JP2005103876A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the occurrence of bubbles in an ink vessel in the injection of ink. <P>SOLUTION: A tubular member, which is elongated up to the vicinity of a closed surface of the ink vessel 2a, is arranged as an outside air passage part 28 in the ink vessel 2a of an ink cartridge 2. Thus, when the ink is injected into the ink vessel 2a by means of an ink dispensing machine, the ink, which is ejected into the ink vessel 2a from an injection nozzle 600 inserted from an insertion part 22, runs along an inner peripheral surface of the passage part 28, and flows into the ink vessel 2a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge capable of storing ink supplied to an inkjet head.

  The ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a buffer tank below the ink cartridge, and the ink cartridge and the buffer tank communicate with each other through the ink introduction path and the outside air introduction path, so that the ink jet head can be used regardless of the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge. Some can maintain a constant back pressure.

  For example, such an ink jet recording apparatus includes an ink supply needle and an air introduction needle that communicate an ink tank (ink cartridge) and a buffer chamber (buffer tank), and a buffer chamber air communication unit that communicates the buffer chamber with the outside. Are known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

In this ink jet recording apparatus, a difference is provided in the lower end heights of the ink supply needle and the air introduction needle. In addition to being introduced into the tank, the ink in the ink tank is replenished to the buffer chamber through the ink supply needle, so that the ink liquid level in the buffer chamber is kept constant and the ink remaining in the ink tank is reduced. Regardless, the back pressure acting on the inkjet head can be kept constant.
JP 2002-307711 A

  An example of an ink tank 502 used in such an ink jet recording apparatus is shown in FIG. The ink inlet surface of the ink container 502a (the upper surface in FIG. 6, which is the bottom surface when the ink tank 502 is mounted in the buffer chamber) surrounds the inlet 525 or the inlet 526, respectively. A relatively short cylindrical ink passage portion 527 and an outside air passage portion 528 that are disposed and protrude toward a closing surface (a lower wall surface in FIG. 6) facing the ink injection surface are provided.

  Then, when an empty ink container 502a is attached to an ink dispenser (ink injector) in order to fill the ink in the ink container 502a, as shown in FIG. 6, an injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser is provided. Is inserted from the insertion portion 522 to the vicinity of the inlet 526 of the ink container 502a. Thereafter, when ink is ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser, the ink moves toward the closing surface 502b of the ink container 502a. At this time, since the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 falls easily on the closed surface 502b of the ink container 502a or the ink liquid surface in the ink container 502a, a large amount of bubbles (bubbles) are generated in the ink container 502a. ) Often occurs. As a result, there arises a problem that bubbles are ejected from the inlet 525 before a predetermined amount of ink is filled in the ink container 502a.

  A main object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge in which bubbles are prevented from being generated in an ink container when ink is injected.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

  An ink cartridge according to the present invention includes a cartridge main body capable of storing ink to be supplied to an inkjet head, an ink injection port provided on one wall portion of the cartridge main body for injecting ink into the cartridge main body, and the cartridge From the one wall portion side of the main body to the other wall portion side opposite to the one wall portion, and at least a part of the ink injected from the ink injection port is transmitted to the other wall portion side. And an ink conducting member disposed in the cartridge main body so as to flow to.

  According to this configuration, when ink is injected into the cartridge main body from the ink injection port, at least a part of the injected ink flows through the ink conducting member and flows into the cartridge main body, so that bubbles are generated in the cartridge main body. Can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the ink conductive member extends to the vicinity of the other wall portion.

  According to this configuration, since the ink conductive member extends to the vicinity of the other wall portion of the cartridge body, the ink is guided to the vicinity of the other wall portion by the ink conductive member. Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress the generation of bubbles in the cartridge body.

  In the present invention, the ink conducting member is preferably a cylindrical member extending from the ink inlet to the other wall portion of the cartridge body.

  According to this configuration, since the ink conductive member is a cylindrical member extending from the ink injection port, the ink injected from the ink injection port surely flows to the other wall portion side along the ink conductive member. Become. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the generation of bubbles in the cartridge body.

