JP2009184114A - Ink tank and inkjet cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink tank and an ink cartridge capable of preventing ink from leaking to the outside without causing deterioration in manufacturing efficiency and an increase in manufacturing cost. <P>SOLUTION: The ink tank includes: a cover 5 attached to the opening of a tank case 9; and an ink absorber 3 set in the tank case 9. An ink shield plate 8 located between the ink absorber, and an air communication port 6 is sandwiched between the cover and the ink absorber 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink tank including an ink absorber in an ink storage portion, and an ink jet cartridge.

  As a negative pressure generating member for applying a negative pressure to ink, an ink tank provided with an ink absorber in an ink storage portion is arranged so that the ink in the ink absorber is changed when the attitude during distribution or the environmental temperature changes. May move and the ink may overflow from the ink absorber. In the situation where the ink tank is placed so that the air communication port formed on the lid of the ink tank faces downward, if the ink overflowing from the ink absorber enters the air communication port, the ink There is a risk of leaking outside. The same applies to an ink jet cartridge in which such an ink tank and a recording head are combined.

  As a method for preventing such leakage of ink to the outside, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of joining a guard member to the inner surface of the lid of the ink tank.

Special registration 03564895

  However, in order to join the guard member to the lid of the ink tank, it is necessary to use a welding machine or add a special member such as an adhesive. Therefore, there is a possibility that the manufacturing efficiency of the ink tank or the ink jet cartridge is deteriorated and the manufacturing cost is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an ink tank and an ink cartridge that can prevent ink leakage to the outside without deteriorating manufacturing efficiency and increasing manufacturing cost.

  The ink tank according to the present invention communicates the atmosphere inside the ink container with an ink container provided with an ink absorber, a tank case provided with an ink supply port for supplying ink in the ink container. In an ink tank comprising an air communication port of the ink and a lid for pressing the ink absorber, the lid being attached to the opening of the ink storage unit, the gap between the lid and the ink absorber In addition, an ink blocking plate located between the ink absorber and the atmosphere communication port is sandwiched.

  An inkjet cartridge according to the present invention includes the above-described ink tank and an inkjet recording head capable of ejecting ink supplied from the ink supply port.

  According to the present invention, by placing an ink blocking plate between the ink absorber and the air communication port, when ink overflows from the ink absorber, the situation where the ink directly drops into the air communication port is avoided. Thus, leakage of ink to the outside can be prevented. In other words, the ink overflowing from the ink absorber can be guided by the ink blocking plate so as to be away from the air communication port. When ink leaks from the portion of the ink absorber that does not face the ink blocking plate, the ink does not leak to the outside because there is no air communication port at the position where the ink directly drops.

  Further, since the ink blocking plate is sandwiched between the lid and the ink absorber, it is not necessary to use a welding machine for connecting the ink blocking plate to the lid or to add a special member such as an adhesive. Therefore, it is possible to provide an ink tank and an ink cartridge that can prevent leakage of ink to the outside without deteriorating the production efficiency and increasing the production cost.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink jet cartridge 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view thereof. The ink jet cartridge 1 has a configuration in which an ink tank 2 that contains ink and an ink jet recording head 4 that can eject ink supplied from an ink supply port (not shown) of the ink tank 2 are integrally coupled. Yes. The main body of the ink tank 2 is formed by the tank case 9 and the lid 5, and the ink absorber 3 is inserted into the ink storage part of the tank case 9. The recording head 4 is configured to eject ink from an ejection port using an ejection energy generating element such as an electrothermal transducer (heater) or a piezo element. When the electrothermal converter is used, the ink can be foamed by the heat generation, and the ink can be ejected from the ejection port using the foaming energy.

  When the ink tank 2 is filled with ink, before the lid 5 is attached, the injection needle is inserted from the opening of the tank case 9 to which the lid is attached, and the pressurized ink is passed through the injection needle to the ink tank. 2 is injected (pressure filling method). After the ink filling is completed, the lid 5 is welded to the opening of the tank case 9. The filled ink is absorbed from below the ink absorber 3. Therefore, the state of the ink absorber 3 after ink injection is a two-layer state of a portion 3a filled with ink and a portion 3b not filled as shown in FIG.

  A plurality of ribs 7 and air communication ports 6 are formed on the inner surface of the lid 5 welded to the opening of the tank case 9. A plurality of ribs 7 are provided to press the ink absorber 3, and a plurality of ribs 7 are provided so as to include a long linear rib 7a, a short linear rib 7b, a T-shaped rib 7c, and the like as shown in FIG. It has been. On the inner surface of the lid 5, an annular convex portion 10 that protrudes about 5 mm in a chimney shape is formed around the atmosphere communication port 6. In the case of this example, a seal 12 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the outer surface of the lid 5, and an opening portion of the atmosphere communication port 6 is formed on the outer surface portion of the lid 5 located below the seal 12. A communicating groove 13 is formed. The atmosphere communication port 6 communicates with the atmosphere through a communication path formed by the groove 13 and the seal 12.

