JP7414915B2 - Liquid storage container and liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid storage container and a liquid discharge device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid storage container (also referred to as an ink tank in this specification) capable of storing ink consumed by a recording head that discharges ink is known. An ink tank generally includes an ink storage chamber for storing ink and an ink supply port for supplying ink from the storage chamber to a recording head. An example of an ink tank having such a configuration is the one described in Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-58084

2. Description of the Related Art Some inks used in recording apparatuses, such as pigment inks, tend to cause colorants to settle due to aggregation. When such an ink is stored and used in the ink tank described in Patent Document 1, the high concentration component settles in the ink storage chamber, resulting in uneven density, which causes density unevenness in the recorded image. There is a risk that

One embodiment of the present invention includes a storage chamber configured with a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall and containing a liquid, and a storage chamber capped with a removable cap for injecting the liquid into the storage chamber. an injection part, a supply port for supplying the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the ejection head, a first partition plate having a cutout on the first side wall side and partitioning the storage chamber, and the storage chamber. a second partition plate located below the injection part and above the bottom surface of the storage chamber in a state where liquid can be supplied from the ejection head to the ejection head, and having no notch on the first side wall side and partitioning the storage chamber; The first partition plate and the second partition plate are storage containers arranged in a horizontal direction in a state where liquid is supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head.

According to the present invention, it is possible to make the density of the recording liquid (ink) supplied more uniform, and it is possible to print images of good quality.

A perspective view showing the internal configuration of main parts of the recording device in Example 1 A perspective view showing the internal structure of an ink tank in Example 1 Front view of the ink tank in Example 1 A diagram illustrating the internal structure of an ink tank in Example 1. A diagram explaining the arrangement position of the ink supply port and the arrangement position of the air supply port in Example 1 A perspective view showing the internal structure of an ink tank in Example 2

[Example 1]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same elements are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings.

<Configuration of recording device>
In this embodiment, a serial type inkjet recording device (hereinafter abbreviated as “recording device”) will be exemplified as a recording device (printer).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of main parts of a recording apparatus in Example 1. For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 1, the coordinate axes are set so that the main scanning direction is the x-axis direction, the sub-scanning direction is the y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the x-axis and y-axis is the z-axis direction. do.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording apparatus 11 includes a recording head 13 held by a carriage 12 which is a recording section, and an ink supply path 14 that supplies recording liquid (i.e., ink) from an ink tank 15 to the recording head 13. Equipped with. The recording device 11 also includes a paper feed roller, a transport roller 16, a paper ejection roller, a main chassis, a timing belt, and a carriage motor 204 as components for feeding and transporting sheets (printing media). Be prepared.

The carriage 12 is supported by the main chassis, receives driving force from a carriage motor 204 via a timing belt, and moves along the main scanning direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Thereby, the recording head 13 can reciprocate along the main scanning direction together with the carriage 12.

A code strip for detecting the position of the carriage 12 is stretched parallel to the timing belt. Markings are formed on the code strip at a pitch of, for example, 150 to 280 markings per inch. On the other hand, the carriage 12 is equipped with an encode sensor for reading the code strip.

The recording head 13 records an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium based on image data. Note that any recording medium may be used as long as it can form an image by landing ink droplets on it. For example, various materials and forms such as paper, cloth, optical disc label surface, plastic sheet, OHP sheet, envelope, etc. can be used as the recording medium.

The recording device 11 also includes a maintenance section provided within the movement range of the carriage 12 in the main scanning direction. The maintenance section includes a recovery unit that performs recovery processing on the recording head 13, and is arranged so as to be able to face the recording head ejection section.

The recovery unit includes a cap section that caps the print head ejection section, and a suction mechanism that forcibly sucks ink while the print head ejection section is capped to remove residual air bubbles and thickened ink inside the print head ejection section. Equipped with. When the recovery process is performed by the recovery unit, the function of the recording head 13 is restored. Thereby, the ejection characteristics of the recording head 13 are maintained.

