JP6229329B2 - Refill cartridge manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a refill cartridge and a refill cartridge.

  A cartridge for supplying printing material is mounted on the printer. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151867 discloses a housing portion in which a printing material is housed and whose volume is changed by a flexible film, a pressure receiving plate in contact with the flexible film, and a spring that biases the pressure receiving plate to make the inside of the housing portion have a negative pressure. And a cartridge including the above.

JP 2011-140189 A

  Generally, cartridges are required to be refilled with printing material after use. However, depending on the refilling amount of the printing material, the inside of the housing portion may not be maintained at an appropriate pressure (negative pressure). If the pressure in the container is not appropriate, the printing material may leak from the cartridge during transportation or sales. In recent years, even a refill cartridge is required to have high quality, and such a leakage of printing material is a problem that cannot be overlooked. Further, in such a cartridge, it is desired to reduce the size, reduce the cost, save resources, facilitate the manufacture, improve the usability, and the like.

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms.
The first aspect of the present invention is:
A first case comprising a recess having a bottom surface and an opening, wherein a surface facing the bottom surface of the recess is opened;
A flexible part attached to the opening of the recess;
A second case covering the open surface of the first case from the side opposite to the bottom surface of the recess;
A pressure receiving portion facing the second case and contacting the flexible portion;
A printing material is accommodated, and a volume-variable accommodating portion configured by the concave portion, the flexible portion, and the pressure receiving portion;
An urging member that generates a negative pressure in the housing portion by applying a force for expanding the volume of the housing portion to the pressure receiving portion;
With
As the printing material in the housing portion is consumed, the volume of the housing portion decreases and the pressure receiving portion moves toward the bottom surface of the concave portion. A method for producing a refill cartridge for filling, comprising:
After the refilling of the printing material is completed so that two or more portions of the pressure receiving portion do not come into contact with the second case after the refilling of the printing material is completed. Refill the printing material so that a predetermined amount of air is present in the housing.
It is characterized by that. In addition, this invention is realizable also as the following forms.

(1) According to one aspect of the present invention, a first case comprising a recess having a bottom surface and an opening, the surface facing the bottom surface of the recess being open; a flexible portion attached to the opening of the recess; A second case covering the open surface of the first case from a side opposite to the bottom surface of the recess; a pressure receiving portion facing the second case and contacting the flexible portion; and a printing material A volume-variable accommodating portion that is accommodated and configured by the concave portion, the flexible portion, and the pressure receiving portion; and by applying a force for expanding the volume of the accommodating portion to the pressure receiving portion. An urging member that generates a negative pressure, and as the printing material in the housing portion is consumed, the volume of the housing portion decreases and the pressure receiving portion moves toward the bottom surface of the recess. After using a cartridge configured for Method of manufacturing a refill cartridge to perform is provided. In this refill cartridge manufacturing method, the printing material is arranged such that two or more portions of the pressure receiving portion sandwiching the biasing member do not come into contact with the second case after the refilling of the printing material is completed. It is characterized by refilling. According to such a method of manufacturing a refill cartridge, the printing material is placed so that two or more portions across the biasing member of the pressure receiving plate do not come into contact with the second case after the refilling of the printing material is completed. Since it is refilled, it becomes possible to maintain the negative pressure in the accommodating part after refilling of printing material appropriately. Therefore, it is difficult for the printing material to leak from the refill cartridge, and a high-quality refill cartridge can be manufactured. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the printing material leaks when the refill cartridge is transported or sold and the inside of the package is soiled. Further, as soon as the customer opens the package, the possibility that the printing material leaks from the refill cartridge and stains the customer's hands, clothes, desk, floor, etc. can be reduced.

(2) In the manufacturing method of refilling a cartridge of the above embodiment, in the time of refilling the printing material in the housing portion, 2 or more portions across the biasing member of the pressure receiving portion, the second Ke The printing material may not be refilled prior to contact with the sleeve. With such a method for manufacturing a refill cartridge, there is no need to adjust the amount of printing material in the container after refilling the printing material, so that the printing material is not wasted.

(3) In the manufacturing method of refilling a cartridge of the above embodiment, after refilling the printing material in the housing portion, 2 or more portions across the biasing member of the pressure receiving portion, the second to case The printing material may be discharged from the housing portion until it does not come into contact with the print. With such a refill cartridge manufacturing method, it is not necessary to observe the position of the flexible portion during refilling of the printing material. Further, it is not necessary to predetermine the amount of printing material to be refilled. Therefore, the refill cartridge can be easily manufactured.

(4) In the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge according to the above aspect, the absolute value of the negative pressure after the refilling of the printing material is completed may be 100 Pa or more and 4000 Pa or less. According to such a method, it is possible to manufacture a refill cartridge that can normally supply the printing material to the printer.

(5) In the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge of the said form, you may refill the printing material of 1.0 g or more and 100.0 g or less, or 1.0 ml or more and 100.0 ml or less. According to such a method, a practical refill cartridge can be manufactured without imposing a burden on the carriage of the printer.

(6) In the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge according to the above aspect, the cartridge includes a supply port that supplies the printing material in the housing portion to the outside, and among the members that form the supply port, the most distal end of the supply port The entire surface of the porous member positioned on the side may be refilled with the printing material so that the printing material becomes wet after the refilling of the printing material is completed. With such a method for manufacturing a refill cartridge, air can be prevented from flowing into the accommodating portion through the porous member, so that the negative pressure in the accommodating portion can be maintained within an appropriate range. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the printing material from being supplied to the printer.

  A plurality of constituent elements of each aspect of the present invention described above are not indispensable, and some or all of the effects described in the present specification are to be solved to solve part or all of the above-described problems. In order to achieve the above, it is possible to appropriately change, delete, replace with another new component, and partially delete the limited contents of some of the plurality of components. In order to solve part or all of the above-described problems or to achieve part or all of the effects described in this specification, technical features included in one embodiment of the present invention described above. A part or all of the technical features included in the other aspects of the present invention described above may be combined to form an independent form of the present invention.

  For example, one aspect of the present invention is realized as an object including one or more elements of a first case, a flexible portion, a second case, a pressure receiving portion, a housing portion, and an urging member. Is possible. That is, this thing may have the 1st case and does not need to have it. Moreover, this thing may have a flexible part and does not need to have it. Moreover, this thing may have the 2nd case and does not need to have it. Moreover, this thing may have a pressure receiving part and does not need to have it. Moreover, this thing may have the accommodating part and does not need to have it. Moreover, this thing may have the urging | biasing member and does not need to have it. The first case may be configured as, for example, a first case that includes a recess having a bottom surface and an opening, and a surface that faces the bottom surface of the recess is open. The flexible part may be configured as a flexible part attached to the opening of the recess. The second case may be configured as a second case that covers the open surface of the first case from the side opposite to the bottom surface of the recess. The pressure receiving portion may be configured as a pressure receiving portion that faces the second case and contacts the flexible portion. The accommodating part may be configured as a variable volume accommodating part that accommodates a printing material and includes the concave part, the flexible part, and the pressure receiving part. The urging member may be configured as an urging member that generates a negative pressure in the accommodating portion by applying a force for expanding the volume of the accommodating portion to the pressure receiving portion. Moreover, this thing may be comprised so that the said pressure receiving part may move toward the bottom face of the said recessed part while the volume of the said accommodating part becomes small as the printing material in the said accommodating part is consumed. Such a thing can be realized, for example, as a refill cartridge, but can also be realized as a thing other than the refill cartridge. According to such a form, it is possible to solve at least one of various problems such as downsizing, cost reduction, resource saving, ease of manufacture, and improvement in usability of the product. Any or all of the above-described technical features of the refill cartridge can be applied to this product.

  The present invention can be realized in various forms other than the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge. For example, it can be realized in the form of a refill cartridge, a printer in which the refill cartridge is mounted, a printing system including the refill cartridge and the printer, and the like.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the holder in this embodiment. Sectional drawing in the AA line in FIG. The perspective view which shows the cartridge in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a cartridge according to the present embodiment. The top view which shows the 1st case in this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the 1st case in this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the 1st case in this embodiment. The figure explaining the structure in the 1st case in this embodiment. The figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the cartridge in this embodiment with the cartridge. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the inside of the cartridge in the present embodiment. The figure explaining the flow of the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an injection port in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a sealed inlet in the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an injection port in Example 2. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sealed inlet in Example 2. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an injection port and a discharge port in Example 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an inlet and an outlet in Example 4. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an inlet and an outlet in Example 5. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an inlet and an outlet in Example 6. In Example 7, it is sectional drawing which shows typically a mode that the air inlet was forcibly opened. In Example 7, it is a perspective view which shows a mode that an air inlet is utilized as a discharge port with respect to Example 1. FIG. In Example 7, it is a perspective view which shows a mode that an air inlet is utilized as a discharge port with respect to Example 2. FIG. In Example 8, it is a perspective view which shows a mode that a supply port is utilized as a discharge port with respect to Example 1. FIG. In Example 8, it is a perspective view which shows a mode that a supply port is utilized as a discharge port with respect to Example 2. FIG. The perspective view explaining the refilling process in Example 9. FIG. The perspective view which shows the discharge port in Example 10. FIG. The perspective view which shows the discharge port in Example 11. FIG. In Example 11, it is a perspective view which shows a mode that the air introduction port 171 is utilized as a discharge port with respect to Example 9. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows typically the discharge process in Example 12. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 12 typically. Sectional drawing which shows typically the discharge process in Example 12. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 12 typically. Sectional drawing which shows the discharge | emission process in Example 13 typically. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 13 typically. Sectional drawing which shows typically the discharge process in Example 14. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 14 typically. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 15 typically. Sectional drawing which shows the preparation process in Example 16 typically. Sectional drawing which shows typically the discharge process in Example 16. FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the refilling process in Example 16 typically. The figure explaining the 1st example of the manufacturing apparatus of a cartridge. The figure explaining the 2nd example of the manufacturing apparatus of a cartridge. The figure explaining the 2nd example of the manufacturing apparatus (manufacturing kit) of a cartridge. The figure explaining the 3rd example of the manufacturing apparatus of a cartridge. The figure explaining the 4th example of the manufacturing apparatus (manufacturing kit) of a cartridge. The figure explaining the 1st method for making air exist in an accommodating part. The figure explaining the 2nd method for making air exist in an accommodating part. The figure explaining the 3rd method for making air exist in an accommodating part. The figure explaining the 1st method for starting refilling of ink in the state where air was made to exist in a storage part. The figure explaining the 2nd method for starting refilling of an ink in the state where air was made to exist in a storage part. The figure explaining the 3rd method for starting refilling of an ink in the state where air was made to exist in a storage part. The figure explaining the 4th method for starting refilling of ink in the state where air was made to exist in a storage part. The figure which shows the various examples of the contact state of a pressure receiving plate and a 2nd case. The figure which shows the flow of the 1st method of refilling ink so that it may not contact a 2nd case, after two or more parts have completed refilling of ink across the coil spring of a pressure receiving plate. The figure which shows the flow of the 2nd method of refilling ink so that it may not contact a 2nd case, after two or more parts have completed refilling of ink across the coil spring of a pressure receiving plate.

  An embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a printing system as an example. In addition, in each drawing, in order to make each structure the size which can be recognized, the structure and the scale of a member may differ.

[Configuration of printing system]
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 includes a printer 5 and a cartridge 7 that is an example of a storage container that stores ink as a printing material. In FIG. 1, XYZ axes, which are coordinate axes orthogonal to each other, are attached. The XYZ axes are also attached to the drawings shown thereafter as necessary. In FIG. 1, the printer 5 is disposed on a horizontal plane defined by the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to a horizontal plane, and the negative Z-axis direction is the vertically downward direction.

  The printer 5 has a sub-scan feed mechanism, a main scan feed mechanism, and a head drive mechanism. The sub-scan feed mechanism transports the printing paper P in the sub-scan direction using a paper feed roller 11 powered by a paper feed motor (not shown). The main scanning feed mechanism uses the power of the carriage motor 13 to reciprocate the carriage 17 connected to the drive belt 15 in the main scanning direction. The main scanning direction of the printer 5 is the Y-axis direction, and the sub-scanning direction is the X-axis direction. The head drive mechanism drives the print head 19 provided in the carriage 17 to execute ink ejection and dot formation. The printer 5 further includes a control unit 21 for controlling each mechanism described above. The print head 19 is connected to the control unit 21 via the flexible cable 23.

  The carriage 17 includes a holder 25 and a print head 19. The holder 25 is configured so that a plurality of cartridges 7 can be mounted, and is disposed on the upper side of the print head 19. In this embodiment, six types of cartridges 7 of black, yellow, magenta, cyan, light magenta, and light cyan are mounted on the holder 25 one by one. Each of the six cartridges 7 is configured to be detachable from the holder 25. Note that the type of the cartridge 7 is not limited to the above six types, and other arbitrary types can be adopted. Further, the number of cartridges 7 that can be mounted on the holder 25 is not limited to six, and an arbitrary number of one or more can be adopted. The print head 19 ejects ink by ejecting ink.

  The holder 25 has a recess 31 as shown in FIG. The cartridge 7 is mounted in the recess 31 of the holder 25. In the present embodiment, six cartridges 7 can be accommodated in the recess 31. In the present embodiment, the six cartridges 7 mounted in the recess 31 are accommodated in the recess 31 with a gap therebetween. In the recess 31, mounting positions corresponding to the six cartridges 7 mounted in the recess 31 are defined. The six mounting positions are aligned in the Y-axis direction in the recess 31. That is, the six cartridges 7 are accommodated in the recess 31 in a state of being aligned in the Y-axis direction.

