JPH0825645A - Ink replenishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fill ink into an ink cartridge and uniformize ink distribution at the time of ink refilling by disposing a cartridge storage section with built-in ink replenishing pump and constituting an ink replenishing device. CONSTITUTION:A cartridge storage section is disposed in an ink replenishing a device, and an ink replenishing pump is built therein, and replenishing ink is stored in a pump chamber. At the time of ink replenishing or after replacement, the pump and the inside of pump chamber are utilized respectively for the suction of recovering the clogging of a cartridge head or a cartridge keeping case used for the pressure pump and a waste ink storage. The manufacturing cost can be lowered by using combinedly as the ink replenishing device and the storage case to eliminate a problem of throwing away the ink replenishing device. Also, ink is replenished at the time of recovery operation to eliminate the reduction of ink amount in the cartridge.

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 recording means to a non-recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, there is a strong demand for miniaturization of an ink jet device for ejecting a liquid such as ink onto a recording medium for printing or image formation. Therefore, a recording head as a recording unit and an ink cartridge for storing liquid, which are conventionally separately provided on the carriage of the recording apparatus and on the main body of the recording apparatus, are integrally arranged on the carriage to reduce the size. Is being promoted.

As a form of disposing the recording head and the ink cartridge on the carriage, there are a structure in which the recording head and the ink cartridge are integrated, and a structure in which the recording head and the ink cartridge are separable. Hereinafter, the ink cartridge means both forms unless otherwise specified.

The above-mentioned ink cartridge is usually replaced with a new ink cartridge when printing cannot be performed. However, in the ink cartridge having the print head, even when the ink is not supplied to the print head side, the print head itself is still within the range in which its ejection performance is sufficiently guaranteed. Therefore, it is not possible to replace with a new ink cartridge when printing cannot be performed for the first time.
There is room for improvement from the viewpoint of cost performance because the recording head will not be used until the original product life.

Therefore, an ink cartridge for which printing is impossible is refilled with ink by using a syringe-shaped ink replenishing device so that the ink cartridge can be repeatedly used, and the recording head is used up to the original product life. Is devised. Further, in recent years, there is an increasing demand for colorization of images printed by an inkjet recording apparatus.
Therefore, a mono-color ink cartridge of a color other than black has come to be installed in an inkjet recording apparatus that has a conventional monochrome ink cartridge.

[0006]

However, in the case of a monochrome printer, when the cartridge is replaced in order to change the printing color, there is no container for storing the cartridge in use, the nozzle portion of the cartridge dries, dust enters, etc. There was a problem of causing clogging. Further, the ink replenishing device is generally a syringe, a dropper-shaped pump, and an ink storage method, and it is difficult to operate because there is no storage container for the cartridge and the like, and there are cases where the surroundings are contaminated with ink due to a replenishment error. After replenishing the ink, the ink replenishing device is no longer needed and is therefore thrown away, but ecological problems such as environmental pollution and resource reuse occur.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the ink replenishing device is provided with a cartridge storage portion to facilitate the pumping operation at the time of replenishment and to be used as a cartridge storage box. The cartridge nozzle can be reused as a clogging recovery pump and a waste ink storage container.

That is, the present invention is an ink replenishing device characterized by having a cartridge accommodating portion, and the above ink replenishing device characterized by incorporating an ink replenishing pump therein. According to the present invention, (1) the ink replenishing device has a cartridge storage portion, (2) the ink replenishing pump is built in, the replenishing ink is stored in the pump chamber, and (3) the ink replenishing time or after the replenishing. The ink supply device is characterized in that the pump and the pump chamber can be used as suction for recovering clogging of the cartridge head, or can be used as a cartridge storage box including a pressure pump and a waste ink storage device. According to the present invention, in an ink replenishing device for reproducing a disposable cartridge, (1) the ink replenishing device has a cartridge storage portion, and (2) an ink replenishing pump is built in, and replenishing ink is stored in the pump chamber. (3) When the ink is replenished or after the ink is replenished, the pump and the pump chamber are respectively used as suction for recovering the clogging of the cartridge head, or as a cartridge storage box using a pressure pump and a waste ink reservoir. It is an ink replenishing device. Further, according to the present invention, (1) there is a cartridge accommodating portion, (2) an ink replenishing pump is built in, the replenishing ink is stored in the pump chamber, and (3) when the ink is replenished or after the replenishment, the pump and the pump chamber are Each of the ink supply devices is provided with a means for recovering the clogging of the cartridge head. Further, the present invention is an ink cartridge used in an ink replenishing device equipped with means for recovering from clogging during or after replenishing ink.

