WO2007122795A1 - 液体収容容器 - Google Patents
液体収容容器 Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2007122795A1 WO2007122795A1 PCT/JP2007/000291 JP2007000291W WO2007122795A1 WO 2007122795 A1 WO2007122795 A1 WO 2007122795A1 JP 2007000291 W JP2007000291 W JP 2007000291W WO 2007122795 A1 WO2007122795 A1 WO 2007122795A1
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- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- liquid
- ink
- storage chamber
- communication path
- chamber
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
- B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
- B41J2/17566—Ink level or ink residue control
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
- B41J2/175—Ink supply systems ; Circuit parts therefor
- B41J2/17503—Ink cartridges
- B41J2/17513—Inner structure
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an air release type liquid storage container that supplies liquid stored in a container main body that is detachably attached to a liquid consumption apparatus to the liquid consumption apparatus.
- an ink jet type recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is replaceably mounted.
- the ink cartridge is usually stored in the ink storage chamber, in which the ink is filled in a container body that is detachably mounted in the cartridge mounting portion of the ink jet recording apparatus.
- An air passage that introduces air from the outside into the ink storage chamber as the ink is consumed, and the cartridge mounting portion when the cartridge is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion of an ink jet recording apparatus.
- the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus controls the ejection of ink droplets using heat and vibration.
- the ink ejection operation is performed when the ink cartridge is out of ink and ink is not supplied. If an empty strike occurs, the failure will occur. Therefore, in the ink jet recording apparatus, the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge is monitored so that the recording head does not run out. Need arises.
- Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2 0 0 1 _ 1 4 6 0 30
- an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, to prevent an increase in the viscosity of the liquid due to the evaporation of moisture in the liquid via the atmosphere communication path, and to ventilate the air in the liquid storage chamber
- a liquid storage container with an open air type that can suppress liquid quality deterioration due to contact between liquid and fresh air, and can maintain the quality of the liquid for a longer period of time. It is to be.
- the object of the present invention is to provide a liquid storage chamber for storing a liquid in a liquid storage container mounted on the liquid consumption device, a liquid supply unit connected to the liquid consumption device, and the liquid storage chamber.
- An atmosphere open type liquid storage container comprising: a remaining liquid sensor for detecting that the liquid in the liquid storage chamber has been exhausted by detecting the inflow of gas into the body guiding path, In the middle of the passage, there is provided a narrow communication passage portion that is formed narrower than the other communication passage portions and can hold a part of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber by a meniscus, and is stored in the liquid storage chamber.
- the liquid containing container is characterized in that an amount of liquid capable of shutting off the liquid in the atmosphere is held in the narrow communication path portion.
- the atmosphere communication path is sealed with the liquid held in the narrow communication portion provided in the middle, the atmosphere in the ink storage chamber is not naturally ventilated.
- the water in the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber does not evaporate from the atmosphere communication path to the outside, and an increase in the viscosity of the liquid due to the evaporation of the water can be prevented.
- the liquid seal passes the liquid sealed in a liquid state with the external atmosphere in a minute bubble state. It is introduced into the storage chamber, and the atmospheric pressure in the liquid storage chamber is returned to atmospheric pressure. However, if the atmospheric pressure in the liquid storage chamber does not drop, no external air is introduced. In other words, since the inflow of the atmosphere into the liquid storage chamber via the atmosphere communication path is regulated to the minimum necessary, deterioration of the quality of the liquid due to contact between the liquid and fresh air can be suppressed. Therefore, the quality of the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber can be stably maintained over a longer period.
- an air outlet at one end of the narrow communication path portion is provided in the vicinity of the bottom wall of the liquid containing chamber, and an air inlet at the other end is provided in the liquid containing chamber. It is desirable that the bottom wall is provided below the bottom wall.
- the liquid container having such a configuration for example, when a predetermined amount of liquid is filled in the liquid storage chamber at the time of manufacture or the like, the fluid communication in the liquid storage chamber acting on the large airflow outlet is thinly connected. The required amount of liquid can be fed to the part and held, and the liquid seal part can be easily formed in the middle of the air communication path.
- the narrow communication path portion is substantially L-shaped. It is desirable to be formed in a shape.
- the meniscus generated at the substantially L-shaped bent portion with respect to the sealing liquid held in the narrow communication passage portion holds the holding force that restricts the movement of the liquid. It is possible to stably maintain the liquid seal state in which the liquid is held in the narrow communication passage.