  In the recess 31, six introduction portions 33 are provided on the bottom portion 25 </ b> A of the holder 25. The six introduction parts 33 are provided for each mounting position. That is, the six introduction parts 33 are respectively provided corresponding to the six cartridges 7 mounted in the recess 31. For this reason, the six introduction portions 33 are arranged in the Y-axis direction in the recess 31. The six cartridges 7 attached to the holder 25 are arranged along the Y-axis direction in the recess 31. FIG. 2 shows a state where one cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25.

  The holder 25 is provided with six levers 35 and six engagement holes 37. In the present embodiment, one lever 35 and one engagement hole 37 are provided for each mounting position of the cartridge 7. The six levers 35 are arranged in the Y-axis direction. Six engagement holes 37 are also arranged in the Y-axis direction.

  The lever 35 is provided on the −X axis direction side of the introduction portion 33. In the holder 25, a side wall 41 is provided on the opposite side (+ X-axis direction side) of the lever 35 with the introduction portion 33 interposed therebetween. Further, a side wall 43 and a side wall 45 are provided at respective positions facing each other in the Y-axis direction across the introduction part 33. The side wall 43 is located on the + Y axis direction side of the bottom 25A. The side wall 45 is located on the −Y axis direction side of the bottom portion 25A. A side wall 47 is provided at a position facing the side wall 41 across the lever 35 in the Y-axis direction. The side wall 41, the side wall 43, the side wall 45, and the side wall 47 each protrude from the bottom 25A in the + Z-axis direction. The bottom portion 25 </ b> A is surrounded by the side wall 41, the side wall 43, the side wall 45, and the side wall 47. Thereby, the recessed part 31 is divided.

  The lever 35 is provided between the side wall 47 and the side wall 41 as shown in FIG. 3 which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the holder 25 taken along the XZ plane that penetrates the introduction portion 33. The lever 35 is provided between the side wall 47 and the introduction portion 33. The lever 35 fixes the cartridge 7 attached to the holder 25. The operator can remove the cartridge 7 from the holder 25 by releasing the fixation of the cartridge 7 by the lever 35. The engagement hole 37 is provided in the side wall 41. The engagement hole 37 passes through the side wall 41.

  The introduction portion 33 is provided on the bottom portion 25 </ b> A between the lever 35 and the side wall 41. The introduction part 33 includes a flow path 51, a protruding part 53, a filter 55, and a packing 57. The flow path 51 is a passage for the ink supplied from the cartridge 7 and is provided as an opening penetrating the bottom portion 25A. The protruding portion 53 is provided on the bottom portion 25A, and protrudes from the bottom portion 25A in a convex direction toward the + Z-axis direction. The protrusion 53 surrounds the flow path 51 inside the recess 31. The filter 55 is covered with the protrusion 53 and covers the opening inside the recess 31 of the flow path 51 from the protrusion 53 side. The packing 57 is provided on the bottom portion 25 </ b> A and surrounds the protruding portion 53 inside the recess 31. The packing 57 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer.

[Cartridge configuration]
The cartridge 7 has a case 61 as shown in FIG. The case 61 constitutes the outer shell of the cartridge 7. Case 61 includes a first case 62 and a second case 63. In the present embodiment, the first case 62 and the second case 63 constitute an outer shell of the cartridge 7. As shown in FIG. 5, the first case 62 includes a first wall 71, a second wall 72, a third wall 73, a fourth wall 74, a fifth wall 75, a sixth wall 76, 7 walls 77. The second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77 intersect the first wall 71, respectively. The second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77 respectively project from the first wall 71 toward the −Y axis direction side, that is, from the first wall 71 toward the second case 63 side.

  The second wall 72 and the third wall 73 are provided at positions facing each other across the first wall 71 in the Z-axis direction. The fourth wall 74 and the fifth wall 75 are provided at positions facing each other across the first wall 71 in the X-axis direction. The fourth wall 74 and the fifth wall 75 intersect the third wall 73, respectively. The fourth wall 74 intersects the second wall 72 on the side opposite to the third wall 73 side.

  The sixth wall 76 intersects the fifth wall 75 on the second wall 72 side of the fifth wall 75 in the Z-axis direction, that is, on the side opposite to the third wall 73 side of the fifth wall 75. The seventh wall 77 intersects the sixth wall 76 on the opposite side of the sixth wall 76 from the fifth wall 75 side. The seventh wall 77 intersects the second wall 72 on the opposite side of the second wall 72 from the fourth wall 74 side. The sixth wall 76 is inclined with respect to each of the fifth wall 75 and the second wall 72. The sixth wall 76 is inclined so as to approach the fourth wall 74 as it approaches the second wall 72 side from the third wall 73 side.

  With the above configuration, the first wall 71 is surrounded by the second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77. The second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77 protrude from the first wall 71 toward the −Y axis direction. For this reason, the first case 62 is configured in a concave shape by the second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77 with the first wall 71 as the bottom (bottom surface). The first wall 71 to the seventh wall 77 constitute a recess 65. The recess 65 is configured to be concave toward the + Y axis direction. The recess 65 opens in the −Y axis direction, that is, toward the second case 63 side. The recess 65 is closed by a sheet member 107 described later. Then, ink is stored in the recess 65 that is blocked by the sheet member 107. A region surrounded by the recess 65 and the sheet member 107 functions as an ink containing portion 109. Hereinafter, the inner surface of the recess 65 may be referred to as an inner surface 67.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first case 62 is provided with a sheet joining portion 81 along the contour of the recess 65. The sheet joining portion 81 is provided along the second wall 72 to the seventh wall 77. The first case 62 is provided with a partition wall 83 that partitions the recess 65 into a first recess 65A and a second recess 65B. The sheet joining portion 81 is also provided on the partition wall 83. In FIG. 6, the sheet bonding portion 81 is hatched for easy understanding of the configuration. Of the recess 65, the third wall 73, the fifth wall 75, the seventh wall 77, a part of the second wall 72, a partition wall 83, and a part of the fourth wall 74 are surrounded. The region is the first recess 65A. In addition, in the recess 65, an area surrounded by the other part of the second wall 72, the partition wall 83, and the other part of the fourth wall 74, that is, an area obtained by removing the first recess 65A from the recess 65 is the first. 2 recesses 65B.

  The second wall 72 is provided with a supply port 85. The ink stored in the storage unit 109 is discharged from the supply port 85 to the outside of the cartridge 7. The supply port 85 includes a peripheral wall 86 provided in the second wall 72 as shown in FIG. The peripheral wall 86 is provided on the opposite side of the second wall 72 from the concave portion 65 side, that is, on the outer side of the second wall 72. Further, the peripheral wall 86 protrudes from the second wall 72 toward the side opposite to the third wall 73 side (the −Z axis direction side). The second wall 72 is provided with a communication hole 85 </ b> A that allows the accommodating portion 109 and the supply port 85 to communicate with each other. The ink stored in the storage unit 109 is sent to the supply port 85 through the communication hole 85A.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the supply port 85 includes a leaf spring 131, a foam 133, and a filter 135. As shown in FIG. 8, the first case 62 is provided with a recess 137 in a region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86. The leaf spring 131 and the foam 133 are accommodated in the recess 137 as shown in FIG. The filter 135 is provided in a region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and covers the recess 137 from the outside of the second wall 72. As the filter 135, for example, a film material having a through-hole formed by pressing or the like, an asymmetric membrane such as an MMM membrane manufactured by PALL, for example, a symmetric membrane such as a woven fabric, or the like can be employed. The foam 133 and the filter 135 are each a porous member. The supply port 85 is provided with a plurality of members. In the manufacturing method of the cartridge 7 to be described later, among these members, the entire surface of the filter 135, which is a porous member located at the most distal end side of the supply port 85, becomes wet with ink after the ink refilling is completed. As such, the ink is refilled.

  A protrusion 87 is provided on the fourth wall 74. The protrusion 87 protrudes from the fourth wall 74 toward the opposite side (+ X-axis direction side) to the fifth wall 75 side. The protrusion 87 is located between the second wall 72 and the third wall 73 in the Z-axis direction. The protrusion 87 is fitted into the engagement hole 37 shown in FIG. 3 in a state where the cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B, the fifth wall 75 is provided with a protrusion 88. The protruding portion 88 protrudes from the fifth wall 75 toward the side opposite to the fourth wall 74 side (−X axis direction side). The protrusion 88 is locked by the lever 35 shown in FIG. 3 in a state where the cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25. Thereby, the cartridge 7 can be fixed to the holder 25. In the second wall 72, a communication hole 91 is provided in a region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and in a region outside the filter 135 of the supply port 85. The communication hole 91 passes between the inside of the recess 65 and the outside of the first case 62.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge 7 includes a valve unit 101, a coil spring 103, a pressure receiving plate 105 as a pressure receiving portion, and a sheet member 107 as a flexible portion. The sheet member 107 is formed of a synthetic resin (for example, nylon or polypropylene) and has flexibility. The sheet member 107 is provided on the first case 62 side of the second case 63. The sheet member 107 is bonded to the sheet bonding portion 81 of the first case 62. In the present embodiment, the sheet member 107 is bonded to the sheet bonding portion 81 by welding. Thereby, the recess 65 of the first case 62 is closed by the sheet member 107. A region surrounded by the recess 65 and the sheet member 107 is referred to as a housing portion 109. Then, the ink is stored in the concave portion 65 blocked by the sheet member 107, that is, in the storage portion 109. For this reason, in this embodiment, the sheet member 107 constitutes a part of the wall of the accommodating portion 109.

  As described above, in the first case 62, as shown in FIG. 6, the recess 65 is partitioned by the partition wall 83 into the first recess 65A and the second recess 65B. For this reason, when the sheet member 107 is joined to the sheet joining portion 81, the accommodation portion 109 is partitioned into the first accommodation portion 109A and the second accommodation portion 109B. 109 A of 1st accommodating parts respond | correspond to 65 A of 1st recessed parts. The second accommodating portion 109B corresponds to the second recess 65B. As described above, the sheet member 107 has flexibility. For this reason, the volume of 109 A of 1st accommodating parts can be changed. The sheet member 107 is joined to the first case 62 in a state where the sheet member 107 is stretched in advance along the inner surface 67 of the concave portion 65 so as to easily follow the change in the volume of the first accommodating portion 109A.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the coil spring 103 is provided on the first case 62 side of the sheet member 107 and is accommodated in the recess 65. The coil spring 103 is wound in a truncated cone shape. In FIG. 5, the coil spring 103 is simplified. The pressure receiving plate 105 is provided on the sheet member 107 side of the coil spring 103. That is, the pressure receiving plate 105 is interposed between the coil spring 103 and the sheet member 107. The pressure receiving plate 105 faces the second case 63 and is in contact with the sheet member 107. A lower bottom portion of the coil spring 103 is in contact with the first wall 71. The upper bottom portion of the coil spring 103 is in contact with the surface of the pressure receiving plate 105 opposite to the surface on the sheet member 107 side. Further, the upper bottom portion of the coil spring 103 is in contact with the substantially central portion of the pressure receiving plate 105. The pressure receiving plate 105 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or a metal such as stainless steel. Since the pressure receiving plate 105 and the portion of the sheet member 107 that is in contact with the pressure receiving plate 105 are members that directly or indirectly receive pressure from the coil spring 103, they can be collectively regarded as a “pressure receiving portion”. Is possible.

  The coil spring 103 biases the pressure receiving plate 105 toward the sheet member 107 side (second case 63 side). In other words, the coil spring 103 biases the pressure receiving plate 105 in the negative Y-axis direction. That is, the coil spring 103 has a function as a biasing member that biases the pressure receiving plate 105 in a direction in which the volume of the accommodating portion 109 is increased. The second case 63 is provided on the opposite side of the sheet member 107 from the pressure receiving plate 105 side. The second case 63 is attached to the first case 62 so as to cover the sheet member 107. Thereby, the sheet member 107 is protected from the outside.

  The valve unit 101 is provided inside the recess 65. The sheet member 107 covers the recess 65 together with the valve unit 101. A vent hole 111 is formed in a portion of the seat member 107 that overlaps the valve unit 101. The second case 63 is provided with an air communication hole 113. The space between the sheet member 107 and the second case 63 communicates with the outside of the cartridge 7 through the air communication hole 113. For this reason, air is interposed in the space between the sheet member 107 and the second case 63.

  The space between the sheet member 107 and the second case 63 is called an atmospheric chamber 115. The atmosphere communication hole 113 communicates with the atmosphere chamber 115. In the present embodiment, the communication hole 91 communicates with the atmospheric chamber 115. That is, in this embodiment, the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 communicates from the communication hole 91 to the atmosphere communication hole 113 through the atmosphere chamber 115.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge 7 includes a prism unit 121 and a sheet member 123. Here, as shown in FIG. 8, an opening 125 is provided in the second wall 72 of the first case 62. The opening 125 is closed from the outside of the first case 62 by the prism unit 121. As shown in FIG. 9, the prism unit 121 includes a prism 122 that protrudes from the outside of the first case 62 to the inside of the first case 62 through the opening 125.

