JP3130727U - Valve opening kit - Google Patents

Abstract

A valve opening kit for easily opening a check valve is provided for an ink cartridge having a check valve.
A valve opening kit for enabling ink to be replenished from an ink outlet having a check valve for an ink cartridge, a holding member for holding by hand, and an ink cartridge fixed to the holding member. An abutting member 122 having an abutting surface 124 and an end fixed to the holding member 130 and extending beyond the abutting member 122 by a predetermined length from the abutting surface 124 of the abutting member 122 and from the inner diameter of the ink outlet. A valve opening kit including a thin rod member 110.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a valve opening kit, and more particularly, to a valve opening kit suitable for opening a check valve when ink is refilled into an ink cartridge having a check valve.

  In a printer apparatus such as an ink jet printer, printing is performed by ejecting liquid ink onto a printing material. In a printer device, particularly a small printer device for home use, ink is stored in an ink cartridge, and printing is performed while ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the printer head. However, due to the necessity of downsizing the apparatus, the ink cartridge itself is made small and its capacity is limited even if the use frequency of the printer is taken into consideration. Therefore, it is often required to replace the ink cartridge or refill the ink cartridge with ink.

On the other hand, in order to prevent air or the like from entering the ink in the ink cartridge, an ink cartridge provided with a check valve in the ink outlet path from the ink cartridge to the printer head is used. In order to inject ink into an ink cartridge equipped with the check valve, the valve body of the check valve is formed of a material having a specific gravity lighter than that of the ink, and the ink is guided upward with the ink lead-out path upward when the ink is injected. A method of injecting ink while adjusting the flow rate so that the check valve does not act is known (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-199516 (8th and 9th pages, FIG. 7)

However, making the valve body a material having a specific gravity lighter than ink narrows the choice of materials used as the valve body. There is also an ink cartridge with a check valve that uses a valve body having a specific gravity greater than that of ink, and it is generally considered difficult to inject ink by the above method. Furthermore, even when the ink cartridge is stored in a non-use state, air or the like is rarely mixed in, and even if the check valve does not function, there is almost no trouble, and the reverse is determined by the user's choice. It turned out that there was no problem even if the stop valve was removed.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a valve opening kit that easily opens a check valve for an ink cartridge including the check valve.

  To achieve the above object, the valve opening kit according to the first aspect of the present invention can replenish ink from an ink outlet 40 having a check valve 60 of the ink cartridge 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, for example. A valve opening kit 100 for holding: a holding member 130 for holding by hand; an abutting member 122 fixed to the holding member 130 and having a surface 124 against which the ink cartridge 10 abuts; one end of the holding member 130 , The stick member 110 extending beyond the contact member 122 by a predetermined length from the surface 124 of the contact member 122 on which the ink cartridge 10 contacts, and having a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the ink outlet 40.

  With this configuration, the bar member can be inserted from the ink outlet of the ink cartridge, and the check valve of the ink outlet can be opened. At this time, since the abutting member comes into contact with the ink cartridge, the bar member becomes deeper. It can be prevented that the ink cartridge is damaged by being inserted too much. In addition, the term “adhering” includes a case where two members are connected via another member, and may be detachably connected or connected so as not to be removed by an adhesive or the like. Further, it may be integrally formed.

Moreover, the valve opening kit according to the second aspect of the present invention is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the valve opening kit 100 according to the first aspect, the holding member 130 has a cylindrical portion 132 and the rod member 110. And the axis of the cylindrical portion 132 are parallel.
If comprised in this way, since the cylindrical part of a holding member and a bar member are parallel, it will be easy to operate a bar member by grasping the cylindrical part of a holding member by hand. “Parallel” includes the case where the axis of the bar member and the axis of the cylindrical portion coincide.

Further, the valve opening kit according to the third aspect of the present invention is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the valve opening kit 100 according to the second aspect, the holding member 130 includes an end portion to which the rod member 110 is fixed. At the opposite end, it has a flat surface 136 that is wider than the cross section of the cylindrical portion 132.
If comprised in this way, it will be easy to insert the stick | rod member in the back of an ink outlet by pushing the plane of a holding member by hand.

