Inkjet recording apparatus and ink cartridge

• US 7,018,027 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hashii, Kazuhiro, Harada, Kazumasa, Takeuchi, Atsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/462,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 347 84- 87
• US Class Current: 347/86
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17553 Outer structure

Abstract

There is disclosed an ink cartridge capable of being removably held in an ink cartridge accommodation portion simply by pushing in the cartridge in an insertion direction. The ink cartridge (5) is mounted on a carriage (4) having a cartridge accommodation region. A one-push type fixing member (30) in a position facing a surface parallel to an insertion direction in which the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge accommodation region is engaged with a fixing protrusion (12a) forming another one-push type fixing member and cooperating with the first-mentioned one-push type fixing member, so that the cartridge (5) is held in a predetermined position in a state in which the cartridge is resiliently urged by a spring (24) in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

Claims

1. An inkjet recording apparatus having a recording head that receives supply of ink from an ink cartridge installed in a cartridge accommodation region, the ink cartridge having a first member constituting a one-push type fixing member formed on the ink cartridge, the inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

a second member that constitutes another one-push type fixing member cooperating with the first member, and that is formed in a position facing a plane that is substantially parallel to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge accommodation region, whereby the ink cartridge is held by the first and members in a predetermined position in a state in which the ink cartridge is resiliently urged by a resiliently urging member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction,

wherein the first member constituting the one-push type fixing member includes a protrusion whose range of motion is restricted, and

wherein the second member includes a combination of a guide path for guiding the protrusion in one direction, and a holding portion engaging the protrusion.

3. The inkjet recording apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the resiliently urging member includes a spring that biases a valve body loaded in an ink supply port.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the resiliently urging member includes a spring disposed in the ink cartridge accommodation region or a spring disposed on an outer surface of a container of the ink cartridge.

5. The inkjet recording apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a position of the holding portion or a diameter of the protrusion is selected to define a clearance between a dead point at pushing-in of the ink cartridge and the predetermined position.

2. An inkjet recording apparatus having a recording head that receives supply of ink from an ink cartridge installed in a cartridge accommodation region, the ink cartridge having a first member constituting a one-push type fixing member formed on the ink cartridge, the inkjet recording apparatus comprising:

a second member that constitutes another one-push type fixing member cooperating with the first member, and that is formed in a position facing a plane that is substantially parallel to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge accommodation region, whereby the ink cartridge is held by the first and members in a predetermined position in a state in which the ink cartridge is resiliently urged by a resiliently urging member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction,

wherein the first member constituting the one-push type fixing member includes a combination of a guide path for guiding the protrusion in one direction, and a holding portion engaging the protrusion, and

wherein the second member includes a protrusion whose range of motion is restricted.

6. An ink cartridge having an ink storing portion storing ink therein and an ink supply port communicating with the ink storing portion, the ink cartridge being adapted to removably mounted on a cartridge mounting portion of a recording apparatus to supply the ink in the ink storing portion via the ink supply port to a recording head provided on the recording apparatus, the ink cartridge comprising:

a first member that constitutes a one-push type fixing member, that is formed on a plane substantially parallel to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, and that cooperates with a second member constituting another one-push type fixing member of the recording apparatus,

wherein the second member includes a protrusion whose range of motion is restricted, and the first member includes a combination of a guide path for guiding the protrusion in one direction, and a holding portion engaging the protrusion.

8. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, further comprising a resiliently urging member for resiliently urging the ink cartridge in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

9. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 8, wherein the resiliently urging member includes a spring that biases a valve member loaded in the ink supply port.

10. The ink cartridge set forth in claim 8, wherein the resiliently urging member includes a spring mounted on a container wall surface of the ink cartridge.

11. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, wherein the first member is disposed on a wall surface intersecting a wall surface on which the ink supply port is disposed, and located at a position offset toward the wall surface on which the ink supply port is disposed.

12. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 11, wherein the ink supply port is located at a position offset toward the wall surface on which the first member is disposed.

13. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, wherein the protrusion whose range of motion is restricted is movable in a plane direction of the plane substantially parallel to the insertion direction, and also movable in a direction intersecting the plane.

14. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, wherein the holding portion of the first member is resiliently held by the protrusion by an urging force of a resiliently urging member.

15. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, wherein a position of the holding portion or a diameter of the protrusion is selected to define a clearance between a dead point at pushing-in of the ink cartridge and the predetermined position.

16. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 6 or 7, wherein the holding portion engages the protrusion to hold the ink cartridge in a first predetermined position in a state in which the ink cartridge is urged by an urging member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction.

17. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 16, wherein the urging member is disposed on the cartridge mounting portion, and the ink cartridge is configured to be urged by the urging member of the cartridge mounting portion when the ink cartridge is inserted, into the cartridge mounting portion.

18. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 17, wherein engagement between the holding portion and the protrusion is established when the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion to reach, beyond the first predetermined position, a second predetermined position in the insertion direction against an urging force of the urging member, and then is returned by the urging force of the urging member to the first predetermined position.

19. The ink cartridge as set forth in claim 18, wherein engagement between the holding portion and the protrusion is released when the ink cartridge inserted and held at the first predetermined position is further inserted into the cartridge mounting portion against the urging force of the urging member to reach a third predetermined position.

7. An ink cartridge having an ink storing portion storing ink therein and an ink supply port communicating with the ink storing portion, the ink cartridge being adapted to removably mounted on a cartridge mounting portion of a recording apparatus to supply the ink in the ink storing portion via the ink supply port to a recording head provided on the recording apparatus, the ink cartridge comprising:

a first member that constitutes a one-push type fixing member, that is formed on a plane substantially parallel to an insertion direction in which the ink cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, and that cooperates with a second member constituting another one-push type fixing member of the recording apparatus,

wherein the second member includes a combination of a guide path for guiding a protrusion in one direction, and a holding portion engaging the protrusion, and the first member includes the protrusion whose range of motion is restricted and which is engageable with the second member.