<Configuration of liquid storage container>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the liquid container (ie, the ink tank 15 in FIG. 1) in Example 1. Note that, as shown in FIG. 2, coordinate axes are set in the same manner as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, an ink inlet 21 is provided at the top of the ink tank 15, and a removable tank cap 22 is attached to the ink inlet 21. Further, a liquid storage chamber (that is, an ink storage chamber) 33 capable of storing ink is provided below the ink injection port 21, and further below the ink storage chamber 33, there is usually a space for storing air. A buffer chamber 34 is provided.

The buffer chamber 34 is formed by partitioning the inside of the ink tank 15 so that the bottom wall of the ink storage chamber 33 becomes a part of the ceiling wall of the buffer chamber 34.

A liquid supply port (that is, an ink supply port) 24 is provided at the end of the bottom wall surface of the ink storage chamber 33, and the ink storage chamber 33 is connected to a tube (not shown) through the ink supply port 24 and the ink flow path 26. and is connected to the ink supply path 14.

An air supply port 23 for communicating with the outside of the ink tank 15 is provided at an end of the bottom wall surface at a position away from the ink supply port 24. The air supply port 23 communicates with a buffer chamber 34, and the ink The storage chamber 33 communicates with the outside of the ink tank 15 via a buffer chamber 34 . With this configuration, when the ink in the ink storage chamber 33 is consumed in a sealed state achieved by attaching the tank cap 22 to the ink storage chamber 33 filled with ink, outside air is removed from the ink storage chamber. It can be introduced within 33. Further, with this configuration, when the air in the space above the ink liquid level in the ink storage chamber 33 expands due to pressure fluctuations or temperature changes, the ink pushed out to the buffer chamber 34 can be stored, so that the ink can be stored. Ink can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the tank 15.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the liquid container (ink tank 15) in Example 1. Note that, as shown in FIG. 3, coordinate axes are set in the same manner as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, an indicator 31 indicating the amount of ink remaining in the ink storage chamber 33 is formed on the front surface of the ink tank 15. Since the ink level is visible from the outside, the user can check the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink storage chamber 33 by looking at the ink level and the indicator 31.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the liquid container (ink tank 15) in Example 1 when viewed from the side. Note that, as shown in FIG. 4(a), coordinate axes are set in the same manner as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the ink tank 15 includes a first side wall 27 and a second side wall 28 that constitute an ink storage chamber 33. As shown in FIG. The first side wall 27 is formed parallel to the zx plane, and the second side wall 28 is formed to face the first side wall 27. That is, the first side wall 27 and the second side wall 28 are formed in parallel. Therefore, at this time, the positions of the first side wall 27 and the second side wall 28 in the y-axis direction are different.

The ink tank 15 also includes a partition plate (rib) 25 extending from the first side wall 27 toward the second side wall 28 along the xy plane. The ink storage chamber 33 is divided into an upper part and a lower part by the partition plate 25, and a communication path is formed between the divided ink storage chambers.

Here, the ink supply port 24 is formed at a position near the first side wall 27 in the y-axis direction. Moreover, the air supply port 23 is formed at a position near the second side wall 28 in the y-axis direction.

This embodiment will be described on the assumption that the ink used in the recording device 11 is pigment ink. Pigment ink has the property that pigment components settle in the direction of gravity over time. Due to this property, the pigment component that has settled in the ink storage chamber 33 in this embodiment settles on the upper surface of the partition plate 25 and then settles near the air supply port 23, so that the air is supplied on the bottom wall surface of the ink storage chamber 33. The pigment concentration near the mouth 23 is the highest. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pigment concentration near the ink supply port 24 from increasing.

In addition, ink may not be present in the buffer chamber 34 due to the air in the space above the ink level in the ink storage chamber 33 expanding or contracting due to pressure fluctuations or temperature changes, or due to ink being consumed during printing. Ink flows out or flows in from the buffer chamber 34. Due to such inflow and outflow of ink, ink having a high concentration near the air supply port 23 is agitated.

