JP3190495B2 - Ink jet cartridge, ink jet head and ink jet printing apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet cartridge for storing ink to be supplied to an ink jet head, and an ink jet head and an ink jet printing apparatus provided with the ink jet cartridge.
The present invention can be applied to a recording device such as a facsimile, a communication device, an office device, a multifunction device, a printer, and the like.

In the present invention, printing includes applying ink to all ink supports which receive various kinds of ink, such as cloth, thread, paper, sheet material, etc., and all of various information processing apparatuses or a printer as an output device thereof. The present invention can be applied to these. In the present invention, printing is also called recording.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink cartridge for ink jet is integrated with an ink jet head, and when ink in the cartridge cannot be ejected,
Often discarded with the head. The amount of ink remaining in the cartridge at this stage is relatively large, even if improvements are made, due to the ink holding capacity of the sponge, which is a negative pressure generator housed almost entirely in the cartridge. Had been lost.

[0004] An ink container of this type is disclosed in
-87242. That is, it is a cartridge in which a foam material is disposed in an ink container and which is provided with a plurality of ink ejection orifices and is integrated with an ink jet head. In this ink container, a negative pressure is generated due to the capillary force of the foam and the ink is retained (the ink is prevented from leaking from the ink container) in order to store the ink in a porous medium such as a polyurethane foam as a foam material. However, since only one ink storage chamber needs a foam to be filled almost entirely, the amount of ink to be filled is limited, and the amount of ink remaining in the foam is increased, and the ink usage efficiency is increased. There was a problem that was bad. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of ink, and furthermore, the negative pressure gradually changes during the ink consumption period, and it is difficult to maintain a substantially constant negative pressure.

[0005] In contrast to this configuration, there is a gazette that discloses an ink cartridge adopting a configuration in which the cartridge holds substantially only ink. That is, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-522 discloses an inkjet head in which a slight porous member is arranged between a primary ink storage unit located above and holding a large amount of ink alone and an inkjet head located below. An integrated ink cartridge is disclosed. According to the invention, the use efficiency of ink can be improved by disposing the porous member only in the ink flow path without being built in the ink storage section. Further, by providing a secondary ink storage section as a space capable of holding ink on the side of the porous member, air in the primary ink storage section expands due to a temperature rise (pressure decrease), and the primary ink storage section is expanded. It is stated that the ink flowing out of the printer is stored in a secondary ink storage section, and that the negative pressure on the print head during printing can be maintained substantially constant.

[0006]

However, the ink cartridge according to the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned publication has a structure in which the porous member is provided with ink from a primary ink storage unit which is located above and holds only a large amount of ink when non-recording is performed. Since too much ink is impregnated, the negative pressure of the porous member itself is almost eliminated. Therefore, there is a problem that the ink leaks from the orifice of the ink jet head due to a slight impact, which is not suitable for practical use. In addition, adopting a replaceable ink cartridge type in which an ink container is mounted on an ink print head in this configuration has a drawback that the porous member is in a state of ink leakage and cannot be put to practical use.

[0007] On the other hand, there is also known an ink cartridge to which a spring structure for adding ink to a bag and keeping the negative pressure of the bag constant is added. However, this configuration was not only expensive, but also it was difficult to maintain the performance of the spring configuration and achieve mass production.

In any case, as the ink cartridge for ink jet (non-contact print type), there is no ink cartridge which is inexpensive and has a reasonable technical level in the field of ink jet printing.

The present inventors have proposed that as an ink container suitable for the technical field of ink jet printing, it is possible to satisfactorily supply ink corresponding to the amount of ink discharged from the head during printing, and to discharge ink during non-printing. The two-sidedness that there was no inconvenience such as ink leakage from the outlet was examined. As a result, as a basic configuration, a first storage chamber that houses the negative pressure generating member and has an air communication portion for obtaining communication with the atmosphere, and that communicates with the first storage chamber but is substantially sealed The configuration having the second storage chamber for directly storing the ink to be supplied to the first storage chamber in the state is an important premise for the characteristics of the ink jet.

On the other hand, the present inventors have studied contact recording technology different from the technical field of the present invention,
We decided to review the technical peculiarities of the inkjet printing field. Generally, a recording instrument pen that performs recording by contacting a recording medium supplies ink to a recording core that has both ink absorption and retention properties, so the recording core itself is exposed to the atmosphere. On the premise of this, an ink impregnated body which is supersaturated with ink is required in a region directly in contact with the recording core. In other words, the contact recording technology is fundamentally different from the technical content in the field of ink jet printing.

[0011] Investigations have revealed that Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-16385.
No. gazette was found. This publication discloses a pen for a recording instrument on the premise that a recording core (porous ink-absorbing core) that performs recording by contacting a recording medium is used. Ink overflow.

This publication discloses a first type which contacts a lower recording core.
The liquid absorbing material and the second ink absorbing the ink slightly to the upper air communication port side but containing less ink than the first liquid absorbing material.
A central chamber having a liquid absorbing material, and a recording core protruding downward;
This is an invention in which a closed type ink storage chamber for supplying ink to both sides of the central chamber is indispensable. According to this configuration, the air in the closed ink storage chamber expands due to an increase in the ambient temperature, the ink in the closed ink storage chamber reaches the first liquid absorbing material, and the ink that the first liquid absorbing material can no longer hold can be held. Is absorbed by the second liquid absorbing material, thereby preventing the ink from overflowing from the recording core and falling. Further, in this publication, when one of the two closed ink storage chambers becomes air only, a groove having a constant width is formed to allow the expansion of the air to escape to the atmosphere communication port side. It is also disclosed that the partition wall is provided from the lowermost end to the uppermost end of the side surface different from the partition wall.

The inventors of the present invention focused on applying only this tank configuration to an ink jet head for non-contact printing having few technical similarities to the contact recording technology disclosed in the above publication, and As conditions change,
A new phenomenon of ink overflow from the air communication port was confirmed. Moreover, the first liquid absorbing material, which is disposed in a region directly in contact with the recording core and is supersaturated with ink, is not required to generate a negative pressure. It was also confirmed that there was no commonality for the company. This new phenomenon was not recognized in the field of recording instrument pens, and there was no technical suggestion from this field for stabilizing negative pressure.

In addition, it has been confirmed that the groove having a constant width described in the above publication has a function of promoting the discharge of ink together with air, and thus further promotes the overflow of ink from the air communication port. Furthermore, the ink consumption from the ink storage chambers on both sides is not equivalent.If the ink in one ink storage chamber runs out first, ink jet printing cannot be performed even though a large amount of ink remains in the other ink storage chamber. I have. This was a result of wasting the ink in the ink storage chamber and fundamentally contradicting the purpose of the ink jet technology.
This was because a large amount of air entered the first liquid absorbing material, and as a result, ink could not be supplied.

The applicant of the present invention has previously invented and applied for an epoch-making ink-jet cartridge which has solved such a background problem (Japanese Patent Application Nos. 4-198474 and 4-198881). ). This includes a first storage chamber that houses the negative pressure generating member and has an air communication portion for obtaining communication with the atmosphere, and a first storage chamber that communicates with the first storage chamber but is substantially sealed but in a substantially sealed state. This is an invention in which an ink cartridge having a second storage chamber for directly storing ink to be supplied to the storage chamber is provided with a configuration capable of effectively functioning as an ink jet printer. According to this configuration, since the tank structure in which the negative pressure can be substantially kept substantially constant from the initial use to the end of use of the ink jet cartridge, the ink jet cartridge and the ink jet that can cope with high-speed printing A head, and also an ink jet printing apparatus can be provided.

[0016]

The structure of such an ink jet cartridge will be further described with reference to FIGS. This ink jet cartridge has a configuration in which an opening for ink supply is provided on a surface of a negative pressure generating member housing portion facing a partition wall forming a minute communication portion with a bottom surface of the cartridge (hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention). This is called a premise configuration).

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of an ink container according to a first premise of the present invention, which is cut away, and FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ink jet cartridge main body 1 of the first prerequisite has an opening 2 into which a joint member to be described later is inserted for connection with an ink jet head. Pressure generating member 3
And an ink container 6 adjacent to the negative pressure generating member housing 4 via a partition wall 5. There is a gap between the bottom end of the partition wall 5 and the bottom 7 of the ink jet cartridge over the entire area in the width direction, and this is a communication portion 8 as a minute communication portion. The ink containing section 6 is communicated with the negative pressure generating member containing section 4 through the communicating section 8, but is substantially closed. The opening 2 is formed at a lower portion of the side wall of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 facing the partition wall 5 (at a position displaced toward the communication portion 8).

With this configuration, the atmosphere is supplied from the opening 2, but what is important is that the ink 9 in the ink storage section 6 is supplied to the ink jet cartridge bottom 7 only through the communication section 8. Along the opening 2 side. With this ink supply, the atmosphere becomes
The ink is replaced with the ink in the ink container 6 and collected.

Here, the opening 2 of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 is provided.
A description will be given of a state in which the negative pressure generating member 3 in a region that can be compressed and deformed by the nearby supply pipe is compressed and deformed by the supply pipe. FIG. 3 shows that the joint member 11 of the ink-jet head (not shown) is inserted into the opening 2 of the ink-jet cartridge having the first premise, and is pressed against the negative pressure generating member 3, so that the ink-jet printing apparatus can operate. It is a schematic cross section when it was in a state. still,
In some cases, a filter is provided at an end of the joint member 11 to remove dust in the ink jet cartridge.

