JP3200232B2 - Ink cartridge for inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an ink cartridge used in an ink jet printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ink jet printers usually perform printing or drawing by ejecting printing ink from nozzles of a print head that moves in parallel to a printing object. Also,
A detachable ink cartridge is mounted on the print head together with the nozzles, and the ink therein is ejected to the outside by a pressurizing means or an electrostatic means.

When the amount of ink in the ink cartridge has decreased, it is necessary to sense that the amount has decreased, to inform the user of the timing of replacing the ink cartridge, and to temporarily suspend the printing operation. Therefore, conventionally, a method has been used in which an electrode is provided near the ink supply hole at the bottom of the ink cartridge and the electric resistance of the ink is measured. When the ink is exhausted near the electrodes, the electric resistance increases and it can be notified that the ink has decreased.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an example of a conventional ink cartridge. The container 1 is filled with a porous member such as an ink-impregnated sponge 4 impregnated with ink, and electrodes 6 and 6 are provided below the container 1 as ink-out sensors. Lower ink supply hole 10
Communicates with nozzles of a print head (not shown), and the upper pores 11 supply air to the inside during use of the ink cartridge to assist the outflow of ink.

[0005]

As in the prior art, a sufficient space is required between the electrodes to determine the decrease in the ink due to the increase in the electrical resistance due to the decrease in the ink between the electrodes.
That is, if there is not enough space, the ink remains between the electrodes, so that it is not possible to detect the ink reduction. For this reason, it is difficult to reduce the size of the ink cartridge. Further, when the ink is soaked in a sponge or the like, the ink remaining on the sponge may not be able to detect the ink reduction.

[0006]

An ink cartridge for an ink-jet printer according to the present invention comprises a container in which a conductive ink and a second liquid having a higher resistance value and a lower specific gravity than the ink are immiscible. A storage unit, a sensor for detecting a resistance value of the second liquid at a lower portion of the container, and a removable isolation unit for separating the ink and the second liquid from each other ; Flexible file
And the flexible film member is
By drawing the ink and the second liquid out of the ridge,
It is characterized by allowing communication between the bodies . In addition, the ink cartridge of the ink jet printer according to the present invention contains a conductive ink and a second liquid having a higher resistance value and a lower specific gravity than the ink and not mixed with each other inside the container. A first porous member in which the container is impregnated with the second liquid, and a second porous member in which the ink is impregnated; and a sensor for detecting a resistance value of the second liquid. Is provided , and a removable separating means for separating between the ink and the second liquid is provided , wherein the separating means is constituted by a flexible film member,
Pull the flexible film member out of the cartridge
This allows communication between the porous members.
It is characterized by.

[0007]

[Function] When starting to use the ink cartridge,
If the ink-out detection liquid is allowed to move downward, when the ink is reduced, the liquid is surely filled between the electrodes, so that the ink-out can be reliably detected. If the sponge is impregnated with ink and the sponge is interposed between the electrodes, all the ink impregnated in the sponge etc. is replaced with the ink-out detection liquid, so the ink reduction can be reliably detected. it can. Also, quarantine fill
By pulling the system member out of the cartridge,
Can be communicated with the ink-out-of-ink detection liquid.
In addition, before using the ink cartridge,
Is separated from the liquid for detecting cut-off, such as during transportation.
The ink inside the container even if it is
Can be used to prevent the positional relationship of the
Before starting use, the positional relationship between the two liquids is kept constant and easy to manage
Become.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention before use. Above the inside of the container 1, a first ink such as a liquid-impregnated sponge 2 for detecting ink exhaustion is used.
The porous member is accommodated, and an isolation film 3 is provided below the porous member.
A second porous member such as the ink-impregnated sponge 4 is housed via an isolating means such as. The relationship between the ink and the ink exhaustion detection liquid will be described later. As the ink-out detection circuit 5, a conventionally known one is used, and the container 1 is used.
Are connected to the electrodes 6, 6 provided at the bottom of the. By pulling out the isolation film 3 out of the container 1, the liquid-impregnated sponge 2 for detecting out-of-ink can be brought into contact with the ink-impregnated sponge 4.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are explanatory views of a specific example of use of the isolation film 3 in the container 1. FIG.
(A) is immediately after the separation film 3 is separated from the container 1,
(B) shows a state in which the isolation film 3 is completely pulled out.

[0010] As shown in FIG.
Is composed of a flexible film member, and a rubber 3
A plug member such as -1 is attached to the inner wall surface of the container 1 and usually prevents the liquid in the ink-impregnated liquid-impregnated sponge 2 from flowing downward. A rubber member 1-1 is attached to a hole 1-2 provided on the wall surface of the container 1 to prevent the liquid from flowing out. The rubber member 1-1 is provided with a draw-out hole 1-3 for the isolation film 3, which are in close contact with each other so as to prevent the liquid from flowing out. A recess 1-4 is provided inside the rubber member 1-1.
Is provided, and the plug member 3-1 is fitted.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), when the isolation film 3 is pulled out, the plug member 3-1 is fitted into the recess 1-4 to completely prevent leakage of the liquid inside. it can.

