JP2001162829A - Ink-jet recording apparatus and method for detecting storage quantity of waste ink - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink-jet recording apparatus which is compact and can surely avoid an ink leakage. SOLUTION: Opening parts 66 of lids 50 fitted to opening parts 36 and 38 of a waste ink tank 26 are normally shut by shaft bodies 54. When the waste ink tank 26 is set to an apparatus body, a movable member 98 of an opening mechanism 90 is guided and shifted by a guide part 40, and projecting parts 104 of the movable member 98 press down the shaft bodies 54, thereby opening the opening parts 66. As a result, waste ink generated in consequence of a recovery process for the ink-jet recording apparatus is directly stored inside the waste ink tank 26. Lids 30 and 32 (opening parts 66) are opened only when the waste ink tank 26 is securely fitted to the apparatus body, and the opening parts 66 are surely shut in the other case to prevent the ink from leaking.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and a method for detecting the amount of stored ink, and more particularly, to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an ink discharge tank capable of reliably preventing ink leakage during attachment and detachment. The present invention relates to a method for detecting a discharged ink storage amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus which discharges ink droplets from nozzles to record on recording paper, when a discharge failure occurs in a recording head, the recording head is capped and capped by a recovery device. The ink is sucked from the recording head and the ink is ejected to perform a recovery process for removing the thickened ink adhering to the periphery of the ink ejection port, and the ink discharged to the recovery device is stored in a discharge ink tank. As the discharge ink tank, there have been proposed a type in which an ink absorbing material is disposed inside for holding the discharge ink, and a type in which the discharge ink is stored directly in the discharge ink tank.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-278303 (hereinafter referred to as Conventional Example 1) discloses a technique in which waste ink is absorbed and stored in an absorbent material. There is disclosed a configuration in which the material and the waste treatment liquid absorbing material are integrated.

Further, Japanese Patent No. 2878523 (hereinafter referred to as Conventional Example 2) discloses a configuration in which discharged ink is directly stored in a discharged ink tank without using an absorbing material. In addition, when the user removes the waste ink tank from the inside of the apparatus, it is necessary to prevent the waste ink from flowing out from the air discharge opening due to accidentally turning over the waste ink tank. A configuration is disclosed in which an opening / closing mechanism is provided in the discharge ink tank to open the opening when the apparatus is mounted and close the opening when the apparatus is removed in conjunction with the apparatus.

The opening and closing mechanism opens and closes the opening by moving a handle provided on the discharged ink tank in conjunction with the attaching and detaching operation of the discharged ink tank.

[0006]

The prior arts 1 and 2 described above are:
It has the following problems.

In the prior art 1, since the absorbing member absorbs the discharged ink and the like, there is a disadvantage that a discharged ink tank larger than the discharged ink amount (volume) is required.

Further, since the main body of the apparatus is not contaminated by the discharged ink absorbed by the absorbing member, a case or the like for covering the absorbing member is required, so that the volume of the discharged ink tank is further increased, and the cost and weight are increased. Invite.

In order to dispose of the saturated waste ink tank, it is preferable in terms of environmental measures to extract waste ink from the absorbing member, perform waste liquid treatment, and wash and recycle the absorbing member. Since it takes time and effort to process the waste ink, the waste ink is actually absorbed and discarded together with the absorbing member, which is desirable in terms of environmental measures.

In the second prior art, since the opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the opening for discharging the air inside the discharge ink tank by operating the handle is used, the structure of the handle becomes complicated and the size of the handle increases. As a result, there is a disadvantage that the recording apparatus also becomes large.

Further, since the opening / closing mechanism is opened by the operation of the handle, if the user accidentally turns down or vibrates the recording apparatus, there is a possibility that the discharged ink may leak from the opening.

Further, although the ink discharge tank is removable, the structure of the embodiment does not allow easy discharge of the ink discharge. As a result, the inside of the ink discharge tank cannot be cleaned well, However, there is a possibility that the solidification of the ink may be inconvenient, or the outside of the discharge ink tank may be soiled at the time of discharge.

Furthermore, after the user detaches the ink discharge tank from the recording apparatus, the user erroneously operates the handle and falls down, so that the ink leaks from the opening and contaminates the user and the surrounding environment. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described disadvantages, and has as its object to provide an ink jet recording apparatus having a small size and a discharge ink tank capable of reliably preventing ink leakage.

