CN100460212C - Ink cartridges and recording devices - Google Patents

Abstract

An ink cartridge (210), which is installed in a recording device and supplies ink to the recording device, has: an ink cartridge main body (220) storing ink inside; an ink supply part (240) having an ink supply hole, arranged on the ink cartridge main body (220) ) on the bottom surface (222), its position is biased to the first side wall (224) intersecting with the bottom surface (222) of the ink cartridge main body (220); the information storage part (260) has a connection terminal part (262), the connection The terminal portion (262) is arranged on the second side wall (226) that intersects with the bottom surface (222) of the ink cartridge main body (220) and is opposite to the first side wall (224) simultaneously; the positioning portion (280), from the second side The wall (226) extends to position the ink cartridge (210) relative to the recording device when the cartridge (210) is installed in the recording device. The connection terminal portion of such an ink cartridge and the connection terminal on the side of the recording apparatus ensure accurate connection while increasing the degree of freedom in the arrangement position of the connection terminal.

Description

Ink cartridges and recording devices

technical field

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording device, and the recording device. The recording device has a carrier capable of freely attaching and detaching the ink cartridge and a recording head mounted in the carrier. More particularly, the present invention relates to an ink cartridge that supplies ink to a recording device by being properly mounted on the recording device.

Background technique

Generally, in an inkjet printer as a recording device, printing media such as paper placed on a paper feed tray are fed one by one by a paper feeding mechanism, and are intermittently pressed in the sub-scanning direction by a paper conveying device. While feeding a given amount, the carrier on which the recording head is mounted reciprocates in the main scanning direction, and the recording head shoots ink droplets onto the printing medium to record characters and images. Generally, in a carrier of a full-color inkjet printer, an ink cartridge for storing black ink and an ink cartridge for storing ink of each color such as yellow, cyan, and magenta are separately installed.

As for the carrier, since the maintenance rate of the recording head is high, a head loading portion for loading the recording head and a cartridge mounting portion for mounting the ink cartridge are provided in a separable structure. Then, a storage device for storing ink-related information such as the date of manufacture, model, ink remaining amount, etc. is installed in the ink cartridge, and the circuit board connected to the recording head through the storage device and the connector is arranged on the head of the carrier. in the loading section. Therefore, it is designed to be able to send and receive information about the ink to and from the recording device. An example of this storage device for storing information is a contact-type information storage portion having a connection terminal portion exposed to the outside and a storage device portion electrically connected to the connection terminal. The connection terminal is electrically connected by being in contact with the connection terminal on the recording device side. The storage section is used to store information related to ink and the like (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1

International Publication No. 99/59823 Pamphlet

Contents of the invention

In the above-mentioned conventional inkjet printers, the connection terminals of the information storage part of the ink cartridge and the connection terminals of the recording device cannot be accurately contacted, and information cannot be received and transmitted correctly. In particular, when several small-area connection terminal regions are adjacently arranged, the connection with the position of the connection terminal on the recording device side must be very accurate.

Meanwhile, with conventional inkjet printers, since the circuit board is provided in the head loading portion of the carrier, there is often a fear of damage when the recording head is taken out from the device main body for maintenance.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge in which a connection terminal portion of an information storage portion and a connection terminal on a recording device side can be accurately contacted.

Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge having a certain degree of freedom in the mounting positions of the connection terminal portion of the ink cartridge and the connection terminal on the recording device side.

Meanwhile, it is still another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus in which elements for reading and writing ink information of an ink cartridge are fixed on a substrate, which can be protected when the recording head is maintained.

technical solution

These objects are achieved by combining the features stated in the independent claims defining the scope of protection. At the same time, the dependent claims define further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

That is, in the first aspect of the present invention, the ink cartridge that supplies ink to the recording device by being installed in the recording device has: an ink cartridge main body, a bottom surface, a first wall intersecting the bottom surface, and a second wall opposite to the first wall. The wall is composed of ink inside; the ink supply part is arranged on the bottom surface and has an ink supply hole; the storage element is arranged in the main body of the ink cartridge and stores information related to the ink; the connection terminal part is arranged on the The second wall is connected with the storage element; the positioning part protrudes from the second wall, and when the ink cartridge is installed on the recording device, the position of the ink cartridge relative to the recording device is adjusted. position.

In the ink cartridge, the ink supply hole may be provided on the bottom surface at a position deviated from the first wall.

In the ink cartridge, the positioning portion may have a positioning rib protruding toward the bottom surface.

The ink cartridge may have a convex portion provided on an upper side than the connection terminal portion and the positioning rib.

The position of the surface of the convex portion of the ink cartridge is substantially parallel to the first wall, wherein the first wall protrudes more than the positioning rib.

In the ink cartridge, the positioning rib may be located outside a width of the connection terminal portion.

