The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-293983, filed on Dec. 25, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid supply apparatus for supplying a liquid or liquids, and a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid supply apparatus has been hitherto widely known in various technical field, the liquid supply apparatus including a plurality of cartridge installing sections to which liquid cartridges of a plurality of kinds of liquids are installable respectively, wherein liquids are supplied to a variety of objectives from the liquid cartridges installed to the cartridge installing sections. For example, in a liquid supply apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-54007, one connection port is provided for each of a plurality of cartridge installing sections, and installation positions of liquid cartridges of a plurality of types are determined previously. Further, the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types have the same positions of supply ports. In the case of such an arrangement, it is feared that any erroneous installation may be caused. Therefore, it is necessary to provide any artifice in order to avoid the erroneous installation. In the liquid supply apparatus, engagement guide sections, which have different shapes depending on the types of the liquid cartridges, are formed respectively on surfaces of the plurality of types of the liquid cartridges, the surfaces being to be opposed to the cartridge installing sections upon the installation. Further, engagement receiving sections, which has shapes corresponding to the engagement guide sections of the plurality of types of the liquid cartridges, are formed respectively for the plurality of cartridge installing sections. Each of the cartridge installing sections is constructed so that only a specified liquid cartridge, in which a specified engagement guide section corresponding to the engagement receiving section formed for the specified cartridge installing section, can be installed. In this way, the erroneous installation is avoided.
However, in the case of the liquid supply apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-54007, it is necessary that the installation position for the intended liquid cartridge should be confirmed with respect to the plurality of cartridge installing sections. A user undergoes the troublesome installation operation. Further, a structure for avoiding the erroneous installation of the cartridge installing sections and the liquid cartridges are complicated.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply apparatus in which the installation operation is convenient for a user while simplifying the arrangement or structure of liquid cartridges and cartridge installing sections, and to provide a printer which is based on the use of such a liquid supply apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid supply apparatus which supplies a plurality of kinds of liquids stored in a plurality of types of liquid cartridges each having a supply port, respectively, the liquid supply apparatus comprising:
a plurality of cartridge installing sections to which the liquid cartridges are detachably installable, each of the cartridge installing sections including a plurality of connection ports, each of which corresponds to the supply port formed for one of the liquid cartridges, and which are formed at mutually different positions of the respective cartridge installing sections.
According to the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of connection ports, each of which corresponds to the supply port of one of the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types, are formed for the respective cartridge installing sections. Therefore, even when the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types are installed at any position of the plurality of cartridge installing sections, then the supply port of the liquid cartridge is communicated with the connection port corresponding to the type of the liquid cartridge, and the liquid or liquids can be supplied to the supply flow passages. In this way, any installation position is available for the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types without any problem, and the installation operation is conveniently performed by a user. Further, it is unnecessary to provide any arrangement or structure for avoiding the erroneous installation for the liquid cartridge and/or the cartridge installing section. It is possible to simplify the arrangement or structure of the liquid cartridge and the cartridge installing section.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer which performs printing on a medium with a plurality of inks stored in a plurality of types of ink cartridges each having a supply port, the printer comprising:
a liquid supply mechanism including a plurality of cartridge installing sections to which the ink cartridges are detachably installable, each of the cartridge installing sections having a plurality of connection ports each of which corresponds to the supply port formed for one of the ink cartridges and which are formed at mutually different positions of the respective cartridge installing sections;
a head which performs the printing by discharging liquid droplets of the inks onto the medium;
a moving section which moves the medium relative to the head; and
supply flow passages through which the liquid supply mechanism and the head are liquid-communicated, and through which the inks are supplied to the head.
The plurality of connection ports, which correspond to the supply ports of the ink cartridges of the plurality of types respectively, are formed for the respective cartridge installing sections. Therefore, any installation position is available for the ink cartridges of the plurality of types without any problem, and the installation operation is conveniently performed by a user. Owing to the fact that any installation position is available without any problem, it is unnecessary to provide any arrangement or structure for avoiding the erroneous installation for the ink cartridge and/or the cartridge installing section. It is possible to simplify the arrangement or structure of the ink cartridge and the cartridge installing section.