[0009]

By using the ink supply device of the present invention,
When replenishing the ink, a closed system is formed by engaging the ink lead-out portion to the outside of the ink cartridge and the atmosphere communicating portion, and further, a pressure difference may be generated between the area near the ink leading-out portion and the area near the atmosphere communicating portion. Therefore, the ink can be easily filled in the ink cartridge, and the distribution of the ink in the ink cartridge at the end of the refilling of the ink can be made uniform.

[0010]

EXAMPLE FIG. 3 shows an example of an ink cartridge in which the ink supply device of the present invention can be used. In the figure, 7 is an ink cartridge, 8 is an ejection port (nozzle) for ejecting ink to the outside, and 9 is an air communication port that communicates the inside of the ink cartridge with the external atmosphere.
In the embodiments described below, the air communication port 8 is used as an ink injection port, but an ink injection port may be provided separately from this to close the air communication port when ink is injected. Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows an example of an ink supply device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a main body of the ink replenishing device, 10 is an ink cartridge containing portion, and 11 is a refill ink containing portion containing replenishing ink. Here, in the ink cartridge accommodating portion 10, a cartridge positioning portion 1a for performing positioning when accommodating the ink cartridge, a cap 5a that engages with the ejection opening portion 8 of the ink cartridge, and an atmosphere communication port of the ink cartridge. An injection nozzle 5b that engages with 9 is provided. In addition, the refill ink storage unit 11 has a cylinder 4
Is provided, and the screw 3 having the piston 2 and the knob portion 3a is arranged therein. And piston 2
Divides the inside of the cylinder 4 into an ink holding portion A that communicates with an ink supply port for injecting ink and a decompression chamber B that communicates with the cap 5a.

Here, the piston 2 is in contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 4, and is further engaged by the rotation of the screw 3 so that the piston 2 moves. An engaging portion between the abutting portion corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the piston 2 and the screw 3 is an arbitrary portion so that the ink holding portion A and the decompression chamber B communicate with each other through both portions so that liquid or gas does not flow in or out. It is kept watertight by means. By adopting this configuration, the refill ink storage section has a function as a pump.

Therefore, the refill ink storage portion has a suction port 4a.
Since the cap 5a communicates with the injection nozzle 4b through the ink supply port 4b, a closed system having a pump is formed when the ink cartridge is attached to the ink supply device 1. When refilling the ink in the ink cartridge, the knob 3 provided on the screw 3
A is rotated by an arbitrary means to move the piston 2 in the direction of the knob portion 3a in the figure. At this time, the internal pressure of the ink holding portion A in which the refilling ink is stored rises, while the internal pressure of the decompression chamber B falls.

By adopting this configuration, the pressure inside the ink cartridge becomes low at the time of ink injection, while the pressurized ink flows in, so that the ink filling into the ink cartridge has a pressure gradient. It can be done more easily than normal ink replenishment.

Further, since the filled ink is sucked in the vicinity of the ejection port of the ink cartridge, the ink easily reaches the vicinity of the ejection port even inside the ink cartridge, and the ink flow path is formed inside the ink cartridge. Will be easier. Therefore, it becomes possible to use the ink cartridge immediately after refilling the ink. After replenishing the ink, the ink cartridge is taken out from the ink replenishing device, the knob portion 3a is reversed, and the piston 2 is returned to the suction port 4a side to be used as a cartridge storage box. Then, in order to further miniaturize the apparatus itself, the recovery processing system of the recording head section of the inkjet recording apparatus is suction-recovered by using a pump or the like, and the pressure in the recording head section is increased to force the nozzles. In the case where the ink is ejected from the nozzle to recover the ejection and the pump is not used, the ink supply device of the present invention can be used as an ink storage box having a recovery processing system.

