JP2001353880A - Ink cartridge for ink-jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink cartridge capable of printing with an expected quality immediately after mounting after a long time of nonuse. SOLUTION: A container member storing a pigment ink in an ink storage chamber 2 communicating with an ink supplying needle of a recording head provided in a carriage via an ink supplying opening 5 is packaged such that the ink supplying opening 5 is disposed below the other region. In the case it is left for a long time, a pigment is precipitated on the ink supply opening side, whereas the pigment G is dispersed in an ink solvent flowing in the vicinity of the ink supplying opening 5 in the process of supplying the ink into the recording head, and the ink with a high concentration supplied in the initial stage is discharged outside the recording head.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for supplying ink to an ink jet recording head for discharging ink droplets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink jet recording apparatus can print an image with photographic quality with a relatively simple structure.
It is also widely used as a recording device for personal use. For such inks, dye inks are usually used in order to avoid clogging, but printing using pigment inks has been proposed in order to improve light resistance and the like.

[0003]

In the case of pigment ink, since pigment particles are suspended in a solvent, if the pigment ink is left in a fixed direction for a long time, the pigment precipitates at the bottom due to the effect of gravity. As a result, there is a problem that the print density changes during the printing period, and the desired print quality cannot be exhibited. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge which can perform printing with a desired quality immediately after mounting even if left for a long time.

[0004]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, pigment ink is supplied to an ink storage chamber which communicates with an ink supply section of a recording head provided on a carriage via an ink supply port. The accommodated container body is packed so that the ink supply port is located lower than the upper surface in the mounted state.

[0005]

The pigment ink precipitates in a region close to the ink supply unit after being left for a long time. When a new ink cartridge is attached to the print head and part of it is ejected outside the print head in the process of forcibly filling the print head, and the pigment flows due to the flow of the ink solvent flowing near the ink supply port. The diffusion prevents the ink having a high pigment concentration from stagnating in the recording head, and does not cause a rapid change in the print density during the printing period, thereby enabling printing at the desired density.

[0006]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 show an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is formed so as to be able to store two types of inks of magenta and cyan and two types of inks of yellow, respectively. .

In FIGS. 1 and 2, an ink cartridge 1 formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape so as to be able to store ink is provided.
An ink chamber 2 for accommodating magenta and cyan deep pigment inks and a magenta and cyan thin pigment ink and a yellow pigment ink are respectively formed by partitions through partition walls, and a foam 3 made of a porous material is formed in each of the chambers. 2 and impregnated with pigment ink which has been sufficiently degassed.

At one end of the bottom surface 4 of the ink storage chamber 2 near the recording head, a cylindrical ink supply port 5 communicating with each ink storage chamber 2 is formed so as to protrude.

The opening 6 of the ink cartridge 1 is sealed by a lid 7. In the lid 7, an ink filling port 8 and an air communication port 9 are formed through the center portion and the ink supply port side so as to correspond to each ink storage chamber 2.

[0010] On the upper surface of the lid 7, a starting end is provided with an air communication port 9.
And a through hole 10 whose end is provided in the other half of the upper surface of the lid 7.
A narrow groove 11 is formed in each of the ink storage chambers 2 in a labyrinth. In an unused state, the upper surface of the narrow groove 11 is sealed with an air-shielding film 12 to prevent evaporation of the ink.

The ink cartridge 1 constructed as described above is made of a film having extremely low gas permeability as shown in FIG. 3A in order to maintain the degree of deaeration of the ink contained therein. After the bag 20 is sealed in a reduced pressure state, as shown in FIG.
The ink supply port 5 is accommodated in the case 22 formed with the ink so that the ink supply port 5 is located at the other end side of the hanging portion 21, and is put into the distribution process as a product.

[0012] In order to adopt such a packaging form, the ink supply port 5 is located below when displayed at a store, and the pigment G suspended from the ink solvent as shown in FIG. The ink precipitates on the ink supply port 5 side, and a thin layer of ink having a high pigment concentration is formed on the ink supply port 5 side.

