JPH10166604A - Ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink cartridge realizing a stabilized recording in which a recording head is prevented from being choked with a bubble produced by a part of the air being introduced to the ink jet port when ink is fed to the recording head at high speed. SOLUTION: An ink holding chamber 13 containing an ink holding member 2 through a barrier wall 12 having an ink conduction port 12a is provided under a chamber 11 for containing ink 1 at the upper part in a cartridge 10, an ink jet port 14 is provided in the bottom part and an air chamber 17 having an air introduction port 16 is provided on the side of the ink holding chamber through a barrier wall 15 having an air conduction port 15a. In such a cartridge, a relationship S1>=S2 is satisfied between the shortest distance S1 from the air conduction port to the ink jet port and the shortest distance S2 from the air conduction port to the ink conduction port.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink cartridge used for supplying ink to a recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink cartridge used for printing or purging for cleaning the recording head. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink cartridge that can supply ink to a recording head stably without air flowing into the ink discharge port when ink is supplied from the ink discharge port.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus, when recording is performed by discharging ink from a recording head, the ink is generally accommodated in an ink cartridge, and the ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head. .

Here, various types of ink cartridges have been used in the past.

As one of such ink cartridges, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink storage chamber 11 for storing the ink 1 is provided in an upper part of a cartridge 10 composed of a box made of synthetic resin. A partition wall 12 having an ink communication port 12a is provided below the ink storage chamber 11.
An ink holding chamber 13 accommodating an ink holding member 2 for holding the ink 1 is provided through the ink holding chamber 13, and an ink discharge port 14 for sending the ink 1 to the outside is provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber 13. Air communication port 15 next to
A device provided with an air chamber 17 having an air inlet 16 via a partition 15 having a is used.

In such an ink cartridge, the ink 1 stored in the ink storage chamber 11 is held in the ink holding member 2 provided in the ink holding chamber 13 through the ink communication port 12a. The ink 1 held by the member 2 is supplied to a recording head (not shown) from an ink discharge port 14 provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber 13, and is guided from the air inlet 16 to the air chamber 17. Air is led to the ink holding chamber 13 through the air communication port 15a, and is further sent from the ink holding chamber 13 to the ink storage chamber 11 through the ink communication port 12a. The supply was to be carried out smoothly.

However, in such an ink cartridge, the air introduced into the air chamber 17 from the air inlet 16 as described above is guided to the ink holding chamber 13 through the air communication port 15a. When the air was guided to the ink chamber through the communication port 12a, a part of the air guided to the ink holding chamber 13 was sometimes guided to the ink discharge port 14 without being guided to the ink storage chamber 11. In particular, when the ink 1 is supplied to the print head at a high speed, for example, when purging the ink 1 to the print head through the ink discharge port 14 at a speed of about 10 to 100 times the normal speed for cleaning the print head, When the air is easily guided to the ink ejection port 14 and supplied to the recording head by the air being guided to the ink ejection port 14, air bubbles in the air clog the recording head, and the ink 1 can be ejected properly. There is a problem that printing is lost due to disappearance.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink cartridge used for supplying ink to a recording head in an ink jet recording apparatus, and an ink storage chamber for storing ink in an upper portion of the cartridge as described above. And an ink holding chamber in which an ink holding member for holding the ink is held under a partition having an ink communication port below the ink holding chamber, and the ink is externally provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber. The above-described problem occurs in an ink cartridge in which an ink discharge port for sending out is provided, and an air chamber having an air introduction port for taking in external air through a partition having an air communication port is provided beside the ink holding chamber. It is an object to solve the above.

That is, according to the present invention, in the above-described ink cartridge, even when ink is supplied to the recording head at a high speed from the ink discharge port, the ink holding chamber is passed through the air communication port from the air chamber as in the related art. Provided is an ink cartridge capable of performing stable printing by preventing a part of air flowing into the ink from being guided to an ink discharge port, suppressing a print head from being clogged with air bubbles and causing printing failure, and the like. Is the subject.

[0009]

In the ink cartridge according to the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an ink storage chamber for storing ink is provided in an upper portion of the cartridge, and an ink storage chamber is provided below the ink storage chamber. An ink holding chamber containing an ink holding member for holding ink through a partition having an ink communication port is provided. An ink ejection port for sending ink to the outside is provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber. In an ink cartridge provided with an air chamber having an air introduction port for taking in external air through a partition having an air communication port beside the holding chamber, the shortest distance from the air communication port to the ink discharge port is S1, When the shortest distance from the air communication port to the ink communication port is S2, the relationship of S1 ≧ S2 is satisfied.

