JP3402823B2 - Protective cap for liquid outflow opening of liquid holding member and liquid holding member having 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 a protective cap that seals a liquid outflow opening of a liquid holding member that contains a liquid therein, and a liquid holding member having the protective cap.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, liquid holding members in ink jet recording apparatuses are roughly classified into the following two types. On the other hand, an integrated ink jet cartridge (hereinafter referred to as "integral cartridge") having a structure in which a recording head unit and an ink tank for supplying ink are integrated as disclosed in JP-A-63-87242. )
On the other hand, the other is an exchangeable ink jet cartridge in which an ink jet recording head portion and an ink tank portion are separately and independently connected through an ink supply pipe (hereinafter, the above exchange ink tank is referred to as an "ink cartridge"). Is.

In the ink tank of this kind of ink jet cartridge, ink is impregnated into a continuous fine porous body (hereinafter referred to as "ink absorber") for holding ink and supplying ink to the ink jet recording head. Is the mainstream.

In such an integral type cartridge or ink cartridge, it is necessary to seal the opening in order to prevent dust from entering through the liquid outflow opening such as the nozzle and the ink supply opening and ink leakage.

On the other hand, in the integrated cartridge disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-73158, a sealing cap having an adhesive property is attached to the discharge nozzle portion, and in addition, a protective cap made of a resin component and a sponge. The ink is leaked from the nozzle due to environmental changes such as a decrease in atmospheric pressure and an increase in temperature by adopting a method in which the head is attached to the head and the seal tape is pressed.

In the case of the full-color head in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-122621, four independent head parts are provided for each color of black, yellow, magenta and cyan.
Simple sealing with a sheet of sealing tape prevents dust from entering the nozzle.

Further, in the case of the ink cartridge for supplying ink to the above-mentioned full color head in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-122621, an Al seal tape is used for the ink supply port against ink leakage from the ink supply port which is a connecting portion with the head. It is dealt with by heat-sealing and sealing the surroundings.

[0008]

However, in the case of the full-color head in the integrated cartridge disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-73158 or the exchangeable ink jet cartridge of Japanese Patent Application No. 5-122621,
A box-shaped plastic wrapping material (hereinafter referred to as "blister pack") is used as a cushioning material to deal with this. If the user drops the inkjet cartridge while it is ejected from the blister pack, it is protected by impact. In some cases, the cap may come off and ink may leak from the nozzle, or the seal tape that simply seals the nozzle may peel off and ink may leak.

Further investigation, in the case of an ink cartridge having a plurality of ink chambers or a cartridge having a plurality of heads for respective colors, if ink leaks due to a drop impact or the like, there is a possibility of ink color mixing at the opening. In some cases, the cartridge cannot be used.

Further, in the case of the heat-welding sealing tape in the ink cartridge of Japanese Patent Application No. 5-122621, the opening to be welded and the welding layer of the sealing tape must be made of the same material. There will be restrictions.

Further, when the protective cap is composed of a plurality of parts, it is disadvantageous in terms of cost because the cost for assembling each member is required in addition to the cost for processing each member.

[0012]

The main object of the present invention is to:
A sealing member of an elastic body that seals the opening portion and absorbs a shock such as falling, and the sealing member is brought into pressure contact with the liquid holding member main body to seal the opening portion and maintain a sealed state even when a drop shock is applied. A main body member for maintaining, and a protective cap for a liquid holding member which does not come off even when a drop impact is applied.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective cap for a liquid holding member which does not cause ink leakage and does not mix colors.

