JP2006175854A - Method of refilling cartridge with liquid and liquid refilling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of refilling a cartridge with a liquid whereby the liquid is effectively refilled into the cartridge after use in a liquid jet apparatus, and to provide a liquid refilling device. <P>SOLUTION: The method of refilling the cartridge with the liquid is a liquid refilling method of refilling ink to the cartridge 1 after use in the liquid jet apparatus. The method comprises an ink extracting process of extracting the ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after use, a residual quantity checking process of checking whether or not a residual quantity of the ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after the ink is extracted in the ink extracting process is not larger than a predetermined ratio to an entire quantity of the ink filling the cartridge unused, and an ink injecting process of injecting the ink to the cartridge as checked in the residual quantity checking process that the residual quantity of ink is not larger than the predetermined ratio. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention refills a used cartridge in a liquid ejecting apparatus such as a printer having a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid droplets from a nozzle opening, a display manufacturing apparatus, an electrode forming apparatus, or a biochip manufacturing apparatus. The present invention relates to a liquid refilling method for a cartridge and a liquid refilling apparatus.

  A liquid ejecting apparatus having a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid from a nozzle opening is known for various liquids, and a typical example is a recording mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus. You can raise the head. Accordingly, the ink jet recording apparatus will be described as an example.

The ink jet recording apparatus includes a liquid ejecting head that ejects liquid such as ink to record images such as characters and figures, and a cartridge that contains and holds liquid such as ink supplied to the liquid ejecting head. The cartridge is detachable so that it can be replaced. When the liquid in the cartridge is used and becomes empty and printing cannot be performed, the printing and recording can be resumed by replacing the empty used cartridge with a new cartridge containing new ink.

  In recent years, it is not preferable to dispose of the above-mentioned cartridge after use once due to problems such as an increase in waste and environmental load. Therefore, the ink is again injected into the cartridge after use, and the cartridge after use is reused. Attempts have been made.

  In order to reuse the cartridge after use as described above, a method for refilling an ink cartridge for an ink jet recording apparatus is proposed in which the ink remaining in the ink bag is discharged and a specified amount of ink is injected into the ink bag. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1 below). In the method shown in Patent Document 1, an ink bag is pressed with a pressing plate in a decompression chamber, and after discharging ink remaining in the ink bag, a specified amount of ink is injected into the ink bag.

In addition, an ink replenishing method for replenishing ink in an empty cartridge has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2 below). In the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, the ink is replenished by the replenishing means while the ink tank is sucked by the suction means.
JP-A-10-193635 JP-A-11-207990

  However, in the method disclosed in Patent Document 1, a specified amount of ink is injected into the ink bag after the ink bag is pressed by a pressing plate in the decompression chamber and the ink remaining in the ink bag is discharged. . For this reason, it cannot be applied to a cartridge or the like of a hard case container having a fixed shape, not an ink bag. Further, since the ink is discharged from the ink bag by a device in which a pressure plate that can be moved up and down is disposed in the decompression chamber, a complicated device is required and the process is complicated, resulting in high recycling costs. .

  Further, in the method shown in Patent Document 2, since the ink is replenished while sucking the ink in the cartridge (ink tank), the degree of deaeration in the cartridge is reduced or the ink is dried. There is a high possibility that the quality of ink at the time of reuse cannot be sufficiently secured because many inks with deteriorated quality that have increased in viscosity remain mixed with replenished ink, or the replenished ink contains many bubbles. There's a problem. On the other hand, if the remaining ink is sufficiently discharged, the replenished ink may be mixed with the remaining ink and sucked, resulting in a decrease in ink yield. For this reason, it is difficult to ensure both the ink quality and the ink yield of the regenerated cartridge, and this is not a satisfactory recycling method. Furthermore, since ink is injected from a supply port for supplying ink to a printer or the like, and the ink is held by an ink holding member in the cartridge, the flow of ink during suction or injection is the flow of ink during use. In the opposite direction, the ink bubbles and remains as bubbles in the cartridge, which may cause ejection failure of the ejection head during reuse.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a liquid refilling method for a cartridge and a liquid refilling apparatus that effectively refills a cartridge after use in a liquid ejecting apparatus. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid refilling method for a cartridge according to the present invention is a liquid refilling method for refilling a used cartridge in a liquid ejecting apparatus, and the cartridge remains in the used cartridge. Whether the remaining amount of the liquid remaining in the cartridge after the liquid is extracted in the liquid extraction step is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of the liquid filled in the unused cartridge. The present invention includes a remaining amount confirmation step for confirming whether or not, and a liquid injection step for injecting liquid into the cartridge that has been confirmed that the remaining amount of liquid is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step. To do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid refilling apparatus for a cartridge according to the present invention is a liquid refilling apparatus for refilling a used cartridge in a liquid ejecting apparatus, A liquid extracting means for extracting the liquid remaining in the cartridge, a measuring means for measuring whether or not the remaining amount of liquid remaining in the cartridge after the liquid is extracted by the liquid extracting means is less than a predetermined ratio, and the measuring means The gist of the invention is that it comprises a liquid injection means for injecting liquid into a cartridge whose remaining amount of the measured liquid is a predetermined ratio or less with respect to the total amount of liquid filled in an unused cartridge.

  That is, according to the liquid refilling method of the cartridge of the present invention, the liquid remaining in the used cartridge is extracted. Then, it is confirmed whether or not the remaining amount of liquid remaining in the cartridge after the extraction is less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of liquid filled in the unused cartridge, and the remaining amount of liquid is less than the predetermined ratio. The liquid is injected into the cartridge confirmed to be.

  Therefore, by injecting the liquid into the cartridge in which the remaining amount of the liquid is confirmed to be equal to or less than the predetermined ratio, the degree of deaeration remaining in the cartridge is reduced with respect to the liquid filled in the cartridge. The quality of the liquid can be ensured to such a level that the influence of the liquid whose viscosity is deteriorated due to an increase in viscosity due to drying can be almost ignored. Then, the yield of the replenished liquid can be ensured while sufficiently discharging the remaining liquid, and both the liquid quality and the liquid yield of the regeneration cartridge can be ensured. Further, since it is not necessary to apply external pressure from the outside of the cartridge, it can be applied to a hard case type cartridge. Thus, since the cartridge after use can be effectively recycled by a simple process, the recycling cost is not so high, and a good quality used cartridge can be provided to the user. By injecting liquid into the cartridge once used, the cartridge can be reused, the environmental load can be reduced by reducing waste, the cost can be reduced by reusing parts, and an inexpensive cartridge can be provided to the user. It is.

  In the cartridge liquid refilling method according to the present invention, when the predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step is 6% by volume, the liquid is reduced to a level at which the influence of the deteriorated liquid remaining in the cartridge can be safely ignored. The quality can be ensured, and the liquid in the cartridge after use can be surely replaced with the replenished liquid and refreshed. Further, the yield of the liquid to be replenished while sufficiently discharging the remaining liquid can be ensured, and both the liquid quality and the liquid yield of the regeneration cartridge can be ensured.

  In the liquid refilling method of the cartridge of the present invention, when the liquid remaining in the cartridge is extracted in the liquid extraction step, a predetermined amount of liquid corresponding to the surface area inside the cartridge is left in the cartridge, and the liquid injection step In the case of injecting the liquid into the cartridge in which the predetermined amount of liquid is left, by leaving the predetermined amount of liquid according to the surface area inside the cartridge, it is difficult to enter the liquid (for example, the portion where the liquid flow path is narrow). ) And the fluidity of the liquid to the poorly wetted portion of the liquid can be improved, the filling property of the replenished liquid can be improved, and the remaining of the bubbles can be suppressed. At this time, when the surface area inside the cartridge is large, a large amount of liquid is left, and when the surface is small, the above function is effectively performed by leaving a small amount of liquid.

  In the liquid refilling method for a cartridge according to the present invention, the cartridge has a pressure control valve for controlling a supply pressure of the liquid to a liquid supply port through which the cartridge supplies a liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus. In the case of a cartridge that holds liquid inside by pressure control, there is no absorbent or the like that holds the liquid in the liquid storage chamber in the cartridge, so there is no liquid in the cartridge during extraction or injection of the liquid. The movement is smooth, the liquid can be easily refilled, and the effect of the present invention is remarkable and effective.

  In the liquid refilling method of the cartridge of the present invention, in the liquid extraction step, when the liquid remaining in the used cartridge is extracted from a liquid supply port through which the cartridge supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus. Since the liquid remaining in the cartridge is extracted from the liquid supply port for supplying the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, the flow of the liquid at the time of extraction becomes the same as that at the time of use of the cartridge, and the extraction can be performed smoothly without difficulty. In addition, an extraction jig having the same structure as the apparatus on the liquid ejecting apparatus side can be used, the parts can be made common, the cost of the apparatus can be reduced, and the liquid can be extracted smoothly as in the case of using the cartridge.

  In the liquid refilling method of the cartridge of the present invention, in the liquid injecting step, the refilling liquid is injected into the cartridge from which the liquid has been extracted in the liquid extracting step from a second opening different from the liquid supply port. In this case, liquid can be injected efficiently in a short time without taking in bubbles.

