JPH0820114A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make connection possible without fail on ink connecting parts of an ink cartridge even though accuracies in positioning of the ink connecting parts and in dimensions of component parts are not so exact by minimizing a power required for its attachment/detachment, and to make the connection possible with pipes that are not sharpened at their front ends. CONSTITUTION:An ink drawing part 15 of an ink cartridge 6 is constructed by arranging linearly a rubber plug 17 for inserting an ink supply pipe 16 made of a rigid pipe therethrough and a valve 18 that opens and shuts on insertion and extraction of the ink supply pipe 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means onto a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having functions such as a printer, a copying machine and a facsimile, or a recording device used as an output device of a multifunction machine or a workstation including a computer, a word processor, etc., is a sheet or a plastic thin plate based on image information. Images (including characters and symbols) on recording materials (recording media) such as (sheets for OHP)
Is configured to record. The recording device can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a heat sensitive type, a thermal transfer type, a laser beam type and the like depending on the recording system of the recording means used.

In a serial type recording apparatus which employs a recording system in which a main scanning is performed in a direction intersecting a conveying direction (sub-scanning direction) of a recording material, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position and then the recording material is set. An image (including characters, symbols, etc.) is recorded by a recording unit (recording head) mounted on a carriage that moves (main scanning) along, and after one line of recording is completed, a predetermined amount of paper is fed (sub-scan). An image is recorded in a desired range of the recording material by repeating the operation of performing (scanning) and then recording (main scanning) the image of the next row. On the other hand, in a line type recording apparatus that records a recording material only in the sub-scanning direction in which the recording material is fed in the transport direction, the recording material is set at a predetermined recording position, and one line of recording is continuously performed at one time. A predetermined amount of paper feed (pitch feed) is performed, and an image is recorded on the entire recording material.

Among them, the ink jet type (ink jet recording apparatus) is a means for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording material, and it is easy to make the recording means compact and high definition. Images can be recorded at high speed, plain paper can be recorded without requiring special processing, running costs are low, and the non-impact method reduces noise and uses multicolor inks. Therefore, it has an advantage that it is easy to record a color image. Above all, a line type recording apparatus using a line type recording means in which a large number of ejection ports are arranged in the paper width direction can further speed up recording.

In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for ejecting ink by utilizing heat energy,
Through the semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, and sputtering, the electrothermal converter formed on the substrate, the electrode,
By forming the liquid passage wall, the top plate, and the like, it is possible to easily manufacture a liquid discharge device having a high-density liquid passage arrangement (ejection port arrangement), and to further reduce the size. Further, by utilizing the advantages of IC technology and micro processing technology, it is easy to make the recording means long and planar (two-dimensional), and it is also easy to make the recording means full-multi and high-density mounting. is there. On the other hand, there are various requirements for the material of the recording material, and in recent years, in addition to the ordinary recording material such as paper and resin thin plate, thin paper and processed paper (paper with punch holes for filing and perforation). Paper, paper of any shape, etc.)
It has been required to use such as.

In the above ink jet recording apparatus,
Removable ink cartridges (cartridge type ink tanks) are often used because of the ease of ink replenishment. By using this ink cartridge, it is possible to replenish the ink only by replacing the ink cartridge, there is no need to judge the replenishment amount, and there is an advantage that contamination by ink hardly occurs during the replenishment.

When the above ink cartridge is used, it is necessary to connect (connect) an ink supply pipe for supplying ink to the recording head to the ink cartridge, and the structure of the connecting portion of the ink supply pipe ( (Coupling means)
As such, a connecting means for piercing and connecting a hollow needle is widely adopted. FIG. 20 is a plan sectional view schematically showing a conventional coupling means for piercing and connecting the hollow needle. Figure 2
In FIG. 0, an ink storage portion 102 made of a flexible bag or the like is stored in the ink cartridge 101, and an ink take-out member 103 such as a rubber stopper communicating with the inside of the ink storage portion 102 is provided on the front surface of the ink cartridge 101. Is installed.

In the example shown in FIG. 20, three ink storage units 1 for storing three color inks such as yellow, magenta and cyan, such as an ink cartridge for color recording.
An example of the structure in which 02 is accommodated in one ink cartridge 101 is shown. Then, the rubber plug 10 of each ink storage portion 102
A supply pipe 104 for supplying ink to a corresponding recording head (not shown) is provided in each of the three nozzles 105.
It is detachably connected via. In other words, by piercing the rubber plug 103 with the hollow needle 105, the supply pipe 104 leading to the recording head is made to communicate with the inside of the ink storage portion 102 (stored ink).

By the way, this hollow needle (a needle having a sharp tip)
In the conventional configuration using, the safety of the needle tip must be ensured, and for that reason, a needle tip cover and a cap for covering the needle tip when the ink cartridge is removed must be provided. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, a space and parts for the safety mechanism are required, which leads to an increase in cost and an increase in size of the device. Therefore, a method of connecting the ink cartridge with a pipe or the like whose tip is not sharp can be considered.

Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus which has been reduced in size and weight and personalized, a detachable cartridge type recording means (head cartridge) in which a recording head and an ink cartridge are integrated is widely used. However, in order to further reduce the running cost, it is required that the recording head and the ink cartridge be separated and that only the ink cartridge be replaceable. Therefore, as the configuration of the joy portion (coupling portion) for attaching and detaching the ink cartridge, a connection structure as shown in FIG. 20 has been conventionally used.

