JP2006175749A - Repeater and liquid ejecting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a repeater and a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of easily and reliably connecting an ejecting head for ejecting liquid and a tank for storing liquid.
A relay passage 23 is provided, and at one end of the relay passage 23, a head-side connection port 23a for connecting to a recording head for ejecting ink is formed. A tank side connection port 23b for connecting to a tank for storing ink was formed.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay for connecting a jet head for jetting a liquid and a tank for storing the liquid in the liquid jet apparatus, and a liquid jet apparatus including the relay.

  An ink jet printer (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) is known as a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid from a nozzle of an ejecting head in the form of dots. This printer includes an on-carriage type ink supply system in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage, and an off-carriage type ink supply system in which the ink cartridge is mounted at a location other than the carriage, for example, on the printer body side. There is something. A printer equipped with this off-carriage type ink supply system can be equipped with a large-capacity ink cartridge for mass printing, and by not mounting the ink cartridge, the carriage can be miniaturized and the entire printer can be made large. Can be avoided.

  However, even in a printer equipped with this off-carriage type ink supply system, the ink capacity is limited because the ink cartridge is mounted in a limited space such as in the printer apparatus frame. For this reason, when a large amount of printed matter is continuously printed, there is a problem that it is necessary to frequently replace the ink cartridge, which is troublesome to handle.

  In order to cope with such a problem, for example, ink supply apparatuses having configurations as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have been proposed. In the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a tank having a plurality of ink supply cartridges arranged side by side on a pedestal is installed outside the printer, and an ink supply duct is connected to each ink supply cartridge. Then, with these ink supply ducts connected to the ink cartridges of the printer, ink is automatically supplied from the ink supply cartridges to the ink cartridges of the printer via the ink supply ducts.

In the conventional configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, the ink cartridge on the carriage of the printer is removed, and an attachment is attached instead, and ink is supplied from the ink tank to the attachment from the outside.
China Utility Model Registration Notice CN2355886Y JP 2003-326732 A

  However, the ink supply device of Patent Document 1 has the following problems because it is necessary to connect the ink duct to the ink cartridge of the printer as described above.

  That is, when the ink supply system is of the off-carriage type, it is necessary to connect the tip of each ink supply duct directly to the corresponding ink cartridge on the printer. The ink cartridge should be compatible with such connection. Is not configured. For this reason, for example, it is necessary to process the ink cartridge so that the user can connect the ink duct, and the preprocessing for the connection is extremely troublesome.

  Further, when this ink supply device is used in a printer equipped with an on-carriage type ink supply system, it is necessary to connect the ink supply duct to the ink cartridge on the carriage. Therefore, in this case as well, the pre-processing up to the connection is extremely troublesome as described above.

  In the ink supply system of Patent Document 2, as described above, the ink cartridge on the carriage is removed, and instead, an attachment is mounted on the carriage, and a tube from the ink tank is connected to the attachment. However, in this Patent Document 2, the mounting weight with respect to the carriage is greatly different from that in the case where the ink cartridge is mounted. For this reason, the operation of the carriage is adversely affected, and the print quality may be deteriorated. In the configuration of Patent Document 2, the tube extending from the ink tank outside the printer is connected to the cartridge on the carriage, so that the tube gets in the way and closes the cover above the traveling area of the carriage. I can't. Accordingly, dust easily enters the printer, and the appearance of the printer is deteriorated. In particular, in the configuration of Patent Document 2, since the carriage is reciprocated with the tube connected to the attachment on the carriage, the tube also moves with each reciprocation of the carriage. At this time, if the installation position of the external ink tank is improper, an excessive pulling force or bending acts on the tube due to the movement of the carriage, resulting in an unreasonable load acting on the movement of the carriage or the ink. In such a case, there is a problem that high quality printing becomes an obstacle.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a repeater that can easily and reliably connect an ejection head that ejects liquid and a tank that stores liquid without causing the above-described problems, and a liquid ejecting apparatus including the repeater. There is to do.

  A further object of the present invention is to equip a tank for storing a large volume of liquid outside the apparatus main body, so that a large amount of liquid jetting work can be continuously performed, and high quality printing can be achieved. The object is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the repeater of the present invention has a relay passage, and one end of the relay passage is connected to a pipe line interposed between an ejection head for ejecting liquid. A head-side connection port is formed, and a tank-side connection port for connecting a pipe line interposed between the tank and the tank for storing the liquid is formed at the other end of the relay passage.

