JP2011126036A - Liquid supply device, liquid ejector, and liquid supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid supply device, a liquid supply method, and a liquid supply device that can supply a liquid that has been sufficiently agitated to a supply needle side in a state in which the liquid contained in a newly-installed liquid container is completely attached. Provided is a liquid ejecting apparatus capable of ejecting liquid in a state where density unevenness is suppressed.
A supply needle capable of supplying a liquid from the liquid container to a side where the liquid is consumed by being inserted into the liquid container, the mounting table, and the liquid container containing the liquid. 21 is a liquid supply apparatus configured such that the supply needle 21 is inserted into the liquid container 7 mounted on the mounting table 5 by the relative movement of the mounting table 5 and the supply needle 21. Thus, in a state in which the liquid container 7 is mounted on the mounting table 5, the first rotation mechanism that rotates the liquid container 7 around one axis and rotation different from the rotation drive mode by the first rotation mechanism And a second rotating mechanism 32 that rotates the liquid container around one axis in a driving manner.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply device, a liquid ejection device, and a liquid supply method.

  There is known a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid (for example, ink) onto a recording medium (for example, paper) to form a predetermined image (including characters and graphics) on the recording medium. In such a liquid ejecting apparatus, the supply needle communicated with the liquid ejecting head is inserted into a liquid container that contains the ejecting liquid, and the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting head via the supply needle, thereby supplying the liquid. Injection is performed. In this type of liquid ejecting apparatus, it is known to use a liquid excellent in environmental resistance (weather resistance) in order to reduce the change over time of the formed image. And as one of the liquids which are excellent in environmental resistance, the liquid which uses a pigment for the solute of a liquid is used abundantly.

  As is well known, since a liquid using a pigment is an aqueous dispersion, the dispersibility of the pigment particles in the solvent is generally poor, and the pigment particles are precipitated, for example, in the direction of gravity in the liquid container containing the liquid. It's easy to do. For this reason, in the liquid supplied to the liquid ejecting head side through the supply needle, the concentration of the liquid may vary depending on the dispersion density of the pigment particles. This will cause shading.

  Therefore, when a liquid using a pigment is used, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, the shape of the liquid container such as an ink pack containing the liquid is cylindrical, and the liquid container is rotated by 180 degrees around the axis. Thus, a technique for periodically performing a rotational motion is disclosed. By doing this, the liquid containing the pigment is stirred in the liquid container to suppress the difference in concentration.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-200766

  By the way, the liquid container is often manufactured in large quantities at a time from the viewpoint of production efficiency. For this reason, it may be stored in a warehouse for a long time. In such a case, in the liquid container, a large concentration gradient of the pigment particles occurs from the bottom in the liquid gravity direction to the top in the antigravity direction.

  However, the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1 periodically performs a rotational movement with a rotation angle of 180 degrees with respect to the liquid container after being mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus and after the supply needle is inserted. . That is, even if the liquid container is in a state in which the supply needle is inserted after being attached to the liquid ejecting apparatus, the liquid contained in the liquid container is stirred until the scheduled periodic rotational motion is executed. It was never done.

  For this reason, when the liquid container that has been stored for a long time is mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus, the user needs to shake the liquid container before mounting the liquid container on the liquid ejecting apparatus. However, when forgetting to stir, there is a possibility that density unevenness may occur in an image formed based on the jet of liquid supplied immediately after mounting from such a liquid container.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid contained in a liquid container that is newly attached when the liquid container is attached or detached when the liquid container is attached. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply apparatus and a liquid supply method capable of reliably agitating and supplying a sufficiently agitated liquid to a supply needle side in a mounting completion state. A further object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejecting apparatus that can eject liquid supplied from such a liquid supply apparatus in a state where density unevenness is suppressed.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention includes a mounting table on which a liquid container in which a liquid is stored, and a liquid that is inserted into the liquid container so that the liquid is supplied from the liquid container. A supply needle that can be supplied to a side where the liquid is consumed, and the supply needle is placed on the liquid container placed on the placement table by the relative movement of the placement table and the supply needle. A first supply mechanism configured to rotate the liquid container around one axis in a state where the liquid container is placed on the mounting table. And a second rotation mechanism for rotating the liquid container around the one axis in a rotation drive mode different from the rotation drive mode by the first rotation mechanism.

  According to this configuration, the liquid container is rotated in two different rotational drive modes during the mounting process from when the liquid container is mounted on the mounting table until the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container. Can do. Therefore, it is possible to reliably agitate the liquid stored in the newly installed liquid container with the attachment / detachment of the liquid container when the liquid container is mounted, and the liquid container is sufficiently stirred when the mounting is completed. Liquid can be supplied to the supply needle side.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism have directions in which the liquid container is rotated in opposite directions. According to this configuration, stirring of the stored liquid is further improved by rotating the liquid container forward and backward.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, one of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism may be configured such that the one rotating mechanism is connected to the liquid container placed on the mounting table. The drive-side gear is disposed so as to be capable of relative movement in a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction, and the drive-side gear rotates the one shaft of the liquid container in the process of relative movement with respect to the liquid container. It meshes with the driven gear at the center.

  According to this configuration, one of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism (for example, the first rotating mechanism) is constituted by the gear, and thus the liquid container is rotated with high reliability. be able to. Further, since a gear is used for transmission of rotation, rotation transmission and transmission cancellation can be easily performed.

  Further, in the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the other rotation mechanism of the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism is configured such that the one axis is relative to the liquid container placed on the mounting table. The engaging portion is disposed so as to be capable of relative movement in a direction along the axis, and the engaging portion is arranged in the process of relative movement with respect to the liquid container, with the shaft as a spiral center on the outer surface of the liquid container. It engages with a cam portion formed so as to form a spiral shape.

  According to this configuration, the helical cam provided in the liquid container includes the engaging portion provided in the other rotating mechanism (for example, the second rotating mechanism) of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism. When the liquid container is moved relative to the liquid container while being engaged with the portion, the liquid container placed on the mounting table can be rotated with high reliability.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the other rotation mechanism may engage the cam portion of the liquid container and the engagement portion before the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container. By detaching, the rotation of the liquid container is stopped. According to this configuration, it is possible to reliably stop the rotation of the liquid container before starting the insertion of the supply needle into the liquid container by adjusting the degree of engagement between the cam portion and the engagement portion. Therefore, when the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container, the occurrence of stress in the supply needle or the liquid container other than the direction in which the supply needle is inserted is suppressed. As a result, adhesion reliability is improved, for example, liquid leakage from the contact portion between the supply needle and the liquid container is suppressed.

  In the liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the liquid container has a cylindrical shape, and the one axis is an axis along a cylindrical axis of the cylindrical shape. According to this configuration, since the necessary space can be minimized when the liquid container is rotated, the liquid supply device can be formed in a space-saving manner. Further, in this configuration, when the liquid container is placed so that the cylindrical axis is in a direction intersecting with the direction of gravity, the precipitated pigment particles can be reliably stirred.

  According to another aspect of the invention, a liquid ejecting apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that consumes liquid through liquid ejecting, and the liquid supply apparatus configured as described above. According to this configuration, since the liquid that has been reliably agitated is supplied to the liquid ejecting head, the liquid can be ejected in a state where density unevenness is suppressed.

  Further, in the liquid supply method of the present invention, after the liquid container containing the liquid is placed on the mounting table, the liquid is consumed from the liquid container by being inserted into the liquid container. The liquid container is rotated around the one axis in the first rotation mode and then rotated in the second rotation mode until the supply needle that can be supplied to the side is inserted into the liquid container. . According to this method, the same operational effects as those of the liquid supply apparatus having the above-described configuration can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a liquid ejecting apparatus including the liquid supply apparatus according to the first embodiment. (A) is a top view which shows schematic structure of the 1st rotation mechanism provided in the liquid supply apparatus, (b) is the bb arrow directional cross-sectional view in (a). The perspective view which shows schematic structure of the 2nd rotation mechanism provided in the liquid supply apparatus. (A), (b), (c) is explanatory drawing which shows the process in which a liquid container is inserted with respect to a supply needle | hook. The perspective view which shows schematic structure of the 2nd rotation mechanism provided in the liquid supply apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. (A), (b), (c) is explanatory drawing which shows the process in which a liquid container is inserted with respect to a supply needle | hook in 2nd Embodiment.

“First Embodiment”
Hereinafter, a first embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid ejecting apparatus 100 supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting mechanism 2 and a liquid ejecting mechanism 2 that is a mechanism portion that consumes liquid such as ink in a box-shaped apparatus body 1. A liquid supply device 10 serving as a mechanism portion is provided. The liquid ejecting mechanism 2 includes supply needles 21, 22, and 23 that serve as supply ports when liquid to be ejected is supplied into the mechanism, and liquid ejection that ejects the supplied liquid toward the recording medium 6 as droplets 4. And a head (hereinafter referred to as “jet head”) 3. The supply needles 21, 22, and 23 have a hollow pipe shape made of metal or resin, and the liquid is supplied into the liquid ejecting mechanism 2 from the hollow portion. The ejection head 3 has ejection means (not shown) that uses an electrostrictive element or a heat generating element inside, and ejects the supplied liquid as droplets 4 according to the image to be formed.