- the object of the above-described problem is to provide a liquid storage chamber for storing a liquid in a liquid storage container mounted on the liquid consumption device, a liquid supply unit connected to the liquid consumption device, and the liquid storage chamber.
- the liquid container is provided with a portion, and an amount of liquid capable of blocking the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber from the atmosphere is held in the narrow communication path portion.
- the atmosphere communication path is liquid-sealed by the liquid held in the narrow communication portion provided in the middle thereof, so that the atmosphere in the ink storage chamber is not naturally ventilated.
- the water in the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber does not evaporate from the atmosphere communication path to the outside, and an increase in the viscosity of the liquid due to the evaporation of the water can be prevented.
- FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ink cartridge as an embodiment of a liquid container according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of an ink cartridge as an embodiment of the present invention viewed from an angle opposite to that in FIG.
- FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an ink cartridge as one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an ink cartridge as an embodiment of the present invention viewed from an angle opposite to that in FIG.
- FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where an ink cartridge as an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a carriage of an ink jet recording apparatus.
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before attachment of the ink cartridge to the carriage as one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state immediately after the ink cartridge is attached to the carriage as one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a view of the ink cartridge main body of the ink cartridge as one embodiment of the present invention as seen from the front side.
- FIG. 9 is a view of an ink cartridge main body of an ink cartridge as one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back side.
- FIG. 10 (a) is a simplified schematic diagram of FIG. 8, and (b) is a simplified schematic diagram of FIG.
- FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
- FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the flow path structure in the cartridge body shown in FIG.
- ink discharge port liquid discharge port
- FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an ink cartridge as an embodiment of a liquid container according to the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a view of the ink cartridge of this embodiment as viewed from the opposite angle to FIG. It is an external perspective view.
- FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge of the present embodiment
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge of the present embodiment as viewed from the opposite angle to FIG.
- FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the ink cartridge according to the present embodiment is attached to the carriage.
- FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state immediately before the attachment to the carriage
- FIG. 7 is a state immediately after being attached to the carriage.
- the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and ink (liquid) is placed in an ink storage chamber (liquid storage chamber) provided inside. It is a liquid container that stores and stores I.
- the ink cartridge 1 is mounted on a carriage 20 of an ink jet recording apparatus as an example of a liquid consuming apparatus, and supplies ink to the ink jet recording apparatus (see FIG. 5).
- the ink cartridge 1 has a flat upper surface 1a and an ink jet on the bottom surface 1b opposite to the upper surface 1a.
- An ink supply unit (liquid supply unit) 50 that is connected to the vertical recording apparatus and supplies ink is provided.
- an air opening hole 100 for introducing air into the ink cartridge 1 is opened on the bottom surface 1 b. That is, the ink cartridge 1 has an air release type ink force that supplies ink from the ink supply unit 50 while introducing air from the air release hole 100. One trough.
- the air opening hole 100 is formed of a substantially cylindrical recess 10 0 1 that opens from the bottom surface to the top surface on the bottom surface 1 b, and the recess 1 And a small hole 10 2 opened in the inner peripheral surface of 0 1.
- the small hole 10 2 communicates with an atmospheric communication path described later, and the atmospheric air is introduced into the uppermost upstream ink storage chamber 3 70 described later through the small hole 10 2.
- the concave portion 1 0 1 of the atmosphere opening hole 1 0 0 is configured to have such a depth as to receive the protrusion 2 3 0 formed on the carriage 2 0 0.
- the protrusion 2 30 is a forgetting to prevent peeling for preventing the forgetting to peel off the sealing film 90 as a closing means for closing the air opening hole 10 0 in an airtight manner. That is, in the state where the sealing film 90 is attached, the protrusion 2 30 is not inserted into the atmosphere opening hole 100, and thus the ink cartridge 1 cannot be attached to the carriage 2 200. As a result, the ruzer prevents the ink cartridge 1 from being attached to the carriage 2 0 0 while the sealing film 90 is attached to the air opening hole 1 0 0. When the cartridge 1 is mounted, it can be urged to surely remove the sealing film 90.
- the carriage 2 200 that is the receiver is provided with irregularities 2 2 0 corresponding to the erroneous insertion prevention protrusions 2 2, and the ink cartridge 1 is uneven with the erroneous insertion prevention protrusions 2 2. Mounted on the carriage 2 0 0 only when 2 2 0 does not interfere.