As described above, after the ink cartridge is exchanged for mono-color printing and before the ink cartridge which has been removed is attached to the ink jet recording apparatus again, the same ink refilling is performed. The piston 2 is moved in the direction, and the atmosphere communication port of the ink cartridge is sucked to perform a recovery process. In this case, air flows in from the air communication port of the ink jet cartridge, the internal pressure in the ink cartridge rises, and a certain degree of ejection recovery effect can be obtained. Compared with the above, the recovery process can be reliably performed in a short time. In addition,
At this time, the decompression chamber B is used as a waste ink tank. Therefore, the ink replenishing device of the present invention can be used not only as an ink refill, but also as an ink cartridge storage box that can be subjected to a recovery process.

When the ink supply device of the present invention is used as a recovery device, it is not limited to after the ink is filled, but can be used as an ink cartridge storage box even when the ink is filled. In this case, as in the ink refilling step described above, the cartridge with the nozzle clogged is housed in the ink replenishing device 1 and the knob portion 3a is rotated to replenish a small amount of ink. Since a little suction is performed from the cap 5a side, ink and air bubbles pass through the nozzle, and the nozzle clogging is recovered. In this case, ink for suction is replenished, and there is no reduction in ink amount due to the recovery operation.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the ink supply device according to this embodiment. In addition, in FIG.
Elements having the same functions as those in the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals.

In this embodiment, a transparent member is used for the cylinder 4, and a window portion 1b is provided so that the inside of the refilled ink storage portion can be viewed. In FIG. 2, the window portion 1b is provided on the side portion of the refill ink storage portion, the position of the piston 2, that is, the remaining amount of the refill ink is confirmed, and the ink replenishing device of this embodiment is used as a recovery processing device. In this case, check the amount of waste ink sucked.

As a result, even if the position of the piston 2 is set to the suction port 4a side after all the ink that has already been stored is filled in the ink cartridge, it can be mistakenly recognized that the ink is still stored. Absent. Also,
Even when the recovery process of the ink cartridge is performed using the ink replenishing device of the present embodiment, the amount of ink discharged from the ink cartridge can be confirmed by suction, so that an appropriate recovery process can always be performed.

[0021]

As described above, by using the ink replenishing device and the storage box in common, the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the problem of discarding the ink replenishing device is eliminated. In addition, if ink is replenished during the recovery operation, the amount of ink in the cartridge will not be reduced. Since it can be confirmed that the ink is sucked from the nozzle, it can be seen that the ink supply or the nozzle recovery is surely performed. Since the cartridge is stored in the case, there is no need to worry about getting your hands dirty with the ink leaked from the vicinity of the ink supply port and ink reception port.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of Example 1.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of Example 2.

FIG. 3 is an external view of an ink cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Case (Ink Supply Device) 1a Cartridge Positioning Member 1b Window Part 2 Piston 3 Screw 3a Knob Part 4 Cylinder 4a Suction Port 4b Ink Supply Port 5a Cap 5b Injection Nozzle 6 Replenishment Ink 7 Cartridge 8 Ink Cartridge Ejection Portion 9 Ink Cartridge Atmosphere communication port 10 Ink cartridge storage portion 11 Refilling ink storage portion containing replenishment ink A Ink holding portion B Decompression chamber

Front page continued (72) Inventor Riki Kawai 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An ink replenishing device having a cartridge storage portion. 2. The ink supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an ink supply pump incorporated therein. 3. (1) The ink replenishing device has a cartridge housing portion, (2) has a built-in ink replenishing pump, stores replenishing ink in the pump chamber, and (3) during or after replenishing ink. An ink replenishing device characterized in that the pump and the pump chamber can be used respectively as suction for recovering clogging of a cartridge head, or as a cartridge storage box using a pressure pump and a waste ink storage device. 4. In an ink replenishing device for reproducing a disposable cartridge, (1) the ink replenishing device has a cartridge storage section, and (2) an ink replenishing pump is built in, and replenishing ink is stored in the pump chamber. (3) When the ink is replenished or after the ink is replenished, the pump and the pump chamber are respectively used as suction for recovering the clogging of the cartridge head, or as a cartridge storage box using a pressure pump and a waste ink reservoir. Ink supply device that does. 5. (1) There is a cartridge storage section,
(2) An ink replenishment pump is built in, and replenishment ink is stored in the pump chamber. (3) At the time of ink replenishment or after replenishment
An ink replenishing device equipped with means for recovering the clogging of the cartridge head inside the pump and the pump chamber. 6. An ink cartridge used in an ink replenishing device equipped with means for recovering from clogging during or after ink replenishment.