When the ink jet printing apparatus operates, ink is discharged from the orifice of the ink jet head, and an ink suction force is generated in the ink jet cartridge. The ink 9 is removed from the ink container 6 by the suction force and the end of the partition wall 5 and the bottom 7 of the inkjet cartridge.
Is moved to the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 through the communicating portion 8 between the two, and is drawn into the joint member 11 through the negative pressure generating member 3 and supplied to the ink jet head. As a result, the pressure inside the ink storage unit 6 that is closed except for the communication unit 8 is reduced, and the ink storage unit 6 and the negative pressure generating member storage unit 4 are closed.
And a pressure difference is created between When the printing is continued, the pressure difference continues to rise. However, since the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 is opened to the atmosphere by the gap 12 between the joint member 11 and the opening 2, the air is released from the negative pressure generating member 3. And enters the ink storage unit 6 from the communication unit 8. At this point, the pressure difference between the ink containing section 6 and the negative pressure generating member containing section 3 is eliminated. This operation is repeated during ink jet printing, and a substantially constant negative pressure is obtained in the ink jet cartridge. In addition, since almost all of the ink in the ink storage unit can be used except for the ink that adheres to the wall surface in the ink storage unit, the ink use efficiency is improved.

At the time of non-printing, a capillary force of the negative pressure generating member itself (or a meniscus force at the interface between the ink and the negative pressure generating member) is generated, and particularly when the ink in the ink containing section 6 starts to be consumed. Since the ink holding state in the negative pressure generating member housing 4 is substantially constant and the gas collected in the ink housing 6 is substantially in a negative pressure state, the pressure balance in the cartridge is extremely low. Stable and suppresses leakage of ink from the inkjet head.

Therefore, if the selection of the negative pressure generating member according to the ink jet head connected by the joint member and the ratio design of the negative pressure generating member housing portion and the ink housing portion are designed,
As shown in FIG. 4, a configuration in which the ratio of the negative pressure generating member housing portion 4 that houses the negative pressure generating member 3 is reduced and the ratio of the ink storing portion 6 is increased, for example, is also possible.

In the ink-jet cartridge having the first prerequisite, in order to control the negative pressure in the ink-jet head, the selection, shape,
In addition to the dimensions, the shape and size of the end of the partition wall 5, the shape and size of the communication portion 8 between the end of the partition wall 5 and the bottom 7 of the ink jet cartridge, the negative pressure generating member housing 4 and the ink housing 6 Conditions for use, such as the volume ratio of the joint member 11, the insertion amount, shape, and size of the joint member 11 into the ink jet cartridge, the shape and size of the filter provided at the end of the joint member 11, the roughness of the eye, the surface tension of the ink, and the like. It is more preferable to optimize according to.

The negative pressure generating member used in the first prerequisite configuration is a conventionally known member as long as it has a capability of holding the ink even under its own weight and slight vibration of the liquid (ink). Can be used. For example, a flocculent body in which fibers are meshed into a mesh or a porous body having a communication hole can be used. A sponge such as a polyurethane foam which can easily adjust the ink holding power and the negative pressure generation is preferable. In particular, a foam is preferable because it can be adjusted to a desired porosity during foam production. When the foam is further subjected to a heat compression treatment to further adjust the porous density, a decomposed product is generated by heating, which may change the physical properties of the ink and adversely affect the recording quality. Become. In addition, in order to manufacture an inkjet cartridge corresponding to various inkjet printing apparatuses, a foam having a corresponding porous density is required,
A foam material having a specific number of cells (the number of holes per inch) that has not been subjected to thermal compression is cut into a desired size, and compression-inserted into a negative pressure generating member accommodating portion to adjust the porosity and the capillary force. Is preferred.

In the ink jet cartridge of the first premise, the joint member 11 and the opening 2
Although a configuration is provided in which a gap 12 is provided to take in the atmosphere from the outside of the ink jet cartridge, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the structure and shape of the joint member 11 and the opening 2 for inserting the joint are not limited. There may be. In the case where the negative pressure generating member 3 is a porous member such as a sponge, the escape of the porous member from the bottom of the ink jet cartridge with respect to the insertion of the joint member 11 is suppressed as shown in FIGS. In addition, in order to maintain and secure the pressure contact surface between the filter portion and the negative pressure generating member 3, the end of the joint member 11 is preferably inclined (tapered) at an arbitrary angle with respect to the joint member insertion direction. If the insertion amount of the joint member is too large, the tapered portion at the tip may cause a crack in the negative pressure generating member. Therefore, a surface structure that is not inclined as shown in FIG. 3C may be used.

It is also conceivable to provide irregularities for introducing air into the outer wall surface of the joint member 11 in order to provide an air intake, but as the shape of the opening, a groove is formed on the inner peripheral surface as shown in FIG. Opening 2A (FIG. 5 (a)), rectangular opening 2B (FIG. 5 (b)), or triangular opening 2
It is possible to select a desired shape such as C (FIG. 5C). Preferably, the shape of the opening 2 is such that a gap is formed so as not to seal the joint member 11 and the opening 2, or at the lower portion of the opening 2 (on the bottom side of the ink jet cartridge), the outer periphery of the joint member. Adopt a shape that is close, but creates a gap above the opening.

As described above, the ink jet cartridge of the first prerequisite configuration can serve as the joint opening 2 and the portion for taking in the atmosphere, and can have a very simple configuration. The amount of insertion of the joint member 11 into the ink jet cartridge does not cause ink leakage during insertion in consideration of the shape of the joint member, the negative pressure generating member, the shape of the ink jet cartridge, etc., and runs out of ink during printing. It is preferable to determine to set the compression area of the negative pressure generating member so as not to cause the above.

The shape and size of the communicating portion 8 between the end portion of the partition wall 5 and the bottom portion 7 of the ink jet cartridge in the first prerequisite configuration described above are optional. Although the force is increased, the ink leakage from the ink supply opening 2 can be suppressed, but the ink supply to the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 requires power,
In use, the ink may run out. Also, if it is too wide, the opposite phenomenon may occur,
The height of the minute communication portion 8 up to the partition wall 5 is determined by the average hole diameter of the negative pressure generating member 3 (preferably, the average hole diameter near the minute communication portion).
Larger (0.1 mm or more in practical use) and 5 mm or less are suitable. 3mm if more stability is expected
The following is preferred. FIG. 7 shows an example of the shape of the communication section 8. FIG. 7A shows the communication portion 8 having the most stable configuration shape used in the first prerequisite configuration described above, and is provided at a constant height over the entire width of the cartridge. FIG. 7B shows a case where the communicating portion 8A is formed only in a part of the width direction of the cartridge, and the bottom end surface of the partition wall is meandering as shown in FIG. 7C viewed from below. . This configuration is effective when the volume of the whole cartridge is large, but is usually used low in a printer. FIG. 7 (d) has a plurality of tunnel-shaped communication portions 8B, the ink can easily move to the inner surface side of the cartridge, and the gas introduction for gas-ink exchange can be concentrated. FIG. 7E shows, in addition to the configuration of the communication portion 8 of FIG. 7A, the partition wall 5 on the ink storage chamber side as shown in FIG. 7F in which the bottom end surface of the partition wall 5 is viewed from below. The recess 13 is formed in the vertical direction. Therefore, the gas reaching the lower end of the partition wall is relatively effectively introduced into the ink storage chamber in the concave portion, and the gas collection efficiency can be improved.

In FIG. 6A, the lower end of the partition wall 5, that is, the upper end of the communication portion 8 is located at a position lower than the lower end of the opening 2. Adjusting the liquid level of the ink held in the negative pressure generating member 3 below the lower end of the opening 2 has an effect of suppressing ink leakage. On the other hand, FIGS. 6B and 6C show that the lower end of the partition wall 5, that is, the upper end of the communication portion 8 is higher than the lower end of the opening 2, and is held in the negative pressure generating member 3. Since the ink level is above the lower end of the opening 2 at the position of the communication section 8, the effect of suppressing ink leakage is small. Therefore, from the standpoint of suppressing ink leakage only, designing the size of the communication portion 8 such that the position of the lower end of the partition wall 5 is the same as or lower than the lower end of the opening 2 is the first premise. There is an advantage that the effect can be further stabilized. Depending on the shape and dimensions of the inkjet cartridge, the maximum range is 0.1 mm or more.
It can be put to practical use by selecting the height of the communication portion 8 from a height range of 0 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 to 5 mm.
It is about. The shape of the end of the partition wall 5 may be any shape as long as the position with respect to the above-described opening 2 is taken into consideration. For example, FIGS. 8A to 8H show examples. It is shown. That is, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), in addition to being constant over the thickness direction, as shown in FIGS. 8 (b) to 8 (d), one or both of the corners of the end portions are tapered obliquely. 8 (e), those having an arc shape as shown in FIG. 8 (e), and those having the entire end portion obliquely cut off as shown in FIGS. 8 (f) to 8 (h).

Further, various structural relationships can be considered for the boundary between the end of the partition wall 5 and the negative pressure generating member 3. This is shown in FIGS. 9A to 9F. FIG.
9A to 9D show that the negative pressure generating member 3 is not compressed by the end of the partition wall 5 and the density of the negative pressure generating member 3 is not locally increased. In addition, the circulation of air becomes relatively quick, which is preferable for high-speed printing and color printing. On the other hand, FIGS. 9E and 9F show that the negative pressure generating member 3 is compressed by the end of the partition wall 5, and the density of the negative pressure generating member 3 is locally increased. However, it is possible to suppress an obstacle such as an ink leak with respect to a slight environmental change. Therefore, these selections may be designed in consideration of the type of the inkjet printing apparatus and the environmental conditions to be used.

The volume ratio between the negative pressure generating member housing section 4 and the ink housing section 6 needs to be determined in consideration of the type of the ink jet printing apparatus and the environmental conditions used. Also, the relationship with the negative pressure generating member used is important. In order to improve the use efficiency of the ink, it is preferable to increase the volume of the ink storage section. In this case, a negative pressure generating member having a high negative pressure generating force (a high compression ratio in the case of a sponge) is used. It becomes effective. Therefore, if it is noted that the negative pressure generating force of the negative pressure generating member is increased as the volume ratio of the ink storage section is increased, the volume of the storage chamber of the negative pressure generating member and the volume of the storage chamber of only the ink are reduced. The ratio is preferably in a range of 1: 1 or more and 1: 3 or less as a practically optimum range.

