EP3858623A1

EP3858623A1 - Cartridge accommodating device, and system including the same

Info

Publication number: EP3858623A1
Application number: EP20209870.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Akihito Ono; Nanami ASHIDA
Original assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2020-02-03
Filing date: 2020-11-25
Publication date: 2021-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-25
Also published as: JP2021122969A; EP3858623B1

Abstract

A cartridge accommodating device (110) includes: a holder (101) and a connector provided at the holder (110). The connector includes: a housing (126) supported by a first surface (58A) of the holder; a conductive member (128) including a contact (138); and a movable member (130). At least a portion of the conductive member is movable in a prescribed direction crossing the first surface relative to the housing (126). At least a portion of the movable member is positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the portion of the conductive member. The movable member is moved from a first position to a second position in the prescribed direction when contacted by a cartridge (30) during insertion thereof into the holder (101). The portion of the conductive member (128) is moved from a remote position to a proximate position in the prescribed direction in association with movement of the movable member from the first position to the second position.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a cartridge accommodating device to which a cartridge is attachable, and also to a system including the cartridge accommodating device and the cartridge.
Conventionally, there has been known a cartridge accommodating device to which a cartridge is detachably attachable. The conventional cartridge accommodating device includes a connector, and the cartridge is provided with a circuit board. During attachment of the cartridge to the cartridge accommodating device, an electrical interface formed on the circuit board of the cartridge (electrodes, for example) comes into contact with an electrical contact provided at the connector of the cartridge accommodating device. With this contact between the electrical interface and the electrical contact, information stored in an IC mounted on the circuit board of the cartridge can be transmitted to the cartridge accommodating device.
For attaching the cartridge to the cartridge accommodating device, the electrical interface of the cartridge keeps slidingly moving against the electrical contact of the connector until completion of the attachment of the cartridge to the cartridge accommodating device once the electrical interface of the cartridge is brought into contact with the electrical contact of the connector. As a result, resistance applied to the cartridge during the insertion thereof may become greater than otherwise.
In order to address the above problem, the connector of the cartridge accommodating device may be designed to be movable, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-052220 , for example. In this device, due to the movable structure of the connector, the connector is allowed to move to a position where the electrical contact thereof is separated from the electrical interface of the cartridge during insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge accommodating device, and then to a position where the electrical contact makes contact with the electrical interface of the cartridge upon completion of the attachment of the cartridge to the cartridge accommodating device.
However, in the above-described cartridge accommodating device including the movable connector, a connecting member, such as a flexible flat cable, is necessary to connect the connector to the cartridge accommodating device. A complicated structure is therefore required for the cartridge accommodating device. Further, due to the movable structure of the connector, the position of the electrical contact belonging to the movable connector may become unstable.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the disclosure to provide: a cartridge accommodating device that can stabilize a position of an electrical contact provided at a movable connector, without necessitating a complicated structure; and a system including the cartridge accommodating device and a cartridge attachable thereto.

(1) In order to attain above and other object, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a cartridge accommodating device for detachably accommodating a cartridge including an electrical interface. The cartridge accommodating device includes a holder, and a connector provided at the holder. The holder defines an internal space therein and has an opening in communication with the internal space. The cartridge is configured to be inserted into the internal space in an insertion direction through the opening. The holder has a first surface that defines part of the internal space, the first surface extending in the insertion direction. The connector includes: a housing supported by the first surface; and a conductive member; and a movable member. The conductive member includes a contact electrically connectable to the electrical interface of the cartridge accommodated in the holder. The conductive member is supported by the housing such that at least a portion of the conductive member is movable in a prescribed direction crossing the first surface relative to the housing. The movable member is movably supported by the housing and has at least a portion positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the portion of the conductive member. The movable member is movable between a first position and a second position in the prescribed direction. The movable member is positioned closer to the first surface in the prescribed direction at the second position than at the first position. The portion of the conductive member is movable between a remote position and a proximate position in the prescribed direction. The contact is positioned closer to the first surface in the prescribed direction while the portion of the conductive member is at the proximate position than while the portion of the conductive member is at the remote position. The movable member at the first position is moved to the second position when the portion of the movable member is contacted from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction by the cartridge during insertion of the cartridge into the internal space of the holder. The portion of the conductive member is moved from the remote position to the proximate position in association with movement of the movable member from the first position to the second position.
With this structure, the housing of the connector is supported by the first surface of the holder. Accordingly, the position of the conductive member supported by the housing can be stabilized. Further, in the connector, only the movable member is configured as a movable member, while the housing supporting the conductive member is maintained immovable. Hence, there is no need to provide any other member (flexible flat cable, for example) for connecting the housing to the holder. The structure of the connector can be prevented from getting complicated.
(2) In the cartridge accommodating device according to the aspect (1), it is preferable that: the portion of the conductive member includes a leaf spring, the leaf spring having one end and another end; the one end of the leaf spring is fixed to the housing, the one end being positioned downstream in the insertion direction relative to the contact; and the another end of the leaf spring is positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the contact, the another end being a free end movable relative to the housing.
The cartridge is pushed in the insertion direction to be inserted into the internal space of the holder, and the cartridge is pulled out to be remove from the internal space of the holder. Normally, applying a pushing force to the cartridge is easier than applying a pulling force to the cartridge.
According to the above cartridge accommodating device, in the conductive member, the one end of the leaf spring is fixed to the housing at a position forward of the contact in the insertion direction; and the another end of the leaf spring is a free end positioned upstream of the contact in the insertion direction. With this structure, resistance applied to the cartridge by the leaf spring via the contact during removal of the cartridge from the holder can be made smaller than that during the insertion of the cartridge into the holder. Accordingly, the resistance applied to the cartridge during the removal of the cartridge from the holder is restricted from getting excessively large.
(3) In the cartridge accommodating device according to the aspect (1) or (2), preferably, the movable member has a surface positioned opposite the first surface with respect to the portion of the conductive member in the prescribed direction; and the surface of the movable member faces the portion of the conductive member in the prescribed direction.
With this structure, the movement of the conductive member can be associated with the movement of the movable member through a simple structure.
(4) In the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(3), preferably, the prescribed direction is a vertical direction; and the movable member is positioned at the first position due to a self-weight thereof without application of any external force.
With this structure, the movable member can be situated at the first position without using any urging member such as a spring, in a state where no external force is applied to the movable member.
(5) In the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(4), preferably, the movable member has a first sloped surface facing upstream in the insertion direction, the first sloped surface sloping to extend away from the first surface in the prescribed direction toward downstream in the insertion direction. The first sloped surface is contacted by the cartridge from an upstream thereof in the insertion direction.
With this structure, the movable member can be easily moved when contacted by the cartridge from its upstream side in the insertion direction during the insertion of the cartridge into the holder.
(6) In the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(5), preferably, the movable member has a second sloped surface facing downstream in the insertion direction, the second sloped surface sloping to extend away from the first surface in the prescribed direction toward upstream in the insertion direction. The second sloped surface is contacted by the cartridge from a downstream side thereof in the insertion direction.
With this structure, the movable member can be easily moved when contacted by the cartridge from its downstream side in the insertion direction during the removal of the cartridge from the holder.
(7) Preferably, the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(6) may further include a substrate supported by the first surface of the holder. The connector is mounted on the substrate and supported by the first surface of the holder via the substrate.
(8) In the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(7), preferably, the housing defines therein an accommodation space for movably accommodating the movable member; and the housing further includes a housing protrusion protruding from an inner surface defining the accommodation space. In this case, preferably, the movable member includes a protrusion. The protrusion is configured to contact the housing protrusion to maintain the movable member at the first position without application of any external force.
With this structure, the movable member can be maintained at the first position without using any urging member such as a spring, in a state where no external force is applied to the movable member.
(9) According to another aspect, the present disclosure also discloses a system including: the cartridge accommodating device according to any one of the aspects (1)-(8); and the cartridge configured to be inserted into the internal space of the holder and attached to the cartridge accommodating device. The cartridge includes: a circuit board including the electrical interface; and a board supporting portion supporting the circuit board. The movable member at the first position is caused to move to the second position when contacted by the board supporting portion of the cartridge from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction. The portion of the conductive member is caused to move from the remote position to the proximate position in association with the movement of the movable member from the first position to the second position. The movable member at the second position is caused to move to the first position after the board supporting portion moves past the movable member in the insertion direction while making contact with the movable member. The portion of the conductive member is caused to move from the proximate position to the remote position in association with the movement of the movable member from the second position to the first position. The contact of the conductive member is electrically connected to the electrical interface of the ink cartridge in response to the movement of the portion of the conductive member from the proximate position to the remote position.
With this structure, the movable member is reliably movable between the first position and the second position to move the portion of the conductive member between the remote position and the proximate position during the insertion of the cartridge into the holder of the cartridge accommodating device.
(10) In the system according to the aspect (9), preferably, the board supporting portion has a first inclined surface. The first inclined surface is inclined to extend away from the first surface in the prescribed direction toward downstream in the insertion direction in a state where the cartridge is accommodated in the internal space of the holder. The first inclined surface comes into abutment with the movable member from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction.
With this structure, the movable member can be easily moved when contacted by the first inclined surface of the cartridge from its upstream side in the insertion direction during the insertion of the cartridge into the holder.
(11) In the system according to the aspect (9) or (10), preferably, the board supporting portion has a second inclined surface. The second inclined surface is inclined to extend away from the first surface in the prescribed direction toward upstream in the insertion direction in a state where the cartridge is accommodated in the internal space of the holder. The second inclined surface comes into abutment with the movable member from a downstream side thereof in the insertion direction.