That is, the present invention is a protective cap for sealing a liquid outflow opening of a liquid holding member that stores a liquid therein, which is elastically deformable to at least seal the opening.
A sealable elastic seal member having an effective size , and a cap body member that presses the seal member into the opening of the liquid holding member and maintains the state, and the cap body member is the seal. A bottom surface portion that holds the member so as to allow elastic deformation, and an engagement portion that engages with the liquid holding member, and has at least four surfaces that face each side surface of the engaging liquid holding member. With the cap book , the elastic seal member is not arranged
With the liquid holding member in the bottom area of the body member,
The liquid holding member has a phase in an area without an opening for liquid outflow.
There is a protruding shape part on the bottom surface of the cap body member
A protective cap, characterized in that that. Also, the present invention
Is for liquid outflow of the liquid holding member that stores the liquid inside.
Opening of a liquid holding member having an annular protruding portion around the opening.
A protective cap that is attached to the mouth, elastically deforms and the opening
A sealable elasticity having a size capable of sealing at least
Body sealing member and the sealing member for opening the liquid holding member
Cap body that keeps the state while pressing it against the part
And the cap body member is an elastic member of the sealing member.
And the liquid storage
An engaging portion for engaging with the holding member,
At least four surfaces facing each side surface of the holding member
In addition to the above, a liquid outflow opening of the liquid holding member is provided.
The seal is attached to an annular protruding portion provided around the mouth.
Bottom part of the cap body member facing each other through
At a position of a convex shape along the shape of the liquid outflow opening.
A protective cap characterized by having a stepped portion.
It

[0015]

The protective cap according to the present invention has the elastic seal member and the two sets of wall surfaces facing the side surface of the liquid holding member to be engaged, and the line connecting the facing wall surfaces of each set is virtually defined. In this case, the cap main body member is arranged so that the imaginary lines intersect so that the seal member is brought into pressure contact with the opening of the liquid holding member, and the state is maintained. As a result, even if a drop impact is applied, the cap body member fixes the liquid holding member and the cap in the mounted posture, and the elastic seal member absorbs the impact to prevent the cap from being detached due to the impact. Is possible.

Further, in the protective cap according to the present invention, the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the cap main body member for holding the elastic seal member is attached to the liquid holding member with a slight gap when the liquid holding member is mounted. The use of opposing cap body members is effective in preventing cap detachment and ink leakage.

When the protective cap according to the present invention is attached to the opening of the liquid holding member having an annular projecting portion around the liquid outflow opening, the opening is formed on the bottom surface of the protective cap main body member. By providing a convex step portion at a portion opposed to the protruding portion around the seal member via the seal member, the reaction force from the elastic body seal member in the mounted state is alleviated, and the mountability and fitting of the device are improved. It is effective in improving the reaction force applied to the mounting part.

Further, the protective cap according to the present invention comprises:
A portion different from the convex step and having a convex step portion with respect to the bottom surface portion at a portion facing the liquid holding member via the elastic anti-sealing member sealing member, and thereby the cartridge bottom surface is provided by the sealing member. It is possible to support the entire area substantially evenly, which is effective against ink leakage due to the ink supply port moving away from the elastic seal member when the ink cartridge moves when an impact is applied.

Further, in the protective cap of the present invention, the elastic seal member has a shape having a raised portion which follows the shape of the opening of the liquid holding member, so that almost no residual ink adheres to the surface of the sheet member. It is effective for preventing stains due to ink dripping when opening.

The protective cap according to the present invention is manufactured by molding the main body member made of resin by two-color molding together with the sealing member, thereby requiring a step of assembling the cap main body member and the elastic seal member. On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the number of steps and to manufacture at a lower cost.

Further, in the protective cap of the present invention, the knob portion and the engaging portion are engaged with the lower surface of the side surface of the container having the step of the liquid holding member to limit the elastic deformation amount due to the impact of the drop of the knob portion. Thus, there is an advantage that the possibility of breakage of the picked portion is reduced, and the outer shape of the liquid holding member in the state where the cap is attached is reduced to reduce the size of the packaging material itself.

[0022]

EXAMPLES A protective cap to be attached to a liquid outflow opening of a liquid holding member according to the present invention will be described below in detail by taking an example of a protective cap of an ink cartridge in an ink recording apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples.

FIG . 1 is a perspective view of a color ink cartridge having three ink chambers of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) and three ink supply ports, and one of black is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a black ink cartridge having an ink chamber and one ink supply port.

