Recording apparatus

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1, having a detachable cartridge, and more particularly relates to attachment and detachment mechanism of a cartridge.

As attachment and detachment mechanisms of a head cartridge provided for an ink jet recording apparatus, a reference pad, a contact pad, and a shelf-shaped member have been provided on the side of a head cartridge, the rear thereof, and the upper section of the rear thereof, respectively, and the head cartridge is secured onto a given position of a carriage by pass-contacting the shelf-shaped member with a snap-spring, as described in JP-A-1 125 238 (corresponding to EP-A-0 313 205). According to these mechanisms, the head cartridge can be attached and detached and at the same time can be electrically connected.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional examples, there were the following problems.

When the head cartridge is attached or detached, it is rotated or pivoted around the reference pad. Therefore, the head cartridge is easy to interfere with a platen or a spur placed in the vicinity of the cartridge. When a concave relief portion is provided in the platen or the position of the spur is significantly relieved, to prevent this interference, waving of the recording paper is increased for example and a state of holding the recording paper is deteriorated, resulting in deterioration of images.

Thus, a device is known, which can attach and detach a head cartridge at the area other than the paper path, where a spur and the like are not provided. For this device, when a user carelessly moves a carriage during an operation of attachment or detachment of the head cartridge, an interferenced portion is generated and a head cartridge or a spur is possibly broken.

Further, when an ink tank replaceable head cartridge is used, only the ink tank is replaced while the head cartridge being, of course, secured to the carriage. Then, when a force required for setting the ink tank is imparted, the snap-spring becomes dislodged. Therefore, the head cartridge must be secured again. To increase the snap-spring loading force to prevent this, requires a very large operating force for securing the head cartridges.

A generic recording apparatus is known from EP-A-0 710 568. According thereto, a recording apparatus includes a carriage which detachable holds a cartridge. The cartridge has two positioning portions on two sides thereof. The carriage has positioning portions which engage with the positioning portions of the cartridge. The carriage further comprises a locking lever which is rotatable on an upper portion of the carriage and secures the cartridge within the carriage by pressing it in accordance with a one-directional rotation of the locking lever.

It is an object of the present invention to further develop a recording apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1 such that a cartridge attaching and detaching mechanism is provided which does not interfere with a platen or a carrying rotator in the vicinity of the cartridge and which has an excellent operability when the cartridge is attached or detached.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a recording apparatus having the features of claim 1.

According to the invention, the cartridge has an inclined surface on an upper portion thereof. This surface is pressed by the locking lever for securing the cartridge. A pushing member is provided with the locking lever and dislodges the cartridge by pushing the upper portion of the rear surface of the cartridge in accordance with a rotation of the locking lever opposite to the direction for securing the cartridge. The cartridge rotates around the positioning portion during the attachment and detachment operations and auxiliary engagement portions are provided in the cartridge or the carriage to restrict the attachment and detachment paths of the cartridge only during the attachment and detachment operations.

Advantageous further developments are set out in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, a head cartridge attaching and detaching mechanisms is provided, in which when an ink tank replaceable head cartridge is used, the head cartridge is not dislodged during the replacement of the ink tank. <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none" compact="compact"><li>Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the whole configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the detailed structure of the carriage shown in Fig. 1;</li><li>Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the derailed structure of the head cartridge which is mounted on the carriage shown in Fig. 1;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a carriage cross-sectional view for explaining the attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge in the carriage shown in Fig. 2;</li><li>Fig. 5 is a carriage cross-sectional view for explaining the attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge in the carriage shown in Fig. 2;</li><li>Fig. 6 is a carriage cross-sectional view for explaining the attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge in the carriage shown in Fig. 2; and</li><li>Fig. 7 is a carriage cross-sectional view for explaining another example of a head cartridge which can be applied to a carriage of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention.</li></ul>

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings.

(First Embodiment)

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the whole configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The ink jet recording head shown in Fig. 1 includes a carriage 1 which mounts a head cartridge as recording means and can be reciprocated along a recording material (not shown). The carriage 1 is guided and supported by a guide shaft 61 and a guide rail 62 in the main scanning direction. An endless timing belt 64 is wound through a pulley 63 provided at one end of the device housing and a pulley (not shown) provided at the other end of the device housing. The timing belt 64 is connected to the carriage 1 and can be driven with a motor 65 through a pulley, gear, and the like.