- the misinsertion preventing projection 22 has a different shape for each type of ink, and the concave and convex portion 220 on the side of the carrier 20 0 serving as a receiver also has a shape corresponding to the type of the corresponding ink. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, even when the carriage 200 can mount a plurality of ink cartridges, the ink cartridge is not mounted at an incorrect position.
- the ink cartridge 1 faces the narrow side surface 1 c.
- An engaging lever 11 is provided on the narrow side surface 1 d.
- the engagement lever 11 is formed with a protrusion 1 1 a that engages with a recess 2 1 0 formed in the carriage 2 200 when the engagement lever 1 1 is mounted, and the engagement lever 1 1 is bent.
- the ink ridge 1 is fixed in position relative to the carriage 2 0 0.
- a circuit board 34 is provided below the engagement lever 11.
- a plurality of electrode terminals 3 4 a are formed on the circuit board 3 4, and these electrode terminals 3 4 a come into contact with an electrode member (not shown) provided on the carriage 200, thereby providing ink.
- Cartridge 1 is electrically connected to the ink jet recording device.
- the circuit board 34 is provided with a rewritable nonvolatile memory, and stores various information about the ink cartridge 1 and ink usage information of the ink jet recording apparatus.
- there is a residual liquid sensor (sensor unit) 3 1 (see Fig. 3 or Fig. 4) that detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 1 using residual vibration. Is provided.
- the liquid remaining amount sensor 31 and the circuit board 3 4 are collectively referred to as an increase sensor 30.
- a label 60 a indicating the contents of the ink cartridge is affixed to the upper surface 1 a of the ink cartridge 1.
- the label 60 a is formed by sticking the end portion of the outer surface film 60 covering the wide side surface 1 f to the upper surface 1 a.
- the wide side surfaces 1 e and 1 f adjacent to the two long sides of the upper surface 1 a of the ink cartridge 1 have a flat surface shape.
- the wide side 1e side is the front side
- the wide side 1f side is the back side
- the narrow side 1c side is the right side
- the narrow side 1d side is the left side As explained.
- the ink cartridge 1 includes a cartridge body 10 which is a container body, And a lid member 20 that covers the front side of the ridge body 10.
- the cartridge body 10 is formed with ribs 1 O a having various shapes on the front side thereof, and these ribs 10 a form a partition, and a plurality of inks I are filled with.
- An ink storage chamber liquid storage chamber
- an unfilled chamber in which ink I is not filled an air chamber positioned in the middle of an air communication path 150 to be described later, and the like are partitioned.
- a film 80 that covers the front side of the cartridge body 10 is provided between the cartridge body 10 and the lid member 20.
- the upper surface of the rib, recess, and groove is provided by the film 80.
- a plurality of flow paths are blocked to form an ink storage chamber, an unfilled chamber, and an air chamber.
- a differential pressure valve housing chamber 40 a as a recess for housing the differential pressure valve 40 and a gas-liquid separation chamber 7 as a recess constituting the gas-liquid separation filter 70. 0 a is formed.
- differential pressure valve 40 a In the differential pressure valve storage chamber 40 a, a valve member 41, a spring 4 2, and a spring seat 43 are accommodated to constitute a differential pressure valve 40.
- the differential pressure valve 40 is disposed between the downstream ink supply unit 50 and the upstream ink storage chamber, and supplies the ink supply unit 50 with a pressure reduction on the downstream side relative to the upstream side.
- Ink I is configured to have negative pressure.
- a gas-liquid separation membrane 71 is attached to the upper surface of the gas-liquid separation chamber 70a along the bank 70b that surrounds the outer periphery provided near the center of the gas-liquid separation chamber 70a. ing.
- the gas-liquid separation membrane 71 is a material that allows gas to pass through and blocks liquid from passing through, and constitutes a gas-liquid separation filter 70 as a whole.
- the gas-liquid separation filter 70 is provided in an atmosphere communication path 15 50 connecting the atmosphere opening hole 100 and the ink storage chamber, and ink I in the ink storage chamber passes through the atmosphere communication path 15 50. This is to prevent the air from being released from the open hole 100.
- a plurality of grooves 10b are formed on the back side of the cartridge body 10a. These grooves 10 0 b are formed on the outer surface of the outer surface film 6 with the differential pressure valve 40 and the gas-liquid separation filter 70 formed. By covering with 0, the opening of each groove 1 Ob is closed, and the atmosphere communication path 150 and the ink guide path are formed.
- a sensor chamber 30 a is formed as a recess for housing each member constituting the ink end sensor 30.