As shown in the sectional views of FIGS. 3 and 4, the structure of the ink cartridge is such that an ink absorber 5 for holding ink by capillary force is housed in the cartridge body 1 and the ink absorber 5 is Is fixed inside by an absorber pressing rib 6 of the tank lid, which is ultrasonically welded to the side wall of the ink cartridge, and is configured to supply ink to the recording head by being in pressure contact with the ink guide 3.

The present invention is applied to the protective cap mounted on the ink supply port of the above ink cartridge.

Basic structure of the protective cap in the present invention
Will be described below. The protective cap has a bottom surface portion for holding the elastic body seal member 8 in order to fix the ink cartridge while maintaining the mounted state even when a shock is applied, and as shown in FIG. 5A around the bottom surface portion. The ink cartridge 1 has two sets of opposing wall surfaces 7 which are arranged so as to intersect with the side surfaces of the ink cartridge 1.

The arrangement of this wall surface is shown in FIGS. 5 (b) and 5 (c).
As shown in, it can be applied to various ink cartridge shapes, and is effective for fixing the ink cartridge and the protective cap in the mounted posture when a shock is applied. Further, it is preferable that the dimension and shape of the wall surface be appropriately determined according to the shape and size of the ink cartridge.

The shape of the protective cap is shown in FIG . 6 as a schematic view. In this protective cap, a sheet-shaped silicone rubber is used as an elastic seal member 8 by using a resin cap body member 9 and an opening portion of the ink cartridge 1. The cap main body member 9 is mounted by fitting the engaging portion (claw) 10 to the counterbore portion 2 of the ink cartridge.

In the configuration example shown here, in order to secure the rigidity of the wall surface having the claw 10 that fits with the ink cartridge, a box surrounded by a series of wall surfaces by connecting adjacent wall portions of each two sets of wall surfaces. It has a shape.

With the above-mentioned shape, the rigidity of the wall surface having the fitting claws 10 is secured, and even when the impact F is applied as shown in FIG. 7, the ink cartridge is supported by the wall surface of the cap member which is supported by the reaction force R. Since it can be fixed with the protective cap attached, it can be advantageous against drops and the like.

When an impact is applied from the bottom of the cap, the elastic sealing member held on the bottom of the protective cap serves as a cushioning material, and FIG.
The force relationship shown in (b) is obtained. At this time, if the impact force is F and the damping force of the seal member as a cushioning force is f, the reaction force applied to the claw portion when the ink cartridge is about to come off the protective cap due to the impact is F ′ / 2, and there is no cushioning action. Compared with the case, F / 2> F '/ 2 (F' + f = F is considered when there is a cushioning action by the elastic seal member), which is advantageous for the protective cap coming off due to impact.

[0032] As the elastic sealing member 8, when pressed against the liquid outflow opening of the liquid holding member is elastically deformed can seal the liquid outlet opening, and a buffering action against an impact such as dropping It is possible to use an elastic body having a hardness that brings about a material that is not affected by the ink used.
For example, silicone rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, chlorinated butyl rubber, "Nannex" which is a foam made by Inoac Corporation, etc. may be mentioned. As the sealing member, a foam such as the above-mentioned "Nannex" can be used. At this time, if the foam is a closed cell, there is no problem in use, but in the case of a continuous cell, it is possible to prevent permeation on the sealing surface. It is also possible to use those that have been subjected to a film-like treatment, or those that have been combined with a film for preventing penetration.

The hardness of the elastic body is JIS C-212.
According to No. 3, it is preferable to use a silicone rubber having a hardness of 20 ° to 60 °, and a rubber hardness of 40 ° was selected in the present embodiment. However, these selections are made according to the shape of the liquid outflow opening and the magnitude of the applied impact. In consideration of the above, it may be designed so as to satisfy the sealing property and the cushioning function of the opening. Further, the thickness or material of the elastic seal member and the shape of the liquid outflow opening of the liquid holding member to be mounted are appropriately set, but preferably about 2 to 3 mm.

When the main body member is made of resin, the main body member is manufactured by molding the resin into a predetermined shape by a molding method such as compression molding, transfer molding or injection molding. As the resin material, POM, Noryl, polypropylene (PP), nylon 66 or the like can be used in the case of a thermoplastic resin, and epoxy resin or the like can be used in the case of a thermosetting resin.