Further, before the ink cartridge is used, the separation of the ink for detection of ink and the printing ink by the separating film 3 is performed in any direction such as during transportation, even if the ink in the container is out of ink. This is for the purpose of preventing the positional relationship between the detection liquids from changing, and the positional relationship between the two liquids is kept constant at the start of use, which facilitates management.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view when the use of the ink cartridge is started. By pulling out the isolation film 3 out of the container 1, the liquid-impregnated sponge 2 for detecting out-of-ink can be brought into contact with the ink-impregnated sponge 4. Isolation films are omitted.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a state in which the ink has been reduced to some extent. The ink-impregnated liquid-impregnated sponge 2 is used for
The out-of-ink detection liquid 2-2 moves downward and becomes only the sponge 2-1. Above the ink-impregnated sponge 4, the ink 4-2 moves downward and becomes only the sponge 4-1. Is in a state in which the ink-out detecting liquid 2-2 having a small specific gravity is floating above.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which the ink has run out. Under the sponge 4-1 of the ink impregnated sponge 4, the ink out-of-ink detecting liquid 2-2 is impregnated, and the ink out-of-ink detecting circuit 5 detects the ink out due to an increase in resistance between the electrodes 6 and 6. I do.

Next, the ink and the liquid for detecting ink exhaustion will be described. For the ink-out detection liquid, use a fluid substance with a small viscosity. I do. The two move without maintaining the vertical relationship without mixing. The oil-based ink detection ink has a high resistance value and an insulating property, and the water-based ink is conductive, so that a decrease in the ink can be detected by a change in electric resistance. As a printing ink, for example, a liquid (specific gravity of about 1.0) using water and ethylene glycol as a solvent is used, and as an ink-out detecting liquid, enoy oil (specific gravity of 0.93 to 0.94) is used. Or soybean oil (specific gravity 0.9
1 to 0.92). This may be replaced by another suitable flowable substance.

In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the ink exhaustion detecting liquid is impregnated in the porous member.
This liquid can be placed in an appropriate container, and a hole can be made from the outside to replace the ink with the ink of the ink-impregnated sponge.

The electrode serving as the ink-out sensor need not always be provided at the bottom of the container, but may be provided outside the ink supply hole 2.

[0019]

According to the present invention, by using an ink-out detecting liquid which does not mix with inks having different electric resistances, the ink-out detecting liquid is surely filled between the electrodes when the ink is reduced, and the ink-out is reliably detected. it can. Also, the space between the electrodes can be reduced, which is effective in reducing the size and weight. When a sponge or the like is in the container, even if there is a sponge between the electrodes, all of the ink impregnated in the sponge is replaced with the ink-out-of-ink detection liquid, so that the ink reduction can be reliably detected. In addition, the isolation film
Pull out the ink cartridge to remove ink and ink
And the detection liquid. In addition,
Before using the ink cartridge, detect ink and ink shortage.
In which direction, such as during transportation, because it is separated from liquid
For detecting ink in the container and running out of ink even if placed in
The position of the liquid does not change, and both
The positional relationship between the liquids is kept constant and the management becomes easy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention before use.

FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are explanatory views of a state immediately after the separation film 3 is separated from the container 1 and a state where the separation film 3 is completely drawn out, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view when the use of the ink cartridge is started.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge when ink has been reduced to some extent.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the ink cartridge in a state where the ink has run out.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional ink cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 container 2 liquid-impregnated sponge for ink-out detection 3 isolation film 4 ink-impregnated sponge 5 ink-out detection circuit 6 electrode 10 ink supply hole 11 pore

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-24151 (JP, A) JP-A-3-275360 (JP, A) JP-A-56-125339 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container in which a conductive ink and a second liquid having a higher resistance value and a lower specific gravity than the ink and being immiscible are stored in a container, and the second liquid is stored in a lower portion of the container. a sensor for detecting the resistance value, only setting a removable isolation means for separating between the ink and the second liquid, said isolation means is composed of a flexible film member,
Pulling the flexible film member out of the cartridge
To allow communication between the ink and the second liquid.
An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer , characterized in that: 2. A container in which a conductive ink and a second liquid having a higher resistance value and a lower specific gravity than the ink and being immiscible are housed in a container, and the second liquid is stored in a lower portion of the container. A sensor for detecting a resistance value, wherein a first porous member impregnated with the second liquid and a second porous member impregnated with the ink are accommodated in the container; only set a removable isolation means for separating between the ink and the second liquid, said isolation means is composed of a flexible film member,
Pulling the flexible film member out of the cartridge
To allow communication between the porous members.
Characteristic ink cartridges for inkjet printers. 3. An opening for taking out the flexible film member on the wall surface of the container is substantially sealed by a rubber member, and an elastic stopper member is provided at a tip end of the film member. 3. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the plug member is fitted into the rubber member when pulled out.