JP5810496B2 - Inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink supply apparatus and an ink jet recording apparatus for supplying ink to a head unit mounted on a reciprocating carriage.

  Conventionally, as this type of ink supply device, an ink tank disposed outside the carriage, an ink tube that deforms following the reciprocating movement of the carriage, and a corner on the piping path of the ink tube on the carriage, A device including a guide unit that holds an ink tube is known (see Patent Document 1). This guide unit has a unit main body formed in a substantially curved shape in plan view along the corner, and a tube holding groove formed on the upper surface of the unit main body for holding the ink tube in a bent state along the corner. doing. Accordingly, the tube can be held in a bent state along the corner while suppressing the cross-sectional deformation of the ink tube.

JP 2007-112138 A

  By the way, in such an ink supply device, the movable end portion of the ink tube that deforms and follows is configured to be supported and fixed by the guide unit. At this time, the ink tube is held by the tube along with the following deformation of the ink tube. It floats off the groove. In other words, the above configuration has a problem that the ink tube cannot be stably held against the follow-up deformation of the ink tube.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink supply device and an ink jet recording apparatus that can stably hold an ink tube against follow-up deformation of the ink tube.

An ink supply device of the present invention is an ink supply device that supplies ink to a head unit that reciprocates via a carriage, and is provided outside the carriage, and an ink tank that supplies the ink to the head unit. A plurality of ink tubes that connect the ink tank and the head unit and that follow and reciprocate as the carriage reciprocates; and are provided on the carriage, and the plurality of ink tubes are disposed along the guide grooves. A guide main body that is bent at a predetermined angle and guided to the head unit; and a pair of presser pieces that are provided on the downstream side of the guide main body and extend inward from upper ends of both side walls of the individual guide groove. To do.

According to this configuration, by providing the tube pressing piece that receives the guide main body and presses the plurality of ink tubes, it is possible to prevent the ink tube that has been deformed from being lifted and prevent the ink tube from being detached from the guide main body. it can. Therefore, the ink tube can be stably held.

  In this case, the guide groove preferably has one individual guide groove for every two adjacent ink tubes.

  According to this configuration, since one individual guide groove is provided for each two ink tubes, the two ink tubes can be guided by a single individual guide groove, so that the guide unit has a simple configuration. be able to. Further, if one individual guide groove is assigned to the two ink tubes, any side wall of the individual guide groove always comes into contact with each ink tube, so that a sufficient guide function can be obtained.

  In this case, it is preferable that the tube pressing means has a pair of pressing pieces provided on the downstream side of the guide body and extending inwardly from upper ends of both side walls of the individual guide groove.

  According to this configuration, since the ink tube can be pressed and fixed on the downstream side of the guide body, it is possible to suppress unnecessary force from being applied to the inflow joint of the head unit via the ink tube.

  In this case, it is preferable that the pair of presser pieces are formed integrally with the individual guide groove and are disposed so as to be displaced from each other with respect to the extending direction of the individual guide groove.

If the pair of presser pieces are disposed at the same position in the extending direction of the individual guide groove, the gap between the pair of presser pieces becomes narrow, and it becomes difficult to incorporate the ink tube into the individual guide groove.
On the other hand, by arranging the pair of presser pieces so as to be displaced from each other with respect to the extending direction of the individual guide groove, the gap between the pair of presser pieces becomes wide, and the ink tube can be easily placed in the individual guide groove. Can be incorporated into. Therefore, the assemblability is improved. In addition, when the individual guide groove and the pair of presser pieces are integrally formed, the pair of presser pieces can be separated from each other, so that it becomes easy to form.

  In this case, it is preferable that the tube pressing means has a plate-like pressing member that covers the open surface of the guide groove.

  According to this configuration, since the ink tube can be pressed by the open surface of the guide groove, it is possible to further suppress the ink tube from rising.

  In this case, it further includes a flexible protective plate that is attached to the outside of the plurality of ink tubes that are deformed to follow and deforms along with the reciprocation of the carriage together with the plurality of ink tubes. It is preferable that the member is constituted by the movable side end portion of the protection plate.

  According to this configuration, since the pressing member is configured by the movable side end portion of the protection plate, the number of parts can be reduced, so that the ink supply device can be simplified.

  In this case, it is preferable that the guide unit further includes a tube holding member that is provided on the carriage in the vicinity of the upstream side of the guide main body and holds the plurality of ink tubes in the same plane.

  According to this configuration, by providing the tube holding member in the vicinity of the upstream side of the guide main body, it is possible to further suppress the rise of the ink tube.

  In this case, it is preferable that the carriage and the guide body are integrally formed.

  According to this configuration, since the number of parts can be reduced, the ink supply device can be simplified.

  An ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention includes the above ink supply device and a carriage unit in which the ink jet head unit is mounted on the carriage.

  According to this configuration, by using the ink supply device that can stably hold the ink tube, it is possible to provide an ink jet recording device that is highly stable in ink supply.

