JPH0462159A - Recording head, method for storing thereof, and cap and ink-jet cartridge container to be used for storage - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent ink from drying and to improve stability of its property in storage by a method wherein a sealing member that seals up a discharge port for the ink and an air ventilating hole, and a pressing member that presses the sealing member to the discharge part are provided and the ink is made to contain neutral or basic carbon black and water soluble resin in its water base liquid medium. CONSTITUTION:A recording head is made airtight by sealing up an ink discharge part 41 and an air ventilating hole 1401 of an in tank IT with a sealing member 3 to which a pressing member 4 is combined, and thereby leakage and evaporation of the ink can be prevented without fail. Thereby water soluble resin can be used as dispersing agent which a recording liquid contains, and a substance in which amine is dissolved that is soluble in a water solution is used as water soluble resin. With preparation made by using neutral or alkaline pigment for improvement of dispersibility and stability of the ink, pH of the carbon black becomes free from change on standing. Furthermore, the recording liquid prepared by such processing becomes less dryable and available for easy redissolution (redispersion) by alkaline water or the like even if the liquid is made stuck fast (being aggregated).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention is applicable to printers, copying machines, inkjet recording devices, etc. used in office equipment in general, and is particularly applicable to recording heads with integrated ink tanks, especially carbon black. The present invention relates to a recording head that uses aqueous ink, a storage method thereof, and a cap used therein, and most preferably relates to a recording head that can be attached to and detached from an apparatus main body.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to an inkjet cartridge storage container or packaging container that can prevent shocks from vibrations or falling rings from reaching the inkjet cartridge, and is easy to handle during transportation.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] Among the inkjet recording heads, the ink storage section (
A type of print head in which an ink tank (ink tank) is integrated with a print head having ejection ports for ejecting ink has the advantage of not requiring the user to perform troublesome connection operations between the print head and the ink tank. It is being widely put into practical use.

Recording heads with an integrated ink tank are supplied to users with the ink tank filled with ink for convenience, so the recording head with the ink tank filled with ink is not distributed or sold as a product. , stored.

However, with an integrated ink tank recording head,
The integrated ink tank type had problems in its distribution, sales, and storage. The present invention has been made to solve the problems peculiar to this ink tank integrated type recording head.

That is, in the prior art, research and development have been conducted to solve various problems in the recording performance of the recording head and during recording operations, but none of them has proposed the technical problem as the present invention. .

As a result of conducting many experiments, the following problems were discovered so that the present invention could be applied to emergency situations in the sales state before the recording head is used.

In an emergency situation, although the cause was unknown, ink was seen scattering, and ink was sometimes found inside the package of the ink tank integrated recording head.

As a result of considering the unexpected situation, the inventor sealed the discharge port itself, and found that it was not possible to carry out normal durability tests.
No ink leakage was observed in the excessive vibration experiment.

However, it was surprisingly discovered that when the ink is subjected to a slow rotational movement in which the inertial force generated by normal conveyance is moderately exerted, ink slightly leaks from the atmosphere communication port of the ink tank of the ink tank-integrated recording head. It has been found that this tendency is often seen in the initial state when the ink filling level has been improved before sales, but it has also been found that such problems do not occur once recording begins within the device. Ta.

Furthermore, when using alcohol-containing ink, which is commonly used as inkjet ink, for the above head,
It has been found that ink often dries during sales or long-term storage, and especially in so-called aqueous pigment inks containing pigments such as carbon black and water-soluble resins, ink drying is fatal to the recording head.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can solve the above-mentioned problems without impairing the recording performance of the recording head such as long-term storage stability.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A recording head of the present invention includes an ink storage section, ink in the ink storage section (ink tank), an energy generating body for ejecting the ink, and the energy generating body. an ink ejecting portion corresponding to the above, and further comprising a sealing member that closes the air communication port for the ejecting portion and the ink storage portion during non-recording, and a pressing member that presses the sealing member against the ejecting portion, and The ink is characterized in that it contains neutral or basic carbon black and a water-soluble resin in an aqueous liquid medium.

By sealing the air communication port for the ejection part and ink storage part with the combination of the sealing member and the pressing member, for example, ink leakage from the recording head during packaging during distribution, sales, and storage can be effectively prevented. It can be prevented.

Furthermore, when handling an inkjet cartridge that is removably attached to the main body of a printing apparatus using a printing head having the above-mentioned configuration as shown in FIG. When the head is ready for use, the pressing member is moved toward the side where the sealing member of the discharge part does not extend and is removed, and then the atmosphere communication port area for the ink tank of the sealing member is opened. , the seal member is removed from the print head so that the ejection part is then opened, which prevents ink from scattering and allows air to enter the ejection port at the start of printing. It was also possible to prevent ejection failure.

In addition, the present invention solves the problems associated with packaging an ink tank-integrated recording head, and fully satisfies all requirements regarding protection of contents, space occupied by the package, cost of packaging, etc. In addition, it is possible to provide an inkjet cartridge storage container (packaging container) that can maintain humidity filling of the contents.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a recording head that can prevent ink from drying as much as possible during sales and long-term storage, and an ink composition that is excellent in long-term storage stability.

[Example] Figs. 2 to 6 show a preferred inkjet unit IJU, inkjet head IJH, ink tank ■T, inkjet cartridge IJC, and inkjet recording apparatus main body IJRA to which the present invention is implemented or applied.
, carriage HC and their relationships. The configuration of each part will be explained below using these drawings.

As can be seen from the perspective view in FIG. 3, the inkjet cartridge IJc in this example has a large ink storage ratio, and the tip of the inkjet unit IJU protrudes slightly from the front surface of the ink tank IT. It has a shape. This inkjet cartridge IJC is fixedly supported by a positioning means and electrical contacts (described later) of a carriage HC (FIG. 5) mounted on the inkjet recording apparatus main body IJRA, and is also fixedly supported with respect to the carriage HC. It is a disposable type that can be attached and detached. Figures 2 to 6 show configurations to which a number of new techniques developed at the stage of the establishment of the present invention are applied, so we will not explain the entire structure while briefly explaining these configurations. do.

(i) Inkjet unit IJLI configuration description The inkjet unit IJU is a bubble jet unit that performs recording using an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy to cause film boiling in ink in response to electrical signals. be.

In the 's2 diagram, 100 is composed of electrothermal converters (discharge heaters) arranged in a plurality of rows on a Si substrate, and electrical wiring such as A1 for supplying electric power to the converters, which are formed by film-forming technology. It's a heater board.

200 is a wiring board for the heater port 100;
A wiring (for example, connected by wire bonding) opposite to the wiring of the beater board 100, and a bat 201 located at the end of this wiring and receiving electrical signals from the main unit.
It has

1300 is a grooved top plate provided with partition walls for dividing a plurality of ink channels and a common liquid chamber for storing ink to supply ink to each ink channel, and is supplied from an ink tank IT. An ink receiver that receives ink and introduces it into the common liquid chamber described above is an orifice plate 400 having a port 1500 and a plurality of spout ports corresponding to each ink flow path.
It is integrally molded. Although polysulfone is preferred as the material for integral molding, other resin materials for molding may also be used.

Reference numeral 300 denotes a support made of metal, for example, which supports the back surface of the wiring board 200 on a flat surface, and serves as a bottom plate of the inkjet unit. Reference numeral 500 denotes a pressing spring, which has an M-shape and presses the common liquid chamber with light pressure at the center of the M-shape, and uses a front sag 501 to concentrate linear pressure on a part of the liquid path, preferably in the area near the discharge port. Press.

The foot of the spring that presses the heater board 100 and the top plate 1300 passes through the hole 3121 of the support body 300 and engages with the back side of the support body 300, thereby engaging the two in a state where they are sandwiched between them. The heater board 100 and the top plate 1300 are crimped and fixed by the concentrated biasing force of the spring 500 and its front sagging portion 50t. In addition, the support body 300 has positioning holes 312, 1900, and 2000 that engage with the two positioning protrusions 1012 of the ink tank IT and the protrusions 1800 and 1801 for positioning and heat-sealing retention, and also has positioning holes 312, 1900, and 2000 that engage with the two positioning protrusions 1012 of the ink tank IT and the protrusions 1800 and 1801 for positioning and heat-sealing retention. Protrusions 2500 and 2600 for positioning with respect to the carriage He are provided on the back side. In addition, the support 300 also has a hole 320 that allows an ink supply pipe 2200 (described later) to pass therethrough, which allows ink to be supplied from an ink tank. The wiring board 200 is attached to the support body 300 by adhering it with an adhesive or the like. Note that the recesses 2400 of the support body 300 are provided near the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600, respectively, so that the assembled inkjet cartridge IJ
C' (Fig. 3), the three sides around it are parallel grooves 3.
At the extension point of the head tip area formed by a plurality of 000.
It is located so that it does not reach 0.2600. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the lid member 800 in which the parallel grooves 3000 are formed is a
It forms the outer wall of C, and together with the ink tank IT, forms a space in which the inkjet unit IJU is accommodated. Moreover, the ink supply member 6o has this parallel groove 3001 formed therein.

The ink conduit 1600 connected to the ink supply tube 2200 described above is formed as a cantilever fixed on the supply tube 2200 side, and a sealed bottle is used to ensure capillarity between the fixed side of the ink conduit and the ink supply tube 2200. 602 has been inserted. In addition, 601 is an ink tank IT and a supply pipe 220.
A seal 7oo is a filter provided at the end of the supply pipe on the tank side.

Since this ink supply member 600 is molded, it is not only inexpensive and has a high positional accuracy, eliminating deterioration in manufacturing precision, but also has a cantilevered conduit 1600, so that the conduit 1600 can be easily used during mass production. The above-mentioned ink receiver can be stabilized in pressure contact with the spout 1500. In this example, a more complete communication state can be reliably obtained by simply pouring the sealing adhesive from the ink supply member side under this pressure-contact state. Note that the ink supply member 600 is fixed to the support body 300 through the hole 1901 of the support body 300.
．． This can be easily done by projecting the back side bottle (not shown) of the ink supply member 600 to 1902 through the holes 1901 and 1902 of the support body 300, and heat-sealing the protruding portion to the back side of the support body 300. be exposed. Note that this slightly protruding area of the heat-sealed back surface is located in the ink tank I.
Since the inkjet unit IJU of T is installed in a recess (not shown) in the side wall surface, the positioning surface of the unit IJU can be accurately obtained.

