JP2009226740A - Attachment, inkjet head mounted with the same, and inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

A load applied to an ink supply port and an ink discharge port is reduced. When an ink jet head is attached to a lower surface of a main body portion in which a supply channel and a discharge channel are formed, the supply is performed. A supply valve opening part 24 for connecting the flow path 28 to the ink supply port and a discharge valve opening part 25 for connecting the discharge flow path 29 to the ink discharge port are provided. The supply flow path 28 is composed of the annular protrusions 11 and 12 and the films 15 and 16 formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body 21, respectively. The discharge flow path 29 includes annular protrusions 13 and 14 and films 17 and 18 formed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the main body 21, respectively. With respect to the connection side pitch direction, slits 23 a are formed along both sides of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 13 in the discharge flow path 29. The discharge valve opening portion 25 is coupled to the beam-shaped flow path portion 23 defined by the slit 23 a of the discharge flow path 29.
[Selection] Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to an attachment attached to an inkjet head that ejects ink onto a recording medium, an inkjet head to which the attachment is attached, and an inkjet printer.

As an inkjet head of an inkjet printer, a common ink chamber, a channel unit in which a plurality of individual ink channels from the common ink chamber to the nozzles are formed, a reservoir communicating with the common ink chamber, and ink is supplied to the reservoir And a reservoir unit in which an ink supply port is formed is known. In such an ink jet head, ink is supplied to the reservoir of the reservoir unit via an ink tube that is connected to an ink supply port and functions as an ink supply channel. At this time, the air remaining in the ink tube and the pump for delivering the ink together with the ink may flow into the reservoir through the ink supply port. Air flowing into the reservoir causes clogging of the fine nozzles. When the nozzle is clogged, the ink droplet ejection performance deteriorates. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet head to which an ink tube functioning as an ink discharge channel is connected and an ink discharge port for discharging the air flowing into the reservoir to the outside is formed.
JP 2007-268868 A

  Here, the ink supply flow path and the ink discharge flow path connected to the ink supply port and the ink discharge port of the ink jet head disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 can be attached to and detached from the ink jet head. When formed in the attachment, it is possible to connect the two flow paths to the inkjet head with a single operation. However, when there is variation between the pitch of the ink supply port and the ink discharge port formed in the inkjet head and the pitch of the connection portion between the ink supply port and the ink discharge port formed in the attachment, The connection between the two cannot be performed normally. That is, in such a case, a load is applied to the ink supply port and the ink discharge port, and ink leakage may occur.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an attachment that can reduce loads applied to an ink supply port and an ink discharge port, an ink jet head to which the attachment is attached, and an ink jet printer.

  The attachment of the present invention includes a plurality of nozzles that eject ink droplets onto a recording medium, an ink channel that includes a plurality of individual ink channels that reach the plurality of nozzles, an ink supply port that supplies ink to the ink channel, and It is an attachment attached to an inkjet head having an ink discharge port for discharging ink from the ink flow path. A supply flow path through which ink supplied to the ink supply port flows and a discharge flow path through which ink discharged from the ink discharge port flows are formed inside. A main body part and a flow path member projecting on one surface of the main body part, and when the attachment is attached to the inkjet head, one of the connection parts connects the supply flow path to the ink supply port; The other includes two connection portions that connect the discharge flow path to the ink discharge port. The main body is a beam defined by slits formed along both sides of either the supply flow path or the discharge flow path in the pitch direction connecting the two connection portions on the one surface. The connecting part corresponding to the two connecting parts is coupled to the beam-like channel part so as to be displaceable in the pitch direction.

  According to this configuration, even when there is a variation between the pitch of the ink supply port and the ink discharge port of the inkjet head and the pitch of the two connecting portions, the beam-like flow passage portion is pitched together with the connecting portions coupled thereto. By displacing in the direction, the load applied to the ink supply port and the ink discharge port can be reduced.

  In the attachment of the present invention, the beam-shaped flow path that is displaceable in the pitch direction by connecting the slits formed on both sides of the beam-shaped flow path portion to each other at one end of the beam-shaped flow path portion. The part may be coupled as a cantilever to the main body part. According to this configuration, the displaceable amount of the beam-like channel portion can be increased. Therefore, the load applied to the ink supply port and the ink discharge port can be reliably reduced.

  In the attachment according to the aspect of the invention, the beam-shaped flow path portion that is displaceable in the pitch direction may be coupled to the main body portion as a doubly supported beam. According to this configuration, the displacement of the beam-shaped flow path portion with respect to the attachment direction to the inkjet head can be regulated. Accordingly, when the ink jet head is attached to the ink jet head, it is possible to prevent the connection portion coupled to the beam-shaped flow path portion from being lifted and causing a connection failure.

  In the attachment of the present invention, at least a part of the discharge flow path is configured by the beam-shaped flow path part, and at least a part of the supply flow path is formed on the one surface and the other surface opposite to the one surface. You may be comprised from the cyclic | annular cyclic | annular protrusion protruded in the direction orthogonal to the said surface in any surface, and the flexible damper film fixed to the front-end | tip of the said cyclic | annular protrusion. According to this configuration, since the damper portion is formed not in the displaceable beam-like flow passage portion but in the supply flow passage of the main body portion, a stable damper effect can always be expected.

  In the attachment according to the aspect of the invention, the annular protrusion and the damper film may be disposed on one surface side of the main body portion. According to this configuration, the damper portion is formed on the same side as the side on which the connection portion of the main body portion is formed. That is, since the damper portion is sandwiched between the ink jet head and the main body portion when attached to the ink jet head, unnecessary force is hardly directly applied from the outside.

  In addition, any of the above attachments is attached to the inkjet head of the present invention. Furthermore, an ink jet printer of the present invention includes the above-described ink jet head.