  Therefore, according to this configuration, the ejection head that ejects the liquid is connected to the head side connection port, and the tank for storing the liquid such as ink is connected to the tank side connection port. For this reason, the tank for storing the liquid and the ejection head can be easily and reliably connected via the relay without processing the ink cartridge. In this connected state, the liquid can be smoothly supplied from the inside of the tank to the ejection head via the relay passage. Therefore, a tank such as a large-capacity ink tank can be used regardless of the size of the printer. In addition, since the tank is connected to the repeater and not directly to the ejection head, a pipe line such as a tube does not extend between the tank and the ejection head. It is possible to avoid that the cover cannot be closed, and to effectively prevent dust from entering the apparatus such as a printer and deterioration of the appearance. Further, if the repeater is arranged at a predetermined position such as a printer apparatus frame, even if the ejection head moves, an unreasonable force acts on the flexible pipe between the repeater and the ejection head. Can be avoided. Further, since it is not necessary to mount an attachment on the carriage of the printer, the mounting weight of the carriage does not change greatly, and adverse effects on the movement operation of the carriage can be eliminated. Therefore, when the ejection head is a recording head of an ink jet printer, high quality printing is possible.

  In this repeater, a plurality of the relay passages are provided. According to this configuration, it is possible to cope with a case where different types of liquids are separately supplied to the plurality of nozzles of the ejection head. Therefore, it is suitable for an ink jet printer that ejects four types or more of inks.

  In this repeater, a filter is provided inside the relay passage. According to this configuration, impurities and the like contained in the liquid can be filtered during supply to the ejection head, and a situation such as clogging of the ejection head can be prevented in advance.

  This repeater includes a storage unit that stores data related to its attributes. According to this configuration, for example, attributes such as the identification number and type of the repeater can be set in advance and managed. For this reason, when the repeater is used in the ink path of the printer, it is possible to effectively manage the ink type and the like.

  In this repeater, the tank side connection port is provided with a configuration for detachably connecting to a pipeline from the tank. According to this configuration, the pipe line from the tank can be easily attached to and detached from the tank side connection port, and the tank can be easily replaced.

  In this repeater, a valve mechanism that is opened at the time of connection and closed at the time of disconnection is provided at the tank side connection port. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a liquid from leaking from the tank side connection port when the tank is disconnected from the tank side connection port and the tank is replaced.

  In this repeater, the head side connection port is provided with a configuration for detachably connecting to a pipe line leading to the ejection head. According to this configuration, it is convenient when the repeater is configured to be attached to and detached from the liquid ejecting apparatus or the like, and the repeater is configured to be attachable to and detachable from, for example, a printer, so that it is possible to easily deal with tank replacement and the like .

  The liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present invention includes an ejecting head that ejects liquid onto a target, and the repeater configured as described above is mounted on the mounting portion of the apparatus frame, and the head side connection port of the relay path is provided. The jet head is connected via a pipe line. According to this configuration, a large-capacity tank can be easily and reliably connected to the ejection head of the liquid ejecting apparatus via the relay. In this connected state, the liquid can be continuously supplied from the inside of the tank to the ejection head via the relay passage, and a large amount of liquid ejection work can be continuously performed. In addition, it is possible to easily deal with the tank replacement described above, and when the jetting device is a printer, it is possible to effectively prevent the intrusion of dust, to avoid deterioration of the appearance, and to perform high-quality printing, etc. Can be obtained.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, at least a part of the conduit is a flexible pipe. According to this configuration, when the ejecting operation is performed while the ejecting head is moved, the pipe line is easily deformed following the ejecting head, and the possibility of adversely affecting the movement of the ejecting head and the liquid supply is suppressed. be able to. It is particularly effective when applied to a printer having a recording head mounted on a carriage.

