JP2009132116A - ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

An ink cartridge capable of improving the positioning accuracy of a member that needs to be positioned when mounted on a cartridge mounting portion and capable of preventing the member from being damaged.
An ink cartridge includes a main body and a slider. The main body 40 is provided with positioning members (such as the detection unit 140 and the ink supply port 91) to be positioned at predetermined positions. The slider 41 is supported by the main body 40 so as to be able to contact and separate from the front surface 34. Coil springs 48 and 49 are interposed between the front surface 34 and the slider 41. An opening 177 is formed in the slider 41. When the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the base unit 200, first, the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177. Thereby, the slider 41 is positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216. By this positioning, each positioning member included in the main body 40 is also positioned.
[Selection] Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge that can be inserted into a cartridge mounting portion.

  An ink jet recording type image recording apparatus includes a cartridge mounting portion on which an ink cartridge is mounted (see Patent Document 1). The cartridge mounting portion detachably accommodates the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, an ink passage is formed from the ink cartridge to the recording head through the cartridge mounting portion. When ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head through the ink passage, the ink is selectively ejected from the nozzle by the recording head. The ejected ink lands on the paper, and an image is recorded on the paper.

  The ink cartridge is provided with a detected portion for detecting the amount of ink inside. The detected part is provided at a position corresponding to a detection means such as an optical sensor provided in the cartridge mounting part. In order for the detection part to be detected accurately by the detection means, it is necessary to position the detection part with respect to the detection means.

  On the other hand, the cartridge mounting portion is provided with a connecting portion that can be connected to an ink supply port provided in the ink cartridge. When the ink cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, the ink supply port and the connecting portion are connected. Thus, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head via the ink supply port and the connecting portion. In order to accurately connect the ink supply port and the connecting portion, it is necessary to position the ink supply port with respect to the connecting portion.

  Conventionally, a guide surface for guiding the ink cartridge to the cartridge mounting portion is extended in the mounting direction, and the ink cartridge is positioned with respect to the cartridge mounting portion by this guide surface. As a result, the detected portion is positioned with respect to the detecting means, and the ink supply port is positioned with respect to the connecting portion.

JP 2005-254734 A

  However, in the conventional positioning method described above, positioning members such as the detected portion and the ink supply port that require positioning are not always accurately positioned. For example, if there are variations in the external dimensions of the cartridge mounting portion and the ink cartridge housing, the positioning member may not be positioned at a predetermined position even if the ink cartridge housing is positioned with respect to the cartridge mounting portion. Can occur. For example, there may be a case where the positions of the detection means and the detected part do not match or the positions of the connecting part and the ink supply port do not match. In the case where the ink cartridge is assembled by a plurality of members, the variation in the outer dimensions of the housing becomes large, so that the positioning members can often be mismatched. If the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in a state where the positioning member is not positioned, the detecting means and the detected portion may be damaged, or the ink supply port and the connecting portion may be damaged.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to improve the positioning accuracy of a member that requires positioning when mounted on the cartridge mounting portion, and Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge capable of preventing damage to the above members.

(1) The present invention has at least a first wall, a main body that contains ink therein, a second wall that is attached to the main body and faces the first wall, and The ink cartridge includes a slide member movable between a first position separated from the second position and a second position close to the first wall. The main body includes a moving member that can move up and down based on the amount of ink accommodated therein, and an accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the moving member. The slide member includes a guide portion that is provided on the second wall and guides the slide member in a predetermined direction.

  With this configuration, when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, first, the slide member is guided in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge by the guide portion. Thereafter, the accommodating portion requiring positioning is accurately positioned at a predetermined position.

(2) The slide member further includes a detected portion for detecting the mounting state of the ink cartridge. The guide part is disposed between the housing part and the detected part.

  As a result, the detected portion is accurately positioned by a detecting means such as an optical sensor provided in the cartridge mounting portion. Moreover, since the guide part is arrange | positioned between an accommodating part and a to-be-detected part, an accommodating part and a to-be-detected part can be positioned equally.

(3) The present invention includes a main body having at least a first wall and containing ink therein; a second wall attached to the main body and facing the first wall; An ink cartridge including a slide member movable between a first position spaced apart and a second position close to the first wall. The main body includes an ink supply port provided on the first wall and capable of supplying ink from the inside to the outside. The slide member includes a guide portion that is provided on the second wall and guides the slide member in a predetermined direction.

  Thereby, the ink supply port is accurately positioned in the ink introduction tube provided in the cartridge mounting portion. As a result, the ink introduction tube can be accurately and reliably connected to the ink supply port.

(4) The main body further includes a moving member that can move up and down based on the amount of ink accommodated therein, and a housing portion that accommodates at least a part of the moving member. The storage portion is disposed between the ink supply port and the guide portion.

(5) The guide portion is configured to be able to insert a convex portion provided in a predetermined cartridge mounting portion and to contact an outer wall surface of the convex portion.

(6) The guide portion has an opening formed in the second wall. The opening is configured to be able to pass through the convex portion and abut against the outer wall surface of the convex portion.

(7) An elastic member is further provided between the main body and the slide member and biases the slide member in a direction away from the first wall.

(8) The main body has a communication port for communicating the space provided in the first wall and housed therein and the outside, a first posture for closing the communication port, and a second opening for opening the communication port. And a valve body that can change between postures. The valve body changes from the first posture to the second posture by being pressed by the convex portion inserted through the guide portion.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy of a member that requires positioning, and to prevent the member from being damaged.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In addition, the following embodiment is only an example which actualized this invention, and it cannot be overemphasized that embodiment can be changed suitably in the range which does not change the summary of this invention.

[Outline of Ink Cartridge 100]
Hereinafter, an ink cartridge 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 1A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. The state in the second position is shown. 2A and 2B are side views of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 2A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 2B shows a state where the slider 41 is in the second position. It is shown. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main body 40. FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the main body 40 as viewed from the front surface 34 side, and FIG. 3B shows the rear surface 35 side of the main body 40. The perspective view seen from is shown. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ink cartridge 100, and the V portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 is shown in detail.

  The ink cartridge 100 is used for an image recording apparatus such as a so-called ink jet recording type printer, copying machine, facsimile machine, and the like, and contains ink of a predetermined color. The ink cartridge 100 is used by being mounted on a base unit 200 (an example of a cartridge mounting portion of the present invention) described later provided in the image recording apparatus.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink cartridge 100 is configured as a flat, substantially hexahedron. Specifically, the ink cartridge 100 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31) and whose height direction (the direction of the arrow 32) and depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33) are longer than the width direction. Has been. The ink cartridge 100 is in the standing state shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, that is, the base unit 200 (see FIG. 6) with the lower surface in the drawing as the bottom surface and the upper surface in the drawing as the top surface. On the other hand, it is inserted in a direction indicated by an arrow 30 (hereinafter referred to as “insertion direction 30”).

