JP3132636U - Pressure reducing device and ink replenishment kit - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a decompression device for maintaining a decompressed state for a long time with a simple structure.
A cylinder 20 is a cylindrical container with one end 24 sealed and the other end 26 open, a piston 30 movable in the axial direction of the cylinder within the cylinder, and a cylinder closer to the sealing end than the piston. And a suction hole 82 for sucking air into the cylinder by moving in the direction in which the piston moves away, and one end connected to the piston and the other end 48 extending beyond the open end of the cylinder, The piston rod 40 is moved in the direction, and the piston rod attached to the piston rod is urged in the direction to push the inner wall of the cylinder. When the piston rod moves, the piston rod projects outward from the inner wall of the cylinder when it exceeds the open end of the cylinder. An anti-return stopper 50 that prevents movement in the direction close to the end, and an urging of the anti-return stopper in the direction of pushing the inner wall of the cylinder Decompressor and a biasing member 56 that.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a decompression device that reduces the pressure by sucking air and an ink replenishment kit including the decompression device, and more particularly to a decompression device suitable for maintaining a decompressed state.

  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 in 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 are also ink cartridges with check valves that use a valve body having a specific gravity greater than that of ink, and it has been generally considered difficult to inject ink into them. However, it has been found that by supplying ink at a predetermined pressure, the ink can flow through the check valve little by little and can be injected into the ink cartridge. In some ink cartridges, an ink bag, which is a flexible bag, is provided in the casing, the ink is accommodated in the ink bag, and the casing is configured to be airtight. Therefore, when the pressure inside the casing of the ink cartridge is reduced, a differential pressure is generated between the inside and the outside of the ink bag, and the ink bag is inflated, so that the ink is filled with ink. However, since it takes time to fill the ink, it is necessary to maintain the inside of the casing under reduced pressure for a long time.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink replenishment kit for refilling ink into an ink cartridge having a decompression device and a check valve for maintaining a decompressed state for a long time with a simple structure. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a decompression device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a cylinder 20 that is a cylindrical container having one end 24 sealed and the other end 26 open as shown in FIG. A piston 30 movable in the axial direction of the cylinder 20 in the cylinder 20; formed in the cylinder 20 closer to the sealing end 24 than the piston 30, and moving the piston 30 in a direction away from the air, A suction hole 82 for sucking; a piston rod 40 having one end connected to the piston 30 and the other end 48 extending beyond the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 to move the piston 30 in the axial direction of the cylinder 20; When the piston rod 40 moves and exceeds the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 when the piston rod 40 moves, the cylinder 20 A return prevention stopper 50 that protrudes outward from the inner wall of 0 and prevents the piston 30 from moving in the direction close to the sealing end 24; and a bias that biases the return prevention stopper 50 in the direction of pushing the inner wall of the cylinder 20. And a member 56.

  With this configuration, when the piston rod is pulled to move the piston away from the suction hole, air is sucked from the suction hole and pulled until the return prevention stopper exceeds the open end of the cylinder, the return prevention stopper is attached. The piston is biased by the biasing member and protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder, so that the piston does not move in the direction close to the sealing end. Therefore, the sucking state can be maintained for a long time.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the second aspect of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decompression device 10 according to the first aspect, the return prevention stopper 50 has an elongated shape, and is attached to the piston rod 40. It has a pressure contact part 52 that protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20 by turning, and the pressure contact part 52 comes into pressure contact with the end surface 27 of the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 to seal the piston 30. You may comprise so that it may prevent moving to the direction close | similar to the toe 24.
If comprised in this way, an elongate return prevention stopper will rotate around the point supported by a piston rod, and a press-contact part will press-contact with the end surface of the open end of a cylinder, and a piston will adjoin to a sealing end. Since the movement in the direction is prevented, the return prevention stopper is easily operated.

Further, in the decompression device according to the invention described in claim 3, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the decompression device 12 described in claim 2, the return prevention stopper 90 has a plurality of press contact portions 92, 95, 98. May be.
If comprised in this way, adjustment of the grade of attraction | suction when maintaining the state which is attracting | sucking is attained.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the invention described in claim 4, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decompression device 10 described in claim 2 or claim 3, the return prevention stopper 50 and the press contact portion 52 are the cylinder 20. It may be configured to have a stopper fixing surface 55 that abuts against the inner wall of the cylinder 20 when protruding outward from the inner wall.
If comprised in this way, since a stopper fixed surface contact | abuts to the inner wall of a cylinder, it will prevent that a press-contact part protrudes outside more than predetermined amount.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the invention described in claim 5, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decompression device 10 described in claim 4, the stopper fixing surface 55 is configured to have a length of 10 mm or more. May be.
If comprised in this way, even if it moves to the direction which separates the piston rod from the sealing end of a cylinder beyond the position where a return prevention stopper protrudes from the inner wall of a cylinder, it can prevent that a return prevention stopper remove | deviates from a cylinder. .

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the invention described in claim 6, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, in the decompression device 10 according to claim 4 or 5, a recess 76 is formed on the inner wall of the cylinder 20, and the stopper A convex portion 72 is formed on the fixed surface 55, and the projection portion 72 is engaged with the concave portion 76, so that the piston 30 is prevented from moving in the direction of the open end 26 of the cylinder 20. May be.
If comprised in this way, since the recessed part of a cylinder and the protrusion of an anti-return stopper will engage, it will be equipped with the escape prevention mechanism which prevents that a piston moves to the open end direction of a cylinder, Therefore A piston comes out of a cylinder Is prevented.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, in the decompression device 10 according to the sixth aspect, the concave portion 76 is provided on the sealing end 24 side of the cylinder 20. You may comprise so that it may have the obtuse angle slide surface 77 with respect to an inner wall.
With this configuration, since the recess has a sliding surface with an obtuse angle with respect to the inner wall of the cylinder on the sealed end side of the cylinder, the return prevention stopper is not provided on the sealed end side of the cylinder even if the convex portion engages with the recessed portion. Can move. That is, the movement of the piston toward the sealing end side is not prevented. Note that the “sliding surface having an obtuse angle with respect to the inner wall” refers to a sliding surface having an obtuse angle with the inner wall in a cross section passing through the axis of the cylinder.

