KR0152424B1 - Liquid container, ink container unit, ink jet cartridge, ink jet head and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

The liquid container connectable to the ink jet head of the ink jet apparatus includes a recording liquid supply inlet in which the first chamber accommodates the negative pressure generating material and the first chamber supplies liquid to the ink jet head; A first chamber having an air vent in communication with air; The second chamber accommodates the liquid to be supplied to the first chamber, the second chamber communicates with the first chamber through a communication port formed adjacent to a bottom portion away from the air vent portion, and the second chamber A second chamber in which portions other than the communication ports are substantially sealed; A liquid container having a partition wall separating the first chamber and the second chamber and forming an upper portion of the communication port, wherein the portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet is formed of the ink jet head. Provided is a liquid container, which is a compressible area that can be compressed by an ink containing tube.

Description

Liquid container, liquid container unit, ink jet cartridge, ink jet head and printer

The present invention relates to an ink jet cartridge containing a liquid ink, a method of manufacturing an ink cartridge, an ink jet head and a printer using a cartridge, and a copying machine, a fax machine or other recording apparatus, a communication apparatus, an office equipment, a combined machine or Can be used with printers.

Up to now, the ink cartridge of the ink jet recording apparatus is integrally formed with the ink jet head, and when all the ink in the cartridge is used up, the integrated end and the container have been disposed.

The amount of ink remaining in the cartridge is determined by the ink holding capacity of the sponge (vacuum generating material) occupying the entire space in the cartridge, and the cartridge is relatively large. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63242/1988 discloses such an ink container. The ink container contains a foamed material, and the ink container is formed integrally with the ink jet recording head having a plurality of ink jet orifices. In such an ink container, in order to store ink in a porous material such as a foamed polyurethane material, vacuum generation and ink holding (prevention of ink leakage from the inking machine) have been achieved by the capillary force of the foam material. However, since the foam member is required to be filled in the entirety of the ink container, the amount of ink in the ink container is limited, and the amount of ink that cannot be used is relatively large. This means that the ink use efficiency is low. It is difficult to detect the amount of ink remaining in the ink container. In addition, during the period of ink consumption, the negative pressure gradually changes, and therefore, it is difficult to maintain a substantially constant vacuum.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 522/1990 discloses that an ink cartridge substantially contains only ink. More specifically, the ink cartridge discloses an integrated ink jet recording head and an ink container comprising a small porous material between a main ink container accommodating a large amount of ink in an upper position and an ink jet recording head below it. It is explained that the ink use efficiency is improved because only ink is disposed in the ink passage without the porous material contained in the ink container. In addition, a second ink container capable of containing ink is provided on the side of the porous material, and the second ink container receives ink flowing from the main ink container due to expansion of air in the main ink container at a temperature rise (pressure reduction). Since it is effective, a substantially constant negative pressure is maintained at the recording head during the recording operation.

In this structure, when the recording operation is not performed, the porous material is filled with a very large amount of ink from the main ink container containing a large amount of ink on the porous material, so that the porous material itself hardly generates negative pressure. For this reason, since ink leaks out of the orifice of the ink jet recording head by a small impact, the container cannot be practically used. If this container is mounted on the ink jet recording head and used as a replaceable ink cartridge, ink may leak from the porous material, and thus the container is still not practically used.

In the ink cartridge, the ink is sealedly contained in the bladder, and the negative pressure of the bladder is kept constant using the spring structure, but this is expensive, and it is difficult to mass produce with the accurate performance of the spring structure. In the field of ink jet printing (non-contact printing), inexpensive ink cartridges with adequate performance have not been achieved and have long been desired.

The inventors have investigated from the viewpoint of appropriately supplying ink corresponding to the ejection of ink from the recording head during the printing operation, and from the viewpoint of preventing the leakage of ink through the ejection openings when the printing operation is not performed. As a result, the basic structure consists of a first container having a vacuum generating material and a second container containing substantially only the ink to be supplied to the first container, the second container communicating with the first container. Except that they are substantially sealed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 16385/1985 discloses a recording pen having a recording tip which contacts a recording material during a recording operation. The recording tip has ink absorption and retention characteristics, and ink is supplied to the recording tip. Therefore, the recording tip is exposed to the outside air as compared with the ink jet recording apparatus. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication focuses only on ink overflow via a recording tip.

The recording pen is composed of a first liquid absorbent as an essential component and a second absorbent which absorbs less ink than the first absorbent even when a small amount of ink is absorbed. The second absorbent has an air vent and a recording tip protruding downward. And sealed in a storage chamber for supplying ink to opposite sides of the chamber, and disposed on the first absorbent material at a position closer to the closed central chamber. With this structure, when the air in the closed ink container expands due to the rise in the outside air temperature and the ink in the ink container is absorbed into the first absorbent material, the ink that can be held by the first absorbent material is retained by the second absorbent material. Since it is absorbed, overflowing drops of ink from the writing tip can be prevented. The patent publication also discloses the installation of an effective constant width groove when one of the two closed ink containers contains only air to allow the expanded air to escape through the air vent. This groove extends from the bottom end to the top end on the side which is different from the partition wall between the central member and the closed ink container. When this structure was used for the ink jet recording head, ink leakage through the air vent was confirmed as expected due to the fundamental difference between contact recording and non-contact recording. This problem was not recognized in the field of writing pens. In addition, since the groove of a certain width serves to promote the ejection of the ink with the air, ink leakage through the air vent has been enhanced.

Also, the ink consumption of the two ink containers is not the same. If one of the containers is emptied first, the inkjet recording operation is no longer possible despite the fact that a large amount of ink remains in the other ink container. This is because a large amount of air enters the first absorbent and as a result can not supply ink. This is contrary to the object of the present invention.

The primary object of the present invention is to have a first container having an air vent for receiving a vacuum generating material and in communication with the outside air, and a second container for substantially only ink to be supplied to the first container, the second container being the first container. Except for the communication of, it is to improve the substantially sealed basic structure. This improvement is effectively used for ink jet recording and printing.