[0015]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording head for ejecting ink droplets from nozzles for recording on recording paper, and a method for controlling clogging of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus having a recovery means for performing recovery processing for preventing the ink, and a discharge ink tank which stores the discharge ink collected from the recording head by the recovery means and is detachable from the apparatus main body; An inflow port through which the discharged ink discharged during the recovery process flows into the discharged ink tank;
A discharge port that is provided in the discharge ink tank and guides the air in the discharge ink tank to the atmosphere opening port of the apparatus body, an inflow valve mechanism that closes the inflow port, and a discharge valve mechanism that closes the discharge port,
Opening means provided in the apparatus main body to open the inflow valve mechanism to communicate the inflow port with the recovery means, and to open the discharge valve mechanism to communicate the discharge port with the atmosphere opening port of the apparatus main body. Features.

The operation of the first aspect of the present invention will be described.

By mounting the discharge ink tank on the ink jet recording apparatus, the valve mechanism (inflow valve mechanism and discharge valve mechanism) closed by the opening means is opened, and the inflow port and the discharge port are respectively connected to the recovery means of the apparatus main body. And the atmosphere opening.

In this state, the ink jet recording apparatus performs a recovery process for removing the thickened ink and the like attached to the ink discharge ports. At this time, the sucked waste ink etc.
It flows into the waste ink tank from the recovery means. In the waste ink tank, the waste ink flows directly into the inside from the inflow port and is stored. At this time, since the discharge port communicates with the air release port, the air in the discharge ink tank is discharged to the outside from the air release port of the apparatus main body, thereby preventing the flow of the discharge ink into the discharge ink tank from being obstructed. .

As described above, since the discharged ink is stored directly in the ink tank, it is possible to store a large amount of discharged ink which is small in size as compared with a configuration in which the discharged ink is absorbed by an absorbing member or the like.

The valve mechanism is opened by the opening means provided in the apparatus main body only when the ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body. Therefore, when detached from the apparatus main body and carrying around the discharged ink tank, the discharged ink does not leak from the inflow port or the discharge port. Further, when the apparatus is mounted on the apparatus main body, it is communicated with the recovery means of the apparatus main body and the atmosphere opening port, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the discharged ink from leaking into the apparatus main body due to the apparatus main body falling down.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, a closing member for elastically closing an inlet or an outlet of the valve mechanism and the opening means for forming the opening means are provided. An opening member that opens the valve mechanism by pressing the closing member by the tank being mounted on the apparatus main body,
It is characterized by having.

The operation of the second aspect of the present invention will be described.

When the discharge ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the opening member presses the closing member to open the valve mechanism, so that the inflow port and the discharge port communicate with the recovery means and the atmosphere opening port, respectively. Thus, the discharged ink can flow into the discharged ink tank. Further, by taking out the waste ink tank from the apparatus main body, the closing means reliably closes the inflow port and the discharge port, thereby preventing ink leakage. In this manner, ink leakage can be reliably prevented by a simple valve mechanism that acts elastically.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the discharge ink tank is provided with an inflow port and a discharge port on a side surface substantially parallel to the mounting direction. It is disposed at a position facing the side surface of the main body so as to be elastically displaceable with respect to the side surface, and when the discharge ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the release member is elastically contacted with the side surface of the discharge ink tank. And the valve mechanism is opened by pressing the closing member when mounted.

The operation of the invention will be described.

When the discharge ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the opening member is elastically displaced while abutting on the side surface of the discharge ink tank, and each of the closing members of the inflow port and the discharge port provided on the side surface. Is pressed to open each valve mechanism.
On the other hand, when the waste ink tank is removed from the apparatus main body, the opening members that have been in contact with the closing members of the inflow port and the discharge port are separated by the movement of the waste ink tank. As a result, the valve mechanism (blocking member) reliably blocks the inflow port and the discharge port to prevent ink leakage.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the present invention, the discharge ink tank is brought into contact with the opening member at the time of mounting on the side surface provided with the inflow port and the discharge port. And a guide portion for guiding the member to the closing member.

The operation of the fourth aspect of the present invention will be described.

When the discharged ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the guide member of the discharged ink tank presses and displaces the opening member which can be displaced by the elastic force to constitute each of the inlet and outlet valve mechanisms. To the closing member. As a result, the opening member presses the closing member to open the valve mechanism. Therefore, even when a drain ink tank having an inlet and an outlet formed to protrude from the side is slid with respect to the apparatus main body, the opening member is guided to the inlet and the outlet at the time of mounting, and each valve mechanism is operated. It can be opened reliably.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the guide portion mounts the discharge ink tank to the apparatus main body by locking the opening member while the opening member opens the valve mechanism. It is characterized by being fixed.

The operation of the fifth aspect of the present invention will be described.

