JPH06166250A - Structure of ink tank - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an ink tank structure where liquid ink run out of an ink occlusive body is not likely to leak to the outside of an ink containing part by forming a stage spaced away from the wall surface of a wall body on the peripheral surface confronting the cavity side of a spacer. CONSTITUTION:When the ink ribbon cassette is transported or stored in a position of flee ribbon width direction along the horizontal direction or in a position of the lid plate 4 situated on the lower side, liquid ink run out of an ink occlusive body 10 tends to circulate through the wall surface side of walls 7, 12, 13, 14 or the lid plate 4 along the spacer 18 peripheral surface. However, the liquid ink is retained through surface tension on the raised corner of a stage 21 formed on an intersection between the rib-like part 22 of the spacer and a head 23 and thus circulation of liquid ink toward the wall side is restrained. Also, the liquids ink retained through surface tensile on the raised corner can be precluded from further circulating along the stage 21 toward the surface side.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the structure of an ink tank used for supplying liquid ink to an ink ribbon running in an ink ribbon cassette. An ink storage portion for storing the ink storage member is partitioned by a wall body, and an opening is formed in the wall body through which the liquid ink impregnated in the ink storage member can be led out to the outside of the ink storage portion. The present invention relates to an ink tank structure in which a spacer that forms a space is provided between the ink storage body and the wall body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art According to the ink tank structure described above, a gap is formed between a wall defining an ink storage portion and the ink storage, so that the ink storage is in contact with the wall. Compared with the ink tank structure that is stored in, the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the ink storage body and the air is large, and the liquid ink and the air inside the ink storage body are accompanied by the supply of the liquid ink to the outside of the ink storage section. It has the advantage that the replacement of the ink can be performed smoothly and the effective amount of the liquid ink impregnated in the ink storage material can be increased. However, the peripheral surface facing the void side of the spacer has hitherto been the ink storage element sandwiching the void. And the wall are formed into a uniform smooth surface along the direction in which they face each other (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-132756).

[0003]

Therefore, when the liquid ink oozes out from the ink occlusion body, the liquid ink easily flows to the wall surface side of the wall body along the spacer peripheral surface. The liquid ink is likely to collect, and therefore, the collected liquid ink further flows along the wall surface and easily leaks to the outside of the ink containing portion from the joint portion of the wall body defining the ink containing portion. . The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an ink tank structure in which liquid ink oozing out from an ink storage member does not easily leak out of an ink storage unit by devising a shape of a spacer. With the goal.

[0004]

The characteristic constitution of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is to provide an ink tank structure as described above.
The stepped portion is formed on the peripheral surface of the spacer facing the void side away from the wall surface of the wall body, and the following operational effects are obtained from this configuration.

[0005]

[Function] When the liquid ink oozing out from the ink occlusion body tries to flow to the wall surface side of the wall body along the peripheral surface of the spacer,
The liquid ink is held by surface tension at the rising corners of the step formed on the peripheral surface of the spacer, and the flow of the liquid ink to the wall surface side is suppressed, but this step is formed away from the wall surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid ink held by the surface tension at the rising corner thereof from flowing further to the wall surface side along the stepped portion.

[0006]

Therefore, since the liquid ink that has exuded from the ink occlusion body does not easily flow to the wall surface side, the amount of the liquid ink flowing along the wall surface can be reduced, and the liquid ink exuded from the ink occlusion body can be reduced. Does not easily leak out of the ink container.

[0007]