Another object of the present invention is to provide replaceable ink cartridges and ink jet heads, and also to substantially maintain a constant vacuum and to perform high-speed recording for most of the period from the beginning of use of the ink cartridge to the end of use. To provide an ink cartridge, a printer using an ink jet head.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a replaceable ink cartridge in which a vacuum is generated in the ink cartridge when the recording operation is not performed, thereby preventing leakage of ink through the opening during a small impact.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which minimizes unusable residual ink.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which is more inexpensive and can be exchanged without leaking ink when transporting the ink cartridge itself.

According to one aspect of the invention, the area of the vacuum generating material adjacent the air inlet passage does not contain ink. As a result, leakage of ink from the ink cartridge through the air vent can be prevented from changing the ambient conditions. In particular, when the sealing member is used to seal the air vent, this aspect of the present invention is effective to prevent the removal of the sealing member. During the use of the ink cartridge, the area is effective to allow an appropriate amount of air to flow into the ink cartridge, so that the change in vacuum in the ink jet cartridge can be suppressed. The region adjacent to the air inflow passage is not wetted at all by the ink, and the ink leakage rate is reduced, so the region is preferable. As an alternative, however, it is also possible for the area to be once wetted by the ink, after which the ink is removed.

According to another aspect of the present invention based on the above basic structure, the vacuum or negative pressure generating material is an area adjacent to the ink supply opening or the ink supply pipe formed on the opposite side from the partition wall having a small communication portion between the first vessel and the second vessel. It can be compressed or compressed within. As a result, it is possible to ensure a stable ink passage in the vacuum generating material from the second ink container. For the purpose of further stabilization, the ink supply opening is arranged at a small communication portion with respect to the bottom surface of the ink cartridge. Here, the supply pipe includes an insertion pipe peculiar to ink jet recording or printing, and a valve structure or a connection member mounted on a cartridge for compressing the vacuum generating member. By this, the ink movement direction can be substantially stabilized, and therefore, all the ink in the second ink container can be used all. After all the ink is used, air moves from the partition wall toward the ink supply opening, so that the consumption of ink in the vacuum generating material can be allowed, thereby minimizing the amount of unusable glass.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the vacuum generating region that is not compressed by the supplying pipe and the region compressed by the supplying pipe are formed in the order in which the partitions forming the micro-communication portion are formed from the wall to the opposing wall. An ink supply passage in one direction is formed in the non-compression region, and unusable residual ink can be further reduced by the ink remaining capacity in the compression region.

The present invention has a structure including at least one of the above aspects.

The ink jet cartridge of the present invention is generally processed by an operator, so that a strong force is applied to the ink jet cartridge so that the wall of the ink container can be deformed. From this point of view, it is desirable that the additional partition wall form a larger gap than the micro-communication portion in the ink container containing substantially only the ink. When the cartridge is made of a resin material, in view of deformation prevention, the wall substantially containing only ink has a thickness of 0.8 mm (Ti, G in FIG. 20) or more, and the wall of the container containing a vacuum generating material such as a sponge. The thickness is preferably 1.3 mm (Ts, J in Fig. 20). In the ink jet printer of the present invention, the ink is forcibly discharged by sucking the ink by the suction means automatically or manually when the cartridge is mounted in the ink jet printer, and also by discharging the ink by the discharge means. A forced ejection is preferable because the state of the ink in the vacuum generating material can be adjusted before the start of the printing operation, so that the printing function can be executed without the influence of the ink cartridge holding state.

In this ink cartridge manufacturing method according to the present invention, the micro-communication portion can be provided between the partition wall and the lid member by fixing the lid member containing the vacuum generating material in the container to the body of the ink cartridge. Therefore, the vacuum generating material can be stabilized adjacent to the micro-communication portion, and therefore mass production is easy.

The height of the micro-communication portion formed by the partition wall is larger than the average pore size of the vacuum generating material, preferably larger than the average pore size in the region adjacent to the micro-communication portion, and is preferably 0.1 mm or more, or 5 mm or more. When the height of the micro-communication portion is 3 mm or less, further stabilization can be expected. The volume ratio of the vacuum generating material container and the ink container is practically 1: 1 or more and 1: 3 or less.

The above and other objects of the present invention, as well as the features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent when considering the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in connection with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic partial cutaway perspective view of an ink container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG.

3 shows an example of a connection portion between a cartridge and a supply pipe.

4 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example.

5 is a diagram illustrating an ink supply unit used in the present invention.

6 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the ink supply portion and the micro communication portion.

7 illustrates the structure of the micro-communication unit.

8 illustrates the shape of the partition wall on the side of the micro-communication portion.

9 illustrates the state of the absorber at the end adjacent to the partition wall.

10 is a diagram illustrating a state inside an absorbent material with respect to a change in external air condition.

11 illustrates a manufacturing method and an ink jet head according to an embodiment of the present invention.

12 illustrates an ink jet printer and an ink cartridge usable with the ink jet printer.

Figure 13 illustrates a modified embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view illustrating the allowable tilt when using an ink cartridge.

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the shape of an embodiment of the present invention.

16 is a diagram illustrating a change in printing operation.

17 illustrates pressure against an outer wall of a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

18 is a sectional view showing a modification of the ink cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention.

19 is a perspective view of a color ink container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

20 is a graph showing the relationship between wall thickness and ink leakage due to external pressure.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

1 body 2 opening

3: ink generating material 4: vacuum generating container

5: partition wall 6: ink container

7: joint member 8: gap

9: ink 10: air vent

11 bottom 12 filter

12a, 12b, 12c: sidewall 13: opening

14 ball 61: partition plate

71: discharge portion 72: heat generating element

73: nozzle 100,101: side plate

110: spacer HD: recording head

1 to 6, the ink having the ink supply opening formed in the wall of the vacuum generating material container facing the partition wall 5 interacting with the bottom surface of the cartridge to form the micro-communication portion 8; Show the container.

