JP2000141678A - Plastic member and ink-jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a plastic member having a uniform film without deflection and distortion to be used for an ink-jet printer by setting each melting point of the plastic member and the film to satisfy a specific relationship formula. SOLUTION: A plastic member 2 with a film 3 such as an ink cartridge or the like can absorb an ink pressure variation inside a channel generated from the reciprocation in a carriage direction of a head of an ink-jet printer. In the plastic member, a melting point A of a material of the film 3 and a melting point B of a material of the plastic member 2 are set to satisfy a relationship formula 0 deg.C<=(A)-(B)<=20 deg.C. The film 3 is a laminate film having a high resistance to steam permeability. A biaxially stretched polypropylene is used for a material constituting the laminate film, and a non stretched polypropylene is used for a bond face to a plastic member substrate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plastic member used for an ink jet printer and an ink jet printer using the same.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a plastic member provided with a film whose inside is in contact with ink.

[0003] The present invention further relates to a plastic member having a uniform film without bending and distortion and having excellent chemical resistance and water vapor transmission resistance.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet recording is a recording method capable of high-speed printing with low noise, and is a recording method that has been rapidly spreading recently. In such ink jet recording, recording is performed by discharging a recording liquid as small droplets by a method such as heating or pressurization and attaching the recording liquid to a recording material such as paper.

[0005] Dyes have been used as coloring materials for recording liquids. However, from the viewpoint of water resistance and weather resistance of the recorded matter, it is more advantageous to use a pigment than a dye. As the liquid medium, an aqueous liquid medium is more advantageous than a non-aqueous liquid medium from the viewpoint of bleeding on plain paper.

Accordingly, an aqueous pigment-based recording liquid in which a pigment is used as a coloring material of the recording liquid and the pigment is dispersed in an aqueous liquid medium has been developed.

Although various compositions of these aqueous pigment-based recording liquids have been studied, it is still clear that problems such as an increase in viscosity due to the evaporation of water and agglomeration of pigments are more likely to occur than dye-based recording liquids. To solve these problems, efforts have been made not only to change the composition of the recording liquid as described above, but also to select a printer configuration, a maintenance mechanism, and a material of a member suitable for the aqueous pigment-based recording liquid.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a flow path member of an ink jet printer, a damper or ink supply source which absorbs fluctuations in ink pressure in the flow path due to reciprocation of a head in a carriage direction by internal air and flexibility of a film. There is a plastic member having a film such as an ink cartridge.

The film used for these plastic members has been studied in consideration of the flexibility and breakthrough properties, and the materials have been studied. A laminated film in which a plurality of films such as a) / PE / PET laminated film and a NY (nylon) / PE laminated film are laminated is often used.

However, when an ink jet printer having a plastic member provided with these films is used at a high temperature or stored for a long period of time, depending on the material of the adhesive surface of the film, the film may be peeled off due to additives in the recording liquid. .

In particular, when an aqueous pigment-based recording liquid is used, ink clogging in the flow path occurs due to evaporation of water from the recording liquid, and there is a problem that the ink cannot be recovered even if a suction operation is performed thereafter. .

[0012] Further, as a method of bonding a film to a plastic member, a heat fusion method is generally used. However, swelling and bubbles are generated between the laminated films due to heat, and furthermore, the strength of the bonded portion is caused by film deformation or melting. Of the film surface, or distortion or sagging of the film surface of the non-adhesive portion in contact with the recording liquid occurred.

As described above, when a plastic member having non-uniform bonding strength, distortion or sagging of the film surface is used, non-uniform film tearing or peeling of the bonding surface occurs when the cartridge is pierced.

Further, when these are used as dampers,
Problems such as a decrease in pressure vibration absorption characteristics and a large individual difference in absorption characteristics occurred.

The object of the present invention is to solve these problems and to provide a plastic member having a uniform film without bending and distortion and excellent in chemical resistance and water vapor transmission resistance, and a flow passage for these plastic members. It is an object of the present invention to provide an aqueous pigment-based recording liquid inkjet printer used as a member.

[0016]

The plastic member provided with the film used in the ink jet printer of the present invention is excellent in chemical resistance and water vapor transmission resistance. The material of the plastic member is made of polyolefin, and the film has at least three layers. In addition, the film bonding method is a heat-sealing method, and the melting point A of the film material serving as the bonding surface of the laminated film with the plastic member substrate and the melting point B of the member substrate material are as follows: Is a plastic member that satisfies the following relational expression: 0 ° C ≦ (A) − (B) ≦ 20 ° C

When the film is bonded by the heat fusion method, the temperature of the fusion jig needs to be set higher than the melting point of the bonding surface material. If the difference from the melting point is higher than the range of the above-mentioned relational expression, that is, if it is higher than 20 ° C., poor bonding due to the unmelted bonding surface of the laminated film or deformation of the plastic member substrate due to heat occurs.