  In the cartridge liquid refilling method according to the present invention, when the second opening is an opening communicating with the ink storage chamber upstream of the pressure control valve, the flow of the liquid is the same as that when the cartridge is used. Therefore, the liquid can be smoothly injected while preventing entrainment or leaving of bubbles.

  Also, according to the cartridge liquid refilling apparatus of the present invention, the liquid remaining in the used cartridge is extracted. Then, after extracting the liquid, weigh whether the remaining amount of liquid remaining in the cartridge is less than a predetermined ratio, and the measured remaining amount of liquid is compared to the total amount of liquid filled in the unused cartridge. Then, the liquid is injected into the cartridge having a predetermined ratio or less.

  Therefore, the degree of deaeration remaining in the cartridge with respect to the liquid filled in the cartridge by injecting the liquid for refilling into the cartridge in which the remaining amount of liquid is confirmed to be equal to or less than the predetermined ratio. The quality of the liquid can be ensured to a level at which the influence of the liquid whose quality has deteriorated due to a decrease in the viscosity or due to an increase in viscosity due to drying can be almost ignored. Further, the yield of the liquid to be replenished while sufficiently discharging the remaining liquid can be ensured, and both the liquid quality and the liquid yield of the regeneration cartridge can be ensured. Further, since it is not necessary to apply external pressure from the outside of the cartridge, it can be applied to a hard case type cartridge. Thus, since the cartridge after use can be effectively recycled by a simple process, the recycling cost is not so high, and a good quality used cartridge can be provided to the user. By injecting liquid into the cartridge once used, the cartridge can be reused, the environmental load can be reduced by reducing waste, the cost can be reduced by reusing parts, and an inexpensive cartridge can be provided to the user. It is.

  The liquid to be refilled (refilling liquid) may be the same liquid as the liquid that has been filled and consumed in the cartridge before filling, or a similar or similar liquid. For example, when the liquid is ink, it may be the same color ink, or a similar color or similar color ink. Here, the ink of the similar color refers to an ink having a similar color material (for example, red, light red, etc.) having the same color development characteristics as the ink filled and consumed in the cartridge before filling, Similar inks include, for example, those provided with coloring materials (eg, red and orange) having color development characteristics similar to those of ink consumed in the cartridge before filling. In some cases, the refilled liquid may be filled with ink of a completely different color in the case of ink.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described.

  In the following description, an ink jet recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as “recording apparatus”), which is a kind of liquid ejecting apparatus, is taken as an example. This recording apparatus records characters and images by landing droplets (liquid ink) ejected from nozzle openings on the surface of recording paper (a type of print medium) that is an ejection target, It is also a kind of image recording device.

  The recording apparatus includes an ink cartridge (hereinafter referred to as “cartridge”) 1 and a carriage to which a recording head is attached.

  The carriage is connected to a stepping motor via a timing belt, and is guided by a guide bar so as to reciprocate in the paper width direction (main scanning direction) of the recording paper. The carriage has a generally box shape that opens to the top, and is mounted so that the nozzle surface of the recording head is exposed on the surface facing the recording paper (the lower surface in this example), and the cartridge 1 is mounted. ing.

  Then, ink is supplied from the cartridge 1 to the recording head, and ink droplets are ejected onto the upper surface of the recording paper while moving the carriage, so that images and characters are printed on the recording paper in a dot matrix.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing all steps of a recycling process for reinjecting refilling ink (refilling ink) into a used cartridge 1 and reusing the cartridge 1.

  As shown in the figure, the recycling process of the cartridge 1 includes a “collecting process” for collecting the cartridge 1, a “selecting process” for selecting the cartridge 1, an “appearance inspection process” for inspecting the appearance of the cartridge 1, which will be described later. A “cover label peeling process” for peeling the oversheet 59 is performed in order.

  Next, a “supply hole film peeling step” for peeling a supply hole film for sealing the ink supply port 4 described later, an “ink extraction step” for removing ink (residual ink) remaining in the cartridge 1 after use, An “injection hole film drilling process” for drilling holes in the injection hole film F at the outlet 21 and an “ink injection process” for injecting refilling ink into the cartridge 1 are sequentially performed.

  Next, after making a hole in the injection hole film F, which will be described later, an "injection hole film re-welding step" for re-welding another injection hole film 90, and a "supply hole film re-welding step" for re-welding the supply hole film Then, a “weight inspection process” for inspecting the weight of the cartridge 1, an “IC data writing process” for writing information to the IC chip 49 described later, and an “IC data reading process” for reading information on the IC chip 49 are sequentially performed.

  After that, a “lot stamping process” in which a lot number is stamped on the cartridge 1, a “label affixing process” in which a label is applied to the cartridge 1, an “external pressure inspection process” in which an external pressure inspection is performed on the cartridge 1, and the cartridge 1 in a reduced pressure pack The “packing process”, the “12h leakage check process” for checking ink and air leakage from the cartridge 1, and the “individual packaging process” for packing the cartridge 1 are performed in this order. A detailed description of each of the above steps will be described later.

  Here, the cartridge 1 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  2 and 3 are exploded perspective views showing an embodiment of the cartridge 1 of the present embodiment. 4 and 5 show the container body 2 as viewed from the opening side, the container body 2 is on the surface side (hereinafter, the surface opposite to the opening side of the container body 2 is “the surface of the container body 2”). It shows the state seen from.

  The cartridge 1 includes a flat rectangular container body 2 having one side (left side in FIG. 2) opened, and a lid 3 that is welded to the opening and seals the opening. Both the container body 2 and the lid 3 are made of synthetic resin.

  The container body 2 has ink grooves 35 and 18A serving as ink flow paths formed on the surface thereof, and an air communication groove 36 serving as an air communication path. Then, a single first film 57 having air-tightness is welded to the surface of the container body 2 to seal the openings of the ink grooves 35 and 18A and the atmosphere communication groove 36, so that the ink grooves 35 and 18A are formed. Atmospheric communication grooves 36 are formed in the air flow path in the ink flow path.

  In this way, the cartridge 1 seals the openings of the ink grooves 35 and the atmosphere communication grooves 36 formed on the surface of the container body 2 with the first film 57 to form the flow paths. A container in which a relatively complicated flow path such as an air communication path is formed can be easily molded, and the design and processing of the mold can be easily performed, and can be manufactured at low cost.

  Hereinafter, the flow channel structure of the container body 2 will be described in detail.

  An ink supply port 4 is formed on the front end surface (the lower surface in this example) of the container body 2 in the carriage insertion direction, and the front and rear surfaces (left and right in FIG. 4) are respectively held when the cartridge 1 is attached / detached. The gripping arms 5 and 6 are formed integrally with the container body 2. The ink supply port 4 accommodates a valve body (not shown) that opens when an ink supply needle is inserted. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 49 denotes an IC chip serving as a storage means provided below the grip arm 5 on the ink supply port 4 side.

  The IC chip 49 stores information such as the amount of ink used in the cartridge 1, the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 1, and recycling information described later. These pieces of information are read and written by information read / write means (for example, an IC checker described later).

  The inside of the opening side of the container body 2 is formed with a frame-like portion 14 including a wall 10 extending so as to be slightly inclined downward toward the ink supply port 4 in the substantially horizontal direction. The frame-like portion 14 is formed with a substantially constant gap from the ceiling surface and both side surfaces of the container body 2. A region below the frame-like portion 14 is formed in the first ink chamber 11 in which ink is stored.

  A gap formed between the frame-shaped portion 14 and the outer peripheral wall of the container body 2 and a wall 12 provided on the valve housing chamber 8 side of the frame-shaped portion 14 through a through hole 67. Atmospheric communication paths 13 and 13A are formed for communicating the first ink chamber 11 with the atmosphere.

  The lid 3 is fused to the wall 12 and the outer peripheral wall of the container body 2 to form an air communication path 13A. Further, the upper end portion of the wall 12 forming the atmospheric communication passage 13A extends to the vicinity of the ceiling portion of the container body 2 so as to protrude upward from the liquid level in the first ink chamber 11 in use. As a result, the opening of the atmospheric communication passage 13A is opened above the liquid level in the first ink chamber 11, and the backflow of ink to the through hole 67 is prevented as much as possible.

  The inside of the frame-like portion 14 is divided into left and right by a wall 15 extending in the vertical direction in which a communication port 15A through which ink flows is formed at the bottom. An area located on the right side of the figure divided by the wall 15 is formed in the second ink chamber 16 that temporarily stores the ink sucked up from the first ink chamber 11. A third ink chamber 17, a fourth ink chamber 23, a fifth ink chamber 34, and the like are formed in a region located on the left side of the figure, and a differential pressure valve including a membrane valve 52, a spring 50, and the like is formed. It is to be accommodated.