  The prism 122 functions as a detection unit for optically detecting ink. The prism 122 is a light-transmitting member made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The members constituting the prism 122 may not be transparent as long as they have appropriate light transmittance. The ink in the storage unit 109 is detected as follows, for example. The printer 5 is provided with an optical sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Light is emitted from the light emitting element toward the prism 122. When ink is present around the prism 122, most of the light passes through the prism 122 and travels into the housing portion 109. On the other hand, when the ink is not present around the prism 122, most of the light emitted from the light emitting element is reflected by the two reflecting surfaces of the prism 122 and reaches the light receiving element. Based on whether light has reached the light receiving element, the printer 5 determines that there is little ink remaining in the storage unit 109 or that there is no ink in the storage unit 109. This determination is performed by the control unit 21 of the printer 5.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a recess 126 is provided in the second wall 72 of the first case 62. The recess 126 is provided at a position between the supply port 85 and the prism 122 in the X-axis direction. The recess 126 is recessed from the outside of the second wall 72 toward the recess 65. The second wall 72 is provided with a communication hole 127 that communicates from the recess 126 to the recess 65, and a communication hole 128. The communication holes 127 and 128 are provided in the recess 65. The recess 126 is closed from the outside of the first case 62 by the sheet member 123.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the communication hole 127 communicates from the first recess 65 </ b> A to the recess 126. The communication hole 128 communicates from the recess 126 to the second recess 65B. That is, the first recess 65A and the second recess 65B communicate with each other through the communication hole 127, the recess 126, and the communication hole 128. For this reason, the first housing portion 109A and the second housing portion 109B communicate with each other through the communication hole 127, the recess 126, and the communication hole 128. FIG. 9 shows a cross section when the communication hole 127 and the communication hole 128 are cut along the XZ plane.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a circuit board 141 is provided on the opposite side of the sixth wall 76 to the recess 65 side, that is, on the outer side of the sixth wall 76. The circuit board 141 extends along the sixth wall 76. For this reason, the circuit board 141 is inclined with respect to each of the second wall 72 and the fifth wall 75. The circuit board 141 is inclined so as to approach the fourth wall 74 as it approaches the second wall 72 side from the third wall 73 side. A plurality of terminals 143 that are in contact with the contact mechanism 27 (FIG. 3) of the holder 25 are provided on the surface of the circuit board 141 opposite to the sixth wall 76 side. A storage device (not shown) such as a nonvolatile memory is provided on the sixth wall 76 side of the circuit board 141.

  In a state where the cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25, the plurality of terminals 143 are in electrical contact with the contact mechanism 27 shown in FIG. The contact mechanism 27 is electrically connected to the control unit 21 via the flexible cable 23 (FIG. 1). Then, the contact mechanism 27 and the storage device of the cartridge 7 are electrically connected via the circuit board 141, whereby various information can be transmitted between the control unit 21 and the storage device of the cartridge 7.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the position of the cartridge 7 having the above configuration is fixed by the lever 35 in a state where the cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25. When the cartridge 7 is mounted on the holder 25, the peripheral wall 86 comes into contact with the packing 57, and the protruding portion 53 is inserted into a region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86. That is, the peripheral wall 86 surrounds the flow path 51 from the outside of the protruding portion 53. Then, the filter 135 contacts the filter 55 in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86. As a result, the ink in the storage unit 109 can be supplied from the supply port 85 to the flow path 51 from the filter 55 via the form 133 and the filter 135.

  At this time, the peripheral wall 86 is in contact with the packing 57 in a state of surrounding the flow path 51 from the outside of the protruding portion 53. Thereby, the airtightness of the space enclosed by the surrounding wall 86 and the packing 57 is improved. For this reason, when ink is supplied from the cartridge 7 to the flow path 51, ink spilled outside the area surrounded by the protrusion 53 is blocked by the packing 57 and the peripheral wall 86.

  The flow of ink and the flow of air in the cartridge 7 in this embodiment will be described. In the cartridge 7, the ink 161 is accommodated in an accommodating portion 109 defined by the first case 62 and the sheet member 107 as shown in FIG. The accommodating portion 109 is partitioned by a partition wall 83 into a first accommodating portion 109A and a second accommodating portion 109B. Inside the case 61, a valve unit including a cover valve 163, a lever valve 165, and a spring member 167 is provided.

  The cover valve 163 is provided with an air introduction port 171. The air introduction port 171 passes through the cover valve 163. The air introduction port 171 functions as a communication path in the cartridge 7 for communicating the inside of the first housing portion 109 </ b> A and the air chamber 115 outside the housing portion 109. In other words, the air introduction port 171 serves as an inlet for introducing the air into the housing portion 109. The lever valve 165 is provided on the opposite side of the cover valve 163 from the second case 63 side. The lever valve 165 includes a valve part 173 and a lever part 175. The valve portion 173 overlaps with the air introduction port 171 of the cover valve 163. The lever portion 175 extends from the valve portion 173 into a region between the pressure receiving plate 105 and the inner surface 67 of the first wall 71. The spring member 167 is provided on the side opposite to the cover valve 163 side of the lever valve 165. The spring member 167 biases the valve portion 173 of the lever valve 165 toward the cover valve 163 side. Thereby, the air introduction port 171 of the cover valve 163 is blocked by the valve portion 173. Hereinafter, the state where the air introduction port 171 is blocked by the valve portion 173 is expressed as the air introduction port 171 being closed.

  As the ink 161 in the storage unit 109 is consumed, the pressure receiving plate 105 is displaced toward the inner surface 67 of the first wall 71 as shown in FIG. 11B, and the volume of the first storage unit 109A. Decrease. When the pressure receiving plate 105 is displaced toward the inner surface 67 side of the first wall 71, the pressure receiving plate 105 pushes the lever portion 175 toward the inner surface 67 side of the first wall 71. As a result, the posture of the valve portion 173 changes, and a gap is generated between the valve portion 173 and the cover valve 163. Thereby, the air introduction port 171 and the first housing portion 109A communicate with each other. In the following, a state in which the air introduction port 171 communicates with the accommodating portion 109 due to the occurrence of a gap between the valve portion 173 and the cover valve 163 is expressed as the air introduction port 171 being in an open state. When the air introduction port 171 is in the open state, the air in the air chamber 115 outside the accommodation unit 109 flows into the first accommodation unit 109A through the air introduction port 171.

  When the air passes through the air inlet 171 and flows into the first housing portion 109A, the pressure receiving plate 105 is displaced toward the second case 63 as shown in FIG. 11C. That is, the volume of the first housing portion 109A is increased as a result of the air flowing into the first housing portion 109A through the air inlet 171 as compared to the state shown in FIG. Thereby, the negative pressure in the accommodating part 109 reduces (approaches atmospheric pressure). When a certain amount of air is introduced into the first accommodating portion 109 </ b> A, the pressure receiving plate 105 is separated from the lever portion 175. Thereby, the valve part 173 closes the air introduction port 171. That is, the air introduction port 171 is closed. As described above, when the negative pressure in the storage unit 109 increases with the consumption of the ink 161 in the storage unit 109, the atmosphere introduction port 171 is temporarily opened, so that the pressure in the storage unit 109 is set to an appropriate pressure. It becomes possible to maintain the range.

  As described above, the cartridge 7 of the present embodiment is a semi-hermetic cartridge in which air is introduced from the air introduction port 171 into the housing portion 109 during use. As the ink in the storage unit 109 is consumed, the cartridge 7 decreases in volume as the storage unit 109 decreases and the negative pressure increases. When the negative pressure reaches a predetermined level, the valve unit 173 is moved to the atmosphere. The introduction port 171 is opened so that outside air is introduced into the accommodating portion 109, and then the valve portion 173 is configured to close the atmosphere introduction port 171.

  In the present embodiment, the communication hole 91 passes through the second wall 72 of the first case 62 from the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and communicates with the atmospheric chamber 115. That is, the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and the atmosphere chamber 115 communicate with each other through the communication hole 91. The atmospheric chamber 115 communicates with the atmospheric communication hole 113 through a gap between the second case 63 and the sheet member 107. Therefore, the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 passes through the case 61 and communicates with the outside of the case 61. Thereby, when the inside of the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 is sealed from the outside of the cartridge 7, the difference between the pressure in the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and the pressure outside the case 61 (atmospheric pressure) is determined. Can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, when the cartridge 7 is attached to the printer 5, the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 is sealed in the holder 25. Then, in a state where the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 is sealed, the filter 135 in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 comes into contact with the filter 55 (FIG. 3) on the printer 5 side. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink 161 from leaking out of the area surrounded by the peripheral wall 86. When the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 is sealed when the cartridge 7 is attached to the printer 5, the pressure in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 may increase. At this time, due to an increase in pressure in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86, the air in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 may flow into the housing portion 109 through the filter 135. When the air flows into the storage unit 109, it is conceivable that the air that flows in reaches the print head 19 of the printer 5 as bubbles. If air bubbles are mixed in the print head 19, the ejection performance of the ink 161 may deteriorate due to the air bubbles.

  In contrast, in this embodiment, the inside of the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 communicates with the outside of the first case 62 through the communication hole 91, the atmospheric chamber 115, and the atmospheric communication hole 113. . For this reason, when the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 is sealed when the cartridge 7 is attached to the printer 5, even if the pressure in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 increases, the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 Can be released to the outside of the first case 62 via the communication hole 91, the atmospheric chamber 115, and the atmospheric communication hole 113. Further, for example, when the pressure in the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 rises due to the expansion of the air due to a temperature change, the air in the space surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 can be released to the outside of the cartridge 7. Thereby, the difference between the pressure in the region surrounded by the peripheral wall 86 and the pressure outside the first case 62 (atmospheric pressure) can be reduced. As a result, it is easy to maintain high ink ejection performance in the print head 19.

[Method for manufacturing refill cartridge]
A method for manufacturing the cartridge 7 will be described. In the present embodiment, a method for manufacturing the cartridge 7 by re-injecting ink into the used cartridge after the ink has been consumed and the ink remaining amount has become a predetermined value or less (refilling process) will be described. Hereinafter, the cartridge 7 manufactured by reinjecting ink into the used cartridge 7 is referred to as a “refill cartridge”. A refill cartridge is also referred to as a “recycle cartridge”.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge in the present embodiment includes a preparation step S10 for preparing the cartridge 7, a discharge step S20 for discharging substances in the storage unit 109, such as ink and air, and the storage. It includes an injection step S30 for refilling the portion 109 with ink, and an information update step S40.

  In the preparation step S10, a used cartridge is prepared in which ink is consumed and the remaining amount of ink becomes a predetermined value or less.

  The discharging step S20 is a step of discharging the substance in the accommodating portion 109 of the cartridge 7 prepared in the preparing step S10, such as ink and air. For example, in the case of a used cartridge, air and old ink often remain in the housing portion 109. If the discharging step S20 is performed in such a case, it is possible to reduce old ink and air mixed in the newly injected ink IK. The discharging step S20 can be omitted.

  In the injection step S30, the storage unit 109 is refilled with ink. The discharge process S20 and the injection process S30 can be performed by various methods. Details of the discharging step S20 and the injecting step S30 will be described in detail later with reference to examples.

  The information update step S40 is a step of rewriting information on the ink consumption amount of the memory provided on the circuit board 141 of the cartridge 7 to a usable value. When ink is used and the remaining amount of ink in the cartridge 7 becomes a predetermined value or less, information indicating the remaining amount of ink that has become the predetermined value or less may be stored in the memory. In this case, the printer 5 may determine that no ink is contained in the cartridge 7 and may not shift to a normal printing operation. In the present embodiment, in the information update step S40, the information regarding the ink consumption amount of the memory is updated to a usable value indicating that the ink is contained in a predetermined value or more. Thereby, when the cartridge 7 is mounted on the printer 5, the printer 5 normally shifts to the printing operation. If it is only necessary to refill with ink, step S40 is unnecessary. In addition to rewriting the information in the storage device, step S40 can be performed by other methods such as replacing the circuit board 141.

[Example 1]
In the first embodiment, as an example of the refilling step S <b> 30, an example in which an injection port 181 that directly communicates with the storage unit 109 is provided and ink is refilled from the injection port 181 will be described. In FIG. 13, the injection port 181 is formed in the third wall 73 of the first case 62. The position where the injection port 181 is formed is not limited to the position shown in FIG. You may form in the other position of the 3rd wall 73 of the 1st case 62. FIG. In addition, if the inlet 181 is a position that directly communicates with the housing portion 109, the walls other than the third wall 73, that is, the first wall 71, the second wall 72, and the fourth wall 74 to the seventh wall 77 are provided. You may form in either. Furthermore, the injection port 181 may be formed at a place that can be regarded as a part of the first case 62, such as the prism unit 121 (FIG. 8) or the sheet member 123 (FIG. 8).

  Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the ink IK is refilled from the injection port 181. In the first embodiment, when the injection port 181 is formed in the prism unit 121, the prism unit 121 has light transmittance, so that the injection amount of the ink IK can be easily recognized.

  After refilling with the ink IK, the injection port 181 is sealed with a sealing member 185 as shown in FIG. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the inlet 181 is sealed by joining a sealing member 185 made of a plate material to the first case 62 with an adhesive, as compared to the first embodiment. Examples of the sealing member 185 include a plate material or sheet material made of resin or rubber, an adhesive, a plug made of resin or rubber, and the like. The method for sealing the inlet 181 is not limited to the bonding of the plate material. For example, before performing the refilling step S30, the injection port 181 is closed with the sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function, the injection needle is pierced into the sealing member 185, and the ink IK is refilled through the injection needle. After that, if the injection needle is removed, the injection port 181 can be automatically sealed by the self-sealing function of the sealing member 185. As described above, when the sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function is used, it is easy to prevent air from flowing into the housing portion 109 from the injection port 181 when the injection needle 229 is extracted.

