JPH09169119A - Ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the refilling of an ink tank with ink by providing an ink introducing member, composed of a porous member in the ink tank and providing an ink lead-out member composed of a porous member in a refilling mechanism and bringing both of them to a pressure contact state to supply the ink in the refilling mechanism into the ink tank. SOLUTION: A refilling mechanism 500 supplying ink 510 to an ink jet unit 101 is provided with an ink chamber 504 housing ink 510, an ink lead-out pipe 506 supplying the ink 502 to the unit 101 and an atmosphere inflow port 502 introducing the atmosphere from the outside. At the time of the filling with ink, at first, the supply pipe 511 of a supply ink container 501 is inserted into the ink chamber 504 to introduce the ink 510 into the ink chamber 504. Next, the leading end of the ink lead-out pipe 506 is introduced into the ink lead-out member 517 composed of a porous member on the unit 101 under pressure. Thereafter, an ink lead-out part 516 is lowered from the ink surface 509 to perform the refilling with ink.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an inkjet recording apparatus having an ink refilling mechanism for refilling an ink tank with ink.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of ink jet recording,
In recent years, from the viewpoint of downsizing of the apparatus, maintenance-free, and the like, an ink jet unit in the form of a cartridge in which a recording head and an ink tank are integrated has been used. This inkjet unit is detachable from a scanning carriage provided in the recording apparatus, and when the ink stored in the ink tank is used up, the user replaces it with a new inkjet unit.

Further, there is an increasing demand for color recording.

In order to satisfy the requirement for colorization in the ink jet unit as described above, for example, different ink jet units for each color are arranged in parallel on the carriage along the scanning direction to perform color recording, or color recording. Yellow used for recording,
A color ink jet unit in which an ink tank for storing magenta and cyan ink and a recording head for ejecting the ink stored in the ink tank are arranged in parallel and integrated, and a single ink jet unit for only black is arranged on the carriage to perform color printing. There are things such as recording.

However, in the ink jet unit in which the recording head and the ink tank are integrated, when the ink stored in the ink tank is used up, the recording head which is still usable together with the ink tank must be discarded. Therefore, in recent years, a structure has been proposed in which the recording head and the ink tank are detachably attached.

A method of refilling the ink tank with ink has been proposed as a method of eliminating the waste of the recording head when the ink in the ink tank is used up.

The following are specific examples of the above method.

(1) A hole is made in the ink tank portion of the ink jet unit by a metal syringe, and a needle communicating with a bellows type ink container containing ink is inserted into the hole, and then a bellows type The method of filling the ink tank part with the ink in the ink container by manually pressing the ink container and gradually crushing it.

(2) A method of making an ink container containing ink into a syringe shape, inserting a needle of the ink container into an ink tank in the ink jet unit, and then filling the ink in the ink container into the ink tank portion.

(3) A method of providing an ink cartridge (ink tank) and a chamber for containing the ink, and filling the ink with a capillary element (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-1744).

However, since all of the above-mentioned three methods involve manually removing the ink jet unit or the ink tank from the recording apparatus and refilling the ink, the weight of the ink jet unit mounted on the scanning carriage is limited. There was a limit, and it was necessary to frequently replace the inkjet unit or the ink tank.

Therefore, the following system for refilling the ink on the recording apparatus has been devised.

(1) In USP 4,967,207, an ink jet unit is provided with a port or tube for refilling ink and a suction port for depressurizing the inside of an ink tank, and the ink is used at a service station in the recording apparatus. The tank is refilled with ink.

In the above method, it is possible to continuously record without filling the ink when filling the ink.

(2) USP 5,367,328 and 5,
In 369 and 429, an inkjet unit and a refill system for filling an ink tank in the inkjet unit with ink are connected by piping.
The sensor detects the amount of ink in the ink tank, and then the ink is refilled while the flow rate is controlled by the pump.

Also in the above method, recording does not stop when ink is filled.

[0017]

However, the above-mentioned conventional device has the following problems.

(1) In an ink jet unit provided with a port or tube for refilling ink and a suction port for depressurizing the ink tank, in order to depressurize the ink tank when refilling ink, Time is required for decompression, and the recording operation must be stopped accordingly.

Further, since the residual ink in the ink jet unit is sucked out when the pressure is reduced, it is difficult to determine the amount of ink to be refilled, and depending on the refilling amount, the ink may overflow or the ink may run out. As a result, the recording operation may be frequently stopped.

(2) In the case where the ink jet unit and the refilling system are connected by piping: Since the ink jet unit and the refilling system are connected by piping, the manufacturing cost of the recording apparatus increases, and There is a problem that the control becomes complicated because the sensor detects the ink amount and then the pump is used to refill while controlling the flow rate.

Further, in general, in the ink tank, in order to stably make a cell size necessary for generating an appropriate capillary force of ink without causing ink leakage,
A foamed polyurethane-based porous member is used.

However, in the foamed polyurethane-based porous member, the ink used by dissolving the dye in a solvent may be denatured by the solvent and the performance may not be exhibited. Therefore, in the inkjet unit, only the ink tank or the ink tank recording head is disposable (disposable)
The one that has been proposed.

Here, in the system in which the ink tank and the refilling system are connected by a pipe as described above, it is necessary to remove the pipe when exchanging the ink jet unit, and further, after that, the inside of the pipe is removed. There is a problem that the operation must be complicated because the air must be removed and ink must be filled.

Further, in the structure for printing by connecting the ink jet unit on the carriage, which is the printing scanning unit, and the ink reservoir fixed on the recording device by piping.
Since the pressure applied to the recording head fluctuates due to the inertial force of the ink in the pipe, and the printing quality deteriorates, an air chamber or the like is usually provided to mitigate the pressure fluctuation. However, when an air chamber etc. is provided, a meniscus occurs, so
It becomes impossible to refill the ink. Therefore, in a system that refills with ink, it is inevitable that the printing quality will deteriorate.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the above-mentioned conventional techniques, and ink jet recording in which ink refilling can be easily performed without causing deterioration of print quality. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0026]

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ink tank for storing ink in an ink absorber made of a porous member provided inside, and an ink supplied from the ink tank. In an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head unit for performing recording by using a refill mechanism and a refilling mechanism for supplying ink to the ink absorber, the ink tank is pressed against the ink absorber and the refilling is performed. An ink introducing member comprising a porous member for introducing the ink from the mechanism into the ink absorber,
The refilling mechanism includes an ink chamber that stores ink to be supplied to the ink absorber, and a porous member that supplies the ink stored in the ink chamber to the ink absorber by being pressed against the ink introducing member. And a first ink lead-out member consisting of.