In the ink cartridge, for an ink cartridge used in a recording apparatus in which at least two ink cartridges are mounted, the connection terminal portion may be provided at a position biased toward a side wall where the two ink cartridges adjoin.

For the ink cartridges, anti-reverse insertion ribs may be provided on the side wall opposite to the side walls adjacent to the two ink cartridges, so that when the ink cartridges are installed in the normal direction, they will not be in contact with the recording device. match.

In the ink cartridge, for an ink cartridge used in a recording device in which at least two ink cartridges are installed, an anti-reverse insertion rib may be provided on the side wall opposite to the side wall adjacent to the two ink cartridges, so that When the ink cartridge is installed in the normal direction, it fits with the recording device.

In the ink cartridge, the connection terminal part is arranged on the second wall, and its position is biased toward the third wall intersecting the bottom surface and the second wall, and opposite to the third wall. Anti-reverse insertion ribs may be provided on the fourth wall.

In a second aspect of the present invention, an ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording apparatus by being mounted in the recording apparatus has an ink cartridge main body having a bottom surface, a first wall intersecting the bottom surface, and a second wall opposite to the first wall. , a partition wall arranged inside, a plurality of ink chambers for storing various inks separated by the partition wall; the ink supply part has an ink supply hole, and the ink supply hole corresponds to the plurality of ink chambers respectively, and is arranged on the The bottom surface; the information storage part, used to store information related to the ink stored in the ink cartridge main body; the connection terminal part, connected with the information storage part, arranged on the second wall and the partition wall in the corresponding position.

In the ink cartridge, the ink supply hole may be provided on the bottom surface at a position deviated from the first wall side.

For an ink cartridge used in a recording apparatus in which at least two ink cartridges are mounted, the connection terminal portion may be provided at a corresponding position of the partition wall adjacent to a side wall where the two ink cartridges adjoin.

For the ink cartridge, an anti-reverse insertion rib may be provided on the side wall opposite to the adjacent side wall of the two ink cartridges, so that when the ink cartridge is installed in the normal direction, it fits with the recording device.

For the ink cartridge used in the recording device with at least two ink cartridges installed, on the side wall opposite to the side wall adjacent to the two ink cartridges, anti-reverse insertion ribs can be provided to make the ink cartridges in the normal direction When installed, coincide with the recording device.

In the ink cartridge, the connection terminal part is arranged on the second wall, and its position is biased toward the third wall intersecting the bottom surface and the second wall, and opposite to the third wall. Anti-reverse insertion ribs may be provided on the fourth wall of the ink tank, so that when the ink cartridge is installed in the normal direction, it fits with the recording device.

In the ink cartridge, the center of the connection terminal portion is disposed at a position deviated from the central axis of the ink supply hole.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the recording apparatus of the present invention is provided with a carrier having a head mounting portion for mounting a recording head and a cartridge mounting portion for mounting an ink cartridge, characterized in that the connection with the ink cartridge Elements for reading and writing ink information, to which the terminal portions are connected, are fixed on a substrate provided in the ink cartridge mounting portion. Therefore, when the recording head is maintained, because the head loading part is arranged outside the main body of the device, and the components for reading and writing ink information in the ink cartridge are fixed on the substrate and can be left together with the main body of the device, it can protect the recording head. The role of the substrate.

At the same time, in order to achieve the above object, the recording device of the present invention has a carrier on which the ink cartridge can be freely attached and a recording head mounted on the carrier, and is characterized in that, in the recording device, the information of the ink in the ink cartridge is read The components are fixed on a substrate provided on the inner side wall on the front side of the carrier. Therefore, since the substrate on which the element for reading the ink information in the ink cartridge is fixed is separated from the recording head arranged on the rear side of the carrier, the substrate can be protected when the recording head is maintained.

Also, the above summary of the invention does not list all the features of the present invention, and other combinations of these feature groups will constitute yet another invention.

Brief description of the drawings

1 is a perspective view of the overall external structure of an inkjet printer as a recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the front.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overall internal structure of the inkjet printer 100 shown in FIG. 1 , viewed obliquely from the front, without the upper casing.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side view showing a main part of the ink jet printer shown in Fig. 2 .

Fig. 4 is a side view showing a carrier of the ink jet printer shown in Fig. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the carrier shown in FIG. 4 .

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which part of the carrier shown in Fig. 4 is removed.

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of an example of an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a bottom oblique view of the ink cartridge.

Fig. 9A is a plan view of the ink cartridge seen from the second side wall; Fig. 9B is a plan view of the ink cartridge seen from the third side wall.

Fig. 10 is a top perspective view of another example of the ink cartridge in the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a bottom oblique view of the ink cartridge.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge.

Fig. 13A is a plan view of the ink cartridge seen from the second side wall; Fig. 13B is a plan view of the ink cartridge seen from the fourth side wall.

Fig. 14 is an upper oblique view of a carrier of a recording device mounted with two ink cartridges.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of two ink cartridges mounted in the carrier.

16A and 16B are partial sectional views showing the process of mounting the ink cartridge into the carrier.

17A and 17B are sectional views showing other parts of the process of mounting the ink cartridge to the carrier.

Specific embodiments of the invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and the entire combination of features described in the embodiments is not essential to the technical solution of the present invention. (memory element protection device)

1 is a perspective view of the overall external structure of an inkjet printer as a recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the front. This inkjet printer 100 has a rectangular upper casing 101 and a lower casing 102 extending laterally as a whole. The upper shell 101 and the lower shell 102 are connected together by snap.

A paper inlet 103 is provided on the rear side of the upper housing 101 . The paper inlet 103 is provided with a paper feed tray 110 and a paper feed guide device 111 , wherein the supplied paper is stacked and loaded on the paper feed tray 110 , and the paper feed guide device 111 is provided on the paper feed tray 110 side of one end. The paper feeding tray 110 is designed to protrude obliquely upward behind the paper feeding guide 111 to keep the paper in an inclined state.

On the front side of the upper housing 101, a paper outlet 104 is provided. A paper discharge stacker 120 for stacking discharged paper is provided in the paper discharge port 104 . For the paper output stacking tray 120, it can be set like this: when not in use, it can be accommodated in the inside of the lower casing 102 from the paper output port 104, and can be drawn out from the oblique front and upward direction of the paper output port 104 during use, and is used for holding The skewed state of the paper.

In addition, a stacker holding member 121 is provided in the paper output port 104, and when the paper output stacker 120 is pulled out, the end of the paper output stacker 120 on the non-paper output side is held in the lateral direction. In addition, FIG. 1 shows a state in which the paper discharge stacking tray 120 is accommodated inside the lower housing 102 .

A window member 105 is provided from the upper portion to the front of the upper housing 101 . The window member 105 is covered by a cover 106, which is transparent or semi-transparent, curved, and can be freely opened and closed. By opening the cover 106, the work of replacing the ink cartridge, the maintenance work of the internal mechanism, and the like can be easily performed. Meanwhile, a push-button power switch 131 and an operation switch 132 are provided on the left rear side of the upper housing 101 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the overall internal structure of the inkjet printer 100 shown in FIG. 1 when viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of its main parts. As shown in Figure 2, on the lower casing 102, a main substrate 130 constituting a print controller is vertically arranged, and meanwhile, a recording device 140 constituting a print engine, a paper supply device 150, a transport device 160, etc. (such as Figure 3).

In the main substrate 130, control elements such as CPU, ROM, RAM, ASIC not shown in the figure, storage elements and other various circuit elements are installed; on its upper end, light emitting diodes 133, 134 are prominently arranged , when the power switch 131 and the operation switch 132 are pressed, the user confirms whether the switch is already in the ON state by their respective lights.

The recording device 140 has a carrier 141, a recording head 142, a carrier motor 143, a timing belt 144, a suction pump 145, a detection device, and the like. The recording head mounted on the carrier 141 scans and records on the paper conveyed by the conveying device 160 via the carrier motor 142 and the timing belt 144 . The recording head 142 can be supplied with inks of various colors from an ink cartridge 146 loaded in the carrier 141 and storing four colors, eg, yellow, cyan, magenta, and black, so that full-color printing can be performed.

The supply device 150 has a paper feed tray 110 , a paper feed guide 111 , a paper feed roller 151 , a hopper 152 , a separation pad 153 , and the like. The papers P stacked on the paper feeding tray 110 and neatly arranged by the paper feeding guide device 111, as the paper feeding roller 151 rotates, the storage tank 152 rises, and is pressed by the separation flange 153 under the paper feeding roller 151 , separated one by one from the uppermost paper P, and sent to the transport device 160 .

The transport device 160 has a paper feed roller 161 , a driven roller 162 , a paper discharge roller 163 , a heating roller 164 , a paper feed motor 165 , and a paper discharge collection tray 120 . The paper P supplied from the supply device 150 is nipped between the paper feed roller 161 and the driven roller 162 by the drive of the paper feed motor 165, and is conveyed to the recording device 140, and is also driven by the paper feed motor 165 to be transported to the recording device 140. It is clamped by the paper discharge roller 163 and the heating roller 164 , and is conveyed to the paper discharge tray 120 .

FIG. 4 is a side view of the carrier 141, FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a part of it removed. The carrier 141 has a main body portion 141a and a case portion 141b (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). On the bottom surface of the main body portion 141a of the carrier 141, the recording head 142 (referring to FIGS. , cyan, magenta and other ink cartridges 146C (refer to FIG. 6 ).