[Example 2]
In the second embodiment, as a second embodiment of the refilling step S30, another example in which an injection port 181 that directly communicates with the storage unit 109 is provided and ink is refilled from the injection port 181 will be described. In the first embodiment, the injection port 181 is formed in the first case 62, whereas in the second embodiment, the injection port 181 is formed in the sheet member 107. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the position where the injection port 181 is formed, but is otherwise the same as the first embodiment, including effects and modifications.

  In the second embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the inlet 181 is formed in the sheet member 107 through the opening 183 provided in the second case 63. Then, after refilling with ink from the inlet 181, the inlet 181 is sealed as shown in FIG. 16.

  The opening 183 can be formed by removing a part of the second case 63. Further, the position of the injection port 181 in the sheet member 107 is not particularly limited as long as it is a position that directly communicates with the housing portion 109. The position of the injection port 181 in the sheet member 107 may be a position overlapping the pressure receiving plate 105 or an outside of a region overlapping the pressure receiving plate 105. The opening 183 may be formed in the first case 62 instead of the second case 63. That is, the opening 183 can be formed by removing a part of the case 61.

  The size and shape of the opening 183 are arbitrary, and are not limited to a relatively small circular shape as shown in FIG. The opening 183 and the injection port 181 may be formed simultaneously by penetrating the second case 63 and the sheet member 107 simultaneously with a tool such as a drill. In this case, the opening 183 has substantially the same size and the same shape as the injection port 181.

  Further, instead of forming the opening 183 in the second case 63, the entire second case 63 may be removed.

  Here, a state in which the second case 63 is removed or a state in which the second case 63 is not joined is referred to as a “state without the second case 63”. Further, the “state without the second case 63” is also included in removing a part of the case 61.

  If the second case 63 is not present, the housing portion 109 is exposed and the inside of the housing portion 109 is easily visible. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently carry out the cartridge manufacturing work, particularly the ink refilling. In Example 1, there is no necessity to carry out the refilling step S30 (FIG. 12) without the second case 63. However, also in the first embodiment, if the ink refilling step is performed in such a state, the cartridge manufacturing work, particularly the ink refilling, can be performed efficiently.

  In the second embodiment, in addition to the method described in the first embodiment, the following method can be adopted for forming and sealing the injection port 181. First, after removing a part of the case 61 and before forming the inlet 181, a sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function is attached to a part of the sheet member 107 by adhesion or the like. Next, the injection port 181 is formed by piercing the injection needle so as to penetrate the sheet member 107 from above the sealing member 185. Finally, after refilling the ink IK through the injection needle and then removing the injection needle, the injection port 181 can be automatically sealed by the self-sealing function of the sealing member 185. As described above, when the sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function is used, it is easy to prevent air from flowing into the housing portion 109 from the injection port 181 when the injection needle 229 is extracted.

[Example 3]
In the third embodiment, an example in which a discharge port 187 is formed in the first case 62 in addition to the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 is used in the discharge step S20 and the refilling step S30 will be described. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, in addition to the inlet 181 of the first embodiment (FIGS. 13 and 14), a discharge port 187 is formed in the first case 62. The discharge port 187 communicates with the inside of the housing portion 109 from the outside of the first case 62. Except for using the discharge port 187, it is the same as the first embodiment including effects and modifications.

  According to the third embodiment, when the ink IK is refilled from the injection port 181, the atmosphere in the storage unit 109 can escape from the discharge port 187 to the outside of the storage unit 109. That is, the ink IK can be refilled in the storage unit 109 while the air in the storage unit 109 is released from the discharge port 187 to the outside of the storage unit 109. As a result, the ink IK can be easily introduced into the storage unit 109, and the time required for refilling can be reduced.

  Further, according to the third embodiment, the discharging step S20 can be performed before the ink IK is refilled. For example, the inside of the housing portion 109 may be cleaned by injecting the cleaning liquid from the injection port 181 and discharging the cleaning liquid from the discharge port 187. Alternatively, the cleaning liquid may be injected from the discharge port 187 and discharged from the injection port 181. It is possible to obtain a cartridge with higher quality by refilling the ink IK after discharging the substance in the container 109, such as ink or air, by washing.

  In the third embodiment, the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 are sealed after the ink refilling is finished. About the sealing method of the discharge port 187, the method similar to the sealing method of the injection port 181 is employable. Either the sealing of the inlet 181 and the sealing of the outlet 187 may be performed first or at the same timing.

  The place where the discharge port 187 is formed may be a position that directly communicates with the housing portion 109, and can be formed at various positions on the first case 62 as in the case of the injection port 181 described above.

  Further, the discharging step S20 can be performed by the following method other than the cleaning described above. With the container 109 substantially sealed (with only the discharge port 187 opening the container 109 to the outside), the inside of the container 109 is sucked from the discharge port 187. Alternatively, in a state in which a part of the case 61 is removed and the housing portion 109 is substantially sealed (with the housing portion 109 opened to the outside only in the discharge port 187), the volume of the housing portion 109 is reduced. Press in the decreasing direction. In any case, the substance in the accommodating portion 109, such as ink or air, can be discharged from the discharge port 187. Further, in the discharge step S20, air may be sent from the injection port 181 into the storage unit 109, and ink or dust in the storage unit 109 may be discharged from the discharge port 187 by the pressure.

[Example 4]
In the fourth embodiment, an example in which a discharge port 187 is formed in the sheet member 107 in addition to the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 is used in the discharge step S20 and the refilling step S30 will be described. In Example 3, as shown in FIG. 18, in addition to the injection port 181 of Example 2 (FIGS. 15 and 16), a discharge port 187 is formed in the sheet member 107. The discharge port 187 is used in the same manner as the discharge port 187 of the third embodiment in the discharge step S20 and the refilling step S30, thereby bringing the same effect as described in the third embodiment.

  In Example 4, after the ink refilling is completed, the inlet 181 and the outlet 187 are sealed. The discharge port 187 can be sealed by the same method as the method for sealing the injection port 181 of the second embodiment described above. Either the sealing of the inlet 181 and the sealing of the outlet 187 may be performed first or both may be performed at the same timing.

  The discharge port 187 may be formed at any position on the sheet member 107 as in the case of the injection port 181 of the second embodiment described above. is there. As shown in FIG. 18, in Example 4, the inlet 181 and the outlet 187 are formed through the opening 183. The opening 183 can be formed in the same position, size, and shape as the opening 183 of the second embodiment. In FIG. 18, the inlet 181 and the outlet 187 are formed through a common opening 183. However, these may be formed through separate openings. Such separate openings can also be formed by the same method as the opening 183 of the second embodiment. Further, by passing the second case 63 and the sheet member 107 through two places with a tool such as a drill, the first opening and the inlet 181 are formed simultaneously, and the second opening and the outlet 187 are formed. You may make it form simultaneously. Further, as in the second embodiment, instead of forming the opening 183 in the second case 63, the second case 63 may be omitted. If the second case 63 is not provided, the cartridge manufacturing operation, particularly the ink refilling can be performed efficiently.

  In short, both the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 of the fourth embodiment can be formed by removing a part of the case 61, and the removed portion is common to the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187. The position may be a different position.

[Example 5]
In the fifth embodiment, an example will be described in which the inlet 181 is formed in the first case 62, the outlet 187 is formed in the sheet member 107, and the outlet 187 is used in the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30. In the fifth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, in addition to the inlet 181 of the cartridge shown in the first embodiment (FIGS. 13 and 14), a discharge port 187 is formed in the sheet member 107. The discharge port 187 can be formed at various positions by various methods, similar to the injection port 181 of the second embodiment. FIG. 19 shows a state in which the discharge port 187 is formed in the sheet member 107 through the opening 183 provided in the second case 63 as an example. The discharge port 187 is used in the same manner as the discharge port of the third embodiment, and thus provides the same effect as described in the third embodiment.

  In the fifth embodiment, the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 are sealed after the ink refilling is completed. The discharge port 187 can be sealed by the same method as the method for sealing the injection port 181 of the second embodiment described above. Moreover, either the sealing of the inlet 181 and the sealing of the outlet 187 may be performed first, or both may be performed at the same timing.

[Example 6]
In the sixth embodiment, an example in which the inlet 181 is formed in the sheet member 107, the outlet 187 is formed in the first case 62, and the outlet 187 is used in the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30 will be described. In the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, in addition to the injection port 181 of the cartridge shown in the second embodiment (FIGS. 15 and 16), a discharge port 187 is formed in the first case 62. The discharge port 187 can be formed at various positions by various methods, similar to the injection port 181 of the first embodiment. FIG. 20 shows a state where the discharge port 187 is formed near the center of the third wall 73 as an example. The discharge port 187 is used in the same manner as the discharge port of the third embodiment, and thus provides the same effect as described in the third embodiment.

  In Example 6, after the ink refilling is completed, the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 are sealed. The discharge port 187 can be sealed by the same method as the injection port 181 of the first embodiment described above. Moreover, either the sealing of the inlet 181 and the sealing of the outlet 187 may be performed first, or both may be performed at the same timing.

[Example 7]
Instead of providing the discharge port 187 of the third to sixth embodiments, the air introduction port 171 can be opened and used as the discharge port. By using the air introduction port 171 as the discharge port, the same effects as those of the third to sixth embodiments can be obtained. According to this method, the discharge port 187 can be omitted. In the discharge step S20 and the injection step S30, the specific method of using the discharge port is as described in the third embodiment, and thus detailed description is omitted. In order to open the atmosphere introduction port 171, as shown in FIG. 21, for example, an external force may be applied to the valve portion 173 in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. That is, the air inlet 171 may be forcibly opened by pressing the valve portion 173.

  FIG. 22 shows an example in which the air introduction port 171 is used as a discharge port with respect to the first embodiment. FIG. 23 shows an example in which the air introduction port 171 is used as a discharge port with respect to the second embodiment. In either case, an opening 191 is formed in the second case 63. The opening 191 is formed in a region that overlaps the air inlet 171 when the second case 63 is viewed in plan in the Y-axis direction. The air inlet 171 can be exposed through the opening 191. Then, by applying an external force to the valve portion 173 through the opening portion 191, the atmosphere introduction port 171 can be opened.

  The position where the opening 191 is formed is not limited to the position shown in FIGS. 21 to 23 as long as the atmosphere introduction port 171 can be exposed. The size and shape of the opening 191 are arbitrary, and are not limited to a comparatively small circular shape as shown in FIGS. You may make it press the valve part 173 simultaneously with penetrating the 2nd case 63 with a tool like a drill. Further, instead of forming the opening 191 in the second case 63, the second case 63 may be absent. If the second case 63 is not provided, it is possible to efficiently carry out the manufacture of the cartridge, particularly the refilling of the ink.

  In short, the air inlet 171 can be exposed by removing a part of the case 61.

  In Examples 3 to 6, the discharge port 187 was sealed after the ink refilling was completed. In the seventh embodiment, the atmosphere introduction port 171 as the discharge port 187 can be sealed by closing the atmosphere introduction port 171. Specifically, the air introduction port 171 is closed by removing the external force (force in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 21) that has been applied to the valve portion 173. Further, if the valve portion 173 is destroyed in the process of forcibly opening the air introduction port 171, the air introduction port may be sealed by the same method as in the third to sixth embodiments. Sealing the inlet 181 and sealing the air inlet 171 as a discharge port (work to close the air inlet 171) are performed at the same timing, regardless of which is performed first. May be.

  According to the seventh embodiment, since the discharge port 187 can be omitted, the cartridge can be manufactured more simply than in the third to sixth embodiments.

[Example 8]
Instead of providing the discharge port 187 of the third to sixth embodiments, the supply port 85 can be used as a discharge port. By using the supply port 85 as a discharge port, the same effects as those of the third to sixth embodiments can be obtained. In the discharge step S20 and the injection step S30, the specific method of using the discharge port is as described in the third embodiment, and thus detailed description is omitted. According to this method, the discharge port 187 can be omitted.

  FIG. 24 shows an example in which the supply port 85 is used as a discharge port with respect to the first embodiment. FIG. 25 shows an example in which the supply port 85 is used as a discharge port with respect to the second embodiment.

  According to the eighth embodiment, since the discharge port 187 can be omitted, the cartridge can be manufactured more simply than in the third to sixth embodiments. Further, since it is not necessary to expose or forcibly open the air introduction port 171, it becomes possible to manufacture the cartridge more easily than in the seventh embodiment.

[Example 9]
In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the injection port 181 is formed in the cartridge 7, and the ink IK is refilled from the injection port 181 into the housing portion 109. However, it is also possible to refill the ink IK from the supply port 85 into the accommodating portion 109 without forming the injection port 181. An example in which the ink IK is refilled from the supply port 85 into the storage unit 109 without forming the injection port 181 is referred to as Example 9. In Example 9, as shown in FIG. 26, the ink IK is refilled from the supply port 85 via the filter 135. In the example shown in FIG. 26, the ink 7 is dropped from above and refilled in a state where the cartridge 7 is in such a posture that the supply port 85 faces upward. By dropping the ink IK from above, pressure can be applied to the ink. According to the ninth embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, it is not necessary to form or seal the injection port 181, so that the cartridge is simpler than the methods of the first and second embodiments. Can be manufactured.

