JPWO2008007604A1 - Ink container, ink filtration device, ink jet recording device, ink - Google Patents

Abstract

Ink storage container, ink filtration apparatus, ink jet recording apparatus, and ink that are free from image defects and improve productivity by preventing variable foreign matter in ink from adhering and accumulating on the recording head are stored in the ink storage container In the non-aqueous ink used in the ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by discharging from the recording head, the ink is a nozzle used on the nozzle surface of the recording head of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink is used. Ink that has been subjected to variable foreign matter removal processing by a variable foreign matter removing unit that contains a material having surface properties that are the same as or similar to the surface physical properties of the plate, the ink container, and filtration of the ink And an ink jet recording apparatus provided with an ink container.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink container, an ink filtering device, an ink jet recording device, and an ink used for an ink jet recording system, and particularly an ink container, an ink filtering device that improves nozzle clogging and provides long-term ejection stability, The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and ink.

  Examples of the ink used for the ink jet printer include water-based ink, oil-based ink, solvent ink, and UV ink. Such various inks are appropriately selected in consideration of the type of recording medium to be printed by attaching these inks, the type of fixing mechanism in the ink jet printer, and the like. Among these, UV curable inks are attracting attention in recent years because of their excellent fixing mechanism, low volatility, low ink viscosity, and the like.

  In an ink jet recording method in which liquid ink is ejected as small droplets onto a recording medium to form recording dots and an image is formed, foreign matter in the ink causes nozzle clogging, resulting in deterioration in ejection stability.

  If this foreign matter is a solid foreign matter (fixed foreign matter) whose shape does not deform like dust from the outside, a porous member such as a sponge or a filter member such as filter paper as a filtering means in the ink circulation path (supply and recovery) Is relatively easy to remove (see, for example, Patent Document 1), but when the foreign material is semi-solid like agglomerates of color material particles and its shape is deformable, it is deformed. It passes through the filter mesh. In particular, the UV curable ink may contain a polymerizable compound and easily generate a gel-like irregular foreign substance, a so-called variable foreign substance. Therefore, the UV curable ink cannot be efficiently removed only by a filter. If this variable foreign matter, especially the variable foreign matter that tends to stick to the nozzle surface of the head, remains in the ink, it will adhere and accumulate on the nozzle surface of the head when ejected from the recording head, causing clogging of the head and image defects. In addition, the number of times of cleaning for removing dirt on the head surface must be increased, leading to deterioration in productivity.

  Regular foreign matter is captured by membrane filters (polypropylene, nitrocellulose, etc.), and irregular foreign matter (variable foreign matter) is not captured by porous inorganic particles (metal oxides such as amorphous silica, aluminum oxide, iron oxide, and sodium oxide). There is also a proposed method (see, for example, Patent Document 2), but the removal of variable foreign matter has not yet been satisfactory.