[0011]

However, in a joint structure using a pipe (connecting member) whose tip is not sharp, when the joint portion of the ink cartridge is formed by a normal rubber stopper, the rubber is used to maintain the hermeticity. It is necessary to make the stopper thick as much as possible. Therefore, in order to reduce the mounting force of the ink cartridge, it is necessary to open a lower hole in the rubber stopper in advance, and for that purpose, it is necessary to accurately align the position of the lower hole with the position of the pipe. It is necessary to provide an aligning mechanism or the like at the connecting portion or the connecting portion (pipe) of the ink supply path.

Further, when the lower hole is eliminated to omit the centering mechanism, the wall thickness of the rubber plug must be reduced or the contraction rate must be reduced in order to reduce the mounting force of the ink cartridge. . However, if the thickness of the rubber stopper is reduced or the contraction rate is lowered, the sealing performance of the ink cartridge joint will deteriorate, and the sealing of the piercing hole and the vent hole of the pipe will decrease, causing the ink to escape from the ink cartridge. There is a problem that ink leakage occurs in some parts.

It is an object of the inventions of claims 1 to 5 to solve such a technical problem, and to make the ink cartridge and the ink connecting portion even if the positioning accuracy and the component dimensional accuracy of the ink cartridge or the ink connecting portion are rough. The ink cartridge can be accurately and reliably joined, the ink cartridge and the ink connecting portion can be joined in a sealed state, and the ink cartridge detaching force can be minimized.
It is possible to prevent ink leakage when the ink cartridge is attached or detached, and use a pipe with a blunt tip for the ink connection part, which does not require a safety mechanism such as a conventional needle cover or cap or additional measures. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus which can reduce the size and weight of the recording apparatus.

Further, as shown in FIG. 30, a rubber stopper 103 is used as a connecting member for an ink outlet portion communicating with the ink storage portion 102, and a pipe (hollow needle) is attached to the rubber stopper 103.
In the case where the flow path is formed by piercing 105, when the ink cartridge 101 is connected to the recording apparatus main body, although it is rare, the ink overflowing from the joint portion scatters to stain the inside of the apparatus, There were also inconveniences such as adhesion to workers.

It is an object of the inventions of claims 6 to 11 to have a simple and inexpensive structure so that even if the ink unexpectedly overflows from the ink tank, the ink is reliably kept in the joint portion and is discharged to the outside. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing the above-mentioned problem and preventing ink from scattering from the joint portion.

[0016]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a removable ink cartridge for supplying ink to a recording means in an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means onto a recording material. The ink lead-out portion for leading out the ink from the ink cartridge is formed by arranging a connecting member through which the ink supply pipe penetrates and a valve that opens and closes by inserting and removing the ink supply pipe in series. By doing so, the above object is achieved.

According to the inventions of claims 2 to 5, in addition to the constitution of claim 1, the coupling member is an elastic body, and the valve is provided in a closing direction with an elastic body supported by a rigid member. And a spring for urging the ink supply pipe, the ink supply pipe is a pipe having an opening on the peripheral surface, not having a sharp tip, and the valve presses the coupling member and a rigid body with a spring against each other. Or a structure in which the ink supply pipe is a pipe whose tip is open and which has a valve push pin protruding from the pipe,
The above object is achieved more efficiently.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording material, a detachable ink cartridge for supplying the ink to the recording means is provided, and the ink cartridge. The above object is achieved by providing a liquid absorbing member between the connecting member of the ink lead-out section and the ink supply pipe inserted into the connecting member.

In addition to the above structure, the invention of claim 7 to claim 11 is such that a part or the outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is made non-liquid absorbing, and a part of the liquid absorbing member is melted. Non-liquid absorbing structure, a structure in which the outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is formed of a rigid non-liquid absorbing solid material, the outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is a thin film elastic non-liquid absorbing material The above object can be achieved more efficiently by adopting a structure formed of a material or a structure in which the liquid absorbing member has a structure in which the porosity of the outer layer is larger than that of the inner layer. .

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In FIG.
A carriage 4 is guided and supported on two guide rails 2 and 3 installed in parallel along a recording material 1 such as a sheet of paper or a plastic thin plate so as to be capable of reciprocating along these guide rails. A recording head (recording means) 5 and an ink cartridge (ink tank) 6 are mounted on the carriage 4. The ink cartridge 6 is detachably (replaceable) mounted on the carriage 4, and is detachable from the connection portion with the recording head 5.

In FIG. 1, the carriage 4 is reciprocally driven by a carriage motor 7 via a timing belt 8. The recording material 1 is located at a position facing the ink ejecting portion of the recording head 5 by two pairs of conveying roller pairs (sub-scanning roller pairs) 9 and 10 arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the recording portion in the conveying direction. The sheet is conveyed through in the direction of arrow F (paper feed = sub-scan). In this way, while the carriage 4 moves along the recording material 1 (main scanning), the ink ejection portion of the recording head 5 is driven based on the image signal to perform recording for one line, and recording for one line is performed. When the recording is completed, the conveying rollers 9 and 10 are rotated by a predetermined amount to feed the recording material 1 by one line in the direction of arrow F (sub scanning), and then the recording head 5 performs main scanning to move to the next line. Make a record. Recording is performed on the entire recording material 1 by alternately repeating the main scanning and the sub-scanning.

