JP5842462B2 - Method for manufacturing liquid container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a liquid container that is mounted on a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid and contains liquid therein.

  In a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid such as ink from an ejecting nozzle, such as a so-called ink jet printer, a liquid container such as an ink cartridge that contains the liquid is mounted as a liquid supply source. The liquid container is detachably mounted on the liquid ejecting apparatus, and can be exchanged for a new liquid container when the liquid inside is exhausted.

  In addition, there has been proposed a liquid container in which the liquid storage portion of the liquid container and the atmosphere opening are connected by an air passage so that air is taken into the liquid storage portion from the air passage as the liquid is consumed. (Patent Document 1). In this liquid container, since the opening part (air port) of the air passage in the liquid container is provided near the bottom of the liquid container, the liquid container is filled with the liquid upside down when the liquid container is manufactured. When doing so, it is possible to escape the air in the liquid container from the air port and fill the liquid container with the liquid.

JP 2007-253328 A

  However, when it is necessary to provide an air port above the bottom of the liquid storage unit for reasons of design, etc., if the liquid container is turned upside down and filled with liquid, the air at a position higher than the air port is transferred to the liquid storage unit. Can not escape to the outside. As a result, there is a problem that the liquid container cannot be sufficiently filled with the liquid.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and provides a technique capable of sufficiently filling a liquid container of a liquid container that takes air into the liquid container through a passage. For the purpose.

In order to solve at least a part of the problems described above, the liquid container of the present invention employs the following configuration. That is,
A method for producing a liquid container containing a liquid,
A liquid container capable of containing liquid therein;
When the liquid in the liquid container is consumed, an air opening that can introduce air into the liquid container from outside,
A liquid outlet for the liquid in the liquid container to flow out to the outside;
A passage for taking the air into the liquid container;
An air port which is an entrance in the liquid storage part of the passage ;
When the liquid outlet is vertically downward, the prism is provided at the bottom of the liquid container, and the response to an input from the outside changes depending on the state of the liquid in the liquid container,
When the liquid outlet port vertically downward, out of the passage, the opening at a position close to the bottom of the liquid storage portion, and a bypass port communicating with the liquid containing portion, said liquid outlet when was vertically downward, a first step of preparing a was, the liquid container is provided so that the air inlet to a position above the can opening than the position of the upper and the prism than the position of the bypass port ,
While the liquid outlet vertically upward, and a second step of filling the liquid into the liquid containing portion from the liquid outlet,
And a third step of sealing the bypass port.

  In such a method for producing a liquid container according to the present invention, a liquid container having an air port and a bypass port provided at the predetermined position described above is prepared, and the liquid outlet port is directed vertically upward. The liquid is filled into the liquid container. In this state, the bypass port is located near the upper portion of the liquid storage unit. Since the bypass port is connected to the outside of the liquid container via the passage, when the liquid is filled from the liquid outlet, the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid container reaches the position of the bypass port (near the upper part of the liquid container) The air in the liquid container can be released to the outside. Therefore, the liquid container can be sufficiently filled with the liquid. The bypass port is sealed after filling with liquid.

Further, in the liquid container manufactured in this way, it is possible to detect whether or not the liquid remains in the liquid container using a prism . The liquid container is used in a state where the liquid outlet is directed downward. In this state, air is taken into the liquid storage portion from the air port provided above the position of the prism , so even if bubbles are generated from the air port, the bubbles are prevented from adhering to the prism. be able to. Further, since the bypass port is sealed at this time, no bubbles are generated from the bypass port. As a result, while it is possible to satisfy the liquid containing portion sufficiently liquid, it is possible air bubbles are avoided leading to malfunction of the prism by adhering to the prism.

  Further, in the above-described method for manufacturing a liquid container according to the present invention, a container body part in which a part of the liquid container part and the passage is formed and opened on one surface side, and a lid part that covers the opening part of the container body part are provided. A bypass port is formed between the container main body portion and the lid portion of the liquid container configured to be used. And it is good also as sealing a bypass port by sticking a part of lid part to a container main-body part.