In addition, the valve opening kit according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is fixed to the holding member 130 in the valve opening kit 100 according to the first to third aspects as shown in FIG. The guide member 126 is further provided so as to slidably hold the two opposing surfaces.
With this configuration, since the ink cartridge is sandwiched between the guide members, the positional relationship between the valve opening kit and the ink cartridge is stable and easy to operate.

Further, the valve opening kit according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, in the valve opening kit 100 according to the fourth aspect, the contact member 122 is opposite to the ink cartridge 10. The guide member 126 is fixed to a portion of the contact member 122 having the same width as the distance between the two opposing surfaces; the contact member 122 and the guide member 126 are integrally formed. Is done.
If comprised in this way, since a contact member and a guide member are integrally formed, the number of parts of a valve opening kit reduces, and manufacture becomes easy.

Further, the valve opening kit according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, in the valve opening kit 100 of the fifth aspect, the contact member 122 and the guide member 126 that are integrally formed, The holding member 130 is integrally formed.
If comprised in this way, since a contact member, a guide member, and a holding member are integrally formed, the number of parts of a valve opening kit further reduces, and manufacture becomes further easier.

Moreover, the valve opening kit according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, in the valve opening kit 102 of the fifth aspect, the contact member 122 and the guide member 126 that are integrally formed, The holding member 130 is detachably fixed.
If comprised in this way, since a contact member, a guide member, and a holding member are fixed so that attachment or detachment is possible, a valve opening kit can be made small and accommodated.

Moreover, the valve opening kit according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is the valve opening kit 100 according to any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, as shown in FIGS. The lengths D1 and D2 from the shaft to the guide member 126 are the same as the lengths T1 and T2 at the center of the ink outlet 40 with respect to the two opposing surfaces.
With this configuration, when the ink cartridge is sandwiched between the guide members, the shaft of the bar member is positioned at the center of the ink outlet, so that the bar member can be easily inserted into the ink outlet.

  According to the valve opening kit according to the present invention, the holding member for holding by hand, the abutting member fixed to the holding member and having a surface with which the ink cartridge abuts, and the abutting member having one end fixed to the holding member. A bar member extending a predetermined length from the surface where the ink cartridge of the over-contact member abuts and narrower than the inner diameter of the ink outlet, so that the bar member is inserted from the ink outlet of the ink cartridge and the check valve at the ink outlet is At that time, since the contact member contacts the ink cartridge, the rod member can be prevented from being inserted too deeply to damage the ink cartridge, and the check valve can be easily opened.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding devices are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a view for explaining an ink cartridge 10 for opening a valve using a valve opening kit according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view of a state where an upper lid 34 is removed, and FIG. bb sectional drawing (the upper cover 34 is included) is shown. In the ink cartridge 10, an ink bag 20 as a container for containing ink is accommodated in a cartridge case 30 which is a casing. An ink outlet 40 is connected to the ink bag 20 to lead out ink. The ink outlet 40 passes through the cartridge case 30 and opens to the outside of the cartridge case 30.

  The ink bag 20 is a flexible bag formed of a material having gas barrier properties. Since it has gas barrier properties, it can be prevented that volatile components contained in the ink evaporate while the ink is stored. Further, since the bag is flexible, it is not necessary to put air into the ink bag 20 as the ink flows out, and it is possible to maintain a state where only the ink is contained in the ink bag. Therefore, evaporation of volatile components from the ink in the ink bag 20 can be prevented. The cartridge case 30 includes a cartridge case main body 32 and an upper lid 34, and is typically formed of plastic.

  Next, the configuration of the ink outlet 40 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view around the ink outlet 40 of the ink cartridge 10 (a cross-sectional view in a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the cartridge case 30 in FIG. 1A). ) Shows an enlarged view of part b of (a). The ink outlet 40 typically has an outlet opening / closing valve 50 and a check valve 60. The outlet opening / closing valve 50 is located on the opening side of the ink outlet 40 (outside of the cartridge case 30), and the check valve 60 is located on the ink bag 20 side.