- the sensor chamber 30a stores therein a remaining liquid sensor 31 and a compression spring 32 that presses and fixes the remaining liquid sensor 31 to the inner wall surface of the sensor chamber 30a.
- the opening of the sensor chamber 30 a is covered with a cover member 33, and the circuit board 34 is fixed on the outer surface 33 a of the cover member 33.
- the sensing member of the liquid remaining amount sensor 3 1 is connected to the circuit board 3 4.
- the liquid remaining amount sensor 31 includes a cavity that forms part of the ink guide path between the ink storage chamber and the ink supply unit 50, and a diaphragm that forms part of the wall surface of the cavity. And a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator) that applies vibration on the diaphragm, and detects the presence or absence of ink I in the ink guide path from residual vibration when vibration is applied to the diaphragm. .
- This liquid remaining amount sensor 31 detects the difference in amplitude, frequency, etc. of residual vibration between ink I and gas (bubble B mixed in ink), and the presence or absence of ink I in the cartridge body 10 Is detected.
- the ink I in the ink storage chamber in the cartridge body 10 is exhausted, and the air introduced into the ink storage chamber travels through the ink guide path and enters the capacity of the liquid remaining amount sensor 31. Then, the change is detected from the change in amplitude and frequency of the residual vibration at that time, and an electrical signal indicating the ink end is output.
- the ink cartridge 1 is provided on the bottom side of the cartridge body 10 via a vacuum evacuation means as shown in FIG.
- Depressurized hole 110 for use in depressurization by sucking air from the inside, recess 9 5a constituting the ink guide path from the ink storage chamber to the ink supply unit 50, and provided below the ink end sensor 30
- the buffer chamber 30 b is formed.
- the sealing film 90 that seals the air opening hole 100 is peeled off by the user before the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus and put into use.
- the air opening hole 10 0 0 is exposed to the outside, and the ink storage chamber inside the ink cartridge 1 communicates with the outside air via the air communication passage 15 0.
- the sealing film 35 attached to the outer surface of the ink supply unit 50 is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the ink jet recording apparatus is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus side. It is configured to be broken by the ink supply needle 2 4 0.
- the ink supply needle 2 40 when the ink supply needle 2 40 is inserted into the ink supply unit 50, the inner periphery of the seal member 51 and the outer periphery of the ink supply needle 2 40 are The gap between the ink supply unit 50 and the ink supply needle 240 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner. Also, the tip of the ink supply needle 51 touches the spring seat 52 and pushes the spring seat 52 upward to release the seal between the spring seat 52 and the seal member 51. Ink can be supplied from 50 to the ink supply needle 240.
- FIG. 8 is a view of the cartridge body 10 of the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment as viewed from the front side
- FIG. 9 is a view of the cartridge body 10 of the ink cartridge 1 of the present embodiment from the back side.
- (A) in FIG. 10 is a simplified schematic diagram in FIG. 8
- (b) in FIG. 10 is a simplified schematic diagram in FIG. 9, and FIG. It is A sectional drawing.
- FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the flow path shown in FIG.
- the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 and the lower ink storage chamber 39 0 divided into two upper and lower portions
- Three ink storage chambers including a buffer chamber 4 30 positioned so as to be sandwiched between the upper and lower ink storage chambers are formed on the front side of the cartridge body 10 (see FIG. 10).
- an air communication path 15 50 is formed on the back side of the cartridge body 10 to introduce air into the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 which is the most upstream ink storage chamber according to the amount of ink I consumed. ing.
- each of these ink storage chambers is a recess 3 7 4 that is recessed downward in a part of the rib 10 a that extends in the horizontal direction and serves as the bottom wall of the storage chamber. , 3 9 4, 4 3 4 are formed.
- the recess 3 74 is a part of the bottom wall 3 75 that is recessed downward by the rib 10 a of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70.
- the recess 3 94 is recessed in the thickness direction of the liquor ridge by the bottom wall 3 95 and the bulge of the wall surface by the rib 10 a of the lower ink storage chamber 3 90.
- the recess 4 3 4 is obtained by recessing a part of the bottom wall 4 3 5 by the rib 10 a of the buffer chamber 4 3 0 downward.
- each recess 3 7 4, 3 9 4, 4 3 4 or in the vicinity thereof there are an ink guide path 3 80, an upstream ink sensor communication channel 4 0 0 and an ink guide path Ink discharge ports 3 7 1, 3 1 1, 4 3 2 communicating with 4 4 0 are provided.