[Example 10]
In contrast to the ninth embodiment, similarly to the third to sixth embodiments, the discharge port 187 may be formed, and the discharge port 187 may be used in the discharge step S20 and the refilling step S30. FIG. 27 shows an example in which a discharge port 187 is formed in the first wall 71 of the first case 62.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 27, the position where the discharge port 187 is formed may be a position that directly communicates with the housing portion 109, as in the third and sixth embodiments, and the first wall 71 of the first case 62 has It is not limited.

  Further, FIG. 28 shows an example in which a discharge port 187 is formed in the sheet member 107. In the example shown in FIG. 28, the position where the discharge port 187 is formed is not limited to the position shown in FIG. 28 as long as it is a position that directly communicates with the accommodating portion 109, as in the fourth and fifth embodiments.

  These discharge ports 187 are used in the same manner as the discharge ports 187 of the third to sixth embodiments, thereby providing the same effects as those described in the third to sixth embodiments. Since the position and shape of the discharge port 187, the method of forming the discharge port 187, and the method of sealing the discharge port 187 are as described above in the third to sixth embodiments, detailed description thereof is provided. Is omitted.

[Example 11]
In contrast to the ninth embodiment, instead of providing the discharge port 187 of the tenth embodiment, the same effect as that of the tenth embodiment can be obtained by opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 and using this as the discharge port. it can. Moreover, according to this method, since the discharge port 187 can be omitted, the same effect as in the seventh embodiment can be obtained. The method for opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 and the method for sealing the atmosphere introduction port 171 as the discharge port after refilling of the ink are the same as described in the seventh embodiment, including the modification. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

  FIG. 29 shows an example in which the air introduction port 171 is used as the discharge port with respect to the ninth embodiment. In the eleventh embodiment, an opening 191 is formed in the second case 63, and the air inlet 171 is pushed open therefrom. The opening 191 can be formed by the same position, size, shape, and method as the opening 191 described in the seventh embodiment.

  According to the eleventh embodiment, since the discharge port 187 can be omitted, the cartridge can be manufactured more easily than the tenth embodiment.

[Example 12]
It is possible to implement discharge process S20 by giving the force which compresses accommodating part 109 to the above-mentioned Example 9. Moreover, it is possible to implement refilling process S30 by providing the force which expands the volume of the accommodating part 109. FIG. Such a force can be applied by pressurizing or depressurizing the space outside the housing portion 109.

  In FIGS. 30 and 32, with respect to the ninth embodiment, by pressing the space outside the storage unit 109, that is, the atmospheric chamber 115, substances in the storage unit 109, such as ink and air, are supplied from the supply port 85. An example of discharging is shown.

  Further, FIGS. 31 and 33 show an example of refilling the ink IK into the storage unit 109 by depressurizing the space outside the storage unit 109, that is, the atmospheric chamber 115, with respect to the ninth embodiment. .

  In the example shown in FIG. 30, the communication hole 91 is closed with a plug 93 or the like so that ink and air do not flow from the communication hole 91. Then, the supply port 85 is immersed in the ink fountain 95. Thereafter, the pressure increasing / decreasing device 97 is attached to the atmosphere communication hole 113, and the inside of the cartridge is pressurized through the atmosphere communication hole 113 as shown by an arrow in FIG. Then, the atmospheric chamber 115 is pressurized, and the accommodating portion 109 is compressed. Due to this force, the substance in the accommodating portion 109, such as ink or air, is discharged from the supply port 85. Next, the inside of the cartridge is depressurized by the pressure-intensifying device 97. Specifically, the pressurization is released from the state of FIG. 30, and the atmospheric chamber 115 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. Then, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 31, the atmospheric chamber 115 is depressurized, and the sheet member 107 is pulled in a direction that expands the volume of the accommodating portion 109. With this force, the ink IK is drawn into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85 through the filter 135.

  On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 32, the air communication hole 113 is closed with a plug 93 or the like, and the pressure increasing / decreasing device 98 is attached to the communication hole 91. Then, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 32, the inside of the cartridge is pressurized through the communication hole 91. Then, the atmospheric chamber 115 is pressurized, and the accommodating portion 109 is compressed. Due to this force, the substance in the accommodating portion 109, such as ink or air, is discharged from the supply port 85. Next, the inside of the cartridge is depressurized by the pressure-intensifying device 98. Specifically, the pressurization is released from the state of FIG. 32, and the atmospheric chamber 115 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. Then, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 33, the atmospheric chamber 115 is depressurized, and the sheet member 107 is pulled in a direction that expands the volume of the accommodating portion 109. With this force, the ink IK is drawn into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85 through the filter 135.

  According to the twelfth embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a cartridge with higher quality by discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, before refilling with the ink IK. Further, when the ink IK is refilled, the time required for refilling can be shortened by applying a force that draws the ink IK into the container 109 by reducing the pressure outside the container 109. it can. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be performed without making a hole or scratching the cartridge, the cartridge can be manufactured more easily than the 10th and 11th embodiments. Can do. Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 30 and 31, the atmosphere communication chamber 113 is used to pressurize and depressurize the atmosphere chamber 115. Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 32 and 33, the communication chamber 91 is used to pressurize and depressurize the atmospheric chamber 115. Thus, in Example 12, since the discharge process and the refilling process can be continuously performed using the same hole, the cartridge can be manufactured efficiently.

[Example 13]
In the twelfth embodiment, the atmospheric chamber 115 is depressurized using the atmospheric communication hole 113 and the communication hole 91 in order to apply a force for compressing and expanding the accommodating portion 109. Instead, it is also possible to pressurize and depressurize the space outside the housing portion 109 without the second case 63. FIG. 34 shows an example in which a force for compressing the volume of the accommodating portion 109 is applied to the ninth embodiment without the second case. FIG. 35 shows an example in which a force for expanding the volume of the accommodating portion 109 is applied to the ninth embodiment without the second case.

  In Example 13, first, the second case 63 is removed. Further, the communication hole 91 is closed with a plug 93 or the like so that ink or air does not flow from the communication hole 91 in the state where there is no second case. Then, the supply port 85 is immersed in the ink fountain 95. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 34, a pressure increasing / decreasing device 99 is attached to the side opposite to the accommodating portion 109 of the sheet member 107. As a result, the area corresponding to the accommodating portion 109 is sealed. At this time, an airtight space 197 formed on the outer side of the housing portion 109 by the pressurizing and depressurizing device 99 becomes a space corresponding to the atmospheric chamber 115 of the twelfth embodiment. In this state, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 34, when the space 197 is pressurized, the accommodating portion 109 is compressed. Due to this force, the substance in the accommodating portion 109, such as ink or air, is discharged from the supply port 85. Next, the space 197 is decompressed by the pressurizing and depressurizing device 99. Specifically, the pressure is released from the state of FIG. 34, and the space 197 is returned to atmospheric pressure. Then, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 35, the space 197 is decompressed, and the sheet member 107 is pulled in a direction that expands the volume of the accommodating portion 109. With this force, the ink IK is drawn into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85 through the filter 135.

  According to the thirteenth embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a cartridge with higher quality by discharging the material, for example, ink or air, in the storage unit 109 before refilling the ink IK. Further, when the ink IK is refilled, the time required for refilling can be shortened by applying a force that draws the ink IK into the container 109 by reducing the pressure outside the container 109. it can. Further, according to the present embodiment, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be continuously performed using the same space 197, the cartridge can be manufactured efficiently.

[Example 14]
In the twelfth and thirteenth embodiments, a force for compressing or expanding the accommodating portion 109 is applied from the outside of the accommodating portion. Instead, it is possible to apply such a force by depressurizing the accommodating portion 109 from the supply port 85.

  In FIG. 36, the container 109 is decompressed from the supply port 85 to discharge the substance in the container 109, such as ink or air, from the supply port 85, and then the ink IK is discharged from the supply port 85. An example of refilling is shown. In Example 14, first, the communication hole 91 is closed with a plug 93 or the like so that the atmosphere does not flow out of the communication hole 91. Next, the supply port 85 is covered with the reduced pressure injection device 100. Specifically, the inside of the supply port 85 is set in an airtight state. In this state, the accommodating portion 109 is depressurized through the supply port 85. Specifically, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 36, a substance in the storage unit 109, for example, ink or air, is sucked and discharged to the outside. At this time, the accommodating portion 109 is compressed.

  Next, ink is sent out from the supply port 85 to the storage unit 109 by the vacuum injection device 100. Specifically, the ink is sent to the supply port 85 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Since the storage unit 109 is first decompressed and compressed, the difference between the pressure in the storage unit 109 and the atmospheric pressure outside the storage unit 109 is large. Therefore, the ink delivered to the supply port 85 is smoothly drawn into the storage unit 109 using the force generated by the pressure difference inside and outside the storage unit 109.

  According to the fourteenth embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a cartridge with higher quality by discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, before refilling the ink IK. In addition, when the ink IK is refilled, the time required for refilling can be shortened by applying a force that draws the ink IK into the container by reducing the pressure of the container 109. Further, according to the fourteenth embodiment, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be performed without making a hole or scratching the cartridge, the cartridge can be manufactured more easily than the tenth and eleventh embodiments. Can do. Furthermore, in Example 14, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be continuously performed using the same ink supply port 85, the cartridge can be manufactured efficiently.

[Example 15]
When the ink IK is refilled into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85, the negative pressure in the storage unit 109 can be used. In the cartridge 7 of the present embodiment, the sheet member 107 is urged in a direction in which the volume of the accommodating portion 109 is expanded by a coil spring 103 as an urging member. Therefore, if the storage unit 109 is compressed to some extent, a negative pressure is generated in the storage unit 109. For example, in the case of a cartridge immediately after the end of use, the storage unit 109 is compressed due to consumption of ink. That is, the accommodating part 109 is in a decompressed state. At this time, since the air communication hole 113 is in a closed state, air does not flow into the housing portion 109 from the air communication hole 113. Further, as long as the filter 135 of the supply port 85 is wet with ink, air does not flow into the housing portion 109 from the supply port 85. Even if the filter 135 is dry and air is flowing into the housing portion 109, the housing portion 109 can be pressed by pressing the housing portion 109 from the outside of the sheet member 107 by removing a part of the case 61. 109 can be compressed, that is, the accommodating portion 109 can be decompressed.

  Thus, in the cartridge 7 of this embodiment, a state in which a negative pressure is generated in the housing portion 109 can be easily created. If a negative pressure is generated in the storage unit 109, as shown in FIG. 38, the ink is drawn into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85 simply by immersing the supply port 85 in the ink fountain 95.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 38, by immersing the supply port 85 of the cartridge in a state where a negative pressure is generated in the storage unit 109 in the ink fountain 95, the negative pressure generated in the storage unit 109 is used. The storage unit 109 may be refilled with ink from the supply port 85. In this way, it is possible to easily refill the ink without performing the pressurization or decompression as described in the twelfth to fourteenth embodiments.

[Example 16]
A reduced-pressure atmosphere may be used to apply a force that compresses or expands the housing portion 109. In the sixteenth embodiment, an example will be described in which a force for compressing or expanding the accommodating portion 109 is applied by using the reduced pressure atmosphere.

  First, as shown in FIG. 39, the communication hole 91 and the air communication hole 113 are closed in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. That is, the atmosphere chamber 115 is a sealed space. Then, the ink supply port 85 is immersed in the ink fountain 95. Next, the cartridge is placed in a reduced-pressure atmosphere while maintaining the state of FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 40, after the cartridge 91 in which the communication hole 91 and the atmosphere communication hole 113 are closed and the ink supply port 85 is immersed in the ink bottle 95 is accommodated in the decompression container 199, the interior of the decompression container 199 is decompressed. To do. The decompression container 199 is a container having strength that can withstand a decompression environment. At this time, since the atmospheric chamber 115 is sealed, the atmospheric pressure is maintained. On the other hand, the container 109 communicates with the external atmosphere through the ink supply port 85. Therefore, the storage unit 109 is decompressed, and the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, is discharged to the outside through the ink supply port 85.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 41, the cartridge is returned to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere while maintaining the state of FIG. In the process shown in FIG. 39, the accommodating portion 109 is compressed by being depressurized, while the atmospheric chamber 115 remains at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the difference between the pressure in the accommodating portion 109 and the atmospheric pressure in the atmospheric chamber 115 is large. The ink IK is smoothly drawn into the storage unit 109 using a force generated by a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the storage unit 109.

  According to the sixteenth embodiment, it is possible to manufacture a cartridge with higher quality by discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, before refilling with the ink IK. In addition, when the ink IK is refilled, since the container 109 is depressurized, a force that draws the ink IK into the container 109 is generated, so that the time required for refilling can be shortened. it can. Further, according to Example 16, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be performed without making a hole or scratching the cartridge, the cartridge can be manufactured more easily than Example 10 and Example 11. Can do. Furthermore, in Example 16, since the discharging process and the refilling process can be continuously performed using the same ink supply port 85, the cartridge can be manufactured efficiently.

[Manufacturing equipment 1]
Next, an example of a manufacturing apparatus for the cartridge 7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 42, the first manufacturing apparatus 211 includes a drill device 213, an injection device 215, a sealing member forming device 217, a drill drive circuit 219, an injection drive circuit 221, and a coating drive circuit 223. , And a control unit 225. The manufacturing apparatus 211 can be applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the first and second embodiments.

  The drill device 213 is a device that forms the injection port 181 in the first case 62 and the sheet member 107, and has a perforating member 227. The drill device 213 forms the injection port 181 in the first case 62 and the sheet member 107 by rotationally driving the perforating member 227. The drill drive circuit 219 controls the drive of the drill device 213 based on a command from the control unit 225.

