JPH09240001A - Ink refilling apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rationally perform the refilling with ink without anxiety without generating the flooding of ink regardless of the residual amt. of ink by noticing that the ink absorbing member in an ink tank is held to negative pressure even in an ink consumed state and ink remains to utilize these phenomena. SOLUTION: A tank support member 101 making a filling ink housing tank 300 and an ink tank 200 having an ink absorbing member 201 and ink lead-out means 202, 203 freely detachable is provided and, in the mounting state of the filling ink housing tank and the ink tank to the tank support member, the ink tank 200 is refilled with the ink flooding out of the filling ink housing tank 300 by the negative pressure generated in the ink absorbing member 201 through the ink lead-out means 202, 203.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink refilling device and an ink refilling method therefor, and more particularly, to an ink refilling device for effectively refilling an ink containing portion detachable from a recording head. The present invention relates to a filling device and an ink refilling method for the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the field of ink-jet recording, from the viewpoint of miniaturization of the apparatus and maintenance-free,
2. Description of the Related Art A cartridge type inkjet unit in which a recording head and an ink storage unit (hereinafter referred to as an ink tank) are integrated has been used. Such an inkjet unit is detachable from the scanning carriage, and when the ink in the ink tank is used up, the user can easily replace it with a new inkjet unit.

On the other hand, in the field of ink jet recording, there is a high demand for color recording. Therefore, as a configuration that satisfies the requirement of colorization by using the inkjet unit as described above, for example, color recording is performed by arranging inkjet units for each color in parallel on the carriage along the scanning direction, or color recording. On the carriage, an ink tank containing yellow, magenta, and cyan inks used for recording, and a color inkjet unit in which recording heads ejecting these inks are arranged in parallel and integrated, and a single inkjet unit containing only black ink A device for performing color recording by arranging the same is adopted as a configuration for performing color recording.

On the other hand, in such an ink jet unit, in recent years, the problem that the recording head and the ink tank are made detachable and the recording head which is still usable when the ink in the ink tank is exhausted is discarded is solved. Is proposed.

That is, it has been proposed to refill the ink tank of such an ink jet unit with ink.

For example, Graphic Utilities Inc. inserts a metal injection needle into a bellows type ink container,
A form is adopted in which a hole is opened in the ink tank portion to be refilled, the injection needle is inserted into the hole, and the bellows type ink container is gradually crushed by human force to pressurize and refill the ink. ing. Further, there is also one in which the ink container is made into a syringe shape and the ink is refilled under pressure.

[0007]

By the way, in such a conventional ink refilling apparatus and its refilling method, firstly, in many cases, the pressurization state by the operator is excessive due to the manual operation, The ink supply speed becomes too fast than the ink permeation speed into the absorber in the tank, and it overflows without being filled from the needle tip into the tank, or the filling amount is unknown. There is a risk that the ink will overflow, and it is not possible to perform sufficient ink filling.

Secondly, since an operation type needle member is used for injecting ink, it may accidentally injure a human body.

Thirdly, in order to refill the ink so that the ink does not overflow, it is necessary to maintain the pressurization at a predetermined state, which complicates the structure.

Fourth, since the pressure is applied manually to refill the ink, the restraint time for the user to refill the ink becomes long.

Fifth, in a bellows type or injection type ink container,
Since the resistance is low before the needle is inserted into the ink tank, the ink leaks from the needle with a slight impact.

Sixth, since the ink refill kit is discarded each time it is used, it is necessary to prepare such a kit for each material.

It is also conceivable to refill the ink tank of such an ink jet unit, which is replaceable, with an opening serving as a connecting portion with the recording head. Even if the ink refill kit such as the bellows type is applied, the above-mentioned problems are not solved, and in particular, the opening that is the connecting portion with the recording head of the ink tank is wider than the needle of the ink refill device. The problem of ink overflow will be further highlighted.

Since the conventional ink refilling is predominantly performed by the supply capacity from the outside, the present inventors have
It is reconfirmed that an excessive force or lack of force has been brought about, and at the time of initial filling of the ink tank, the ink absorbing porous member (at least partially compressed state or before storage) stored in the ink tank. In view of the present situation where the ink is excessively filled by further reducing the pressure (compressed by a factor of 2 or 4 compared with that of the above) and stored therein, the porous member having ink absorbability in the state of being filled with ink. However, even if the inside of the ink tank is in communication with the atmosphere, it is possible to refill the ink tank by using the phenomenon that the fine pores in the porous material exhibit suction force due to minute negative pressure due to ink consumption. It was conceived that reliable ink filling without ink overflow can be performed regardless of the amount of ink remaining in the ink tank.

At this time, it should be taken into consideration that the negative pressure generated by the consumption of ink in the ink tank causes the ink absorbing portion (connecting with the porous body) on the ink supply side even when the ink tank is independently separated. May be a separate member)
That is, the meniscus is formed by the remaining ink, and the ink initially filled in the ink tank is not consumed by the recording, and the ink remains in the ink tank even if only slightly. Is.

The present invention has been made based on the above findings, and provides and proposes an epoch-making ink refilling apparatus and an ink refilling method thereof, which prevent ink overflow during conventional ink refilling. Is the first purpose.

A second object of the present invention is to improve the operability of the conventional ink refill device by improving the low operability in which the operator has to operate both the ink tank and the filling device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink refilling device capable of improving the ink flow rate, preventing ink overflow, and making the ink filling in the ink tank almost equal to the initial use of the ink tank in the optimum state.

A third object of the present invention is to refill the ink by predominantly utilizing the negative pressure generated by the ink consumption inside the ink tank, so that the ink tank can be left in the refilled state. It is to provide and propose a refilling device and a refilling method thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to make the epoch-making ink refilling device and the refilling method thereof more inexpensive, easy and reliable.

[0020]

In order to achieve the above object, the ink refilling device of the present invention is provided with a filling ink storage tank capable of ejecting the filling ink and a negative pressure in the retained ink. A tank support member that is detachable from an ink absorber and an ink tank that is in contact with the ink absorber and that has an ink outlet means for guiding the retained ink to the recording head against the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber. In a state in which the filling ink storage tank and the ink tank are mounted on the tank support member, the ink depleting means is provided by the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber for the ink that is ejected from the filling ink storage tank. It is characterized in that the ink tank is refilled via the above.

In the ink refilling method of the present invention, the filling ink storage tank capable of ejecting the filling ink is brought into contact with the ink absorber for generating a negative pressure in the retained ink and the ink absorber. The refillable ink tank having an ink outlet means for guiding the retained ink to the recording head against the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber is attached to the tank supporting member, and the refilling ink storage tank is refilled. The filling ink is ejected to a predetermined height in the tank supporting member, and the ejected filling ink is filled in the ink tank via the ink outlet means by the negative pressure generated in the ink absorber. It is a feature.

