JP2014213565A - Liquid container and ink-jet type image forming device provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid container which can prevent inflow of air in attaching to and detaching from a connection object with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A pouch pack 52 includes a pack main body 55 which is flexible and stores ink, and a spout 56 having a distribution passage 56a for making the ink stored in the pack main body 55 flow to an external. The spout 56 includes a supply port 57 arranged on the pack main body 55, a valve element unit 60 arranged inside the supply port 57, and a cap 61 which is arranged on a downstream end side in an outflow direction of the supply port 57 and the valve element unit 60 and has a through hole 82 communicating to the supply port 57. The supply port 57 also serves as a filling port for filling the ink. The valve element unit 60 is formed so as to integrate a coil spring 63 supported by a base 62, and a valve main body 64 which is biased by the coil spring 63 in the outflow direction and can move along the distribution passage 56a and can open/close the through hole 82.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid container for storing a liquid such as ink and an ink jet image forming apparatus including the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Inkjet image forming apparatuses that form an image on a sheet by ejecting ink supplied through a supply port of a liquid container as ink droplets from a recording head are widely known.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink supply container including a spring plug assembly that is press-fitted and fixed to an opening of an ink supply port (supply port). The spring plug assembly is configured such that the plug is pressed against the peripheral edge portion of the ink outlet opening opened in the spring plug body with a spring. When the ink supply port of the ink supply container is connected to the connection target, the stopper is pushed against the biasing force of the spring, so that a wide passage through which air and ink can pass is obtained.

  Further, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses an ink cartridge that causes atmospheric pressure to act from an atmospheric communication valve attached to a main body (hard case) containing ink and causes ink to flow out from the ink supply valve (supply port). It is disclosed. This ink supply valve is integrally formed by providing a hook-shaped first spring between the valve member and the slider, and a hook-shaped second spring disposed on the opposite side of the first spring across the slider. , And a seal member against which the valve member is pressed by each spring. When the ink needle is inserted into the ink supply valve, each spring is buckled, and the valve member and the seal member are separated to form an ink flow path.

  Further, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses an ink container including an ink supply port member provided in a flexible ink bag for storing ink, and a gas absorbing device for absorbing gas dissolved in the ink. Has been. A seal member is attached to the outer end portion of the ink supply port member with a spring seat biased by a spring disposed therein. Further, a check valve means that is opened only when the ink flows out to the outside is formed at the inner end portion of the ink supply port member separately from the ink supply port member and attached by thermal caulking. Yes.

JP 09-156120 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-221685 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-169853

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the ink supply container is connected to the connection target, ink flows out from the ink supply port and air flows into the ink supply container. For this reason, ink and air come into contact with each other, and air is dissolved in the ink. In the recording head supplied with such ink, there is a problem that ejection failure occurs due to bubbles of dissolved air. Further, since the ink in which the air is dissolved may corrode the metal spring, the urging force of the spring may be reduced, and the ink outlet may not be properly blocked.

  Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, although air can be prevented from flowing into the main body from the ink supply valve when being attached to and detached from the connection target, the ink stored in the hard case is used as the recording head. To supply the air, air had to be introduced through an air communication valve. For this reason, there still remains a problem that the ink touches the air.

  Furthermore, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, it is possible to prevent the inflow of air from the ink supply port member when attaching to and detaching from the connection target, and it is possible to absorb the dissolved gas in the ink by the gas absorption device. Due to the arrangement of the absorbing device, there is a problem that the structure and size of the ink bag may be complicated and the cost may increase. In addition, since it is necessary to heat caulk the check valve means formed separately from the ink supply port member, it takes time and effort to manufacture, and there is a risk of increasing costs. In particular, it is not practical to apply the technique described in Patent Document 3 to an ink bag (liquid container) that is premised on replacement.

  In addition, a liquid container such as the flexible ink bag described in Patent Document 3 is generally provided with a supply port between a pair of flexible films and thermocompression-bonded around the pair of flexible films. To form a bag. In such a liquid container, a part of the flexible film is opened without thermocompression bonding, and after filling the liquid such as ink from the opening, the opening is closed by thermocompression bonding. In this case, in order to secure the crimping margin, the liquid cannot be filled up to the capacity limit of the liquid container, and air remains in the liquid container after filling the liquid.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a liquid container capable of preventing air from flowing in and out of connection with a connection object with a simple configuration, and an ink jet equipped with the same An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the liquid container of the present invention has flexibility, and has a liquid storage body in which the liquid is stored, and a flow passage through which the liquid stored in the liquid storage body flows out. A liquid container comprising a spout, the spout comprising a supply port provided in the liquid housing body, a valve body unit provided in the supply port, and an outflow of the supply port and the valve body unit. A cap attached to the downstream end side in the direction and having a through hole communicating with the supply port, the supply port also serves as a filling port for filling liquid, and the valve body unit is mounted on the pedestal. The elastic member to be supported and the valve body that is urged in the outflow direction by the elastic member, is movable along the flow passage, and is capable of opening and closing the through hole are formed so as to be integrated. Features that To.