On the other hand, the shape, size, and roughness of the filter provided at the end of the joint member 11 of the ink jet head can be arbitrarily set depending on the type of the ink jet printing apparatus. It is preferable to make the roughness smaller than the diameter of the orifice in order to prevent the nozzle from clogging and prevent the nozzle from clogging.

As described above, the filling amount of the ink-jet cartridge as the first prerequisite is arbitrary up to the internal volume of the ink-jet cartridge, but in order to maintain the negative pressure immediately after opening the ink-jet cartridge, Although the ink container may be filled up to the volume limit, it is preferable that the amount of ink filling the negative pressure generating member container is set to be equal to or less than the ink holding force of the negative pressure generating member. Here, the ink holding force refers to the ability to hold ink by itself when the negative pressure generating member is impregnated with ink.

In the ink-jet cartridge having the closed ink accommodating section, which is the first premise of the present invention, the external environment changes (temperature rise or pressure drop) when the ink-jet cartridge is loaded in the ink-jet printing apparatus. For (2), there is a possibility that ink remaining in the ink storage unit is pushed out of the ink jet cartridge due to air expansion of the ink storage unit (there is also ink expansion), and ink leakage may occur. For this reason, in the case of an ink-jet cartridge having a closed ink container, the air expansion volume (including a small amount of ink expansion) of the closed ink container corresponding to the worst-case environmental condition is predicted. It is preferable that the negative pressure generating member accommodating section has an ink impregnable area corresponding to the amount of ink movement from the ink accommodating section. At this time, if an air communication portion different from the ink supply opening portion is provided on the side of the negative pressure generating member housing portion adjacent to the ink impregnable region, the air in the ink housing portion expands from the ink chamber. Since the ink that has moved into the negative pressure generating member can be guided to the atmosphere communication portion side through the ink impregnable region, it is found to be very effective in preventing ink leakage from the ink supply opening. Was. That is, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, when there is no communication with the atmosphere other than the gap 12 between the ink supply opening 2 and the joint member 11, the pressure decreases (temperature increases). The above gap 1
2 may leak ink. However, FIG.
As shown in (c) and (d), when the atmosphere communication part 10 is provided in the negative pressure generating member housing part 4, the pressure drops (temperature rises).
As a result, the ink 9 moved from the ink containing section 6 to the negative pressure generating member containing section 4 through the communicating section 8 is guided in the direction of the atmosphere communicating section 10, so that ink leakage can be prevented. The installation position of the atmosphere communication portion 10 is not particularly specified as long as it is above the ink supply opening 2 on the side of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4, but the flow of ink in the negative pressure generating member at the time of environmental change is restricted. In order to separate from the opening 2, it is preferable to be located as far as possible from the opening 2. The number, shape, size, and the like of the air communication portions can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the evaporation of the ink.

FIG. 11 shows the above-mentioned FIGS. 10 (c) and (d).
The configuration of the ink jet cartridge 1 (hereinafter referred to as a second premise configuration) having the functions and effects described in (1) will be further described, and a partially broken outline showing a state where the ink jet head HD is mounted on the ink jet cartridge 1 will be described. FIG. The ink jet cartridge 1 is configured by, for example, covering a cartridge body divided into two rooms by a partition wall 5 with a flat bottom member 7 constituting a bottom of the cartridge. With such a simple structure in which the lid is covered, the microcommunication portion 8 can be formed between the container and the front end of the partition wall 5. In this example, the air communication portion 10 is located on the upper surface on the same plane as the surface on which the opening 2 is provided.

On the other hand, the ink jet head HD has a joint portion 11, and when connecting the head to the cartridge, the joint portion 11 is inserted into the ink supply opening 2 of the ink jet cartridge. The joint portion 11 has an oblique structure in which an upper portion in the drawing is forward from a lower portion. Further, the ink flow path inside the joint portion 11 has a horn structure opened upward. With such a structure, the ink from the negative pressure generating member 3 can be favorably introduced into the inkjet head.

The ink jet printing apparatus has a nozzle 2
An ink jet head HD having a heating element 23 as means for generating thermal energy as energy used to cause ink to be ejected from one ejection port 22 and causing a change in ink state by the thermal energy is provided. The printing apparatus having the above-described ink supply stabilizing effect can achieve higher recording density and higher definition, particularly in color printing.

A supplementary description will be given of a method of manufacturing the ink jet cartridge of the second premise. It has a communicating part 8 as a minute communicating part with the negative pressure generating member housing part 4 in which the negative pressure generating member 3 is incorporated, but has a substantially closed structure in the sense that ink is first released by exchanging gas and liquid. When the ink container 6 is formed using the method described above as an example, the ink is filled from the opening 24 of the bottom member 7 on the ink container 6 side. Thus, when the ink is filled in the ink containing section 6, the negative pressure generating member 3 itself is also supplied with the ink from the minute communication section 8, and the ink is supplied to a considerable area.

Here, the atmosphere communication portion 10 of the negative pressure generating member 3
Can be present as a region where no ink is applied and no ink is retained. After this, opening 2
4 is sealed with a ball 25, and the opening 2 and the atmosphere communication portion 10 are sealed with the same sealing member S (which may be different).

FIG. 12 shows a sealed state of the ink jet cartridge 1 of the second premise, and an example of an ink jet printing apparatus using the same.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an inkjet printer. The ink jet cartridge 1 includes an atmosphere communication unit 1.
A region 3A of the negative pressure generating member located near 0 is provided at the upper corner of the cartridge as a region not holding ink. A region 3B of the negative pressure generating member located below the region 3A is located to face the ink supply opening 2, and is compressible by the insertion of a joint member (not shown) of the inkjet head. It is.
Negative pressure generator member regions other than these regions 3A and 3B are:
Keeps the filled ink free of other external influences.

The cartridge 1 shown in FIG. 12 can be used by removing the seal member S described above. However, since the area 3A does not hold ink, there is no vibration or pressure change when removing the seal. No leakage of ink. This means that the second prerequisite eliminates the problems of the prior art regardless of the storage state or use state of the ink-jet cartridge, and the second prerequisite is insufficient in the prior art. Clarify that they have a technical viewpoint to solve the point. In particular, in the case where the seal member S seals the atmosphere communication portion 10, there is also an effect of preventing the seal member from peeling off. In the use state, the area 3A not holding the ink is used.
Is also a path for efficiently supplying the atmosphere into the cartridge as needed, and has the effect of suppressing a negative pressure change in the ink jet cartridge. The area 3A near the air communication portion is preferably free from ink wetting because it can further suppress the permeation speed of the ink itself. Works well. Further, by providing the compression (or compressible) area 3B of the negative pressure generating member, a substantially stable ink supply path could be secured in the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4.

Regarding the use state of the ink-jet cartridge 1 described with reference to FIG.
When the cartridge 1 is attached to the inkjet head HD held by R, except for the seal tape S,
A joint member (not shown) of the ink jet head passes through the opening 2 and the compressible area 3 of the negative pressure generating member 3
B is compressed and deformed. In the example of FIG.
Is deformed toward the minute communication portion 8. At this time, the attachment signal LP is input to the printer control means CC by the attachment / detachment detection means of the cartridge 1 (not shown because it is substituted by a known mechanical or electrical detection means). In response to this, before the start of printing, the head recovery unit HR operates to discharge a part of the ink in the cartridge 1 and the head HD, thereby improving the state of the ink in the cartridge 1. In other words, the head recovery means HR of the ink jet printer automatically or manually discharges ink from the inside of the cartridge via the head in accordance with the mounting of the cartridge 1, and also performs suction by the suction means or by driving the head. This is executed by pressurization of which discharge is an example. As a result, the ink distribution state in the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4 can be corrected to the state before printing, so that the original function of the cartridge can be used without being affected by the state in which the cartridge is left unattended.

As described above, in the ink-jet cartridge of the second premise, the ink supply in accordance with a change in environmental conditions, which has been a concern in the ink-jet cartridge of the first premise, has been described. No leakage of ink from the opening was found at all, and it was found that the ink had basically no problem.

However, with respect to the ink jet cartridge having the second premise, the ink filling amount,
Experiments and considerations were repeated under practical conditions such as changes in environmental conditions and fluctuations in the ink supply amount corresponding to the discharge amount of the inkjet head. It has been found that there are no problems such as air bubbles entering the ink and ink leakage from the air communication part.

This phenomenon can be seen from the conventional technical viewpoint only.
It shows that there are insufficient points for practical use, and analyzing this is the first time by the present inventors as providing conditions that can make the above-mentioned ink cartridge function more reliable. It was recognized.

The main object of the present invention is to consider the characteristics of the ink jet cartridge having a negative pressure generating member accommodating portion and an ink accommodating portion, which is a novel structure for the ink jet cartridge in view of the background art and technical problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge structure that can be made more stable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming ink in the ink chamber of the above-described novel ink jet cartridge, which is formed when the ink is supplied to the negative pressure generating member. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink-jet cartridge which can further stabilize the smooth and stable interface of the gas-liquid interface and, preferably, make the negative pressure therebetween substantially constant, and an ink-jet head using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to generate a negative pressure inside the ink jet cartridge during non-printing such as an initial state before use or a standby state during use, and to make the fluctuation of the negative pressure a shock or environmental change. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet cartridge capable of minimizing the negative pressure fluctuation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet cartridge which can substantially eliminate the ink remaining in the ink jet cartridge and can reduce the remaining amount of ink in the negative pressure generating member as much as possible. .