  In the outlet opening / closing valve 50, a valve mechanism is formed in the hollow portion of the hollow cylindrical tube portion 52. A rubber seal 56 is disposed near the opening of the cylindrical portion 52. The rubber seal 56 is sandwiched between a seal retainer 53 that protrudes toward the inside of the hollow portion at or near the opening end of the cylindrical portion 52 and a seal retainer 54 that is closer to the ink bag 20 than the seal retainer 53 and protrudes toward the inside of the hollow portion. Is positioned. The rubber seal 56 has an outer shape for closely adhering to the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 52, and a through hole is formed in a direction coinciding with the axis of the ink outlet 40. The through hole has a large diameter on the seal retainer 53 side and a small diameter on the seal retainer 54 side, and projects beyond the seal retainer 54. The valve body 58 comes into contact with a rubber seal 56 protruding beyond the seal retainer 54. The valve body 58 is a mass having a surface covering the through hole formed in the rubber seal 56, and is biased toward the rubber seal 56 by the spring 59 to close the through hole of the rubber seal 56. The spring 59 is a coil spring whose one end is in contact with the valve body 58 and, typically, the other end is in contact with the check valve 60 side of the cylindrical portion 52, and is arranged in a compressed state. Press against the rubber seal 56 with force.

  The check valve 60 has the same outer diameter as the cylindrical portion 52 of the outlet on-off valve 50, and a valve mechanism is formed in the body 62 that is integrated when connected. The body 62 is connected to the cylindrical portion 52 of the outlet on / off valve 50. A hollow portion is formed in the center portion of the body 62 in a direction that coincides with the axis of the ink outlet 40. Since the hollow portion is typically cylindrical, the following description will be described as a cylindrical hollow portion, but other shapes may be used. The hollow part is basically closed on both sides (columnar end face side). However, a through-hole 63 that connects the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 52 and the hollow portion of the body 62 is formed on the side connected to the cylindrical portion 52 of the outlet on-off valve 50. The through-hole 63 is typically composed of a plurality of holes extending on the end face of the hollow portion. On the ink bag 20 side, a through hole 69 that connects the inside of the ink bag 20 and the hollow portion of the body 62 is formed. The through-hole 69 typically has a central axis that coincides with the axis of the ink outlet 40, and is a hole having a small diameter that is, for example, one-half or less of the diameter of the hollow portion. Since the hollow portion and the through holes 63 and 69 are formed as described above, the ink outlet 40 is connected to the outside of the ink cartridge 10 and the inside of the ink bag 20 via the outlet opening / closing valve 50 and the check valve 60. Are connected to the flow path.

  A valve body 64 is accommodated in the hollow portion of the body 62 of the check valve 60. The valve body 64 is a circular plate that can move through the hollow portion in the axial direction of the ink outlet 40. The valve body 64 closes the through hole 69 by closely contacting the end surface of the hollow portion on the ink bag 20 side. In the case where the diameter of the valve body 64 is smaller than the diameter of the hollow portion and the valve body 64 cannot be closed by the valve body 64 because the valve body 64 is biased in the hollow portion, FIG. As shown, a guide 66 is provided in the hollow portion to limit the bias of the valve body 64. On the other hand, even if the valve body 64 is in close contact with the end face of the hollow portion on the outlet opening / closing valve 50 side, the through holes 63 are arranged with a plurality of holes so that all of the through holes 63 are not blocked. Yes. Therefore, when the valve body 64 is carried by the flowing fluid, the check valve 60 is switched between opening and closing depending on the fluid flowing direction. That is, when the ink flows from the ink bag 20 through the ink outlet 40 in the direction of flowing out, the valve body 64 moves to the through hole 63 side, and the ink flows without closing the through hole 63. When the ink flows in the inflow direction, the valve body 64 moves to the through hole 69 side, closes the through hole 69, and the ink does not flow. As described above, the check valve 60 allows ink to flow out of the ink cartridge 10 (ink bag 20), but prevents ink from flowing into the ink cartridge 10 (ink bag 20). In addition, in order to more reliably block the through hole 69 by the valve body 64, it is common to project the periphery of the through hole 69 toward the hollow portion side and form a valve seat 68 that closely contacts the valve body 64 in an annular shape. Is. The valve body 64 is typically a polymer film, and the body 62 including the valve seat 68 is typically formed of plastic.