The opening member opens the valve mechanism, and at the same time, the opening member engages with the guide portion to lock the discharge ink tank to the apparatus main body. As a result, the waste ink tank can be mounted and fixed to the apparatus main body. In addition, since the guide portion and the opening member for opening the valve mechanism also have a function of fixing the ink discharge tank, the number of parts can be reduced.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of any one of the second to fifth aspects, the opening member is provided with two ports for an inlet and an outlet separately. Features.

The operation of the invention will be described.

There may be a case where an error occurs in the distance between the opening member and the inflow port and the discharge port due to the manufacturing accuracy and the like. In such a case, it can be adjusted to operate properly by adjusting the elastic force (for example, adjusting the pressurization of the spring).

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the opening member is integrally formed with an inlet and an outlet. I do.

The operation of the seventh aspect of the present invention will be described.

The valve mechanism of the inflow port and the discharge port can be opened only by bringing one opening member into contact with the side surface (for example, the guide portion).

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of any one of the second to seventh aspects, a lid member detachably attached to the inflow port or the discharge port; And an opening that allows the inside and the outside of the tank to communicate with each other and is closed by the closing member.

The operation of the invention will be described.

The opening of the lid member attached to the inflow port and the discharge port is elastically closed by a closing member to prevent ink leakage when the discharged ink tank is removed from the apparatus main body.
When the drain ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the opening member presses the closing member to open the opening.

By the way, since the lid member is detachable from the inflow port and the discharge port, when the discharged ink is discarded from the discharged ink tank, it is possible to easily discharge the discharged ink by removing the lid member. In particular, since the valve mechanism can be removed together with the lid member, the inflow port and the discharge port are largely opened, and the cleaning of the discharge ink tank can be easily performed by injecting the cleaning water from the inflow port or the discharge port.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the eighth aspect, the opening has a mortar shape in which a cross-sectional area is narrowest at a portion where the closing member contacts, and the cross-sectional area increases toward the outside. It is characterized by the following.

The operation of the ninth aspect will be described.

Since the opening has a mortar shape, the cross-sectional area of the portion closed by the closing member can be reduced, and the volume of the opening is relatively large because the cross-sectional area increases toward the outside. Thus, the inflow of waste ink from the inlet and the discharge of air from the outlet can be performed smoothly.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the eighth or ninth aspect, the closing member has a tapered outer peripheral side of a closing portion for closing the opening.

The operation of the invention will be described.

When the opening is open, at the inflow port, the discharged ink flowing from the opening passes through the outer peripheral side surface of the closing member and is stored in the discharged ink tank. On this occasion,
When the closing member has a tapered outer peripheral side surface, the resistance at the time of passing through the outer peripheral side surface described above is reduced, and the inflow can smoothly flow. Similarly, air is smoothly released from the outlet.

The eleventh aspect of the present invention relates to the first to tenth aspects.
In the invention described in any one of the above, the discharged ink tank is provided with a handle capable of storing the discharged ink inside.

The operation of the eleventh invention will be described.

By providing a handle to the drain ink tank, it is easy to carry the drain ink tank, and it is possible to increase the storage capacity of the drain ink tank by allowing the drain ink tank to be stored inside the handle. it can.

The twelfth aspect of the present invention provides the first to eleventh aspects.
In the invention described in any one of the above, the discharge ink tank is blow-molded.

The operation of the invention will be described.

The discharged ink tank can be easily formed by blow molding having a high degree of freedom even if the shape is complicated, and the thickness of the discharged ink tank can be reduced. Can be.

The invention according to claim 13 is the invention according to claims 1 to 12
In the invention described in any one of the above, the discharge ink tank is formed of a material that transmits water vapor.

The operation of the invention will be described.

By forming the waste ink tank from a material that transmits water vapor, water evaporates from the waste ink stored in the waste ink tank and the amount of waste ink is reduced, so that the waste ink tank can flow into the waste ink tank. The amount of discharged ink can be increased.

The invention according to claim 14 is the invention according to claims 11 to 1
3. The invention according to claim 3, wherein an inlet and an outlet are provided on the handle side of the discharged ink tank.

The operation of the invention will be described.

When the ink discharge tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the handle is used at the time of removal, so that the handle is located at the end on the removal side. Therefore, by providing the inflow port and the discharge port on the handle side, an opening member or the like provided on the apparatus main body side is disposed outside the apparatus main body,
The space inside the space can be used as an arrangement space for other members. That is, the degree of freedom in design is improved, and the size of the apparatus main body can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 15 provides the invention according to claims 1 to 14
The invention according to any one of the above, wherein the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism are constituted by a common member.

The operation of the present invention will be described.