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a filling ink and an ink jet cartridge which are more inexpensive and have an increased ink leakage prevention function even under conditions of physical distribution and manufacture of the ink jet cartridge alone. It is in.

[0052]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first ink jet cartridge for accommodating a negative pressure generating member and communicating with the atmosphere, and an ink supply section for supplying ink. A first storage chamber having an opening and communicating with the first storage chamber only through a communication part provided at a position distant from the atmosphere communication part, but in a substantially sealed state, A second storage chamber for directly storing ink to be supplied to one storage chamber, wherein the communication portion is provided at an end of a partition wall separating the first and second storage chambers and at the end.
In the inkjet cartridge formed between the opposed inner surface, the opening for ink supply is
It is located on the side facing the partition wall and
On the first storage room side of the partition wall,
A gas-liquid exchange promoting structure leading to the communication portion is provided,
The above in the use state of the inkjet cartridge
The top of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure has an opening for the ink supply.
It is provided at a position higher than the upper end of the portion by 5 mm or more .

The second ink-jet cartridge according to the present invention includes a first storage chamber which houses a negative pressure generating member and has an air communication portion for obtaining communication with the atmosphere and an ink supply opening. Communicates with the first storage chamber only through a communication section provided at a position distant from the atmosphere communication section, but in a substantially sealed state, directly supplies ink to be supplied to the first storage chamber. And a second storage room for storing,
In-<br/> Kujetto cartridge formed between the communicating portion is opposed to an end and said end of the partition wall for partitioning said first and second storage chamber inner surface, for the ink supply
Opening is disposed on the inner surface facing the end of the partition wall.
And a partition is provided on the first storage chamber side of the partition wall.
The gas-liquid exchange promoting structure from the middle of the cut wall to the communication section
Is provided, of the inkjet cartridge
The top of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure in use is
Install at a position 5 mm or more higher than the ink supply opening surface.
It is characterized in that

[0054]

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[0068]

The ink jet head of the present invention has the first
Or a second ink jet cartridge, and a print head for discharging ink supplied from the ink jet cartridge.

The ink jet printing apparatus of the present invention
An inkjet printing apparatus including the inkjet head, wherein the inkjet head is detachable from a printing apparatus main body.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.

FIGS. 13 (a) to 13 (d) show an example in which the position of the atmosphere communication portion is arranged at the optimum position,
FIG. 2 illustrates the relationship with ink leakage occurring in an ink jet cartridge. As shown in FIG. 13A, when the upper limit of the ink level exceeds the optimum range H, if the pressure drops or the temperature rises, as shown in FIG. Occurs. At this time, no matter where the atmosphere communication portion 10 is disposed in the first storage chamber 4, if the ink level exceeds the optimum ink level region H, ink leakage occurs. The air communication portion 10 of the present example is arranged at a position farthest from the communication portion 8 among them, thereby increasing the margin.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13C, when the ink level falls below the optimum area H, an air layer is formed around the joint member 11 of the inserted ink jet head, so that the printing operation or the suction recovery operation is performed. As shown in FIG. 13 (d), air enters the head via the joint member 11 to alienate the flow of ink and disturb the print result.

The present inventors have determined that the above-mentioned optimum range H of the ink level
When the liquid level of the cartridge alone before the connection with the joint member was higher than the upper end of the ink supply opening and within 5 mm of the upper end before the connection with the joint member, If any, the above problems could be almost prevented. If the lower limit was 1 mm higher, no trouble occurred. In this case, the ink leakage already pointed out in the first premise configuration (as exemplified in FIG. 6) does not occur, and the second premise configuration (the air communication unit is separately provided) which is the premise configuration of the present example. ) Is working effectively. When the ink level after connection with the ink jet head was separately examined, including the ink level not meeting the condition of the optimum area of the ink jet cartridge alone, the ink level optimum area H was found to be Above the upper end of the joint member 11 of the ink jet head inserted into the ink supply opening of the ink cartridge, and
It has been concluded that the range is up to a position higher by 1 mm from the upper end of the joint member of the ink jet head, and preferably 5 mm above the upper end of the joint member.

In both the above-described case of adjusting the liquid level of the ink-jet cartridge alone and the case of adjusting the liquid level when the ink-jet cartridge is in a usable state or a usable state by being connected to the ink-jet head, the ink liquid is adjusted. Several methods can be used to adjust the position to keep it within the optimal amount range described below.

(1) The lower end of the partition wall that separates the first storage room and the second storage room is provided in the optimum area H. Thereby, the ink level can be maintained substantially horizontal.

(2) By adjusting the compression ratio of the negative pressure generating member,
The upper part and the lower part are different, specifically, the lower part is more strongly compressed. This method is particularly effective when (1) is used in combination.

(3) The rate at which the joint member of the ink jet head presses and compresses the negative pressure generating member is adjusted.
For example, when you want to increase the ink supply amount per unit time (corresponds to increasing the total ejection amount of the inkjet head)
Corresponds to a rise in the flow rate by weakening the pressure (the liquid level is kept high by another method). On the contrary, in order to surely prevent air bubbles from entering, the pressure is increased and the liquid level near the joint member is increased. To be higher.

On the other hand, in the ink jet cartridge having the above-mentioned second premise structure, the ink from the second storage chamber and the atmosphere from the first storage chamber are gas-liquid exchanged with each other at the time of supplying the ink. Is a very important requirement. In this regard, it is more preferable for the present invention to improve the second premise structure.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body obtained by improving the second premise structure, FIG. 15 is a transverse sectional view thereof, and FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a detailed structure of a partition wall.

Ink cartridge body 100
1 includes an ink container 1006 and a negative pressure generating member container 1
An air introduction groove 1031 and a negative pressure generation member adjustment chamber 1032 are formed in a part of a rib 1005 which is a partition wall of the chamber 004.

The air introduction groove 1031 is formed on the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 1004 side from the middle portion of the rib 1005 to the end of the rib 1005, that is, the gap 1008 between the rib 1005 and the ink jet cartridge bottom portion 1007. A negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber 1032 having a hollow shape is formed between the rib 1005 and the negative pressure generating member 1003 in contact with the vicinity of the air introduction groove 1031. still,
The side wall of the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 1004 has an atmosphere communicating section 1
010 and an opening 1002 are formed, and into the opening 1002, a joint member 1011 provided with a filter 1015 at an end is inserted.

Since the negative pressure generating member 1003 is in contact with the inner surface of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 1004, even if the negative pressure generating member 1003 is inserted unevenly, for example, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 15, the contact (compression) force of the negative pressure generating member 1003 is partially reduced. Therefore, when the head starts consuming ink, the ink impregnated in the negative pressure generating member 1003 is consumed and reaches the negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber 1032. If the ink continues to be consumed thereafter, the air tends to break the ink meniscus from the part where the contact force of the negative pressure generating member 1003 is reduced by the negative pressure generating member adjustment chamber 1032, and the air is quickly introduced into the air introduction groove 1031. Is introduced to make it easier to control the negative pressure.

For the ink jet cartridge of the present invention, it is particularly desirable to use an elastic porous body as the negative pressure generating member 1003.

At the time of non-printing, the capillary force of the negative pressure generating member 1003 itself (or the meniscus force at the interface between the ink and the negative pressure generating member) is exerted to suppress the leakage of ink from the ink jet head.

As an example for comparison, an example of an ink jet cartridge without a negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG.

The ink jet cartridge of the comparative example shown in the drawing operates without any problem in an ideal state based on the above operating principle. Needless to say, the operation is more stable than when there is no air introduction groove.

However, more stable control is required in order to realize more industrially stable operation or when using a resin porous body having a communication hole as a negative pressure generating member.

As shown in the enlarged sectional view of FIG. 25, the negative pressure generating member 1003 contacts the rib 1005 and
031. As a result, the pressure contact force (compression force) of the negative pressure generating member 1003 at the contact portion A is not reduced, and the air hardly breaks the ink meniscus at that portion and enters the air introduction groove 1031. As a result, the gas-liquid exchange is not performed even if the ink continues to be consumed, and the air introduction groove 1
031 cannot be exhibited, and there is a concern that the ink of the ink absorption unit 1006 is not used and cannot operate.

However, the premise of the present invention, in which the negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber 1032 is provided, is different from the comparative example, and is a configuration that exhibits excellent effects as described above.

FIG. 17 shows a rib 1 provided as a configuration of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view showing two types of sectional shapes different from FIG. 16 of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing the sectional shape of the rib.

As shown, the shapes of the air introduction groove 1031 and the negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber 1032 are different from the above-described configuration.

That is, the stepped portion of the rib 1005 which is in contact with the negative pressure generating member 1003 is chamfered so that the effect of pressure contact and compression relaxation can be more exerted.

Air is taken into the ink impregnated in the negative pressure generating member 1003 in the vicinity of the rib 1005 on the side of the negative pressure generating member storage portion 1004 on which the chamfering R is performed. The air taken in is stored in the ink container 10.
Move to 06. With the movement of the air, the ink in the ink storage unit 1006 is supplied to the negative pressure generating member storage unit 1004. A region where air is taken into the ink impregnated in the negative pressure generating member 1003 is a gas-liquid exchange region.

In order to perform the above-described gas-liquid exchange more smoothly, the negative pressure generating member 10 with respect to the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 1004 is disposed below the gas-liquid exchange region below the gas-liquid exchange region.
It is preferable to reduce the contact force of No. 03. This is because air can move more smoothly from the gas phase to the ink phase in the capillary of the negative pressure generating member 1003 whose contact force is reduced.

For example, the rib 1 shown in FIGS.
The effect can also be exerted by a configuration in which a partial negative pressure generating member adjustment chamber 1032 is formed at the center of 005 (the end of the air introduction groove).