  Typically, the body 62 of the check valve 60 is made by combining two parts in manufacturing. That is, the body 62 includes a body upper portion 62a composed of a cylindrical portion surrounding the end surface where the through hole 63 is formed on the outlet opening / closing valve 50 side and a hollow portion, and a body on the end surface where the through hole 69 is formed on the ink bag 20 side. It consists of two parts of the lower part 62b. After putting the valve body 64 in the hollow part of the upper body part 62a, the body lower part 62b is covered and the valve body 64 is confined in the hollow part. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the body upper part 62a is protruded with two claws 65 having a bulge 65a having a narrow tip, and the body lower part 62b is formed with a claw through hole 67 through which the claw 65 penetrates. To do. When the claw 65 is inserted into the claw through-hole 67 of the lower body 62b from the thin tip, the claw 65a cannot penetrate due to the bulge 65a after passing through. Therefore, the body upper part 62a and the body lower part 62b are fixed integrally.

  FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the ink outlet 40 when the ink cartridge 10 is mounted on a printer (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3, when the ink cartridge 10 is installed in a printer (not shown), the valve body 58 of the outlet opening / closing valve 50 is biased by the spring 59 toward the ink bag 20 by the needle 72 formed at the ink inlet of the printer. The gap is formed between the valve body 58 and the rubber seal 56, and the ink flows through the outlet opening / closing valve 50. In a state where the ink cartridge 10 is not attached to the printer, the outlet opening / closing valve 50 is closed, so that the ink stored in the ink bag 20 is prevented from flowing out.

  After the ink in such an ink cartridge 10 has been used up or to replenish the reduced ink, it becomes necessary to refill the ink. In such a case, it is preferable to refill the ink via the ink outlet 40 because there is no need to provide another opening. However, due to the check valve 60, refilling of ink through the ink outlet 40 is generally difficult.

  Therefore, the check valve 60 is opened. The check valve 60 is generally installed to prevent air and dust from entering the ink in the ink bag 20 of the ink cartridge 10, but according to experiments conducted by the applicants, the air and dust It is rare to mix, and in most cases it does not cause any trouble, and it has been found that there is no problem even if the check valve is removed. Therefore, the check valve 60 is opened including the case where the function of the check valve 60 is removed.

  FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a valve opening kit 100 in which an ink cartridge pressing member 120 and a holding member 130 are integrally formed as an embodiment of the present invention. The valve opening kit 100 includes a main body 150 in which a holding member 130 that is a handle portion held by a hand and a “U” -shaped ink cartridge pressing member 120 that is positioned at one end of the holding member 130 are integrally formed; And a rod member 110 extending from the center. The bar member 110 is fixed to the holding member 130. The rod member 110 extends from the holding member 130 through the contact member 122 of the ink cartridge pressing member 120 connected to the holding member 130.

  The holding member 130 includes a cylindrical holding portion 132 that is easily gripped by a hand, a connecting portion 134 that is flattened from the holding portion 132 and connected to the ink cartridge pressing member 120, and is opposite to the connecting portion 134 of the holding portion 132. And a flat portion 136 that spreads like a ridge at the end. The end surface of the flat portion 136 (the surface on the side opposite to that connected to the holding portion 132) is a smooth flat surface so that it can be easily pushed by a palm. In addition, the shape of the holding member 130 may be another shape, and is preferably a shape that can be easily grasped by a hand.

  The ink cartridge pressing member 120 has a contact member 122 corresponding to a “U” -shaped vertical bar portion connected to the connecting portion 134, and a “U” -shaped horizontal bar parallel to the axis of the holding portion 132. Two guide members 126 corresponding to the portion are extended. The surface of the contact member 122 opposite to the connection portion 134 is formed flat and constitutes the contact surface 124. Further, the guide member 126 has parallel guide surfaces 128 facing each other with the same distance D as the thickness T (see FIG. 1) of the ink cartridge so as to slidably hold the ink cartridge 10. That is, the width D of the contact surface 124 of the contact member 122 is the same as the thickness T of the ink cartridge 10. The “same” here does not have to be the same in a strict sense, but may be a width that slidably sandwiches two opposing surfaces of the ink cartridge 10. The ink cartridge pressing member 120 is typically formed integrally, but the contact member 122 and the guide member 126 may be assembled.