  The liquid supply device 10 includes a mounting table 5 on which a plurality of liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 that store liquid (pigment ink in the case of the present embodiment) are stored, and supply the mounting table 5 A slide mechanism (not shown) that can reciprocate along the S direction that approaches and separates from the needles 21, 22, and 23, and the D direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) that intersects the S direction. Have. Then, after the mounting table 5 is moved in the D direction to the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 by the slide mechanism, it moves so as to approach each supply needle in the S direction, and the liquid stored on the mounting table 5 is accommodated. The supply needles 21, 22, and 23 are inserted into the bodies 7, 8, and 9, respectively, so that the liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting mechanism 2. The slider mechanism can adopt a known configuration. For example, it is configured by an S-direction guide member and a D-direction guide member fixed so as to extend along the S direction and the D direction in the apparatus main body 1, and a slider that moves along these guide members, that is, a mounting table 5 or the like. The mounting table 5 is configured to move manually or automatically.

  The liquid containers 7, 8, 9 have a cylindrical shape, and body parts 70, 80, 90 in which the liquid is mainly stored inside, and a neck part 71, in which a flow path part for supplying the liquid from the inside to the outside is formed. 81, 91 are formed. Also, driven side gears 72, 82, 92 (see FIG. 2) made of resin material or metal material bevel gears are integrally rotated with the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 at the tips of the neck portions 71, 81, 91. Is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3, the liquid supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment rotates a liquid mechanism 7, 8, 9 in a state where it is mounted on the mounting table 5 (first described later). Rotation mechanism 31 and second rotation mechanism 32). That is, each liquid container 7, 8, 9 is mounted on the mounting table 5 so that the cylindrical axis direction thereof is a direction (S direction in FIG. 1) that intersects the gravity direction (G direction in FIG. 1). ing. The rotating mechanism agitates the liquid in which the pigment particles are precipitated in the body portions 70, 80, 90 of the liquid containers 7, 8, 9, for example, in the direction of gravity. An axis along the direction (including an axis coinciding with the cylindrical axis) is defined as one axis J, and the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 are configured to rotate about the axis J.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2B, the liquid storage bodies 7, 8, 9 can be rotated on the mounting table 5 so that the liquid storage bodies 7, 8, 9 rotate smoothly around one axis J. Rollers 75, 76, 85, 86, 95, and 96 are provided. 2B is a diagram showing a state seen from the line bb in FIG. 2A, and is a partial sectional view showing the mounting table 5 in cross section. In addition, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2B, in order to hold the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 more stably, substantially along the outer surface of the body portions 70, 80, 90. Holding members 77, 87, 97 having a semi-cylindrical shape may be further provided.

  The liquid supply device 10 includes, as the rotation mechanism, rotation mechanisms that are different in rotation drive mode when the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 are rotated, that is, a first rotation mechanism 31 and a second rotation mechanism 32, respectively. ing. The first rotating mechanism 31 has the mounting table 5 in FIG. 1 at the time of mounting from when the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are mounted on the mounting table 5 until the supply needles 21, 22, 23 are inserted. The liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are rotated around the axis J when they are at the upper position indicated by the two-dot chain line shown. On the other hand, the second rotating mechanism 32 approaches the supply needles 21, 22, and 23 along the S direction after the mounting table 5 moves along the D direction from the upper position to the lower side indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1. In the process of moving, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are rotated. As described above, the rotation mechanism rotates the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 in two different rotational drive modes for convenience.

  Hereinafter, the rotation mechanism in the present embodiment will be described. First, the first rotating mechanism 31 will be described, and then the second rotating mechanism 32 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the first rotating mechanism 31 is provided in the apparatus main body 1 in an arrangement manner along the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2A) and movable in the vertical direction. The main constituent elements are the linear gear 11, the spur gear 15 that meshes with the linear gear 11, and drive side gears 73, 83, and 93 that are bevel gears that rotate integrally with the spur gear 15. A lever 11 </ b> A that protrudes to the outside of the apparatus main body 1 is fixed to a part of the linear gear 11. The spur gear 15 and the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 are fixed to a rotating shaft 16 that is rotatably supported at both ends by a support portion 14 formed in the apparatus main body 1. The drive side gears 73, 83, 93 are provided at the necks 71, 81, 91 of the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 when the mounting table 5 is at the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. The driven gears 72, 82, and 92, which are bevel gears, mesh with each other.

The rotation operation of the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 by the first rotation mechanism 31 configured as described above will be described.
The user of the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 can rotate the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 by moving the lever 11 </ b> A in the tooth arrangement direction of the linear gear 11 (that is, moving up and down). . That is, when the lever 11A moves in the drawing front direction (or the drawing back direction), the linear gear 11 moves in the tooth arrangement direction, so that the spur gear 15 that meshes with the linear gear 11 and rotates relatively rotates. Then, the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 fixed to the rotary shaft 16 rotate simultaneously by the same rotation angle as the spur gear 15. At this time, since the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 are engaged with the driven side gears 72, 82, 92 provided in the liquid containers 7, 8, 9, depending on the number of rotations of the drive side gears 73, 83, 93. Thus, the driven gears 72, 82, 92 rotate a predetermined number of times. As a result, the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 rotate a predetermined number around the axis J in the direction along the cylindrical axis.