That is, the membrane type filter is almost ineffective for the filtration of the gel-like variable foreign matter, and it is considered necessary to use a depth type filter or some kind of adsorbent. Therefore, in order to supply inkjet ink that does not cause ejection failure, further improvement in the filtration method is desired.
JP 2001-105623 A JP 2006-7481 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent variable foreign substances in ink from adhering to and accumulating on the nozzle surface of a recording head, thereby preventing an image defect and improving productivity. Ink, ink container, and ink filtration device And providing an inkjet recording apparatus.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configurations.
1.
An ink storage container for storing non-aqueous ink used in an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by discharging non-aqueous ink from a recording head, wherein the ink storage container is the ink-jet recording apparatus that discharges the ink. A variable foreign matter removing portion containing a material having a surface property that is the same as or similar to the surface property of the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head is provided in at least one of the ink contact portions inside the ink container and in contact with the ink. An ink container that is provided in the section.
2.
2. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head.
3.
2. The ink container according to item 1, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
4).
4. The ink container according to item 3, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine-based compound.
5.
A filtering device that filters ink used in an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting non-aqueous ink from a recording head, the ink filtering device being variable between an ink inlet and an ink outlet. A surface having the same or similar surface physical properties as the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the non-aqueous ink is used. An ink filtration device comprising a substance having physical properties.
6).
7. The ink filtering device according to item 6, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit is provided on the ink inlet side.
7).
7. The ink filtering device according to 5 or 6, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head.
8).
7. The ink filtration device according to 5 or 6, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
9.
9. The ink filtration device according to item 8, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine compound.
10.
In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting non-aqueous ink stored in an ink container from a recording head, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided between the ink container and the inside of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a variable foreign matter removing unit including a substance having a surface property that is the same as or similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
11.
11. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the variable foreign matter removing section is provided in at least a part of an ink contact section that is in an ink container that stores the ink and is in contact with ink. .
12
12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to item 10 or 11, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
13.
12. The ink jet recording apparatus according to item 10 or 11, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
14
14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to item 13, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine compound.
15.
In a non-aqueous ink used in an inkjet recording apparatus that is stored in an ink storage container and forms an image by discharging from a recording head, the ink is applied to the nozzle surface of the recording head of the inkjet recording apparatus in which the ink is used. An ink that has been subjected to a variable foreign matter removal process by a variable foreign matter removing unit that includes a substance having a surface property that is the same as or similar to the surface property of a nozzle plate used.
16.
16. The ink according to item 15, wherein the variable foreign matter removing portion is provided in at least a part of an ink contact portion that is in an ink storage container that stores the ink and is in contact with ink.
17.
16. The ink according to item 15, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit is provided in a filtering device that filters the ink before the ink is stored in an ink container.
18.
18. The ink according to any one of 15 to 17, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
19.
18. The ink according to any one of 15 to 17, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head.
20.
20. The ink according to item 19, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine-based compound.

  According to the present invention, the attachment and accumulation of variable foreign matter on the nozzle surface of a recording head (hereinafter abbreviated as “head”) can be prevented, and ink jet recording without ink ejection deficiency and image defects can be achieved, and productivity can be improved.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an ink supply system in a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Schematic showing an example of a filtration apparatus. Sectional drawing showing the other example of a filtration apparatus. Schematic showing the other example of a filtration apparatus. Schematic showing the other example of a filtration apparatus. Schematic showing the other example of a filtration apparatus. The conceptual diagram of the ink supply system in the printing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram of the ink supply system in the printing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram of the ink supply system in the printing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 17, 18, 20, 27 Filtration device 2 Tube (ink feeding tube)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Ink 4 Inkjet recording head 5 Ink tank 6 Ink container 7 Ink tank sensor 8 Pump 11 Filter 12 Variable foreign material removal part 13 Ink inlet 14 Ink outlet 15 Variable foreign material adsorbent particle 16 Stirrer 21 1st pressure gauge 22 Second pressure gauge 23, 24 Mounting member 25 Ink flow path 28 Flow meter 30 Pump 31 Vent pipe 32 Filter 33 Ink contained in container

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

  In an ink jet printer, the accumulation of variable foreign matter in the ink on the surface of the nozzle plate of the head that ejects ink causes the nozzle to be blocked, resulting in ink ejection failure and accompanying image defects. Is intended to remove the variable foreign matter in the ink accumulated on the surface of the nozzle plate from the manufacture to the recording head for use in an ink jet printer. In other words, taking the physical properties of variable foreign matters that are easy to accumulate in the nozzle plate of the head, and having a surface property that is the same as or similar to the surface physical properties of the nozzle plate of the head from the manufacturing process to the head. By having the variable foreign matter removing unit to be used, the variable foreign matter that easily accumulates in the nozzle plate is removed from the ink. In the present invention, the variable foreign matter is not only a foreign matter that is semi-solid, such as an aggregate of colorant particles, and its shape is deformed to pass through the filter mesh, but is also a foreign matter that passes through the filter mesh without deformation, that is, A substance that cannot be removed by a filter.

  In the present invention, the variable foreign matter removing unit can be used in the ink production stage or a filtration device when filling the ink container after production. In this case, the variable foreign matter is removed from the ink on the most upstream side before filling the ink container, which is preferable because it is efficient.