【Example】

[First Embodiment] FIG. 3 shows an ink ribbon cassette in which an endless ink ribbon R is housed in a cassette case 2 having a pair of left and right ribbon guide arms 1. The ink ribbon cassette is stretched between the ribbon guide arms 1. R is printed with an impact dot head (not shown). The cassette case 2 is configured by joining a resin main body case 3 that opens upward and a resin lid plate 4 that closes the upward opening of the main body case 3 in the ribbon width direction, and the ink ribbon R is in a folded state. There is provided a ribbon storage portion 5 for storing the ink and a ink supply portion 6 for supplying liquid ink to the ink ribbon R after passing between the ribbon guide arms 1. The ribbon accommodating portion 5 is partitioned by a peripheral wall 7 formed integrally with the main body case 3, and the ink ribbon R after passing between the ribbon guide arms 1 is sandwiched on the inlet side thereof to run on the ink ribbon R. A pair of feed rolls 8 and 9 for applying a driving force is provided. By driving and rotating the feed rolls 8 and 9 by a drive shaft provided on the printer side, the ink ribbon R in the ribbon storage portion 5 is pulled out. At the same time, the ink ribbon R passing between the ribbon guide arms 1 is folded and stored in the ribbon storage portion 5. The ink replenishing section 6 applies the liquid ink impregnated in the ink occlusion body 10 to the outer peripheral surface of the feed roll 9 by the ink applying member 11, and the contact between the outer peripheral surface of the feed roll 9 and the ink ribbon R causes the ink ribbon. Liquid ink is reapplied to R to replenish it, and a partition wall 13 for partitioning the main body case 3 into left and right is provided in the main body case 3 portion between the peripheral wall 7 of the ribbon storage portion 5 and the outer wall 12 of the main body case 3. , 14 are integrally formed to form an ink storage portion 15, and the ink storage member 15 is stored with the ink occlusion body 10 and the ink applying member 11, and the ink applying member 11 is formed on the partition wall 13. The leading end portion is elastically pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the feed roll 9 by projecting in a cantilevered manner from the outlet opening 16.

The ink occlusion body 10 is composed of the ink containing portion 1
5 is composed of a non-woven fabric, a fiber bundle, a sponge or the like having an ink impregnating property which is formed in a shape substantially similar to the inner surface shape of 5, and the ink applying member 11 is occluded in the ink occlusion body 10 by contact with the ink occlusion body 10. It is made of felt or the like having an ink impregnating property capable of gradually sucking the liquid ink that has been applied and applying it to the feed roll 9. Each of the walls 7, 12, 13, 14 partitioning the ribbon storage portion 15 and the lid plate 4 has an outer surface of the ink occlusion body 10 and these walls 7,
Spacers 18 that form a space 17 are provided between each of 12, 13, 14 and the cover plate 4, and the space 14 is formed in the wall 14.
Ventilation hole 19 communicating with is formed. As shown in FIG. 2, the spacer 18 includes walls 7, 12, 13, 14.
And the lid plate 4 are integrally formed with a ridge, and a plurality of ridges 18 are parallel to the walls 7, 12, 13, and 14 along the ribbon width direction, and a plurality of ridges 18 are formed on the lid plate 4. The ridges 18 of the book are provided in parallel with the left and right side walls 20 of the main body case 3, and the step portion 21 is provided on the peripheral surface of the ridges 18 facing the space 17 side.
Are formed away from the walls 7, 12, 13, 14 and the wall surface of the cover plate 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stepped portion 21 has a rib-shaped bottom portion at the end of a rib-shaped portion 22 that rises from the wall surface side with a substantially constant thickness in the cross-sectional shape of the ridge 18. A triangular head portion 23, which is wider than the thickness of the portion 22, is formed in a mushroom shape and is formed in series along the longitudinal direction of the ridge 18. Therefore, when the ink ribbon cassette is transported or stored in a posture in which the ribbon width direction is along the horizontal direction or the posture in which the cover plate 4 is located on the lower side, the liquid ink oozing out from the ink occlusion body 10 has a peripheral surface of the spacer 18. Along the wall 7,
Even if the liquid ink is about to flow to the wall surface side of 12, 13 or 14 or the lid plate 4, the liquid ink is surface tension to form the stepped portion 2 formed at the intersection of the rib-like portion 22 and the head portion 23 of the spacer.
1 is held by the surface tension at the rising corners of the liquid ink to suppress the flow of the liquid ink to the wall surface side, and the liquid ink held at the rising corners by the surface tension is further wall surface along the step portion 21. It is possible to prevent the liquid ink from flowing to the side, and it is possible to effectively prevent the liquid ink from leaking from the opening 16 or the joint surface between the main body case 3 and the cover plate 4 or from the vent hole 19. As shown in FIG. 2, the spacers 18 provided on the walls 7, 12, 13, and 14 are provided with a head portion 23 and a rib-shaped portion 2.
It is extended to a position higher than the upper end of 2 and lower than the upper surface of the ink occlusion body 10, and the adjacent voids 17 are communicated with each other with a spacer 18 therebetween.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the spacer 18, in which the cross-sectional shape of the head portion 23 constituting the protrusion 18 as a spacer is formed in a triangular shape, and the bottom side thereof is used for absorbing ink. It is located on the peripheral surface side of the body 10. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the spacer 18, in which the cross section of the head 23 constituting the protrusion 18 as a spacer is formed in a circular shape. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the spacer 18, in which the cross-sectional shape of the head portion 23 forming the protrusion 18 as the spacer is formed into a ship bottom shape, and the rib portion 22 is formed. A ridge 24 is integrally formed along the lengthwise direction of the spacer at an intermediate position in the widthwise direction. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[Fifth Embodiment] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the spacer 18, in which the cross-sectional shape of the head portion 23 constituting the protrusion 18 as a spacer is formed in a quadrangle. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[Sixth Embodiment] FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the spacer 18, in which the cross-sectional shape of the head portion 23 constituting the protrusion 18 as a spacer is formed in a quadrangle or a rhombus, and its diagonal direction. Are arranged along the width direction of the rib portion 22. Other configurations are similar to those of the first embodiment.

