JP4265159B2 - Ink bag for ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink container that is detachably accommodated in a casing of an ink jet recording apparatus and supplies ink to a recording head, and more particularly to an ink bag in which ink is accommodated in a flexible bag.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An ink jet recording apparatus is a recording apparatus that performs a large amount of printing because a recording head that receives ink supplied from an ink supply source reciprocates in the paper width direction of the recording paper. And a method of supplying ink to the recording head via a tube.
[0003]
By the way, the ink jet recording apparatus pressurizes the ink in the pressure generating chamber to generate ink droplets, and if the ink contains bubbles, the pressure decreases and the ink droplet ejection performance also decreases. Requires ink that eliminates dissolved air.
For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, the ink bag A has a laminated film in which aluminum is vapor-deposited on a polyethylene film having a gas barrier property and is overlapped at the center so that three sides except one short side are heat-welded. And the remaining short side is sealed with an ink supply port forming member B made of a plastic molded product, and is housed in a hard case C made of a polymer material in order to prevent damage due to external force or the like. The ink bag is uniformly deformed on one side surface, and the plate material D for detecting the ink end is fixed and collected as an ink cartridge. In addition, the code | symbol E in a figure shows the cover which comprises a case.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of commercial printing, it is necessary to increase the capacity and reduce the cost. Therefore, it is necessary to distribute the product as it is without being stored in a hard case.
For this reason, if the bag itself is strong enough to withstand distribution and setting operations to the recording device, it will be difficult to reduce the volume of the bag in accordance with the consumption of ink by printing, and the ink to the recording head In addition to the problem that the supply of ink is hindered, the thickness of the central part is larger than the peripheral part and rounded when filled with ink, so it is housed in a rectangular parallelepiped case that is convenient for handling. In this case, there is a problem that dead space is generated and volume efficiency is low.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and can secure a strength that does not cause damage to distribution and handling during loading into a recording apparatus, and has a quadrilateral shape autonomously in a filled state. It is an object to provide an ink bag that can maintain and has a high filling efficiency and can reliably supply ink to a recording apparatus.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, in order to achieve such a problem, in the present invention, a quadrilateral thermal welding that forms side surfaces can be performed on the long sides of the two first films that form a quadrilateral shape that form a flat surface. In addition , the long sides of the two second films that are lower in rigidity than the first film and are folded at the center line along the long side direction so that the outer surfaces face each other are thermally welded to form a cylindrical body. And forming a bag by thermally welding one short side portion of the flat portion to the other short side portion of the flat portion, and the other short side portion of the flat portion being heat welded to each other across the ink supply port. The ink supply port is thermally welded, and further, a belt-like joint that reaches from one side to the other side is formed at the four corners of the flat part, and the joint is formed between the inner surface of the opposing first film and the first film. The inner surface of the film 2 is heat-welded and folded along the center line to face each other. The outer surface between the second film is formed by thermal welding.
[0006]
[Action]
In a state where the ink is filled, the side portion extends to be almost a rectangular parallelepiped, and when an excessive force is applied to the ink bag due to dropping or the like, the pressure is dispersed and received by the joint, and the ink in the recording head As the consumption increases, the side portions having relatively low rigidity are deformed according to the amount of ink so that the thickness is reduced by the tension from the joints at the four corners, and the ink is discharged.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, details of the present invention will be described below based on examples.
FIGS. 1 (a), 1 (b) and FIGS. 2 (a), 2 (b) each show an embodiment of the ink bag of the present invention. The long side portions 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b of the second film forming the side surface portions 3 and 4 are thermally welded to the long side portions 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b of the film to form a cylinder body, The short side portions 1c and 2c are thermally welded to form a bag, and the ink supply port 5 is thermally welded to the other short side portions 1d and 2d. Then, as shown in FIG. Are formed in a band shape obliquely by heat welding so as to reach the other side adjacent from one side so as to include the fold line D of the side surfaces 3 and 4.
[0008]
Thus, when the fold line D of the side surfaces 3 and 4 is positioned in the range of the joints 6 to 9, the fold line D ′ is outside the range of the joints 6 to 9 as shown in FIG. Compared with the case where it forms, the area | region E where the surface parts 1 and 2 and the side parts 3 and 4 overlap intricately can be reinforced.
[0009]
And the junction parts 6-9 of a corner part are the opposition of the 1st film which comprises the surface parts 1 and 2, and the 2nd film which comprises the side parts 3 and 4 as shown in FIG. Even if only the surface, that is, the inner surface side of the bag is used as the heat-welding region a, sufficient strength is exhibited, but further, as shown in FIG. When the heat welding region b is used, the strength is increased. FIG. 1 shows the appearance of an ink bag constituted by the joining shown in FIG.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the first film constituting the surface portions 1 and 2 has a polyethylene layer 10 having a thickness of about 100 μm, a polyester layer 11 having a thickness of about 25 μm, and an air shielding property having a thickness of about 15 μm. A metal layer having excellent flexibility, for example, an aluminum layer 12 and a polyester layer 13 as a protective layer having a thickness of about 38 μm are laminated.
[0011]
Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second film is composed of a polyethylene layer 15 having a thickness of about 60 μm to 100 μm, a metal layer having a thickness of about 9 μm and excellent air-tightness and flexibility, such as an aluminum layer 16, In addition, a nylon layer 17 having a flexibility forming a protective layer having a thickness of about 15 μm to 25 μm is laminated, and further, as shown in FIG. 4C, nylon is further provided between the polyethylene layer 15 and the aluminum layer 16. The layer 18 is formed.
[0012]
In these films, the polyethylene layer 10 of the first film constituting the surface parts 1 and 2 and the polyethylene layer 15 of the second film constituting the side parts 3 and 4 are previously centered on the side parts 3 and 4. Only the peripheral edge portion is heat-welded while facing each other in a state of being bent and brazed at C. Needless to say, since polyethylene is excellent in heat weldability, a bag body having sufficient adhesive strength and airtightness can be easily constructed.
[0013]
In FIG. 4 (a), a polyester layer 11 is interposed between the base polyethylene layer 10 and the aluminum layer 12, and this layer 11 is shown in FIG. 4 (d). With the nylon layer 19 and the nylon layer 19 having higher toughness than the polyester layer 11, the burst strength of the surface portions 1 and 2 of the ink bag due to vibration and impact can be increased.
[0014]
In this embodiment, after filling the deaerated ink from the ink supply port 5 and sealing the ink supply port 5 with a septum, the ink bag is formed by the joint portions 6 to 9 at the four corners and the short side portion 1a (2a). Unnecessary overhang is suppressed, and it is expanded in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as flat as possible (FIG. 5 (I)). In this state, even if an excessive force is applied to the ink bag due to dropping or the like, the corners receive the pressure dispersed by the relatively wide joints 6 to 9, thereby preventing breakage.
[0015]
Since the contained ink is in contact with the chemically stable polyethylene layers 10 and 15, there is no chemical change, and the outside air is blocked by the aluminum layers 12 and 16 and deaerated over a long period of time. Maintain state and maintain factory quality.
[0016]
When the ink supply needle of the recording apparatus is inserted into the ink supply port 5, the ink in the ink bag is supplied to the recording head via the ink supply tube. As the consumption of ink in the recording head proceeds, the side portions 3 and 4 having relatively low rigidity pass through the center line C and the flat portions 1 and 2 from the joint portions 6 to 9 at the four corners. While the center line C is moved inward by tension, the thickness is reduced according to the amount of ink (FIG. 5 (II)).
[0017]
In particular, the polyester layer 13 constituting the ink bag has high rigidity, and due to this, the shape maintaining property is large. Therefore, the surface portions 1 and 2 maintain the flat plate state as much as possible even when the ink is reduced. At the stage where the ink has been consumed, the side portions 3 and 4 are folded into two, and the surface portions 1 and 2 are overlapped to reliably discharge the ink inside (FIG. 5 (III)).
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, a quadrilateral heat-weldable first film that forms a side surface on the long sides of two quadrilateral heat-weldable films that form a flat surface. The cylindrical body is formed by thermally welding the long side portions of the two second films that are folded at the center line along the long side direction so that the outer surfaces are opposed to each other. One short side part of each part is heat-welded to form a bag, and the other short side part of the flat part is heat-welded to each other with the ink supply port interposed therebetween, and the ink supply port is heated to the other short side part. Welding and forming a band-like joint that reaches from one side to the other side adjacent to the four corners of the flat part, and the joints are the inner surfaces of the first film and the second film facing each other. And the outer surface of the second film which is folded along the center line and faces each other. Since it is formed by heat welding, it can be stored in the recording device with a small rectangular space when filled with ink, and the external force acting on the corners is dispersed by the joints. In addition, the side portions having relatively weak rigidity can be discharged from the joints at the four corners by tension, and ink can be reliably discharged according to the amount of ink.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIGS. 1A and 1B are a diagram illustrating an embodiment of an ink bag according to the present invention and a diagram in which a part is cut away, respectively.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a side view showing an embodiment of the ink bag according to the embodiment, and a top view showing the bag in a folded state. FIG.
FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) are cross-sectional views taken along line FF in FIG.
FIGS. 4A to 4D are cross-sectional views showing an example of a film constituting the ink bag. FIG.
FIGS. 5 (I) to (III) are diagrams showing a variation of the ink bag according to the amount of ink as a section taken along line G-G in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the ink bag of the present invention in a folded state.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional ink bag.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2 Surface portion 3, 4 Side surface portion 5 Ink supply port 6-9 Joint portion

Claims (2)

The long sides of two first-sided quadrilateral heat-bondable films that form a flat surface portion are quadrilateral-shaped heat-weldable that form side surfaces , have lower rigidity than the first film, and the outer surfaces face each other. In this way, the long side portions of the two second films that are creased at the center line along the long side direction are heat-welded to form a cylindrical body, and one short side portion of the flat portion is connected to each other. Heat-welded to form a bag body, the other short side portion of the flat portion is heat-welded to each other across the ink supply port, and the ink supply port is heat-welded to the other short side portion. A band-shaped joint that reaches from one side to the other side that is adjacent to one side is formed at four corners, and the inner surface of the first film and the inner surface of the second film that face each other are heat-welded. And the same outer surface of the second film that is folded along the center line and faces the other. An ink jet recording apparatus for the ink bag but which is formed by thermal welding.   2. The ink bag for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the center line of the second film is located in the band-shaped joint portion.

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