  The ink cartridge 100 is roughly divided into a main body 40 (see FIG. 3, an example of the main body of the present invention) in which ink is stored, a slider 41 (an example of the slide member of the present invention), a main body cover 42, a coil spring 48, 49 (see FIG. 4, an example of the elastic member of the present invention). The exterior of the ink cartridge 100 is generally constituted by a slider 41 and a main body cover 42. The main body 40 is covered with a slider 41 and a main body cover 42. In the present embodiment, the main body 40, the slider 41, and the main body cover 42 are made of a resin material. Examples of the resin material include nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

  The main body cover 42 covers substantially the entire main body 40 (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the main body cover 42 covers most of the upper surface 36 (see FIG. 3) of the main body 40 except for a part thereof and the front surface 34 (see FIG. 3) of the main body 40. Thereby, most of the main body 40, in particular, the side surfaces 38 and 39 (see FIG. 3) of the main body 40 is protected from an impact from the outside. The configuration of the main body cover 42 will be described later.

  The slider 41 covers the front portion 46 on the front side in the insertion direction 30 of the main body cover 42 and the front surface 34 (see FIG. 3) of the main body 40 in a state where the main body cover 42 is attached to the main body 40 (see FIG. 3). . Thereby, the front surface 34 is mainly protected by the slider 41. The slider 41 is configured to slide in the depth direction of the ink cartridge 100 (the direction of the arrow 33). 1A and 2A show a state in which the slider 41 is in the first position farthest from the front surface 34 (see FIG. 3) in the insertion direction 30 of the main body 40. FIG. 2B and FIG. 2B show a state in which the slider 41 is in the second position closest to the front surface 34 of the main body 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the slider 41 slides from the first position to the second position, a cap 95 (see FIG. 3) of the ink supply valve 90 described later is exposed to the outside. Further, when the slider 41 slides from the second position to the first position, the cap 95 is immersed in the slider 41. The configuration of the slider 41 and the mechanism for sliding the slider 41 will be described later.

[Main body 40]
Hereinafter, the main body 40 of the ink cartridge 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body 40 has an outer shape substantially the same as that of the ink cartridge 100, and is configured as a substantially hexahedron having a flat shape. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, in the main body 40, the front surface in the insertion direction 30 is the front surface 34, the rear surface in the insertion direction 30 is the rear surface 35, and the vertically upper surface is the upper surface 36. A vertically lower surface is referred to as a lower surface 37. Two surfaces adjacent to the front surface 34, the rear surface 35, the upper surface 36, and the lower surface 37 and facing each other are referred to as side surfaces 38 and 39, respectively. The left side as viewed from the rear surface 35 is the left side surface 38, and the right side is the right side surface 39. The pair of side surfaces 38 and 39 has a maximum area in the main body 40.

  The main body 40 is roughly composed of a frame 50, an arm 70, an atmosphere communication valve 80, an ink supply valve 90, and a thin transparent film (not shown) welded to the frame 50. In addition, illustration of the said film is abbreviate | omitted in FIG.

  The frame 50 is a member that constitutes the housing of the main body 40. The frame 50 forms the six surfaces 34 to 39 of the main body 40. Accordingly, the six surfaces 34 to 39 of the main body 40 coincide with the six surfaces of the frame 50. In the following, each surface of the frame 50 is shown using the reference numerals attached to each surface of the main body 40.

  The frame 50 is made of a translucent member, for example, a transparent or translucent resin material. The frame 50 is obtained by injection molding a resin material. Examples of the resin material include polyacetal, nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the frame 50 includes an outer peripheral wall 51 and a plurality of inner walls 52. The inner wall 52 is disposed inside the outer peripheral wall 51. The outer peripheral wall 51 and the inner wall 52 are integrally formed as a frame 50. The outer peripheral wall 51 and the inner wall 52 are provided from the left side surface 38 to the right side surface 39 of the main body 40. The outer peripheral wall 51 is annularly arranged along the front surface 34, the upper surface 36, the rear surface 35, and the lower surface 37 so as to form a space inside. As a result, an opening 57 is formed on the left side surface 38 of the frame 50, and an opening 58 is formed on the right side surface 39.

  The film is welded to the edges on both sides 38 and 39 (two sides on the left and right in FIG. 3) of the frame 50, that is, the outer edges on the sides 38 and 39 of the outer peripheral wall 51 by a well-known thermal welding method. The The openings 57 and 58 are closed by the film. Thereby, a space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 51 and the film is partitioned as the ink chamber 102. Ink is stored in the ink chamber 102 thus partitioned. In this embodiment, the ink chamber 102 is formed by the frame 50 and the film. However, for example, the ink chamber 102 is formed inside the frame 50 by forming the frame 50 itself in a rectangular parallelepiped container shape. May be.

  The inner wall 52 is disposed in a region surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 51. The film is also welded to the outer edge portions of the inner wall 52 on the side surfaces 38 and 39 side. Thereby, the slack of the film can be suppressed. Even if the slider 41 and the main body cover 42 are deformed toward the main body 40, the inner wall 52 restricts deformation of the slider 41 and the main body cover 42.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an ink injection portion 148 is provided on the rear surface 35 of the frame 50. The ink injection portion 148 is a substantially cylindrical hole that is drilled from the rear surface 35 toward the ink chamber 102. The ink injection unit 148 communicates with the ink chamber 102 at the back. The ink injection unit 148 is for injecting ink into the ink chamber 102, and the ink flows into the ink chamber 102 through the ink injection unit 148. The ink injection portion 148 is formed integrally with the frame 50 in the vicinity of the lower end of the rear surface 35. When ink is injected into the ink chamber 102, the ink injection portion 148 is sealed with a rubber stopper or the like.

  On the front surface 34 of the frame 50, a detection unit 140 (an example of a storage unit of the present invention) is formed. The detection unit 140 is for visually or optically detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 102. The detection unit 140 is formed integrally with the frame 50. Therefore, the detection unit 140 is made of the same material as the frame 50, that is, a translucent transparent or translucent resin material. Therefore, the detection unit 140 can transmit light from the outside.

  The detection unit 140 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The detection unit 140 protrudes from the middle of the front surface 34 of the main body 40 toward the outside of the main body 40. The detection unit 140 includes five substantially rectangular partition walls, and the inside is formed to be hollow. A space 142 surrounded by the partition walls is formed inside the detection unit 140. A wall is not provided on the ink chamber 102 side of the detection unit 140, and the space 142 is continuous with the ink chamber 102. The indicator portion 72 of the arm 70 is inserted into the space 142.

  The detection unit 140 is inserted into an optical path 183 (see FIG. 8) of an optical sensor 181 (see FIG. 6) such as a photo interrupter attached to the base unit 200 when the ink cartridge 100 is attached to the base unit 200. . Specifically, the detection unit 140 is inserted so that the irradiation region 144 set on the side wall and the optical path 183 intersect. In the present embodiment, in the process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the base unit 200, the detection unit 140 is positioned at a position where it can be inserted into the optical path 183 of the optical sensor 181. Such positioning will be described later.

  The arm 70 is provided inside the main body 40, that is, in the ink chamber 102. The arm 70 is a member for detecting the amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 102. A shaft 77 is provided at the approximate center of the arm 70. The shaft 77 is rotatably supported by a rib 74 provided upright at the center of the outer peripheral wall 51 in the width direction (the direction of the arrow 31). As a result, the arm 70 can swing in the ink chamber 102.