  As described above, the attachment of the present invention, the ink jet head to which the attachment is attached, and the ink jet printer have a variation between the pitch of the ink supply port and the ink discharge port of the ink jet head and the pitch of the two connection portions of the attachment. Even in this case, the load applied to the ink supply port and the ink discharge port can be reduced by displacing the beam-shaped flow path portion in the pitch direction together with the connection portion coupled thereto.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
The attachment of this embodiment is attached to an ink jet head provided in an ink jet printer. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an inkjet head in a state where an attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inkjet head shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a printer in which the inkjet head illustrated in FIG. 1 is installed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the inkjet head 100 is fixed to the frame 7 in the printer with the attachment 1 attached. The frame 7 is provided above the transport mechanism 90 that transports the paper in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. The transport mechanism 90 includes a pair of rollers 91 and 92 whose rotation axes are parallel to each other, and an endless transport belt 93 wound around the rollers 91 and 92. The inkjet head 100 faces the upper surface of the transport belt 93 and forms an image by ejecting ink onto the paper transported by the transport mechanism 90.

  The attachment 1 is supported by a support plate 7b that spans a column 7a fixed on the frame 7. As a result, even if a force is applied to the attachment 1, no excessive force is applied to the connecting portion between the attachment 1 and the inkjet head 100, and the connection state between the attachment 1 and the inkjet head 100 is kept good. Can do. An ink tank 4 is disposed below the frame 7. The ink in the ink tank 4 is sent to the inkjet head 100 via the supply tube 4 a connected to the attachment 1 and the attachment 1. The attachment 1 is connected to a discharge tube 4b that discharges the ink in the inkjet head 100 to the outside.

  Here, the inkjet head 100 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink jet head 100 as a whole has an elongated shape in one direction in plan view. In the present embodiment, the long direction in the plan view of the inkjet head 100 is the main scanning direction, and the direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction in the plan view is the sub-scanning direction. Further, it is orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction, the discharge direction of the ink discharged from the inkjet head 100 is the downward direction, and the direction opposite to the downward direction is the upward direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the inkjet head 100 includes a reservoir unit 3 in which a reservoir 41 (see FIG. 4) for temporarily storing ink is formed, and an individual ink channel 65 (FIG. 8) communicating with a plurality of nozzles 61. And a flow path unit 5 to which ink is supplied from an upper reservoir unit 3. As will be described in detail later, the reservoir unit 3 is formed with an ink supply port 42 for supplying ink to the reservoir 41 and an ink discharge port 43 for discharging the ink in the reservoir 41 (see FIG. 4). A supply valve mechanism 70 and a discharge valve mechanism 80 are attached to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43, respectively.

  As will be described in detail later, four actuator units 6 are fixed to the upper surface of the flow path unit 5 (see FIG. 7). An FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) 8 that is a wiring member is affixed on the actuator unit 6. A substrate 9 on which electronic components such as a connector 9a and a capacitor 9b are mounted is disposed above the reservoir unit 3. The FPC 8 is drawn upward along the side surface of the reservoir unit 3 from between the flow path unit 5 and the reservoir unit 3, and is connected to the connector 9 a of the substrate 9. Note that a driver IC 8 a is mounted on the FPC 8 in the middle from the actuator unit 6 to the substrate 9.

  The substrate 9 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) that controls the entire printer equipped with the inkjet head 100 via a flexible flat cable (FFC) 10 shown in FIG. . As a result, the signal from the control device is relayed by the substrate 9 and then transmitted to the driver IC 8 a via the FPC 8, and the drive signal output from the driver IC 8 a is supplied to the actuator unit 6. The substrate 9 and the FPC 8 are covered with the side cover 2a and the head cover 2b.

  Next, the reservoir unit 3 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the reservoir unit 3 along the main scanning direction. In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, the scale in the vertical direction is enlarged, and a flow path that is not normally drawn in the cross-sectional view along the same line is also shown as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 4, the reservoir unit 3 has a laminated structure in which an upper reservoir forming body 30 extending in the main scanning direction and three plates 37 to 39 extending in the main scanning direction are laminated. Yes. The lower reservoir forming body 35 is constituted by the plates 37 to 39 stacked on each other.

  Here, the reservoir unit 3 will be described with further reference to FIG. 5, which is a plan view of each member constituting the reservoir unit 3. 5A is a plan view seen from above the upper reservoir forming body 30, and FIG. 5B is a plan view seen from below the upper reservoir forming body 30. FIGS. 5C to 5E are plan views viewed from above the plates 37 to 39, respectively.

  The upper reservoir forming body 30 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate resin or polypropylene resin. Two claw portions 32 that are engaged with openings 37b formed in the uppermost plate 37 of the lower reservoir forming body 35 are formed in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper reservoir forming body 30, as will be described later. . Thereby, the upper reservoir forming body 30 is fixed to the upper surface of the lower reservoir forming body 35.

  An upper reservoir 31 is formed inside the upper reservoir forming body 30. The upper reservoir 31 has one end from the center (hereinafter simply referred to as “center”) in the longitudinal direction of the upper reservoir forming body 30 (the left end in FIGS. 4 and 5: hereinafter simply referred to as “one end”). Are formed only in the interval up to and including three channels, an inflow channel 32a, an outflow channel 32b, and a connection channel 32c. The upper surface of the upper reservoir forming body 30 in the vicinity of one end thereof communicates with end portions in the extending direction of the inflow channel 32a and the outflow channel 32b, respectively, and has a cylindrical joint portion 33 protruding upward. , 34 are formed close to each other. The openings defined by the upper ends of the joint portions 33 and 34 are the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 described above. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, a connection port 31 a communicating with the lower flow path is formed in the central portion of the upper reservoir forming body 30.

  The inflow channel 32a extends from one end of the upper reservoir forming body 30 to the vicinity of the center in the lower part (hereinafter simply referred to as “lower part”) in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the upper reservoir forming body 30. Is formed. The outflow passage 32b extends from one end of the upper reservoir forming body 30 to the vicinity of the center. More specifically, the half on the one end side in the outflow channel 32 b is formed in the lower part of the upper reservoir forming body 30. On the other hand, the other half of the outflow channel 32b is formed in the upper part in the thickness direction of the upper reservoir forming body 30 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “upper part”), and extends downward in the vicinity of the center part to enter the inflow channel. It joins 32a. The connection flow path 32c is connected to the merged portion of the inflow flow path 32a and the outflow flow path 32b, and extends to the center at the upper part of the upper reservoir forming body 30, and then extends downward to the connection port 31a. To do.

