JP3573182B2 - Ink container for inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink container used for an ink jet recording apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an ink jet recording apparatus, cavitation is likely to occur due to repeated compression into the ink in order to eject ink droplets, and as a result, gas dissolved in the ink or gas generated in the ink is accumulated in the recording head. As a result, ink droplet ejection failure occurs.
[0003]
For this reason, with respect to the ink jet recording apparatus, many proposals have been made on a technique for removing gas from the ink, and among them, the one disclosed by the present applicant in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-208145 A container whose interior is formed in a vacuum with a permeable material is enclosed in an ink container together with the ink, and the negative pressure is used to take in the gas dissolved in the ink and the gas generated in the ink into the container. It was done.
[0004]
Since this product can mechanically remove the gas in the ink in the state of being sealed in the ink container, the gas generated after the sealing due to a chemical reaction or the like is performed without deteriorating the ink. Has the advantage that it can be reliably removed, but on the other hand, it is difficult to keep the inside vacuum until it is sealed in the ink container, and the container floats on the top surface of the ink. For this reason, there is room for further improvement in the sealing step after filling with ink, in that the container obstructs the process and takes time to seal.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new ink container that is simple and that can effectively remove gas dissolved in ink. .
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, the present invention provides, as an ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus for achieving such a problem, an ink container containing ink and an ink supply port, and a gas-permeable film containing gas contained in the ink. And a pressure-reducing space securing member formed in the ink container so as to form a gas intake chamber for taking in the gas through the ink container.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Therefore, embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 shows an ink container according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing this.
[0008]
In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a flat ink container provided with an ink supply port 9 on one side so as to be housed in an ink cartridge. This ink container 1 is provided between two outer films 2 and 3 constituting the container. A gas permeable film 4 is interposed in the container 1 so as to divide the interior of the container 1 into an ink chamber 5 and a gas intake chamber 6. Even when the securing member 7 is sealed and the pressure is reduced, the gas removed from the ink can be taken into the gas intake chamber 6.
[0009]
The gas permeable film 4 serves to take only the gas dissolved in the ink into the gas intake chamber 6. Examples of the material include polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyethyl methacrylate resin, and polystyrene. Resin, a polytetrafluoroethylene resin or a polyphenylene oxide resin, which has a particularly high gas permeability, is used, and a heat-meltable resin such as a polyethylene resin is laminated on both front and back surfaces of the resin to shrink the ink. The container 1 is configured such that it can be integrally and simultaneously welded to the back surfaces of the outer films 2 and 3 without being deformed, and at the time of sealing.
[0010]
The gas permeable film 4 has three sides welded to the edges of the outer films 2 and 3, and the remaining side 4 a forming an ink filling portion is also integrated with the outer films 2 and 3 after filling with the ink. The outer films 2 and 3 are formed so as to extend to the positions of the seal portions 2a and 3a of the outer films 2 and 3 so that the outer film 2 on the ink chamber 5 side can be sealed outside the seal portions 2a. The gas permeable film 4 is adsorbed on the inner surface of the outer film 2 through the through hole 2b by filling the ink with a suction cup when filling the ink. The gas intake chamber 6 is opened by a pressure action, and the pressure reduction space securing member 7 can be inserted therein.
[0011]
On the other hand, the decompression space securing member 7 sealed in the gas intake chamber 6 is made of polyurethane so as to prevent the gas intake chamber 6 from being crushed by reducing the pressure and to take in the gas removed from the ink. The ink container 1 is configured as a plate-like member large enough to fix the ink container 1 to the bottom plate of the ink cartridge by a hard porous material made of a resin material or the like and a molding material having a honeycomb structure.
[0012]
In order to fill the ink container 1 thus configured with ink, first, a suction cup is applied to the upper and lower two outer films 2 and 3 in a decompression chamber, and the films 2 and 3 are separated with the attraction force. Thus, the gas permeable film 4 is attracted to the outer film 2 on the ink chamber 5 side by the suction force of the suction cup acting on the through hole 2 b of the outer film 2, and the gas intake chamber 6 is integrated with the film 2. Open to facilitate insertion of reduced pressure space securing member 7.