- the ink discharge ports 3 7 1 and 4 3 2 are through holes that penetrate the wall surfaces of the respective ink storage chambers in the thickness direction of the cartridge body 10. Further, the ink discharge port 3 11 is a through hole penetrating the bottom wall 3 95 downward.
- the ink guide path 3 80 communicates with the ink discharge port 3 71 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70, and the other end of the ink inlet 3 provided in the lower ink storage chamber 3 90. 9 Communicates with 1 and upper ink storage chamber 3 70 This is a communication channel that leads to the tank storage chamber.
- the ink guide path 3 80 is provided in a form extending vertically downward from the ink discharge port 3 71 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70, and the flow direction of the ink I in the communication flow path is from the top.
- a pair of liquid storage chambers 3 7 0 and 3 90 are connected to each other by a descending connection that forms a downward flow.
- the ink guide path 4 2 0 communicates with the ink discharge port 3 1 2 of the cavity in the liquid remaining amount sensor 31 located at one end downstream of the lower ink storage chamber 3 90, and the other end / It communicates with an ink inlet 4 3 1 provided in the buffer chamber 4 30, and guides the ink I in the lower ink storage chamber 3 90 to the buffer chamber 4 3 0.
- the ink guide path 4 2 0 is provided in a form extending obliquely upward from the cavity ink discharge port 3 1 2 in the liquid remaining amount sensor 3 1, and the flow direction of the ink I in the communication flow path is
- a pair of ink storage chambers 3 90 and 4 30 are connected to each other by an ascending connection that forms an upward flow from bottom to top.
- the three ink storage chambers 3 7 0, 3 90, 4 3 0 are connected in series to alternately repeat the descending type connection and the ascending type connection. ing.
- the ink guide path 44 0 is an ink flow path that guides ink from the ink discharge port 4 32 of the buffer chamber 4 30 to the differential pressure valve 40.
- the ink inlets 3 9 1 and 4 3 1 of the respective ink storage chambers are the ink discharge ports 3 7 1 and 3 1 provided in the respective storage chambers. It is provided above 1 and in the vicinity of the bottom walls 3 7 5, 3 95, and 4 3 5 of each ink storage chamber.
- the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 is the uppermost (uppermost) ink storage chamber in the cartridge main body 10 and is formed on the front side of the cartridge main body 10 as shown in FIG.
- This upper ink storage chamber 3 70 is approximately half of the ink storage chamber.
- the ink storage area occupies the upper part of the cartridge body 10 and is formed in the upper part.
- An ink discharge port 3 71 that communicates with the ink guide path 3 80 is opened in the recess 3 7 4 of the bottom wall 3 75 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70.
- This ink discharge port 3 7 1 is located at a position lower than the bottom wall 3 75 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 7 0, and the ink level F in the upper ink storage chamber 3 7 0 is the bottom wall 3 7 5 Even if the ink level drops to the lower limit, it is located below the ink level F at that time, and the derivation of stable ink I continues.
- the ink guide path 3 80 is formed on the back side of the cartridge body 10 and guides the ink I from below to the lower ink storage chamber 3 90.
- the lower ink storage chamber 3 90 is an ink storage chamber into which the ink I stored in the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 is introduced, and is formed on the front side of the cartridge body 10 as shown in FIG. This is an ink containing area that occupies about half of the ink containing chamber, and is formed in a portion from approximately half to the lower part of the cartridge body 10.
- the ink inflow port 3 9 1 communicating with the ink guide path 3 80 is a lower ink storage chamber
- Opening is made in a communication flow path disposed below the bottom wall 3 95 of 3 90, and ink I flows from the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 through the communication flow path.
- the lower ink storage chamber 3 90 communicates with the upstream upstream sensor connection flow path 400 through an ink discharge port 3 11 passing through the bottom wall 3 95.
- the upstream side ink sensor connection flow path 400 has a three-dimensional maze flow path that captures the bubbles B and the like that flowed before the ink end in the maze flow path. It is configured not to flow to the side.
- the upstream side ink end sensor communication channel 400 communicates with the downstream side ink end sensor communication channel 41 via a through hole (not shown), and the downstream side ink sensor connection channel 4 Ink I is guided to the remaining liquid sensor 3 1 via 1 0
- the ink I guided to the remaining liquid sensor 31 passes through the cavity (flow path) in the remaining liquid sensor 31 and passes through the ink outlet 3 1 2 serving as the outlet of the cavity.