Further, the cap body member is made of resin,
While the minimum thickness of the wall portion of the cap in the shape should be selected as appropriate due to the size of the products, fitted during production,
It was set to 0.9 mm in consideration of opening by the user. The height of the wall portion from the bottom surface of the cap encloses the side surface of the ink cartridge in the mounted state, and the mounting claw portion 10
11 to line song Me by the elastic deformation of the mounting claw portion 10 a opened as a cantilever shape, with a color cartridge.
5 mm and 8.5 mm for a black cartridge.

Example 1 In consideration of the cushioning action, the elastic seal member 8 is preferably sized so as to come into contact with the entire wall surface of the ink cartridge 1 where the ink supply port is provided. However, when the protective cap is manufactured at a low cost, the elastic seal is used. Considering the cost of the single member, it is desirable that the necessary minimum size that can function as a cushioning material and sufficiently seal the ink supply port.

When the elastic seal member 8 having such a size is used and the seal member 8 is smaller than the size of the wall surface of the ink cartridge 1 having the opening [FIG. 9]
(A)] Alternatively, when attempting to seal the opening at a position offset from the center of the wall surface, the wall surface of the ink cartridge 1 locally receives the reaction force from the sealing member 8 in the cap mounted state. In addition, an unstable support state is formed, and a space is formed between the ink cartridge 1 and the cap bottom surface due to the thickness of the seal member 8 in the portion of the cap body member bottom surface portion that does not hold the seal member 8.

When a shock is applied from the bottom surface of the cap in the mounted state, the ink cartridge 1 has the portion receiving the reaction force by the seal member 8 as a fulcrum as shown in FIGS. 9 (b) and 9 (c). Since it moves in this space, the force may be concentrated on the claw portion 10 on one side to disengage the fitting portion (FIG. 9 (b)), or the opening and the seal member 8 in the pressure contact state may be separated from each other. Ink may leak away [Fig. 9
(C)], the ink cartridge 1 in the mounted state
It is not preferable for the to move excessively.

The same applies when the surface of the ink cartridge 1 facing the seal member 8 has a step or the like and a space is formed between the ink cartridge 1 and the cap bottom surface facing the ink cartridge 1 in the mounted state.

Therefore, in the present invention, the cap bottom portion is provided with a protruding shape portion having a height facing the ink cartridge with a slight clearance for restricting the mounting state of the ink cartridge 1 and the cap.

In this embodiment, the protective cap for the color cartridge is composed of the two pins shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), and the protective cap for the black cartridge is shown in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b). It has a projecting shape portion 11 composed of three ribs shown in FIG.

By providing the projecting portion 11, the projecting portion 11 serves as a stopper to restrict the movement of the cartridge even when an impact is applied from the bottom surface of the cap, and the fitting portion on one side is also excessive. It is possible to maintain the fitted state and the pressed state of the ink supply port against the seal member without applying force, which is advantageous for the cap coming off and ink leakage.

The shape, size, and arrangement of the above-mentioned protruding shape portion 11 must be arbitrarily set in accordance with the material and thickness of the elastic seal member 8 as well as the material and thickness thereof and the shape of the ink cartridge. An application example of the color cartridge and the black cartridge in this embodiment will be described below.

In the protective cap for the color cartridge, two pins are provided as the projecting shape portion 11 on the bottom surface of the cap facing the stepped portion on the bottom surface of the cartridge. In this embodiment, the gap between the cartridge and the top of the pin in the mounted state. Pin height is 5.1 so that
mm, and the pin outer diameter was φ2 mm in consideration of securing strength and moldability. Here, the cartridge and the protruding portion
It is desirable that the gap between the 1 and 1 is 1 mm or less.

In the black cartridge protection cap, a rib-shaped projecting portion 11 is provided on the bottom portion of the cap facing the cartridge. In this embodiment, the gap between the cartridge and the rib top is 0.3 mm. As described above, the rib height was 2.1 mm, the rib thickness was 1 mm to secure the strength, and the width was 9 mm so that the cartridge did not rotate with respect to the longitudinal axis, and three ribs were provided.