With this structure, the movable member can be easily moved when contacted by the second inclined surface of the cartridge from its downstream side in the insertion direction during the removal of the cartridge from the holder.
The particular features and advantages of the embodiment(s) as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an internal structure of a printer 10 according to one embodiment;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an external configuration of an ink cartridge 30 according to the embodiment;
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of the ink cartridge 30 according to one embodiment;
Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a cartridge attachment section 110 of the printer 10 according to the embodiment;
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a connector 125 of the cartridge attachment section 110 of the printer 10 according to the embodiment;
Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110 according to the embodiment, and particularly illustrating an initial state in a process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110;
Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110 according to the embodiment, and illustrating a state after the state of Fig. 6 in the process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110;
Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110 according to the embodiment, and illustrating a state after the state of Fig. 7 in the process of attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110;
Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110 according to the embodiment, and illustrating a state where the ink cartridge 30 is completely attached to the cartridge attachment section 110; and
Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110, and illustrating a state where the ink cartridge 30 is being removed from the cartridge attachment section 110.

A printer 10 according to one embodiment of the disclosure will be described with reference to Figs. 1 through 10.

< Overall Structure of Printer 10 >

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the printer 10 is configured to selectively discharge ink droplets onto recording sheets to record images thereon based on an inkjet recording scheme. The printer 10 includes a cartridge attachment section 110 to which an ink cartridge 30 is detachably attachable. In the present embodiment, four of the ink cartridges 30 corresponding to respective colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black can be attached to the cartridge attachment section 110. The cartridge attachment section 110 and ink cartridge 30 constitute a system of the present disclosure.
In the following description, a direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and attached to the cartridge attachment section 110 is defined as an frontward direction 51. That is, the frontward direction 51 is coincident with an insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge attachment section 110. A direction opposite to the frontward direction 51, i.e., a direction in which the ink cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 is defined as a rearward direction 52. Th frontward direction 51 and rearward direction 52 are parallel to a horizontal direction orthogonal to the gravitational direction and parallel to the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30 in the present embodiment. Hence, the frontward direction 51 and rearward direction 52 cross the gravitational direction.
Further, the gravitational direction is defined as a downward direction 53, and a direction opposite to the gravitational direction is defined as an upward direction 54. Still further, as illustrated in Fig. 2, directions orthogonal to the frontward direction 51 and rearward direction 52 are defined as a rightward direction 55 and a leftward direction 56, respectively. More specifically, assuming that the ink cartridge 30 has been completely attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the direction orienting toward the right is defined as the rightward direction 55, while the direction orienting toward the left is defined as the leftward direction 56 when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from a rear side thereof in the frontward direction 51.
Hereinafter, the frontward direction 51 and rearward direction 52 may also be collectively referred to as a front-rear direction; the upward direction 54 and downward direction 53 may also be collectively referred to as an up-down direction; and the rightward direction 55 and leftward direction 56 may also be collectively referred to as a left-right direction, whenever appropriate.
A posture of the ink cartridge 30 during the insertion into the cartridge attachment section 110 and upon attachment to the cartridge attachment section 110 will be defined as an upright posture. That is, the ink cartridge 30 is in the uptight posture while the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110.
In the present disclosure, the expression "facing frontward" denotes facing in a direction including a frontward component, and the expression "facing rearward" denotes facing in a direction including a rearward component.
Referring to Fig 1, the printer 10 also includes a recording head 21, four ink tubes 20, and a controller 1, in addition to the cartridge attachment section 110. The four ink tubes 20 are connected to the cartridge attachment section 110 and the recording head 21. Ink stored in each ink cartridge 30 is configured to be supplied to the recording head 21 through a corresponding one of the ink tubes 20 while the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110.
The cartridge attachment section 110 has one surface in which an opening 112 is formed. The ink cartridges 30 are inserted into the cartridge attachment section 110 or removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 through the opening 112. Fig. 1 depicts a state where one ink cartridge 30 has been completely attached to the cartridge attachment section 110. The ink cartridge 30 in Fig. 1 will be referred to as an "attached state". Fig. 9 also depicts the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110.
That is, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted in the frontward direction 51 into the cartridge attachment section 110 through the opening 112 to be attached to the cartridge attachment section 110. The ink cartridge 30 is removed in the rearward direction 52 from the cartridge attachment section 110 through the opening 112 to be detached from the cartridge attachment section 110.
The respective ink cartridges 30 store ink to be used in the printer 10. In the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink cartridge 30 is connected to the recording head 21 via a corresponding one of the ink tubes 20. The recording head 21 includes four sub-tanks 28 corresponding to the four ink cartridges 30. Each sub-tank 28 is configured to temporarily store the ink supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge 30 through the corresponding ink tube 20.
The recording head 21 is configured to selectively discharge the ink supplied from the respective sub-tanks 28 through nozzles 29 according to an inkjet recording scheme. Specifically, the recording head 21 includes a head control board (not illustrated) and a plurality of piezoelectric elements 29A provided in one-to-one correspondence with the nozzles 29. The head control board is configured to selectively apply drive voltages to respective piezoelectric elements 29A to eject the ink through the nozzles 29.
The printer 10 includes a sheet feeding tray 15, a sheet feeding roller 23, a pair of conveying rollers 25, a platen 26, a pair of discharge rollers 27, and a sheet discharge tray 16. A recording sheet is fed from the sheet feeding tray 15 to a conveying path 24 by the sheet feeding roller 23, and is then conveyed onto the platen 26 by the pair of conveying rollers 25. The recording head 21 selectively discharges ink onto the recording sheet that passes over the platen 26 to form an image on the recording sheet. The recording sheet that has moved past the platen 26 is finally discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 27 onto the sheet discharge tray 16 positioned most downstream in the conveying path 24.

< Ink Cartridge 30 >

The ink cartridge 30 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is a container for storing ink. The ink cartridge 30 has a space formed therein that serves as an ink chamber 36 for storing ink. The ink chamber 36 of the present embodiment is defined by a housing 31 that constitutes an exterior of the ink cartridge 30. However, the ink chamber 36 may be formed by an inner frame that is a separate member from the housing 31, for example.
The ink cartridge 30 has a generally flattened shape whose dimension in the left-right direction is smaller than dimensions in the up-down direction and front-rear direction.
The ink cartridge 30 includes the housing 31 of a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 31 need not be a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but may have a tridimensional shape configured of flat planes and/or curved planes. The housing 31 constitutes an external contour of the ink cartridge 30.
The housing 31 includes a front wall 40, a rear wall 42, a top wall 39, a bottom wall 41, a side wall 37, and a side wall 38.
The front wall 40 is a wall that faces frontward when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and attached to the cartridge attachment section 110. The rear wall 42 is a wall that faces rearward when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and attached to the cartridge attachment section 110. The front wall 40 and rear wall 42 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.
The side wall 37 connects a right end of the front wall 40 to a right end of the rear wall 42. The side wall 38 connects a left end of the front wall 40 to a left end of the rear wall 42. The top wall 39 connects an upper end of the front wall 40 to an upper end of the rear wall 42. The bottom wall 41 connects a lower end of the front wall 40 to a lower end of the rear wall 42.
The ink chamber 36 is defined by the front wall 40, the rear wall 42, the side wall 37, the side wall 38, the top wall 39, and the bottom wall 41. The ink chamber 36 stores ink therein.
In the upright posture of the ink cartridge 30, a direction from the rear wall 42 toward the front wall 50 is coincident with the frontward direction 51; a direction from the front wall 40 toward the rear wall 42 is coincident with the rearward direction 52; a direction from the top wall 39 toward the bottom wall 41 is coincident with the downward direction 53; a direction from the bottom wall 41 toward the top wall 39 is coincident with the upward direction 54; a direction from the side wall 38 toward the side wall 37 is coincident with the rightward direction 55; and a direction from the side wall 37 toward the side wall 38 is coincident with the leftward direction 56.
On a lower end portion of the front wall 40, an ink supply portion 34 is provided. The ink supply portion 34 has a cylindrical outer shape and protrudes frontward (in the frontward direction 51) from the front wall 40. The ink supply portion 34 has a protruding end in which an ink supply opening 71 is formed.
The ink supply portion 34 defines an internal space serving as an ink passage 72. The ink passage 72 extends in the front-rear direction. The ink passage 72 has a front end in communication with the outside of the housing 31 through the ink supply opening 71. The ink passage 72 has a rear end in fluid communication with the ink chamber 36.
A valve 70 and a coil spring 73 are disposed within the ink passage 72. The valve 70 is movable in the front-rear direction so as to open and close the ink supply opening 71. The valve 70 is urged frontward toward the ink supply opening 71 by the coil spring 73. Thus, the ink supply opening 71 is normally closed by the valve 70 due to an urging force of the coil spring 73.
When the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, an ink needle 117 (see Fig. 4) provided at the cartridge attachment section 110 is inserted into the ink supply opening 71, thereby pushing the valve 70 rearward to move away from the ink supply opening 71 against the urging force of the coil spring 73. In this way, the ink supply opening 71 is opened, so that the ink in the ink chamber 36 can flow, through the ink passage 72, into the ink needle 117 provided at the cartridge attachment section 110.
Incidentally, the ink supply opening 71 may not necessarily be opened and closed by the valve 70. As an alternative, for example, the ink supply opening 71 may be covered by a film. In this case, when the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink needle 117 pierces through the film to open the ink supply opening 71. Further, although not provided in the present embodiment, an air communication port may be formed in the housing 31 to bring the ink chamber 36 maintained at a negative pressure into an ambient pressure.
As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, a board supporting portion 84 is provided on an upper surface of the top wall 39 of the housing 31. The board supporting portion 84 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The board supporting portion 84 is mounted on the upper surface of the top wall 39. The board supporting portion 84 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top wall 39.
The board supporting portion 84 may be integrally formed with the top wall 39 or may be formed as a separate member from the top wall 39. Still alternatively, the board supporting portion 84 may have a shape other than the rectangular parallelepiped shape.
The board supporting portion 84 has a front inclined surface 84A, a rear inclined surface 84B, and an upper surface 84C.
The front inclined surface 84A extends from the upper surface 84C to slope downward toward the front. That is, the front inclined surface 84A is inclined downward toward downstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. Hence, in the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110 (depicted in Fig, 9), the front inclined surface 84A is sloped to extend away from a bottom surface 58A of a top wall 58 constituting a holder 101 of the cartridge attachment section 110 (Fig. 4) toward downstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30.
The rear inclined surface 84B extends from the upper surface 84C to slope downward toward the rear. That is, the rear inclined surface 84B is inclined downward toward upstream the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. Hence, in the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110 (depicted in Fig, 9), the rear inclined surface 84B is sloped to extend away from the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 of the holder 101 (Fig. 4) toward upstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30.
On the upper surface 84C of the board supporting portion 84, a circuit board 85 is attached by a well-known method, such as adhesion or mating. That is, the board supporting portion 84 supports the circuit board 85.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, four electrodes 86 are formed on an upper surface of the circuit board 85. The electrodes 86 each extend in the front-rear direction. The electrodes 86 are arranged in separation from one another in the front-rear direction. The electrodes 86 are a clock electrode, a data electrode, a power-receiving electrode, and a ground electrode, for example. A memory electrically-connected to each electrode 86 (not illustrated) is also mounted on the circuit board 85. The memory stores data indicative of information on the ink cartridge 30 (for example, a lot number and a date of production thereof) as well as information on ink (for example, a color of ink). The information stored in the memory is electrically retrievable through external access thereto. Incidentally, the number of electrodes is not limited to four.