As in the ink cartridge of the present invention, the shortest distance S1 from the air communication port provided in the partition wall separating the ink holding chamber and the air chamber from the ink discharge port for sending ink to the outside is as described above. When the distance from the air communication port to the ink discharge port is made longer than or equal to the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port to the ink communication port provided between the ink holding chamber and the ink storage chamber, Thus, the air flowing into the ink holding chamber from the air communication port is less likely to be guided to the ink discharge port, and the air flowing into the ink holding chamber is guided to the ink storage chamber through the ink communication port.

Therefore, in the ink cartridge according to the present invention, even when ink is supplied to the recording head at a high speed through the ink ejection port, such as at the time of purging for cleaning the recording head, the ink is supplied from the air chamber through the air communication port. This prevents the air guided to the holding chamber from being guided to the ink ejection ports and flowing into the print head, and prevents air bubbles flowing into the print head from clogging the print head and causing print defects, as in the past. Will not occur.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of an ink cartridge according to the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
When the ink cartridge of this embodiment is used, it is apparent from a comparative example that even when the ink is supplied to the recording head at a high speed, the ink is supplied to the recording head in a stable manner. I do.

(Embodiment 1) In the ink cartridge of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a box-shaped cartridge 10 having a length of 15 mm, a width of 50 mm and a height of 43 mm is formed by using a translucent ABS resin. A partition 15 extending vertically is provided at a position of 10 mm in the horizontal direction in the cartridge 10, and the air chamber 1 is formed by the partition 15.
7 was separated from the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 13.

An air chamber 17 is provided below the partition 15.
An air communication port 15a having a height of 6.5 mm for communicating between the air chamber 17 and the ink holding chamber 13 is provided.
Was provided with an air inlet 16 having a diameter of 3 mm.

When separating the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 13 from each other, a partition wall 12 is provided at a central position in the height direction in the cartridge 10 to separate the ink chamber 11 from the air chamber 17. Partition wall 15
In the side portion, the partition 12 is provided with an ink communication port 12a for connecting the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 13, and as shown in Table 1 below, the air communication port 15a
The shortest distance S2 from the ink to the ink communication port 12a is 15 mm
I tried to be.

A water-based ink having a viscosity of 2 cp and a surface tension of 38 dyn / cm is stored in the ink holding chamber 11, and the volume of the ink holding chamber 13 is about 1. 5 times, specific gravity 0.05g
/ Cc, the ink holding member 2 made of polyurethane sponge having an average pore diameter of 0.2 mm is filled, and the ink 1 stored in the ink storage chamber 11 is filled with the ink communication port 12a.
The ink 1 is supplied to the ink holding chamber 13 through the ink holding member 2, and the ink 1 is held by the ink holding member 2 housed in the ink holding chamber 13.

In the ink cartridge of this embodiment, when the ink discharge port 14 for supplying the ink 1 to the recording head is provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber 13, the ink discharge port 14 is connected to the air communication port 15a. , And the shortest distance S1 from the air communication port 15a to the ink ejection port 14 was 34 mm as shown in Table 1 below.

(Embodiment 2) The ink cartridge in this embodiment also uses a translucent ABS resin, and has a length of 15 mm, a width of 45 mm and a height of 43 m as shown in FIG.
m is formed into a box-shaped cartridge 10, and a partition 15 extending in the vertical direction is provided at a position of 10 mm in the horizontal direction in the cartridge 10, and an air chamber 17 is formed by the partition 15 into the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber. 13 and separated.

An air chamber 17 is provided below the partition 15.
An air communication port 15a having a height of 2 mm communicating the ink chamber 13 with the ink chamber 13 was provided, and an air inlet 16 having a diameter of 3 mm was provided on the upper surface of the air chamber 17.

In order to separate the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 13 from each other, the cartridge 1
In 0, the partition wall 12 is provided at a position of a height of 22 mm,
In the partition 12, the ink storage chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 1 are provided at the portion on the partition 15 side to be separated from the air chamber 17.
3 is provided with an ink communication port 12a for communicating with
As shown in the figure, the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a was set to 20 mm.

An ink holding member made of polyurethane sponge is stored in the ink holding chamber 13 in the ink holding chamber 13 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. 2 was charged.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the ink ejection port 14 is provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber 13, the air communication port 15a is provided as shown in Table 1 below.
Is provided at a position 20 mm from the air communication port 15a such that the shortest distance S1 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a is the same as the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a.