  In this case, it is preferable that the recording apparatus main body and a tank unit detachably attached to the recording apparatus main body are included, and the ink tank is mounted on the tank unit.

  According to this configuration, even in an ink jet recording apparatus using a tank unit that is separate from the recording apparatus main body, high stability can be exhibited in ink supply.

It is the perspective view which showed the inkjet recording device which concerns on this embodiment. It is the perspective view which showed the opening part for tubes of an inkjet recording device. It is the perspective view which showed the internal structure of the inkjet recording device. It is sectional drawing which showed the inkjet recording device. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the periphery of an ink supply unit. It is sectional drawing which showed the tank unit. It is the bottom view which showed the tank unit. It is the disassembled perspective view which showed the valve unit periphery. It is explanatory drawing which showed the effect | action when tensile force generate | occur | produces in the ink tube which the friction contact surface contacted. It is the perspective view which showed the intermediate joint. It is the perspective view which showed the guide unit periphery. (A) is the perspective view which showed the tube holding member, (b) And (c) is sectional drawing which showed the tube holding member. It is explanatory drawing which showed the assembly operation | work of the ink tube to a tube holding member.

  Hereinafter, an inkjet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This ink jet recording apparatus is an ink jet printer using a tank unit separate from the main body of the recording apparatus. The ink jet recording apparatus main-scans the ink jet head mounted on the carriage in the left and right directions, and prints paper (recording medium) on the left and right. The image data is printed on the printing paper by sub-scanning in the front-rear direction intersecting the direction.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an ink jet recording apparatus 1. In the drawing, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 in a state where the tank unit 3 is mounted on the recording apparatus main body 2 is illustrated. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tube opening 15 a for introducing the ink tube 52 from the tank unit 3 into the recording apparatus main body 2 in the ink jet recording apparatus 1. In the drawing, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 in a state where the tank unit 3 is separated from the recording apparatus main body 2 is illustrated. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the inkjet recording apparatus 1. In the drawing, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 in which the exterior cover 15 is omitted is illustrated. Here, the back and front directions in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be referred to as the X-axis direction, and the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 to 3 perpendicular to the X-axis direction will be described as the Y-axis direction.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ink jet recording apparatus 1 includes a recording apparatus main body 2 and a tank unit 3 detachably connected to the recording apparatus main body 2, and the recording apparatus main body 2 and the tank unit 3 include Each component of the inkjet recording apparatus 1 is mounted. Specifically, the recording apparatus main body 2 is disposed on the upper side of the transported printing paper and the transport unit 11 that transports the printing paper (cut sheet) in the X-axis direction (transporting direction), and prints on the printing paper. A printing unit 12 including an inkjet head 43 that performs processing, and a main body side ink supply unit 13a that supplies ink of each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are provided. On the other hand, the tank unit 3 includes an ink tank 51 for each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and includes a tank side ink supply unit 13b connected to the main body side ink supply unit 13a. The ink supply unit (ink supply device) 13 of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 is configured by the main body side ink supply unit 13 a of the recording apparatus main body 2 and the tank side ink supply unit 13 b of the tank unit 3.

  The yellow, magenta, cyan, and black inks stored in the tank unit 3 are sent to the ink jet head 43 of the printing unit 12 through the ink tube 52 described later by natural water head, and ink discharge of the ink jet head 43 is accompanied. A print image is formed on the printing paper by main scanning and sub-scanning (intermittent feed) of the printing paper.

  The recording apparatus main body 2 is surrounded by a box-shaped outer cover 15, and a pair of front and rear engaged portions 15 b for mounting the tank unit 3 is formed on the left side wall thereof. On the other hand, the tank unit 3 is outlined by a box-shaped unit case 17, and a pair of front and rear engaging portions 17a that engage with the engaged portion 15b is formed on the right side wall thereof. In other words, the tank unit 3 is detachably attached to the recording apparatus main body 2 by engaging the engaging portion 17a with the engaged portion 15b from above. Accordingly, the tank unit 3 is detachably connected to the recording apparatus main body 2 while the ink tube 52 is connected. A tube opening 15 a for introducing the ink tube 52 from the tank unit 3 into the exterior cover 15 is formed on the left side wall of the exterior cover 15. The tank unit 3 is mounted in the recording apparatus main body 2 in a vertical orientation when ink is supplied (see FIG. 1), and is detached from the recording apparatus main body 2 and in a horizontal orientation when ink is refilled in the ink tank 51 (see FIG. 1). (See FIG. 2).

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the transport unit 11 includes a paper tray 21 that sets printing paper right aligned, a separation roller 22 that separates and feeds the printing paper from the paper tray 21 one by one, and a separation roller 22. Is located downstream of the paper feed roller 23a and the paper feed driven roller 23b, and the paper feed roller 23a and the paper feed driven roller 23b. The platen 24 facing the ink jet head 43, the guide roller 25 positioned downstream of the platen 24 for guiding the printing paper from above, and positioned downstream of the guide roller 25, and discharging the printing paper from the paper discharge port 15c. A paper discharge roller 26a and a paper discharge driven roller 26b for paper, and a paper discharge roller that supports the guide roller 25 and the paper discharge driven roller 26b. It is provided with a over-time 27, a.

