JP2001026118A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate damage of an ink supply needle regardless of some positional shift at the time of mounting by forming a tubular part being fitted to the inner surface at the ink supply opening of an ink containing chamber, and a thin tubular flexing part extending from the outermost inner surface of the fitting part substantially in parallel therewith. SOLUTION: A seal rubber 16 being fitted in each ink supply opening 10a-10e forms a tubular fitting part 16a friction fitted to the inner surface of the ink supply opening. A flexing part 16c extending inward from the inner surface at the open end of the tubular fitting part 16a through a guide inclining face 16b is formed as a thin tube substantially in parallel with the tubular fitting part 16a through a slight gap such that it can flex radially. Furthermore, a ring-like tight fitting part 1b being bonded tightly to an ink supply needle on the recording head side is formed at the inner end of the flexing part 16c while swelling inward through a guide inclining face 16e. On the other hand, a common engaging recess 17 is made in the bottom face 8 of a cartridge body 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge used for an ink jet recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer of the type which performs recording and writing using yellow, magenta and cyan inks, in particular, a color ink jet printer, an ink cartridge having a required number of ink storage compartments is used.

[0003] In this type of ink cartridge, the width of each ink storage chamber is indispensable from the viewpoint of providing a plurality of ink storage chambers in a limited frame and the use amount of each ink being different. Therefore, the width of the ink supply port is small, and the ink supply ports provided in these are small and the intervals are not uniform.

[0004] Therefore, this type of ink cartridge has a problem that it cannot store sufficient ink. In addition, a carriage for mounting this type of ink cartridge has a problem in that each of the ink cartridges is provided with an ink supply port in accordance with the interval. In addition to the inconvenience of assembling such that the position of the ink supply needle must be determined, the seal attached to the ink supply port does not have much radial allowance, so that the There is a problem that the ink supply needle may be broken even by a great displacement.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge that does not break the ink supply needle even if the ink supply needle is slightly displaced during mounting.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an ink cartridge according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical fitting portion which is fitted to an ink supply port of an ink storage chamber and which is fitted to an inner surface of the ink supply port. A thin cylindrical flexible portion extending inward from the inner surface of the outer end of the fitting portion substantially in parallel with the fitting portion, and an ink supply needle bulged at the inner end of the flexible portion An elastic seal member including a fitting portion is attached.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIGS. 1 to 7 show one embodiment of the present invention. In order to further improve the gradation, among the yellow, magenta, and cyan inks, magenta and cyan inks having strong color tones are used. Shows an embodiment of an ink cartridge formed so as to be able to store two types of inks of different shades, that is, five types of inks as a whole.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an ink cartridge body formed of a polypropylene material and formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape so as to be able to accommodate as much ink as possible within a limited volume without a protruding portion on the surface. In the main body 1, ink storage chambers 2b to 2e for storing two kinds of magenta and cyan inks of different shades and an ink storage chamber 2a for storing yellow ink having a width wider than these are respectively provided via partition walls 3 #. Is formed.

The outer wall 4 of the ink cartridge body 1
Is formed to be thicker than the partition wall 3, and the opening edge 5 at the upper end is further bulged outward in a sprinkle shape to form a thicker wall, thereby giving the main body 1 sufficient rigidity.
At the corner of the outer wall 4, a ridge 6 た that integrally serves as positioning for a cartridge holder (not shown) and maintaining its shape is integrally formed.

One end of each of the bottom surfaces 8 of the ink storage chambers 2a to 2e is provided with a cylindrical ink supply port 10 connected to each other.
The ink supply ports 10a to 10e are formed so as to protrude. The outer circumference of the ink supply ports 10a to 10e is surrounded by a strip-shaped common frame 12, and is connected to the frame 12 by a rib 11.

Further, both ends of the frame 12 are inside the outer wall 4 and protrude from the ink supply ports 10a and 10e at both ends, so that both ends of the tape 15 do not protrude from the outer wall 4 and one A tape 15 is provided so that all the ink supply ports 10a to 10e can be sealed at the same time, and a notch 13 for removing air is provided on the top ridge of the frame 12. When applying the tape, the inside air is allowed to once flow into an air escape portion 14 formed inside the frame 12 and then escaped from the notch 13 provided at the upper edge of the frame 12 to securely adhere the tape 15. Have been able to.

The ink supply ports 10a to 10e
As shown in FIG.
The ink supply port 10a provided in the wide yellow ink accommodating chamber 2a is biased inward, so that the ink supply needle on the recording head side projecting from a carriage (not shown) is formed. Ink supply port 10
It can be provided uniquely according to the interval P of a to e.