Next, an embodiment of the present teaching will be explained. In this embodiment, the present teaching is applied to a printer which records or prints, for example, desired letters and images on the recording paper by jetting an ink or inks from an ink-jet head to the recording paper.
At first, an explanation will be made with reference to
The printer 1 is provided with two guide frames 17a, 17b which extend in parallel in one horizontal direction (left-right direction as shown in
The ink-jet head 3 and the four subtanks 4 are carried on the carriage 2. The four subtanks 4 correspond to four color inks of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta respectively, and they are arranged side by side in the scanning direction. The ink-jet head 3 is provided under or below the four subtanks 4. The respective subtanks 4 temporarily store the inks supplied from the ink cartridges 6. A tube joint 21 is integrally provided at first ends of the four subtanks 4. The four subtanks 4 are connected to the ink supply apparatus 5 via four flexible tubes 11 connected to the tube joint 21 respectively. On the other hand, second ends of the four subtanks 4 are connected to ink supply ports (not shown) provided on the upper surface of the ink-jet head 3. Accordingly, the inks, which are supplied via the tubes 11 from the ink cartridges 6 installed to the ink supply apparatus 5, are temporarily stored in the subtanks 4, and the inks contained in the subtanks 4 are supplied to the ink jet head 3.
A plurality of unillustrated nozzles are formed on the lower surface of the ink-jet head 3. The inks, which are supplied from the subtanks 4, are jetted by the ink-jet head 3 from the plurality of nozzles respectively toward the recording paper P transported in the paper feeding direction (see
The ink supply apparatus 5 includes a holder 10 which has four cartridge installing sections 22 for detachably installing the four ink cartridges 6 for storing the four color inks of black, yellow, cyan, and magenta respectively.
The ink supply apparatus 5 will be explained in detail with reference to
The bottom wall 10a has a plurality of cylindrical members 23 which protrude upwardly in the vertical direction from the upper surface, and four supply flow passages 26 (26a to 26d) which are formed in the cylindrical member 23.
The cylindrical member 23 is a hollow member, and a hollow internal space formed in the cylindrical member 23 functions as the flow passage. The forward end of the cylindrical member 23 is open upwardly in the vertical direction to serve as a connection port 25 (25a to 25d) which is connectable to a supply port 38a of the ink cartridge 6 as described later on. The connection ports 25a to 25d are arranged in this order from top down as viewed in
The supply flow passages 26a to 26d extend in the Y direction respectively, and they are connected to the tubes 11. In this embodiment, the supply flow passages 26a to 26d are arranged in this order from top down as viewed in
In this way, in one cartridge installing section 22, a set of the connection ports 25a to 25d of the four different types is aligned in the X direction, and the four connection ports 25a to 25d included in the one set of the connection port are connected via the cylindrical members 23 to the four supply flow passages 26a to 26d respectively. The four connection ports 25 of the same type are aligned in the Y direction and are disposed at the same position in relation to the X direction among the different cartridge installing sections 22. These four connection ports 25 of the same type are connected to one of the supply flow passages 26 via the cylindrical members 23 on which the four connection ports 25 are formed respectively. Specifically, as shown in
Accordingly, the inks, each of which is supplied to one of the four connection ports 25a to 25d aligned in the X direction in one cartridge installing section 22, are allowed to flow to the four tubes 11 respectively via the four supply flow passages 26a to 26d.
Next, the ink cartridges 6 will be explained with reference to
As shown in
Regarding the ink cartridges 6 in which the three remaining color inks other than the black are stored respectively, the position of the communication hole, which is included in the four communication holes 35a to 35d and to which the rubber member 38 is stuck, differs depending on the colors of the inks stored in the ink storage chambers 33. Further, the rubber members 37 are stuck to the three remaining communication holes other than the communication hole to which the rubber member 38 is stuck, of the four communication holes 35a to 35d. In this way, the positions, at which the inks flow out when the ink cartridges 6 are installed to the cartridge installing sections 22, are different while being deviated in one direction depending on the respective colors of the inks stored in the ink storage chambers 33, in relation to the ink cartridges 6 in which the four color inks are stored respectively.