  The arm 70 is made of a light shielding resin material. The arm 70 is obtained, for example, by injection molding a resin material. Examples of the resin material include nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate, polyolefin, and an acrylic resin to which carbon black is added. The arm 70 should just have the light-shielding property at least the indicator part 72 mentioned later. That is, the entire arm 70 does not necessarily have light shielding properties.

  At one end portion of the arm 70, a float portion 73 having a hollow interior is provided. The float unit 73 plays a role of a buoyant body and is displaced up and down according to the amount of ink in the ink chamber 102. As a result, the arm 70 swings according to the amount of displacement of the float portion 73. The float portion 73 may be anything that can generate a buoyancy that swings the arm 70, and is not limited to a hollow inside.

  An indicator portion 72 is provided at the other end portion of the arm 70. The indicator unit 72 is inserted into the space 142 of the detection unit 140. In other words, the indicator part 72 is accommodated in the space 142. The indicator unit 72 moves up and down in the space 142 according to the swinging motion of the arm 70.

  When a sufficient amount of ink is stored in the ink chamber 102, the float portion 73 of the arm 70 is raised. As the float part 73 rises, the indicator part 72 moves to the lower part of the space 142. When the indicator unit 72 reaches the bottom wall 145 of the detection unit 140, the indicator unit 72 maintains the first posture (the posture represented by the solid line in FIG. 4) in contact with the bottom wall 145. At this time, the indicator unit 72 blocks light that is about to pass through the lower portion (irradiation region 144) of the side wall of the detection unit 140.

  On the other hand, when the ink becomes less than the predetermined amount, the float unit 73 descends. As the float unit 73 descends, the indicator unit 72 moves to the upper part of the space 142. That is, the indicator unit 72 moves in a direction to retract from the lower part of the detection unit 140. When the indicator unit 72 comes into contact with the upper wall 147 of the detection unit 140, the indicator unit 72 maintains the second posture (the posture represented by the broken line in FIG. 4) in contact with the upper wall 147. At this time, the indicator unit 72 is completely retracted from the optical path of the light that attempts to pass through the lower part of the detection unit 140. Even if light is irradiated to the irradiation region 144 of the detection unit 140 in this state, the light is not blocked by the indicator unit 72.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a circular opening 82 is provided above the front surface 34 of the frame 50, in other words, above the detection unit 140. A cylindrical valve accommodating chamber 55 is formed on the inner side of the frame 50 continuously from the opening 82. The valve storage chamber 55 extends in the depth direction of the main body 40 (the direction of the arrow 33). The valve storage chamber 55 communicates with the ink chamber 102 at the back. An air communication valve 80 is accommodated in the valve accommodating chamber 55.

  The air communication valve 80 is configured as a valve mechanism that opens or closes an air path from the opening 82 to the ink chamber 102. The air communication valve 80 is mainly composed of members such as a valve main body 87 (an example of the valve body of the present invention), a spring 86, a seal member 83, and a cap 85.

  A cap 85 is attached to the outer edge portion of the opening 82 via a seal member 83. A through hole (not shown) is provided at the center of each of the cap 85 and the seal member 83. When the cap 85 and the seal member 83 are attached to the outer edge portion of the opening 82, the air communication port 81 (an example of the communication port of the present invention) that connects the valve housing chamber 55 and the outside of the main body 40 is formed by the through hole. Is done. The air communication port 81 is a portion into which a cylindrical pressing portion 216 (see FIG. 8, an example of the convex portion of the present invention) is inserted when the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the base unit 200.

  The valve main body 87 is provided in the valve accommodating chamber 55 so as to be slidable in the depth direction of the main body 40. The valve main body 87 includes a lid 88 and a rod 84. The rod 84 protrudes from the center of the lid 88 to the outside (right direction in FIG. 5). The lid 88 of the valve main body 87 is biased toward the seal member 83 by a spring 86. In other words, the spring 86 urges the valve body 87 in a direction to close the atmosphere communication port 81. As shown in FIG. 5, the rod 84 is exposed to the outside through the atmosphere communication port 81 in a state where the lid 88 is in contact with the seal member 83.

  When no external force is applied to the rod 84, the lid body 88 of the valve body 87 that receives the biasing force of the spring 86 maintains a posture in contact with the seal member 83 (corresponding to the first posture of the present invention). . Thereby, the atmosphere communication port 81 is closed. On the other hand, when an external force larger than the urging force of the spring 86 is applied to the rod 84 and the rod 84 is pushed into the air communication port 81, the posture in which the lid 88 is separated from the seal member 83 (corresponding to the second posture of the present invention). ). Thereby, the atmosphere communication port 81 is opened. At this time, the ink chamber 102 communicates with the outside of the main body 40, and the air layer in the ink chamber 102 becomes the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a circular opening 92 is provided below the front surface 34 of the frame 50, in other words, below the detection unit 140. A cylindrical valve housing chamber 54 is formed on the inner side of the frame 50 continuously from the opening 92. The valve storage chamber 54 extends in the depth direction of the main body 40 (in the direction of the arrow 33). The valve storage chamber 54 communicates with the ink chamber 102 at the back. An ink supply valve 90 is accommodated in the valve accommodating chamber 54.

  The ink supply valve 90 is configured as a valve mechanism that opens or closes the ink path from the opening 92 to the ink chamber 102. The ink supply valve 90 is mainly composed of members such as a valve body 97, a spring 96, a seal member 93, and a cap 95.

  A cap 95 is attached to the outer edge portion of the opening 92 via a seal member 93. A through hole (not shown) is provided at the center of each of the cap 95 and the seal member 93. When the cap 95 and the seal member 93 are attached to the outer edge portion of the opening 92, the ink supply port 91 that connects the valve housing chamber 54 and the outside of the main body 40 is formed by the through hole. The ink supply port 91 is a portion into which the tubular ink needle 209 (see FIG. 6) is inserted when the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the base unit 200 (see FIG. 6). In the present embodiment, in the process in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the base unit 200, the ink supply port 91 is positioned at a position where the ink needle 209 can be inserted. Such positioning will be described later.

  The valve main body 97 is provided in the valve accommodating chamber 54 so as to be slidable in the depth direction of the main body 40. The valve body 97 is urged toward the seal member 93 by a spring 96. In other words, the spring 96 urges the valve body 97 in a direction to close the ink supply port 91. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink supply port 91 is closed while the valve main body 97 is in contact with the seal member 93.

  When no external force is applied to the valve body 97, that is, when the ink needle 209 (see FIG. 6) is not inserted into the ink supply port 91, the valve body 97 that receives the biasing force of the spring 96 is a sealing member. The state in contact with 93 is maintained. As a result, the ink supply port 91 is closed. On the other hand, when the ink needle 209 is inserted into the ink supply port 91 and an external force larger than the urging force of the spring 96 is applied to the valve body 97, the valve body 97 moves away from the seal member 93. As a result, the ink supply port 91 is opened. At this time, the ink in the ink chamber 102 can be led out to the base unit 200 side through the ink needle 209.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a spring accommodating chamber 110 is formed above the valve accommodating chamber 55. A spring accommodating chamber 111 is formed below the valve accommodating chamber 54. The spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111 are substantially cylindrical holes drilled from the front surface 34 of the frame 50 toward the ink chamber 102. Coil springs 48 and 49 (see FIG. 4) for elastically urging the slider 41 in the insertion direction 30 are accommodated in the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111, respectively. Note that the positions of the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111, the outer diameter dimension or the depth dimension of the holes, and the like are elements that are appropriately determined according to the specifications of the accommodated spring. However, in order to stably and evenly bias the long slider 41 in the height direction of the main body 40 (in the direction of the arrow 32), the main body 40 is separated from the height direction of the main body 40 as in the present embodiment. It is desirable to dispose each of the spring accommodating chamber 110 and the spring accommodating chamber 111.

  A support member 115 is provided at the front end of the upper surface 36 of the frame 50 in the insertion direction 30. A support member 116 is provided at the front end in the insertion direction 30 on the lower surface 37 of the frame 50. The support members 115 and 116 are formed integrally with the frame 50. The support members 115 and 116 engage with the projecting pieces 192 and 193 formed on the slider 41, thereby supporting the slider 41 slidably with respect to the main body 40 and restricting the slide range of the slider 41.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the support member 115 protrudes in the insertion direction 30 in parallel to the upper surface 36 from the base 118 that protrudes vertically upward from the upper surface 36 and from the end of the base 118 on the front surface 34 side. And a hook-shaped portion 119. The protruding end of the hook-shaped portion 119 is formed in an upward hook shape. On the other hand, the support member 116 is formed integrally with the frame 50, and has a base 121 protruding vertically downward from the lower surface 37, and an insertion direction 30 parallel to the lower surface 37 from the end of the base 121 on the front surface 34 side. It is comprised by the hook-shaped part 122 protruded to. The protruding end of the hook-shaped portion 122 is formed in a downward hook shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a table-like portion 124 formed in a table shape is provided on the upper surface 36 of the frame 50. The trapezoidal portion 124 extends rearward in the insertion direction 30 from an intermediate portion of the upper surface 36 in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33). The base portion 124 is exposed to the outside through an opening 128 (see FIG. 1) provided on the upper surface of the main body cover 42 in a state where the main body 40 is covered with the main body cover 42. Note that the rear end of the base portion 124 does not reach the rear surface 35.

  The trapezoidal portion 124 is provided with a stopper 125 that protrudes upward from the trapezoidal portion 124. The stopper 125 is provided at the end of the base portion 124 on the front side (right side in FIG. 4) in the insertion direction 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the stoppers 125 are inclined ribs that are inclined from the base portion 124 to the vertical wall 126 perpendicular to the upper surface 36 on the front side in the insertion direction 30 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the upper end of the vertical wall 126. 127. The stopper 125 is for fixing the ink cartridge 100 so that the ink cartridge 100 does not fall out of the base unit 200 when the ink cartridge 100 is attached to the base unit 200. The ink cartridge 100 is fixed by engaging a stopper 125 and a lock lever 230 (see FIG. 6) described later.

  The main body 40 is provided with a plurality of through holes 130 for fixing the main body cover 42 to the main body 40. The through hole 130 passes through the main body 40 in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4). Four through holes 130 are provided on each of the upper surface 36 side and the lower surface 37 side of the main body 40.

[Slider 41, body cover 42]
Hereinafter, the configurations of the slider 41 and the main body cover 42 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body cover 42 is formed in a container shape that can accommodate most of the main body 40 except the front surface 34. The main body cover 42 is formed in a flat shape corresponding to the outer shape of the main body 40.

  On the side surface of the main body cover 42, a step 43 is provided approximately in the middle of the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33). The step 43 is extended from the upper end to the lower end of the main body cover 42. The step 43 is formed in an arc shape with the rear surface 35 (see FIG. 3) side of the main body 40 as a center point. The main body cover 42 is divided into a rear portion 47 on the rear side in the insertion direction 30 of the ink cartridge 100 and a front portion 46 on the front side in the insertion direction 30 with the step 43 as a boundary. The front portion 46 is formed in a narrow shape that is one step lower than the rear portion 47.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, an opening 128 is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion 47. The opening 128 is formed in a size that allows the base portion 124 of the main body 40 to be exposed. In a state where the main body cover 42 is mounted on the main body 40, the base portion 124 and the stopper 125 provided on the base portion 124 are exposed from the opening 128.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main body cover 42 includes a left cover 44 that forms the left side when viewed from the rear side in the insertion direction 30 and a right cover 45 that forms the right side when viewed in the same manner. The left cover 44 and the right cover 45 are formed in a symmetrical shape. The left cover 44 and the right cover 45 are provided with a plurality of engaging claws 132 (see FIG. 4) protruding from the inner surface. The front end of the engaging claw 132 is formed in a bowl shape. When these engaging claws 132 are inserted into the through holes 130 of the main body 40, the flange portion at the tip is hooked on the main body 40. Thereby, the left cover 44 is attached to the left side surface 38 of the main body 40, the right cover 45 is attached to the right side surface 39 of the main body 40, and the left cover 44 and the right cover 45 are joined together.

  When the main body cover 42 is attached to the main body 40, in addition to manufacturing errors of the main body 40, manufacturing errors of the main body cover 42, assembly errors of the main body cover 42, and the like appear as variations in the outer shape of the main body cover 42. . For example, as in the past, when the ink cartridge 100 is positioned on the base unit 200 with reference to the outer surface of the ink cartridge 100, the positioning accuracy deteriorates due to the variation. In the present embodiment, since the slider 41 is positioned with reference to the opening 177 of the slider 41 as described later, the positioning accuracy is significantly improved.

  The slider 41 is formed in a container shape that can accommodate the front surface 34 (see FIG. 3) side of the main body 40 together with the front portion 46 of the main body cover 42 in a state where the main body cover 42 is attached to the main body 40. The slider 41 is formed in a flat shape corresponding to the outer shape of the front portion 46 and the front surface 34. Specifically, the slider 41 includes a front wall 161 corresponding to the front surface 34, an upper wall 163 corresponding to the upper surface of the front portion 46, a lower wall 164 corresponding to the lower surface of the front portion 46, and both sides of the front portion 46. It has a left side wall 165 and a right side wall 166 corresponding to the surface. A space surrounded by these walls covers the front portion 46 and the front surface 34.

  The left side wall 165 and the right side wall 166 extend from the front wall 161 in the depth direction of the main body 40 (in the direction of the arrow 33), and cover the left side surface 38 and the right side surface 39 of the main body 40 from above the front portion 46. Yes. Therefore, as described later, when the slider 41 slides with respect to the main body 40, both side surfaces of the front portion 46 become guide surfaces that guide the sliding direction of the slider 41. Thereby, the slider 41 slides smoothly.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the slider 41 includes a detection unit 185 for detecting the type of the ink cartridge 100, a detection unit 186 for detecting whether the ink cartridge 100 is installed, It has a notch 187, a support bar 168, a support bar 169, a sliding groove 171, a sliding groove 172, an opening 177 (an example of the guide portion of the present invention), an opening 178, and a protruding portion 175.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the notch 187 is formed near the middle of the front wall 161. The notch 187 serves as a viewing window for exposing the detection unit 140 to the outside when the slider 41 is mounted on the main body 40. Therefore, the notch 187 is formed in a position, size, and shape corresponding to the detection unit 140. Specifically, the cutout 187 is formed by cutting out the side wall 165 and the side wall 166 of the slider 41 in a rectangular shape from the front wall 161 side to the rear in the insertion direction 30. When the ink cartridge 100 is attached to the base unit 200 (see FIG. 6), a light emitting element and a light receiving element of an optical sensor 181 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, are arranged to face the notch 187. Therefore, in a state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted, the light emitted from the light emitting element passes through the notch 187 and is applied to the side wall 146 of the detection unit 140.

  The detected portion 185 is a portion that enters an optical path 183 (see FIG. 8) of an optical sensor 181 (described later) provided in the base unit 200 in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 100 on the base unit 200. The detected portion 185 is made of a resin material that does not transmit light. The detected part 185 is provided near the middle of the front wall 161. The detected portion 185 is formed in a bridge shape that bridges the notch 187 in the vertical direction on the front wall 161. Accordingly, the opening 190 having a rectangular shape in a side view is formed by the detected portion 185 and the notch 187.

  The width of the detected portion 185 in the depth direction (the direction of the arrow 33) varies depending on the type of the ink cartridge 100. In the mounting process of the ink cartridge 100, the control unit of the image recording apparatus monitors the output waveform of the optical sensor 181 so that the difference in width can be detected. By detecting this difference in width, the type of the mounted ink cartridge 100 can be determined. Since this determination method is not related to the present invention, the description thereof is omitted.

  The detected portion 186 is a portion that enters an optical path 184 (see FIG. 8) of an optical sensor 182 (described later) provided in the base unit 200 in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 100 on the base unit 200. Like the detected portion 185, the detected portion 186 is made of a resin material that does not transmit light. The detected portion 186 is erected on the bottom surface of the recessed portion 194 formed at the distal end of the upper wall 163 in the insertion direction 30. The detected portion 186 includes a plate-like rib protruding upward from the bottom surface of the recessed portion 194. Since the detected portion 186 is provided, the control unit of the image recording apparatus monitors the change in the output waveform of the optical sensor 182, so that the mounting state of the ink cartridge 100 in the base unit 200, that is, the ink cartridge 100 is mounted. It can be determined whether or not it has been done. In this embodiment, before being inserted into the optical path 184 of the optical sensor 182, the detected part 186 is positioned at a position where it can be inserted into the optical path 184. Such positioning will be described later.

  The protrusion 175 is provided at the lower end of the front wall 161. The protruding portion 175 protrudes from the front wall 161 in the insertion direction 30. The protrusion 175 is provided to receive ink droplets that spill from the ink needle 209 and the ink supply port 91 when the ink cartridge 100 is removed from the base unit 200.

  The support bar 168 (see FIG. 4) supports the coil spring 48. Further, the support bar 169 (see FIG. 4) supports the coil spring 49. As shown in FIG. 4, the support bar 168 and the support bar 169 are provided on the back surface of the front wall 161, that is, on the facing surface facing the front surface 34 of the main body 40. Specifically, the support bar 168 is provided on the back surface of the upper portion of the front wall 161 and at a position corresponding to the spring accommodating chamber 110. Further, the support bar 169 is provided at a position corresponding to the spring accommodating chamber 111 on the lower back surface of the front wall 161.

  The support bar 168 and the support bar 169 are composed of rod-like members that protrude from the back surface of the front wall 161 in the depth direction of the main body 40 (in the direction of the arrow 33). When the slider 41 is attached to the main body 40 in a state where the coil spring 48 is accommodated in the spring accommodating chamber 110 and the coil spring 49 is accommodated in the spring accommodating chamber 111, the support bar 168 is inserted into the inner hole of the coil spring 48 and supported. A bar 169 is inserted through the inner hole of the coil spring 49. As a result, the coil springs 48 and 49 are supported by the support bars 168 and 169.

  In the present embodiment, the coil springs 48 and 49 are used as so-called compression coil springs. That is, when the slider 41 is mounted on the main body 40, the coil springs 48 and 49 are accommodated in the spring accommodating chambers 110 and 111 in a compressed state. Therefore, regardless of the slide position of the slider 41, the coil springs 48 and 49 always urge the slider 41 in the direction away from the front surface 34 of the main body 40.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding groove 171 is configured by forming a part of the upper wall 163 in a substantially reverse U-shape when viewed in cross section. As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 115 is inserted into the sliding groove 171. A protruding piece 192 is formed on the back surface of the upper wall 163, that is, on the facing surface facing the upper surface 36 of the main body 40. A part of the sliding groove 171 is narrowed by the protruding piece 192.

  The sliding groove 172 is configured by forming the lower wall 164 in a U shape in a sectional view. As shown in FIG. 4, the support member 116 is inserted into the sliding groove 172. A protruding piece 193 is formed on the back surface of the lower wall 164, that is, on the facing surface facing the lower surface 37 of the main body 40. A part of the sliding groove 172 is narrowed by the protruding piece 193.

  In the process of mounting the slider 41 on the main body 40, the support member 115 is inserted into the sliding groove 171 and the support member 116 is inserted into the sliding groove 172. When the support member 115 is inserted into the sliding groove 171, first, the hook-shaped portion 119 of the support member 115 comes into contact with the protruding piece 192. When the support member 115 is pushed inward, the support member 115 is bent downward, and the hook-shaped portion 119 gets over the protruding piece 192. Further, when the support member 116 is inserted into the sliding groove 172 in the same manner as described above, the hook-shaped portion 122 gets over the protruding piece 193. As a result, the slider 41 is attached to the main body 40. Once the hooks 119, 122 get over the protrusions 192, 193, the hooks of the hooks 119, 122 are caught by the protrusions 192, 193 even if the slider 41 is pulled out. It has become.

  When the slider 41 is mounted on the main body 40, the slider 41 is urged away from the front surface 34 by the coil springs 48 and 49. In a state in which no external force is applied to the slider 41, the slider 41 rests at the first position shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. On the other hand, when an external force in a direction perpendicular to the front wall 161 is applied to the slider 41, the slider 41 slides from the first position to the second position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2B.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, an opening 177 is provided in the upper portion of the front wall 161. The opening 177 is provided between the detected portion 186 and the detecting portion 140 (or the detected portion 185) in a state where the slider 41 is attached to the main body 40. The opening 177 is provided at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication valve 80. The opening 177 is formed in a size that allows the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267 (see FIG. 8) of the pressing portion 216 provided in the base unit 200 to be inserted. Accordingly, the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177 in the process of mounting the ink cartridge 100 to the base unit 200. The opening 177 allows the pressing portion 216 to be inserted, and when the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267 (see FIG. 8) of the pressing portion 216 is inserted, the periphery of the opening 177 slides with the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267. It is formed in the size to touch. The effect of providing the opening 177 will be described later.

  An opening 178 is provided in the lower portion of the front wall 161. The opening 178 is formed at a position corresponding to the ink supply valve 90. The opening 178 is formed in a size that allows the cap 95 of the ink supply valve 90 to be inserted. When the slider 41 slides from the first position shown in FIG. 1A to the second position shown in FIG. 1B, the cap 95 is exposed from the opening 178 in the sliding process. Accordingly, the ink needle 209 (see FIG. 6) of the base unit 200 is easily inserted into the ink supply port 91.

[Base unit]
Next, the configuration of the base unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the base unit 200. FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the base unit 200. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line VIII-VIII in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the base unit 200 has a casing formed by a frame 204 formed in a substantially container shape having an opening 207 on the front surface. An internal space of the frame 204 is a cartridge storage chamber 202 for storing the ink cartridge 100. The cartridge storage chamber 202 can store four ink cartridges 100 corresponding to cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colors.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the cartridge housing chamber 202 is provided with three plates 223 that divide the internal space into four spaces that are long in the vertical direction. The ink cartridge 100 is accommodated in each space partitioned by the plate 223. The plate 223 is provided on the inner surface of the cartridge storage chamber 202. The plate 223 is erected from the back surface to the opening 207 side. These plates 223 are arranged in the width direction of the base unit 200.

  Four guide grooves 206 are provided on the bottom surface of the frame 204. These guide grooves 206 smoothly guide the ink cartridge 100 to the back of the cartridge storage chamber 202. The guide groove 206 extends straight in the depth direction of the base unit 200. The guide grooves 206 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction of the base unit 200. The leftmost guide groove 206 is formed wider than the other guide grooves 206. This is to enable insertion of an ink cartridge of black ink formed wider than other ink cartridges. Each of the ink cartridges 100 is smoothly inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 202 by having its lower end guided to the inner part along the guide groove 206.

  A pressing portion 216 (see FIG. 8) is provided at the upper part of the inner surface of the cartridge storage chamber 202. The pressing portion 216 is disposed at a position corresponding to the atmospheric communication valve 80 on the back surface. In the present embodiment, four pressing portions 216 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 that can be stored in the cartridge storage chamber 202.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the pressing portion 216 is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes perpendicularly to the back surface. The pressing portion 216 is inserted into the opening 177 (see FIG. 1) in the process in which the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge housing chamber 202. The protruding length of the pressing portion 216 is set to a dimension that allows the pressing portion 216 to be inserted into the opening 177 prior to other portions when the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge housing chamber 202. When the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177, the insertion position and the insertion direction of the slider 41 having the opening 177 are positioned.

  The pressing portion 216 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that air can pass through the inside thereof. The inner hole of the pressing portion 216 communicates with the outside on the back side of the base unit 200. The pressing portion 216 includes a small-diameter cylindrical portion 266 on the distal end side and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 267 on the proximal end side (back surface side). The outer diameter of the small diameter cylindrical portion 266 is sufficiently smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter cylindrical portion 267. An inclined surface 268 is provided at a portion from the small diameter cylindrical portion 266 to the large diameter cylindrical portion 267.

  A depression 217 is formed at the tip of the pressing portion 216. The inner diameter of the recess 217 is set larger than the outer diameter of the tip of the rod 84 (see FIG. 3). A plurality of holes 269 are provided in the bottom surface of the recess 217. The hole 269 is provided at a position spaced from the center of the bottom surface of the recess 217 in the radial direction. Air flows into the inner hole of the pressing portion 216 through the hole 269.

  A connecting portion 208 that is connected to the ink supply port 91 is provided at the lower part of the inner surface of the cartridge housing chamber 202. The connecting portion 208 is disposed at a position corresponding to the ink supply valve 90 of the ink cartridge 100 on the back surface. In the present embodiment, four connecting portions 208 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 that can be stored in the cartridge storage chamber 202. In FIG. 6, the connecting portion 208 arranged on the rightmost side is hidden by the side wall of the frame 204.

  The connection unit 208 includes an ink needle 209 and a holding unit 210. The ink needle 209 is made of a tubular resin needle. As shown in FIG. 8, the ink needle 209 is connected to a flexible ink tube 212 on the back side of the base unit 200. Each ink tube 212 drawn out from each ink needle 209 to the back side is pulled upward on the back side of the base unit 200 and then drawn to a recording head included in the image recording apparatus.

  The holding part 210 is formed in a concave shape. An ink needle 209 is disposed at the center of the holding unit 210. When the ink cartridge 100 is installed in the cartridge storage chamber 202, the cap 95 (see FIG. 1B) is inserted into the holding unit 210. At this time, the cap 95 is attached to the recessed portion of the holding portion 210. Thereby, the outer peripheral surface of the cap 95 and the inner surface of the recessed portion are brought into close contact with each other, and the cap 95 and the holding portion 210 are connected without looseness. In this state, the ink supply port 91 is positioned with respect to the ink needle 209. As a result, the ink needle 209 is reliably inserted into the ink supply port 91.

  An optical sensor 181 is provided on the upper surface of the connecting portion 209 on the inner surface of the cartridge housing chamber 202. The optical sensor 181 is disposed at a position corresponding to the detection unit 140 of the ink cartridge 100. The optical sensor 181 is used to detect whether the amount of ink in the ink chamber 102 of the ink cartridge 100 has reached a predetermined amount. Further, an optical sensor 182 (see FIG. 8) is provided at the back of the top surface of the cartridge storage chamber 202. The optical sensor 182 is disposed at a position corresponding to the detected portion 186 of the ink cartridge 100. The optical sensor 182 is used to determine whether or not the ink cartridge 100 is installed in the cartridge storage chamber 202. In the present embodiment, four optical sensors 181 and 182 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 that can be stored in the cartridge storage chamber 202. In FIG. 6, the rightmost optical sensor 181 is hidden by the side wall of the frame 204.

  As the optical sensors 181 and 182, transmissive photo interrupters having a light emitting element and a light receiving element are used. An optical path 183 that is a path of light emitted from the light emitting element is formed between the light emitting element and the light receiving element of the optical sensor 181. A similar optical path 184 is also formed in the optical sensor 182. In the present embodiment, each of the optical sensors 181 and 182 is arranged such that the detected portion 185 and the detecting portion 140 are inserted into the optical path 183 and the detected portion 186 is inserted into the optical path 183.

  A lock lever 230 is provided on the frame 204. The lock lever 230 is for fixing (locking) the ink cartridge 100 so that the ink cartridge 100 mounted in the cartridge storage chamber 202 does not fall off. As shown in FIGS. It is provided in the vicinity of the upper edge 205 of the opening 207. In the present embodiment, four lock levers 230 are provided corresponding to the four ink cartridges 100 that can be stored in the cartridge storage chamber 202. Since the lock lever 230 is provided, the ink cartridge 100 can be reliably fixed to the cartridge storage chamber 202 while maintaining the state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted in the cartridge storage chamber 202.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the entire lock lever 230 is formed in an arm shape. A support shaft 232 is provided near the center of the lock lever 230. This support shaft 232 is pivotally supported by the frame 204. Accordingly, the lock lever 230 is supported so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 232 in the vicinity of the upper edge portion 205 of the frame 204.