The ink tank is a second member made of a porous member which is brought into pressure contact with the ink absorber and supplies the ink accommodated in the ink absorber to the recording head portion.
It is characterized by including the ink lead-out member.

The outer diameter of the ink introducing member is smaller than the outer diameter of the second ink leading member.

The density of the ink introducing member is higher than the density of the ink absorber.

The density of the ink introducing member and the second ink drawing member is higher than the density of the ink absorber.

The density of the first ink lead-out member is lower than the density of the ink introduction member.

Further, an ink tank for storing ink in an ink absorber made of a porous member provided inside, a recording head portion for recording using ink supplied from the ink tank, and the ink absorber In an ink jet recording apparatus having a refill mechanism for supplying ink to the ink tank, the ink tank includes an openable / closable elastic member for introducing the ink from the refill mechanism into the ink absorber, The filling mechanism includes an ink chamber that stores ink to be supplied to the ink absorber, and an ink lead-out needle that is connected to the elastic member to supply the ink stored in the ink chamber to the ink absorber. It is characterized by doing.

Further, the ink tank is provided with a lid member which can be opened and closed at a portion where the first ink introducing member is brought into pressure contact.

Further, the porous member is a sponge.

Further, the ink tank is removable from the recording head portion.

Further, the recording head portion is provided with an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink.

Further, the recording head section is characterized in that the ink is ejected from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated by the heat energy applied by the electrothermal converter.

Based on the above knowledge, the present inventors have found that the refilling of ink in the conventional ink jet recording apparatus is predominantly performed by the supply capacity from the outside, so that an extra external force or insufficient external force is applied. It is reconfirmed that the condition has been brought about, and when the ink tank is initially filled, the porous member stored in the ink tank (compressed at least partially or in a compressed state twice or four times compared to before being stored) The present situation of performing excessive ink filling by depressurizing the ink absorber (contained in) is examined, and the ink absorber filled with ink is in communication with the atmosphere in the ink tank. It is rational and internal to the ink tank that it is possible to use the phenomenon that the minute pores of the ink absorber exhibit suction force due to minute negative pressure due to ink consumption for refilling the ink tank. Regardless of the ink remaining amount was elucidated that enables reliable ink filling without overflowing ink.

That is, an ink tank having a porous member for generating a negative pressure therein, in which at least a part of the ink initially filled has been consumed, in the ink refilling method, The step of destroying the meniscus of the ink in the bonding area with the recording head section or in the vicinity thereof and the porous member consumes ink while maintaining the communication state between the vicinity of the bonding area with the recording head section and the filling ink. Refilling the inside of the ink tank with the filling ink by the negative pressure generated by the above.

Further, the ink tank is provided with a porous member for generating a negative pressure inside, which has an ink absorptive portion at or near the area where the recording head portion is connected, and is initially filled. In a method of refilling an ink tank in which at least a part of the ink has been consumed, a step of destroying the ink meniscus in the vicinity of the ink absorbing portion of the ink tank, and the communication between the vicinity of the ink absorbing portion and the filling ink. While maintaining the state, the porous member refills the inside of the ink tank with the filling ink by the negative pressure generated by the consumption of the ink.

As a main characteristic requirement, the negative pressure generated by the consumption of the ink held by the porous member in the ink tank is used to prevent the ink refilling into the ink tank and prevent the ink overflow. It is to prevent and surely replenish. Particularly preferably, the ink in the ink tank is replenished from the side where the ink is supplied to the recording head unit, so that the ink tank can be surely filled without running out of ink.

The ink meniscus destruction step (or means) mentioned here means that at least a part of the meniscus formed by the negative pressure inside the ink remaining in the ink tank is destroyed to refill ink. Including all that can be in fluid communication with each other, there are those that are performed by pressurizing the refilling ink or sucking the ink in the ink tank, and more preferably, a minute cross section facing each other with a fine interval. The refill ink that has risen due to the capillarity caused by the rod-shaped body (for example, the ink-absorbing member) is destroyed by inserting the rod-shaped body together with the rod-shaped body into the area where the ink tank is connected to the recording head, or in the vicinity thereof or the ink-absorbing member Can be done.

Further, in the above-mentioned ink refilling method, the ink absorptive portion of the ink tank is located at a lower position in the direction of gravity, and the porous member of the ink tank is located at a position higher than the ink absorbent portion in the direction of gravity.
The filling ink is supplied from the bottom to the top.

Further, the unidirectional fiber bundle member having the unidirectional fiber bundle member for improving the supply property from the ink tank to the recording head is used for the ink tank and the filling side. In particular, when these ink tanks are in a recording state and the ink supply from the ink tank to the head side is supplied downward (preferably immediately below), the remaining ink in the ink tank becomes uniform and ink is supplied when refilling. Since it concentrates on the side, it can function more effectively.

(Operation) In the present invention configured as described above, when refilling the ink in the ink tank,
An ink introducing member made of a porous member that is pressure-bonded to an ink absorber made of a porous member that is provided to store the ink in the ink tank, and a refilling mechanism that supplies the ink into the ink tank. The first ink lead-out member made of a porous member is pressed into contact with the first ink lead-out member, and the ink contained in the refilling mechanism is supplied into the ink tank.

In this way, since the ink is supplied into the ink tank by the negative pressure of the porous member, it is not necessary to reduce the pressure with a pump or the like, and the ink does not leak to the outside. .

[0047]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1A and 1B are views showing an embodiment of an ink jet unit mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a front view and FIG. 1B is a bottom view.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present embodiment has a casing 103 composed of a pair of side plates (not shown) and a back plate (not shown) connecting the pair of side plates, a notch portion 112, and a casing. The housing 103 is provided so as to face the back plate of the housing 103.
And a front plate 113 that forms a storage space for the ink tank between
And the space portion surrounded by the housing 103 and the front plate 113 is divided into four regions, and the ink tank mounting portions 111Y, 111
Middle plates 104a to 1 forming M, 111C and 111Bk
04c and the ink tank mounting portions 111Y, 111M, 1
Nozzles 201 serving as ink outlets from ink tanks (not shown) mounted on 11C and 111Bk, respectively.
Y, 201M, 201C, 201Bk, and the ink mounting portion 111Y, 111M, 111C, 111Bk, the detachment prevention portion 105c and the cover portion 105, which are provided so as not to detach the ink tank, and the ink mounting portion 111.
Filters 109Y, 109M, 109C and 109 provided respectively for Y, 111M, 111C and 111Bk
Bk and filters 109Y, 109M, 109C, 10
The elastic plate 108 is provided for each of 9Bk, and the recording head units 200Y, 200M, 200C, and 200Bk for recording with ink from the ink tank. The front plate 113 has a height of about 1/3 of the height of the housing 103, and the ink tank is attached / detached at the opening on the front plate 113 side.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the ink jet unit shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cover 105 that projects toward the ink tank mounting portion 111 is provided at the upper end of the housing 103 on the back plate side, and the cover 105 is also provided.
Is provided with an inclined portion 105a that is inclined toward the ink tank mounting portion 111 side from the insertion side in order to generate a feeling of insertion resistance when the ink tank is inserted. Here, in the cover portion 105, the ink tank mounting portion 11
1 is provided at a position where it interferes with the corner of the ink tank on the side opposite to the ink supply port side of the ink tank on the far side of the insertion of the ink tank mounted in 1. Is increased, and further, the inclined portion 10
When the corner portion of the ink tank reaches the horizontal biasing means 105b following 5a, the resistance feeling is released and a click feeling occurs. Further, the biasing means 105b generates a force for pressing the ink tank mounted in the ink tank mounting portion 111 from the upper side to the lower side.