  The ink cartridge pressing member 120 and the holding member 130 are integrally formed of hard plastic. Since they are integrally formed, the number of parts is small and manufacturing is easy. That is, by molding with one mold, it can be efficiently manufactured with few steps. In addition, since the ink cartridge pressing member 120 and the holding member 130 are firmly molded, they are firmly fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the ink cartridge pressing member 121 and the holding member 131 may be formed separately. FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the valve opening kit 102 in which the ink cartridge pressing member 121 and the holding member 131 are separately formed, and holding the holding member 131 and the ink cartridge pressing member 121 in a separated state by solid lines. The ink cartridge pressing member 121 assembled and fixed to the member 131 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. Similar to the holding member 130, the holding member 131 includes a holding part 132, a connecting part 134, and a flat part 136. The ink cartridge pressing member 121 includes a contact member 122 and a guide member 126, similar to the ink cartridge pressing member 120, but a pair of side pressers 125 are provided on the surface opposite to the contact surface 124 of the contact member 122. Protruding. When the side presser 125 sandwiches the connecting portion 134 of the holding member 131, the ink cartridge presser member 121 and the holding member 131 are fixed stably. In the valve opening kit 102, the connecting portion 134 has a flat and thin shape, and the side presser 125 sandwiches the connecting portion 134 from both sides. However, the connecting portion has a cylindrical shape, and the side presser is fitted to the connecting portion. The shape may be sufficient, and the other shape which stabilizes fixation of the ink cartridge pressing member 121 and the holding member 131 may be sufficient. Further, the contact member 122 is formed with a bar member hole 116 through which the bar member 110 passes.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the description of the valve opening kit 100 will be continued. The rod member 110 is an elongated rod that is thinner than the inner diameter of the ink outlet 40 and has sufficient rigidity so as not to bend by an operation of opening the check valve 60 (see FIG. 2). The inner diameter of the ink outlet 40 refers to the diameter of the hole formed on the opening side of the ink outlet 40, and in the example of FIG. 2, the seal holder that is the smaller of the holes formed by the seal holders 53 and 54. It refers to the diameter of 54 holes. In the case where the ink outlet 40 is not circular, the representative dimension is indicated, and for example, in the case of a quadrilateral, the shortest side length is indicated. The rod member 110 is typically made of steel, but may be made of other metals or other materials having sufficient rigidity. The rod member 110 has one end fixed to the holding member 130 and extends parallel to the axis of the holding portion 132. The case where the axis of the bar member 110 and the axis of the holding portion 132 coincide is also included in parallel. In addition, the rod member 110 may be detachable from the holding member 130, and if it is detachable, it can be stored small. However, it is preferable that the rod member 110 is prevented from being displaced when operated by the holding member 130 by being fixed integrally. The bar member 110 is long enough to be inserted from the ink outlet 40 (see FIG. 2), reach the check valve 60, and be opened. Note that the bar member 110 may not be parallel to the axis of the holding portion 132 and may be inclined so as to be easily operated.

  Next, a procedure for opening the check valve 60 of the ink cartridge 10 using the valve opening kit 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In this document, FIG. 6 is a general term for FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view around the ink outlet 40 of the ink cartridge 10 for explaining the procedure of opening the check valve 60 of the ink cartridge 10 using the valve opening kit 100. FIG. (B) shows that the rod member 110 is inserted into the ink outlet 40, (c) shows that the rod member 110 is inserted until it reaches the check valve 60, and (d) shows that the contact surface 124 contacts the ink cartridge 10. When the rod member 110 is inserted deeply until it comes into contact, (e) shows the ink cartridge 10 with the check valve 60 opened. In FIG. 6, the guide member 126 of the valve opening kit 100 is omitted in order to clearly show the rod member 110 and the contact surface 124. As shown in FIG. 6A, the ink outlet 10 is closed by the outlet opening / closing valve 50 and the check valve 60 when the ink cartridge 10 is not attached to a printer device (not shown).