Incidentally, in order to provide the same function as the negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber 1032 disclosed in the above configuration, it is possible to change the shape of the negative pressure generating member 1003 and to satisfy the above requirements. Any shape and size may be used as long as the shape and dimensions are set.

The ribs, the negative pressure generating member adjusting chamber,
The term "gas-liquid exchange promoting structure" includes chamfering, rounding, and other structures having the same function as these. In the ink cartridge having the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure, the ink liquid level optimum area is the gas-liquid exchange promoting area disposed on the side wall surface of the first storage chamber above the communication part between the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber. It can be obtained by adjusting the height of the top of the structure.

As a means for controlling the optimum ink liquid level area, there is a method of changing the compression direction and the compression ratio of the negative pressure generating member as described above, but the adjustment of the top position of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure is performed. Can achieve the object more reliably and with good reproducibility. Of course, by combining these methods, the ink level may be set to the optimum region.

Next, an example will be described.

FIG. 26 shows an example in which the compression ratio of the negative pressure generating member is adjusted. In this example, the compression ratio of the negative pressure generating member is gradually changed in the vertical direction.

This configuration is effective as a means for maintaining the ink level in the optimum area H as described above in the detailed description of the present invention. By using this together with the adjustment of the top height of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure, the ink level is more stably maintained in the optimum area.

On the other hand, the phenomenon of ink leakage mentioned in the description of the first and second prerequisite constitutions is observed at the time of initial filling or refilling of the ink jet cartridge. When the non-problematic ink in the second storage chamber for storing the ink reaches the first storage chamber for storing the negative pressure generating member, the negative pressure is lower than that temporarily held inside the negative pressure generating member. There is a tendency for the leakage to occur by advancing between the generating member and the inner wall of the cartridge and breaking through an opening such as an air communication portion or an ink supply port or a sealed region. For this reason, in the present invention, the ink conditions for the prerequisite constitution were examined. As a result, when the ink surface tension exceeds 55 dyn / cm (25 ° C.),
This tendency is remarkable, but if it is 55 dyn / cm or less, this problem will not be found critically, and especially, 50 dy / cm.
When it is less than n / cm, extremely stable characteristics are exhibited without being affected by the environment.

On the other hand, if the pressure is 55 dyn / cm or less, the negative pressure generating member surely exhibits stable progression, and the gas-liquid interface between the gas air and the liquid ink in the negative pressure generating member. Especially in the case of the formed structure, an effect of stabilizing the interface for a long time was recognized. In a cartridge having a gas-liquid exchange promoting structure extending from the microcommunication portion to the position facing the negative pressure generating member in the first storage chamber, the cartridge functions synergistically with the configuration to form a linear interface. Is preferable since it can be formed in a stable state.

[0105]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 27 shows an embodiment of an ink-jet cartridge provided with a gas-liquid exchange promoting structure. As shown in FIG. 27, a concave portion is formed at the lower end of the partition wall 5 on the side of the negative pressure generating member housing portion 4, and an air introduction groove 14 extending upward from the communication portion 8 is formed in the concave portion. (See FIGS. 14 to 16 for specific structures.) When the ink in the ink storage unit 6 is guided into the negative pressure generating member storage unit 4 through the communication unit 8 and the pressure in the ink storage unit 6 becomes negative, the air introduction groove 14 is 6 to facilitate the supply of air. Therefore, the portion above the top of the air introduction groove 14 is the air communication portion 1.
Filled with air supplied from zero. In other words, the ink level in the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4 can be adjusted by the position of the top of the air introduction groove 14 which is the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure.

FIG. 27 shows the optimum top height of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure of this embodiment. That is, the top of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure is at a position higher than the ink supply port by 5 mm or more. This is because the upper limit of the ink level is 5 mm above the upper end of the end (ink supply port) of the joint member 11 inserted into the opening 2 as described above.

In other words, in such an ink jet cartridge, the upper limit of the ink level is a position 5 mm higher than the upper portion of the ink supply port, and the lower limit of the ink level is set to filter the effective diameter D ₂ the upper end of the filter 15 provided, preferably the upper end of the outer diameter D ₀ of the upper end of the outer diameter D ₁ of the filter 15, more preferably the ink supply port. Therefore, the most preferable range of the optimal region of the ink level is from the upper end of the ink supply port to a position 5 mm higher than the upper end. In this embodiment, by setting the height of the top from the inner bottom surface of the ink jet cartridge to 16.5 mm, it is possible to obtain an optimum ink liquid level region.

In the case of 16.5 mm or more, the ink level rises and approaches the air communication part, and is replaced by the air layer or the second storage chamber in the negative pressure generator due to changes in the temperature and pressure of the surrounding environment, and stored. When the blown air layer expands, a phenomenon occurs in which ink leaks from the air communication portion. On the other hand, if the position is 1
If it is less than 6.5 mm, the ink level drops, so an air layer is formed around the supply pipe of the inserted inkjet head, and air is taken into the head during recording or suction recovery operation, and the output image is disturbed. Such a phenomenon occurs.

Further, the above-mentioned ink liquid level optimum area is not applied only to the ink jet cartridge of the above-described embodiment, and the ink tank section having the first and second storage chambers as shown in FIG. The present invention is also applicable to an ink-jet head having an integrated unit. Here, the configuration of the ink jet head of FIG. 28 is such that the ink supply opening 2A
The joint portion 11A of the ink ejection portion is inserted into the opening 2A. This ink jet cartridge is also provided with an air introduction groove 14A as a gas-liquid exchange promoting structure. Further, a stop rib 16 is provided on the upper part of the negative pressure generating member housing portion 4. As a result, an area not filled with the negative pressure generating member 3 is formed above the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4, and the atmosphere communication section 10B communicates with this unfilled area. Further, a protrusion 17 is provided near the communication section 8 at the bottom of the ink storage section 6. The projections 17 prevent ink or condensed droplets from entering the negative pressure generating member housing section 4 through the communication section 8 when the cartridge is turned upside down.

Also in this ink jet cartridge, the height of the top of the air introduction groove 14A, which is the gas-liquid exchange promoting region, must be at a position higher than the position of the ink supply port by 5 mm or more. The ink level optimum region of the ink jet cartridge is a range within a position 5 mm higher than the ink supply port surface which is the end of the joint 11A. More specifically, the upper limit of the ink level optimal region is the height of the top of the air introduction groove 14A, which is the gas-liquid exchange promoting region, and is preferably at a position 5 mm higher than the ink supply port surface. On the other hand, the lower limit is 1 m from the ink supply port surface.
m, preferably a position 2 mm higher than the ink supply surface. Therefore, the most preferable range of the optimum area of the ink level is 5 mm from the position 2 mm higher than the upper end of the ink supply port.
mm higher.

When the ink jet cartridge is used alone, it is preferable that the joint opening and / or the air communication portion be sealed with a sealing material or the like to prepare for evaporation of ink and air expansion in the ink jet cartridge. As a sealing material, a composite of a single layer barrier and several layers of plastic film, which are called a barrier material in the field of packaging, and a composite material of these and a reinforcing material such as paper, cloth, or aluminum foil are used. It is preferred to use. More preferably, a material similar to the material of the ink jet cartridge main body is used as an adhesive layer of the barrier material, and the hermeticity is increased by welding with heat or the like.

Further, in order to suppress the evaporation of ink from the ink-jet cartridge or the inflow of air from the outside atmosphere, after the ink-jet cartridge is inserted, the air inside the packaging material is evacuated and then sealed. The form is effective. As the packaging material, it is preferable to select a barrier material as in the above-mentioned sealing material, in consideration of gas permeability and liquid permeability.

By selecting the above-mentioned packaging form, the physical distribution of the ink jet cartridge alone becomes very reliable without ink leakage or the like.

The material for the ink jet cartridge body may be any material conventionally used for molded articles, but it is necessary to select a material which does not affect the ink jet ink or a member which is treated so as not to affect the ink. There is. It is also necessary to consider the productivity of the ink jet cartridge. For example, the ink jet cartridge main body is divided into the cartridge bottom portion 7 and its upper portion, and each is integrally molded with a resin material. After inserting a negative pressure generating member, the cartridge bottom 7 portion and its upper portion are welded. Thus, the ink jet cartridge main body can be manufactured. If a transparent or translucent resin material is selected, the ink in the ink container can be visually recognized from the outside of the cartridge, so that the time for replacing the ink jet cartridge can be visually determined. Further, in order to facilitate the welding of the sealing material or the like, it is preferable to provide a convex portion, for example, at the opening on the outer surface side of the air communication portion. Further, it is also preferable in terms of design that the outer surface of the ink jet cartridge main body is subjected to processing such as embossing.

For filling the ink, any of the pressure method and the pressure reduction method can be used. It is preferable to provide an ink filling port in any one of the tank bodies for filling the ink, since the other ink cartridge opening will not be stained. The ink filling port after ink filling is preferably plugged with a plastic or metal material.

Various modifications can be made to the structure and shape of the ink jet cartridge without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As described above, the ink jet cartridge of the present invention maintains a high reliability even in the case of a single physical distribution, and has a simple structure and a high ink use efficiency capable of detecting the remaining amount of ink. Become.

In addition, an appropriate negative pressure is maintained from the beginning of use to the end of use during printing and during non-printing to support high-speed printing. It becomes a cartridge.

Further, the ink-jet cartridge has good handleability, does not leak ink even when it is attached to or detached from the ink-jet printing apparatus, and does not malfunction when mounted on the ink-jet printing apparatus.

FIG. 29 (a) shows a case where the inner shape of the ink storage chamber of the ink jet cartridge shown in FIG. 27 is changed to a space 51 which is upwardly convex by the capacity of the ink container.
The inner surface 50 is a curved surface that rises as the distance from the minute communication portion 8 increases. The structure of the inner surface 50 supplies minute residual droplets due to the surface tension of the ink to the negative pressure generating member 3 side, and the upwardly protruding portion 52 serves as a holding portion for the operator, thereby preventing deformation of the tank during operation. I do. FIG. 29 (b) shows a partition wall 5A in which equivalent capacity tanks are arranged diagonally so that the ink storage chamber is large and the negative pressure generating unit 3 storage chamber side is small.

FIG. 29 (c) is a view showing the above manufacturing method.
This is an example in which a bottom member 7 forming a communication portion 8 with respect to a partition wall 5 is inserted and fixed between side plates 53 and 54 of the cartridge body. SE indicates an end of the partition wall 5. In the case of FIG. 29 (c), if the adhesion and fixing vary, the distance SP of the communication portion 8 is not fixed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 29D, it is also preferable to position the spacers 55 in contact with the end SE of the partition wall 5 on both sides.
The spacer 55 is preferably provided on the bottom member 7. Further, by providing the bottom member 7 with the convex portion 56 located within the distance SP of the communication portion 8, the recoverability of air into the ink storage portion may be improved.

FIGS. 30 (a) and 30 (b) show the possible tilt ranges of the print or ink supply state of the embodiment of the present invention, respectively, and X in the figure shows a horizontal plane. A more preferable state for the present invention is that the minute communication portion 8
Is located on the lower side, ideally, it is good to be parallel to the horizontal plane X on the lower surface of the cartridge. However, in practice, as in this example, in the case of a two-chamber configuration,
The angles θ shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B have no inconvenience in use up to the range of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 15 degrees. When it is mounted on the scanning type carriage and moved, the range of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 5 degrees is preferable.

The negative pressure generating member of the above-described embodiment of the present invention may be composed of a plurality of members. However, when an interface between them (an interface between members) is generated, the movement of the atmosphere occurs there, so that problems are likely to occur. In some cases, the negative pressure generating member is more preferably a single porous body.

Further, the ink storage section may be substantially included as a chamber for storing ink as long as the ink storage section relatively contains a larger amount of ink than the negative pressure generation member storage chamber.

Here, the partition plate 61 in the ink storage chamber disclosed in the previous embodiment will be described.
The outer wall surface of the cartridge is deformed by the load when the user grips it with the hand or the environmental conditions during logistics, causing ink to leak from the orifice of the ink jet head or reducing the pressure inside the cartridge provided in a part of the cartridge to the atmosphere. A description will be given of an embodiment which can solve the problem that the ink leaks from the air communication portion which is the same as that described above.

The following examples have been made in order to solve the technical problems in the above-described various types of ink tanks, and are not likely to cause ink leakage due to external force during handling or transportation, and environmental changes such as temperature and pressure. In addition, it is an ink jet cartridge for ink jet printing with high ink use efficiency.

FIG. 31 (a) is a perspective sectional view of one embodiment showing a side wall surface omitted, FIG. 31 (b) is a transverse sectional view of the embodiment, and FIG. 32 is an ink supply operation of the embodiment. Explanatory diagram, FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view for explaining distortion of the side wall when a load is applied to the side wall of the embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 31 (a) and 31 (b), the ink jet cartridge main body 1 has an opening 2 for connection with the ink jet head and an air communication section 10 provided above the opening 2 for taking in air. A negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 accommodating a negative pressure generating member 3 for absorbing and holding recording ink, and adjoining the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 via a partition wall (rib) 5 to accommodate ink. And an ink storage section 6 for storing the ink. The ink containing section 6 and the negative pressure generating member containing section 4 communicate with each other through a communicating section (gap section) 8 provided between the rib 5 and the bottom surface. The side wall is connected to both sides while leaving a gap at the bottom.

FIG. 32 (a) shows a state in which the joint member 11 for supplying ink to the ink jet head is inserted into the opening 2 of the ink jet cartridge main body 1 of the embodiment and pressed against the negative pressure generating member 3, so that the ink jet printing apparatus is completed. It is a schematic cross section which shows the state which became operable. Note that a filter may be provided at the end opening of the joint member 11 in order to remove dust in the ink jet cartridge. When the inkjet printing apparatus operates, ink is ejected from the orifice of the inkjet head, and an ink suction force is generated in the ink tank.
The ink 9 is moved from the ink container 6 to the rib 5 by the suction force.
Is drawn into the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4 through the gap 8 between the end of the ink jet cartridge and the bottom 7 of the ink jet cartridge, and into the joint member 11 through the negative pressure generating member 3 and supplied to the ink jet head. As a result, the pressure inside the ink container 6 that is closed except for the gap 8 decreases,
A pressure difference is generated between the ink container 6 and the negative pressure generating member container 4. When the recording is continued, the pressure difference continues to rise, but since the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 is opened to the atmosphere by the atmospheric communication portion 10, the air is released from the negative pressure generating member as shown in FIG. 3, the ink enters the ink container 6 through a gap 8 between the rib 5 and the bottom 7 of the ink jet cartridge. At this point, the pressure difference between the ink storage section 6 and the negative pressure generating member storage section 4 is eliminated. This operation is repeated during ink jet printing, and a certain negative pressure is obtained in the ink jet cartridge. Further, almost all of the ink in the ink containing section 6 can be used except for the ink adhering to the wall surface in the ink containing section 6, so that the ink use efficiency is improved (FIG. 32 (c)).

At the time of non-printing, the capillary force of the negative pressure generating member 3 itself (or the meniscus force at the interface between the ink and the negative pressure generating member) is exerted to suppress the leakage of the ink from the ink jet head.

From the above functions, the selection of the negative pressure generating member 3 according to the ink jet head to be jointed and the volume ratio of the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4 and the ink accommodating section 6,
As another embodiment, as shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 34, a configuration in which a plurality of partition plates 61 are provided in the ink containing section 6 can be adopted.

In this embodiment, the side walls 62a, 62b and 62c of the negative pressure generating member housing section 4 and the ink housing section 6 are configured to have the same amount of displacement with respect to external force.

For example, the material of the cartridge is usually a plastic mold, but as shown in FIGS. 31 (b) and 30, the thickness of the side wall surface 62a of the negative pressure generating member housing portion 4 is changed to the side wall surface of the ink housing portion 6. The partition plates (ribs) 61 are arranged between the inner surfaces of both side walls at a position where the thickness is larger than the thicknesses of 62b and 62c, and a space is left below, at a position where the volume of the ink storage section 6 is equally divided. The amount of deformation Δt _{6 of the} wall surface for the same load per area is reduced, and
1 so that the side wall surfaces 12b and 12c on both sides have the same change. Also, the deformation amount Δt _{4 of} the negative pressure generating member accommodating section ₄
By doing so, the object of preventing ink leakage due to deformation on the wall surface is achieved.

In the ink jet cartridge of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 31 (b) and 33, the material is polypropylene (PP), and the outer diameter is 48 m / m in length × 35 m in height.
X In the case of a thickness of 11 m / m, the thickness of the side wall surface 62a of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 4 is set at approximately the center of the length of 48 m / m.
5 mm, the thickness of the side walls 62b, 62c of the ink container 6 is 1 mm, and the rib 61 of the ink container 6 is about 10 mm from each wall.
By arranging them at the position (2), it was possible to obtain a structure in which a margin more than twice as large as the load (about 2 kg) during handling was secured. At the same time, it is possible to obtain sufficient strength against changes in atmospheric pressure and changes in temperature during distribution.

In the above embodiment, the number of the ribs 61 of the ink container 6 is one in view of the size of the tank. However, the number of ribs is not limited to one, and is shown in FIG. 34 according to the size of the ink jet cartridge. 2 ribs 61
It can be dealt with by changing the number of ribs, the position, and the thickness of the wall surface, for example, by providing them at different locations.

FIG. 35 shows the relationship between the wall thickness of the negative pressure generating member housing 4, the thickness of each wall examined to determine the wall thickness of the ink housing 6, and ink leakage in the handling and distribution environment. Is the data indicating

If the thickness of each wall is increased, the strength against ink leakage is increased. However, in order to satisfy the objective of miniaturization and high ink use efficiency, the wall is made as thin as possible. It is necessary to increase the internal volume. From the data shown in FIG. 35, the thickness of the side wall surface of the negative pressure generating member housing portion 4 was 1.5 mm, and the side wall thickness of the ink housing portion 6 was 1.0 mm.

According to the size of the ink jet cartridge, the above dimensions can be determined with reference to FIG. 35. The outer wall thickness of the negative pressure generating member accommodating section 4 is 1.2 to 3 times the outer wall thickness of the ink accommodating section 6. It is preferable to configure within the range of twice.

As described above, the present invention has been able to provide a reasonable and effective cartridge in the field of ink-jet printing based on an unprecedented idea of reversal as an ink-jet cartridge. Of course, there is a remarkable advantage that the size of the color printer itself requiring a plurality of color inks can be reduced. Further, the replacement period of the ink jet cartridge can be lengthened, and the operability is excellent.

As shown in FIGS. 36A and 36B, inks of respective colors (for example, four colors of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan) are used to make the ink jet cartridge of the present invention compatible with a color ink jet printing apparatus. Can be housed and used in individual replaceable ink jet cartridges. Further, as shown in FIG. 36 (A), the individual inkjet cartridges may be integrated into one to form an inkjet cartridge. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 36 (B), a frequently used black ink inkjet cartridge may be used. An ink jet cartridge in which another color ink integrated replacement cartridge is separated may be used. These combinations are arbitrary according to the ink jet device.

