JP2810472B2 - Inkjet cartridge - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a detachable ink jet cartridge applicable to a printer, a copying machine, an ink jet recording apparatus, and the like generally used for office machines, and particularly relates to storage before use. The present invention relates to an inkjet cartridge having a preferable configuration.

[Prior Art] The present invention solves a technical problem that could not be predicted in the past.

As for the conventional recording head, there are many applications for solving the problem during recording, but none of them has proposed the technical problem as in the present invention. That is, as a result of conducting many experiments so that the present invention can be applied to an emergency in a sales state before using the recording head, the following problems were found.

In an emergency, although the cause is unknown, the state of scattering of the ink was observed, and the ink was sometimes found in the package. As a result of examining an unexpected situation, the present inventor found that when the discharge port itself was sealed, no ink leakage was observed in a normal durability test or an excessive vibration test.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, surprisingly, it has been found that, when a gentle swiveling motion in which the inertia force due to the normal transport is appropriately applied is given, the ink slightly leaks from the air communication portion. It has been found that this tendency is often observed in the initial state where the ink filling degree before sale is improved, but it was also found that such a problem does not occur once recording is performed in the apparatus. .

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has a recording head unit in which a plurality of ink ejection ports for ejecting ink for performing recording are arranged, and the recording head unit. And an ink tank section having an air communication port for storing ink supplied to the recording medium and making the inside communicate with the atmosphere. At the time of the physical distribution state, at least both the ink discharge port and the air communication port disposed on a side different from the side where the ink discharge port is disposed are tightly sealed with one sheet member. It is characterized by the following.

[Operation] By tightly sealing the discharge port of the ink jet cartridge having the recording head section and the ink tank section and the air communication port with one sheet member, a reliable peeling operation from both configurations can be secured. . Further, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink from leaking to the outside due to an external impact during distribution.

[Embodiment] A configuration common to the following embodiments can be summarized as follows. First, a sealing member for closing an air communication port for an ejection unit and an ink tank, a pressing member for pressing the sealing member against the ejection unit,
And wherein the ejection unit and the air connection port for the ink tank in a storage state before being used in a non-attached state with respect to the recording apparatus are sealed.

According to this feature, the present invention can provide a printable state in which ink is not scattered even when the printhead is conveyed or sold in various worst states regardless of whether the inertial resistance is large or small. .

FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) are explanatory views of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a perspective view and a partially exploded view thereof in order, and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) show the embodiment of FIG. 3 (a) and 3 (b) and FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are explanatory views of a modified example of FIG. 2, respectively.
FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the recording head of FIG. 5, and FIGS. b), (c) and FIGS. 8 (a), (b), (c) and FIGS. 9 (a), (b),
(C) is an explanatory view of still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a side view, a front view, and a top view in order, respectively, and FIG.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the configuration of the recording head is further modified. FIG. .

In FIG. 13, IJC is an ink jet cartridge which has an ink absorber incorporated in an ink storage section, and a recording head (fifth ink supply) which is supplied with ink by a supply pipe communicating therewith.
A heat energy generator 91 shown in the figure, a substrate 100 on which an electrode 92 is formed, and an orifice plate 400 provided with a plurality of discharge ports 41 are provided. In this embodiment, the top plate 1300 and the plate 400 for forming the liquid path 140 are integrally formed. ) Shows a recording head that can be attached to and detached from the recording apparatus body in which the recording head is integrated. An opening S is provided on the upper surface of the recording head for monitoring an electrical junction described later. 10 is a base plate of the recording head substrate,
12 is an aluminum plate integrally formed with a positioning portion 8 for engaging the positioning portion 4010 of the carriage of the printing apparatus main body and positioning the entire print head.
1 indicates the surface of the discharge section including the orifice plate,
41 is a recording ink discharge unit. This embodiment does not disclose an opening for absorbing a back wave at the time of recording or an opening such as a dummy nozzle. However, even when these are included, it can be regarded as the ejection portion surface 1. 2 is
In this example, four grooves are formed on the upper and lower surfaces receded from the discharge unit surface 1 as shown in the figure. 53
Is located on the side surface facing the base plate 10 and has the groove 2
When a large amount of ink is accumulated in the groove 2 due to ink scattering, a function of guiding the ink downward can be achieved by the side groove having four grooves continuous with the groove. The recording head groove 2 receives the elastic pressing force from the groove 51 of the cap 4 to maintain the engaged state.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sealing sheet having a size that entirely covers the ejection portion surface 1 of the recording head and extending to an air communication port provided on the side surface of the cartridge. Covered in a closed state. And the nineteenth
As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, it is possible to remove the sealing sheet and use it in a used state. That is, a part of the sheet near the air communication port 13 has a portion protruding outside the side surface of the cartridge, and this portion serves as a knob when peeling off the seal. To peel off the seal from the cartridge, first, as shown in FIGS. 19 (a) and (b), the cap member is removed, and then the knob is held and as shown in FIG. 19 (c). Then, the seal is peeled off to open the air communication port, and then the seal at the discharge port portion is peeled off, and the device becomes ready for use. Attachment of the sheet 3 to the recording head is performed as shown in FIG.
Thus, a simple adhesive state is formed by interposing an adhesive between the sheet 3 and the discharge portion surface 1 and between the sheet 3 and the atmosphere communication port 13.