  In the liquid ejecting apparatus, a reading unit for reading the contents of the storage unit provided in the relay is provided. According to this configuration, it is possible to identify the attributes of the repeater itself, and to effectively execute, for example, whether or not the repeater is mounted, or if the liquid ejecting apparatus is an ink jet printer.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the repeater is detachably attached to the attachment portion, and the head side connection port of the repeater and the pipe line are connected at the time of attachment. According to this configuration, by removing the repeater from the mounting portion, it is possible to easily disconnect the connection between the ejection head and the tank, and it is possible to easily replace the tank or rearrange the apparatus.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the mounting portion has a concave shape, and a part of the relay is exposed to the outside in a state where the relay is mounted in the mounting portion. According to this configuration, the repeater does not protrude greatly to the outside of the device frame, and the appearance of the device can be kept good. Moreover, it becomes possible to attach and detach a repeater easily by having the exposed part of a repeater.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, the mounting portion is provided on the rear side of the apparatus frame. According to this configuration, the repeater is not exposed to the front side of the device frame or the like, and the appearance of the device can be kept good.

  In this liquid ejecting apparatus, a valve mechanism that is opened at the time of connection and closed at the time of disconnection is provided at a connection portion of the conduit with the relay. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the liquid from leaking when the relay is removed from the apparatus frame and the tank is replaced.

  This liquid ejecting apparatus includes a tank connected to a tank side connection port of the relay via a pipeline. Therefore, it becomes possible to set it as the injection device which has each operation mentioned above.

  Further, the pipe line is a flexible pipe and is detachable from the tank side connection port. According to this configuration, the tank can be easily attached to and detached from the tank side connection port by utilizing the bending or bending of the flexible pipe, and the tank can be easily replaced. Can be installed at any position outside the device.

(First embodiment)
Below, 1st Embodiment of this invention is described based on FIGS. 1-3.
As shown in FIG. 1, in an ink jet printer 11 as a liquid ejecting apparatus of this embodiment, a platen 13 is installed on an apparatus frame 12 and a paper feed mechanism (not shown) serves as a print medium on the platen 13. The paper P is fed. A guide member 14 is installed on the apparatus frame 12 in parallel with the platen 13, and a carriage 15 is supported on the guide member 14 so as to be movable. The carriage 15 is operatively connected to a carriage motor 17 via a timing belt 16, and is driven to reciprocate left and right within a predetermined range along the guide member 14 by driving the carriage motor 17. ing. A cover (not shown) is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus frame 12 so as to open and close the upper part of the moving area of the carriage 15.

  A recording head 18 as an ejection head is mounted on the side of the carriage 15 facing the platen 13. On the carriage 15, six valve units 19 for supplying ink as a liquid to the recording head 18 are mounted. These valve units 19 temporarily store a predetermined amount of ink therein so that the six colors (types) of ink used in the printer 11 are ejected in a fixed amount. A plurality of nozzles (not shown) are provided on the lower surface of the recording head 18, and ink is ejected onto the paper P from these nozzles in the form of dots to perform printing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a concave mounting portion 20 is formed on the rear side of the device frame 12, and a relay 21 is exposed to the outside of the device frame 12 on the mounting portion 20. Attached and fixed in a state. A plurality of relay passages 23 are formed in parallel in the main body 22 of the repeater 21 at predetermined intervals. A cylindrical head-side connection port 23a protrudes from the front end of each relay passage 23, and a cylindrical tank-side connection port 23b protrudes from the rear end. A first conduit 24 made of a flexible tube is connected and fixed to the head side connection port 23a of each relay passage 23, and the tip of the first conduit 24 is connected to each valve unit 19 on the recording head 18 side. . The valve unit 19 may not have a function of storing ink quantitatively. In this case, the first conduit 24 is connected to the ink intake side of the ejection nozzle (not shown) of the recording head 18. The

  A tank 25 is disposed behind the device frame 12. Six large-capacity ink cartridges 26 are detachably accommodated in a tank case 25 a of the tank 25, and the six color inks are stored in the ink cartridges 26. A second pipe 27 made of a flexible tube is connected and fixed to each ink cartridge 26, and the tip of the second pipe 27 can be attached to and detached from the tank side connection port 23 b of each relay passage 23 of the relay 21. Connected.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, screw portions 28 are formed on the outer periphery of each tank side connection port 23 b of the relay 21. A nut 29 is rotatably attached to the tip of each second duct 27 via a support cylinder 30. Then, by screwing these nuts 29 into the screw portions 28, the respective second pipelines 27 are detachably connected to the tank side connection ports 23b.