  The injection device 215 is a device that injects the ink IK from the injection port 181 and has an injection needle 229 as an injection member. The injection device 215 injects the ink IK into the storage unit 109 from the injection needle 229 inserted into the injection port 181. The injection driving circuit 221 controls the driving of the injection device 215 based on a command from the control unit 225.

  The sealing member forming device 217 is a device for sealing the injection port 181, and applies a sealing material 231 for forming the sealing member 185 (FIGS. 14 and 16) to the injection port 181. The sealing material 231 is in a liquid state. When the applied sealing material 231 is solidified, a sealing member 185 (FIGS. 14 and 16) is formed, and the inlet 181 is sealed. The sealing member forming device 217 has an application needle 233 for applying the sealing material 231. The application driving circuit 223 controls the driving of the sealing member forming device 217 based on a command from the control unit 225.

  In the manufacturing apparatus 211, it is also possible to omit the drill device 213 and form the injection port 181 by directly piercing the case 61 with the injection needle 229 of the injection device 215. That is, the injection needle 229 can be used as a drilling member. Further, in this case, as described in the first and second embodiments, before the injection needle 229 is directly pierced into the case 61, the case 61 is sealed with a sealing material 231 having a self-sealing function. After the stop member 185 (FIGS. 14 and 16) is formed, the injection needle 229 is inserted into the sealing member 185 and the ink IK is injected, and then the injection needle 229 is removed, the self-sealing function of the sealing member 185 The injection port 181 can be automatically sealed. As described above, when the sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function is used, it is easy to prevent air from flowing into the housing portion 109 from the injection port 181 when the injection needle 229 is extracted.

  Further, as the sealing member 185 having a self-sealing function, a rubber plug can be considered. In this case, instead of applying the sealing material 231, the inlet 181 may be sealed with a rubber stopper.

  When this manufacturing apparatus 211 is applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the third to sixth embodiments, the means for forming the discharge port 187 and the substance in the container 109, such as ink and air, are discharged. For this purpose and means for sealing the outlet 187 are required. In the case of the third to sixth embodiments, the means for forming the discharge port 187 can be realized by the drill device 213 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. The means for sealing the discharge port can be realized by the sealing member forming device 217. For example, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 42, the discharge means includes a pump drive circuit 235, a suction pump 237, a discharge port 187 (FIGS. 17 to 20), and a discharge path 239 that connects the pump 237. can do.

  At this time, it is also possible to omit the drill device 213, configure the discharge path 235 with something like a needle, and form the discharge port 187 by directly piercing the case 61. That is, the discharge path 235 can be used as a drilling member. In this case, similarly to the above-described inlet 181, if a sealing member having a self-sealing function is used, it is easy to prevent air from flowing into the accommodating portion 109 from the outlet 187.

  Further, when the manufacturing apparatus 211 is applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the seventh embodiment, the means for opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 (FIGS. 21 to 23), Discharging means for discharging substances such as ink and air is required. For example, the discharge path 239 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 42 is configured by a needle, and this is directly pierced into the case 61 so that the atmosphere introduction port 171 is opened, and the atmosphere introduction port 171 The suction pump 237 may be connected.

  Furthermore, when the manufacturing apparatus 211 is applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the eighth embodiment, the pump 237 and the supply port 85 as the discharge port may be connected by the discharge path 239.

  In summary, the manufacturing apparatus 211 for realizing the method of manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the first and second embodiments includes a mechanism for forming the injection port 181, a mechanism for injecting the ink IK, And a mechanism for sealing the injection port 181. The mechanism for forming the injection port 181 and the mechanism for injecting the ink IK can be realized by one means.

  In addition to the manufacturing apparatus 211 described above, a manufacturing apparatus for realizing the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in Embodiments 3 to 6 includes a mechanism for forming the discharge port 187 and the substance in the housing portion 109. For example, a mechanism for discharging ink or air and a mechanism for sealing the discharge port 187 may be provided. The mechanism that forms the discharge port 187 and the mechanism that discharges the substance in the housing portion 109, such as ink or air, can be realized by a single means.

  Furthermore, a manufacturing apparatus for realizing the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge described in the seventh embodiment includes a mechanism for opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 in addition to the manufacturing apparatus 211 described above, a substance in the storage unit 109, For example, a mechanism for discharging ink or air may be provided. These mechanisms can be realized by one means.

  Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus for realizing the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge described in the eighth embodiment discharges the substance in the storage unit 109 such as ink and air from the supply port 85 in addition to the manufacturing apparatus 211 described above. What is necessary is just to provide the mechanism.

  Note that the formation of the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187, the injection of the ink IK, the formation of the sealing member 185, and the like can also be performed manually. For example, if a manufacturing kit including a punching member, an injection member, and a sealing member is used, the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 are formed, the ink IK is injected, and the sealing member 185 is formed manually. Can be done. In addition, it is also possible to give the injection member the function of a drilling member. That is, the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge described in the first to eighth embodiments can be realized by a manufacturing kit in which tools corresponding to the respective mechanisms are set. Such a production kit is also included in the production apparatus of the present invention.

[Manufacturing equipment 2]
A second example of the manufacturing apparatus for the cartridge 7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 43, the second manufacturing apparatus 241 includes an injection device 243, an injection drive circuit 245, and a control unit 247. The injection device 243 is a device that injects the ink IK from the supply port 85 and includes an injector 249 as an injection member. The injection device 243 includes a cap 251, a tube 253, and a stopper 255. The plug 255 closes the communication hole 91. The cap 251 covers the supply port 85 from the outside of the cartridge 7 together with the filter 135. When the opening of the supply port 85 is closed by the cap 251 and the communication hole 91 is closed by the plug 255, the space inside the supply port 85 becomes the closed space CS. The tube 253 connects the closed space CS and the injector 249. The manufacturing apparatus 241 can be applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the ninth embodiment.

  The ink IK discharged from the injector 249 is injected into the cap 251 through the tube 253. That is, the injector 249 injects the ink IK from the supply port 85 into the storage unit 109 through the cap 251. The injection drive circuit 245 controls the drive of the injector 249 based on a command from the control unit 247. Since the communication hole 91 is blocked by the plug 255, even when the ink IK is vigorously injected and overflows outside the filter 135, it is possible to prevent the communication hole 91 from entering the outside of the housing portion 109. . Further, since the space inside the supply port 85 is a closed space CS, even if the ink IK is vigorously injected and overflows outside the filter 135, it is prevented from overflowing outside the supply port 85. it can.

  When the manufacturing apparatus 241 is applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the tenth embodiment, the means for forming the discharge port 187 (FIGS. 27 and 28) and the substance in the container 109 such as ink or the like A discharge means for discharging air or the like and a means for sealing the discharge port 187 are required. The means for forming the discharge port 187 can be realized by the drill device 213 as described in the first manufacturing apparatus 211 (FIG. 42). The means for sealing the discharge port 187 can be realized by the sealing means forming apparatus 217 described in the first manufacturing apparatus 211 (FIG. 42). The discharging means may be constituted by the pump drive circuit 235, the suction pump 237, and the discharge path 239 connecting the discharge port 187 and the pump 237 as described in the first manufacturing apparatus 211 (FIG. 42). it can.

  At this time, it is also possible to form the discharge port 187 by omitting the drill device 213, configuring the discharge path 235 with something like a needle, and piercing it directly into the case 61. That is, the discharge path 235 can be used as a drilling member. In this case, as described with respect to the first manufacturing apparatus, if a sealing member having a self-sealing function is used, it is easy to prevent air from flowing into the housing portion 109 from the discharge port 187.

  Furthermore, when this manufacturing apparatus 241 is applied to the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the eleventh embodiment, the means for opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 (FIG. 29) and the substance in the container 109, for example, Discharging means for discharging ink, air, etc. is required. For example, the discharge path 239 indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 42 is configured by a needle, and this is directly pierced into the case 61 so that the atmosphere introduction port 171 is opened, and the atmosphere introduction port 171 The suction pump 237 may be connected.

  In summary, the manufacturing apparatus 241 for realizing the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the ninth embodiment only needs to include a mechanism for supplying ink to the supply port 85. The manufacturing apparatus 241 preferably includes a mechanism for making the space inside the supply port 85 a closed space CS in order to prevent the ink from overflowing and overflowing from the supply port 85. In addition, the manufacturing apparatus 241 preferably includes a mechanism that prevents the communication hole 91 in order to prevent ink from entering the outside of the storage unit 109 from the communication hole 91.

  In addition to the manufacturing apparatus 241, the manufacturing apparatus 241 for realizing the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the tenth embodiment includes a mechanism for forming the discharge port 187, and a substance in the container 109, such as ink. And a mechanism for discharging air and the like and a mechanism for sealing the discharge port 187 may be provided. The mechanism that forms the discharge port 187 and the mechanism that discharges the substance in the container 109, such as ink or air, can be realized by a single means.

  Furthermore, a manufacturing apparatus for realizing the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge described in the eleventh embodiment includes a mechanism for opening the atmosphere introduction port 171 in addition to the manufacturing apparatus 241 described above, a substance in the storage unit 109, For example, a mechanism for discharging ink or air may be provided. These mechanisms can be realized by one means.

  In addition, the manufacturing method of the refill cartridge demonstrated in Example 9-Example 11 can also be implemented by a human hand. For example, in order to carry out the method for manufacturing a refill cartridge described in Example 9, as shown in FIG. 44, a manufacturing kit (manufacturing) having an injector 263, a cap 251, a tube 253, and a stopper 255 is provided. Device) 261 may be used. The injector 263 is an instrument that injects the ink IK into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85. In FIG. 44, a syringe is shown as an example of the injector 263. Since the cap 251 and the tube 253 are the same as the structure of the manufacturing apparatus 241, respectively, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As described above, the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the ninth to eleventh embodiments can be realized by a manufacturing kit in which tools corresponding to the respective mechanisms are set. Such a production kit is also included in the production apparatus of the present invention.

[Manufacturing equipment 3]
A third example of the refill cartridge manufacturing apparatus will be described. As shown in FIG. 45, the third manufacturing apparatus 271 includes an injection device 243, an injection drive circuit 245, a suction device 273, a pump drive circuit 275, and a control unit 277. Since the injection device 243 and the injection drive circuit 245 are the same as the configuration of the injection device 243 and the injection drive circuit 245 in the second manufacturing apparatus 241 (FIG. 43), detailed description thereof is omitted. The suction device 273 includes a suction pump 278 and a tube 279. The tube 279 is connected to the cap 251 and connects the inside of the cap 251 and the suction pump 278. The pump drive circuit 275 controls the drive of the suction pump 278 based on a command from the control unit 277. The injection device 243 includes a plug 255 that closes the communication hole 91. The cap 251 covers the supply port 85 from the outside of the cartridge 7 together with the filter 135. When the opening of the supply port 85 is blocked by the cap 251 and the communication hole 91 is blocked by the plug 255, the space inside the supply port 85 becomes the closed space CS. This manufacturing apparatus 271 can be applied to the refill cartridge manufacturing method described in the fourteenth embodiment.

  First, the control unit 277 drives the suction pump 278 to suck the closed space CS inside the supply port 85. Since the communication hole 91 is blocked by the stopper 255, the suction force of the suction pump 278 acts on the housing portion 109 to decompress the inside of the housing portion 109. At this time, at least a part of the substance in the container 109, for example, ink or air can be discharged from the supply port 85 to the outside of the cartridge 7. Thereafter, the control unit 277 drives the injector 249 to inject the ink IK into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85. At this time, since the communication hole 91 is closed by the plug 255, even when the ink IK is vigorously injected and overflows to the outside of the filter 135, the communication hole 91 is prevented from entering the outside of the housing portion 109 from the communication hole 91. be able to. In addition, the overflowing ink IK can be prevented from leaking out of the supply port 85.

  The manufacturing apparatus 271 for realizing the method of manufacturing the refill cartridge described in the fourteenth embodiment includes a mechanism for discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink and air, from the supply port 85, and the inside of the supply port 85. It suffices to have a mechanism for forming the closed space CS and a mechanism for supplying ink to the supply port 85.

  Furthermore, the manufacturing method of the cartridge 7 described in the fourteenth embodiment can be realized by a manufacturing kit in which tools corresponding to the respective mechanisms are set. For example, as shown in FIG. 46, a manufacturing kit (manufacturing apparatus) including an injector 263, a cap 251, a tube 253, a valve 293, a suction device 295, a tube 297, a valve 299, and a stopper 255. ) 291 may be used. Since the injector 263, the cap 251 and the tube 253 are the same as those in the manufacturing kit 261 (FIG. 44) described above, detailed description thereof will be omitted. The valve 293 is provided in the tube 253 and opens and closes a flow path between the injector 263 and the cap 251.

  The suction device 295 is a device that sucks a substance in the housing portion 109, such as ink or air, from the supply port 85 to the outside of the cartridge 7. In FIG. 46, a syringe is shown as an example of the suction device 295. The tube 297 is connected to the cap 251 and connects the inside of the cap 251 and the suction device 295. The valve 299 is provided in the tube 297 and opens and closes a flow path between the suction device 295 and the cap 251. The suction unit 295 sucks the closed space CS inside the supply port 85 to discharge the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, to the outside of the cartridge 7.

