JP2010274443A - Liquid container and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a liquid remaining in a needle and on a needle tip from adhering to a surface of a liquid container in a process of pulling out the needle after injecting the liquid in the liquid container. <P>SOLUTION: A first and a second elastic bodies fitted in a supply port by a housing member are sequentially disposed at the supply port from the liquid container side. At the time of pulling out the needle which injects the liquid, at least one of the position and shape of the second elastic body is changed, whereby a space to generate a negative pressure is formed between the first elastic body and the second elastic body in the liquid container. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage container for storing a liquid, which is mounted on a liquid ejection device, and a method for manufacturing the same.

  FIG. 4 shows a conventional liquid storage container 46 having a liquid bag. A cylindrical member 42 is fixed to a liquid bag 41 that stores a liquid such as ink, and an elastic body 43 that blocks communication between the outside and the inside of the liquid bag 41 is inserted and fitted in the cylindrical member 42. . The cylindrical member 42 is fixed to one side surface of the case 44, and the liquid bag 41 is accommodated in the case 45. A needle 45 that supplies ink is inserted into a supply unit that connects the inside and the outside of the liquid storage container, and the ink is supplied to the head that discharges ink through the needle 45.

  Regarding the supply unit, Patent Document 1 discloses an elastic body that is contracted in a radial direction by a housing. Due to the sealing property of the liquid by the elastic force of the elastic body, the ink inside the liquid storage container is prevented from seeping out from the supply unit.

JP-A-9-76525

  In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the current ink injection process in which ink is injected while being pressurized during ink injection, the elastic body wipes off the ink on the surface of the needle when the needle for supplying ink is pulled out after ink injection. It is possible (FIG. 5 (a)). However, after ink injection, ink remains in the needle and the tip of the needle with no residual pressure in the ink injection pipe (FIG. 5B). There is a concern that the ink remaining on the needle tip may adhere to the surface of the liquid storage container when the needle is pulled out from the elastic body. For this reason, the conventional method requires a step of wiping off ink remaining on the needle for injecting ink.

  The present invention relates to a liquid storage container in which a needle for injecting liquid is inserted from a supply port provided in a liquid storage container for storing liquid, and liquid is injected into the liquid storage container, and is fitted by a housing. In addition, the first elastic body and the second elastic body are arranged in the supply port in order from the liquid storage container side, and by changing at least one of the position or shape of the second elastic body, A space for generating a negative pressure is formed between the first elastic body and the second elastic body.

  In the step of extracting the needle after injecting the liquid into the liquid storage container using the needle, it is possible to reduce the liquid remaining in the needle and the tip of the needle from adhering to the surface of the liquid storage container.

Sectional drawing of a liquid storage container. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a supply unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a supply unit according to a second embodiment. Explanatory drawing of a prior art example. Explanatory drawing of the needle | hook which supplies the ink of a prior art example.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same function may be given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof may be omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a liquid storage container applicable to the present invention. The liquid storage container of this embodiment is mounted on a liquid discharge apparatus such as an ink jet.

  The liquid storage container 11 is configured by storing a liquid bag 12 in which a liquid such as ink is stored in a box-shaped case 13. The liquid bag 12 is provided with a supply unit 14 for inserting a needle when injecting (filling) liquid into the liquid storage container and supplying liquid from the liquid storage container to the head. The supply unit 14 includes a housing 16 attached to the case 13, and an elastic body 17 that is fitted inside the housing and blocks communication between the outside and the inside of the liquid bag 12. As described above, the liquid storage container to which the present invention is applied is a liquid storage container in a form in which liquid is injected (filled) from a supply unit by inserting a needle.

  Liquid is supplied from such a liquid storage container to a head provided with an element that generates energy for discharging the liquid using a tube or the like, and printing or the like is performed with the discharged liquid.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the supply unit and the manufacturing method for injecting (filling) the liquid into the liquid storage container will be described in the embodiment.

(About supply section)
FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the supply unit 14. The housing member 16 provided in the supply port corresponding to the mouth of the liquid bag has a step structure having a large inner diameter on the liquid bag side and a small inner diameter on the outer side. The first elastic body 17A is disposed in a portion having a large inner diameter in the housing member 16, and is fixed in position so as to contact the supply port. The second elastic body 17B is disposed in a portion having a small inner diameter on the side opposite to the supply port with respect to the first elastic body. That is, in the supply port, the first elastic body and the second elastic body, which are fitted by the housing, are arranged in order from the liquid storage container side.