Other Embodiments a. The spacer is not limited to a long protrusion along the wall surface of the wall body, but may be a columnar short projection provided between the wall surface of the wall body and the ink storage body, and further, the peripheral surface of the ink storage body. In addition, it may be a ridge or a columnar short protrusion integrally formed of the same material as the ink occlusion body. B. A step may be formed by providing a protrusion on the peripheral surface of the spacer. C. A step may be formed by forming a recess on the peripheral surface of the spacer. D. A groove may be provided on the peripheral surface of the spacer to form a step. E. A plurality of steps may be formed on one spacer independently of each other. F. A spacer may be arranged so that the entire circumference surface of the ink occlusion body is accommodated in a state in which a space is formed between the ink occlusion body and the wall surface defining the storage portion. G. An ink tank structure configured such that a spacer made of long ridges is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the ink storage body along the outer peripheral surface, and the ink storage body is housed together with the spacer in the ink storage portion. Is also good. J. The step may be formed only on a specific wall body, for example, a spacer that forms a gap between the lid body and the ink storage body. Re. An ink tank structure of a so-called ink tank separate type in which the ink storage body is housed in a storage case different from the ink ribbon cassette case, and the ink storage body is detachably mounted on the cassette case together with the storage case. May be In this case, the inside of the storage case may be configured as an ink storage portion, and a spacer that forms a gap between the inner surface of the storage case and the ink occlusion body may be provided, and a step may be formed on the peripheral surface of the spacer. Nu. The ink tank structure according to the present invention may be an ink tank structure provided in a writing instrument such as a felt pen. Le. In addition to the structure that forms the step on the peripheral surface of the spacer,
You may form a step part in the wall surface facing an ink occlusion body on both sides of a space | gap. Wo. The ink occlusion body may be one that is impregnated with the liquid ink in advance and then stored in the ink storage portion, or one that is stored in the ink storage portion and then injected and impregnated with the liquid ink.

It should be noted that reference numerals are added to the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view taken along the line II of FIG.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the inside of an ink ribbon cassette.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of an essential part of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of an essential part of the third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of essential parts of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of essential parts of a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional plan view of essential parts of a sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 Walls 4 Walls 7 Walls 10 Ink Storage 12 Walls 13 Walls 14 Walls 15 Ink Storage 16 Openings 17 Voids 18 Spacers 21 Steps

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink storage part (15) for storing an ink storage material (10) impregnated with a liquid ink is partitioned by wall bodies (3, 4, 7, 12, 13, 14), and the ink storage material is formed. The opening (1) through which the liquid ink with which the body (10) is impregnated can be led out to the outside of the ink containing portion (15).
6) is formed on the wall body (13), and the ink storage body (10) and the wall body (4, 7, 12, 1) are formed.
In an ink tank structure in which a spacer (18) forming a space (17) between the
A step portion (21) is provided on the peripheral surface of the spacer (18) facing the void (17) side with the wall body (4, 7, 12, 1).
An ink tank structure characterized in that it is formed apart from the wall surface of (3, 14).