  A valve mechanism 31 is provided at a connection portion between each second pipe 27 and the tank side connection port 23b. That is, the valve mechanism 31 includes a valve seat 32 formed in the support cylinder 30 of the second pipe line 27, a valve body 33 disposed so as to be able to contact and separate from the valve seat 32, and the valve body 33. The spring 34 is biased toward the valve seat 32 side, and an open / close dog 35 protruding from the tank side connection port 23b for opening and closing the valve body 33. The opening / closing dog 35 is formed with a through hole 35a through which ink passes. When the second conduit 27 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b, the valve element 33 is pressed and released by the open / close dog 35, and when the second conduit 27 is disconnected from the tank side connection port 23b, the spring 34 is released. The valve element 33 is closed by the urging force.

  Then, in a state where each second pipe 27 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b of the repeater 21, air pressure from a pressure pump (not shown) from each ink cartridge 26 to the second duct 27, the repeater 21, and Ink is supplied to the valve unit 19 on the recording head 18 side via the first conduit 24.

A filter 36 is disposed inside each tank side connection port 23b so as to be located in each relay passage 23, and impurities, ink masses, and the like contained in the ink are filtered.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a storage unit 37 that stores attribute data such as its own identification number, type, and compatible ink type is attached to the outer surface of the main body 22 of the repeater 21. . In correspondence with the storage unit 37, a reading element 38 serving as a reading unit is disposed in the mounting unit 20 on the apparatus frame 12 of the printer 11. Then, in a state where the repeater 21 is attached and fixed to the attachment unit 20, the attribute data of the repeater 21 is read from the storage unit 37 by the reading element 38 and stored in the memory of the control device 44 provided in the device frame 12. It has come to be. The control device 44 constitutes reading means together with the reading element 38. Then, based on the attribute data, various processes such as pass / fail of the model of the installed repeater 21 are executed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a nozzle protection device 39 for protecting the function of the nozzles of the recording head 18 is disposed in a non-printable area (home position) on one side of the apparatus frame 12. This nozzle protection device 39 includes a rectangular box-shaped cap 40 having an upper surface opened, an ink tube 41 extending from the bottom of the cap 40, a tube pump 42 provided in the middle of the ink tube 41, and an ink tube 41. And a waste ink tank 43 connected to the end.

  The carriage 15 is moved to the home position during non-printing, and the nozzles of the recording head 18 are covered by the cap 40 so that drying of the nozzles is suppressed. An ink absorber is disposed in the waste ink tank 43. Then, when the tube pump 42 is driven in a state where the nozzles of the recording head 18 are covered with the cap 40, high-viscosity ink, dust, or the like adhering to the vicinity of the nozzles is discharged into the waste ink via the ink tubes 41. It is discharged to the tank 43 and absorbed and stored in the absorber.

Next, the operation of the printer including the repeater 21 configured as described above will be described.
In the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tip of the second conduit 27 extending from each ink cartridge 26 on the tank case 25 a arranged behind the device frame 12 is connected to the tank side connection port 23 b of the relay 21. ing. When the printer performs a printing operation in this state, the ink stored in each ink cartridge 26 is moved through the second conduit 27, the relay 21, and the first conduit 24 while the carriage 15 is moved. And is ejected onto the paper P from the nozzles of the recording head 18.

  In this case, since the ink tank 25 having the ink cartridge 26 is disposed outside the apparatus frame 12, the large capacity ink cartridge 26 can be provided without being limited by the accommodation space in the apparatus frame 12. it can. Therefore, the ink can be continuously supplied to the recording head 18 without frequently replacing the ink cartridge 26, and a large amount of printing work can be continuously performed. Further, since the first conduit 24 is formed of a flexible pipe, the first conduit 24 is easily moved following the recording head 18 when the printing operation is performed while the recording head 18 is moved. . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the possibility of adversely affecting the movement of the recording head 18 and the ink supply.

  Next, when the ink in the ink cartridge 26 is consumed and the ink cartridge 26 needs to be replaced, the nut 29 at the tip of the second conduit 27 extending from the empty ink cartridge 26 is connected to the relay 21. It removes from the screw part 28 of the tank side connection port 23b, and the 2nd pipe line 27 is cut off from the tank side connection port 23b. Thereafter, the empty ink cartridge 26 and the ink cartridge 26 filled with ink are attached to and detached from the tank case 25a, and the nut 29 at the tip of the second conduit 27 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b of the relay 21. The second pipe line 27 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b by being screwed to the screw portion 28.