  The differential pressure valve is a pressure control valve that controls the supply pressure of ink to the ink supply port 4 and is provided to hold ink in the cartridge 1 by pressure control of the pressure control valve. As described above, the cartridge 1 of this embodiment is a type of cartridge that has a pressure control valve that controls the supply pressure of ink to the ink supply port 4 and holds the ink therein by controlling the pressure of the pressure control valve. . Since such a type of cartridge is used, the ink moves smoothly in the cartridge 1, so that the ink can be easily refilled, and the effects of the present invention are remarkable and effective.

  A portion of the first ink chamber 11 below the second ink chamber 16 is communicated between the second ink chamber 16 and the vicinity of the bottom surface of the container body 2 so that the ink in the first ink chamber 11 is supplied to the second ink chamber 11. A suction channel 18 that is sucked into the chamber 16 is formed. A rectangular region whose periphery is surrounded by a wall 19 is formed in the lower part of the suction channel 18, and communication ports 19 </ b> A and 19 </ b> B are formed in the lower part and the upper surface of the wall 19, respectively.

  The suction channel 18 is formed by forming a groove-shaped ink groove 18 </ b> A on the surface of the container body 2 and sealing the ink groove 18 </ b> A with the first film 57.

  The upper part of the suction channel 18 communicates with the second ink chamber 16 via the communication port 47, and an opening 48 is formed in a rectangular region surrounded by the lower wall 19 to open the lower end. 18B (see FIG. 9) communicates with the first ink chamber 11. As a result, the first ink chamber 11 and the second ink chamber 16 are communicated with each other via the suction channel 18, and the ink in the first ink chamber 11 is introduced into the second ink chamber 16.

  In addition, an ink injection port 20 used when injecting ink into the first ink chamber 11 is formed on the bottom surface of the container body 2 at a location corresponding to the suction channel 18. Further, an air discharge port 21 for discharging air when ink is injected is formed in the vicinity of the ink injection port 20.

  The air discharge port 21, which is a second opening different from the ink supply port 4, is an opening that communicates with the first ink chamber 11 that is an ink storage chamber upstream of the differential pressure valve. In this embodiment, ink is injected from the air outlet 21 in the “ink injection step”. That is, when ink is injected into a new cartridge, new ink is injected from the ink inlet 20, and when ink is injected into the cartridge 1 after use, ink is injected from the air outlet 21. ing. In this embodiment, an unused cartridge is filled with 18.18 grams (g) of ink.

The third ink chamber 17 is formed with a wall 22 that extends in the lateral direction with a predetermined distance from the upper surface 14 </ b> A of the frame-like portion 14. The third ink chamber 17 is partitioned by a substantially arc-shaped wall 24 continuous with the wall 22, and a portion surrounded by the wall 24 is formed by a differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 and a fifth ink chamber 34. It has become an area.

  The region surrounded by the arc-shaped wall 24 is divided into two in the thickness direction by the wall 25 so as to form the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 on the surface side of the region facing the fifth ink chamber 34. The wall 25 is provided with an ink circulation port 25 </ b> A that guides the ink flowing into the fifth ink chamber 34 to the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33.

  A partition wall 26 having a communication port 26 </ b> A is formed between the lower wall of the substantially arc-shaped wall 24 and the wall 10, and the fourth ink chamber 23 is located downstream of the partition wall 26 (left side in FIG. 4). Is formed. Further, between the substantially arc-shaped wall 24 and the frame-shaped portion 14, a partition wall 27 having a communication port 27A at the lower portion and extending in the vertical direction and communication ports 32A and 32B at the upper and lower sides are extended in the vertical direction. A partition wall 32 is provided, and ink flow paths 28A and 28B are formed.

  Further, the container body 2 is formed with an arcuate wall 30 that is continuous with the upper end of the partition wall 27 and is connected to the substantially arcuate wall 24 and the wall 22. A region surrounded by the arc-shaped wall 30 is formed in a filter housing chamber 9 in which a block-like (columnar in this example) filter 7 is housed.

  A through hole 29 having a shape in which a large circle and a small circle are connected is formed across the arcuate wall 30 forming the filter housing chamber 9. The large circle side of the through hole 29 communicates with the upper portion of the ink flow path 28 </ b> A, and the small circle side of the through hole 29 communicates with the fifth ink through the communication port 24 </ b> A provided at the tip of the substantially arcuate wall 24. It communicates with the upper part of the chamber 34. Thereby, the ink flow path 28 </ b> A and the fifth ink chamber 34 communicate with each other through the through hole 29.

  The ink that has flowed from the second ink chamber 16 through the communication ports 15A, 26A, 32B, 27A and the like into the ink flow path 28A is filtered by the filter 7 in the filter housing chamber 9 and is then on the great circle side of the through hole 29. Flow into. Next, the ink flowing into the through hole 29 flows from the small circle side of the through hole 29 into the fifth ink chamber 34 through the communication port 24A. The opening of the through hole 29 on the surface side of the container body 2 is also sealed with the first film 57.

  Here, an airtight second film 56 is welded to the opening side of the frame-like portion 14. That is, the second film 56 is welded to the frame-like portion 14, the walls 10, 15, 22, 24, 30, 42, and the partition walls 26, 27, 32 to form an ink chamber and a flow path.

  On the other hand, the lower portion of the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 and the ink supply port 4 are communicated with each other by a flow path including an ink groove 35 formed on the surface side and an air-tight first film 57 covering the ink groove 35. ing. The upper and lower ends of the ink groove 35 communicate with the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 and the ink supply port 4, respectively. As a result, the ink that has flowed into the fifth ink chamber 34 passes through the ink circulation port 25A, flows through the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33, and flows from the flow path formed by the ink groove 35 to the ink supply port 4. Yes.

  Further, the surface of the container body 2 has an air communication groove 36 that meanders so as to have as high a flow resistance as possible and a wide width that communicates with the air communication groove 36 and surrounds the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 and the air communication groove 36. The groove 37 is formed. A rectangular recess 38 is formed on the surface of the container body 2 in a region corresponding to the second ink chamber 16.

  A frame portion 39 and a rib 40 are formed in the rectangular recess 38 in a state of being lowered one step. Further, the air-permeable sheet 55 having ink-like properties is stretched on these, so that the inside of the rectangular recess 38 is formed in an air vent chamber communicating with the atmosphere via the air communication groove 36 and the groove 37. ing.

  A through hole 41 is formed in the inner surface of the recess 38 and communicates with an elongated region 43 defined by an oval wall 42 in the second ink chamber 16. An air communication groove 36 communicates with a region of the concave portion 38 on the surface side of the air permeable sheet 55. Further, a through hole 44 is formed at the end of the elongated region 43 opposite to the through hole 41. The through hole 44 is a valve housing chamber 8 that is an atmosphere release valve chamber through a communication groove 45 formed on the surface side of the container body 2 and a through hole 46 that is formed to communicate with the groove 45. It is communicated to.

  The valve storage chamber 8 is formed with a through hole 60 that communicates with a through hole 67 formed in the atmosphere communication path 13 </ b> A formed in the first ink chamber 11. As a result, the air that has entered the recess 38 through the air communication groove 36 and the groove 37 reaches the valve housing chamber 8 through the through hole 41, the elongated region 43, and the through holes 44, 46 and penetrates from the valve housing chamber 8. The first ink chamber 11 is reached through the hole 60, the through hole 67, and the atmospheric communication passages 13 and 13 </ b> A.

  Further, the valve housing chamber 8 is opened on the cartridge insertion side (lower side in this embodiment), so that an identification piece and an operating rod provided in the recording apparatus main body can enter as will be described later. In the upper part, an air release valve that is opened by the entry of the operating rod and maintains the normally open valve state is accommodated.

  FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional structure in the vicinity of the fifth ink chamber 34 and the differential pressure valve storage chamber 33 described above. The right side in the figure is the surface side of the container body 2 where the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 is located. The differential pressure valve housing chamber 33 contains a spring 50 and a membrane valve 52 made of an elastically deformable material such as an elastomer and having a through hole 51 in the center. The membrane valve 52 has an annular thick portion 52A around it, and is fixed to the container body 2 via a frame portion 54 formed integrally with the thick portion 52A. One end of the spring 50 is in contact with the spring receiving portion 52B of the membrane valve 52, and the other end is in contact with and supported by the spring receiving portion 53A of the lid 53 that covers the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33. .

  With such a configuration, the ink that has passed through the ink circulation port 25 </ b> A from the fifth ink chamber 34 is blocked by the membrane valve 52. When the pressure of the ink supply port 4 decreases in this state, the negative pressure causes the membrane valve 52 to move away from the valve seat portion 25B against the biasing force of the spring 50, and the ink passes through the through hole 51 and passes through the ink groove 35. The ink flows into the ink supply port 4 through the formed flow path.

  When the ink pressure at the ink supply port 4 rises to a predetermined value, the membrane valve 52 is elastically contacted with the valve seat portion 25B by the urging force of the spring 50, and the ink flow is blocked. By repeating such an operation, the ink can be discharged from the ink supply port 4 while maintaining a constant negative pressure.

  FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional structure of the valve accommodating chamber 8 for air communication. The right side in the figure is the surface side of the container body 2. A through hole 60 is formed in a wall defining the valve housing chamber 8, and a pressing member 61 made of an elastic member such as rubber is inserted into the container body 2 so as to be movable around the periphery. Yes. A valve body 65 supported by the elastic member 62 and constantly urged to the through hole 60 is disposed at the front end of the pressing member 61. In this example, the elastic member 62 uses a leaf spring whose lower end is fixed by a protrusion 63 and whose central portion is restricted by the protrusion 64.

  On the other hand, an arm 66 is disposed on the opposite side of the pressing member 61. The arm 66 is fixed to the container body 2 via a rotation fulcrum 66A located on the inner side of an operating rod 70 described later on the side in which the cartridge 1 is inserted (the lower end in this example). The arm 66 has an extraction side (upper side in this example) that protrudes obliquely into the entry path of the operating rod 70. A convex portion 66 </ b> B for repressing the pressing member 61 is formed at the tip of the arm 66. With such a configuration, when the valve body 65 is opened, as described above, the through hole 67 provided in the upper portion of the first ink chamber 11 has the through hole 60, the valve storage chamber 8, the through hole 46, and the groove 45. , Through hole 44, elongated region 43, and through hole 41 are connected to a recess 38 for communicating with the atmosphere.

  Further, the valve accommodating chamber 8 is provided with an identification convex portion 68 for judging whether the cartridge 1 is appropriate for the recording apparatus on the insertion side (lower side in this example) from the arm 66. The identification convex portion 68 can be determined by the identification piece (operating rod) 70A before the ink supply port 4 communicates with the ink supply needle 72 (see FIG. 8) and before the valve element 65 is opened. In the position.

  With such a configuration, when the cartridge 1 is loaded in the cartridge holder 71 having the operating rod 70 standing on the lower surface as shown in FIG. 8, the operating rod 70 contacts the inclined arm 66 and the cartridge 1 The pressing member 61 is inclined toward the valve body 65 along with the pressing. As a result, the valve body 65 is separated from the through hole 60, and the atmospheric communication recess 38 is opened to the atmosphere through the through hole 46, the groove 45, the through hole 44, the region 43, and the through hole 41 as described above.

  When the cartridge holder 71 is pulled out, the arm 66 loses the support of the operating rod 70, so that the valve body 65 blocks the through hole 60 by the urging force of the elastic member 62, and the ink containing area and the atmosphere Cut off communication.

  Next, in a state where all the members such as valves are incorporated in the container main body 2 as described above, the air-tight first film 57 is pasted on the surface so as to cover at least the region where the recess is formed. . As a result, a capillary serving as an air communication path is formed on the surface side by the recess and the first film 57.

  Here, the arrangement of the flow path including the capillary and the formation of the flow path will be described in detail.

  In the cartridge 1, as described above, the ink groove 35, the through hole 29, and the ink groove formed on the surface of the container body 2 by welding one first film 57 to the surface of the container body 2. 18A, the groove 45, the atmosphere communication groove 36 and the opening of the recess 38 are sealed, respectively, and the ink groove 35, the through hole 29, the ink groove 18A and the groove 45 are formed in the ink flow path, respectively, and the atmosphere communication groove 36 and the recess Each 38 is formed in the atmosphere communication path. The cartridge 1 with the first film 57 welded is shown in FIG.

  At this time, for example, the first film 57 is welded to the surface of the container body 2 by, for example, covering the surface of the container body 2 with the first film 57 and pressing it with a heating and pressing plate.

  Here, the air communication groove 36 is formed with a narrow and shallow groove that is bent in a complicated manner so as to prevent ink evaporation as much as possible and not to increase the flow resistance more than necessary. Accordingly, when the atmosphere communication groove 36 is sealed with the first film 57, the atmosphere communication groove 36 may be crushed and hinder air flow unless the height at the time of welding is managed with high accuracy. . On the other hand, it is desirable that the concave portions forming the ink flow path such as the ink grooves 35 are welded with emphasis on the welding strength in order to prevent ink leakage.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the surface of the container body 2 is formed with a region (b) in which concave portions that mainly serve as ink flow paths, such as the ink grooves 35 and the through holes 29, and an air communication groove 36 are mainly formed. The flow path is arranged so as to be roughly divided into the region (a). Further, a groove 31 that does not constitute a flow path is formed in a boundary portion between the region (a) and the region (b) on the surface of the container body 2.

  Then, when the first film 57 is welded to the container body 2, a range (hereinafter referred to as “welding range”) in which pressure is applied at a time by one heating and pressing plate is a region that mainly requires management of the welding height accuracy (a). And a region (b) that mainly requires management of the welding strength, and the welding conditions are controlled independently in each of the regions (a) and (b). By doing so, it is possible to perform both welding accuracy management and welding strength management, and it is only necessary to control the welding state of a relatively small area, so that the welding conditions can be set relatively easily. become.

  Furthermore, in other words, the welding range of the first film 57 includes the region (b) in which the ink groove 35 serving as the ink flow path downstream of the differential pressure valve that generates the negative pressure in the cartridge 1 is formed, and the like. It is divided into the area (a). That is, in the cartridge 1 having the differential pressure valve, since the shape of the flow path such as the ink flow path and the atmosphere communication path is relatively complicated, the effect of easily forming a complicated flow path is remarkable.

  Moreover, since the groove | channel 31 which does not comprise the said flow path is located in the boundary part of the division | segmentation welding range (a) (b), the welding pressurization surface which welds the 1st film 57 is divided | segmented welding range. (A) It can overlap between (b), and the freedom degree of design of a welding apparatus improves. In FIG. 9, 57 </ b> A is a notch provided in a portion of the first film 57 corresponding to the groove 31.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the cartridge 1 has an oversheet 59 attached to the surface of the container body 2 so as to cover the first film 57. By doing so, the first film 57 is protected by the oversheet 59, ink leakage due to breakage of the first film 57 can be prevented, and ink evaporation can also be prevented. In the figure, reference numeral 59A denotes a notch provided in a portion of the oversheet 59 corresponding to the groove 31.

  The oversheet 59 is thicker than the thickness of the first film 57. That is, in the cartridge 1, the thickness of the first film 57 is set to be thinner than the thickness of the oversheet 59. In this way, when the first film 57 is welded to seal the ink grooves 35, 18A, the atmosphere communication groove 36, etc., the first film 57 is likely to be along the surface of the container body 2. It is advantageous for improving the welding accuracy. Further, the first film 57 can be effectively protected by the relatively thick oversheet 59.

  The oversheet 59 is formed with an extension region 59B that covers the lower surface of the container body 2, and the extension region 59B covers the ink inlet 20 and the air outlet 21. In this way, the ink injection port 20 and the air discharge port 21 can be covered with a single oversheet 59, which is advantageous in simplifying the process and reducing the number of parts.

  On the other hand, as described above, the opening of the container body 2 is hermetically sealed with respect to the frame-shaped portion 14, the walls 10, 15, 22, 24, 30, 42, and the partition walls 26, 27, 32. An air-tight second film 56 is attached by heat welding or the like. Then, the lid 3 is placed on the top and fixed by welding or the like. Thereby, it seals so that the area | region divided by each wall may communicate only through a communicating port or opening.

  Further, the opening side of the valve accommodating chamber 8 is similarly sealed with an air-tight third film 58 by heat welding, and the cartridge 1 is finished. By adopting a structure in which the ink containing area is sealed with the air-tight first and second films 56 and 57 and the like in this way, not only the container body 2 can be easily molded, but also the ink caused by the reciprocating movement of the carriage. Is absorbed by the film deformation of the first and second films 56 and 57, and the ink pressure can be maintained as constant as possible.

  Next, an ink injection tube is inserted into the ink injection port 20, and sufficiently deaerated ink is injected with the air discharge port 21 opened. After the injection is completed, the ink injection port 20 and the air discharge port 21 are sealed with the injection hole film F (see FIG. 15) and the oversheet 59.

  Since the cartridge 1 configured as described above is stored after being disconnected from the atmosphere by a valve or the like, the degree of deaeration of the ink is sufficiently maintained.

  When the cartridge 1 is loaded into the cartridge holder 71, if the cartridge 1 is suitable for the cartridge holder 71, the ink supply port 4 enters the position where the ink supply needle 72 is inserted, and as described above. In addition, the through hole 60 is opened by the operating rod 70, the ink containing area communicates with the atmosphere, and the valve of the ink supply port 4 is also opened by the ink supply needle 72.

  On the other hand, when the ink supply port 4 does not match the holder, the identification protrusion 68 abuts against the identification piece 70A of the cartridge holder 71 before the ink supply port 4 reaches the ink supply needle 72, thereby preventing entry. In this state, since the operating rod 70 cannot reach the arm 66, the valve body 65 is maintained in a sealed state, and the ink containing area is prevented from being released to the atmosphere to prevent ink evaporation.

  When the cartridge 1 is normally mounted on the cartridge holder 71, printing is performed and ink is consumed by the recording head, the pressure of the ink supply port 4 drops below a specified value. Opened. Further, when the pressure of the ink supply port 4 increases, the membrane valve 52 is closed. In this way, the ink maintained at a predetermined negative pressure flows into the recording head.