When the ink cartridge 6 storing the black ink is installed to the cartridge installing section 22 while directing the supply port 38a downwardly in the vertical direction, the recesses of the ink cartridge 6, in which the rubber members 37, 38 and the inner circumferential surfaces of the four communication holes 35a to 35d aligned in one direction are arranged, are fitted to portions of the four cylindrical members 23 aligned in the X direction protruding from the bottom wall 10a.
The three connection ports 25a to 25c of the cartridge installing section 22 abut against the rubber members 37 stuck to the communication holes 35a to 35c of the ink cartridge 6, and the three connection ports 25a to 25c are sealed. The remaining connection port 25d of the cartridge installing section 22 abuts against the rubber member 38 stuck to the communication hole 35d of the ink cartridge 6. In this situation, the supply port 38a of the rubber member 38 is released from the sealing having been effected by the unillustrated sealing mechanism. The communication with the communication hole 35d is caused, and the ink contained in the ink storage chamber 33 flows out to the supply flow passage 26d via the connection port 25d. The black ink, which flows out to the supply flow passage 26d, is supplied to the subtank 4 via the corresponding tube 11.
This process also proceeds similarly or identically when the ink cartridges 6, in which the remaining three color inks other than the black are stored respectively, are installed to the cartridge installing sections 22. The rubber member 38 is stuck to only one of the communication holes 35a to 35d, corresponding to the color of the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 33. The one of the communication holes 35a to 35d is communicated with corresponding one of the connection ports 25a to 25d. The ink, which is contained in the ink storage chamber 33, flows out to one of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d via corresponding one of the connection ports 25a to 25d. The ink is supplied to the subtank 4 via the corresponding tube 11. In this way, the order of alignment of the plurality of connection ports 25a to 25c aligned in the X direction with respect to the ink cartridge 6 is identical among the cartridge installing sections 22.
As described above, the four connection ports 25a to 25d, which correspond to the four communication holes 35a to 35d respectively, are arranged in each of the cartridge installing sections 22 of the ink supply apparatus 5 of this embodiment. The inks, each of which is supplied from one of the four connection ports 25a to 25d, are supplied to the corresponding four subtanks 4 respectively via the tubes 11 and the supply flow passages 26a to 26d which are different from each other. The ink of the same color is supplied from the ink cartridge or ink cartridges 6 to the four connection ports 25a to 25d which have the same position in relation to the X direction and which are arranged in the respective cartridge installing sections 22 while being aligned in the Y direction. The ink, which is supplied from the four connection ports 25a to 25d aligned in the Y direction, is supplied to the corresponding subtank 4 via one of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d and the tube 11.
Therefore, the four ink cartridges 6, which store the four color inks respectively, can be installed at arbitrary positions without determining the positions of installation with respect to the four cartridge installing sections 22. Even when any one of the four ink cartridges 6 is installed at any position, then the supply port 38a of the ink cartridge 6 is communicated with one of the connection ports 25a to 25d corresponding to the type of the ink cartridge 6, and the ink can be supplied to the corresponding subtank 4 (ink-jet head 3) via one of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d connected to the one of the connection ports 25a to 25d. In this way, any installation position is available for the ink cartridge 6 without any problem, and the installation operation is conveniently performed by a user.
If the installable position of the cartridge installing section 22 is previously determined for every ink cartridge 6, it is necessary that any complicated artifice to avoid the erroneous installation should be provided for the ink cartridges 6 and the cartridge installing sections 22, in order to avoid the erroneous installation of the ink cartridges 6 to the cartridge installing sections 22. However, in the embodiment of the present teaching, any installation position is available for the ink cartridges 6 with respect to the cartridge installing sections 22 without any problem. Therefore, it is unnecessary to provide any artifice for the ink cartridges 6 and the cartridge installing sections 22 in order to avoid the erroneous installation. It is possible to simplify the arrangement or structure of the ink cartridges 6 and the cartridge installing sections 22.