  In addition, a mode in which a variable foreign matter removing unit is provided in an ink container that stores ink is also possible. When ink is stored in the ink storage container for a long time, depending on the storage environment, there is a risk that variable foreign matter may be generated in the ink. Variable foreign matter can be removed.

  Further, it can be used for any ink flow path from the ink container to the head in the ink jet printer. This is also effective because variable foreign matter is generated in the flow path of the ink jet printer and can be removed before reaching the head.

  In any of these cases, there is an effect in that variable foreign matters can be removed. In particular, it is preferable to provide and remove a filtering device having a variable foreign matter removing unit in the ink manufacturing process, and most preferably, the filtering device in the ink manufacturing process. In this aspect, the variable foreign matter removing unit is provided in both the ink container and the ink flow path of the ink jet printer.

  In the present invention, the substance having the same or similar surface physical property as the nozzle plate is made of the same material as the surface of the nozzle plate used for the nozzle of the head or similar to the surface physical property of the nozzle plate. The material having similar surface physical properties refers to a combination of materials having chemical affinity, though not particularly limited. Specifically, when the nozzle plate is an inorganic compound (metal, alloy, glass, etc.), it is preferable to contain the same kind of atoms or inorganic composition, and when the nozzle plate is an organic compound (fluorine polymer, etc.) , FEP (fluorinated ethylene / propylene copolymer), a fluorine-containing heterocyclic polymer and the like, and a combination of polymers having the same type of monomer unit is preferable.

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

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an ink supply system in an ink jet printer.

  The ink 3 stored in the ink storage container 6 flows through the ink feeding pipe (tube) 2 by the pump 8 and is supplied to the ink tank 5. Further, the ink is supplied from the ink tank 5 to the inkjet recording head 4 via the tube 2 and the filtration device 1.

  In the ink container 6, the liquid level of the ink tank 5 is kept substantially constant by driving the pump 8 by the ink tank sensor 7 provided in the ink tank 5.

  For example, the ink sensor 7 detects the mass of the ink tank 5 and controls the ink tank 5 to have a predetermined mass when the mass does not reach the predetermined mass. Alternatively, the liquid level of the ink tank 5 may be detected, and control for ensuring a constant liquid level position may be performed. Furthermore, the internal pressure in the ink tank 5 may be managed so as to always maintain a constant internal pressure.

  When it is determined by the ink sensor 7 that the liquid level is lower than the specified liquid level, the pump 8 is driven to replenish the ink 3 from the ink container 6 into the ink tank 5, and the ink is replenished when it reaches a certain position. Stopped.

  Details of the filtration device 1 are shown in FIG. The filtering device 1 has an action of removing foreign matters in the ink, and the foreign matters include solid foreign matters and variable foreign matters. In the illustrated example, the filtration device 1 is configured by a filter 11 and a variable foreign matter removing unit 12 provided on the upstream side, and ink is supplied in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The ink passes from the ink inlet 13 through the variable foreign matter removing unit 12 and the filter 11, and the ink from which the foreign matter has been removed flows out from the ink outlet 14. In this example, the filter 11 is provided on the downstream side of the variable foreign matter removing unit 12, but this may be reversed, and it is also possible to provide the filter 11 at different locations in the ink supply system without being combined as the filtering device 1. See below, FIG. 8 and FIG.

  As the filter 11, a membrane filter can be used. For example, a filter made of polypropylene (PP) having a filtration accuracy of 3 μm can be employed. Nitrocellulose or the like may be used as the filter material. The filter 11 captures solid foreign matter in the ink. Since the size of the foreign matter contained in the ink is usually about 100 μm at the maximum, the filtration accuracy of the filter is appropriately selected within the range of 1 to 5 μm depending on the size of the foreign matter to be removed. That's fine. That is, it is only necessary to set the filtration accuracy to about 1/10 of the nozzle hole diameter. For example, when the nozzle hole diameter is 27 μm, foreign matter having a size of about 3 μm or less is allowed.