  The half on the central side of the inflow channel 32a has a substantially parallelogram shape in plan view. In the substantially parallelogram-shaped portion of the inflow channel 32a, a filter 44 that catches foreign matter of ink passing therethrough is disposed at a substantially center in the thickness direction. That is, the spaces on both sides of the filter 44 are filter chambers. In other words, the filter chamber of the inflow channel 32a is divided by the filter 44 into an upstream portion on the ink supply port 42 side and a downstream portion on the connection channel 32c side. The outflow channel 32b communicates with the upstream end of the filter chamber of the inflow channel 32a. Here, bubbles tend to remain in the filter chamber, particularly in the upstream portion thereof. In the present embodiment, since the outflow passage 32b is connected to the upstream portion of the filter chamber in which bubbles tend to remain, the remaining bubbles can be reliably discharged.

  Further, the flexible film 45 welded to the lower surface of the upper reservoir forming body 30 serves as a channel wall on the lower surface of the inflow channel 32a. In other words, the inflow channel 32 a is in contact with the atmosphere via the film 45. Here, a slight gap is formed between the lower surface of the upper reservoir forming body 30 and the upper surface of the lower reservoir forming body 35. Therefore, when there is a sudden pressure fluctuation in the upper reservoir 31, the film 45 is deformed to absorb this pressure fluctuation. That is, the film 45 functions as a damper. Further, the film 46 welded to the lower surface of the upper reservoir forming body 30 serves as a channel wall on the lower surface of the outflow channel 32b. In addition, the film 47 and the film 48 welded to the upper surface of the upper reservoir forming body 30 serve as the flow path walls on the upper surfaces of the outflow flow path 32b and the connection flow path 32c, respectively. Any of the films 46, 47, 48 contributes to the absorption of pressure fluctuations, like the film 45.

  The plates 37 to 39 are made of a metal plate such as stainless steel, for example. As shown in FIG. 4, a lower reservoir 36 serving as a flow path for distributing the ink in the upper reservoir 31 to the flow path unit 5 is disposed inside a lower reservoir forming body 35 constituted by plates 37 to 39 stacked on each other. Is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, among the plates 37 to 39, the uppermost plate 37 is formed with a through hole (falling channel 37 a) that communicates with the upper reservoir 31 through the connection port 31 a. In addition, two openings 37 b that engage with the claw portions 32 formed in the above-described upper reservoir forming body 30 are formed in the vicinity of both ends in the longitudinal direction of the plate 37. Further, the lowermost plate 39 is formed with ten through holes (communication flow path 39a) communicating with the ink inlet 5a (see FIG. 7) formed in the flow path unit 5 as described later. . The plate 38 positioned between the plate 37 and the plate 39 is formed with a hole (connection channel 38a) for connecting the drop channel 37a and the ten communication channels 39a. The lower reservoir 36 (see FIG. 4) is formed by the drop channel 37a, the connection channel 38a, and the communication channel 39a.

  The length of the uppermost plate 37 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the lengths of the other plates 38 and 39 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in a state where the plates 37 to 39 are stacked to form the lower reservoir forming body 35, both ends of the plate 37 protrude outward from both ends of the plates 38 and 39. A through hole 37 c is formed in the protruding portion of the plate 37. As shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 37 c is used when the inkjet head 100 is attached to the frame 7 of the printer.

  As described above, the reservoir unit 3 includes the reservoir 41 including the upper reservoir 31 formed in the upper reservoir forming body 30 and the lower reservoir 36 formed in the lower reservoir forming body 35. The reservoir unit 3 is a multifunctional member having a filter function for purifying ink supplied from the outside and a damper function for absorbing pressure fluctuation in the ink in addition to the function of supplying ink to the flow path unit 5.

  Here, the supply valve mechanism 70 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 which is a partially enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the ink supply port 42 of the inkjet head 100. The supply valve mechanism 70 is attached to the ink supply port 42 defined by the upper end of the joint portion 33 communicating with the inflow channel 32a among the joint portions 33 and 34 formed close to each other as described above. The supply valve mechanism 70 includes a communication member 71, a fixed member 73, a movable member 76, and an urging spring 79.

  The communication member 71 is formed with a communication passage 72 extending from the inside of the joint portion 33 to the outside via the ink supply port 42, and the outer diameter on the lower end side thereof is smaller than the inner diameter of the joint portion 33, so This is a member whose diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the joint portion 33. The communication member 71 is fixed to the joint portion 33 by the fixing member 73 with the lower end side inserted into the joint portion 33 and the upper end side protruding from the joint portion 33. The fixing member 73 is a cylindrical member, and has a large diameter portion 74 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the joint portion 33, a small diameter portion 75 having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the joint portion 33, and a large diameter. The connection part 73a which connects the part 74 and the small diameter part 75 is comprised. The fixing member 73 is attached to the upper reservoir forming body 30 such that the joint portion 33 is inserted into the large diameter portion 74.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the portion of the communication member 71 that protrudes from the joint portion 33 is sandwiched between the upper end of the joint portion 33 and the connection portion 73 a of the fixing member 73. Here, a protrusion 33 a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the joint portion 33. The large diameter portion 74 of the fixing member 73 has an opening 74a that engages with the protrusion 33a. Therefore, the fixing member 73 can be fixed to the upper reservoir forming body 30 by the engagement of the protrusion 33 a of the joint portion 33 and the opening 74 a of the fixing member 73. Therefore, the communication member 71 can be fixed to the joint portion 33 by the fixed fixing member 73.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner diameter of the lower portion of the joint portion 33 is smaller than the inner diameter of the upper portion. A guide pin 33 b extending in the extending direction of the joint portion 33 is disposed in the joint portion 33. The movable member 76 is a columnar member having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the lower portion of the joint portion 33, and has an inner diameter of the lower portion of the joint portion 33 and an inner diameter of the lower end of the communication member 71 at one end thereof. A flange 77 having a large diameter is formed. And the movable member 76 is arrange | positioned in the joint part 33 so that the collar part 77 may become upper. Further, a hole is formed in the movable member 76 along the axis in the extending direction of the movable member 76, and the guide pin 33b is inserted therethrough. The hole extends over substantially the entire length of the movable member 76, leaving the flange 77. Therefore, the movable member 76 can move up and down in the extending direction of the joint portion 33 along the guide pin 33b. More specifically, the movable member 76 has a sealing position where the flange portion 77 abuts the lower end of the communication member 71 to seal the communication passage 72, and an opening that opens the communication passage 72 away from the communication member 71. Can take position. That is, when the movable member 76 is in the sealing position, the ink supply port 42 is sealed by the flange 77, and when it is in the open position, the ink supply port 42 is opened.