1 is a perspective view of the ink container according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ink container according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ink cartridge body 1 of this embodiment has an opening 2 which communicates with the ink jet recording head at a position displaced toward the micro communication section in the form of a gap 8. do. The main body 1 includes a vacuum generating container 4 for accommodating the vacuum generating material 3 and a container 4 at the bottom 11 through a gap 8 formed by the partition wall 5. It consists of the ink container 6 which accommodates only the ink which communicates substantially.

By the above configuration, air is supplied through the opening 2. However, it is important that ink is reliably supplied from the ink container 6 along the bottom portion 11 of the ink cartridge toward the opening 2 through the communicating portion 8. By ink supply, air is introduced into the ink container 6 instead of ink. The compression deformation of the vacuum or negative pressure generating material by the supply pipe in the compression deformation region adjacent to the opening will be described. In Fig. 3, a joint member 7 serving as a supply pipe for supplying ink to the ink jet recording head is inserted into the ink cartridge which has been replaced by this embodiment. In this state, the joint member 7 is pressed against the vacuum generating member, and the ink jet recording apparatus is operable in an advantage. A filter may be provided at the end of the joint member to remove foreign matter in the ink cartridge.

When the ink jet recording apparatus is operated, ink is ejected through an orifice of the ink special recording head as a result of the ink absorption force in the ink cartridge. The ink 9 is supplied from the ink container 6 to the vacuum generating container 4 through the gap 8 between the bottom end of the partition wall and the bottom of the ink cartridge 11 by absorbing power. The ink generating material 3 and the joint member 7 are supplied to the ink jet recording head.

By supplying ink in this way, the internal pressure of the ink container 6 which is closed except for the gap 8 decreases as a pressure difference between the ink container 6 and the vacuum generating material container 4. By the continuous recording operation, the pressure difference continues to increase. However, since the vacuum generating material is opened to the outside air by the gap 10 between the joint member and the opening, the air is separated between the bottom end of the partition wall 5 and the inner bottom 11 of the ink cartridge through the vacuum generating material. It flows into the ink container 4 via (8). At this time, the pressure difference between the ink container 6 and the vacuum generating material container cancels out. During the recording operation, this operation is repeated, so that a constant negative pressure (vacuum) is maintained in the ink cartridge. Substantially all the ink in the ink container 6 can be completely consumed except for the ink attached to the inside of the ink container, so that the use efficiency of the ink is improved. When the recording operation is not performed, capillary relation of the vacuum generating material itself, that is, a meniscus force or the like generated at the interface between the ink and the vacuum generating material is generated. In particular, when the ink consumption from the ink container is started, the ink holding state in the vacuum generating material becomes substantially constant. Since the air collected in the ink container becomes substantially a certain degree of vacuum, the pressure balance in the cartridge is extremely stable, and ink leakage from the ink jet recording head is therefore suppressed.

If the vacuum generating material is appropriately selected according to the ink jet recording head to be used with the vacuum generating material and the volume ratio between the ink containers of the vacuum generating material container is properly determined, the structure shown in Fig. 4 is possible.

As shown in FIG. 19, in order to use the ink cartridge of the present invention for recording color ink jets, various types of color ink (black, yellow, magenta, and cyan) can be stored in separate ink cartridges that can be replaced. have. These ink cartridges can be unified as shown in Fig. 19A. The replaceable ink cartridge is composed of a replaceable ink cartridge as a frequently used black container as shown in FIG. 19 (b) and a replaceable cartridge as a color container other than black. Any combination may be possible considering the ink jet apparatus. In the ink cartridge replaceable by this embodiment, in order to control the vacuum, the material, shape and dimensions of the vacuum generating material 3; The shape and dimensions of the rib end 8; The shape and dimensions of the gap between the rib end 8 and the ink container bottom 11; Volume ratio between the vacuum generating container 4 and the ink container 6; The shape and dimensions of the joint member 7; Insertion degree of inserting the joint member into the ink container; Dimensions of the filter 12, mesh; It is desirable that elements such as surface tension of ink be utilized to the maximum.

The material of the vacuum generating member may be any known material as long as the material of the vacuum generating member can retain the ink despite its weight, the weight of the liquid (ink) and the small vibration.

For example, there are sponges such as porous materials having continuous holes and materials made of fibers. It is preferably in the form of a sponge made of a polyurethane foam material which is easy to adjust vacuum and ink holding power. In particular, in the case of a foam material, the porosity can be adjusted at the time of manufacture of the foam material. When the foaming material undergoes a thermal compression process to adjust the porosity, the cleaning process is preferable because decomposition may occur due to heat, ink characteristics may change, and recording quality may be adversely affected. In order to satisfy various types of ink cartridges for various types of ink jet recording apparatuses, foam materials having a corresponding porosity are required. The foamed material, which is not processed by thermal compression and has a predetermined number of cells (number of holes per inch), is cut into the desired dimensions and the foamed material is compressed into the vacuum generating vessel to provide the desired porosity and capillary force. It is preferable.

In this embodiment, a gap is formed between the joint member 7 and the opening 2 for the joint member 7 to allow air to flow into the ink cartridge. However, this structure is not limited to the present invention. Other configurations or shapes may be used for the joint member and the joint opening. In the case where there is a porous material such as a sponge on the vacuum generating material, the end of the joint member 7 is preferably inclined at a specific angle with respect to the insertion direction of the joint member, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. After this, separation of the porous material from the bottom of the ink cartridge is prevented at the time of insertion of the joint member and the surface contact between the filter and the vacuum generating material is reliably maintained. If the amount of insertion of the joint member is too large, the tapered end may tear the vacuum generating material, and thus the surface structure shown in Fig. 3C is preferable.