  In the present invention, the one wall portion is further provided with an ink supply port for supplying ink to the outside, and the ink injection port and the ink conducting member are for supplying ink from the ink supply port. It is preferable to configure an outside air introduction path for introducing outside air from the outside.

  According to this configuration, an ink cartridge (for example, an ink cartridge of a type that supplies ink to an inkjet head via a buffer tank) having an ink supply port and an outside air introduction port on one wall portion is applied to the present invention. In this case, by assigning the ink injection port as an outside air introduction port at the time of recording (ink supply), the outside air introduction path can be constituted by a relatively long cylindrical member as the ink conducting member, Ink bubbling caused by the outside air introduced into the cartridge during recording can be suppressed.

  In the present invention, the ink tank is attached to a buffer tank that communicates with a nozzle for ejecting ink and suppresses fluctuations in the back pressure of the ink acting on the ink jet head, and an ink supply pipe provided in the buffer tank includes the ink Inserted into the supply port, the ink in the cartridge body is supplied from the ink supply pipe to the buffer tank, and an outside air introduction path provided in the buffer tank is inserted into the ink injection port, The outside air may be introduced into the cartridge body from the outside air introduction path.

  In the present invention, each of the ink conducting members may include a connecting member that is provided between the one wall portion and the other wall portion and connects between a pair of side wall portions facing each other. preferable.

  According to this configuration, the ink conducting member can also be used as a cartridge reinforcement.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 1 includes a plurality of ink cartridges 2 each filled with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black color inks, and the ink cartridges 2 are detachably mounted and the ink introduction tube 51 is connected to the ink cartridge 2. A buffer tank 3 for storing ink supplied via the ink jet head, and an ink jet head 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as “head 5”) that discharges ink supplied from the buffer tank 3 via the supply tube 4 to the paper P. A carriage 6 mounted with a head 5 and reciprocating in a linear direction, a carriage shaft 7 serving as a guide when the carriage 6 reciprocates, and a transport mechanism 8 for transporting paper P.

  The ink cartridge 2 has an ink container 2a for storing ink. Further, an ink introduction pipe 51 and an outside air which will be described later are provided on an ink injection surface 2b of the ink container 2a (a wall surface which is a lower wall surface in FIG. 1 and becomes a bottom surface when the ink cartridge 2 is attached to the buffer tank 3). Two insertion portions 21 and 22 for receiving the introduction pipe 52 are provided. Plugs 23 and 24 made of rubber or the like for sealing the inside of the ink cartridge 2 are inserted into the insertion portions 21 and 22 in a compressed state, respectively. Here, the plugs 23 and 24 are in contact with the ink in the ink container 2a through the inlets 25 and 26 opened in the ink injection surface 2b of the ink container 2a.

  The ink injection surface 2b of the ink container 2a has a relatively short cylindrical shape which is disposed so as to surround the introduction port 25 and protrudes toward the closing surface 2c (upper wall surface in FIG. 1) facing the ink injection surface 2b. An ink passage portion 27 is provided. An opening 27 a is formed at the tip of the ink passage portion 27, and the space in the ink container 2 a communicates with the space in the ink passage portion 27. A cylindrical member 29 is disposed in the ink container 2 a so as to cover the ink passage portion 27. Here, one end portion of the cylindrical member 29 is closed by a lid portion 29a, and the other end portion is opened. An ink passage portion 27 is inserted from the other end of the cylindrical member 29, and a gap is formed between the inner surface of the cylindrical member 29 and the outer surface of the ink passage portion 27. Accordingly, the ink in the ink container 2 a enters the ink passage portion 27 through the gap between the ink passage portion 27 and the cylindrical member 29.