The ink in the ink tank is attached to the bottom of the ink jet unit 101 by the recording head unit 20.
0Bk, 200C, 200M, 200Y (see FIG. 1) is provided with an ink outlet tube 107 for introduction,
It projects inside the ink tank mounting portion 111 so that it can be inserted into the ink tank.

A filter 109 is provided at the opening inside the housing of the ink outlet tube 107, and projects inside the ink tank mounting portion 111 so that it can be inserted into the ink supply port of the ink tank. .

Further, an elastic plate 108 having a predetermined thickness is laid around the ink outlet tube 107 of the ink tank mounting portion 111. On the elastic plate 108, ribs provided at the ink supply port of the ink tank are pressed against each other so that the ink does not leak inside the inkjet unit.

An ink tank containing yellow, magenta, cyan, and black ink is mounted on the ink tank mounting portion 111 of the ink jet unit 101 configured as described above.

3A and 3B are views showing the configuration of an ink tank containing ink. FIG. 3A is a side view, FIG. 3B is a front view, FIG. 3C is a bottom view, and FIG. Is.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink storage housing 2 and an atmosphere communication port 5 for communicating the atmosphere between the inside and outside of the ink tank 1 are provided, and a lid member 3 for covering the ink storage housing 2 is provided. And a space that is attached to the upper portion of the lid member 3 and serves as a buffer chamber so that ink leakage from the atmosphere communication port 5 does not reach the outside, and a part of the space is different from the position of the atmosphere communication port 5 to the atmosphere. It is composed of an opening member and an upper member 4 having a knob portion 4a used when attaching / detaching to / from the inkjet unit 101.

Further, the bottom of the ink tank 1 is provided with an ink supply opening 8 into which the ink outlet tube 107 (see FIG. 2) of the ink jet unit 101 is inserted, and a projection around the ink supply opening 8. The rib 12 is provided corresponding to the inclined portions 14a and 14b that connect the ink supply opening 8 and the rib 15 and the cutout portion 112 (see FIG. 1), and serves as a guide of the ink tank 1. And a lid member 3 are provided.

The present invention does not limit the structure in the tank, but in particular, it has an effective effect when an ink absorbing member is provided in the ink supply section accommodating the elastic body.
It is preferable that the ink absorbing member is composed of, for example, a fiber bundle supply member (hereinafter referred to as an ink lead-out member).

When this fiber bundle ink derivation member is used, it is preferable to mount the fiber bundle on the supply pipe with a filter on the recording head side in a stable pressing state when attaching and detaching the ink tank. The effect to be given can be obtained by any of the mounting methods of the present invention.

The above-mentioned ink lead-out member has a form as shown in FIG. 3 (a), for example.

In this embodiment, the ink lead-out member 7 which is the second ink lead-out member provided between the ink absorber 6 and the ink supply opening 8 is an ink absorber made of a porous member, and at least The fiber bundle is preferably arranged on the surface facing the ink tank, but it may be composed only of an ink absorber such as a sponge in which the fiber bundle is not arranged. A support portion 9 for supporting the ink lead-out member 7 in the tank is provided corresponding to the ink supply opening 8. A slit (not shown) that connects the inside and the outside of the ink tank is provided on a part of the inner surface of the support portion 9.

Here, the ink outlet member 7 is an ink supply member that guides the ink in one direction, and in the present embodiment guides the ink from the ink absorber 6 toward the ink supply opening 8.

As the ink absorber 6 of the ink tank, a porous member such as a sponge compressed and stored is used.

The ink lead-out member 7 is fixed to the holder of the ink jet unit and is kept in pressure contact with the compressed and accommodated ink absorber 6 so that the contact portion of the ink absorber 6 is constantly deformed. . Due to this deformation of the ink absorber 6, the capillary force is increased, and the ink is concentrated near the ink lead-out member 7.

As a result, even when the recording head section and the ink tank 1 are separated, ink is always supplied to the ink lead-out member 7, and a meniscus is formed on the surface of the ink lead-out member 7 on the ink supply opening 8 side. As it is formed, no air is drawn in.

When the recording head portion and the ink tank 1 are combined to form an ink flow path, the flow of the ink into the ink lead-out member 7 is promoted and the ink is prevented from being interrupted so that the remaining amount of the ink remains. Since the amount of ink stored in the ink tank can be reduced, the use efficiency of the ink stored in the ink tank is improved.

Further, even when the ink absorber 6 is compressed and accommodated, since the ink absorber 6 is pressed against the ink lead-out member 7, the vicinity of the pressure contact portion is further deformed, and the vicinity of the pressure contact portion is further deformed. Ink can be concentrated.

When an ink absorber having a low degree of compression or a low elastic coefficient when the ink absorber 6 is compressed and stored is used, the ink lead-out member 7 absorbs the ink in order to surely deform the ink absorber 6. It is preferable that the ink is pressed into the body 6 so that the ink is always concentrated.

The above-described press-fitting means that the ink lead-out member 7 is pushed into the ink absorber 6 and press-contacted with it by a force stronger than the pressing force during normal press-contacting.

Generally, in an ink jet recording apparatus, by maintaining a proper balance of the head pressure of the ejection port of the recording head, ink leakage from the ejection port of the recording head unit or ink supply failure to the ejection port may occur. Deterioration of print quality is prevented.

Therefore, in order to stabilize the performance of the ink jet recording apparatus, the pressure of the ink supplied to the ink jet recording head is negative with respect to the atmospheric pressure (generally 0 mmA
q or less-150 mmA or more, preferably -30 mmA
q or less and −100 mmAq or more).