The outer wall of the joint member may be considered to have a groove. As shown in FIG. 5, the shape of the opening 2 may be a slot (figure 5 (a)), a rectangle (figure 5 (b)), or a triangle. The preferred shape of the opening 2 is to form a gap between the joint members, or the opening is in contact with the outer periphery of the joint member at the bottom of the opening (bottom of the ink cartridge) and open at the top of the opening.

As described above, since the replaceable ink cartridge has a joint member portion which also functions as an air inlet opening, its structure is simple. The insertion amount into which the joint member 7 is inserted into the replaceable ink cartridge prevents the leakage of ink during insertion and stops the ink supply during the recording operation in consideration of the shape of the joint member, the vacuum generation and the shape of the ink cartridge. It is appropriately determined by those skilled in the art to provide a compression zone of the vacuum generating member to prevent the pressure.

In the above embodiment, it is effective to form an air vent in the vacuum generating container, and after forming the air vent, an area of the vacuum generating material containing no ink is easily located adjacent to the air inflow passage. The reliability of the ink jet recording apparatus with respect to the change of the outdoor condition is improved. The formation and dimensions of the gap 8 between the end wall and the bottom of the ink cartridge are not limited. However, if the gap is too small, the meniscus force with the ink is too strong, and ink leakage through the joint opening can be prevented, but the ink supply can be stopped during use, so that ink is supplied to the vacuum generating container. It's hard to do If the gap is too large, the opposite phenomenon occurs, so that the height of the membrane wall of the microcommunication portion is greater than the average pore size of the vacuum generating material (preferably the average pore size adjacent to the microcommunication portion) (actually 0.1 mm or more) and 5 mm or less. It is preferable. In order to stabilize further, it is preferable that a clearance is 3 mm or less. 7 shows an example of the shape of the gap 8. Fig. 7 (a) shows the structure and the shape which are used in the above embodiment and the most stable in the present invention. The gap is formed at a constant height over the entire width of the cartridge. 7 (a), (b) and (c) show an example in which the communication portion is formed only in a part of the entire width of the cartridge and has a wave shape. This structure is effective when the total volume of the cartridge is large. Fig. 7 (d) shows an example having a tunnel communication portion in which ink can be easily moved into the cartridge and the inflow of air can be concentrated. In the example of Figs. 7E and 7F, the recess is formed in a direction perpendicular to the partition wall in the ink container. By such a configuration, air reaching the bottom end of the partition wall is effectively introduced into the ink container by the recesses, thereby increasing the tracking efficiency of the air.

The clearance 8 is also determined in view of the position of the joint opening. In the example of Fig. 10 (a), the end of the partition wall is at a position lower than the bottom end of the joint opening portion, and the retained ink in the vacuum generating material is lower than the bottom end of, so that the leakage preventing effect is sufficient. In the example of FIG. 10 (b), the end of the partition wall is at a position higher than the bottom end of the joint opening, and the ink retained in the vacuum generating material is above the bottom end of the joint opening, so that the ink leakage suppressing effect is not sufficient. not. Therefore, it is preferable to stabilize the beneficial effect of the present invention that the size of the gap 8 is appropriately determined so that the position of the partition wall end is not higher than the bottom end of the joint opening. Even if the gap depends on the shape and dimensions of the replaceable ink cartridge, the height of the gap 8 is selected within the range of 0.1-20 mm. More preferably, the clearance is in the range of approximately 0.5-5 mm. As can be seen from FIGS. 8 (a) to 8 (h), when the position with respect to the joint opening is considered, the shape of the partition wall end may be any shape.

With regard to the boundary between the end of the partition wall 5 and the vacuum generating material 3, various structures are considered. This structure is shown in FIG. In the structural examples of FIGS. 9A to 9D, the vacuum generating material is not compressed by the end of the partition wall, and the density of the vacuum generating material does not increase locally, so that the flow of ink and air is relatively desired. Therefore, the vacuum generating material is preferable for high speed recording or color recording. On the other hand, in the structural examples of FIGS. 9E and 9F, the vacuum generating material 3 is compressed by the end of the partition wall, so that the density of the vacuum generating material is increased, and thus the flow of ink and air Is hindered, but ink leakage and the like can be effectively prevented even when the outside conditions are somewhat changed. Therefore, the structure of the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is used and the external conditions in which the ink cartridge is used are properly determined by those skilled in the art.

The volume ratio between the vacuum generating material container 4 and the ink container 6 is determined in consideration of the external air condition in which the ink cartridge is used and the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is used. In addition, the relationship with the vacuum generating material used is important. In order to improve the use efficiency of the ink, it is desirable to increase the volume of the ink container. In this case, an ink generating material (sponge with a high compression ratio) that can generate a high vacuum is effective. Thus, a practically preferred ratio is in the range of 1: 1 to 1: 3. In this case, the vacuum generating performance of the vacuum generating member is increased by increasing the relative volume of the ink container.

The shape, dimensions and mesh of the filter 12 can be appropriately determined by those skilled in the art depending on the ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is used. However, the passage area of the nozzle is smaller than the size of the orifice in order to prevent the nozzle from being blocked by foreign matter introduced from the ink cartridge.

The amount of ink in the ink cartridge is not limited except for the internal volume of the ink cartridge. In order to maintain the proper negative structure immediately after removing the replaceable ink cartridge, the ink may be contained up to the limit of the volume limit in the ink container. However, the vacuum generating material is preferably lower than the ink holding capacity of the vacuum generating material. Here, the ink holding capacity is an ink holding capacity that can be held alone by a vacuum generating material containing ink.