By forming the valve mechanism with a common member for the inlet and the outlet, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 16 is the invention according to claims 1 to 15
In the invention described in any one of the above, when the drain ink tank is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body, the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism open and close simultaneously.

The operation of the present invention will be described.

If the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism are not closed at the same time when the discharge ink tank is removed from the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body is turned over with only one of the inflow port and the discharge port open, and the discharge ink tank is closed. There is a possibility that the discharged ink leaks into the apparatus main body from the opening portion. However, the inconvenience does not occur because the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism are simultaneously opened and closed.

The invention according to claim 17 is the invention according to claims 8 to 16
In the invention described in any one of the above, the lid member is screwed to the inlet and the outlet, and the screws provided at the inlet and the outlet have a pitch of 3 mm or more.

The operation of the invention according to claim 17 will be described.

When the pitch of the screw is 3 mm or more, the lid member can be quickly attached to the inflow port and the discharge port with a small number of rotations.

The invention according to claim 18 is characterized in that a storage amount detecting means for detecting a discharge ink amount of the discharge ink tank is provided in the apparatus main body.

The operation of the eighteenth invention will be described.

Since the detecting means is provided in the apparatus main body, there is no need to provide a member for detecting the stored amount in the discharge ink tank detachably mounted on the apparatus main body.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the eighteenth aspect, the detecting means irradiates the discharged ink tank with light, and the amount of discharged ink is determined by the transmittance or reflectance of the light. It is an optical detection means for detecting whether or not the quantity has been reached.

The operation of the nineteenth invention will be described.

Since the stored amount of the discharged ink in the discharged ink tank can be detected by the optical detecting means, the discharged ink tank is taken out of the apparatus main body when the predetermined stored amount is reached.
The discharged ink can be discharged. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the discharged ink from overflowing in the discharged ink tank.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus, when a recovery process is performed to prevent the recording head from being clogged, a discharge ink tank for storing the discharged ink recovered from the recording head by the recovery process is provided. A method for detecting an amount of stored ink in a discharged ink, wherein the amount of discharged ink is determined based on the transmittance or reflectance of the light by irradiating light to the discharged ink tank by an optical detection means. It is characterized in that it is detected whether or not the quantification has been reached.

The operation of the present invention will be described.

Since it is possible to detect whether or not the discharged ink has been stored to a predetermined amount in the discharged ink tank by the optical detecting means, it is possible to reliably detect the timing of discharging the discharged ink from the discharged ink tank. Therefore, the drainage ink tank can be used without causing overflow.

[0079]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 2, the ink jet recording apparatus 10
The drive mechanism 18 and the guide bar 20 are provided on the upper part of the paper 16 conveyed by the sheet feeder 4 in a main scanning direction (direction of arrow B) intersecting with the conveyance direction of the paper 16 (sub-scanning direction, direction of arrow A).
The carriage 22 which can be moved by the above is disposed. The carriage 22 is provided with a recording head 24 that ejects black, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks toward the paper 16.

The main scanning direction end of the apparatus main body 12 is
The recording head 24 during non-printing is set to a home position where the recording head 24 stops and performs a recovery process. A cap member 25 for preventing the recording head 24 from drying, and a pump (a pump for sucking ink from the recording head 24 via the cap member 25) A recovery device (recovery means) including a not shown) is provided.
In the lower part of the apparatus main body 12, ink sucked from the cap member 25 by the recovery process (hereinafter, referred to as waste ink)
Is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drain ink tank 26 has a tank body 28 having a substantially rectangular shape, and lids 30 and 32 attached to openings 36 and 38 (see FIG. 3) of the tank body 28. It is basically composed of

As shown in FIG. 1, the tank body 28 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a handle 34 is formed on one side thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, cylindrical openings 36 and 38 are formed on the handle 34 side of the upper surface of the discharge ink tank 26, and a guide 40 is provided between the openings 36 and 38.
Are formed to protrude. The openings 36 and 38 are formed at the same position in the direction of arrow D, and are configured to be simultaneously opened by an opening mechanism 90 of the apparatus main body 12 described later.

One of the openings 36 and 38 is used as an inflow port for allowing the discharged ink and air to flow into the discharged ink tank 26, and the other is used as a discharge port for discharging the air to the outside. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the opening 36 is used as an inlet for discharged ink and air, and the opening 38 is used as an air outlet.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inside of the drain ink tank 26 is a cavity communicating not only with the tank body 28 but also with the handle 34 and the guide portion 40, and the cavity stores the discharged ink. The storage section 42 is provided. As described above, since the configuration is such that the discharged ink can be stored inside the handle 34 and the guide portion 40, the capacity of the discharged ink that can be stored in the discharged ink tank 26 can be increased.