Further, in the decompression device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, in the decompression device according to the sixth or seventh aspect, the convex portion 72 is provided on the sealing end 24 side of the cylinder 20. The stopper fixing surface 55 may have an obtuse angle slide surface 73.
With this configuration, since the convex portion has a sliding surface with an obtuse angle with respect to the stopper fixing surface on the sealing end side of the cylinder, the return prevention stopper is located on the sealing end side of the cylinder even if the convex portion engages with the concave portion. Can move. That is, the movement of the piston toward the sealing end side is not prevented. The “sliding surface having an obtuse angle with respect to the stopper fixing surface” refers to a surface having an obtuse angle with the stopper fixing surface in a cross section passing through the axis of the cylinder.

Further, in the decompression device according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decompression device 10 according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, the return prevention stopper 50 is provided with a piston. The piston 40 may be supported in the vicinity of the other end 48 of the rod 40.
With this configuration, the return prevention stopper is supported by the piston rod in the vicinity of the other end of the piston rod, so that the return prevention stopper is formed long, and as a result, the return prevention stopper is brought into pressure contact with the end face of the cylinder. The force component in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod is reduced.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the decompression device 10 according to any one of the second to ninth aspects, the return prevention stopper 50 is a piston rod. The axial length (L) of the piston rod 40 between the fulcrum 58 supported by 40 and the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 pressed against the pressure contact portion 53, and the piston rod 40 between the fulcrum 58 and the inner wall of the cylinder 20 The ratio (L / D) to the length (D) in the direction perpendicular to the axis may be 3 or more.
If comprised in this way, ratio (L) of the axial direction of the piston rod of the fulcrum and the open end of a cylinder in the axial direction (L), and the length (D) of the fulcrum and the inner wall of the cylinder in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod (D) Since (L / D) is 3 or more, the component force in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod of the force generated when the return preventing stopper comes into pressure contact with the end face of the cylinder becomes small.

Moreover, in the decompression device according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, in the decompression device 10 according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, the biasing member is a return prevention stopper. The leaf spring 56 may be configured to be integrally formed with the spring 50.
If comprised in this way, since the urging | biasing member is the leaf | plate spring shape | molded integrally with the return prevention stopper, there are few parts and it becomes a decompression device of simple structure.

In order to achieve the object, an ink replenishment kit according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the decompression device 10 according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects; An adapter 144 that connects the hole 82 and the air hole 238 of the ink cartridge 210; an ink that fills the ink cartridge 210; an ink bottle 142 that contains the ink; a supply needle 272 that connects the ink bottle 142 and the ink cartridge 210. With.
With such a configuration, the ink replenishment kit includes a decompression device that can maintain the suctioned state for a long time. Therefore, air is sucked from the air holes of the ink cartridge to maintain the inside of the ink cartridge in a decompressed state. An ink replenishment kit for filling the ink cartridge with ink by causing the ink to flow little by little through the check valve.

  According to the decompression device of the present invention, a cylinder which is a cylindrical container whose one end is sealed and the other end is opened, a piston movable in the axial direction of the cylinder in the cylinder, and closer to the sealing end than the piston A suction hole that is formed in the cylinder and sucks air into the cylinder by moving the piston away from the cylinder, and one end is connected to the piston and the other end extends beyond the open end of the cylinder. The piston rod is moved in the direction of the cylinder, and the piston rod attached to the piston rod is biased in the direction of pushing the inner wall of the cylinder. A return-preventing stopper that prevents movement in a direction close to the cylinder, and an urging member that urges the return-preventing stopper in a direction to push the inner wall of the cylinder Since the piston rod is pulled to move the piston away from the suction hole, air is sucked from the suction hole and pulled until the return prevention stopper exceeds the open end of the cylinder, the return prevention stopper becomes the biasing member. The piston is biased to protrude outward from the inner wall of the cylinder, and the piston does not move in the direction close to the sealing end. Therefore, it is possible to provide a decompression device that maintains a decompressed state for a long time with a simple structure.

  Further, according to the ink refill kit of the present invention, the decompression device, an adapter that communicates the suction hole and the air hole of the ink cartridge, the ink that fills the ink cartridge, the ink bottle that stores the ink, Since the ink replenishment kit includes a supply needle that communicates the ink bottle and the ink cartridge, the ink replenishment kit includes a decompression device that can maintain the suction state for a long time. Is maintained in a reduced pressure state, and the ink is supplied little by little through the check valve by the differential pressure, thereby providing an ink replenishment kit that fills the ink cartridge with ink. Accordingly, it is possible to provide an ink replenishment kit for maintaining a reduced pressure state for a long time with a simple structure and refilling ink into an ink cartridge having a check valve.

  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.

  With reference to FIG. 1, the decompression device 10 as embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the decompression device 10, in which FIG. 1A is a side cross-sectional view when the piston 30 is pushed in, FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view when the piston 30 is pulled, and FIG. Sectional drawing in the cc cross section of a) or (b) is shown. The decompression device 10 includes a cylinder 20 that is a cylindrical container having one end sealed with a sealing end 24 and the other end opened as an open end 26, and a piston movable in the axial direction of the cylinder 20 within the cylinder 20. 30, one end connected to the piston 30, a piston rod 40 for moving the piston 30 in the axial direction of the cylinder 20, and a return prevention stopper 50 attached to the piston rod 40 so as to be rotatable. Here, “pushing the piston 30” means moving the piston 30 in a direction close to the sealing end 24 of the cylinder 20, and “pulling the piston 30” means sealing the piston 30 of the cylinder 20. It means moving in a direction away from the end 24, that is, moving in a direction close to the open end 26.

  The cylinder 20 includes a cylindrical body portion 22, a disc-shaped sealing end 24 that seals one end face of the body portion 22, and a direction perpendicular to the axis of the body portion 22 formed at the open end 26 of the body portion 22. And an overhanging flange 28. The inner surface (inner wall) of the trunk portion 22 is smoothed. A suction hole 82 passes through the sealing end 24 and communicates the inside of the cylinder 20 with the outside. A nozzle 80 that communicates with the suction hole 82 is formed on the outer surface of the cylinder 20 at the sealing end 24. The nozzle 80 has a smaller diameter than the cylinder 20 and is used to connect to a container (not shown) to be decompressed. The collar 28 is a diamond-shaped plate with rounded corners, and is used to suppress the axial movement of the cylinder 20 with a finger when operating the decompression device 10 by hand. An end surface 27, which is a surface opposite to the body portion 22 of the flange 28, is a surface perpendicular to the central axis of the cylinder 20. The cylinder 20 is generally formed of glass or transparent plastic. Molding with glass or transparent plastic is preferable because the position of the piston 30 in the cylinder 20 can be visually observed.