  As the ink consumption in the recording head proceeds, the ink in the first ink chamber 11 flows into the second ink chamber 16 through the suction channel 18. The bubbles that have flown here rise due to buoyancy, and only ink flows into the third ink chamber 17 via the lower communication port 15A.

  The ink in the third ink chamber 17 passes through the communication port 26A of the partition wall 26 formed at the lower end portion of the wall 24 formed in a substantially circular shape, passes through the fourth ink chamber 23, and flows into the ink flow paths 28A and 28B. .

  The ink flowing through the ink flow path 28 </ b> A flows into the filter storage chamber 9 and is filtered by the filter 7. The ink that has passed through the filter housing chamber 9 flows from the large circle side of the through hole 29 to the small circle side, passes through the communication port 24A, and flows into the upper portion of the fifth ink chamber 34.

  Subsequently, the ink that has flowed into the fifth ink chamber 34 passes through the ink circulation port 25A and flows into the differential pressure valve housing chamber 33, and as described above, the ink is supplied to the ink supply port 4 at a predetermined negative pressure by the opening / closing operation of the membrane valve 52. Flows in.

  Here, the first ink chamber 11 communicates with the atmosphere via the atmosphere communication passages 13 and 13A, the through hole 67, the valve storage chamber 8, and the like, and is maintained at atmospheric pressure, so that a negative pressure is generated. This does not hinder the flow of ink. Even if the ink in the first ink chamber 11 flows backward and flows into the concave portion 38, the ink-permeable breathable sheet 55 is provided here. Ink flow is prevented while maintaining. As a result, it is possible to prevent inconvenience that the air communication groove 36 is blocked by the ink flowing into the air communication groove 36 and solidifying.

  As described above, in the cartridge 1, the ink grooves 35 and the air communication grooves 36 formed on the surface of the container body 2 are formed, and the openings are sealed with the first film 57 to form the flow paths. A container in which a relatively complicated flow path such as an ink flow path or an atmospheric communication path is formed can be easily formed, and the design and processing of the mold can be easily performed, and can be manufactured at low cost.

  In addition, although the example which used the column-shaped thing was shown as the filter 7 in the said Example, it is not limited to this, If it is a filter which showed the block shape, the thing of various shapes and sizes will be included. It is the purpose.

  Next, referring to FIG. 1 again, the recycling process of the used cartridge will be described.

  First, the used cartridge 1 is collected for each type and color in the “collection step”, and then the collected cartridge 1 is sorted in the “sorting step”.

  In the “selecting step”, the recycling information stored in the IC chip 49 of the cartridge 1 is read by an IC checker that reads the recycling information stored in the IC chip 49. The cartridge manufacturing date is stored as the recycling information, and it is determined whether or not to perform ink removal depending on whether or not a predetermined period has elapsed from the read manufacturing date. For example, it is determined whether or not 1.5 years have passed since the date of manufacture of the cartridge 1, and if 1.5 years have not passed in this determination, the “ink removal process” is not performed and the cartridge 1 In the state where the remaining ink remains, additional refilling ink is injected. On the other hand, when 1.5 years have passed, an “ink extraction step” is performed as in the present embodiment, and after the remaining ink is extracted from the cartridge 1, the refilling ink is injected. Is called.

  As the recycling information, the number of times of recycling can be written. In this case, the recycling information is written in an “IC data writing step” described later.

  Next, in the “appearance inspection process”, the appearance of the selected cartridge 1 is inspected. Here, from the collected cartridges 1, defective cartridges 1 such as cartridges with remarkable ink contamination due to ink leakage or the like, and cartridges with remarkable damage such as breakage of the holding arm or IC chip removal are visually selected and removed.

  Next, in the “cover label peeling step”, the extension region 59B that covers the ink inlet 20 and the air outlet 21 in the oversheet 59 is peeled off from the lower surface of the container body 2 and removed.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the “cover label peeling step”, the extension region 59B is cut from the oversheet 59 with scissors, a cutter knife, or the like, and the extension region 59B is peeled off from the lower surface of the container body 2.

  Next, in the “supply hole film peeling step”, a supply port film (not shown) that seals the ink supply port 4 of the cartridge 1 is removed with tweezers or the like.

  Next, in the “ink removal step”, the remaining ink remaining in the cartridge 1 is removed.

  As shown in FIG. 13, in the “ink extraction process”, the residual ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after use is sucked and extracted, and the residual ink is extracted in the extraction suction process and then stored in the cartridge 1. A remaining amount confirmation step of confirming whether or not the remaining amount of remaining ink is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of ink filled in an unused cartridge is performed.

  FIG. 14 is a liquid draining device in the liquid refilling apparatus of the present invention for refilling the cartridge 1 after use with ink. This apparatus measures the later-described liquid extraction means for extracting residual ink remaining in the cartridge 1 and whether or not the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after the residual ink is extracted is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio. A metering device 89 serving as a metering unit and a liquid injection unit described later are provided.

  The liquid extraction means includes an ink trap 81 that extracts and collects residual ink remaining in the cartridge 1 to be refilled, and a suction pump 83 that depressurizes the ink trap 81 via a trap pressure reduction pipe 85 described later. A trap decompression tube 85 for decompressing the inside of the ink trap 81 by suction of the suction pump 83 and an ink suction tube 87 for sucking residual ink from the cartridge 1 are configured.

  In the ink trap 81, an ink receiver 81a for receiving the residual ink sucked into the ink trap 81 is provided. At one end of the ink suction pipe 87, a drawing jig for drawing out the remaining ink in the cartridge 1 from the ink supply port 4 is provided. The one end (extraction jig) is connected to the ink supply port 4, and the other end is disposed in the ink receiver 81 a of the ink trap 81.

  The extraction jig basically has the same structure as the mounting portion in which the cartridge is mounted in the liquid ejecting apparatus, and the ink supply needle 72 inserted into the ink supply port 4 and the concave portion 38 for air communication are opened to the atmosphere. An operating rod 70 for opening is provided. The extraction jig is disposed above the ink trap 81 and supports the cartridge 1 with the ink supply port 4 facing downward. As a result, the remaining ink falls into the ink trap 81 through the ink suction pipe 87 when being extracted from the extraction jig.

  One end of the trap pressure reducing pipe 85 is connected to the suction pump 83, and the other end is disposed above the ink trap 81.

  With the liquid refilling device configured as described above, in the sampling suction step, the suction pump 83 is driven, and a predetermined negative pressure (for example, about 100 Torr, that is, about 13.3 kPa) is generated in the ink trap 81 through the trap pressure reducing pipe 85. Depressurize to. Then, residual ink is extracted from the cartridge 1 via the ink supply port 4, and the extracted residual ink is received by the ink receiver 81 a of the ink trap 81. In this embodiment, the ink remaining in the used cartridge 1 is extracted from the ink supply port 4 in this way.

  In this way, the residual ink remaining in the used cartridge 1 is extracted from the ink supply port 4 so that the remaining ink after use is extracted and then injected, thereby reducing the influence of the residual ink whose quality has deteriorated. be able to. Further, since the ink remaining in the cartridge 1 is extracted from the ink supply port 4, the ink flow at the time of extraction becomes the same as when the cartridge 1 is used, and the ink can be extracted smoothly without difficulty. In addition, an extraction jig having the same structure as the apparatus on the liquid ejecting apparatus side can be used, the parts can be made common, the cost of the apparatus can be reduced, and the remaining ink can be extracted smoothly as in the case of using the cartridge. .

  When the remaining ink in the cartridge 1 is extracted, a predetermined amount of liquid corresponding to the surface area inside the cartridge 1 is left in the cartridge 1. Specifically, the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 is about 2.5% by volume (0.5 g in this embodiment) with respect to the total amount of ink filled when new. In this way, by leaving a predetermined amount of residual ink corresponding to the surface area inside the cartridge 1, the fluidity of the ink to a portion where the ink is difficult to enter (for example, a portion where the ink flow path is narrow) or a portion where the ink is poorly wetted. As a result, the ink filling property can be improved and the remaining of the bubbles can be suppressed. At this time, when the surface area inside the cartridge 1 is large, a large amount of ink is left, and when the surface is small, the above function is effectively performed by leaving a small amount of ink.

  Next, in the remaining amount confirmation step, it is confirmed whether or not the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after the ink is extracted is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of ink filled in the unused cartridge. To do.

  The predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step is 6% by volume. That is, it is confirmed whether or not the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 is 6% by volume or less with respect to the total amount of ink filled in the unused cartridge.

  In this embodiment, since an unused cartridge is filled with 18.18 grams (g) of ink, the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 is 1 g which is 6% by volume of 18.18 g. Check whether it is the following.

  Since the predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step is 6% by volume, the quality of the liquid can be ensured to a level at which the influence of the deteriorated liquid remaining in the cartridge can be surely ignored. The liquid inside can be reliably replaced with a refilling liquid and refreshed. Further, the yield of the liquid to be replenished while sufficiently discharging the remaining liquid can be ensured, and both the liquid quality and the liquid yield of the regeneration cartridge can be ensured.