(Comparative Example 1) In the ink cartridge of this comparative example, only the position of the ink cartridge of the above-described embodiment 1 and the position where the ink communication port 12a is provided are changed, and as shown in FIG. In the partition wall 12 separating the ink chamber 11 and the ink holding chamber 13, the ink communication port 12 a is provided at a portion remote from the air chamber 17, and as shown in Table 1 below, the air communication port 15 a
The shortest distance S1 from a to the ink ejection port 14 is 34 m
m, the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a was set to 37 mm.

(Comparative Example 2) In the ink cartridge of Comparative Example 2, only the position of the ink cartridge of Embodiment 2 and the position where the ink discharge port 14 is provided are changed.
As shown in FIG. 4, the ink discharge port 14 is connected to the air communication port 15.
a from the air communication port 15a to the ink discharge port 14 as shown in Table 1 below.
And the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a was 20 mm.

[0025]

[Table 1]

Next, the above Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2
2 and the flow rate of the ink discharged from each ink discharge port 14 was 1.0 ml /
Min, 5.0 ml / min, and 10.0 ml / min, discharge is performed, the discharge performance of each ink cartridge is evaluated, and the actual flow rate of the discharged ink in each ink cartridge is evaluated. Was measured, and the results are shown in Table 2 below. Regarding the evaluation of the ejection performance, ○ indicates that air did not flow into the ink ejection port 14 at all, × indicates that about one bubble flowed per second, and XX indicates that a large amount of air flowed. Indicated.

[0027]

[Table 2]

As is clear from the results, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in which the shortest distance S1 from the air communication port 15a to the ink discharge port 14 was shorter than the shortest distance S2 from the air communication port 15a to the ink communication port 12a. In the ink cartridge of FIG.
4 and the ink discharge ports 14
In particular, in the ink cartridge of Comparative Example 2 in which S1 is considerably smaller than S2, the flow of air into the ink ejection port The flow rate of the ink actually ejected from the nozzle was also very small.

On the other hand, in the ink cartridges of the first and second embodiments satisfying the relationship of S1 ≧ S2, even if the set flow rate is set to 10.0 ml / min, the air flowing into the ink ejection port 14 is not changed. And a predetermined amount of ink could be stably ejected from the ink ejection port 14 without a decrease in the flow rate of the actually ejected ink.

[0030]

As described in detail above, in the ink cartridge according to the present invention, from the air communication port provided in the partition separating the ink holding chamber and the air chamber from the ink discharge port supplying ink to the recording head. Shortest distance S
1 is a shortest distance S2 from the air communication port to the ink communication port provided between the ink holding chamber and the ink storage chamber.
The length is the same as or longer than that, and the distance to the ink ejection port is increased, so that the air flowing into the ink holding chamber from the air communication port is less likely to be guided to the ink ejection port, and the ink holding capacity is reduced. The air flowing into the chamber is led to the ink storage chamber through the ink communication port.

As a result, when the ink cartridge according to the present invention is used, even when the ink is supplied to the recording head at a high speed through the ink discharge port, such as at the time of purging for cleaning the recording head, the conventional ink cartridge is used. That is, it is possible to suppress that the air guided from the air chamber to the ink holding chamber through the air communication port is guided to the ink ejection port and supplied to the recording head, and that the recording head is clogged with air bubbles, thereby causing a printing failure or the like. And good printing can be performed stably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state of an ink cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state of an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state of an ink cartridge of Comparative Example 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a state of an ink cartridge of Comparative Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cartridge 11 Ink storage chamber 12 Partition wall 12a Ink communication port 13 Ink holding chamber 14 Ink discharge port 15 Partition wall 15a Air communication port 16 Air introduction port 17 Air chamber

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink containing an ink storage chamber for storing ink in an upper part of a cartridge, and an ink storage member for storing ink through a partition having an ink communication port below the ink storage chamber. A holding chamber is provided, and an ink discharge port for sending ink to the outside is provided at the bottom of the ink holding chamber, and air is introduced through a partition having an air communication port beside the ink holding chamber to take in external air. In an ink cartridge provided with an air chamber having a port, when the shortest distance from the air communication port to the ink discharge port is S1 and the shortest distance from the air communication port to the ink communication port is S2, S1 ≧ S2 An ink cartridge characterized by satisfying the following relationship: