Connection mechanism and ink supply apparatus equipped with connection mechanism
AssigneesOrtek Corporation, Riso Kagaku Corporation
InventorMakoto Shibano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When a second cylindrical unit 38 of a second connection unit 11 is pushed into a first cylindrical unit 16 of a first connection unit 15, a sliding member 23 moves along an axis member. With the timing, the position of a moving aperture 22 formed on the sliding member 23 moves from the first position not opposite a first aperture 19 and a second aperture 51 to the second position opposite the first aperture 19 and the second aperture 51.
Claims19
A connection mechanism comprising a first connection unit and a second connection unit placed opposite the first connection unit, wherein:
- the first connection unit comprises:
- a first cylindrical unit whose connection end has an aperture;
- an axis member fixed to a bottom opposite the aperture of the first cylindrical unit;
- a first liquid path having a first aperture formed in the bottom;
- a first moving member fitting to the axis member and having a moving aperture moving while sliding on an inside surface of the first cylindrical unit in the axis direction of the axis member;
- and an urging member for urging the first moving member toward the connection end;
- the second connection unit comprises:
- a second cylindrical unit having a second aperture whose connection end side is a bottom;
- a second moving member provided inside the second cylindrical unit and having a second liquid path at a position opposite the second aperture;
- and an urging member for urging the second moving member toward the connection end;
- by pushing the second cylindrical unit into the first cylindrical unit, the first moving member moves by rotating along the axis member from a first position in which a position of the moving aperture is not opposite the first aperture and the second aperture to a second position in which the position of the moving aperture is opposite the first aperture and the second aperture, and the first liquid path is linked to the second liquid path.
An ink supply apparatus, having an ink cartridge for storing ink and a holder unit for holding the ink cartridge, to supply ink by connecting a first connection unit provided for the holder unit to a second connection unit provided for the ink cartridge, wherein
- the first connection unit includes:
- a first cylindrical unit whose connection end has an aperture;
- an axis member fixed to a bottom opposite the aperture of the first cylindrical unit;
- a first ink path having a first aperture formed in the bottom;
- a first moving member fitting to the axis member and having a moving aperture moving while sliding on an inside surface of the first cylindrical unit in the axis direction of the axis member;
- and an urging member for urging the first moving member toward the connection end;
- the second connection unit includes:
- a second cylindrical unit having a second aperture whose connection end side is a bottom;
- a second moving member provided inside the second cylindrical unit and having a second ink path at a position opposite the second aperture;
- and an urging member for urging the second moving member toward the connection end;
- and
- by pushing the second cylindrical unit into the first cylindrical unit, in the first connection unit, the first moving member moves by rotating along the axis member from a first position in which a position of the moving aperture is not opposite the first aperture to a second position in which the position of the moving aperture is opposite the first aperture, and in the second connection unit, the second moving member linearly moves from a third position in which the ink in the ink cartridge does not flow into the second ink path to a fourth position in which the ink in the ink cartridge flows into the second ink path, and when the second connection unit is connected to the first connection unit, the second aperture is linked to the first aperture through the moving aperture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.