The drain ink tank 26 is provided with a handle 34,
The openings 36 and 38 and the guide portion 40 are formed integrally, but can be formed by blow molding or a combination of injection molding and blow molding. In this case, it is preferable to form the openings 36 and 38 and the guide portion 40 in advance by injection molding and to integrate them by insert blow molding from the viewpoints of reduction in the number of parts and cost. Also, by using blow molding, the thickness of the waste ink tank 26 can be reduced, and the amount of waste ink that can be stored with respect to the volume of the waste ink tank 26 (the volume of the storage part 42) can be increased.

Further, the discharge ink tank 26 is
Any material is preferable as long as the material of the waste ink stored in 2 easily permeates the surface and evaporates from the inside of the storage section 42 to the outside. In particular, those having high water vapor permeability such as nylon resin are preferable. By selecting such a material, moisture evaporates from the discharged ink stored in the storage unit 42. As a result, the amount of discharged ink that can flow into the storage section 42 can be increased.

Next, the cover 30 will be described. In addition,
Since the lid 32 has the same configuration, the description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the lid 30 basically includes a substantially cylindrical lid 50, a bearing member 52 supported by the lid 50, and a shaft 54 supported by the bearing member 52. It is composed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the female screw 56 is formed below the inner peripheral surface of the lid 50. The female screw 58 formed below the opening 36 is screwed together with the female screw
Attached to. At this time, the tapered surface 6 at the tip of the opening 36
A sealing member (an O-ring in the present embodiment, but not limited to this) 62 is fitted to the sealing member 0, and the lid 50 is screwed into the opening 36 so that the threaded portion of the lid 30 is airtight. Is secured.

An opening 66 having a tapered surface whose cross-sectional area decreases toward the inside (in the direction of arrow E1) is formed in the upper surface 64 of the lid 50, and a passage through which the discharged ink and air flow from the apparatus main body 12 is formed. It is said.

The bearing member 52 includes a flange 6 provided at the upper end.
8 is fixed to the lid 50 by being screwed under the upper surface 64 of the lid 50. On the bottom surface 70 of the bearing member 52,
A hole 72 is formed, and the shaft 54 can be inserted therethrough.

Shaft 54 disposed inside bearing member 52
Has a disk portion 74 near the upper end, and a spring 76 is interposed between the lower portion of the disk portion 74 and the bottom surface 70 of the bearing member 52. Therefore, the shaft body 54 is
6 is always urged toward the upper surface 64 of the lid 50. As a result, the upper surface of the disk portion 74 contacts the lower side of the upper surface 64, and the sealing member 78 provided on the upper surface of the disk portion 74.
Thus, the opening 66 and the storage section 42 are reliably shut off.
That is, when the discharged ink tank 26 is detached from the apparatus main body 12, the opening 66 is always closed by the disk portion 74 and the seal member 78, and the discharged ink does not leak to the outside. At this time, the distal end 80 of the shaft 54 projects into the opening 66.

Next, the configuration of the guide section 40 will be described together with the configuration of the apparatus main body 12 into which the discharged ink tank 26 is inserted.

In the upper part of the hole 92 (see FIG. 2) of the apparatus main body 12 into which the discharged ink tank 26 is inserted, the lids 30 and 32 (opening 66) of the discharged ink tank 26 are opened to discharge ink or the like. Mechanism 9 for letting ink flow into drain ink tank 26
0 is provided (see FIG. 6). The opening mechanism 90 is provided on the upper surface of the hole 92 facing the openings 36 and 38 when the ink discharge tank 26 is mounted. Specifically, the spring 9 is supported by the support 94 forming the upper surface of the hole 92.
The movable member 98 is supported so as to be able to move in the up-down direction via 6. The movable member 98 is formed with a pair of pipes 100 and 102 penetrating the support body 94, one of which communicates with the cap member 25 of the apparatus main body 12, and the other of which is provided on the side surface of the apparatus main body 12. It is connected to an opening (not shown). In the present embodiment, the opening 36 communicates with the cap member 25 and the opening 38 communicates with the air opening by mounting the drain ink tank 26 to the apparatus main body 12. In addition, a convex portion 104 that is in contact with the distal end 80 of the shaft body 54 is formed at the distal ends of the tubular bodies 100 and 102. A movable member having holes 106 formed around the protrusions 104 of the tubes 100 and 102 at predetermined circumferential intervals around the protrusions 104 in order to allow the ends of the tubes 100 and 102 to communicate with the ink discharge tank 26. An engaging portion 110 that engages with the guide portion 40 of the waste ink tank is formed on the lower surface of the 98. As shown in FIG. 7, the engaging portion 110 has a first inclined surface 112, a flat surface 114, and a second
It has a trapezoidal shape composed of an inclined surface 116.