  According to this configuration, in a state where the valve main body is urged to the through hole (the edge thereof) as the valve seat, it is possible to prevent the liquid from leaking from the liquid containing main body, and the air from the outside. It is possible to prevent the liquid from entering the liquid storage body. Therefore, dissolution of air with respect to the liquid, alteration of the liquid, and the like can be suppressed. Thereby, for example, when liquid is ejected by an ink jet recording head, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of ejection failure due to bubbles of dissolved air. Further, corrosion of the metal material can be suppressed. Moreover, since the supply port also serves as a filling port for filling the liquid, the liquid containing main body is filled with the liquid from the supply port in which the valve body unit can be installed, and the supply port is closed with the cap after the liquid filling. Can do. Thereby, for example, using a ready-made pouch pack with a supply port, liquid can be filled from the supply port while preventing inflow of air.

  In addition, according to this configuration, for example, when the valve main body is connected to the connection target and is opened away from the through hole (the edge thereof) against the urging force of the elastic member, the outside of the liquid containing main body The liquid containing main body is elastically deformed by the atmospheric pressure applied from above, and the liquid stored inside is pushed out. Therefore, since it is not necessary to introduce air to pressurize the liquid storage body in order to cause the liquid to flow out, it is possible to prevent the liquid stored in the liquid storage body from coming into contact with the air. Thereby, for example, since an apparatus for removing dissolved air from a liquid can be omitted, the structure can be simplified, downsized, and reduced in cost.

  In this case, it is preferable that the valve body unit is integrally provided with a check valve capable of allowing only the liquid stored in the liquid storage body to flow out to the outside.

  According to this configuration, when the connection with the connection target is released, the check valve prevents inflow (reverse flow) of the liquid and air toward the liquid storage body. Thereby, the contact with the liquid and air in a liquid storage main body can be prevented. In addition, since the check valve is also integrally formed with the valve body unit, it is possible to save labor and time for manufacturing compared to the case where the check valve is assembled separately to the supply port.

  In this case, the pedestal includes a support shaft portion provided along the liquid outflow direction, and a pedestal side supply hole opened near the base portion of the support shaft portion. A coil spring provided to be wound around the support shaft, and the check valve is slidably supported by the base of the support shaft so as to be able to close the pedestal side supply hole. preferable.

  According to this configuration, the valve body can move linearly while receiving the urging force of the coil spring. As a result, the valve structure can be smoothly opened and closed, and contact between the stored liquid and air can be prevented appropriately.

  In this case, it is preferable that at least the surface of the coil spring is made of resin.

  According to this configuration, the coil spring can be prevented from being damaged by corrosion or the like due to the liquid component or the air dissolved in the liquid. Thereby, the characteristic of the elastic deformation of the coil spring is appropriately maintained, and the supply port can be appropriately closed by a desired urging force.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes any one of the liquid containers described above.

  According to this configuration, the leakage of the liquid from the inside of the liquid storage body is prevented, and the inflow of air from the outside is prevented. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective discharge due to the bubble formation of dissolved air and to perform good image formation by the ink jet image forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention, air can be prevented from flowing in and out of connection with a connection target with a simple configuration.

1 is an external perspective view showing a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the internal structure of the printer according to the embodiment of the invention. 2A and 2B are perspective views showing an upper part of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A shows a state in which the mounting cover of the container mounting unit is closed, and FIG. Show. It is a perspective view showing a container mounting part of a printer concerning one embodiment of the present invention. The container mounting part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is a perspective view of a connection mechanism part, (b) is a perspective view of the state which connected the pouch pack to the connection mechanism part. It is a sectional side view explaining the connection effect | action of the connection mechanism part which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and the spout of a pouch pack, (a) shows the state before a connection, (b) shows the state after a connection. ing. It is a perspective view which shows the container case and spout cover of an ink container which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. The spout of the pouch pack which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown, (a) is the perspective view seen from back, (b) is the perspective view seen from the front. The supply port and seal member concerning one embodiment of the present invention are shown, (a) is an exploded perspective view, and (b) is an exploded section perspective view. The supply port and seal member concerning one embodiment of the present invention are shown, (a) is a section perspective view seen from the front, and (b) is a section perspective view seen from the back.

  First, an overall configuration of an ink jet color printer 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “printer 1”) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the printer 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer 1. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the upper portion of the printer 1, wherein FIG. 3A shows a state where the mounting cover of the container mounting portion is closed, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the mounting cover of the container mounting portion is opened. . In the following description, the arrow Fr shown in FIG. 1 and the front side in FIG. 2 are defined as the front side (front side) of the printer 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 1 includes a box-shaped printer main body 2. A paper feed cassette 3 for storing paper P is accommodated in a lower portion of the printer main body 2 so as to be drawn out. Although a plurality of paper feed cassettes 3 are shown in FIG. 1, only one paper feed cassette 3 is shown in FIG. 2 for convenience of explanation.

  A protrusion 4 is formed near the center of the upper surface of the printer main body 2, and a discharge port 5 for discharging paper after image formation is opened on the right side of the protrusion 4. A paper discharge tray 6 for receiving discharged paper is provided on the right side of the protrusion 4, and a touch panel type operation panel 7 is attached in front of the protrusion 4. A container mounting portion 8 is provided at the upper right portion of the printer main body 2, and a mounting cover 9 is provided on the front surface of the container mounting portion 8 so as to be opened and closed (see FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyance path 10 for paper P is formed on the right side of the printer body 2. A paper feed roller 11 is provided in the vicinity of the paper feed cassette 3 at the upstream end of the transport path 10, and a transport roller 12 is provided to the right of the paper feed roller 11. A registration roller 13 is provided at the downstream end of the conveyance path 10.