  A recess 11 is formed on the inner surface of the lid 5. Further, an ink blocking plate 8 is interposed between the lid 5 and the ink absorber 3. The ink blocking plate 8 is provided so as to be interposed between the opposed surfaces of the air communication port 6 and the ink absorber 3.

  The tank case 9 in this example has a configuration in which a frame-like member 9b is welded to the upper part of an existing tank case 9a, thereby forming a large-capacity tank case. The welding of the frame-shaped member 9b to the existing tank case 9a is performed, for example, by melting the welding rib 9c of the frame-shaped member 9b by vibration welding. In order to stably perform the welding, it is ideal to press the welding rib 9c directly above. Therefore, a receiving portion 9d for receiving a welding horn (not shown) is provided inside the frame-shaped member 9b. In order to provide the receiving portion 9d, the inner dimension of the frame-like member 9b is about 4 mm larger than the inner dimension of the existing tank case 9a. Therefore, the inner wall of the frame-like member 9 b located on the upper side of the tank case 9 is in close contact with the ink absorber 3 only partially.

  Thus, the tank case 9 of this example is higher than the existing tank case 9a, and the amount of ink accommodated is increased. For example, the ready-made tank case 9a has a height of about 40 mm and an ink capacity of about 20 g. By attaching the frame-like member 9b, the tank case 9a has a height of about 70 mm and an ink capacity of about 40 g. 9 is configured.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of an ink jet cartridge as a comparative example including a tank case 9 having the same configuration as that of this example except that the ink blocking plate 8 is not provided.

  Assuming such a change in the environmental temperature during the distribution of the ink jet cartridge, when the test is repeatedly performed in a low temperature environment and a high temperature environment in which the ink inside freezes, the ink is absorbed inside the ink absorber 3. Has been confirmed to move. The ink that has moved to the end of the ink absorber 3 and overflowed from the ink absorber 3 accumulates in the buffer space formed between the frame-shaped member 9 b, the lid 5, and the ink absorber 3. Ink leakage to the outside is prevented. On the inner surface of the lid 5, an annular convex portion 10, a rib 7, and a concave portion 11 having a height of about 5 mm located around the atmosphere communication port are formed, so that a sufficient buffer space is secured.

  When the ink jet cartridge is in such a posture that the lid 5 is positioned on the lower side as shown in FIG. 6 and its environmental temperature is repeatedly changed, the ink moves near the center of the ink absorber 3 as shown in FIG. As a result, the ink absorber 3 may leak out. If ink overflows from the vicinity of the position of the ink absorber 3 facing the atmosphere communication port 6, the ink may drop directly into the atmosphere communication port 6 and leak to the outside.

  As described above, the ink jet cartridge 1 of this example includes the ink blocking plate 8 between the opposed surfaces of the air communication port 6 and the ink absorber 3. Therefore, the ink overflowing from the ink absorber 3 is not directly dropped into the atmosphere communication port 6, and the leakage of the ink can be prevented. In addition, since the ink blocking plate 8 can be sandwiched between the ink absorber 3 and the lid 5 by using the elastic restoring force of the ink absorber 3, a special means such as welding or adhesion is used. The ink blocking plate 8 can be attached. That is, ink leakage can be prevented by simply adding the ink blocking plate 8 so as not to be coupled to any of the tank case 9, the lid 5, and the ink absorber 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ink leakage without deteriorating the manufacturing efficiency of the ink tank and the ink jet cartridge and increasing the manufacturing cost.

  The inkjet cartridge 1 of the present invention can be manufactured as follows.

  A large-capacity tank case 9 is formed by welding the frame-like member 9b to the tank case 9a in which the inkjet recording head 4 is incorporated using a vibration welding machine. Thereafter, after the ink absorber 3 is inserted into the tank case 9, ink is injected by the pressure filling method as described above. After placing the ink blocking plate 8 on the ink absorber 3 into which ink has been injected, the lid 5 is welded to the opening of the tank case 9 using a vibration welding machine.