In an ink cartridge having a closed system ink container, when external conditions such as temperature rise or pressure decrease occur when the ink cartridge is loaded in the ink jet recording apparatus, air and ink expand in the ink container, The ink is pushed out of the ink cartridge, and as a result, the ink may leak. However, in the replaceable ink cartridge of the present invention, the volume of the air expansion in the closed ink container containing the volume of the ink expansion, although the amount of ink expansion due to the worst air condition change is small, is estimated from the ink container. The amount of transferred ink is adapted to be contained in the vibration generating material container. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d), it is very effective to provide a vacuum generating container having an air vent in addition to the joint opening, and after the air vent is provided, Ink moved from the ink chamber to the vacuum generating material by expansion may be directed toward the air vent. The position of the air vent is not limited as long as the air vent is above the joint opening of the vacuum generating member container. However, in order to keep the ink flow in the vacuum generating material from the joint opening portion under the change of the outdoor air condition, it is preferable that the air vent be far from the joint opening portion. The number, shape, and size of the air vent are appropriately determined by those skilled in the art in consideration of ink evaporation and the like.

While carrying the ink cartridge itself, it is preferable to seal the joint opening and the air vent by the sealing member so as to prevent ink evaporation or to expand the air in the ink cartridge. The sealing member may be a single layer barrier, which is a so-called barrier material in the packing field, preferably a composite plastic film having multiple layers, or a material reinforced by paper, cloth, other reinforcement or aluminum foil. In addition, it is preferable that an adhesive layer of a material such as the main body of the ink cartridge is used to fusion-fix the barrier material, thus improving the sealing property.

In order to suppress the evaporation of the ink cartridge and to suppress the inflow of air into the ink cartridge, it is effective to remove the air in the package after the ink cartridge is inserted. The packaging member is preferably made of the same barrier material as described for the sealing member in consideration of the permeability of liquid and air.

By this appropriate choice of packaging, ink does not leak while transporting the ink cartridge itself. When the material of the main body of the ink cartridge does not adversely affect the ink jet recording ink or the material of the main body is treated to avoid the adverse effect, the material of the main body may be any known moldable material. The productivity of the ink cartridge is also contemplated. For example, the body of the ink cartridge is separated into the bottom 11 and the top, and the bottom and the top are each integrally molded with a plastic resin material. The vacuum generating material is inserted into the main body, and then the bottom and the upper part are fused to form the main body of the ink cartridge. If the plastic material is transparent or translucent, the ink in the ink container can be observed from the outside, so that the timing of ink cartridge change can be expected. In order to facilitate melting of the adhesive or the like, it is preferable to form the protrusions shown in the drawings. From the design point of view, the outer surface of the main body of the ink cartridge can be roughened.

The ink can be filled by pressurization or pressure reduction. It is preferable to form the ink filling opening in any one of the casting granule containers for storage, and after the opening is formed, the opening of the ink cartridge is not contaminated. After filling, the ink filling opening is closed with a plastic or metal plug.

The shape, dimensions and the like of the ink cartridge according to the present invention can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, the replaceable ink cartridge can be provided during transportation, providing a highly efficient ink cartridge with a reliable, simple structure.

A suitable vacuum maintained from the start of use to the end can be maintained when the recording operation is executed or not, and high speed recording is also allowed. Under the ambient conditions of use of the ink jet recording apparatus, the possibility of ink leakage can be minimized.

The replaceable ink cartridge of the present invention is easy to process, so that ink does not leak when the ink cartridge is loaded into the ink jet recording apparatus, and the possibility of malfunction can be avoided.

11 illustrates a method of manufacturing an ink container cartridge. The main body of the cartridge consists of two containers separated by the partition wall 61 and the partition wall 5. The ink absorbing material 4 functioning as the vacuum generating material is inserted into the container portion close to the opening 2. Thereafter, the bottom member 11 serving as a lid member is integrated in the main body. This figure also shows a state where the recording head HD is attached to the ink container 1. The ink container 1 consists of a container partitioned into two chambers by the partition wall 5, and the bottom part is covered by the flat bottom member 11 which comprises the bottom of the ink container. Thus, by the simple structure, the micro communication section 8 can be formed by the end of the partition wall.

The air vent 10 is disposed on the same surface as having the opening 2, but is disposed above the opening.

The joint portion 7 functioning as a supply pipe is inserted into the opening of the ink container, and the recording head is mounted to the joint portion. The joint part 7 is inclined so that the top part is ahead of the bottom part. The ink passage in the joint is in the shape of a horn opening upward in the figure. By this structure, ink can be appropriately supplied from the ink absorber to the recording head.

The ink jet recording apparatus includes a heat generating element 72 that generates heat energy to discharge ink through the discharge port 71 of the nozzle 73, and the heat energy is effective for causing a change in the state of the ink. In this case, high density and fine images can be provided by stably supplying ink, particularly in the case of color recording.

As described above, the ink cartridge according to the present invention maintains high reliability during transportation and has high ink use efficiency.

In addition, when the recording operation is performed or not performed during the high speed recording operation, an appropriate vacuum is maintained from the start of use to the end. In addition, ink leakage can be prevented under the use conditions of the ink jet recording apparatus.

In addition, the replaceable ink cartridge according to the present invention is easy to process, and no ink leaks when the ink cartridge is attached to or detached from the ink jet recording apparatus. Therefore, malfunction can be avoided at the time of mounting the ink cartridge.

The manufacturing method of an ink cartridge is further demonstrated. There is a micro-communication portion between the ink storage chamber or the container and the negative pressure generating material receiving chamber, but the sealed ink container and the vacuum generating material storing chamber in which only ink is discharged only when the ink and air are exchanged with each other are integrally molded. At this time, ink is filled through the opening 13 in the ink container chamber side in the lid member 11. When ink is supplied in this manner, the substantial portion of the ink generating material 4 receives the ink through the micro communication portion.

However, the area of the vacuum generating material 4 adjacent to the air vent is not supplied with ink to form an ink free area. Thereafter, the opening 13 is sealed by the ball 14. Then, the opening 2 and the air vent are sealed by the same sealing member S (this sealing member can be a separate member).

12 shows the ink jet cartridge before use begins. In this figure, the ink container 6 is filled with ink.