  A transport unit 14 supported by a transport frame 15 that can be moved up and down is provided at the center of the printer body 2. The transport unit 14 includes a drive roller 16 that is rotationally driven at the upper left corner of the transport frame 15, a driven roller 17 and a tension roller 18 that are pivotally supported at the upper right corner and lower center of the transport frame 15, and each roller 16. , 17 and 18, and an endless transport belt 19 and an intake duct 20 disposed so as to be surrounded by the transport belt 19.

  A substantially horizontal conveying surface 21 is formed on the upper surface of the conveying belt 19. A large number of intake holes (not shown) are formed on the upper surfaces of the conveyor belt 19 and the intake duct 20. Then, by operating a suction means (not shown) such as a suction pump connected to the intake duct 20, a suction force acts on the transport surface 21 through a large number of intake holes.

  Below the transport unit 14, a pair of left and right lifting means 22 including a cam 24 supported by the rotation shaft 23 is provided. Each lifting / lowering means 22 operates a driving means (not shown) such as a motor connected to the rotating shaft 23 to rotate each cam 24 to stand up (see the solid line in FIG. 2) and lying down (see FIG. 2). (Refer to a two-dot chain line). Each cam 24 lifts the transport frame 15 by taking an upright posture and raises the transport unit 14, while taking a lying posture releases the lift to the transport frame 15 and lowers the transport unit 14.

  Above the transport unit 14, 4 corresponding to each color of black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) in order from the upstream side in the transport direction of the paper P (right side in the present embodiment). A set of recording heads 25 (25K, 25C, 25M, 25Y) is arranged in parallel. Each color recording head 25 is provided with a nozzle (not shown) so as to face the conveyance surface 21 of the conveyance belt 19.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, four ink containers 26 (26K, 26C, 26M, 26Y) are detachably arranged in the front-rear direction on the container mounting portion 8 in the upper right portion of the printer main body 2. Yes. The four ink containers 26 are provided for each color of ink (liquid). Black (K), cyan (C), magenta (in this embodiment, in order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the paper P (right side in the present embodiment). M) and yellow (Y) inks are stored. In the following description, the recording head 25 and the ink container 26 will be described with reference numerals only for arithmetical numbers, unless otherwise specified.

  Each ink container 26 is connected to each recording head 25 via an ink supply tube 26b via a sub-container 26a. The ink stored in each ink container 26 is temporarily stored in the sub-container 26 a and then supplied to each recording head 25. The sub-containers 26a are provided corresponding to the inks of the respective colors. However, in FIG. 2, only the sub-containers 26a corresponding to black (K) are illustrated, and the sub-containers 26a and inks corresponding to other colors are illustrated. The supply tube 26b is not shown.

  A discharge mechanism 27 having a drying device 28, a discharge path 29, and a discharge roller 30 is provided at the upper left portion of the printer main body 2. The discharge path 29 is provided on the left side of the drying device 28, and extends upward to the protrusion 4 of the printer main body 2. The discharge roller 30 is provided in the vicinity of the discharge port 5 in the protrusion 4. The drying device 28 may be omitted.

  Next, an image forming operation of the printer 1 having such a configuration will be described.

  When the printer 1 receives image data from an external computer or the like, the paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 3 is sent out to the transport path 10 by the paper feed roller 11. The paper P sent out to the transport path 10 is transported to the downstream side of the transport path 10 by the transport roller 12, and is sent out from the transport path 10 to the transport surface 21 of the transport belt 19 by the registration roller 13. The sheet P sent to the conveyance surface 21 is adsorbed to the conveyance surface 21 by the suction force of the suction means connected to the intake duct 20.

  On the other hand, ink is supplied to each recording head 25 from each ink container 26, and ink is ejected from the nozzles of each recording head 25 based on image data. Thereby, an ink image is formed on the paper P adsorbed on the transport surface 21. The paper P on which the ink image is formed is dried on the way by the drying device 28 on the way to the discharge path 29, and then passes through the discharge path 29 through the discharge roller 30 from the discharge port 5 to the discharge tray 6. Discharged to the top.

  Next, the container mounting portion 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the container mounting portion 8 of the printer 1 according to the present embodiment. 5A and 5B show the container mounting portion 8, where FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the connection mechanism portion 33, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a state where the pouch pack 52 is connected to the connection mechanism portion 33. FIGS. 6A and 6B are side cross-sectional views for explaining the connection action between the connection mechanism 33 and the spout 56 of the pouch pack 52. FIG. 6A shows a state before connection, and FIG. 6B shows a state after connection. Yes.

  The container mounting portion 8 is adjacent to the flat mounting frame 31, four partition plates 32 arranged in parallel in the left-right direction on the front side of the mounting frame 31, and the left-right direction at the rear end portion of the mounting frame 31. And four connection mechanism portions 33 arranged side by side.

