Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-08-28
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S050000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a construction and a method regarding electrical connection between a head mounting member of a recording apparatus and a head member detachably mountable on the head mounting member.
2. Related Background Art
In ink jet printers, conventionally, in many cases, electrical contact between a body side carriage and a detachable head has been effected by connecting a projection of a flexible cable provided on the carriage to a contact pad portion of a head cartridge.
In this case, a rubber pad having a projection is provided on a rear surface of the flexible cable so that positional error of a contact portion is absorbed by elasticity of rubber, thereby stabilizing contact pressure between the contacts. However, since the error absorbing ability of the rubber pad is poor and the elasticity of rubber varies with change in temperature, it may be difficult to obtain a positive contacting condition.
To cope with this, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 9-86012 (1997), there is provided a technique in which a connector comprised of a plurality of metal connection pieces is attached to a carriage and the connector and a head cartridge are electrically connected to each other.
According to such a technique, the positional error absorbing range is increased by elasticity of the metal connection pieces, and, since the metal connection pieces are rocked completely independently, all of the contacts can be maintained in the positive contacting condition.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since the metal connection pieces are arranged laterally in a line, when contacts are further increased, a length of the connector is increased accordingly, thereby making the head cartridge and the carriage more bulky.
Further, as the number of contacts is increased, a reaction force of contact pressure generated in each contact becomes great considerably. That is to say, if the connector is not secured to the carriage by a force overcoming such reaction force, the contacting condition becomes unstable.
In the past, since a portion of a contact substrate to which the connector is welded was secured to the carriage by screws, the contact substrate was flexed by the reaction force, with the result that the contacting condition might be unstable and/or the contact substrate might be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus in which, while an external force caused during mounting of a head member is being prevented from acting on an electrical part attaching member to which electrical parts for electrically connecting between the head member and a head mounting member are attached, the electrical parts attached to the electrical part attaching member can positively be secured to the head mounting member. Further, an additional object is to provide a recording apparatus in which the electrical parts can be positioned on and secured to the head mounting member with high accuracy.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus of serial type in which, while an external force caused during mounting of a head member is being prevented from acting on an attaching substrate to which a connector for electrically connecting between the head member and a carriage are attached, the connector attached to the attaching substrate can positively be secured to the carriage. Further, an additional object is to provide a recording apparatus of serial type in which the connector can be positioned on and secured to the carriage with high accuracy.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus of full-line type in which, while an external force caused during mounting of a full-line head is being prevented from acting on an attaching substrate to which a connector for electrically connecting between the full-line head and a head mounting member are attached, the connector attached to the attaching substrate can positively be secured to the head mounting member. Further, an additional object is to provide a recording apparatus of full-line type in which the connector can be positioned on and secured to the head mounting member with high accuracy.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus having a cartridge mounting member to which a cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising a connector adapted to effect electrical connection to the cartridge and having a first attached portion for receiving an attaching member for attaching the connector to the cartridge mounting member, a second attached portion provided on the cartridge mounting member and adapted to receive the attaching member when the connector is attached to the cartridge mounting member, and a substrate adapted to hold the connector and having a configuration in which the substrate is not contacted with the attaching member when the first and second attached portions are interconnected by the attaching member.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording by a head cartridge detachably mounted to a reciprocal carriage, wherein a contact substrate including a connector having a number of elastic metal connection pieces is attached to the carriage, and contact pads corresponding to the elastic metal connection pieces are provided on the head cartridge, and further wherein a housing portion of the connector is directly secured to the carriage by an attaching member and the contact substrate is configured to have an escape portion not interfered with the attaching member.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus for effecting recording by a plurality of head cartridges detachably mounted to a reciprocal carriage, wherein a contact substrate including a plurality of connectors each having a number of elastic metal connection pieces is attached to the carriage, and contact pads corresponding to the elastic metal connection pieces are provided on each of the head cartridges, and further wherein a positioning spacer is inserted between the connectors and the contact substrate so that positioning between the connectors and the contact substrate is effected via the spacer, and housing portions of the connectors are directly secured to the carriage by attaching members and the contact substrate is configured to have escape portions not interfered with the attaching members.
The other object of the present invention is to provide a method for attaching an electrical substrate to a cartridge mounting member to which a cartridge is detachably mountable, comprising the steps of providing, on a connector for effecting electrical connection to the cartridge, a first attached portion for receiving an attaching member for attaching the connector to the cartridge mounting member, providing, on the cartridge mounting member, a second attached portion for receiving the attaching member when the connector is attached to the cartridge mounting member, and providing an escape portion in the substrate for holding the connector so that the substrate does not interfere with the attaching member when the first and second attached portions are secured to each other by the attaching member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5539436 (1996-07-01), Wilson et al.
patent: 5646665 (1997-07-01), Swanson et al.
patent: 5980021 (1999-11-01), Nagoshi et al.
patent: 6017113 (2000-01-01), Nicoloff, Jr. et al.
patent: 9-86012 (1997-03-01), None
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Le N.
Vo Anh T. N.
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