JP2008049639A - Waste ink storing structure, ink cartridge equipped therewith, and inkjet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waste ink storing structure which can carry out collection of waste ink for a long period of time by preventing a decrease of the permeation absorbing performance of an ink absorbent material fitted in a reservoir, and to provide an ink cartridge equipped therewith, and an inkjet printer. <P>SOLUTION: The waste ink storing structure 17 in the ink cartridge 10 is comprised of the storing space 51 which is sectioned and formed by a lower case 33 and an intermediate vessel wall 35 to store the waste ink, a waste ink introducing part 37 for introducing the waste ink into the reservoir 51, a ventilation hole 61 which connect the reservoir 51 with the outside, two sheets of the ink absorbent material 63 which are fitted in the reservoir 51 to absorb through permeation the waste ink introduced in the reservoir 51 from the waste ink introducing part 37, and an opening and closing valve 65 which opens and closes the ventilation hole 61. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a waste ink storage structure for storing waste ink generated by a head cleaning operation or the like in an ink jet printer, an ink cartridge including the same, and an ink jet printer.

  In an ink jet printer, waste ink is generated during a head cleaning operation performed to prevent deterioration in print quality due to ink clogging or an ink filling operation after ink cartridge replacement. Therefore, a waste ink storage structure for collecting the generated waste ink is required so that such waste ink does not inadvertently adhere to a mechanism or the like inside the printer.

  Such a waste ink storage structure is generally equipped with a waste ink introduction part for introducing the waste ink into the storage space in a part of the container wall that partitions the storage space for storing the waste ink. In addition, a vent hole is provided on the container wall at a position distant from the waste ink introduction portion to open the storage space to the outside by communicating with the outside. Further, an ink absorbing material that permeates and absorbs waste ink introduced from the waste ink introduction section is loaded in the storage space, and is incorporated in the case of the ink cartridge (for example, Patent Document 1). (See, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-70672 JP-A-8-318629

By the way, in the waste ink storage structure described above, the vent hole that opens the storage space to the atmosphere allows the air in the storage space to escape to the outside so that the pressure in the storage space does not increase with the introduction of the waste ink. .
Therefore, in the conventional waste ink storage structure, since the air holes are always open to the outside, the water in the waste ink that has been absorbed and absorbed by the ink absorbing material constantly evaporates from the air holes.

  As a result, particularly when pigment ink is used, solidification of the waste ink is likely to occur, and the solidified waste ink deteriorates the permeation absorption performance in the ink absorbent. There was a possibility that the portion could not be fully utilized and could not be used stably for a long time. Also, abnormal pressure increase occurs in the waste ink supply side tube connected to the waste ink introduction section due to clogging due to solidified waste ink, and this abnormal pressure increase causes the tube to come off and cause ink leakage. There was also a possibility.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to prevent the ink absorption material loaded in the storage space from being deteriorated and to prevent waste ink from being collected over a long period of time. An ink storage structure, an ink cartridge including the ink storage structure, and an ink jet printer are provided.

  The above object of the present invention is to provide a waste ink introduction part for introducing waste ink into the storage space in a part of a container wall that forms a storage space for storing waste ink, and opening the storage space to the atmosphere. A waste ink storage structure in which an ink absorbing material that permeates and absorbs the introduced waste ink is loaded in the storage space, and when the waste ink is introduced, This is achieved by a waste ink storage structure characterized by providing an opening / closing valve that only opens.

According to the waste ink storage structure having the above-described configuration, the vent hole that opens the storage space to the atmosphere is kept closed by the opening / closing valve except when the waste ink is introduced from the waste ink introduction unit.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space from evaporating from the vent hole to the outside, and to prevent the waste ink from solidifying in the storage space. It is possible to prevent a decrease in osmotic absorption performance due to solidification.

  In the waste ink storage structure configured as described above, the opening / closing valve has a container wall formed by a flexible sheet member provided with the vent hole and a contact portion at a peripheral edge of the vent hole of the flexible sheet member. A valve structural member provided in the storage space so as to contact and close the vent hole, and the flexible sheet member displaced by the waste ink introduction pressure from the waste ink introduction unit It is desirable that the air hole is opened by separating the peripheral edge of the pore from the contact portion of the valve structural member.

According to the waste ink storage structure having this configuration, the flexible sheet member constituting the container wall is formed with a through hole, and the post serving as the valve structural member on the other container wall at a position facing the vent hole. Alternatively, it is possible to obtain an on-off valve that opens and closes the vent hole simply by integrally forming a rib or the like. In this on-off valve, the vent hole is opened by the expansion of the flexible sheet member due to the introduction pressure of the waste ink from the waste ink introduction part, whereby the peripheral edge of the vent hole is separated from the contact part of the valve structural member. .
Therefore, it is not necessary to add a part for installing the on-off valve, and the cost is not increased due to the increase in the number of components and the part assembly process.

In addition, when disposing of the container, a flexible sheet member such as a plastic film provided with a vent hole is peeled off from the other container wall, so that one surface of the storage space can be opened largely, The ink absorbing material into which ink has permeated can be easily taken out from the storage space.
Further, it is desirable that the ink absorbing material is separated from the periphery of the contact portion of the valve structural member.
With this configuration, since the contact portion and the ink absorbing material are separated from each other, no capillary force acts between them, and the ink absorbed by the ink absorbing material does not ooze out to the contact portion. Waste ink does not flow out of the printer.
Further, it is desirable that the position of the vent hole is arranged on the center line of the short side of the container wall. In this case, since the displacement amount is the largest, the operating pressure as the valve can be reduced. Furthermore, since the amount of displacement in the vent hole in the container wall is equal to the left and right, the container wall can be uniformly contacted.

In the waste ink storage structure having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a positioning projection that protrudes through the vent hole of the flexible sheet member protrudes from the contact portion of the valve structural member.
According to this configuration, alignment between the contact portion of the valve structural member and the vent hole of the flexible sheet member during assembly is facilitated, and assemblability is improved.

Further, it is desirable that the on-off valve is integrally formed by an elastic member having an opening / closing part in which a valve body that closes the vent hole is elastically displaced in the opening direction by the waste ink introduction pressure from the waste ink introduction part. .
According to this configuration, a dedicated valve body constituting the on-off valve is required, but instead, the sealing performance of the vent hole by the on-off valve is improved by appropriately setting the elastic characteristics in the opening / closing portion of the valve body. It is possible to improve the performance of preventing transpiration of moisture from the vent hole. Further, since the container wall in which the air holes are provided is not limited to a flexible sheet member such as a plastic film, the degree of freedom in designing an ink cartridge or a printer housing having a waste ink storage structure is improved.

Furthermore, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an ink cartridge comprising the waste ink storage structure having the above structure and containing an ink pack filled with ink.
According to the ink cartridge having the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space from evaporating from the vent hole to the outside, and to prevent the waste ink from solidifying in the storage space. It is possible to obtain an ink cartridge in which a decrease in the penetrating and absorbing performance of the ink absorbing material due to the solidification of the ink is prevented.

In the ink cartridge having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the container wall provided with the vent holes partition and form a storage space for storing the ink pack and the storage space.
According to this configuration, the vent hole is not directly exposed to the outside of the ink cartridge, but is opened to the atmosphere through the storage space for storing the ink pack, so that the user inadvertently touches the on-off valve provided in the vent hole. Therefore, there is no risk of disturbing the valve function.

In the ink cartridge having the above-described configuration, it is desirable that the vent hole is provided at a position that does not interfere with the ink pack.
According to this configuration, the ink pack accommodated in the accommodating space of the ink cartridge does not cause any trouble in the valve function of the on-off valve provided in the vent hole.

  Further, when the ink is a pigment ink, the effect of preventing solidification of the waste ink in the storage space can be enjoyed more remarkably.

Further, the above object of the present invention is achieved by an ink jet printer including the ink cartridge having the above structure.
According to the ink jet printer having the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent the moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space from evaporating to the outside from the vent hole, and to prevent the waste ink from solidifying in the storage space. An ink jet printer can be obtained in which the permeation and absorption performance of the ink absorbing material due to the solidification of the ink is prevented.

Furthermore, the above object of the present invention is achieved by a waste ink tank comprising the waste ink storage structure having the above configuration.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space from evaporating to the outside from the vent hole, and to prevent solidification of the waste ink in the storage space. Thus, it is possible to obtain a waste ink tank in which the deterioration of the permeation absorption performance of the ink absorbing material due to the ink is prevented.

Further, it is desirable that the waste ink tank having the above-described configuration is detachably mounted on the tank housing portion of the printer housing.
According to this configuration, since only the waste ink tank can be detached independently from the printer housing, only the waste ink tank that is soiled with ink is managed separately, and the printer housing that is not soiled is directly recycled and reused. be able to. In addition, since the waste ink tank is detachable, it is possible to replace only the waste ink tank with a new one without making the operator's hand dirty for some reason.

According to the waste ink storage structure of the present invention, the ink cartridge provided with the ink cartridge, and the ink jet printer, the air vent that opens the storage space for storing the waste ink is opened and closed except when the waste ink is introduced from the waste ink introduction unit. It is kept closed by a valve.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space from evaporating from the vent hole to the outside, and to prevent the waste ink from solidifying in the storage space. It is possible to prevent a decrease in osmotic absorption performance due to solidification.
Therefore, the original absorption capacity of the ink absorbing material can be fully utilized, and the waste ink can be stably used for a long period of time. In addition, since clogging due to solidified waste ink does not occur, abnormal pressure increase does not occur in the waste ink supply side tube connected to the waste ink introduction port, and inconvenience such as ink leakage due to disconnection of the tube, etc. Occurrence can also be prevented.