  The ink injection surface 2b of the ink container 2a is provided with a cylindrical outside air passage portion 28 that is disposed so as to surround the inlet 26 and protrudes toward the closing surface 2c that faces the ink injection surface 2b. . The front end portion 28b (the upper end portion in FIG. 1) of the outside air passage portion 28 is open, and the space in the ink container 2a communicates with the space in the outside air passage portion 28. The outside air passage portion 28 is formed so as to extend from the ink injection surface 2b to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c. In addition, two slits 28 a are formed at the distal end portion 28 b of the outside air passage portion 28. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the two slits 28 a is an opening having a rectangular gap, and is disposed on a diagonal line of the outside air passage portion 28. The operation of the slit 28a will be described later.

  The buffer tank 3 has a hollow needle-like ink introduction pipe 51 for drawing out the ink stored in the ink cartridge 2 and supplying it to the head 5, and the ink is drawn out from the ink introduction pipe 51. A hollow needle-like outside air introduction pipe 52 for introducing outside air into the ink cartridge 2 is disposed so as to protrude through the ceiling wall 3a substantially in parallel. Further, in the buffer tank 3, a cylindrical ink passage portion 31 connected to the lower end portion of the ink introduction pipe 51 is provided, and a cylindrical outside air passage connected to the lower end portion of the outside air introduction pipe 52. A part 32 is provided. Here, each of the ink passage portion 31 and the outside air passage portion 32 protrudes from the ceiling wall 3a of the buffer tank 3 toward the inside, and the lower ends of the ink introduction pipe 51 and the outside air introduction pipe 52 at their roots. The part is arranged. Note that the lower end opening of the outside air passage portion 32 is arranged at a position higher than the lower end opening of the ink passage portion 31.

  When the ink cartridge 2 is attached to the buffer tank 3, the tips of the ink introduction pipe 51 and the outside air introduction pipe 52 are pierced by the plugs 23 and 24, respectively, and enter the ink cartridge 2. Then, the tips of the ink introduction pipe 51 and the outside air introduction pipe 52 come into contact with the ink in the ink cartridge 2. The plugs 23 and 24 are made of, for example, an elastic material such as butyl rubber. The ink introduction pipe 51 and the outside air introduction pipe 52 can be pierced and are inserted into the insertion portions 21 and 22 in a compressed state. Even after the ink introduction pipe 51 and the outside air introduction pipe 52 are pulled out, the inside of the ink container 2a is restored to a sealed state by an elastic action.

  In addition, an outside air connection path 33 having an open upper end is provided at the upper part of the buffer tank 3. Accordingly, the upper space in the buffer tank 3 communicates with the outside air through the outside air connection path 33.

  In this way, when ink is ejected from the head 5 onto the paper P after the ink cartridge 2 is mounted on the buffer tank 3, the ejected ink is delivered from the buffer tank 3 via the supply tube 4. It is supplied to the head 5. As the ink is supplied, the liquid level of the ink in the buffer tank 3 is lowered, and the lower end opening of the outside air passage portion 32 is exposed to the upper space in the buffer tank 3. As a result, outside air is introduced into the ink cartridge 2 from the outside air introduction pipe 52 via the outside air connection path 33, the upper space of the buffer tank 3, and the outside air passage portion 32.

  When outside air is introduced into the ink cartridge 2, the ink in the ink cartridge 2 is introduced into the buffer tank 3 through the ink introduction pipe 51. By introducing ink into the buffer tank 3, the liquid level of the ink rises again in the buffer tank 3, and the lower end opening of the outside air passage portion 32 is immersed in the ink. As a result, the liquid level of the ink in the buffer tank 3 is maintained near the same height as the lower end opening of the outside air passage 32. In this steady state, the lower end opening of the ink passage portion 31 is immersed in the ink in the buffer tank 3, and the lower end opening portion of the outside air passage portion 32 is in contact with the ink liquid surface in the buffer tank 3. Yes. After that, when all the ink in the ink cartridge 2 is consumed, the ink in the buffer tank 3 is continuously consumed, and the lower end opening of the outside air passage portion 32 becomes the ink due to a decrease in the liquid level of the ink. It stops touching.