  Each partition plate 32 extends in the front-rear direction, is erected at equal intervals from the left end portion of the mounting frame 31 toward the right direction, and is partitioned by each partition plate 32 to form four mounting spaces 34. . Each ink container 26 is supported by the mounting space 34 so that it can be inserted and removed along the front-rear direction. Note that a left end wall portion 35 projects from the left front end portion of the mounting frame 31, and an insertion guide 36 is provided at the front end portion of the mounting frame 31 at a position corresponding to the front end portion of each container mounting portion 32. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 6A, each connection mechanism 33 includes a connection frame 37 formed in a rectangular cylinder shape opened in the front-rear direction, and a center of the front-rear direction inside the connection frame 37. And a connection main body 38 provided on the rear side.

  The connection main body 38 is integrally formed with the connection frame 37, the needle 41 supported so as to be able to advance and retract in the front-rear direction on the axis of the guide cylinder 40, and can be advanced and retracted in the front-rear direction with respect to the needle 41. And an abutting portion 42 supported by the inner surface.

  The guide tube portion 40 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape protruding forward, and is disposed at the inner center of the connection frame 37 in a front view. A tube connecting portion 43 for connecting the upstream end of the ink supply tube 26b is provided on the rear side of the axial center of the guide tube portion 40 so as to protrude rearward.

  The needle 41 is roughly formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a flange portion 44 protruding outward in the radial direction is formed substantially at the center in the front-rear direction. The needle 41 is supported on the rear side of the flange portion 44 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction by being inserted into the hollow portion of the axial center of the guide tube portion 40. Further, a biasing member 45 such as a spring or rubber that biases the needle 41 forward is provided between the flange portion 44 and the guide tube portion 40. Furthermore, at the front end of the needle 41, four flow openings 46 cut out from the front toward the rear are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  The abutting portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the rear opened, and is supported by the flange portion 44 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The abutting portion 42 is urged forward by an urging means (spring, rubber, etc.) (not shown), and a claw portion 47 formed at the rear end of the abutting portion 42 is attached to the edge of the flange portion 44. The forward movement is restricted by the engagement. In addition, a circular hole 48 through which the tip of the needle 41 is inserted is formed in the axial center of the front end surface of the contact portion 42.

  Next, the ink container 26 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 7, and 8. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the container case 50 and the spout cover 51 of the ink container 26. FIG. 8 shows the spout 56 of the pouch pack 52, where (a) is a perspective view seen from the rear, and (b) is a perspective view seen from the front. Since the four ink containers 26 have the same configuration, the description will be given focusing on one ink container 26.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the ink container 26 includes a rectangular parallelepiped container case 50 that is long in the front-rear direction, a spout cover 51 that is attached to the rear portion of the container case 50, and a pouch provided in the container case 50. And a pack 52.

  The container case 50 is a hollow container having a volume that can accommodate the pouch pack 52. The rear end of the container case 50 is open, and the pouch pack 52 is inserted through this opening. On the other hand, a grip 50a is provided at the front end of the container case 50 (see also FIG. 3B). The holding part 50 a is formed such that its end face in the vertical direction is flush with the container case 50, and extends forward from the central part in the left-right direction of the front end face of the container case 50. An opening is formed in the gripping part 50a so as to penetrate in the left-right direction so that an operator can grip the container mounting part 8 when the container case 50 is attached to or detached from the container mounting part 8.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the spout cover 51 is formed so as to be split into two vertically, and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is short in the front-rear direction as a whole. FIG. 7 shows a state where the lower spout cover 51 is removed. An engaging portion 51 a that engages with the rear end portion of the container case 50 is formed at the front portion of the spout cover 51. Further, a spout insertion hole 53 is formed in the center of the front end surface of the spout cover 51, and a circular connection introduction hole 54 is formed in the center of the rear end surface of the spout cover 51. An RFID tag (not shown) is fixed to the upper surface of the spout cover 51, and an RFID detection board (not shown) provided in the container mounting portion 8 in a state where the ink container 26 is mounted on the container mounting portion 8. Wireless communication between the RFID tag and the RFID tag.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the pouch pack 52 as a liquid container is formed in a bag shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and a pack main body 55 as a liquid storage main body that stores ink, and a front end of the pack main body 55. A spout 56 having a flow passage 56a (see FIG. 6) that is partially embedded and allows ink stored in the pack body 55 to flow out.

  The pouch pack 52 is accommodated in the container case 50 with the spout 56 facing rearward. The pouch pack 52 is configured so that ink can be sealed in the pack body 55 in a vacuum state, and the ink in the pack body 55 is discharged (outflowed) from the spout 56 toward the rear (outflow direction).

  The pack body 55 is formed of a flexible film material 55a. The film material 55a is formed by laminating a resin and aluminum. For example, polyester (PET), aluminum (AL), nylon (PA), and low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) are laminated sequentially from the surface side. By making the surface layer of the pack body 46 polyester, the strength of the pouch pack 52 is improved. Further, by forming the aluminum layer, the gas barrier property (ink storage property) of the pouch pack 52 is improved, and by forming the nylon layer, the mechanical strength and impact resistance of the pouch pack 52 are improved. . By making the back surface (inner surface) layer of the pack body 46 low-density polyethylene, the welding strength when the pair of film materials are welded to form a bag shape is increased, and the sealing performance is improved.

  The pack main body 55 is formed in a bag shape by stacking two rectangular film materials 55a that are long in the front-rear direction in a plan view and by thermocompressing (welding) the periphery. A spout 56 is attached to the approximate center of the film material 55a in the left-right direction so as to be sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower film materials 55a.