  In this way, it is possible to easily seal the bypass port only by keeping a part of the lid in close contact with the container main body.

  Moreover, in the manufacturing method of the liquid container of the present invention described above, the second liquid container is provided in the middle of the passage for taking air into the liquid container from the outside. In the second step, the liquid container is provided in the liquid container. It is good also as filling a 2nd liquid accommodating part with a liquid, without sealing a bypass port, after a liquid is filled.

  When the air in the liquid container is warmed and expanded, the liquid in the liquid container is pressurized and the liquid flows backward. Further, as the amount of air in the liquid container increases, the amount of expansion increases, and the amount of liquid flowing backward increases. On the other hand, if the second liquid storage part is provided in the middle of the passage and the liquid is filled inside, there is no air in the liquid storage part unless the liquid in the second liquid storage part disappears. The liquid in the liquid container is not pressurized. Further, if the amount of air in the second liquid storage portion increases, the amount of expansion of air increases, but does not flow backward beyond the amount of liquid in the second liquid chamber. Further, when the liquid consumption progresses and the liquid in the liquid storage portion is consumed, the second liquid chamber is empty, and the liquid flowing back from the liquid storage portion is trapped in the second liquid chamber. can do. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the back flow of the liquid.

In the method for manufacturing a liquid container of the present invention described above, the bypass port may be sealed after the second liquid container is filled with liquid in the second step. In this way, while being capable of suppressing the backflow of the liquid as described above, attached to the prism bubbles are generated from the bypass port, it is possible to avoid a situation leading to malfunction of the prism.

It is explanatory drawing which showed the rough structure of the liquid-jet apparatus of a present Example. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the ink cartridge of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating an internal structure of the ink cartridge according to the present exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the remaining amount of ink in an ink cartridge is detected using a prism. It is explanatory drawing which showed the reason why it is avoided that a bubble adheres to the reflective surface of a prism by the position of the intake port of the 2nd ink chamber of a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which showed the method of filling an ink with the ink cartridge of a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which showed a mode that ink was filled into the ink cartridge of the reference example by which the opening is not provided in the communication path. It is explanatory drawing which showed the installation aspect of the opening of the ink cartridge of a modification.

Hereinafter, in order to clarify the contents of the present invention described above, examples will be described in the following order.
A. Inkjet printer configuration:
B. Structure of ink cartridge C. How to detect remaining ink:
D. Ink filling method:
E. Variation:

A. Inkjet printer configuration:
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a rough configuration of a liquid ejecting apparatus according to the present embodiment, using a so-called ink jet printer as an example. As illustrated, the ink jet printer 10 includes a carriage 20 that forms ink dots on the print medium 2 while reciprocating in the main scanning direction, a drive mechanism 30 that reciprocates the carriage 20, and the like. The carriage 20 is provided with an ink cartridge 100 that contains ink, a carriage case 22 in which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted, an ejection head 24 that ejects ink, and the like. A plurality of ejection nozzles are provided on the bottom surface side (side facing the print medium 2) of the ejection head 24. The ink in the ink cartridge 100 is guided to the ejection head 24, and the ink is ejected from the ejection nozzles to the print medium 2. It is possible to inject.

  In the illustrated inkjet printer 10, it is possible to print a color image using four types of inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. An injection nozzle is provided for each type. Each ejection nozzle is supplied with ink from the corresponding ink cartridge 100 via a supply passage (not shown).

  The drive mechanism 30 for reciprocating the carriage 20 includes a timing belt 32 having a plurality of tooth shapes formed therein, a drive motor 34 for driving the timing belt 32, and the like. A part of the timing belt 32 is fixed to the carriage case 22. When the timing belt 32 is driven, the carriage 20 can be reciprocated in the main scanning direction while being guided by a guide rail extending in the main scanning direction. It becomes possible.