On the other hand, when the discharge ink tank 26 is inserted into the hole 92, the guide portion 40 of the discharge ink tank 26 with which the engaging portion 110 abuts elastically, has a recess 128 Are formed. The concave portion 128 includes a vertical surface 122, a bottom surface 124, and an inclined surface 126 having the same inclination angle as the first inclined surface 112.

Therefore, the discharge ink tank 26 is
2 (in the direction of arrow D1) or withdrawing from the hole 92 (in the direction of arrow D2), the contact state between the engaging portion 110 and the guide portion 40 changes. Therefore, the movable member 98 is displaced in the vertical direction (the direction of arrow E) and the
The configuration is such that the openings 66 of 0 and 32 are opened or closed.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus 10 is
The lids 30, 32 (openings 36, 3
8) is provided with an optical liquid level sensor (not shown) for irradiating light and detecting the liquid level based on the amount of transmission or reflection of the light. Is detected, the inkjet recording apparatus 10 is configured to issue a warning (alarm or display on a monitor).

The operation of the thus configured ink jet recording apparatus 10 will be described.

First, in order for the user to load the waste ink tank 26 into the apparatus main body 12, the hole 92 of the apparatus main body 12 is required.
In the direction of arrow D1. That is, the guide portion 40 comes into contact with the engagement portion 110 of the movable member 98 by entering the direction of the arrow D1 (see the two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 7). As a result, the arrow D1 on the upper surface 120 of the guide portion 40
The first inclined surface 112 abuts on the end in the direction, and the first inclined surface 11
2, the engaging portion 110 rises, and the flat surface 114 of the distal end 111 reaches the upper surface 120 of the guide portion 40 (see the solid line portion in FIG. 7).

Further, by inserting the discharge ink tank 26 in the direction of arrow D1 (mounting direction), the spring 96
Engaging portion 11 urged downward (in the direction of arrow E1) by
The leading end 111 of the zero is guided by the second inclined surface 116 and enters the concave portion 128 of the guide portion 40, and the first inclined surface 112 contacts the inclined surface 126. First inclined surface 112 and inclined surface 126
Since the inclination angles are the same, the guide portion 40 can no longer enter the direction of arrow D1. That is, the entry of the waste ink tank 26 into the hole 92 is stopped. Further, since the distal end of the engaging portion 110 that has entered the concave portion 128 is urged downward by the spring 96, even if the force in the ejection direction (the direction of the arrow D <b> 2) acts only slightly on the discharge ink tank 26, the engagement will not occur. Tip 111 of joint 110
Does not fall out of the recess 128. That is, the discharge ink tank 26 is mounted and fixed (locked) to the apparatus main body 12 (the hole 92).

The lower surface of the movable member 98 comes into contact with the upper surface 64 of the lid 50 with the downward movement of the movable member 98 by the bias of the spring 96 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the convex portions 1 formed at the distal ends of the tubular body 100 and the tubular body 102
04 presses the distal end 80 of the shaft 54 to compress the spring 76, and separates the disk portion 74 (seal member 78) of the shaft 54 from below the upper surface 64 of the lid 50. As a result, the opening 66 of the lid 50 is opened, and the pipes 100 and 102 communicate with the storage section 42.

After the discharge ink tank 26 is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus 10, printing is performed. At this time, before the recording head 24 shifts from the home position to printing or the like, a recovery process such as suction of ink from the recording head 24 or a dummy jet is performed. The discharged ink discharged in the recovery process flows into the pipe 100 via a unit such as a pump (not shown). The discharged ink is supplied to the opening 3 through the hole 106 at the tip of the tube 100 and the opening 66 of the lid 50.
Flow into 6. Further, the discharged ink passes through the hole 7 formed in the bottom surface 70 of the bearing member via the side (outer peripheral portion) of the disk portion 74.
2 and reaches the storage section 42.

In this way, the discharged ink and the air flow into the storage section 42, and the air flows through the opening 66 of the cover 50 of the cover 32 and the hole 106 at the tip of the tube 102.
02, and is discharged to the outside through the air opening of the apparatus main body 12. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly store the discharged ink without the flow of the discharged ink being hindered by the increase in the air pressure of the storing section 42.