  Thus, when the ink cartridge 26 is replaced, the second conduit 27 on the ink cartridge 26 side can be disconnected from and connected to the first conduit 24 on the recording head 18 side in the relay 21. The contact and separation between the paths 24 and 27 can be performed easily and reliably, and the ink cartridge 26 can be easily replaced. In addition, since the second conduit 27 is formed of a flexible pipe, even if the ink cartridge 26 is installed at an arbitrary position behind the apparatus frame 12, the second conduit 27 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b of the relay 21. The two conduits 27 can be easily attached and detached, and the ink cartridge 26 can be easily replaced. Further, a valve mechanism 31 is provided at a connection portion between the tip of the second pipe line 27 and the tank side connection port 23b of the repeater 21, and the valve mechanism 31 is closed when the connection portion is disconnected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the risk of ink leakage when the ink cartridge 26 is replaced.

The effects of the configuration of the first embodiment are listed as follows.
A relay 21 having a relay passage 23 and having a head side connection port 23 a at one end of the relay passage 23 and a tank side connection port 23 b at the other end is provided in the device frame 12 of the printer 11. The recording head 18 is connected to the head side connection port 23a, and the cartridge 26 of the tank 25 is connected to the tank side connection port 23b. Therefore, the tank 25 and the recording head 18 can be easily and reliably connected via the relay 21 without processing the ink cartridge 26 or creating a joint for connection. In this connected state, the ink can be smoothly supplied from the tank 25 to the recording head 18 via the relay passage 23. Therefore, a large-capacity tank 25 can be used regardless of the size and shape of the printer 11. Further, since the tank 25 is not directly connected to the recording head 18, a pipe line such as the first pipe line 24 does not extend between the tank 25 and the recording head 18, and the printer 11 is not illustrated. It is possible to avoid that the cover cannot be closed, and to effectively prevent dust from entering the printer 11 and deterioration of the appearance. Further, if the repeater 21 is arranged in the mounting portion 20, even if the recording head 18 reciprocates, an unreasonable force acts on the first conduit 24 between the repeater 21 and the recording head 18. You can avoid doing that. Further, since there is no need to mount an attachment on the carriage 15 of the printer 11, the mounting weight of the carriage 15 does not change greatly, and adverse effects on the movement operation of the carriage 15 can be eliminated. Therefore, high quality printing is possible.

  Since a plurality of relay passages 23 are provided, it is possible to cope with a case where different types of ink are separately supplied to the plurality of nozzles of the recording head 18. Therefore, the repeater 21 can be suitably used for the ink jet type printer 11.

  Since the filter 36 is provided inside the relay passage 23, impurities and the like contained in the ink can be filtered during the supply to the recording head 18, and a situation such as clogging of the recording head 18 can be prevented in advance. .

  Since the repeater 21 includes a storage unit 37 that stores data related to its own attributes, for example, attributes such as the identification number and type of the repeater 21 can be set and managed in advance. For this reason, when the repeater 21 is used in the ink path of the printer 11, it is possible to effectively manage the type of ink.

  -The tank side connection port 23b of the repeater 21 is provided with a configuration such as a nut 29 for detachably connecting to the second conduit 27 from the tank 25. For this reason, while being able to attach and detach the 2nd pipe line 27 to the tank side connection port 23b easily, it can maintain to a connection state effectively.

  -Since the valve mechanism 31 that is closed when the second conduit 27 is disconnected is provided at the tank side connection port 23b, the tank side can be replaced when the tank 25 is replaced with the disconnection of the second conduit 27. It is possible to prevent the ink from leaking from the connection port 23b.

  Since the first conduit 24 is a flexible pipe, the second conduit 27 is easily deformed following the recording head 18 to suppress the possibility of adversely affecting the movement of the recording head 18 and the supply of liquid. can do.

  The printer 11 is provided with a reading element 38 and a control device 44 that constitute reading means for reading the contents of the storage unit 37 provided in the repeater 21. For this reason, it is possible to identify the attribute of the repeater 21 and effectively execute, for example, management of the mounting state of the repeater 21 and the like.

  The mounting portion 20 for mounting the repeater 21 has a concave shape, and the repeater 21 is mounted in the mounting portion 20. For this reason, the repeater 21 does not protrude greatly to the outside of the device frame 12, and the appearance of the device can be kept good.