Here, the negative pressure in the present invention is a back pressure in the ink supply direction during recording from the ink tank 1 to the recording head portion, and in particular, is a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure in the recording head portion. Say back pressure to

The filter 109 (see FIG. 1) of the ink jet recording head is brought into close contact with the ink lead-out member 7 by a predetermined pressing force due to the connection of the ink jet recording head and the ink tank. The amount of protrusion of the ink introducing section (not shown) on the head section side, the distance from the outer surface of the ink tank applied to the recording head section to the contact surface of the ink deriving member 7 that contacts the ink introducing section on the recording head section side, That is, it depends on the depth of the ink supply opening 8.

By this connection, an ink flow path is formed to reach the ink introduction section on the recording head section side from the porous member in the ink tank through the ink derivation member 7, and the ink can be supplied to the recording head section. Becomes

When the O-ring is provided at the connecting portion between the recording head portion and the ink tank, the ink flow path formed by the connection between the ink introducing portion and the ink supply opening 8 should be kept in a sealed state. You can In addition, it is possible to prevent ink leakage from the connection portion and minimize evaporation of the ink.

The ink lead-out member 7 is usually composed of fiber bundles, and suitable materials are mainly polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, cellulose, polyurethane, etc., and are chemically stable to ink. Good wettability is desirable.

Generally, the contact angle of the ink is small as a criterion for determining the good wettability. A material having a large contact angle such as a so-called Teflon-based material can be used by performing a hydrophilic treatment. However, from the viewpoint of an increase in the number of manufacturing steps for the hydrophilic treatment and an increase in product cost, it is desirable that the ink has a small contact angle.

Fibers other than those described above may be fibers of metal, glass, carbon, etc., or the above-mentioned respective fiber materials may be mixed.

In addition, since the ink lead-out member 7 forms a part of the ink flow path, it is necessary to have a directionality of ink supply, and since the ink lead-out member 7 is in pressure contact with the introduction portion of the recording head portion, it has a shape. The physical strength required to maintain For this purpose, it is preferable that the fibers are bound to form a fiber bundle.

The condition for determining the upper limit of the thickness of the fibers forming the ink lead-out member 7 is determined by the degree of adhesion between the ink 109 and the filter 109 (see FIG. 1) provided in the ink introduction section. From this viewpoint, the fiber thickness is 0.
05 mm or less is desirable. Further, the lower limit of the thickness of the fiber is preferably 0.01 mm or more from the viewpoint of adopting a configuration in which the ink lead-out member 7 binds the fiber, in order to facilitate the cost and formation of the fiber bundle.

Further, as a means for binding the fiber aggregates, there is a method of curing the outer peripheral portion of the fiber bundle with a resinous binder. As a result, a hardened region is formed near the outer peripheral portion of the ink lead-out member 7.

Here, as the resin with which the ink is impregnated from the outer peripheral portion of the fiber bundle, polyurethane such as polyester polyol or, for example, a melamine-based binder can be used as long as it is suitable for the purpose.

As the means for forming the hardened region for binding the fibers, a method of applying heat or pressure from the outer peripheral portion and fusing may be used instead of using the resin binder described above. Furthermore, rather than forming a hardened area,
The fiber bundle may be covered with another member. However, in the case of forming the above-mentioned cured region, the binder can be impregnated at the same time as molding, while in the case of coating and binding the fibers, the fibers must be coated in the bound state. However, since the molding is performed so as to have uniform strength, the manufacturing process may be complicated. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a hardening region.

Regarding the formation of the fiber bundle, the direction of the ink supply of the fibers can be maintained, and the fibers are not deformed during pressure contact with the ink introducing portion on the recording head side so that the ink supply is not impossible or non-uniform. The above configuration and method are not limited as long as they are.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, the ink refill opening 58 connected to an external ink refill mechanism (not shown) to fill the ink in the ink tank 1. Further, between the ink absorber 6 and the ink refill opening 58, an ink introducing member 57 made of the same material as the ink guiding member 7 of the fiber bundle and having substantially the same length is provided.

While the ink lead-out member 7 provided in the area where the ink tank 1 is connected to the recording head portion requires an effective diameter in consideration of the pressure loss of the filter that is the mating member, Since no filter is used in the ink introducing member 57 at the connecting portion with the ink refilling mechanism, pressure loss (flow resistance) can be reduced and the outer diameter can be reduced. Then, the ink introducing member 5
A supporting portion 59 for supporting the inside of the tank 7 is provided upright corresponding to the ink supply opening 58.

Further, a cap 60, which is a lid member having an elastic seal member 61, is provided which can be opened and closed centering on the indicator shaft 60s so as to prevent ink from evaporating from the ink supply opening 58.

Here, the ink introducing member 57 guides the ink in one direction, and in the present embodiment, guides the ink from the ink absorber 6 toward the ink refill opening 8. Since the ink introducing member 57 is arranged adjacent to the ink deriving member 7, the ink deriving member 7, the ink absorber 6 and the ink introducing member 57 are always connected by ink.

In this embodiment, the ink introducing member 57 is used.
And the ink lead-out member of the ink refilling mechanism are separated, ink is always supplied to the ink lead-in member 57 and a meniscus is formed on the surface of the ink lead-in member 57, so that air is drawn in. There is no.

As shown in FIG. 3D, the upper member 4 is provided with ribs 13 so as to form a predetermined space between the ink absorber 6 and the upper member 4, and the rib 13 of the lid member 3 is provided. The belt-shaped convex portion 3a is provided on the front side.

The corner portion 1a of the ink tank engages with the inclined portion 105a (see FIG. 2) provided on the cover portion 105 (see FIG. 1) of the ink jet unit 101 (see FIG. 1). The dimensions of the ink tank 1 are taken into consideration so as to have a positional relationship that gradually increases the resistance to insertion when the ink tank 1 is inserted. Furthermore, the cover 105
By engaging with the biasing means 105b (see FIG. 2) provided in (see FIG. 2), the feeling of insertion resistance is instantly released, and the user can feel the click feeling with his / her hand and surely confirm the insertion. . Furthermore, the biasing means 105b (see FIG. 2) applies a force to the ink tank 1 in a direction from the upper side to the lower side to stabilize the mounted state of the ink tank 1.

The strip-shaped convex portion 3a is provided at a position different from the inclined portion 105a (see FIG. 2) provided on the cover portion 105 (see FIG. 1) of the ink jet unit 101 (see FIG. 1) and the detachment preventing portion 105c (see FIG. 2). (Refer to FIG. 1) to cause a disengagement preventing action when mounted.

