JPH111002A - Ink-jet cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate a failure in ink supply because of an impact from outside, e.g. a drop and the like, by setting a face of a filter at an ink feed pipe to be nearly parallel to a layer direction of a felt-like fibrous material as a negative pressure generation member. SOLUTION: An ink-jet unit 21 has ink feed pipes 27a-27c of a yellow(Y) ink-jet head, a magenta(M) ink-jet head and a cyan(C) ink-jet head which project from a case at the side of a connecting part to an ink tank 22. Filters 23a-23c are fused at leading ends of the pipes. The ink tank 22 is separated to three chambers by partition members 22a, 22b. Negative pressure generation members 24-26 are accommodated in the respective chambers. The Y, M, C inks are injected to the ink tank. The negative pressure generation members 24-26 are formed of fibers turned to felt and then layered. A layer direction is nearly parallel to faces of the filters 23a-23c at the leading ends of the ink feed pipes 27a-27c. Even when the ink-jet unit drops, a displacement of the negative pressure generation members 24-26 in a direction in which the members are in touch with the ink feed pipes 27a-27c is restricted, so that stable ink supply is realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet cartridge used in an ink jet recording apparatus, and more particularly to an ink jet cartridge using a felt-like fiber material as a negative pressure generating member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink tank used in an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a view point of improving ink supply to an ink jet recording head.
Generally, a configuration for adjusting the pressure of the ink stored in the ink tank is provided. This pressure is referred to as a negative pressure because the pressure at the discharge port of the ink jet recording head is made negative with respect to the atmospheric pressure.

As a configuration for generating a negative pressure as described above, there is a method in which a negative pressure generating member such as a porous body is housed in an ink tank and the capillary force of the porous body is used. In such a configuration, it is common to use a foam such as urethane sponge as the porous body. In recent years, a configuration in which a felt-like fiber material is laminated instead of the urethane sponge has been devised. An example of using such a felt-like fiber material is disclosed in JP-A-6-1583.
No. 9 publication is known.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-15839 discloses a configuration in which a plurality of fibers having different densities are compressed and packed in the order of high-density fibers and low-density fibers toward an ink supply path over the entire tank. The seams between the fibers are pressed against each other and filled with no gap in order to prevent breakage of the ink due to air mixing.

[0005]

However, when a material obtained by laminating a felt-like fiber material in place of the urethane sponge as described above is used as a negative pressure generating member, a new urethane sponge which is not seen in the conventional urethane sponge is used. A challenge has arisen.

That is, if the felt-like fiber materials are simply laminated, packed in the housing of the ink tank, and pressed against each other, the boundary surface may be displaced when an external impact such as a drop is applied. In this case, contact with the ink supply pipe of the recording head unit becomes impossible, and the ink supply may not be performed promptly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to use a felt-like fiber material as a negative pressure generating member, and to use ink produced by external impact such as dropping. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet cartridge free from defective supply.

[0008]

As specific means for achieving the above object, the present invention provides an ink jet head for discharging ink and an ink supply pipe for supplying ink to the ink jet head. An ink jet cartridge comprising: a recording head unit having: an ink supply port fitted with the ink supply pipe; and an ink tank having a negative pressure generating member made of a felt-like fiber material that holds the ink. The supply pipe is provided with a filter, and a laminating direction of the felt-like fiber material is substantially parallel to a surface of the filter.

In the present invention, the "ink" is not limited to ink as a recording liquid, but may be a liquid which can be ejected in an ink jet recording apparatus, for example, an image improving liquid which reacts with the recording liquid on a recording medium. It shall include the processing liquid.

[0010]

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

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an ink jet cartridge using a negative pressure generating member according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The inkjet unit 21 has three inkjet heads (not shown) for ejecting yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) inks, respectively.
Is installed. In this mounting state, ink supply pipes 27a, 27b, and 27c provided on the respective Y, M, and C ink jet heads protrude from the case on the connection portion side of the ink jet unit 21 with the ink tank 22. Are filters 23a, 23b, 2
3c is welded.

The ink tank 22 includes two partition members 22.
The chambers are divided into three rooms by a and 22b. Negative pressure generating members 24, 25, and 26 are accommodated therein, and Y, M, and C inks are injected therein.

The external shape of the ink tank 22 is set to the case 2
A concave portion is provided in a part of 2c, and from the viewpoint of the ink storage amount and the like, the above three chambers have a shape corresponding thereto, and some of the partition members 22a and 22b have a bent portion. I have. Such an ink tank 22
The shapes of the negative pressure generating members 24, 25, and 26 housed therein are also predetermined in accordance with the external shape and the internal shape of.

That is, the negative pressure generating members 24, 25, and 26 used here are made of 3-denier fiber obtained by mixing polypropylene fiber and polyethylene fiber at a weight ratio of 9: 1.
It was made into a felt shape so that the fiber density became 0.045 g / cm ³ and then laminated. As shown in FIG. 1, the laminating direction of the felt-like fiber material is substantially parallel to the surface of the filter so that the end face of the fiber material abuts on the filter at the tip of the ink supply pipe. I have. As described above, since the lamination direction of the fiber material is substantially parallel to the filter surface, even in the case of a drop or the like, the deviation of the fiber material in the contact direction with the ink supply pipe can be suppressed, and stable ink supply can be achieved. Can be realized.

Further, in this embodiment, since the laminating direction of the fiber material stored inside the ink jet cartridge during use is perpendicular to the vertical direction, more stable ink supply can be realized.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an ink jet cartridge using a negative pressure generating member according to the first embodiment.

The difference from the above-described embodiment is that a stepped portion 32d is formed on the side of the ink tank 32 connected to the ink jet unit 21, and the negative pressure generating member 3 is accordingly formed.
4, 35, and 36 are provided with notches.

The negative pressure generating members 34, 35, 36 of this embodiment
In the same manner as in the first embodiment, since the lamination direction of the fiber material is substantially parallel to the filter surface, even in the case of a drop or the like, the displacement of the fiber material in the direction of contact with the ink supply pipe can be suppressed, and stable. Ink supply can be realized.

In each of the embodiments described above,
The ink jet cartridge may be configured so that the recording head unit and the ink tank can be separated. Further, the recording head section does not need to have an inkjet head for ejecting a plurality of types of inks, and may be one that ejects a single ink.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By providing a fiber sheet having orientation as a negative pressure generating member substantially parallel to a filter surface provided at the tip of an ink supply port, a negative pressure generating member free from fiber displacement due to dropping is provided. Was completed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an inkjet cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an inkjet cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 ink jet head unit 22, 32 ink tank 24, 25, 26, 34, 35, 36 negative pressure generating member

Claims (3)

[Claims] A recording head section having an ink jet head for discharging ink, an ink supply pipe for supplying ink to the ink jet head, an ink supply port fitted with the ink supply pipe, and an ink supply port. An ink tank having a negative pressure generating member made of a laminated felt fiber material to be held, and a filter provided in the ink supply pipe, and a lamination direction of the felt fiber material. And an ink jet cartridge substantially parallel to a surface of the filter. 2. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a vertical direction and a laminating direction of the felt fiber material when the ink jet cartridge is used are perpendicular to each other. 3. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the recording head unit and the ink tank are relatively detachably configured.