  Since the mounting portion 20 of the repeater 21 is provided on the rear side of the device frame 12 of the printer 11, the repeater 21 is not exposed to the front side of the device frame 12, and the appearance of the entire device is good. Can be kept in.

  -The 2nd pipe line 27 is a flexible pipe, Comprising: It can attach or detach with respect to the tank side connection port 23b. Therefore, the tank 25 can be easily attached to and detached from the tank side connection port 23b by using the bending or bending of the flexible pipe, and the tank 25 can be easily replaced. Can be installed in an arbitrary position outside the printer 11.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.
In the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the repeater 21 exposes the rear surface to the outside of the device frame 12 in the concave mounting portion 20 provided in the rear portion of the device frame 12. It is detachably mounted in the state. The repeater 21 and the mounting portion 20 are provided with a recess 46 and a spring 47 that engage with each other in order to elastically hold the mounted state of the repeater 21.

  A plurality of fitting holes 45 having opening / closing dogs 35 are formed at predetermined intervals in the mounting portion 20, and a first pipe line 24 extending from the valve unit 19 on the recording head 18 side is connected to each fitting hole 45. Yes. When the repeater 21 is attached to the attachment portion 20 of the apparatus frame 12, each head side connection port 23 a of the repeater 21 is fitted and connected to each fitting hole 45 of the attachment portion 20. . That is, in the second embodiment, when the repeater 21 is mounted in the mounting portion 20, the head side connection port 23 a is inserted into the fitting hole 45 and connected to the first conduit 24. It is like that. Seal means such as a seal ring (not shown) is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the head side connection port 23a and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting hole 45 to prevent ink leakage.

  A valve mechanism 31 having substantially the same configuration as that of the first embodiment is provided at a connection portion between the head side connection port 23a of the repeater 21 and the fitting hole 45 of the mounting portion 20. That is, the valve mechanism 31 includes a valve seat 32 formed in the head side connection port 23a, a valve body 33 disposed so as to face and separate from the valve seat 32, and the valve body 33 on the valve seat 32 side. And an open / close dog 35 protruding from the fitting hole 45 side to open and close the valve element 33. When the head side connection port 23 a is fitted and connected to the fitting hole 45, the valve element 33 is pressed and released by the opening / closing dog 35, and when the head side connection port 23 a is disconnected from the fitting hole 45, the spring 34. The valve element 33 is closed by the urging force.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, the second conduit 27 on the ink cartridge 26 side is connected to the recording head 18 side by detaching or mounting the relay 21 with respect to the mounting portion 20 of the apparatus frame 12. It is possible to easily disconnect or connect to the first conduit 24. Therefore, it is possible to easily replace the ink cartridge 26 or rearrange the apparatus. Further, when the repeater 21 is removed from the mounting portion 20 and the head side connection port 23a is disconnected from the fitting hole 45, the valve mechanism 31 is closed. The risk of leakage of water can be prevented.

Therefore, the second embodiment has the following effects in addition to the effects of the first embodiment.
The repeater 21 is configured to be detachable from the mounting portion 20, and the head side connection port 23 a of the repeater 21 is detachably connected to the first pipeline 24. For this reason, the tank 25 can be easily replaced by attaching and detaching the relay 21.

  The repeater 21 is detachably attached to the apparatus frame 12 of the printer 11 so that the head side connection port of the repeater and the pipe line are connected when the repeater 21 is attached. According to this configuration, by removing the repeater 21 from the apparatus frame 12, the connection between the recording head 18 and the tank 25 can be easily disconnected, and the tank 25 can be easily replaced or the apparatus can be rearranged. be able to.

  Since a part of the repeater 21 is exposed to the outside in a state where it is mounted in the mounting portion 20 of the repeater 21, the repeater 21 can be attached and detached by having an exposed portion of the repeater 21. It becomes possible to carry out easily.

-Since the valve mechanism 31 that is closed at the time of disconnection is provided at the connection portion of the first conduit 24 with the relay 21, it is possible to prevent ink from leaking when the relay 21 is removed from the device frame 12. can do.
(Example of change)
In addition, this embodiment can also be changed and embodied as follows.