  The urging spring 79 is disposed in the upper portion of the joint portion 33 having a relatively large inner diameter, and urges the flange portion 77 of the movable member 76 from the lower side toward the upper sealing position. As a result, the supply valve mechanism 70 can keep the ink supply port 42 in a sealed state as long as the movable member 76 is not pressed in the direction opposite to the urging direction by the urging spring 79.

  Similar to the supply valve mechanism 70, the discharge valve mechanism 80 includes a communication member 81, a fixed member 83, a movable member 86, and a biasing spring 89, and the ink discharge port 43 defined by the upper end of the joint portion 34. Attached to. Here, the description of the discharge valve mechanism 80 is omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the communication member 71 of the supply valve mechanism 70 and the communication member 81 of the discharge valve mechanism 80 are configured as an integral member. More specifically, the upper end side portion that protrudes from the joint portion 33 of the communication member 71 and the upper end side portion that protrudes from the joint portion 34 of the communication member 81 are connected. Similarly, the fixing member 73 of the supply valve mechanism 70 and the fixing member 83 of the discharge valve mechanism 80 are also configured as an integral member. More specifically, the large diameter portion 74 of the fixing member 73 and the large diameter portion 84 of the fixing member 83 are connected.

  Next, details of the flow path unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the flow path unit 5. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flow path unit 5. The flow path unit 5 has a rectangular shape in plan view, and four actuator units 6 having a trapezoidal shape are arranged on the upper surface thereof in a staggered manner.

  A portion corresponding to the actuator unit 6 on the lower surface of the flow path unit 5 is an ink discharge region in which a large number of nozzles 61 are formed. A large number of pressure chambers 62 communicating with the nozzles 61 are formed on the upper surface of the flow path unit 5. One actuator unit 6 is arranged so as to cover a large number of pressure chambers 62.

  Inside the flow path unit 5, a manifold flow path 63 communicating with the ink inlet 5a formed on the upper surface of the flow path unit 5, a sub-manifold flow path 63a branched from the manifold flow path 63, and FIG. As described above, the individual ink flow path 65 extending from the outlet of the sub-manifold flow path 63a to the nozzle 61 through the pressure chamber 62 is formed. As a result, the ink from the reservoir unit 3 is supplied to the manifold channel 63 via the ink inlet 5 a and further distributed to the pressure chambers 62. When the pressure is selectively applied to the pressure chamber 62 by the actuator unit 6, the pressure of the ink in the pressure chamber 62 increases, and the ink is discharged from the nozzle 61 communicating with the pressure chamber 62.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the flow path unit 5 includes a cavity plate 51, a base plate 52, an aperture plate 53, a supply plate 54, manifold plates 55, 56, 57, a cover plate 58, and a nozzle plate 59 stacked from above. It has a laminated structure. That is, an ink discharge region is formed on the lower surface of the nozzle plate 59. In addition, each plate 51-59 consists of metal plates, such as stainless steel.

  These plates 51 to 59 reach the nozzle 61 from the manifold channel 63, the sub-manifold channel 63a, and the outlet of the sub-manifold channel 63a through the aperture 64 and the pressure chamber 62 functioning as a throttle, as shown in FIG. A plurality of individual ink flow paths 65 are stacked while being aligned with each other.

  Subsequently, the attachment 1 will be described with further reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9A is a top view of the attachment 1, and FIG. 9B is a bottom view of the attachment 1. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Xa-Xa in FIG. 9A, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Xb-Xb in FIG. 9A.

  The attachment 1 has a plate-like main body portion 21 having a rectangular outer shape in plan view, and a supply valve opening portion 24 and a discharge valve opening portion 25 that are substantially cylindrical and project from the lower surface of the main body portion 21. And has mainly. Further, the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 are connection portions connected to the inkjet head 100, and as shown in FIG. 10B, the protruding lengths from the lower surface of the main body portion 21 are equal to each other. It has become.

  The main body 21 is formed with a supply flow path 28 through which ink sent to the ink supply port 42 of the reservoir unit 3 passes, and a discharge flow path 29 through which ink discharged from the ink discharge port 43 passes. The inside of the supply valve opening 24 is connected to the supply flow path 28. On the other hand, the inside of the discharge valve opening portion 25 is connected to the discharge flow path 29. Further, the main body portion 21 is formed with an ink inlet 21 a connected to the supply flow path 28 and an ink outlet 21 b connected to the discharge flow path 29. Both the ink inlet 21a and the ink outlet 21b communicate with the upper space. In other words, the supply flow path 28 extends from the portion of the main body 21 where the supply valve opening 24 is connected to the ink inlet 21a. On the other hand, the discharge channel 29 extends from the portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected to the ink outlet 21b.

  On the upper surface of the main body portion 21, cylindrical joint portions 27 a and 27 b protruding upward are formed. The joint portion 27a communicates with the ink inlet 21a, and the joint portion 27b communicates with the ink outlet 21b. As shown in FIG. 3, the end portion of the supply tube 4a connected to the ink tank 4 is connected to the joint portion 27a. On the other hand, the end portion of the discharge tube 4b connected to the ink tank 4 is connected to the joint portion 27b.

  Here, the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 are separated from each other in the width direction of the main body portion 21 in the vicinity of one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 21 (the left end portion in FIGS. 9 and 10). It is connected to the main body 21. The ink inlet 21a and the ink outlet 21b are the other end of the main body 21 opposite to the side to which the supply valve opening 24 and the discharge valve opening 25 are connected (the right end in FIGS. 9 and 10). In the vicinity, they are formed at positions separated from each other in the width direction of the main body 21. More specifically, the ink inlet 21a has the other end (FIG. 9B) opposite to the width direction one end (upper end in FIG. 9B) of the main body 21 to which the supply valve opening 24 is connected. The ink outlet 21b is formed on one end side opposite to the other end side in the width direction of the main body portion 21 to which the discharge valve opening portion 25 is connected.