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the bar member 110 is inserted into the ink outlet 40 obliquely. By inserting the rod member 110 obliquely, the valve body 58 of the outlet on-off valve 50 is pushed to the side of the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 52. Therefore, the rod member 110 is set in a direction parallel to the axis of the ink outlet 40, and the valve body 58 is set aside. Then, as shown in FIG. 6C, the rod member 110 is inserted deeply. The bar member 110 reaches the check valve 60. If the rod member 110 hits the check valve 60, the flat portion 136 of the holding member 130 is strongly pressed with a palm.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (d), when the flat portion 136 is pushed strongly, the body lower portion 62 b of the check valve 60 is pushed strongly by the rod member 110. The body 62 is integrally fixed by the bulge 65a of the claw 65 of the body upper part 62a passing through the claw through hole 67 and the bulge 65a being caught by the body lower part 62b. However, the bulge 65a of the claw 65 has a narrow tip, so that it can penetrate the claw through hole 67 if inserted from the tip. Therefore, the bulge 65a enters the claw through hole 67 when the body lower portion 62b is strongly pressed. Once the bulge 65 a enters the claw through hole 67, the bulge 65 a does not get caught and thus escapes from the claw through hole 67. When the bulge 65a comes out of the claw through hole 67, that is, when the claw 65 comes out of the claw through hole 67, the body lower part 62b is detached from the body upper part 62a and is not integrated. When at least one claw 65 is removed from the claw through hole 67, or when a bulge 65a of one claw 65 enters the claw through hole 67, the body lower part 62b and the body upper part 62a are shown in FIG. As shown in d), it is not fixed as a single unit. Then, ink flows from between the body upper part 62a and the body lower part 62b, and the check valve 60 does not block the ink flow. The body lower part 62b is said to be detached from the body upper part 62a when it is no longer fixed integrally.

  Further, even if the flat surface portion 136 of the holding member 130 is strongly pressed with a palm, the contact surface 124 contacts the ink cartridge 10 even when the body lower portion 62b is disengaged from the body upper portion 62a. The length is limited to a predetermined depth. This predetermined depth is a predetermined length of the rod member 110 extending from the contact surface 124. Therefore, the predetermined length of the bar member 110 extending from the contact surface 124 can remove the body lower part 62b from the body upper part 62a, but the tip of the bar member 110 does not contact the ink bag 20 and be damaged. Length. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink bag 20 from being damaged when the check valve 60 is opened.

  When the body lower part 62b is detached from the body upper part 62a, the bar member 110 is removed from the ink outlet 40 as shown in FIG. Then, the valve body 58 of the outlet opening / closing valve 50 returns to the central axis of the cylindrical portion 52 and closes the through hole of the rubber seal 56. On the other hand, the check valve 60 is in a state in which the body lower part 62b is detached from the body upper part 62a, and therefore does not block the flow of ink. That is, only the on-off valve 60 is opened. Accordingly, a thin ink injection tube (not shown) is inserted into the ink outlet 40, and ink is injected from the ink injection tube while pushing down the valve body 58 in the same manner as shown in FIG. It becomes possible to replenish ink into the (ink bag 20).

  As shown in FIG. 7, since the ink cartridge pressing member 120 includes two guide members 126 and slidably holds the ink cartridge 10, the valve opening kit 100 and the ink cartridge 10 do not shift. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the ink cartridge 10 is sandwiched between the guide members 126 of the ink cartridge pressing member 120. Since the valve opening kit 100 and the ink cartridge 10 do not shift, the positional relationship between the valve opening kit 100 and the ink cartridge 10 is stable and easy to operate. Further, by preventing the rod member 110 from protruding from the guide member 126, it is possible to prevent the rod member 110, which is a thin rod, from being accidentally damaged. Furthermore, lengths T1 and T2 (see FIG. 1) from the side surface of the ink cartridge 10 to the center position of the ink outlet 40, and lengths D1 and D2 from the guide surface 128 of the guide member 126 to the shaft of the rod member 110 (see FIG. 1). 4), the rod member 110 can be reliably inserted into the ink outlet 40. The center position of the ink outlet 40 refers to the position of the center of gravity of the hole having the smaller diameter formed by the seal retainers 53 and 54 in the hole formed on the opening side of the ink outlet 40. In the example of FIG. 2, the center of gravity position of the hole of the seal retainer 54 is indicated. Further, the axis of the bar member 110 refers to an axis that connects the positions of the center of gravity of the cross section of the bar member 100. The lengths T1 and T2 from the side surface of the ink cartridge 10 to the center position of the ink outlet 40 and the lengths D1 and D2 from the guide surface 128 of the guide member 126 to the shaft of the rod member 110 are not exactly equal. However, it is only necessary that the rod member 110 can be inserted into the ink outlet 40 in a state where the ink cartridge 10 is sandwiched between the guide surfaces 128. The valve opening kit 100 may not include the guide member 126.

