JP3591561B2 - Ink storage container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink container used for an ink jet printer or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An ink storage container used for an ink jet printer is usually formed as a bag by a flexible ink-resistant thin film material, and further, the container is housed in a cartridge case and provided on the peripheral surface of the ink outlet. After the groove is fixed to the side plate of the cartridge case, the cartridge is loaded into the printer.
[0003]
Therefore, this kind of ink storage container is shown in FIG. 4 when the bag a shrinks due to the decrease of the ink inside because the ink outlet b is attached to the side plate d of the cartridge case c. As described above, since the space e is formed inside the ink outlet b without being sufficiently contracted due to the ink outlet b being pulled by the ink outlet b, the inside of the container a becomes negative pressure and the nozzle becomes In the case where the problem that the print quality is significantly impaired by reducing the diameter of the ink droplet ejected from the ink cartridge occurs, and when the ink storage container is replaced with a new one at the time when the print quality is not impaired, The disadvantage is that the ink remaining in the bag is unnecessarily wasted.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new ink storage container that can use the ink inside without wasting print quality. is there.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, an ink storage container according to the present invention for achieving the above object has a container for storing ink, a fastening member fixed to one side wall of a case, and a communication with the container, and A shape retaining member fixed to one side edge, and a pipe member having one end closely fitted to the fastening member and the other end coupled to the shape retaining member and having ink resistance and flexibility; There is a gap between the fastening member and the shape retaining member to such an extent that the container can be freely deformed by bending of the pipe member.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Therefore, embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an embodiment of the present invention with respect to an ink outlet provided at one side edge of an ink container.
[0007]
In the drawing, an ink outlet indicated by reference numeral 1 has one end closely fitted to the fastening member 2 locked to the front wall 13 of the cartridge case 12 and the fastening member 2 so as to communicate with the ink storage container 10. And a connecting pipe 5 made of the same.
[0008]
The fastening member 2 is formed of a hard polyethylene resin or the like in a cylindrical shape, and an outer peripheral surface thereof is formed with an engaging groove 3 for engaging with the front wall 13 of the cartridge case 12. Is sealed by a thin film member 4 small enough to allow an ink supply needle provided in a print head (not shown) to pass therethrough.
[0009]
On the other hand, the connecting pipe 5 is formed as a cylindrical body having a blind hole at the tip by a flexible material such as butyl rubber having both ink resistance and gas impermeability. The cylindrical member 8 at the rear end is kept close to one side edge of the ink storage container 10 with a slight gap left, while closely fitting the rear end of the fastening member 2 so as to be in close contact with the back surface of the film body 4. It is configured to be coupled via the shape member 9.
[0010]
The ink storage container 10 thus configured is attached to the inside of the cartridge case 12 by engaging the engagement groove 3 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the fastening member 2 with the front wall 13 of the cartridge case 12, Further, when the ink supply needle is mounted on the ink jet printer in this state, the ink supply needle protruding from the back surface of the recording head penetrates the thin film 4 in the fastening member 2 and the flexible blind hole portion 6 at the tip of the connection pipe 5, Communication between the recording head and the ink storage bag 10 is achieved.
[0011]
In this state, the recording is performed, and the consumption of the ink inside proceeds, and the ink storage container 10 shrinks. As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting pipe made of a flexible material is used. 5 is such that the ink bag 10 is flexibly deformed so as to follow the deformation of the ink container 10 irrespective of the fastening member 2 fixed to the cartridge case 12 so that the space formed therein can be made as small as possible. This suppresses the generation of a negative pressure generated inside, thereby enabling the ink to be used completely without deteriorating the image quality.
[0012]
In this embodiment, by removing the handle f as shown in FIG. 4 on the lower surface of the rear end of the cartridge case 12, the occurrence of wrinkles at the rear end of the ink storage bag 10, that is, the ink storage bag The space e formed at the rear end of 10 is eliminated.
[0013]
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the front end and the rear end of the flexible connection pipe 25 are tightly coupled to the fastening member 22 and the ink storage bag 10, respectively. 10 can be freely deformed. In the figure, reference numeral 24 denotes a thin film for sealing a portion of the connecting pipe 25 from the fastening member 22, and reference numeral 26 denotes a thin film that adheres to the thin film 24. The flexible plug thus fixed to the rear surface is shown.
[0014]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, an ink-resistant flexible pipe member is provided so that a slight gap is provided between the fastening member that fastens to the cartridge case and the container that stores the ink. As a result, the container itself can be freely contracted and deformed by the flexibility of the container itself without being affected by the fastening member fixed to the cartridge case. This makes it possible to use the ink in the container completely.
[0015]
In addition, using the plug for inserting the ink supply needle of the recording head, one of which is extended in the shape of a pipe to form a connecting portion between the fastening member and the ink storage bag, so that the number of special members is reduced. It is possible to impart communication with the recording head and a function of freely deforming the ink storage bag without need.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention with respect to an ink outlet.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a deformed state of an ink storage bag provided with an ink outlet according to the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ink outlet according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a deformed state of a conventional ink storage bag provided with an ink outlet.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 21 Ink outlet 2, 22 Fastening member 5, 25 Connecting pipe 6, 26 Ink supply needle insertion part

Claims (2)

A container for storing ink, a fixing member fixed to one side wall of the case, a shape-retaining member communicating with the container, and fixed to one side edge of the container; A pipe member having ink resistance and flexibility, the other end of which is coupled to the fitting member, and the other end of the pipe member is provided between the fastening member and the shape retaining member. An ink container having a gap such that the container can be freely deformed by bending. Said fastening member and tightly the ends of the mating side of the pipe member, the ink container of claim 1, wherein the sealed with stopper through the ink supply needle of the recording head.

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