- the ink guide path 4 2 0 guided to the ink guide path 4 2 0 formed on the back side of the cartridge body 10 is formed so as to guide the ink I obliquely upward from the liquid remaining amount sensor 3 1. And connected to an ink inlet 4 3 1 communicating with the buffer chamber 4 3 0.
- the ink I that has left the liquid remaining amount sensor 31 is guided to the buffer chamber 4 30 through the ink guide path 4 2 0.
- the buffer chamber 4 30 is a small chamber defined by a rib 10 a between the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 and the lower ink storage chamber 3 90, and immediately before the differential pressure valve 40. It is formed as an ink storage space.
- the buffer chamber 4 3 0 is formed so as to face the back side of the differential pressure valve 40, and the ink discharge path 4 3 2 communicated with the ink discharge port 4 3 2 formed in the recess 4 3 4 of the buffer chamber 4 3 0 Ink I flows into differential pressure valve 4 0 through 4 0.
- the ink I flowing into the differential pressure valve 40 is guided to the downstream side by the differential pressure valve 40 and is guided to the outlet flow path 45 0 through the through hole 4 51.
- the outlet channel 45 0 communicates with the ink supply unit 50, and ink I is supplied to the ink jet recording apparatus side via the ink supply needle 24 0 inserted into the ink supply unit 50. Is done.
- the above-described ink storage chamber (upper ink storage chamber 3 70, lower portion is disposed on the front side of the cartridge body 10.
- the unfilled chamber 5 0 1 is a hatched region near the left side surface on the front side of the cartridge body 10 and is sandwiched between the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 and the lower ink storage chamber 3 9 0
- the compartments are formed as follows.
- the unfilled chamber 50 1 is provided with an air release hole 50 2 penetrating to the back side at the upper left corner of the inner region, and communicates with the outside air through the air release hole 50 2.
- the unfilled chamber 51 is a deaeration chamber in which a negative pressure for deaeration is accumulated when the ink cartridge 1 is packed in a decompression pack. Therefore, before use, the pressure inside the cartridge body 10 is kept below the specified value by the negative pressure suction force of the unfilled chamber 50 1 and the decompression pack, and ink I with less dissolved air can be supplied.
- the serpentine 3 10 is an elongate meander path formed so as to increase the distance from the air opening hole 100 to the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 and to suppress the evaporation of moisture in the ink.
- the other end of the serpentine 3 1 0 is connected to the gas-liquid separation filter 70.
- a through-hole 3 2 2 is formed in the bottom surface of the gas-liquid separation chamber 70 0a constituting the gas-liquid separation filter 70, and the front side of the cartridge main body 10 through the through-hole 3 2 2 It communicates with the space 3 2 0 formed in the.
- a gas-liquid separation film 71 is disposed between the through hole 3 2 2 and the other end of the serpentine 3 10.
- the gas-liquid separation membrane 71 is formed by knitting a fiber material having high water and oil repellency into a mesh shape.
- the space 3 2 0 is formed on the upper right side of the upper ink chamber 3 70 when viewed from the front side of the cartridge main body 10.
- a through hole 3 21 is opened above the through hole 3 2 2.
- the space 3 20 communicates with the upper connection channel 3 30 formed on the back side through the through hole 3 2 1.
- the upper connecting flow path 3 30 is seen from the rear side so as to pass through the uppermost side of the ink cartridge 11, that is, the uppermost part in the direction of gravity when the ink cartridge 11 is attached. Folded at the flow path part 3 3 3 extending rightward along the long side from the through hole 3 2 1 and the folded part 3 3 5 near the short side And the flow path portion 3 3 7 extending through the upper surface side of the ink cartridge 11 1 to the through hole 3 41 formed near the through hole 3 21.
- the through hole 3 41 communicates with an ink trap chamber 3 40 formed on the front side.
- the through hole 3 4 1 is formed in the flow path portion 3 3 7 extending from the folded portion 3 3 5 to the through hole 3 4 1.
- Position 3 3 6 and a recess 3 3 2 in which the position in the cartridge thickness direction is dug deeper than the position 3 3 6, and a plurality of ribs 3 3 1 are formed to divide the recess 3 3 2.
- the flow path portion 3 3 3 extending from the through hole 3 2 1 to the folded portion 3 3 5 is formed to be shallower than the flow path portion 3 3 7 extending from the folded portion 3 3 5 to the through hole 3 4 1. ing.