  The usage method of this manufacturing kit 291 is as follows. First, the manufacturing kit 291 is attached to the cartridge 7 in the state shown in FIG. Then, by closing the valve 293, the flow path between the injector 263 and the cap 251 is closed. Also, by opening the valve 299, the flow path between the suction device 295 and the cap 251 is opened. Then, the suction unit 295 sucks the closed space CS inside the supply port 85, thereby discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, to the outside of the cartridge 7.

  Next, the flow path between the suction device 295 and the cap 251 is closed by closing the valve 299. Moreover, the flow path between the injector 263 and the cap 251 is opened by opening the valve 293. Then, the ink IK is injected into the storage unit 109 from the supply port 85 by the injector 263.

  As described above, the method for manufacturing a refill cartridge described in the fourteenth embodiment can be realized by a manufacturing kit in which tools corresponding to the above-described mechanisms are set. Such a production kit is also included in the production apparatus of the present invention.

[Other manufacturing equipment]
As mentioned above, although the manufacturing apparatuses 1-3 for implement | achieving the manufacturing method of Example 1- Example 8, Example 9- Example 11, and Example 14 were demonstrated, it is also about the method of Examples other than these. Needless to say, the present invention can be realized as a manufacturing apparatus or a manufacturing kit having a function capable of performing each step included in these methods.

[Inside container after refilling]
In the method of manufacturing the refill cartridge described in each of the above-described embodiments, the ink is refilled in the housing portion 109 so that a predetermined amount of air exists in the housing portion 109 after the ink refill is completed. Is preferred. For example, even if the valve portion 173 is destroyed at the time of refilling with ink and the atmosphere cannot be introduced into the housing portion 109 through the valve portion 173 when the cartridge 7 is used, the inside of the housing portion 109 is refilled with ink. If a predetermined amount of air exists, after the ink is consumed, the air existing in advance in the storage unit 109 contacts the prism 122, and ink can be detected normally. Therefore, if a predetermined amount of air exists in the storage unit 109 after the ink refilling is completed, there is a problem that the atmosphere cannot be normally introduced into the refilling cartridge due to the damage of the valve unit 173 or the like. Even so, the refill cartridge can be used normally.

  In addition, if a predetermined amount of air exists in the storage unit 109 after refilling with ink, the air in the storage unit 109 becomes a cushion, and the flexible sheet member 107 is not easily damaged.

  In addition, if a predetermined amount of air exists in the storage unit 109 after refilling of ink, the ink in the storage unit 109 is less likely to solidify depending on the type of ink to be refilled. For example, in the case of radical polymerization type UV ink (photocurable ink), if air is present, the progress of polymerization is inhibited by oxygen, and it is difficult to solidify.

  The amount of air to be present in the housing portion 109 after refilling with ink is determined when the refill cartridge is placed in a posture in which the prism 122 (prism unit 121) is on the upper side in the gravity direction after the refilling of ink is completed. It is preferable that the prism 122 (preferably the entire surface of the prism 122) be in contact with air. If such an amount of air exists in the storage unit 109, the remaining state of the ink can be detected optically and reliably when the ink is consumed. The posture in which the prism 122 is on the upper side in the gravity direction is, for example, the posture shown in FIG. 26 or FIG. Whether the prism 122 is in contact with air is detected by emitting light to the prism 122 in the posture shown in FIGS. 26 and 33 and detecting whether the light is reflected by the two reflecting surfaces of the prism 122. Can be judged. This is because light is reflected by the prism 122 if the prism 122 is in contact with air as described above. Of course, whether or not the prism 122 is in contact with air may be determined visually.

  More specifically, the amount (predetermined amount) of air present in the storage unit 109 after refilling with ink is preferably an amount that is 10% or more and 32% or less with respect to the maximum volume of the storage unit 109. That is, for example, if the maximum volume of the storage unit 109 is 14.0 ml, the amount of air is 1.5 to 4.5 ml. If the amount of air is less than 10% with respect to the volume of the storage unit 109, it becomes difficult to detect ink by the prism 122. On the other hand, if the amount exceeds 32%, the amount of refilled ink becomes small and a practical refill cartridge cannot be obtained.

  Next, a method for refilling ink so that a predetermined amount of air exists in the storage unit 109 after refilling of ink is completed will be described. For example, there are the following three methods.

  FIG. 47 is a diagram for explaining a first method for causing air to exist in the accommodating portion in the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge shown in FIG. 12. 47 and subsequent figures, the same process numbers as those in FIG. 12 are assigned to processes having the same contents as the processes shown in FIG. Further, detailed description of the steps having the same contents as those shown in FIG. 12 is omitted. In the first method, air is injected together with the ink from the injection port 181 in the refilling step S30a in which the ink is refilled into the storage unit 109. In order to inject the air together with the ink, for example, an ink mixed with bubbles may be prepared in advance and the ink may be injected. With such a first method, air can be allowed to exist in the housing portion 109 without greatly changing the manufacturing method shown in FIG. It can be carried out. This method is applicable to all the above-described Examples 1 to 16.

  FIG. 48 is a diagram for explaining a second method for causing air to exist in the accommodating portion in the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge shown in FIG. 12. In the second method, in the refilling step S <b> 30 b in which ink is refilled into the storage unit 109, after the ink is refilled into the storage unit 109, air is injected into the storage unit 109 through the injection port 181 or the discharge port 187. . The inlet 181 and the outlet 187 are sealed after injecting air into the housing portion 109. Also according to the second method, air can be allowed to exist in the housing portion 109 without greatly changing the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 12, so that the refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. be able to. This second method is also applicable to all the above-described Examples 1 to 16.

  FIG. 49 is a diagram for explaining a third method for causing air to exist in the accommodating portion in the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge shown in FIG. 12. In the third method, air is injected into the storage unit 109 through the injection port 181 or the discharge port 187 before refilling the storage unit 109 with ink in the refilling step S30c of refilling the storage unit 109 with ink. To do. Also according to the third method, air can be allowed to exist in the housing portion 109 without greatly changing the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 12, so that the refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. be able to. This third method is also applicable to all the above-described Examples 1 to 16.

  In order to inject air into the housing portion 109 through the injection port 181 or the discharge port 187, a needle such as the injection needle 229 (FIG. 42) is prepared, and the needle is pierced into the injection port 181 or the discharge port 187. What is necessary is just to inject | pour air in the accommodating part 109 through the hole of a needle | hook. Of course, air may be injected using the injection needle 299 for injecting ink as it is.

  In the third method described above, air is injected into the storage unit 109 before refilling the storage unit 109 with ink. That is, in the third method, refilling of the ink is started in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109. In order to start refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109, for example, the following method can be adopted.

  FIG. 50 is a diagram for explaining a first method for starting refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109. In this method, the discharging step S20 is simply omitted from the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge shown in FIG. In the preparation step S10, the used cartridge 7 is prepared in which the ink is consumed and the remaining amount of ink becomes a predetermined value or less. Since the cartridge 7 thus prepared is the cartridge 7 in which the remaining amount of ink is determined to be equal to or less than the predetermined value due to the presence of air around the prism 122, there is a possibility that air exists in the housing portion 109. Is expensive. For this reason, it is possible to start refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the housing portion 109 even by simply omitting the discharge step S20 from the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge shown in FIG. . According to such a method, the number of steps can be reduced as compared with the method shown in FIG. 12, so that the refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. This method can be applied to Examples 1, 2, 9, and 15 in which the discharging step S20 is not performed.

  FIG. 51 is a diagram for explaining a second method for starting refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109. In this method, in the discharging step S20a for discharging the substance in the storage unit 109, such as ink or air, finally, the ink or air is discharged from the storage unit 109 so as to leave a predetermined amount of air. According to such a method, since it is not necessary to add a step of injecting air, a refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. This method can be applied to Examples 3 to 8, 10 to 14, and 16 in which the discharging step S20 is performed.

  FIG. 52 is a diagram illustrating a third method for starting refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109. In this method, prior to the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30, in the step S15, the inlet 181 and the outlet 187 are formed, and at the same time, a predetermined amount of air is injected into the accommodating portion 109. According to such a method, it is not necessary to separately add a process for injecting air, and thus a refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. This method can be applied to Examples 1 to 8 and 10 in which the inlet 181 or the outlet 187 is formed. In order to inject a predetermined amount of air into the accommodating portion 109 at the same time as forming the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187, for example, a needle such as the injection needle 229 (FIG. 42) is used as a drilling member. A discharge port 187 may be formed, and air may be injected into the housing portion 109 through the needle.

  FIG. 53 is a diagram illustrating a fourth method for starting refilling of ink in a state where air is present in the storage unit 109. In this method, prior to the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30, in step S16, the atmosphere introduction port 171 is opened, and at the same time, a predetermined amount of air is injected into the housing portion 109 through the atmosphere introduction port 171. According to such a method, it is not necessary to separately add a process for injecting air, and thus a refill cartridge can be manufactured efficiently. This method can be applied to the seventh and eleventh embodiments in which the air introduction port 171 is opened when the refill cartridge is manufactured. In the fourth method, since air is injected from the air inlet 171, the discharging step S <b> 20 for discharging ink and air in the storage unit 109 through the air inlet 171 as in the seventh and eleventh embodiments. May be omitted.

  By the method described above, when a predetermined amount of air is present in the storage unit 109 in advance at the start of ink refilling, ink refilling is performed in a posture in which the prism 122 is on the upper side in the gravity direction. Thus, ink can be refilled while optically detecting the amount of ink. This is because, if air is present in the storage unit 109 in advance, as the ink refilling proceeds, the air gradually moves upward in the direction of gravity and contacts the prism 122. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ink from being excessively filled.

  In addition, when a predetermined amount of air is present in the storage unit 109 in advance at the start of ink refilling, the ink is injected by aiming at a portion in which the air in the storage unit 109 exists. Can be smoothly filled into the accommodating portion 109. That is, it becomes easy to secure a flow path for refilling the ink in the housing portion 109.

  The methods shown in FIGS. 47 to 53 can be combined. For example, after injecting air by the method shown in FIG. 47, the air may be replenished by the method shown in FIG. Moreover, after making air exist in the accommodating part 109 by the method shown in FIGS. 50-53, you may replenish air by the method shown in FIGS. That is, the predetermined amount of air described above may not be present in the storage unit 109 by one injection, but the predetermined amount of air described above may be present in the storage unit 109 by multiple injections.

[State of pressure plate after refilling]
In the method for manufacturing the refill cartridge in each of the embodiments described above, it is preferable that two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 do not contact the second case 63 with the coil spring 103 interposed therebetween after refilling with ink.

  FIG. 54 is a diagram showing various examples of the contact state between the pressure receiving plate 105 and the second case 63. FIG. 54A shows a state where the portion of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwiching the coil spring 103 is not in contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed. FIG. 54B shows a state in which the portion of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwiching the coil spring 103 is in contact with the second case 63 only once after the ink refilling is completed. FIG. 54C shows a state in which two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwiching the coil spring 103 are in contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed. The state in which two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 across the coil spring 103 do not come into contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed means that in these drawings, FIG. 54 (a) or FIG. This refers to the state shown in (b). Note that “the pressure receiving plate 105 contacts the second case 63” includes both the direct contact of the pressure receiving plate 105 with the second case 63 and the indirect contact. For this reason, the fact that the pressure receiving plate 105 is indirectly in contact with the second case 63 via the sheet member 107 is also included in “the pressure receiving plate 105 is in contact with the second case 63”. Further, the entire surface of the pressure receiving plate 105 on the second case 63 side is in contact with the second case 63, or two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 are in contact with the second case 63 across the coil spring 103. Included in that.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 54 (c), when the ink is refilled into the accommodating portion 109 until two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwich the coil spring 103 and come into contact with the second case 63. The second case 63 restricts the pressure receiving plate 105 from moving in the direction of enlarging the volume of the accommodating portion 109. For this reason, the negative pressure in the housing portion 109 cannot be properly maintained. Therefore, the ink in the storage unit 109 may leak from the supply port 85. However, as shown in FIG. 54 (a) or 54 (b), two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 in contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed with the coil spring 103 interposed therebetween. Therefore, if the ink is refilled so that the movement of the pressure receiving plate 105 is not restricted by the second case 63, the negative pressure in the housing portion 109 can be properly maintained. Therefore, it is difficult for ink to leak from the supply port 85, and a high-quality refill cartridge can be manufactured. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the ink leaks when the refill cartridge is transported or sold and the inside of the package is soiled. Further, as soon as the customer opens the package, the possibility that the ink leaks out from the supply port 85 and soils the customer's hand, clothes, desk, floor, etc. can be reduced.

  As a method of refilling ink so that two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwiching the coil spring 103 do not come into contact with the second case 63 after the refilling of ink is completed, for example, the following two methods are used. There is.

  FIG. 55 shows the flow of the first method for refilling ink so that two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 sandwiching the coil spring 103 do not come into contact with the second case 63 after the refilling of ink is completed. FIG. The process shown in FIG. 55 is a process performed in the refilling step S30 shown in FIG. In this first method, as shown in FIG. 55, after refilling of the ink into the containing portion 109 is started (step S31a), two or more portions are sandwiched between the coil springs 103 of the pressure receiving plate 105. Prior to contact with the two cases 63, ink refilling is stopped (step S32a). With such a method, there is no need to adjust the amount of ink in the storage unit 109 after ink refilling, so that ink is not wasted.