Figure 12 shows a closed ink jet cartridge 1 with a printer used with the ink jet cartridge. The region 3A of the vacuum generating material adjacent to the air vent 10 does not receive ink at the top of the cartridge. The region 3B of the vacuum generating material below the region 3A is compressed by insertion of an ink supply pipe (not shown). The portions of the vacuum generating material other than these areas 3A and 3B are not affected by the outside and simply function to hold ink. The area 3B faces the opening 2 for supplying ink to the recording head provided on the same side and under the air vent 10. The opening is above the microcommunication part 8, and the above-described structure is used. The cartridge 1 of FIG. 12 can be used by removing the sealing member S. FIG. Since the area A does not hold ink, ink does not leak when vibration or pressure change is applied when the sealing member is removed.

In the ink container of the present invention, ink is not retained in the region of the vacuum generating member close to the air vent or the air communicating portion, regardless of whether or not the ink cartridge is used. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking from the ink cartridge through the air vent even when the external air condition is changed. In particular, when the sealing member closes the air vent, the sealing member can be prevented from peeling off. During use, the area is effective to allow the air supply corresponding to the consumption of ink, so that the change in vacuum in the ink cartridge can be suppressed. When the area of the vacuum generating material adjacent to the air vent is not wetted by the ink at all, it is preferable to slow down the ink bleeding speed. However, the area can be wetted in advance by the ink, and then the ink can be removed from this area.

In this embodiment of the present invention, the ink supply opening portion of the ink supply pipe or the compression portion of the compressible vacuum generating material is located on the side opposite to the partition wall constituting the micro-communication portion, whereby the effective ink supply passage is stored in the second storage. It can be stably installed in the vacuum generating material in the chamber. By forming the ink supply opening on the micro-communication portion with respect to the bottom surface of the ink cartridge, it can be further stabilized.

By this configuration, the ink movement direction can be made substantially constant, and therefore, ink can be completely consumed from the second chamber, that is, the ink container chamber. After the ink in the ink container chamber is completely consumed, air is present to move the ink from the partition wall toward the opening in a direction to cancel the vacuum in the ink container chamber. As a result, the ink in the vacuum generation can be consumed further, and thus the amount of residual ink that cannot be used can be minimized. A one-way ink container is formed in the direction from the partition wall constituting the micro-communication portion to the side surface of the partition wall in the order of the region of the vacuum generating material not compressed by the supply pipe and the region of the vacuum generating material compressed by the supply pipe. The remaining amount of ink can be further reduced by the ink holding capacity of the uncompressed region and the compressed region in which the furnace is formed.

The ink jet printer is provided with recording head recovery means (HR) which carries out ink ejection or ink absorption by the absorbing means automatically or manually when the cartridge 1 is mounted. By this, the state of the ink in the vacuum generating material can be corrected before the start of the printing operation. Therefore, the cartridge performance can be used from the start of printing regardless of the state where the cartridge is placed.

In FIG. 12, the sealing tape was removed from the ink container 1 installed in the ink jet head HD mounted on the scanning carriage CR. The container mounted on the carriage CR receives the ink supply pipe through the opening 2, whereby the vacuum generating material 3 is compressed in the compressible region 3B. In this embodiment, the vacuum generating material 3 is deformed toward the micro communication part 8. At this time, the mounting of the container is detected by detection means (not shown) in the form of mechanical detection means or electrical detection means, and this detection means transmits the mounting signal 1T to the printer control means CC. do. In response to this mounting signal, the recovery means HR is operated before the start of the recording operation in order to discharge the ink in the ink container, thereby improving the state of the ink in the ink container.

FIG. 13A shows a modification of the ink jet cartridge of FIG. 12 in which the inner surface of the ink storage chamber is deformed and the upper surface portion of the ink storage chamber is correspondingly deformed into the space 22. FIG. The inner surface 20 forms a curved surface rising away from the micro-communication portion 8. This structure is effective for supplying microdroplets of ink remaining on the wall of the inner surface 20 into the vacuum generating material 3 by the surface tension of the ink, and also provides a grip 21 for the operator. It is effective to prevent deformation of the ink container during operation.

FIG. 13B shows another modification in which the partition wall 51 is inclined such that the capacity is larger in the ink storage chamber or the ink container than in the vacuum generating material container. FIG. 13C shows an embodiment produced by the manufacturing method described previously. The cover member 11 constituting the gap, that is, the gap 8 together with the partition wall 5 is fixed to be inserted between the side plates 101 and 100 of the cartridge body. 5E is an end of the lid member 11. In the case of Fig. 13C, the gap SP does not become constant unless the adhesion is uniform.

In view of this, as shown in Fig. 13D, the spacer 110 in contact with the end 5E of the partition wall is preferably at the opposite end. The spacer 110 is preferably installed on the cover member 11. The projection 30 in the space SP is provided on the lid member in order to improve the collection of ink into the ink container.

14 (a) and 14 (b) show the inclination ranges in which the printing operation or the ink supply is possible. 40 is a horizontal line. It is preferable that the micro-communication part is at a low position. Ideally, the bottom face of the cartridge should ideally be parallel to the horizontal plane. However, in the case of substantially two chamber structures as in this embodiment, the inclination is acceptable within the range of 0 ≦ θ ≦ 15 degrees. When the cartridge reciprocates on the scanning carriage, the inclination angle of the cartridge is preferably 0 ≦ θ ≦ 5 degrees.

The vacuum generating material used in this embodiment may be constituted by a plurality of vacuum generating member. In that case, however, the common boundary surface between the members may allow the movement of air in the contact surface as the case may be. In view of this, a single porous member is preferable for the vacuum generating member.

The ink container (chamber) makes it possible to have an ink capacity larger than that of the vacuum generating chamber.

