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JP-7856747-B2 - Cap device

JP7856747B2JP 7856747 B2JP7856747 B2JP 7856747B2JP-7856747-B2

Inventors

  • 諏訪田 明
  • 伊田 和弘
  • 神山 勇
  • 松場 喜久男

Assignees

  • ローランドディー．ジー．株式会社

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20220330

Claims (10)

  1. A cap device provided so as to be displaceable relative to an ink ejection unit capable of ejecting ink from an ink ejection port, and capable of blocking the ink ejection port, A case body having a case bottom and case walls rising from this case bottom, with an open top, This case body is integrally supported, and the cap unit includes a cap support and a cap body supported by the cap support that can cover the ink outlet, The case body has an engaging portion that allows it to be attached to and detached from the cap device mounting portion, A cap device in which the cap support is displaceably supported on the case body .
  2. A cap device provided so as to be displaceable relative to an ink ejection unit capable of ejecting ink from an ink ejection port, and capable of blocking the ink ejection port, The case body has a case bottom and case walls rising from this case bottom, and the top surface is open. This case body is integrally supported, and the cap unit includes a cap support and a cap body supported by the cap support that can cover the ink outlet, The case body has an engaging portion that allows it to be attached to and detached from the cap device mounting portion, The case body has a biasing member that is housed within the case and capable of transmitting a biasing force to the cap unit from the bottom of the case toward the top surface, A capping device in which the capping unit can be biased toward the ink ejection unit by this biasing member.
  3. The aforementioned cap body has a substantially polygonal shape when viewed from above. The cap device according to claim 2, wherein the biasing member is provided at a portion corresponding to each corner of the cap body.
  4. The cap device according to claim 2, wherein the cap unit is provided so as to be slidable substantially horizontally from a standby position when it is separated from the ink ejection unit to a cap position when it is blocking the ink ejection port, and is biased toward the standby position when it is in the cap position.
  5. The cap unit further has a guide projection that protrudes from the cap support so as to be able to contact the ink ejection unit, The guide projection includes a guide surface that can contact the ink ejection unit when the cap body and the ink ejection unit are in close proximity, and is inclined with respect to the direction in which the cap unit slides. The cap device according to claim 4, wherein, when the guide surface is in contact with the ink ejection unit, the cap body and the ink ejection unit come into further proximity, causing the guide surface to be pushed by the ink ejection unit and slide substantially horizontally.
  6. The cap device according to claim 2, wherein a cylindrical portion, formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, is raised from the bottom of the case, and the biasing member, which is composed of a coil spring, is housed in this cylindrical portion.
  7. A cap device provided so as to be displaceable relative to an ink ejection unit capable of ejecting ink from an ink ejection port, and capable of blocking the ink ejection port, A case body having a case bottom and case walls rising from this case bottom, with an open top, This case body is integrally supported, and the cap unit includes a cap support and a cap body supported by the cap support that can cover the ink outlet, The case body has an engaging portion that allows it to be attached to and detached from the cap device mounting portion, The case further includes a tubular member connected from the cap unit to the case body to discharge the ink sucked in from the ink outlet to the outside of the case body, The aforementioned tube member is subjected to a circumferential biasing force and includes a loop portion that is bent into a loop shape , comprising a cap device.
  8. A cap device provided so as to be displaceable relative to an ink ejection unit capable of ejecting ink from an ink ejection port, and capable of blocking the ink ejection port, The case body has a case bottom and case walls rising from this case bottom, and the top surface is open. This case body is integrally supported, and the cap unit includes a cap support and a cap body supported by the cap support that can cover the ink outlet, The case body has an engaging portion that allows it to be attached to and detached from the cap device mounting portion, A capping device in which the outer circumference of the cap body is surrounded by a dam wall portion that rises to a position higher than the upper end of the cap body, based on the state in which the cap body is in close contact with the ink discharge port.
  9. The case body is supported by a cover member that covers a portion of the top surface and restricts the cap unit from protruding from the case body. The cap device according to claim 8, wherein the dam wall portion is formed in the cover member.
  10. A cap device provided so as to be displaceable relative to an ink ejection unit capable of ejecting ink from an ink ejection port, and capable of blocking the ink ejection port, The case body has a case bottom and case walls rising from this case bottom, and the top surface is open. This case body is integrally supported, and the cap unit includes a cap support and a cap body supported by the cap support that can cover the ink outlet, The case body has an engaging portion that allows it to be attached to and detached from the cap device mounting portion, A cap device in which an ink absorber capable of absorbing the ink is provided inside the case body.