- the upper connection channel 3 30 is formed in the uppermost portion in the direction of gravity, basically, the ink I exceeds the upper connection channel 3 30 and the atmosphere. It is configured not to move to the opening hole 100 side. Further, the upper connecting flow path 3 30 has a width that is wide enough to prevent backflow of the ink I due to capillarity or the like, and the flow path part 3 37 has a recess 3 3 2 formed therein. It is configured to easily capture the back-flowing ink I.
- the ink trap chamber 3 40 is a rectangular parallelepiped space formed at the upper right corner of the cartridge body 10 when viewed from the front side. As shown in FIG. 12, the through hole 3 41 opens near the upper left rear corner of the ink trap chamber 3 40 when viewed from the front side. Further, a notch 3 4 2 in which a part of a rib 10 a serving as a partition is cut out is formed in the corner portion on the lower right front side of the ink trap chamber 3 4 0. This notch 3 It communicates with the communication buffer chamber 3 5 0 via 4 2.
- the ink trap chamber 3 4 0 and the communication buffer chamber 3 5 0 are air chambers in a form in which the volume in the middle of the atmosphere communication path 1 5 0 is expanded, and for some reason, the upper ink storage chamber Even if ink I flows backward from 3 70, the ink I remains in the ink wrap chamber 3 4 0 and the communication buffer chamber 3 5 0, and the ink I It is configured so as not to flow into the air release hole 100 side as much as possible.
- the role of the specific ink trap chamber 3 4 0 and the communication buffer chamber 3 5 0 will be described later.
- the communication buffer chamber 3 5 0 is a space formed below the ink trap chamber 3 4 0.
- the bottom surface 3 5 2 of the connection buffer chamber 3 5 0 is provided with a pressure reducing hole 1 1 0 for venting air when ink is injected.
- a through-hole 3 5 1 is opened in the thickness direction side near the bottom 3 5 2 and at the lowermost part in the gravitational direction when mounted on the ink jet recording device. It communicates with the narrow communication path 3 60 formed on the back side via 5 1.
- the narrow communication path 3 60 is a part of the atmosphere communication path 1 5 0 that allows the upper ink storage chamber 3 7 0 to communicate with the atmosphere opening hole 1 0 0, as shown in FIG. 1 0 (b). As shown in the figure, it extends to the upper center side when viewed from the back side, and communicates with the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 through a through hole 3 7 2 opened near the bottom wall of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70. Yes.
- the through hole 3 72 at one end of the narrow communication path 3 60 is an atmospheric outlet that introduces outside air into the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 via the atmospheric communication path 1 5 0.
- the through hole 3 51 at the other end of the narrow communication path 3 60 communicates with the communication buffer chamber 3 50, and the atmosphere that introduces outside air from the communication buffer chamber 3 50 to the narrow communication path 3 60. It is an inflow port.
- 3 7 2 is provided in the vicinity of the bottom wall 3 7 5 (see FIG. 10 (a)) of the uppermost upper ink storage chamber 3 70, and the through hole 3 serving as the air inlet at the other end 5 1 is provided below the bottom wall 3 75 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 by a distance H 1.
- the narrow communication path 3 60 is composed of a first communication path 3 6 1 that descends substantially vertically from the through hole 3 7 2, which is a large air flow outlet, by a distance H 1.
- the first communication passage 3 61 is substantially L-shaped by the second communication passage 3 6 2 extending from the lower end of the first communication passage 3 61 approximately horizontally by a distance L 1 and communicating with the through-hole 3 5 1 that is the air inlet. Formed into ing.
- the narrow communication path 3 60 formed in a substantially L shape by the first communication path 3 61 and the second communication path 3 6 2 is another communication path constituting the atmosphere communication path 1 5 0.
- This is a communication passage that has a narrower channel cross-section than the part, and a portion of the ink I contained in the upper ink containing chamber 370 is removed by the meniscus.
- the first communication passage 3 6 1 and the second communication passage 3 6 2 are retained in the first communication passage 3 61.
- the communication path 3 60 is thin enough to form a meniscus in all parts, the air inside the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 expands or contracts due to a temperature change or the like, and is formed in the communication path 3 60. Even when the liquid level is moved, a meniscus can be formed anywhere in the communication path 360.
- the amount of ink held in the narrow communication path 3600 is an appropriate amount that can block the ink I stored in the upper ink storage chamber 3700 from the outside atmosphere.
- the length H 1 of the first communication path 3 61 and the length L 1 of the second communication path 3 6 2 are set.