[0013]
After the depressurized space securing member 7 has been inserted into the gas intake chamber 6 in this manner, the gas-permeable space is then transmitted to the outer film 3 on the gas intake chamber 6 side by a rod-shaped heater inserted through the through hole 2b of the outer film 2. The film 4 is temporarily attached in the form of a spot, and then the upper and lower outer films 2 and 3 are again separated by the suction cup, thereby opening the ink chamber 5 and filling the ink therein. When the filling of the ink is completed, finally, heat is applied to the seal portions 2a, 3a of the two films 2, 3, and the gas permeable film 4 is integrally welded to the inner surfaces of the upper and lower films 2, 3, and the ink is An ink chamber 5 and a gas intake chamber 6 are formed in the container 1 in an airtight manner.
[0014]
Therefore, the reduced-pressure space securing member 7 sealed in the gas intake chamber 6 secures a sufficient space in the gas intake chamber 6 for accommodating gas removed from the ink and flattens the ink container 1. Finally, the ink container 1 is fixed to the bottom plate of the ink cartridge using a double-sided tape or the like with the gas intake chamber 6 side down.
[0015]
In the above-described embodiment, the gas permeable film 4 is adsorbed to the outer film 2 on the ink chamber 5 side to open the ink container 1, but the gas intake chamber 6 side is opened for convenience of the process. When it is necessary to adsorb the gas permeable film 4 to the outer film 3, a through hole may be provided in the outer film 3 on the gas intake chamber 6 side.
[0016]
By the way, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the length of the outer film 2 is shortened or the notch is provided in a portion corresponding to the through hole 2b instead of the through hole 2b provided in the outer film 2. By sucking the suction cup to the shortened portion or the portion provided with the notch, the suction force is applied to the gas permeable film 4 to be sucked to the inner surface of the outer film 2. You can also.
[0017]
On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the bag-shaped gas permeable film 14 is inserted into the ink container 11 formed by the two outer films 12 and 13 so that the opening edges are aligned. Then, after filling the ink chamber 15 with ink in the decompression chamber, these opening edges are sealed together with the outer films 12 and 13, and the bag formed by the gas permeable film 14 takes in the gas in the ink. In the figure, reference numeral 17 denotes a hard pressure-reducing space securing member sealed in the gas intake chamber 16.
[0018]
Also in this embodiment, by providing the through hole 12b at the outer end of the seal portion 12a of the one outer film 12, the gas permeable film 14 can be adsorbed on the inner surface thereof to facilitate opening.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the gas in the ink can be taken into the gas intake chamber through the gas permeable film, and the gas dissolved in the ink as well as the gas generated inside the ink after the filling is generated. Gas can also be efficiently removed in the ink container.
[0020]
Further , according to the invention of claim 6, by providing a through hole for adsorbing the gas permeable film outside the sealing portion of the outer film, the suction force of the suction cup at the time of opening is used to provide an intermediate portion. The mouth of the ink container can be easily opened while the intervening gas permeable film is adsorbed to one of the outer films.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a partial cross section of an ink container according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a side view and a plan view schematically showing the same ink container.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an ink container according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view of an ink container showing still another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
2, 12, 3, 13 Outer film 2b Through holes 4, 14 Gas permeable film 5, 15 Ink chamber 6, 16 Gas intake chamber 7, 17 Depressurized space securing member

Claims (6)

An ink container containing ink and having an ink supply port, and a reduced-pressure space formed in the ink container so as to form a gas intake chamber for taking in gas contained in the ink through a gas-permeable film. An ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus, comprising an securing member. 2. The ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reduced pressure space securing member is made of a hard porous material. 2. The ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reduced pressure space securing member is formed of a honeycomb structure member. 2. The ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas permeable film is formed of a laminate material in which a heat-welding resin is laminated on both surfaces of a resin having a small heat shrinkage. The ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas permeable film has a length reaching an open end sealing portion of two films constituting the ink container. 6. An ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a through hole for adsorbing said gas permeable film is provided outside an opening end sealing portion of said one outer film.

Images