FIG. 4 shows each ink supply port 10a.
The enlarged view of the seal rubber 16 to be fitted to
The outer side of the sealing rubber 16 forms a cylindrical fitting portion 16a that frictionally fits into the inner surface of the ink supply port 10, and the guide slope 16b extends from the inner surface on the opening end side of the cylindrical fitting portion 16a.
The flexible portion 16c extending inward through the cylindrical portion is substantially in parallel with the cylindrical fitting portion 16a, and is formed as a thin-walled cylindrical portion having a slight gap c therebetween so as to be able to bend in the radial direction. The ring-shaped close fitting portion 1 is formed at the inner end of the bending portion 16c and is tightly joined to the ink supply needle on the recording head side.
6d is formed to bulge inward through the guide slope 16e.

On the other hand, a common engaging recess 17 extending in the width direction is formed on the bottom surface 8 of the ink cartridge main body 1 along each of the ink supply ports 10a to 10e. The recess 17 is provided in the cartridge holder. By engaging the lifter with the supporting rod A, erroneous mounting on the cartridge is prevented, and by providing the concave portion 17, the step 18 formed inward is made into a portion where the form 19 does not contact, and is absorbed by the foam 19. The configuration is such that the amount of unreacted ink is reduced so that up to the last drop can be used, and that a reduced pressure space can be ensured when the reduced pressure is packed by the aluminum pack.

On the other hand, reference numeral 20 in the figure denotes a lid for sealing the opening of the ink cartridge main body 1.
0, as shown in FIG.
Two rows of vertical ribs 21, 21 for pressing the foam 19 accommodated in a to e are provided at intervals for each of the ink storage chambers 10a to 10e, and the lid 20 can be slightly slid in the longitudinal direction. It is formed to have a protruding length.

These vertical ribs 21, 21 are formed by forming a portion closer to the ink supply port 10 higher than other portions, and compressing the foam 19 in this portion more strongly to reduce pores. Form 1 due to strong capillary action
The ink uniformly absorbed in the ink supply chamber 9 is collected at a portion of the ink supply port 10 as the ink is reduced, and the ink storage chambers 10a to 10e are provided outside the vertical ribs 21 and 21. Several reinforcing horizontal ribs 22 are formed in contact with the inner surfaces of the partitioning wall 3 and the outer wall 4 of the cartridge body 1 for suppressing the inward bending of the partition wall 3 and the outer wall 4 of the cartridge body 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the reinforcing horizontal ribs 22 provided on the outermost vertical ribs 21 are provided.
The outside of a and 22e forms a welding surface 23 that fuses with a welding sill 5a (FIG. 6 (a)) protruding from the top surface of the outer wall 4, and the outside further has a thin space for receiving a fluff during welding. Groove 24
And reaches the outer peripheral edge 25.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, an ink filling hole 30 corresponding to each of the ink storage chambers 10a to 10e is formed on the upper surface of the lid 20, as shown in FIG. 6A and 6B, the ink filling hole 30 is formed as a cylindrical wall 31 which does not reach the height of the vertical rib 21 on the inner surface of the lid 20 as shown in FIGS. It is configured to protrude and shield a part of a passage 26 formed between the vertical ribs 21, 21.

On the upper surface of the lid 20, serpentine grooves 33 are formed, each having a leading end communicating with the air vent hole 32 and a distal end extending to through holes 34a to 34e provided in the other half of the upper surface of the lid 20, respectively. When the ink cartridge is used, the other half of the film 35 covering the upper part of the film 35 is peeled off, and the ink storage chambers 10 a to 10 e are formed through the serpentine groove 33. When the inside of e is opened to the atmosphere, the long serpentine groove 33 is formed so as to prevent the ink inside from evaporating.

The through-holes 34a to 34e at the ends of the serpentine grooves 33 are integrated into one place, and one of the through-holes 34a to 34e, in this embodiment, the through-hole 34c is formed. The film 35 can be easily peeled by arranging it in a triangular shape so as to be a vertex projecting in the peeling direction.

Further, when the film 35 is welded by the heater chip, these serpentine grooves 33 are clogged at the overlapping portions thereof or are crushed by strong contact with the partition walls 3 and the outer wall 4. In order to prevent this, the cross-section of the serpentine groove 33 is configured to prevent clogging and crushing during welding by a two-step groove of a wide groove and a deep groove.