- the atmosphere communication path 15 50 is liquid-sealed by the ink I held in the portion of the narrow communication path 3 60 provided in the middle thereof. Further, the water in the ink I stored in the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 or the like does not evaporate from the atmosphere communication path 15 50 to the outside, and the increase in the viscosity of the ink I due to the evaporation of the water can be prevented.
- the liquid seal in the narrow communication path 3 60 is not externally exposed when the air pressure in the upper ink storage chamber 37 0 is reduced due to the consumption of the ink I in the upper ink storage chamber 3 70. It is passed through the ink sealed in a liquid state in a minute bubble state and introduced into the upper ink storage chamber 3 70, and the pressure inside the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 is returned to atmospheric pressure. When the air pressure in the chamber 37 0 does not drop, no external atmosphere is introduced.
- 3 60 is a through hole 3 7 2 which is an atmospheric outlet at one end and is provided in the vicinity of the bottom wall 3 7 5 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70, and a through hole 3 5 which is an atmospheric inlet at the other end 1 is provided below the bottom wall 3 75 of the upper ink storage chamber 3 70 by a distance H 1.
- the portion of the thin communication path 3 60 is formed in a substantially L shape, it is stored in the portion of the thin communication path 3 60.
- the meniscus force generated at the bent part of the approximately L-shape against the ink fountain for sealing exerts a holding force that restricts the movement (back flow) of ink I, and the ink in the narrow communication path 3 60
- the liquid-sealed state holding I can be stably maintained for a longer period.
- ink storage chambers are defined in one cartridge body, but the number of ink storage chambers provided in the cartridge body can be set to an arbitrary number of two or more. As the number of ink storage chambers increases, bubble traps are multiplexed to improve the performance of blocking the movement of bubble B downstream.
- liquid container of the present invention is not limited to the ink cartridge shown in the above embodiment.
- liquid consuming apparatus provided with the container mounting portion to which the liquid container of the present invention is mounted is not limited to the ink jet recording apparatus shown in the above embodiment.
- a container mounting portion to which a liquid storage container is detachably mounted And various devices in which the liquid stored in the liquid container is supplied to the device.
- a color material injection head used for manufacturing a color filter such as a liquid crystal display may be used. Equipped equipment, OLED display, Electrode material used for electrode formation such as surface emitting display (FED) (conductive base) Equipped with an ejection head, Bio-organic matter used for biochip production Injected head And a device equipped with a sample injection head as a precision pipette.
- FED surface emitting display
Landscapes
- Ink Jet (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CN2007800105590A CN101410253B (zh) | 2006-03-24 | 2007-03-23 | 液体容纳容器 |
JP2008511954A JP4424442B2 (ja) | 2006-03-24 | 2007-03-23 | 液体収容容器 |
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2006-083052 | 2006-03-24 | ||
JP2006-083051 | 2006-03-24 | ||
JP2006083052 | 2006-03-24 | ||
JP2006083051 | 2006-03-24 | ||
JP2006220756 | 2006-08-11 | ||
JP2006-220756 | 2006-08-11 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2007122795A1 true WO2007122795A1 (ja) | 2007-11-01 |
Family
ID=38624714
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2007/000291 WO2007122795A1 (ja) | 2006-03-24 | 2007-03-23 | 液体収容容器 |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US7971976B2 (ja) |
JP (1) | JP4424442B2 (ja) |
WO (1) | WO2007122795A1 (ja) |
Families Citing this family (6)
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CN102026816B (zh) * | 2008-05-12 | 2014-03-12 | 惠普开发有限公司 | 流体容器 |
JP5454398B2 (ja) * | 2010-07-15 | 2014-03-26 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | 液体収容容器、タンクユニット、および、液体噴射システム |
JP6155556B2 (ja) * | 2012-05-31 | 2017-07-05 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | 液体収容容器の製造方法 |
JP5997538B2 (ja) * | 2012-08-07 | 2016-09-28 | 株式会社日立産機システム | インクジェット記録装置 |
TWI599492B (zh) | 2013-03-01 | 2017-09-21 | Seiko Epson Corp | Ink tank unit, ink jet printer, ink tank |
JP7205295B2 (ja) * | 2019-02-27 | 2023-01-17 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | 液体容器 |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US7971976B2 (en) | 2011-07-05 |
JPWO2007122795A1 (ja) | 2009-08-27 |
JP4424442B2 (ja) | 2010-03-03 |
US20080018718A1 (en) | 2008-01-24 |
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