  The ink blocking plate 8 is sized and shaped so as to be surely positioned between the opposed surfaces of the air communication port 6 and the ink absorber 3 even when it is placed on the ink absorber 3 at random. It is desirable to set to. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the atmosphere communication port 6 is located substantially at the center of the opening of the tank case 9, the lengths L1 and L2 of the sides of the ink blocking plate 8 are the sides of the opening of the tank case 9. About 60% or more of the lengths L11 and L12. As a result, the ink blocking plate 8 is disposed between the opposed surfaces of the air communication port 6 and the ink absorber 3 regardless of the movement, such as the position of the solid line or the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. . Therefore, the assembly work efficiency of the ink tank and the ink jet cartridge can be improved.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink blocking plate 8 in this example has a planar shape that is almost the same size as the upper surface of the ink absorber 3, and the lengths L <b> 1 and L <b> 2 are the lengths L <b> 11 and L <b> 12. It is about 60% or more.

  The ink blocking plate 8 is made of a material that does not change in quality due to contact with ink and does not adversely affect the ink. For example, the same material as the tank case 9 can be used. Further, even if the lid 5 is welded to the tank case 9 by the vibration welding machine, heat that melts the ink blocking plate 8 is not generated, so that it does not couple with the lid 5 or the ink absorber 3.

(Second Embodiment)
The shape of the ink blocking plate 8 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 6, and may be a shape having protrusions 8a on the outer periphery as shown in FIGS. These protrusions 8 a regulate the position of the ink blocking plate 8 inside the tank case 9, and it is always located between the opposed surfaces of the air communication port 6 and the ink absorber 3. Therefore, as in the above-described embodiment, it is possible to prevent ink leaking from the ink absorber 3 from dropping directly into the atmosphere communication port 6. With such a shape of the ink blocking plate 8, the plane area can be reduced, the molding material can be reduced, and useless use of the molding material can be suppressed. Further, by disposing the ink blocking plate 8 so as to contact all of the ribs 7, it is possible to press the ink absorber 3 evenly. This is preferable for exhibiting the function of the ink absorber 3.

(Other embodiments)
The atmosphere communication port only needs to be able to communicate the ink storage part in the tank case with the atmosphere. The shape of the atmosphere communication port, the formation position, the configuration of the communication path for communicating it with the atmosphere, It is not limited to the embodiment described above and is arbitrary. The present invention can be widely applied to ink tanks and ink cartridges used in various ink jet recording apparatuses such as a serial scan type or a full line type.

  Further, the ink blocking plate is not necessarily a flat plate. However, it is desirable that the shape be mountable on the surface of the ink absorber. The ink blocking plate is positioned at least on a line that linearly connects the atmosphere communication port and the ink absorber, thereby avoiding a situation where ink overflowing from the ink absorber directly drops into the atmosphere communication port. . When an annular convex portion located around the opening of the air communication port is provided on the inner surface of the lid, the ink blocking plate is disposed between the opposed surface between the region inside the annular convex portion and the ink absorber. Just place it.

1 is a perspective view of an inkjet cartridge according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ink jet cartridge of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing of the inkjet cartridge of FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an ink absorption state in the ink jet cartridge of FIG. 1. It is an inner surface figure of the lid | cover in the inkjet cartridge of FIG. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the inkjet cartridge as a comparative example. It is a top view of the principal part for demonstrating an example of the shape of an ink shielding board. It is a top view of the principal part for demonstrating the other example of the shape of an ink shielding board. It is a top view of the principal part for demonstrating the further another example of the shape of an ink shielding board.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inkjet cartridge 2 Ink tank 3 Ink absorber 4 Inkjet recording head 5 Lid 6 Atmospheric communication port 7 Rib 8 Ink blocking plate 9 Tank case

Claims (10)

An ink container provided with an ink absorber, a tank case provided with an ink supply port for supplying ink in the ink container, an air communication port for communicating the inside of the ink container with the atmosphere, and In an ink tank comprising a rib for pressing the ink absorber, and a lid attached to the opening of the ink storage unit,
An ink tank, wherein an ink blocking plate positioned between the ink absorber and the air communication port is sandwiched between the lid and the ink absorber.   The ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the ink blocking plate is not coupled to any of the tank case, the lid, and the ink absorber.   The ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the ink blocking plate is a flat plate that can be placed on a surface of the ink absorber.   The ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the ink blocking plate is made of the same material as the tank case. The lid is provided with a plurality of the ribs,
The ink tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ink blocking plate is sandwiched between the lid and the ink absorber so as to contact all of the plurality of ribs. .   The ink tank according to claim 1, wherein the ink blocking plate has a protrusion for regulating a position in the tank case.   The ink tank according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ink blocking plate is located on a line that linearly connects at least the air communication port and the ink absorber.   The ink tank according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an annular convex portion located around the opening of the atmosphere communication port is provided on the inner surface of the lid.   The ink tank according to claim 8, wherein the ink blocking plate is located between opposing surfaces of the region inside the annular convex portion and the ink absorber. An ink tank according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An inkjet recording head capable of discharging ink supplied from the ink supply port;
An ink jet cartridge comprising:

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