Hereinafter, a preferred first embodiment of a waste ink storage structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an overall configuration of an ink jet printer loaded with an ink cartridge having a waste ink storage structure according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are overall perspective views of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views of main parts of the ink cartridge shown in FIG.

  The ink jet printer 1 according to the present embodiment performs color printing on roll paper using a plurality of types of color ink liquids. As shown in FIG. A printer cover 4 integrally formed with an ink cartridge cover 7 is provided so as to be freely opened and closed. Further, on the front surface of the printer case 2, a power switch 3 and a feed switch, an indicator, and the like are also arranged.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the printer cover 4 is opened, the roll paper cover 5 that covers the paper storage unit 8 that stores the roll paper 6 that is printing paper is opened, and the paper can be replaced. At the same time, the ink cartridge cover 7 covering the cartridge mounting portion 9 is also opened, and the ink cartridge 10 can be attached to and detached from the cartridge mounting portion 9.
In the case of the ink jet printer 1 of the present embodiment, the ink cartridge 10 is pulled out by a predetermined distance in front of the cartridge mounting portion 9 in conjunction with the operation of opening the printer cover 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the ink cartridge 10 of the present embodiment is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 of the inkjet printer 1, and the cartridge case 15 that accommodates the three ink packs 11 to 13 includes A waste ink storage structure 17 is provided for storing waste ink generated during the ink filling operation and the head cleaning operation of the printer.
The three ink packs 11 to 13 are filled with different color inks for color printing. Each of the ink packs 11 to 13 has the same structure, and is composed of a flexible bag body 21 that accommodates ink and an ink outlet port 23 joined to the front end portion of the bag body 21. .

  The bag body 21 is formed by superimposing two aluminum laminate films and bonding the periphery thereof by a method such as heat fusion. The reason for adopting the aluminum laminate film is to improve the gas barrier property. As the aluminum laminate film, for example, a film having a structure in which an aluminum foil is sandwiched between a nylon film and a polyethylene film inside is employed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink outlet 23 is formed with a cylindrical body 23a having an outer diameter larger than that of the distal end side and fixed in the bag body 21, and is mounted inside the cylindrical body 23a. It is the structure provided with the valve body 23b which opens and closes the flow path of the body 23a, and the sealing film 23c which was affixed on the front-end | tip of the cylindrical body 23a, and sealed the opening of the cylindrical body 23a. The cylindrical body 23a of the ink outlet 23 is made of, for example, hard plastic. The seal film 23c is formed of a polyethylene film.
The ink outlet 23 is integrated with the cylindrical body 23a by fixing the cylindrical body 23a to the aluminum laminate film of the bag body 21 by heat fusion or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cartridge case 15 has an upper case 31, a lower case 33 connected below the upper case 31, and a space defined by the upper case 31 and the lower case 33. It is comprised from the intermediate container wall 35 partitioned into.
The upper case 31 and the lower case 33 are appropriately molded products made of a plastic material, and the intermediate container wall 35 is formed of a plastic film that is a flexible sheet member. In this embodiment, waste ink from the waste ink introduction unit 37 is used. A plastic film having a degree of flexibility that can be expanded upward by the introduction pressure is selected.

The upper case 31 has a box shape with the lower part opened, and the front container wall 31a is set shorter than the container walls on both side surfaces and the rear surface. A semi-cylindrical ink pack positioning portion 31b for positioning the upper half of the ink outlets 23 of the ink packs 11 to 13 is formed at the lower end of the front container wall 31a. The semi-cylindrical ink pack positioning portion 31b is formed at a total of three locations in accordance with the three ink packs 11 to 13 to be accommodated.
Further, the upper case 31 and the lower case 33 are engaged with the engagement protrusions 31f of the upper case 31 in the engagement openings 33j provided in the cover portion 33d, and the engagement is provided on both side surfaces of the upper case. The upper and lower cases are connected to each other by engaging the projection 31d with a step-shaped engaging portion (not shown) provided in the locking slit 33a on the lower case 33 side.

  The lower case 33 has a thin dish-like box shape with the upper part opened. The front container wall 33b is set higher in height than the container walls on both sides and the rear surface, and a semi-cylinder for positioning the lower half of the ink outlets 23 of the ink packs 11 to 13 at the upper end of the front container wall 33b. A shaped ink pack positioning portion 33c is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the semi-cylindrical ink pack positioning part 33 c sandwiches the ink outlet 23 from above and below with the ink pack positioning part 31 b of the upper case 31, so that the ink outlets of the ink packs 11 to 13 are arranged. 23 is positioned and fixed. The semi-cylindrical ink pack positioning portion 33c is also formed in a total of three locations in accordance with the three ink packs 11 to 13 to be accommodated, similarly to the ink pack positioning portion 31b described above.

