JPH11240170A - Ink jet recorder an ink cartridge therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an ink cartridge for feeding/discharging ink smoothly and an ink jet recorder to be loaded with such a cartridge. SOLUTION: The ink jet recorder 100 comprises means 251a for operating a fixing means 250 of the wave suppressing plate 200 for an ink cartridge 200 where a wave suppressing material 221 is floating on ink. When the cartridge 200 is loaded to a predetermined ink supply position by the operating means 251a, the fixing means 250 fixed or releases the wave suppressing material 221. The ink cartridge 200 is sectioned by a barrier wall into an ink chamber 220 and a control chamber 230 wherein the ink chamber 220 is provided with the wave suppressing material 221 floatable on the ink and the control chamber 230 is arranged with a displaceable operating rod 251 for deforming the barrier wall in the direction of the wave suppressing material 221 such that the operating rod 251 can be operated by the operating means 251a.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of an ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing a printing process by an ink jet method and an ink cartridge thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of ink jet recording apparatus, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-169084 (known example) has been provided as a device provided with a means for preventing ink ripples in an ink tank. .

The main point of the known example is that the carriage 2
A wrinkle prevention plate 7 made of a porous filter or a mesh is provided in an ink tank 3 mounted on the ink tank 3, and the wrinkle prevention plate 7 is floated on the surface of the ink 4. Can be prevented from splattering and embracing air bubbles in the ink,
It is possible to prevent the ink from jumping out of the air holes and soiling the apparatus and the recording surface.

[0004]

Although the above-mentioned known example can prevent the ripple of the ink in the ink cartridge, there is still room for improvement.

A first problem to be solved by the present invention is that an anti-wavy material can be fixed so that bubbles can be safely prevented from being trapped in ink during handling such as transporting or loading an ink cartridge. To provide.

A second problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a poor ink or a liquid which makes it difficult to inject a liquid other than the ink.

[0007] A third problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge capable of preventing ink from leaking from the ink cartridge carelessly.

A fourth problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a device capable of effectively sealing the ink surface.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an ink cartridge in which ink pressure fluctuation in an ink supply path of an ink cartridge is small and ink leakage can be prevented.

[0010]

Means for solving the above problems are as follows in order to solve the above problems.

(1) An ink jet recording apparatus to which ink is supplied from an ink cartridge, wherein an operating means for operating a fixing means for fixing the anti-waving plate of the ink cartridge having the anti-waving material floating on the ink is provided. The provided inkjet recording device.

(2) The ink jet recording apparatus according to (1), wherein, when the ink cartridge is loaded at a predetermined ink supply position, the fixing means is operable to release the wavy preventing material by the operating means. apparatus.

(3) The ink jet recording apparatus according to (1), wherein the actuating means enables the fixing means to operate to fix the wavy preventing material when the ink cartridge is removed from a predetermined ink supply position.

(4) In an ink cartridge which can be supplied to a recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer and can supply ink, a wave preventing material is provided in the ink cartridge so as to be in contact with the ink liquid level, and the wave preventing material is fixed. Ink cartridge having means.

(5) The ink cartridge is divided into an ink chamber and a control chamber by a flexible partition, and the ink chamber is provided with an anti-waving material capable of floating on the ink, and the control chamber is provided with the partition. An ink cartridge in which an operation rod capable of being deformed in the direction of the wavy preventing member is disposed so as to be displaceable, and the operation rod can be operated by the operating means.

(6) The ink cartridge according to the above (5), wherein the wavy preventing member has closing means for closing the ink supply path when the ink is completely discharged.

(7) The ink cartridge according to the above (5), wherein when the wave-preventing member is fixed, the wave-preventing member has a piston-like shape in contact with the inner surface of the side wall at all positions in the moving range without any gap.

(8) The ink cartridge according to (7), wherein the cross-sectional shape of the ink cartridge and the planar shape of the wavy preventing member are substantially circular or substantially elliptical.

(9) The ink cartridge is a sub-tank supplied with ink from a main tank.
The ink cartridge according to any one of (5) to (8).

(10) The ink cartridge described above may be exchangeably mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus.
(9) The ink cartridge described in the above.

(11) The ink jet recording apparatus using the ink cartridge and the ink cartridge according to any one of (5) to (11), wherein the operating means operates by moving the ink cartridge to a rest position of the ink jet recording apparatus.