Further, the four types of the connection ports 25a to 25d, which are aligned in the Y direction and to which the ink of the same color is supplied, are commonly connected to one of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d. Therefore, it is enough to provide the four tubes 11 (one tube 11 for each of the colors) which connect the four types of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d for the respective colors to the subtanks 4 (ink-jet head 3) provided as the connection objectives disposed on the downstream side of the ink supply respectively. In this way, one of the supply flow passages 26a to 26d, which is connected to the four connection ports 25a to 25d subjected to the supply of the ink of the same color, is formed as one flow passage. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify the arrangement or structure of the liquid supply section to supply the liquid to the subtank 4 (ink-jet head 3).
Further, the connection ports 25a to 25d are open upwardly in the vertical direction, and the supply port 38a is formed on the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 6. Therefore, the ink can be supplied downwardly in the vertical direction. The ink, which is contained in the ink cartridge 6, can be supplied to the end without allowing the ink to remain. In this arrangement, when any ink cartridge 6 of the four ink cartridges 6 installed to the four cartridge installing sections 22 respectively is exchanged, then the ink cartridge 6 to be exchanged is firstly detached from the cartridge installing section 22, and a new ink cartridge 6 is installed to the cartridge installing section 22. When the ink cartridge 6 is detached or installed, it is feared that the air may be mixed from the four connection ports 25a to 25d of the cartridge installing section 22. If the air is mixed from the connection ports 25a to 25d, it is feared that the air may flow to the supply flow passages 26a to 26d communicated with the connection ports 25a to 25d, and the flow passages may be clogged up.
In such a situation, the purge operation, in which the ink is forcibly jetted from the ink-jet head 3 to remove the air, can be also performed for the flow passage communicated with one of the connection ports 25a to 25d connected to the supply port 38a of the ink cartridge 6 subjected to the exchange. However, if the purge operation is also performed for the flow passages communicated with the remaining three of the connection ports 25a to 25d, then the purge operation is consequently performed for the flow passages corresponding to all of the inks every time when any one of the ink cartridges 6 is exchanged, and the ink consumption amount is increased. On the other hand, the air is hardly mixed from the connection ports 25a to 25d, for example, when the ink cartridge 6 is exchanged, because the connection ports 25a to 25d are open upwardly in the vertical direction. Further, even when the air is mixed, the air is moved upwardly in accordance with the buoyancy. Therefore, the air is suppressed from flowing to the supply flow passages 26a to 26d, and it is possible to avoid the clog up of the flow passages.
Next, modified embodiments, in which various modifications are applied to the embodiment described above, will be explained. However, the components or parts, which are constructed in the same manner as those of the embodiment described above, are designated by the same reference numerals, any explanation of which will be appropriately omitted.
In the embodiment of the present teaching, the connection ports 25a to 25d of the cartridge installing section 22 are open upwardly in the vertical direction. However, the direction, in which the connection ports 25a to 25d are open, may be arbitrary. However, the ink cartridges 6 are preferably constructed as follows depending on the direction in which the connection ports 25a to 25d are open. An explanation will be made with reference to
In this arrangement, as shown in
In this arrangement, when the ink cartridge 106 to be exchanged is detached from the cartridge installing section 22 when any ink cartridge 106 of the four ink cartridges 106 installed to the four cartridge installing sections 22 respectively is exchanged, it is feared that the air may tend to be mixed from the four connection ports 25a to 25d of the cartridge installing section 22 from which the ink cartridge 106 has been detached, and the flow passage clog up may be caused by the mixed air. In view of the above, it is preferable that the ink supply apparatus is constructed in accordance with a second modified embodiment or a third modified embodiment described below in order that the mixed air is not allowed to flow to the downstream flow passage or the mixed air is removed.
At first, an arrangement of the ink supply apparatus, which is provided in order to avoid the mixed air from flowing to the downstream flow passage, will be explained with reference to
Next, an explanation will be made with reference to
In the embodiment of the present teaching, the supply flow passage 26 is formed in the bottom wall 10a of the holder 10 which constitutes the cartridge installing sections 22. However, the supply flow passage 26 may be composed of a tube or the like without being formed in the holder 10.