A cover portion 33d is formed at the upper end of the front container wall 33b so as to extend from the front end of the ink pack positioning portion 33c and cover the front of the ink outlet 23. As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 33 e through which the ink supply needle 41 provided in the cartridge mounting portion 9 of the inkjet printer 1 is inserted is formed through the cover portion 33 d.
Three openings 33e are formed such that the centers thereof coincide with the three semi-cylindrical ink pack positioning portions 33c.

Further, an introduction port 44 that forms a waste ink introduction portion 37 in the waste ink storage structure 17 is formed at a position near the lower portion of the front container wall 33b.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the waste ink introducing portion 37 has a tapered tubular rubber mouth member 37a whose inner diameter increases toward the tip, and also serves as a stopper for the rubber mouth member 37a. A sealing film 37b that is heat-sealed to 33b, a valve body 37c that closes the opening of the rubber mouth member 37a by being in contact with the rear end of the rubber mouth member 37a, and the valve body 37c that is a rubber mouth member 37a. And a compression coil spring 37d urging in the direction in which it abuts.

  A rubber mouth member 37a is press-fitted into the introduction port 44 with the compression coil spring 37d slightly compressed through the valve element 37c, and the waste ink introduction needle 47 is not inserted in the state shown in FIG. The mouth-making member 37a and the valve body 37c are kept airtight.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the waste ink storage structure 17 of the present embodiment has a storage space 51 that is partitioned by a lower case 33 and an intermediate container wall 35 to store waste ink, and waste ink is stored in the storage space 51. The waste ink introduction portion 37 for introducing the waste ink, the vent hole 61 for communicating the storage space 51 to the outside, and the waste ink loaded in the storage space 51 and introduced from the waste ink introduction portion 37 into the storage space 51 are introduced. It is composed of two ink absorbing materials 63 that permeate and absorb, and an on-off valve 65 that opens and closes the vent hole 61. The ink absorbing material 63 is formed by forming a liquid-absorbing material into a rectangular parallelepiped shape that can be accommodated in the storage space 51. Specific examples of the material include liquid materials other than porous materials such as sponges and nonwoven fabrics. Absorbable polymer can be employed.

After the two ink absorbing materials 63 are set in the lower case 33, the intermediate container wall 35, which is a container wall formed of a plastic film (flexible sheet member) such as a polyethylene film, has a peripheral portion at the lower case 33. The side container wall 33f and the front and rear container walls 33g, 33h are superposed on the upper end surfaces, and the overlapped portions are joined to each other by a method such as heat fusion, so that they are fixed to the lower case 33 in a slightly tensioned state. Yes.
By fixing the intermediate container wall 35 to the lower case 33 so as to cover the upper end opening of the lower case 33, as shown in FIG. 4, there is a gap between the bottom wall 33i of the lower case 33 and the intermediate container wall 35. The storage space 51 constituting the waste ink storage structure 17 is partitioned. Further, an ink pack storage space 55 for storing the three ink packs 11 to 13 in a standing state as shown in FIG. 3 is defined between the ceiling wall 31e of the upper case 31 and the intermediate container wall 35. The

Moreover, in the case of this embodiment, it has the valve structural member 67 provided in the storage space 51.
The valve structural member 67, which is a substantially columnar column, is integrally formed so as to protrude from the bottom wall 33 i of the lower case 33 at a position substantially on the center line with respect to the width direction of the storage space 51. A contact surface 67b is provided at the same height as or slightly higher than the upper end surfaces of the side container wall 33f and the front and rear container walls 33g, 33h to which the 35 is welded, and the center upper portion has a smaller diameter than the contact surface 67b. A positioning projection 67a is provided so as to project.
The two ink absorbing materials 63 loaded in the storage space 51 have the same height as the side container wall 33f to which the intermediate container wall 35 is welded and the upper end surfaces of the front and rear container walls 33g and 33h. The hole 63a is formed so as to penetrate the valve structural member 67 with a gap.
On the other hand, the intermediate container wall 35 is provided with a circular vent hole 61 which is closed by the contact surface 67b at a position facing the contact surface 67b. The vent hole 61 is disposed on the center line with respect to the width direction.
The contact surface 67b of the valve structural member 67 and the vent hole 61 of the intermediate container wall 35 constitute an on-off valve 65 described later.
The position where the on-off valve 65 is formed is preferably the position where the waste ink finally arrives in the storage space 51. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the air holes 61 and the valve structural member 67 are provided at positions closer to the rear end away from the waste ink introduction portion 37 while not interfering with the lower ends of the ink packs 11 to 13. .
In this embodiment, the vent hole 61 is also used for positioning when the peripheral edge of the intermediate container wall 35 is joined to the lower case 33. That is, the vent hole 61 can be inserted into the positioning projection 67a, and thereafter, the peripheral portion on the opposite side of the vent hole 61 can be aligned with the joint end surface of the lower case 33, thereby accurately positioning the joint portion.
With the above configuration, the peripheral edge portion of the vent hole 61 of the intermediate container wall 35 joined to the lower case 33 is in contact with the contact surface 67b of the valve structural member 67, and the vent hole 61 is formed as shown in FIG. It is blocked like this.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower case 33 has an IC module capable of recording the type of each ink pack 11 to 13, the remaining amount of ink, and other various data stored in the side container wall 33 f. 53 is equipped.
When the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 of the inkjet printer 1, the IC module 53 is electrically connected to a connection terminal mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9. Various information can be read and written from a control circuit on the printer side or a computer connected to the printer.