  Two annular protrusions 11 and 13 projecting in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface are formed on the upper surface of the main body 21. On the other hand, two annular protrusions 12 and 14 are formed on the lower surface of the main body 21 so as to protrude in a direction perpendicular to the lower surface. In addition, flexible films 15 to 18 are welded to the tips of the annular projections 11 to 14 (portions shown by hatching in FIG. 9), respectively.

  The annular protrusion 11 and the film 15 welded thereto, and the annular protrusion 12 and the film 16 welded thereto constitute a supply flow path 28. In the following description, a portion defined by the annular protrusion 11 and the film 15 of the supply channel 28 is referred to as an “upper supply channel”. On the other hand, the annular protrusion 13 and the film 17 welded thereto, and the annular protrusion 14 and the film 18 welded thereto constitute a discharge passage 29. In the following description, a portion defined by the annular protrusion 14 and the film 18 is referred to as a “lower discharge channel”.

  Each of the films 15 to 18 separates the atmosphere and the ink by having one surface in contact with the atmosphere and the other surface in contact with the ink. The films 15 and 16 function as a damper that absorbs the pressure fluctuation when there is a sudden pressure fluctuation in the supply flow path 28. On the other hand, the films 17 and 18 function as a damper that absorbs the pressure fluctuation when there is a sudden pressure fluctuation in the discharge channel 29. The annular protrusion 11 has a parallelogram shape in plan view, and a pair of sides thereof is formed along both edges in the width direction of the main body 21. That is, the supply channel 28 is widened by the upper supply channel. Therefore, a large damper effect can be exhibited in the upper supply flow path.

  The annular protrusion 11 that defines a part of the supply channel 28 is formed in a range from the portion where the supply valve opening 24 is connected in plan view on the upper surface of the main body 21 to the vicinity of the ink inlet 21a. . The annular protrusion 12 extends from the vicinity of the ink inlet 21a to a portion where the ink inlet 21a is formed in a plan view on the lower surface of the main body 21. As shown in FIG. 9, the annular protrusion 12 is formed along the end edge portion of the main body portion 21. In the annular protrusion 11 and the annular protrusion 12, the region surrounded by them overlaps in the vicinity of the ink inlet 21 a in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. The space surrounded by the annular protrusion 11 is connected to the supply valve opening 24, and the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 12 is connected to the ink inlet 21a.

  The discharge passage 29 extends linearly from a portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected in a plan view to a portion where the ink outlet 21b is formed. The annular protrusion 13 that defines a part of the discharge flow path 29 is formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 21 from a portion where the discharge valve opening portion 25 is connected in a plan view toward a portion where the ink outlet 21b is formed. It extends to the vicinity of the annular protrusion 11. Further, the annular protrusion 14 extends from the end of the annular protrusion 13 opposite to the portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected in plan view to the portion where the ink outlet 21b is formed. In the annular protrusion 13 and the annular protrusion 14, the region surrounded by them overlaps each other at the end in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. Further, the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 13 is connected to the inside of the discharge valve opening 25, and the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 14 is connected to the ink outlet 21b.

  9A and 9B, the upper supply flow path of the supply flow path 28 and the lower discharge flow path of the discharge flow path 29 overlap each other in plan view. Therefore, compared with the case where the supply flow path 28 and the discharge flow path 29 are formed so as not to overlap with each other in plan view, the size of the main body portion 21 in plan view can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the main body portion 21 is mostly surrounded by the annular protrusion 11 to form an ink flow path. Here, the rigidity of the member can be ensured by projecting the rib in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the member. However, since ribs cannot be arranged in the flow path, if the flow path occupies most of the member surface, the rigidity of the member may be reduced. However, here, the annular protrusion 14 is disposed on the lower surface of the main body portion 21 so as to cross the substantially center of the widened portion of the annular protrusion 11 in plan view. With this configuration, the overall rigidity of the main body 21 is maintained.

  Further, a substantially U-shaped slit 23 a is formed in the main body 21 along the edge of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 13 of the discharge channel 29. As a result, a portion defined by the annular protrusion 13 of the discharge channel 29 is a cantilever beam-shaped channel portion 23. In other words, the slit 23a has a pitch direction connecting the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 in plan view (hereinafter, simply referred to as “connection side pitch direction”) from one side of the beam-like flow path portion 23 to the other. It extends over the side. The discharge valve opening portion 25 is coupled to the beam-shaped flow path portion 23. Therefore, the discharge valve opening part 25 is integrated with the beam-like flow path part 23 and can be displaced in the connection side pitch direction.

  As shown in FIG. 10, each of the supply valve opening part 24 and the discharge valve opening part 25 has a tapered shape with the tip portion remaining. A plurality of slits 24 a and 25 a are formed at the tips of the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25, respectively. Then, when the attachment 1 is attached to the ink jet head 100, the supply valve opening unit 24 presses the movable member 76 of the supply valve mechanism 70 in the downward direction opposite to the urging direction by the urging spring 79. The movable member 76 is moved to the open position, and the supply valve mechanism 70 is opened. On the other hand, the discharge valve opening portion 25 presses the movable member 86 of the discharge valve mechanism 80 toward the lower side opposite to the biasing direction by the biasing spring 89. The movable member 86 is moved to the open position, and the discharge valve mechanism 80 is opened. At this time, the supply flow path 28 of the attachment 1 communicates with the inflow path 32a of the upper reservoir forming body 30 via the slit 24a, and the discharge flow path 29 communicates with the outflow path 32b via the slit 24b. .

  Here, the operation when attaching the attachment 1 to the inkjet head 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11A shows a state before the supply valve mechanism 70 is opened, and FIG. 11B shows a state where the supply valve mechanism 70 is opened. Since the opening / closing operation of the discharge valve mechanism 80 is the same as the opening / closing operation of the supply valve mechanism 70, only the opening / closing operation of the supply valve mechanism 70 will be described here.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11A, when attaching the attachment 1 to the inkjet head 100, the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 of the attachment 1 are connected to the supply valve mechanism 70 and the discharge valve mechanism 80. Each is inserted inside. At this time, if there is a deviation between the pitch direction connecting the supply valve mechanism 70 and the discharge valve mechanism 80 in plan view (hereinafter referred to as “connected side pitch direction”) and the connection side pitch direction of the attachment 1, The discharge valve opening portion 25 is appropriately displaced in the connection side pitch direction.