  In this case, the paper feed roller 23a and the paper feed driven roller 23b function as main rollers that control the feeding of the printing paper, and the paper discharge roller 26a and the paper discharge driven roller 26b are arranged on the printing paper fed to the upper side of the platen 24. It functions as a tension roller that imparts tension. Further, the guide roller 25 presses the leading end of the printing paper to be fed and prevents jamming. The printing paper introduced from the paper tray 21 by the separation roller 22 is transferred along the conveyance path R by the paper feed roller 23a and the paper discharge driven roller 23b, the guide roller 25, and the paper discharge roller 26a and the paper discharge driven roller 26b. After being transported in the axial direction and printed, it is discharged from the discharge outlet 15c.

  The printing unit 12 is supported by the apparatus frame 16 and extends a full width in the Y-axis direction, a carriage unit 32 supported by the guide frame 31 so as to be reciprocally movable, and the carriage unit 32 as a guide frame. And a carriage moving mechanism (not shown) that reciprocates along 31. An ink jet head 43 is mounted on the carriage unit 32.

  The guide frame 31 is formed in a “C” cross section, and the engagement slider portion 41 a is cantilevered so as to be hooked on the guide frame 31 and reciprocates in the extending direction (Y-axis direction). It is supported freely, that is, slidable. The carriage moving mechanism includes a timing belt that extends along the guide frame 31, a main pulley and a driven pulley that span the timing belt, a connection fixing portion that connects the timing belt and the carriage unit 32 (carriage 41), A carriage motor for driving the main pulley (both not shown). When the carriage motor rotates forward and backward, the carriage unit 32 reciprocates in the Y-axis direction (left and right directions) via the timing belt. Along with this reciprocation, the inkjet head 43 of the carriage unit 32 is driven to discharge, so-called A main scan is performed.

  The carriage unit 32 includes a box-shaped carriage 41 supported by the guide frame 31 so as to be reciprocally movable through an engagement slider portion 41 a, and a head unit 42 incorporated in the carriage 41. The head unit 42 is directly connected to the inkjet head 43 from above, and has a downstream end of the ink tube 52. The inkjet head 43 includes four nozzle rows that eject ink droplets of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. And yellow, magenta, cyan, and black connection adapters 44 connected to each other. The inkjet head 43 has four nozzle rows (not shown) that are parallel to each other and extend in the X-axis direction, and have a predetermined paper gap with respect to the conveyed printing paper. It is arranged downward. Each connection adapter 44 incorporates an ink buffer, an ink filter, and the like, and has an inflow joint 44 a for connecting the ink tube 52 at an upper portion thereof.

  In the printing process, the printing paper is conveyed by the conveyance unit 11 and is sent to the lower side of the inkjet head 43, and the carriage unit 32 is reciprocated by the carriage moving mechanism while the inkjet head 43 is being driven. Print image data on.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ink supply unit 13 includes yellow, magenta, cyan, and black ink tanks 51, ink tanks 51 that correspond to yellow, magenta, cyan, and black colors, and a head unit 42. The four ink tubes 52 that connect (the inflow joint 44 a of each connection adapter 44) and the guide mechanism 53 that guides the paths of the four ink tubes 52 are provided. The ink supply unit 13 is built in the lower part of the tank unit 3 and is attached to the lower part of the tank unit 3 and the manual valve unit 54 that opens and closes the flow path at the upstream end of the four ink tubes 52. A tank side retaining member 55 for retaining the outflow joint 51b on the ink tank 51 side, and a body side retaining member for retaining the intermediate joint 57 on the recording apparatus body 2 side, which is built in the lower part of the recording apparatus body 2. A member 56 and an intermediate joint 57 provided in the recording apparatus main body 2 and interposed in four ink tubes as connection joints on the recording apparatus main body 2 side are provided.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the tank unit 3, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the tank unit 3. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each ink tank 51 stores the corresponding color ink and is arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction. Each ink tank 51 has a tank body 51a and an outflow joint 51b that is formed in the lower part of the tank body 51a and protrudes in the Y-axis direction. The upstream end of each ink tube 52 is inserted and joined to each outflow joint 51b.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the four ink tubes 52 are made of silicon rubber, and are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction. Further, the four ink tubes 52 are guided from the ink tanks 51 to the head units 42 by being guided by the guide mechanisms 53. Furthermore, the four ink tubes 52 are provided with connecting bodies 60 that connect the four ink tubes 52 in parallel at a plurality of locations in the extending direction, and are piped in a state of being arranged in parallel. .