  The spout 56 includes a supply port 57 provided in an exposed state from the pack body 55, a joint port 58 that is integrally formed behind the supply port 57 and sealed between a pair of upper and lower film members 55 a, and the pack body 55. And a sealing member 59 for enclosing the accommodated ink.

  The supply port 57 also serves as a filling port for filling the pack main body 55 with ink, and is filled with a seal member 59 after the pack main body 55 is filled with ink.

  The supply port 57 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape so that the inside and the outside of the pack body 55 communicate with each other, and a pair of octagonal engagement flanges arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction on the peripheral surface of the rear end. 57a extends radially outward. Between the pair of front and rear engaging flanges 57a, the edge of the spout insertion hole 53 of the spout cover 51 is engaged (see FIG. 7). As a result, the spout 56 of the pouch pack 52 provided in the container case 50 faces the spout cover 51 while being held in the spout insertion hole 53. Further, an annular protrusion 57b slightly protruding radially outward is formed further rearward of the rear engagement flange 57a (see FIG. 6A, etc.). An inner step 57c is formed inside the supply port 57 slightly behind the rear engagement flange 57a. The inner diameter of the supply port 57 is formed so that the front side of the inner stepped portion 57c is slightly smaller than the rear side.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the joint port 58 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a joint cylindrical portion 58a that allows the supply port 57 and the inside of the pack body 55 to communicate with each other, and a radially outer side from the left and right peripheral surfaces of the joint cylindrical portion 58a. And a pair of joint protrusions 58b formed to extend to each other. Each joining protrusion part 58b is formed so that it may become thin in the up-down direction, so that it goes outside from the joining cylindrical part 58a. Thereby, when the joining port 58 is sandwiched between the pair of upper and lower film materials 55a, each film material 55a is not extremely bent, so that the joining port 58 and each film material can be securely adhered to each other. That is, the liquid tightness of the pack body 55 can be ensured.

  Next, the seal member 59 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 9, and 10. FIG. 9 shows the supply port 57 and the seal member 59 according to the present embodiment, where (a) is an exploded perspective view and (b) is an exploded sectional perspective view. 10A and 10B show the supply port 57 and the seal member 59. FIG. 10A is a sectional perspective view seen from the front, and FIG. 10B is a sectional perspective view seen from the rear. In addition, illustration of the coil spring 63 is abbreviate | omitted in Fig.10 (a).

  The seal member 59 includes a valve body unit 60 provided inside the supply port 57, and a cap 61 attached to the supply port 57 and the rear end (downstream end in the ink outflow direction) of the valve body unit 60.

  The valve body unit 60 includes a pedestal 62 provided on the front side in the supply port 57, a coil spring 63 as an elastic member supported by the pedestal 62, a valve main body 64 biased rearward by the coil spring 63, and a pedestal 62. A check valve 65 provided between the coil spring 63 and opened only when ink flows out is formed so as to be integrated.

  The pedestal 62 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the supply port 57 and is inserted into the supply port 57 and disposed on the pack body 55 side. The pedestal 62 has a stepped portion 62a on the front side from the center in the front-rear direction, and the front pedestal portion 66 positioned on the front side of the stepped portion 62a is slightly smaller in diameter than the rear pedestal portion 67 positioned on the rear side of the stepped portion 62a. Is formed. The rear side of the rear pedestal 67 is open.

  Four ribs 66a extending in the front-rear direction are provided on the front pedestal portion 66 so as to protrude from the circumferential surface at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 9A). Each rib 66 a protrudes such that its radially outer end surface is flush with the outer diameter of the rear pedestal 67. In the vicinity of the stepped portion 62a of the rear pedestal portion 67, four rectangular valve body engaging holes 67a elongated in the front-rear direction are formed in the circumferential direction in the same manner as the formation position of the rib 66a.

  The inner diameter of the front pedestal portion 66 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the rear pedestal portion 67. Inside the front pedestal portion 66, a convex wall surface portion 66b for closing the front end and a concave wall surface portion 66c that is recessed forward by one step at the front center of the convex wall surface portion 66b are formed. Four projecting portions 66d protrude from the concave wall surface portion 66c at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

  A support shaft 68 is provided in the pedestal 62 (front pedestal 66) along the front-rear direction, which is the outflow direction of ink, and there are four pedestal sides near the base of the support shaft 68. A supply hole 69 is formed (see FIG. 10). The pedestal 62 has each pedestal side supply hole 69 so that the ink in the pack body 55 can flow out.

  Specifically, the support shaft portion 68 extends rearward from the center of the concave wall surface portion 66c of the front pedestal portion 66 in a front view, and extends to a position slightly rearward than each valve body engagement hole 67a. . Further, the support shaft portion 68 is formed in a cross shape when viewed from the front, and a tip portion thereof is formed in a tapered shape (see FIGS. 9B and 10A). Note that the cross-shaped radial front ends of the support shafts 68 are opposed to the protrusions 66d of the concave wall surface 66c, respectively. The four pedestal side supply holes 69 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the concave wall surface portion 66c, and are formed to penetrate in the front-rear direction. Each pedestal side supply hole 69 has an elongated shape along the circumference of the concave wall surface portion 66c (see FIG. 10B).