  The piston 30 is a cylindrical member that moves in the axial direction of the cylinder 20 while being in airtight contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 20. The piston 30 may have an O-ring (not shown) around the cylindrical shape in order to make airtight contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 20. Alternatively, an annular protrusion may be formed around the cylindrical shape, and the airtightness with the inner wall of the cylinder 20 may be enhanced by the protrusion.

  The piston rod 40 has a shaft portion 42 whose one end is connected to the piston 30, and a handle 44 at an end portion 48 different from that connected to the piston 30 of the shaft portion 42. The shaft portion 42 is a rod having a cross-shaped cross section, the shaft of the shaft portion 42 coincides with the axis of the cylinder 20, and the axis of the shaft portion 42 is also referred to as the axis of the piston rod 40. The shaft portion 42 has such a length that the handle 44 is positioned outside the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 even when the piston 30 is pushed most. The handle 44 is formed in a plate shape that extends in a direction orthogonal to the shaft portion 42 and is used to manually operate the piston 30 when the piston 30 is pushed or pulled.

  The return prevention stopper 50 is a member having an elongated shape as a whole and rotatably attached to the shaft portion 42 of the piston rod 40. Here, the elongated shape refers to a shape whose total length is twice or more with respect to the longest dimension (for example, long diameter, diagonal length, etc.) in the cross section. A through hole 46 is formed in one surface 42 a of the four surfaces constituting the cross shape of the shaft portion 42 of the piston rod 40, and the screw 60 passes through the through hole 46, whereby the return prevention stopper 50 is attached to the piston rod 40. Attached to be rotatable.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 2, the detailed structure of the return prevention stopper 50 is demonstrated. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the detailed structure of the return prevention stopper 50, wherein FIG. 2A is a perspective view, FIG. 2B is a top view of FIG. The partial side view of arrow c is shown. The return prevention stopper 50 has a stopper body 51 having a substantially quadrangular prism shape. As shown in FIG. 2B, a screw 60 is connected to one side 51a of the four side surfaces 51a to 51d of the stopper main body 51 near the one end 50a. The screw 60 has a shaft 64 protruding from the side surface 51 a of the stopper main body 51 and a head 62 that is a bulge formed at the tip of the shaft 64. A flat seat 66 protruding slightly is formed on the side surface 51a of the stopper body 51 to which the screw 60 is connected. By configuring the screw 60 in this manner, the return prevention stopper 50 is prevented from being rubbed with the piston rod 40 when the shaft 64 of the screw 60 is passed through the through hole 46 of the shaft portion 42 of the piston rod 40. The return prevention stopper 50 rotates with little resistance. A washer may be used in place of the flat seat 66. The screw 60 is manufactured separately from the return prevention stopper 50, and is generally integrated with the return prevention stopper 50 after passing through the through hole 46 when the return prevention stopper 50 is attached to the piston rod 40. It is.

  On the side of the end 50b opposite to the end 50a to which the screw 60 of the stopper body 51 is connected, a pressure contact is a portion that swells in a direction perpendicular to the side 51b on the side 51b adjacent to the side 51a to which the screw 60 is connected. Part 52 is formed. The pressure contact portion 52 swells smoothly from the end portion 50a side, and has a flat surface 53 substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the stopper main body 51 on the end portion 50b side. Here, the “axial direction of the stopper main body 51” refers to the central axis direction of the quadrangular prism when the stopper main body 51 is approximated by a quadrangular prism when the press contact portion 52 is not formed. On the side surface 51c side facing the side surface 51a, the bulge of the press contact portion 52 is cut off. This is to prevent contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 20 when inserted into the cylinder 20 as shown in FIG.

  The stopper fixing portion 54, which is a portion where the stopper main body 51 is extended beyond the pressure contact portion 52, has a side surface 51d opposite to the side surface 51b on which the pressure contact portion 52 is formed (recessed). A leaf spring 56 as an urging member is formed near the end 50b of the retracted side surface 51d. The leaf spring 56 is a flat plate that protrudes obliquely toward the end portion 50 a with respect to the axial direction of the stopper main body 51, and its tip is bent round toward the stopper main body 51. The stopper fixing portion 54 has a flat stopper fixing surface 55 on the side surface 51b side where the press contact portion 52 is formed. The pressure contact surface 53 and the stopper fixing surface 55 are formed substantially at right angles. The stopper fixing portion 54 is prevented from coming into contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 52 in the same manner as the side surface 51c side on the fixing surface 55 side is shaved and the pressure contact portion 52 is shaved. The return prevention stopper 50 includes a leaf spring 56, and the leaf spring 56 is subjected to repeated bending deformation, and thus is formed of a material having resistance to bending deformation. Examples of materials having resistance to bending deformation include super engineering plastics such as polyphenylene sulfide PPS, polysulfone PSF, polyethersulfone PES, polyetheretherketone PEEK, polyamideimide PAI, nylon, polyacetal POM, and polybutylene terephthalate PBT. There are engineering plastics such as polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE, general-purpose resins such as polyethylene terephthalate PET, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin ABS, acrylic resin PMMA, etc., but considering practicality such as availability, workability, and economic efficiency. Then, ABS and POM are preferable.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the decompression device 10 will be continued. The return prevention stopper 50 is rotatably supported by the piston rod 40, and the tip of the leaf spring 56 that is bent round is perpendicular to the one surface 42a that forms the cross shape of the shaft portion 42 on which the return prevention stopper 50 is supported. Abutting the flat surface 42b. Since the tip of the leaf spring 56 is bent in a round shape, even if the degree of inclination of the leaf spring 56 changes, the leaf spring 56 is in smooth contact with the surface 42b. When the leaf spring 56 is pressed and compressed by the surface 42b (approaching the stopper main body 51), a spring force is generated, and the return preventing stopper 50 is urged to rotate in a direction away from the surface 42b. Instead of the leaf spring 56, a known biasing member such as a string spring may be used. However, by using the leaf spring 56 and a structure integrated with the return prevention stopper 50, the number of parts is reduced and the structure is simplified.