The partition board 61 in the ink containing chamber is demonstrated. While the ink container (cartridge) is handled by an operator or transports the ink container, the outer wall of the cartridge is deformed, so that ink leaks from the ink jet recording head via the orifice, or ink leaks the outside pressure and the pressure in the cartridge. It is possible to leak through an installed air vent to equalize.

In this embodiment, this problem is solved, and ink leakage can be prevented during handling, thereby during transportation, or even when the temperature or pressure changes. In addition, the use efficiency is quite high.

Fig. 15A is a perspective view of the ink container of this embodiment, and Fig. 15B is a sectional view of the ink container. 16 exemplifies the ink supply operation of this embodiment. 17 illustrates deformation of the side wall when the ink container is under load.

As shown in FIG. 15 (a) and FIG. 15 (b), the main body of the ink cartridge 1 is arranged on the opening 2 and the opening 2 in communication with the ink jet recording head. An air vent 10 allowing the inflow of air, a vacuum generating material 3 holding ink for recording, and a vacuum generation in which the vacuum generating material 3 is accommodated and the opening 2 and the air vent 10 are formed. And an ink container (chamber) 6 for storing ink communicating with the vacuum generating material container 4 through a gap under the rib 5. The ink container 6 and the vacuum generating material container 4 communicate with each other through a gap 8 formed between the end of the rib 5 and the bottom surface. The partition plate 61 connects the opposite side walls while leaving a larger gap than the gap 8 at the bottom. FIG. 16A shows ink jet recording after a joint member 7 for supplying ink to the ink jet recording head in pressure contact with the vacuum generating material 3 is inserted into the opening 2 of the ink cartridge body 1; A cross-sectional view showing a state where the apparatus is operable. The end opening of the joint member 7 is provided with a filter for removing foreign matter in the ink cartridge.

When the ink jet recording apparatus is operated, ink is discharged through the orifice of the ink jet recording head, so that the ink absorption force is generated in the ink container. The ink 9 is formed between the gap 8 between the end of the rib 5 from the ink container 6 and the bottom of the ink cartridge 11, the vacuum generating container 4, the ink generating material 3, and the joint member ( 7) is supplied to the ink jet recording head. As a result, the pressure of the closed ink container 6 except for the gap 8 is reduced, and as a result, a pressure difference between the ink container 6 and the vacuum generating material container 4 occurs. By the continuous recording operation, the vacuum generating container 4 is opened to the atmosphere through the air vent 10, so that the pressure difference continues to increase. As shown in Fig. 16 (b), air enters the ink container 6 through the vacuum generating material 3 and the gap 8. As a result, the pressure difference between the ink container 6 and the vacuum generating material 4 is eliminated. In the ink jet recording operation, the above operation is repeated, so that a certain specific level of vacuum is maintained in the ink cartridge. Except for the ink accumulated on the inner wall surface of the ink container 6, all the ink in the ink container 6 can be used completely, so that the ink use efficiency is high (Fig. 16 (c)).

When the recording operation is not performed, the capillary force (meniscus force at the contact surface between the ink and the vacuum generator) of the vacuum generating material 3 itself appears to prevent ink leakage from the ink jet recording head.

Fig. 18 considers the volume ratio between the vacuum generating container 4 and the ink container b and also considers the selection of the material of the vacuum generating material 3 according to the ink jet recording head used with the ink container. Another embodiment is shown in which the container 6 has a plurality of partition walls 61.

The reinforcement of the side wall will be described.

In the ink cartridge, it is preferable that the ink cartridge is durable against changes in external force and external air during transportation while maintaining high use efficiency.

In this embodiment, when the external force is applied to the side walls 12a, 12b, 12c, the deformation amount is equal in the vacuum generating container 4 and the ink container 6.

For example, cartridges are usually made by molding plastic materials. As shown in FIG. 15 (b) and FIG. 17, the thickness of the side wall 12a of the vacuum generating material container 4 is thicker than the thickness of the side walls 12b and 12c of the ink container part 6, respectively. The partitions (ribs) 61 are arranged to extend between the opposing side walls, leaving a gap in the bottom of the position separating the space into two equal spaces in the ink container 6. Further, the deformation δt6 of the wall in response to the corresponding load per unit area is made small, and the deformations of the side walls 12b and 12c at the opposite ends of the ribs 61 are made equal. By equalizing the amount of deformation δt4 of the vacuum generating material container 4, leakage of ink due to deformation of the wall can be prevented.

In the ink cartridge shown in Figs. 15 (b) and 17, the wall material is polypropylene (PP), and the outer dimensions are as follows. That is, the length is 48 mm, the height is 35 mm, and the thickness is 11 mm. In this case, the ink cartridge is substantially divided into the vacuum generating container 4 and the ink container 6 at the center of 48 mm in length. The side wall 12a of the vacuum generating material container 4 has a thickness of 1.5 mm, the side walls 12b and 12c of the ink container 6 have a thickness of 1 mm, and the rib 61 of the ink container 6 has a thickness of 61 mm. ) Is placed approximately 10 mm away from the wall. Thereby, more than twice as much margin can be provided for the load handled (approximately 2 kg). At the same time, sufficient strength can be provided against pressure changes and temperature changes during transport.

In this embodiment, only one rib 61 is formed in the ink container 6 because of the size of the ink container. However, the number of ribs is not limited, and the ribs 61 as shown in FIG. 18 can be formed according to the size of the ink cartridge. The number, location and wall thickness of the ribs can also be appropriately determined by one skilled in the art.

20 is a relationship of ink leakage irradiated to determine the wall thickness of the ink container 6, and the wall thickness of the vacuum generating container 4, the wall thickness of various walls, and the relationship of ink leakage during handling and transportation. Shows.

Any increase in wall thickness results in an increase in resistance to ink leakage. However, from the viewpoint of size reduction and high use efficiency of the ink, smaller wall thickness is preferable to increase the internal volume. Based on the data shown in the figure, a wall thickness of 1.5 mm was used for the side wall of the vacuum generating container 4 and a side wall thickness of 1.0 mm was used for the ink container 6.