  In this way, the ink of 0.5 g or more and 1 g or less is left in the cartridge 1 in the “ink extraction step”, the “ink extraction step” is terminated, and the process proceeds to the next step.

  Subsequently (see FIG. 1), in the “injection hole film punching step (film removal step)”, the remaining amount of the remaining ink is welded around the air discharge port 21 of the cartridge 1 where the amount is 1 g or less. The injection hole film F that seals the outlet 21 is removed so that the air outlet 21 communicates.

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the “injection hole film drilling step”, specifically, when removing the injection hole film F of the air discharge port 21, the injection hole film F of the air discharge port 21 is removed from the film removal means ( For example, the film F is cut with scissors or a cutter knife), and a hole is made in a portion of the film F that covers the air discharge port 21.

  Thus, the film F which covers the air exhaust port 21 is removed by cutting out the part which covers the air exhaust port 21 among the films F, and forming a through-hole in the film F which covers the air exhaust port 21. In a subsequent “ink injection step”, ink is injected into the cartridge 1 from the air discharge port 21. In this way, by forming a through hole in the injection hole film F covering the air discharge port 21, the air discharge port 21 can be communicated without damaging the cartridge 1 or the like, and also on a re-welding surface described later. Since it is hard to be damaged, re-welding can be performed on a clean surface, and re-welding is reliably performed. Further, the liquid can be efficiently injected in a short time without taking bubbles into the cartridge 1.

  Next, in the “ink injection step”, ink is injected into the cartridge 1.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in the “ink injection process”, a liquid injection means described later is used. First, the inside of the cartridge 1 after the ink is extracted in the “ink extraction process” is set to a predetermined degree of vacuum (this embodiment). In the example, the vacuuming step for reducing the pressure to 37 Pa) or less, the injection step for injecting ink into the cartridge 1, the ink replenishment step for replenishing ink in the temporary storage tank 93 described later, and after injecting ink in the injection step, An ink suction process that is a suction process for sucking a predetermined amount of ink from the cartridge 1 through the ink supply port 4 and an end process for ending these “ink injection processes” are sequentially performed.

  FIG. 17 shows a liquid injection apparatus in the liquid refilling apparatus of the present invention. In this apparatus, the liquid injection means is connected to a communication pipe 91 communicating with the atmosphere at the top, and the remaining ink remaining measured by the measuring device 89 is less than a predetermined ratio (6% by volume). Above the confirmed cartridge 1, a temporary storage tank 93 that temporarily stores ink for refilling the cartridge 1, and an ink tank that stores ink and is connected to the temporary storage tank 93 for supplying the ink. A supply pipe 95; an injection pipe 97 for injecting ink in the temporary storage tank 93 into the cartridge 1 from the air outlet 21; an ink trap 99 for extracting and storing the ink in the cartridge 1; A suction pump 101 that depressurizes the inside of the ink trap 99 through the decompression tube 103, and an ink trap by suction of the suction pump 101 A trap vacuum tube 103 for reducing the pressure in 99, and an ink suction pipe 105 for sucking ink from inside the cartridge 1.

  The liquid injection means injects ink into the cartridge 1 that has been confirmed that the remaining amount of residual ink measured by the measuring device 89 is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio (6% by volume) by the above configuration. ing.

  The communication pipe 91 is provided with a communication pipe opening / closing valve 91 a that opens and closes the communication pipe 91 and controls opening / closing of air into and from the temporary storage tank 93. The supply pipe 95 is provided with a supply pipe opening / closing valve 95 a that opens and closes the supply pipe 95 to control the opening and closing of the ink supply into the temporary storage tank 93. The injection pipe 97 is provided with an injection pipe opening / closing valve 97a that opens and closes the injection pipe 97 to control the opening and closing of ink injection into the cartridge 1.

  In the ink trap 99, an ink receiver 99a for receiving the residual ink sucked therein is provided. At one end of the ink suction pipe 105, a suction jig for sucking ink in the cartridge 1 from the ink supply port 4 is provided. The one end where the suction jig is provided is connected to the ink supply port 4, and the other end is disposed in the ink receiver 99 a of the ink trap 99.

  The suction jig supports the cartridge 1 with the ink supply port 4 facing upward. That is, the cartridge 1 is disposed below the suction jig and with the ink supply port 4 facing upward. Thereby, when bubbles are contained in the ink in the cartridge 1, the bubbles can be collected near the ink supply port 4, and the bubbles near the ink supply port 4 can be reliably sucked and removed. The suction jig is provided with an ink supply needle 72 to be inserted into the ink supply port 4, but is not provided with an operating rod 70.

  One end of the trap decompression pipe 103 is connected to the suction pump 101, and the other end is disposed above the ink trap 99.

  The ink suction tube 105 is provided with a liquid holding portion 107 having a capacity (in this embodiment, about 4 cc capacity) corresponding to the amount of liquid sucked from the ink supply port 4 in the subsequent ink suction process. An upstream side of the ink suction tube 105 upstream of the liquid holding unit 107 opens and closes the ink suction tube 105 between the cartridge 1 and the liquid holding unit 107 to control opening and closing of ink suction into the liquid holding unit 107. A side suction pipe opening / closing valve 105a is provided. Further, on the downstream side of the liquid holding unit 107 in the ink suction tube 105, the ink suction tube 105 between the ink trap 99 and the liquid holding unit 107 is opened and closed to control the opening and closing of the ink suction into the ink trap 99. A side suction pipe opening / closing valve 105b is provided.

  The ink trap 99, the suction pump 101, the ink suction pipe 105, the upstream side suction pipe on / off valve 105 a, the downstream side suction pipe on / off valve 105 b, the liquid holding unit 107, and the like are placed from the inside of the cartridge 1 through the ink supply port 4. It serves as a suction means for sucking a fixed amount of ink.

  In the “evacuation step”, the suction pump 101 is driven and the upstream suction pipe on / off valve 105a and the downstream suction pipe on / off valve 105b are opened, and the communication pipe on / off valve 91a, the supply pipe on / off valve 95a, the injection pipe The on-off valve 97a is closed, and the pressure inside the cartridge 1 is reduced to about 600 Pa (about 5 torr) or more and about 3800 pascal (about 28 torr or less).

  The degree of vacuum in the cartridge 1 is controlled, for example, by suction control means for controlling the suction means, and is preferably 5 to 28 torr, more preferably 10 torr (about 1300 Pa) to 28 torr. Can be set.

  In the injection step, the suction pump 101 is stopped, the communication pipe on / off valve 91a and the injection pipe on / off valve 97a are opened, the upstream suction pipe on / off valve 105a, the supply pipe on / off valve 95a, and the downstream suction pipe on / off. The valve 105b is closed. By doing so, the pressure is reduced to about 600 Pa or more and 3800 Pa or less in advance, and it is temporarily stored in the cartridge 1 that has been confirmed that the remaining amount of ink is 6 vol% (1 g in this embodiment) or less in the remaining amount confirmation step. Ink in the storage tank 93 is injected from the air outlet 21.

  Thus, ink is injected into the cartridge 1 in a state where the pressure inside the cartridge 1 after the ink is extracted in the “ink extracting step” is reduced to 600 Pa or more and 3800 Pa or less in advance. By doing so, since the ink is injected from the state in which the air has been sufficiently removed from the inside of the cartridge 1, the ink can be smoothly filled without taking bubbles into the cartridge 1. In particular, in a cartridge with a built-in pressure control valve, such as the cartridge of this embodiment, the resistance of air passing through the pressure control valve when there is air in the cartridge 1 adversely affects the filling performance and leaves bubbles. Is effective. Further, since the pressure is not reduced excessively, it is possible to prevent the ink that remains slightly in the cartridge 1 from evaporating and solidifying, or causing the foam to violently foam and adversely affect the filling property.

  In addition, it is confirmed whether or not the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after the ink is removed is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of ink filled in the unused cartridge. In order to inject ink into a cartridge that has been confirmed to be less than or equal to a predetermined ratio, the ink remaining in the cartridge 1 relative to the ink filled in the cartridge 1 (for example, reduced degassing degree, increased viscosity due to drying, etc.) The quality of the ink in the cartridge 1 after use can be ensured. In addition, it is possible to secure the yield of ink to be replenished while sufficiently discharging the remaining ink, and to secure both the ink quality and the ink yield of the reproduction cartridge.

  In the liquid refilling device, the residual ink in the used cartridge 1 is extracted by the liquid extraction means. Then, the metering device 89 measures whether or not the remaining amount of ink remaining in the cartridge 1 after the remaining ink is removed is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio, and the liquid injection means determines the remaining amount of the measured liquid. Since the refilling liquid is injected into the cartridge which is equal to or less than the predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of the liquid filled in the unused cartridge, the used cartridge 1 can be effectively recycled with a simple structure. The running cost and recycling cost of the equipment are not so much.

