JP3121328B2 - Ink tank unit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink tank unit for storing ink to be supplied to a recording head unit for discharging ink to perform recording, an ink-jet cartridge having the unit, and an ink-jet cartridge having the unit. The present invention relates to an ink jet apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A recording device having functions such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile, or a recording device used as an output device of a composite electronic device or a workstation including a computer or a word processor is made of paper or plastic based on image information. It is configured to record an image on a recording medium such as a thin plate. Such recording apparatuses can be classified into an ink jet type, a wire dot type, a thermal type, a laser beam type, and the like according to a recording method.

An ink jet recording apparatus (ink jet recording apparatus) performs recording by discharging ink from a recording means (recording head) onto a recording medium, and has the following advantages. It is easy to make the recording means compact,
High-definition images can be recorded at a high speed, recording can be performed on plain paper without special processing, running costs are low, and noise is reduced due to the non-impact method. For example, it is easy to record a color image using a color ink.

[0004] Among them, a line type apparatus using a line type recording means in which a large number of discharge ports are arranged in the paper width direction,
Further high-speed recording is possible.

[0005] In particular, an ink jet type recording means (recording head) for discharging ink by using thermal energy is composed of an electrothermal converter, an electrode, and a film formed on a substrate through a semiconductor manufacturing process such as etching, vapor deposition, or sputtering. By forming a liquid path wall, a top plate, and the like, a device having a liquid path arrangement (discharge port arrangement) with high density can be easily manufactured, and further downsizing can be achieved.

[0006] The ink container used in the ink jet recording apparatus can satisfactorily supply ink corresponding to the amount of ink ejected from the recording head at the time of recording. It is required that there is no such thing.

In addition, when the ink container is of a replaceable type, it is required that the ink container can be smoothly attached and detached, there is no ink leakage at that time, and the ink can be reliably supplied to the recording head.

The ink container used in the above-described ink jet recording apparatus has a configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-87242 (hereinafter referred to as a first conventional example), that is, a foam material is arranged in the ink container. There is an ink jet recording cartridge provided with a plurality of ink ejection orifices.

In this ink container, a negative pressure is generated due to the capillary force of the foam for storing the ink in a porous medium such as a polyurethane foam which is a foaming material, and the ink is retained (prevention of ink leakage from the ink container). Is possible.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-522 (hereinafter referred to as "
In the related art, there is disclosed an ink jet recording cartridge in which a porous member is provided between a primary ink storing section and a secondary ink storing section and between a secondary ink storing section and an ink jet recording head. .

In the present invention, since the porous member is disposed only in the ink flow path without being built in the ink storage section, the ink storage capacity is increased as compared with the case of using the structure of the first conventional example. ing. Further, by providing the secondary ink storage unit, the ink distribution and the flow of air at the time of temperature rise and at the time of recording are adjusted, and the negative pressure to the recording head is stabilized.

[0012]

However, in the first conventional example, since the foam is required almost entirely in the ink storage section, the filling amount of the ink is limited and the ink remains without being used in the foam. There has been a problem that the amount of ink has increased and the use efficiency of ink has been poor. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to detect the remaining amount of ink and it is difficult to make the negative pressure substantially constant during the ink consumption period.

Further, as seen in the first prior art, in an ink cartridge in which a form is inserted into an ink container, the corners of the foam may be twisted at the time of inserting the form depending on the method of inserting the form. As a result, the compression distribution of the entire foam may not be uniform, and the distribution of the ink in the ink storage unit may partially change.

[0014] In this case, even if the ink is sufficiently contained due to the bias of the negative pressure generating force, the ink flow path is cut off, a discharge failure occurs, or the ink concentrates near the air communication port, thereby receiving an impact or the like. In such a case, ink leakage may easily occur. Therefore, precision is required when inserting the form into the ink cartridge, and the manufacturing restrictions are increased.

On the other hand, in the second conventional example, when the recording is not performed, the ink is sufficiently impregnated in the porous medium because the negative pressure generating member is disposed in the ink flow path. There has been a problem that the negative pressure due to the capillary force of the quality medium is insufficient, and the ink leaks from the orifice of the ink jet recording head due to a slight impact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to improve the amount of ink stored in an ink tank unit that stores ink to be supplied to an ink jet recording apparatus, and to increase the efficiency of ink use.

According to the present invention, the back pressure on the ink jet head unit in the ink tank unit is made substantially constant and uniform, and further, the formation of an ink flow path from the ink tank unit to the ink jet head unit is facilitated. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to maintain the ink supply performance at a high level.

Still another object of the present invention is to improve the reliability of preventing ink leakage from a discharge portion and an air communication port of an ink jet cartridge.

