JP2002052734A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink cartridge capable of preventing supply to an ink-jet recording device of an ink of an excessively thick color due to an extreme high pigment particle concentration (or an ink of an excessively thin color due to an extremely low pigment particle concentration) even in the case it is left for a long time with an optional positional relationship with respect to the gravitational direction. SOLUTION: An ink cartridge 1 has an ink intake opening 51 of an ink supply means 5 in a central area 42 of an ink storage chamber 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink cartridge. The present invention is particularly preferably applied to an ink cartridge filled with a porous ink impregnated with a pigment ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink cartridge has been widely used for supplying ink to an ink jet recording apparatus. For example, an ink cartridge for color printing is
An ink storage chamber and an ink supply unit are provided for each color ink, and the ink supply unit and an ink suction port provided on the ink jet recording device side are connected by being attached to a predetermined position of the ink jet recording device. Ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the ink jet recording apparatus.

In the ink cartridge, a type in which the ink storage chamber is filled with a porous material such as urethane foam is widely used. This is an ink cartridge of a type in which a porous body is impregnated with liquid ink and filled in an ink storage chamber, and its main purpose is to supply ink stably.

[0004] On the other hand, in the ink jet recording method, the use of pigment ink instead of dye ink has been expanding. Even when pigment ink is used, it is convenient to use an ink cartridge, and it is even more advantageous to use a porous holder-filled ink cartridge.

However, since the pigment ink is an aqueous dispersion, there is a problem that the pigment particles settle. For example,
If the ink cartridge is left for a long period of time in a warehouse or a store shelf or the like, the pigment particles gradually settle down inside the ink storage chamber of the ink cartridge. For example, when the ink cartridge provided with the ink supply unit is left for a long time with the bottom face down, a concentration gradient of the pigment particles occurs from the bottom to the top inside the ink storage chamber,
At the bottom there is a layer with a high pigment particle concentration and an overly dark color, and at the top a layer with a low pigment particle concentration and an overly pale color. When printing is performed with the ink cartridge installed in the ink jet recording apparatus in this state, the ink liquid intake port is generally also provided near the bottom. Are supplied, resulting in an overly dark print. Conversely, after the ink cartridge provided with the ink supply means is left for a long time with the bottom surface facing upward, the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus and printing is performed. In addition, since ink is supplied from a layer having a low pigment particle concentration, an excessively pale print is produced. Thus, in any case, the purpose of stably supplying ink having a uniform pigment concentration cannot be achieved.

The outer shape of the ink cartridge is as follows:
Generally, it is a rectangular parallelepiped type, and the surface that is on the lower side in the direction of gravity when stored is not constant, and each surface may be stored on the lower side. In addition, there are many cases where a plurality of ink cartridges are packed and stored in a single paper case or the like. At that time, the ink cartridges are often packed in a paper case without aligning the vertical direction of each ink cartridge. There is a possibility that the direction in which the concentration gradient of the pigment particles occurs varies for each ink cartridge, and ink liquids of various concentrations are generally supplied from an ink intake port provided near the bottom surface of the ink storage chamber. May be captured.

When the ink storage chamber of the ink cartridge is of a type that stores liquid ink as it is, before the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink cartridge is sufficiently shaken to agitate the internal ink liquid to disperse the pigment particles. It is possible to make the state uniform, but in the case of a porous holder-filled ink cartridge, the ink container is filled with the ink liquid impregnated in the porous holder, so that the ink container is filled with ink. Even when the cartridge is shaken, it may be extremely difficult or practically impossible to uniformly disperse the pigment particles.

[0008]

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a pigment ink cartridge filled with a porous carrier.
Even when left for a long time in an arbitrary positional relationship with respect to the direction of gravity, an ink with an extremely high pigment particle density and an excessively dark color (or an ink with an extremely low pigment particle concentration and an excessively light ink) ) Is provided from the ink intake port and supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the above object can be attained by an ink cartridge, wherein an ink inlet of an ink supply means is provided in a central region of an ink storage chamber.

In the ink cartridge according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the three-dimensional shape inside the ink storage chamber is a substantially regular polyhedron or a substantially spherical body.