As shown in the present embodiment, when the ink tank is inserted in a small space, it is possible to confirm that the user has surely inserted the ink tank.
5a (see FIG. 2) and the biasing means 105b (see FIG. 2), the shape and arrangement, and the vertical / horizontal dimension relationship of the ink tank 1 for achieving it stably and reliably, and the detachment prevention portion 105c (see FIG. 2). Ink tank 1
It is born only by bringing a certain sense of resistance when removing.

Further, on the inner side surface of the ink tank 1,
A plurality of continuous ribs 13 are provided on the top and bottom, and a predetermined space is formed between the side surface of the ink tank 1 and the ink absorber 6.

In the above-described ink tank 1, the ink supply opening 8 is formed in one side of the bottom surface of the ink tank 1 as shown in FIG. 3 (c). Therefore, the ink absorber 6 is easily attached to the other bottom surface of the ink tank 1 without a gap. If the ink absorber 6 adheres to the bottom surface of the ink tank 1 without any gap,
Ink tends to collect in that portion, and when ink collects, ink may leak from the ink supply opening 8 or the atmosphere communication opening 5 depending on the posture of the ink tank 1. A rib 17 is provided on the bottom surface of the ink tank 1 in order to improve such an inconvenience and prevent the ink absorber 6 from adhering to the bottom portion of the ink tank 1 without a gap.

As described above, the rib 1 is provided inside the ink tank 1.
The presence of 7 (and the presence of the slit in the support portion 9) allows the ink supply opening 8 and the atmosphere communication port 5 to communicate with each other through an air layer.

By connecting the inside of the ink tank 1 to the outside by the air layer as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) It is possible to prevent the ink from being blown out or leaking from the ink supply port when the sealing material that has sealed the ink supply port is peeled off during the distribution of the ink tank.

(2) When printing, even if the temperature around the ink tank rises, the ink is not pushed out to the outside.

(3) The ink does not stay at the bottom of the ink tank, and the ink consumption efficiency improves.

Normally, when ink is used, the ink is collected on the side of the ink lead-out member 7 having a larger capillary force than the ink absorber 6, and as long as the ink is taken out from the end face thereof,
The ink is supplied stably.

However, before the ink supply amount reaches the initial ink injection amount, that is, even if the ink remains in the ink tank, the static negative pressure generated in the ink holding member 6 and the ink deriving member 7 remains. Getting too big,
Air is drawn from between the ink lead-out member 7 and the ink absorber 6 or between the filter 109 (see FIG. 1) and the ink lead-out member 7, and the ink runs out.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ink used and the static negative pressure.

In FIG. 4, the point B is the point where the ink runs out. This point is located at the ink holding member 6 and the ink leading member 7.
Changes depending on the contact state of the ink and the contact state between the filter 109 (see FIG. 1) and the ink holding member 6, which changes the ease of taking in air. ~ 150mmA
It is around q.

At this time, if an ink refilling mechanism is connected to the ink deriving member 7 and the ink in the ink refilling mechanism and the residual ink in the ink tank are made to communicate with each other via the ink introducing member 57, the ink refilling mechanism will be operated. Ink is generated by the ink absorber 6 and the ink introduction member 57.
_B (see FIG. 4) sucks the ink into the ink tank 1. At this time, the behavior of the static negative pressure on the end surface of the ink tank 1 is the H direction, which is opposite to the negative pressure behavior I direction when the ink is used in FIG. Although the above description has been made with respect to the ink out point, it is needless to say that the same applies to any point during use, without being limited thereto.

Therefore, even if the ink tank is different for each color, the amount of ink that can be accommodated in the ink absorber 6 and the ink introducing member 57 of the ink tank, the shape size of the ink holding member, and the amount of ink used are different. According to the ink refilling mechanism of the present invention, the amount of each ink in the ink tank after refilling can be made equal to that before use.

In the case of such a device, the initial configuration is PY (yellow head ink head pressure) so that the head pressures in the ink refilling mechanisms for the respective colors are equal even if the ink use states of the three colors are different. ) = PM (head pressure of magenta ink) = PC (head pressure of cyan ink), it is possible to supply ink to the required static negative pressure P _E at all times.

In other words, even if the user runs out of one color, it is possible to always refill with the same amount of ink as at the time of initial purchase without extra refilling with other inks, and refilling is completed. Sometimes it is possible to make the ink holding amount of all colors uniform. In reality, printing may start before the completion of ink refilling, and in that case, even if the ink holding amount is not uniform, the ink does not overflow and overflow.
Since there is only less than the initial holding amount, there is no problem with printing.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus provided with the ink refilling mechanism of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, this embodiment comprises an ink jet unit 101 and a refilling mechanism 500 for supplying ink to the ink jet unit 101. In the refilling mechanism 500, ink is stored. The ink chamber 504, an ink outlet pipe 506 for supplying the ink 510 in the ink chamber 504 to the inkjet unit 101, and an atmospheric air inlet 502 for introducing the atmosphere from the outside are provided. Ink lead-out portion 5 in which an ink lead-out member 517 made of a porous member that is a first ink lead-out member is press-fitted at the tip of 506.
16 are provided. It should be noted that the ink lead-out member 517 may be detached during transportation by press-fitting only, so it is more preferable to bond it. A replenishment ink container 501 for supplying ink to the ink chamber 504 uses a chicken-feed type ink container for maintaining the ink level substantially constant.

The ink filling operation of the recording apparatus having the above structure will be described below.

First, the replenishment ink container 5 is placed in the ink chamber 504.
The supply pipe 511 of 01 is inserted.

Then, the supply pipe 5 of the replenishment ink container 501.
Air enters 11 and ink enters the ink chamber 504.

When the ink surface 509 comes into contact with the end of the supply pipe 511 of the chicken-feed type supplementary ink container 501, the ink surface 509 becomes stable. At this time, the ink lead-out member 517 is not wet with the ink. Therefore, when the ink lead-out portion 516 is lowered below the ink surface 509, the ink can be supplied from the ink lead-out portion 516 into the ink tank 2.

As described above, the ink lead-out member 517 is made of a fiber bundle or the like, and when it gets wet with ink, a meniscus (not shown) is formed and the ink does not drip. Here, the ink lead-out member 517 is the ink lead-out member 2 of the ink tank.
As in the case of No. 7, it is set so that ink is sucked up and held by the capillary force. Therefore, even when the ink lead-out portion 516 is returned to the original state where it is lower than the ink surface 509, the ink is held in connection with the ink lead-out member 517.