  If the lever 11A is moved up and down, that is, reciprocated, the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 rotate in the forward direction and the reverse direction. Therefore, the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 also rotate in the forward direction and the reverse direction as the lever 11A moves up and down. Further, when the moving speed of the lever 11A is increased or decreased, the rotational speed of the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 is also increased or decreased.

  Further, the first rotating mechanism 31 has the liquid container 8 in which the liquid containing the pigment particles that precipitate more easily than the liquid stored in the liquid containers 7 and 9 is contained in the liquid container 8. Rotate more than others. Specifically, although not shown, the gear ratio obtained by dividing the number of teeth of the driving gear 83 by the number of teeth of the driven gear 82 is another gear ratio (for example, the number of teeth of the driving gear 73 is changed to the driven gear). The ratio of the number of teeth divided by the number of teeth of 72). As a result, the rotational speed of the liquid container 8 is higher than the rotational speeds of the other liquid containers 7 and 9, so that the liquid stored in the liquid container 8 is stored in the other liquid containers 7 and 9. It will be agitated more than the applied liquid.

  Next, the second rotating mechanism 32 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. In the liquid supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 and the driven side gears 72, 82, 92 are disengaged by the movement in the D direction, and the mounting table 5 is supplied with the supply needles 21, 22. , 23 so as to be movable in the direction approaching S (direction S). Accordingly, the mounting table 5 can move in the S direction approaching the supply needles 21, 22, and 23 after moving in the D direction. In the movement process in the S direction, the second rotation mechanism 32 is The liquid containers 7, 8 and 9 are configured to rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second rotation mechanism 32 is a cam formed on the cylindrical outer surface of the body portion 70 of the liquid container 7 so as to form a spiral with a cylindrical cylinder axis as the center. It is comprised by what is called a cylindrical cam which consists of the part 70C and the engaging part 17 engaged with this cam part 70C. The engaging portion 17 is fixed to the apparatus main body 1 at a position separated from the supply needle 21 and is disposed and formed so as to move relative to the mounting table 5 in the direction along the cylindrical axis that is one axial direction, that is, in the S direction. Yes.

  In the present embodiment, a recess having a depth that ensures stable engagement with the engaging portion 17 is formed as a cam portion 70 </ b> C on the outer surface of the body portion 70 of the liquid container 7. The cam portion 70C has a predetermined number of turns of the spiral (referred to as the number of spirals) when viewed from the cylindrical axis direction (S direction) so that the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 each rotate at least once. It is formed to be (one or more times). Further, the cam portion 70C is formed so that an end portion thereof opens in the S direction, and the engaging portion 17 is formed so as to pass through the body portion 70 while engaging with the outer surface of the body portion 70 in the S direction. Has been.

  The rotation operation of the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 by the second rotation mechanism 32 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows a state where the engagement between the cam portion 70C and the engaging portion 17 starts. FIG. 4B shows a state in which the engagement between the cam portion 70 </ b> C and the engagement portion 17 is released (finished). FIG. 4C shows a state where the supply needle 21 has been inserted into the liquid container 7. In the description of FIG. 4, the operation for the liquid container 7 is representatively exemplified, but it goes without saying that the same operation is performed for the liquid containers 8 and 9. The cam portion 70C is simplified and shown by a single line.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, after the rotation by the first rotation mechanism, that is, after the movement process of the lever 11A is completed, the mounting table 5 is moved in the D direction (downward in the drawing in FIG. 4) by the slide mechanism. At this time, as described in FIG. 2, the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 and the driven side gears 72, 82, 92 are formed by gears (bevel gears), and thus are driven by movement in the D direction. The meshing between the side gears 73, 83, 93 and the driven side gears 72, 82, 92 is easily released. Then, in the process of starting movement in the S direction in which the mounting table 5 approaches the supply needle 21 or in the process of moving in the S direction, the engagement between the cam portion 70C and the engaging portion 17 is started. Of course, the liquid container 7 does not rotate before the start of meshing between the cam portion 70 </ b> C and the engaging portion 17.

  Next, when the mounting table 5 further moves in the S direction, as shown in FIG. 4B, until the cam portion 70C is disengaged from the engagement portion 17, that is, in the S direction of the body portion 70. The liquid container 7 continues to rotate during the movement distance of the length LC. Note that the number of rotations of the liquid container 7 during this period is determined by the number of spirals of the cam portion 70C provided in the body portion 70 by the length LC as described above. Therefore, the liquid supply apparatus 10 can adjust the rotation speed of the liquid container 7 by the number of spirals of the cam portion 70C. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that in the rotational drive by the second rotation mechanism 32, a liquid containing solute pigment particles that precipitate more easily than the liquid containers 8 and 9 is stored in the liquid container 7. The number of rotations of 7 is higher than the others. Specifically, the number of spirals of the cam part 70 </ b> C formed on the outer surface of the body part 70 is the spiral of the cam part (not shown) formed on the outer surface of the body parts 80 and 90 of the other liquid containers 8 and 9. It is formed more than the number of times.