< Cartridge Attachment Section 110 >

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the cartridge attachment section 110 includes: the holder 101; and four sets of a joint portion 103, a substrate 64, and a connector 125.
The holder 101 constitutes an outer shell of the cartridge attachment section 110. The holder 101 has a general box shape. The holder 101 defines an internal space 108 therein.
The holder 101 includes: an end wall 57, a bottom wall 59, the top wall 58, and a pair of side walls 60.
The end wall 57 extends in the up-down direction and constitutes a front end portion of the holder 101. The bottom wall 59 extends rearward from a bottom end portion of the end wall 57. The top wall 58 extends rearward from an upper end portion of the end wall 57 and is spaced part from the bottom wall 59 in the up-down direction. The respective side walls 60 extend rearward from right and left end portions of the end wall 57. Specifically, the side wall 60 extending from the right end portion of the end wall 57 is connected to respective right end portions of the bottom wall 59 and top wall 58. The side wall 60 extending from the left end portion of the end wall 57 is connected to respective left end portions of the bottom wall 59 and top wall 58. Thus, the side walls 60 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction and respectively connected to the top wall 58 and bottom wall 59.
The holder 101 has a rear end portion formed with the opening 112. Thus, the opening 112 opposes the end wall 57 in the front-rear direction. The opening 112 is in communication with the internal space 108 of the holder 101. A user faces the opening 112 in an attempt to use the printer 10. The ink cartridge 30 is allowed to be inserted frontward into the internal space 108 of the holder 101 through the opening 112.
The internal space 108 is defined by the end wall 57, bottom wall 59, top wall 58, and side walls 60. The internal space 108 is partitioned into four individual chambers by non-illustrated partitioning walls. A set of the joint portion 103, substrate 64 and connector 125 is provided for each one of the four chambers of the internal space 108. In other words, four joint portions 103, four boards 64 and four connectors 125 are provided at the holder 101 of the cartridge attachment section 110. The four ink cartridges 30 corresponding to the four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black can be received in the respective four chambers of the internal space 108 in the holder 101 of the cartridge attachment section 110.
Incidentally, the number of chambers formed in the internal space 108 need not be limited to four. Hence, the number of the ink cartridges 30, and the number of the set of the joint portion 103, substrate 64 and connector 125 may be determined in response to the number of the chambers provided in the internal space 108 of the holder 101.
Hereinafter, for simplifying the explanation, detailed description will be made only on a configuration in one of the four chambers in the internal space 108 of the cartridge attachment section 110.
The joint portion 103 is provided at a lower end portion of the end wall 57. The joint portion 103 is provided at a position corresponding to the ink supply portion 34 of the ink cartridge 30 accommodated in the corresponding chamber in the holder 101 of the cartridge attachment section 110, i.e., the ink supply portion 34 of the ink cartridge 30 in the attached state.
The joint portion 103 includes the ink needle 117, and a retention groove 116. The ink needle 117 is formed of resin having a tubular configuration. The ink needle 117 penetrates the end wall 57 of the holder 101 in the front-rear direction to provide communication between interior and exterior of the holder 101. The ink needle 117 has an outer end that is positioned outside the holder 101, and the outer end is connected to the corresponding ink tube 20. The ink tube 20 connected to the ink needle 117 extends out to the recording head 21 of the printer 10 to allow ink to be supplied to the recording head 21. The ink tube 20 is not illustrated in Fig. 4.
The retention groove 116 is a cylindrical-shaped groove formed in a rear surface 57A of the end wall 57. The ink needle 117 is disposed at a diametrical center portion of the retention groove 116. As illustrated in Fig. 9, upon attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the ink supply portion 34 is inserted in the retention groove 116. At this time, an outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical-shaped ink supply portion 34 comes in contact with a cylindrical-shaped inner circumferential surface of the retention groove 116. When the ink supply portion 34 is inserted in the retention groove 116, the ink needle 117 is inserted in the ink supply opening 71 of the ink supply portion 34. The ink stored in the ink chamber 36 can thus flow out therefrom into an internal space of the ink needle 117. In this way, the ink flowing out from the ink chamber 36 is supplied to the recording head 21 through the ink needle 117 and the ink tube 20.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the substrate 64 is provided at the top wall 58 of the holder 101. In the present embodiment, the substrate 64 is supported on the bottom surface 58A of the substrate 64. The bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. The bottom surface 58A extends rearward from the rear surface 57A of the end wall 57 and defines an upper edge of the internal space 108. A rear edge of the bottom surface 58A defines an upper edge of the opening 112. The bottom surface 58A extends in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. The bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 is an example of a first surface of the disclosure.
Although not illustrated in the drawings, the substrate 64 is fixed to the top wall 58 by a well-known method, such as screw-fixing. The substrate 64 is electrically connected to the controller 1 through a cable 5. The controller 1 is configured of a CPU, a memory and the like, and is configured to control various operations of the printer 10.
As described earlier, the four boards 64 are provided one each for corresponding one of the four chambers in the internal space 108 of the holder 101. Thus, each one of the four connectors 125 is mounted on corresponding one of the substrates 64. However, the substrate 64 may be arranged differently from the present embodiment. For example, a single substrate 64 may be provided across the four chambers in the internal space 108 of the holder 101. In this case, four of the connectors 125 may be mounted on the single substrate 64.