A seal member, a porous hydrophobic film or the like (not shown) is attached to the air inlet 502 to prevent ink leakage during transportation.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a rear view showing a state where the cap 60 of the ink tank 1 shown in FIG. 3 is opened.

At the print retreat position T of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 6, the nozzles 201Bk, 201C, 201M and 20 are arranged.
The recording head unit (not shown) provided with 1Y is closed by a cap 520 to prevent evaporation and fixation of ink.

At this time, the cap 60 of the ink supply opening 58 of the ink tank 1 is opened around the indicator shaft 60s by a cap opening / closing lever (not shown) as shown by an arrow A in FIG. The lead-out portion 516 moves in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 5 and is attached to the leading end of the lead-out member 517.
Is inserted into the ink supply opening 58, and the ink introducing member 5
7 and the refilling mechanism 500 are connected.

In this embodiment, the ink lead-out member 517 is used.
The ink meniscus at the tips of the fiber bundles is destroyed by connecting the ink introduction member 57 and the ink introduction member 57 (actually by being pressed), and the refilling mechanism 500.
The ink 510 in the inside and the residual ink (not shown) in the ink tank 1 communicate with each other, and the ink in the refilling mechanism 500 is a static negative pressure P generated by the ink holding member 6 and the ink deriving member 7.
_B (see FIG. 4) sucks the ink into the ink tank 1. The behavior of the static negative pressure on the end surface of the tank at this time is the H direction, which is the opposite of the negative pressure behavior I direction when ink is used in FIG.

When ink is supplied from the refilling mechanism 500 into the ink tank 1,
Since a chicken-feed type ink container for maintaining the ink level substantially constant is provided, the ink surface 509
When comes into contact with the supply pipe 511, the supply of ink from the refill ink container 501 to the ink chamber 504 is stopped. This is because when the ink surface 509 contacts the supply pipe 511,
This is because the outside air is prevented from entering the inside. When the ink 510 in the ink chamber 504 is consumed at the time of refilling the ink and the ink surface 509 is slightly lowered, the ink surface 509 is separated from the end of the supply pipe 511 and the end of the supply pipe 511 is in contact with the outside air. Taken into the ink tank,
As a result of this reaction, the ink in the replenishment ink container 501 flows out to raise the ink surface 509. Due to this rise, when the ink surface 509 comes into contact with the end of the supply pipe 511, the supply of ink to the ink chamber 504 is stopped again. In this way, the liquid level of the ink surface 509 can be maintained substantially constant.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the head difference E at the end of ink refilling can be set more reliably, and the head head difference with respect to the ink tank 1 to be replenished in the ink chamber during ink refilling can be more reliably set. Can be made constant, so that the ink refilling condition can be made almost constant.
That is, it is possible to more reliably obtain the ink refill amount corresponding to the negative pressure generated by the ink consumption of the ink tank 1. An ink remaining amount detection sensor (not shown) of the supplementary ink container 501 is provided to detect that the ink 510 has run out of the supplementary ink container 501, and if the supplementary ink container 501 is replaced, the ink The refilling condition can be kept constant.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the print retreat position T
Is provided with a refill mechanism main body 500, and the ink outlet tubes 506Y, 506M, 506C, 506 connected thereto.
The ink lead-out member 5 is attached to the ink lead-out portion 516 at the tip of Bk.
17Y, 506M, 506C, 506Bk are provided respectively.

In this embodiment, the densities of the ink introducing member 57 of the refill system and the ink deriving member 7 of the ink tank are set to be the same as or larger than those of the ink absorber 6 between them so that the ink is always sucked and communicated. Therefore, it is almost the same and is set to be larger than the capillary force (generally -30 to -100 mmAq) of the ink absorber 6 of the ink tank (for example, -150 mmAq).
While the ink is prevented from running out and the ink is prevented from getting wet, the ink lead-out member 517 of the refilling device is such that the ink in the refilling device is not interrupted at all times (at most -50 mm).
Aq), therefore, the density can be reduced, the flow resistance can be prevented from increasing even if the outer diameter is reduced, and refilling can be performed in a short time. Furthermore,
When the density is the same and the same material is used, the ink lead-out member 51
When the fibers 7 are brought into complete contact with each other when 7 is brought into contact with the ink introduction member 57, the cross-sectional area of the flow path formed by the fiber bundle is maximized, but conversely, when completely displaced, the cross-sectional area is minimal. so,
It approaches 0. Therefore, changing the density as described above does not reduce the flow passage cross-sectional area, and refilling can be performed in a short time. It should be noted that, when these fiber bundles having the same structure are used, combinations of different structures, for example, a combination of a felt-like fiber bundle and a fiber bundle are more effective.

Further, while the ink introducing / extracting member 7 provided in the connecting area of the recording head has an effective diameter in consideration of the pressure loss of the filter as the mating member, the ink lead-out system of the ink refilling system is led out. Since a filter is not used at the joint with the member 517, pressure loss (flow resistance) can be reduced, the outer diameter of the ink introducing member 57 can be reduced, and ink evaporation and sticking can be prevented. Is possible.

By the series of operations described above, the ink chamber 50
The ink 510 in the nozzle 4 is reliably sucked up by the static negative pressure of the ink holding member 6 in the ink tank 1. Finally, due to the static negative pressure characteristic of the ink holding member 6,
The ink surface 509 is a distance E set with respect to the lower surface of the head difference with respect to the nozzles 201Bk, 201C, 201M, and 201Y of the inkjet unit 101, for example, 2
It is sucked up to 0 mm.

According to this embodiment, the ink can be refilled while the printing operation is not being performed in the printing apparatus, the user is not restricted, and the ink tank is used by itself. Since refilling is performed by static negative pressure, there is no ink leakage or ink overflow due to excessive ink filling, and an appropriate amount of ink is always held in the ink tank. In addition, even if the polyurethane sponge, which is commonly used as an ink absorber, is deteriorated by the ink and print quality deteriorates, the ink tank can be easily replaced, so the machine can be stopped or the user can be restrained. There is nothing to do.

In the above embodiment, the ink inlet / outlet member 7 is provided in the area where the ink tank is connected to the recording head portion so that ink may leak when the ink tank is attached or detached, or air may enter the area where the ink cannot be supplied. Although it is intended to prevent the occurrence of ink and improve reliability,
It is possible to replace the ink tank by increasing the compression ratio (density) of the ink absorber 6 in the region where the ink recording head is connected.