  In the above description, the valve lowering kit 100 has been described as removing the body lower part 62b of the check valve 60 from the body upper part 62a. However, the check valve 60 may be opened by other methods. A hole may be formed in the lower portion 62 b, the valve body 64 may be damaged, or the check valve 60 may be detached from the outlet opening valve 50.

It is a figure explaining an ink cartridge, (a) is a perspective view of the state which removed the upper cover, (b) shows bb sectional drawing (with an upper cover) of (a). FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view around the ink outlet of the ink cartridge, (a) is around the ink outlet, and (b) is an enlarged view of a portion b in (a). FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an ink outlet when an ink cartridge is mounted on a printer. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a valve opening kit in which an ink cartridge pressing member and a holding member are integrally configured. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a valve opening kit in which an ink cartridge pressing member and a holding member are configured separately. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view around the ink outlet of the ink cartridge for explaining the procedure for opening the check valve of the ink cartridge using the valve opening kit, (a) before opening, (b) showing ink for the bar member Shown at the outlet. The guide member of the valve opening kit is omitted. It is a partial sectional view around the ink outlet of the ink cartridge for explaining the procedure of opening the check valve of the ink cartridge using the valve opening kit, and (c) is a state where the rod member is inserted until reaching the check valve. (D) shows a state where the rod member is inserted deeply until the contact surface comes into contact with the ink cartridge. The guide member of the valve opening kit is omitted. FIG. 5E is a partial cross-sectional view around the ink outlet of the ink cartridge for explaining the procedure for opening the check valve of the ink cartridge using the valve opening kit, and FIG. 5E shows the ink cartridge with the check valve opened. The guide member of the valve opening kit is omitted. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an ink cartridge is sandwiched between guide members of an ink cartridge pressing member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ink cartridge 20 Ink bag 30 Cartridge case 32 Cartridge case main body 34 Top cover 40 Ink outlet 50 Outlet on-off valve 52 Cylinder part 53, 54 Seal retainer 56 Rubber seal 58 Valve body 59 Spring 60 Check valve 62 Body 62a Body upper part 62b Body lower part 63 , 69 Through hole 64 Valve body 65 Claw 65a Swelling 66 Guide 67 Claw through hole 68 Valve seat 72 Needle 100, 102 formed in the ink inlet of the printer Valve opening kit 110 Bar member 116 Bar member hole 120, 121 Ink cartridge Presser member 122 Contact member 124 Contact surface (surface on which the ink cartridge contacts)
125 Side presser 126 Guide member 128 Guide surface 130, 131 Holding member 132 Holding part (cylindrical part)
134 connecting part 136 plane part (plane wider than cross section of cylindrical part)
150 Body D Guide surface spacing (width of contact member)
D1, D2 Length T from the guide surface to the shaft of the bar member Thickness (interval) between two opposing surfaces of the ink cartridge
T1, T2 Length from two opposite surfaces to the center of the ink outlet

Claims (8)

A valve opening kit that allows ink to be replenished from an ink outlet having a check valve for an ink cartridge comprising:
A holding member for holding by hand;
A contact member fixed to the holding member and having a surface with which the ink cartridge contacts;
One end fixed to the holding member, and a rod member extending beyond the abutting member by a predetermined length from a surface of the abutting member that abuts the ink cartridge, and having a narrower inner diameter than the ink outlet;
Valve opening kit. The holding member has a cylindrical portion, and the axis of the rod member and the axis of the cylindrical portion are parallel;
The valve opening kit according to claim 1. The holding member has a plane wider than a cross-section of the cylindrical portion at an end opposite to the fixed end of the bar member;
The valve opening kit according to claim 2. A guide member fixed to the holding member and slidably sandwiching two opposing surfaces of the ink cartridge;
The valve opening kit according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The contact member has the same width as the distance between the two opposing surfaces of the ink cartridge;
The guide member is fixed to a portion having the same width as the distance between the two opposing surfaces of the contact member;
The contact member and the guide member are integrally formed;
The valve opening kit according to claim 4. The integrally formed contact member, guide member, and holding member are integrally formed;
The valve opening kit according to claim 5. The integrally formed contact member, guide member, and holding member are detachably fixed;
The valve opening kit according to claim 5. The length from the shaft of the bar member to the guide member is the same as the length from the two opposing surfaces to the center position of the ink outlet;
The valve opening kit according to any one of claims 4 to 7.

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