(ii) Ink tank IT configuration description The ink tank is assembled by inserting the cartridge main body 1000, the ink absorber 900, and the ink absorber 900 from the side opposite to the unit IJU mounting surface of the cartridge main body 1000. and a lid member 1100 for sealing.

900 is an absorber for impregnating ink and has 5 forces.
It is arranged within the cartridge body 1000.

1200 is a unit I consisting of the above parts 100 to 600.
It is a supply port for supplying ink to the JU, and also impregnates the absorber 900 with ink by injecting ink from the supply port 1200 in a process before placing the unit in the portion 1010 of the cartridge body toooo. It is also an injection port for

In this example, the parts that can supply ink are the atmosphere communication port and this supply port, but the internal ribs 2300 of the main body 1000 and the partial ribs of the lid member 1100 are used to improve the ink supply performance from the ink absorber. 2500 and 2400 is connected to the atmosphere communication port 1401.
Since the configuration is such that it is continuous from the side and is formed over each region farthest from the ink supply port 1200,
It is important that relatively good and uniform ink supply to the absorber be performed from the supply port 1200 side. This method is extremely effective in practice. This rib 1000 is
The rear surface of the main body 1000 of the ink tank has four ribs parallel to the direction of carriage movement to prevent the absorber from coming into close contact with the rear surface. In addition, the partial rib 240
0.2500 is similarly provided on the inner surface of the lid member 1100 at the corresponding extension to the rib 1000, but unlike the rib 1000, it is in a divided state and the space in which air exists is more concentrated than the former. It is increasing. Note that the partial ribs 2500 and 2400 are distributed over half or less of the total area of the lid member 1000. These ribs made it possible to more stably guide the ink in the region of the corner of the ink absorber farthest from the tank supply port 1200 toward the supply port 1200 side by capillary force. 1401
is an atmosphere communication port provided in the lid member to communicate the inside of the cartridge with the atmosphere.

1400 is a liquid repellent material placed inside the atmosphere communication port 1401, which prevents ink from leaking from the atmosphere communication port 14[)0.

The ink storage space of the ink tank IT described above is a rectangular parallelepiped, and the long sides are on the sides, so the arrangement of the ribs described in 1 is particularly effective. However, when the long sides are in the direction of movement of the carriage, Alternatively, in the case of a cube, the ink supply from the ink absorber 900 can be stabilized by providing ribs all over the lid member 1100. In order to store as much ink as possible in a limited space, a rectangular parallelepiped shape is suitable, or in order to use the stored ink for recording without wasting it, as mentioned above, it is necessary to It is a preferable configuration to provide ribs capable of performing the above action on the two surface areas. Furthermore, the inner surface ribs of the ink tank IT in this embodiment are arranged in a substantially uniform distribution in the thickness direction of the rectangular parallelepiped-shaped ink absorber.

This configuration is important because it can make the atmospheric pressure distribution uniform with respect to the ink consumption of the entire absorbent body, and can make it possible to maintain a state where there is almost no ink remaining. Furthermore, to elaborate on the idea behind this arrangement of ribs, when an arc is drawn with the long side as the radius and centered on the projected position of the ink supply port 1200 of the ink tank on the rectangular rectangular F plane, , for the absorber located outside the arc,
It is important to arrange the ribs on the outer surface of the arc so that atmospheric pressure can be applied quickly. In this case, the atmosphere communication port of the tank is not limited to this example as long as it is located at a position where the atmosphere can be introduced into the region where the ribs are provided.

In addition, in this example, inkjet cartridge I
The rear surface of the JC head is flattened to minimize the space required when incorporated into the device, and the structure maximizes the ink storage capacity, making it possible to downsize the device. Instead, it has an excellent configuration that reduces the frequency of cartridge replacement. Then, by utilizing the rear part of the space for integrating the inkjet unit IJU, an atmosphere communication port 1401 is installed there.
This is done by forming a protruding part for the absorber 900, and hollowing out the inside of the protruding part to form an atmospheric pressure supply space 1402 for the entire thickness of the absorber 900 described above. With this configuration, we were able to provide an excellent cartridge that has never been seen before. Note that this atmospheric pressure supply space 1402 is
The space is much larger than before, and the atmosphere communication port 1401 is located above, so if there is some abnormality,
Even if the ink leaves the absorber, this atmospheric pressure supply space 1
402 can temporarily hold the ink and reliably collect it in the absorber, so it can provide an excellent cartridge with no waste.

Further, the configuration of the mounting surface of the unit IJU of the ink tank IT is shown in FIG. Pass approximately the center of the opening of the orifice plate 400 to the tank I.
Assuming that a straight line is parallel to the bottom surface of T or the mounting reference plane on the surface of the carriage, the two positioning protrusions 1012 that engage with the holes 312 of the support body 300 are on this straight line L1. The height of this protrusion 1012 is slightly lower than the thickness of the support 300, and positions the support 300.

In this drawing, the claw 2100 that engages with the 90° engagement surface 4002 of the carriage positioning hook 4001 is located on the extension of the straight line, and the positioning force for the carriage is applied along this straight line. It is configured to act in a plane region parallel to the reference plane including the reference plane. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, these relationships are effective because the accuracy of positioning only the ink tank is equivalent to the positioning accuracy of the ejection ports of the head.

In addition, the fixing hole 1 on the side surface of the ink tank of the support body 300 is
Ink tank protrusion 1 corresponding to 900.2000 respectively
800.1801 is longer than the aforementioned protrusion 1012, and is for fixing the support 300 to the side surface thereof by heat-sealing the protruding portion that penetrates the support 300. A straight line that is perpendicular to &11L and passes through this protrusion 18θO is L3.
, when the straight line passing through the protrusion 1801 is L2, the straight line L3
Since almost the center of the supply port 1200 is located above,
This is a preferable configuration because it works to stabilize the connection state with the supply pipe 2200 and reduces the load on the connection state even if it is dropped or impacted. Also, straight line L2. L3 is a matching chair, a protrusion 1012 on the ejection port side of the head IJH
Since the protrusions 1800 and 1801 are present around the periphery, the head IJHO tank further has a reinforcing effect in positioning it. Note that the curve indicated by L4 is the outer wall position when the ink supply member 600 is attached. protrusion 1800
．． Since 1801 is along the curve L4, the head I
It provides sufficient strength and positional accuracy even with the weight of the distal end side configuration of the JH. Note that 2700 is a tip collar of the ink tank IT, which is inserted into a hole in the front plate 4000 of the carriage, and is provided in case of an abnormal situation where the displacement of the ink tank becomes extremely poor. Reference numeral 2101 is a stopper for removing the carriage, which is provided on a bar (not shown) of the carriage HC, and prevents the cartridge IJC from penetrating below this bar when it is rotated and attached as described later, and unnecessarily leaving the positioning position. This is a protective member that maintains the attached state even if a force is applied in an upward direction.

The ink tank IT has a shape that surrounds the unit IJU except for the lower opening by covering it with the lid 800 after the unit IJU is installed, but the inkjet cartridge IJC has a lower opening for placing it on the carriage HC. Since it is close to the carriage HC, it forms a substantial four-sided surrounding space. Therefore, although the heat generated from the head IJH in this enclosed space is effective as a heat-retaining space, the temperature rises only slightly during long-term continuous use. For this reason, in this example, a slit 1700 with a width smaller than this space is provided on the upper surface of the cartridge IJC to help the natural heat dissipation of the support, thereby making the temperature distribution uniform throughout the unit IJLI while preventing temperature rise. was able to be made unaffected by the environment.

When assembled as an inkjet cartridge IJC, ink is supplied from inside the cartridge through a supply port 1200,
Hole 320 in support 300 and supply tank 600
The ink is supplied into the supply tank 600 through the inlet provided on the back side of 9, and after passing through the interior, it enters the common liquid chamber from the outlet through an appropriate supply pipe and the ink inlet 1500 of the top plate 400. and inflow. A packing made of, for example, silicone rubber or butyl rubber is disposed at the above-mentioned connection portion for ink communication, and sealing is performed thereby to secure an ink supply path.

In this embodiment, the top plate 1300 is made of a resin such as polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyphenylene oxide, or polypropylene, which has excellent ink resistance, and is molded together with the orifice plate part 400 in a mold. be.

As mentioned above, the integrally molded parts include the ink supply member 600,
Top plate and orifice plate integrated ink tank body too
o, which not only achieves a high level of assembly accuracy but also is extremely effective in improving quality in mass production. Furthermore, since the number of parts can be reduced compared to the prior art, excellent desired characteristics can be reliably exhibited.

In addition, in this example, in the shape after assembly,
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the ink supply member 6
00 has a third portion between its upper surface portion 603 and the end portion 4008 of the roof portion provided with the slit 1700 of the ink tank IT.
As shown in the figure, a slit S similar to the slit S (not shown) is formed between the upper surface portion 604 and the head side end portion 4011 of the thin plate member to which the lower lid 800 of the ink tank IT is bonded. ) is formed. These slits between the ink tank IT and the ink supply member 600 substantially act to further promote heat dissipation through the slit 1700, and even if unnecessary pressure is applied to the tank IT, it is directly transferred to the supply member. At best, this prevents the inkjet unit IJU from being affected.

In any case, the above-mentioned configuration of this embodiment is a configuration that has not existed in the past, and each of them individually has an effective effect, and also in combination, each component has an organic configuration. ing.

(iii) Description of attachment of inkjet cartridge IJC to carriage HC In FIG. 5, 5ooo is a platen roller that guides the recording medium P from the bottom to the top of the page.

The carriage HC moves along the platen roller 3000, and has a front plate 40 located on the front side of the inkjet cartridge IJC on the front platen side of the carriage.
00 (thickness: 2 mm) and a flexible sheet 4005 equipped with pads 2o11 corresponding to the pads 201 of the wiring board 200 of the cartridge IJC, and a rubber pad for generating elastic force to press this against each pad 2011 from the back side. Electrical connection support plate 4003 holding sheet 4oo7 and inkjet cartridge I
Positioning hook 40 for fixing JC to recording position
01 is provided.

The front plate 4000 has a positioning protrusion 4010 connected to the above-mentioned positioning protrusion 2500.2 of the cartridge support 300.
600, and after the cartridge is installed, a vertical force is applied to the protruding surface 4010. For this reason, a plurality of reinforcing ribs (not shown) are provided on the platen roller side of the front plate facing in the direction of the perpendicular force.

This rib is located at the front when the cartridge IJC is installed.
A head protection protrusion that protrudes slightly (approximately 0.1 mm) toward the platen roller is also formed.

The electrical connection support plate 4003 has a plurality of reinforcing ribs 4004 not in the direction of the front ribs but in the vertical direction, and the proportion of the reinforcing ribs 4004 protruding laterally from the platen side toward the hook 4001 side is reduced. This also functions to tilt the position of the cartridge when it is installed as shown in the figure. In addition, in order to stabilize the electrical contact state, the support body 4003 has a positioning surface on the hook side that applies a force to the cartridge in the opposite direction to the direction in which the force is applied to the two positioning protruding surfaces 4010. 4006 corresponding to the protruding surface 4010, forming a pad contact area between them and uniquely defining the amount of deformation of the pads of the rubber sheet 4007 with pads corresponding to the pads 2011. These positioning surfaces come into contact with the surface of the wiring board 300 when the cartridge IJC is fixed at a recordable position. In this example, since the pads 201 of the wiring board 300 are distributed symmetrically with respect to the line L1 described above, the amount of deformation of each notch of the rubber sheet 4007 is made uniform, and the contact pressure of the pads 2011 and 201 is reduced. It's more stable. The distribution of bad 201 in this example is upward,
There are two rows below and two rows vertically.

The hook 4001 has a long hole that engages with the fixed shaft 4009, and uses the movement space of the long hole to rotate counterclockwise from the position shown in the figure, and then moves to the left along the platen roller 5000. By doing so, the inkjet cartridge IJC is positioned with respect to the carriage HC. The hook 4001 may be moved by any method, but a configuration in which it can be moved using a lever or the like is preferable. In any case, when the hook 4001 rotates, the cartridge IJC moves toward the platen roller and moves to a position where the positioning protrusions 2500 and 2600 can come into contact with the positioning member 4010 on the front plate, and the hook 4001 moves to the left. By 90” hook surface 4
002 is in close contact with the 90° surface of the claw 2100 of the cartridge IJC, and the cartridge IJC is moved to the positioning surface 2500.
The pads 4010 and 4010 turn in a horizontal plane around the contact area, and the pads 301 and 2011 finally come into contact with each other.

When the hook 4001 is held in a predetermined position, that is, a fixed position, the pads 201 and 2011 are in complete contact with each other, the positioning surfaces 2500 and 4010 are in complete surface contact, and the 90-degree surface 4002 and the 90-degree surface of the claw are in perfect contact with each other. A two-surface contact and a surface contact between the wiring board 300 and the positioning surface 4006 are formed at the same time, and the cartridge I relative to the carriage is
JC retention is completed.

(iv) General description of the main body of the apparatus FIG. 6 shows an inkjet recording apparatus I to which the present invention is applied.
In the general view of JRA, the carriage HC that engages with the helical groove 5004 of the lead screw 5005 that rotates via the drive force transmission gear 5011, 5009 in conjunction with the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 5o13 is a pin (not shown). has
It is moved back and forth in the directions of arrows a and b. Reference numeral 5002 denotes a paper holding plate that holds the paper on the platen 5 in the direction of carriage movement.
Press against 000. Reference numerals 5007 and 5008 are Baum position detection means for confirming the presence of the lever 5006 of the carriage in this area using a photocoupler and switching the rotational direction of the motor 5013. , 5016 is a cap member 5022 that caps the front surface of the recording head.
5o15 is a suction means for suctioning the inside of the cap, and performs suction recovery of the recording head through the opening 5023 in the cap.

5017 is a cleaning blade, 5o19 is a member that allows this blade to move in the front and back direction, and these are supported by a main body support plate 5018. The blade is
It goes without saying that a well-known cleaning blade other than this configuration can be applied to this example. Further, 5012 is a lever for starting suction for suction recovery, which moves with the movement of the cam 5020 that engages with the carriage, and the driving force from the drive motor is controlled by known transmission means such as clutch switching. be done.

These capping, cleaning, and suction recovery are configured so that the desired processes can be performed at the corresponding positions by the action of the lead screw 5005 when the carriage comes to the home position side area. Any of these can be applied to this example as long as they are activated. Each of the configurations described above is an excellent invention whether viewed singly or in combination, and represents a preferable configuration example for the present invention.

The configuration technically related to the above-mentioned FIGS. 2 to 6 will be further explained in detail using FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, the ribs 270 and 2600 inside the ink tank are for guiding the atmosphere from the atmosphere communication port 5 into the ink tank to form an atmosphere existence space 51, and improve ink supply performance. The rib 270 is a rib that extends in the vertical direction in the figure, and the rib 2600 is a rib that is divided in the direction of the back side in the figure. Each of these ribs has multiple pieces;
are separated from each other. For this reason, the state of the porous body (urethane sponge) 900 slightly intruding between these is shown by the broken line in the figure. The recording head IJH has an electrode layer 1
302, a heat generating layer 1303, a top protective layer 1301, an orifice plate 400, and an ink supply pipe 2200.

In this example, as a result of studying the ink flow resistance in the area where the porous body is in close contact with the inner wall of the ink tank, we created a configuration that goes against the conventional technical trend, that is, considering the distribution of ink flow resistance, The proportion of space that communicates with the atmosphere between the inner wall and the porous body is determined by determining whether the porous body in the ink tank is not in contact with the inner wall of 15% or more of the total inner area of the ink tank, and is formed by this. By adding a new configuration that supplies ink while the non-contact space is in communication with the atmosphere, the ink flow resistance is reduced and the ink supply is stable without affecting the ejection response frequency. This is a record that was achieved.

FIG. 1 shows an ink storage container having atmospheric communication [I] and an ink discharge part for supplying ink to the outside of the container at different positions, and in which a porous body is housed in the container for retaining ink. A storage container 1000, an ejection energy generating means, an ink chamber that holds ink for supplying ink to the ejection energy generating means, and an ink chamber that is press-fitted into a porous body in the ink tank and that guides the ink to the ink chamber. This is an ink jet head integrated with an ink storage container, which integrates a recording head including a supply pipe and a filter F provided at the end of the supply pipe.

First, the common configurations of the following embodiments are summarized as follows: a seal member that closes the ejection portion and the ink tank atmospheric communication port;
It has a pressing member that presses the seal member against the ejection portion, and the ejection portion and the ink tank atmospheric communication port are sealed when the recording head is not printing.

Due to this feature, the present invention can provide a recordable state without ink scattering even when the recording head is transported or sold in various worst conditions, regardless of whether the inertial resistance is large or small. .

A common configuration is that it further includes an ink storage section, and the ink storage section includes an ink absorbing material,
The ink stored in the ink absorbing material is in an aqueous liquid medium,
It contains neutral or basic carbon black and a water-soluble resin.

This additional feature of the present invention makes it possible to provide a recording liquid for a recording head that has excellent long-term storage stability.

In particular, the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black and the water-soluble resin is 3=1 to 10:1 (weight ratio)
This effect is remarkable in the range of .

18(a) and 18(b) are explanatory diagrams of the first embodiment of the present invention, showing perspective views and partially exploded views thereof in order, and FIG. 8(a)
, (b) are partial explanatory views of the embodiment in FIG. 18, showing a top view and a side view in that order, and FIGS. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a modified embodiment, showing a top view and a side view in that order, FIG. 11 is a partially exploded view of another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is an explanation of a cross section of the recording head of the embodiment of FIG. 11. Figure 13 (a), (b)
, (c) , and Figure 14 (a), (b), (c
) and FIGS. 15(a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams of still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a side view, a front view, and a top view, respectively. , Figure 16 is
A perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the recording head configuration is further modified;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of attaching and detaching the recording head of this embodiment to and from the main body of the recording apparatus.

In Figure 18, IJC is an inkjet cartridge,
A recording head (a thermal energy generating body 91 shown in FIG. 11, a substrate 100 on which an electrode 92 is formed, and an ejection port) to which ink is supplied through a supply pipe that has an ink absorber built into the ink storage section and communicates with the ink absorber. 41. In this embodiment, a top plate 1300 and a plate 400 for forming a liquid path 140 are provided.
are integrally molded. ) shows a recording head that can be attached to and detached from the integrated recording apparatus main body. In the recording head having the present configuration according to claim 21, if ink scattered during ink ejection during recording or the like is deposited on the ejection part, the accumulated ink can be easily removed by the user of the recording apparatus by attaching and detaching the recording head from the main body of the recording apparatus. It has the following characteristics. In addition, if a recording device user leaves the recording head attached to the recording device and the recording head malfunctions after the storage period has expired, the recording head can be replaced with a new one and the recording device can be used continuously without the hassle of service personnel. It has the feature that it can be used in many ways.

S is an opening that can monitor an electrical connection section, which will be described later, and is provided on the upper surface of the recording head.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a base plate of the substrate of the recording head, which is an aluminum plate in which a positioning portion 8 for positioning the entire recording head by engaging with the positioning portion 4010 of the carriage of the recording apparatus main body shown in FIG. 5 is integrally formed. It is. 1
indicates the discharge part surface including the orifice plate, and 4
1 is a recording ink ejection section. Although this embodiment does not disclose an opening for absorbing back waves during recording or an opening such as a tammy nozzle, hereinafter, even if these are included, it can be regarded as the ejection part surface 1. 2 is
In this example, four grooves are formed in the upper and lower surfaces which are set back from the discharge part surface 1, as shown in the figure. 53
is a side groove section that is located on the side surface facing the base plate 10 and has four grooves that are continuous to the grooves of the groove section 2. When a large amount of ink is accumulated in this groove section 2 due to ink scattering, this is a side groove section. A downward guiding effect can be achieved. This recording head groove portion 2 receives an elastic pressing force from the groove portion 51 of the cap 4 to maintain the engaged state.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a sheet as a sealing member, which has a size that completely covers the ejection part surface 1 of the recording head, and has a portion that protrudes outward from the end of the recording head as shown in FIG. 8(a). are doing. This protrusion becomes a brim when the seal is peeled off from the recording head. The sheet 3 is attached to the recording head as shown in FIG. 18(a), by interposing an adhesive between the sheet 3 and the ejection portion surface 1 to form a simple adhesive state.

The cap 4 in FIG. 18 acts as a pressing member, has a width corresponding to the discharge part surface 1, has two opposing arms 5.5, and is fixed to the inner surface of the main body away from the arms. an elastic body 6, a positioning or elastic deformation regulating portion 7 provided on the side of the main body located on the base plate 10 side, and flanges 9, 9 that can be used when attaching and detaching the cap 4 itself to and from the recording head. It is equipped with the following. Each of the arm parts 5.5 has three grooves 51 on its inner surface that engage with the grooves 2.

In this embodiment, as can be seen in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the seal 3 is extended onto the base plate 10, and at the same time, the elastic body 6 is provided on the head plate IO so as to face it. This is a configuration for further improving the sealing effect since the discharge port 41 is close to the base plate 10. The portion 7 has a length such that it slightly contacts the back surface of the base plate 10 when the cap 4 is bonded to the recording head. This contact length is 1mm in this example.
That's about it. With such a simple configuration, the elastic body 6 of the cap can be attached to the arm portion 5.5 and the positioning portion 7.
Thus, the base plate 10 is reliably positioned within the sandwiching range. In other words, with such a simple configuration,
The above-mentioned sealing effect of the opening can be achieved without causing the above-mentioned problems regarding ink leakage and the like.

9(a) and 9(b) show a configuration in which the pressing area of the elastic body is concentrated on the discharge port, and for this purpose, the portion of the elastic body 6 in FIG. 8 facing the base plate 10 is removed. There is. In addition, in this embodiment, the parts 7, 7 function as parts for regulating the amount of elastic deformation, and with this configuration,
Since the entire discharge port can be sealed with uniform pressure distribution,
This is one of the preferred embodiments. The configuration in FIG. 9 other than the above is the same as in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b) show a configuration in which the portion 7.7 in FIG. 8 is further extended to have a function as a guide when the cap member 4 is attached to the recording head. In this embodiment, since the arm portion 5.5 has the same length, the portion 7.7 is attached to the base plate 10 when attaching the cap.
Since the cap 4 and the elastic body cannot be attached unless they are securely positioned on the back side of the cap 4, the cap 4 and the elastic body can be miniaturized to further improve the operability when attaching the cap 4 and the elastic body.

To briefly explain the engagement state of the groove portion 2.51 in the above embodiment, when the collar portion 9.9 is moved inward when worn, the fifth arm portion 5.5 is elastically deformed so as to widen the interval therebetween. In this state, engagement of the groove portions 2.51 can be achieved by positioning the recording head between the arms 5.5 of the cap and releasing the collar portions. At this time, even if the positional deviation occurs by one groove,
By setting the depth of the groove to 1 mm or less, the elastic pressing force of the arm and the elastic force due to deformation of the elastic body 6 can be easily balanced. In this state, if the same number of upper and lower grooves are engaged, the overall balance will be optimized, the sealing will be strong, and the pressure distribution will also be optimized, so sealing performance will be ensured. Ru. The elastic material of the elastic body 6,
Any thickness can be used as long as it can press the sheet 3 and maintain the sealing force when the grooves 2.51 are engaged.

The specific structure of this embodiment is that the sheet 3 is made of polyethylene terephthalate, tetrafluoroethylene, etc., and has a thickness of 12 to 3.
The flexible sheet has a thickness of about 0 μm, and the elastic body has a thickness of 3
The sponge is about mm in size, and is a silicone sponge or a polyurethane sponge. It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above configuration.

The present invention, which is technically related to the configuration of the recording head described above, will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 7 is a developed perspective view showing an example of an inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the same after assembly. Moreover, FIG. 20 is a top view (a) and a front view (b) showing an example of the storage container of the present invention, respectively.
and a right side view (C), and a partially enlarged view (d) showing the storage state of the ejection port part of the inkjet cartridge.
It is a partially enlarged view (e) which shows the flange part of a storage container main body.

This packaging container is formed of a container body 61 and a lid member 63, which are joined together and used as a packaging container.

The container body 61 includes a wall portion 61c that is maintained in a non-contact state with the inkjet cartridge IJc that is the content, and a wall portion 61c that protrudes from the wall portion 61c toward the content storage area and supports the inkjet cartridge IJC that is accommodated therein. A recess 61a for fixing the position thereof and a flange 61b for joining and integrating with the lid member 63 are provided. The ejection opening of the inkjet cartridge IJC is maintained in a non-contact state with the wall in the storage space. As shown in these drawings, among the four recesses 61a protruding into the storage space, the depth of the recess on the side where the discharge port is located is increased so that the discharge port is located deep within the storage space. For example, the outlet is well protected. At the same time, this also prevents the user from inserting the inkjet cartridge in the wrong direction (so-called erroneous insertion prevention).

The wall portion 61c particularly needs to have sufficient strength, and is formed of a material and thickness such as T. The thickness of the wall portion 61c is
Although it may be appropriately selected depending on the type of the constituent material, it is, for example, 0.1 mm or more, preferably 0.3-m or more, more preferably 0.5 mm or more, and the upper limit is, for example, 1.2+++11+ or less.

On the other hand, it is preferable that the recessed portion 61a has cushioning properties that buffer or absorb impact in order to protect the contents. That is, if the recessed portion 61a is formed to have the same strength and rigidity as the wall portion 61c, the impact received by the wall portion 61c is likely to be directly transmitted to the contents, and this may not necessarily cause damage to the contents. From this point of view, it is desirable that the recess 61a be formed with a relatively thin wall thickness and have elasticity. The thickness of the recess 61a may also be selected appropriately depending on its constituent material; for example, [), 8 mm or less,
Preferably 0.6 mm or less, more preferably 0.4 mm
The lower limit is, for example, 0.05+nm or more.

As the constituent material of the container body 61, various resins and the like can be mentioned. The container body 61 is manufactured by integral molding using resin, for example. The integrated cultivation method is suitable from the viewpoints of processability, production cost, etc.

Injection molding of various resins, vacuum molding, etc. can be used to manufacture the container body 61 using a mold. Among them, for example, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin <AB
The method of injection molding using resin such as S resin, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, etc. allows the thickness of the wall portion 61c and the recessed portion 61a to be easily adjusted, and can be performed at a relatively low cost, and each part can be formed as desired. It is suitable because it can easily impart the following characteristics.

Furthermore, by providing the flange portion 61b at the bottom of the container body 61, the container body 61 and the bottom plate 63 can be easily and reliably joined. The flange portion 61b can be molded simultaneously with other parts when the container body 61 is integrally molded. The thickness of the flange portion 61b may be approximately the same as that of the wall portion 61c. This flange portion 61b is preferably provided with a reinforcing rib 61e along the joint region 62 between the container body 61 and the lid member 63. Although the rib 61e is provided so as to protrude toward the lid member 63 in FIG. 15, the protrusion may be in the opposite direction. However, the former method is preferable because the connection between the container body 61 and the lid member 63 is more securely achieved by using the protruding portion thereof.

By making the corners of the concave portion 61a and the rising portions of the wall portions 61c curved as shown in the figure, the shock-absorbing properties thereof can be improved. The radius of curvature of the curved portion is preferably relatively large, and is appropriately selected depending on the size of the recess 61a, for example, 2 mm or more, preferably 3 m.
m or more, preferably 5 mm or more.

The shape of the recess 61a is that of the inksheet cartridge I.
, JC is appropriately selected as a ridge that can effectively protect the JC and secure its position within the packaging container. In the example shown in Figure 1, 4
The inkjet cartridge TJC is supported by the four parts 61a, and this form can be said to be the most suitable from the standpoint of protecting the inkjet cartridge IJC and fixing its position, but the number of the four parts 81a can be selected as appropriate. Yes, it is.

If the clearance between the support portion of the inkjet cartridge of the fourth part 61a and the inkjet cartridge is too large, the inkjet cartridge may shake or shift in the packaging container, which is undesirable; This is undesirable because storage performance becomes poor and shocks from the wall portion 61c are easily transmitted. These clearances may be appropriately selected depending on the structure of the recess 61a and the matching between the recess 61a and the inkjet cartridge, but may be, for example, 0.5 mm to 31'1111, preferably about [1,5II1m to 2 mm].

The material and thickness of the lid member 63 are selected depending on the weight, strength, etc. of the inkjet cartridge. As the lid member 63, for example, a film, sheet, or plate made of resin or metal, or a laminate containing at least one of these is used. When using this laminate as the lid member 63, the surface layer of the lid member 63 on the non-adhesive side to the container body 61 (hereinafter,
If the outer layer (referred to as the "outer layer") is paper, the paper may release or absorb moisture and become curled under the influence of environmental changes, especially changes in humidity. Preferably, a moisture barrier layer is coated to prevent deformation.

In this case, the container body 61 and the lid member 63 due to curl deformation
It is also possible to prevent force from being applied to the adhesive portion 62 in the peeling direction. The moisture-proof layer is most preferably made of polypropylene having a thickness of 15 to 00 μm from the viewpoint of strength and strength.