  Next, the operation of the decompression device 10 will be described. In the decompression device 10, the piston 30 is pushed by pushing the handle 44 of the piston rod 40 toward the cylinder 20, and the piston 30 is pulled by pulling the handle 44 away from the cylinder 20. When the piston 30 is pushed in, the space between the piston 30 and the sealing end 24 becomes narrow, air is discharged from the suction hole 82 through the nozzle 80, and when the piston 30 is pulled, the suction hole 82 passes through the nozzle 80. Air is sucked from. That is, the suction hole 82 may be formed not in the sealed end 24 but in the cylinder 20, but in an airtight manner between the end of the piston 30 on the sealed end 24 side, strictly speaking, between the piston 30 and the inner wall of the cylinder 20. It forms in the sealing end 24 side from the location which becomes.

  Since the air is sucked from the suction hole 82 by pulling the piston 30, the air is sucked from the container (not shown) to which the nozzle 80 is connected and decompressed. Since the piston 30 is pulled in the direction of the sealing end 24 when the pressure is reduced, it is required to keep pulling the piston rod 40 with a corresponding force in order to maintain the reduced pressure state. Therefore, the decompression device 10 uses the return prevention stopper 50 to keep the piston rod 40 in a predetermined position.

  In the state where the piston 30 shown in FIG. 1A is pushed in, the pressure preventing portion 52 of the return prevention stopper 50 is pressed against the inner wall of the cylinder 20 and pushed in the direction of the surface 42b. That is, the leaf spring 56 approaches the stopper main body 51 and the spring force increases, and the return prevention stopper 50 is urged in the direction of pushing the inner wall of the cylinder 20. When the piston rod 40 is pulled and the contact portion 52 exceeds the open end 26 of the cylinder 20, the return prevention stopper 50 urged by the leaf spring 56 as shown in FIG. 1B uses the screw 60 as a fulcrum 58. It rotates in a direction away from the surface 42b. Therefore, the pressure contact portion 52 of the return prevention stopper 50 projects outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20. The fact that the predetermined portion protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20 in this manner is also referred to as “the return prevention stopper 50 protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20”. Here, since the stopper fixing surface 55 of the stopper fixing portion 54 abuts against the inner wall of the cylinder 20, the rotation angle of the return prevention stopper 50 is limited, and the protrusion 52 protrudes outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20. Stay here.

  When the pulling of the piston rod 40 is stopped in this state, the piston 30 is pulled in the direction of the sealing end 24, so that the piston rod 40 is also pulled into the cylinder 20. However, the pressure contact portion 52 of the return prevention stopper 50 protrudes outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20, and the pressure contact surface 53 of the pressure contact portion 52 contacts the end surface 27 of the open end 26 of the cylinder 20. Since the protruding portion 52 stays outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20, the pressure contact surface 53 reliably contacts the end surface 27. When the pressure contact surface 53 comes into contact with the end surface 27, the return preventing stopper 50 becomes a stick between the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27, and the piston rod 40 is prevented from being pulled into the cylinder 20 and is brought into a predetermined position. Fastened. Here, the predetermined position is a position where the pressure contact portion 52 of the return prevention stopper 50 protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20 and the pressure contact surface 53 contacts the end surface 27. That is, the piston 30 is prevented from moving in the direction close to the sealing end 24. Therefore, the decompressed state is maintained.

  Here, the pressure contact surface 53 abuts the end surface 27 by a surface, not a point contact or a line contact, so that the return preventing stopper 50 is stabilized on the end surface 27 of the cylinder 20. Further, the angle formed between the pressure contact surface 53 of the return prevention stopper 50 and the stopper fixing surface 55 is substantially a right angle, so that when the stopper fixing surface 55 comes into contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 20, the pressure contact surface 53 contacts the end surface 27. It can abut on the surface. Here, a substantially right angle means an angle of about 85 to 95 °.

  The return prevention stopper 50 or the stopper main body 51 serves as a connecting rod between the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27 and prevents the piston rod 40, that is, the piston 30 from being pushed in, but a line connecting the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27. The minute is inclined with respect to the axis of the cylinder 20 or the piston rod 40. Therefore, the axial compression force in the stopper main body 51 is decomposed into the axial tensile force and the bending force perpendicular to the axial direction in the piston rod 40. When the bending force in the direction perpendicular to the axis acts on the piston rod 40, the piston rod 40 tends to incline with the piston 30 as a fulcrum, resulting in poor airtightness between the piston 30 and the inner wall of the cylinder 20. The bending force in the direction perpendicular to the axis is determined by the angle between the line segment connecting the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27 and the axis of the piston rod 40. That is, if the line connecting the fulcrum 58 on the central axis of the shaft 64 of the screw 60 and the end face 27 is close to parallel to the axial direction of the piston rod 40, the bending force in the direction perpendicular to the axis is reduced. Therefore, the fulcrum 58 is provided in the vicinity of the handle 44 of the piston rod 40, that is, in the vicinity of the end portion 48. Here, “near” differs depending on the decompression device 10, but typically means within 30 mm, preferably within 20 mm from the end portion 48. If the fulcrum 58 is provided in the vicinity of the piston rod handle 44 or the end portion 48, the return prevention stopper 50 is formed longer, and the angle between the line segment connecting the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27 and the axis of the piston rod 40. Is small and becomes nearly parallel to the axial direction of the piston rod 40, and the bending force in the direction perpendicular to the axis is small.

  A more specific description will be given with reference to FIG. The axial length of the piston rod 40 between the fulcrum 58 where the return prevention stopper 50 is supported by the piston rod 40 and the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 which is pressed against the pressure contact portion 52 is L. That is, the fulcrum 58 exceeds the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 in a state in which the pressure contact portion 52 protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder 20 to prevent the piston 30 from moving in the direction close to the sealing end 24. The length is L. Here, the length L represents the length of the return prevention stopper 50. Let D be the length in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod 40 between the fulcrum 58 and the inner wall of the cylinder 20. That is, the length D represents the displacement of the fulcrum 58 and the pressure contact portion 52 in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod 40. Therefore, the length ratio (L / D) represents the angle at which the return prevention stopper 50 rotates. When the length ratio (L / D) is configured to be 3 or more, the angle between the line segment connecting the fulcrum 58 and the end surface 27 and the axis of the piston rod 40 is small, and is parallel to the axial direction of the piston rod 40. As a result, the bending force in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod 40 is much smaller than the compression force in the axial direction of the stopper main body 51, and usually there is substantially no problem. The length ratio (L / D) is preferably 5 or more, more preferably 10 or more.