Meanwhile, in both side portions of the back surface of the body portion 141a of the carrier 141, carrier guide portions 41 are integrally formed at a given interval (refer to FIGS. 4, 5). Then, in the main frame portion 107 (refer to FIG. 4 ) provided in a direction at right angles to the conveying direction of the paper and at the same time in a vertical direction, a guide member 43 is formed, and the guide member 43 is guided by the carrier. Part 41 holds and slides (see FIG. 4 ). The guide member 43 is provided in the same manner as the main frame portion 107, and the cross section of the front end forms a curved Z shape. Then, the carrier guide portion 41 has, within the curved portion of the guide member 43, a pair of protrusions 41a, 41b sandwiching the horizontal portion 43a, and a pair of protrusions 41c, 41d sandwiching the vertical portion 43b. Also, in the central portion of the lower surface on the front side of the main body portion 141a of the carrier 141, there is an integral sliding portion 42 (see FIG. 4). Then, the slide portion 42 has a slide guide member 44 (refer to FIG. 4 ) in the paper discharge frame portion 108 provided in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the paper and also in a horizontal direction.

As before, since the maintenance rate of the recording head 142 of the carrier 141 is very high, the head loading portion 141A for loading the recording head 142 and the ink cartridge mounting portion 141B for mounting the ink cartridges 146B, 146C can be constructed separately. Meanwhile, a circuit board 148 (see FIG. 6 ) having connectors 147 b and 147 c (see FIG. 6 ) is provided on the inner wall on the front side of the ink cartridge mounting portion 141B.

This circuit board 148 is installed on the front side of the ink cartridges 146B, 146C, and is connected together with the storage devices 149b, 149c (referring to Fig. Month day, model number, information on remaining ink level, and connectors. Also, a substrate connected to the recording head 142 is provided on the inner side wall on the rear side of the head loading portion 141A separated from the circuit substrate 148 .

With this configuration, the recording head 142 is loaded in the head loading portion 141A, the circuit board 148 is provided in the ink cartridge mounting portion 141B, and when the recording head 142 is subjected to maintenance processing, the recording head 142 and the circuit board 148 can be separated from each other, enabling The circuit board 148 plays a protective role.

Furthermore, on the front side of the ink cartridges 146B, 146C, there are positioning ribs 146Ba, 146Ca, which are used when the memory devices 149b, 149c having connectors are connected to the connectors 147b, 147c of the circuit board 148 . That is, the positioning ribs 146Ba, 146Ca are inserted into the grooves 141Ba, 141Bb provided on the front side of the cartridge mounting portion 141B when the ink cartridges 146B, 146C are mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 141B of the ink cartridge 141, thereby, The memory devices 149b, 149c having connectors and the connectors 147b, 147c of the circuit board 148 are positioned.

At the same time, on the side of the ink cartridges 146B, 146C, ribs 146Bb, 146Cb for preventing misinstallation are provided to prevent misinstallation of other types of carriers. That is, when the ink cartridges 146B, 146C are mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 141B of the carrier 141, the ribs 146Bb, 146Cb for preventing misinstallation are inserted into the grooves 141Ba, 141Bb provided on the side of the cartridge mounting portion 141B, so that the housing portion 141b can be closed normally; if other forms of carriers are installed, they cannot be installed due to conflicts, so wrong installation can be prevented, so that the shell part can be closed normally.

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of an example of an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a bottom oblique view of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 210 has an ink cartridge main body 220 , an ink supply part 240 , an information storage part 260 and a positioning part 280 .

Ink is stored inside the cartridge main body portion 220 . For example, black ink is stored in the ink cartridge body 220 . An example of the ink cartridge body 220 is a single substantially rectangular container body filled with a porous material (not shown) made of an ink-impregnated member containing ink. But the present invention is not limited thereto. As another example, the ink can be directly stored in the hollow container body, and the ink can be selectively supplied to the recording device through a switch device such as a valve arranged in the ink supply part.

The ink supply portion 240 has an ink supply hole 242 provided on the bottom surface 222 of the ink cartridge main body 220 . The ink supply hole 242 is provided on the bottom surface 222 of the ink cartridge main body 220 , and its position is offset to one side of the first side wall 224 intersecting the bottom surface 222 . At the same time, here, the positional relationship between the bottom surface and the side wall is shown, and the surface where the ink supply part 240 is provided is determined as the bottom surface, but the bottom surface must be downward when the ink cartridge 210 is in use, and it is not shown in the figure. situation in the state.

The information storage section 260 has storage means for storing the type of the ink cartridge, the type and color of the ink stored in the ink cartridge, the existing amount of the ink, etc., and information related to the ink. An example of the information storage section 260 is a contact IC chip. The contact IC chip has a substrate, a connection terminal portion with some contact terminals exposed on one side of the substrate surface, and a storage device arranged on the inner side of the substrate; the contact terminal is electrically connected with the external contact, and the information data of the storage device is read out, thereby Make a write exchange.