  A detection unit 200 for optically detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 100 is provided at a position outside the printing area of the inkjet printer 10. As will be described in detail later, a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are provided inside the detection unit 200, and light is emitted from the light emission unit when the ink cartridge 100 passes above the detection unit 200 as the carriage 20 moves. And the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 100 is detected based on whether the light receiving unit receives the light. In the inkjet printer 10 of the present embodiment, the detection unit 200 is provided at a position outside the print region, but the detection unit 200 may be provided within the print region. In this way, it is possible to detect the remaining amount of ink even if the carriage 20 does not move a long distance during printing.

  Furthermore, a control unit 60 that controls the overall operation of the inkjet printer 10 is mounted on the back surface of the inkjet printer 10. The operation of reciprocating the ejection head 24, the operation of ejecting ink from the ejection nozzle, the operation of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 100, and the like are all controlled by the control unit 60.

B. Ink cartridge structure:
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the structure of the ink cartridge 100. As shown in the drawing, the ink cartridge 100 includes a main body case 102 roughly formed of a hard resin material, a first film 103 covering one side of the main body case 102, and the other side of the main body case 102. And a second film 104 covering the surface. In addition, an ink supply port 105 (liquid outlet) for supplying ink toward the ejection head 24 of the carriage 20 is provided on the bottom surface of the main body case 102. Furthermore, an air opening 106 is provided on the upper surface of the main body case 102 for introducing air into the ink cartridge 100 as the ink in the ink cartridge 100 is consumed.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the ink cartridge 100 of the present embodiment. 3A shows the internal structure of the ink cartridge 100 when the ink cartridge 100 is viewed from one side, and FIG. 3B shows the ink cartridge 100 viewed from the other side. When the internal structure is shown. In the following description, the side shown in FIG. 3A is called “front side”, and the side shown in FIG. 3B is called “back side”.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the front side of the ink cartridge 100 is roughly divided into four rooms by a plurality of partition walls provided vertically and horizontally. First, in the drawing, the first ink chamber 120 is provided in the upper right half region, and the second ink chamber 130 is provided in the lower right half region. The first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130 are connected by a communication passage 134. Note that the communication passage 134 of the present embodiment is formed so as to be folded upward in the drawing through the vicinity of the bottom of the second ink chamber 130, and a communication port 134 b is provided at a position where the communication passage 134 is folded back. The through hole 134 b is a gap formed between the first film 103 and a portion where a part of the partition wall forming the communication passage 134 is cut out (portion with a thick diagonal line). As will be described in detail later, the through hole 134b is sealed by thermally welding the portion where the partition wall is notched to the first film 103 after the ink cartridge 100 is filled with ink.

  A buffer chamber 140 is provided between the first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130 at a substantially central position in the drawing. The second ink chamber 130 and the buffer chamber 140 are connected by a passage on the back side of the ink cartridge 100, and the buffer chamber 140 is in communication with a pressure adjustment chamber 150 provided on the back side of the ink cartridge 100. The pressure adjustment chamber 150 incorporates a membrane valve, a spring, and the like, and has a function of adjusting the pressure of the ink supplied to the ejection head 24.

  In the ink cartridge 100 having such a structure, when ink is ejected from the ejection head 24, the ink flows from the first ink chamber 120 into the pressure adjustment chamber 150 via the second ink chamber 130 and the buffer chamber 140. After that, ink is supplied from the ink supply port 105 to the ejection head 24.