By setting the gap between the bottom surface of the cap that does not hold the seal member and the wall surface of the ink cartridge to be 1 mm or less, the same effect as that provided with the protruding shape portion can be obtained, but which shape is used. It is desirable to select whether to deal with it in consideration of the cartridge shape.

Embodiment 2 The protection cap in this embodiment is the ink cartridge 1
The ring-shaped rib 4 around the ink supply port is pushed into the seal member 8 for sealing, and the pushing amount is preferably large.

On the other hand, however, it is not preferable that the reaction force of the elastic body seal member 8 becomes large because the reaction force of the elastic body is always applied to the fitted claw portion in the mounting property of the device or the mounted state. Therefore, it is desirable to have a structure in which the pushing amount of the rib 4 can be secured and the reaction force of the elastic body seal member 8 can be relaxed. This is especially important in the color cartridge of this embodiment, which is considered to have a larger reaction force because it has three ink supply ports.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
FIG. 13B shows the color cartridge main body part 1 in FIG.
(A), (b) the main body part 1 for the black cartridge
In the above configuration, an annular step 12 raised 0.4 mm from the bottom surface portion is installed at a portion that comes into pressure contact with the annular rib 4 around the ink supply port of the ink cartridge 1 via the elastic seal member 8 when the ink cartridge is mounted. Examples are given below. Here, the upper surface of the step 12 is referred to as a “K surface”. K
The step between the surface and the bottom surface serves as a relief for the deformed portion of the elastic body seal member 8 when the ink supply port protection cap is attached. As a result, the pressure contact amount of the rib 4 of the ink cartridge 1 with respect to the elastic seal member 8 is secured, and at the same time, the elastic seal member 8 is pressed.
It was possible to reduce the repulsive force from, and after installation, the reaction force for both color cartridges and black cartridges could be reduced by about 7%.

The shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the "K plane" in this embodiment must be set appropriately in accordance with the thickness and hardness of the elastic seal member 8 and the shapes of the ink cartridge 1 and the ink supply port. The height dimension of the “K surface” and the bottom surface portion is preferably 1 mm or less, and the width thereof is preferably about 3 times the maximum width of the ink supply port rib 4 in consideration of the sealing property.

Therefore, in the case of a color cartridge, "K side"
Width is 3m, which is more than three times the maximum rib width of 0.8mm
In the case of a black cartridge, the maximum width of the rib is 0.8 mm, which is three times as large as 2.4 mm.

Example 3 The color ink cartridges in this example are Y, M,
C three ink chambers and asymmetrically arranged Y, M,
C has three ink supply ports, so the reaction force received from the elastic body when the cap is attached is also asymmetric and unbalanced,
When an impact is applied, the portion receiving the reaction force from the elastic seal member 8 is used as a fulcrum, and the portion having a lower bottom surface than the “K surface” not receiving the reaction force due to the pressure contact of the ink supply port ribs 4 is used. When the ink cartridge is tilted, the ink supply port rib 4 in the pressure contact state and the seal member 8 are separated from each other, and the ink may leak into the cap, which may result in color mixing.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the step 13 is raised by 0.4 mm with respect to the bottom surface portion not facing the ink supply port.
Are installed, and an example of the configuration is shown in FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b).
Here, the upper surface of the step 13 is referred to as “J surface”.

By providing the step 13 having the J surface, it is possible to support the bottom surface of the ink cartridge through the elastic seal member 8 with a substantially uniform reaction force over the entire area. This is advantageous in that the ink supply port is tilted on the material 8 and the ink supply port is separated from the sealing material, thereby preventing ink leakage.

Further, the shape, dimensions and arrangement of the "J plane" in the present invention must be set appropriately according to the shapes of the ink cartridge and the ink supply port, and the height dimension relative to the bottom surface is almost the "K plane". It is preferable that the heights are the same, and it is preferable that the positional relationship is determined in consideration of securing an escape portion of the seal member and supporting the seal member in the largest possible area.