  Further, the rotation direction around the axis J of the liquid container 7 is determined by the spiral winding direction. In the present embodiment, the cam portion 70 </ b> C is formed so that the rotation direction of the liquid container 7 rotates in the direction opposite to the direction rotated in the first rotation mechanism 31.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the number of spirals of each cam portion and the winding direction of the spiral are set so that the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 rotate in a predetermined direction for a predetermined number of times. As a result, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are rotated in a driving mode different from that of the first rotation mechanism 31 in a state where the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are mounted on the mounting table 5.

  In the liquid supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4C, after the cam portion 70 </ b> C and the engagement portion 17 are disengaged and the rotation of the liquid container 7 is finished, the mounting table 5 Is continuously moved in the S direction, the supply needle 21 is inserted into the liquid container 7, and the liquid stored in the liquid container 7 is supplied to the liquid ejecting mechanism 2. Thus, before the supply needle 21 is inserted into the liquid container 7, the rotation of the liquid container 7 is stopped, and from the start of insertion of the supply needle 21 into the liquid container 7 until the end of insertion. The liquid container 7 is prevented from rotating. The same applies to the liquid containers 8 and 9.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) During the mounting process from when the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are placed on the mounting table 5 until the supply needles 21, 22, 23 are inserted, the liquid containers have different rotational drive modes. It can be rotated twice by the first rotation mechanism 31 and the second rotation mechanism 32. Therefore, the liquid stored in the liquid container 7, 8, 9 newly attached when the liquid container 7, 8, 9 is attached / detached is surely secured when the liquid container 7, 8, 9 is mounted. Therefore, it is possible to supply the liquids 21, 22, and 23 with sufficiently agitated liquid in the mounting completion state.

  (2) The rotation direction of the liquid container 7 (8, 9) in the first rotation mechanism 31 is rotated opposite to the rotation direction of the liquid container 7 (8, 9) in the second rotation mechanism 32. Therefore, the agitation of the contained liquid is further improved.

  (3) Since the first rotating mechanism 31 is configured to rotate the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 using gears, the liquid container can be rotated with high reliability without causing a slip or the like. Can do. As a result, when the liquid container 7, 8, 9 is not stirred before being mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus 100, or before the user of the liquid ejecting apparatus 100 places the liquid container 7 on the mounting table 5. , 8, 9 can be supplied even if the stirring process is forgotten.

  (4) In the second rotating mechanism 32, the liquid container is engaged with the engaging portion 17 fixed to the apparatus body 1 and the helical cam portion 70 </ b> C provided on the body portion 70 of the liquid container 7. Since the liquid container 7 is rotated by relatively moving the 7 closer to the supply needle 21, the liquid container 7 placed on the placing table 5 can be rotated with high reliability. it can.

  (5) After the rotation of the liquid container 7 is finished, the supply needle 21 is inserted into the liquid container 7. Therefore, stress other than the insertion direction of the supply needle 21 is less likely to occur with respect to the supply needle 21 or the liquid container 7. Absent. Moreover, the deterioration of the adhesiveness between the material (for example, sealing material) in the insertion part of the liquid container 7 into which the supply needle 21 is inserted and the inserted supply needle 21 is suppressed, and the liquid is inserted. There is no risk of leaking from the part.

  (6) By rotating the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 around one axis along the cylindrical axis direction, the space necessary for rotating the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 is minimized. Can be. As a result, there is an advantage that the liquid supply apparatus 10 can be formed in a space-saving manner.

  (7) By adjusting and setting the gear ratio of a pair of gears (bevel gears) meshing with the drive side gears 73, 83, 93 and the driven side gears 72, 82, 92, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 The degree of stirring of the liquid can be adjusted. Therefore, if the gear ratio of the pair of gears is set in accordance with the degree of precipitation of the liquid stored in each liquid container 7, 8, 9, the liquid stirring in each liquid container 7, 8, 9 is performed. You can also make the states roughly equal.

  (8) In the second rotation mechanism 32, the degree of stirring in the liquid container 7 can be adjusted by adjusting and setting the number of spirals of the cam portion 70C to be formed. Accordingly, by setting the number of spirals according to the degree of precipitation of the liquid stored in each liquid container 7, 8, 9, the stirring state in each liquid container 7, 8, 9 can be made approximately equal. it can.

  (9) Since the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 can be rotated a predetermined number (such as once or three times) according to the distance to which the lever 11A is moved, the liquid can be sufficiently stirred.

