, or a string form having a tail. The liquid in this case may be any material as far as the liquid ejecting apparatus can eject the material. For example, the liquid may be in any form as far as the substance is in a liquid phase. The liquid includes fluid bodies, such as a liquid body having a high or low viscosity, a gel, a sol, gel water, an inorganic solvent, an organic solvent, a solvent, a liquid resin, a liquid metal, and a metal melt. The liquid is not limited to a liquid in one state of a substance, and includes one in which particles of a functional material constituted of a solid matter, such as a pigment or metal particles, are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed. A representative example of the liquid may be an ink which has been described in the embodiment, or a liquid crystal. In this case, the ink includes various types of typical liquid compositions, such as a water-based ink, an oil-based ink, a gel ink, and a hotmelt ink. A specific example of the liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that ejects a liquid containing, in a dispersed form or a dissolved form, a material of an electrode material or a coloring material that is used for, for example, manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an electroluminescence display, a surface emitting display, or a color filter. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus that ejects a living-body organic substance which is used for manufacturing biochips, an apparatus that ejects a liquid which is used for a precision pipet and serves as a sample, a textile printing apparatus, or a micro-dispenser. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus that ejects a lubricating oil to a specific point of a precision machine, such as a watch or a camera, or an apparatus that ejects, onto a substrate, a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin for forming a micro semispherical lens, an optical lens, or the like, which is used for an optical communication element or the like. The liquid ejecting apparatus may be an apparatus that ejects an etching liquid of an acid or an alkali for etching a substrate or the like.
Technical scopes and advantageous effects that are grasped from the above-described embodiment and modifications are described below.
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a container on which a liquid container is removably mounted, the container having an engaging portion, the liquid container containing a liquid and having a grip portion that is gripped by a user; an attachment portion into which the container is inserted in an attachment direction from an attachment port and to which the container is attached; and a liquid ejecting head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid container mounted at the container. The attachment portion has an engaged portion that is engaged with the engaging portion of the container in a process of pulling out the container from the attachment portion. The container causes the grip portion to be located on an outer side with respect to the attachment port when the container is in an engaged state in which the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion and the engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged next to each other in the attachment direction.
With the configuration, in the engaged state, since the engaging portion and the engaged portion are arranged next to each other in the attachment direction, a portion of the container is located in the attachment portion. The container in the engaged state causes the grip portion of the liquid container to be located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port. Accordingly, the user can grip the grip portion in a state in which the portion of the container is located in the attachment portion. Thus, the liquid container can be easily removed from the container.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the container may have a first guide that guides the liquid container when the liquid container is removed from the container; and in the engaged state, the first guide may be located on an outer side with respect to the attachment port.
With the configuration, when the container is in the engaged state, the first guide is located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port. Accordingly, the user can remove the liquid container while watching at the first guide. Thus, even when the container includes the first guide, the liquid container can be easily removed from the container.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the container is inserted into the attachment portion from a leading end of the container in the attachment direction; the engaging portion may be located nearer to the leading end of the container than a center of the container in the attachment direction; the engaged portion may be located nearer to the attachment port than the center of the container attached to the attachment portion; and in a state where the container is attached to the attachment portion, a size of the leading end of the container in a vertical direction is smaller than a size of a center of the container in a vertical direction.
With the configuration, the engaging portion is located nearer to the leading end than the center of the container, and the engaged portion is located nearer to the attachment port than the center of the container. The size of the container at the leading end is smaller than the size of the container at the center. Accordingly, the container can be inclined such that the trailing end opposite to the leading end moves in the vertical direction while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container can be more easily removed from the container.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a gap, in a width direction intersecting with the attachment direction and a vertical direction, may be provided between the attachment portion and the container attached to the attachment portion; the attachment portion may have a second guide that guides the container that is pulled out from the attachment portion; and the engaging portion may engage with the engaged portion after the guide by the second guide is removed.
With the configuration, the gap is provided between the attachment portion and the container attached to the attachment portion in the width direction. However, since the attachment portion has the second guide that guides the container, the container can be stably moved. After the guide of the container by the second guide is removed, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion. Accordingly, when the container is in the engaged state, the second guide does not guide the container. Since the gap is provided between the container and the attachment portion, the container can be inclined such that the trailing end opposite to the leading end moves in the width direction while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container can be further easily removed from the container.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the engaged portion may be a recessed portion recessed in a vertical direction and provided in a movement path of the container that is pulled out from the attachment portion; and the engaging portion may be a protruding portion that engages with the engaged portion in a process of pulling out the container from the attachment portion.
With the configuration, the engaged portion is the recessed portion recessed in the vertical direction. Accordingly, since the engaging portion falls into the engaged portion and engages with the engaged portion, the gap located at the upper position in the vertical direction between the attachment portion and the container in the engaged state increases. Thus, when the container is in the engaged state, the trailing end to be pulled out first can be easily inclined so as to be located at the position lower than the leading end in the vertical direction.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a gap, in a width direction intersecting with the attachment direction and a vertical direction, may be provided between the attachment portion and the container attached to the attachment portion; and a length of the engaged portion in the attachment direction may be larger than a length of the engaging portion in the attachment direction.
With the configuration, the length of the engaged portion, which is the recessed portion, in the attachment direction is larger than the length of the engaging portion, which is the protruding portion, in the attachment direction. Since the gap is provided between the container and the attachment portion in the width direction, the container can be inclined such that the trailing end opposite to the leading end moves in the width direction while being kept in the engaged state, and the liquid container can be further easily removed from the container.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a surface located on a deep side in the attachment direction among surfaces constituting the engaged portion may have an inclined portion inclined downward from the deep side toward the attachment port.
With the configuration, the surface located on the deep side of the engaged portion has the inclined portion inclined downward from the deep side toward the attachment port. Accordingly, when the container attached to the attachment portion is pulled out, the engaging portion is led by the engaged portion along the inclined portion, and the engaging portion can smoothly engage with the engaged portion.
In the liquid ejecting apparatus, the engaged portion may be arranged next to the attachment port in the attachment direction; the container may have a first guide that guides the liquid container when the liquid container is removed from the container, and the container is inserted into the attachment portion from a leading end of the container in the attachment direction; and the engaging portion may be located between the leading end and the first guide in the attachment direction.
With the configuration, the engaged portion is arranged next to the attachment port in the attachment direction, and the engaging portion is located between the leading end and the first guide. Thus, when the container is in the engaged state, the first guide can be easily located on the outer side with respect to the attachment port.
The liquid ejecting apparatus may further include a cover that is located at a closing position and an opening position, the cover covering the attachment port at the closing position, the cover exposing the attachment port at the opening position. The container in the engaged state may contact the cover located at the opening position.
With the configuration, the container in the engaged state contacts the cover at the opening position. That is, since the container is supported by the engaged portion and the cover, the posture of the container can be stable.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-134284 | Jul 2018 | JP | national |
