US-12617211-B2 - Recording apparatus

US12617211B2US 12617211 B2US12617211 B2US 12617211B2US-12617211-B2

Abstract

Disclosed is a recording apparatus including a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to a recording head that ejects the liquid, the tank including an inlet port for liquid injection; a cap unit including a shaft portion and a cap configured to turn about the shaft portion between a first position at which the cap caps the inlet port and a second position at which the cap does not cap the inlet port, the shaft portion being provided to a housing that encloses the tank; and a biasing unit configured to bias the cap unit in a direction to move the cap apart from the inlet port, wherein the cap unit does not move at the second position while being biased by the biasing unit.

Inventors

Tsuyoshi Saeki
Hideaki Matsumura
Yuri Mori
Ken Takenaga
Shota Asada
Koki SHIMADA
Daiju Takeda
Hiromasa Tsutsumi
MINEYOSHI TOMIE

Assignees

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230928
Priority Date: 20220930

Claims (14)

1 . A recording apparatus comprising: a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to a recording head that ejects the liquid, the tank including an inlet port for liquid injection; a cap unit including a shaft portion and a cap configured to turn about the shaft portion between a first position at which the cap caps the inlet port and a second position at which the cap does not cap the inlet port, the shaft portion being provided to a housing that encloses the tank; and a biasing unit configured to bias the cap unit in a direction to move the cap apart from the inlet port, wherein the cap unit does not move at the second position while being biased by the biasing unit, and the cap unit includes a pair of ridges that protrude in directions toward both outer sides from the center in a width direction and extend in a longitudinal direction of the cap unit.
2 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the cap unit is at the first position, the cap unit maintains the first position with a self-weight of the cap unit opposing biasing by the biasing unit.
3 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the cap unit is at the first position, a combined moment obtained by combining an biasing moment of a force to turn the cap unit by the biasing unit with respect to an axial center of the shaft portion and a self-weight moment of a force to turn the cap unit by the self-weight of the cap with respect to the axial center has a direction to turn the cap unit in a capping direction from the second position toward the first position, and in a case where the cap unit is at the second position, the combined moment has a direction to turn the cap unit in an uncapping direction from the first position toward the second position.
4 . The recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein as the cap unit turns from the first position to the second position, the combined moment continuously changes from a first predetermined value having a direction to turn the cap unit in the capping direction to a second predetermined value having a direction to turn the cap unit in the uncapping direction.
5 . The recording apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein as the cap unit turns from the first position to a predetermined position between the first position and the second position, the combined moment monotonically changes from the first predetermined value having the direction to turn the cap unit in the capping direction to a third predetermined value having a direction to turn the cap unit in the uncapping direction.
6 . The recording apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the cap unit stays at the first position with an equilibrium established between the combined moment and a moment of a contact force generated by contact of a first predetermined portion of the cap unit with a second predetermined portion of the housing, and the cap unit stays at the second position with an equilibrium established between the combined moment and a moment of a contact force generated by contact of a third predetermined portion of the cap unit with a fourth predetermined portion of the housing.
7 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cap unit includes a lever and a cap loosely fitted in the lever, the cap unit is supported by the housing rotatably about the shaft portion in such a way that a predetermined portion near a first end of the lever is aligned with the shaft portion, the cap is arranged at a position shifted from a second end of the lever toward the first end of the lever by a predetermined distance, the second end being opposed to the first end, and in a case where the cap unit is at the first position, the cap caps the inlet port.
8 . The recording apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein a grip portion is provided to the second end of the lever.
9 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cap unit includes a cap-unit-side engagement portion that engages with a housing-side engagement portion in a case where the cap unit is at the first position.
10 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where the cap unit is at the first position, the pair of ridges included in the cap unit are held between a pair of ridges that are provided on both side surfaces of a recess of the housing in which the cap unit is housed and that protrude in directions from both outer sides toward the center in the width direction and extend in a turning direction of the cap unit.
11 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing unit is a tension spring.