  In the ink cartridge 100 of the present embodiment, the ink chamber for storing the ink is divided into the first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130, for the following reason. That is, when the air in the ink chamber is warmed and expanded, the liquid in the ink chamber is pressurized and the liquid flows backward. In addition, as the amount of air in the ink chamber increases, the amount of expansion increases and the amount of ink that flows backward also increases. On the other hand, if the ink chamber is divided into the first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130, there is no air in the second ink chamber 130 unless the liquid in the first ink chamber disappears. The liquid in the second ink chamber 130 is not pressurized. Further, when the amount of air in the first ink chamber increases, the amount of expansion of the air increases, but it does not flow back beyond the amount of liquid in the first ink chamber 120. Further, when the consumption of the liquid progresses and the liquid in the second ink chamber 130 is consumed, the first ink chamber is empty, and the liquid that has flowed back from the second ink chamber is removed from the first ink chamber. Can be trapped with. Thus, by separating the ink chamber into the first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130, the backflow of the liquid can be effectively suppressed.

  Further, the second ink chamber 130 of the ink cartridge 100 of the present embodiment is provided with a prism 132 (detection member) made of a light-transmitting plastic material. The prism 132 is a so-called right angle prism, and one surface of the prism 132 forms a part of the bottom surface of the ink cartridge 100. An opening (not shown) is provided at a position corresponding to the prism 132 on the bottom surface of the carriage case 22 to which the ink cartridge 100 is mounted, and the ink cartridge 100 passes above the detection unit 200 as the carriage 20 moves. In some cases (see FIG. 1), light from the light emitting unit of the detection unit 200 passes through the opening of the carriage case 22 and enters the prism 132.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, an air chamber 110 is provided in the left region in the ink cartridge 100. The air chamber 110 is connected to the first ink chamber 120 by a passage on the back side of the ink cartridge 100. The air chamber 110 is connected to the atmosphere opening port 106 via a communication port 112 in the upper right corner of the air chamber 110 and an air passage 160 (see FIG. 3B) on the back side of the ink cartridge 100. In the air chamber 110, the air in the ink cartridge 100 expands due to a change in ambient temperature, the posture of the ink cartridge 100 changes, and the like, so that the ink is directed from the first ink chamber 120 toward the atmosphere opening port 106. When the ink flows backward, the ink is trapped inside to prevent the ink from leaking.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a small chamber (film chamber 162) is provided in the air passage 160 connecting the air chamber 110 and the atmosphere opening 106, and the film chamber The interior of 162 is separated from the upstream side and the downstream side by a breathable film. Furthermore, a portion where the air passage 160 meanders many times is provided at a position upstream of the film chamber 162 in order to suppress moisture evaporation of the ink in the ink cartridge 100.

  In the ink cartridge 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the remaining amount of ink is detected as follows using the prism 132 provided inside.

C. How to detect remaining ink:
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing how the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 100 is detected using the prism 132. First, as described above, the ink cartridge 100 is mounted on the carriage case 22 that reciprocates in the main scanning direction. In the mounted state, as shown in FIG. 4, the prism 132 in the ink cartridge 100 has two surfaces (reflecting surface 132a, reflecting surface 132b) having the same angle with the bottom surface 132c arranged in the main scanning direction. A detection unit 200 is provided at a lower position in the middle of the path along which the carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction. Inside the detection unit 200, there is a light emission unit 202 formed of an infrared light emitting diode. , And a light receiving portion 204 formed of a phototransistor are provided side by side in the main scanning direction. When the ink cartridge 100 passes above the detection unit 200 as the carriage 20 moves, the light from the light emitting unit 202 enters the bottom surface 132c of the prism 132 perpendicularly.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which the prism 132 in the ink cartridge 100 is positioned directly above the detection unit 200 as the carriage 20 moves. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A, if the ink liquid level (ink surface) in the second ink chamber 130 provided with the prism 132 is above the apex of the prism 132, the reflecting surface 132a and The reflective surface 132b is in contact with the ink. In this state, the light (incident light) incident on the prism 132 from the light emitting unit 202 is not reflected even when it hits the reflecting surface 132a, and as shown by the thick dashed arrow in FIG. It passes through the ink in 130. Therefore, the light from the light emitting unit 202 is not detected by the light receiving unit 204. In such a case, the control unit 60 determines that a predetermined amount or more of ink remains in at least the second ink chamber 130.