  The lock lever 230 includes an input part 234, an action part 236, and an engagement part 243. The input unit 234 is provided on the front side from the support shaft 232, and the action unit 236 is provided on the back side from the support shaft 232. The input unit 234 is formed in a dish shape having a slight depression on the upper surface. Therefore, it is easy to press the input unit 234 downward with the belly of the finger of the hand.

  An engaging portion 243 is provided at the lower end of the portion from the support shaft 232 to the input portion 234. The engaging portion 243 is configured to descend toward the cartridge housing chamber 202 when the input portion 234 is pressed downward, and to contact a portion constituting the upper surface of the ink cartridge 100.

  A contact portion 237 that contacts the stopper 125 of the ink cartridge 100 is provided at the tip of the action portion 236. The lower part of the contact part 237 is formed in a curved shape. The action part 236 is formed substantially straight from the support shaft 232 to the contact part 237.

  A tension spring 219 is provided above the lock lever 230. One end on the far side of the tension spring 219 is fixed to the frame 204 above the contact portion 237. Specifically, a plate-like rib 221 is erected on the upper surface of the frame 204, and one end of a tension spring 219 is latched to a hook portion 239 protruding from the rib 221 in the horizontal direction. On the other hand, one end of the front side of the tension spring 219 is latched by an L-shaped hanging portion 241 protruding upward from the upper portion of the support shaft 232. The hanging portion 241 is located slightly below the hanging portion 239. The tension spring 219 is used as a so-called tension spring. That is, the tension spring 219 is fixed to the hook portions 239 and 241 in a state where the tension spring 219 is extended to generate a force in the contraction direction. Therefore, the lock lever 230 receives from the pulling spring 219 a force that rotates in the direction of the arrow 245 (clockwise in FIG. 8) in FIG. Note that excessive rotation of the lock lever 230 is restricted by the upper edge 205 of the opening 207 of the frame 204. Therefore, in a state where no external force is applied to the input unit 234, the lock lever 230 is held in a state where the rotation in the direction of the arrow 245 is restricted by the upper edge portion 205. In this state, the input unit 234 is held in a substantially horizontal posture. In the present embodiment, the lock lever 230 is moved in the direction of the arrow 245 within a range in which at least the contact portion 237 can be lowered to the cartridge storage chamber 202 side and contact the platform portion 124 of the ink cartridge 100. Rotate.

[Removal operation of ink cartridge 100]
Hereinafter, the mounting operation of the ink cartridge 100 with respect to the base unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge housing chamber 202. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted and fixed in the cartridge storage chamber 202.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 202 from the opening 207 of the frame 204, the front end of the ink cartridge 100 comes into contact with the contact portion 237 of the lock lever 230. At this time, the contact portion 237 is pushed upward by receiving a force from the ink cartridge 100. As a result, the lock lever 230 rotates in the direction of the arrow 246 against the pulling force of the tension spring 219. In conjunction with this turning operation, the input unit 234 is slightly tilted downward. That is, the input unit 234 changes from a horizontal posture to an inclined posture.

  When the ink cartridge 100 enters the inner part of the cartridge housing chamber 202, first, the small diameter cylindrical part 266 of the pressing part 216 is inserted into the opening 177. Even if the center line of the opening 177 and the center line of the pressing portion 216 do not coincide with each other, the outer diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 266 is smaller than the outer diameter of the opening 177, so Is easily inserted.

  When the ink cartridge 100 further enters the inner part, the inclined part 268 of the pressing part 216 and the large diameter cylindrical part 267 are sequentially inserted into the opening 177. At this time, even if the center line of the opening 177 and the center line of the pressing portion 216 do not coincide with each other, the inclined portion 268 and the peripheral edge of the opening 177 are in sliding contact so that the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267 smoothly contacts the opening 177. Guided. Note that, as described above, the opening 177 is formed in such a size that the peripheral edge thereof is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267, and therefore, when the large-diameter cylindrical portion 267 is inserted into the opening 177, the opening 177 And the center line of the pressing portion 216 coincide with each other. Thereby, the opening 177 is positioned at the pressing portion 216. In other words, in the cartridge storage chamber 202, the slider 41 having the opening 177 is positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216. When the slider 41 is positioned, the main body 40 to which the slider 41 is attached and the air communication port 81 and the ink supply port 91 provided in the main body 40 are naturally positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216. Further, the detected portions 185 and 186 provided in the slider 41 are also positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216.

  When the ink cartridge 100 further enters the inner part, the detected part 185 of the slider 41 enters the optical path 183 of the optical sensor 181, and the detected part 186 enters the optical path 184 of the optical sensor 182. In the present embodiment, when the positioning of the slider 41 is completed, the detected part 185 enters the optical path 183 and the detected part 186 enters the optical path 184. Therefore, the light emitted from the optical sensors 181 and 182 and the irradiation area to be irradiated with the light are reliably aligned. That is, the light emitted from the optical sensors 181 and 182 is reliably irradiated to the detected parts 185 and 186. Thereby, the detection accuracy of each optical sensor 181 and 182 increases.

  When the ink cartridge 100 further enters the inner part of the cartridge housing chamber 202, the front surface of the slider 41 comes into contact with the inner surface of the cartridge housing chamber 202. At this time, the detected portion 185 is removed from the optical path 183 of the optical sensor 181, and instead, the opening 190 enters the optical path 183. Note that the detected unit 186 maintains the state of entering the optical path 184.

  When the ink cartridge 100 is pressed in the insertion direction 30 with the slider 41 in contact with the inner surface of the cartridge storage chamber 202, the coil springs 48 and 49 are compressed against the biasing force. As a result, only the main body 40 moves in the insertion direction 30 while the slider 41 remains in contact with the inner part and remains stationary. That is, the main body 40 moves in a direction approaching the slider 41. The slider 41 relatively moves from the first position (see FIG. 1A) to the second position (see FIG. 1B). At this time, the main body 40 moves while being in sliding contact with the inner surface of the slider 41, and the movement direction is restricted to the insertion direction 30.

  When the main body 40 moves to the position closest to the slider 41 (second position), that is, when the main body 40 is inserted to the back of the cartridge housing chamber 202, the rod 84 is pressed by the pressing portion 216 as shown in FIG. It abuts on the tip. At this time, the tip of the rod 84 enters the recess 217 at the tip of the pressing portion 216. For this reason, the rod 84 is reliably caught by the recess 217. Since the slider 41 and the main body 40 are positioned with respect to the pressing portion 216 in the cartridge housing chamber 202, the tip of the rod 84 is surely brought into contact with the tip of the pressing portion 216. When a pressing force is received from the pressing portion 216, the rod 84 is retracted and the atmosphere communication port 81 is opened. As a result, the ink chamber 102 has the same pressure as the atmosphere. When the rod 84 is further retracted and the distal end of the pressing portion 216 is fitted into the inner hole of the seal member 83, the atmosphere communication port 81 is blocked by the distal end of the pressing portion 216. However, since the atmosphere communication port 81 communicates with the outside on the back side of the base unit 200 through the inside of the pressing portion 216 from the hole 269 of the recess 217, the atmosphere communication port 81 is not sealed.