< Connector 125 >

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the connector 125 is mounted on a lower surface of the substrate 64.
The connector 125 is arranged at such a position that the connector 125 is located above and in opposition to the circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30 in the attached state (when the ink cartridge 30 has been completely attached to the cartridge attachment section 110), as illustrated in Fig. 9.
As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the connector 125 includes a housing 126, four conductive members 128, and a movable member 130. The conductive members 128 and movable member 130 are respectively supported by the housing 126.
The housing 126 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 126 is fixed to the substrate 64 through a well-known technique, such as screw-fixing. The housing 126 is thus supported by the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 via the substrate 64.
Note that a lower surface of the substrate 64 serves to define the upper edge of the internal space 108 together with the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58. Hence, the lower surface of the substrate 64 constitutes part of the first surface of the disclosure.
The housing 126 has a top surface 151, a bottom surface 153, and a front side surface 152. The housing 126 is formed with four slits 154 in one-to-one correspondence with the four electrodes 86 of the ink cartridge 30. The slits 154 are arrayed in the left-right direction. Each slit 154 extends from the top surface 151 to the bottom surface 153 through the front side surface 152 of the housing 126. The number of the slits 154 need not be four, but may be determined in response to the number of the electrodes of a corresponding ink cartridge.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, each slit 154 has a generally U shape that is open rearward in a side view. Specifically, each slit 154 is configured of three spaces: a front space 154A; an upper space 154B; and a lower space 154C.
The front space 154A is provided by a notched portion that is recessed rearward from the front side surface 152. The upper space 154B is provided by a notched portion that is recessed downward from the top surface 151. The lower space 154C is provided by a notched portion that is recessed upward from the bottom surface 153.
The housing 126 has an inner surface 127 that defines a rear edge of the front space 154A. The inner surface 127 is formed with a depressed portion 129 that is depressed rearward therefrom.
As illustrated in Fig. 5, the connector 125 includes the four conductive members 128 in one-to-one correspondence with the four electrodes 86 of the ink cartridge 30. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the four conductive members 128 are respectively accommodated in the four slits 154 of the housing 126. That is, the conductive members 128 are arrayed to be spaced apart from one another in the left-right direction. The number of the conductive members 128 need not be four.
Each conductive member 128 is an elongated electrical conductor. Each conductive member 128 is resiliently deformable in the up-down direction and left-right direction. Each conductive member 128 has a generally U shape that is open rearward in a side view, in conformance with the cross-sectional shape of the corresponding slit 154.
Each conductive member 128 includes a support portion 131, a first extension portion 132, and a second extension portion 133. The support portion 131 and second extension portion 133 are an example of a leaf spring portion.
The support portion 131 is a portion corresponding to a curved portion of the U shape of the conductive member 128. The support portion 131 is accommodated in the front space 154A of the corresponding slit 154. The support portion 131 extends generally in the up-down direction. The support portion 131 has a center portion in the up-down direction that is formed with a protruding part 134. The protruding part 134 protrudes rearward from the center portion of the support portion 131. The protruding part 134 is fitted in the depressed portion 129 of the housing 126. The support portion 131 is thus supported by the housing 126 by the fitting of the protruding part 134 with the depressed portion 129. Incidentally, the support portion 131 may be fixed to the housing 126 through means other than fitting, such as adhesion.
The first extension portion 132 extends generally rearward from an upper end of the support portion 131. The first extension portion 132 is accommodated in the upper space 154B of the corresponding slit 154.
The first extension portion 132 has a rear end portion on which a contact 135 is provided. The contact 135 protrudes upward from the rear end portion of the first extension portion 132. The contact 135 is solder-mounted on the substrate 64. In this way, each conductive member 128 is electrically connected to the controller 1 via wiring patterns on the substrate 64 and the cable 5. The contact 135 may be mounted on the substrate 64 through arbitrary means other than soldering. For example, the contact 135 may be mounted on the substrate 64 by through-hole mounting or surface mounting.
The second extension portion 133 extends generally rearward from a lower end of the support portion 131. The second extension portion 133 is accommodated in the lower space 154C of the corresponding slit 154.
The second extension portion 133 extends in the front-rear direction and has a rear end 133A. The rear end 133A is a free end portion that is not in contact with any other part or component. The rear end 133A is positioned rearward relative to the protruding part 134 of the support portion 131. The conductive member 128 is resiliently deformable, as described earlier. Accordingly, the second extension portion 133 is resiliently deformable in the up-down direction and left-right direction, within the lower space 154C in the housing 126, with the protruding part 134 of the support portion 131 serving as a fulcrum. That is, the second extension portion 133 (a rear end portion thereof including the rear end 133A) is movable in the up-down direction and left-right direction due to resiliency thereof. In the present embodiment, the second extension portion 133 is supported by the housing 126 such that the second extension portion 133 (the rear end portion thereof) is movable in a prescribed direction crossing the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58, i.e., in a direction toward diagonally upward and rearward, when contacted by the ink cartridge 30.
Incidentally, the second extension portion 133 may be movable in any direction crossing the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58. For example, the second extension portion 133 may be movable in a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58, i.e., vertically.
Specifically, the second extension portion 133 (specifically, the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133) is movable between a lower position (illustrated in Fig. 6) and an upper position higher than the lower position (illustrated in Fig. 7). The lower position is an example of a remote position, and the upper position is an example of a proximate position.
The second extension portion 133 is at the lower position without application of any external force, as illustrated in Fig. 6.
The second extension portion 133 is lifted upward by the movable member 130 as will be described later, thereby moving from the lower position to the upper position due to the resiliency thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The second extension portion 133 (rear end portion thereof) is positioned closer to the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 at the upper position than at the lower position.
The second extension portion 133 includes a contact 138. The contact 138 protrudes downward from a generally intermediate portion of the second extension portion 133. The contact 138 is positioned frontward of the rear end 133A of the second extension portion 133. In other words, the free end portion (rear end 133A) of the second extension portion 133 is positioned upstream of the contact 138 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. The contact 138 is also positioned rearward of the protruding part 134. That is, the support portion 131 is supported by and fixed to the housing 126 at a position downstream of the contact 138 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30.
The contact 138 protrudes further downward relative to the bottom surface 153 of the housing 126. A lower end of the contact 138 in the holder 101 while the ink cartridge 30 is detached from the holder 101 is positioned further downward relative to an upper edge of each electrode 86 on the circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30 while the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the holder 101. In the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the holder 101, the contact 138 of the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128 is in contact with the corresponding one of the four electrodes 86 on the circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30. The respective contacts 138 of the connector 125 are thus electrically connected to the respective electrodes 86 of the corresponding ink cartridge 30.
Since the contact 138 is provided at the second extension portion 133, the contact 138 is positioned higher while the second extension portion 133 is at the upper position than at the lower position.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the housing 126 is further formed with an internal space 155. The internal space 155 is positioned rearward of the respective slits 154. The internal space 155 is in communication with an opening 156 formed in the bottom surface 153 of the housing 126, as illustrated in Figs 4 and 5. The opening 156 is also in communication with the respective lower spaces 154C of the four slits 154. The housing 126 has an inner surface 155A that defines an upper edge of the internal space 155 (see Fig. 4).
The housing 126 further includes a pair of protrusions 157. The protrusions 157 protrudes inward one each from inner surfaces of respective right and left side walls of the housing 126. The inner surfaces of the right and left side walls of the housing 126 respectively define right and left edges of the opening 156 on the bottom surface 153. The protrusions 157 are positioned adjacent to the bottom surface 153.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the movable member 130 is accommodated in the internal space 155 of the housing 126. The movable member 130 is thus positioned rearward of the conductive members 128 in the housing 126. To be more precise, at least a portion of the movable member 130 (a portion other than a front end portion that is positioned below the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of the conductive member 128) is positioned rearward of the conductive member 128. In other words, at least a portion of the movable member 130 is positioned upstream of the deformable rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of the conductive member 128 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30.
The movable member 130 is a polyhedron having a general L shape in a side view. The movable member 130 has a lower end portion that is positioned below the bottom surface 153 of the housing 126.
The movable member 130 has a top surface configured of a first top surface 161, and a second top surface 162. The first top surface 161 is positioned rearward and upward relative to the second top surface 162.
The second top surface 162 is positioned below the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128. Here, the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 is a portion between the rear end 133A and the contact 138 in the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128.
The movable member 130 has a bottom surface configured of a front sloped surface 163, a rear sloped surface 164, and a horizontal surface 165.
The front sloped surface 163 constitutes a front end portion of the bottom surface of the movable member 130. The front sloped surface 163 faces frontward, i.e., toward downstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. The front sloped surface 163 is sloped to extend downward toward the rear (i.e., toward upstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30).
The rear sloped surface 164 constitutes a rear end portion of the bottom surface of the movable member 130. The rear sloped surface 164 faces rearward, i.e., toward upstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. The rear sloped surface 164 is sloped to extend downward toward the front (i.e., toward downstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30).
The horizontal surface 165 constitutes a center portion of the bottom surface of the movable member 130. The horizontal surface 165 extends horizontally in the front-rear direction to connect a rear edge of the front sloped surface 163 to a front edge of the rear sloped surface 164. That is, the front sloped surface 163 extends from the horizontal surface 165 to be sloped, relative to the horizontal surface 165, to extend diagonally upward and frontward therefrom. The rear sloped surface 164 extends from the horizontal surface 165 to be sloped, relative to the horizontal surface 165, to extend diagonally upward and rearward therefrom.
The movable member 130 further includes a pair of protrusions 166. The protrusions 166 protrude outward in the left-right direction from respective left and right surfaces of the movable member 130.
The movable member 130 is movable in the up-down direction (in the upward direction 54 as well as in the downward direction 53) within the internal space 155 of the housing 126.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the protrusions 166 of the movable member 130 come into contact with the protrusions 157 of the housing 126 from above inside the internal space 155, thereby restricting further downward movement of the movable member 130. The position of the movable member 130 illustrated in Fig. 4 will be referred to as a lower restricted position. The movable member 130 is restricted from moving further downward from the lower restricted position.
Further, upward movement of the movable member 130 is also restricted by abutment of the first top surface 161 against the inner surface 155A of the housing 126 from below. Although not shown in the drawings, the position of the movable member 130 whose first top surface 161 is in abutment with the inner surface 155A of the housing 126 will be referred to as an upper restricted position.
In this way, the movable member 130 is supported by the housing 126 such that the movable member 130 is movable in the up-down direction, i.e., in a direction orthogonal to the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 of the holder 101. Incidentally, the movable member 130 need not be movable vertically, but may be movable in any direction crossing the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58. For example, the movable member 130 may be movable in a direction inclined frontward relative to the vertical direction (up-down direction).
The movable member 130 is movable between a first position illustrated in Fig. 4 and a second position illustrated in Fig. 7.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the movable member 130 is at the first position without any application of external force thereto. In the first position, due to the self-weight of the movable member 130, the protrusions 166 are in contact with the respective protrusions 157 (of the housing 126) from above. That is, the first position of the movable member 130 is coincident with the lower restricted position of the movable member 130.
In the present embodiment, when the movable member 130 is at the first position, the second top surface 162 of the movable member 130 opposes the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 from below in the up-down direction so as to be spaced away therefrom. In other words, the movable member 130 faces the conductive member 128 (second extension portion 133) such that the second top surface 162 is positioned opposite the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 with respect to the second extension portion 133 in the up-down direction.
The movable member 130 is moved to the second position above the first position (illustrated in Fig. 7) by being lifted up by the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30. That is, the movable member 130 is positioned closer to the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 at the second position than at the first position. Movement of the movable member 130 will be described later in details.
In the present embodiment, the second top surface 162 is in contact with the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of the conductive member 128 from below, while the movable member 130 is at the second position. Further, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the first top surface 161 is spaced apart from the inner surface 155A of the housing 126 in the up-down direction while the movable member 130 is at the second position. In other words, the second position of the movable member 130 is below the upper restricted position of the movable member 130. However, the second position of the movable member 130 may be coincident with the upper restricted position of the movable member 130.