  The variable foreign material removing unit 12 is filled with a variable foreign material adsorbent (for example, sampler PTFE powder, FEP, fluorine-containing heterocyclic polymer, etc.) 15 having the same or similar surface physical properties as the nozzle plate used. The variable foreign matter is adsorbed on the surface of the variable foreign matter adsorbent and removed from the ink. The variable foreign-material adsorbent particles used have higher absorbability as the particle size is smaller.

  It is preferable to use a filter having a filtration accuracy smaller than the particle size of the variable foreign material adsorbent 15 so that the variable foreign material adsorbent 15 does not come out of the variable foreign material removing unit 12. The filter 11 preferably has a function of capturing foreign matter in the ink and a function of stopping the variable foreign matter adsorbent 15 inside the variable foreign matter removing unit 12.

  The specific gravity of the variable foreign material adsorbent is preferably around 2. Although it may be settled because it is larger than the specific gravity (1 to 1.1) of the ink-jet ink, it is variable by accelerating the contact between the variable foreign matter in the ink and the variable foreign matter adsorbent (by stirring or heating). This is preferable because the amount of foreign matter adsorbed can be increased.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of such a filtration device. In the filtering device 17, the stirring device 16 is provided inside to stir the variable foreign material adsorbent 15, and the variable foreign material in the ink is adsorbed by the variable foreign material adsorbent 15. As the stirrer 16, for example, a magnetic stirrer can be used. By performing the stirring, the variable foreign material adsorbent 15 is uniformly dispersed in the ink flowing into the variable foreign material removing unit 12 from the ink inlet 13. The variable foreign matter in the ink is sufficiently brought into contact with the variable foreign matter adsorbent 15 and is adsorbed and removed by the variable foreign matter removing unit 12. In the filter 11, the solid foreign matter in the ink is removed. In this way, ink that does not substantially contain foreign matter is supplied from the ink outlet 14 to the head.

  By changing the height of the ink inlet, it is possible to obtain the same effect as stirring. An example is shown in FIG. In the filtering device 18, the ink inlet 13 is provided in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the variable foreign matter removing unit 12, and the ink outlet 14 is provided in the vicinity of the top surface, so that the ink flow in the variable foreign matter removing unit 12 starts from below. Directed upward. As a result, when the ink flows, the contact between the variable foreign material adsorbent 15 and the ink is enhanced, and the same effect as when the stirrer 16 shown in FIG. 3 is provided can be obtained.

  Since the variable foreign matter in the ink is captured in a state of covering the variable foreign matter adsorbent, after the variable foreign matter is adsorbed by the variable foreign matter adsorbent, the apparent particle size of the particles increases and the ink The flow gets worse. Further, since the surface of the variable foreign material adsorbent is coated, the variable foreign material in the ink passes through without being adsorbed. As described above, the foreign substance capturing force in the variable foreign substance removing unit 12 filled with the variable foreign substance adsorbent 15 decreases as the ink passage amount increases. After the variable foreign material adsorbent is saturated, a constant capture force can always be maintained by replacing the filtration device with a new one.

  FIG. 5 shows another example of such a filtration device. The filtration device 20 is a cartridge type and is detachably attached to the ink flow path 25 by the first and second attachment members 23 and 24. The attachment members 23 and 24 that can be used include, for example, a coupling (manufactured by Colder Products), and an appropriate size may be selected according to the scale of the filtration device and the ink flow rate. Further, a first pressure gauge 21 and a second pressure gauge 22 are provided upstream of the first mounting member 23 and downstream of the second mounting member 24, respectively. The pressure Pi of the ink flowing into the inlet 13 is detected by the second pressure gauge 22 and the pressure Po of the ink flowing out of the ink outlet 14 is detected.

  The differential pressure (Pi−Po) indicating the difference between Pi and Po increases with the ink flow rate. Therefore, the lifetime of the variable foreign material adsorbent can be detected from this differential pressure, and the replacement time of the filtration device can be determined. For example, the differential pressure at the initial stage is Pini, and the replacement time can be set when this value triples.

  The filter device can be easily replaced by removing the couplings 23 and 24 and installing a new one. By making it possible to detach and attach in this way, it becomes possible to always filter the variable foreign matter in the ink.