In the embodiment constructed as described above, the cover 20 covers the opening of the cartridge body 1 so as to cover the opening.
And slide in the longitudinal direction, the partition walls 3 and the outer walls 4
The welding ribs 5a protruding from the end surface of the outer wall 4 and the welding surface 23 on the inner surface of the lid 20 are slid by the reinforcing ribs 22 protruding outside the vertical ribs 21 without being deformed. The welds are integrally welded by dynamic resistance, and the fluff generated in this process is housed in the narrow groove 24 on the inner surface of the lid 20, and the two are combined and integrated with a gap of about 0.2 mm therebetween.

Accordingly, next, ink having a small surface tension is injected into the main body 1 through the ink filling hole 30 provided in the lid 20, and then the ink cartridge is tilted by about 30 ° so that the air vent hole 32 faces upward. The film 35 is adhered to the upper surface of the lid 20 while depressurizing while holding.

As a result, the bubbles generated in the foam 19 in each of the ink storage chambers 10a to 10e cause the ink filling holes 30 protruding so as to block the passage 26 between the vertical ribs 21 and 21.
The air is separated into air and ink during the passage while avoiding the cylindrical wall 31, and only the air passes from the air vent hole 32 to the lid 20.
From the upper surface of the film 35 and further flows through the serpentine groove 33 into the through holes 34a to 34e in contact with the film 35.
Finally, a part of the film 35 is peeled off from the upper surface of the lid 20 to expose the through holes 34a to 34e, so that the insides of the respective ink storage chambers 10a to 10e are communicated with the atmosphere to be ready for use.

Although the present invention has been described using an example of an ink cartridge molded from polyvinylene, other materials such as high-density polyethylene may be used as long as the material is a moisture-impermeable soft synthetic resin material. It can also be formed from a resin material.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the shape of the seal member fitted to the ink supply port is changed between the cylindrical fitting section with the ink supply port and the close fitting section with the ink supply needle. The gap is formed as a thin-walled cylindrical portion extending inward along the cylindrical fitting portion, and a tapered guide surface is provided on the inner surface of the outer end. Despite being a seal member that fits into the ink supply port, it allows sufficient radial deformation allowance, and absorbs the necessary positional displacement between the cartridge and the ink supply needle that occurs during installation. As a result, the ink supply needles can be inserted smoothly while preventing breakage of the ink supply needles, and reliable communication can be achieved.

Further, a high vertical rib is provided on the inner surface of the lid on the ink supply port side, and the foam in this portion is compressed to reduce the diameter of the bubbles to increase the capillary force, thereby increasing the capillary force. In addition to using the ink in the ink storage chamber as much as possible and using these vertical ribs, by providing horizontal ribs on these surfaces to suppress deformation of the partition walls and outer walls, sliding resistance welding is performed. Deformation of the ink cartridge that occurs during (ultrasonic welding) can also be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the entirety of an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the ink cartridge in a cross section.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the same ink cartridge in cross section.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a seal rubber.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the ink cartridge.

FIGS. 6A to 6C are views showing an inner surface and a side surface of a lid.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the upper cover.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink cartridge main body 2a-e Ink accommodating chamber 3 Partition wall 4 Outer side wall 10a-e Ink supply port 16 Seal rubber 20 Lid 21 Vertical rib 22 Reinforcing horizontal rib 30 Ink filling hole 32 Air vent hole 33 Serpentine groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] An ink supply port of an ink storage chamber includes a cylindrical fitting portion fitted to an inner surface of the ink supply port, and an inner end substantially parallel to the fitting portion from an inner surface of an outer end of the fitting portion. An ink cartridge comprising an elastic seal member including a thin cylindrical bent portion extending toward the first direction and a closely fitted portion of an ink supply needle bulging at an inner end of the bent portion. 2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a tapered guide surface for guiding the ink supply needle is provided on an inner surface of an outer end of the bending portion. 3. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the close fitting portion bulges through an inner surface of an inner end of the bending portion via a tapered guide surface for guiding the ink supply needle. cartridge. 4. A plurality of reinforcing ribs having a portion near an ink supply port higher than other portions are provided on an inner surface of a lid covering an opening of an ink cartridge body having an ink storage chamber. An ink cartridge characterized by being erected in a longitudinal direction of an ink storage chamber and at a portion corresponding to the ink storage chamber. 5. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ink storage chambers are formed by partition walls, and the ink supply ports are formed so as to correspond to the respective ink storage chambers.