JP3747678B2 - Ink cartridge for inkjet printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for an ink jet printer with a separate print head, which can communicate an ink tank and the atmosphere only by being set on a carriage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The separate ink jet ink cartridge for the print head is configured to supply the ink in the ink tank to the print head mounted on the carriage via the ink supply path.
[0003]
FIG. 6A is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of this type of conventional ink cartridge. The ink cartridge 80 includes a cartridge main body 81 and a lid member 82.
[0004]
The cartridge body 81 has an ink tank T (a sponge 83 is accommodated in FIG. 6A). A lid member 82 is provided on the upper portion of the cartridge body 81, and a communication hole 84 communicating with an air channel 90 described later is provided on the upper portion. An ink supply path 85 is provided below the ink cartridge 80, and a protective film 86 is provided at the opening of the ink cartridge 80 when the ink cartridge is not used. An alignment ring 87 is provided on the inner side of the protective film 86.
[0005]
In the manufacturing process of the ink cartridge 80, ink is filled from the ink filling hole 88 of the lid member 82. This hole 88 is sealed by a protective seal 89 (for example, made of a synthetic resin sheet) at the time of shipment from the factory. Has been.
[0006]
Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, a groove (that is, an air channel 90) having a predetermined pattern communicating with the communication hole 84 described above is formed on the upper surface of the lid member 82. The upper surface of the air channel 90 is covered with the protective seal 89 described above, leaving the end portion 91 of the air channel 90. The end portion 91 is sealed with an airtight seal 92 (for example, made of a synthetic resin sheet) so that the ink tank T and the atmosphere do not communicate with each other when the ink cartridge 80 is not used.
[0007]
When the user mounts the ink cartridge 80 on a carriage (not shown), the air-tight seal 92 is first peeled off to make the ink tank T communicate with the atmosphere. An ink supply needle (not shown) for supplying ink in the ink tank T to a print head (not shown) is attached to the carriage, and the protective film 86 supplies the ink in the process of loading the ink cartridge 80 into the carriage. It is destroyed by the tip of the needle. In a state where the ink cartridge 80 is completely loaded in the carriage, the alignment ring 87 seals the outer periphery of the ink supply needle so that the ink does not leak out.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when the user peels off the airtight seal 92 when using the ink cartridge 80, the protective seal 89 may be accidentally peeled off. When the protective seal 89 is peeled off, changes in ink physical properties such as an excessive amount of ink evaporation inside the ink cartridge 80 become large, affecting the print quality. In the case of a color ink cartridge, a plurality of ink tanks are provided. However, since the airtight seal 92 is provided for each ink tank, the user is forced to remove the airtight seal.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge for an ink jet printer with a separate print head, which can open an ink tank to the atmosphere via an air channel simultaneously with loading of an ink cartridge into a carriage.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
As described above, when the ink cartridge is newly used, the user has to perform two operations such as removing the airtight seal and loading the ink cartridge. If the inventor can communicate the ink tank and the atmosphere only by loading the ink cartridge, the protective seal will not be carelessly removed, and the user will be forced to remove the airtight seal. The present invention has been made based on the knowledge that there is no such thing.
[0011]
The present invention is applied to an ink cartridge with a separate print head including an ink tank, an ink supply path, a protective film, and an alignment ring. The ink cartridge is usually loaded in a carriage on which the print head is mounted. However, the ink cartridge is not necessarily limited to this. The ink cartridge is installed at a fixed position in the printer, and ink is supplied to the print head via a flexible supply tube. May be provided.
[0012]
The ink supply path supplies ink in the ink tank to the outside (that is, the print head), and an ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply path.
[0013]
The protective film is provided to prevent the ink in the ink tank from leaking to the outside when the ink cartridge is not used. The protective film is provided on at least a part of the ink supply path such as an opening on the atmosphere side of the ink supply path. When the ink supply needle is inserted, it is destroyed by the tip of the ink supply needle.
[0014]
The alignment ring is provided in the ink supply path, and is in close contact with the outer periphery of the ink supply needle when the ink supply needle is inserted, thereby preventing leakage of the ink in the ink tank to the outside.
[0015]
In addition to the above configuration, the ink cartridge of the present invention is further provided with an air channel and a valve member that are different from the conventional ones.