  It should be noted that the replacement time of the filtration device can also be determined from the ink flow rate. The filtration device in this case is shown in FIG. The filtration device 27 has the same configuration as the filtration device 20 shown in FIG. 5 except that a flow meter 28 is provided downstream of the second mounting member 24. The flow rate (flow rate per unit time) indicated by the flow meter 28 decreases with the ink flow rate (the amount of ink flowing through the variable foreign matter removing unit 12). When ink is fed from the ink inlet 13 at a constant pressure, the replacement timing of the filter device 27 can be determined based on the flow rate.

  FIG. 7 shows an ink supply system in the case of determining the replacement time of the filtration device based on the ink flow rate. The ink supply system shown in the figure is basically the same as the ink supply system shown in FIG. 1 except that the pump 30 and the vent pipe 31 are provided. As the filtration device, a detachable device having the flow meter 28 having the configuration shown in FIG. 6 is arranged. The ink tank 5 is provided with an air inflow port, air is introduced by the pump 30, and pressure is applied to eject ink from the inkjet head 4 periodically. This is used to refresh the ink in the inkjet head 4 before operating the apparatus. At this time, by measuring the ink flow rate, the flow meter 28 can easily determine the replacement time.

  FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating another example of an ink supply system in an inkjet printer. In the illustrated ink supply system, ink is supplied to the ink tank 5 using the ink 33 contained in the container as an ink supply source. The ink 33 contained in the storage container is ink stored in a container containing the variable foreign material adsorbent particles 15, and these can be stirred by the stirrer 16. By stirring, the variable foreign matter in the ink 3 is adsorbed and removed by the variable foreign matter adsorbent 15 before being supplied to the ink tank 5.

A filter 32 is disposed at the tip of the tube 2 for supplying the ink 3 to the ink tank 5, thereby preventing the variable foreign material adsorbent particles 15 from being mixed. As the filter 32, the same material and filtration accuracy as those of the filtration device 1 can be used. The ink 3 from which the variable foreign matter has been removed flows through the tube 2 by the action of the pump 8 and is supplied to the ink tank 5. Further, the ink is supplied from the ink tank 5 to the inkjet head 4 via the tube 2 and the filter 11. Even if foreign matter remains in the ink, it is captured when passing through the filter 11, so that the foreign matter is not substantially contained in the ink supplied to the inkjet head 4. The filter 11 can be replaced with a filtering device as described above. In this case, the effect of removing foreign matters can be further enhanced.

  The ink supply system shown in FIG. 8 can be modified as shown in FIG. In the ink supply system shown in the drawing, the container of the ink 33 contained in the container has a double tube structure separated by a filter 32, and the variable foreign substance adsorbent particles 15 are accommodated together with the ink 3 in the outer peripheral area thereof. As the filter 32, the one already described is used, and the tube 2 reaches the inner region of the filter 32. The ink 3 from which the variable foreign matter has been removed by contacting the variable foreign matter adsorbent particles 15 is supplied to the inkjet head 4 via the tube 2, the ink tank 5, the tube, and the filter 11 as described above. In this case, the filter 32 can also be replaced when the ink 33 contained in the container is replaced.

  The variable foreign material adsorbent particles 15 in the ink 33 contained in the container as described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 can be stored in the container in advance, and in some cases, the ink can be added to the container when the ink supply source is replaced. Also good.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example demonstrates this invention, the aspect of this invention is not limited to these.

<Ink sample>
A well-known UV curable ink jet ink comprising a dispersant, a photopolymerizable compound, a pigment, a photopolymerization initiator, a basic compound, a surfactant, and the like is prepared and stored in a PE (polyethylene) container for one week. did. This was passed through a filtering device equipped with variable foreign material adsorbent particles and a filter shown in Table 1 (ink samples 1 to 4) and introduced into the recording head of the ink jet recording device.

  The ink jet recording apparatus is equipped with a piezo ink jet nozzle (made of metal), the nozzle plate is coated with an ink repellent layer coated with FEP (previously) resin particles on the polyimide film surface, and the nozzle holes are laser processed. is there.