Further, when there is no ink in the buffer chamber 34, when ink is consumed by printing etc., air flows from the buffer chamber 34 through the air supply port 23 into the ink storage chamber 33 as bubbles (FIG. 4(b) reference). As a result, the ink in the ink storage chamber 33 flows, and the highly concentrated ink that has settled near the air supply port 23 is stirred.

Note that this embodiment is not limited to those using pigment ink. In other words, this embodiment can be applied to any ink that uses any ink in which the concentration of ink in the ink tank becomes uneven over time.

<Positional relationship of air supply port and ink supply port>
The positions where the air supply port 23 and the ink supply port 24 are provided will be explained using FIG. 5. Note that in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), coordinate axes are set in the same manner as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5(a) shows an example of the arrangement of the ink supply ports 24. FIG. 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the ink storage chamber 33 when viewed from above. For ease of understanding, the partition plate 25 is omitted and only the tip 251 thereof is shown, and the ink supply port 24 is schematically illustrated. Actually, the ink supply port 24 is provided at the lower part of the ink storage chamber 33 divided by the partition plate 25, and therefore cannot be visually recognized when the ink storage chamber 33 is viewed from above.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the tip 251 of the partition plate 25 is located between the first side wall 27 and the second side wall 28 in the y-axis direction. At this time, the ink supply port 24 can be formed at any position closer to the first side wall 27 than the tip 251 of the partition plate 25 in the y-axis direction (that is, at any position within the range shown by single hatching in the figure). It is.

Further, FIG. 5(b) shows an example of the arrangement of the ink supply port 24 and the air supply port 23. FIG. 5(b) is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the ink storage chamber 33 when viewed from the top. For ease of understanding, the partition plate 25 is omitted and the ink supply port 24 and air supply port 23 are This diagram schematically shows the positional relationship between the two.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the air supply port 23 is located closer to the second side wall than the ink supply port 24 in the y-axis direction. In this way, the air supply port 23 can be formed at any position closer to the second side wall 28 than the ink supply port 24 in the y-axis direction (any position within the range shown by cross hatching).

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily eliminate the uneven concentration of ink contained in the ink storage chamber 33, and it is possible to supply ink with a more uniform concentration during printing.

[Example 2]
In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which the liquid container (ink tank) includes one partition plate (rib). In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the liquid container includes a plurality of partition plates. However, in the following description, the description of contents common to Example 1 will be simplified or omitted.

<Internal configuration of liquid storage container>
FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a liquid storage container (ink tank) in Example 2. Note that, as shown in FIG. 6(a), coordinate axes are set in the same manner as in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the ink tank 15 in this embodiment includes a first partition plate (first rib) 61, a second partition plate (second rib) 62, and a third partition plate (third rib). rib) 63.

The first partition plate 61 extends from the first side wall 27 toward the second side wall 28 along the xy plane. The second partition plate 62 is formed above the first partition plate 61 and extends from the second side wall 28 toward the first side wall 27 along the xy plane. The third partition plate 63 is formed above the second partition plate 62 and extends from the first side wall 27 toward the second side wall 28 along the xy plane.

As described above, in this embodiment, the first partition plate 61, the second partition plate 62, and the third partition plate 63 are arranged to overlap in the vertical direction (z-axis direction) within the ink storage chamber. By arranging a plurality of partition plates so as to overlap in this way, the ink flow path in the ink storage chamber becomes longer than when there is only one partition plate. By lengthening the ink flow path, it is possible to prevent high-concentration ink from settling on the bottom wall of the ink storage chamber, and to prevent high-concentration ink from concentrating on the bottom wall of the ink storage chamber. .