FIG. 13 shows a cap 4 having a width corresponding to the surface 1 of the discharge section, two opposing arms 5, 5, an elastic body 6 separated from the arms and fixed to the inner surface of the main body, and a base plate 10 side. A positioning or elastic deformation regulating portion 7 provided on the side of the main body and a collar 9 that can be used when the cap 4 itself is attached to and detached from the recording head are integrally provided. Each of the arms 5, 5 has three grooves 51 on its inner surface for engaging with the grooves 2.

In this embodiment, as can be seen from FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the seal 3 is extended onto the base plate 10, and at the same time, the elastic body 6 is provided until it faces the base plate 10.
This is a configuration for further improving the sealing effect because the discharge port 41 is close to the base plate 10.
The portion 7 has a length slightly in contact with the back surface of the base plate 10 when the cap 4 is attached to the recording head. This contact length is about 1 mm in this example.
With such a slight configuration, the elastic body 6 of the cap is provided.
As a result, the arm portions 5, 5 and the positioning portion 7 are reliably positioned within a range in which the base plate 10 is sandwiched. That is, with a simple configuration, the sealing effect of the opening can be achieved without the above-described problem of the adhesive.

FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) show a configuration in which the pressing area of the elastic body is concentrated on the discharge port. For this reason, in the configuration of the elastic body 6 in FIG. 2, the portion facing the base plate 10 is deleted. I have. Further, in the present embodiment, the portions 7, 7 function as portions for regulating the amount of elastic deformation, and with this configuration, the entire discharge port can be hermetically sealed with a uniform pressure distribution, which is one of the preferred embodiments. The configuration other than the above in FIG.
It is the same as FIGS.

FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) show a configuration in which the portions 7, 7 of FIG. 2 are further extended to add a function as a guide when the cap member 4 is mounted on the recording head. In the present embodiment, the length is the same as that of the arms 5, 5, so that when the cap is mounted, the parts 7, 7 cannot be mounted unless they are securely positioned on the back side of the base plate 10. The operability at the time of mounting in a reduced size can be further improved.

The engagement state of the grooves 2 and 51 of the above embodiment will be briefly described. When the flanges 9 and 9 are moved inward during mounting, the arms 5 and 5 are elastically deformed so as to widen the gap. In this state, the recording head is positioned between the arms 5 and 5 of the cap, and the flanges are separated, whereby the engagement of the grooves 2 and 51 can be achieved. At this time, even if the displacement is caused by one groove, by adjusting the depth of the groove to 1 mm or less, the mutual balance between the elastic pressing force of the arm and the elastic force due to the deformation of the elastic body 6 can be easily adjusted. . In this state, if the upper and lower grooves are engaged by the same number, the overall balance is optimized, and the sealed state is strengthened and the pressure distribution is also optimized. You. The elastic material and thickness of the elastic body 6 are determined by the sheet 3 when the grooves 2 and 51 are engaged.
Can be employed as long as it can hold the sealing force by pressing.

The specific configuration of the present embodiment is such that the thickness of the sheet 3 such as polyethylene terephthalate,
A flexible sheet of about 30μm and a thickness of elastic body
A sponge of about 3mm, silicone sponge, polyurethane sponge. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above configuration.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment of the discharge section in which a step having a height of about 30 μm is formed on the upper and lower surfaces with respect to a step forming surface G of about 70 μm. The present invention can form a reliable hermetically sealed state even on such a stepped surface.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, the liquid chamber has a region Z that continues to the liquid path and extends toward the ink receiving portion, and a slope 21 extending from the ink receiving portion toward the region, and an extension of the slope. lines are led to the surface position P ₀ of the substrate 8 is an arrangement side of the ejection energy generating means H of the fluid passage facing the region.
In this embodiment, the angle with respect to the center line C ₂ and the extension line of the liquid path of the inclined surface 21 is ink path at 22 degrees, the inner wall surface of the right and left, the angle B is 15 degrees.

Due to the presence of the expanding region Z, the microbubbles are not only collected here, but the collected bubbles only hold the bubbles in a region apart from the extension of the liquid path where the ejection energy generating means H is located. Therefore, even if the size is increased, the air bubbles are guided in a direction away from the liquid path along the slope, so that the occurrence of recording failure can be greatly delayed.
Moreover, since the extension line of the slope reaches the side surface of the liquid path facing the area where the discharge energy generating means is disposed, an impact is generated, and the existing bubbles try to enter the liquid path along the slope. Also, since the side surface on which the ejection energy generating means is disposed is present as a barrier, large bubbles do not enter the liquid path and do not cause recording failure. The ink jet recording head is not limited to the above-described angle.
Needless to say, it is clear from the above description that the effect is further improved if the angle limitation is added to this configuration.