< Operations for Attaching and Detaching Ink Cartridge 30 >

Hereinafter, operations for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 30 relative to the cartridge attachment section 110 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 through 10.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, prior to insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge attachment section 110, the movable member 130 is at the first position due to its self-weight, and the second extension portion 133 of the conductive member 128 is at its lower position.
For attachment of the ink cartridge 30, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted forward into the holder 101 to come inside the corresponding chamber in the internal space 108 of the holder 101. At this time, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 (specifically, the front inclined surface 84A of the board supporting portion 84) is brought into contact with the connector 125 of the cartridge attachment section 110 (specifically, the rear sloped surface 164 of the movable member 130) from a rear side thereof (from upstream in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30).
As the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further forward (deeper inside the internal space 108 of the holder 101) from the state of Fig. 6, the rear sloped surface 164 of the movable member 130 is pressed by the front inclined surface 84A of the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30, thereby moving the movable member 130 upward to a position depicted in Fig. 7. That is, the movable member 130 is moved from the first position to the second position. Due to the upward movement of the movable member 130 to the second position from the first position, the second top surface 162 of the movable member 130 is brought into contact with the rear end portion of each second extension portion 133 from below, pushing the rear end portion of each second extension portion 133 upward. Each second extension portion 133 is thus moved to the upper position from the lower position when pushed upward by the movable member 130. The contact 138 on each second extension portion 133 is moved upward accordingly. In this way, each second extension portion 133 at the lower position is moved to the upper position in association with the movement of the movable member 130 from the first position to the second position.
As the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further forward inside the internal space 108 of the holder 101 from the state of Fig. 7, part of the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 (a front portion thereof) comes to a position vertically below the contact 138 of each conductive member 128, as illustrated in Fig. 8. At this time, the since the contact 138 has been moved upward in accordance with the upward movement of the corresponding second extension portion 133 from the lower position, a lower edge of each contact 138 is positioned higher than upper edges of the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 of the inserted ink cartridge 30. Accordingly, the contacts 138 are separated upward away from the board supporting portion 84 and the circuit board 85. Note that, at this time, a rear end portion of the circuit board 85 abuts on the movable member 130 from below, so that the movable member 130 is maintained at the second position. The movable member 130 at the second position in turn serves to maintain each second extension portion 133 at its upper position.
As the ink cartridge 30 is inserted further forward inside the internal space 108 of the holder 101 from the state of Fig. 8, the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 move past the movable member 130 and come to a position forward of and in separation from the movable member 130, as illustrated in Fig. 9. That is, the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 are positioned downstream of the movable member 130 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. Accordingly, the movable member 130 moves downward due to its self-weight, i.e., from the second position to the first position.
In accordance with the downward movement of the movable member 130 from the second position to the first position, the second top surface 162 thereof moves downward to be separated away from the rear end portion of each second extension portion 133. Each second extension portion 133 moves from the upper position to the lower position due to its own resiliency, which also moves each contact 138 downward. That is, each second extension portion 133 at the upper position moves to the lower position in association with the movement of the movable member 130 from the second position to the first position.
Further, in the state of Fig. 9, the electrodes 86 of the circuit board 85 are located vertically below the corresponding contacts 138. The contacts 138 come into contact with the electrodes 86 from above, in accordance with the movement of the second extension portion 133 from the upper position to the lower position. The contacts 138 of the connector 125 and the electrodes 86 of the ink cartridge 30 are thus electrically connected to each other.
Here, as described above, the lower edge of each contact 138 before insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101 is positioned below the upper edge of the corresponding electrode 86 on the circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30 inserted inside the holder 101. Hence, in the state of Fig. 9, the electrodes 86 on the circuit board 85 push the respective contacts 138 upward, thereby resiliently deforming the respective second extension portions 133 upward. The electrodes 86 of the ink cartridge 30 and the corresponding contacts 138 of the connector 125 of the holder 101 are thus electrically connected to each other.
Further, in the state of Fig. 9, the ink supply portion 34 is in contact with and received in the retention groove 116 of the holder 101. The ink needle 117 of the holder 101 is thus inserted in the ink supply opening 71 of the ink supply portion 34 to be in fluid communication with the ink passage 72 in the ink supply portion 34. The valve 70 is pushed by the inserted ink needle 117 to be separated away from the ink supply opening 71 against an urging force of the coil spring 73 inside the ink passage 72. The ink stored in the ink chamber 36 is thus allowed to flow, out of the ink chamber 36, into the ink passage 72, the ink needle 117, the corresponding ink tube 20, and then into recording head 21.
Further, in the state of Fig. 9, a tip end portion of the ink supply portion 34 is in contact with the retention groove 116 from a rear side thereof. Hence, the ink cartridge 30 can no longer move further forward in the insertion direction from the position illustrated in Fig. 9. Attachment of the ink cartridge 30 to the holder 101 is now completed and the ink cartridge 30 is in its attached state. In the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110, the movable member 130 is at the first position due to the self-weight, and the contacts 138 and the electrodes 86 are electrically connected to each other.
Although not shown in the drawings, the cartridge attachment section 110 and the ink cartridge 30 are each provided with a retaining mechanism for retaining the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge attachment section 110. A user may manipulate the retaining mechanism(s) to realize detachment of the attached ink cartridge 30 from the cartridge attachment section 110.
For detachment of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101, the user may hold the ink cartridge 30, release the retaining mechanism(s) to disengage the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101, and pull the released ink cartridge 30 rearward.
The ink needle 117 is then removed from the ink supply portion 34 by the rearward movement of the ink cartridge 30. The valve 70 is accordingly moved forward to close the ink supply opening 71 due to the urging force (resilient force) of the coil spring 73.
Further, as illustrated in Fig. 10, the rear inclined surface 84B of the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 is brought into contact with the front sloped surface 163 of the movable member 130 of the connector 125 from a front side thereof, i.e., from a downstream side in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30.
As the ink cartridge 30 is pulled out further rearward from the internal space 108 of the holder 101 from the state of Fig. 10, the front sloped surface 163 of the movable member 130 is further pushed rearward by the rear inclined surface 84B of the board supporting portion 84, thereby moving the movable member 130 as a whole upward, as illustrated in Fig. 8. That is, the movable member 130 is moved to the second position from the first position. In this way, just as in the insertion process of the ink cartridge 30, each of the second extension portions 133 is moved to the upper position from the lower position because the rear end portions of the second extension portions 133 are pushed upward by the second top surface 162 of the movable member 130. The contacts 138 are also moved upward to be separated from the circuit board 85 of the ink cartridge 30.
As the ink cartridge 30 is further pulled out rearward from the state of Fig. 8, the board supporting portion 84 and the circuit board 85 move past the movable member 130, via the state of Fig. 7. The board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 finally come to a position rearward of the movable member 130 so as to be separated away from the movable member 130. In this way, detachment of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101 is completed.
At this time, the board supporting portion 84 and circuit board 85 are positioned upstream of the movable member 130 in the insertion direction of the ink cartridge 30. Hence, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the movable member 130 has moved to the first position from the second position. Due to the movement of the movable member 130 from the second position to the first position, the second extension portions 133 of the connector 125 are each moved to the lower position from the upper position by the resiliency thereof.