  The first elastic body 17A has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the housing on the liquid bag side, is fitted into the housing in a compressed state, and is disposed so as to close the mouth 15 of the liquid bag.

  The second elastic body 17B is smaller in outer diameter than the first elastic body 17A and larger in outer diameter than the inner diameter on the outer side of the housing 16, and the second elastic body is fitted into the housing 16 in a compressed state. Is done. The second elastic body 17B is located on the outer side from the first elastic body 17A.

  The second elastic body 17B is configured to be movable in the housing, and the second elastic body 17B has a friction force that pulls the needle 18 out of the second elastic body 17B rather than the friction force that the second elastic body 17B moves through the housing 16. It is designed to have a greater relationship. Thereby, the second elastic body moves in the housing by the operation of removing the needle.

(About liquid injection)
FIG. 2B is a view of the vicinity of the supply unit 14 in a state where a liquid such as ink is injected into the liquid bag. From the cylindrical hole at the top of the housing 16, a needle 18 for injecting liquid is pierced in the order of the second elastic body 17B and the first elastic body 17A of the supply port, inserted through the mouth 15 of the liquid bag, A liquid is injected into the liquid bag 12.

  The second elastic body 17B does not move in the housing because the first elastic body 17A is present in the direction in which force is applied, and the first elastic body 17A is fixed to the mouth of the liquid bag. At this time, the presence or absence of the reduced pressure in the liquid bag 12 does not matter.

  FIG. 2C is a view of the vicinity of the supply unit 14 when the needle 18 is removed after the liquid injection is completed. When the needle 18 is pulled out of the liquid bag 12, the first elastic body 17A does not move in the direction in which the needle is pulled out due to the side wall having the step structure of the housing 16 (side wall on which the second elastic body is held). The ink on the side surface (surface) of the needle 18 is wiped off by the first elastic body 17A.

  Further, due to the resistance with which the needle 18 is pulled out, the position of the second elastic body 17B changes in the direction of pulling out the needle (upward direction) while rubbing the inner wall of the housing 16. The second elastic body stops at the side wall that forms the cylindrical hole having an inner diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer side of the housing in the upper part direction of the housing. Due to the movement of the second elastic body, a space is created between the first elastic body 17A and the second elastic body 17B, and a negative pressure state is established.

  FIG. 2D is a diagram of the supply unit 14 when the needle tip 18 to be pulled out passes through the second elastic body 17B. When the tip of the needle 18 moves in the space (negative pressure space) generated by the movement of the second elastic body 17B, a minute amount of liquid present in the needle tip 18 is sucked out by the negative pressure in the space, and the needle Stay away.

  In the experiment of the present inventor, it was measured that the negative pressure in the space generated by the movement of the second elastic body 17B was a negative pressure of −30 to −40 kPa. It was confirmed that the air was sucked into the negative pressure space.

  FIG. 2 (e) is a view showing a state where the needle 18 is completely removed from the supply unit 14. In the space formed in the first and second elastic bodies 17A and 17B, a minute amount of the liquid sucked from the needle tip 18 is stored. The ink adhering to the surface of the needle 18 is also wiped off by the second elastic body 17B and stored in this space.

  Since the first and second elastic bodies 17A and 17B are compressed in the housing 16 in the radial direction, after the needle 18 is pulled out of the elastic bodies 17A and 17B, the hole is closed and the liquid is oozed out. prevent. After the needle is pulled out, the second elastic body may be held on the upper side of the housing or may move to the first elastic body, but in any case, the first elastic body and the second elastic body There is a liquid that has been sucked out in the gap between the bodies.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The second elastic body 17B used in the present embodiment is an elastic body 17C (hereinafter referred to as a diaphragm elastic body) having a diaphragm structure having a dome-shaped space. Except for this point, the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  The needle 18 is inserted into and removed from the dome-shaped central portion of the diaphragm elastic body so that the dome shape is reversed in conjunction with the vertical movement of the needle. Thereby, the volume of the space between the first elastic body and the diaphragm elastic body changes. The effect can be obtained by deformation of the elastic body accompanied by movement of the elastic body as in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the supply unit 14 using the diaphragm elastic body 17C. The dome-shaped protrusion at the center of the diaphragm elastic body 17C has a shape that protrudes toward the liquid bag.