[0019]

According to the present invention, there is provided an ink tank unit having an ink supply port for supplying ink to an ink jet head unit for discharging ink. Has a partitioning section for partitioning an ink storage section for directly storing ink supplied to the inkjet head unit, and a negative pressure generation member storage section having a negative pressure generation member, wherein the negative pressure generation member storage section has The ink supply unit is provided on the bottom surface in the use state of the ink tank unit, and an air communication unit is provided on the opposite surface side for communicating the inside of the ink tank unit with the atmosphere. The partition unit includes the ink tank unit. The ink supply port is provided at the lower end in the use state of the ink supply port and the ink communication section. The bottom surface of the ink tank unit between proposes a ink tank unit, wherein a recess is provided.

Further, the above-mentioned partition part is provided with a passage leading to the above-mentioned ink communicating part on the side of the above-mentioned negative pressure generating member accommodation part, and it proposes the above-mentioned ink tank unit characterized by the above-mentioned.

[0021]

By adopting the above-described structure, a groove is provided in the partition for further improving the stability of the ink supply, or a concave is provided in the bottom of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion, thereby reducing the negative pressure. It is also possible to adjust the amount of ink in the generating member accommodating section and to increase the ink flow path width.

Further, by providing a concave portion at the bottom of the negative pressure generating member (ink absorber) accommodating portion of the ink-jet ink cartridge, the width of the ink flow path can be secured, and the ink does not break off.

Further, the volume of the ink storage portion for directly storing the ink in the ink jet cartridge can be increased, so that the efficiency of use of the ink can be improved. Further, since the ink is supplied through the ink communication section, the supply of the ink is stabilized, and the leakage of the ink from the air communication port can be prevented.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
The “negative pressure” referred to in the present invention is a back pressure in a direction in which ink is supplied to an ink jet head unit (hereinafter also referred to as a recording head unit). The state is lower than the atmospheric pressure.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an ink jet cartridge of the present invention which can be mounted on a carriage of an ink jet recording apparatus. FIG. 1A is an external perspective view of an ink jet cartridge of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a side view of one side of an ink tank unit from which a recording head unit is removed from the ink jet cartridge shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, it is a transparent perspective view of the ink storage unit (which corresponds to the bottom surface of the ink tank unit).

Here, reference numeral 200 denotes an ink tank unit (ink cartridge) which is an ink storage unit for storing ink, and 100 denotes a head unit which discharges ink from the discharge unit 101 to perform recording.

In the present invention, the one in which the ink tank unit and the head unit are connected is called an ink jet cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the ink jet cartridge of this embodiment is generally connected to an ink tank unit 200 and a head unit 100, and is connected to a carriage (not shown) of an ink jet recording apparatus. It is detachably mounted in a state where the discharge port portion 101 is on the lower side. In the ink jet cartridge of the present embodiment, the head unit 100 is detachable from the ink tank unit 200 as shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 102 denotes the head unit 100
This is a wiring connector for receiving a signal for driving the ink ejection unit 101 and outputting a remaining ink amount detection signal, and is connected to a wiring connector (not shown) on the ink jet recording apparatus side. . The wiring connector 102 is provided along a side surface of the head unit 100 and the ink tank unit 200, that is, along a vertical direction when the carriage is mounted, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 103 denotes a head unit which is engaged with a pin provided on the carriage when the ink jet cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus.
0 is a pin engagement portion. This pin engaging portion 10
3, the inkjet head unit 100 is positioned.

When the ink jet cartridge is mounted on the carriage, the knob 201 provided on the ink tank unit 200 is gripped, and
It can be arranged at a predetermined position on the carriage while maintaining the state in which. Therefore, when the ink jet cartridge is removed or replaced, the user does not accidentally touch the ink discharge unit, thereby preventing the ink from scattering or adhering to the apparatus or the like, causing no non-discharge.

Reference numeral 104 denotes a head-side absorber provided for recovering the ink ejection port 101 provided in the ink jet head unit 100, which will be described in detail later.

The ink tank unit 200 includes a negative pressure generating member housing 203 serving as a negative pressure generating chamber and an ink housing 20.
In the negative pressure generating chamber, a porous ink absorber 205 as a negative pressure generating member is inserted. An ink communication section 206 is provided between the negative pressure generating member housing section 203 and the ink housing section 204.

A pair of electrode pins 207 are provided in the ink container 204 and are used for detecting the remaining amount of ink. The ink storage section 204 is provided with a partition section 215 so as to form an L-shape when viewed from the direction A in FIG. The configuration is such that the housing section and the negative pressure generating member housing section are arranged adjacent to each other.

Since the longitudinal direction of the ink container 204 is partitioned by the partition so that the ink jet cartridge is generally perpendicular to the main scanning direction in which the ink-jet cartridge moves when ejecting ink, the main scanning for recording or the like is performed. The ink tank unit is reduced in size and the ink capacity is increased at the same time, while suppressing the fluctuation of the ink inside.

In this embodiment, the ink storage section has a volume 1.5 times or more that of the negative pressure generating member storage section, and stores ink using only the conventional ink absorber. The ink capacity is increased by increasing the ink storage ratio with respect to the storage volume of the ink container as compared with the configuration of the ink storage unit.

Next, a state in which ink is contained in the above-described ink jet cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A shows the unit of FIG. 1B in FIG.
It is sectional drawing seen from the B direction inside. FIG. 2B is a perspective sectional view of the unit of FIG. 2A as viewed from the discharge port side.

In FIG. 2A, the direction of ejection from the head unit is on the lower side in the figure, and when an ink jet cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus,
The ink supply port 209 comes to the lower side. At this time, the atmosphere communication port 208
And the ink supply port 209 are provided so as to face the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and the ink absorber 205 as a negative pressure generating member is interposed therebetween.

The supply of ink from the ink storage section 204 to the negative pressure generating member storage section 203 is performed according to a change in pressure due to ink consumption on the head unit side (not shown).

Normally, since there is ink in the negative pressure generating member storage chamber, the ink storage section 204 is in a closed state, and the internal pressure decreases with the supply of ink.

Although the pressure in the ink container 204 decreases as the ink is consumed, the gas-liquid interface in the container decreases because the negative pressure generating member container is open to the atmosphere. Finally, the air enters the ink storage unit 204 via the ink communication unit 206, and the gas-liquid exchange is performed.

Here, if the interval between the ink communication portions 206 is too small, the meniscus force increases, and it becomes impossible to supply ink from the ink storage portion to the negative pressure generation chamber. It is preferably about 3 mm from the pore diameter (substantially 0.1 mm) of the porous member as the ink absorber. In this embodiment, it is 2 mm.

As shown in FIG. 2, when ink is ejected, the ink supply port 209 comes to the lower side. Therefore, the positional relationship between the ink communication portion 206 and the ink supply port 209 at the time of ink ejection is as follows. Ink supply port 209 in the direction of gravity
Is lower than the ink communication unit 206.

Therefore, before the ink level in the negative pressure generation chamber, which decreases with the consumption of ink in the negative pressure generation section, reaches the position where the ink supply port 209 is provided, the ink in the ink storage section 204 is discharged. Since the ink is supplied to the negative pressure generating member housing portion 203 through the communication portion 206, the ink in the ink housing portion can be used to the end without causing the ink breakage, and the use efficiency of the ink is also improved.

In consideration of the above-mentioned ink interruption, the ink communication portion may be provided anywhere as long as it has the above-mentioned positional relationship with the ink supply port. However, considering the swing of the ink in the ink storage section, it is preferable to supply the ink from the ink storage section to the negative pressure generating member storage section in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, by providing the ink communication portion on the wall of the partition portion parallel to the main scanning direction, the ink supply portion is not affected by the swing of the ink in the ink storage portion. It is a stable and more preferable form.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 shows an example of an ink tank unit according to this embodiment. In this embodiment,
A configuration for stabilizing the ink storage state in the negative pressure generating member storage section 203 described in the first embodiment will be proposed.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the four corners 210 in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 203 is provided with a curved surface to form an R. With this curved surface shape, the corners of the ink absorber 205 are not turned up or twisted due to friction or the like, and the absorber is pressed uniformly at the four corners so that the ink does not concentrate on the locally deformed portion. Has become.

Accordingly, since the possibility of forming an ink flow path in the ink concentration portion can be further reduced, a stable ink distribution can be obtained, and the ink can be more reliably collected only near the ink supply port 209.

Further, since the ink absorber near the air communication port is not wet with the ink, the wettability is lower (less wet) as compared with the case where the ink is wet.

Thus, the ink in the ink absorber hardly moves toward the air communication port, and has a structure that is very resistant to ink leakage. Therefore, the absorber 205 near the air communication port can be used as a buffer.

In this embodiment, the four corners are provided with a curvature. However, it is possible to prevent the corners from being turned up as polygons in order to eliminate the corners. However, from the viewpoint of insertion accuracy and uniform insertion, a shape provided with R is most preferable.

(Embodiment 3) FIG. 4 shows the internal structure of another example of an ink tank unit used in an ink jet cartridge of the present invention mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus. In the figure, elements having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 4A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink ejection direction, and FIG. 4B is an internal cross-sectional view along the main scanning direction of the ink jet cartridge. here,
FIG. 4A corresponds to a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 4B.