The configuration described below is particularly effective when performing suction recovery, but discloses a configuration that is also effective for pressurization recovery. 141
Indicates an isosceles trapezoidal shape at the opening of the orifice plate side end of the liquid path, 111 indicates an isosceles trapezoidal shape at the inner opening of the orifice plate in contact with the same, and the discharge portion also indicates an isosceles trapezoidal shape. . In the present embodiment, the ink transport path from the liquid path to the discharge unit has a trapezoidal cross section. That is,
If the liquid path has a trapezoidal cross section with the discharge energy generating means side as the base, the conditions for dispersing the entire surface of the liquid path with respect to the generation of bubbles can be made non-uniform. In addition to being concentrated on the short side of this trapezoidal shape,
Since the bubble discharging route at the time of recovery can be centralized, the bubble discharging effect can be further improved. Further, according to the configuration in which the discharge section corresponding to the liquid path having the trapezoidal cross section has a trapezoidal shape in which the short side of the trapezoidal cross section of the liquid path is a short side and the long side is a long side. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of an ink turbulence state at the time of recovery and to stabilize the bubble discharging effect. Further, it is more preferable that this shape be an equilateral trapezoidal shape. The most preferred form in the present embodiment, the first region (open portion 14 from the line P ₁ which remains liquid passage of isosceles trapezoid shape discharge portion near the liquid passage has spread
Liquid passages from 1 to 111) and a second region (from the opening 11 to the opening 11) which is narrower than the liquid passage and is connected to the discharge portion of the isosceles trapezoidal shape while keeping the isosceles trapezoidal shape. As a result, bubbles can be reliably removed with almost no turbulence of the ink. Further, in the present embodiment, the first and second regions are symmetrical with respect to a plane (line C ₁ ) formed by connecting the centers of the legs of the trapezoid with an isosceles cross section of the liquid path in FIG. In addition, the distribution of the pressure applied during recovery can be made uniform, and the occurrence of minute turbulence in the discharge area can be greatly reduced. The line
Since the extension of the C ₁ is led to the surface on a point P ₃ of the heat generating element H, discharge energy is used efficiently discharge.

Also, according to the present invention, the top plate member forming the common liquid chamber and the discharge portion forming member are integrated, and the liquid path forming member having a step portion for engaging with the substrate, and the liquid path forming member A pressurizing member that presses the linear path from above the liquid path in the arrangement direction of the liquid path and pressurizes and holds the liquid crystal in a state where the front end of the substrate is engaged with the step. However, there is almost no inconvenience caused by the generation of bubbles. Excellent recording can be performed.

In this embodiment, the orifice plate is formed from different angles (inflection points H and I) 0P1, 0P2 and 0P3, and the ejection direction of the droplet is constant in the extension direction of the line C1. The plane is perpendicular to the line C1. In this example, the recording medium moves from the bottom to the top of the page. The orifice plate has a stepped side cross-sectional shape with a gentle slope on the side of the plate member on which the discharge section is provided, so that cleaning during wiping can be performed without attaching special parts inside and outside the cap. The reliability is further improved, and the effect of preventing meniscus retreat of the ink at the discharge portion at the time of capping is also improved, so that ink discharge failure and various problems derived therefrom can be better solved with a simple configuration. be able to.

The height of the area Z in FIG. 6 is preferably the same as or smaller than the height of the liquid path or the height. The angle θ2 in the figure formed by the area Z is 10 degrees, and the angle of the slope 21 is It is preferable that θ1 be less than half.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, the surface of the discharge port and its peripheral surface are securely sealed by the sheet 3, and this state is secured and maintained by the elastically deformed state of the elastic body 6, so that it is superior to the prior art. The effect can be demonstrated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the parts 7, 7 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are eliminated.

Therefore, the elastic body 6 pressing against the base plate 10
Is reliably pressed by the extended portion 41 of the cap body. This has the advantage that the cap member can be simplified and the cap can be attached to and detached from the recording head by sliding along the groove 51.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which the cap is configured to engage with the positioning portions 8, 8 of the base plate 10 and the groove 53, and the seal 3 is provided only inside the cap. This configuration is an embodiment in which the mounting accuracy is substantially improved by utilizing the positioning accuracy of the print head with respect to the printing apparatus.

The embodiment of FIG. 9 is an embodiment in which the cap width of the embodiment of FIG. 2 is enlarged to the entire front surface of the recording head having the ejection surface 1 of the recording head, and the mounting state is more stabilized.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment in which the parts 7, 7 of the above-described FIG. 9 embodiment are removed. With this size, there is no need to add a configuration that makes the positional accuracy accurate, and the mounting is performed according to the recording head. Just by doing so, a stable mounting state can be easily obtained.

FIG. 11 discloses a cap member in which the seal 3 is integrated with the surface of the elastic body of the cap, a recording head using the same, and a method for storing the cap member. This configuration is effective for the recording head itself after being taken out of the carriage.

As shown in the perspective view of FIG. 12, the IJC has a large ink storage ratio, and has a shape in which the tip of the ink jet unit projects slightly from the front surface of the ink tank. The ink cartridge IJC is a disposable type which is fixedly supported by a carriage HC mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus main body IJRA and positioning means and electric contacts which will be described later, and which is detachable from the carriage HC. It is.