In the ink cartridge according to a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the central region is a region centered on a center point of the ink storage chamber and occupying 30% by volume with respect to the entire internal volume of the ink storage chamber.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the ink cartridge 1 of the present invention with a part cut away, and FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the ink cartridge 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink cartridge 1 of the present invention includes a housing 2 forming an outer wall thereof, an ink storage chamber 3 formed therein, and ink supply means 5. 1 and 2, the shape of the ink storage chamber 3 is substantially spherical. The substantially spherical ink holding chamber 3 provided inside the housing 2 can be filled with a substantially spherical porous holder 4. The porous holder 4 includes a peripheral porous holder 41 and a central porous holder 42, and the peripheral porous holder 41 and the central porous holder 42 are impregnated with the pigment ink liquid. Have been. Note that the peripheral porous holder 41 and the central porous holder 42 occupy only different positions inside the integrally formed porous holder 4 and are made of different materials. No need. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since the entire three-dimensional shape of the porous holding member 4 is substantially spherical, the shape of the central porous holding member 42 that forms the central region (that is, the core) is formed. Are almost small spheres, and their centers are almost common. Further, the peripheral porous holding member 41 is a jacket portion obtained by removing the small substantially spherical body of the central core from the entirety of the substantially spherical porous holding body 4.

In the case of an ink cartridge 1 for color printing, a plurality of ink storage chambers 3 are present, and each ink storage chamber 3 is provided with a porous holder 4 impregnated with an ink liquid.
1 and 42 are filled, and ink supply means 5 is provided in each ink storage chamber 3.

The ink supply means 5 provided at the bottom of the ink cartridge 1 is a means for supplying the ink impregnated in the porous holders 41 and 42 to the ink jet recording apparatus. By installing at a predetermined position, it is connected to an ink suction means (not shown) provided on the ink jet recording apparatus side, so that ink can be supplied. The ink supply means 5 includes an ink inlet 5 that is in contact with a central porous holder 42 located in a central region including a central point 43 of the ink storage chamber 3.
1, a filter 52 provided in the ink inlet 51, an ink passage 53 provided between the ink inlet 51 and the ink outlet 54, and a puncture-piercing membrane 55 provided near the ink outlet 54. As described above, in the conventional ink cartridge, the ink intake port is arranged near the bottom surface provided with the ink supply means.

Before the ink cartridge 1 is used (that is, before the ink cartridge 1 is attached to a predetermined position of the ink jet recording apparatus), the puncture-piercing membrane 55 can keep the inside of the ink passage 53 sealed. However, when the ink cartridge 1 is attached to a predetermined position of the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink cartridge 1 is broken by an ink suction needle provided at the tip of the ink suction port on the side of the ink jet recording apparatus,
The ink passage 53 and the puncture needle for ink suction can be communicated. The ink liquid is transported from the ink suction needle through the ink guide tube in the ink jet recording apparatus to the printer head.

The ink outlet 54 of the ink supply means 5
Can be provided with a sealing means 6 if necessary. By providing the sealing means 6, the ink passage 53
In addition, the sealing property of the ink storage chamber 3 can be improved.
The sealing means 6 can be, for example, a sheet material that can be adhered to the ink outlet 54 and peeled off. Further, a needle sticking and fixing means 56 is provided inside the needle-piercing film 55 (on the side of the ink passage 53) so that the needle after breaking the needle-piercing film 55 can be fixed in a sealed state. The puncture seal fixing means may be, for example, a donut-shaped rubber packing.

In the ink cartridge of the present invention,
As described above, the ink inlet of the ink supply means is provided in the central area of the ink storage chamber. In the present specification, the “center area of the ink storage chamber” refers to an internal space of the ink storage chamber,
When divided into a central region including the center point and other peripheral regions, the above-mentioned central region is meant. For example, the region includes the center point of the ink storage chamber as a center and occupies preferably 30% by volume, more preferably 25% by volume, and most preferably 20% by volume with respect to the entire internal volume of the ink storage chamber. . In the case where the ink cartridge of the present invention is an ink cartridge of a pigment ink impregnated porous holder filling type, the ink holding chamber is filled with a porous holder, and thus the porous holder is made of ink. A central porous holder located in the central area of the storage chamber,
A peripheral porous holder positioned in a peripheral region of the ink storage chamber, wherein an ink inlet of the ink supply means is brought into contact with the central porous holder.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the central porous holder 41 forming the central region (ie, the core portion) of the porous holder 4 has When occupying 30% by volume, the peripheral porous holding member 42 occupies 70% by volume of the entire volume of the porous holding member 4, and the ink intake port 54 of the ink supply unit 5.
Can be installed at any position of the central porous holder 41 occupying 30% by volume of the entire volume of the porous holder 4. In this case, the ink intake port 54 is positioned at a central region occupying 25% by volume of the entire volume of the porous holding member 4 (that is,
It is more preferably installed at an arbitrary position of the core portion), and even more preferably at an arbitrary position of the central region (that is, the core portion) occupying 20% by volume of the entire volume of the porous holding member 4.