12 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a cover that is provided above the housing and the cap unit and is turnable between a closed position at which the cover covers the housing and the cap unit, and an opened position at which the cover allows the housing and the cap unit to be exposed; and a recording head that executes printing on a recording medium with ink stored in the tank.
13 . The recording apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein if the cap unit is located at a position shifted from the first position toward the second position in a case where the cover is turned from the opened position to the closed position, the cover comes into contact with the cap unit and pushes the cap unit until the cap unit is moved to a position close to the first position, thereby causing the cap unit to cap the inlet port.
14 . The recording apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the position close to the first position is a position at which a combined moment obtained by combining an biasing moment of a force to turn the cap unit by the biasing unit with respect to an axial center of the shaft portion and a self-weight moment of force to turn the cap unit by a self-weight with respect to the axial center has a direction to turn the cap unit in a capping direction from the second position toward the first position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure The present disclosure relates to a recording apparatus. Description of the Related Art There is an ink jet recording apparatus that allows a user to inject ink into an ink container coupled via a supply tube to a recording head that ejects the ink. In a case where the user takes off a cap capping an inlet port of the ink container in order to inject the ink, it is desirable that the cap should not be easily touched by the user because the cap may be contaminated with the ink. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2018-69705 (hereinafter referred to as Document 1) discloses a technique for capping and uncapping an inlet port of an ink container by using a cap unit including a cap and a lever. The cap unit is turnably attached to a housing that encloses the ink container. In a capping posture, the cap caps the inlet port of the ink container. Meanwhile, in an uncapping posture, the cap is located apart from the inlet port of the ink container as a result of changing the cap unit from a straight posture to a bent posture by use of a biasing unit, and thereby uncaps the inlet port. However, in the technique disclosed in Document 1, the cap unit cannot maintain the capping posture unless the lever is restricted by a pressing portion or a posture keeping mechanism. Therefore, unless the lever is restricted by the pressing portion or the posture keeping mechanism, the cap unit may be bent to generate a gap between the cap and the inlet port of the ink container and thereby cause the ink to leak or evaporate. In addition, even if the inlet port is uncapped to replenish the ink container with the ink, the cap unit may return to the capping posture due to a self-weight of the cap unit in a case where an elevation angle of the lever is in a range below 90 degrees. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE An embodiment of the present disclosure is a recording apparatus including a tank configured to store liquid to be supplied to a recording head that ejects the liquid, the tank including an inlet port for liquid injection; a cap unit including a shaft portion and a cap configured to turn about the shaft portion between a first position at which the cap caps the inlet port and a second position at which the cap does not cap the inlet port, the shaft portion being provided to a housing that encloses the tank; and a biasing unit configured to bias the cap unit in a direction to move the cap apart from the inlet port, wherein the cap unit does not move at the second position while being biased by the biasing unit. Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a present embodiment in a state where a cover is closed and a housing is not removed; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment in a state where the cover is opened and the housing is not removed; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment in a state where the cover is removed and the housing is not removed; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment in a state where the cover and the housing are removed; FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an ink tank and a cap unit in the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cap unit taken along VI-VI in FIG. 5; FIGS. 7A and 7B are perspective views illustrating the cap unit and its surrounding area at a capping position and at an uncapping position, respectively; FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the cap unit and its surrounding area at the capping position; FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along IXA-IXA in FIG. 7A and FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along IXB-IXB in FIG. 7B; FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along X-X in FIG. 7A; FIG. 11 is a graph presenting a relationship between an opening angle of the cap unit and moments of forces in the embodiment; and FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C are cross-sectional views taken along XII-XII in FIG. 2 in states where the cover is at a full-opened position, a half-opened position, and a closed position. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in details in reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the disclosure according to claims. Although multiple features are described in each of the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are essential to the disclosure, and some of the features may be combined as needed. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar constituent elements will be designated with the same reference sign, and repetitive description thereof will