According to the particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, by replenishing the ink to the recording head from the supply side, it is possible to perform reliable filling without ink shortage between the ink tank and the recording head. .

That is, according to the present invention, the function of the ink lead-out means provided in the joining area of the ink tank with the recording head is utilized, and the negative pressure of the ink absorber contacting this is increased as the ink is consumed. Therefore, when both the filling ink storage tank and the ink tank that needs to be refilled are mounted on the tank support member, the ink that comes out of the filling ink storage tank communicates with the ink absorber of the ink deriving means. Depending on the state, it is absorbed by the ink absorber,
By discharging the filled ink from the filling ink storage tank according to the absorption, it is possible to automatically perform the above ink refilling operation until the negative pressure of the ink absorber returns to the value of the ink non-consumption state. it can.

Therefore, the ink refilling into the ink tank having the ink containing portion for individually containing a plurality of different types of ink is not overfilled with each other, and there is no color mixture at a desired filling ratio, and a simple operation is performed. Can be done.

Further, in the present invention, ink derivation is carried out in consideration of the fact that the ink refilling state may change slightly even if the liquid level of the refilling ink changes during ink refilling. By holding the tank supporting means so as to maintain the filling ink introduction position of the means at the liquid level of the filling ink, the action of refilling with negative pressure due to ink consumption in the ink tank becomes more dominant. Therefore, the ink refill state in the ink tank can be made more uniform.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, in an ink tank using a plurality of inks, a plurality of single-color ink refilling devices can be used almost as they are.
It is possible to provide a low-priced and highly versatile ink refill device by reducing the types of ink refill devices. That is,
Covering the ink lead-out portion of the ink lead-out means, improving the cap member that prevents evaporation and ink splattering, and has a structure in which only the lead-out portion of the ink to be refilled is released.
The ink tank is inserted and held in the tank support member of the refilling device in a state where the ink is ejected in advance, and the ink held by the ink absorber and the ink held by the ink lead-out body are made to communicate with each other, and then the communication state is established. While maintaining the above, the ink absorber made of the porous member refills the ink tank with the negative pressure generated by the ink consumption. At that time, since the ink absorber that has been completely refilled with one color of ink does not already have a force (negative pressure) to absorb more ink, in preparation for refilling of the next color, the cap member or the ink Even if the ink attached to the lead-out portion is washed off with water or a cleaning liquid, the function of the ink absorber is not affected at all. In this way, after cleaning, the cap member is removed, and ink absorbing means for wiping, for example, polyvinyl alcohol (trade name BELUITA or Rubicell) is pressed against the ink deriving means to prevent color mixture and to prevent other inks. It is possible to refill the storage portions with the filling ink for the other ink storage portions due to the negative pressure generated by the ink consumption.

Further, according to the present invention, the ink lead-out body of the ink tank is located below in the weight direction, the ink absorber is placed above the ink lead-out body in the direction of gravity, and the refilling ink is placed from below. By supplying the ink upward, it is possible to reliably refill the ink from the supply side in the ink tank.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the basic configuration of the ink refilling device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a usage state of the ink refilling device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which an ink tank for filling ink is not mounted in the ink refilling device. In these figures, 100 is an ink refilling device (main body), 101 is a holder for the refilling device 100 (a tank support member, hereinafter referred to simply as a holder), 2
00 is an ink tank removably inserted into the mounting position of the holder 101 for refilling the ink, 300 is a filling ink storage tank for holding the refilling ink 301, and 102 shown in FIG. 2 is the filling holder 101. The cap member is made of rubber or the like and is provided to prevent the refilling ink 301 from leaking during the transportation. The refilling ink 301 is preferably contained in a container (not shown) separate from the ink refilling device 100, and the device 10
Opening 3 of the filling ink storage tank 300 when 0 is used
Injecting the refilling ink 301 from 02 is also effective from the viewpoint of preventing ink leakage and evaporation. Reference numeral 303 denotes a sealing plug which is provided in the opening 302 and which is detachably attached and made of rubber or the like.

Here, the ink refilling device 100 has the ink chamber 103 and the ink filling chamber 10 along the bottom of the holder formed when the filling ink storage tank 300 is mounted.
4. It has an ink communication portion 105 that communicates between the ink chamber 103 and the ink filling chamber 104. On the other hand, the ink tank 200 is in contact with the lower surface of the ink absorber 201 and the ink absorber 201, which is made of a porous material for allowing the ink to communicate with each other and generating a negative pressure in the retained ink, and will be described later. An ink lead-out body 202 for guiding the refilling ink 301 from the ink filling chamber 104 using the negative pressure of the ink absorber 201 is provided. As the ink absorber 201, for example, one using foamed polyurethane,
For the ink lead-out body 202, for example, polyester fibers sintered with a resin binder and cut appropriately according to the flow direction are used. Also, 203 is the ink tank 2.
Ink lead-out body 2
2 for holding the ink 02 in the state shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 05 is a lid member that forms the upper surface of the housing 204 of the ink tank 200.

Reference numeral 205A is a rib projecting inward from the lid member 205.
A space communicating with the atmosphere is maintained between the upper surface of the and the taste 205 of the lid. Reference numeral 206 denotes an atmosphere communication hole formed in the lid member 205. In addition, the filling ink storage tank 3
00 is a chicken hood type that uses the negative pressure in the tank, 304 is a filled ink outlet pipe projecting downward from the bottom of the tank 300, 305 is a filled ink storage tank 300 to the ink chamber 103, This is a communication path that allows the ink chamber 103 to communicate with the atmosphere so as not to hinder the refilling ink 301 from being guided to the ink filling chamber 104 via the ink communicating portion 105.

Next, the ink refilling operation by the ink refilling apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described.

In general, when using ink, the ink lead-out body 20 has a larger capillary force than the ink absorber 201.
The ink is collected on the second side, and as long as the ink is taken out from the end face of the ink lead-out body 202 to the recording unit side, the ink is stably supplied.

However, in the ink tank 200, before the ink supply amount reaches the required ink injection amount, that is, even when the ink remains in the ink tank 200, the ink absorber 201 and the ink lead-out member 202.
If the static negative pressure P generated at the time becomes too large, air is drawn from between the ink lead-out body 202 and the ink absorber 201, or between the filter and the ink lead-out body 202 not shown here, and the ink runs out. appear. The relationship between the amount of ink used and the static negative pressure P at this time is shown in FIG.