In the ink cartridge according to the present invention, it is preferable that the internal three-dimensional shape of the ink storage chamber is a substantially regular polyhedron or a substantially spherical body. Here, the substantially regular polyhedron includes a geometrically true regular polyhedron, and the substantially spherical body includes a geometrically true spherical (true sphere). When the internal three-dimensional shape of the ink storage chamber is a substantially regular polyhedron, the three-dimensional shape of the porous holder filled in the ink storage chamber also becomes a substantially regular polyhedron, and the central region also shares the middle point. It becomes a substantially regular polyhedron. Of course, when the three-dimensional shape inside the ink storage chamber is substantially spherical, the three-dimensional shape of the porous holder filled in the ink storage chamber also becomes substantially spherical, and the center region also shares the middle point. Sphere.

In the ink cartridge of the present invention,
When this is left for a long time with a certain surface facing downward in the direction of gravity, a concentration gradient of pigment particles is generated inside the ink storage chamber, and an excessively dark layer at the bottom and Even if an excessively light layer is formed, the ink intake of the ink supply means is provided in the central area of the ink storage chamber. The excessively dark color layer does not take in the ink liquid, and the excessively dark color is used until the ink liquid in the central region of the ink storage chamber or the peripheral region adjacent to the central region is completely consumed. There is no entrainment of ink in layers or excessively light layers.

Therefore, in the ink cartridge of the present invention, the outer shape (ie, the outer shape of the housing) is not limited, and even when the ink cartridge is stored for a long time, any surface can be left facing downward in the direction of gravity. . Further, in the ink cartridge of the present invention, the three-dimensional shape of the inside of the ink storage chamber is also changed from a geometrically true regular polyhedron or a geometrically true sphere within a range in which the object of the present invention is achieved. Can be deformed.

When the ink cartridge of the present invention is for color printing, it is preferable to provide an ink intake port of an ink supply means in a central region in each of the ink storage chambers. It is preferably a substantially regular polyhedron or a substantially spherical body.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show one embodiment of the ink cartridge 10 for color printing according to the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the ink cartridge 10 for color printing, and FIG. 4 is a side view thereof. As shown by broken lines in FIGS.
Has four ink storage chambers 3a, 3b, 3c,
3d. Those ink storage chambers 3a, 3b, 3
The internal three-dimensional shapes of c and 3d are substantially spherical, and the ink holding chambers 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d have porous holding members 4a, 4b and 4 impregnated with pigment inks of respective colors.
c, 4d are filled. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the ink supply means 5a and 5b (FIG.
Sealing means 6a, 6 for sealing the ink outlet
b, 6c and 6d (FIG. 3) are provided.

The ink cartridge of the present invention is preferably applied to an ink cartridge containing a pigment ink-impregnated porous holder, but can also be applied to an ink cartridge containing a dye ink-impregnated porous holder.

[0027]

According to the ink cartridge of the present invention, a porous ink-filled pigment ink cartridge is provided.
Even when left for a long time in an arbitrary positional relationship with respect to the direction of gravity, an ink with an extremely high pigment particle density and an excessively dark color (or an ink with an extremely low pigment particle concentration and an excessively light ink) ) Can be prevented from being supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of an ink cartridge according to the present invention with a part cut away.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the ink cartridge of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the ink cartridge for four-color printing according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the ink cartridge of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 10 ... ink cartridge 2 ... housing 3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d ... ink storage chamber 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d ... porous holder 5, 5a, 5b ..Ink supply means 6, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d ... Sealing means 41 ... Peripheral porous holder 42 ... Central porous holder 43 ... Center point 51 ... Ink Intake port 52: Filter 53: Ink passage 54: Ink outlet 55: Needle penetration membrane 56: Needle seal fixing means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ink cartridge, wherein an ink inlet of an ink supply means is provided in a central region of an ink storage chamber. 2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the internal three-dimensional shape of the ink storage chamber is a substantially regular polyhedron or a substantially spherical body. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the central area is centered on a center point of the ink storage chamber and is 30% of the entire internal volume of the ink storage chamber.
The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink cartridge is an area occupying volume%.