Here, a schematic configuration of an example of an ink jet printing apparatus equipped with an ink jet cartridge using the ink jet cartridge of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 37, reference numeral 100 denotes an automatic feeding unit which automatically and sequentially feeds the recording sheets S one by one to a recording position, and 200 denotes a separating roller 101 from the automatic feeding unit 100. By 1
A transport unit 40 that guides the recording sheets S sent one by one to a recording position and guides the recorded recording sheets S to the discharge unit 300;
Reference numeral 0 denotes a recording head 401 (in this example, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black inks capable of color recording are ejected), a carriage 402 on which the recording head 401 is mounted, and a carriage 402 mounted by a timing belt (not shown). In the drawing, guide portions 403 and 404 for guiding in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, a recording portion including a carriage driving portion for moving and scanning an ink tank 405 for supplying the above-described inks to the recording head 401 and the carriage 402, and the like.
A control unit (control unit) 00 is disposed above the recording unit 400 and controls the entire recording apparatus based on recording data and information transmitted from a host computer (not shown).
It is. Here, the recording head 401 and the ink tank 405 are inkjet heads using the inkjet cartridge of the present invention, and in this example, both are detachable.

Next, the present inventors studied the physical properties required for the ink preferably used for the ink tanks of the above-described embodiments.

It is preferable that the interface between the ink and the negative pressure generating member be stable against vibration of the ink tank, and that the gas-liquid interface behaves stably against environmental changes.

The inks preferably used in the ink tanks of the above embodiments will be described below.

The basic constitution of the ink comprises at least water, a colorant and a water-soluble organic solvent.

As the water-soluble organic solvent, those having high compatibility with water, low volatility, low viscosity, and high safety for the human body are desirable, but not limited to a very small amount. Specific examples are described below. Amides such as dimethylformamide and dimethylacetamide, ketones such as acetone, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane, polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol methyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and triethylene glycol monomethyl ether; alkylene glycols such as 2,2,6-hexanetriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol, and diethylene glycol;
Monohydric alcohols such as ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, and others, glycerin, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone, triethanolamine, sulfolane, dimethyl sulfoxide, cyclohexanol, etc. Is used. The content of the water-soluble organic solvent is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 1 to 80% by weight. The colorant used in the present invention may be a dye or a pigment. As the dye, a water-soluble acid dye, a direct dye, a basic dye, a reactive dye and the like are preferably used. The content of the dye is not particularly limited, but is preferably in the range of 0.1% by weight to 20% by weight based on the total amount of the ink.

Further, it is desirable to include a surfactant as a surface tension adjusting agent. Fatty acid salts as the surfactant,
Anionic surfactants such as higher alcohol sulfates, alkylbenzene sulfonates and higher alcohol phosphates; cationic surfactants such as aliphatic amine salts and quaternary ammonium salts; higher alcohol ethylene oxide adducts; alkylphenol ethylene Oxide adduct, aliphatic ethylene oxide adduct, polyhydric alcohol fatty acid ester ethylene oxide adduct,
Non-ionic surfactants such as higher alkylamine ethylene oxide adducts, fatty acid amide ethylene oxide adducts, polypropylene glycol ethylene oxide adducts, fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, fatty acid amides of alkanolamines, amino acid type and petaine type amphoteric Surfactants and the like are used.

More preferably, an ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol is used.

The number of moles of the ethylene oxide adduct is particularly preferably in the range of 4 to 20.

The amount of the surfactant added is not particularly limited,
The range of 0.01 to 10% by weight is preferred. It goes without saying that the means for controlling the surface tension can be performed with the above-mentioned water-soluble organic solvent.

In addition, if necessary, additives such as a viscosity adjusting agent, a pH adjusting agent, a preservative, and an antioxidant may be added.

The viscosity of the ink is preferably 1 to 20 cp. The surface tension of the ink is 20 dyne / cm
It should be ５５55 dyne / cm, more preferably from 25 dyne / cm to 50 dyne / cm. When the surface tension of the ink is in this range, the phenomenon that the meniscus in the head orifice is broken and the ink overflows from the head orifice during non-printing does not occur.

The amount of ink to be filled in the ink-jet cartridge is arbitrary up to the internal volume of the ink-jet cartridge. However, in order to maintain the negative pressure immediately after opening the ink-jet cartridge, the amount of ink to be filled into the ink container is limited. The negative pressure generating member may be filled with the ink, but the amount of ink to be charged into the negative pressure generating member is preferably set to be equal to or less than the limit of the ink holding force of the negative pressure generating member. Incidentally, the ink holding force in the present invention refers to the ability to hold ink in a unit of a member when the negative pressure generating member is impregnated with ink.

Next, a sample of this example and a sample for comparison will be described.

The dye was mixed with a mixture of water and a water-soluble organic solvent with stirring. After stirring for 4 hours, a predetermined amount of a surfactant was added, and the mixture was filtered to remove dust.

Thereafter, each ink was filled in the ink jet cartridge shown in FIG. 11 and recording was performed using the apparatus shown in FIG.

The prescription, physical properties and recording results of each ink are shown below.

[0159]

[Table 1]

[0160]

[Table 2]

Next, typical water-soluble organic solvents of 20 to 30
Indicate the surface tension in ° C.

Ethanol (22 dyne / cm), isopropanol (22 dyne / cm), cyclohexanol (34 dyne / cm), glycerin (63 dyn / cm)
e / cm), diethylene glycol (49 dyne / c
m), diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (35
dyne / cm), triethylene glycol (35 dy)
ne / cm), 2-pyrrolidone (47 dyne / c)
m), N-methylpyrrolidone (41 dyne / cm) These solvents and water are mixed to obtain a desired surface tension.

Next, a method for controlling the surface tension of the ink using a surfactant will be described.

For example, in the case of sorbitan monolaurate, 28 dyne / cm can be obtained by adding 1% to water, and in the case of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, 35 dyne / cm can be obtained by adding 1% to water.
Is obtained. In addition, in acetylenol EH (EO adduct of acetylene glycol), adding 28% or more
e / cm is obtained. Further, when a low surface tension is required, a fluorine-based surfactant such as Surflon S-145 (perfluoroalkyl EO adduct made by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) can obtain 17 dyne / cm at 0.1% with respect to water. However, since the surface tension is slightly changed by other additives, it is appropriately adjusted.

Further, as described above, it is considered that the design of the ink buffer should be performed in consideration of the maximum amount of leaked ink. However, the effect of the ink buffer largely depends not only on its capacity but also on the surface tension at the ink interface. It was obtained as a result of earnest examination.

As inks for ink jet printing apparatuses, those to which a surfactant is added have been proposed.
This type of ink is very fast fixing to plain paper such as copy paper and bond paper. In color recording, even if ink recording areas of different colors are adjacent to each other, improper color mixing (bleeding or bleeding) occurs. And has the feature of uniform coloring (less color unevenness). One composition example is shown below.

[0167]

TABLE 1 Example composition 1. Dye 4 parts Glycerin 7.5 parts Thiodiglycol 7.5 parts Acetylene glycol EO adduct (m + n = 10) 5 parts Urine 7.5 parts Pure water 68.5 parts EO: The ink holding height Y of the ethylene oxide porous absorber is generally considered to be expressed by a capillary force equation. The surface tension of the ink is γ, the contact angle between the ink and the ink absorber is θ, and the density of the ink is ρ,
Assuming that the weight acceleration is g and the average pore radius of the ink absorber is r,

[0168]

## EQU1 ## Y = 2γ cos θ / ρgr

From this, in order to increase the ink holding height Y so that more ink can be absorbed and held,
It is considered that the surface tension of the ink should be increased or the contact angle θ between the ink and the ink absorber should be reduced (cos θ should be increased).

Decreasing the contact angle θ between the ink and the ink absorber means that the ink is very easily leaked to the absorber, and a surfactant is generally used as a penetrant.

In the case of the ink of the embodiment 1, the surface tension is as small as about 30 dyn / cm due to the addition of the surfactant, but the leakage of the ink from the absorber and the permeability are very good. It is thought that it became. Thus, it can be said that there is an effect of making the ink leakage property better than the surface tension.

Examples of the penetrant include anionic surfactants such as aerosol OT type, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate and sodium lauryl sulfate; ethylene alcohol adducts of higher alcohols represented by the following general formula [1]; An ethylene oxide adduct of an alkyl phenene represented by the general formula [2], an ethylene oxide-propylene oxide copolymer represented by the following general formula [3], and an acetylene glycol represented by the following general formula [4] Nonionic surfactants such as ethylene oxide adducts are excellent.

However, the above-mentioned anionic surfactants have a large foaming power, are inconvenient to handle, and have image characteristics such as boundary bleeding, color uniformity and feathering, which are lower than those of anionic surfactants. In this example, a nonionic surfactant represented by the following general formula was used because the nonionic surfactant was more favorable.

Here, n is preferably 6 to 14 in the general formulas [1] and [2], and R is preferably one having 5 to 26 carbon atoms. In general formulas [3] and [4], m + n
Is preferably 6 to 14.

[0175]

Embedded image

(R is an alkyl group)

[0177]

Embedded image

(R is an alkyl group)

[0179]

Embedded image

(R is hydrogen or an alkyl group)

[0181]

Embedded image

(M and n are integers) Among the ethylene oxide type nonionic surfactants mentioned above, the ethylene oxide adduct of acetylene glycol has an absorptivity to the ink absorber, an image characteristic on a recording medium, and a recording head. It is preferable because the balance is very good in the discharge characteristics from the ink. Furthermore, hydrophilicity and permeability of this compound are controlled by the number m + n of ethylene oxide to be added. When m + n is less than 6, the permeability is good, but the water solubility is poor and the solubility in ink is not good. Conversely, if the number of added ethylene oxides is too large, the hydrophilicity becomes too large, and the penetrating power becomes small. If m + n is greater than 14, the permeability is reduced, and the increased amount of addition is not effective, but rather adversely affects the ejection characteristics. Thus, this compound preferably has an ethylene oxide addition number of between 6 and 14.