Further, the present ink jet recording apparatus has an automatic paper feeder 66. Recording materials (not shown) stacked on a paper feed tray 67 are supplied with the automatic paper feeder 66 one by one. The supplied recording materials are carried through the recording portion and discharged from a paper discharge port 68 to the outside of the device. When a recording material is carried by one line, ink is discharged from nozzle portions of a head cartridge and recording is carried out, while the carriage 1 is scanned along the guide shaft 61 in the recording portion.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the detailed structure of the carriage, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the detailed structure of the head cartridge which is mounted on the carriage shown in Fig. 1.

The carriage 1 shown in Fig. 2 is provided with a pocket 2 mounting a black cartridge, and a pocket 3 mounting a color cartridge. The grooves 4 for positioning the black cartridge are formed on both sides of the pocket 2. Similarly, two grooves 5 for positioning the color cartridge are formed on both sides of the pocket 3. The pockets 2 and 3 are provided with plate springs 6 and 7 for abutting the head cartridge in a direction x, respectively. Further, the upper portion of the carriage 1 is provided with rotatable locking levers 8 and 9 in correspondence to the respective pockets 2 and 3. Connectors 10 and 11 are secured so that they are slightly protruded from openings 2a and 3a of the pockets 2 and 3 on the rear surface of the carriage. Incidentally, the above-mentioned locking lever is an operating portion of the carriage, which functions as a lever with which an operator removes the head cartridge (or the head holder) from the carriage.

On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 3, a head cartridge (or a head holder) 12, which is mounted on the carriage 1, includes a nozzle portion 13 on the lower surface of the cartridge, positioning protrusions 14 on both sides thereof, and a abutting portion 15 in a direction x on one side of the cartridge. Further, many contact pads 16a-formed power switch board 17 is fixed to the rear surface of the cartridge. Furthermore, on the upper portion of the rear surface of the cartridge are formed an abutting portion 18 in a direction y, an inclined surface 19, which is a receiving surface which receives the pressing force the locking levers 8 and 9 impart, and a sliding portion 34 which is an inclined surface which a pushing member 33 integrally formed with the locking lever 8 slides and which causes the head carriage 12 to shift upwardly.

Next, attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge 12 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. The Figs. 4 to 6 are carriage cross-sectional views for explaining the attachment and detachment operations of the head cartridge 12.

Fig. 4 shows a state where the head cartridge 12 was locked at a predetermined position. The positioning protrusion 14 of the head cartridge 12 engages with the positioning groove 4 of the carriage 1, and the abutting portion 18 in the direction y, on the upper portion of the rear surface of the head cartridge, press-contacts a receiving surface 20 of the carriage 1. The connector 10 contacts a contact pad 16a at a moderate contact pressure in this state thereby to perform electrical connection. This contact pressure performs the electrical connection and at the same time acts in such a direction that the positioning protrusion 14 is securely pressed against the positioning groove 4, while the contact pressure acts in such a direction that the abutting portion 18 is separated from the receiving surface 20. At a state where the abutting portion 18 in the direction y was separated from the receiving surface 20, the position of the head cartridge 12 becomes unstable, and the position accuracy of the nozzle portion 13 is low, and the electrical connection also becomes unstable. Therefore, it is necessary to press the inclined surface 19 of the head cartridge 12 with power larger than the contact pressure of the connector 10.

The locking lever 8 is rotatable around the fulcrum shaft 21. In the locking lever 8 are incorporated an arm 22 which swings around the fulcrum 22a, a press-contacting roller 23 attached to the swinging arm 22, and a press-contacting spring 24 which loads the arm 22. By a manner that the press-contacting roller 23 of the thus formed pressing portion presses the inclined surface 19 of the head cartridge 12, the abutting portion 18 in the direction y and the receiving surface 20 are securely abutted and the positioning protrusion 14 and the positioning groove 4 are abutted in the direction z.

That is, the position in the direction y is determined by the three points of the positioning protrusions 14 (on both sides) and abutting portion 18 in the direction y, the position in the direction z is determined by the two points of the positioning protrusions 14 (on both sides), and the position in the direction x is determined by the one point of the abutting portion 15 in the direction x, thereby to stabilize the position of the head cartridge.