When the difference between the melting point of the adhesive surface material of the laminated film and the melting point of the plastic member substrate is lower than the range of the above relational expression, that is, the melting point B of the plastic member.
Is higher than the melting point A of the film of the layer to be fixed to the plastic member, poor adhesion due to unmelting of the plastic member substrate, or air bubbles between the laminated films due to excessive heating of the adhesive surface material of the laminated film. Occurs,
Swelling or peeling occurs.

The plastic member provided with the film used in the ink jet printer of the present invention is characterized in that the inside of the plastic member comes into contact with the recording liquid.

The laminated film used for the plastic member of the present invention has high water vapor transmission resistance, and contains biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP) as a laminated constituent material of the laminated film.

The laminated film used for the plastic member of the present invention has an unstretched polypropylene (CP) at the surface to be adhered to the plastic member substrate, that is, the portion which directly contacts the recording liquid.
P).

The laminated film used for the plastic member of the present invention has a melting point of each film constituting the laminated film.
It is characterized in that it becomes higher sequentially in the lamination order based on the film on the member bonding surface.

In the case of heat fusion, the laminated film has a melting point gradient from the surface in contact with the fusion jig to the surface to be bonded to the plastic member, so that peeling and swelling between the laminated films due to adhesion can be prevented. Become.

Further, an ink jet printer using a plastic member having a film according to the present invention is characterized in that the recording liquid used in such an ink jet printer is an aqueous pigment recording liquid.

The thickness of the entire laminated film provided on the plastic member, that is, the thickness in a state where the respective films are laminated, depends on the physical and mechanical properties of the respective films constituting them. It is preferably at least 100 μm or less, more preferably 40 to 80 μm, for reasons such as properties and breakthrough properties.

Further, when the member and the film are bonded by a heat fusion method, a mesh sheet having a certain degree of flexibility, such as a silk cloth or a silicone mesh, is provided between the pressure-bonding jig and the film, so that the plastic member substrate is provided. It is possible to reduce non-uniformity of adhesion due to slight warpage or the like.

[0027]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As a recording liquid, an aqueous pigment-based recording liquid using a water-soluble resin containing acrylate in a molecule at a CB concentration of 5% was used.

Here, a damper was manufactured as a plastic member having a film.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of the damper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the damper has three pressure vibration absorbing chambers, and the recording liquid moves from each ink outlet 1 to three print heads.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one pressure vibration absorbing chamber in the damper. The pressure vibration absorbing chamber is a plastic member 2
The film 3 is formed by heat-sealing the film 3 to the side surface. Further, each chamber has a depression as shown by a depression 4 and a bubble pool 5, and the depression of the bubble pool 5 is formed deeper than the depression 4, and the portion of the bubble pool 5 functions as a bubble pool.

The pressure vibration caused by the operation of the head in the carriage direction is absorbed by the vibration of the surface of the film 3 serving as the wall surface of the pressure vibration absorbing chamber and the air layer stored in the bubble pool 5.

The recording liquid flows into the depression 4 through the ink inlets 6 to 7 and moves to the ink outlet 1 through the outlet 8.

Since the ink outlet 1 is directly connected to the print head, if dust or the like in the recording liquid is mixed, it causes clogging and causes ejection failure. Therefore, dust and the like in the recording liquid are removed by a circular filter provided above the outlet 8.

FIG. 3 shows a simplified diagram of bonding and an example of a laminated film.

For bonding the plastic member 2 and the film 3, a silicone rubber mesh sheet 11 is provided between the thermocompression bonding jig 10 and the film 3, and the temperature of the jig is set 30 to 50 ° C. higher than the melting point of the plastic member. I went.

The laminated film shown in FIG. 3 is a three-layer laminated film in which films made of material C, material D and material E are laminated. In the present embodiment, the constitution of the laminated film is indicated in the order of C / D from the bonding surface with the plastic member substrate.
/ E...

The resin used for the member and the melting point of each film were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

The following tests were conducted on the adhesiveness of the plastic member provided with the film used for the ink jet printer and the required characteristics as the member.

Adhesion test ... After adhesion, the presence or absence of adhesion and the state of the film were visually observed. Regarding adhesion, those with clearly poor adhesion are ×,
The appearance is indicated by a circle, and the following leak test is performed. In addition, regarding the film after bonding, judgment is made by checking for the presence or absence of melting, twisting, and bubbles of the film.

Initial leak test: A damper having no problem in the above-mentioned adhesion test is used, one of the ink inlet and the outlet is sealed, and the inside of the ink inlet and outlet is closed.
A leak test was performed by applying a pressure of 3 kgf / cm2. When the internal pressure was applied, 場合 indicates that no leakage was confirmed, and X indicates that leakage was confirmed.