(Other Embodiments) FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the recording apparatus having the ink refilling mechanism of the present invention.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, an ink jet unit 1101 and an ink jet unit 110 are used.
1 includes a refilling mechanism 1500 that supplies ink to the first unit. In the refilling mechanism 1500, an ink chamber 1504 in which ink is stored and an inkjet unit 11 are provided.
01 is provided with an ink outlet tube 1506 for supplying the ink 1510 in the ink chamber 1504, and an atmospheric air inlet 1502 for introducing atmospheric air from the outside.
At the tip of the ink outlet tube 1506, an ink outlet needle 151 is provided.
8 is provided with an ink lead-out portion 1516.

Further, in the above state, the carriage 1027 on which the ink jet unit 1101 having the ink tank 1001 is mounted is at the print retracting position T of the recording apparatus in FIG.
516 moves in the direction of arrow B, and the sharp ink lead-out needle 1518 attached to the tip of the ink tank 100.
The ink absorber 1006 and the refilling mechanism 1500 are connected by being inserted into a rubber stopper 1059 which is an elastic member having an openable and closable hole attached to the first ink supply opening 1058.

The ink filling operation in the recording apparatus having the above structure will be described below.

First, the ink outlet needle 1518 is attached to the rubber stopper 10.
In the state where the ink is not inserted in the ink discharge tube 59, the ink outlet tube 150
The ink surface in 6 is the ink surface 1509 of the ink chamber 1504.
Is the same as

Next, the ink lead-out needle 1518 is attached to the rubber stopper 10.
59, and then the air inlet 1502 is attached to the rubber stopper 1 by a pressing mechanism (not shown) such as a solenoid or a link.
Move 0502C in the direction of arrow F to close it.

Next, the pressurizing mechanism 1512 is pushed by a pressing mechanism (not shown) such as a solenoid or a link to move the ink 1510 in the ink chamber 1504 to the ink outlet needle 151.
8, the ink 1510 in the refilling mechanism 1500 and the residual ink (not shown) in the ink tank 1001 communicate with each other, and the ink 1510 in the refilling mechanism 1500 is transferred to the ink holding member 1006 and the ink outlet member 1007. Due to the generated static negative pressure P _B (see FIG. 4), the ink tank 100
It is sucked up in 1.

The amount of ink fed by the pressurizing mechanism 1512 is determined by the ink outlet tube 1506 and the ink outlet needle 1518.
The internal volume of

According to this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide the ink tank with the cap for the ink supply opening or the opening / closing mechanism.
If chlorinated butyl rubber is used for the rubber plug, there is no concern about evaporation or sticking, and a refilling system can be realized at low cost.

In the present embodiment, the rubber plug 1059 compresses the ink absorber 1006 so that the ink is always supplied in the same manner as the ink lead-out member 1007, but even if it is not compressed, it may be separated. , Ink lead-out needle 15
There is no problem if the tip of 18 is inserted up to a compressed position near the ink lead-out member 1007 of the ink absorber 1006. However, in this case, an extra insertion stroke is required.

In the above embodiment, the ink refilling mechanism is always connected at the print standby position, but the invention is not limited to this, and the durability of the connection mechanism and the start of refilling are not limited. In consideration of the time lag, etc., it is possible to connect after the elapse of a certain time in the print standby position, or to connect when the power is turned off.

The present invention provides excellent effects particularly in an ink jet recording head and recording apparatus for recording by forming flying droplets by utilizing thermal energy among the ink jet recording systems.

Regarding its typical structure and principle, see, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, liquid (ink)
By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding nucleate boiling to an electrothermal transducer arranged corresponding to the sheet or liquid path in which This is effective because heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, causing film boiling on the heat-acting surface of the recording head, and as a result, air bubbles in the liquid (ink) corresponding one-to-one to this drive signal can be formed. It is. By discharging the liquid (ink) through the discharge opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble, at least one droplet is formed. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the constitution of the recording head, in addition to the combination constitution of the ejection port, the liquid passage, and the electrothermal converter (the linear liquid passage or the right-angled liquid passage) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-123670 discloses a structure in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of the electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, and a pressure wave of thermal energy is absorbed. The present invention is also effective as a configuration based on Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-138461, which discloses a configuration in which an opening corresponds to a discharge portion.

Further, as a full line type recording head having a length corresponding to the width of the maximum recording medium which can be recorded by the recording apparatus, the length can be increased by combining a plurality of recording heads as disclosed in the above-mentioned specification. The present invention can exert the above-mentioned effects more effectively, although it may have a configuration that satisfies the above requirement or a configuration as one recording head integrally formed.

In addition, by being attached to the apparatus main body, it can be electrically connected to the apparatus main body and can be supplied with ink from the apparatus main body by a replaceable chip type recording head or the recording head itself. The present invention is also effective when a cartridge-type recording head provided with an ink tank is used.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as the constitution of the recording apparatus of the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. If you list these specifically,
Capping means, wiping member, pressurizing or sucking means for the recording head, preheating means by an electrothermal converter or another heating element or a combination thereof, and a preliminary ejection mode for performing ejection other than recording It is also effective to perform stable recording.

Furthermore, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the recording mode of only the mainstream color such as black, but the recording head may be integrally formed or a plurality of combinations may be used. The present invention is also extremely effective for a device provided with at least one of full colors by color mixing.

In the embodiment of the present invention described above,
Although the ink is described as a liquid, it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or lower, and softens at room temperature, or is a liquid, or in the inkjet method described above, the ink itself is heated to 30 ° C or more and 70 ° C or less. Generally, the temperature is adjusted within the range and the temperature is controlled so that the viscosity of the ink is in the stable ejection range. Therefore, it is sufficient that the ink is in a liquid state when the use recording signal is applied.

In addition, the temperature rise due to thermal energy is positively prevented by using it as the energy for changing the state of the ink from the solid state to the liquid state, or the ink is solidified in a standing state for the purpose of preventing evaporation of the ink. In some cases, such as ink that is liquefied by applying heat energy according to a recording signal and ejected as a liquid ink, or one that has already started to solidify when it reaches a recording medium. The use of an ink having a property of being liquefied only by heat energy is also applicable to the present invention. In such a case, the ink is disclosed in JP-A-54-5684.
No. 7 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-71260, in which the porous sheet is opposed to the electrothermal converter while being held in a liquid or solid state in the concave portions or through holes of the porous sheet. It is good. 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 a form of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, in addition to a recording apparatus provided integrally or separately as an image output terminal of information processing equipment such as a word processor and a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader, and It may take the form of a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function.