Various joining methods can be used to join the container body 61 and the lid member 63 after the inkjet cartridge IJC is housed in the container body 61. For example, the container main body 61 and the lid member 63 can be formed of the same type of resin material and joined together by a method such as heat fusion or ultrasonic welding. Further, an easy beer layer can be provided on at least the area necessary for bonding of the bottom plate 63, and can be used to perform these bondings. The method using the easy beer layer has the advantage that the lid member 63 can be easily removed from the container body 61 when unpacking, so there is less risk of damaging the inkjet cartridge.

In this way, Easy Beer is suitable when considering the humidity retention property of the contents such as moisture resistance and ease of opening. As this easy beer layer, for example, layers made of various hot melt types, polyethylene types, EVAL types, etc. can be used.

In terms of handling, it is preferable that the lid member 63 is provided with a grip portion 63a that is used when separating the lid member 63 from the container body 61. This knob portion 63a may be provided at a location close to the ejection port of the ink cartridge cartridge as shown in FIG. 1, or more preferably provided at a location as far away from the ejection port as possible. The reason for this is that the lid member 63 is held on the container body 61h by holding the knob 63a.
) This is to prevent your hand from passing through and touching the ejection port, which should be especially protected, when removing the inkjet cartridge.

In addition, by selecting the constituent materials of the packaging container of the present invention,
It is possible to maintain the humidity environment of the contents, that is, to obtain a moisture-proof function and a function to prevent moisture contained in the contents from evaporating to the outside.

For example, the above-mentioned humidity environment maintenance function can be obtained by using a material made of various resins coated with a vinylidene chloride layer or an aluminum layer, or a material that prevents moisture permeation, such as polypropylene, as the constituent material of the container body 61. can. Note that polypropylene is suitable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost, moldability, processability, etc.

Similarly, as the constituent material of the lid member 63, a resin film, sheet or plate material, or a material obtained by coating a paper sheet or plate material with a nylidene chloride layer or an aluminum layer,
By using a material such as polypropylene that prevents moisture permeation, a good humidity environment maintenance function can be obtained.

In order to have good shock-absorbing properties and humidity environment maintenance functions, for example, a material made of paper with an aluminum layer and a layer for sealing adhesion to the container body (for example, an easy beer layer) can be used. A lid member having a polypropylene layer on the non-adhesive surface (outer surface) is suitable for preventing curling. In particular, a laminate in which an aluminum layer is provided and a polypropylene layer is provided as the outermost layer on the non-adhesive side is preferable from the viewpoints of cost, impact cushioning properties, and humidity environment maintenance function.

In addition, when using a vacuum forming method using polypropylene to form the container body 61, as described above, the recess 61a
It is preferable to form the upright portion of the wall portion 61c as a curved portion in order to improve the shock-absorbing properties of the container body 61 and to provide the container body 61 with the above-mentioned humidity environment maintenance function.

Further, from the ceiling 61 cm2 of the container body 61 toward the bottom surface (flange 61b), the ceiling portion 6tc-2 of the raw material sheet is
According to male molding, in which parts other than the parts are stretched in a vacuum to form the four parts 61a, the side surface 61cm1 of the wall part 61c, the curved parts, etc., the uniformity of the thickness of each part can be made better. This is preferable in terms of improving moisture permeation prevention properties in various parts without causing pinholes.

In addition, if the container body obtained by vacuum forming does not have a curved part, the boundaries between the wall and the recess of the container body, and the boundaries between the wall and the flange, etc., will be formed as thin corners, resulting in pinholes. In addition, the product may be more likely to be damaged when dropped, and the moisture permeation prevention properties of the affected area may be reduced. For this reason, by forming these boundary parts as curved parts, the formation of thin walled parts is more effectively prevented, and good moisture permeation prevention properties are obtained more uniformly over the entire container body. It is possible to obtain an outer peripheral portion that is more resistant to drop impact.

Furthermore, if a transparent or translucent material is selected for the container body 61 and/or the bottom plate 63, the inkjet cartridge 62 can be seen through in the packaged state.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 7, by providing a seal member 3 that covers (seals) the ejection port on the ejection port surface of the inkjet cartridge, the evaporation of ink from the ejection port can be extremely reduced. The humidity of the storage space can be maintained appropriately, and therefore curling of the lid member can be prevented, and the ink supply path from the ink tank to the ejection port can be maintained in a good condition.

The sealing member 3 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned tape-like material, but it is easy to handle (for example, it is easy to peel off) and is useful for maintaining an airtight state of the discharge port. What's great about it is that it's so thin that it hardly affects the size of the inkjet cartridge.
A tape-shaped material is most suitable because it can be formed at relatively low cost. Seal member 3
Examples of the material include polyethylene terephthalate.

Further, in FIG. 7, the inkjet cartridge is provided with a pressing member 4 for pressing the sealing member 3 against the inkjet cartridge IJC. A preferred embodiment of the pressing member 4 is a cap member in which an ink absorber 6 is disposed at a position corresponding to the ejection port.

Providing such a pressing member 4 prevents the user from inserting his or her hand into the ejection port when taking out the inkjet cartridge IJC from the storage container. This is more suitable from the point of view of protecting the parts. This pressing member 4 is preferably provided so that even if the inkjet cartridge moves within the storage container within the clearance range, it will not come into contact with the wall portion 61c of the storage container main body 61 and will not move.

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of the inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention, and FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the same after assembly.

Further, FIG. 23 shows a left side view (a), a top view (b), a front view (C), a right side view (d), and a bottom view (e) showing other examples of the storage container of the present invention, respectively. and a partially enlarged view (f) showing the flange part of the storage container main body (however, the parts treated as "front view" differ from FIG. 15).
.

This example is the same as the examples shown in FIGS. 7, 19, and 20 described above except for the shape of the recess 61a of the container body 61. Recess 61a of container body 61 in this example
is formed halfway without reaching the flange portion 61b, and is sloped at a predetermined angle to support the inkjet cartridge. Although the former example is better in terms of fixing the position of the inkjet cartridge in the storage space, the present example can also achieve an effect sufficient to substantially achieve the object of the present invention.

Note that the provision of the seal member 3 is particularly effective in preventing evaporation of water in the ink filled in the ink sheet cartridge.

Hereinafter, the ink of the present invention will be explained in detail.

In water-based pigment ink using carbon black,
After intensively investigating ways to improve the dispersion stability of ink, we discovered that the pH of carbon black affects dispersion stability. When adjusted, no change occurs over time even after storage at room temperature or 60℃ for 3 months. Moreover, the ink is difficult to dry, and if it sticks (agglomerates), it is easily redissolved (redispersed) with alkaline water, etc. ), it has been discovered that it is possible to create a recording liquid that can be used, leading to the present invention.

The reason why the dispersion stability is better when the pH of carbon black is neutral or alkaline is not clear, but it is speculated that the surface of carbon black is neutral or alkaline, so it can be used in the present invention. This is thought to be because the carboxyl group added to the dispersant is easily adsorbed. Further, since the particle size of such a dispersion is small regardless of the type of dispersant, it has excellent discharge properties and does not cause sedimentation or sedimentation even during long-term storage.

The carbon black contained in the recording liquid of the present invention is preferably carbon black having a pH of 7 to 10, for example N02300. N0900. MCF88°N
033. NO4000B, N040. N045. N05
2. CF9. N0IOB (manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei), Reg
al 660R, Regal 330R (gear pots), PRINTEX35 (made by Tegussa), etc. (7)
Commercially available products and products newly manufactured for this purpose can also be used.

The carbon black used in the present invention is produced by the furnace black method.

The Furnace Black process uses natural gas or petroleum fractions as raw materials and thermally decomposes them by spraying them into a closed reactor kept in a high-temperature atmosphere.

Here, the pH of carbon black as used in the present invention means a value obtained by the following measuring method.

That is, weigh 1-10 g of carbon black sample into a beaker, add water at the rate of 10 ml per 1 g of sample, cover with a watchmaker and boil for 15 minutes (a few drops of ethanol may be added to make the sample wet). ). After boiling, cool to room temperature and remove the supernatant liquid by decanting or centrifugation, leaving a slurry. In this slurry, the glass electrode pH
Insert the meter electrode and measure the pH according to JISZ 8802 (pH measurement method) &: Yotte. In this case, the measured value may change depending on the insertion position of the electrode, so move the beaker to change the position of the electrode and measure it carefully so that the electrode surface and the mud surface are in sufficient contact to ensure that the pH value remains constant. Read the value when it becomes .

The amount of carbon black used in the present invention is 3 to 3 by weight.
It is preferable to use it in a range of 20% by weight.

As the dispersant contained in the recording liquid of the present invention, a water-soluble resin used for pigment dispersion can be used, and as the water-soluble resin, any material can be used as long as it is soluble in an aqueous solution in which an amine is dissolved. , styrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-
Maleic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid-acrylic acid alkyl ester copolymer, styrene-
Examples include maleic acid half ester copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-acrylic acid copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-maleic acid copolymer, or salts thereof. Various methods can be used to measure the weight average molecular weight of the dispersed resin, but it is generally measured by GPC (gel permeation chromatography) or the like. The water-soluble resin is preferably contained in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the recording liquid.

In addition, the performance generally required for inkjet recording liquids includes physical properties such as the above-mentioned ink viscosity, surface tension, PLL, etc., but dispersion systems such as aqueous pigment inks do not satisfy these physical properties. In particular, in the case of an ink sheet method in which recording is performed by ejecting droplets by applying thermal energy, the foaming of the ink may become unstable.

As a result of intensive research into the performance of water-based pigment inks that are thermally stable and capable of optimal foaming, the inventors found that the ratio of carbon black to water-soluble resin in the recording liquid is preferably 3:1. F) et al. 101 (weight ratio)
It has been found that within this range, the ink foams accurately on the resistor under any driving conditions, and furthermore, no deposits are generated on the thin film resistor even over a long period of time.

In other words, if there is a large amount of excess water-soluble resin in the ink relative to the carbon black, the ink may not foam even if a certain amount of thermal energy is applied to the thin film resistor, or the heat generated during pulse application may cause these ink to foam. Excess water-soluble resin becomes an insoluble substance and accumulates on the thin film resistor, causing non-discharge and irregular printing.

Further, the total amount of carbon black and water-soluble resin in the dispersion is preferably 10% or more.

The reason for this is that unless a certain concentration or higher of carbon black and water-soluble resin are present in the dispersion liquid, dispersion cannot be carried out efficiently and an optimum dispersion state cannot be obtained.

Furthermore, in the recording liquid of the present invention, preferably, the entire recording liquid is adjusted to be neutral or alkaline, so that the solubility of the water-soluble resin is improved, and - the recording liquid has excellent long-term storage stability of the layer. This is desirable because it can be done as follows. Since the recording liquid of the present invention uses neutral or basic carbon black, it becomes a highly alkaline recording liquid, but depending on the type of carbon black, it may exhibit strong alkalinity. In such a case, it may cause corrosion of various members used in the inkjet recording apparatus, so it is preferable to keep the exposure time within a range of 7 to 10 days.

Examples of the pH adjuster include various organic amines such as jetanolamine and triethanolamine, and inorganic alkali agents such as alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, and potassium hydroxide.

The above carbon black and water-soluble resin are dispersed or dissolved in an aqueous liquid medium.

A suitable aqueous liquid medium in the recording liquid of the present invention is a mixed solvent of water and a water-soluble organic solvent, and the water is not ordinary water containing various ions, but ion exchange water (deionized water). It is preferable to use

Examples of water-soluble organic solvents used in combination with water include organic amines such as monoethanolamine, jetanolamine, triethanolamine, and aminomethylpropanol, methyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, 5
Alkyl alcohols having 1 to 4 carbon atoms such as ec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, and isobutyl alcohol; amides such as shimedyl formamide and dimethylacetamide; ketone or keto alcohols such as acetone and diacetone alcohol; tetra Ethers such as hydrofuran and dioxane, polyalkylene glycols such as polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol,
Butylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,2
．． Alkylene glycols containing an alkylene group or 2 to 6 carbon atoms such as 6-hexandriol, thiodiglycol, hexylene glycol, diethylene glycol: glycerin; ethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether, diethylene glycol methyl (or ethyl) Lower alkyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols such as ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) ether; N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1
．． Examples include 3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone.

Among these many water-soluble organic solvents, organic amines are contained as essential components in the recording liquid of the present invention, preferably in an amount of 0001 to 10% by weight based on the total recording liquid.

In addition, the water-soluble organic solvents other than organic amines are selected as desired and contained in appropriate amounts, but among them, polyhydric alcohols such as diethylene glycol, polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol monomethyl (or ethyl) Lower alkyl ethers of alcohols are preferred.

It has been found that it is effective to add 3% or more of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol to achieve discharge stability. This is thought to be because the addition of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol solvent allows the recording liquid to foam more stably on the thin film resistor. However, if an excessive amount of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol solvent is added, the print quality of printed matter is impaired, so it has been found that the appropriate concentration of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol solvent is 3 to 10%. Furthermore, as an effect of ethanol and isopropyl alcohol solvents, by adding these solvents to the dispersion liquid, generation of bubbles during dispersion can be suppressed and efficient dispersion can be performed.

The content of the water-soluble organic solvent in the recording liquid of the present invention is generally in the range of 13 to 50% by weight of the total weight of the recording liquid,
The amount of water used is 10 to 90% by weight of the total weight of the recording liquid.

In addition to the above-mentioned components, the recording liquid of the present invention may optionally contain a surfactant,
Antifoaming agents, preservatives, etc. can be added, and it is also possible to add commercially available water-soluble dyes.

Examples of surfactants include fatty acid salts, higher alcohol sulfate ester salts, liquid fatty oil sulfate ester salts, anionic surfactants such as alkylaryl sulfonates, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl esters, polyoxy There are nonionic surfactants such as ethylene sorbitan alkyl esters, and one or more of these may be appropriately selected and used.

The amount used varies depending on the dispersant, but it is preferably 0.01 to 5% by weight based on the total amount of the ink.

At this time, it is preferable to determine the amount of the activator added so that the surface tension of the recording liquid is 30 dyne/cm or more. This is because if the surface tension of the recording liquid exhibits a value smaller than this, in a recording method such as the present invention, an undesirable situation such as printing due to wetting of the nozzle tip will occur.

The above-mentioned method for preparing the recording liquid of the present invention involves mixing the above-mentioned carbon black and a dispersant into an aqueous solution made alkaline by adding a predetermined amount of amines, and then performing a dispersion treatment using the means described below. The above-mentioned water-soluble solvent, water, etc. are added to this dispersion liquid, and the pH of the recording liquid is adjusted to a range of 7 or more using the above-mentioned P)L adjuster. shall be. Further, a water-soluble solvent, an antifoaming agent, etc. may be added to this dispersion liquid as necessary, or the dispersion liquid itself may be used as a recording liquid. Furthermore, a centrifugal separation process may be performed if necessary.

The dispersing machine used in the present invention may be any commonly used dispersing machine, such as a ball mill,
Examples include roll mills and sunto mills. Among them, high-speed sand mills are preferred, and examples thereof include super mills, sand grinders, bead mills, agitator mills, clen mills, Dyno mills, burr mills, and Kobol mills (all trade names).

In the present invention, methods for obtaining a pigment having a desired particle size distribution include reducing the size of the grinding media of the dispersion machine, increasing the filling rate of the grinding media, lengthening the processing time, and slowing down the discharge speed. Methods such as pulverization and classification using a filter or centrifuge are used. or a combination of these methods.

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to examples relating to a recording head storage container and ink.

(Example 1) (Creation of pigment dispersion) Styrene-acrylic acid-ethyl acrylate copolymer
1 part (acid value 174, average molecular weight +8000
) Monoethanolamine 05 parts Ion-exchanged water 78.5 parts Ethylene glycol 5 parts The above ingredients were mixed and heated to 70°C using a water bath to completely dissolve the resin. At this time, if the concentration of the resin to be dissolved is low, it may not be completely dissolved, so when dissolving the resin, a high concentration solution may be prepared in advance and diluted to prepare the desired resin solution. Carbon black (M
After adding 10 parts of CF-88 (pH 8.0, manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei) and 5 parts of ethanol and premixing for 30 minutes, dispersion treatment was performed under the following conditions.

Dispersion machine Sand grinder (manufactured by Igarashi Kikai) Grinding media Zirconium beads 1) Size Grinding media filling rate 50% (body 11) Grinding time 3 hours Further centrifugation treatment (12000 RPM, 20 minutes) was performed to remove coarse particles. It was made into a dispersion liquid.

(Preparation of ink) Above dispersion 50 parts glycerin 8 parts ethylene glycol 10 parts ethanol
4 parts ion exchange water, p) I regulator IN
-H (:1) Mix 28 parts of the dispersion, glycerin, ethylene glycol, ethanol, and ion-exchanged water (15 parts), adjust the pH to 7 to 9 with IN-)ICI, add ion-exchanged water, and mix the total amount. It was made into 100 copies.

The above components were mixed and stirred for 1 hour to obtain an ink (A) having a pH of 7.3.

(Example 2) An ink was prepared using the same components as in Example 1, except that IN acetic acid was used as the pH adjuster, and an ink (B) with a pH of 8.0 was obtained.

(Example 3) (Preparation of pigment dispersion) Acrylic acid-butyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate copolymer 5 parts (acid value 8
0, average molecular weight 6700) Monoethanolamine 2 parts Ion-exchanged water 68 parts Ethylene glycol 5 parts The above components were mixed and heated to 70°C using a water bath to completely dissolve the resin component. Add carbon black (#45. pH 8) to this dissolution.
,0, manufactured by Mitsubishi Kasei) and 5 parts of ethanol were added.
After premixing for 0 minutes, dispersion treatment was performed under the following conditions.

Dispersion machine Sand grinder (manufactured by Igarashi Kikai) Grinding media Glass peas 1 mm particle size media filling rate 60% (body grinding time 3 hours and centrifugation treatment (20000 RPM, 20 minutes)
to remove coarse particles and prepare a dispersion.

(Preparation of ink) Above dispersion 40 parts thiodiglycol 10 parts ethylene glycol 10 parts ethanol
4 parts ion exchange water, pH adjuster
Add 36 parts dispersion, thiodiglycol, ethylene glycol, ethanol, and 15 parts of ion exchange water,
After adjusting the pH to 7 to 9 with N lithium acetate, ion-exchanged water was added to bring the total amount to 100 parts.

The above components were mixed and stirred for 1 hour to obtain an ink (C) with ρ) of 18.3.

(Example 4) Example 3 except that IN phosphoric acid was used as the pH adjuster.
An ink (D) was prepared using the same ingredients.

The pH was 7.8.

(Example 5) (Preparation of pigment dispersion) Styrene-maleic acid ester-2 parts maleic anhydride copolymer (acid value 155, average molecular fi 1300D) Aminomethyl propatool 1 part ion-exchanged water
67 parts diethylene glycol
Mix 5 parts of the above ingredients and heat to 70°C in a water bath to completely dissolve the resin. Carbon black (Regal 660 R, pH 7.5) was added to this solution.
(manufactured by Cabot) and 7 parts of ethanol were added.
After performing premixing for a minute, dispersion treatment was performed under the following conditions.

Dispersion machine Burl mill (manufactured by Asisawa) Grinding media Glass beads Filling rate of 1u diameter grinding media 50% (volume) Spray speed
100+Ill/min further centrifugation treatment (1200
0 RPM for 20 minutes) to remove coarse particles and prepare a dispersion.

(Preparation of ink) Above dispersion 40 parts glycerin 10 parts ethylene glycol 5 parts ethanol
4 parts ion exchange water, pH adjuster
40 parts dispersion, glycerin, ethylene glycol ditanol, and 20 parts of ion-exchanged water were added, and after adjusting the pH to 7 to 9 with sodium acetate, ion-exchanged water was added.
The total amount was 100 parts.

The above components were mixed and stirred for 1 hour to obtain ink (E) with pl(8.5).