In FIG. 12, reference numeral 5000 denotes a platen roller which guides the recording medium P upward from below the sheet. The carriage HC moves along the platen roller 3000. The front plate 4000 (2 mm in thickness) located on the front side of the ink cartridge IJC and the pad of the wiring board 200 of the cartridge IJC are provided on the front platen side of the carriage. Pad 2011 corresponding to 201
Sheet having a flexible pad 4005 and a rubber pad sheet 4007 for generating an elastic force for pressing the pad against each pad 2011 from the back side thereof.
4003 and a positioning hook 4001 for fixing the ink cartridge IJC to the recording position. The front plate 4000 has two positioning projections 4010 corresponding to the positioning projections 2500 and 2600 of the cartridge support 300, respectively.
Receive a vertical force towards. For this reason, the reinforcing rib has a plurality of ribs (not shown) on the platen roller side of the front plate that are oriented in the direction of the vertical force. The ribs Katoritsuji IJC slightly from the front position L ₅ when mounted (about 0.1
Also, a head protection protruding portion protruding toward the platen roller is formed. The support plate 4003 for electrical connection
A plurality of reinforcing ribs 4004 are provided not in the direction of the ribs but in the vertical direction, and the ratio of protrusion from the platen side toward the hook 4001 side is reduced. This also serves the function of tilting the position when the cartridge is mounted as shown in the figure. Further, in order to stabilize the electrical contact state, the support plate 4003 is provided with a positioning surface 4006 on the hook side for exerting an acting force on the cartridge in a direction opposite to the acting direction of the two positioning projecting surfaces 4010 on the cartridge. Two corresponding to the protruding surface 4010 to form a pad contact area therebetween, and a padded rubber sheet 40 for pad 2011.
Uniquely defines the amount of deformation of the 07 button. When these positioning surfaces are fixed at positions where the cartridge IJC can record, they come into contact with the surface of the wiring board 300. In this example, the line L ₁ which further pads 201 of the wiring board 300 described above
Are distributed so as to be symmetric with respect to each other.
The contact pressure of 01 is more stabilized. The distribution of the pads 201 in this example is two rows above and two rows below and two rows vertically.

The hook 4001 has a long hole that engages with the fixed shaft 4009, and after rotating counterclockwise from the position shown in the drawing using the moving space of the long hole, moves leftward along the platen roller 5000. By moving, the inkjet cartridge IJC is positioned with respect to the carriage HC. Although the hook 4001 can be moved in any manner, a configuration in which the hook 4001 can be moved by a lever or the like is preferable. In any case, when the hook 4001 rotates, the cartridge IJC moves to the platen roller side while the positioning projections 2500 and 2600 move to positions where the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600 can contact the positioning surface 4010 of the front plate, and the hook 4001 moves to the left. The 90 ° hook surface 4002 is brought into close contact with the 90 ° surface of the cartridge IJC claw 2100 while rotating the cartridge IJC in the horizontal plane around the contact area between the positioning surfaces 2500 and 4010 and finally the pads 201 and 20.
Contact of 11 comrades begins. And hook 4001 is in the predetermined position,
That is, when held at the fixed position, the pads 201 and 2011 have a complete contact state, the positioning surfaces 2500 and 4010 have a complete contact, the 90-degree surface 4002 and the 90-degree surface of the claw have two contact surfaces, and 30
0 and the surface contact with the positioning surface 4006 are simultaneously formed, and the holding of the cartridge IJC with respect to the carriage is completed.

On this drawing the carriage positioning hook 4001 90
The claw 2100 with which the right-angled engaging surface 4002 is engaged is located, and the configuration is such that the acting force for positioning with respect to the carriage acts in a surface area parallel to the reference plane.

Although the above embodiments do not disclose all combinations of the configurations disclosed in the claims of the present invention, the present invention also includes appropriate combinations of the above configurations.

The present invention, which is technically related to FIGS. 2 to 13, will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 14.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a storage container (package container) of the ink jet cartridge of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view after the assembly. FIG. 15 is a top view (a), a front view (b), and a right side view (c) each showing an example of the storage container of the present invention, and a partially enlarged view showing a storage state of a discharge port portion of the ink jet cartridge. FIG. 4D is a partially enlarged view showing the flange portion of the storage container body.

This packing container is formed by a container body 61 and a lid member 63,
These are integrated and used as a packaging container.

The container body 61 has a wall 61c, which is maintained in a non-contact state with the ink jet cartridge IJC as a content, and the wall 61c.
c, a concave portion 61a that projects toward the content accommodating region and supports the ink jet cartridge IJC accommodated therein to fix the position thereof, and a flange portion 61b for joining and integrating with the lid member 63 are provided. Have been. The discharge port of the ink cartridge IJC is maintained in a non-contact state with the wall in the storage space. As shown in these drawings, of the four concave portions 61a protruding into the storage space, the degree of digging of the concave portion on the side where the discharge port is located is increased so that the discharge port is positioned deep in the storage space. If this is the case, the outlet is better protected. At the same time, in this way, it is possible to prevent the user from inserting the ink cartridge in the reverse direction (so-called erroneous insertion prevention).

The wall portion 61c needs to have particularly sufficient strength, and is formed of such a material and thickness. The thickness of the wall portion 61c may be appropriately selected depending on the type of the constituent material, for example, 0.1 mm or more, preferably 0.3 mm or more, more preferably 0.
It is 5 mm or more, and the upper limit is, for example, 1.2 mm or less.