The recording head (recording means) 5 is an ink jet recording means for ejecting ink by utilizing heat energy, and is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating heat energy. Further, the recording head 5 performs recording by ejecting ink from an ejection port by utilizing a pressure change caused by growth and contraction of bubbles due to film boiling generated by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. is there.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of the ink ejection portion of the recording head 5. In FIG. 2, the recording material 1 and a predetermined gap (for example, about 0.5 to 2.
A plurality of discharge ports 82 are formed at a predetermined pitch on the discharge port surface 81 facing each other at a distance of about 0 mm), and the common liquid chamber 83
An electrothermal converter (heat-generating resistor, etc.) 85 for generating energy for ejecting ink is provided along the wall surface of each liquid passage 84 that communicates with each ejection port 82. In this example, the recording head 5 is mounted on the carriage 4 in such a positional relationship that the ejection ports 82 are arranged in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction of the carriage 4. In this way, the corresponding electrothermal converter 8 is generated based on the image signal or the ejection signal.
The recording head 5 is configured to drive (energize) 5 to make the ink in the liquid path 84 film-boil, and to eject the ink from a predetermined ejection port 82 by the pressure generated at that time.

3 to 9 are drawings showing the features of the first embodiment of the present invention best, and FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the first embodiment of the ink cartridge connection structure of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic external perspective view of the ink cartridge of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 5 to 9 are partially enlarged views showing the structure and operation of the ink outlet port of the ink cartridge. 3 and 4, reference numeral 11 denotes an ink cartridge container, and an ink chamber 12 for accommodating ink is provided inside the ink cartridge container 11.
Are formed. In the illustrated example, three ink chambers 12 are formed in the ink cartridge container 11, and inks of different types (for example, in the case of color recording, three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan are formed in each ink chamber. ) Is stored.

In FIG. 1, the ink cartridge 6 is
The ink cartridge container 11 is provided with a guide rail 13,
By inserting and pulling out while guiding along the line 14, it can be attached to and detached from the recording apparatus. The ink cartridge container 11 is provided with an ink lead-out portion 15 for leading out the ink in the ink chamber 12 to the outside. The ink lead-out section 15 is provided for each ink chamber 12 (at three locations in the illustrated example). A coupling member 17 into which an ink supply pipe 16 for guiding ink to the corresponding recording head 5 is inserted is embedded in each of the ink outlet portions 15, and a valve 18 is connected in series with the coupling member 17. Has been formed. Each ink supply pipe 16 is positioned and fixed to the recording device by a pipe retainer 22. Each valve 18 is configured to open by inserting the ink supply pipe 16 (inserting the ink lead-out portion 15 into the ink supply pipe 16 by mounting the ink cartridge 6). Each ink supply tube 16 is connected to an ink supply tube 23 that communicates with the common liquid chamber 83 of the corresponding recording head 5.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view schematically showing the structure of the valve 18. The valve 18 has a valve body 19 which is a molded product made of resin or the like having a high rigidity as shown in FIG. It is bonded or coated. Further, a spring 21 for obtaining an adhesion stress is further fixed to the valve body 19. The coupling member 17 is a molded product of an elastic member such as rubber, and is preferably made of a material having a small compression set. The ink supply pipe 16
The ink can be supplied while being in pressure contact with the valve 18, and its tip is rounded in order to minimize the insertion force when penetrating (inserting) into the coupling member 17. Further, one or a plurality of holes communicating with the inner diameter portion (hollow portion) is formed on the side surface of the ink supply pipe 16. Each ink supply pipe 16 is
It is fixed so that it does not move into place on the recording device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink lead-out portion 15 of the ink cartridge 6 which is not yet mounted in the recording apparatus, and FIG. 6 is the ink cartridge 6 which is mounted in the recording apparatus.
7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink lead-out portion 15 of FIG. 7, FIG. 7 is a front view seen from the line 7-7 in FIG. 6, and FIG.
5 is a vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 in the case where the center of the ink supply pipe 16 positioned and fixed to the recording apparatus is deviated from the center of FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 is a front view seen from a line 9-9 in FIG. It is a figure. Next, the operation when the ink cartridge 6 is attached and detached will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the ink lead-out portion 15 fixed to the ink cartridge container 11, when the ink cartridge 6 is not connected to the ink supply pipe 16, as shown in FIG. It is sealed by being pressed against the wall surface of the lead-out portion 15.
Further, the ink cartridge container 11 is sealed on the outer side by a thin elastic member coupling member 17.
Then, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the ink cartridge 6 is coupled to the ink supply pipe 16, first, the tip end of the ink supply pipe 16 penetrates the coupling member 17, and then the valve 18 is pushed in to eject the ink. The flow path is formed (the valve is opened), and the ink is led out from the lateral hole of the ink supply pipe 16.

According to the above construction, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example, the distance x between the center of the ink lead-out portion 15 of the ink cartridge 6 and the center of the ink supply pipe 16 positioned and fixed to the recording apparatus. , Y, the ink supply pipe 16 first penetrates the coupling member 17. At this time, the ink supply pipe 16 can easily penetrate at any position within a certain range of the coupling member 17. Further, since the connecting member 17 made of an elastic material is a member having a thickness, hardness, and a contraction rate that can maintain a certain degree of tightness even after the ink supply pipe 16 is removed, the penetrating force of the ink supply pipe 16 is extremely high. It is possible to keep it low.