“Second Embodiment”
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The present embodiment is an embodiment of a rotating mechanism that has a configuration in which the rotational driving mode of the second rotating mechanism 32 is different from that of the first embodiment, compared to the rotating mechanism in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the second rotating mechanism 32 of the present embodiment includes a linear gear 18, a spur gear 12 that meshes with the linear gear 18, and worms 73W, 83W, and 93W as drive-side gears. The linear gear 18 is fixed to the apparatus main body 1 and is provided in a fixed state that does not move relative to the supply needles 21, 22, and 23 (see FIG. 1). The spur gear 12 and the worms 73 </ b> W, 83 </ b> W, 93 </ b> W are fixed to a rotating shaft 13 that is rotatably supported at both ends by a support portion 51 formed on the mounting table 5. The liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 are provided with gears 72G, 82G, and 92G as driven gears that mesh with the worms 73W, 83W, and 93W, respectively. In the present embodiment, the outer diameters of the worms 73W, 83W, and 93W and the outer diameters of the gears 72G, 82G, and 92G are the same.

A description will be given of how the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 mounted on the mounting table 5 are rotated by the rotation mechanism having such a configuration.
When the linear gear 18 and the spur gear 12 move relative to each other, the spur gear 12 rotates. Then, the worms 73 </ b> W, 83 </ b> W, 93 </ b> W fixed to the rotation shaft 13 rotate at the same rotation angle simultaneously with the spur gear 12. Since the worms 73W, 83W, and 93W are engaged with the gears 72G, 82G, and 92G provided in the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9; Rotate. As a result, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 rotate by a predetermined angle about the direction along the cylindrical axis.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 store a liquid whose solute is pigment particles, and among them, the liquid container 8 contains pigment particles that precipitate more easily than the other liquid containers 7, 9. A solute liquid is contained. Therefore, in this embodiment, the gear pitch P2 of the worm 83W and the gear 82G is larger (coarse) than the gear pitch P1 of the other worms 73W and 93W and the gears 72G and 92G. As a result, the rotation angle (number of rotations) R2 of the liquid container 8 is larger (more) than the rotation angle (number of rotations) R1 of the other liquid containers 7, 9, so that the liquid container 8 It rotates more than the liquid containers 7 and 9.

  Now, as described above, the liquid supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment moves (relatively moves) the mounting table 5 with respect to the supply needles 21, 22, and 23, and the liquid container 7 mounted on the mounting table 5, The supply needles 21, 22, and 23 are inserted into 8 and 9, respectively, so that liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting mechanism 2. During the movement of the mounting table 5, the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are each rotated a predetermined number of times by the second rotating mechanism 32 described above. This series of operations will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of inserting the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 into the supply needles 21, 22, 23. FIG. 6A shows a state where the meshing between the linear gear 18 and the spur gear 12 has started. FIG. 6B shows a state in which the meshing between the linear gear 18 and the spur gear 12 is disengaged (finished). FIG. 6C shows a state where the supply needle 21 has been inserted into the liquid container 7. In the description of FIG. 6, the operation of the liquid container 7 is representatively exemplified, but it goes without saying that the same operation is performed for the liquid containers 8 and 9.

  First, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, the liquid supply apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is configured so that the linear gear 18 and the spur gear are in the process of starting or moving in the S direction in which the mounting table 5 approaches the supply needle 21. Engagement with 12 is started. At this time, since the worm 73W does not rotate, the gear 72G meshing with the worm 73W does not rotate, and therefore the liquid container 7 does not rotate at this point.

  Next, when the mounting table 5 further moves in the S direction, the spur gear 12 rotates until the state shown in FIG. 6B, that is, the length L of the movement until the meshing with the linear gear 18 is released. continue. The specific rotation speed RT of the spur gear 12 during this period is obtained as a value obtained by dividing the number of teeth of the linear gear 18 existing in the length L by the number of teeth of the spur gear 12. During this time, since the gear 72G is rotated by the worm 73W that rotates simultaneously with the spur gear 12, the liquid container 7 rotates at a rotational speed RS corresponding to the rotational speed RT of the spur gear 12.

  The rotational speed RS of the liquid container 7 is obtained as a value obtained by dividing the rotational speed RT of the spur gear 12 by the gear pitch P1 of the worm 73W and dividing it by the number of teeth of the gear 72G. Therefore, in the liquid supply apparatus 10, the number of rotations of the liquid container 7 is determined by the number of teeth of the linear gear 18, the number of teeth of the spur gear 12, the gear pitch of the worm 73W, and the number of teeth of the gear 72G.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the liquid container 8 contains a liquid that is more easily precipitated than the other liquid containers 7 and 9, the number of teeth of the gear 82 </ b> G provided in the liquid container 8. Is set to be smaller than the number of teeth of the gears 72G and 92G provided in the other liquid containers 7 and 9. Accordingly, the gear pitch P2 of the worm 83W meshing with the gear 82G is also formed larger than the gear pitch P1 of the other worms 73W and 93W, and the gear 82G rotates more in accordance with the rotation of the worm 83W. As a method for increasing the rotation speed of the gear 82G, the outer diameter of the gear 82G may be reduced. In this case, the number of teeth of the gear is set to be small, so the number of rotations of the gear 82G increases with respect to the number of rotations of the worm 83W. Of course, in this case, the outer diameter of the worm 83W meshing with the gear 82G is increased.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6C, after the meshing between the linear gear 18 and the spur gear 12 is disengaged and the rotation of the liquid container 7 is finished, the mounting table 5 moves in the S direction. The supply needle 21 is inserted into the liquid container 7, and the liquid stored in the liquid container 7 is supplied to the liquid ejecting mechanism 2. Thus, the liquid container 7 is prevented from rotating between the start of insertion of the supply needle 21 into the liquid container 7 and the end of insertion.