In FIG. 3, point B is a point where the ink runs out. This point B is the ink absorber 201 and the ink lead-out member 2.
02 changes depending on the contact state with 02 or the contact state between the filter and the ink lead-out body 202 because the easiness of taking in air changes. Normally, in the case of an ink tank using foamed polyurethane, this occurs at point B. The pressure value P _B is around 100 to 150 mmAq. Note that FIG.
Ink absorber 20 holding ink as shown in FIG.
1 and the negative negative pressure P generated in the ink lead-out body 202 reaches point B, the ink tank 2 is attached to the ink refill device 100.
00, the ink 301 in the ink refilling device and the residual ink in the ink tank are made to communicate with each other via the ink lead-out body 202, and the ink stored in the ink chamber 103 becomes the ink absorber 201 and the ink. The static negative pressure P _B generated in the lead-out body 202 sucks the ink from the ink filling chamber 104 into the ink tank 200. The behavior of the static negative pressure in the tank at this time is the H direction, which is opposite to the negative pressure behavior I direction when the ink is used, as shown in FIG.

When the ink is refilled, the opening 302 of the filling ink storage tank 300 is filled with the filling ink 301.
Is sealed by a sealing plug 303.
When the ink 301 in the ink chamber 103 is consumed by refilling with ink, the ink surface 301A is slightly lowered, and at the moment when the ink surface 301A leaves the end of the ink supply pipe 304, the end of the supply pipe comes into contact with the atmosphere. As a result, the outside air is further taken into the tank 300 from the communication passage 305, and as a result, the ink 301 in the filling ink storage tank 300 flows out into the ink chamber 103 to raise the ink surface 301A. When the ink surface 301A comes into contact with the end of the supply pipe due to this rise, the invasion of outside air into the supply pipe 304 is blocked, so that the liquid level of the ink surface 301A can be maintained substantially constant during refilling. . Therefore, according to the present embodiment,
There is no need to provide a level sensor (however, it is preferable that the ink remaining amount in the filling ink storage tank 300 is not zero), and the head difference in the ink chamber 103 during ink refilling is constant. Therefore, the ink refilling condition can be substantially stabilized. 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 200.

As described above, the filled negative ink 301 is filled with the filled ink 301 by utilizing the static negative pressure P _B (see FIG. 3) generated by the ink absorber 201 and the ink lead-out body 202.
00, and when the refilled ink tank 200 is combined with the recording head, as will be described later, there will be no ink shortage.

The detailed use of the ink absorber 201 and the ink lead-out body 202 applied to the present invention will be described below.

The ink lead-out member 202 is usually composed of fiber bundles, and suitable materials thereof include polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polyethylene, cellulose, polyurethane, etc., which are chemically stable and wettable to ink. A good one is desirable.

As a criterion for determining the good wettability, it is generally mentioned that the contact angle of the ink with respect to the solid surface is small. A material having a large contact angle such as Teflon-based material can also be used by subjecting it to a hydrophilic treatment. However, from the viewpoints 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 itself has a small contact angle. Further, as the fiber material other than the above, fibers such as metal, glass and carbon may be used, or the above fiber materials may be mixed.

Further, since the ink lead-out body 202 forms a part of the ink path, it is necessary to have the directionality of ink supply. As will be described later, since it comes into pressure contact with the lead-in portion of the recording head in a coupled state with the head, it is also necessary to have physical strength sufficient to maintain the shape. 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 fiber forming the ink lead-out body 202 is the adhesiveness between the ink lead-out body 202 and the filter provided in the ink introduction section of the recording head. From this viewpoint, it is desirable that the thickness is 0.05 mm or less. In addition, as the lower limit condition of the thickness of the fiber, since the ink lead-out body 202 is configured to bind the fiber, it is 0.0 in order to facilitate the cost and formation of the fiber bundle.
1 mm or more is desirable.

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 body 202.

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

As the hardening area forming means for binding the fibers, in addition to using the above-mentioned resin binder,
A method of applying heat or pressure from the outer peripheral portion to cause welding may be used. Instead of forming the hardened region, 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 a bound state,
Since the molding is performed so as to have uniform strength, the manufacturing process may be complicated. Therefore, it is more preferable to provide the hardening region.

Regarding the formation of the fiber bundle, it is possible to maintain the directionality of the ink supply to the fibers, and the fibers are deformed at the time of pressure contact with the ink introducing portion on the recording head side to make the ink supply impossible or uneven. The configuration and method are not limited to those described above as long as the configuration does not occur.

The ink absorber 201 according to this embodiment may be a known one so far, and when the ink absorber 201 is used, the degree of compression when the ink absorber 201 is compressed and stored and the elastic coefficient is low. In the ink absorber 20
In order to surely deform No. 1, it is preferable to press the ink introduction body 202 into the ink absorption body 201 so that the ink is always concentrated.

The press-fitting referred to here means that the ink lead-out body is pushed into the ink absorber by pressure with a force stronger than the pressing force at the time of normal pressure contact.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the ink tank refilling device according to the present invention. Note that FIG. 4 shows the ink tank 210 mounted on the refilling device main body 110, and the holder 111 is configured so that it can be fitted to the lower part of the ink tank 210.
A positioning portion or the like is preferably provided so that 0 can be attached and detached.

This ink tank 210 has cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) as shown in FIG.
Ink storage section 210 for storing the color ink of each color
This is a color ink tank having C, 210M, and 210Y individually in a housing 214. Apart from this, the refilling device 100 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 may be applied to the ink tank containing the black (Bk) ink. In FIG. 5, 211C, 211M, 211Y
Is an ink absorber for each ink loaded in the ink containing portions 210C, 210M, 210Y, and 212C, 21.
2M and 212Y are ink absorbers 211C, 211M and 2
It is an ink lead-out body for each ink that comes into pressure contact with 11Y.

Returning to FIG. 4 again, the details of the configuration of the refilling device 110 will be described. Here, 310 is a filling ink storage tank, and 314 is an ink outlet tube thereof, but cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) inks are individually stored in the filling ink storage tank 310 of this example. Is provided with an ink containing portion. In addition, here, an ink containing portion 31 that contains cyan ink is used.
Only 0C is shown, 103C is a cyan ink chamber in which the cyan ink 301C is held when the filled ink storage tank 310 is loaded in the apparatus 110, 105C is a cyan ink communicating portion, and 104C is a cyan ink filling passage. There is a path for refilling ink from the yellow ink storage chamber and the magenta ink storage chamber (neither shown) having the same configuration to the yellow ink storage portion 210Y and the magenta ink storage portion (not shown here) of the ink tank 210. It is formed. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the three color ink tanks 210 for color ink can be refilled with three colors at the same time.