In this example, a pinch roller 26 press-contacting a feed roller 25, a platen 27, and a spur 29, that is a feed rotator, press-contacting a paper discharge roller 28 are placed in the vicinity of the nozzle portion 13. The carriage 1 reciprocates along the guide shaft 61. Thus, in a state where the head cartridge 12 was locked at a predetermined position, no carriage 1 interferes with any elements, naturally. Nevertheless, it is preferable that the carriage 1 does not interfere with any elements even in the attachment and detachment of the head cartridge 12.

In the present embodiment, in a case where the head cartridge 12 is removed, when the head cartridge 12 is risen in the direction of an arrow A as shown in Fig. 5, the engagement of the press-contacting roller 23 with the inclined surface 19 is first released. Accordingly, the head cartridge 12 is rotated in the direction of an arrow B using the positioning protrusions 14 on both sides as the fulcrum, by the repulsion force of the connector 10 and the head cartridge's own weight. When the head cartridge 12 is rotated under the conditions, it interferes with the platen 27 and the spur 29. However, in a case of the present embodiment, the auxiliary engagement portion 31 of the head cartridge 12 engages with the auxiliary guide 32 of the carriage 1 to restrict the rotation of the head cartridge 12, resulting in no interference.

When the locking lever 8 is further rotated, the pushing member 33 integrally formed with the locking lever 8 engages with the sliding portion 34 of the head cartridge 12, whereby the head cartridge 12 is pushed along the positioning groove 4 and auxiliary guide 32 of the carriage 1. At this time, the movement of the head cartridge 12 takes such a locus as not to interfere with the plate 27 and the spur 29 and the like.

Then, the locking lever is rotated to a moderate position so that the head cartridge 12 may be only pushed to a position where it is easy to remove. However, in the present embodiment, the head cartridge 12 takes such an attitude as shown in Fig. 6 at the replacement position.

That is, when the locking lever 8 is fully rotated, the head cartridge 12 can be held with another auxiliary engagement portion 35, the positioning protrusion 14, and the sliding portion 34 at a stable state. To transfer from the auxiliary engagement portion 35 to another auxiliary engagement portion 35 is to stabilize the balance of the gravity center. Further, by setting the arc portion (circle) 33a of the pushing member 33 as the concentric of the fulcrum shaft 21, the reverse rotation of the locking lever 8 in a direction of the arrow C, due to the weight of the head cartridge 12, can be prevented. Additionally, a portion 33b of the pushing member 33, which finally engages with the sliding portion 34 when the locking lever 8 is fully rotated has a plane. Since the final engagement surface 33b of the pushing member 33 engages with an engagement surface 34a of the sliding portion 34 with a plane, the head cartridge 12 does not return to the original position and is secured in a state of inclination facing the operator side.

A user can easily replace the head cartridge 12 in this state by grasping the knob portion (operating portion) 12a of the head cartridge 12.

When the head cartridge 12 is reset after the replacement of the head cartridge 12, the turn of the locking lever 8 in a direction of the arrow C changes the attitude of the head cartridge 12 with the rotation of the pushing member 33. This change can occur by the head cartridge's own weight.

However, even if the head cartridge 12 is stopped by friction or the like in progress, the head cartridge 12 is forcibly pressed with a cam portion 8a of the locking lever 8, thereby to take a state shown in Fig. 5. Thus, setting of the head cartridge 12 is finally completed as shown in Fig. 4.

According to the present embodiment, the head cartridge does not contact the pinch roller 26, the platen 27, and the spur 29, not only in the proper setting state of the head cartridge, but also during the attachment and detachment operations. Therefore, the device is not broken by the replacement of a cartridge irrespective of the position of the carriage 1. Further, since it is not necessary to provide a concave relief portion in the platen 27, no deterioration of images occurs because of enlargement of waving of a recording paper.

That is, according to the present invention, an ink jet recording apparatus having a simple configuration, an excellent operability, and the above-mentioned effects can be provided.

Incidentally, as described above, in the present embodiment a carriage in which two head cartridges can be set was used as an example. However, it is natural that even a carriage in which one head cartridge or two or more head cartridges can be set may be also used.

Although an example of a head cartridge 12 including a positioning protrusion 14, and an example of a carriage 1 including a positioning groove 4 were explained. To the contrary, the head cartridge may include a positioning groove, and the carriage may include a positioning protrusion.

Further, an ink jet recording apparatus in the present embodiment is formed such that a head cartridge is secured through the press-contacting roller 23.

This is because the operating force of the locking lever 8 is decreased. Thus, a round shape portion is formed on the swinging arm 22 in place of the press-contacting roller, whereby the inclined surface 19 of the head cartridge 12 may be pressed.

(Second Embodiment)

Fig. 7 is a carriage cross-sectional view for explaining another example of a head cartridge which can be applied to a carriage of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In the following descriptions of the second embodiment, the same components as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the descriptions thereof are omitted.

The configuration of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 7 is different from the first embodiment only in that an ink tank 51 is detachably formed in a head cartridge 12 which functions as a head holder.

That is, if the ink tank became empty of ink, a user replaces only the ink tank 51 while keeping a secured state of the head cartridge 12 shown in Fig. 4.

The user usually detaches a used ink tank from the head cartridge 12, and pushes a hook 52 of a new ink tank in a direction D in Fig. 7 to an extent that the hook 52 of the new ink tank is fitted into a groove 53 provided in the head cartridge 12. However, the head cartridge 12 which should be properly secured is detached from the original position by this pushing force, and the head cartridge must be often reset every replacement of ink.

However, in the present embodiment, if a force in the direction D is applied, the head cartridge 12 is rotated using the positioning protrusion 14 as a fulcrum. On the other hand, the locking lever 8 in the state of Fig. 7 is not rotated further in a direction of arrow E by a stopper (not shown). Thus, an inclined surface 19 displaces a swinging arm 22 in such a direction that a press-contacting spring 24 is further compressed. Then, before releasing the engagement of the inclined surface with the press-contacting roller 23, the swinging arm 22 abuts on the stopper 8b of the locking lever 8. Thus, the detachment of the press-contacting roller 23 from the inclined surface 19 can be prevented. Additionally, at substantially the same time when the swinging arm 22 abuts on the stopper 8b, an auxiliary engagement portion 31 of the head cartridge 12 engages with an auxiliary guide 32 of the carriage 1. Accordingly, the rotation of the head cartridge 12 using the positioning protrusion 14 as the fulcrum can be securely stopped. That is, even if a large operating force is applied to the head cartridge 12 during the replacement of the ink tank 51, the head cartridge 12 merely floats just a little and is not detached. Then, the hook 52 of the ink tank 51 is fitted into the groove 53 of the head cartridge 12. Thus, when a user moves his hand off the cartridge, the head cartridge 12 returns to such a properly secured state as shown in Fig. 4 by a loading force of the press contacting spring 24.

According to the configuration described above, when only an ink tank is replaced in a head cartridge-secured state, the detachment of even a head cartridge by the attachment and detachment operating forces of the ink tank can be prevented. Therefore, the operability of the ink jet recording head is enhanced.

Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the floating of the head cartridge 12 was restricted with the stopper 8b and auxiliary engagement portion 31. However, sufficient effects can be obtained only with the auxiliary engagement portion 31 without providing the stopper 8b.

According to the present examples described above, such effects can be obtained, that an ink jet recording apparatus is not broken even if the replacement of a cartridge is performed anywhere irrespective of the position of a carriage, by providing an auxiliary engagement portion which contacts during attachment and detachment operations to restrict the attachment and detachment locuses, other than positioning portions which position a carriage and a cartridge, in both the carriage and head cartridge, and by providing a pushing member which pushes a head cartridge in accordance with the rotation for a removal of securing a locking lever, and that a deterioration of images, which are generated by providing a platen with a needless relief portion, does not occur. Additionally, an ink jet recording apparatus which has a simple configuration and an excellent operability can be provided.

Further, according to the present examples, in providing an ink tank-replaceable head cartridge, an auxiliary engagement portion which prevents a head cartridge from being rotated by an operating force for attaching the ink tank without limitation, using a positioning portion as a fulcrum, is provided in both the head cartridge and carriage. Accordingly, such an effect can be obtained that a secured head cartridge is not removed during the replacement of an ink tank and the device has an excellent operability.