The tip of the ink supply pipe 16 is connected to the valve 1
8 can be pushed (opened) to form an ink flow path, and the ink can be led out from the lateral hole of the ink supply pipe 16. Further, the ink cartridge 6 is connected to the ink supply pipe 16
When removed from the ink chamber 1, the valve 18 is pressed against the wall surface of the ink outlet 15 by the pressing force of the spring 21.
2 is sealed. Therefore, even if the permanent compression set of the connecting member 17 or the connecting member 17 is scraped or pierced when the ink supply pipe 16 is inserted, there is no fear of ink leakage.

FIG. 11 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a modified embodiment in which the structure of the ink lead-out section in FIG. 5 is partially simplified. As shown in FIG. 11, in order to simplify the structure of the valve 18,
The valve 18 may be formed of a rigid valve body 24, and the ink guiding portion 15 may be sealed by directly contacting the valve body 24 with the elastic coupling member 17. This FIG.
By adopting such a configuration, the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of the second embodiment of the ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing a state in which the ink lead-out portion of FIG. 12 is connected to the ink supply pipe. In this embodiment, in addition to the ink supply pipe 16 for guiding the ink in the ink cartridge 6 to the recording head 5, another valve push pin 25 is provided. 12 shows the structure of the ink lead-out section 15, and FIG. 13 shows the state where the ink lead-out section of FIG. 12 is connected to the ink supply pipe 16.

As shown in FIG. 13, the ink supply pipe 16 is positioned and fixed to the pipe retainer 22, and is connected to the recording head 5 via the ink supply tube 23. A valve push pin 25 longer than the ink supply pipe 16 is also fixed to the pipe retainer 22. The valve push pin 25 is not connected to the recording head 5.
A member having a diameter smaller than that of the ink supply pipe 16 may be used as the valve push pin 25, and may be solid or hollow, and the number thereof may be arbitrarily selected.

12 and 13, when the ink cartridge 6 is mounted in the recording apparatus, the valve push pin 25 is longer than the ink supply pipe 16, so that the valve push pin 25 first penetrates the connecting member 17, Next, the ink supply pipe 1
6 penetrates the coupling member 17. Then, the valve push pin 25
Touches the valve 18 and further pushes the valve 18 to open the valve 18 so that the ink in the ink cartridge 6 can be supplied to the recording head through the ink supply pipe 16. In this case, the ink supply pipe 16 does not come into contact with the valve 18 due to the difference in length between the valve push pin 25 and the ink supply pipe 16. Therefore, as the ink supply pipe 16, a normal pipe whose tip is not sharp and whose end face is open can be used. Therefore, the cost of the ink supply pipe 16 can be reduced.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which the ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge to which the present invention is applied is not connected in the third embodiment, and FIG. 15 shows the ink lead-out portion of FIG. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state of being connected to the supply pipe, and FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing another state of the ink lead-out portion of FIG. 14 being connected to the ink supply pipe. This embodiment shows a case where a normal pipe having an open end surface is used as an ink supply pipe 16 for guiding the ink in the ink cartridge 6 to the recording head 5.

14 to 16, in the ink lead-out portion 15 of the ink cartridge 6, a connecting member 17 and a valve 26 are provided.
Are connected in series, and one point of the valve 26 is a fulcrum 27.
It is composed of a seesaw type valve. The valve 26 is constantly urged by a spring 28 in the sealing direction (state shown in FIG. 14). That is, when the ink cartridge 6 is mounted, the ink supply pipe 16 penetrates the coupling member 17 and the valve 26.
The ink in the ink cartridge 6 can be supplied to the recording head 5 through the ink supply pipe 16 by pushing the button.

In this embodiment, the seesaw type valve 26 is used.
When the ink supply pipe 16 spreads the valve 26, the tip of the ink supply pipe 16 is not sealed by the valve 26, and a gap is always formed. The ink can be led out from the tip of 16. Therefore, a normal pipe having an open tip can be used as the ink supply pipe 16, and accordingly,
The number of parts can be further reduced as compared with the case of the above-described second embodiment, and further simplification of the structure and cost reduction can be achieved.

The first embodiment described above with reference to FIGS.
According to the third embodiment, as the ink lead-out portion 15 of the ink cartridge 6, a coupling member 17 which can be penetrated by a connection portion (ink supply pipe) 16 of an ink supply path provided in the recording apparatus, and the insertion of the connection portion 16. A valve 18 that opens and closes when removed,
Since the configuration in which 24 and 26 are arranged in series is used, the ink cartridge 6 and the ink connection portion (ink supply portion) can be accurately and reliably provided even if the positioning accuracy and the component dimensional accuracy of the ink cartridge 6 or the ink connection portion 16 are rough. tube)
16, the ink cartridge 6 and the ink connecting portion 16 can be joined in a sealed state, and the detaching force of the ink cartridge 6 can be minimized, and the ink cartridge It is possible to prevent ink leakage at the time of attachment / detachment, and it is also possible to use a pipe or the like having a sharp tip as the ink connection portion 16, which does not require extra safety measures such as a needle cover or a cap, and can be downsized. In addition, an ink jet recording apparatus that can reduce cost is obtained.