  In addition, when the stopper fixing portion 54 is formed long, even if the piston rod 40 is pulled and the pressure contact portion 52 is excessively pulled beyond the position where it starts to protrude outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20, the stopper fixing surface 55 remains on the inner wall of the cylinder 20. It is suitable because it keeps coming into contact with. That is, it is possible to prevent the pressure contact portion 52 or the return prevention stopper 50 from protruding too far beyond a predetermined range and the pressure contact surface 53 from coming into contact with the end surface 27. The length of the stopper fixing portion 54 that is formed long is typically 10 mm or more, and the upper limit is a length that does not allow the end portion 50 b of the stopper fixing portion 50 to contact the piston 30. If it is shorter than 10 mm, the stopper fixing portion 54 easily exceeds the open end 26 of the cylinder 20, and the press contact portion 52 protrudes outside beyond a predetermined range, and the press contact surface 53 may not contact the end surface 27. High nature.

  In order to release the return prevention stopper 50 and push the piston 30 from the state where the piston rod 40, that is, the piston 30 is prevented from being pushed by the return prevention stopper 50, the pressure contact portion 52 is moved inwardly of the cylinder 20. Just press it. When the pressure contact portion 52 is pushed by hand, the leaf spring 56 of the return prevention stopper 50 is compressed (approaching the stopper main body 51), and the pressure contact portion 52 enters the inside of the inner wall of the cylinder 20. In the decompression device 10, since the piston 30 is only held at a predetermined position by the return prevention stopper 50, the structure is simple, and the position of the piston 30 can be fixed and released easily.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a pull-out prevention mechanism 70 for preventing the pressure contact portion 52 from being pulled excessively beyond the position where the pressure contact portion 52 starts to protrude outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20 will be described. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a contact portion between the cylinder 20 and the return prevention stopper 50 for explaining the slip-out prevention mechanism 70. A recess 76 that is a partial groove in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner wall of the cylinder 20. A slide surface 77 which is the surface of the recess 76 on the sealing end 24 (see FIG. 1) side of the cylinder 20, that is, the lower surface of FIG. 3, is formed at an obtuse angle with respect to the inner wall of the cylinder 20. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the angle formed by the slide surface 77 and the inner wall of the cylinder 20 in the cross section passing through the axis of the cylinder 20 is an obtuse angle. The engagement surface 78 which is the open end 26 side of the cylinder 20 of the recess 76, that is, the upper surface in FIG. 3, is formed at right angles to the inner wall of the cylinder 20. Further, a part of the convex portion 72 in the circumferential direction is formed on the stopper fixing surface 55 of the return prevention stopper 50. The slide surface 73 which is the sealing end 24 (see FIG. 1) side of the cylinder 20 of the convex portion 72, that is, the lower surface of FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, in the cross section passing through the axis of the cylinder 20 or the axis of the piston rod 40, the angle formed by the slide surface 73 and the stopper fixing surface 55 is an obtuse angle. The engaging surface 74 which is the open end 26 side or the pressure contact portion 52 side of the convex portion 72, that is, the upper surface in FIG. 3, is formed at a right angle to the stopper fixing surface 55. When it is necessary to extract the piston 30 and the piston rod 40 from the cylinder 40 in order to clean the inside of the decompression device 10 or the like, the piston rod 40 is rotated in the cylinder 20 so that the convex portions 72 and the concave portions 76 are removed. The piston rod 40 can be extracted by removing the overlap.

  When the piston rod 40 is pulled and the piston 30 is pulled so that the pressure contact portion 52 is pulled out from the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 and the pressure contact portion 52 protrudes outside the inner wall of the cylinder 20, the stopper fixing surface 55 contacts the inner wall of the cylinder 20. Touch. Therefore, the convex portion 72 formed on the stopper fixing surface 55 is fitted into the concave portion 76 formed on the inner wall of the cylinder 20, and the concave portion 76 and the convex portion 72 are engaged. Then, the stopper fixing surface 55 is further prevented from moving toward the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 and the piston rod 40 cannot be pulled. Therefore, the piston 30 is prevented from coming out of the cylinder 20. Further, it is possible to prevent the stopper contact portion 54 from exceeding the open end 26 of the cylinder 20 and the press contact portion 52 from protruding beyond the predetermined range so that the press contact surface 53 does not contact the end surface 27. . The angle of the engagement surface 78 of the recess 76 with respect to the inner wall of the cylinder 20 and the angle of the engagement surface 74 of the projection 72 with respect to the stopper fixing surface 55 do not have to be a right angle. May be an angle that does not cause the engagement to be released due to slipping between the engagement surfaces 74 and 78, and may be in the range of, for example, 80 degrees to 135 degrees.

  When the slide surface 77 of the concave portion 76 is formed at an obtuse angle with the inner wall of the cylinder 20, or when the slide surface 73 of the convex portion 72 is formed at an obtuse angle with respect to the stopper fixing surface 55 on the end 50 b side, the convex portion 72. Is moved in the direction of the sealing end 24 of the cylinder 20, that is, in the downward direction of FIG. 3, the slide surface 77 and the slide surface 73 are slippery, so that the engagement between the convex portion 72 and the concave portion 76 is easily released. Therefore, when the piston rod 40 is pushed in, the pull-out prevention mechanism 70 is preferable because it does not have a large resistance. In addition, although an obtuse angle means here being larger than a right angle, Preferably it is 120-170 degree | times, More preferably, it is 135-170 degree | times. If the angle is less than 120 degrees, the effect that the slide surface 77 and the slide surface 73 are slid easily is not obtained. If the angle is greater than 170 degrees, the slide surfaces 73 and 77 become too long. In addition, if the slide surfaces 73 and 77 are formed in any one of the convex part 72 and the recessed part 76, the effect that it will slip easily will be acquired. As described above, by providing the escape prevention mechanism 70, the piston 30 can be reliably prevented from coming out of the cylinder 20, but the stopper fixing portion 54 can be formed as long as 10 mm or longer without the escape prevention mechanism 70. Thus, the effect of preventing the slipping out can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the return prevention stopper 90 may have a plurality of press contact portions 92, 95, 98. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the decompression device 12 including the return prevention stopper 90 having a plurality of press contact portions 92, 95, 98 in a state where the piston 30 is pulled. The return prevention stopper 90 is formed with press contact portions 92, 95, and 98 in a step shape. A pressure contact portion 92 is formed closer to the fulcrum 58, and the pressure contact portion 92 has a pressure contact surface 93. That is, a pressure contact surface 93 that is a plane substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the stopper main body 91 is formed on the end 90 b side of the pressure contact portion 92 on the end surface 24 side of the cylinder 20. The stopper fixing surface 94 formed substantially perpendicular to the pressure contact surface 93 is the surface outside the pressure contact portion 95, that is, the inner wall side of the cylinder 20. A pressure contact surface 96 that is a plane substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the stopper main body 91 is formed on the end portion 90 b side of the pressure contact portion 95 on the end surface 24 side of the cylinder 20. The stopper fixing surface 97 formed substantially perpendicular to the pressure contact surface 96 is the surface outside the pressure contact portion 98, that is, the inner wall side of the cylinder 20. A pressure contact surface 99, which is a plane substantially perpendicular to the axial direction of the stopper main body 91, is formed on the end portion 90 b side of the pressure contact portion 98 on the end surface 24 side of the cylinder 20. A stopper fixing surface 100 is formed substantially perpendicular to the pressure contact surface 99.