(Example 6) Ink (F) was prepared with the same composition as in Example 5, except that the pH was adjusted using a mixed solution of potassium hydrogen phosphate and phosphoric acid. The pH of the ink was 8.1.

Samples (A) to (F) created in each of the above examples were
It was filled into the ink tank of the inkjet cartridge shown in the figure and evaluated according to the following method, and the evaluation results are summarized in Table 1. Printing was performed using a modified Canowart α50 (manufactured by Canon).

TI<Driving conditions and ejection stability> The driving conditions were set to 25V and 30V, and printing was performed at room temperature under two conditions of frequency 2kHz and 4kHz at each voltage. The discharge stability was evaluated by observing whether or not there was any damage.

A: - Clean discharge from the first character, no irregularities in printing, chipping, or non-discharge during continuous printing.

B: Letters were ejected neatly, but ejection failure occurred in several areas with uneven printing.

C: Even in the character part, when several characters are printed, non-ejection occurs, and the print is disturbed to the extent that it is impossible to read the characters.

T2 <Ink storage test> After each ink was stored at 60°C for 4 weeks, the viscosity and the amount of precipitate attached to the bottom of the storage bottle were visually observed.

A: No precipitate was observed.

B: A slight amount of sediment can be seen at the bottom of the bottle, but there is no practical problem.

A large amount of C1 precipitate is formed.

The evaluation results are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 In addition, an inkjet cartridge whose ink tank is filled with the recording liquids (A) to (F) is placed in the state R shown in FIG. After leaving it for several months, the seal member was removed and printing was performed in the same manner as above, and the same results as shown in Table 2 were obtained.

(Example 7) A male vacuum molded container body having the structure shown in FIG. 7 using a polypropylene sheet with a thickness of 1 mm is stretched toward the bottom or the material part other than the ceiling 61 cm1. Manufactured by molding. The sizes of each part are as follows.

Minimum wall thickness: 0.2mm Corner radius of curvature: 3mm On the other hand, polypropylene layer (thickness 30μm), polyethylene terephthalate layer (thickness 12μm), aluminum layer (thickness 9μm), polyethylene easy beer layer (
The lid member 3 was produced by laminating the sheets (thickness: 30 μIn) in this order from the adhesive side to the container body.

Next, an ink tank for storing ink (A) is provided, a protective tape made of polyethylene terephthalate is provided as a cover member 3 on the discharge port surface to seal the discharge port, and a pressing member 4 is further provided to press the protective tape. The inkjet cartridge IJC provided with the cap member with the ink absorber 6 was housed in the container body 61, the lid member 63 was aligned with the bottom of the container body, and the flange 61b and the lid member 63 were bonded together using an ultrasonic welding machine. .

A drop test from a predetermined height was performed on the obtained packaged items and their aggregates, and the protective state of the packed inkjet cartridges was inspected. As a result, there was no damage to the inkjet cartridges at all.

In addition, after leaving the obtained package under a specified atmospheric condition for a specified period of time, the amount of water evaporated from the ink filled in the inkjet cartridge was examined by measuring the weight of the inkjet cartridge, and it was found that there was a slight weight loss. was only measured.

Furthermore, no deformation such as curling of the lid member was observed after being left for a predetermined period of time.

(Example 8) A container body was produced in the same manner as in Example 7, except that a vinyl chloride sheet coated with vinylidene chloride having a thickness of 30 μm was used, and an inkjet cartridge was packaged.

When the resulting package was subjected to a drop test in the same manner as in Example 7, no abnormality such as damage occurred to the packaged inkjet cartridge.

In addition, when the amount of evaporation of water in the ink filled in the packed inkjet cartridge was measured in the same manner as in Example 7, it was found to be small as in Example 7, and no deformation such as curling of the lid member was observed. Futa.

(Example 9) Example 1 except that the radius R of each curved part is 1 [1111]
A container body was prepared in the same manner as above, an inkjet cartridge was packed, and a drop test and the amount of water evaporation were performed.

In addition, the minimum thickness of the obtained container body is 0.05
Ivy in mm.

As a result, in the drop test, a slight dent was observed in the container body of the packaged product, but there was no abnormality in the packaged inkjet cartridge.

Further, the amount of water evaporated from the ink filled in the inkjet cartridge was small, and no deformation of the lid member was observed.

(Example 10) From the portion of the polypropylene sheet that becomes the flange portion 61b to the other portions (the recessed portion 61a and the wall portion 61
C) The container body is formed by female molding in which the container body is pulled and formed by vacuum, and the radius of curvature of the corner of the flange part Blb is 0.51, and the radius of curvature of the other corners is 2 mm. The inkjet cartridge was packaged in the same manner as in Example 7 except for the following.

The resulting package was subjected to the same drop test as in Example 7 and the amount of water evaporated from the ink was measured.

In the drop test, there was no abnormality in the packaged inkjet cartridge.

The amount of moisture evaporated from the ink was small, and no deformation of the lid member was observed.

(Examples 11 to 14) Packaging was carried out in the same manner as in Examples 7 to 10, except that a protective tape serving as a covering member for the ejection port was not provided on the ejection port surface of the inkjet cartridge.

As a result, the amount of evaporation of water in the ink filled in the inkjet cartridge increased slightly in each of the examples compared to Examples 7 to 10, but this was sufficient to substantially achieve the object of the present invention. I was able to obtain the effect of

It should be noted that the present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in bubble jet recording heads and recording apparatuses among inkjet recording systems.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it is necessary to arrange the liquid (ink) corresponding to the sheet and liquid path. The electrothermal converter that is
generating energy in the electrothermal transducer to cause film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head by applying at least one drive signal corresponding to recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling; As a result, bubbles in the liquid (ink) can be formed in one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal, which is effective. The growth and contraction of the bubble causes liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form at least one drop. If this drive signal has a pulse shape,
Since the growth and contraction of bubbles is carried out immediately and appropriately, ejection of liquid (ink) with particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in US Pat.
Those described in Japanese Patent No. 463359 and Japanese Patent No. 4345262 are suitable. Incidentally, US Pat.
If the conditions described in No. 24 are adopted, even better recording can be achieved.

The configuration of the recording head includes a combination configuration of an ejection port, a liquid path, and an electric heat exchanger (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, as well as a heat acting part. US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600 disclose a configuration in which the
The present invention also includes a configuration using the specification of the above specification.

In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 123670 of 1982 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a hole that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy is disclosed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 138461 of 1981, which discloses a configuration in which a discharge portion corresponds to a discharge portion.

Furthermore, as a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium that can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining multiple recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. Either a configuration that satisfies the above requirements or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally may be used, but the present invention can more effectively exhibit the above-mentioned effects.

In addition, there are also replaceable chip-type recording heads that can be attached to the device body to enable electrical connection to the device body and supply of ink from the device body, or they can be installed integrally with the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge type recording head is used.

Furthermore, it is preferable to add recovery means, preliminary auxiliary means, etc. for the recording head, which are provided as part of the configuration of a recording apparatus equipped with the recording head of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. be. Specifically, these include preheating means for the recording head by means of a caving means, a cleaning means, a pressurizing or absorbing means, an electrothermal converter or another heating element, or a combination thereof. It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording device is not limited to a recording mode in which only the mainstream color such as black is used; the recording head may be configured integrally or in combination with a plurality of recording heads; The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one full color image.

By using the packaging container of the present invention, inkjet cartridges can be reliably and inexpensively protected from shocks caused by vibrations and drops during transportation and the like.

That is, the packaging container of the present invention is arranged to match the shape of the inkjet cartridge, and is provided with a recess that supports the contents at appropriate intervals and prevents direct contact between the wall of the main body of the packaging container and the inkjet cartridge. As a result, the position of the five inkjet cartridges within the packaging container is effectively fixed, and impact applied from the outside to the container body wall is prevented from reaching the contents.

In addition, the packaging using the packaging container of the present invention has a small increase in the space occupied by packaging, is highly space-saving, and can save warehouse space and distribution space.
Costs in storage and logistics can be reduced.

Furthermore, the packaging container of the present invention can provide a function to maintain the humidity environment of the inkjet cartridge in its packaged state, and has the ability to protect the inkjet cartridge.
This enables packaging that maintains its humidity environment well.

In addition, by providing a member on the ejection port surface of the inkjet cartridge to cover (seal) the ejection port,
Since the evaporation of ink from the ejection port can be extremely reduced, the humidity of the storage space can be kept at an appropriate level, thereby preventing the lid member from curling and deforming. can maintain the supply route in good condition.

Furthermore, in the present invention, providing a pressing member for pressing the sealing member against the inkjet cartridge prevents inserting a hand into the ejection port when taking out the inkjet cartridge from the storage container. This is more suitable from the point of view of protecting the parts.

As described above, providing the seal member is particularly effective in preventing evaporation of water in the ink filled in the inkjet cartridge.

[Effects of the Invention] The recording head of the present invention has a sealing member combined with a pressing member that presses the ink ejection portion and the atmosphere communication port of the ink tank, and the sealing member connects the ink ejection portion with the atmosphere communication port of the ink tank. By sealing the air communication port of the ink tank, it is possible to reliably prevent ink from leaking from the recording head during distribution, sale, storage, and the like.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the seal member and the discharge port be connected through an adhesive, but the connection between the seal member and the discharge port may not be through an adhesive.

In addition, the inkjet recording liquid of the present invention not only has excellent durability of printed matter, but also has excellent long-term storage stability, and can always perform stable ejection even when driving conditions change or when used for a long time. Furthermore, since it is difficult for the ink to dry, even after the recording head is attached to the main body of the recording apparatus, there is little drying from the atmosphere communication port, and it is difficult for the ink to stick. In addition, if it sticks, it can be easily redissolved (redispersed) with alkaline water, etc., so the recording device user can easily attach and detach the recording head.
This has the effect of being able to remove ink accumulated on the printing area.