  The coil spring 63 is preferably made by processing a resin material (for example, polyester) having elasticity and excellent corrosion resistance by injection molding or extrusion molding. The coil spring 63 preferably has at least a surface made of resin. For example, the surface of the metal coil spring 63 may be coated with resin. As a resin material for forming (or coating) the coil spring 63, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polymethylpentene (POM), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP), or the like can be used. The coil spring 63 is not limited to resin, and may be formed using a metal material. For example, the coil spring 63 may be formed of SUS or the like having excellent corrosion resistance.

  The valve body 64 is supported by the valve body support portion 71 formed integrally with the valve body cylinder portion 70 formed in a cylindrical shape with the front open, a valve body support portion 71 formed integrally with the rear end surface of the valve body cylinder portion 70, and the valve body support portion 71. The O-ring 72 is provided.

  The valve body cylindrical portion 70 is formed with an outer diameter that can be inserted into the rear pedestal portion 67. Further, the inner diameter of the valve body cylindrical portion 70 is formed substantially the same as the inner diameter of the front pedestal portion 66. In the valve body cylindrical portion 70, four engagement pieces 73 that are engaged with the respective valve body engagement holes 67a of the rear pedestal portion 67 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each engagement piece 73 is formed in a tongue shape by cutting from the front end of the valve body cylindrical portion 70 to the substantially center in the front-rear direction, and can be bent in the radial direction with the rear end portion as a fulcrum. At the front end portion of each engagement piece 73, a locking claw 74 that protrudes from the inside into each valve body engagement hole 67a is provided projecting radially outward. Each engagement piece 73 extends slightly forward from the front end of the valve body cylindrical portion 70.

  The valve body support portion 71 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape that is closed at the rear and has a smaller diameter than the valve body cylindrical portion 70. The valve body support portion 71 protrudes rearward from the center of the rear end surface of the valve body cylindrical portion 70 in a front view. A chamfered tapered portion 75 is formed at the distal end portion of the valve body support portion 71, and a fitting groove 76 is formed on the front side of the tapered portion 75. Further, the valve body support portion 71 is formed to have an inner diameter into which the support shaft portion 68 can be inserted.

  The O-ring 72 is formed of rubber (for example, fluorine rubber, butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), or silicon rubber) having excellent oil resistance, chemical resistance, and the like, and is formed in the fitting groove 76 of the valve body support portion 71. It is supported by fitting.

  The check valve 65 is made of a substantially circular thin film material. A cross-shaped shaft insertion hole 77 is opened at the center of the check valve 65, and the shaft insertion hole 77 is cut inward from the circumferential outer edge at a position facing the radial tip of the cross. Four notches 78 are formed (see FIG. 9).

  Next, the assembly procedure of the valve body unit 60 will be described.

  First, the operator attaches the check valve 65 to the pedestal 62. Specifically, the rear end portion of the support shaft portion 68 is passed through the shaft insertion hole 77, and the check valve 65 is inserted forward along the support shaft portion 68. When the base part (front end part) of the support shaft part 68 is pushed in, each notch part 78 of the check valve 65 engages with each protrusion part 66d of the concave wall part 66c in the concave wall part 66c of the front pedestal part 66. To do. As a result, the check valve 65 faces the concave wall surface 66c in a state where rotation around the axis is restricted.

  Subsequently, the operator passes the support shaft 68 through the axis of the coil spring 63. In this state, the coil spring 63 is provided so as to be wound around the support shaft portion 68, and the front end of the coil spring 63 is in contact with the convex wall surface portion 66 b (each projecting portion 66 d) of the front pedestal portion 66.

  Subsequently, the operator attaches the valve body 64 to the pedestal 62. Specifically, the valve main body 64 is pushed forward from the opened rear side of the rear pedestal portion 67 in a state where the engagement pieces 73 of the valve body cylindrical portion 70 are bent inward. As the push-in of the valve main body 64 proceeds, the rear end of the coil spring 63 comes into contact with the inner end surface of the valve body cylindrical portion 70, and the rear end portion of the support shaft portion 68 starts to enter the inside of the valve body support portion 71. Further, when the valve body 64 is pushed in against the urging force of the coil spring 63, each engagement piece 73 starts to face each valve body engagement hole 67 a of the rear pedestal 67. Then, each engagement piece 73 moves outside by its own elastic force (restoring force), and the locking claw 74 of each engagement piece 73 engages with the rear end surface of each valve body engagement hole 67a. Thereby, the base 62, the coil spring 63, the valve main body 64, and the check valve 65 are configured as a single unit, and an integrated valve body unit 60 is formed (see FIG. 6A).

  Since the valve body 64 is pressed rearward by the urging force of the coil spring 63 in the assembled state of the valve body unit 60, the locking claws 74 of the respective engagement pieces 73 are provided in the respective valve body engagement holes. The state of being in contact with the rear end surface of 67a is maintained. The valve main body 64 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction (ink outflow direction) with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the rear pedestal 67 and the support shaft 68. Specifically, the valve main body 64 is movable within the range of the length in the front-rear direction of each valve body engagement hole 67a, and the front end of each engagement piece 73 is engaged with each valve body. While contacting the front end surface of the hole 67a, the rear end inner surface of the valve body support portion 71 contacts the rear end surface of the support shaft portion 68, thereby restricting forward movement (see FIG. 6B). . The check valve 65 is supported between the concave wall surface portion 66c and the coil spring 63 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction with respect to the base portion of the support shaft portion 68 (see FIG. 6).