  When the plurality of press contact portions 92, 95, and 98 are provided like the return prevention stopper 90, the pulling state of the piston 30 when the piston 30 is pulled, that is, the degree of pressure reduction can be changed. As a result, the degree of decompression can be adjusted. Further, since the pressure contact portions 92, 95, 98 are formed in a stepped shape, when each pressure contact portion 92, 95, 98 is in pressure contact with the end surface 27 of the cylinder 20, the stopper fixing surface 94 adjacent from the end portion 90b, respectively. , 97 and 100 abut against the inner wall of the cylinder 20, and the respective pressure contact surfaces 93, 96 and 99 abut against the end surface 27 reliably. The number of the pressure contact portions 92, 95, and 98 may be 1 as in the decompression device 10, 3 as in the decompression device 12, or another number.

  Heretofore, the return prevention stopper 50 has been described as rotating around the fulcrum 58, but without moving, for example, moves in a vertical or oblique direction with respect to the shaft portion 42 of the piston rod 40. You may comprise with a member (not shown). However, it is preferable to configure to rotate, since the structure is easy and the rotation is performed smoothly.

  Next, as an application example of the decompression device 10 described so far, a kit for refilling ink into an ink cartridge will be described. 5A and 5B are views for explaining an ink cartridge 210 used as an embodiment. FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a state where the upper lid 234 is removed, and FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along line bb of FIG. In the ink cartridge 210, an ink bag 220 as a container for containing ink is accommodated in a cartridge case 230 that is a casing. A nozzle 240 for leading ink is connected to the ink bag 220. The nozzle 240 passes through the cartridge case 230 and opens to the outside of the cartridge case 230.

  The ink bag 220 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 220 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 220 can be prevented.

  The cartridge case 230 has a bowl-shaped cartridge case main body 232 with the upper surface removed from the housing, and an upper lid 234 that covers the opening of the cartridge case main body 232. The cartridge case 230 (main body 232) accommodates the ink bag 220, and air holes 238 are formed on the surface where the opening of the nozzle 240 is located. The cartridge case 230 forms an airtight closed space 236 when the air hole 238 is closed in a state where the upper cover 234 is covered. Since the cartridge case main body 232 and the upper lid 234 are hermetically connected, and the cartridge case main body 232 and the nozzle 240 are hermetically connected, only the air hole 238 communicates the closed space 236 with the outside. Instead of airtightly connecting the cartridge case main body 232 and the upper lid 234, the opening of the cartridge case main body 232 may be covered with an airtight sheet. Thus, by closing the closed space 236 in the cartridge case 230, the closed space 236 can be decompressed by sucking air from the air holes 238. Further, since the flexible bag-shaped ink bag 220 is accommodated in the cartridge case 230, the ink bag 220 can be easily arranged in an arbitrary direction by supporting the cartridge case 230. The cartridge case main body 232 and the upper lid 234 are typically formed of plastic.

  Next, the configuration of the nozzle 240 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view around the nozzle 240 of the ink cartridge 210 (a cross-sectional view in a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the cartridge case 230 in FIG. 5A), in which a supply needle 272 for injecting ink is inserted. Indicates. The nozzle 240 typically has a first valve portion 250 and a second valve portion 260. The first valve portion 250 is located on the opening side of the nozzle 240 (outside the cartridge case 230), and the second valve portion 260 is located on the ink bag 220 side.

  In the first valve portion 250, a valve mechanism is formed in the hollow portion of the hollow cylindrical tube portion 252. A rubber seal 256 is disposed near the opening of the cylindrical portion 252. The rubber seal 256 is positioned by being sandwiched between a seal retainer 253 projecting inside the hollow portion at or near the opening end of the cylindrical portion 252 and a seal retainer 254 projecting inside the hollow portion at a position sandwiching the rubber seal 256. The The rubber seal 256 has an outer shape for closely adhering to the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 252, and a through hole is formed in a direction coinciding with the axis of the nozzle 240. The through hole has a larger diameter on the seal retainer 253 side and a smaller diameter on the seal retainer 254 side, and projects beyond the seal retainer 254. The valve body 258 comes into contact with the rubber seal 256 protruding beyond the seal presser 254. The valve body 258 is a lump having a surface covering the through hole formed in the rubber seal 256, and is biased toward the rubber seal 256 by a spring 259 to close the through hole of the rubber seal 256. The spring 259 is a coil spring whose one end is in contact with the valve body 258 and typically the other end is in contact with the second valve section 260 side of the cylindrical section 252 and is disposed in a compressed state. Press against the rubber seal 256 with a predetermined force.

  The second valve portion 260 has the same outer shape as the cylindrical portion 252 of the first valve portion 250, and a valve mechanism is formed in the body 262 that is united by being connected. The body 262 is connected to the cylindrical part 252 of the first valve part 250. A hollow portion is formed in the center portion of the body 262 in a direction that coincides with the axis of the nozzle 240. 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 263 that connects the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 252 and the hollow portion of the body 262 is formed on the side of the first valve portion 250 that is connected to the cylindrical portion 252. The through-hole 263 is typically composed of a plurality of holes extending on the end face of the hollow portion. On the ink bag 220 side, a through-hole 269 that connects the inside of the ink bag 220 and the hollow portion of the body 262 is formed. The through-hole 269 typically has a central axis that coincides with the axis of the nozzle 240, 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 portions and the through holes 263 and 269 are formed as described above, the nozzle 240 is connected to the outside of the ink cartridge 210 and the ink bag 220 via the first valve portion 250 and the second valve portion 260. The flow path connecting with the inside of the is communicated.