On the other hand, the concave portion 61a preferably has a cushioning property of buffering or absorbing an impact for protecting the contents. That is, when the recess 61a is formed to have the same strength and rigidity as the wall 61c, the impact received by the wall 61c is easily transmitted directly to the content, and does not necessarily cause damage to the content. From such a viewpoint, it is desirable that the concave portion 61a is formed with a relatively small thickness and has elasticity. The thickness of the concave portion 61a can also be appropriately selected according to its constituent material, but is, for example, 0.8 mm or less, preferably 0.6 mm or less, more preferably 0.4 mm or less, and the lower limit is, for example, 0.05 mm or more. .

As a constituent material of the container body 61, various resins and the like can be cited. The container main body 61 is produced, for example, by integral molding using a resin. The method of integral molding is preferable from the viewpoint of workability, production cost and the like.

In order to produce the container main body 61 by integral molding, injection molding, vacuum molding, or the like of various resins can be used. Among them, for example, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin (AB
In the method by injection molding using a resin such as S resin), polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, etc., it is easy to adjust the thickness of the wall portion 61c and the concave portion 61a, and it can be performed at a relatively low cost. This is preferable in that the characteristics described above can be easily imparted.

Further, by providing the flange portion 61b at the bottom of the container main body 61, the joining between the container main body 61 and the bottom plate 63 can be performed simply and reliably. The flange portion 61b is
Can be molded at the same time as the other parts when integrally molded. The thickness of the flange portion 61b may be approximately equal to the thickness of the wall portion 61c. The container body 61 and the lid member 63 are provided on the flange portion 61b.
It is preferable that a rib 61e for reinforcement is provided along the joining region 62 with the rib 61e. The rib 61e is provided so as to protrude toward the cover member 63 in FIG. 15, but the protruding manner may be reversed. However, the former is preferable because the joining between the container main body 61 and the lid member 63 is more reliably performed by using the projecting portion.

By making the corners such as the concave portions 61a and the rising portions of the wall portions 61c curved as shown in the figure, the shock-absorbing properties thereof can be further improved. The radius of curvature of the curved portion is preferably relatively large, and is appropriately selected according to the size of the concave portion 61a, but is, for example, 2 mm or more, preferably 3 mm or more, and more preferably 5 mm or more.

The shape of the concave portion 61a is appropriately selected so as to effectively protect the ink jet cartridge IJC and fix its position in the packing container. In the illustrated example, four concave portions 61a are provided.
Supports the ink jet cartridge IJC, and it can be said that this form is the most suitable in terms of protection and position fixing of the ink jet cartridge IJC, but the number of the concave portions 61a can be appropriately selected.

If the clearance between the ink-jet cartridge support portion of the recess 61a and the ink-jet cartridge is too large, rattling or misalignment will occur in the ink-jet cartridge packaging container, which is not preferable. It is not preferable because the storage property is deteriorated and the impact from the wall 61c is easily transmitted. These clearances may be appropriately selected depending on the structure of the concave portion 61a and the matching between the concave portion 61a and the ink jet cartridge, and may be, for example, about 0.5 mm to 3 mm, preferably about 0.5 mm to 2 mm.

The material and thickness of the lid member 63 are selected according to the weight and strength of the ink jet cartridge. As the lid member 63, for example, a resin or metal film, sheet or plate,
Alternatively, a laminate including at least one of them is used. When this laminate is used as the lid member 63, the lid member
The surface layer on the non-adhesive side of the container body 63 (hereinafter referred to as “outer layer”)
If the paper is paper), the paper may release moisture and absorb moisture under the influence of environmental changes, especially changes in humidity, causing curl deformation.Therefore, a moisture-proof layer of aluminum, vinylidene chloride, polypropylene, etc. is also provided on the outer surface. It is preferable to coat and prevent deformation. In this case, it is also possible to prevent a force in the peeling direction from being applied to the bonding portion 62 between the container body 61 and the lid member 63 due to the curl deformation. As the moisture-proof layer, a polypropylene having a thickness of 15 to 100 μm is most preferable in terms of cost and strength.

Various joining methods can be used for joining the container body 61 and the lid member 63 after the ink jet cartridge IJC is housed in the container body 61. For example, the container body 61 and the lid member 63 can be formed of the same type of resin material, and they can be joined by a method such as heat fusion or ultrasonic welding. In addition, an easy peel layer can be provided at least in a region required for bonding of the bottom plate 63, and these can be used for bonding.
The method using the easy peel layer has an advantage that the lid member 63 can be easily removed from the container main body 61 when unpacking, so that the risk of damaging the ink jet cartridge is further reduced. As described above, in consideration of the humidity maintaining property of the content such as moisture proof property and the ease of opening, easy peel is preferable. As the easy peel layer, for example, various hot melt systems,
A layer made of polyethylene, Eval, or the like can be used.

It is preferable in terms of handling that the lid member 63 is provided with a knob portion 63a used when peeling off the joint with the container main body 61. In FIG. 1 and the like, the knob 63a is provided at a position near the discharge port of the ink jet cartridge, but is preferably provided at a position as far as possible from the discharge port. The reason is that when the lid member 63 is peeled from the container body 61 with the knob 63a,
This is to prevent the hand from touching the ejection port to be protected particularly in the ink jet cartridge.