Embodiment 4 There are two seal member shapes that can be used in the protective cap of the present invention, one having a sheet shape and the other having a protrusion having a shape following the ink supply port. The former one has the simplest shape as a seal member, and has an advantage of low cost because a desired shape can be easily manufactured in a large amount by punching from a mass-produced sheet.

Further, in the structure having a space between the ink derivative and the surface of the seal member such as the case where a sheet-shaped seal member is used, when the cartridge is exposed to a high temperature or depressurized environment, The leaked ink may be accumulated in the space and may remain. If the seal is opened in that state, there is a possibility that the ink remaining on the seal member may be scattered, adhered to the user's hand, or dripped on the floor.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the raised portion 14 that follows the ink supply port is provided on the portion of the seal member 8 facing the ink supply port. Here, when the top surface of the raised portion 14 comes into pressure contact with the ink derivative, the ink derivative is pressed to deform the absorber inside the cartridge, and the ink impregnated and held in the absorber oozes out into the space inside the cartridge,
If the ink is not absorbed again in the absorber and remains, it may cause ink leakage in the cartridge alone.

Therefore, the height of the raised portion 14 of the seal member is set so as to abut against the ink guide without pressing it. FIG. 15 shows a schematic view of a protective cap using the above-mentioned seal member, and FIG. 16 shows a cross section of the mounted state in the embodiment.

In this embodiment, the raised portion 14 on the seal member
Is a male shape with respect to the ink supply port, and the height of the top of the head is the height with which the ink derivative is brought into contact without being pressed. This makes it possible to prevent the above problems because almost no ink is attached to the surface of the seal member by making the space almost nonexistent.

The seal member having the raised portion 14 according to the present invention can be applied to an ink cartridge having a plurality of openings or a liquid holding member.

When the cost is reduced for the protective cap in this structure, it may be disadvantageous in terms of cost in the process of assembling the seal member and the cap body member. Therefore, if the main body member of the protective cap is made of resin and the elastic body sealing member is made of thermoplastic elastomer and two-color molding is used, the configurations described in Examples 1 to 5 are equivalent to the processing cost of the elastic body sealing member and the resin body part. It is advantageous in that it can save the assembly processing cost and can be manufactured at a lower cost.

In this embodiment, it is possible to form the cap by two-color molding using a styrene thermoplastic elastomer having a hardness of 40 as the elastic sealing member and PP as the resin main body component.

Embodiment 5 FIG. 17 is a side view showing the mounting state of the protective cap and the ink cartridge for mounting it in the present invention.
The ink cartridge according to the present embodiment has a step surface that is higher than the container side surface in contact with the surface having the ink supply port,
The knob portion 15 for opening the protective cap engages with the lower surface engaging portion 2 of FIG. By using the protective cap having the structure in which the engaging portion 10 and the knob portion 15 are arranged on the side surface of the container having the step as described above, when the knob portion is dropped from this surface and an impact is received, it is shown in FIG. When the knob portion of the protective cap is arranged on the stepped portion of the container as described above (a), the elastic deformation amount is x1, and when there is no step portion (b), x2 is x1 <x2. Can be reduced. Therefore, the possibility of breakage of the picked portion can be reduced, and the former case is advantageous over the latter case where there is no step.

Further, since the outer shape of the ink cartridge with the protective cap attached is small, there is also an advantage that the packaging material itself can be made small.

The relationship between the picked position of the cap and the shape of the container in the mounted state varies depending on the size and shape of the container. However, it is preferable that the height of the step is as high as possible. In the embodiment, the maximum height of the knob is about 8 mm while the height of the step is about 4 mm. Further, by optimizing the dimension of the d portion shown in FIG. 17 so that the user's finger can be inserted, it is possible to sufficiently provide the unsealing property, and in this embodiment, it is about 12 mm.