  In the method shown in FIG. 55, if the ink is refilled in the “no second case 63” state, the position of the sheet member 107 constituting the housing portion 109 can be visually confirmed. It is possible to refill the ink while confirming whether or not two or more portions on both sides contact the second case 63 after the refilling of the ink is completed. For example, when the first case 62 and the second case 63 are made of a light-transmitting material, or when the first case 62 and the second case 63 are not in the “state without the second case 63”, When an observation window is formed, the position of the sheet member 107 can be confirmed from the outside. In addition, the amount of ink that two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 across the coil spring 103 do not come into contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed is determined in advance, and the amount of ink If the sheet member 107 is refilled, the two or more portions across the coil spring 103 of the pressure receiving plate 105 are not in contact with the second case 63 after the ink refilling is completed without confirming the position of the sheet member 107. It is possible to

  FIG. 56 shows the flow of the second method for refilling ink so that two or more portions of the pressure receiving plate 105 across the coil spring 103 do not come into contact with the second case 63 after the refilling of ink is completed. FIG. The process shown in FIG. 56 is a process performed in the refilling step S30 shown in FIG. In this second method, as shown in FIG. 56, after the refilling of the printing material into the accommodating portion 109 is completed (step S31b), two or more portions sandwiching the coil spring 103 of the pressure receiving plate 105 are The ink is discharged from the storage unit 109 until it does not come into contact with the second case 63 (step S32b). With such a method, it is not necessary to observe the position of the sheet member 107 during ink refilling. Further, it is not necessary to predetermine the amount of ink to be refilled. Therefore, it is possible to easily manufacture the refill cartridge.

  In the method shown in FIG. 56, for example, after ink refilling, the ink can be discharged from the container 109 by sucking the ink from the injection port 181 or the supply port 85. In this case, the injection port 181 is sealed after the ink is sucked. In the method shown in FIG. 56, when the ink is refilled in the “no second case 63” state, for example, after the ink is refilled, the container 109 is pressed to refill the inlet 181 or Ink can be discharged from the container 109 through the supply port 85. In this case, the injection port 181 is sealed after the ink is discharged.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the absolute value of the negative pressure in the storage unit 109 after refilling with ink may be 100 Pa or more and 4000 Pa or less regardless of whether air is present in the storage unit 109 or not. preferable. If the absolute value of the negative pressure in the storage unit 109 is within this range, ink can be normally supplied to the printer 5. Therefore, the printer 5 can normally eject ink using the refill cartridge.

  In each of the embodiments described above, the amount of ink to be refilled in the storage unit 109 is 1.0 g or more and 100.0 g or less, or 1.0 ml or more regardless of whether air is present in the storage unit 109. It is preferably 100.0 ml or less. When the amount of ink to be refilled exceeds 100.0 g or exceeds 100.0 ml, when the refill cartridge is mounted on the on-carriage type printer 5, a burden is applied to the carriage 17, and the Printing may not be possible. Further, if the amount of ink to be refilled is less than 1.0 g or less than 1.0 ml, there is too little ink that can be used, and a practical refill cartridge cannot be obtained.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, after refilling the ink into the storage unit 109, the entire surface of the filter 135 located on the most distal side of the foam 133 and the filter 135 provided in layers in the supply port 85 is It is preferable to be wet with ink. When the ink is refilled in this way, a meniscus is formed on the entire surface of the filter 135, so that it is possible to prevent a predetermined amount or more of air from flowing into the housing portion 109. If a predetermined amount or more of air flows into the storage unit 109, the negative pressure in the storage unit 109 may not be maintained within an appropriate range, and ink may not be supplied to the printer 5. As described above, when the entire surface of the filter 135 becomes wet with ink, such a problem is solved. In order to maintain the entire surface of the filter 135 wet with ink after refilling, a cap (not shown) may be attached to the supply port 85. Such a cap is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-35489.

[Modification 1]
In some examples, such as Example 2 and Example 4, the method of manufacturing the refill cartridge without the second case 63 has been described. However, the manufacture of other examples (except for Example 12) is described. The method can also be performed without the second case 63. If the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30 are performed without the second case 63, the discharge state of the substance in the storage unit 109, for example, ink or air, the decompression state of the storage unit 109, and the storage unit 109 are discharged. It is easy to grasp the state of the storage unit 109 in each process, such as the state of injection of the ink IK. Further, if the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30 are performed without the second case 63, various operations in these steps can be easily performed. Note that it is not essential to join the second case 63 to the first case 62 after performing the discharging step S20 and the refilling step S30 without the second case 63. Even if the second case 63 is not present, the function as a cartridge is not lost, so it may be left as it is. Of course, the removed second case 63 may be joined to the first case 62 again, or the opening of the first case 62 exposed by removing the second case 63 may be covered with another component. good.

[Modification 2]
Further, in Example 3 to Example 6, the injection port 181 and the discharge port 187 were separately formed. However, in Example 14, the supply port 85 was used as a function of both the injection port and the discharge port. As has been described, it is possible to give the inlet 181 a function as the outlet 187. In this case, as in the fourteenth embodiment, after the container 109 is decompressed via the injection port 181, the ink is refilled via the injection port 181.

[Modification 3]
As in the second modification, in the seventh embodiment, the air introduction port 171 can be used as a function of both the injection port and the discharge port. In this case, as in the fourteenth embodiment, ink is injected through the air introduction port 171 after the container 109 is depressurized through the air introduction port 171.

[Modification 4]
In Examples 1 to 6 and Example 8, instead of forming the injection port 181, the air introduction port 171 can be used as the injection port. In this case, instead of forming the injection port 181, the air introduction port 171 is opened by the method described in the seventh embodiment, and ink is injected therefrom.

[Modification 5]
In each of the above-described embodiments, the method for manufacturing the semi-sealed type refill cartridge in which the atmosphere is introduced into the housing portion 109 from the atmosphere introduction port 171 during use is described. On the other hand, each example except Examples 7 and 11 does not include the atmosphere introduction port 171 and the valve portion 173, and manufactures a sealed type refill cartridge in which the atmosphere is not introduced into the housing portion 109 during use. It is also applicable to the method.

[Modification 6]
In the cartridge 7, the coil spring 103 is provided between the pressure receiving plate 105 and the first case 62, but the coil spring 103 is provided between the pressure receiving plate 105 (sheet member 107) and the second case 63. It may be provided. In this case, the coil spring 103 can make the inside of the accommodating part 109 a negative pressure by pulling the pressure receiving plate 105 to the second case 63 side.

[Modification 7]
The present invention can be applied not only to an ink jet printer and its ink cartridge, but also to an arbitrary printing apparatus that ejects printing materials other than ink and its cartridge. For example, the present invention can be applied to the following various printing apparatuses and cartridges thereof.
(1) An image recording apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus. (2) A printing apparatus that ejects a color material used for manufacturing a color filter for an image display device such as a liquid crystal display. (3) A printing apparatus that ejects an electrode material used for electrode formation such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display and a surface emission display (FED). (4) A printing apparatus that ejects a printing material containing a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacture. (5) Sample printing device as a precision pipette. (6) Lubricating oil printing device. (7) Resin liquid printing apparatus. (8) A printing device that injects lubricating oil pinpoint onto precision machines such as watches and cameras. (9) A printing apparatus that injects a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin liquid onto a substrate in order to form a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) used for an optical communication element or the like. (10) A printing apparatus that ejects an acidic or alkaline etchant to etch a substrate or the like. (11) A printing apparatus including a head that discharges another arbitrary minute amount of liquid droplets.

  The term “droplet” refers to the state of the printing material discharged from the printing apparatus, and includes those that have tails in the form of grains, tears, and threads. The “printing material” may be any material that can be ejected by the printing apparatus. For example, high-viscosity or low-liquid materials and liquid materials such as sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals (metal melts) "include. The “printing material” includes not only a liquid as one state of a substance but also a material obtained by dissolving, dispersing or mixing particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles in a solvent. The “printing material” as described above can also be expressed as “liquid” or “liquid”. As a typical example of the liquid or liquid material, the ink or the liquid crystal described in the above embodiment can be given. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based ink and oil-based ink, gel ink, and hot-melt ink.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing system, 5 ... Printer, 7 ... Cartridge, 11 ... Paper feed roller, 13 ... Carriage motor, 15 ... Drive belt, 17 ... Carriage, 19 ... Print head, 21 ... Control part, 23 ... Flexible cable, 25 ... Holder, 25A ... Bottom, 27 ... Contact mechanism, 31 ... Recess, 33 ... Introduction part, 35 ... Lever, 37 ... Engagement hole, 41 ... Side wall, 43 ... Side wall, 45 ... Side wall, 47 ... Side wall, 51 ... Channel 53 ... Projection, 55 ... Filter, 57 ... Packing, 61 ... Case, 62 ... First case, 63 ... Second case, 65 ... Recess, 65A ... First recess, 65B ... Second recess, 67 ... Inner surface, 71 ... 1st wall, 72 ... 2nd wall, 73 ... 3rd wall, 74 ... 4th wall, 75 ... 5th wall, 76 ... 6th wall, 77 ... 7th wall, 81 ... sheet junction part, 83 ... Partition wall, 85 ... supply port, 86 ... Wall, 87 ... Projection part, 88 ... Projection part, 91 ... Communication hole, 93 ... Plug, 95 ... Ink fountain, 97 ... Booster / depressurizer, 99 ... Booster / depressor, 100 ... Booster / depressor DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Valve unit, 103 ... Coil spring, 105 ... Pressure receiving plate, 107 ... Sheet member, 109 ... Accommodating part, 109A ... 1st accommodating part, 109B ... 2nd accommodating part, 111 ... Vent hole, 113 ... Atmospheric communicating hole, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 115 ... Atmosphere chamber, 121 ... Prism unit, 122 ... Prism, 123 ... Sheet member, 125 ... Opening, 126 ... Recessed part, 127 ... Communication hole, 128 ... Communication hole, 131 ... Leaf spring, 133 ... Foam, 135 ... Filter 137: Recess, 141: Circuit board, 143 ... Terminal, 161 ... Ink, 163 ... Cover valve, 165 ... Lever valve, 167 ... Spring member, 171 ... Air inlet port, 173 Valve part, 175 ... lever part, 181 ... inlet, 183 ... opening, 185 ... sealing member, 187 ... discharge port, 191 ... opening, 193 ... opening, 195 ... joint, 197 ... housing part 109 Outer space, 199 ... decompression container, 211 ... manufacturing device, 213 ... drill device, 215 ... injection device, 217 ... sealing member forming device, 219 ... drill drive circuit, 221 ... injection drive circuit, 223 ... coating drive circuit, 225 ... Control unit, 227 ... Punching member, 229 ... Injection needle, 231 ... Sealing material, 233 ... Coating needle, 235 ... Pump drive circuit, 237 ... Suction pump, 239 ... Discharge passage, 241 ... Manufacturing device, 243 ... Injection device, 245 ... injection drive circuit, 247 ... control unit, 249 ... injector, 251 ... cap, 253 ... tube, 255 ... plug, 261 ... manufacturing device, 263 ... injector, 271 ... manufactured Manufacturing device, 273 ... suction device, 275 ... pump drive circuit, 277 ... control unit, 278 ... suction pump, 279 ... tube, 291 ... manufacturing device, 293 ... valve, 295 ... suction device, 297 ... tube, 299 ... valve, IK ... Ink, P ... Print paper, CS ... Closed space

Claims (6)

A first case comprising a recess having a bottom surface and an opening, wherein a surface facing the bottom surface of the recess is opened;
A flexible part attached to the opening of the recess;
A second case covering the open surface of the first case from the side opposite to the bottom surface of the recess;
A pressure receiving portion facing the second case and contacting the flexible portion;
A printing material is accommodated, and a volume-variable accommodating portion configured by the concave portion, the flexible portion, and the pressure receiving portion;
An urging member that generates a negative pressure in the housing portion by applying a force for expanding the volume of the housing portion to the pressure receiving portion;
With
As the printing material in the housing portion is consumed, the volume of the housing portion decreases and the pressure receiving portion moves toward the bottom surface of the concave portion. A method for producing a refill cartridge for filling, comprising:
After the refilling of the printing material is completed so that two or more portions of the pressure receiving portion do not come into contact with the second case after the refilling of the printing material is completed. A method for manufacturing a refill cartridge , wherein the printing material is refilled so that a predetermined amount of air is present in the housing portion . It is a manufacturing method of the refill cartridge of Claim 1, Comprising:
When refilling the printing material into the accommodating portion, the refilling of the printing material is stopped before two or more portions of the pressure receiving portion contact the second case with the biasing member interposed therebetween. A method of manufacturing a refill cartridge characterized by the above. It is a manufacturing method of the refill cartridge of Claim 1, Comprising:
After refilling the storage portion with the printing material, the printing material is discharged from the storage portion until two or more portions of the pressure receiving portion do not contact the second case with the biasing member interposed therebetween. A method for producing a refill cartridge, characterized in that: It is a manufacturing method of the refill cartridge as described in any one of Claim 1- Claim 3, Comprising:
An absolute value of the negative pressure after completion of refilling of the printing material is 100 Pa or more and 4000 Pa or less. A method for manufacturing a refill cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising:
A method for producing a refill cartridge, comprising refilling a printing material of 1.0 g or more and 100.0 g or less, or 1.0 ml or more and 100.0 ml or less. A method for manufacturing a refill cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The cartridge includes a supply port that supplies the printing material in the housing portion to the outside.
Among the members constituting the supply port, the entire surface of the porous member located at the most distal end side of the supply port is wetted with the printing material after the refilling of the printing material is completed. A method for producing a refilling cartridge, wherein the material is refilled.

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