Further, by selecting the constituent material of the packaging container of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a moisture-proof function of the contents, that is, a function of preventing the moisture contained in the contents from evaporating to the outside.

For example, by using a material in which various resins are coated with a vinylidene chloride layer or an aluminum layer, a material having a property of preventing moisture permeation, such as polypropylene, as the constituent material of the container body 61, the above-described humidity environment maintaining function can be obtained. it can. Incidentally, polypropylene is preferred from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost, moldability, workability, and the like.

Similarly, as a constituent material of the lid member 63, a resin film, a sheet or plate material, or a sheet or plate material of paper coated with a vinylidene chloride layer or an aluminum layer,
By using polypropylene having moisture permeation resistance, a good humidity environment maintaining function can be obtained.
In order to improve both the shock buffering property and the humidity environment maintaining function, for example, a material made of a paper provided with an aluminum layer and a layer (for example, an easy peel layer) for hermetically bonding to the container body is used. A lid member having a polypropylene layer on the non-adhesive surface (outer surface) for curling prevention is preferable. In particular, a laminate in which an aluminum layer is provided and a polypropylene layer is provided as an outermost layer on the non-adhesive surface side is preferable from the viewpoint of cost, impact buffering property, and humidity environment maintaining function.

Further, when the vacuum molding method using polypropylene is used to form the container body 61, as described above, molding the rising portion of the concave portion 61a or the wall portion 61c as a curved portion is not necessary for the container body 61. This is preferable in that the shock absorbing property is further improved and the container main body 61 has the above-described humidity environment maintaining function.

Further, from the ceiling 61c-2 of the container body 61 to the bottom surface (flange 6).
In the 1b) direction, the portion other than the portion serving as the ceiling portion 61c-2 of the raw material sheet is extended by vacuum to form the concave portion 61a and the side surface 61c of the wall portion 61c.
-1, According to the male molding for molding a curved portion, etc., it is possible to improve the uniformity of the thickness of each portion, to prevent occurrence of pinholes, and to improve the moisture permeation prevention in each portion. Is preferred.

In addition, when a curved portion is not provided in a container body obtained by vacuum molding, a boundary between a wall portion and a concave portion and a boundary between a wall portion and a flange of the container body are formed as thin corners, and pinholes are generated. In some cases, damage at the time of dropping is likely to occur, and the moisture permeation prevention of that portion may be reduced. For this reason, by forming these boundary portions as curved portions, the formation of thin portions is more effectively prevented, and good moisture permeation prevention properties are more uniformly obtained over the entire container body. And an outer peripheral portion more resistant to a drop impact can be obtained.

Further, if a transparent or translucent material is selected for the container body 61 and / or the bottom plate 63, the ink cartridge 62 can be seen through in a packed state.

As shown in FIG. 1, by providing a cover member 3 for covering (sealing) the discharge port on the discharge port surface of the ink jet cartridge and the air communication port on the side face, ink from the discharge port and the air communication port is provided. Evaporation of the ink can be extremely reduced, so that the humidity of the storage space can be appropriately maintained, so that the curl of the lid member can be prevented, and the state of the ink supply path from the ink tank to the ejection port can be prevented. Can be kept in a good state.

The covering member 3 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned tape-shaped member, but it is easy to handle (for example, easy to peel off) and keeps the discharge port airtight. The point that it is excellent, and that it has little effect on the size of the ink jet cartridge because it is thin,
A tape-shaped one is optimal because it can be formed at a relatively low cost. As a material of the covering member 3, for example, polyethylene terephthalate can be mentioned.

Further, in FIG. 1, a pressing member 4 for pressing the cover member 3 against the ink jet cartridge IJC is provided on the ink jet cartridge. As a preferred embodiment of the pressing member 4, a cap member in which the ink absorber 6 is arranged at a position corresponding to the ejection port can be cited.

Providing such a pressing member 4 can prevent a user from inserting his hand into the discharge port when taking out the ink jet cartridge IJC from the storage container. It is more preferable in terms of protection of parts. It is preferable that the pressing member 4 is provided so as not to move in contact with the wall portion 61c of the storage container main body 61 even if the inkjet cartridge moves within the storage container within the range of the clearance.

FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a container (packing container) for the ink jet cartridge of the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a perspective view after the assembly. FIG. 18 is a left side view (a), a top view (b), a front view (c), a right side view (d), and a bottom view (e) showing other examples of the storage container of the present invention, respectively. 15 is a partially enlarged view (f) showing a flange portion of the storage container body (however, a part treated as a “front view” is different from FIG. 15).

This example is the same as the examples shown in FIGS. 1, 14 and 15 described above, except for the shape of the concave portion 61a of the container body 61. The concave portion 61a of the container main body 61 in this example is formed halfway without reaching the flange portion 61b, and has a predetermined angle of gradient formed to support the ink jet cartridge. I have.
The former example is superior in terms of fixing the position of the ink jet cartridge in the storage space, but the present example also provides an effect that can substantially substantially achieve the object of the present invention.