Description

This invention relates to a capping device used in printers that can seal the ink ejection port. Many printers are equipped with a capping device that can block the ink ejection port. By capping the ink ejection port when not in print mode, it is possible to prevent ink adhering to the port from drying and clogging. As an example of such a capping device, the technology described in Patent Document 1 below is known. The capping device known in this Patent Document 1 comprises a cap body that covers the ink discharge port from below, a case body to which the cap body is detachably attached, and a biasing member that biases the case body toward the discharge port. The cap has holes through which ink can pass, and by generating negative pressure with a pump or similar device, ink adhering to the ink outlet can be sucked out. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-181758 1A is a perspective view of a printer device according to an embodiment, and 1B is a plan view of the carriage of the printer device shown in 1A.Figure 1A is a perspective view of the capping device mounted on the printer device shown.This is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2.4A is a diagram illustrating the process of preparing the tube member, 4B is a diagram illustrating the process of twisting the tube member circumferentially around the axis, 4C is a diagram illustrating the process of twisting the circumferentially twisted tube member axially to form a loop, and 4D is a diagram illustrating the process of connecting the tube member to the case body and the cap unit while applying a biasing force in the circumferential direction and maintaining the loop.Figure 5A illustrates the operation of the capping device when it is raised, and figure 5B illustrates the operation of the capping device when the ink outlet is blocked (capped state).This is a disassembled perspective view of the printer device according to the first modification example.This is a disassembled cross-sectional view of the printer device according to the second modification example. Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. In this description, left and right refer to the left and right relative to the state facing the printer device, and front and back refer to the front and back relative to the paper feeding direction by the printer. Also, in the drawings, Fr indicates front, Rr indicates back, Le indicates left, Ri indicates right, Up indicates up, and Dn indicates down. <Examples> (Regarding the printer device 10) Refer to Figure 1A. The printer device 10 has left and right legs 11, 11 on which casters are provided, and a printing unit 12 that is supported by these legs 11, 11 and capable of printing. Furthermore, the printer device 10 does not necessarily have to have casters on its legs 11, 11, and may consist only of the printing unit 12. Refer to Figure 1B as well. The printing unit 12 includes a table section 13 located in the center on which a printing object Me such as paper can be placed, a rail 14 extending horizontally above the table section 13, an ink ejection unit 20 that is movable along the rail 14 (see arrow S1) and capable of ejecting ink, and lid sections 16 and 17 located at the left and right ends that can swing vertically. The rail 14 extends to the area covered by the lids 16 and 17, and the ink ejection unit 20 is also movable from above the table 13 to the area covered by the lids 16 and 17. Refer to Figures 1B and 2. The ink ejection unit 20 is also called a carriage. For example, the ink ejection unit 20 is equipped with an ejection section 21 that ejects ultraviolet-curable ink and a lamp 22 that irradiates the ejected ink with ultraviolet light. For example, if the object to be printed, Me, is paper, the paper is fed from the rear to the front (see arrow S2 in Figure 1A) along the upper surface of the table unit 13. The ink ejection unit 20 ejects ultraviolet-curable ink toward the paper while moving in the left-right direction (see arrow S1). The ejected ink is irradiated with ultraviolet light by the ultraviolet lamp 22, and the ink hardens. This allows a predetermined pattern or design to be printed on the paper. Furthermore, the printing target Me does not have to be paper, and inks other than UV-curing inks can also be used. Refer to Figure 2. The ink ejection unit 20 has an ink ejection port 21a that can eject ink from the ejection section 21. In addition, a cap device mounting section 19 is provided that can move up and down in the part covered by the lid section 16 (see Figure 1). A cap device 30 capable of closing the ink ejection port 21a is provided on the cup-shaped mounting body section 19a that constitutes the cap device mounting section 19. (Regarding the capping device 30) Two cap devices 30, 30 are provided on the cap device mounting section 19. Each cap device 30, 30 is detachably mounted on the cap device mounting section 19. Both