<Image formation by inkjet>
The head portion was heated in accordance with the viscosity of each ink, and a multi-size dot having a droplet amount of 2 to 15 pl was driven to discharge 5 L of the ink continuously.

<Evaluation>
The following evaluation was performed for each image recorded above.

<Discharge stability>
○: After 5 L of ink is ejected, the ink ejection performance does not change. Δ: After 5 L of ink is ejected, there is a slight deterioration in the straightness of the ink. ×: After 5 L of ink is ejected, there is a lack of ejection. Or significant deterioration in ink straightness is observed.
The head nozzle after 10 minutes of continuous discharge was visually observed for missing discharge.

○: No discharge failure was observed. Δ: 1-2 discharge failures were observed. X: Discharge failure was recognized about half of the number of nozzles.

  As is apparent from the results, the inks 1 and 2 using the filtration device containing the organic compound according to the present invention as the variable foreign material adsorbent have stable ejection properties even when used for a long time, and no ejection failure occurs. . On the other hand, the ink 3 using the filtration device not containing the adsorbent and the ink 4 using the filtration device containing the inorganic compound as the variable foreign material adsorbent have unstable ejection properties in long-term use, and are ejected. A shortage also occurred.

  That is, by using the variable foreign matter removing section, it is possible to reliably capture not only pigment aggregates and foreign matters but also variable foreign matters that pass through a conventional filtration device. It is also possible to remove the variable foreign matter from the ink before being supplied to the ink tank. By removing the variable foreign matter in this way, deterioration due to missing prints and the like can be prevented, and a high-quality printed matter can be obtained. .

Claims (20)

An ink storage container for storing non-aqueous ink used in an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by discharging non-aqueous ink from a recording head, wherein the ink storage container is the ink-jet recording apparatus that discharges the ink. A variable foreign matter removing portion containing a material having a surface property that is the same as or similar to the surface property of the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head is provided in at least one of the ink contact portions inside the ink container and in contact with the ink. An ink container that is provided in the section. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. The ink container according to claim 3, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine-based compound. A filtering device that filters ink used in an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting non-aqueous ink from a recording head, the ink filtering device being variable between an ink inlet and an ink outlet. A surface having the same or similar surface physical properties as the nozzle plate used for the nozzle surface of the recording head of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the non-aqueous ink is used. An ink filtration device comprising a substance having physical properties. 6. The ink filtering device according to claim 5, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit is provided on the ink inlet side. The ink filtering device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. The ink filtration according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. apparatus. 9. The ink filtration device according to claim 8, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine compound. In an ink jet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting non-aqueous ink stored in an ink container from a recording head, the ink jet recording apparatus is provided between the ink container and the inside of the recording head. An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a variable foreign matter removing unit including a substance having a surface property that is the same as or similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. 11. The variable foreign matter removing portion is provided in at least a part of an ink contact portion that is inside an ink storage container that stores the ink and is in contact with ink. Inkjet recording device. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. The inkjet recording according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. apparatus. 14. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine compound. In a non-aqueous ink used in an inkjet recording apparatus that is stored in an ink storage container and forms an image by discharging from a recording head, the ink is applied to the nozzle surface of the recording head of the inkjet recording apparatus in which the ink is used. An ink that has been subjected to a variable foreign matter removal process by a variable foreign matter removing unit that includes a substance having a surface property that is the same as or similar to the surface property of a nozzle plate used. 16. The variable foreign matter removing portion according to claim 15, wherein the variable foreign matter removing portion is provided in at least a part of an ink contact portion that is in an ink containing container that contains the ink and is in contact with ink. ink. 16. The ink according to claim 15, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit is provided in a filtering device that filters the ink before the ink is stored in an ink container. The ink according to any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the variable foreign matter removing unit includes the same material as a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. 18. The variable foreign matter removing portion includes an organic compound similar to a surface property of a nozzle plate used for a nozzle surface of the recording head. The ink described in 1. The ink according to claim 19, wherein the organic compound is a particulate fluorine-based compound.