In addition, providing a sealing member is effective in preventing water evaporation of the ink filled in the inkjet cartridge.
Particularly in pigment inks, it is effective in preventing dispersion instability caused by an increase in solid content due to evaporation of volatile components in the ink.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the main parts of an ink tank-integrated recording head, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the inkjet cartridge of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the installation of the inkjet unit, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the installation of the inkjet cartridge IJC to the apparatus, and FIG. 6 is an external view of the recording apparatus. FIG. 7 is a developed perspective view showing an example of an inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention. 8(a) and 8(b) are partial explanatory views of the embodiment in FIG. 18, showing a top view and a side view in order, and FIG. 9(a),
(b) and FIGS. 1O (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of a modified embodiment of FIG. 8, respectively, showing a top view and a side view in that order, and FIG. 11 is a portion of another embodiment of the present invention. An exploded view, FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the recording head of the embodiment in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 (
a), (b), (c), and Fig. 14 (a), (b
), (c) and Figure 15 (a), (b), (
c) are explanatory diagrams of still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a side view, a front view, and a top view in this order;
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention in which the recording head configuration is further modified, and FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of attaching and detaching the recording head of this embodiment to and from the main body of the recording apparatus. . FIGS. 18(a) and 18(b) are explanatory diagrams of a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a perspective view and a partially exploded view thereof in order. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an example of an inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention after assembly. FIG. 20 is a top view (a), a front view (b), and a right side view (C) showing an example of the storage container of the present invention, and a partially enlarged view showing the storage state of the ejection port portion of the inkjet cartridge. (d) and a partially enlarged view (e) showing the flange portion of the storage container main body. FIG. 21 is a developed perspective view showing another example of the inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a perspective view of another example of the inkjet cartridge storage container (packing container) of the present invention after assembly. FIG. 23 is a left side view (a), a top view (b), a front view (C), a right side view (
d), a bottom view (e), and a partially enlarged view (f) showing the flange portion of the storage container main body. FIGS. 24(a), 24(b), and 24(c) are explanatory diagrams for explaining in detail the present invention when the recording head implementing the configuration of the present invention is brought into use. 3:? I member 4: Holding member 6: Ink absorber 61: Container body 61a: Recessed part
61b: Flange portion 61C: Wall portion 61e
: Rib 63: Bottom plate 63a: Knob part IJ
C: Inkjet cartridge 91, H: Thermal energy generating element 2.51: Groove portion 10: Base plate 7: Positioning or elastic deformation amount regulating portion 8: Positioning portion of the cartridge with respect to the carriage 9: Cap attaching/detaching collar

Claims (38)

[Claims] (1) An ink storage unit and ink within the ink storage unit,
A sealing member comprising an energy generating body for discharging the ink and an ink discharging section corresponding to the energy generating body, and closing the atmospheric communication port for the discharging section and the ink storage section during non-recording, and the sealing member. A recording head further comprising: a pressing member that presses the ink against the ejection portion, and the ink contains neutral or basic carbon black and a water-soluble resin in an aqueous liquid medium. (2) The pressing member includes an engaging portion that engages with the recording head, and an elastic member that maintains an elastically deformed state under the engaged state of the engaging portion and presses the sealing member against the ejection portion. The recording head according to claim 1, comprising: (3) The engaged state according to claim 2, wherein the engaged state is achieved by engagement between a plurality of grooves provided in the recording head and a groove portion that engages with the plurality of grooves as an engagement portion of the pressing member. recording head. (4) The recording head according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the engaged state is formed at each of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the recording head. (5) The ink discharge section has a plurality of ink discharge ports provided on an orifice plate, the seal member is larger than the orifice plate and has a size that can be peeled off, and the pressing area of the elastic member 5. The recording head according to claim 2, wherein the area for pressing the seal member located at least at the plurality of ink ejection ports and the surrounding area thereof is smaller than the seal member. (6) The recording head according to claim 5, wherein there is a stepped portion near the ink ejection portion, and the stepped portion is included in the peripheral portion. (7) The recording head according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the pressing member has an abutting portion that abuts against the recording head to define the amount of deformation of the elastic member. (8) The recording head according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the pressing member has a portion located on the side of the recording head for defining the position of the elastic member with respect to the ejection section. (9) Claims 1 to 3, wherein the sealing member is bonded to the ink discharge section and the ink storage section atmospheric communication port.
8. The recording head according to any one of 8. (10) A bubble jet recording head that performs recording using an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy to cause film boiling in ink in response to an electrical signal, and is detachable from the main body of the recording apparatus. 10. A recording head according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is a capable recording head. (11) The recording head according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black to the water-soluble resin is in the range of 3:1 to 10:1 (weight ratio). (12) A recording head equipped with an opening that is open to the outside and communicates with a storage section that stores ink containing neutral or basic carbon black and a water-soluble resin in an aqueous liquid medium. A storage method, comprising: a sealing member that simultaneously closes the ejection portion as the opening and the atmosphere communication port for the ink storage portion; and a pressing member that presses the sealing member against the ejection portion.
A method for storing a recording head, characterized in that the recording head is stored in an airtight state by a pressing member that presses the ejection portion against its peripheral portion. (13) The pressing member includes an engaging portion that engages with the recording head, and an elastic member that maintains an elastically deformed state in the engaged state of the engaging portion and presses the sealing member against the discharge portion. and the engaged state is such that engagement between a plurality of grooves provided in the recording head and a groove portion that engages with the plurality of grooves as an engagement portion of the pressing member is a state in which a pair of opposing side surfaces of the recording head are engaged with each other. Claim 12 achieved by forming each
How to store the recording head as described in . (14) The recording head storage method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein there is a stepped portion in the vicinity of the ink ejection portion, and the pressing area of the sealing member by the pressing member includes this stepped portion. (15) The method for storing a recording head according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the pressing member has a contact portion that comes into contact with the recording head to define the amount of deformation of the elastic member. . (16) The recording head according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the pressing member has a portion located on the side of the recording head to define the positioning of the elastic member with respect to the ejection section. Storage method. (17) The recording head storage method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the sealing member is adhered to the ink ejection section. (18) A bubble jet recording head that performs recording using an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy to cause film boiling in ink in response to an electrical signal, and is detachable from the recording apparatus main body. 18. The method for storing a recording head according to claim 12, wherein the recording head is a recording head that can be stored. (19) The recording head according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black to the water-soluble resin is in the range of 3:1 to 10:1 (weight ratio). (20) an engaging portion for engaging and integrating with the recording head;
a flexible sheet that is adhered to and comes into contact with an air communication port of an ink storage section that stores ink containing neutral or basic carbon black and a water-soluble resin in the ejection section of the recording head and an aqueous liquid medium; A cap for a recording head, comprising: an elastic member provided only in a portion of the flexible sheet corresponding to an ejection port. (21) The cap according to claim 20, wherein the cap has an abutting portion that abuts against the recording head to define the amount of deformation of the elastic member. (22) The cap according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the cap has a portion located on the side of the recording head for defining the position of the elastic member with respect to the ejection portion. (23) The above-mentioned cap achieves the above-mentioned engagement integration by a groove portion of the engagement portion that engages with a plurality of grooves formed on each of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the recording head.
23. The cap according to any one of 22 to 22. (24) The cap according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein the cap includes a collar portion that assists attachment and detachment to the recording head. (25) The recording head is of a bubble jet type that performs recording using an electrothermal transducer that generates thermal energy to cause film boiling in the ink in response to an electric signal, and 25. The cap according to claim 20, wherein the cap is a recording head that is detachable from the recording head. (26) The cap according to any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black to the water-soluble resin is in the range of 3:1 to 10:1 (weight ratio). (27) A container body including a lid member and a container body having a recess that forms a storage space for an inkjet cartridge when joined to the lid member, and the container body is maintained in a non-contact state with the inkjet cartridge. The ink cartridge includes an ink storage section, an ink in the ink storage section, and a recess for projecting from the wall section into the storage space to support the inkjet cartridge. an ink ejection section corresponding to the energy generation object; a seal member that closes the air communication port for the ejection section and the ink accommodating section during non-recording; the recording head is removable from the main body of the recording apparatus; An inkjet cartridge storage container characterized by: (28) The inkjet cartridge storage container according to claim 27, wherein the sealing member is a protective tape that seals the ejection section. (29) The inkjet cartridge storage container according to claim 27, wherein the seal member is a cap member. (30) The inkjet cartridge storage container according to claim 29, wherein the cap member is a cap member in which an ink absorber is disposed at a position corresponding to the ejection portion. (31) Claim 27, wherein the lid member is provided with a knob portion that is used when peeling off the connection with the container body.
30. The inkjet cartridge storage container according to any one of 29 to 29. (32) Claims 27 to 3, wherein the container body is provided with a flange portion as a portion for joining with the lid member.
1. The storage container for an inkjet cartridge according to any one of 1. (33) The flange portion is provided with a rib along a joint area between the container body and the lid member.
2. The inkjet cartridge storage container according to any one of 2. (34) The inkjet cartridge according to any one of claims 27 to 33, wherein the inkjet cartridge includes an electrothermal converter as a thermal energy generating means for generating thermal energy used for discharging ink from the discharge section. Cartridge storage container. (35) The inkjet cartridge according to any one of claims 27 to 34, wherein the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black to the water-soluble resin is in the range of 3:1 to 10:1 (weight ratio). storage container. (36) A method for handling an inkjet cartridge during use, comprising: an ink storage section, ink in the ink storage section, an energy generator for ejecting the ink, and an ink ejection section corresponding to the energy generator. the ink is in an aqueous liquid medium, the ink is in an aqueous liquid medium, Contains neutral or basic carbon black and water-soluble resin,
When the inkjet cartridge, which is a recording head that is removably attached to the main body of the recording apparatus, is ready for use, the pressing member is removed from the discharge section toward the side where the sealing member does not extend, and then the sealing member is removed. A handling method during use, characterized by opening the atmosphere communication port area for the ink storage section, and then removing the sealing member from the recording head so that the ejection section is opened. (37) The method for handling during use according to claim 36, wherein the content ratio of the neutral or basic carbon black to the water-soluble resin is in the range of 3:1 to 10:1 (weight ratio). (38) The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 37.