[0017]
The valve member closes the air channel when the ink supply needle is not inserted into the ink supply path. However, when the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply path, the valve member moves in response to the insertion. It moves by the stress component of the perpendicular | vertical direction, and it is comprised so that obstruction | occlusion of an air channel may be cancelled | released. The valve member can be made of a material such as synthetic rubber, plastic, or metal, and can be formed integrally with the alignment ring or can be formed separately from the alignment ring. The valve member can be configured such that the valve member approaches the alignment ring when the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply path, or the valve member can be configured to move away from the alignment ring. However, in any case, the valve member releases the blockage of the air channel.
[0018]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the ink supply path that is close to the air channel is parallel to the ink supply path, the alignment ring has a thick shape, and the blocking release member It is configured to have a shape having a central axis that is integrally formed with the ring and that is parallel to the central axis of the alignment ring. Further, the alignment ring and the blocking release member are configured such that when the ink supply needle is not inserted into the ink supply path, the air channel is blocked by the ring portion of the blocking release member. When inserted into the ink supply path, the ring member central portion of the valve member is configured to release the blockage of the air channel.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the ink cartridge of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0020]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 1 as viewed from below. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink cartridge 1 of this embodiment has a central component 2, an upper component 3, and a lower component 4.
[0021]
The central component 2 has a container shape, and its internal space is an ink tank T, in which a sponge 5 is accommodated and filled with ink.
[0022]
The central component 2 has an attachment surface S1 for attaching the lower component 4 to the lower surface thereof, and a part 6a of the ink supply path is opened on the attachment surface S1, and the opening is in the opening. A protective film 7 is formed. The mounting surface S1 is formed with holes 8a to 8d that fit into projections 17a to 17d of the lower component 4 described later, and a part 9a of the air channel 9 is opened (this opening is denoted by reference numeral 18a). ). The air channel 9 a is continuous with the groove formed on the side surface S <b> 2 of the central component 2 through the inside of the central component 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the groove formed on the side surface S <b> 2 of the central component 2 constitutes a part 9 b of the air channel 9 by being surrounded by a weir-like continuous protrusion 10. A communication hole 11 is formed in the upper part of the side surface S2 of the central component 2 toward the ink tank T, and the air channel 9b is continuous with the communication hole 11. The air channel 9b is covered with a protective seal 12 (see FIG. 1) in a state where the components 2 to 4 are assembled.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, the upper component 3 is a lid member of the ink cartridge 1 and is attached to the central component 2 after the sponge 5 is placed in the ink tank T. The upper component 3 has an ink injection hole 14 which is sealed by a protective seal 15 after the ink is injected.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 1, an attachment surface S <b> 3 that is in close contact with the attachment surface S <b> 1 of the central component 2 is formed on the upper surface of the lower component 4. The lower component 4 is formed with a part 6b of the ink supply path, and the opening on the mounting surface S3 side of the ink supply path 6b coincides with the opening of the ink supply path 6a described above. As shown in FIG. 3, the mounting surface S3 has a groove 16 in which a centering ring and a valve member 20 in which a centering ring and a valve member described later are integrated, and the mounting surface of the central component 2 Protrusions 17a to 17d that fit into the holes 8a to 8d formed in S1 are formed. A bank B is formed in the central portion of the groove 16, and on the opposite side of the bank B from the ink supply path 6b, air passing vertically through the central component 2 as shown in FIG. A channel 9c is provided (the opening at the attachment surface S3 of the air channel 9c is indicated by reference numeral 18a). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a connecting member 19 that connects to an ink supply needle (not shown) protrudes from the lower surface side of the lower component 4.
[0025]
The alignment / valve member 20 has a ring shape (or donut shape) as shown in the plan view of FIG. 4A and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4B (the cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 4A). It is an integral structure of the ring portion 21 and a valve portion 22 that also has a ring shape. The valve part 22 side (indicated by reference numeral 21a) of the alignment ring part 21 is formed thicker than the side opposite to the valve part 22 (indicated by reference numeral 21b). In addition, the alignment ring part 21 side (indicated by reference numeral 22a) of the valve part 22 is formed thinner than the thickness of the part indicated by reference numeral 21a, and is opposite to the alignment ring part 21 of the valve part 22 (reference numeral). 22b) is formed thicker than the portion indicated by reference numeral 22a. Further, the hole 23 of the alignment ring portion 21 is formed smaller than the diameter of an ink supply needle (not shown), and the hole 24 of the valve portion 22 is formed smaller.