In addition, by arranging a plurality of partition plates so as to overlap in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), the ink inlet 21 and the topmost partition plate (in the example of FIG. 6A, the third partition plate 63 ) becomes shorter. This shortens the distance the ink falls during ink injection, making it possible to suppress the generation of air bubbles during ink injection.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the first partition plate 61, the second partition plate 62, and the third partition plate 63 may each have a notch. The cutout 64 of the first partition plate 61 and the cutout 66 of the third partition plate 63 are formed near the first side wall 27, and the cutout 65 of the second partition plate 62 is formed near the second side wall 28. . At this time, as shown in FIG. 6(b), by forming the notches 64, 65, and 66 so that their positions in the x and y coordinates are different, high-concentration ink is distributed near the ink supply port 24. Prevents sedimentation.

The cutout 64 allows air bubbles generated near the first side wall 27 to escape upward without being retained on the lower surface of the first partition plate 61, and the cutout 65 allows air bubbles generated near the second side wall 28 to escape upward from the bottom surface of the first partition plate 61. 62 can be released upward without being retained on the lower surface. In this way, air bubbles generated when ink is injected or consumed can escape to the top without remaining on the lower surface of the partition plate. Therefore, the user can check the accurate amount of remaining ink by looking at the ink level and the indicator 31.

Note that although the above example describes a case where there are three partition plates, the ink tank 15 in this embodiment only needs to have a plurality of partition plates. That is, a partition plate extends upward from the bottom wall surface of the ink storage chamber (in the positive direction of the z-axis) from the first side wall 27 to the second side wall 28, and a partition plate extends from the second side wall 28 to the first side wall 27. Any ink tank may be used as long as the ink tank is formed so that partition plates extending toward the ink tank alternately appear.

15 Ink tank 24 Ink supply port 25 Partition plate (rib)
251 Partition plate (rib) tip 27 First side wall 28 Second side wall 33 Ink storage chamber

Claims (15)

a storage chamber configured with a first side wall and a second side wall opposite to the first side wall and containing a liquid;
an injection part capped by a removable cap for injecting liquid into the storage chamber;
a supply port for supplying the liquid contained in the storage chamber to the ejection head;
a first partition plate having a notch on the first side wall side and partitioning the storage chamber;
A first side wall that is located below the injection part and above the bottom surface of the storage chamber in a state where liquid can be supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head, and that has no notch on the first side wall side and partitions the storage chamber. Equipped with 2 partition plates,
The first partition plate and the second partition plate are storage containers arranged horizontally in a state in which liquid is supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head. The container according to claim 1, wherein the injection part and the supply port are arranged apart from each other in a direction in which the first side wall and the second side wall extend. The storage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first partition plate and the second partition plate are arranged so as to be in contact with the first side wall and the second side wall. The storage chamber includes a third side wall that intersects the first side wall and the second side wall, and a fourth side wall that faces the third side wall,
The container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the first partition plate and the second partition plate is arranged apart from the third side wall. 5. The storage container according to claim 4, wherein the third side wall is formed with an indicator for the amount of liquid stored in the storage chamber. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first partition plate and the second partition plate are arranged at different positions in the direction of gravity. 7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cutout of the first partition plate is provided closer to the injection part than the supply port. The storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the supply port is located below the second partition plate in a state where the liquid can be supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head. . 9. The first partition plate is located below the injection part and above the bottom surface of the storage chamber in a state where liquid can be supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head. The storage container according to item 1. The storage container according to claim 9, wherein the supply port is located below the first partition plate in a state where liquid can be supplied from the storage chamber to the ejection head. A liquid ejection device comprising the ejection head and the container according to claim 1 . The liquid ejection device according to claim 11 , further comprising the cap . 13. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a supply path that supplies liquid from the supply port to the ejection head. 14. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a carriage that mounts the ejection head and moves in a main scanning direction . comprising a second storage container containing a liquid;
15. The liquid ejecting device according to claim 14, wherein the second storage container is arranged in parallel with the storage container in the main scanning direction.

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