[0067]

The protective cap according to the present invention has two sets of wall surfaces facing each other with respect to the side surface of the liquid holding member to be engaged with the elastic body sealing member, and a line connecting the facing wall surfaces of each set. When imaginary, the cap body member is arranged so that the imaginary lines intersect so that the seal member is brought into pressure contact with the opening of the liquid holding member and maintains that state. As a result, even if a drop impact is applied, the cap body member fixes the liquid holding member and the protective cap in the mounted posture, and the elastic seal member absorbs the impact to prevent the cap from coming off. It is possible.

Further, in the protective cap according to the present invention, the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the cap body member for holding the elastic seal member is attached to the liquid holding member with a slight gap in the state where the liquid holding member is mounted. The use of opposing cap body members is effective in preventing cap detachment and ink leakage.

When the protective cap according to the present invention is attached to the opening of the liquid holding member having an annular projecting portion around the liquid outflow opening, the opening is formed on the bottom surface of the protective cap main body member. By providing a convex step portion at a portion opposed to the protruding portion around the seal member via the seal member, the reaction force from the elastic body seal member in the mounted state is alleviated, and the mountability and fitting of the device are improved. It is effective in improving the reaction force applied to the mounting part.

Further, the protective cap according to the present invention comprises:
A portion different from the convex step and having a convex step portion with respect to the bottom surface portion at a portion facing the liquid holding member via the elastic anti-sealing member sealing member, and thereby the cartridge bottom surface is provided by the sealing member. It is possible to support the entire area substantially evenly, which is effective against ink leakage due to the ink supply port moving away from the elastic seal member when the ink cartridge moves when an impact is applied.

Further, in the protective cap of the present invention, the elastic seal member is shaped so as to have a protrusion that follows the shape of the opening of the liquid holding member, so that almost no residual ink adheres to the surface of the sheet member. It is effective for preventing stains due to ink dripping when opening.

The protective cap according to the present invention is manufactured by molding the main body member made of resin by two-color molding together with the sealing member, thereby requiring a step of assembling the cap main body member and the elastic seal member. On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the number of steps and to manufacture at a lower cost.

Further, in the protective cap of the present invention, the grip portion and the engaging portion are engaged with the lower surface of the side surface of the container having the step of the liquid holding member to limit the elastic deformation amount due to the impact of the drop of the grip portion. Thus, there is an advantage that the possibility of breakage of the picked portion is reduced, and the outer shape of the liquid holding member in the state where the cap is attached is reduced to reduce the size of the packaging material itself.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a color ink cartridge to which a protective cap according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a black ink cartridge to which a protective cap according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a color ink cartridge to which the protective cap of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a black ink cartridge to which the protective cap of the present invention is applied.

5A and 5B show an arrangement and a type of wall surfaces for fixing a liquid holding member of a protective cap according to the present invention, where FIG. 5A is a rectangular ink cartridge, FIG. 5B is a cylindrical ink cartridge, and FIG. ) Indicates the arrangement of the wall surfaces of the protective cap for the hexagonal prism-shaped ink cartridge, respectively.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the shape of a protective cap according to the present invention.

7A and 7B are conceptual diagrams when a shock is applied from the side direction in the mounted state, in which FIG. 7A shows a wall surface with a claw, and FIG. 7B shows a wall surface without a claw.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram when an impact is applied from the bottom surface direction in the mounted state, where (a) does not consider the damping force of the elastic seal member, and (b) shows the case where the damping force is considered.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a harmful effect when the ink cartridge moves due to an impact due to the size of the elastic seal member,
(A) shows the structure when the seal member is small,
(B) and (c) are conceptual diagrams of harmful effects when a shock is applied from the bottom direction.

10A is a top view of a collar protection cap provided with a stopper portion for maintaining a mounted state, and FIG. 10B is a side view taken along line AA of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11A is a top view of a black protective cap provided with a stopper portion for maintaining a mounted state; FIG.
FIG. 7B is a side view taken along line BB in (a).

FIG. 12A is a top view of a color protection cap provided with a “K plane”, and FIG. 12B is a side view taken along line CC of FIG.