Further, since the discharged ink tank 26 is formed of a material that transmits water vapor, the discharged ink stored in the storage section 42 passes through the surface of the discharged ink tank 26 to evaporate water. Therefore, the amount of discharged ink that can flow into the storage section 42 can be increased.

When the liquid level of the discharged ink is detected by the optical liquid level sensor, the ink jet recording apparatus 10 issues a warning (buzzer, monitor display, etc.)
Notify users. Based on this warning, the user holds the handle 34 of the discharged ink tank 26 and pulls out the discharged ink tank 26 from the hole 92 of the apparatus main body 12 (arrow D2).
direction). By this pulling, the distal end 111 of the engaging portion 110 comes out of the concave portion 128 by being guided by the second inclined surface 116 against the urging force of the spring 96 which urges the movable member 98 downward (in the direction of the arrow E1). 114 comes into contact with the upper surface 120 of the guide part 40 (see FIG. 8 → FIG. 7).

As a result, the lower surface of the movable member 98 is separated from the upper surface 64 of the lid 50. That is, the tubes 100 and 102
Is separated from the tip 80 of the shaft 54. Therefore, the shaft 54 urged upward (in the direction of the arrow E <b> 2) by the spring 76 rises, and the sealing member 78 of the disk portion 74 comes into close contact with the lower side of the upper surface 64 of the lid 50. As a result, the opening 66 of the lid 50 is closed.

In this state, the discharge ink tank 26 is
Even if the user carries it with the handle 34 up, the opening 66 of the lid 50 is securely sealed by the seal member 78 of the shaft 54 urged by the spring 76, so that the discharged ink does not leak. Absent.

Further, when discarding the discharged ink, the lid 5
0 is removed from the openings 36 and 38 by turning. On this occasion,
Since the bearing member 52 and the shaft body 54 attached to the lid 50 are also removed together, the openings 36 and 38 are greatly opened, and the discharged ink can be easily discharged. Cleaning water can be injected to facilitate cleaning. Since the screw pitch of the openings 36 and 38 is 3 mm or more, the lid 50 can be removed with a small number of rotations.

As described above, in the ink jet recording apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, simply by mounting the discharge ink tank 26 in the hole 92, the opening 6 of the discharge ink tank 26 is automatically set.
6 is opened to allow the discharge of ink and air and the discharge of air, and the discharge ink tank 2 through the hole 92.
The opening 66 is reliably closed only by extracting the ink 6, so that the discharged ink does not leak. Further, since the openings 36 and 38 are largely opened by removing the lid 50,
The discharge of the discharged ink is facilitated, and the cleaning of the storage unit 42 is facilitated.

The opening 36 is formed by the guide section 40.
Since the opening 66 of each lid 50 of 38 is opened and the drainage ink tank 26 is mounted and fixed, the opening 66 is always closed when it is not mounted and fixed.

Further, since the openings 36 and 38 are formed at the same position in the direction of arrow D (mounting direction), the opening of the lid 50 is simultaneously performed when the ink discharge tank 26 is inserted into or removed from the hole 92. The part 66 opens and closes. Therefore, there is no danger that the apparatus main body 12 will fall down in a state where only one side is opened, and the discharged ink will leak into the inside of the apparatus main body 12.

In this embodiment, since the lids 30 and 32 are formed of a common member, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. However, the lids 30 and 32 may be formed in different shapes for different purposes. (Second Embodiment) Next, an ink jet recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Note that only movable members different from those of the first embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the movable member 98A and the movable member 98B are divided. That is, the movable member 98A has only one tube 100,
The engaging portion 110 is formed so as to be able to contact the guide portion 40 while being connected to the support member 94 via a spring 96. The same applies to the movable member 98B.

By configuring the ink jet recording apparatus 10 in this manner, the following specific actions are obtained in addition to the actions similar to those of the first embodiment.

That is, due to an error in manufacturing accuracy, the cover 3
When an error occurs in the shape (for example, planarity) of the upper surface 64 of the lid 50 of 0 or 32, or when the movable members 98A and 98B are inclined, the spring 96 of the movable member 98A and the spring 76 of the lid 30, and By adjusting the combination of the spring 96 of the movable member 98B and the spring 76 of the lid 32, the tightness of the connection between the pipes 100 and 102 and the opening 66 can be ensured.