[0026]
The operation of the ink cartridge having the above configuration will be described below. FIG. 5A shows the state of the joined portion between the central component 3 and the lower component 4 of the assembled ink cartridge 1 before the ink supply needle is inserted, that is, the alignment / valve member 20 FIG. 5 (B) is a diagram showing a state where the ink cartridge 1 is assembled, and the central component 3 and the lower configuration when the ink supply needle is inserted in the assembled ink cartridge 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of a joint portion with an element 4.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 5A, the center of the hole 23 of the alignment ring portion 21 is biased to the opposite side of the bank B formed in the groove 16 from the center line L of the ink supply path 9b. . Further, in this state, the opening 18a of the attachment surface S1 of the central component 2 of the air channel 9a and the opening 18b of the attachment surface S3 of the lower component essential path 4 of the air channel 9c are denoted by reference numeral 22b of the valve portion 22. Therefore, the ink tank T (see FIG. 1) and the atmosphere do not communicate with each other.
[0028]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the ink supply needle 100 is inserted into the ink supply path 9b, the alignment / valve member 20 is deformed. At this time, the portion indicated by reference numeral 21 a of the alignment ring portion 21 is pressed toward the bank B side and moves the entire valve portion 22. As a result, the blocking of the opening 18a of the mounting surface S1 and the opening 18b of the mounting surface S3 is released by the portion indicated by the reference numeral 22b of the valve portion 22, so that the ink tank T (see FIG. 1) and the atmosphere are air channels. 9b and 9a, the hole 24 of the valve part 22, and the air channel 9c communicate.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the present invention, the ink tank can be opened to the atmosphere via the air channel simultaneously with the loading of the ink cartridge into the carriage. Therefore, the protective seal is not inadvertently removed by the user, and the user is not forced to remove the hermetic seal.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an ink cartridge 1 as viewed from below.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a groove formed on a side surface of a central component.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a mounting surface S3 of a lower component.
4A and 4B are diagrams showing an alignment / valve member in which an alignment ring and a valve member are integrated, and FIG. 4A is a plan view, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG.
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a state of a joining portion of a central component and a lower component before an ink supply needle is inserted in the ink cartridge, and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an ink supply needle of the ink cartridge. It is a figure which shows the mode of the junction part of the center part component and lower part component when inserted.
6A is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional ink cartridge, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of a lid member of the ink cartridge.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink cartridge 2 Central part component 3 Upper component 4 Lower component 5 Sponge 6a, 6b Ink supply path 7 Protective film 8a-8d Hole 9a, 9b, 9c Air channel 10 Continuous protrusion 11 Communication hole 12 Protective seal 14 Ink injection Hole 15 Protective seal 16 Grooves 17a to 17d Protrusion 18a, 18b Opening 19 Connecting member 20 Alignment / valve member T Ink tank S1, S3 Mounting surface 100 Ink supply needle

Claims (3)

A central component with an ink tank;
A lower component having an ink supply path into which an ink supply needle is inserted, which supplies the ink in the ink tank to the outside, and
A protective film that is provided in at least a portion of the ink supply path and is destroyed when the ink supply needle is inserted;
An alignment ring that is provided in the ink supply path and has a hole into which the ink supply needle is inserted, and that is in close contact with the outer periphery of the ink supply needle when the ink supply needle is inserted;
In the vicinity of the ink supply path, a portion that closes the opening of the air channel that communicates the ink tank and the atmosphere formed in the central component, and the block of the air channel that communicates the ink tank and the atmosphere are released. A valve member having a hole to be
The valve member is disposed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the ink supply needle is inserted into the alignment ring. When the ink supply needle is not inserted into the alignment ring, the opening of the air channel is blocked. When the ink supply needle is inserted into the alignment ring, the position of the hole is adjusted by the stress component in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction due to deformation of the alignment ring. An ink cartridge for an ink jet printer, wherein the ink cartridge is configured to be moved by being pressed by the alignment ring so as to move to a position to release the blockage. A portion of the ink supply path that is close to the air channel is parallel to the supply path;
The alignment ring has a thick shape,
The closure release member is integrally connected to the alignment ring and has a ring shape having a central axis parallel to the central axis of the ring,
In a state where the ink supply needle is not inserted into the ink supply path, the air channel is blocked by the ring member of the blocking release member, but the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply path and the alignment is performed. 2. The ink cartridge for an ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein when the ring comes into close contact with the outer periphery of the ink supply needle, the central portion of the ring of the valve member releases the blockage of the air channel.   The ink cartridge for an ink jet printer according to claim 1, wherein an opening of the air channel into the ink tank is provided at an upper portion of the ink tank.

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