JPH0526389U - Solid ink melting device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide a solid ink melting device having a simple structure and capable of increasing the contact area of the solid ink with the heating means to improve the melting efficiency. [Structure] The inner peripheral wall 2a of the ink melting chamber 2 is formed in a pleated shape over the entire circumference. Also, the inner peripheral wall 2a is
The diameter is gradually reduced from the upper end to the bottom end. On the other hand, the solid ink 6 has a frustoconical shape whose outer diameter is slightly smaller toward the lower side, and its outer peripheral surface has
A pleated uneven portion 6a corresponding to the pleated inner peripheral wall 2a of the ink melting chamber 2 is formed.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a solid ink melting device for an inkjet printer that uses a solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melts into a liquid when heated.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Conventionally, in this type of solid ink melting apparatus, the inner peripheral wall of the heating and melting chamber of the ink, into which the solid ink is inserted and heated and melted, is generally a simple shape such as a circular shape or a square shape with an opening cross section. It was In other words, the inner peripheral wall of the heating and melting chamber was formed of a flat surface without any unevenness.

Therefore, the solid ink used in the apparatus also has a shape such as a cylindrical body or a rectangular parallelepiped corresponding to the heating and melting chamber, or a lump or a powder which is considerably smaller than the volume of the heating and melting chamber. ..

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the conventional solid ink melting device, even when the solid ink is heated while being in contact with the inner peripheral wall of the heating and melting chamber, the contact area is small, so that the melting efficiency is poor and the inserted solid ink pellet It takes a very long time for the ink to melt, and conversely, if you try to melt the solid ink in a short time, a heating device that generates a large amount of heat is required, which increases the size of the device and reduces the cost. There was a problem that it went up.

Further, if a small lump solid ink or a powder solid ink is used, the melting time is shortened, but on the other hand, the handling becomes inconvenient and the ink must be replenished frequently. There was a point.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a simple structure and is capable of increasing the contact area of the solid ink with the heating means to improve the melting efficiency. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve this object, the solid ink melting apparatus of the present invention uses a solid ink melting apparatus of an inkjet printer that uses a solid ink that is solid at room temperature and becomes a liquid by heating. The inner peripheral wall of the ink melting chamber, which is inserted and heated by the heating means to be melted, is formed in a concavo-convex shape along the entire circumference, and the concavo-convex portion corresponding to the inner peripheral wall is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the solid ink. is doing.

[0008]

[Action]

 According to the solid ink melting device of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, in the state where the solid ink is inserted into the melting chamber, the uneven portion of the outer peripheral surface of the solid ink is fitted to the uneven inner peripheral wall of the solid ink. The heat to the solid ink is sufficiently and efficiently transferred to improve the melting efficiency. This is because the contact area between the inner peripheral wall of the melting chamber and the solid ink becomes larger than before. Then, when the outer peripheral surface of the solid ink is melted and becomes liquid, heat is transferred from the heating means to the solid ink through the liquid ink, but even in this state, the inner peripheral wall of the melting chamber and the solid ink are Since the contact area of the ink is large, the amount of heat transferred to the solid ink is larger than in the past, so that the melting efficiency is high, and therefore the melting time is shortened and the amount of heat generated by the heating means is small.

[0009]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a solid ink and a solid ink melting device with a part cut away, and FIGS. 2A to 2C are plan views showing solid inks having different shapes.

As shown in FIG. 1, the solid ink melting device 1 is provided with an ink melting chamber 2 having a bottom and an open upper end in the center thereof. The ink melting chamber 2 is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity, such as copper, and has an outer peripheral surface having a cup shape. The inner peripheral wall 2a of the ink melting chamber 2 is formed in a pleated shape (uneven shape) over the entire circumference. Further, the inner peripheral wall 2a is formed so that the diameter gradually decreases from the upper end to the bottom end.

A sheet heater 3 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the ink melting chamber 2 so as to surround the ink melting chamber 2, and the heated and melted ink is supplied to the recording unit of an ink jet printer (not shown) at the bottom of the ink melting chamber 2. One end of the transmission pipe 5 for sending is connected. Then, the circumference of the ink melting chamber 2 is surrounded by a heat insulating case 4 which prevents heat from being dissipated. The heat insulating case 4 has an opening / closing lid 4a at the upper end.

On the other hand, the solid ink 6 has a size that can be inserted into the ink melting chamber 2 and is composed of a block having an outer shape corresponding to the inner peripheral wall 2 a. That is, the solid ink 6 has a frustoconical shape in which the outer diameter is slightly smaller toward the lower side, and the outer peripheral surface of the solid ink 6 has a corrugated uneven portion 6a corresponding to the corrugated inner peripheral wall 2a of the ink melting chamber 2. Has been formed. The solid ink 6 is solid at room temperature and melts when heated.

Further, the solid ink 6 changes its shape on the outer peripheral surface according to the difference in color and property as shown in the plane of FIG. If the fusing chamber 2 is prepared and the shapes of the inner peripheral walls 2a of the fusing chambers 2 are appropriately changed in accordance with the outer shapes of the solid inks 6 of various types, it is possible to erroneously fuse different types of solid inks 6 by the fusing device 1. Can be reliably prevented.

Therefore, in the ink melting apparatus 1 of the above-described embodiment, the area of the lower end of the solid ink 6 is smaller than the opening area of the upper end of the ink melting chamber 2, so that the solid ink 6 can be smoothly moved into the ink melting chamber 2. 2 can be inserted. Further, as the inserted solid ink 6 is heated and melted from the outer peripheral surface thereof and the solid portion becomes smaller, the solid ink 6 gradually descends downward in the ink melting chamber 2. The heat from the planar heater 3 is efficiently transferred to the solid ink 6 by coming into contact with the inner peripheral wall 2a of the melting chamber 2. As a result, the ink melting efficiency is improved. Further, when melting several types of solid ink 6, they are not inserted into different types of ink melting chambers 2 due to the difference in their pleated outer shapes.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the present embodiment, the solid ink 6 is formed in a truncated cone shape, but it may be formed in a cylindrical shape. In this case, once the solid ink 6 begins to melt, the solid part of the ink does not come into direct contact with the ink melting chamber 2 except for the bottom, and heat is transferred through the melted and liquefied ink, Although the solid ink 6 is melted, since the outer peripheral surface 6a of the solid ink 6 and the inner peripheral wall 2a of the ink melting chamber 2 are formed in an uneven shape corresponding to each other, the ink melting efficiency is higher than that of the conventional device. Will be quite high.

[0018]

[Effect of the device]

 As is clear from the above description, the solid ink melting device of the present invention has an excellent effect that the structure is simple and the ink melting efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a solid ink and a solid ink melting device with a part cut away.

2A to 2C are plan views showing solid inks having different shapes.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink melting device 2 Ink melting chamber 2a Inner peripheral wall 3 Planar heater 6 Solid ink 6a Concavo-convex part (outer peripheral surface)

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A solid ink melting device of an ink jet printer that uses a solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melts when heated to form a solid ink, and the solid ink is inserted and heated by a heating means to melt. A solid ink melting apparatus, wherein an inner peripheral wall of an ink melting chamber for forming a solid ink is formed in a concavo-convex shape over the entire circumference thereof, and a concavo-convex portion corresponding to the inner peripheral wall is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the solid ink.