(Example 1) Using a polypropylene sheet having a thickness of 1 mm, a container body having a structure shown in Fig. 1 was formed by stretching a material portion other than the ceiling 61c-1 toward the bottom and molding it. It was produced by vacuum molding. The size of each part is as follows.

Minimum thickness: 0.2mm Corner radius of curvature: 3mm On the other hand, polypropylene layer (thickness 30μm), polyethylene terephthalate layer (thickness 12μm), aluminum layer (thickness 9μm), polyethylene easy peel layer (thickness 30μm) ) Were laminated in this order from the side of the adhesive surface with the container body, to produce a lid member 3.

Next, an ink tank for storing ink is provided, and a protective tape made of polyethylene terephthalate is provided on the surface of the discharge port as a covering member 3 for sealing the discharge port. Inkjet cartridge IJ provided with a cap member with
C was housed in the container body 61, the lid member 63 was fitted to the bottom surface of the container body, and the flange 61b and the lid member 63 were bonded by an ultrasonic welding machine.

A drop test from a predetermined height was performed on the obtained package alone and an aggregate thereof, and the state of protection of the packaged inkjet cartridge was inspected. As a result, no damage or the like occurred to the inkjet cartridge. Did not.

Further, after leaving the obtained packaged product under a predetermined atmosphere condition for a predetermined period of time, the amount of evaporation of water in the ink filled in the ink jet cartridge was examined by measuring the weight of the ink jet cartridge.
Only a slight weight loss was measured.

Further, no deformation such as curling of the lid member after standing for a predetermined period was observed at all.

Example 2 A container body was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a vinylidene chloride sheet coated with vinylidene chloride having a thickness of 30 μm was used, and an ink cartridge was packed.

When a drop test of the obtained packaged product was performed in the same manner as in Example 1, no abnormality such as damage occurred in the packaged ink jet cartridge.

Further, the amount of water evaporation of the ink filled in the packed ink cartridge was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. As a result, the amount was small as in Example 1, and no deformation such as curling of the lid member was observed. I couldn't.

(Example 3) A container body was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the radius R of each curved portion was set to 1 mm, the ink jet cartridge was packed, and a drop test and a measurement of the amount of water evaporation were performed. .

The minimum thickness of the obtained container body is 0.05 mm.
Met.

As a result, in the drop test, a slight dent was recognized in the container body portion of the packaged product, but there was no abnormality in the packaged ink cartridge.

In addition, the amount of water evaporated from the ink filled in the ink cartridge was small, and no deformation of the lid member was observed.

(Example 4) A container main body is molded by a female mold in which a portion (a concave portion 61a and a wall portion 61c) from a portion to be a flange portion 61b in a polypropylene sheet is pulled and molded by vacuum. The ink cartridge was packed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the radius of curvature of the corner of 61b was 0.5 mm and the radius of curvature of the other corners was 2 mm.

With respect to the obtained package, a drop test and a measurement of the amount of evaporation of water from the ink were performed in the same manner as in Example 1.

In the drop test, there was no abnormality in the packaged ink cartridge.

The water evaporation of the ink was slight, and no deformation of the lid member was observed.

(Examples 5, 6, 7, and 8) Examples 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, except that a protective tape as a covering member of the discharge port was not provided on the discharge port surface of the ink jet cartridge. Packing was done in the same way.

As a result, the evaporation amount of the water in the ink filled in the ink cartridge was slightly increased in each of the embodiments as compared with the embodiments 1, 2, 3 and 4, but the object of the present invention was substantially sufficiently achieved. The degree of effect that can be achieved was obtained.

Incidentally, the present invention is particularly applicable to a recording head and a recording apparatus of a bubble jet system among ink jet recording systems,
It has excellent effects.

Regarding the typical configuration and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it is arranged corresponding to a sheet or a liquid path holding a liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and giving a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to the electrothermal transducer, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and the recording head is heated. This is effective because it is possible to form a bubble in the liquid (ink) by one-to-one correspondence with the drive signal as a result of film boiling on the heat-acting surface. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,434,262 are suitable. If the conditions described in the specification of US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As a configuration of the recording head, in addition to a combination configuration of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, a heat acting section A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which the is bent, is also included in the present invention. In addition, JP-A-59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters.
The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 138461/1984, which discloses a configuration in which an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy corresponds to a discharge portion.

Further, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length is determined by a combination of a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above specification. The present invention can exhibit the above-mentioned effects more effectively, though it may be either a structure that satisfies the condition or a structure as a single recording head formed integrally.

In addition, a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body or supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body, or is provided integrally with the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as components of the recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. To be more specific, a capping means, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or absorbing means, an electric heat conversion pair or another heating element or a predictive heating means or a combination thereof for a recording head. Performing a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing is also effective for performing stable printing.

Further, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, and the recording head may be integrally formed or a combination of a plurality of recording heads. The present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus having at least one of the full colors.

By using the packing container of the present invention, the ink jet cartridge can be reliably and inexpensively protected from the shock due to vibration or drop during transportation.

That is, the packing container of the present invention is arranged in conformity with the shape of the ink jet cartridge, supports the contents at an appropriate interval, and prevents the wall of the main body of the packing container from directly contacting the ink jet cartridge. Is provided, the position of the ink jet cartridge in the packaging container can be effectively fixed, and the impact applied from the outside to the container body wall can be avoided.