  A valve body 264 is accommodated in the hollow portion of the body 262 of the second valve portion 260. The valve body 264 has a disk shape that can move the hollow portion in the axial direction of the nozzle 240. The valve body 264 closes the through hole 269 by being in close contact with the end surface of the hollow portion on the ink bag 220 side. In the case where the diameter of the valve body 264 is smaller than the diameter of the hollow portion and the valve body 264 cannot be closed by the valve body 264 due to the position where the valve body 264 is biased in the hollow portion, FIG. As shown, a guide 266 is provided in the hollow portion to limit the bias of the valve body 264. On the other hand, even though the valve body 264 is in close contact with the end face of the hollow portion on the first valve 250 side, the through hole 263 is arranged with a plurality of holes so that the entire through hole 263 is not blocked. ing. Therefore, when the valve body 264 is caused to flow by the flowing fluid, the opening and closing of the second valve portion 260 is switched depending on the fluid flowing direction. That is, when the ink 240 flows in the direction of flowing out of the ink bag 220 through the nozzle 240, the valve body 264 moves to the through hole 263 side, and the ink flows without closing the through hole 263. When the ink flows in the direction in which the ink flows, the valve body 264 moves to the through hole 269 side, closes the through hole 269, and ink basically does not flow. Thus, the 2nd valve part 260 becomes a check valve. In order to facilitate the closing of the through hole 269 by the valve body 264, it is common to project the periphery of the through hole 269 toward the hollow portion side to form a valve seat 268 that makes an annular contact with the valve body 264. . The valve body 264 is typically a polymer film, and the body 262 including the valve seat 268 is typically formed of plastic.

  In the ink cartridge 210 described above, the ink stored in the ink bag 220 flows out to the outside because the first valve portion 250 is closed when the ink cartridge 210 is not attached to the printer (not shown). Is prevented. When the ink cartridge 210 is attached to the printer, the valve body 258 of the first valve portion 250 is pushed against the urging force of the spring 259 by the needle (not shown) formed at the ink inlet of the printer against the ink bag 220 side. As a result, a gap is generated between the valve body 258 and the rubber sheet 256, and ink flows through the first valve 250.

  When the ink stored in the ink bag 220 flows out, the ink flows through the second valve portion 260, which is a check valve, as described above, and the ink flows out from the ink cartridge 210. On the other hand, when the ink tries to flow backward into the ink bag 220 from the outside, it is blocked by the second valve portion 260. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the backflow of ink and the mixing of air accompanied by external contamination.

  After such ink in the ink cartridge 210 is used up, or in order to replenish the reduced ink, it is necessary to refill the ink. In such a case, it is preferable to refill the ink through the nozzle 240 because there is no need to provide another opening. However, due to the second valve portion 260, which is a check valve, it has generally been difficult to refill ink through the nozzles 240.

  FIG. 6 shows a state in which ink is injected into the ink cartridge 210 as an embodiment of the present invention. The supply needle 272 is a device that injects ink into the ink cartridge 210 in an ink refill kit (see FIG. 7), which will be described later, and is a highly rigid hollow tube with a hole through which ink flows out at the tip. Here, high rigidity means that the valve body 258 is separated from the rubber seal 256 against the urging force of the spring 259 by pressing the valve body 258 of the first valve portion 250 with the tip of the supply needle 272. It means having such rigidity.

  By separating the valve body 258 from the rubber seal 256 with the supply needle 272, the through-hole of the rubber seal 256 of the first valve portion 250 is opened, and ink can be circulated. That is, the first valve portion 250 is in an open state. Therefore, when ink flows out from the supply needle 272, the ink flows into the first valve portion 250 (from the valve body 258 to the second valve portion 260 side). The ink that has flowed into the first valve portion 250 flows through the through hole 263 and into the hollow portion of the second valve portion 260. The ink that has flowed into the hollow portion of the second valve portion 260 pushes the valve body 264 toward the valve seat 268 and brings it into contact with the valve seat 268. Therefore, the ink cannot flow into the through hole 269 and stays there.

  The valve body 264 and the valve seat 268 of the second valve portion 260 try to block the flow of fluid by the valve body 264 being pressed against the valve seat 268 by the pressure of ink. However, since the flow is only blocked by the contact between the valve body 264 and the valve seat 268 pressed by the pressure of the ink, the valve body 264 is not completely sealed and may cause a slight amount of leakage. Therefore, by continuing to apply a certain pressure, the ink can flow slowly through the second valve portion 260 that is a check valve. That is, if ink is continuously supplied at a predetermined pressure and it takes time, the ink can be refilled into the ink cartridge 210 using the nozzle 240.

  Next, a method of refilling ink by depressurizing the inside of the ink cartridge 210 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of refilling ink by depressurizing the inside of the ink cartridge 210. An ink bottle 142 containing ink to be refilled is connected to a nozzle 240 (see FIG. 6) of the ink cartridge 210 via a supply needle 272. The ink bottle 142 may be directly connected to the supply needle 272, or the supply needle 272 may be installed in the ink bottle 142 in advance. A vacuum tube 144 is connected to the air hole 238 of the ink cartridge 210 as an adapter that communicates the suction hole 82 (see FIG. 1) of the decompression device 10 and the air hole 238. The vacuum tube 144 is connected to the nozzle 80 of the decompression device 10, and communicates the closed space 236 (see FIG. 5) in the ink cartridge 210 with the decompression device 10. Therefore, the piston 30 (see FIG. 1) of the decompression device 10 is connected. By pulling, the closed space 236 is depressurized. Note that the nozzle 80 of the decompression device 10 may be directly connected to the air hole 238 without providing the vacuum tube 144. At this time, the nozzle 80 becomes an adapter. That is, the adapter may be integral with the decompression device 10, strictly speaking, with the cylinder 20 (see FIG. 1) of the decompression device.