FIG. 17 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure (joint portion) of the ink cartridge 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 17, an ink storage portion (ink tank portion) 30 formed of a flexible bag or the like is provided inside the ink cartridge 6.
Is stored in the ink cartridge 6, and an ink lead-out portion 31 for leading out the ink in the ink storage portion 30 is formed on the front surface of the ink cartridge 6. In the illustrated example, the ink lead-out portion 31 is formed of a coupling member (rubber plug) 32 of a rubber-like elastic body.

In FIG. 17, when the ink cartridge 6 is mounted on the recording apparatus, a hollow needle 33 as an ink supply pipe, which is positioned and fixed at a predetermined position, penetrates a rubber plug (coupling member) 32 of the ink storage portion 30. Do (pierce). The hollow needle 33 is connected to the recording head 5 via an ink supply tube (generally a flexible tube) 34. When the ink supply pipe 33 penetrates the coupling member 32, the ink in the ink storage portion 30 is led out from the coupling member 32 and the ink supply pipe 33, and can be supplied to the recording head 5 through the ink supply tube 34. Become.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid absorbing member 35 is adjacent to the connecting member 32 of the ink lead-out portion 31.
Is installed. FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view showing the liquid absorbing member 35 in FIG. As the liquid absorbing member 35,
A porous member formed of a resin foam or a fiber aggregate and having excellent ink absorbability is used. As shown in FIG. 17, the liquid absorbing member 35 is incorporated (mounted) in a state of being adjacently joined to the outer surface of the rubber plug 32 which is a connecting member of the ink lead-out portion 31 on the ink cartridge 6 side. Then, when the ink cartridge 6 is mounted in the recording apparatus, the ink supply pipe 33 is inserted through the liquid absorbing member 35 and the connecting member (rubber plug) 32, whereby the ink flow path of the ink lead-out portion 31 is formed. . In addition,
As shown in FIG. 19, the liquid absorbing member 35 may be tightly slidably mounted on the ink introduction section side (ink supply tube 33) of the opposite side connected to the ink cartridge 6.

According to the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, in the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge (ink tank) 6 can be attached to and detached from the recording apparatus, the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6 is coupled. Since the porous liquid absorbing member 35 is mounted between the member 32 and the ink introduction portion (ink supply pipe) 33 on the other side to be inserted therein (joint portion), the structure is simple and inexpensive, Even when the ink cartridge 6 is connected, even if the ink suddenly overflows from the ink cartridge, the ink can be reliably held in the joint portion and the ink can be prevented from scattering or leaking to the outside. A recording device can be obtained.

FIG. 20 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure (joint portion) of the ink cartridge 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid member 35. 20 and 21, in this embodiment,
A non-absorbent layer 36 is provided on the cylindrical outer peripheral portion of the absorbent member 35. The non-liquid-absorbent layer 36 is, for example, a part of the liquid-absorbent member 35 by heating and melting the surface layer of the outer peripheral portion of the liquid-absorbent member 35, which is a porous member, to crush the porous openings. Can be formed by making it non-absorbent.

The fifth embodiment of FIGS. 20 and 21 differs from the fourth embodiment of FIGS. 17 and 18 in the above points,
The other parts have substantially the same configuration, corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the above-described fourth embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. That is, when the liquid absorbing member 35 is entirely porous, the ink that has penetrated into the liquid absorbing member 35 may rarely leak to the outside. However, according to the configurations of FIGS. It becomes possible to reliably prevent leakage.

Although FIG. 21 shows the case where the liquid absorbing member 35 has a cylindrical shape, this can be similarly applied to the case of other shapes. Further, in the liquid absorbing member 35 of FIG. 21, a porous (inner layer) liquid absorbing portion is exposed on the right side surface in the drawing, and this surface (right side surface in the drawing) is connected to the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6. Member (rubber stopper) 32
It is about to come into contact with. That is, by adopting the configuration as shown in FIG. 21, it is possible to reliably absorb the ink overflowing the ink lead-out portion 31 into the liquid absorbing member 35.

FIG. 22 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure (joint portion) of the ink cartridge 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid member 35. 22 and 23, the liquid absorbing member 35 of this embodiment has a structure in which another non-liquid absorbing member 38 is provided around a porous liquid absorbing main body member 37. As the non-liquid-absorbing separate member 38, a hollow solid cylindrical solid material as shown in the figure is used. The hollow cylindrical member 38 is joined to the outer periphery of the porous liquid-absorbent main body member 37 by adhesion, press fitting, or the like.

The sixth embodiment shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 differs from the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 in the above points.
The other parts have substantially the same configuration, corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the above-described fourth embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink that has penetrated into the liquid absorbing member 35 and contained therein from leaking out. Is obtained.

Although FIG. 23 shows the case where the liquid absorbing member 35 has a cylindrical shape, this can also be implemented in the case of other shapes. Further, in the liquid absorbing member 35 of FIG. 23, the porous liquid absorbing main body portion 37 is exposed on the right side surface in the drawing, but this surface (right side surface in the drawing) is a coupling member of the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6. (Rubber stopper) 32
The ink overflowing from the ink outlet 31 can be reliably absorbed by the porous main body portion 37.

FIG. 24 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a seventh embodiment of the ink supply connection structure (joint portion) of the ink cartridge 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid member 35. 24 and 25, the liquid absorbing member 35 of this embodiment has a structure in which another non-liquid absorbing member 39 is provided around a porous liquid absorbing main body member 37. A thin film member having elasticity is used as the non-liquid-absorbing separate member 39.

