In recent years, an inkjet recording apparatus that employs an inkjet recording head has been widely known as an image recording apparatus that records images on sheets in a simple and a cost-effective manner. The inkjet recording apparatus is provided with an ink supplying device for supplying ink to the recording head.
The ink supplying device includes a cartridge-attachment portion and ink cartridges detachably attachable thereto. Through the cartridge-attachment portion, ink in each of the ink cartridges is supplied to the recording head.
Each of the ink cartridges and the cartridge-attachment portion is provided with an ink passage and a valve configured to open and close the ink passage for preventing leakage of ink from the ink passage to the outside and mixing of air into the ink passage.
When the ink cartridge 50 has not been attached to the cartridge-attachment portion, the valve of the ink cartridge and the valve of the cartridge-attachment portion close the ink passage of the ink cartridge and the ink passage of the cartridge-attachment portion, respectively. On the other hand, when the ink cartridge is attached to the cartridge-attachment portion, the valve of the ink cartridge and the valve of the cartridge-attachment portion move to open the ink passage of the ink cartridge and the ink passage of the cartridge-attachment portion, respectively, thereby causing the two ink passages to be communicated with each other. As a result, ink is supplied from the ink cartridges to the recording head via the cartridge-attachment portion.
For example, in an ink supplying device disclosed in Japanese Application Publication No. 2007-175998, an ink supplying tube provided in a cartridge holder is inserted into the ink cartridge in an attachment process thereof. At this time, a valve body of the ink cartridge and a valve body of the ink supplying tube push each other, thereby causing an ink passage formed in the ink cartridge and an ink inlet formed at the cartridge holder to be opened and communicated with each other. As a result, ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to a recording head.
The valve body of the ink cartridge is urged by an urging member in a direction closing the ink passage. Also, the valve body of the ink supplying tube is urged by an urging member in a direction closing the ink inlet. Further, an urging force of the urging member urging the valve body of the ink supplying tube is smaller than an urging force of the urging member urging the valve body of the ink cartridge. With the configuration, in the attachment process, the valve body of the ink cartridge and the valve body of the ink supplying tube push each other and thus the valve body of the ink supplying tube first opens the ink inlet.