Moreover, according to the present embodiment, the ink storage portions 210C, 210M, 21 are adjusted depending on the amount of ink consumed.
Even if the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber in 0Y varies, the refilling is performed according to the generated negative pressure, so that the ink does not overflow in each containing portion.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a view of the color ink tank 210 shown as the second embodiment in FIG. 4 with respect to the ink supply openings 213C and 213Y and the magenta ink supply opening 213M (however, not shown here). ) Is attached, a removable cap member 400 having an elastic sealing member 401 made of, for example, silicone rubber or the like, which covers them in a liquid-tight manner, is attached. Reference numeral 402 denotes a vent hole formed in the cap member 400, 403 denotes locking claws that are attached to the housing 204 of the ink tank 210, and 4
Reference numeral 04 denotes a knob portion for attaching / detaching and handling the cap member 400. In this embodiment, ink is refilled using such a cap member 400, and its operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B and FIGS. 8A and 8B.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, first, the elastic sealing member 401A for opening only the ink supply opening 213C for the cyan ink 301C is attached to the cap member 400, and the cap is closed. The other ink supply openings 213Y and 213M are sealed by the member 400. Thereafter, the color ink tank 210 with the cap member 400 is attached to the holder 101 of the ink refilling device 100 as shown in FIG. 7B. Then, from the ink containing portion 310C of the refilling ink tank 310 containing the cyan ink 301C to the cyan ink containing portion 210 of the color ink tank 210, the above description has been made. The ink can be refilled in the same manner.

As described above, the cyan ink 301
When the refilling of C is completed, the cap member 400 is replaced with the color ink tank 210 by the ink refilling device 110.
Remove from Note that, in the ink containing portion (cyan ink containing portion 210C in this example) of the color ink tank 210 that has been refilled, the ink absorber 211 has no negative pressure for sucking the liquid any more. Then, with the cap member 400 still attached, the color ink tank 21
0 was soaked in water or a cleaning liquid to wash away the attached ink. After that, color ink tank 2
10 is removed from the cap member 400, and as shown in FIG. 8A, the ink absorbing member 500 is pressed around each ink supply opening 213 to wipe off the ink and the cleaning liquid containing the ink adhering to the periphery thereof. I chose Here, as the ink absorbing member 500, Kanebo Ltd.
A polyvinyl alcohol sponge-like material such as Rubycell is suitable. Furthermore, since the rubycell becomes soft when it contains water, the ink supply openings 213Y and 213 are provided.
Since it fits well in the groove around M, it is advisable to squeeze it after immersing it in water or a cleaning liquid in advance.

In this way, in the mounted ink tank 210, the ink 301C is refilled by the strong negative pressure generated by the consumption of the ink 301C by recording, and then the ink 301C is washed with water or a washing liquid, and the cap is removed. After removing the member 400 ′, the ink supply opening 21 that serves as a connection portion with the ink recording head of the ink tank 210.
Ink absorption member 50 in which 3C is placed outside the ink tank
The operation of pressing to 0 and performing the above-mentioned wiping ends the operation of refilling the ink in one ink containing portion 210C.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8B, an elastic sealing member 401B (here, the ink is not covered) which does not cover only the ink supply opening 213Y provided in the ink containing portion 210Y of the color ink tank 210. Housing section 210M
And its opening are not shown, but the elastic seal 4
01B also seals this opening) in the cap member 400, and the filled ink storage tank 3
The yellow ink 301Y is refilled with the yellow ink 301Y from the No. 00 yellow ink containing section 310Y through the ink lead-out body 213Y. Then, remove the ink tank 210 together with the cap member 400 and wash with water.
Further, the ink tank 210 is removed from the cap member 400 and the ink absorber 500 is removed as shown in FIG.
After performing the wiping operation by using, the magenta ink is refilled by repeating the same operation.

According to this embodiment, the color ink tank 2
When a plurality of types of color inks are refilled in 10, the elastic sealing member 401 in the cap member 400 is removed by using the single color ink refilling device instead of the dedicated ink refilling device as in the second embodiment. It can be implemented simply by replacing
Contribute to cost reduction.

The wiping operation by the ink absorbing member 500 as shown in FIG. 8A can be applied to other embodiments.

Subsequently, the ink tanks 200 to 210 as described in the above-mentioned embodiments are detachably held and integrally formed with the recording head portion for supplying the respective inks from them, and further detachable to the carriage. The configuration of the inkjet unit 600 will be described with reference to FIG.

The ink jet unit 600 includes a pair of side plates 601, 601 and a back plate 602, a front plate 603 having a height of about 1/3 of these side plates 601 and back plate 602, two ink tanks 200, The unit housing 600A is provided with an intermediate plate 604 which is partitioned so that 210 can be stored individually. Reference numeral 605A is a color ink tank storage portion that detachably stores the color ink tank 210, and 605B is a black ink tank storage portion that detachably stores the black ink tank 200.
It should be noted that these ink storage units 605A and 605B are accommodated in the ink tanks 210 and 20 from the front plate 603 side as described later.
0 is stored. 606 is provided along the top edge of the back plate 602 so as to straddle between the side plates 601 and 601 on both sides, and the ink tanks 210 and 200 mounted in the storage units 605A and 605B are provided at the bottom of the housing 600A. A lid member for holding the pressed state, which is a lid member 60.
Details of 6 and its operation will be described later.

An ink outlet pipe 607 (607) is inserted into the ink supply openings of the ink tanks 200 and 210 at the bottom of the ink jet unit 600 and is guided to the ink recording head portion 700 in the ink tanks 200 and 210.
Y, 607M, 607C, 607Bk; provided that 607
M and 607Bk are not shown), and these ink lead-out tubes can be inserted into the ink supply openings 213, respectively.
It is projected toward the inside of B.

As shown in FIG. 9D, filters 609Y, 609M, 609C, and 906Bk are provided in the openings of the lead-out pipe 607 on the recording head 700 side where the color ink tank 210 and the black ink tank 200 are mounted.
Is provided.

The ink supply paths 610 (610Y, 610M, 610C, 610B) from the lead-out pipe 607 to the recording head 700 are shown in FIG. 9D.
k) is provided along the mounting side of the recording head 700.

On the bottom surface on which the outlet pipe 607 is arranged,
Elastic plate 608 having a predetermined thickness around the outlet pipe 607
A and 608B are laid. Elastic plates 608A, 608
As will be described later, B is for preventing ink from leaking into the unit 600 due to pressure contact of ribs provided in the ink supply openings of the ink tanks 200 and 210.

As shown in FIG. 9C, the front plate 60
3, a cutout portion 603A is provided on the side of the tank storage portion 605B in which the black ink tank 200 is stored.
The cutout portion 603A is provided to prevent the black ink tank 200 from being mistakenly inserted into the tank storage portion 605A side.
00 is provided with a rib that can be fitted into the above-mentioned cutout portion 603A.