  At this time, more specifically, the discharge valve opening portion 24 is inserted into the small diameter portion 75 of the fixing member 73 and the communication passage 72 of the communication member 71 in the supply valve mechanism 70, and the tip thereof is supplied to the supply valve mechanism 70. The movable member 76 is contacted. Thereafter, by pushing the attachment 1 downward, the tip of the supply valve opening portion 24 presses the movable member 76 of the supply valve mechanism 70 in the downward direction opposite to the urging direction by the urging spring 79. As a result, the movable member 76 moves from the sealing position shown in FIG. 11 (a) to the open position shown in FIG. 11 (b), and the supply valve mechanism 70 is opened. That is, the ink in the supply flow path 28 of the attachment 1 flows out into the joint portion 33 from the slit 24 a at the tip of the supply valve opening portion 24.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the communication member 71 is formed with an annular convex portion 71 a projecting inward from the inner wall in the middle portion of the communication passage 72. The annular convex portion 71 a contacts the outer peripheral surface of the supply valve opening portion 24 when the tip of the supply valve opening portion 24 contacts the movable member 76. The communication member 71 is a flexible member made of resin such as rubber, and is in watertight contact with the supply valve opening 24. Even if the supply valve opening 24 is further pushed in and ink flows backward from the gap between the communication member 71 and the movable member 76, the ink does not leak to the outside.

  As described above, in the attachment 1 of the present embodiment, the main body portion 21 is a beam-shaped flow path defined by the slits 23 a formed along the edge of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 13 of the discharge flow path 29. Part 23. And the discharge valve opening part 25 is couple | bonded with the beam-shaped flow-path part 23 so that a displacement in the connection side pitch direction is possible. Therefore, even when there is a variation between the connection-side pitch direction of the attachment 1 and the connected-side pitch direction of the inkjet head 100, the beam-shaped flow path portion 23 is connected to the connection side together with the discharge valve opening portion 25 coupled thereto. By displacing in the pitch direction, the load applied to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the attachment 1 of this Embodiment, the slit 23a is extended in the substantially U shape from one side to the other side regarding the connection side pitch direction of the beam-shaped flow path part 23, and the beam-shaped flow path part 23 is The main body 21 is coupled as a cantilever. Therefore, the displaceable amount of the beam-like channel portion 23 can be increased as compared with the case where the beam-like channel portion is a doubly supported beam shape. Therefore, the load applied to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 can be reliably reduced.

  Furthermore, in the attachment 1 of the present embodiment, a part of the discharge channel 29 is constituted by the beam-shaped channel part 23. Further, the supply channel 28 is widened by an upper supply channel constituted by the annular protrusion 11 and the film 15. Therefore, since the upper supply flow path that exhibits a large damper effect is formed not in the displaceable beam-shaped flow path portion 23 but in the supply flow path 28 of the main body portion 21, a stable damper effect can always be expected.

  In addition, when the attachment 1 is not attached to the inkjet head 100, the above-described supply valve mechanism 70 closes the ink supply port 42, and opens the ink supply port 42 when the attachment 1 is attached. It becomes a state. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the ink supply port 42 can be kept closed only by removing the attachment 1 without requiring a separate member. Further, the ink can be supplied to the inkjet head 100 simply by attaching the attachment 1.

  In the present embodiment, the reservoir unit 3 is formed with an ink discharge port 43 for discharging the ink in the reservoir 41 therein, and the attachment 1 is discharged through which the ink discharged from the ink discharge port 43 passes. A flow path 29 is formed. The ink jet head 100 is provided with a discharge valve mechanism 80 that can take a state of sealing and opening the ink discharge port 43. The discharge valve mechanism 80 closes the ink discharge port 43 when the attachment 1 is not attached to the inkjet head 100, and opens the ink discharge port 43 when the attachment 1 is attached to the inkjet head 100. It becomes a state to do.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the bubbles in the reservoir 41 can be discharged together with the ink from the ink discharge port 43. Further, the ink discharge port 43 can be kept in a sealed state simply by removing the attachment 1, and the ink can be discharged only by attaching the attachment 1.

  Further, the supply valve mechanism 70 described above seals the communication path 72 and the communication member 71 that is formed in the communication unit 72 that extends from the inside of the reservoir unit 3 to the outside via the ink supply port 42 and is fixed to the reservoir unit 3. The movable member 76 is movable between a sealing position and an open position where the communication path 72 is opened, and a biasing spring 79 that biases the movable member 76 toward the sealing position. On the other hand, the discharge valve mechanism 80 also has a communication member 81, a movable member 86, and an urging spring 89, similarly to the supply valve mechanism 70. And the attachment 1 has the supply valve opening part 24 and the discharge valve opening part 25 which are each penetrated by the communicating paths 72 and 82 in the state attached to the inkjet head 100. As shown in FIG. The supply valve opening part 24 and the discharge valve opening part 25 can be moved to the open position by pressing the movable members 76 and 86 in the direction opposite to the biasing direction by the biasing springs 79 and 89, respectively.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 can be easily sealed and opened without requiring complicated equipment such as an actuator or complicated operation.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, the fixing member 73 of the supply valve mechanism 70 and the fixing member 83 of the discharge valve mechanism 80 are integrally formed. Further, the communication member 71 of the supply valve mechanism 70 and the communication member 81 of the discharge valve mechanism 80 are also integrally formed. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced.

<First Modification>
Here, the first modified example according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a top view of the attachment 101 of this modification. The attachment 101 of this modification is obtained by changing the configuration of the slit 23a in the above-described embodiment, and the other configurations are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to what has the structure similar to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  In the main body 121 of the attachment 101 of this modification, two slits 123a are formed that extend along both sides of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 13 of the discharge channel 29 in the pitch direction. Thereby, the part demarcated by the annular protrusion 13 of the discharge flow path 29 is a beam-shaped flow path portion 123 having a cantilever beam shape connected to the main body 121 at both ends in the extending direction. The discharge valve opening portion 25 is coupled to the beam-shaped flow path portion 123 and can be displaced in the connection-side pitch direction integrally with the beam-shaped flow path portion 123.