[0153]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the invention, an ink introducing member made of a porous member that is pressure-bonded to the ink absorber is provided in the ink tank, and the first ink lead-out member made of the porous member is provided in the refilling mechanism. The ink stored in the refilling mechanism is supplied to the ink tank by pressing the ink introducing member and the first ink drawing member to each other by providing a member, without depressurizing by a pump or the like. It is possible to reliably refill the ink tank.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the print quality from deteriorating, and also to prevent the ink from leaking to the outside when refilling.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a second ink lead-out member made of a porous member pressed against the ink absorber is provided in the ink tank, and the ink is fed from the second ink lead-out member to the recording head portion. Since it is configured to supply
It is possible to reliably supply the ink from the ink tank to the recording head portion without causing ink leakage.

According to the third aspect, since the outer diameter of the ink introducing member is smaller than the outer diameter of the second ink leading member, the ink tank can be downsized.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the density of the ink introducing portion is set higher than that of the ink absorber, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking to the outside of the ink tank.

According to the fifth aspect, the density of the ink introducing member and the second ink leading member is set higher than that of the ink absorber, so that the same effect as that of the fourth aspect can be obtained.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the density of the first ink lead-out member is lower than the density of the ink lead-in member, it is possible to reliably supply the ink from the refilling mechanism to the ink tank. .

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, an elastic member that can be opened and closed for introducing ink from the refilling mechanism is provided in the ink tank, and an ink outlet needle is provided in the refilling mechanism.
Since the ink in the refilling mechanism is supplied into the ink tank by connecting the elastic member and the ink introduction needle, the same effect as that of the first aspect is achieved.

In the thigh according to the eighth aspect, since the lid member is provided at the ink introducing portion in the ink tank, it is possible to prevent the evaporation and fixation of the ink in the ink tank.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, since the ink tank is detachable from the recording head section,
As the performance of the ink tank deteriorates, the ink tank can be easily replaced.

According to the eleventh aspect, since the recording head portion is provided with the electrothermal converter for generating the thermal energy for ejecting the ink, it is possible to achieve the ejection of the ink having excellent responsiveness. .

According to the twelfth aspect of the invention, the recording head section has a function of ejecting the ink from the ejection port by utilizing the film boiling generated in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. The same effect as that of the item 11 is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an inkjet unit mounted in an inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention, (a) is a front view and (b) is a bottom view.

2 is a side view of the inkjet unit shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing a configuration of an ink tank containing ink, in which FIG. 3A is a side view, FIG. 3B is a front view, FIG. 3C is a bottom view, and FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between an ink usage amount and a static negative pressure.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus provided with an ink refilling mechanism of the present invention.

6 is an external perspective view of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a rear view showing a state where the ink tank cap shown in FIG. 3 is opened.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a recording apparatus provided with the ink refilling mechanism of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 1Y, 1M, 1C, 1BK, 1001 Ink tank 1a Corner part 2 Ink tank housing 3 Cover member 3a Belt-shaped convex part 4 Upper member 4a Picking part 5 Atmosphere communication port 6,1006 Ink absorber 7,517,517Y , 517M, 517C, 517B
K, 1007 Ink outlet member 8 Ink supply opening 9 Support portion 12, 13, 15, 17 Rib 14a, 14b Inclined portion 27 Carriage 57 Ink introduction member 58, 1058 Ink refilling opening 59 Support portion 60, 520, 1520 Cap 60s Support shaft 61 Elastic seal member 101, 1101 Inkjet unit 103 Housing 104a, 104b, 104c Middle plate 105, 505 Cover part 105a Inclined part 105b Energizing means 105c Detachment prevention part 106 Ink supply pipe 107, 506, 506Y, 506M, 506C, 50
6BK, 1506 ink outlet tube 108 elastic plate 109Y, 109M, 109C, 109BK filter 111, 111Y, 111M, 111C, 111BK
Ink tank mounting part 112 Notch part 113 Front plate 114 Upper part of front plate 114C Cap 200Y, 200M, 200C, 200BK, 1200
Recording head section 201Y, 201M, 201C, 201BK Nozzle 500, 1500 Refilling mechanism 501, 501Y, 501M, 501C, 501BK
Replenishment ink container 502,1502 Large airflow inlet 504,1504 Ink chamber 509,1509 Ink surface 510,1510 Ink 511 Supply pipe 516,1516 Ink outlet 1059,1502c Rubber stopper 1401 Inkjet recording device 1402 Recording material 1512 Pressing mechanism 1518 Ink delivery needle

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 23, 1996

[Procedure amendment 1]

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[Figure 3]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Fig. 5

[Correction method] Change

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[Figure 5]

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] Fig. 8

[Correction method] Change

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 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Attack Morita 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An ink tank for storing ink in an ink absorber made of a porous member provided inside, a recording head section for recording using ink supplied from the ink tank, and the ink absorber. An ink jet recording apparatus having a refilling mechanism for supplying ink to the ink tank, wherein the ink tank is brought into pressure contact with the ink absorber to introduce the ink from the refilling mechanism into the ink absorber. The ink replenishing mechanism comprises an ink chamber for accommodating ink to be supplied to the ink absorber, and the ink accommodated in the ink chamber by being brought into pressure contact with the ink introducing member. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: a first ink lead-out member made of a porous member that is supplied to the ink absorber. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank is in pressure contact with the ink absorber and supplies ink contained in the ink absorber to the recording head portion. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: 3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the outer diameter of the ink introducing member is smaller than the outer diameter of the second ink leading member. 4. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the density of the ink introducing member is higher than the density of the ink absorber. 5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the density of the ink introducing member and the second ink guiding member is higher than the density of the ink absorber. Recording device. 6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the density of the first ink lead-out member is lower than the density of the ink introducing member. apparatus. 7. An ink tank for storing ink in an ink absorber made of a porous member provided inside, a recording head section for recording using ink supplied from the ink tank, and the ink absorber. In an ink jet recording apparatus having a refill mechanism for supplying ink to the ink tank, the ink tank includes an elastic member that can be opened and closed to introduce the ink from the refill mechanism into the ink absorber, The filling mechanism includes an ink chamber that stores ink to be supplied to the ink absorber, and an ink lead-out needle that is connected to the elastic member to supply the ink stored in the ink chamber to the ink absorber. An ink jet recording apparatus characterized by: 8. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank includes a lid member that can be opened and closed at a portion where the first ink introducing member is in pressure contact. An inkjet recording device characterized by the above. 9. The inkjet recording device according to claim 1, wherein the porous member is a sponge. 10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink tank is attachable to and detachable from the recording head unit. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein
The inkjet recording apparatus as described in the item 1, wherein the recording head unit includes an electrothermal converter for generating thermal energy for ejecting ink. 12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the recording head unit ejects ink from an ejection port by utilizing film boiling generated by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter. Characteristic inkjet recording device.