The seventh embodiment shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 differs from the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 in the above points.
The other parts have substantially the same configuration, corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the above-described fourth embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink that has penetrated into the liquid absorbing member 35 and contained therein from leaking out. Is obtained.

In FIG. 25, the case where the liquid absorbing member 35 has a cylindrical shape is shown, but this can be similarly applied to the case of other shapes. Further, in the liquid absorbing member 35 of FIG. 25, the porous liquid absorbing main body portion 37 is exposed on the right side surface in the drawing, but this surface (right side surface in the drawing) is a coupling member of the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6. (Rubber stopper) 32
The ink overflowing from the ink outlet 31 can be reliably absorbed by the porous main body portion 37.

FIG. 26 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an eighth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure (joint portion) of the ink cartridge 6 of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 28 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid member 35, and FIG. 28 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the liquid absorbent member 35 of FIG. 27. 26 to 28, the liquid absorbing member 35 of this embodiment is formed entirely of a porous material, but has a structure in which the porosity of the outer layer 41 is larger than that of the inner layer 40. ing.

The eighth embodiment shown in FIGS. 26 to 28 is different from the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 in the above points, but the other parts have substantially the same structure and correspond to each other. Portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In use, the ink supply tube (hollow needle) 33 is inserted through the inner layer portion 40 having a small (low) porosity inside, and overflow ink is also retained in the vicinity thereof. In this case, since the outer layer portion 41 having a large (high) porosity on the outer side has a strong capillary force, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking to the outside. Therefore, according to the present embodiment as well, in addition to the same operational effect as in the case of the above-described fourth embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink that has penetrated into and contained in the liquid absorbing member 35 from leaking to the outside. The effect is obtained.

Although FIG. 27 shows the case where the liquid absorbing member 35 has a cylindrical shape, this can be similarly applied to the case of other shapes. Further, in the liquid absorbing member 35 of FIG. 27, the inner layer portion 40 is exposed on the right side surface in the drawing, but this surface (right side surface in the drawing) is connected to the coupling member (rubber plug) 32 of the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6. The ink overflowing from the ink lead-out portion 31 can be surely absorbed by the inner layer portion 40.

That is, according to each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 20 to 28, in the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge (ink tank) 6 can be attached to and detached from the recording apparatus, the connecting member of the ink lead-out portion 31 of the ink cartridge 6 is connected. A porous liquid-absorbing member 35 is mounted between 32 and the ink introduction portion (ink supply pipe) 33 of the other side to be inserted therein, and the liquid-absorbing member 35 is not sucked around the liquid-absorbing member 35. Since the liquid portion or member is provided, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and the ink is reliably retained in the joint portion even when the ink cartridge 6 unexpectedly overflows when the ink cartridge 6 is connected. However, it is possible to prevent the ink from scattering and leaking to the outside, and leakage may occur due to repeated attachment and detachment of the joint portion. Even if, by the liquid-absorbent member 35 having a sealing function, at low cost, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided which is capable of supplying ink to reliably record head without causing leakage.

In each of the embodiments described above, the ink lead-out portion (ink supply port) 31 on the ink cartridge 6 side.
A rubber-like elastic coupling member (rubber stopper) 32 is used as a main member constituting the above, and a thin tube (ink supply tube such as a hollow needle) 33 is used as an ink receiving port (ink introducing portion) on the recording head 5 side. The thin tube 33 penetrates the rubber plug 32 and is inserted into the ink cartridge 6. However, other than that, for example, a thin tube may be used for the ink supply port on the ink cartridge side, and a rubber stopper may be used for the ink receiving port on the recording head 5 side. You can

That is, in the joint structure in which one side has a convex portion and the other side is inserted into the other in the joint portion formed in the ink flow path, each of the above-described embodiments can achieve the same effect. It is possible. Further, similar effects can be achieved in an ink cartridge having a structure in which the ink lead-out portion is a ball valve as shown in FIG. In FIG. 29, the portions corresponding to the respective portions in FIG. 17 are designated by the same reference numerals.

Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the case where both the recording head 5 and the ink cartridge (ink tank) 6 are provided on the carriage 4 is shown. However, in the present invention, the ink cartridge (ink tank) is other than the carriage. The present invention can be similarly applied to other cases such as the case where the apparatus is mounted in the recording apparatus, and the same operational effect can be achieved.

In each of the above embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the serial scan type ink jet recording apparatus in which the recording head is mounted on the carriage has been described as an example. The present invention can be similarly applied to a line type inkjet printing apparatus that prints only by sub-scanning using a print head that covers the print area in the paper width direction and can achieve the same effect. Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case of a single color inkjet recording apparatus using one recording head has been described as an example.
The present invention is one recording head for a plurality of types (for example, a plurality of colors).
Inkjet recording apparatus for recording, color recording using a plurality of color recording heads, gradation recording using a plurality of recording heads having the same color but different densities, or an inkjet recording apparatus of a combination thereof. Can also be applied in the same manner, and the same effect can be achieved.

The present invention can be applied to an ink jet recording apparatus using a recording means (recording head) using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element, but among others, thermal energy is used. Then, an excellent effect is brought about in an ink jet recording apparatus which uses a recording means of a method of ejecting ink. This is because such a system can achieve high density recording and high definition recording.