  When the liquid is injected, the needle 18 passes through the diaphragm elastic body 17C and the first elastic body 17A from the cylindrical hole at the top of the housing 16, passes through the supply hole 15 of the liquid bag 12, enters the liquid bag 12, and the ink. Inject. At this time, since the dome-shaped protrusion at the center of the diaphragm elastic body 17C is convex in the direction to pierce the needle, no significant deformation occurs. The presence or absence of reduced pressure in the liquid bag 12 does not matter.

  After the liquid injection is completed, when the needle 18 is removed from the liquid bag 12, the ink on the surface of the needle 18 is wiped by the first elastic body 17A. Due to the resistance that the needle 18 is pulled out from the diaphragm elastic body 17C, the shape of the dome-shaped protrusion of the diaphragm elastic body 17C changes in a convex direction in the direction in which the needle is pulled out (the direction opposite to the liquid bag). To do. Due to the deformation of the diaphragm elastic body, the space between the first elastic body 17A and the diaphragm elastic body 17C increases in volume and becomes a negative pressure state. As a result, the liquid at the needle tip is sucked into the negative pressure space. At this time, the elastic force is designed so that the frictional force with which the needle 18 is pulled out of the diaphragm elastic body 17C is larger than the restoring force generated by the dome-shaped change of the diaphragm elastic body 17C.

  FIG. 3B is a diagram of the supply unit 14 with the needle 18 removed. As in the first embodiment, a minute amount of ink existing between the needle tip 18 and the valve can be stored in the space between the elastic bodies 17A and 17C.

  In the first and second embodiments, either the position or the shape of the second elastic body is changed. However, the position of the second elastic body, which is a combination of the first embodiment and the second embodiment, The form which changes both shapes may be sufficient. That is, the position of the diaphragm elastic body 17C may change in the upper direction of the housing 16 while rubbing the inner wall of the housing 16. In this case, since the volume change of the space is larger, the negative pressure is also increased, and the suction of the liquid at the needle tip is performed more smoothly.

  Moreover, although the above-mentioned Example disclosed the example using the needle | hook which supplies a liquid with respect to a liquid storage container at the time of the initial manufacture of a liquid storage container, this invention and its effect are not restricted to this. For example, the same effect can be obtained for a needle that supplies liquid to the head, and the same effect can be obtained even when the liquid is reinjected with a needle into a used liquid storage container. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Liquid container 12 Liquid bag 13 Liquid container case 14 Supply part 15 Port of liquid bag (liquid supply port)
16 Housing 17 Elastic body 17A First elastic body 17B Second elastic body 18 Needle

Claims (5)

A liquid storage container for storing liquid, a supply port into which a needle for injecting liquid into the liquid storage container is inserted, an elastic body disposed in the supply port, and a housing member for fitting the liquid storage container In a liquid storage container comprising:
A first elastic body that is in contact with the supply port by the housing member; and a second elastic body that is disposed on the opposite side of the supply port with respect to the first elastic body,
When the needle is inserted into the supply port, the needle is inserted into the first elastic body and the second elastic body,
When the needle is withdrawn from the supply port, the space between the first elastic body and the second elastic body is changed by changing at least one of the position or shape of the second elastic body. A liquid container which is formed and generates a negative pressure by the space.   The first force generated when the needle is removed from the second elastic body, rather than the frictional force between the housing member and the second elastic body, which is generated when the position of the second elastic body changes. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein a frictional force between the elastic body and the needle is large.   The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the second elastic body has a diaphragm structure.   The frictional force generated when the needle is pulled out from the second elastic body is larger than the restoring force generated by changing the shape of the second elastic body. Liquid storage container. A liquid storage container for storing liquid, a supply port into which a needle for injecting liquid into the liquid storage container is inserted, an elastic body disposed in the supply port, and a housing member for fitting the liquid storage container In a method of manufacturing a liquid storage container comprising:
The first elastic body and the second elastic body disposed on the side opposite to the supply port with respect to the first elastic body, and the liquid is injected into the liquid storage container through the needle. And a process of
When removing the needle from the liquid storage container, the first elastic body wipes off the liquid adhering to the side surface of the needle, and the friction force between the needle and the second elastic body causes the first elastic body to wipe the liquid. Changing at least one of the position or shape of the second elastic body to form a negative pressure space between the first elastic body and the second elastic body;
Sucking out the liquid at the needle tip into the negative pressure space;
A method for producing a liquid container, comprising:

Images