13A is a top view of a black protective cap provided with a “K surface”, and FIG. 13B is a side view taken along line DD of FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A is a top view of a color protection cap provided with a “J surface”, and FIG. 14B is a side view taken along line EE of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view of an elastic seal member having a raised portion on a surface facing an ink supply port of an ink cartridge and a protective cap.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing an attached state of an elastic seal member having a raised portion on a surface facing an ink supply port of an ink cartridge and a protective cap.

FIG. 17 is a side view showing a state in which a protection cap is attached to an ink cartridge having a step on the side surface.

FIG. 18A is a conceptual diagram showing an elastic deformation amount of a picked portion when it is mounted on a container having a step, and FIG. 18B is a conceptual diagram showing an elastic deformation amount of a picked portion when mounted on a container without a step.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ink cartridge 2 counterbore part 3 ink derivative 4 annular rib 5 ink absorber 6 Absorber holding rib 7 wall surfaces 8 Elastic seal member 9 Body member 10 nails 11 Projected shape part 12, 13 steps 14 Raised part 15 picked portion

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Hirofumi Okuhara 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (56) References JP-A-5-57906 (JP, A) (58) Survey Areas (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175 B41J 2/165

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. A protective cap for sealing a liquid outflow opening of a liquid holding member that stores liquid therein, the protective cap having a size capable of being elastically deformed to at least seal the opening.
And a cap main body member that presses the seal member into contact with the opening of the liquid holding member and maintains that state. The cap main body member is configured to prevent elastic deformation of the seal member. bottom portion for holding as tolerated, and includes an engaging portion for engagement with the liquid holding member, which has at least 4 or more sides, respectively opposing surfaces on each side of the liquid holding member engaged, the elastic Sea
Bottom area of the cap body member where the
Of the liquid holding member in the area where the liquid holding member is attached
Cap book facing the area without openings for liquid outflow
A protective cap having a protruding shape portion on the bottom surface of the body member . 2. The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein there is a gap of 1 mm or less between the projecting shape portion and the liquid holding member in a mounted state with the liquid holding member. 3. The protruding shape portion is a pin shape or
The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein the protective cap has a rib shape . 4. The protective cap is provided with a knob portion used for removing the protective cap from the liquid holding member, and the knob portion is located on the side surface having the step of the liquid holding member. The protective cap according to claim 1, wherein the protective cap is attachable to the. 5. A protective cap, which is attached to an opening of a liquid holding member having an annular projecting portion around a liquid outflow opening of a liquid holding member that accommodates liquid therein, and elastically deforms the opening. the has a rubber seal member closable with at least sealable size, and a cap body member to maintain its state with is pressed against the seal member to the opening of the liquid holding member, the cap body member Includes a bottom surface portion that holds the seal member so as to allow elastic deformation, and an engagement portion that engages with the liquid holding member, and has at least four surfaces that face each side surface of the engaging liquid holding member. The liquid of the liquid holding member having more than one surface
For the annular protrusion around the body outflow opening
The cap body that is opposed through the seal member Te
Align the shape of the liquid outflow opening with the position of the bottom surface of the member.
A protective cap that is provided with a raised convex step . 6. A portion different from the convex step on the bottom surface portion of the cap body member, and a convex step portion with respect to the bottom surface portion at a portion facing the liquid holding member via the seal member. The protective cap according to claim 5, wherein: 7. A protective cap to be mounted on a liquid holding member having an ink derivative in the opening, wherein the sealing member has a shape having a protrusion that follows the shape of the opening of the liquid holding member. The protective cap described in 5. 8. The protective cap is provided with a knob portion used to remove the protective cap from the liquid holding member, and the knob portion is located on a side surface having a step of the liquid holding member. The protective cap according to claim 5, wherein the protective cap can be attached to the. 9. A protection cap according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding member has an opening for accommodating the recording liquid therein and supplying the recording liquid to the outside. A liquid holding member characterized by being sealed with. 10. An engaging portion for engaging a protective cap on a side surface of a container in contact with a surface having an opening for liquid outflow, and a step portion on at least one surface of the side surface having the engaging portion. 10. The liquid holding member according to claim 9, wherein a holding portion for opening the protective cap is attached to the liquid holding member having the step so as to be located on the side surface side having the step surface.