  The head 5 has a plurality of nozzles that eject ink. Therefore, the ink supplied from the buffer tank 3 to the head 5 via the supply tube 4 is ejected from a plurality of nozzles. That is, during the recording operation, as the carriage 6 reciprocates, ink is ejected while the head 5 also reciprocates, and printing is performed on the paper P.

  Next, an operation when the ink is filled in the ink container 2a when the ink cartridge 2 is manufactured will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation when ink is filled in the ink container 2a.

  First, the empty ink container 2a is in a state where the ink injection surface 2b is disposed above and the closing surface 2c is disposed below (the state opposite to the case where the ink tank 2a is attached to the buffer tank 3). Installed in the machine. At this time, the plugs 23 and 24 are not inserted into the insertion portions 21 and 22 of the ink container 2a. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3A, the tip of the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser is inserted from the insertion portion 22 to the vicinity of the inlet 26 of the ink container 2a.

  When ink is ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser, the ink travels along the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 in the ink container 2a as shown in FIG. It reaches the closed surface 2c of the container 2a. Here, as described above, the outside air passage portion 28 in the ink container 2a is a cylindrical member, and its lower end extends to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c of the ink container 2a. Therefore, even when the ink discharged from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser travels along the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 and is discharged from the lower end portion thereof toward the closing surface 2c of the ink container 2a, the air , And the occurrence of bubbles in the ink container 2a is suppressed.

  Subsequently, when ink is ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser, the ink is injected into the ink container 2a up to almost the same height as the lower end portion of the outside air passage portion 28, and the lower end portion of the outside air passage portion 28 is in the ink. Soak in. Thereafter, the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 travels along the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 in the ink container 2a, and is discharged from the opening and the slit 28a of the front end portion 28b of the outside air passage portion 28, and the ink container 2a. It reaches the ink level inside. In this way, ink is filled into the ink container 2a. Here, after the lower end portion of the outside air passage portion 28 in the ink container 2a is immersed in the ink, bubbles are hardly generated in the ink container 2a.

  The bubble generation is suppressed as the distance between the front end portion 28b of the outside air passage portion 28 and the closed surface 2c of the ink container 2a is reduced. Is too close to the ink container 2a when ink is injected into the ink container 2a. In the worst case, the ink accumulated in the outside air passage 28 is removed from the insertion portion 22. It may overflow. However, in the present embodiment, since the slit 28a is provided at the distal end portion 28b of the outside air passage portion 28, the injected ink is easily introduced into the ink container 2a from the outside air passage portion 28. Therefore, foaming can be suppressed without much concern for the above problem.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser is 2 mm, and the inner diameter of the outside air passage portion 28 is 6 mm. When the tip of the injection nozzle 600 is inserted from the insertion portion 22 to the vicinity of the inlet 26 of the ink container 2 a, the tip of the injection nozzle 600 is disposed at the approximate center of the outside air passage portion 28. Accordingly, the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the injection nozzle 600 and the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 is about 2 mm. In this way, by narrowing the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the injection nozzle 600 and the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28, the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 can be easily transmitted to the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28. However, if this interval is wide, the ink may be injected with the ink container 2a slightly tilted.

  Further, as the distance between the lower end portion of the outside air passage portion 28 and the closed surface 2c of the ink container 2a is smaller, the foaming is reduced. However, if the distance is too small, the resistance becomes excessive and the ink injection is hindered. Therefore, it is preferable that the distance is determined in consideration of a balance between bubbling prevention and flow path resistance reduction. Specifically, the distance needs to be 4 mm or more, and the optimum distance may be about 10 to 15 mm as an example. In addition, the inside of the ink container 2a may be somewhat bubbled by increasing the distance. This is because the ink is not injected until the ink container 2a is filled, but the ink is not injected into several tens of percent of the capacity in order to lower the atmospheric pressure by air discharge. This is because there is no fear of being ejected from the ink container 2a. Therefore, it is preferable from the viewpoint of lowering the ink injection resistance that the distance is maximized in a range in which bubbles do not eject from the ink container 2a.

  As described above, in the ink cartridge 2 of the present embodiment, the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser into the ink container 2a extends to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c of the ink container 2a. The ink flows along the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 into the ink container 2a. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably suppress the generation of bubbles in the ink container 2a.

  Further, by assigning the introduction port 25 as an outside air introduction port at the time of recording (ink supply), the outside air introduction path can be constituted by the outside air passage portion 28 which is a relatively long cylindrical member, and at the time of recording Ink bubbling caused by outside air introduced into the ink cartridge 2 can be suppressed.

  If the outside air passage portion 28 is short, the leading end portion 28b is positioned in the ink liquid as long as the ink is not reduced so much, so that the introduced outside air floats in the ink liquid as bubbles. Therefore, the bubbles may be mixed in the ink in the ink container 2 a and the ink containing the bubbles may be supplied to the head 5. However, if the outside air passage portion 28 is a long cylindrical member, the tip end portion 28b is located in a space above the ink liquid surface, so that the introduced outside air floats in the outside air passage portion 28 as bubbles. Even so, the bubbles are confined in the outside air passage portion 28. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent bubbles from being mixed into the ink in the ink container 2a.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the ink container 102a of the ink cartridge 102 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ink container 102a of the ink cartridge 102 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The configuration of the ink container 102a of the ink cartridge 102 of the present embodiment is mainly different from the configuration of the ink container 2a of the ink cartridge 2 of the first embodiment. The ink container 2a of FIG. Whereas the passage portion 28 is a cylindrical member extending to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c, in the ink container 102a of FIG. 4, the outside air passage portion 128 inside is a relatively short tubular member, and the ink container A reinforcing rib 180a of 102a is provided.

  An ink injection surface 102b (upper wall surface in FIG. 4) of the ink container 102a is disposed so as to surround the introduction port 125 and faces a closing surface 102c (lower wall surface in FIG. 4) facing the ink injection surface 102b. A protruding relatively short cylindrical ink passage portion 127 is provided so as to surround the introduction hole 125. The ink injection surface 102b of the ink container 102a is provided with a relatively short cylindrical outside air passage portion 128 that is disposed so as to surround the introduction port 126 and protrudes toward the closing surface 102c.

  Further, in the space inside the ink container 102a, there are provided four ribs 180 that are connected to one side wall (the wall surface on the front side in FIG. 4) and the other side wall (the wall surface on the back side in FIG. 4). Yes. The four ribs 180 connect both side walls in a range from the vicinity of the ink injection surface 102b to the vicinity of the closing surface 102c in the space in the ink container 102a. The four ribs 180 are all arranged along the direction of ink injection from the ink dispenser (the vertical direction in FIG. 4). Therefore, the injection nozzle 600 and each rib 180 of the ink dispenser are parallel to each other.

  Then, when an empty ink container 102a is attached to the ink dispenser to fill the ink container 102a with ink, the tip of the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser is inserted from the insertion portion 122 into the rib 180 (FIG. 4). The four ribs 180 are inserted to the vicinity of the upper end of the second rib 180 from the left. Thereafter, when the ink is ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser, the ink travels along the side wall surface of the rib 180 in the ink container 102a as shown in FIG. 4, and the blocking surface 102c of the ink container 102a. To reach. Here, as described above, the lower end portion of the rib 180 in the ink container 102a is disposed from the vicinity of the ink injection surface 102b of the ink container 102a to the vicinity of the closing surface 102c. Therefore, when the ink discharged from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser travels along the side wall surface of the rib 180 and reaches the closing surface 102c of the ink container 102a, air is less likely to be entrained, and thus the ink container 102a. The generation of bubbles in the inside is suppressed. Further, these ribs 180 are reinforced by connecting both side walls of the ink container 102a, so that the deformation of the rib 180 is minimized even when the air pressure in the ink container 102a is lowered due to air discharge after ink injection. However, the ink container 102a itself is prevented from being damaged.

  As described above, in the ink cartridge 102 of the present embodiment, even if the outside air passage portion 128 is a cylindrical member having a relatively short length, the ink discharged from the injection nozzle 600 is used as the reinforcing rib 180 for the ink container 102a. It is possible to suppress the generation of bubbles in the ink container 102a by propagating along the side wall surface.

  Next, a schematic configuration of the ink container 202a of the ink cartridge 202 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the ink container 202a of the ink cartridge 202 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

  The main difference between the configuration of the ink container 202a of the ink cartridge 202 of the present embodiment and the configuration of the ink container 2a of the ink cartridge 2 of the first embodiment is that the ink container 2a of FIG. Whereas the passage portion 28 is a cylindrical member extending to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c, in the ink container 202a of FIG. 5, the ink passage portion 228 inside is a relatively short tubular member, and the ink container The reinforcing rib 280 of 202a is provided.

  The ink injection surface 202b (upper wall surface in FIG. 5) of the ink container 202a is disposed so as to surround the inlet 225 and faces a closing surface 202c (lower wall surface in FIG. 5) facing the ink injection surface 202b. A protruding relatively short cylindrical ink passage portion 227 is provided. The ink injection surface 202b of the ink container 202a is provided with a relatively short cylindrical outside air passage portion 228 disposed so as to surround the introduction port 226 and projecting toward the closing surface 202c.

  Further, in the space inside the ink container 202a, there are provided three ribs 280 connected to one side wall (the wall surface on the front side in FIG. 5) and the other side wall (the wall surface on the back side in FIG. 5). Yes. The three ribs 280 connect both side walls in a range from the vicinity of the ink injection surface 202b to the vicinity of the closing surface 202c in the space in the ink container 202a. Further, two ribs 280 at both ends of the three ribs 280 are arranged along the direction of ink injection from the ink dispenser (the vertical direction in FIG. 5). Therefore, the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser and the two ribs 280 at both ends are parallel to each other. On the other hand, of the three ribs 280, the central rib 280 is disposed so as to intersect the direction of ink injection from the ink dispenser.

  Then, in order to fill the ink container 202a with ink, when the empty ink container 202a is attached to the ink dispenser, the tip of the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser is moved from the insertion portion 222 to the rib 280 (FIG. 5). The three ribs 280 are inserted up to the vicinity of the upper end of the central rib 280). Thereafter, when ink is ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser, the ink travels along the side wall surface of the rib 280 in the ink container 202a as shown in FIG. 5, and the blocking surface 202c of the ink container 202a. To reach. Here, as described above, the lower end portion of the rib 280 in the ink container 202a is disposed from the vicinity of the ink injection surface 202b of the ink container 202a to the vicinity of the closing surface 202c. Accordingly, when the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 of the ink dispenser reaches the closing surface 202c of the ink container 202a along the side wall surface of the rib 280, air is less likely to be entrained, and therefore the ink container 202a. The generation of bubbles in the vicinity of the ink surface is suppressed. Further, these ribs 280 have the same reinforcing effect as that of the second embodiment described above.

  As described above, in the ink cartridge 202 of the present embodiment, even if the outside air passage portion 228 is a relatively short cylindrical member, the ink ejected from the injection nozzle 600 is used for the reinforcing rib 280 of the ink container 202a. It is possible to suppress the generation of bubbles in the ink container 202a by transmitting the side wall surface of the ink container 202a.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims. Is. For example, in the above-described first embodiment, the outside air passage portion 28 that functions as an ink conducting member is a cylindrical member that extends from the ink injection surface 2b to the vicinity of the closing surface 2c in the ink container 2a. In the second and third embodiments, the ribs 180 and 280 functioning as ink conducting members are arranged from the vicinity of the ink injection surfaces 102b and 202b to the vicinity of the blocking surfaces 102c and 202c in the spaces in the ink containers 102a and 202a. However, the outside air passage portion 28 and the ribs 180 and 280 do not necessarily need to be arranged up to the vicinity of the blocking surfaces 2c, 102c and 202c of the ink containers 2a, 102a and 202a.

  Therefore, in the above-described first embodiment, if the outside air passage portion 28 has a length that is more than half the height of the ink container 2a, it is possible to suppress foaming to a certain degree of effectiveness compared to the prior art. Further, the outside air passage portion 28 is not necessarily a cylindrical member, and the ink container 2a is such that at least a part of the ink discharged from the injection nozzle of the ink dispenser is transmitted to the blocking surface 2c of the ink container. Any ink conductive member disposed inside may be used. The outside air passage portion 28 does not necessarily have to be a cylindrical member along the direction of ink injection from the ink dispenser, and the outside air passage portion 28 is at least partially filled with ink from the ink dispenser. It may be bent so as to intersect the injection direction. In this case, the ink discharged from the injection nozzle of the ink dispenser flows more reliably along the inner peripheral surface of the outside air passage portion 28 and flows into the ink container 2a. Accordingly, it is possible to more reliably suppress the generation of bubbles in the ink container 2a. Furthermore, the side wall surface of the ink container 2a can function as an ink conducting member by inserting the tip of the injection nozzle of the ink dispenser into the ink container 2a so as to be disposed in the vicinity of the side wall surface of the ink container 2a. It is.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the ink cartridges 2, 102, and 202 that supply ink to the head 5 via the buffer tank 3 have been described. However, the head is not provided via the buffer tank. The effects of the present invention can also be obtained for an ink cartridge that supplies ink directly to the ink cartridge.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the injection port into which ink is injected is an introduction port through which outside air is introduced during recording. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode. The supply port may be an ink injection port, or a dedicated injection port dedicated to injecting ink may be provided separately, and an ink conducting member may be provided corresponding to the injection dedicated port.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the root part of an external air channel | path part. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an operation when ink is filled in an ink container of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the ink container of the ink cartridge which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the ink container of the ink cartridge which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement when an ink is filled in the ink container of the conventional ink cartridge.

Explanation of symbols

1 Inkjet recording apparatus 2, 102, 202 Ink cartridge 2a, 102a, 202a Ink container (cartridge main body)
3 Buffer Tank 5 Inkjet Head 21 Insertion Portion 22 Insertion Portion 25, 125, 225 Introduction Port (Ink Supply Port)
26, 124, 224 Inlet (ink inlet)
27, 127, 227 Ink passage portion 28 Outside air passage portion (ink conducting member)
51 Ink introduction pipe (ink supply pipe)
52 Outside air introduction pipe (outside air introduction path)
128, 228 Ink passage portion 180, 280 Rib (ink conducting member; connecting member)

Claims (6)

A cartridge body capable of storing ink to be supplied to the inkjet head;
An ink injection port for injecting ink into the cartridge body, provided on one wall of the cartridge body;
The cartridge body extends from the one wall portion side to the other wall portion side facing the one wall portion, and at least a part of the ink injected from the ink injection port is transmitted to the other wall portion. And an ink conducting member disposed in the cartridge main body so as to flow toward the portion side.   The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink conductive member extends to the vicinity of the other wall portion.   3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink conducting member is a cylindrical member extending from the ink inlet to the other wall portion of the cartridge main body. The one wall is further provided with an ink supply port for supplying ink to the outside,
The ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the ink injection port and the ink conducting member constitute an outside air introduction path for introducing outside air from the outside in order to supply ink from the ink supply port. It is attached to a buffer tank that communicates with the nozzle that ejects ink and suppresses fluctuations in the back pressure of the ink that acts on the inkjet head.
An ink supply pipe provided in the buffer tank is inserted into the ink supply port so that ink in the cartridge body is supplied from the ink supply pipe to the buffer tank, and an outside air introduction path provided in the buffer tank is provided. 5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the ink cartridge is configured to be inserted into the ink injection port so that the outside air in the buffer tank is introduced into the cartridge main body from an outside air introduction path.   The ink conductive member includes a connecting member that is provided between the one wall portion and the other wall portion and connects a pair of side wall portions facing each other. Item 3. The ink cartridge according to Item 1 or 2.

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