  On the other hand, when the ink in the second ink chamber 130 is consumed and the ink surface falls below the apex of the prism 132 as shown in FIG. 4B, the reflective surface 132a and the portion exposed from the ink of the prism 132 Air contacts the reflecting surface 132b. When the amount of ink in the second ink chamber 130 decreases below a predetermined amount and incident light strikes the portion of the reflecting surface 132a that is in contact with the air, this is indicated by a thick dashed arrow in FIG. 4B. To reflect. The light reflected by the reflecting surface 132a hits the portion of the other reflecting surface 132b that is in contact with the air, is reflected downward, and is detected by the light receiving unit 204. In such a case, the control unit 60 determines that the ink in the second ink chamber 130 is low, and therefore the ink in the ink cartridge 100 is almost exhausted.

  Here, in the ink cartridge that detects the remaining amount of ink using the prism as described above, the remaining amount of ink may be erroneously detected due to bubbles adhering to the reflecting surface of the prism. That is, even though the ink is actually lost and the reflecting surface of the prism is in contact with the air, the light incident on the prism is diffusely reflected due to the bubbles attached to the reflecting surface, and the light is detected by the light receiving unit. In some cases, it is determined that there is ink remaining. In addition, when the bubbles attached to the reflecting surface of the prism are relatively large, the light incident on the prism is reflected and detected by the light receiving portion even though the ink still remains, and it is determined that there is no ink. Things can happen. Therefore, in the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, the entrance surface (inlet 134a) of the communication passage 134 from the first ink chamber 120 to the second ink chamber 130 is provided at the following position, so that the reflecting surface of the prism 132 is provided. It suppresses that air bubbles adhere to 132a and 132b.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the reason why bubbles are suppressed from adhering to the reflecting surfaces 132a and 132b of the prism 132 depending on the position of the intake port 134a of the second ink chamber 130 of this embodiment. 5A shows the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, and FIG. 5B shows an ink cartridge 500 of a reference example in which an inlet is provided near the bottom of the second ink chamber. It is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, in the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, when the ink in the first ink chamber 120 runs out and the ink in the second ink chamber 130 starts to be consumed, the air opening port is opened. Air introduced into the ink cartridge 100 from (not shown) is taken into the second ink chamber 130 through the communication passage 134. At this time, bubbles may be generated from the intake 134a. Here, in the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, since the intake port 134a is provided at a position higher than the position of the prism 132, bubbles are generated at a position above the prism 132. Therefore, as in the ink cartridge 500 of the reference example shown in FIG. 5B, it is possible to avoid the bubbles from adhering to the reflecting surface of the prism due to the generation of bubbles at the same height as the prism 532. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the remaining amount of ink is erroneously detected due to the adhesion of bubbles.

  In the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, the air taken from the outside through the communication passage 134 is supplied from the intake port 134a to the second ink chamber 130. Therefore, the second ink chamber 130 of this embodiment is the present invention. The communication passage 134 of the present embodiment corresponds to the “passage” of the present invention, and the intake port 134a of the present embodiment corresponds to the “air port” of the present invention.

  Further, the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment is filled with ink as follows.