Now, the details of the black ink tank 200 which can be mounted on the ink jet unit 600 will be described with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 207 is an upper member fixed to the upper portion of the ink tank 200, and 207A is the ink jet unit 6.
A gripping portion used for the attachment / detachment operation to / from 00, 207B shown in (d) thereof is an atmosphere communication port, and 208 is a band-shaped protrusion protruding from the lid member 205 of the tank. Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, an annular rib 220Bk is projectingly provided around the ink supply opening 213Bk, and the inclined surface 21 is provided between the opening 213Bk and the annular rib 220Bk.
5 are formed. Further, 216 is a rib that fits into the cutout portion 603A shown in FIG. 9C as described above. The rib 216 is formed on the black ink tank 2
It also serves as a guide when storing 00 in the storage portion 605B. Furthermore, 204A shown in FIG.
Ribs arranged in the vertical direction along the inside of the
By forming a space between 04 and the ink absorber 201, ink accidentally leaks to the outside through the atmosphere communication ports 206 (see FIG. 1) and 207B (see (d) in FIG. 10) along the casing wall. Are prevented.

By the way, this black ink tank 120
0 is the outer dimension except the upper member 207, and the height is about 51.
4mm, top depth about 38.4mm, bottom depth about 34.9
mm, the depth of the rib 216 is about 2.7 mm, and the upper width is about 16.
9 mm, the width of the bottom is about 11.1 mm, and the width is wider at the top than at the bottom, and a step is formed as shown in the drawing, and together with the color ink tank 210, which will be described later, when installed in the inkjet unit 600 shown in FIG. In addition to providing a sense of unity, the amount of ink contained is kept large.

Next, the details of the color ink tank 210 which can be mounted on the ink jet unit 600 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11C, the color ink tank 210 has a partition member 2 inside the housing 214.
It is partitioned into a substantially T shape by 14A and 214B. The ink tanks 210C, 210M, and 210Y partitioned in this way have substantially the same amount of color ink stored therein. By partitioning the inside of the ink tank in this way, the ink supply opening 2
13C, 213M, and 213Y can be collected in the vicinity of the mutually adjacent areas of the divided ink containing portions 210C, 210M, and 210Y.

The recording head 7 is provided with the ink supply openings collectively provided in the vicinity of the areas adjacent to each other.
It is possible to make the coupling space with the ink tank 00 extremely small and to reduce the projected area of the ink tank 210. Further, a large storage capacity of the ink in the ink tank can be maintained for the projected area or the connection space.

By the way, the outer dimensions of each part of the color ink tank 210 are about 56.5 mm in height, about 38.4 mm in top depth, and about 31.5 mm in bottom depth (excluding the depth in the middle part) except for the upper member 207. 34.5 mm), the top width is about 19.3 mm, the bottom width is about 18.1 mm, and the height from the bottom to the stepped portion of the ink tank is about 29.5 mm.

The other main color ink tanks 2
The configuration of 10 is almost the same as that of the black ink tank 200 described above.

The ink tank 210 is bonded to the ink jet unit 600 by using a rotating operation as will be described later, so that the ink supply openings 213C and 213 are provided.
M and 213Y are outlet pipes 607C and 6 on the unit 600 side.
The inclination 4 on one side of the inclined surface 215 is an inclined surface with a gentle angle so as not to interfere with smooth mounting by hitting the tips of the 07M and 607Y. In particular, by rotational mounting, as described later, the ink supply opening 213 is first provided.
Since the outlet pipes 607Y and 607M enter the Y and 213M, the slopes around the ink supply openings 213Y and 213M have the ink supply opening 2 of the cyan ink containing portion 210C.
It is configured more gently than the inclined surface of 13C.

As described above, by gently sloping the inclined surface which is the upstream side during the rotational insertion operation of the color ink tank 210, the ink supply openings 213Y, 213 during the rotational operation.
13M, 213C can be smoothly rotated and inserted without contacting the outlet tubes 607Y, 207M. Further, as will be described later, the ink tank 210 on the front side in the insertion direction at the bottom of the housing 214 immediately before the end of the insertion can be inserted. The sliding operation can be smoothly performed.

The ink lead-out members 213Y, 213M,
Slits that connect the inside and the outside of the ink tank 210 are formed by ribs 204B on a part of the inner surface of the support portion 203 for supporting the 213C inside the tank (see FIG. 11A). Ink tank 200, 21
A force in the direction from the upper side to the lower side is applied to 0 to stabilize the mounting state of the ink tanks 200 and 210.

Furthermore, such an ink tank 21
0, the ink supply openings 213C, 213M, 213
As shown in FIG. 11C, Ys are formed on one side of the bottom surface of the ink tank 210 in a biased manner. Therefore, the ink absorbers 211C, 211M, and 211Y tend to adhere to the other bottom surface of the ink tank 210 without any gap. If the ink absorbers 211C to 211Y are adhered to the bottom surface of the ink tank 210 without any gap, the ink is likely to be accumulated in the area, and the accumulated ink may be discharged through the ink supply opening 2 depending on the posture of the ink tank 210.
13C to 213Y and the atmosphere communication opening 207B may leak. In order to improve such an inconvenience and prevent the ink absorbers 211C to 211Y from adhering to the bottom of the ink tank 210 without a gap, the ink tank 2
Ribs 204C are provided on the bottom surface of the ink container 10 for each ink containing portion.

As described above, the ribs 204B and 204C are provided inside the ink tank 210 and the slits are provided in the supporting portion 203, so that the ink supply openings 213C to 213Y and the atmosphere communication opening 207B are connected. An air layer can be formed between them.

By thus forming the air layer and communicating the inside of the ink tank 210 with the outside, firstly, when the sealing material that seals the ink supply opening during distribution of the ink tank 210 is peeled off. In addition, it is possible to prevent the ink from being blown out or leaked from the ink supply opening. Secondly, even if the temperature around the ink tank 210 during printing is increased, the ink is not pushed out to the outside. Rib 2
By providing 04C, there is an effect that ink does not stay at the bottom of the ink tank 210 and the ink consumption efficiency is improved.

Fourth, the ink absorber 211C during refilling
To 211Y ink and ink lead-out body 212C to 212Y
Air is unlikely to remain between the ink held by and when the ink is held, and the refilling can be reliably performed.

Further, the ink tank 210 is capable of accommodating inks of, for example, three colors (Y, M, C), and for inserting a connecting portion in which the three colors can be taken out on the same surface (holder connecting surface). 2 of the ink lead-out body having the capillarity force larger than that of the ink holding body, the three color inks being interposed between the ink absorbing body and the holding member and the opening.
As long as it is a separation type that is held by a member, even if the amount of ink that can be accommodated in the ink holder and the ink lead-out member, the shape of the ink holder or the amount of ink used is different, the present invention By the refilling device and the refilling method, the amount of each ink in the ink tank 210 after refilling can be made equal to that before the start of use.