When the upper case 31 containing the ink packs 11 to 13 is joined to the lower case 33 loaded with the ink absorbing material 63 and shielded by the intermediate container wall 35 with the storage space 51, it is connected by the aforementioned locking projections 31d, 31f, etc. As a result, the ink cartridge 10 is assembled.
In a state in which the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 of the inkjet printer 1, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower end of the ink packs 11 to 13 passes through the intermediate container wall 35 in the direction of the arrow (A) in the drawing. Is pressed downward. The force for pressing and biasing can also function as a biasing force for maintaining the on-off valve 65 of the waste ink storage structure 17 described later in a closed state. In this case, the intermediate container wall 35 can be fixed to the lower case 33 without applying tension.

Next, the on-off valve configured as described above will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the on-off valve 65 is configured such that the contact surface 67 b of the valve structural member 67 contacts the peripheral edge of the vent hole 61 and closes the vent hole 61. It is kept closed except when the waste ink is introduced.
As shown in FIG. 6B, when the pressure in the storage space 51 rises as the waste ink is introduced, the opening / closing valve 65 is displaced upward by the displacement of the intermediate container wall 35. Then, since the peripheral edge of the vent hole 61 is separated from the contact surface 67 b of the valve structural member 67, the open / close valve 65 opens the storage space 51 to the atmosphere via the vent hole 61.
Since the vent hole 61 is arranged on the center line with respect to the width direction, the intermediate container wall 35 is located at a position where the displacement amount is large, and the operating pressure as a valve is reduced. This makes it easy to prevent the internal pressure of the storage space 51 from increasing. Furthermore, since the displacement amount in the vent hole 61 of the intermediate container wall 35 is equal to the left and right, it is possible to uniformly contact the contact surface 67b.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the on-off valve 65 lowers the tension of the intermediate container wall 35 itself and the intermediate container wall 35 when the introduction of the waste ink is finished and the pressure in the storage space 51 is lowered. The ink packs 11 to 13 that are pressed and biased are biased in the direction in which the peripheral edge of the vent hole 61 abuts against the abutment surface 67 b of the valve structural member 67, so that the vent hole 61 is closed.

  Therefore, when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 of the ink jet printer 1, the ink supply needle 41 mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 9 airtightly penetrates the ink take-out port 23, and the ink liquid in the bag body 21 becomes the ink. It becomes possible to supply to the printer side via the supply needle 41. A supply tube 42 for supplying ink to a print head (not shown) of the printer is connected to the ink supply needle 41.

On the other hand, the waste ink introduction needle 47 provided in the cartridge mounting portion 9 is airtightly fitted to the rubber mouth member 37 a and simultaneously pushes the valve body 37 c, and waste ink is introduced into the storage space 51 via the waste ink introduction needle 47. Introduction becomes possible.
The waste ink introduction needle 47 is connected to a waste ink guide tube 49 that guides the waste ink generated during the ink filling operation and the head cleaning operation of the inkjet printer 1 to the waste ink introduction needle 47.
As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end (left end in FIG. 4) of the introduction port 44 communicates with the storage space 51, and waste ink introduced from the waste ink introduction needle 47 inserted into the waste ink introduction unit 37. Flows into the storage space 51 from the rear end of the inlet 44.

  The ink absorbing material 63 was introduced so that the waste ink introduced into the storage space 51 via the waste ink introduction part 37 and the introduction port 44 would not flow back to the waste ink introduction part 37 side and leak outside. Permeates and absorbs waste ink.

  When waste ink is introduced into the storage space 51 that is kept secret, the air pressure in the storage space 51 increases, whereby the intermediate container wall 35 is pushed up and a gap is formed between the contact surface 67b and the storage space 51. The inside air escapes to the outside, and the opening / closing valve 65 is closed again. As described above, the opening / closing valve 65 opens the vent hole 61 only when the waste ink is introduced and releases the air in the storage space 51 to the outside, so that the introduction of the waste ink from the waste ink introduction unit 37 is not hindered. .

According to the waste ink storage structure 17 of the present embodiment described above, the vent hole 61 that opens the storage space 51 to the atmosphere is closed by the opening / closing valve 65 except when the waste ink is introduced from the waste ink introduction unit 37. To be kept.
Accordingly, it is possible to prevent moisture in the waste ink introduced into the storage space 51 from evaporating to the outside from the vent hole 61, and to prevent the waste ink from solidifying in the storage space 51. It is possible to prevent a decrease in permeation absorption performance due to solidification of waste ink.

  Therefore, even when pigment ink is used, the original absorption capacity of the ink absorbing material 63 can be fully utilized, and the waste ink can be stably used for a long period of time. Further, since clogging due to the solidified waste ink does not occur, abnormal pressure increase does not occur in the waste ink guide tube 49 on the waste ink supply side connected to the waste ink introduction unit 37, and the waste ink guide tube 49 Inconveniences such as ink leakage due to detachment can also be prevented.

Further, in the waste ink storage structure 17 of the present embodiment, for example, when the used ink cartridge 10 is disposed, the upper case 31 and the lower case 33 are separated, and then the intermediate made of plastic film is separated from the lower case 33. By peeling off the container wall 35, one surface of the storage space 51 can be largely opened, and the ink absorbing material 63 into which the waste ink has permeated can be easily taken out from the storage space 51.
Accordingly, it becomes easy to disassemble the used ink cartridge 10 for the purpose of recycling and reusing parts and materials and classifying the ink cartridges 10 by material.

  In addition, for a valve that closes the vent hole 61 by abutment surface 67b abutting the periphery of the vent hole 61 on the bottom wall 33i facing the vent hole 61 formed through the plastic container intermediate container 35. The on-off valve 65 that opens and closes the vent hole 61 can be obtained simply by integrally forming the structural member 67. Therefore, it is not necessary to add a part for installing the on-off valve, and the cost is not increased due to the increase in the number of components and the part assembly process.

Furthermore, in the ink cartridge 10 of the above-described embodiment, the intermediate container wall 35 provided with the vent holes 61 defines the ink pack storage space 55 for storing the ink packs 11 to 13 and the storage space 51.
Therefore, the vent hole 61 is not directly exposed to the outside of the ink cartridge 10 and is opened to the atmosphere through the ink pack housing space 55 that accommodates the ink packs 11 to 13. Therefore, the vent hole 61 is used for the opening / closing valve 65 provided in the vent hole 61. There is no risk of disturbing the valve function due to careless touching.
Furthermore, since the space portion 56 is provided around the valve structural member 67 so as not to contact the ink absorbing material 63, a capillary tube is provided between the valve structural member 67 and the ink absorbing material 63. Since the force does not act and the waste ink absorbed by the ink absorbing material 63 does not move to the contact surface 67b through the valve structural member 67, the ink does not exceed the capacity of the ink absorbing material 63. Waste ink does not leak.

In addition, a positioning projection 67 a penetrating the vent hole 61 is provided at the contact portion of the valve structural member 67 in the present embodiment.
Therefore, it becomes easy to align the contact portion of the valve structural member 67 and the vent hole 61 of the intermediate container wall 35 at the time of assembly, and the assemblability is improved.

The specific structure of the ink cartridge having the waste ink storage structure of the present invention is not limited to the ink cartridge 10 of the above embodiment. The waste ink storage structure of the present invention can also be applied to various ink cartridges having different ink pack support structures and the number of ink packs to be accommodated.
Also, the specific structure of the structural member for a valve is formed integrally with the lower case in the above embodiment, but a separate part may be provided in the lower case, and even the peripheral portion of the lower case. Needless to say, a surface for closing the vent hole may be provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the waste ink storage structure 17 is provided in the ink cartridge 10 that is detachably mounted on the inkjet printer 1 has been described. However, it is needless to say that the waste ink storage structure of the present invention is not limited to this and can take various forms.

Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of an inkjet printer loaded with a waste ink tank having a waste ink storage structure, FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the waste ink tank shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of the on-off valve shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the inkjet printer 101 according to the present embodiment has a rectangular shape in a plan view that is detachably mounted on a printer housing 111 that is a bottom housing and a tank housing portion 111 s defined on the inner bottom thereof. The waste ink tank 120, the printer housing 111, the printer mechanism 115 installed on the upper side of the waste ink tank 120, and the exterior cover 112, which is an upper casing, are provided. In addition, a power supply unit 116 is provided on the rear side of the tank housing portion 111 s that houses the waste ink tank 120.

As shown in FIG. 8, the waste ink tank 120 according to the present embodiment includes a flat box-shaped tank main body 121 that exchangeably accommodates an ink absorbing material 122 that permeates and absorbs waste ink introduced into the storage space 151. And a lid 124 that covers the upper surface opening of the tank main body 121. The joint between the tank main body 121 and the lid 124 is pressed into contact with each other via a sealing material 123 such as rubber packing, and is hermetically sealed.
On the back surface of the lid 24, a tube 125 is provided that guides waste ink from the ink receiving port 127 at the peripheral edge of the tank to the center of the tank and drops it at the upper center of the ink absorbing material 122. The color of the plastic parts constituting the waste ink tank 120 is preferably dark, for example, black so that the stored waste ink is difficult to see.

  The waste ink tank 120 is fitted into a tank housing portion 111s on the printer housing 111 and fixed with screws, and a discharge port of a suction pump (not shown) for head cleaning and a distal end inlet 125a of the tube 125 are connected to the waste ink tank 120. By doing so, the printer housing 111 can be set. Further, when removing the waste ink tank 120, it can be removed from the printer housing 111 by performing the reverse operation.

  The ink absorbing material 122 is configured as a laminated body in which a thin plate-like molded body made of a nonwoven fabric, felt, or the like is laminated in multiple stages (four stages in the illustrated example) from the lowermost layer to the uppermost layer (122A to 122D). In addition, a central hole 122f penetrating vertically is provided in the center of the upper three-stage ink absorbing materials 122B to 122D excluding the lowermost ink absorbing material 122A, and the uppermost ink absorbing material 122D has a peripheral portion. A tube receiving groove 122g extending from the center hole 122f to the center hole 122f is formed.

  Then, the tube 125 is accommodated in the tube accommodation groove 122g formed in the uppermost ink absorbing material 122D, and the distal end inlet 125a of the tube 125 is positioned at the ink receiving portion 127 provided at the peripheral edge of the lid 124. At the same time, the tip outlet 125b of the tube 125 is positioned in the central hole 122f of the uppermost ink absorbing material 122D.

  In other words, the waste ink tank 120 of the present embodiment is disposed in the storage space 151 on the lid 124 that is a container wall that partitions the storage space 151 that stores the waste ink generated during the ink filling operation and the head cleaning operation of the printer. The waste ink storage structure is provided with an ink receiving port 127 that is a waste ink introduction part for introducing waste ink into the air and an air vent 173 that opens the storage space 151 to the atmosphere. The vent hole 173 is located at the center of the lid 124 as shown in FIG. 8, and is arranged at the center of the center hole 122f so as not to contact the ink absorbing material 122.

Further, the vent hole 173 formed in the lid 124 is provided with an on-off valve 171 that opens only when waste ink is introduced, as shown in FIG. This on-off valve 71 is formed by an elastic member having an opening / closing portion 174c in which a valve body 174 that closes a vent hole 173 formed in the lid 124 is elastically displaced in a direction to open by an introduction pressure of waste ink from the ink receiving portion 127. It is integrally molded.
The valve body 174 closes the flange portion 174a that is tightly joined to the peripheral edge portion of the vent hole 173, the cylindrical portion 174b that penetrates the vent hole 173 from the inner peripheral portion of the flange portion 174a, and the tip of the cylindrical portion 174b. A plurality of opening / closing portions 174c formed by inserting axial cuts 174d in a conical portion continuously provided at the tip of the cylindrical portion 174b are integrally formed of a rubber material.

  The open / close portion 174c of the open / close valve 171 is closed as shown in FIG. 9A when waste ink is not introduced, but when the waste ink is introduced, the ink receiving portion is shown as shown in FIG. 9B. Due to the introduction pressure of the waste ink from 127, it is elastically displaced in the opening direction, the notch 174d is opened, and the air in the storage space 151 is released to the outside.

Therefore, a dedicated valve body 174 that constitutes the on-off valve 171 is required. Instead, the sealing performance of the vent hole 173 by the on-off valve 171 is set by appropriately setting the elastic characteristics of the on-off portion 174c of the valve body 174. And the performance of preventing the evaporation of moisture from the vent hole 173 can be improved.
Further, since the material of the lid 124 provided with the vent hole 173 is not limited, the degree of freedom in designing the waste ink tank 120 having the waste ink storage structure is improved.

  According to the waste ink tank 120 of the present embodiment described above, the waste ink introduced into the storage space 151 is prevented from evaporating from the vent hole 173 to the outside, and the waste ink in the storage space 151 is solidified. It is possible to obtain a waste ink tank in which a decrease in the permeation absorption performance of the ink absorbing material 122 due to solidification of the waste ink is prevented.

  In addition, since the ink jet printer 101 of the present embodiment can remove only the waste ink tank 120 independently from the printer housing 111, only the waste ink tank 120 that is soiled with ink is separately managed, and the printer housing 111 that is not soiled. Can be used for recycling and reuse. Further, since the waste ink tank 120 is detachable, it is possible to replace only the waste ink tank 120 with a new one without soiling the operator's hand or the like for some reason.

Further, when the waste ink tank 120 of the present embodiment is used and disposed of, the lid 124 is opened and the ink absorbing material 122 into which the waste ink has permeated is taken out of the tank body 121 and then the lid 124 is used. It can be easily disassembled by removing the valve body 174, the tube 125, and the like.
Accordingly, it becomes easy to disassemble the used waste ink tank 120 for the purpose of recycling and reusing parts and materials, and classifying them by material.

Note that the configuration of the on-off valve in which the valve body having the open / close portion that is opened by the waste ink introduction pressure from the waste ink introduction portion is integrally formed is not limited to the configuration of the on-off valve 171, and various forms are possible. It goes without saying that it can be taken.
The on-off valve 175 shown in FIG. 10 includes, for example, a substantially cylindrical valve seat 177 that is screwed and fixed in a vent hole in a container wall (not shown), and a valve body 178 that is seated on the valve seat 177. .

The valve seat 177 has a contact surface 177 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder as a seating surface of the valve body 178. In the valve body 178, a disc-shaped valve main body 178a whose outer peripheral portion is seated on the contact surface 177a and a support portion 178b that supports the central portion of the valve main body 178a are integrally formed of an elastic member.
As indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing, when the waste ink is introduced, the outer peripheral portion of the valve main body 78a is elastically displaced in a direction away from the valve seat 77 as the pressure on the storage space increases, and an arrow in the drawing. As shown by, air on the storage space side can be released to the outside from the gap formed at that time.

1 is an external perspective view showing an overall configuration of an ink jet printer loaded with an ink cartridge having a waste ink storage structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the ink cartridge illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the ink cartridge shown in FIG. 2. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating the opening / closing operation of the on-off valve shown in FIG. 4, where FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where the on-off valve is closed, and FIG. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the on-off valve is opened, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the on-off valve is closed again after the introduction of waste ink is completed. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the overall configuration of an ink jet printer loaded with a waste ink tank having a waste ink storage structure according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the waste ink tank shown in FIG. 7. The expanded sectional view of the on-off valve shown in FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the other structural example of the on-off valve which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 ... Inkjet printer, 10 ... Ink cartridge, 11, 12, 13 ... Ink pack, 15 ... Cartridge case, 17 ... Waste ink storage structure, 31 ... Upper case, 33 ... Lower case, 35 ... Middle container wall (possible Flexible sheet member), 37 ... waste ink introduction part, 44 ... introduction port, 47 ... waste ink introduction needle, 51 ... storage space, 61 ... vent, 63 ... ink absorber, 65, 171 ... open / close valve, 67 ... Structural member for valve, 67a ... positioning protrusion, 120 ... waste ink tank.

Claims (14)

A part of the container wall that partitions the storage space for storing the waste ink is provided with a waste ink introduction part for introducing the waste ink into the storage space and a vent hole for opening the storage space to the atmosphere. ,
In the storage space, a waste ink storage structure loaded with an ink absorbing material that permeates and absorbs the introduced waste ink,
A waste ink storage structure, wherein the vent hole is provided with an open / close valve that opens only when waste ink is introduced. The on-off valve is provided such that a container wall formed by a flexible sheet member provided with the vent hole and a contact portion abut against the peripheral edge of the vent hole of the flexible sheet member to block the vent hole. A structural member for a valve,
The vent hole periphery of the flexible sheet member displaced by the waste ink introduction pressure from the waste ink introduction part is separated from the contact part of the valve structural member, thereby opening the vent hole. The waste ink storage structure according to claim 1, wherein:   The waste ink storage structure according to claim 2, wherein the ink absorbing material is separated from the periphery of the contact portion of the valve structural member.   The waste ink storage structure according to claim 2, wherein the vent hole is disposed on a center line of a short side of the container wall.   The waste ink storage structure according to claim 2, wherein a protrusion penetrating the vent hole of the flexible sheet member is provided at the contact portion of the valve structural member.   The open / close valve is integrally formed of an elastic member having an open / close portion that is elastically displaced in a direction in which a valve body that closes the vent hole is opened by a waste ink introduction pressure from the waste ink introduction portion. The waste ink storage structure according to claim 1.   An ink cartridge comprising the waste ink storage structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and containing an ink pack filled with ink.   The ink cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the container wall provided with the vent hole defines a storage space for storing the ink pack and the storage space.   The ink cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the vent hole is provided at a position that does not interfere with the ink pack.   The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the ink is a pigment ink.   An ink jet printer comprising the ink cartridge according to any one of claims 7 to 10.   A waste ink tank comprising the waste ink storage structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   An inkjet printer comprising the waste ink tank according to claim 12. The inkjet printer according to claim 13, wherein the waste ink tank is detachably mounted on a tank housing portion of a printer housing.

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