According to the present invention by the above-mentioned corresponding means,
By selectively fixing or movably operating the wavy preventing means in the ink cartridge, ink can be supplied effectively without bubbles being mixed into the ink.

[0023]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

(Embodiment 1) A characteristic feature of the ink jet recording head 100 and the ink cartridge 200 is that the anti-waving material is released when the ink cartridge 200 is loaded in the ink jet recording head 100. is there.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a case 240 of an ink cartridge 200 having an ink chamber 220 and a control chamber 230 partitioned by a partition 210 formed of a flexible material has a top wall 241 provided on the case 240. Ink injection unit 242
And an air hole 243, and the bottom wall 244 has a negative pressure generation unit 2
An ink supply unit 246 having a hole 45 is provided, and a guide hole 247 for a fixing unit 250 described later is opened.

In the ink chamber 220, an anti-waving material 221 suspended on the ink IK is disposed so as to be able to move up and down.
On its lower surface, a closing projection (means) 221a for closing the ink supply unit 246 is provided, and its outer peripheral edge 221b is configured to be close to the side wall 248 of the case 240.

An operating rod 251 is movably disposed in the control room 230, and the operating rod 251 is moved by a spring 252 to the partition 21.
The driven portion 251a of the operating rod 251 is urged in the zero direction.
Is projected outward from the guide hole 247 so as to be detachable from the operation convex portion 110 of the ink jet recording apparatus 100.

The ink jet recording head 100 has an ink supply hole 120 inserted into the ink supply section 246 and a head section 130.

As long as the ink cartridge 200 having the above configuration is not mounted on the ink jet recording head 100, the partition 210 is pressed and deformed by the operating rod 251 urged by the spring 252, so that the ripple preventing member 221 is formed.
Is moved in the direction of the side wall 248 and the outer peripheral edge 221b is brought into contact with the side wall 248 and is fixed. Therefore, during the handling of the ink cartridge 200, such as the conveyance, the anti-wavy material 221 becomes the ink IK. 2 can be prevented, and there is no fear that bubbles may be trapped in the ink IK and cause an ink supply failure (FIG. 2).
reference).

Also, as shown in FIG.
Is fixed, the ink cartridge 20
When the ink IK is replenished in the ink supply unit 246, the ink IK replenished on the upper surface (the area (a) in FIG. 2) of the ripple preventing material 221 is stored only on the ripple preventing material 221.
Since the ink is not transferred to the ink, the ink supply becomes impossible, and the ink IK replenished on the lower surface (the region (b) in FIG. 2) of the anti-waving material 221 is sufficiently blocked by the anti-waving material 221. The disadvantage that replenishment of the ink IK cannot be expected cannot be avoided.

Further, when the ink cartridge 200 is loaded into the holder 140 of the ink jet recording head 100, the ink supply hole 120 is inserted into the ink supply section 246, and the ink IK in the ink cartridge 200 is subjected to a printing process. At this time, the operation convex portion 11
0 presses the driven portion 251 a of the operating rod 251 to
The operating rod 251 is moved in the direction of the arrow (X) against 2.

As a result, the partition 210 is returned to release the anti-waving material 221, so that the waving of the ink IK can be safely prevented by the anti-waving material 221.

As the ink IK is consumed, the anti-wavy material 221 drops down with the liquid level, and finally the closing projection 221a comes into contact with the ink supply unit 246 and the ink IK
When the ink cartridge 200 is detached from the ink jet recording apparatus 100 because the supply of the ink IK is stopped, the ripple preventing material 221 is fixed in a state where the supply of the ink IK is stopped, and the leakage of the ink IK can be prevented. It is what becomes.

(Embodiment 2) A characteristic point of the ink cartridge 200A shown in FIGS.
A, the cross-sectional inner surface shape of the side wall 248A is substantially elliptical,
The planar shape of the ripple preventing material 221A is a substantially elliptical shape similar to the side wall 248A, and a recess 222A is formed in a region approaching the partition 210A, which is common to the other ink cartridges 200. Is indicated by adding A to the symbol.

In the ink cartridge 200A, when the operation rod 251A is retracted and the wavy preventing member 221A is released as shown in FIG.
A can not only prevent the air bubbles from being entrapped in the ink IK by approaching the side wall 248A,
Since a gap is formed in 1A, the replenished ink IK on the anti-waving material 221A is (area of FIG. 3C).
It can be moved to the lower surface (the area shown in FIG. 3D) and supplied to the ink without any trouble.