  According to the said 2nd Embodiment, in addition to the effect of (1)-(7) described in 1st Embodiment, the following effects can be acquired.

  (10) By setting the gear pitches of the worms 73W, 83W, and 93W and the gears 72G, 82G, and 92G, the agitation in each of the liquid containers 7, 8, and 9 can be adjusted. Accordingly, if the gear pitches of the worms 73W, 83W, 93W and the gears 72G, 82G, 92G are set according to the degree of precipitation of the liquids stored in the liquid containers 7, 8, 9, respectively, the respective liquids It is also possible to make the stirring states in the containers 7, 8, 9 approximately equal.

The above embodiment may be changed to another embodiment as described below.
In the first embodiment, the cam portion 70C may be formed by a convex portion instead of the concave portion. In this case, the engaging portion 17 may be a concave shape that engages with the convex portion.
-The driven gears 72, 82, 92 are made of a metal material, and the neck portions 71, 81, 91 (and the body portions 70, 80, 90) are made of a resin material. Also good. In this case, it is preferable that the driven gears 72, 82, 92 and the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are formed separately.

  In the first embodiment, the rotation direction of the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 is reversed between the first rotation mechanism 31 and the second rotation mechanism 32, but is not limited thereto, The liquid containers 7, 8, 9 may rotate in the same direction in the first rotating mechanism 31 and the second rotating mechanism 32. If the rotation by the first rotation mechanism 31 is insufficient, the second rotation mechanism 32 can rotate the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 in the same direction and can be reliably stirred.

In the second embodiment, the driving side gear and the driven side gear in the second rotating mechanism 32 may be helical gears. As is well known, the helical gear can transmit rotational driving from the driving gear to the driven gear in the second rotating mechanism 32 in the same manner as the worm gear.
Further, although explanation is omitted, the drive side gear is constituted by a plurality of gears, and finally the gears that rotate in the same rotation axis direction as the liquid containers 7, 8, 9 are respectively liquid containers 7, 8. , 9 may be engaged with driven gears. In this case, since the gear is used, rotation transmission and transmission cancellation can be easily performed in the first rotation mechanism 31 or the second rotation mechanism 32.

  In the second embodiment, the spur gear 12 is rotated at the stage before the spur gear 12 starts to mesh with the linear gear 18, as in the first rotation mechanism 31 in the first embodiment. It may be. For example, a linear gear whose tooth alignment direction is the D direction is arranged so as to mesh with the spur gear 12 at a position opposite to the supply needles 21, 22, and 23 in the S direction, and the linear gear is moved in the D direction and rotated. What should I do? Of course, instead of the linear gear, the mounting table 5 may be moved and rotated in the D direction.

  -In the said 1st and 2nd embodiment, although the case where the supply needle | hook 21,22,23 and the liquid container 7,8,9 are each three is shown, it does not restrict to this in particular, One piece Other numbers such as 4 or 4 can be used.

  In the first and second embodiments, the rotation of the liquid container may not be stopped during the period from the start to the end of the supply needle insertion. For example, when the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container, the bending is small, or the seal portion of the liquid container into which the supply needle is inserted has high mechanical strength, and the adhesiveness with the inserted supply needle is good. When there is little possibility that the liquid leaks, the supply needle may be inserted while rotating. By doing so, the number of rotations of the liquid container can be further increased, so that the liquid can be sufficiently stirred.

  In the first and second embodiments, when the mounting table 5 moves relative to the supply needles 21, 22, 23, the mounting table 5 is fixed and the supply needles 21, 22, 23 are mounted on the mounting table 5. It is good also as moving so that the placed liquid container 7, 8, 9 may be approached.

  In the first and second embodiments, the liquid container is rotated with the axis along the cylindrical axis of the liquid container having a cylindrical shape as one axis. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. One axis different from the axis along the axis may be used as the rotation axis. For example, when the direction of the cylindrical axis of the liquid container placed on the mounting table is the direction of gravity, in order to stir the liquid, one axial direction different from the cylindrical axis (preferably a direction orthogonal to the cylindrical axis) is rotated. It is preferable to rotate as an axis.

  In the first and second embodiments, it is not always necessary to rotate all of the liquid containers mounted on the mounting table (three in the above embodiment) in the same direction on the mounting table. It can be expected that the rotation moment to the mounting table caused by the rotation of the liquid container is suppressed as compared with the rotation in the same direction, and the movement of the mounting table is stabilized.

Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the first and second embodiments and other embodiments will be described below together with their effects.
(A) a mounting table for mounting a liquid container in which liquid is stored; and a supply needle that is inserted into the liquid container so that the liquid can be supplied from the liquid container to the side where the liquid is consumed. A liquid supply apparatus configured such that the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container placed on the mounting table when the mounting table and the supply needle move relative to each other. A liquid supply apparatus comprising a rotation mechanism for rotating a liquid container around one axis in a process of relative movement with a needle.

  According to this configuration, since the liquid supplied to the supply needle is rotated in a state where the liquid container is mounted on the mounting table, the liquid container is newly installed as the liquid container is attached or detached. The stored liquid can be reliably stirred when the liquid container is attached. In addition, in a state where the mounting is completed, that is, in a state where the liquid container is inserted into the supply needle, the sufficiently stirred liquid can be supplied to the supply needle side. As a result, it is not necessary to stir the liquid container before placing it on the mounting table. Moreover, since it rotates until it will be in the state in which the supply needle was inserted, it is not necessary to stir after the liquid supply start.

  (B) The rotating mechanism rotates the liquid container at least once around the one axis from when the liquid container is placed on the mounting table until the supply needle is inserted. According to this configuration, since the liquid container can be rotated one or more times, for example, even when the liquid container that has been stored for a long period of time is used, sufficient agitation can be performed. As a result, it is not necessary to stir by shaking the liquid container before mounting it on the liquid ejecting apparatus.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Apparatus main body, 2 ... Liquid ejecting mechanism, 3 ... Ejecting head, 4 ... Droplet, 5 ... Mounting stand, 6 ... Recording medium, 7, 8, 9 ... Liquid container, 10 ... Liquid supply apparatus, 11 ... Linear 11A ... Lever, 12 ... Spur gear, 13 ... Rotating shaft, 14 ... Supporting portion, 15 ... Spur gear, 16 ... Rotating shaft, 17 ... engaging portion, 18 ... Linear gear, 21, 22, 23 ... Supply needle , 51 ... support part, 70 ... body part, 70C ... cam part, 71 ... neck part, 72 ... driven side gear, 72G ... gear, 73 ... drive side gear, 73W ... worm, 75, 76 ... roller, 77 ... holding member , 80 ... trunk part, 81 ... neck part, 82 ... driven gear, 82G ... gear, 83 ... drive side gear, 83W ... worm, 85, 86 ... roller, 87 ... holding member, 90 ... trunk part, 91 ... neck part, 92 ... driven gear, 92G ... gear, 93 ... driving gear, 93W ... worm, 5,96 ... roller, 97 ... holding member, 100 ... liquid ejecting apparatus, J ... shaft.

Claims (8)

A mounting table on which a liquid container containing liquid is placed; and a supply needle that is inserted into the liquid container so that the liquid can be supplied from the liquid container to a side where the liquid is consumed. A liquid supply apparatus configured such that the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container placed on the placement table by the relative movement of the placement table and the supply needle;
A first rotational mechanism that rotates the liquid container around one axis in a state where the liquid container is placed on the mounting table, and a rotational drive that is different from the rotational drive mode of the first rotational mechanism. A liquid supply apparatus comprising: a second rotation mechanism that rotates the liquid container around the one axis. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1,
The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism have directions in which the liquid container is rotated in opposite directions. The liquid supply device according to claim 1 or 2,
One of the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism is:
A drive-side gear disposed so as to be capable of relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the one axis with respect to the liquid container placed on the mounting table;
The liquid ejecting apparatus, wherein the drive side gear meshes with a driven side gear having the one axis of the liquid container as a rotation center in a process of relative movement with respect to the liquid container. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 3,
The other rotation mechanism of the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism is:
An engaging portion arranged to be capable of relative movement in the direction along the one axis with respect to the liquid container placed on the mounting table;
The engaging portion engages with a cam portion formed on the outer surface of the liquid container so as to form a spiral shape with the shaft as a spiral center in the process of relative movement with respect to the liquid container. Liquid supply device. The liquid supply device according to claim 4,
The other rotation mechanism is
Before the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container, the rotation of the liquid container is stopped by disengaging the cam portion and the engagement portion of the liquid container. Liquid ejecting device. A liquid supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container has a cylindrical shape, and the one axis is an axis along a cylindrical axis of the cylindrical shape.   A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: a liquid ejecting head that consumes liquid through liquid ejecting; and the liquid supply device according to claim 1.   After placing the liquid container containing the liquid on the mounting table, the supply needle is inserted into the liquid container so that the liquid can be supplied from the liquid container to the side where the liquid is consumed. A liquid supply method comprising rotating the liquid container around one axis in a first rotation mode and then rotating the liquid storage body in a second rotation mode before being inserted into the liquid container.

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