That is, even when the user runs out of one of the three colors, the same amount of ink as at the time of initial purchase is always filled at the time of the completion of refilling without extra filling of other inks. Refilling is possible so that the ink holding amount for all colors is uniform.

Subsequently, the cover member 6 shown in FIG. 9 according to FIG.
The configuration of 06 and its function will be described in detail. In addition,
The cover member 606 is the housing 6 of the inkjet unit 600.
The housing 600A is formed of, for example, a thermoplastic resin material similar to 00A, and is welded to the housing 600A by ultrasonic welding or the like.

The covering member 606 is the ink jet unit 6
In the final process of attaching the ink tanks 200 and 210 to the ink tank 00, the ink tank has a function of ensuring the attachment of these ink tanks and a function of preventing the detachment of these ink tanks. The attaching / detaching operation will be described later. 606A is disposed in the area indicated by A in FIG. 12C, and in the final step, the ink tanks 200, 2
10, the covering member 205 corner portion 205 shown in FIGS.
The tilt interference portion 606B that interferes with B is disposed in the area shown as B in FIG.
Overcoming the interference with the strip-shaped convex portions 208 of 0 and 210, the operator feels a click, and these tanks 200 and 210
606C is a horizontal locking portion for holding the attached state, and 606C is a separation preventing portion for keeping the state of being pressed downward.

Next, the mounting operation of the color ink tank 210 will be described with reference to FIGS. The mounting operation of the black ink tank 200 is similar to the mounting operation of the color ink tank 210, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The black ink tank 200 and the color ink tank 210 are, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, respectively, the front plate 6 of the ink jet unit 600.
The upper end of 03 is used as a fulcrum for pivotal mounting.

Incidentally, these ink tanks 200, 21
From the viewpoint of space saving, the direction of inserting 0 into the housing 600A of the unit 600 is such that the angle θ (see (A) in FIG. 13) formed by the unit housing back surface 602 and the surface on the ink tank insertion side is The angle should be 5 ° to 45 °.
This is because at an angle outside this range, there is no substantial difference in the required space as compared with the case of linear mounting from the upper direction or the lateral direction as in the related art.

First, as in the state I shown in FIG. 13A, the pick-up portion 207A of the ink tank 210 is inserted from the ink tank insertion portion which is an opening between the casing 600A of the ink jet unit 600 and its front plate 603. Pick up the neighborhood and insert. At that time, the upper end portion of the front plate 603 is used as a guide portion, and the stepped surface of the ink tank 210 is brought into contact with the guide portion (indicated by a point P1), and further, the rear corner 602 of the housing 603 is provided with the lower corner on the insertion side of the ink tank 210. Strike. Then, the lower corner of the ink tank 210 is gradually slid downward and is rotated about the point P1 to obtain the state III shown in FIG. 13B.

Regarding the movement of the ink tank which is rotated and inserted at this time, it is extremely important to make the user's hand feel smooth, but in this embodiment, the casing 6 is used.
The corners of the above-mentioned corners of the ink tank 210 that are in sliding contact with the back surface 602 of No. 03 are R-shaped so that the contact point P1 of the ink tank 210 that keeps in contact with the upper end of the front plate 603 is displaced while being inserted. Therefore, as the ink tank 210 slides at the point P1, the ink tank 210 can be smoothly rotated downward, and the user feels good.

Thus, in the state II, as shown in FIG. 13B, the stepped surface lower cover 20 of the ink tank 210 is
4D comes into contact with the inner bottom of the housing 603, and the ink tank 2
The lower corner of the insertion side 10 is kept in contact with the inside of the housing back surface 602. In FIG. 13B, state II
At this point, the unit-side ink lead-out tube 607Y starts to be inserted into the ink supply opening 213Y of the ink tank 210 (note that the ink supply opening 213M of the magenta ink tank (not shown) adjacent to the yellow ink tank).
Also, the ink outlet tube 607M starts to be inserted). However, when the ink outlet tube 607Y (607M) is provided with the ink outlet body 217Y (217M) having the fiber bundle, the fiber bundle may be damaged by the friction between the fiber bundle and the ink supply opening. I may receive it, so state II
To the state III described later, the ink outlet tube 602 (607
Y, 607M) and the ink supply opening 213 (213Y, 213M) of the ink tank 210 do not come into contact with each other, the unit housing 600A and the ink tank 210,
It is desirable to adjust the size of 200.

In the state II, the tip of the ink outlet tube 607 comes into contact with the ink opening 213 of the ink tank 210. However, for smooth mounting, the opening 213 is opened as shown in FIG. 11 (c). An inclined surface 215 is provided around the. Although the tank 210 is mounted on the unit 600 by the rotation operation of the tank 210, the ink supply opening 213 is used.
Since the order of contact with the ink outlet tube 607 is deviated depending on the position of, the opening 213 that first contacts the inclined surface 215
Is gradual. That is, the yellow and magenta openings 213Y and 213M are formed to have substantially the same inclined surface, and the cyan opening 213C has the inclined surface with the largest angle.

In this way, the ink supply opening 213 is provided with the inclined surface 215, the inclined surface on the upstream side in the insertion direction into the unit housing 600A is made gentle, and the opposite side is tightened, whereby the housing of the ink tank 210 is tightened. Unit 60 that is connected to the ink tank 210 when it is rotationally inserted into 600A
The 0-side lead-out pipe 607 can be rotated immediately before the opening of the ink tank 210 without interfering with the opening 213, and the ink supply opening 213 can be designed without being unnecessarily widened.

When the insertion is further continued, the position where the lower part of the ink tank 210 is in contact with the inside of the housing 600A moves so as to be displaced toward the front side of the insertion, and is moved along the inclined surface of the inclined rib 620 inside the housing 600A. Operate. Thus, in the state III shown in FIG. 14A, the corner portion 205B on the upper insertion side of the ink tank 210 comes into contact with the tip of the tilt interference portion 606A of the cover member 606, and a feeling of insertion resistance starts to occur.

FIG. 16 shows the corner portion 2 in the inserting operation.
The relationship between the contact position of 05B and the insertion resistance force is shown. As shown in this figure, in the above-mentioned states I to II, since the corner portion 205B does not come into contact with the covering member 606, the insertion resistance force is zero and the state II.
After I, the resistance increases. And FIG.
In the state IV shown in (B), the resistance force (feeling of resistance) is further increased as compared with the state III. At this time, the ink tank 210
Is pressed downward due to the shape effect of the tilt interference portion 606A. A state V shown in FIG. 15A shows a state in which the corner portion 205B of the ink tank 210 is close to the end point (final point) of the tilt interference portion 606A. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16B, the sense of resistance that has been generated so far is instantly released, and the sense of wearing is transmitted to the point of the user.