  Next, the cap 61 will be described. The cap 61 has a cylindrical appearance with the rear open, a cap main body 80 formed to have a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the supply port 57, and the cap main body 80 on the same axis as the cap main body 80. And a cylindrical valve seat tube portion 81 projecting rearward from the rear end surface.

  On the inner side of the front end of the cap body 80, an annular hook portion 80a that is engaged with the annular protrusion 57b of the supply port 57 is formed.

  The outer diameter of the valve seat tube portion 81 is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the rear pedestal portion 67, and the inner diameter of the valve seat tube portion 81 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the valve body support portion 71. . In addition, a through hole 82 is formed in the valve seat tube portion 81 so as to communicate with the supply port 57. The needle 41 of the connection mechanism portion 33 is inserted into the through hole 82 from the rear. A chamfered valve seat 83 is formed inside the front end of the valve seat tube portion 81. Although details will be described later, the through-hole 82 is opened and closed when the above-described O-ring 72 of the valve main body 64 is separated from the valve seat 83. An annular cap seal material 84 is provided on the inner surface of the rear end between the cap body 80 and the valve seat cylinder portion 81. Note that the cap seal member 84 may be omitted.

  Next, attachment of the cap 61 to the supply port 57 will be described.

  First, the operator inserts the valve body unit 60 into the supply port 57 from the pedestal 62 side, and then attaches the cap 61 to the supply port 57 from the rear. Specifically, the operator inserts the supply port 57 into the cap body 80 and inserts the valve body support portion 71 of the valve body 64 into the valve seat tube portion 81 (through hole 82). When the cap 61 is pushed into the supply port 57, the annular hook portion 80 a of the cap body 80 is engaged with the annular protrusion 57 b of the supply port 57. At this time, the rear end surface of the rear pedestal portion 67 is in pressure contact with the cap seal material 84 of the cap 61, and the O-ring 72 of the valve body 64 is in pressure contact with the valve seat 83 of the cap 61. Become. The valve body 64 is pushed slightly forward against the urging force of the coil spring 63. Further, when the stepped portion 62a of the pedestal 62 contacts the inner stepped portion 57c of the supply port 57, the valve body unit 60 is restricted from moving forward. That is, the valve body unit 60 is held inside the supply port 57 while being sandwiched between the inner stepped portion 57 c and the cap 61.

  Thus, the attachment of the cap 61 to the supply port 57 is completed. In this state, the O-ring 72 is pressed against the valve seat 83 by the urging force of the coil spring 63 (valve closed state), so that the ink stored in the pack body 55 does not leak to the outside.

  Next, referring to FIG. 6, when the ink container 26 containing the pouch pack 52 configured as described above is attached to the container attachment portion 8, the connection main body portion 38 of the connection mechanism portion 33, and the pouch The connection action of the pack 52 with the spout 56 and the ink flow will be described.

  The operator inserts the ink container 26 into the container mounting portion 8 from the front to the rear. When the rear end portion of the ink container 26 reaches the connection mechanism portion 33, the connection main body portion 38 of the connection mechanism portion 33 enters the spout cover 51 from the connection introduction hole 54 (see FIG. 6A), and the pouch pack. 52 spouts 56 abut against the abutment 42 of the connection body 38 (see FIG. 5B). At this time, the valve body unit 60 is in a closed state.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the ink container 26 is pushed in, the contact portion 42 is pushed backward, so that the needle 41 relatively moves forward. The relatively moved needle 41 protrudes forward from the circular hole 48 of the contact portion 42. The needle 41 protruding forward of the contact portion 42 enters the through hole 82 of the cap 61, and the front end of the needle 41 contacts the rear end of the valve body support portion 71 facing the through hole 82.

  When the ink container 26 is further pushed in, the needle 41 itself moves slightly backward against the biasing force of the biasing member 45, and the needle 41 resists the biasing force of the coil spring 63. And push it relatively forward. As a result, the O-ring 72 that has been in close contact with the valve seat 83 of the cap 61 moves forward, and the valve seat 83 and the O-ring 72 are separated. That is, the valve is opened. Thereby, the connection between the connection main body 38 and the spout 56 is completed.

  When the valve is opened in this way, the ink stored in the pack body 55 is pushed out toward the spout 56 (supply port 57) by the atmospheric pressure constantly acting on the pack body 55 (ink outflow). Due to the ink outflow pressure, the check valve 65 moves rearward in the gap between the concave wall surface portion 66c and the coil spring 63, and each pedestal side supply hole 69 is opened.

  The ink stored in the pack body 55 flows out through the flow passage 56a in the spout 56. Specifically, as shown by the broken line arrows in FIG. 6B, the ink that has flowed out from the pack body 55 to the supply port 57 flows from each pedestal side supply hole 69 to the inside of the valve body unit 60. Flows out into the needle 41 through the gap between the valve seat 83 and the O-ring 72 and the respective flow openings 46 of the needle 41. Then, the ink introduced into the needle 41 flows to the sub-container 26a through the ink supply tube 26b connected to the tube connecting portion 43 of the guide cylinder portion 40. That is, the pack main body 55 and the recording head 25 communicate with each other through the spout 56 and the needle 41, and the ink in the pack main body 55 is supplied to the recording head 25.