  Each ink tube 52 includes a tank side tube 52a on the ink tank side belonging to the tank side ink supply unit 13b, and a head side tube 52b on the ink jet head 43 side belonging to the main body side ink supply unit 13a. The tank side tube 52a is supported by the tank side retaining member 55 and the body side retaining member 56 on both base end sides, and the upstream end portion is connected to each ink tank 51 via the outflow joint 51b. Then, it is greatly curved upward from the tank unit 3 and extends to the recording apparatus main body 2. The head side tube 52b is piped from the intermediate joint 57 so as to traverse the inside of the recording apparatus main body 2. The head side tube 52b is curved and extends upward at the right portion in the recording apparatus main body 2, and further turned to the back side. The downstream end is connected to each connection adapter 44 via an inflow joint 44a. The tank side tube 52a has, as a part thereof, an erection tube portion 61 that extends from the tank unit 3 to the recording apparatus main body 2. Further, the head side tube 52 b traverses the inside of the recording apparatus main body 2, and the tube bending section 62 that is bent so as to be folded upward at the right portion in the recording apparatus main body 2, and on the upstream side of the tube bending section 62, And a tube turn portion 63 that turns to the side.

  The erection tube portion 61 is supported by the tank side retaining member 55 on the upstream side and the body side retaining member 56 on the downstream side, and is erected upward from the tank unit 3 to the recording apparatus body 2 in an inverted U shape. ing. The valve unit 54 is disposed at a position upstream of the installation tube portion 61 of the tank side tube 52a. Further, the tank side tube 52 a is connected to the intermediate joint 57 on the downstream side closest to the main body side retaining member 56 on the downstream side of the installation tube portion 61.

  On the other hand, the tube bending portion 62 is piped in a lateral U-turn shape in the area in front of the reciprocating region of the carriage unit 32, that is, the area directly above the paper discharge frame 27. In this case, the tube bending portion 62 is drawn while being bent so as to be folded upward from below, with the intermediate joint 57 side as a fixed side and the carriage 41 side as a movable side, and is deformed following reciprocation of the carriage 41. It is supposed to be. That is, the tube bending portion 62 is piped in parallel with the reciprocal movement trajectory of the carriage unit 32 and follows the reciprocating motion of the carriage unit 32 while maintaining a U-turn shape.

  The tube turn portion 63 extends from the tube bending portion 62 and is bent and routed vertically in a horizontal plane, and thereafter, the downstream end portion is connected to each connection adapter 44 via the inflow joint 44a. A tube holding member 122 (details will be described later) for fixing the head side tube 52b to the carriage 41 is disposed at a boundary portion between the tube bending portion 62 and the tube turn portion 63.

  A linear mark (not shown) is provided on the circumferential surface of the ink tube 52 (the tank side tube 52a and the head side tube 52b) in the extending direction at one position in the circumferential direction. The mark is used to determine whether the ink tube 52 is twisted or not when the tube portions 61, 62, 63 are assembled. For example, the installation tube portion 61, the tube bending portion 62, and the tube turn portion 63 are used. Are piped so that the respective mark comes inside the curve. Thereby, the ink tube 52 can be extended so as not to be twisted, and the runaway of the ink tube 52 during routing is suppressed.

  FIG. 8 is a divided perspective view showing the periphery of the valve unit 54. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the valve unit 54 is built in the bottom of the tank unit 3 and is disposed at the upstream end of the four ink tubes 52 (tank side tubes 52 a). The valve unit 54 faces a position restricting portion 66 that positions and aligns the four ink tubes 52 side by side, and the four ink tubes 52 that are position restricted, and simultaneously crushes the four ink tubes 52. (Pinch) A valve main body 67 (see FIG. 6) that closes the entire flow path, an operation lever 68 having a cam for operating the valve main body 67 to open and close the flow path (advance and retreat of the valve main body 67), and these are supported. A substantially rectangular valve frame 69. The valve unit 54 forcibly closes the flow path by the user's operation when there is a possibility that a problem such as liquid leakage may occur in the ink supply unit 13, for example, when ink is replenished.

  The tank side retaining member 55 is attached to the side wall of the valve frame 69, and the four ink tubes 52 are routed upward along the side wall of the valve frame 69 at the tank unit 3 side base of the installation tube portion 61. However, it is supported in a curved state in an S shape. Specifically, the lower tube support 71 that supports the S-shaped upstream curved portion 61 a of each ink tube 52 in a curved state and the lower tube support 71 so as to cover the four ink tubes 52 are: The upper tube support 72 that supports the S-shaped downstream curved portion 61b of the ink tube 52 in a curved state from the opposite side, and the upper tube support 72 are formed integrally with the lower tube support 71. Receiving member 73. That is, the support position of the lower tube support 71 (contact position with the ink tube 52) and the support position of the upper tube support 72 (contact position with the ink tube 52) are the extending direction (vertical direction) of the ink tube 52. ). Note that a part of the unit case 17 serves also as a receptacle facing the upper tube support 72.