In the packing by the packing container of the present invention, the increase in occupied space due to packing is small, space saving is high, warehouse space and distribution space can be saved, and costs in storage and distribution can be reduced. it can.

Further, the packing container of the present invention can provide a function of maintaining a humidity environment in a state where the ink jet cartridge is packed, so that it is possible to pack the ink jet cartridge with good protection of the ink jet cartridge and good maintenance of the humidity environment. Become.

In addition, by providing a covering member for covering (sealing) the discharge port on the discharge port surface of the ink jet cartridge, evaporation of ink from the discharge port can be extremely reduced, so that the humidity of the storage space can be appropriately controlled. Therefore, curl deformation of the lid member can be prevented, and the state of the ink supply path from the ink tank to the ejection port can be maintained in a good state.

Further, in the present invention, providing a pressing member for pressing the covering member against the ink cartridge,
Since it is possible to avoid inserting a hand into the discharge port when removing the ink jet cartridge from the storage container, it is more preferable in terms of protection of the discharge port.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, as described above, the air communication port and the discharge port are sealed with the same seal member, and the discharge port portion is securely sealed with the pressing member. Problems could be solved.

In the present invention, the connection between the seal member and the discharge port is preferably via an adhesive, but need not be via an adhesive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 13 (a) and 13 (b) are explanatory views of a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a perspective view and a partially exploded view thereof in order, and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). ) Is a partial explanatory view of the embodiment of FIG. 13, showing a top view and a side view in order, and FIGS. 3 (a) and (b) and FIGS. 4 (a) and (b) respectively showing FIG. In a modified example explanatory view,
FIG. 5 is a partial exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the recording head of FIG. 5, and FIGS. b), (c) and FIGS. 8 (a), (b), (c) and FIGS. 9 (a), (b),
(C) is an explanatory view of still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a side view, a front view, and a top view in order, respectively, and FIG.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the configuration of the recording head is further modified, and FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional explanatory view for explaining a configuration of attaching and detaching the recording head of the present embodiment to and from a recording apparatus main body. . FIG. 1 is a developed perspective view showing an example of a storage container (package) of the ink jet cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an example of a storage container (package) of the ink jet cartridge of the present invention after assembly. FIG. 15 is a top view (a), a front view (b), and a right side view (c) each showing an example of the storage container of the present invention, and a partially enlarged view showing a storage state of a discharge port portion of the inkjet cartridge. (D), It is the elements on larger scale (e) which show the flange part of a storage container main body. FIG. 16 is a developed perspective view showing another example of the storage container (package container) for the inkjet cartridge of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another example of the storage container (package) of the ink jet cartridge of the present invention after assembly. FIG. 18 is a left side view (a), a top view (b), a front view (c), a right side view (d), and a bottom view (e) showing other examples of the storage container of the present invention, respectively. It is the elements on larger scale (f) which show the flange part of a storage container main body. FIGS. 19 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views for explaining the operation of the present invention when the recording head implementing the structure of the present invention is used. 3: Cover member 4: Holding member 6: Ink absorber 61: Container body 61a: Concave 61b: Flange 61c: Wall 61e: Rib 63: Bottom plate 63a: Knob IJC: Ink jet cartridge 91, H: Thermal energy generation Element 2, 51: Groove 10: Base plate 7: Positioning or elastic deformation regulating portion 8: Positioning portion for cartridge carriage 9: Cap mounting / removing collar

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-230347 (JP, A) JP-A-57-93159 (JP, A) JP-A-59-145157 (JP, A) JP-A-57-74169 (JP, A) , A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 64-50938 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Showa 63-77740 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 2/175 B41J 2/01 B41J 2/165

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] A recording head section having a plurality of ink discharge ports for discharging ink to execute recording, storing ink supplied to the recording head section, and keeping the inside in communication with the atmosphere. An ink tank portion having an air communication port that performs air circulation, wherein the ink jet cartridge has at least the ink ejection port and the ink ejection port in a distribution state in which the ink cartridge is not attached to a recording apparatus. An ink jet cartridge, wherein both the air communication port and the air communication port disposed on a side different from the side where the outlet is disposed are tightly sealed with one sheet member. 2. The ink discharge port, which is tightly sealed by the sheet member, is further pressed by a cap member via an elastic member.
3. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 1. 3. The cap member has a pair of locking portions that engage with an engaging portion provided on the recording head, and at least a knob portion used when removing the cap member. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 2, wherein: 4. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the cap member further includes a positioning member that engages with a side surface of the head. 5. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the sheet member is peeled by opening the discharge port side after opening the air communication port side. 6. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 2, wherein, after removing the cap member, the sheet member is opened in the order of the air communication port side and the discharge port side. 7. A storage container having a lid member, a container body joined to the lid member to form a storage space, and a storage container provided with a support protruding toward the storage space in the container body. The ink-jet cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink-jet cartridge is stored and provided for distribution. 8. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port of the used ink jet cartridge removed from the recording apparatus is covered again by a sheet member and a cap member pressing the sheet member. 9. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the sheet member and the cap member are integrated.