  When the closed space 236 (see FIG. 5) in the ink cartridge 210 is depressurized, the ink bag 220 (see FIG. 5) whose inside is normal pressure tends to inflate, and the second valve portion 260 (see FIG. 6). ) Produces differential pressure. That is, ink is supplied at a predetermined pressure. Here, the predetermined pressure is represented by the degree of vacuum in the closed space 236, and is set to −13.3 to −101 kPa in the present embodiment. When the degree of vacuum is less than −13.3 kPa, the amount of ink that flows back through the second valve portion 260, which is a check valve, leaks too much, and ink cannot be refilled substantially. On the other hand, when the pressure is higher than −101 kPa, the close contact between the valve body 264 (see FIG. 6) and the valve seat 268 (see FIG. 6) increases, and the amount of ink that leaks back through the second valve portion 260 decreases. Alternatively, there is an increased possibility of damage to the ink cartridge 210, particularly the ink bag 220 (see FIG. 5). As described above, when the pressure is reduced in the ink cartridge 210 and the ink is supplied using the pressure reducing device 10, the pressure reducing device 10 and the vacuum tube 144 suck only air. For example, the ink cartridges 210 have different colors. In the case of refilling the ink, the single decompression device 10 and the vacuum tube 144 can be shared and the ink can be refilled. Further, since the ink is not pressurized, it is possible to prevent the ink from scattering even if the ink leaks to the outside for some reason. The decompression device 10 can easily maintain the closed space 236 of the ink cartridge 210 in a decompressed state for a long time with a simple structure, so that the ink cartridge 210 can be easily decompressed and refilled with ink. become.

It is a figure explaining a decompression device, (a) is a side sectional view in the state where the piston was pushed in, (b) is a side sectional view in the state where the piston was pulled, (c) is (a) or (b) Sectional drawing in cc cross section is shown. It is a figure explaining the detailed structure of a return prevention stopper, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view of arrow b of (a), (c) is a part of arrow c of (a). A side view is shown. It is an enlarged view of the contact part of a cylinder and a return prevention stopper for demonstrating a slip-out prevention mechanism. It is side surface sectional drawing in the state which pulled the piston of the decompression device provided with the return prevention stopper which has a some press-contact part. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure explaining the ink cartridge used as embodiment, (a) is a perspective view of the state which removed the upper cover, (b) shows bb sectional drawing of (a). It is a fragmentary sectional view around the nozzle of an ink cartridge, and shows a state in which a supply needle for injecting ink is inserted. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a method for reducing the pressure inside an ink cartridge and refilling ink.

Explanation of symbols

10, 12 Pressure reducing device 20 Cylinder 22 Body portion 24 Sealed end 26 Open end 27 End surface 28 鍔 30 Piston 40 Piston rod 42 Shaft portions 42a to d Surfaces constituting a cross-shaped shaft portion 44 Handle 46 Through hole 48 Piston rod The other end 50 different from one end connected to the piston 50 Anti-return stopper 50a, b End 51 Stopper body 51a-d Side surface 52 of the stopper body Pressing part 53 Pressing surface 54 Stopper fixing part 55 Stopper fixing surface 56 Energizing member (plate) Spring)
58 fulcrum 60 screw 62 (screw) head 64 (screw) shaft 66 flat seat 70 pull-out prevention mechanism 72 convex portion 73 (obtuse angle) slide surface 74 engagement surface 76 recess portion 77 (obtuse angle) slide surface 78 engagement surface 80 Nozzle 82 Suction hole 90 Return prevention stopper 90 b End 91 Stopper main body 92, 95, 98 Pressure contact portion 93, 96, 99 Pressure contact surface 94, 97, 100 Stopper fixing surface 142 Ink bottle 144 Vacuum tube 210 Ink cartridge 220 Ink bag 230 Cartridge case (housing)
232 Cartridge case main body 234 Upper lid 236 Closed space 238 Air hole 240 Nozzle 250 First valve portion 252 Tube portion 253, 254 Seal retainer 256 Rubber seal 258 Valve body 259 Spring 260 Second valve portion (check valve)
262 Body 263, 269 Through-hole 264 Valve body 266 Guide 268 Valve seat 272 Supply needle D Length of piston rod in the vertical direction between the fulcrum where the return prevention stopper is supported by the piston rod and the inner wall of the cylinder is the return prevention stopper The axial length of the piston rod between the fulcrum supported by the piston rod and the open end of the cylinder pressed against the pressure contact portion

Claims (12)

A cylinder that is a cylindrical container with one end sealed and the other end open;
A piston movable in the axial direction of the cylinder in the cylinder;
A suction hole formed in the cylinder closer to the sealing end than the piston and sucking air into the cylinder by moving in a direction in which the piston moves away;
A piston rod having one end connected to the piston, the other end extending beyond the open end of the cylinder, and moving the piston in the axial direction of the cylinder;
Attached to the piston rod, urged in a direction to push the inner wall of the cylinder, and when the piston rod moves and exceeds the open end of the cylinder, the piston protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder and the piston is sealed. An anti-return stopper that prevents movement in a direction close to the end;
A biasing member that biases the return prevention stopper in a direction of pushing the inner wall of the cylinder;
Decompressor. The return prevention stopper;
An elongated shape and rotatably supported by the piston rod;
It has a pressure contact portion that protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder by rotating, and the pressure contact portion is in pressure contact with the end surface of the open end of the cylinder, so that the piston moves in a direction close to the sealing end. To prevent
The decompression device according to claim 1. The return prevention stopper has a plurality of pressure contact portions;
The decompression device according to claim 2. The return prevention stopper has a stopper fixing surface that comes into contact with the inner wall of the cylinder when the pressure contact portion protrudes outward from the inner wall of the cylinder;
The decompression device according to claim 2 or claim 3. The stopper fixing surface has a length of 10 mm or more;
The decompression device according to claim 4. A recess is formed in the inner wall of the cylinder,
A convex portion is formed on the stopper fixing surface,
A slip-out preventing mechanism for preventing the piston from moving toward the open end of the cylinder by engaging the convex portion with the concave portion;
The decompression device according to claim 4 or 5. The recess has a sliding surface with an obtuse angle with respect to the inner wall of the cylinder on the sealing end side of the cylinder;
The decompression device according to claim 6. The convex portion has an obtuse sliding surface on the sealing end side of the cylinder with respect to the stopper fixing surface;
The decompression device according to claim 6 or 7. The anti-return stopper is supported by the piston rod in the vicinity of the other end of the piston rod;
The decompression device according to any one of claims 2 to 8. The axial length (L) of the piston rod between the fulcrum supported by the piston rod and the open end of the cylinder pressed against the pressure contact portion, the fulcrum and the inner wall of the cylinder The ratio (L / D) to the length (D) in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the piston rod is 3 or more;
The decompression device according to any one of claims 2 to 9. The biasing member is a leaf spring formed integrally with the return preventing stopper;
The decompression device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A decompression device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and
An adapter communicating the suction hole and the air hole of the ink cartridge;
Ink filling the ink cartridge;
An ink bottle containing the ink;
A supply needle that communicates the ink bottle with the ink cartridge;
Ink refill kit.

Images