  In each of the above embodiments, six valve units 19 are provided on the recording head 18 side and six ink cartridges 26 are provided on the tank 25 side. The number of the valve units 19 and the ink cartridges 26 is as follows. Any number is acceptable.

-Change the mounting part 20 of the repeater 21 from the rear part of the apparatus frame 12 to another position such as a side part or a lower part.
-While connecting the both ends of the said 1st pipe line 24 and the 2nd pipe line 27 from metal, such as stainless steel, you may comprise a center part with a flexible pipe. In this way, the connection state of the first conduit 24 and the second conduit 27 can be strengthened, and the quality of the ink due to gas permeation of the flexible pipe can be suppressed.

  A valve mechanism that can be externally operated may be provided at the outlet of the ink cartridge 26 of the tank 25. In this way, when the tank 25 is replaced, the outlet of the ink cartridge 26 can be closed, and ink leakage can be prevented.

  Ink supply from the ink cartridge 26 may be arranged using a water head difference by disposing the ink cartridge 26 at a position higher than the recording head 18 without using a pressure pump.

  In each of the above embodiments, the liquid ejecting apparatus is used in an ink jet printer. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus may be applied to a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid other than ink. For example, a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a liquid such as an electrode material or a color material used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, an EL display, an FED (surface emitting display), or the like, or a liquid ejecting apparatus for ejecting a bioorganic material used for biochip manufacturing A sample injection device as a precision pipette may be used.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an essential part cross-sectional view illustrating an enlarged relay unit of the printer of FIG. 1. The principal part exploded sectional view which expands and shows the valve mechanism of the repeater of FIG. The partial top view which shows the printer of 2nd Embodiment. The principal part disassembled sectional view which expands and shows the valve mechanism of the repeater in the printer of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Inkjet printer as a liquid ejecting device, 12 ... Device frame, 15 ... Carriage, 18 ... Recording head as an ejecting head, 19 ... Valve unit, 20 ... Mounting part, 21 ... Repeater, 22 ... Main body, 23 ... Relay passage, 23a ... head side connection port, 23b ... tank side connection port, 24 ... first pipe, 25 ... tank, 27 ... second pipe, 28 ... thread, 29 ... nut, 31 ... valve mechanism, 32 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Valve seat, 33 ... Valve body, 35 ... Opening / closing dog, 36 ... Filter, 37 ... Memory | storage part, 38 ... Reading element as reading means, 44 ... Control apparatus as reading means, 45 ... Fitting hole, P ... Printing Paper as a medium.

Claims (16)

It has a relay passage, and at one end of the relay passage, a head side connection port for connecting a pipe line interposed between the ejection head for ejecting liquid is formed, and at the other end of the relay passage, A repeater characterized in that a tank side connection port is formed for connecting an intervening pipeline with a tank for storing the liquid. The repeater according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the relay passages are provided. The repeater according to claim 1, wherein the relay passage includes a filter therein. The repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a storage unit that stores data relating to its own attribute. The said tank side connection port was provided with the structure for detachably connecting with respect to the pipe line from the said tank, The structure as described in any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Repeater. The repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tank side connection port is provided with a valve mechanism that is opened when connected and closed when disconnected. The relay according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the head side connection port is provided with a configuration for detachably connecting to a pipe line leading to the ejection head. vessel. An ejecting head for ejecting liquid onto a target is mounted, and the repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is mounted on the mounting portion of the apparatus frame, and the head side connection of the relay path A liquid ejecting apparatus having a mouth connected to an ejecting head via a pipe line. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein at least a part of the conduit is a flexible pipe. 10. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a reading unit configured to read a content of a storage unit provided in the relay. 11. The repeater is detachably attached to the attachment part, and the head side connection port of the repeater and the pipe line are connected at the time of attachment. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to any one of the above. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the mounting portion has a concave shape, and a part of the relay is exposed to the outside in a state where the relay is mounted in the mounting portion. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the mounting portion is provided on a rear side of the apparatus frame. The connection part with the relay of the said pipe line was provided with the valve mechanism opened at the time of a connection, and closed at the time of isolation | separation, It is any one of Claims 11-13 characterized by the above-mentioned. The liquid ejecting apparatus described. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a tank connected to a tank side connection port of the repeater via a pipeline. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein at least a part of the conduit is a flexible pipe and is detachable from the tank side connection port.

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