  Further, since the ink is injected from the air discharge port 21 which is the second opening different from the ink supply port 4 into the cartridge 1 from which the ink has been extracted in the ink extraction step, the air can be taken in a short time without taking in bubbles. Ink can be injected efficiently.

  Further, the air discharge port 21 is an opening that communicates with the ink storage chamber (first ink chamber 11) on the upstream side of the differential pressure valve (pressure control valve) including the membrane valve 52, the spring 50, and the like. Since the ink is injected so as to have the same flow as that of the ink at the time of one use, the ink can be smoothly injected while preventing bubbles from being entrained or left.

  Next, in the ink replenishment step, the communication pipe on / off valve 91a and the supply pipe on / off valve 95a are opened, and the upstream suction pipe on / off valve 105a, the injection pipe on / off valve 97a, and the downstream suction pipe on / off valve 105b are closed. As a result, the ink in the ink tank is supplied into the temporary storage tank 93.

  In the ink suction process, the suction pump 101 is driven, the downstream suction pipe opening / closing valve 105b is opened, all other opening / closing valves are closed, and a predetermined pressure is applied to the liquid holding unit 107 (in this embodiment, about A negative pressure of 100 Torr, that is, about 13300 Pa) is stored. Next, in this state, the downstream side suction pipe on / off valve 105b is switched to the closed state and the upstream side suction pipe on / off valve 105a is opened, so that the capacity of the liquid holding unit 107 from the cartridge 1 (in this embodiment, about 1.12 g: 1 cc to 4 cc) of ink.

  As described above, the ink suction process starts from the state in which the upstream suction pipe opening / closing valve 105a provided on the upstream side of the liquid holding unit 107 is closed and a predetermined negative pressure is accumulated in the liquid holding unit 107, and then the upstream side. By opening the side suction pipe opening / closing valve 105a, the negative pressure applied to the vicinity of the ink supply port 4 rapidly increases in a short time. Therefore, the suction flow rate of the ink in the cartridge 1 rapidly reaches a high flow rate level, and the ink can be discharged from the ink supply port 4 at a stretch. As a result, the ink containing bubbles filled in the cartridge 1 is also strongly sucked, and ink that does not contain bubbles is filled in the ink supply port 4 and the like, and good liquid ejection is obtained from the liquid ejecting apparatus. Thus, since a strong negative pressure can be applied to the vicinity of the ink supply port 4 without specially increasing the suction force, bubbles and liquid can be reliably sucked with simple equipment.

  After injecting ink into the cartridge 1, a predetermined amount of ink is sucked from the cartridge 1 through the ink supply port 4. Therefore, by sucking a predetermined amount of ink from the cartridge 1 through the ink supply port 4 after the ink has been injected, it is possible to prevent bubbles remaining in the cartridge 1. Further, it is possible to remove bubbles in the vicinity of the ink supply port having the largest influence of bubbles, and in the cartridge 1 after refilling, it is possible to ensure the ejection stability of the liquid ejecting apparatus in the same manner as a new cartridge. Further, since no external pressure is applied from the outside of the cartridge 1 in removing bubbles, the cartridge 1 is hardly damaged and the number of times the cartridge 1 is recycled is improved.

  Thus, in the “ink suction step”, at least the amount of ink corresponding to the volume of the flow path from the differential pressure valve to the ink supply port 4 in the ink supply port 4 in the cartridge 1 is supplied to the liquid holding unit 107. Thus, suction is performed with a constant volume and a constant degree of vacuum, and the ink is sucked and held in the liquid holding unit 107 having a volume corresponding to the amount of liquid sucked from the ink supply port 4. In this way, bubbles in the flow path from the differential pressure valve to the ink supply port 4 can be reliably removed. Even if bubbles remain on the upstream side of the differential pressure valve, bubbles do not enter the downstream side of the differential pressure valve, so that an injection trouble can be reliably prevented.

  Further, the ink holding port 107 has a capacity corresponding to the amount of liquid sucked from the ink supply port 4 in the “ink sucking step” by sucking and holding ink. Since the ink can be sucked by the volume of the ink, a constant volume of ink can always be sucked stably, and the loss of ink due to excessive suction and the remaining of bubbles due to insufficient suction can be reliably prevented.

  In the above end step, the driving of the suction pump 101 is stopped, all the on-off valves are closed, the “ink injection step” is ended, and the process proceeds to the next step.

  In the “injection hole film re-welding step” (see FIG. 1), the first welding surface is re-sealed so that the air discharge port 21 into which ink has been injected in the ink injection step is sealed again by the heater 113 which is a re-welding means. With another surface (smooth surface) different from (smooth surface) as the re-welding surface, another injection hole film 90 is re-welded so as to cover the through holes formed in the injection hole film F. By doing so, it is possible to obtain a welding quality that secures a welding strength with no ink leakage without deforming the shape of the cartridge 1. Moreover, the reliability with respect to lifetime deterioration is securable by using the same film as a new article as another injection hole film 90. Further, by re-welding another injection hole film 90 with a surface different from the initial welding surface as a re-welding surface, the reliability of welding is improved.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, the air discharge port 21 of the cartridge 1 is formed with an inclined surface 111 inclined downward from the opening edge toward the inside of the cartridge 1. The re-welding surface is formed by the heater 113 at a portion recessed from the first welding surface around the air outlet 21. By doing in this way, since the re-welding surface is in a portion recessed from the surroundings and is usually covered with the injection hole film F, the re-welding surface is hardly scratched and clean during use. The surface can be re-welded and the re-welding is reliably performed.

  More specifically, another injection hole film 90 is welded to the inclined surface 111 as the re-welding surface. By doing in this way, since the re-welding surface is the inclined surface 111 inclined downward from the opening edge toward the inside of the cartridge 1, the air can be easily welded by the welding jig (heater 113) along the inclination. The discharge port 21 can be more reliably sealed.

  In the re-welding, a film having elasticity may be used for welding while deforming the injection hole film 90, or a film having poor elasticity may be used for re-welding while forming wrinkles. By doing in this way, the air discharge port 21 can be tightly sealed along the shape of the re-welding surface, the appearance can be finished beautifully, and ink leakage can be prevented more reliably.

  According to the above-mentioned refill cartridge, the user can reuse the refill cartridge 1 having a welding quality that secures the welding strength without ink leakage without deforming the shape of the cartridge 1. In addition, since the same film as the new film is used as the injection hole film 90, the reliability with respect to the life deterioration is ensured. In addition, since the injection hole film 90 is re-welded with a surface different from the initial welding surface as a re-welding surface, the reliability of welding is increased and the satisfaction of the user is improved.

  In the “supply port film re-welding step” (see FIG. 1), the supply port film is re-welded by the heater so as to seal the ink supply port 4 again. Here, similarly to the above-described “injection hole film re-welding step”, the supply port film may be re-welded using a surface different from the initial welding surface as the re-welding surface, or the ink supply port 4 as described above. A re-welding surface may be used as a re-welding surface.

  Next (see FIG. 1), in the “weight inspection step”, the weight of the cartridge 1 is inspected to confirm whether or not the refilled cartridge 1 has substantially the same weight as a new cartridge. Specifically, since a new cartridge is approximately 20.5 g, if it is within a range of 20.5 ± 1 g, the process proceeds to the next step.

  Next, in the “IC data writing step”, recycling information is written into the IC chip 49 of the cartridge 1 by an IC checker that is an information read / write unit that reads and writes information such as recycling information of the IC chip 49.

  The recycling information is information such as the number of times the cartridge 1 has been recycled (number of times of refilling). In the “IC data writing step”, “1” is added as the number of times of recycling.

  In the “selecting step”, when the information stored in the IC chip 49 is read by the IC checker, if the recycling number is equal to or more than the predetermined number, the cartridge 1 provided in the IC chip 49 is removed as NG. Alternatively, the number of times may be notified by a predetermined notification means. In this way, the number of recyclings can be managed. Further, since there is a deterioration of parts, it is possible to prevent the same cartridge from being recycled many times, and it is possible to more reliably prevent a damaged cartridge from being distributed.

  In addition, when the cartridge 1 is used in the recording device in the IC chip, the remaining amount of ink counted is stored, and in the “ink extraction step”, the remaining amount of ink is read from the IC chip 49, An amount of ink corresponding to the read ink remaining amount may be extracted from the used cartridge 1. By doing in this way, the residual ink of the amount suitable for refilling can be extracted, and the ink in the cartridge 1 after use can be more effectively replaced with the refilling ink.

  In addition, the IC chip stores the remaining amount of ink after ink weighed in the “ink removal step”, and the remaining amount of ink stored in the IC chip 49 in the subsequent “ink injection step”. It may be determined whether to re-inject ink by reading out, or re-inject ink in an amount corresponding to the remaining amount of ink. In this way, for example, it is possible to more reliably inject ink only into a cartridge having a remaining ink remaining amount of 1 g or less. Also, an amount of ink suitable for refilling can be injected.

  Then, after the “IC data writing step”, in the “IC data reading step”, in order to confirm whether or not information has been reliably written in the “IC data writing step”, the IC checker The information of the IC chip 49 is read.