D. Ink filling method:
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of filling the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment with ink. As shown in the drawing, when the ink cartridge 100 is filled with ink, the ink is injected from the ink supply port 105 with the ink supply port 105 facing upward. The injected ink flows into the second ink chamber 130 through the buffer chamber 140. In the second ink chamber 130, the inlet 134a of the communication passage 134 is opened at a position higher than the prism 132, and as described above, at the stage of filling the ink cartridge 100 with the ink, the second ink chamber 130a. A through hole 134b (bypass port) of the communication passage 134 is opened at a position near the bottom of 130 (see FIG. 3). For this reason, when the ink flows into the second ink chamber 130, the air in the second ink chamber 130 passes from the intake port 134a and the communication port 134b through the communication passage 134 as shown by a thick wavy line in FIG. The second ink chamber 130 is filled with ink by escaping to the upstream side of the ink cartridge 100.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the ink surface becomes higher than the intake port 134a in the process of filling the second ink chamber 130 with the ink, the intake port 134a is blocked by the ink, but thereafter Air escapes to the upstream side of the ink cartridge 100 from the through-hole 134 b located in the upper part of the drawing of the second ink chamber 130. Therefore, as a result of continuing to fill the second ink chamber 130 with ink, the inside of the second ink chamber 130 is filled with ink as shown in FIG. 6C.

  Although illustration is omitted, after the second ink chamber 130 is filled with ink, the ink flows into the first ink chamber 120. The first ink chamber 120 is provided with a passage opening connected to the upstream side at a position above the first ink chamber 120 with the ink supply port 105 facing upward. Air in the first ink chamber 120 escapes from the opening, and the first ink chamber 120 is also filled with ink.

  When ink is filled in the first ink chamber 120 and the second ink chamber 130 as described above, the ink cartridge 100 is completed by sealing the through hole 134b. The operation of sealing the through-hole 134b is performed by bringing the first film 103 (not shown) attached to the front side of the drawing into close contact with the portion where the partition wall of the communication passage 134 is cut out, and in this state, heat is applied to the close-contact portion. This is done by welding.

  The ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment before filling with ink as described above corresponds to the “liquid container” of the present invention, and the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment after filling with ink is the present invention. This corresponds to the “liquid container”.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory view exemplifying a state in which ink is filled in an ink cartridge 700 of a reference example in which a communication passage is not provided. As shown in FIG. 7A, when ink is filled into the ink cartridge 700 in which the communication passage 734 is not provided with an opening, the air in the second ink chamber 730 flows from the intake port 734a to the ink cartridge 100. The ink is filled by escaping upstream. However, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the position of the ink surface rises and the intake port 734a is blocked with ink, the air in the second ink chamber 730 above the intake port 734a in the drawing. No escape. In this state, the ink filled in the second ink chamber 730 flows out from the intake port 734a to the upstream side of the ink cartridge 100, and the second ink chamber 730 cannot be filled with ink.

  On the other hand, if the through hole 134b of the communication passage 134 is provided at a position near the bottom of the second ink chamber 130 as in the ink cartridge 100 of this embodiment, the object of avoiding air bubbles from adhering to the prism 132 is achieved. Thus, even if the intake port 134a is provided at a position higher than the prism 132, the air escape space in the second ink chamber 130 is not lost during ink filling. Accordingly, it is possible to fill the second ink chamber 130 with ink while avoiding erroneous detection of the remaining amount of ink due to bubbles adhering to the prism 132. Further, as described above, after the ink filling is completed, the through hole 134b is sealed (see FIG. 3). For this reason, no bubbles are generated from the position of the through hole 134b (the bottom of the second ink chamber 130) as the ink in the second ink chamber 130 is consumed, and the bubbles adhere to the prism 132. It can be avoided.

E. Modified example:
In the ink cartridge 100 of the above-described embodiment, the through hole 134b has been described as a gap formed between the portion of the main body case 102 where the partition wall is notched and the first film 103. However, the through hole 134b may be formed as follows. In the modification described below, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an installation mode of the through hole 134b of the ink cartridge 100 of the modified example. 8A shows the internal structure when the ink cartridge 100 is viewed from the front side, and FIG. 8B shows the AA cross section in FIG. 8A from the direction of the arrow. It shows what it looks like.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, also in the ink cartridge 100 of the modified example, a through hole 134 b is provided at a position close to the bottom of the second ink chamber 130. As shown in FIG. 8B, the through hole 134 b is opened at a position higher than the bottom of the concave portion on the front side of the ink cartridge 100 constituting the second ink chamber 130 and lower than the first film 103. Yes. The communication port 134b is connected to the communication port 134c of the communication channel 134 via a channel.