Depending on the size of the ink cartridge, the above dimensions can be determined based on the data in this figure. The wall thickness of the vacuum generating material container 4 is preferably 1.3 to 3 times the wall thickness of the ink container 6.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed herein, the present invention is not limited to the above-described details, and the present application is not limited to the modifications or modifications that may be made within the scope of the following claims or within the scope of the following claims. It was intended to be included.

Claims (22)

The liquid container connectable to the ink jet head of the ink jet apparatus includes a recording liquid supply inlet in which the first chamber contains a negative pressure generating material, and the first chamber supplies liquid to the ink jet head, and communicates with external air. A first chamber having an air vent; The second chamber accommodates the liquid to be supplied to the first chamber, the second chamber communicates with the first chamber through a communication port formed adjacent to a bottom portion away from the air vent portion, and the second chamber A second chamber substantially sealed except for the communication port; A liquid container having a partition wall separating the first chamber and the second chamber and forming an upper portion of the communication port, wherein the portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet is formed of the ink jet head. A liquid container, characterized in that the compressible region can be compressed by the ink containing tube. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure generating material is not substantially compressed by the bottom end of the partition wall. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure generating member has a portion which is not compressed by an ink storage tube of the ink jet between the compressible region and the communication connector. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the communication connector is a gap formed by an end portion of a wall constituting the first chamber and a bottom portion of an inner wall, and is in a bottom position when used. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein the negative pressure generating material is a porous material, and the gap is 20 mm or less and larger than an average pore size of the negative pressure generating material. The liquid container according to claim 5, wherein the gap is 0.5 mm or more and 5 mm or less. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber is provided with reinforcing members connected to the opposite side walls by being separated from each other by a distance greater than a distance of the communication connector. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the volume ratio between the first chamber and the second chamber is 1: 3 to 1: 1. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the interior of the second chamber extends upward when in use. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the inner bottom surface of the second chamber rises away from the communication connection port when in use. A liquid container unit comprising a plurality of the liquid containers according to claim 1. 12. The liquid container unit according to claim 11, wherein the liquid container accommodates yellow ink, cyan ink and magenta ink, respectively. The liquid container unit according to claim 11, wherein the liquid container accommodates yellow ink, cyan ink, magenta ink and black ink, respectively. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container contains ink as a liquid. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure generating material further comprises a compressed porous material or a heat-compressed porous material. A negative pressure generating material, the first storing chamber having an air vent portion for receiving and communicating with surrounding air; The second storage chamber accommodates the ink to be supplied to the first storage chamber, and the second storage chamber is except for a portion communicating with the first storage chamber through a micro-communication connector formed at a position away from the air vent portion. An ink jet cartridge having a substantially sealed second storage chamber, wherein the micro-communication connector is divided by a partition wall separating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber and an inner surface of the cartridge. One side of the first storage chamber opposite the partition wall forms an ink supply inlet; The ink supply inlet accommodates the ink containing tube of the ink jet head, and the portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet can be compressed by the ink containing tube of the ink jet head toward the micro-communication connector. An ink jet cartridge comprising a compressible area. 17. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 16, wherein the cartridge is provided with a sealing means which seals the supply inlet and the air vent and moves before inserting the ink containing tube of the ink jet head. A negative pressure generating material, the first storing chamber having an air vent portion for receiving and communicating with surrounding air; The second storage chamber directly receives the ink to be supplied to the first storage chamber, and the second storage chamber excludes a portion communicating with the first storage chamber through a micro-communication connector formed at a position away from the air vent part. In the ink jet cartridge having a substantially sealed second storage chamber, the micro-communication connector is divided by a partition wall separating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber and the inner surface of the cartridge. One side of the first chamber different from the partition wall forms an ink supply inlet; The ink supply inlet accommodates the ink containing tube of the ink jet head, and the portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet is a compressible area that can be compressed by the ink containing tube of the ink jet head; And the negative pressure generating material has a portion which is not compressed by an ink storage tube of the ink jet head between the compressible region and the micro-communication connector. A first storage chamber for storing the negative pressure generating member and having an air vent portion communicating with external air; The second storage chamber directly receives the ink to be supplied to the first storage chamber, and the second storage chamber excludes a portion communicating with the first storage chamber through a micro-communication connector formed at a position away from the air vent part. In the ink jet cartridge having a second chamber for supplying ink to the first storage chamber in a substantially sealed state, the communication connector is a separator separating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber. A side surface of the first chamber, which is divided by a wall and an inner surface of the cartridge, and different from the partition wall, forms an ink supply inlet; The portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet is a compressible area that can be compressed by the ink storage tube of the ink jet head; And the negative pressure generating material has a portion which is not compressed by an ink storage tube of the ink jet head between the compression region and the communication connection port. 20. The ink jet cartridge according to claim 19, wherein an area of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the air vent part does not contain ink. A first storage chamber which contains a negative pressure generating material and has an air vent portion in communication with surrounding air; The second storage chamber directly stores the ink to be stored in the first storage chamber, and the second storage chamber is except for the portion communicating with the first storage chamber through a micro-communication opening formed at a position away from the air vent. An ink jet head having a substantially sealed second storage chamber, wherein the micro-communication connector is divided by a partition wall separating the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber and an inner surface of the cartridge. A side surface of the first storage chamber different from the partition wall has an ink supply inlet; The portion of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the recording liquid supply inlet is a compressible area that can be compressed by the ink containing tube of the ink jet head; And the area of the negative pressure generating material adjacent to the air vent part does not receive ink. In the printer using the ink jet head according to claim 21, the side of the first storage chamber different from the partition wall is the side opposite to the partition wall, and the ink supply inlet and the micro-communication connector are disposed adjacent to the bottom. And the ink supply inlet is located at a lower level than the ink supply inlet, and the air vent part is located at a high level.

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