  Subsequently, the cap 95 of the ink supply valve 90 is exposed from the opening 178, and the ink needle 209 is inserted into the ink supply port 91. In addition, the detection unit 140 enters the optical path 183 and the opening 190 of the optical sensor 181. By positioning the slider 41 and the main body 40, the ink needle 209 is reliably inserted into the ink supply port 91, and the detection unit 140 is reliably inserted into the optical path 183.

  In the process in which the ink cartridge 100 is inserted to the back of the cartridge housing chamber 202, the contact portion 237 at the tip of the lock lever 230 is relatively in contact with the ink cartridge while sliding the portion from the upper wall 163 to the inclined rib 127. Move 100 backwards. When the ink cartridge 100 is inserted all the way into the cartridge storage chamber 202, that is, when the ink cartridge 100 is mounted in the cartridge storage chamber 202, the contact portion 237 gets over the stopper 125. At this time, the action portion 236 is rotated in the direction of the arrow 245 in response to the pulling force of the tension spring 219, and the contact portion 237 moves to the upper surface of the platform portion 124. As a result, the contact portion 237 contacts the stopper 125. Therefore, even if the main body 40 tries to move backward by the coil springs 48 and 49, the movement is restricted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the ink cartridge 100 is fixed to the base unit 200.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the slider 41 is positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216 by inserting the pressing portion 216 into the opening 177. As a result, the main body 40 and the atmosphere communication port 81, the ink supply port 91, and the detection unit 140 provided in the main body 40 are positioned at predetermined positions outside the detected portions 185 and 186. For this reason, although influenced by the manufacturing error of the slider 41 and the like, it is not affected by other effects, so that the positioning accuracy of these parts is improved. As a result, the above-described parts are prevented from being damaged due to misalignment when the ink cartridge 100 is inserted.

  The air communication valve 80 and the ink supply valve 90 described above are examples for opening and closing the air communication port 81 or the ink supply port 91, and are not necessarily required to realize the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to the case where the atmosphere communication port 81 and the ink supply port 91 are closed with an adhesive seal or the like.

[Modification]
In the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge 100 in which the slider 41 and the main body cover 42 are attached to the main body 40 is exemplified. However, for example, as in the modification shown in FIG. The present invention is also applicable to an ink cartridge 280 provided with a plate-like cover 283 (an example of a slide member of the present invention) that can be contacted and separated via 281 and 282 (an example of an elastic member of the present invention). FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an ink cartridge 280 according to a modification of the above-described embodiment. In FIG. 11, components that are the same as those of the ink cartridge 100 described above are given the same reference numerals as the components of the ink cartridge 100.

  The ink cartridge 280 is provided with a coil spring 281 near the upper end of the front surface 34 of the main body 40 and a coil spring 282 near the lower end. An opening 177 is formed in the cover 283 at a position corresponding to the atmosphere communication valve 80. An opening 286 is formed at a position corresponding to the detection unit 140, and an opening 178 is formed at a position corresponding to the ink supply port 90. In a state where no force is applied to the cover 283, the cover 283 is disposed at the first position farthest from the front surface 34.

  When the ink cartridge 280 is inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 202 (see FIG. 8), the pressing portion 216 is inserted through the opening 177. At this time, the cover 283 is positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216.

  When the ink cartridge 280 is inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 202 and pressed toward the back surface side, the cover 283 is pressed in a direction approaching the front surface 34 (right direction in FIG. 11) by receiving a force from the back surface. At this time, the coil springs 281 and 282 are contracted, and the cover 283 is disposed at the second position close to the front surface 34. The front surface 34 is covered with the cover 283 in a state where the cover 283 is disposed at the second position. In the process of moving the cover 283 to the second position, the atmosphere communication valve 80 is exposed from the outer surface 288 of the cover 283 through the opening 177. Further, the detection unit 140 is exposed from the outer surface 288 through the opening 286, and the ink supply valve 90 is exposed from the outer surface 288 through the opening 178.

  Even in such an ink cartridge 280, the cover 283 is positioned with reference to the pressing portion 216 by inserting the pressing portion 216 into the opening 177. Therefore, the atmosphere communication port 81, the ink supply port 91, the detection unit The positioning accuracy of a member requiring positioning such as 140 is improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 1A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 1B shows that the slider 41 is in the second position. The state is shown. 2A and 2B are side views of the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 2A shows a state where the slider 41 is in the first position, and FIG. 2B shows a state where the slider 41 is in the second position. It is shown. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main body 40. FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of the main body 40 as viewed from the front surface 34 side, and FIG. 3B shows the rear surface 35 side of the main body 40. The perspective view seen from is shown. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ink cartridge 100, and the V portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 is shown in detail. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the base unit 200. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the base unit 200. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a process in which the ink cartridge 100 is inserted into the cartridge storage chamber 202. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the ink cartridge 100 is mounted and fixed in the cartridge storage chamber 202. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an ink cartridge 280 according to a modification of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

40 ... Body 41 ... Slider 42 ... Body cover 48, 49 ... Coil spring 70 ... Arm 80 ... Air communication valve 81 ... Air communication port 87 ... Valve body 90 .... Ink supply valve 91 ... Ink supply port 100 ... Ink cartridge 140 ... Detection window 185 ... Detected part 186 ... Detected part 200 ... Base unit 202 ... Cartridge accommodation Chamber 216 ... Pressing portion 280 ... Ink cartridge 281,282 ... Coil spring 283 ... Cover

Claims (8)

A main body having at least a first wall and containing ink therein;
A slide member attached to the main body, having a second wall facing the first wall, and movable between a first position spaced from the first wall and a second position close to the first wall And
The main body includes a moving member that can move up and down based on the amount of ink accommodated therein, and a housing portion that houses at least a part of the moving member,
The ink cartridge includes a guide portion that is provided on the second wall and guides the slide member in a predetermined direction. The slide member further includes a detected portion for detecting the mounting state of the ink cartridge,
The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion is disposed between the storage portion and the detected portion. A main body having at least a first wall and containing ink therein;
A slide member attached to the main body, having a second wall facing the first wall, and movable between a first position spaced from the first wall and a second position close to the first wall And
The main body includes an ink supply port provided on the first wall and capable of supplying ink from the inside to the outside,
The ink cartridge includes a guide portion that is provided on the second wall and guides the slide member in a predetermined direction. The main body further includes a moving member that can move up and down based on the amount of ink accommodated therein, and an accommodating portion that accommodates at least a part of the moving member,
The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the storage portion is disposed between the ink supply port and the guide portion.   The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide portion is configured to be able to pass through a convex portion provided in a predetermined cartridge mounting portion and to be in contact with an outer wall surface of the convex portion. . The guide portion has an opening formed in the second wall,
The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the opening is configured to pass through the convex portion and to contact an outer wall surface of the convex portion.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member that is provided between the main body and the slide member and biases the slide member in a direction away from the first wall. The main body
A communication port for communicating the space provided in the first wall and housed inside and the outside;
A valve body that is changeable between a first posture that closes the communication port and a second posture that opens the communication port;
The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the valve body changes from the first posture to the second posture by being pressed by the convex portion inserted through the guide portion.

Images