  Then, in the “lot marking step”, a lot number is stamped on the cartridge 1. The stamp may be a hot stamp or a stamp.

  Next, in the “label sticking step”, a new label for discrimination of recycling or a label for hiding the vicinity of the air outlet 21 is stuck on the cartridge 1.

  Next, in the “external pressure inspection process”, ink leakage from the cartridge 1 is inspected. Here, the cartridge 1 is placed in a box depressurized to a predetermined negative pressure for a predetermined time, and it is confirmed whether or not there is ink leakage from the cartridge 1 under the reduced pressure. And if the container main body 2 etc. are cracked or there is ink leakage, it will be removed as NG.

Next, in the “packing step”, the cartridge 1 is packed under reduced pressure so that the ink in the cartridge 1 does not touch the air. As described above, since the decompression packing is performed while the communication with the atmosphere is interrupted, the degree of deaeration of the ink in the cartridge 1 is sufficiently maintained.

  Next, in the “12h leakage check step”, the cartridge 1 subjected to the decompression pack is left for 12 hours to check whether there is ink leakage from the cartridge 1 or whether air has entered the decompression pack.

  Next, in the “individual box packing step”, a good refill cartridge 1 that does not leak ink from the cartridge 1 is boxed.

  The above is an example of the liquid refilling method for the cartridge of this embodiment.

  As described above, in the liquid refilling method, the cartridge 1 can be reused by injecting the ink into the cartridge 1 that has been used once, the environmental load is reduced by reducing waste, and the cost is reduced by reusing parts. Therefore, an inexpensive cartridge can be provided to the user. Further, since it is not necessary to apply an external pressure from the outside of the cartridge 1, the cartridge 1 is hardly damaged and the number of recycling of the cartridge 1 is improved. As described above, since the used cartridge 1 can be effectively recycled through a simple process, the recycling cost is not so high, and the used cartridge 1 with good quality can be provided to the user.

  The refilled ink may be the same color ink, or a similar color or similar color ink. Here, the ink of the similar color refers to an ink having a similar color material (for example, red, light red, etc.) having the same color development characteristics as the ink filled and consumed in the cartridge before filling, Similar inks include, for example, those provided with coloring materials (eg, red and orange) having color development characteristics similar to those of ink consumed in the cartridge before filling. In some cases, the refilled liquid may be filled with ink of a completely different color in the case of ink.

  The above embodiment is intended for an ink jet recording apparatus. However, the liquid ejecting apparatus is not limited to ink for an ink jet recording apparatus, but a glue, nail polish, conductive liquid (liquid metal). ) Etc. can be injected. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, the ink jet recording head using ink that is one of the liquids has been described. However, the colors used for the manufacture of color filters such as recording heads and liquid crystal displays used in image recording apparatuses such as printers. Applied to all liquid ejecting heads for ejecting liquids, such as material ejecting heads, organic EL displays, electrode material ejecting heads used for electrode formation such as FED (surface emitting display), bio-organic ejecting heads used in biochip manufacturing, etc. Is also possible.

It is a figure which shows the recycling process of the cartridge after use. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows one Embodiment of the cartridge of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the said cartridge. It is a figure which shows the state of the opening part of a container main body. It is a figure which shows the state of the surface of a container main body. It is a figure which expands and shows the cross-section of a differential pressure valve storage chamber. It is a figure which expands and shows the cross-section of a valve storage chamber. It is a figure which shows an example of a cartridge holder. It is a figure which shows the state which welded the 1st film. It is a figure explaining arrangement | positioning of the flow path of the cartridge of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which welded the oversheet. It is a figure which shows a cover label peeling process. It is a figure which shows an ink extraction process. It is a figure which shows the liquid extraction means in an ink extraction process. It is a figure which shows an injection hole film drilling process. It is a figure which shows an ink injection | pouring process. It is a figure which shows the liquid injection | pouring means in an ink injection | pouring process. It is a figure which shows an injection hole film re-welding process.

Explanation of symbols

1 cartridge, 2 container body, 3 lid, 4 ink supply port, 5 gripping arm, 6 gripping arm, 7 filter, 8 valve storage chamber, 9 filter storage chamber, 10 wall, 11 first ink chamber, 12 wall, 13 Atmospheric communication path, 13A Atmospheric communication path, 14 Frame-shaped part, 14A Upper surface, 15 Wall, 15A Communication port, 16 Second ink chamber, 17 Third ink chamber, 18 Suction channel, 18A Ink groove, 18B Lower end opening, 19 wall, 19A communication port, 19B communication port, 20 ink injection port, 21 air discharge port, 22 wall, 23 4th ink chamber, 24 wall, 24A communication port, 25 wall, 25A ink distribution port, 25B valve seat, 26 partition wall, 26A communication port, 27 partition wall, 27A communication port, 28A ink flow path, 28B ink flow path, 29 through hole, 30 wall, 31 groove, 32 block Wall, 32A communication port, 32B communication port, 33 Differential pressure valve storage chamber, 34 Fifth ink chamber, 35 Ink groove, 36 Atmospheric communication groove, 37 groove, 38 Recess, 39 Frame, 40 Rib, 41 Through hole, 42 Wall , 43 Elongated region, 44 Through hole, 45 groove, 46 Through hole, 47 Communication port, 48 Opening, 49 IC chip, 50 Spring, 51 Through hole, 52 Membrane valve, 52A Thick part, 52B Spring receiving part, 53 Lid, 53A Spring receiving part, 54 Frame part, 55 Breathable sheet, 56 Second film, 57 First film, 57A Notch part, 58 Third film, 59 Over sheet, 59A Notch part, 59B Extension area, 60 Through Hole, 61 Pressing member, 62 Elastic member, 63 Protrusion, 64 Protrusion, 65 Valve body, 66 Arm, 66A Rotating fulcrum, 66B Protruding part, 67 Through hole, 6 Identification convex part, 70 Actuation rod, 70A Identification piece, 71 Cartridge holder, 72 Ink supply needle, 73 Recording head, 75 Carriage, 76 Recording paper, 77 Timing belt, 78 Guide bar, 79 Stepping motor, 81 Ink trap, 81a Ink receptacle, 83 suction pump, 85 trap decompression pipe, 87 ink suction pipe, 89 metering device, 90 another injection hole film, 91 communication pipe, 91a communication pipe on / off valve, 93 temporary storage tank, 95 supply pipe, 95a supply pipe On-off valve, 97 injection pipe, 97a injection pipe on-off valve, 99 ink trap, 99a ink receiver, 101 suction pump, 103 trap decompression pipe, 105 ink suction pipe, 105a upstream suction pipe on-off valve, 105b downstream suction pipe on-off valve 107 Liquid holding part, 111 Inclined surface, 1 3 heaters, F injection hole film

Claims (8)

A liquid refilling method for refilling a cartridge after use in a liquid ejecting apparatus,
A liquid extraction step for extracting liquid remaining in the cartridge after use;
A remaining amount confirmation step for confirming whether or not the remaining amount of the liquid remaining in the cartridge after the liquid is extracted in the liquid extraction step is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of the liquid filled in the unused cartridge. When,
A liquid refilling method for a cartridge, comprising: a liquid injection step of injecting a liquid into the cartridge that has been confirmed that the remaining amount of liquid is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step.   2. The liquid refilling method for a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined ratio in the remaining amount confirmation step is 6% by volume. In the liquid extraction step, when the liquid remaining in the cartridge is extracted, a predetermined amount of liquid corresponding to the surface area inside the cartridge is left in the cartridge,
3. The liquid refilling method for a cartridge according to claim 1, wherein in the liquid injection step, the liquid is injected into the cartridge in which a predetermined amount of liquid is left.   The cartridge has a pressure control valve that controls the supply pressure of the liquid to the liquid supply port through which the cartridge supplies the liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus, and holds the liquid therein by controlling the pressure of the pressure control valve. The method of refilling a cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cartridge is a cartridge.   5. The liquid extraction step according to claim 1, wherein in the liquid extraction step, the liquid remaining in the used cartridge is extracted from a liquid supply port through which the cartridge supplies liquid to the liquid ejecting apparatus. Method for refilling cartridge liquid.   6. The liquid refilling method for a cartridge according to claim 5, wherein in the liquid injection step, the liquid is injected from a second opening different from the liquid supply port into the cartridge from which the liquid has been extracted in the liquid extraction step.   The cartridge liquid refilling method according to claim 6, wherein the second opening is an opening communicating with an ink storage chamber upstream of the pressure control valve. A liquid refilling device for refilling a cartridge after use in a liquid ejecting apparatus,
Liquid extraction means for extracting liquid remaining in the cartridge after use;
Measuring means for measuring whether or not the remaining amount of the liquid remaining in the cartridge after the liquid is extracted by the liquid extracting means is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio;
Liquid injection means for injecting liquid into a cartridge in which the remaining amount of liquid measured by the measurement means is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio with respect to the total amount of liquid filled in an unused cartridge. A liquid refilling device for the cartridge.

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