Immersion test: A damper having no problem in the initial leak test
It was immersed at 0 ° C for 7 days. After the immersion, a leak test was performed under the same conditions as the initial leak test, and the ink resistance was evaluated. When there was no problem in the leak test even after immersion, ○ was given, and when the adhesive portion was peeled off and leaked in the leak test, × was given.

High-temperature storage test: Both the ink inlet and the outlet of the damper having no problem in the immersion test were sealed, and left for one month in a circulating thermostat at 40 ° C. and a humidity of 30%. Thereafter, the sealing unit is opened, connected to the ink jet printer main body, and a recovery operation by suction is performed. If the water evaporates from the recording liquid in the damper and the viscosity increases, printing after the recovery operation becomes impossible. A mark indicating no problem after the recovery operation is indicated by "O", and a mark indicating no print after the recovery operation is indicated by "X".

(Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3) Table 1 shows the structure of a plastic member having a film.
Table 2 shows the test results for each member.

[0045]

[Table 1]

[0046]

[Table 2]

The abbreviations of the respective film members constituting the laminated film and the respective melting points are shown below.

CPP unstretched polypropylene Melting point: 150 ° C OPP biaxially stretched polypropylene Melting point: 163 ° C PET polyester Melting point: 243 ° C NY nylon Melting point: 216 ° C EVOH Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer Melting point: 182 ° C EVA Ethylene-vinyl acetate Polymer melting point; 95 ° C LDPE low density polyethylene Melting point: 110 ° C PS Polystyrene melting point: 226 ° C PO Polyolefin-based polymer Melting point: 135 ° C

As is apparent from the results of Examples and Comparative Examples, in a plastic member provided with a film and having the inside in contact with the recording liquid, the relationship between the melting point of the plastic member and the melting point of the material of the film-bonding surface is defined by Claim 1. Included in the range, the plastic member is a polyolefin, the film to be bonded is a laminated film containing OPP, and the plastic member bonded to the plastic member is CPP, and the plastic member is excellent in ink resistance, water vapor transmission resistance, and adhesion. It can be seen that the surface of the film formed after the bonding shows good film properties with no distortion and uniformity.

[0050]

As described above, the plastic member provided with the film of the present invention has a high adhesive strength between the plastic member and the film and has no distortion. No, and the function can be fully exhibited for a long period of time.

Further, the ink jet printer using a plastic member provided with a film having excellent chemical resistance and water vapor transmission resistance of the present invention eliminates problems such as ink clogging inside the plastic member even for long-term storage, especially at high temperatures and long-term storage. This is particularly effective for an ink jet printer using an aqueous pigment-based recording liquid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of a plastic member provided with a film of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a pressure vibration absorbing chamber in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an example of a method for bonding a film to a plastic member according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink outlet 2 Plastic member 3 Film 4 Depression 5 Bubbles 6 Ink inlet 10 Thermocompression jig 11 Silicone rubber mesh sheet

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A plastic member which is one of components constituting an ink jet printer, wherein a film composed of a plurality of layers is fixed to the plastic member, and a film of a layer which is a surface to be fixed to the plastic member. A melting point A and a melting point B of the plastic member satisfy the following relational expression. 0 ° C ≦ (A) − (B) ≦ 20 ° C 2. The plastic member according to claim 1, wherein the plastic member is made of polyolefin. 3. The plastic member according to claim 1, wherein the film has a laminated structure of at least three layers. 4. The plastic member according to claim 1, wherein the method for fixing the film to the plastic member is a heat-sealing method. 5. The plastic member according to claim 1, wherein an inner wall of the plastic member contacts the recording liquid. 6. The film has high resistance to water vapor transmission,
The plastic member according to claim 1 or 3, wherein at least one of the layers constituting the film is formed of biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP). 7. The plastic member according to claim 1, wherein a film of a layer to be fixed to the plastic member is formed of unstretched polypropylene (CPP). 8. One or a plurality of layers of films are sequentially laminated on a film of a layer on which the film is fixed to the plastic member, and the melting point of each of the laminated films is as follows. The film of the layer to be fixed to the plastic member has the lowest film, and the melting point of each film laminated to the film is inclinedly higher in the order of lamination from the film side of the layer to be fixed to the plastic member. Claim 1 and Claim 3
Or the plastic member according to claim 5. 9. A film comprising a plurality of layers is fixed to the plastic member, and the melting point A of the film of the layer to be fixed to the plastic member and the melting point B of the plastic member satisfy the following relational expression. An ink jet printer having a plastic member. 0 ° C ≦ (A) − (B) ≦ 20 ° C 10. The ink jet printer according to claim 9, wherein the recording liquid used for the ink jet printer is an aqueous pigment based recording liquid.