< Operational and Technical Advantages >

According to the present embodiment, the housing 126 of the connector 125 is supported by the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 of the holder 101. Accordingly, the conductive members 128 supported by the housing 126 are stable in position relative to the holder 101. In the connector 125, only the movable member 130 is configured as a movable member, with the housing 126 supporting the conductive members 128 maintained immovable. With this structure, there is no need to provide any other member (flexible flat cable, for example) for connection of the housing 126 to the holder 101, preventing the structure of the connector 125 from getting complicated.
Further, according to the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is pushed in the insertion direction to be inserted into the internal space 108 of the holder 101. The ink cartridge 30 is pulled out to be remove from the internal space 108 of the holder 101. Normally, applying a pushing force to the ink cartridge 30 is easier than applying a pulling force to the ink cartridge 30.
In the present embodiment, in each conductive member 128, the support portion 131 is fixed to the housing 126 at a position forward of the contact 138; and the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 (the free end portion of the conductive member 128) is positioned rearward of the contact 138. With this structure, resistance applied to the ink cartridge 30 by the second extension portions 133 via the contacts 138 during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101 can be made smaller than that during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101. The resistance applied to the ink cartridge 30 during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101 is therefore restricted from getting excessively large.
In the present embodiment, the movable member 130 is configured to face each conductive member 128 (the second extension portion 133) from below. Accordingly, the movable member 130 (which is moving upward) can push the conductive member 128 upward to move the conductive member 128 (the second extension portion 133) upward. This structure of the embodiment can associate the movement of the conductive member 128 with the movement of the movable member 130 through a simple structure.
Further, according to the embodiment, the movable member 130 is located at its first position due to its own weight. That is, the movable member 130 can be situated at the first position without using any urging member such as a spring, in a state where no external force is applied to the movable member 130.
Further, according to the embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 comes into contact with the rear sloped surface 164 of the movable member 130 from rearward thereof during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101. Due to the slope of the rear sloped surface 164, the movable member 130 is applied with an upward force from the ink cartridge 30, thereby easily moving upward when contacted by the ink cartridge 30 during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101.
Further, according to the embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 comes into contact with the front sloped surface 163 of the movable member 130 from frontward thereof during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101. Due to the slope of the front sloped surface 163, the movable member 130 is applied with an upward force from the ink cartridge 30, thereby easily being lifted upward when contacted by the ink cartridge 30 during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101.
Further, according to the embodiment, the front inclined surface 84A of the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 comes into contact with the movable member 130 from rearward thereof to generate an upward force during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101. The movable member 130 is thus easily moved upward by the upward force applied from the ink cartridge 30, when contacted by the ink cartridge 30 during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101.
Further, according to the embodiment, the rear inclined surface 84B of the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 comes into contact with the movable member 130 from frontward thereof to generate an upward force during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101. The movable member 130 is thus easily moved upward by the upward force applied from the ink cartridge 30, when contacted by the ink cartridge 30 during the removal of the ink cartridge 30 from the holder 101.

< Modifications and Variations >

In the above-described embodiment, the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128 extends rearward from the lower end of the support portion 131. However, the second extension portion 133 may extends frontward, rather than rearward, from the lower end of the support portion 131.
In the above-described embodiment, the first extension portion 132 of each conductive member 128 extends rearward from the upper end of the support portion 131. However, the second extension portion 133 may extends frontward, rather than rearward, from the upper end of the support portion 131.
In the above-described embodiment, the conductive member 128 is an elongated electrically conductive member having resiliency, so that the conductive member 128 (at least a portion thereof, i.e., the second extension portion 133) is movable by the resiliency. Alternatively, the conductive member 128 may be supported by the housing 126 such that the conductive member 128 is slidable, just like the movable member 130, for example. That is, an entirety of the conductive member 128 may be configured to move relative to the housing 126. In this case, the conductive members 128 may be electrically connected to the substrate 64 of the holder 101 via a flexible flat cable, for example.
Still further, an entirety of the movable member 130 may be positioned upstream of an entirety of the conductive member 128 in the insertion direction, provided that the movable member 130 can reliably come into contact with the second extension portion 133 of the conductive member 128 when contacted by the ink cartridge 30 during the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the holder 101.
In the above-described embodiment, the second top surface 162 of the movable member 130 is located below the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128 so as to be spaced apart therefrom, while the movable member 130 is at the first position (see Fig. 6). However, the second top surface 162 of the movable member 130 may contact the rear end portion of the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128 while the movable member 130 is at the first position.
The movable member 130 of the depicted embodiment is located at its first position due to its own weight. Alternatively, the movable member 130 may be urged to be placed at the first position by an urging member such as a spring, in a state where no external force is applied to the movable member 130.
While the movable member 130 has the front sloped surface 163 and the rear sloped surface 164 in the above-described embodiment, the movable member 130 may not have these sloped surfaces 163 and 164. Further, the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 of the depicted embodiment has the front inclined surface 84A and the rear inclined surface 84B, the board supporting portion 84 may not have these sloped surfaces 84A and 84B. However, in order to realize smooth upward movement of the movable member 130 when contacted by the ink cartridge 30, it is preferable that at least one of the movable member 130 and the board supporting portion 84 have a sloped surface.
In the above-described embodiment, the housing 126 of the connector 125 is supported by the top wall 58 (bottom surface 58A thereof) via the substrate 64. However, the housing 126 may be directly supported by the bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58.
Still alternatively, the housing 126 of the connector 125 maybe supported by a wall of the holder 101 other than the top wall 58, either directly or via the substrate 64. For example, the housing 126 may be supported by a surface of one of the pair of side walls 60 (a left surface of the right side wall 60, for example) of the holder 101. In this case, the board supporting portion 84 of the ink cartridge 30 may be supported by a right surface of the side wall 37 of the housing 31 to protrude rightward therefrom. The circuit board 85 may be supported by a right surface (a protruding end surface) of the board supporting portion 84. Note that, in this case, the movable member 130 and the second extension portion 133 of each conductive member 128 may be made movable in the left-right direction (in a direction perpendicular to the right surface of the side wall 37), rather than in the up-down direction.
In the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is configured to be inserted into and removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 in the front-rear direction (horizontally). Alternatively, the ink cartridge 30 may be configured to be inserted into and removed from the cartridge attachment section 110 in the up-down direction (vertically).
In the above-described embodiment, the printer 10 configured to record images on recording sheets based on an inkjet recording scheme is described as an example of a system configured of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge attachment section 110. However, the system of the disclosure may be embodied as a printer configured to record images on recording sheets based on another scheme, such as an electrophotographic scheme; or as a label printer configured to record images on labels based on a thermal transfer printing scheme. Still further, the system of the disclosure may be embodied as an apparatus other than a printer, provided that a cartridge is electrically connected to a cartridge accommodating device in a state where the cartridge is attached to the cartridge accommodating device.
While the description has been made in detail with reference to the embodiment thereof, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the above-described embodiment.