Regarding its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740.
This is preferably done using the basic principles disclosed in 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type, but particularly in the case of the on-demand type, a liquid (ink) is used.
By applying at least one drive signal to the electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which is stored, which corresponds to the recorded information and causes a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling. , Generates heat energy in the electrothermal converter to cause film boiling on the heat acting surface of the recording means (recording head), and as a result, bubbles can be formed in the liquid (ink) in a one-to-one correspondence with this drive signal. So effective.

Due to the growth and contraction of the bubbles, the liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection openings to form at least one droplet. It is more preferable to make the driving signal into a pulse shape because bubbles can be grown and contracted immediately and appropriately, and thus a liquid (ink) with excellent responsiveness can be ejected. As this pulse-shaped drive signal, US Pat.
Those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,633,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Incidentally, US Pat. No. 43131 of the invention relating to the rate of temperature rise of the heat acting surface.
If the conditions described in the specification of No. 24 are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the discharge port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the straight liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. US Pat. No. 4,558,333, US Pat. No. 4,558,333, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.
A configuration using the specification of No. 459600 is also included in the present invention. In addition, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 123670/1984 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of thermal energy. The present invention is also effective as a structure based on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 138461/1984, which discloses a structure in which the discharge section is associated with the discharge section. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be reliably and efficiently performed regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, as described above, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording material (recording medium) which can be recorded by the recording apparatus. . As such a recording head,
Either a structure that satisfies the length by combining a plurality of recording heads or a structure as one recording head integrally formed may be used. In addition, even with the serial type as in the above example, the recording head fixed to the device main body,
Alternatively, a replaceable chip-type recording head that can be electrically connected to the device body and supply ink from the device body when mounted on the device body, or an ink tank is integrally provided on the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when the cartridge type recording head described above is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means or preliminary auxiliary means to the recording head provided as a constitution of the recording apparatus in the present invention because the effect of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, in addition to the above-mentioned capping means, cleaning means, and suction recovery means for the recording head, a pressure-type recovery means, an electrothermal converter, or a heating other than this. It is also effective to perform stable recording by performing a preliminary heating means using an element or a combination thereof and a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection different from recording.

As described above, regarding the type and number of recording heads mounted, for example, only one is provided corresponding to a single color ink, or a plurality of recording heads having different recording colors and densities are provided. A plurality of inks may be provided corresponding to the ink. That is, for example, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but may be either the recording head is integrally configured or a combination of a plurality of recording heads may be used. The present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of color colors or full colors by color mixing.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid, but it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower and softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet. In the method, the temperature of the ink itself is generally adjusted within a range of 30 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower to control the temperature of the ink so that the viscosity of the ink is within a stable ejection range. It may be in a liquid form. in addition,
To prevent the temperature rise due to the thermal energy from being positively used as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or to use the ink that solidifies in the standing state for the purpose of preventing ink evaporation. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying the thermal energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink is ejected,
The present invention is also applicable to the case of using an ink that has a property of being liquefied only by thermal energy, such as one that has already started to solidify when it reaches the recording medium.

The ink in such a case is described in JP-A-54-54.
As described in JP-A-56847 or JP-A-60-71260, a form in which the electrothermal converter is opposed to a liquid sheet or a solid material held in the recesses or through holes of the porous sheet. May be In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, as the form of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to the one used as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, and a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting / receiving function. And the like may be used.

[0070]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the invention, in the ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from the recording means to the recording material, the ink is supplied to the recording means. Of the ink cartridge, and an ink lead-out portion for leading out the ink from the ink cartridge has a connecting member through which the ink supply pipe penetrates and a valve that opens and closes by inserting and removing the ink supply pipe in series. Since the ink cartridge is formed, the ink cartridge and the ink connecting portion can be accurately and reliably coupled even if the positioning accuracy and the component dimensional accuracy of the ink cartridge or the ink connecting portion are rough, and the ink cartridge detaching force is high. Can be minimized,
(EN) An ink jet recording apparatus capable of preventing ink leakage when attaching and detaching an ink cartridge and further using a pipe having a blunt tip for an ink connecting portion.

According to the inventions of claims 2 to 5, in addition to the structure of claim 1, the coupling member is an elastic body, and the valve is an elastic body supported by a rigid member and a closing direction. And a spring that biases the ink supply pipe, the ink supply pipe is a pipe having an opening in the peripheral surface, the tip of which is not sharp, and the valve connects the coupling member and a rigid body with a spring to each other. Since the structure is such that the ink supply pipe is press-contacted, or the ink supply pipe is a pipe whose tip is open and has a valve push pin projecting from the pipe, the positioning accuracy and parts of the ink cartridge or the ink connecting portion can be improved. Even if the dimensional accuracy is rough, the ink cartridge and the ink connecting portion can be accurately and reliably joined together, and the ink cartridge and the ink connecting portion can be joined in a sealed state. In addition, it is possible to minimize the ink cartridge attachment / detachment force, prevent ink leakage during ink cartridge attachment / detachment, and use a pipe with a blunt tip for the ink connection. Provided is an inkjet recording apparatus which can reduce the size and weight of a recording apparatus because a safety mechanism such as a cover and a cap and additional measures are not required.