Further, in the embodiment of the present teaching, the four ink cartridges 6, in which the inks of the different colors are stored respectively, are installed to the four cartridge installing sections 22 respectively. However, the ink cartridges 6, which store the ink of the same color, may be installed to a plurality of the cartridge installing sections 22 respectively. For example, in the case of the monochrome printing or black and white printing, only the black ink is used. Therefore, the ink cartridges 6, in which the black ink is stored, may be installed to all of the cartridge installing sections 22. In this situation, even when the ink volumes (liquid surface heights) are different among the plurality of ink cartridges 6 upon the installation, an identical ink-surface height is provided in all of them since all of the ink cartridges 6 are communicated with each other via the supply flow passage 26. Therefore, only the ink, which is contained in one ink cartridge 6, is not excessively consumed, and the ink is consumed equivalently or uniformly.
The present teaching is not limited to the case in which the ink cartridges 6 stored with the black ink are installed to all of the cartridge installing sections 22. There may be the case in which only the cartridges 6 of one type, each of which is any one of those for yellow, cyan, and magenta, are installed to all of the cartridge installing sections 22. Further, the ink cartridges 6 of any two types of those for the four color inks may be installed to the cartridge installing sections 22, or the ink cartridges 6 of any three types may be installed thereto. Accordingly, a larger number of the ink cartridges 6 for storing the ink having a large consumption amount can be installed to the cartridge installing sections 22 as compared with the ink cartridge 6 for storing the ink having a small consumption amount. Therefore, it is possible to decrease the frequency of the exchange of the ink cartridge 6. On the other hand, for example, subcartridges, which store the inks of a plurality of kinds, may be formed for one ink cartridge. For example, three subcartridges, which store the three color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow respectively, may be formed in one ink cartridge. In this case, when the ink cartridge having three subcartridges is installed to the cartridge installing section, the three color inks are supplied to the three connection ports of the cartridge installing section. In the case of the printer having the four cartridge installing sections as described above, when the ink cartridges for the black ink are installed to the three ink cartridge installing sections, and the ink cartridge for the three color inks, in which three subcartridges for the three color inks of cyan, magenta, and yellow are formed integrally, is installed to the remaining cartridge installing section, then a large amount of the black ink which is consumed heavily can be supplied, and it is also possible to perform the color printing.
Additionally, as shown in
In the embodiment of the present teaching, the cartridge installing section 22 has the four connection ports 25a to 25d corresponding to the four ink cartridges 6 for storing the four color inks. However, the number of the connection port or connection ports may be a number corresponding to the number of the ink cartridge or ink cartridges having the different types, which may be an arbitrary number.
In the embodiment of the present teaching, the connection ports 25 of the cartridge installing sections 22, to which the ink of the same color is supplied, are merged into one at the supply flow passage 26, and they are connected to one of the subtanks 4 via one tube 11. Therefore, the number of the connecting portions (the number of the tubes 11) to be connected to the subtanks 4 corresponds to the number of the ink cartridges having the different types to be installed to the cartridge installing sections 22. However, the present teaching is not limited thereto. It is appropriate that the connection is made between each of the subtanks and each of the ink cartridges by means of at least one connecting portion (tube or the like). For example, as shown in
In the embodiment of the present teaching, the supply port 38a of the ink cartridge 6 is formed for the rubber member 38. However, there is no limitation thereto. It is also allowable that the rubber member 38 is not formed with the supply port 38a. In this case, for example, as shown in
In the embodiment and the modified embodiments thereof explained above, the present teaching is applied to the ink supply apparatus 5 for supplying the ink or inks to the ink-jet head of the printer. However, the objective, to which the present teaching is applicable, is not limited to the printer as described above. The present teaching is applicable to any liquid supply apparatus for supplying the liquid or liquids to any apparatus disposed on the downstream side to be used in a variety of technical fields.
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Entry |
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Notice of Reasons for Rejection dated Dec. 25, 2012 received from the Japanese Patent Office from related Japanese Application No. 2009-293983, together with an English-language translation. |
Notice of Reasons for Rejection dated Sep. 3, 2013 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-034276, together with an English language translation. |
Partial English Translation of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2006-110918. |
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20110157274 A1 | Jun 2011 | US |