In this embodiment, the information storage device 260 is a contact type, and has a connection terminal portion 262 having seven contact terminals exposed to the outside. The connection terminal portion 262 is provided on the second side wall 226 that intersects the bottom surface 222 of the ink cartridge body 220 and faces the first side wall 224 . However, the number of contact terminals in the contact-type connection terminal portion is not limited to seven. Also have, the whole of connection terminal part is arranged on the 2nd side wall 226, on the other hand, the storage device of information storage part 260 is arranged on the suitable position of ink cartridge main body 220 such as other side walls, connection terminal part 262 and information storage Part of the memory devices can be electrically connected using, for example, a flexible printed circuit FPC as a lead. Also, not limited to the contact type, a non-contact information storage portion using magnetism or optics may also be used.

FIG. 9A is a plan view seen from the second side wall 226 of the ink cartridge 210 of this embodiment. FIG. 9B is a plan view seen from the third side wall 227 of the ink cartridge 210. As shown in FIG. A positioning portion 280 is provided on the second side wall 226, and the positioning portion 280 functions to mount the ink cartridge 210 at an appropriate position in the recording device. The positioning portion 280 protrudes from the second side wall 226 and has a positioning rib 282 extending in the direction of the bottom surface 222 . As shown in FIG. 9A , the positioning ribs 282 are provided outside the width _W1 of the connection terminal portion. That is, the center line (one-dot-dash line) of the positioning rib 282 is located outside the width W ₁ (between two dot-dash lines) of the connection terminal portion.

The ink cartridge 210 has a protruding portion 290 provided on the upper side of the connection terminal portion 262 and the positioning rib 282 of the information storage portion 260 . The protruding portion 290 has a surface 292 that protrudes further than the positioning rib 282 and is generally parallel to the second side wall. That is, in FIG. 9B , the surface position (dotted line) of the surface 292 of the protruding portion 290 is more protruding (left side in the figure) than the positioning rib 282 (one dotted line) and the connection terminal portion 262 (two dotted line). Therefore, when the user takes out the ink cartridge 210, the protruding portion 290 contacts the outside, and the connection terminal portion 262 and the positioning rib 282 can be protected from external impact. In particular, even when the user accidentally drops the ink cartridge 210 on the ground, the connection terminal portion 262 does not come into contact with the ground and is not damaged.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 9A, the center of the connection terminal portion 262, that is, the longitudinal centerline of the connection terminal at the center of the upper row in the embodiment of FIG. superior. The connection terminal portion 262 is provided on the second side wall 226, and its position is biased toward the vicinity of the third side wall intersecting the bottom surface 222 and the second side surface. Furthermore, in the ink cartridge 210 , on the fourth side wall opposite to the third side wall biased toward the connection terminal portion 262 , a reverse insertion prevention rib 229 is provided.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of another example of the ink cartridge described in the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 310 has an ink cartridge main body 320 , an ink supply portion 340 , an information storage portion 360 , and a positioning portion 380 .

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 310 . The interior of the ink cartridge body 320 has partition walls 333 , 335 . Moreover, the ink cartridge main body 320 has a plurality of ink chambers 332, 334, 336, which are created by the separation of the above-mentioned partition walls 333, 335, and are used to store various inks. The ink cartridge main body 320 of the embodiment shown in Figure 12 has 3 ink chambers, wherein, constitute ink chamber 332 by outer wall 331 and partition wall 333, constitute ink chamber 334 by partition wall 333 and partition wall 335, constitute ink chamber 334 by partition wall 335 and the outer wall 337 constitute the ink chamber 336 . Among these ink chambers, for example, the ink chamber 332 stores cyan ink, the ink chamber 334 stores magenta ink, and the ink chamber 336 stores yellow ink. Also, the cartridge body 320 has a common top cover portion 339 generally parallel to the bottom surface 322 . In addition, FIG. 12 is a perspective view for explaining the partition wall and the ink chamber, and other structures such as a porous material in which ink is stored are omitted in the figure.

The ink supply part 340 is arranged on the bottom surface 332 of the ink cartridge main body 310 corresponding to each ink chamber 332, 334, 336, and is provided with an ink supply portion at a position biased to the first side wall 324 intersecting with the bottom surface 322 of the ink cartridge main body 320. Holes 342,344,346.

The information storage part 360 has a connection terminal portion 362 . The connection terminal portion 362 is provided at a position 364 corresponding to the partition wall 333 on the second side wall 326 that intersects the bottom surface 322 of the ink cartridge body 320 and is opposite to the first side wall 324 . The information storage portion 360 has the same structure and function as the information storage portion 263 of the ink cartridge 210 shown in FIG. 7, so the description of this portion will be omitted.

FIG. 13A is a plan view seen from the side of the second side wall 326 of the ink cartridge 310 of this embodiment. FIG. 13B is a plan view seen from the side of the fourth side wall 328 of the ink cartridge 310. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 13A, the center of the connection terminal portion 362 is disposed at a position deviated from the central axis (2-dashed line) of the ink supply hole. The connection terminal portion 362 is disposed on the second side wall 326 , and its position is biased toward the vicinity of the third side wall 327 intersecting the bottom surface 322 and the second side wall 326 . As described above, the connection terminal portion 362 is provided at a position corresponding to the partition wall 333 in the vicinity of the third side wall 327 . The center line (one-dot chain line) of the position corresponding to the partition wall 333 is located in the middle of the width W ₂ (between two dashed lines) of the connection terminal portion 362 of the information storage portion 360 . Also, with the ink cartridge 310 of this embodiment, the centerline of the connecting terminal portion 362 and the centerline of the position corresponding to the partition wall 333 are substantially coincident.

Like the ink cartridge 210 , the positioning portion 380 of the ink cartridge 310 has a positioning rib 382 extending from the second side wall 326 to the bottom surface 322 . The positioning rib 382 is located outside the width _W2 of the connecting terminal portion. That is, in FIG. 13A , the centerline (one-dot-dash line) of the positioning rib 382 is located outside the range of the width _W2 of the connection terminal portion.

Like the ink cartridge 210 in the previous embodiment, the ink cartridge 310 has a protruding portion 390 provided on the upper side than the connection terminal portion 362 and the positioning rib 382 of the information storage portion 360 . As for the protruding portion 390 , its surface position protrudes from the positioning rib 382 and has a surface 392 substantially parallel to the second side wall 326 . That is, in FIG. 13B, the surface position (dotted line) of the surface 392 of the protruding portion 390 protrudes more (toward the left in the figure) than the positioning rib 382 (one dotted line) and the connection terminal portion 362 (two dotted line). direction).

The ink cartridge 310 has an anti-reverse insertion rib 329 , and the anti-reverse insertion rib 329 is provided on the fourth side wall 328 opposite to the third side wall biased toward the connection terminal portion 362 .

Fig. 14 is an upper oblique view of a carrier of a recording device mounted with two ink cartridges. The carrier 400 has: a first installation part 410 and a second installation part 450, wherein the first installation part is installed with the ink cartridge 210 storing the above-mentioned black ink, and the second installation part is installed with cyan, magenta and yellow ink The cartridge 310.

In the first mounting portion 410 , the connection terminal portion 420 is provided at a position corresponding to the connection terminal portion 262 of the information storage portion 260 when the ink cartridge 210 is mounted. Moreover, in the first installation chamber 410, on the same side wall as the connection terminal portion 420, at a position farther away from the second installation chamber than the connection terminal portion 420, a positioning rib 282 matching the ink cartridge 210 is provided. The positioning groove 430. Furthermore, on the side wall of the second installation portion 450 opposite to the first installation chamber 410 , there is a stepped portion 440 fitted with the anti-reverse insertion rib 282 of the ink cartridge 210 .

14, the ink supply needle portion 412 is provided at a position corresponding to the ink supply portion 240 of the ink cartridge 210 on the bottom surface of the first installation chamber 410, as seen from the direction of FIG. The ink supply needle portion 412 has a hollow ink supply needle and an end surface that is located on the ink supply needle and on the bottom surface side of the carrier 400 .

Like the first mounting part 410, the second mounting chamber 450 is provided with a connecting terminal part 460 at a position corresponding to the connecting terminal part 362 of the information storage part 360 when the ink cartridge 310 is mounted. Moreover, in the second installation chamber 450, on the same side wall as the connection terminal portion 460, at a position farther away from the first installation chamber than the connection terminal portion 460, a positioning rib 382 matching the ink cartridge 310 is provided. The positioning groove 470. Furthermore, the second mounting chamber 450 has a stepped portion on the side wall opposite to the first mounting portion 410 that fits with the anti-reverse insertion rib 382 of the ink cartridge 310 . Also, like the first mounting chamber, an ink supply needle portion 452 is provided at the bottom of the second mounting chamber 410 . The composition of the ink supply needle part 452 is the same as that of the ink supply needle part 452 in the first installation part, and has three ink supply needles, and these ink supply needles correspond to the three ink supply holes 342, 344 that the ink cartridge 310 has, respectively. , 346.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the positional relationship of two ink cartridges mounted in the carrier. As shown in FIG. 15 , the ink cartridge 210 and the ink cartridge 310 are adjacently mounted on the carrier 400 . At this time, the third side surface 227 of the ink cartridge 210 is opposed to the third side surface 327 of the ink cartridge 310 .

As described above, the connection terminal portion 262 of the ink cartridge 210 is biased toward the third side surface 227 , and the connection terminal portion 362 of the ink cartridge 310 is biased toward the third side surface 327 . That is, the connection terminal portion 262 of the ink cartridge 210 and the connection terminal portion 362 of the ink cartridge 310 are adjacent and thus mounted on the carrier. Also, like the carrier 400 shown in FIG. 14, the connection terminal 420 of the first mounting part 410 is adjacent to the connection terminal 460 of the second mounting part 450, so that it is not necessary to use a long FPC or the like as a lead.

And, as mentioned above, the anti-reverse insertion rib 229 of the ink cartridge 210 is arranged on the fourth side 228 opposite to the third side 227, and at the same time, the anti-reverse insertion rib 329 of the ink cartridge 310 is arranged on the opposite side of the third side 327. On the fourth side 328 . That is, the reverse insertion prevention rib 229 of the ink cartridge 210 and the reverse insertion prevention rib 329 of the ink cartridge 310 are not disposed at opposite positions. Furthermore, for the carrier 400 , the adjacent third side surfaces 227 , 327 are installed at a very short distance from each other, so that the overall volume of the carrier 400 can be reduced.

16A and 16B are partial sectional views showing the installation process of the ink cartridge into the carrier. 16A and 16B are cross-sectional views showing the second mounting portion 450 of the carrier 400 including the positioning groove 470 on a plane. Meanwhile, the installation of the ink cartridge 310 in the second installation portion 450 of the carrier 400 is taken as an example for description, and the installation of the ink cartridge 210 in the first installation portion 450 of the carrier 400 is the same.

As shown in FIG. 16A , the ink cartridge 310 is arranged in the normal direction facing the second mounting portion of the carrier 400 . The normal direction here is exactly the direction that the ink supply part 340 of the ink cartridge 310 is facing the ink supply needle part 452 of the second mounting part 450, and is also the direction that the connecting terminal part 362 of the ink cartridge 310 is facing the connecting terminal part 460 of the mounting part 450. The ink cartridge 310 mounted in the regular direction is inserted into the second mounting portion 450 of the carrier 400 .

As shown in FIG. 16B , from the state of FIG. 16A , when the ink cartridge 310 is inserted, the positioning rib 382 of the ink cartridge 310 is introduced into the positioning groove 470 of the second mounting portion 450 . At the same time, the anti-reverse insertion rib 329 of the ink cartridge 310 is accommodated by the stepped portion 480 of the second mounting portion 450 and matches.

Furthermore, when the ink cartridge 310 is inserted, the ink supply needle portion 452 of the second mounting portion 450 is inserted into the ink supply portion 340 of the ink cartridge 310 . After the end surface of the ink supply portion 340 of the ink cartridge 310 comes into contact with the end surface of the ink supply needle portion 452 of the second mounting portion 450, the insertion is stopped. Thus, the ink cartridge 310 supplies ink to the recording device through the ink supply needle portion 452 .

17A and 17B are other partial sectional views showing the installation process of the ink cartridge into the carrier. 17A and 17B are cross-sectional views showing the second mounting portion 450 of the carrier 400 on a plane without the positioning groove 470 .

FIG. 17A corresponds to FIG. 16A, and shows the state when the ink cartridge 310 is mounted against the second mounting portion 450 of the carrier 400 in the regular direction. FIG. 17B corresponds to FIG. 16B and shows a state where the ink cartridge 310 is mounted on the second mounting portion 450 of the carrier 400 .

As shown in Figure 17B, when the end face of the ink supply part 340 of the ink cartridge 310 is in contact with the end face of the ink supply needle part 452 of the second mounting part 450, the lower end face of the protruding part 290 of the ink cartridge 310 is in contact with the end face of the second mounting part 450. Surfaces 427 are in contact.

The ink supply needle 452 of the ink cartridge 310 is positioned by entering into the ink supply portion 340 , while the positioning rib 382 is also positioned by fitting into the positioning groove 470 . Also, similarly, by the positioning rib 382, the second side 326 is also positioned, the connection terminal portion 352 of the ink cartridge 310 is at a position separated from the ink supply portion 340, and the connection terminal portion 460 of the second mounting portion 450 High precision connection. Then, the connection terminal portion 460 of the second mounting portion 450 contacts the connection terminal portion 262 of the ink cartridge 310 to obtain information, and can accurately transmit it to the recording device side through the wiring 462 such as FPC.

Moreover, the positioning rib 382 of the ink cartridge 310 is arranged at a position other than the width _W2 of the connection terminal portion, so when the ink cartridge 310 is inserted into the second mounting portion 450, the positioning rib 382 can be prevented from damaging the second mounting portion 450. The connection terminal part 460.