According to the invention of claim 6, an ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording material, comprising a removable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording means, Since the liquid absorbing member is provided between the connecting member of the ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge and the ink supply pipe inserted into the connecting member, the structure is simple and inexpensive, and when the ink overflows unexpectedly from the ink tank. However, there is provided an ink jet recording apparatus capable of reliably keeping the ink in the joint portion and preventing the ink from leaking out, and preventing the ink from scattering from the joint portion.

According to the inventions of claims 7 to 11, in addition to the structure of claim 6, a part or the outer peripheral part of the liquid absorbing member is made non-liquid absorbing, A structure in which a part is melted to make it non-absorbent, a structure in which the outer peripheral part of the liquid absorbent member is formed of a solid non-liquid absorbent material having rigidity, and the outer peripheral part of the liquid absorbent member is a thin film and is elastic. A structure formed of a non-liquid absorbing material, or, since the liquid absorbing member has a structure in which the porosity of the outer layer is larger than the porosity of the inner layer, a simple and inexpensive structure, An ink jet recording apparatus that can prevent the ink from leaking out more efficiently by reliably keeping the ink in the joint portion even when the ink overflows from the ink tank unexpectedly, and can prevent the ink from scattering from the joint portion. Provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of an inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the structure of an ink ejection portion of the recording means in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of a first embodiment of an ink cartridge connection structure for an inkjet recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic external perspective view of the ink cartridge of FIG.

5 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge shown in FIG.

6 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which an ink supply tube is inserted into the ink outlet of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partial front view seen from the line 7-7 in FIG.

8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a state in which an ink supply pipe is inserted into an eccentric position of the ink outlet portion of FIG.

9 is a partial front view taken along the line 9-9 in FIG.

10 is an exploded view schematically showing the structure of the valve in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example in which the configuration of the ink lead-out section in FIG. 5 is partially simplified.

FIG. 12 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge of the inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 13 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an ink supply pipe is inserted into the ink outlet of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge of the inkjet recording apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

15 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an ink supply pipe is inserted into an eccentric position of the ink outlet portion of FIG.

16 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which an ink supply tube is inserted at an eccentric position on the opposite side of the ink outlet portion of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

18 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid absorbing member in FIG.

FIG. 19 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of FIG.

FIG. 20 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

21 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid absorbing member in FIG. 20. FIG.

FIG. 22 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid absorbing member in FIG.

FIG. 24 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing a seventh embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 25 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid absorbing member in FIG.

FIG. 26 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an eighth embodiment of the ink supply connection structure of the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 27 is a schematic perspective view of the liquid absorbing member in FIG. 26.

28 is a partial perspective view of the liquid absorbent member of FIG. 27. FIG.

FIG. 29 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of a ball valve type ink lead-out portion of the ink cartridge.

FIG. 30 is a schematic vertical sectional view illustrating the connection structure of a conventional ink cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Recording Material 2 Guide Rail 3 Guide Rail 4 Carriage 5 Recording Means (Recording Head) 6 Ink Cartridge (Ink Tank) 7 Carriage Motor 8 Timing Belt 9 Conveying Roller Pair 10 Conveying Roller Pair 11 Ink Cartridge Container 12 Ink Chamber 15 Ink Derivation Part 16 Ink supply pipe 17 Coupling member 18 Valve 19 Valve body 20 Elastic body 21 Spring 22 Pipe retainer 23 Ink supply tube 24 Rigid valve body 25 Valve push pin 26 Valve 27 Support point 28 Spring 30 Ink storage part 31 Ink derivation part 32 Coupling Member (rubber stopper) 33 Ink supply pipe (hollow needle) 34 Ink supply tube 35 Liquid absorbing member 36 Non-liquid absorbing layer 37 Liquid absorbing main body member 38 Non liquid absorbing separate member 39 Thin film member 40 Inner layer 41 outer layer

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording material, comprising an attachable / detachable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording means, and deriving the ink from the ink cartridge. The inkjet recording device is characterized in that the ink lead-out portion is formed by arranging a connecting member through which the ink supply pipe penetrates and a valve that opens and closes by inserting and removing the ink supply pipe in series. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is an elastic body, and the valve has an elastic body supported by a rigid member and a spring that biases the valve in a closing direction. . 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply pipe is a pipe having an opening at a peripheral surface thereof, not having a sharp tip. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valve has a structure in which the coupling member and a rigid body having a spring are pressed against each other. 5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink supply pipe is a pipe whose tip is open, and has a valve push pin protruding from the pipe. 6. An ink jet recording apparatus for recording by ejecting ink from a recording means to a recording material, comprising an attachable / detachable ink cartridge for supplying ink to the recording means. An ink jet recording apparatus, wherein a liquid absorbing member is provided between a joining member and an ink supply pipe inserted through the joining member. 7. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a part or an outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is made non-liquid absorbing. 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a part of the liquid absorbing member is melted to make it non-liquid absorbing. 9. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is formed of a rigid non-liquid absorbing solid material. 10. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an outer peripheral portion of the liquid absorbing member is formed of a thin film-like elastic non-liquid absorbing material. 11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid absorbing member has a structure in which the porosity of the outer layer is larger than that of the inner layer. 12. The ink jet recording means according to claim 1, wherein the recording means is an ink jet recording means provided with an electrothermal converter that generates thermal energy used for ejecting ink. Any inkjet recording device. 13. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the recording unit ejects the ink from the ejection port by utilizing film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy generated by the electrothermal converter. .