Also, since the cross-sectional shape of the side wall 248A of the case 240A and the planar shape of the anti-ripening material 221A are substantially equal, the ink surface is effectively sealed, and therefore the viscosity of the ink increases due to evaporation from the ink surface. Can be prevented.

(Embodiment 3) The sub-tank 200B shown in FIGS.
The ink cartridge corresponds to an ink cartridge of a type in which K is supplied, and is mainly different from the ink cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 1 in that the anti-wavy material is provided only when the sub-tank is moved to the rest position of the ink jet recording apparatus. 221B is fixed.

That is, a spring 252B is stretched between the operating rod 251B and the side wall 248B to constantly urge the operating rod 251B away from the partition 210B. When the operating rod 251 is engaged with the
Ba is configured to be urged in the direction of the partition 210B.

Therefore, when the sub-tank 200B is not at the rest position of the ink jet recording apparatus 100B, the anti-waving material 221B is released and floats freely, thereby preventing the ink IK from waving.

Next, when the sub-tank 200B moves to the rest position of the ink jet recording apparatus 100B, the operating projection 110B moves the operating rod 251B in the direction of the partition wall 210B against the spring 252B, and the wave preventing material is moved through the partition wall 210B. 221B is pressed and fixed in the direction of the side wall 248B.

Therefore, the ink jet recording apparatus 100B
Sub-tank 20 during vibration or shock or transportation
The pressure fluctuation in the ink supply path of 0B is less likely to be applied, and as a result, leakage of the ink IK from the ink supply path can be prevented.

The components common to those of the ink cartridge 200 are indicated by adding B to the reference numerals.

[0043]

The specific effects provided by the present invention, which have been described in the above embodiments, are listed as follows.

An ink jet recording apparatus and an ink cartridge which can safely prevent air from being mixed into ink without bubbles being trapped on the lower surface of the ripple preventing material.

There are an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink cartridge which can make it difficult to inject a poor ink or a liquid other than the ink by the use of the ripple preventing material.

This is an ink cartridge that can prevent the leakage of ink.

An ink cartridge that can effectively seal the surface of the ink.

This is an ink cartridge having a subtank in which ink pressure fluctuation is small and ink leakage does not occur.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of Embodiment 1 of an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink cartridge of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a use state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an ink cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a use state of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of Embodiment 3 of the sub-tank of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a use state of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 (B) Inkjet recording apparatus (head) 200 (A) Ink cartridge 200B Subtank 220 Ink chamber 221a Closing projection (means) 221 (A, B) Rippling prevention material 230 Control chamber 251a Follower (operating means) 251 (A) ) Operating rod 246 Ink supply unit 250 Fixing means

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet recording apparatus to which ink is supplied from an ink cartridge, comprising an actuating means for operating a fixing means for fixing the anti-waving plate of the ink cartridge having the anti-waving material floating on the ink. Inkjet recording device. 2. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating means is operable to release said wave preventing material when said ink cartridge is loaded at a predetermined ink supply position. 3. An ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means enables said fixing means to be operable to fix said ripple preventing material when said ink cartridge is removed from a predetermined ink supply position. 4. An ink cartridge which can be supplied to a recording apparatus such as an ink-jet printer and which can supply ink, provided with an anti-wavy material in the ink cartridge so as to be in contact with the ink surface, and a fixing means for fixing the anti-wavy material. An ink cartridge having: 5. An ink cartridge is divided into an ink chamber and a control chamber by a flexible partition, and the ink chamber is provided with an anti-waving material capable of floating on ink, and the control chamber is provided with the partition. An ink cartridge in which an operation rod capable of being deformed in the direction of the wave preventing member is displaceably disposed, and the operation rod is operable by the operating means. 6. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said wave preventing member has a closing means for closing the ink supply path when the ink is completely discharged. 7. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein said wave preventing member has a piston-like shape that contacts the inner surface of the side wall without any gap at all positions in the moving range when fixed. 8. The ink cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the ink cartridge and the planar shape of the wavy preventing member are substantially circular or substantially elliptical. 9. The ink cartridge is a sub-tank to which ink from a main tank is supplied.
9. An ink cartridge according to any one of items 1 to 8. 10. The ink cartridge according to claim 5, wherein the ink cartridge can be exchangeably mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus, and operates by moving the ink cartridge to a rest position of the ink jet recording apparatus. An ink cartridge and an ink jet recording apparatus using the ink cartridge. 11. The ink cartridge according to claim 11, wherein said operating means is an ink cartridge.