  The lower tube support 71 guides the path of the ink tube 52 projecting horizontally from the valve unit 54 upward, and when the tensile force from the extending direction of the ink tube 52 is applied, the lower tube support 71 extends the ink tube 52 in the extending direction. It supports to the state where slippage is stopped. Specifically, the four ink tubes 52 are in contact with each other in a curved state, and the friction contact portion 81 having a friction contact surface 81 a that generates a frictional force against the tensile force between the four ink tubes 52 and The plurality of separators 82 projecting from the friction contact surface 81a and serving as a spacer between the receiving member 73 and the four ink tubes 52 are aligned, and the friction contact portions 81 are arranged on the valve frame 69. And a fixing portion 83 for fixing to the side wall.

  On the other hand, the receiving member 73 is opposed to the lower tube support 71 and is formed on the side wall of the valve frame 69 and a position restricting plate portion 84 that restricts the position of the four ink tubes 52 with the lower tube support 71. And a pair of front and rear engaging portions 85 that engage with the engaged portion 69a. The partition plate portion 82 of the lower tube support 71 restricts the width of the four ink tubes 52 and is applied to the receiving member 73. For this reason, the four ink tubes 52 are not crushed by the receiving member 73 in the attached state.

  Similarly to the lower tube support 71, the upper tube support 72 supports the ink tube 52 in a state in which the ink tube 52 is displaced in the extending direction when a tensile force from the extending direction of the ink tube 52 is applied. Specifically, the upper tube support 72 has a friction contact surface 91a that contacts the four ink tubes 52 in a curved state and generates a frictional force against the tensile force between the four ink tubes. The friction contact portion 91, a pair of front and rear contact pins (not shown) that protrude from the friction contact surface 91a and contact the side wall of the unit case 17 while avoiding the ink tube 52, and the friction contact portion 91 on the unit case 17. A pair of front and rear support fixing screws 93, 93 for fixing are provided. That is, the side wall of the unit case 17 regulates the position of the four ink tubes 52 with the upper tube support 72. Further, the four ink tubes 52 are not crushed by the pair of contact pins of the upper tube support 72.

  The lower tube support 71 and the upper tube support 72 (and the receiving member 73) configured in this way are positioned by a plurality of positioning protrusions that project from the side wall of the valve frame 69. The upper tube support 72 is hooked to the engaged portion 69 a of the valve frame 69 by the engaging portion 85, and further screwed to the unit case 17 by the support fixing screw 93 at the upper portion, thereby the ink tube 52. At the same time, it is fixed to the tank unit 3.

  The friction contact surfaces 81 a and 91 a of the lower tube support 71 and the upper tube support 72 extend in the parallel direction of the four ink tubes 52, and simultaneously contact the four ink tubes 52. The frictional contact surfaces 81a and 91a have a curved shape that generates a frictional force when a tensile force is applied from the extending direction of the ink tube 52. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, when a tensile force is generated from the downstream side when the ink tube 52 is in contact with the frictional contact surfaces 81a and 91a in a curved state, the frictional contact surface is accompanied by the tensile force. A component force serving as a contact force is generated on the 81a side. This contact force generates a strong frictional force and becomes a strong position restriction in the extending direction. Since the ink tube 52 is regulated within a predetermined angle range A on the upstream side and the downstream side from each supporting position, the curve that generates the frictional force with respect to an arbitrary tensile force from the angle range A. It is formed in a shape (see FIGS. 9B and 9C). Specifically, the ink tube 52 is positioned from the support position of the lower tube support 71 on the upstream side by the position restricting portion 66 of the valve unit 54, and the downstream side from the upper tube support 72 and the side wall of the unit case 17. The position is regulated. From the support position of the upper tube support 72, the upstream side is regulated by the lower tube support 71 and the receiving member 73, and the downstream side is drawn in an inverted U shape toward the recording device main body 2 side. The position is restricted to the upper side. Each of the friction contact surfaces 81a and 91a is formed corresponding to the angular range A in the extending direction due to these position restrictions.

  In this way, the lower tube support 71 and the receiving member 73, and the upper tube support 72 and the side wall of the unit case 17 perform the displacement stop (position regulation) in the extending direction in a series, and as a result, the tank It functions as a retainer for the outflow joint 51b of the side tube 52a.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the main body side retaining member 56 has a tube support 106 disposed between a side wall on the tank unit 3 side of the apparatus frame 16 and a tube guide 111 described later. Yes. When a tensile force from the extending direction is applied, the tube support 106 supports the recording apparatus main body 2 side base portion of the erected tube portion 61 in the extending direction in a state of being prevented from being displaced. Specifically, the four ink tubes 52 come into contact with each other in a curved state from the lower side, and a plate-like shape having a friction contact surface 107 a that generates a frictional force against the tensile force between the four ink tubes 52. A pair of plate-like left and right width controls that face the friction contact portion 107 and the four ink tubes 52 from the left and right sides and restrict the width of the four ink tubes 52 and also serve as the side plates of the friction contact portion 107. Plate portions 108 and 108. The friction contact portion 107 and the pair of width regulating plate portions 108 and 108 are integrally formed.

  The frictional contact surface 107 a of the tube support 106 extends in the direction in which the four ink tubes 52 are arranged in parallel, and contacts the four ink tubes 52 simultaneously. Further, the friction contact surface 107a is a component that becomes a contact force with respect to an arbitrary tensile force from a predetermined angle range A that is the extending direction of the ink tube 52, similarly to the lower tube support 71 and the upper tube support 72. It is formed in a curved shape that generates force. Specifically, since the upstream side of the ink tube 52 is drawn in an inverted U shape from the support position of the tube support 106 to the tank unit 3 side, the position of the ink tube 52 is restricted to the upper side of the tank unit 3 and the downstream side. The side is regulated by the intermediate joint 57 (each inflow side port 101). The friction contact surface 107a is formed corresponding to the angular range A in the extending direction due to these position restrictions.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the intermediate joint 57 is interposed between the tank side tube 52 a and the head side tube 52 b on the fixed side of the tube bending portion 62. The intermediate joint 57 connects the four inflow ports 101 corresponding to the four ink tubes, the four outflow ports 102 corresponding thereto, the four inflow ports 101 and the four inflow ports. A plate-like connecting portion 103, an engaging groove 104 formed in the connecting portion 103 and engaged with a protrusion of a tube guide 111 described later, and locking protrusions 105 provided on both sides of the connecting portion 103. ing.

  The intermediate joint 57 is locked to the tube guide 111 at the portion of the locking projection 105 by snap-in so that it does not fall off from the tube guide 111. Further, the engagement groove 104 prevents the tube guide 111 from being mounted upside down by mistake. The downstream end portion of each tank side tube 52a is inserted and joined to each inflow side port 101, and the upstream end portion of each head side tube 52b (tube bending portion 62) is inserted and joined to each outflow side port 102. Has been. The intermediate joint 57 configured as described above allows the tank side tube 52a and the head side tube 52b to be exchanged separately.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the guide mechanism 53 extends in parallel (Y-axis direction) to the reciprocating locus of the carriage 41, and receives a tube bending portion 62 from below, and a fixed side A fixing member 112 for fixing the tube bending portion 62 to the tube guide 111, a flexible protective plate 113 attached to the tube bending portion 62, and a movable end of the tube bending portion 62 are held on the carriage unit 32. In addition, a guide unit 114 for guiding the curved shape of the tube turn portion 63 is provided.

  The tube guide 111 is formed of an integrated sheet metal and extends in the Y-axis direction (reciprocating direction of the carriage unit 32) to receive the four ink tubes 52 from below. Specifically, the tube guide 111 includes a bottom plate portion 116 that extends in the Y-axis direction and receives four ink tubes 52, and a pair of left and right rib plate portions 117 and 117 that rise from both side end portions of the bottom plate portion 116, have. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate portion 116 is disposed above the paper discharge frame 27 with a predetermined gap.

  Further, an intermediate joint 57 is attached to the tube guide 111 at the end of the tank unit 3 side. For this reason, a pair of U-shaped guides 120 and 120 for attaching the intermediate joint 57 by snap-in from above are attached to this portion (rib plate portion 117) of the tube guide 111. Further, the bottom plate portion 116 of the tube guide 111 is provided with a protrusion that engages with the engagement groove 104 of the intermediate joint 57.

  The fixing member 112 includes a pressing fixing portion 118 that receives the tube guide 111 and fixes the four ink tubes 52 and a fastening screw 119 that fixes the pressing fixing portion 118 to the tube guide 111 with screws. . The fixing member 112 fixes the four ink tubes 52 to the tube guide 111 on the fixing side of the tube bending portion 62. Specifically, four ink tubes 52 are fixed at the upstream end portion of the non-movable region of the tube bending portion 62. Thereby, the deformation of the ink tube 52 can be stabilized and the tube bending portion 62 in the intermediate joint 57 is prevented from coming off.

  The protection plate 113 has one end fixed to the tube guide 111 and the other end held on the carriage 41, and together with the four ink tubes 52 (tube bending portions 62) as the carriage unit 32 reciprocates. Deforms following. Further, the protective plate 113 is provided along the R portion of the tube bending portion 62 from the outside, and the tube bending portion 62 is another component on the right side or the upper side in FIG. 3 (for example, the side wall or the top wall of the exterior cover 15). To prevent contact. That is, the protective plate 113 has a function of a tube carrier. Although not shown in the drawing, the protection plate 113 is provided with a string for binding the tube bending portion 62 to an appropriate place.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the guide unit 114 is provided in the vicinity of the upstream side of the guide member 121 and the guide member 121 that guides the tube turn portion 63 to the head unit 42 by bending the tube turn portion 63 at a right angle within the same plane. A tube holding member 122 for holding 62 movable end portions in the same plane. The guide member 121 and the tube holding member 122 are fixed to the carriage 41.

  The guide member 121 is provided on the carriage 41 and has a guide body 128 having a guide groove 127 composed of two individual guide grooves 126 and 126 for guiding the ink tubes 52 two by two, and two individual guide grooves 126, 126, respectively, which covers the entire open surface of each of the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 and the two individual guide grooves 126 and 126 that receive the guide main body 128 and press each ink tube 52, and receives the guide main body 128. A plate-like presser plate (pressing member) 130 that presses each ink tube 52. Further, the tube pressing means described in the claims includes a pair of pressing pieces 129 and 129 and a pressing plate 130.

  The guide grooves 127 curve the four ink tubes 52 arranged side by side in the horizontal plane and in the same plane, and one individual guide groove 126 (that is, two individual guide grooves) addressed to the two adjacent ink tubes 52. 126, 126). Each individual guide groove 126 is recessed in a square cross section and extends along a curved shape for guiding, and is formed slightly narrower than the width of the two ink tubes 52 arranged side by side. That is, each individual guide groove 126 supports and guides the two ink tubes 52 in such a manner that the two ink tubes 52 are fitted side by side.

  Each of the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 is formed at the downstream end of each individual guide groove 126 (the front end in the extending direction: the downstream side of the guide main body 128). It is extended and formed. That is, a pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 extending inward from the upper ends of both side walls are in contact with the upper surface of each ink tube 52 to press each ink tube 52 downward. The pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 are disposed so as to be displaced from each other with respect to the extending direction of the individual guide groove 126. In addition, the code | symbol 128a in a figure is a punching hole of the metal mold | die at the time of shape | molding a pair of pressing piece 129,129.

  The presser plate 130 covers the entire opening of the two individual guide grooves 126, 126, and specifically has a planar shape covering the entire upper surface of the guide body 128. That is, the presser plate 130 covering the entire open surface is in contact with the upper surface of each ink tube 52 and presses each ink tube 52 downward. The holding plate 130 is integrally formed with the movable end portion of the protective plate 113 (in other words, an extended portion of the protective plate 113), and includes a tube holding member 122 and a locking piece 128b formed on the guide main body 128. The upper surface of the guide body 128 is locked. The presser plate 130 also functions as a protective cover for protecting the guide main body 128 and the tube turn portion 63.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the tube holding member 122 includes a support base 131 fixed to the carriage 41, and fixed to the support base 131 to hold the four ink tubes 52 side by side and the protection plate 113. A tube holder 132 that holds the movable end portion, and a fixing screw 140 that fixes the tube holder 132 to the support base 131 are provided. That is, the support base 131 supports the four ink tubes 52 and the protection plate 113 via the tube holder 132.

  The tube holder 132 has a tube receiving member 137 having a tube receiving surface 136 for receiving the four ink tubes 52, and is attached to the tube receiving member 137 in a snap-in manner. A tube pressing member 138 that is pressed between the surface 136 and the surface 136. When the tube holder 132 is fixed to the support base 131, the tube holder 132 is fixed upside down. That is, it is fixed to the support base 131 with the tube receiving member 137 on the top and the tube pressing member 138 on the bottom.

  The tube receiving member 137 is positioned at the tube receiving surface 136 that receives the four ink tubes 52 arranged side by side and the protection plate 113, and at both ends of the tube receiving surface 136, and the width of the four ink tubes 52 arranged side by side is regulated. A pair of left and right aligning wall portions 139 and 139 that are aligned with each other, and a pair of left and right engaging portions 152 that are positioned outside the pair of aligning wall portions 139 and engage with the engaged portions 151 and 151 of the tube pressing member 138, 152. Specifically, it is placed on the tube receiving surface 136 with the protective plate 113 on the bottom and the four ink tubes 52 on the top. The pair of alignment walls 139 and 139 are in contact with the side surfaces of the four side-by-side ink tubes 52 (the right side surface of the right end ink tube 52 and the left side surface of the left end ink tube 52). The width of the ink tube 52 is regulated.

  The tube pressing member 138 receives the tube receiving surface 136 and is positioned at both ends of the tube pressing surface 153 and the tube pressing surface 153 for pressing the four ink tubes arranged side by side. It has a pair of left and right engaged portions 151 and 151 engaged with the portions 152 and 152 in a snap-in manner.

  The fixing screw 140 fastens the tube holder 132 to the support base 131 and fastens the tube pressing member 138 attached to the tube receiving member 137 in a stationary manner. That is, the fixing screw 140 is screwed to the support base 131 by fastening the tube pressing member 138 and the tube holder 132 together.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 13, an operation of assembling the ink tube 52 into the tube holding member 122 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, the protection plate 113 drawn horizontally is first placed on the tube receiving member 137, and the four ink tubes 52 drawn horizontally are placed side by side on the tube receiving member 137 (see FIG. 13). FIG. 13 (a)). When the four ink tubes 52 are placed, the four ink tubes 52 are positioned. Specifically, in each ink tube 52, positioning in the extending direction and positioning in the width direction are performed, and twist of the ink tube 52 is corrected based on the linear mark. Thereafter, the tube pressing member 138 is attached to the tube receiving member 137 by a snap-in method and temporarily fixed (FIG. 13B). When the four ink tubes 52 are temporarily fixed, the protective plate 113 having the movable end held by the tube holder 132 and the four ink tubes 52 are drawn around in a U-turn shape through the tube holder 132 and the tube holder 132 is provided. Is placed upside down on the support base 131. Thereafter, the tube holder 132 is fastened to the support base 131 with the fixing screw 140 (FIG. 13C). As a result, the movable end portion of the ink tube 52 (tube bending portion 62) is held by the carriage 41 via the tube holding member 122.

  According to the above configuration, the guide unit 144 (guide member 121) is provided with the tube pressing means (the pressing piece 129 and the pressing plate 130) that receives the guide main body 128 and presses the four ink tubes 52. It is possible to prevent the ink tube 52 that has been deformed from being lifted, and to prevent the ink tube 52 from being detached from the guide main body 128. Therefore, the ink tube 52 can be stably held.

  Further, since one individual guide groove 126 is provided for each two ink tubes, the two ink tubes 52 can be guided by the single individual guide groove 126, so that the guide unit 144 has a simple configuration. be able to. Further, in the configuration in which one individual guide groove 126 is assigned to the two ink tubes 52, any one of the side walls of the individual guide groove 126 always comes into contact with each ink tube 52, so that a sufficient guide function can be obtained. Can do.

  Further, by arranging the pair of pressing pieces 129 and 129 on the downstream side of the guide main body 128, the ink tube 52 can be pressed and fixed on the downstream side of the guide main body 128. It is possible to suppress an unnecessary force from being applied to the inflow joint 44a of the unit 42.

  Furthermore, the gap between the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 is widened by arranging the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 so as to be displaced from each other with respect to the extending direction of the individual guide groove 126. When the ink tube 52 is assembled in 126 from above, it can be easily assembled. Therefore, the assemblability is improved. In addition, when the individual guide groove 126 and the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 are integrally formed, the pair of presser pieces 129 and 129 can be separated from each other, which makes it easier to form.

  Further, since the presser plate 130 is provided, the ink tube 52 can be pressed by the open surface of the guide groove 127, and therefore the ink tube 52 can be further prevented from rising.

  Furthermore, since the press plate 130 is configured by the movable side end of the protection plate 113, the number of parts can be reduced, and thus the ink supply unit 13 can be configured simply.

  Furthermore, by providing the tube holding member 122 in the vicinity of the upstream side of the guide main body 128, the ink tube 52 can be further prevented from rising.

  In the above embodiment, the carriage 41 and the guide main body 128 are formed as separate bodies. However, the carriage 41 and the guide main body 128 may be formed integrally. good. In this case, since the number of parts can be reduced, the ink supply unit 13 can have a simple configuration.

  In the above embodiment, the ink tank 51 is provided outside the outer case 15, but may be provided in a vacant space inside the outer case 15 as long as it is outside the carriage 41.

1: inkjet recording apparatus, 2: recording apparatus main body, 3: tank unit,
13: Ink supply unit, 32: Carriage unit, 41: Carriage, 42: Head unit, 51: Ink tank, 52: Ink tube, 114: Guide unit, 113: Protection plate, 122: Tube holding member, 126: Individual guide Groove, 127: Guide groove, 128: Guide body, 129: Presser piece, 130: Presser plate

Claims (9)

An ink jet recording apparatus that supplies ink to a head unit that reciprocates via a carriage and records on a medium,
An ink tank unit that is provided outside the carriage and supplies the ink to the head unit;
A plurality of ink tubes that connect the ink tank unit and the head unit, and that follow and deform as the carriage reciprocates;
A guide main body provided on the carriage and connected to the ink tank by curving the plurality of ink tubes from the carriage along a guide groove in a carriage movement direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction;
Wherein comprising a roller having a conveyance direction upstream side and downstream side of the medium of the ink jet head, and a paper discharge mechanism is constituted by the downstream roller,
The ink jet recording apparatus, wherein the guide main body extends in a horizontal direction toward the paper discharge mechanism. The ink tube is curved upward and deformed following reciprocation of the carriage,
2. The guide body according to claim 1, wherein the ink tube is formed on a side farther from a side wall of the ink jet recording apparatus main body on a side where the ink tube is bent upward and deformed following the ink tube. Inkjet recording device.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the upward bending direction is formed on the right side when viewed from the downstream side in the transport direction.   The inkjet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a pair of pressing pieces provided on a downstream side of the guide body and extending inwardly from upper ends of both side walls of the guide groove. Recording device.   The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pair of presser pieces are disposed so as to be displaced from each other with respect to the extending direction of the guide groove.   6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide groove has one individual guide groove for every two adjacent ink tubes. A tube pressing means for receiving the guide body and pressing the plurality of ink tubes;
The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tube pressing means includes a plate-shaped pressing member that covers an open surface of the guide groove. A flexible protective plate that is attached to the plurality of ink tubes and that deforms following the reciprocation of the carriage together with the plurality of ink tubes;
8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is configured by an end portion of the protective plate on the head unit side. 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ink tank unit is detachably attached to the ink jet recording apparatus main body .

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