The addition amount of these nonionic surfactants is preferably 0.1 to 20% by weight. If it is less than 0.1%, the image characteristics and permeability are not sufficient, and if it is more than 20%, no further effect can be obtained.
This is because the ink is disadvantageous for reliability and the like.

Further, one or more of these nonionic surfactants may be used in combination.

In addition, the ink component generally contains a dye as a recording agent, a low-volatile organic solvent such as a polyhydric alcohol for preventing clogging, foam stability, and fixing property on a recording medium. An intended organic solvent such as an alcohol is added as necessary.

Examples of the water-soluble organic solvent forming the ink of the examples include polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol;
Alkylene glycols having an alkylene group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1.2.8-hexanetriol, hexylene glycol, diethylene glycol; glycerin; ethylene glycol methyl Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ether, diethylene glycol methyl (or ethyl) ether and triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether; methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec Alcohols such as -butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, benzene alcohol and cyclohexanol; Amides such as ruformamide and dimethylacetamide; ketones and ketone alcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 2-pyrrolidone and 1.3-dimethyl-2 And nitrogen-containing cyclic compounds such as imidazolidinone. These water-soluble organic solvents can be contained in an amount that does not deteriorate image characteristics and ejection reliability. It is preferably a polyhydric alcohol or an alkyl ether of a polyhydric alcohol, and the content thereof is preferably from 1 to 30% by weight.

At this time, the amount of pure water in the ink used in this embodiment is preferably between 50% and 90%.

The dyes used in this embodiment include direct dyes, acid dyes, basic dyes, reactive dyes, disperse dyes, vat dyes and the like. The content of these dyes is determined depending on the type of the liquid medium component, the characteristics required for the ink, the ejection amount of the recording head, and the like. It is in the range of 15% by weight, preferably 1 to 7% by weight.

It was found that the addition of thiodiglycol or urea (or a derivative thereof) to the ink significantly improved the ejection characteristics and the effect of preventing clogging (fixation). It is considered that these additions improve the solubility of the dye in the ink. The content of thiodiglycol or urea (or a derivative thereof) is preferably 1 to 30% by weight, and can be added as needed.

The main components of the ink of this embodiment are the same as those described above. In addition, viscosity modifiers such as polyvinyl alcohol, celluloses, and water-soluble resins; pH modifiers such as diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and buffer solution ,
A fungicide and the like can be added as needed as long as the object of the present invention is not hindered.

In order to prepare an ink used in an ink jet printing apparatus of the type which charges the ink, a specific resistance adjusting agent such as an inorganic salt such as lithium chloride, ammonium chloride and sodium chloride is added.

(Others) It should be noted that the present invention includes a means (for example, an electrothermal converter or a laser beam) for generating thermal energy as energy used for discharging ink, particularly in an ink jet recording system. An excellent effect is obtained in a recording head and a recording apparatus of a type in which the state of ink is changed by the thermal energy. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
Although it can be applied to any type of continuous type, in particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to a sheet holding liquid (ink) or an electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and giving a rapid temperature rise exceeding the nucleate boiling, heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, and film boiling occurs on the heat acting surface of the recording head. Liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis.
This is effective because air bubbles inside can be formed. The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of a discharge port, a liquid path, and an electrothermal converter (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 44,558 which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of Japanese Patent No. 59600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters. The effect of the present invention is effective even if the configuration is based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration corresponding to a discharge unit. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

In the present invention, if the above-mentioned serial type is used, a recording head fixed to the apparatus main body, or an electric connection with the apparatus main body or ink from the apparatus main body by being attached to the apparatus main body. The present invention is also effective when a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be supplied or a cartridge-type recording head in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself is used.

It is preferable to add ejection recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like as the constitution of the recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If these are specifically mentioned, the recording head is heated using capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal transducer, another heating element or a combination thereof. Pre-heating means for performing the pre-heating and pre-discharging means for performing the discharging other than the recording can be used.

The type and number of recording heads to be mounted are not limited to those provided for only one color ink, for example, and for a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. A plurality may be provided. That is, for example, the printing mode of the printing apparatus is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, but may be any of integrally forming a printing head or a combination of a plurality of printing heads. The present invention is also very effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of the recording modes of full color by color mixture.

Further, the form of the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention is not limited to those used as image output terminals of information processing equipment such as computers, copying apparatuses combined with readers and the like, and facsimile apparatuses having a transmission / reception function. It may take a form.

[0199]

According to the present invention, as understood from the description of the above items, the ink supply at an appropriate negative pressure is achieved by setting the area within 5 mm from the upper end of the ink supply opening of the ink jet cartridge to the ink level. This has the effect of obtaining a highly stable ink jet cartridge.

In particular, by controlling the ink level with a gas-liquid exchange promoting structure, the effect of obtaining a proper area more accurately was obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of an ink container according to a first embodiment of the present invention, which is cut away.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.

FIGS. 3 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory views of examples of coupling between a cartridge and a supply pipe according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a comparative example for explaining more preferable conditions of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are explanatory diagrams of an ink supply unit of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are explanatory diagrams illustrating a positional relationship between an ink supply unit and a minute communication unit.

FIGS. 7 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e),
(F) Each is an explanatory view of a configuration of a minute communication portion.

FIGS. 8A to 8H are explanatory views of the shape of the minute communication portion side end of the partition wall.

FIGS. 9A to 9F are explanatory views of the end state of the absorber near the partition wall.

FIGS. 10 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are explanatory diagrams of states inside the absorber with respect to environmental changes.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of the present invention and an ink jet head.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an ink jet cartridge of the present invention and an ink jet printer using the same.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D are explanatory diagrams showing a phenomenon change due to the ink level in the first storage chamber.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body according to still another embodiment.

15 is a cross-sectional view of the ink jet cartridge main body of FIG.

16 is a cross-sectional view of the ink jet cartridge main body showing the surface of the rib in FIG.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body showing a surface of a rib according to another embodiment.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of a rib according to another embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body according to another embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body according to another embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body showing a surface of a rib according to another embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a longitudinal sectional view of an inkjet cartridge main body of a comparative example.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of an inkjet cartridge body of a comparative example.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of an ink jet cartridge main body showing a surface of a rib of a comparative example.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of a rib of a comparative example.

FIG. 26 is a schematic view showing an example in which the compression ratio of a negative pressure generating member is adjusted.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an optimal region of the ink level.

FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram showing an optimum ink level according to another embodiment.

FIGS. 29 (a), (b), (c), and (d) are diagrams illustrating a modification of the main part of the present invention.

FIGS. 30 (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views for explaining a tiltable range in a use state of the ink jet cartridge of the present invention.

FIGS. 31 (a) and 31 (b) are views for explaining the shape of an optimal embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 32A, 32B, and 32C are explanatory diagrams sequentially showing changes in the printing state of the present invention.

FIG. 33 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a pressure state on the outer wall of the cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 34 is a sectional view of a modified example of the cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a graph showing a correlation between wall thickness and ink leakage due to external pressure deformation according to the present invention.

36 (A) and (B) are perspective views showing a color tank configuration of a cartridge embodying the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of the ink jet printing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1,1001 Inkjet cartridge 2,1002 Opening 3,1003 Negative pressure generating member 4,1004 Negative pressure generating member housing 5,1005 Partition (rib) 6,1006 Ink housing 7,1007 Ink cartridge bottom (bottom member) 8, 1008 Communication part (gap part) 9 Ink 10, 10A, 10B, 1010 Atmospheric communication part 11 Joint member 12 Gap 14, 17, 1031 Atmospheric introduction groove (gas-liquid exchange promoting mechanism) 15 Filter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An air communication portion for accommodating a negative pressure generating member and obtaining communication with the atmosphere, and an opening for supplying ink.
A first storage chamber provided with a first storage chamber, and a first storage chamber that communicates with the first storage chamber only through a communication section provided at a position distant from the atmosphere communication section. A second storage chamber for directly storing ink to be supplied to the storage chamber, wherein the communication portion is provided between an end of a partition wall separating the first and second storage chambers and an inner surface facing the end. Formed
In the ink jet cartridge, the opening for ink supply faces the partition wall.
A first side wall of the partition wall;
On the delivery side, gas-liquid exchange from the middle of the partition wall to the communication section
Replacement promotion structure is provided.
Of the gas-liquid exchange promoting structure in the use condition of the cartridge
The top is 5 mm from the upper end of the ink supply opening.
An inkjet cartridge characterized by being provided at a higher position . 2. An air communication section for accommodating a negative pressure generating member and obtaining communication with the atmosphere, and an opening for supplying ink.
A first storage chamber provided with a first storage chamber, and a first storage chamber that communicates with the first storage chamber only through a communication section provided at a position distant from the atmosphere communication section. A second storage chamber for directly storing ink to be supplied to the storage chamber, wherein the communication portion is provided between an end of a partition wall separating the first and second storage chambers and an inner surface facing the end. Formed
In the ink jet cartridge, the opening for ink supply faces an end of the partition wall.
And the third wall of the partition wall
1 On the storage room side, the air from the middle of the partition
A liquid exchange promoting structure is provided,
Gas-liquid exchange promoting structure in the use state of the cartridge
The top of the structure is 5 mm from the surface of the opening for ink supply.
An inkjet cartridge characterized by being provided at a higher position . 3. The ink according to claim 1, wherein
Jet cartridge and ink jet cart
Print to discharge ink supplied from ridge
An ink jet head comprising a head. 4. An ink jet head according to claim 3,
An inkjet printing apparatus comprising:
Ink jet head can be attached to and detached from the printer
Inkjet printing equipment
Place .