A user who has purchased such an ink cartridge removes the half 12a of the film 12 covering the cover 7 after taking it out of the bag 20, and then mounts it on the ink supply section of the recording head. Thereby, each ink storage chamber 2 is opened to the atmosphere, so that ink can be supplied to the recording head.

[0014] Even if the ink contained in the ink cartridge is settled, the pigment G is settled as a thin layer on the ink supply port 5 side. The pigment is diffused into the ink solvent flowing in the vicinity of the ink supply port 5, and is discharged from the recording head together with the ink partially discharged from the recording head to eliminate air bubbles. Is prevented from stagnating in the recording head, and a rapid change in density during the printing period does not occur, so that printing at the desired density can be performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge is housed in a case that can be displayed so that the ink supply port forming surface 20a of the ink cartridge is vertical. However, as shown in FIG. The same operation is achieved even if the forming surface is housed so as to be located at the bottom of the case 23.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the pigment precipitates on the side of the ink supply port 4, so that printing at the desired density can be performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment. Become.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the ink supply port 5 is vertically arranged, that is, the ink supply port 5 is located below the upper surface 1a of the ink cartridge 1 in the mounted state. Can be prevented from settling in a region far from the ink supply port 5.

In the above embodiment, an ink cartridge filled with a plurality of colors of ink, such as a color ink cartridge, has been described. However, the present invention is applied to a black ink cartridge or a color ink cartridge configured as an independent cartridge for each color. Obviously, the same effect is obtained even when the above-mentioned operation is performed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a form suitable for display at a store or the like has been described as an example. However, even in an ink cartridge included in a recording apparatus, an area where an ink supply port is formed is defined. It is apparent that the same effect can be obtained if the storage is made below the other areas.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge of the type in which the foam is impregnated with the ink has been described as an example. However, the present invention is applied to an ink cartridge in which the ink is directly stored in the ink storage chamber and the precipitation of the pigment is fast. Then, it is even more effective.

[0021]

As described above, in the present invention,
The container body containing the pigment ink in the ink storage chamber communicating with the ink supply unit of the recording head provided on the carriage via the ink supply port is arranged such that the ink supply port is lower than the upper surface in the mounted state. Even if the pigment ink settled on the ink supply unit side by leaving it for a long time flows into the print head during the ink filling operation to the print head, a part of it is packed And the pigment is diffused by the ink solvent flowing in the vicinity of the ink supply port, so that a sudden change in the printing density during the printing period can be prevented and printing at the desired density can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A to 1C show an embodiment of an ink cartridge according to the present invention, with a film removed,
It is a figure which shows the structure of a back surface, and the state which adhered the film.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional structure of the same ink cartridge.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are diagrams showing a state in which the ink cartridge is housed in a decompression bag, a state in which the ink cartridge is housed in a case suitable for display, and a state in which pigment is precipitated, respectively.

FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are diagrams showing a state of accommodation in a case suitable for displaying the same ink cartridge and a state of sedimentation of a pigment, respectively.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state where the ink cartridge is housed in a case suitable for displaying the ink cartridge, with the cartridge being placed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink cartridge 2 Ink storage room 3 Form 5 Ink supply port 7 Lid 20 Bag 21 Hanging part 22 Case G Pigment

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A container body containing pigment ink in an ink chamber that communicates via an ink supply port with an ink supply unit of a recording head provided on a carriage, wherein the ink supply is higher than the upper surface in a mounted state. An ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus which is packed so as to be placed with its mouth downward. 2. The container body is housed in a bag under reduced pressure,
2. The ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply port is mounted on a case such that the ink supply port is lower than an upper surface of the container body in a mounted state. 3. The container body is housed in a bag under reduced pressure, and is loaded in a case such that the ink supply port is lower than an upper surface of the container body in a mounted state. 2. The ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hanging portion is formed on a side facing the ink supply port side. 4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a porous body is contained in the container, and the porous body is impregnated with the pigment ink.