  The attachment 101 of this modification can reduce the load applied to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 of the inkjet head 100, as with the attachment 1 of the above-described embodiment.

  In addition, since the beam-shaped flow path portion 123 has a doubly-supported beam shape, the attachment 101 of the present modification regulates the displacement of the beam-shaped flow path portion 123 with respect to the attachment direction to the inkjet head 100 (that is, the vertical direction). be able to. Therefore, when the ink jet head 100 is attached, it is possible to prevent the discharge valve opening portion 25 coupled to the beam-like flow path portion 123 from being lifted and causing poor connection.

<Second Modification>
Next, with reference to FIG. 13, a second modification example according to the first embodiment described above will be described. FIG. 13 shows a top view (FIG. 13A) of the attachment 201 of the present modification and a cross-sectional view (FIG. 13B) along the bb line in FIG. 13A. The attachment 201 of this modification is obtained by changing the flow path configuration of the supply flow path 28 and the discharge flow path 29 formed in the main body 21 in the above-described embodiment, and other configurations are the above-described embodiment. It is the same as that of the structure. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to what has the structure similar to the above-mentioned embodiment.

  The supply flow path 228 formed in the attachment 201 of this modification is welded to the annular protrusion 211 formed on the upper surface of the main body 221, the annular protrusion 212 formed on the lower surface of the main body 221, and the tips thereof. Flexible films 215 and 216. The annular protrusion 211 extends from the portion where the supply valve opening portion 24 in the vicinity of one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 221 (left end portion in FIG. 13) is connected in the plan view to the other end portion (right end portion in FIG. 13). It extends a little towards. The annular protrusion 212 has a parallelogram shape in plan view, and is formed between the vicinity of the portion of the main body portion 221 to which the supply valve opening portion 24 is connected and the ink inlet 21a. In the annular protrusion 211 and the annular protrusion 212, the region surrounded by them overlaps in the vicinity of the portion where the supply valve opening 24 is connected in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. The space surrounded by the annular protrusion 211 is connected to the supply valve opening 24, and the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 212 is connected to the ink inlet 21a.

  As described above, in the supply flow path 228 of this modification, the flow path is widened at the portion defined by the annular protrusion 212 and the film 116 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 221, and a large damper is formed at this portion. Has an effect. That is, the part which exhibits a big damper effect is formed in the lower surface of the main-body part.

  On the other hand, the discharge channel 229 includes an annular protrusion 213 formed on the upper surface of the main body 221, an annular protrusion 214 formed on the lower surface of the main body 221, and a flexible film 117 that is welded to the tip of each. 118. The annular protrusion 213 extends linearly from the portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected in plan view to the vicinity of the ink outlet 21b. The annular protrusion 214 extends from the vicinity of the ink outlet 21b to the ink outlet 21b in plan view. In the annular protrusion 213 and the annular protrusion 214, the area surrounded by them overlaps in the vicinity of the ink outlet 21b in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. A space surrounded by the annular protrusion 213 is connected to the discharge valve opening 25, and a space surrounded by the annular protrusion 214 is connected to the ink outlet 21b.

  As shown in FIG. 13, in this modification, an annular protrusion 212 that defines a part of the supply flow path 228 and an annular protrusion 213 that defines a part of the discharge flow path 229 partially overlap each other in plan view. Yes. The slit 223a is formed in a substantially U shape along the edge of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 213 of the discharge channel 229. More specifically, the slit 223a is formed along the edge of the portion of the discharge flow channel 229 that does not overlap the supply flow channel 228 in plan view and to which the discharge valve opening 25 is connected. A cantilever-shaped portion defined by the slit 223 a of the discharge channel 229 is a beam-shaped channel 223.

  The attachment 201 of this modification can reduce the load applied to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 of the inkjet head 100, as with the attachment 1 of the above-described embodiment.

  In addition, in the attachment 201 of this modification, the portion of the supply flow path 228 that exhibits a relatively large damper effect is formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 221, and when attached to the inkjet head 100, the inkjet head 100. And the body portion 221. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an unnecessary force from being applied to the damper portion from the outside.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14 is a top view of the attachment 301 according to the present embodiment (FIG. 14A), a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 14 (FIG. 14B), and a bottom view of the attachment 301 (FIG. 14C). )) Respectively. As described above, the configuration of the attachment 301 according to the present embodiment is mainly different from the configuration of the attachment 1 according to the first embodiment. The flow paths 29 are formed so as to partially overlap in plan view, but in the present embodiment, they are formed so as not to overlap in plan view. Note that the configuration of the inkjet head to which the attachment 301 of the present embodiment is attached is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In addition, the configuration other than the flow channel configuration of the attachment 301 of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the attachment 1 of the first embodiment. Accordingly, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the attachment 301 of the present embodiment, the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 are one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 321 (see FIG. 14), as in the first embodiment. 14, in the vicinity of the left end portion in FIG. On the other hand, the ink inlet 321a is in the vicinity of the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion 321 (the right end portion in FIG. 14) and the side to which the supply valve opening portion 24 is connected in the width direction of the main body portion 321 (see FIG. c) It is formed on the same side as the middle upper side). Further, the ink outlet 321b is the same as the side (the lower side in FIG. 14C) where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected in the width direction of the main body 321 in the vicinity of the other end in the longitudinal direction of the main body 321. Formed on the side.

  The supply channel 328 extends linearly from the portion of the main body 321 to which the supply valve opening 24 is connected to the ink inlet 321a. On the other hand, the discharge flow path 329 extends linearly from the portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected to the ink outlet 321b. The supply channel 328 and the discharge channel 329 extend in parallel with each other along the longitudinal direction of the main body 321 in a plan view. The supply channel 328 includes annular protrusions 311 and 312 described below and flexible films 315 and 316 welded to the tips of the annular protrusions 311 and 312. The discharge flow path 329 is composed of annular protrusions 313 and 314 and flexible films 317 and 318 that are welded to their tips.