[Remarks]

The ink cartridge 30 is an example of a cartridge. The cartridge attachment section 110 is an example of a cartridge accommodating device. The holder 101 is an example of a holder. The internal space 108 is an example of an internal space. The bottom surface 58A of the top wall 58 of the holder 101 is an example of a first surface. The connector 125 is an example of a connector. The housing 126 of the connector 125 is an example of a housing. The conductive member 128 is an example of a conductive member. The second extension portion 133 is an example of a portion of the conductive member and an example of a leaf spring. The contact 138 is an example of a contact of the conductive member. The movable member 130 is an example of a movable member. The rear sloped surface 164 of the movable member 130 is an example of a first sloped surface. The front sloped surface 163 of the movable member 130 is an example of a second sloped surface. The substrate 64 is an example of a substrate. The internal space 155 of the housing 126 is an example of an accommodation space. The protrusion 157 is an example of a housing protrusion. The protrusion 166 is an example of a protrusion of the movable member. The electrodes 86 of the ink cartridge 30 are an example of an electrical interface. The circuit board 85 is an example of a circuit board. The board supporting portion 84 is an example of a board supporting portion. The front inclined surface 84A of the board supporting portion 84 is an example of a first inclined surface. The rear inclined surface 84B of the board supporting portion 84 is an example of a second inclined surface.

Claims

A cartridge accommodating device (110) for detachably accommodating a cartridge (30) including an electrical interface (86), the cartridge accommodating device (110) comprising:
a holder (101) defining an internal space (108) therein and having an opening (112) in communication with the internal space (108), the cartridge being configured to be inserted into the internal space (108) in an insertion direction (51) through the opening (112), the holder having a first surface (58A) that defines part of the internal space (108), the first surface extending in the insertion direction; and

a connector (125) provided at the holder, the connector comprising:
a housing (126) supported by the first surface (58A);

a conductive member (128) including a contact (138) electrically connectable to the electrical interface of the cartridge accommodated in the holder (101), the conductive member (128) being supported by the housing such that at least a portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is movable in a prescribed direction crossing the first surface (58A) relative to the housing (126); and

a movable member (130) movably supported by the housing (126) and having at least a portion positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the portion (133) of the conductive member (128), the movable member (130) being movable between a first position and a second position in the prescribed direction, the movable member (130) being positioned closer to the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction at the second position than at the first position,

wherein the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is movable between a remote position and a proximate position in the prescribed direction, the contact (138) being positioned closer to the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction while the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is at the proximate position than while the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is at the remote position,

wherein the movable member (130) at the first position is moved to the second position when the portion of the movable member (133) is contacted from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction by the cartridge during insertion of the cartridge (30) into the internal space (108) of the holder (101), and

wherein the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is moved from the remote position to the proximate position in association with movement of the movable member (130) from the first position to the second position.
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the conductive member (128) comprises a leaf spring (133), the leaf spring having one end and another end,
wherein the one end of the leaf spring (133) is fixed to the housing (126), the one end being positioned downstream in the insertion direction relative to the contact (138), and
wherein the another end of the leaf spring (133) is positioned upstream in the insertion direction relative to the contact (138), the another end being a free end movable relative to the housing (126).
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable member (130) has a surface (162) positioned opposite the first surface (58A) with respect to the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) in the prescribed direction and the surface (162) of the movable member (130) faces the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) in the prescribed direction.
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the prescribed direction is a vertical direction, and
wherein the movable member (130) is positioned at the first position due to a self-weight thereof without application of any external force.
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the movable member (130) has a first sloped surface (164) facing upstream in the insertion direction, the first sloped surface (164) sloping to extend away from the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction toward downstream in the insertion direction, and
wherein the first sloped surface (164) is contacted by the cartridge (30) from an upstream thereof in the insertion direction.
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the movable member (130) has a second sloped surface (163) facing downstream in the insertion direction, the second sloped surface (163) sloping to extend away from the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction toward upstream in the insertion direction, and
wherein the second sloped surface (163) is contacted by the cartridge (30) from a downstream side thereof in the insertion direction.
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a substrate (64) supported by the first surface (58A) of the holder (101),
wherein the connector (125) is mounted on the substrate (64) and supported by the first surface (58A) of the holder (101) via the substrate (64).
The cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the housing (126) defines therein an accommodation space (155) for movably accommodating the movable member (130), the housing (126) further comprising a housing protrusion (157) protruding from an inner surface defining the accommodation space (155), and
wherein the movable member (130) comprises a protrusion (166), the protrusion (166) being configured to contact the housing protrusion (157) to maintain the movable member (130) at the first position without application of any external force.
A system comprising:
the cartridge accommodating device (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 8; and

the cartridge (30) configured to be inserted into the internal space (108) of the holder (101) and attached to the cartridge accommodating device (110), the cartridge (30) comprising:
a circuit board (85) including the electrical interface (86); and

a board supporting portion (84) supporting the circuit board (85), wherein,

the movable member (130) at the first position is caused to move to the second position when contacted by the board supporting portion (84) of the cartridge (30) from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction;

the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is caused to move from the remote position to the proximate position in association with the movement of the movable member (130) from the first position to the second position;

the movable member (130) at the second position is caused to move to the first position after the board supporting portion (84) moves past the movable member (130) in the insertion direction while making contact with the movable member (130);

the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) is caused to move from the proximate position to the remote position in association with the movement of the movable member (130) from the second position to the first position; and

the contact (138) of the conductive member (128) is electrically connected to the electrical interface (86) of the ink cartridge (30) in response to the movement of the portion (133) of the conductive member (128) from the proximate position to the remote position.
The system according to claim 9, wherein the board supporting portion (84) has a first inclined surface (84A), the first inclined surface (84A) being inclined to extend away from the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction toward downstream in the insertion direction in a state where the cartridge is accommodated in the internal space (108) of the holder (101), and
wherein the first inclined surface (84A) comes into abutment with the movable member (130) from an upstream side thereof in the insertion direction.
The system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the board supporting portion (84) has a second inclined surface (84B), the second inclined surface (84B) being inclined to extend away from the first surface (58A) in the prescribed direction toward upstream in the insertion direction in a state where the cartridge is accommodated in the internal space (108) of the holder (101), and
wherein the second inclined surface (84B) comes into abutment with the movable member (130) from a downstream side thereof in the insertion direction.