At this time, the band-shaped protrusion 208 provided on the ink tank 210 and the protrusion 230 at the top end of the tank collide with the inner wall of the unit housing 600A by the acceleration at the time of release to make a clicking sound. In other words, the user feels a certain click feeling, and in this state, the ink tank 210 is pressed to the lower portion, and the detachment prevention unit 606 is released.
The tank 210 is prevented from coming off due to the interference with the band-shaped protrusion 208 of B, and is securely attached.

Here, the connection state between the ink supply opening 213Y (213M) of the ink tank 210 and the ink outlet tube 607Y (607M) of the ink jet unit 600 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. It should be noted that even in the case of the single color ink tank 200, for example, the black ink tank, the basic connection state does not change, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17, the ink outlet tube 607Y of the ink jet unit 600 is the ink tank 21.
No. 0 ink supply opening 213Y is inserted into the inside, and the ink lead-out body 212Y is pressed and brought into contact therewith. The ink lead-out body 212Y is composed of a vertical fiber bundle in order to lead the yellow ink held in the ink absorber 211Y in the ink tank 210 to the outside in a good condition.
In this way, the density of the ink absorber 211Y and the ink outlet part body 212Y, which are in contact with the ink outlet tube 607Y, is increased or decreased, so that the flow of the yellow ink in the ink absorber 211Y toward the ink outlet tube is further improved. In addition, the ink supply property can be improved. Ink outlet tube 607M
And 607C, the ink lead-out member 2 is also in the same state.
It is in contact with 12M and 212C.

As described above, since the ink tanks 210 and 200 are mounted on the ink jet unit 600, a simple and reliable adhesive state can be obtained. Further, by utilizing the rotating operation, the mounting space can be minimized and the projected area of the ink tank itself can be reduced, so that the apparatus can be downsized without reducing the ink capacity.

Furthermore, the ink tanks 210 and 200
Ribs 204 provided around the ink supply opening 213 of
B and 204C are the pressing force of the cover member 205, and the elastic plate 60 provided on the bottom surface of the inkjet unit 600.
By being pressed against 8A and 608B and biting in, the leakage of ink from that portion to the outside is suppressed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 18 and FIG. 19, the operation of attaching / detaching the tank to / from the ink jet unit according to the present invention and the operation of attaching / detaching the ink jet unit from the carriage carrying the ink jet unit will be described. The operation shown in these figures is for a recording apparatus capable of color recording, but the same operation is performed for a recording apparatus having a single ink tank.

In FIGS. 18 and 19, reference numeral 800 is a (color) ink jet recording apparatus, 801 is a feed tray for feeding a recording material (recording sheet, not shown), and 802 is a fold for discharging a recorded recording sheet. The discharge tray in a folded state, 803 is a carriage for moving the inkjet unit 600, and 804 is an operation lever provided on the carriage 803 and used when the inkjet unit 600 is attached or detached. (Not shown) is mounted on the inkjet unit 600 as shown in FIG. 9B.

When the ink tank 210 or 200 is taken out for refilling, replacement, or the like, as shown by an arrow T1 in FIG. 18A-1 while the ink jet unit 600 is held by the carriage 803. Rotate the tank to the front in this figure to
18 (b) -after being released from the engagement relationship with 00.
1 as shown by the arrow U1. Such an action is the reverse of the mounting operation described above with reference to FIGS. The case where the ink tank 210 or 200 is attached to the inkjet unit 600 held by the carriage 803 after refilling or for replacement has already been described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 15, but FIG. 1 and (a) -1 to the arrow U2
It is shown by T2.

The carriage unit 803 holds the ink jet unit 600 in its holding ink tanks 210, 20.
When it is taken out together with 0, the fixing operation state of the inkjet unit 600 with respect to the carriage 803 is released by rotating the fixing operation lever 804 as shown by an arrow A1 in FIG. Thereafter, as shown by the arrow B1 in FIG. 19B, the inkjet unit 600 can be pulled out from the carriage 803 to the front side in this figure. When mounting the inkjet unit 600, the inkjet unit 60 is installed as indicated by an arrow B2 in FIG.
After positioning 0 at a predetermined position on the carriage 803, the operation lever 804 can be rotated as shown by arrow A2 in FIG. 19C to fix the unit 600 in the positioned state.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the ink tank to be refilled is mainly for color ink, but the ink tank is not limited to color ink, but may contain single color ink. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to ink tanks that individually store different types of ink.

Further, the ink absorber and the ink lead-out body are not limited to the above-mentioned materials, and the point is that the ink absorber that generates a negative pressure for holding ink and the ink supply side to the recording head thereof are provided. Any combination of materials may be used as long as it has an ink lead-out body having an ink absorbing function capable of bringing ink into contact with the recording head.

[0108]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the filling ink storage tank and the ink tank are attached to the tank supporting member, the ink that is ejected from the filling ink storage tank is removed. Since the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber is used to refill the ink tank through the ink deriving means, it is possible to refill the ink without using a dangerous needle or the like and to prevent ink leakage. There is no fear of this, and the negative pressure possessed by the ink absorber and the ink outlet in the ink tank can be utilized to carry out inexpensive and stable ink refilling without excess or deficiency without the need for user monitoring.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before an ink tank is assembled in the refilling device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic curve diagram showing the relationship between the amount of ink used in the ink tank and the static negative pressure.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic form of a color ink tank applied to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounted state of a cap member according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a procedure for refilling an ink tank according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a cap member mounted state (A) and a refilled state (B).

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a procedure for refilling a further ink tank according to the third embodiment of the present invention in a removal operation state (A) and a refilling state (B) of adhering ink.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an inkjet unit applied to the present invention by a vertical cross-sectional view (a), a front view (b), a bottom view (c) and a top view (d) of a housing bottom portion.

10 is a side view (a), a front view (b), a top view (c) of the housing, and a partial vertical section of the upper part of the black ink tank incorporated in the inkjet unit shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing shown by surface drawing (d).

11 is a side view of partly crushed (a), a front view of partly crushed, and a top view (c) of the bottom of the housing, showing the configuration of the color ink tank incorporated in the inkjet unit shown in FIG. It is an explanatory view shown by and a top view (d).

FIG. 12 is a front view (a) of the configuration of the cover member of the inkjet unit shown in FIG. 9 viewed from the inside, a bottom view (b) viewed from the inside, a top view (c), and a line AA of (a). It is explanatory drawing shown by the BB arrow line view (e) of arrow view (d) and (a).

13A and 13B are explanatory views showing a mounting process of the color ink tank to the inkjet unit shown in FIG. 9 in a state I of (A) and a state II of (B).

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting process subsequent to FIG. 13 in a state III of (A) and a state IV of (B).