  When the ink flows in a direction from the through hole 82 toward each pedestal side supply hole 69 for some reason, that is, when the ink flows backward, the check valve 65 has a gap between the concave wall surface portion 66c and the coil spring 63. 2, the pedestal side supply holes 69 are closed by moving forward due to the pressure of the ink flowing backward. Thereby, the backflow of ink can be prevented appropriately. That is, it is possible to prevent the ink that has once flowed out and contacted with the air and having the air dissolved therein from being returned to the pack body 55 again.

  According to the pouch pack 52 and the printer 1 including the pouch pack 52 according to the above-described embodiment, the O-ring 72 of the valve body 64 is biased to the valve seat 83 at the upstream side edge of the through hole 82 (closed). In the valve state), it is possible to prevent ink leakage from the pack body 55 and air from entering the pack body 55 from the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the dissolution of air in the ink and the deterioration of the ink. Accordingly, when ink is ejected by the ink jet recording head 25, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of ejection failure due to bubbles of dissolved air. For this reason, good image formation by the ink jet printer 1 can be performed. In addition, corrosion of the metal material in contact with the ink can be suppressed.

  When the spout 56 of the pouch pack 52 is connected to the connection mechanism portion 33 to be connected and the O-ring 72 is opened away from the valve seat 83 against the urging force of the coil spring 63, the pack main body is opened. The pack body 55 is elastically deformed by the atmospheric pressure applied from the outside of the ink 55, and the ink stored inside is pushed out. Therefore, since it is not necessary to introduce air to pressurize the inside of the pack body 55 in order to cause the ink to flow out, it is possible to prevent the ink in the pack body 55 from coming into contact with the air. Thereby, for example, since an apparatus for removing dissolved air from ink can be omitted, the structure can be simplified, the size can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. Further, when the connection with the connection mechanism portion 33 is released, the check valve 65 closes each pedestal side supply hole 69, so that backflow of ink and air toward the inside of the pack body 55 is prevented. Thereby, the contact between the ink in the pack body 55 and the air can be prevented. Further, since the check valve 65 is also integrally formed as the valve body unit 60, it is possible to save labor and time for manufacturing compared to the case where the check valve 65 is assembled separately to the supply port 57.

  Further, in this pouch pack 52, since the supply port 57 also serves as a filling port for filling ink, the ink is filled into the pack body 55 from the supply port 57 in which the valve body unit 60 can be installed, and after filling, The supply port 57 can be closed by the cap 61. As a result, for example, a ready-made pack with a supply port can be used to fill the ink from the supply port 57 while preventing the inflow of air.

  Further, the valve body 64 of the pouch pack 52 according to the present embodiment can move linearly while receiving the urging force of the coil spring 63. Accordingly, the valve structure (O-ring 72 and valve seat 83) can be smoothly opened and closed, and contact between the stored ink and air can be appropriately prevented.

  Further, the coil spring 63 of the pouch pack 52 according to the present embodiment is made of a resin material. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the coil spring 63 from being damaged by corrosion or the like due to ink components or air dissolved in the ink. Thereby, since the characteristic of the elastic deformation of the coil spring 63 is appropriately maintained, the O-ring 72 is pressed against the valve seat 83 by a desired biasing force, and an appropriate valve closing state can be maintained. That is, the supply port 57 can be appropriately closed.

  The above description of the embodiment of the present invention describes the preferred embodiment of the pouch pack 52 according to the present invention and the printer 1 (inkjet image forming apparatus) including the pouch pack 52. Various preferred limitations may be given, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless specifically described to limit the present invention. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the embodiments of the present invention described above can be appropriately replaced with existing constituent elements, and various variations including combinations with other existing constituent elements are possible. The description of the embodiment of the present invention is not intended to limit the content of the invention described in the claims.

1 Printer (inkjet image forming device)
52 Pouch pack (liquid container)
55 Pack body (liquid storage body)
56 Spout 56a Flow passage 57 Supply port 60 Valve body unit 61 Cap 62 Base 63 Coil spring (elastic member)
64 Valve body 65 Check valve 68 Support shaft 69 Base side supply hole 82 Through hole

Claims (5)

A liquid container comprising a liquid storage body having flexibility and containing a liquid, and a spout having a flow passage for allowing the liquid stored in the liquid storage body to flow outside,
The spout is
A supply port provided in the liquid containing body;
A valve body unit provided inside the supply port;
A cap that is attached to the supply port and a downstream end side in the outflow direction of the valve body unit, and has a through hole that communicates with the supply port;
The supply port also serves as a filling port for filling liquid,
The valve body unit includes: an elastic member supported by a pedestal; and a valve main body that is urged in the outflow direction by the elastic member, is movable along the flow passage, and is capable of opening and closing the through hole. A liquid container formed so as to be integrated.   2. The check body according to claim 1, wherein the valve body unit is integrally provided with a check valve that allows only the outflow of the liquid stored in the liquid storage main body to the outside. Liquid container. The pedestal is configured with a support shaft portion provided along the outflow direction of the liquid, and a pedestal side supply hole opened near the base portion of the support shaft portion,
The elastic member is a coil spring provided to be wound around the support shaft portion,
The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the check valve is slidably supported by a base portion of the support shaft portion so as to close the pedestal side supply hole.   The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein at least a surface of the coil spring is made of resin.   An ink jet image forming apparatus comprising the liquid container according to claim 1.

Images