[0117]

As described above, in the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, the volume occupied by the storage section with respect to the volume of the ink discharge tank is large, and a large storage amount can be ensured despite its small size. Moreover, since the opening and closing of the drain ink tank is reliably performed by attaching and detaching the drain ink tank to and from the apparatus main body, leakage of the drain ink when the drain ink tank is taken out can be reliably prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waste ink tank according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the inkjet recording apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a waste ink tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the ink discharge tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the discharged ink tank according to the first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the apparatus main body.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of an inserted state of the discharged ink tank into the apparatus main body according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of an inserted state of the discharged ink tank into the apparatus main body according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a waste ink tank according to a second embodiment of the present invention is inserted into a device main body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ink-jet recording apparatus 12 Main body 24 Recording head 25 Cap member (recovery means) 26 Discharge ink tank 30 Lid (inflow valve mechanism) 32 Lid (discharge valve mechanism) 36 Opening (inflow port) 38 Opening (discharge port) 90) Opening mechanism (opening means)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuhide Soga 2274 Hongo, Ebina-shi, Kanagawa Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. In-house F-term (reference) 2C056 EA23 EA27 EB25 EB29 EC26 JA13 JC05 JC13 JC20

Claims (20)

[Claims] A recording head for ejecting ink droplets from nozzles to perform recording on recording paper; a recovery unit for performing a recovery process for preventing clogging of the recording head; and a discharge unit recovered from the recording head by the recovery unit. In an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink tank that stores ink and is detachably attached to the apparatus main body, a flow provided in the ink tank and allowing the ink discharged during the recovery process to flow into the ink tank. An inlet, a discharge port provided in the discharge ink tank, for guiding air in the discharge ink tank to the atmosphere opening port of the apparatus body, an inflow valve mechanism for closing the inflow port, and a discharge valve mechanism for closing the discharge port, Provided in the device body, open the inflow valve mechanism to communicate the inflow port with the recovery means, and open the discharge valve mechanism to open the discharge port to the atmosphere of the device body. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized by comprising a releasing means for communicating with. 2. A closing member that constitutes the valve mechanism and elastically closes an inflow port or an ejection port, and constitutes the opening means, and the closing member is pressed by attaching a discharge ink tank to the apparatus main body. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an opening member that opens the valve mechanism. 3. The drainage ink tank has an inflow port and a discharge port on a side surface substantially parallel to the mounting direction. When the discharge ink tank is mounted on the apparatus main body, the opening member elastically fluctuates while abutting on the side surface of the discharge ink tank, and when the discharge ink tank is mounted, the closing member is pressed to press the closing member. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the valve mechanism is opened. 4. A discharge ink tank, wherein a guide portion is provided on a side surface provided with an inflow port and a discharge port to abut on an opening member at the time of mounting to guide the opening member to a closing member. Item 4. An ink jet recording apparatus according to item 2 or 3. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide section is configured to lock the opening member at the same time as the opening member opens the valve mechanism, thereby mounting and fixing the discharge ink tank to the apparatus main body. apparatus. 6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening member is provided separately for an inlet and an outlet. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening member is integrally formed for an inlet and an outlet. 8. A lid member removably attached to an inlet or an outlet, and an opening provided on the lid member and communicating with the inside and the outside of the discharge ink tank and closed by the closing member. The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein: 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the opening has a mortar shape in which a cross-sectional area is narrowest at a portion where the closing member contacts, and the cross-sectional area increases toward the outside. 10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the closing member has a tapered outer peripheral side of a closing portion for closing the opening. 11. The discharge ink tank according to claim 1, further comprising a handle for storing the discharge ink therein.
0. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge ink tank is blow-molded. 13. The discharge ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the discharge ink tank is formed of a material that transmits water vapor.
13. The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of the above items 12. 14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an inflow port and a discharge port are provided on a handle side of the discharge ink tank. 15. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism are constituted by a common member. 16. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the drain ink tank is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body, the inflow valve mechanism and the discharge valve mechanism open and close simultaneously. 17. The cover member is screwed to an inlet and an outlet, and screws provided at the inlet and the outlet have a pitch of 3 mm or more.
The inkjet recording apparatus according to any one of the above items. 18. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a detecting means for detecting a discharged ink amount of said discharged ink tank is provided in the apparatus main body. 19. An optical detecting means for irradiating light to a waste ink tank and detecting whether or not the amount of discharged ink has reached a predetermined amount based on the transmittance or reflectance of the light. 19. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein 20. In an ink jet recording apparatus, when recovery processing is performed to prevent clogging of a recording head, the amount of discharged ink stored in a discharge ink tank for storing discharged ink collected from the recording head by the recovery processing is detected. A method for detecting the amount of ink stored in a waste ink tank, wherein the optical detection means irradiates light to the waste ink tank and determines whether the amount of discharged ink reaches a predetermined amount based on the transmittance or reflectance of the light. A method for detecting a discharged ink storage amount, wherein