  In the ink cartridge 100 of the modified example in which the through holes 134b are formed in this way, when the ink is filled, the air can escape from the through holes 134b to the upstream side and the second ink chamber 130 can be filled with the ink. When ink filling into the ink cartridge 100 is completed, as shown in FIG. 8B, the first film 103 is placed in a state where the first film 103 is in close contact with the surface of the member through which the opening 134b opens. The through hole 134b can be sealed by heat welding. Therefore, when the ink in the second ink chamber 130 is consumed, bubbles are not generated from the through holes 134 b and attached to the prism 132.

  Although various embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to all the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the position of the intake port of the ink cartridge of the above-described embodiment is applied to an ink cartridge in which an electrode is provided instead of the prism and the remaining amount of ink is detected by applying a voltage to the electrode from the outside. It is good also as providing a passage. In this way, it is possible to provide an ink cartridge that can be filled with ink while avoiding the harmful effects of bubbles adhering to the electrode.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to an on-carriage type ink jet printer in which an ink cartridge is mounted on a carriage case that is configured integrally with the ejection head, and a holder for accommodating the ink cartridge and an ejection head are provided separately. It can also be applied to an off-carriage type ink jet printer.

10 ... Inkjet printer, 20 ... Carriage, 60 ... Control part,
100 ... ink cartridge, 102 ... main body case,
103 ... 1st film, 104 ... 2nd film, 105 ... Ink supply port,
110 ... Air chamber, 120 ... First ink chamber, 130 ... Second ink chamber,
132 ... prism, 134 ... communication passage, 134a ... intake,
134b ... Passage, 160 ... Air passage, 200 ... Detector,
202 ... Light emitting unit, 204 ... Light receiving unit, 500 ... Ink cartridge,
532 ... Prism, 700 ... Ink cartridge, 730 ... Second ink chamber,
734 ... Communication passage, 734a ... Intake

Claims (4)

A method for producing a liquid container containing a liquid,
A liquid container capable of containing liquid therein;
When the liquid in the liquid container is consumed, an air opening that can introduce air into the liquid container from outside,
A liquid outlet for the liquid in the liquid container to flow out to the outside;
A passage for taking the air into the liquid container;
An air port which is an entrance in the liquid storage part of the passage ;
When the liquid outlet is vertically downward, the prism is provided at the bottom of the liquid container, and the response to an input from the outside changes depending on the state of the liquid in the liquid container,
When the liquid outlet port vertically downward, out of the passage, the opening at a position close to the bottom of the liquid storage portion, and a bypass port communicating with the liquid containing portion, said liquid outlet when was vertically downward, a first step of preparing a was, the liquid container is provided so that the air inlet to a position above the can opening than the position of the upper and the prism than the position of the bypass port ,
While the liquid outlet vertically upward, and a second step of filling the liquid into the liquid containing portion from the liquid outlet,
And a third step of sealing the bypass port. It is a manufacturing method of the liquid container according to claim 1 ,
The liquid container, the portion of the liquid containing portion and the passage is formed, and a container body that one side is open, is configured with a lid portion covering the opening portion of the container body,
The bypass port is formed between the container body part and the lid part,
The third step is a method of manufacturing a liquid container in which the bypass port is sealed by bringing a part of the lid into close contact with the container body. It is a manufacturing method of the liquid container according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The liquid container has a second liquid storage portion capable of storing a liquid in the middle of the passage,
The second step, without sealing the bypass opening after filling the liquid into the liquid containing portion, a manufacturing method of the liquid container, characterized in that filling liquid to the second liquid storage portion . It is a manufacturing method of the liquid container according to claim 3 ,
The third step is a method of manufacturing a liquid container, wherein the bypass port is sealed after the second liquid container is filled with liquid.

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