  The annular protrusion 311 formed on the upper surface of the main body 321 extends linearly from the portion where the supply valve opening 24 is connected in the plan view to the vicinity of the ink inlet 321a. Further, the annular protrusion 312 formed on the lower surface of the main body portion 321 extends linearly from the vicinity of the ink inlet 321a to the portion where the ink inlet 321a is formed in a plan view. In the annular protrusion 311 and the annular protrusion 312, the area surrounded by them overlaps in the vicinity of the ink inlet 321 a in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. The space surrounded by the annular protrusion 311 is connected to the supply valve opening portion 24, and the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 312 is connected to the ink inlet 321a.

  The annular protrusion 313 formed on the upper surface of the main body 321 extends linearly from the portion where the discharge valve opening 25 is connected in the plan view to the vicinity of the ink outlet 321b. In addition, the annular protrusion 314 formed on the lower surface of the main body 321 extends linearly from the vicinity of the ink outlet 321b to the portion where the ink outlet 321b is formed in a plan view. In the annular protrusion 313 and the annular protrusion 314, the region surrounded by them overlaps in the vicinity of the ink outlet 321b in a plan view, and the spaces surrounded by them communicate with each other. The space surrounded by the annular protrusion 313 is connected to the discharge valve opening 25, and the space surrounded by the annular protrusion 314 is connected to the ink outlet 321b.

  The main body 321 is formed with a substantially U-shaped slit 323 a along the edge of the portion defined by the annular protrusion 313 of the discharge channel 329. As a result, a portion defined by the annular protrusion 313 of the discharge flow channel 329 is a cantilever beam-shaped flow channel portion 323. That is, the slit 323a extends from one side of the beam-like flow path part 323 to the other side in the connection side pitch direction in a plan view. The discharge valve opening portion 25 is coupled to the beam-shaped flow path portion 323. Therefore, the discharge valve opening part 25 is integrated with the beam-like flow path part 323 and can be displaced in the connection side pitch direction.

  The attachment 301 of the present embodiment can reduce the load applied to the ink supply port 42 and the ink discharge port 43 of the inkjet head 100, similarly to the attachment 1 of the above-described embodiment.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. Is. For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the discharge valve opening portion 25 can be displaced in the connection-side pitch direction together with the beam-like flow passage portions 23 and (323) defined by the slits 23a and (323a). However, the present invention is not limited to this. A slit may be formed along a part of the supply flow path 28, and the supply valve opening 24 may be displaceable in the connection-side pitch direction together with the beam-shaped flow path defined by the slit.

  Further, in the first embodiment described above, a part of the discharge channel 29 is configured by the beam-shaped channel unit 23 and the supply channel 28 is widened at a portion defined by the annular protrusion 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the damper part which has a comparatively big damper effect may be formed in the beam-like channel part.

  Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, the case where the supply valve opening portion 24 and the discharge valve opening portion 25 have the same protruding length from the lower surface of the main body portion 21 (321) has been described. The lengths of may vary. In addition, when these lengths differ, it can prevent attaching an attachment to the inkjet head 100 in a wrong direction.

It is a schematic perspective view of the inkjet head in the state where the attachment concerning the 1st Embodiment of this invention was attached. It is a disassembled perspective view of the inkjet head shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the printer in which the inkjet head shown in FIG. 1 was installed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the reservoir unit shown in FIG. 2 along the main scanning direction. It is a top view of each member which comprises the reservoir unit shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the main body block shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the flow path unit shown in FIG. 2. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the flow path unit shown in FIG. It is a top view of the attachment shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a top view, (b) has each shown the bottom view. It is sectional drawing of the attachment shown to Fig.9 (a), (a) is sectional drawing which follows Xa-Xa line, (b) has shown sectional drawing which follows Xb-Xb line, respectively. It is a figure for demonstrating the opening / closing operation | movement of the supply valve mechanism shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the attachment concerning the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the attachment concerning the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the attachment concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Attachment 11 Ring Protrusion 15 Film (Damper Film)
21 Main body part 23, 123 Beam-shaped flow path part 23a, 123a Slit 24 Supply valve opening part (connection part)
25 Drain valve opening (connection)
28 Supply Channel 29 Discharge Channel 42 Ink Supply Port 43 Ink Discharge Port 61 Nozzle 65 Individual Ink Channel 100 Inkjet Head 212 Annular Projection 216 Film (Damper Film)

Claims (7)

A plurality of nozzles for discharging ink droplets onto a recording medium, an ink channel including a plurality of individual ink channels leading to the plurality of nozzles, an ink supply port for supplying ink to the ink channel, and an ink for the ink channel An attachment attached to an inkjet head having an ink outlet for discharging from
Made of flexible material,
A main body part in which a supply channel through which ink supplied to the ink supply port flows and a discharge channel through which ink discharged from the ink discharge port flows;
A channel member projecting from one surface of the main body, wherein when the attachment is attached to the inkjet head, one connects the supply channel to the ink supply port, and the other connects the discharge Two connecting portions for connecting a flow path to the ink discharge port,
The main body is
With respect to the pitch direction connecting the two connection portions on the one surface, a beam-shaped flow path portion defined by slits formed along both sides of either the supply flow path or the discharge flow path is provided. ,
Of the two connection parts, the corresponding connection part is coupled to the beam-shaped flow path part so as to be displaceable in the pitch direction.   The slits formed on both sides of the beam-like channel portion are connected to each other at one end of the beam-like channel portion, so that the beam-like channel portion that can be displaced in the pitch direction is formed in the main body portion. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the attachment is connected as a cantilever.   The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the beam-shaped flow path portion that is displaceable in the pitch direction is coupled to the main body portion as a doubly supported beam. At least a part of the discharge channel is constituted by the beam-shaped channel part,
At least a part of the supply flow path includes an annular protrusion protruding in a direction perpendicular to the surface on one surface of the one surface and the other surface opposite to the one surface, and a tip of the annular protrusion. The attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the attachment comprises a fixed flexible damper film.   The attachment according to claim 4, wherein the annular protrusion and the damper film are arranged on one surface side of the main body portion.   An inkjet head to which the attachment according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is attached.   An inkjet printer comprising the inkjet head according to claim 6.

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