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a mounting process subsequent to FIG. 14 in a state V of (A) and a state VI of (B).

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in insertion resistance force in each state in the mounting process according to FIGS. 13 to 15 with a covering member cross-sectional view (a) and a resistance force change curve diagram (b).

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing a connection state of an ink tank according to the present invention with an ink jet tube of an ink jet unit by a partially sectional side sectional view.

FIG. 18A is a diagram showing an operation at the time of detaching and mounting the ink tank in the color inkjet recording apparatus,
It is explanatory drawing shown by (b) and the enlarged view (a) -1, (b) -1 of each part enclosed by (circle).

19 is an enlarged view (c) of (a), (b), and a portion surrounded by a circle (a) of (a) showing the operation of the inkjet recording apparatus shown in FIG. 18 at the time of removal and installation of the inkjet unit. It is a figure.

[Explanation of symbols]

100 Ink Refilling Device 101 Holder 102 Cap Member 103 Ink Chamber 104 Ink Filling Chamber 105 Ink Communication Section 200 (Single) Ink Tank 201, 211, 211C, 211M, 211Y Ink Absorber 202, 212, 212C, 212M, 212Y Ink Derivation Body 203 Ink lead-out body support portion 204 Housing 205 Lid member 207 Upper member 208 Strip-shaped protrusion 210 Ink tank 210C, 210M, 210Y Ink storage portion 213, 213C, 213M, 213Y Ink supply opening (portion) 220 Ribs 300, 310 Filling ink storage tanks 301, 301C, 301M, 301Y Refilling ink 302 Openings (parts) 304, 314 Ink overflow pipes 400 Cap members 401, 401A Elastic sealing bodies 402 Ventilation Hole 403 Locking claw 404 Knob 500 Ink absorbing member 600 Inkjet unit 600A Housing 601 Side plate 602 Back plate 603 Front plate 604 Middle plate 605A, 605B Ink tank accommodating part 606 Cover member 606A Inclining interference part 606B Separation prevention part 606C Horizontal member Stop portion 607, 607Y, 607M, 607C Ink outlet tube 608A, 608B Elastic plate 609, 609Y, 609M, 609C, 609BK
Filter 610, 610Y, 610M, 610C, 610BK
Ink supply path 800 Inkjet recording device 803 Carriage 804 Operation lever

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A filling ink storage tank capable of ejecting the filling ink, an ink absorber for generating a negative pressure in the retained ink, and a negative pressure generated by the ink absorber in contact with the ink absorber. And an ink tank having an ink leading-out means for guiding the retained ink to the recording head against the ink, and a tank supporting member that is detachable from the tank supporting member. In the mounted state, the ink refilling is characterized in that the ink ejected from the filling ink storage tank is refilled into the ink tank via the ink deriving means by the negative pressure generated by the ink absorber. apparatus. 2. The filling ink storage tank is mounted on the tank support member in an inverted state so that the filling ink is ejected to a predetermined height in the tank support member. 1. The ink refilling device according to 1. 3. When the ink tank is mounted on the tank support member, the ink derivation means conducts the filling ink that has come out of the filling ink storage tank, and the ink is discharged via the ink derivation means. The ink refilling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the absorbing ink is supplied and filled with the filling ink. 4. The ink tank has an ink outlet means below the ink absorber for guiding the ink held in the ink absorber to a recording head therebelow. The ink refilling device according to any one of items. 5. The ink tank has an ink storage portion for individually storing a plurality of different types of ink,
Each of the ink storage portions has the ink absorber and the ink outlet means, and the filling ink storage tank can store a plurality of different types of ink corresponding to the individual ink storage portions. The ink refilling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: 6. The liquid level of the filling ink ejected from the filling ink storage tank into the tank support member is maintained at a level almost equal to that of the ink outlet means of the ink tank. Item 6. The ink refilling device according to any one of items 1 to 5. 7. The ink tank has an ink storage portion for individually storing a plurality of different types of ink, and has the ink absorber and the ink outlet means for each individual ink storage portion, and refilling is performed. The refilling ink ejected from the corresponding refilling ink containing tank via the cap means capable of sealing the other ink deriving means other than the ink deriving means of the ink containing portion for containing the required type of ink is The ink refilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink refilling unit is refilled into the ink storage unit required to be filled. 8. The recording head has an electrothermal conversion element for generating heat energy for causing film boiling in the ink, as an element for generating energy for ejecting ink. The ink refilling device according to any one of 1. 9. A filling ink storage tank capable of ejecting the filling ink is formed by the ink absorber for contacting the ink absorber and the ink absorber for generating a negative pressure for holding the ink. Mounted on a tank support member together with a refillable ink tank having an ink outlet means for guiding the retained ink to a recording head against a negative pressure;
The filling ink is ejected from the filling ink storage tank into the tank supporting member to a predetermined height, and the negative filling ink is generated in the ink absorber to cause the ejection of the filling ink via the ink outlet means. And refilling the ink tank with ink. 10. The filling ink storage tank is mounted on the tank supporting member in an inverted state so that the filling ink is ejected to a predetermined height in the tank supporting member. 9. The ink refilling method according to item 9. 11. When the ink tank is mounted on the tank support member, the ink derivation means conducts the filling ink that has been discharged from the filling ink storage tank, and the ink is discharged via the ink derivation means. The ink refilling method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the absorber is supplied and filled with the filling ink. 12. The ink tank according to claim 9, further comprising an ink outlet means below the ink absorber for guiding the ink held in the ink absorber to a recording head therebelow. The ink refilling method according to any one of items. 13. The ink tank has an ink storage portion for individually storing a plurality of different types of ink, and has the ink absorber and the ink outlet means for each of the ink storage portions, and the filling. 13. The ink refilling method according to claim 9, wherein the use ink storage tank is capable of storing a plurality of different types of ink corresponding to the individual ink storage portions. 14. The liquid level of the filling ink ejected from the filling ink storage tank into the tank support member is maintained at a level substantially equal to that of the ink outlet means of the ink tank. Item 14. The ink refilling method according to any one of items 9 to 13. 15. The ink tank has an ink storage portion for individually storing a plurality of inks of different types, the ink absorber and the ink outlet means for each individual ink storage portion, and refilling is required. The refilling with the filling ink that comes out of the corresponding filling ink storage tank via the cap means that can seal the other ink deriving means other than the ink deriving means of the ink containing portion that contains the ink of the type 10. The ink refilling method according to claim 9, wherein the required ink containing portion is refilled. 16. An ink tank other than the ink containing portion for containing the type of ink that is required to be refilled is sealed by the cap means to refill the ink containing portion, and then the ink tank is removed from the cap means. 16. The ink refilling method according to claim 15, wherein cleaning and wiping of the side connected to the recording head is repeated for all the inks with the inks attached.