Here, when the ink cartridge 210 has been installed, the ink cartridge 310 is installed not in the regular direction but in the opposite direction. That is, the ink cartridge 310 is installed with the first side 324 facing the connection terminal portion 460 of the second mounting portion 450 and the second side 326 facing the ink supply needle portion 452 of the second mounting portion 450 . In this state, when the ink cartridge 310 is just about to be installed in the second installation portion 450 , the anti-reverse insertion rib 329 of the ink cartridge 310 is in contact with the ink cartridge 210 . At this time, the ink cartridge 310 can no longer be inserted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink cartridge 310 from being mounted in the second mounting portion 450 in the reverse direction.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a positioning member is provided to position the ink cartridge against the carrier of the recording device on the same surface as the connection terminal portion, the connection terminal portion is provided at a position separated from the ink supply portion, and can be connected to the carrier. part of the connecting terminal is in accurate contact. Thereby, the degree of freedom of the position where the connection terminal portion of the ink cartridge is provided can be increased.

Moreover, when the connecting terminal portion is arranged at a position corresponding to the partition wall of the ink cartridge main body, the ink cartridge is subjected to processing, decompression, etc. in the manufacturing process, and the ink cartridge main body is not easily affected by deformation, thereby enabling connection with the carrier. The terminal parts are connected accurately.

Various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and other applicable embodiments can also be adopted within the scope of the invention described in the claims. For example, an inkjet printer has been described as an example of the recording device, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to inkjet facsimiles, copiers, and the like, for example.

As described above, according to this embodiment, a positioning member is provided to position the ink cartridge against the carrier of the recording device on the same surface as the connection terminal portion, and the connection terminal portion is provided at a position separated from the ink supply portion. , can be accurately contacted with the connection terminal portion on the recording device side. Thereby, the degree of freedom of the position where the connection terminal portion of the ink cartridge is provided can be increased.

Moreover, according to the present embodiment, when the maintenance process of the recording head is performed, the head mounting part is provided outside the apparatus main body, and the elements for reading and writing information related to the ink of the ink cartridge are fixed on the substrate, and the substrate can be left on the apparatus main body. , so it can protect the substrate.

Claims (12)

1. An ink cartridge detachably mountable to a printer having a printhead and an ink supply needle for supplying ink to the printhead, the ink cartridge comprising: an ink cartridge main body for accommodating a plurality of different kinds of ink therein, and having a bottom wall, a first outer wall intersecting the bottom wall, a second outer wall opposite to the first outer wall, and extending to meet the first outer wall a third outer wall intersecting the second outer wall, a plurality of inner partition walls in the cartridge body, and a plurality of ink chambers partially defined by the inner partition walls; an ink supply portion having a plurality of ink supply holes positioned by the bottom wall of the ink cartridge body, the ink supply holes respectively corresponding to the plurality of ink chambers; A memory for storing information related to ink or ink cartridges, comprising a connection terminal element arranged on said second outer wall at a position corresponding to at least one of said inner partition walls, said connection terminal element being biased close to said third outer wall; Wherein, the inner partition wall is located in a plane, and the plane passes through the connection terminal element. 2. The ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ink supply holes are located on the bottom wall adjacent to the first outer wall of the ink cartridge body. 3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, when said ink cartridge and another said ink cartridge are mounted on said printer, said connecting terminal member is provided at a position adjacent to said other ink cartridge. The corresponding position of the inner partition wall close to the third outer wall. 4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plane intersects a center line of the connection terminal member. 5. The ink cartridge according to claim 3, further comprising an anti-reverse insertion rib engageable with a carriage of the printer when the ink cartridge is installed in a proper orientation on the printer. 6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the connection terminal element is located on the second outer wall, and the anti-reverse insertion rib is located on a fourth outer wall adjacent to the second outer wall. 7. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising an anti-reverse insertion rib cooperable with a carriage of the printer when the ink cartridge is installed in a proper orientation on the printer. 8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, wherein when the two ink cartridges are installed in a proper direction, the anti-reverse insertion ribs of both the ink cartridges are in the same plane. 9. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the connection terminal member is located on the second outer wall closer to the third outer wall of the ink cartridge body than to a fourth outer wall opposite to the third outer wall. The position of the outer wall. 10. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, further comprising anti-reverse insertion ribs formed on the fourth outer wall of the ink cartridge body opposite to the third outer wall, wherein when the ink cartridge is in the printer When installed in a proper direction on the upper part, the anti-reverse insertion ribs cooperate with the bracket of the printer. 11. A printing apparatus comprising a head mounting unit on which a print head is mounted, and a carriage having an ink cartridge mounting portion in which the ink cartridge with ink is mounted. The ink cartridge described above, the printing device includes: a board on which a device for contacting said connection terminal element and receiving and providing information about the ink of said cartridge is mounted, Wherein the plate is located in the ink cartridge installation portion. 12. A printing apparatus comprising a carriage in which the ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is mounted and removed, and an ink cartridge mounted on the carriage Print head, described printing device comprises: a board on which is mounted the device for receiving and providing information about the ink of said cartridge, Wherein the plate is located inside the front wall of the bracket.

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