As can be seen from FIG. 4B, in this cartridge, the ink storage sections extend on both sides of the negative pressure generating member storage section along the direction intersecting the main scanning direction when the ink cartridge is mounted by the partition section 215. In this case, the ink container has a U-shape. In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the direction in which ink is supplied from the ink storage unit to the negative pressure generating member storage chamber via the ink communication unit 206 is set as the longitudinal direction of the ink storage unit. The ink capacity is increased.

As described above, the U-shaped structure in which the longitudinal direction of the ink storage section is perpendicular to the main scanning direction suppresses the ink swing caused by the movement of the cartridge in the main scanning direction as in the first embodiment. Is done. In this embodiment, the ink communication portion 206 is provided at the center of the U-shaped partition portion 215, that is, at the wall of the partition portion 215 along the main scanning direction, so that the ink communication portion 206 is less affected by the ink swing. Like that.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 5 shows the internal structure of another ink tank unit used in the ink jet cartridge of the present invention. In the figure, elements having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 5A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink ejection direction, and FIG. 5B is an internal cross-sectional view along the main scanning direction of the ink jet cartridge.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the absorber 205 in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion 203 is divided into two portions 205-1 and 205-2. A gap 213 serving as a meniscus generating portion is provided so that a meniscus is formed between -1 and 205-2.

When the ink reaches the gap, a meniscus is formed in the ink, thereby making it difficult to move the ink from the ink absorber 205-2 to the ink absorber 205-1.

Therefore, when the configuration of this embodiment is adopted, the reliability of preventing ink leakage from the atmosphere communication port 208 is improved.

FIG. 6 shows a case in which ink is contained in the ink jet cartridge of this embodiment. In this case, even when the expanded ink wets the entire portion of 205-2 at the time of decompression or high temperature maintenance, the ink is held by the meniscus generating portion 213, so that the ink hardly flows to the side of 205-1. As a result, ink leakage from the air communication port 208 hardly occurs.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 7 shows the internal structure of another ink jet unit which can be used in the ink jet cartridge of the present invention mounted on an ink jet recording apparatus. In the figure, elements having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 7A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink discharge direction, and FIG. 7B is an internal cross-sectional view along the main scanning direction of the ink jet cartridge.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the negative pressure generating member
Absorbents 205-3 and 205-4 divided into two in 03
Is provided. The difference from the fourth embodiment is that the ink absorber 20 as a negative pressure generating means is provided in the negative pressure generating member accommodating chamber.
A buffer chamber 211 communicating with the atmosphere communication port 208 is provided adjacent to 5-4.

The buffer chamber is secured in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber by the rib 214, stores the ink overflowing from the ink absorber due to the above-mentioned environmental change, and prevents the ink from reaching the air communication port. Show work.

Further, in this embodiment, the ink absorber 205
By disposing -3 between the two absorber stopper ribs 214, the ink overflowing into the buffer chamber does not directly reach the air communication port 208.

In the present embodiment, the reliability of preventing ink leakage is improved by the buffer chamber.

In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the ink supply port for communicating with the recording head is provided in order to simultaneously improve the use efficiency of the ink and generate an appropriate negative pressure. Negative pressure generating member housing section (ink absorber housing section) housing negative pressure generating member (ink absorber)
And an ink container unit that is adjacent to the absorber container and communicates with the ink container at the bottom via an ink communication unit.

In the ink supply from the ink storage section to the negative pressure generation member storage section in the above-described configuration, at least the ink level near the partition section 215 decreases with the consumption of the ink in the negative pressure generation section. Ink communication part 2
When the pressure drops to 06, the ink in the ink storage unit 204 is supplied to the negative pressure generating member storage unit 203 via the ink communication unit 206.

The ink level in the negative pressure generating member storage section is determined by the ink communication section communicating with the ink storage section.
Because it is at the bottom of No. 15, it always drops. However, the compression state of the ink absorber accommodated in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is hardly uniform in practice, and the decrease in the ink level is not always uniform.

On the other hand, since the negative pressure generating member has a function of holding ink, when ink is supplied from the ink storing section, the ink level in the negative pressure generating member storing chamber rises again. Therefore, the amount of ink held above the ink supply port 209 in the negative pressure generating member housing may not always be constant.

The negative pressure generated by the above-described ink absorber may be affected by the weight of the ink in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion. In particular, as shown in the above-described embodiment, the ink supply port 209 for communicating with the print head is provided.
Is provided at the bottom of the negative pressure generating member housing section,
The aforementioned change in the amount of ink will cause a change in negative pressure.

In this case, it is not possible to adjust the ink level by increasing the gap between the ink communicating portions between the two storage portions. This is because, by increasing the gap, the meniscus of the ink cannot be formed in the ink communication portion, and the ink is excessively supplied to the absorber housing portion side, and the negative pressure in the absorber is extremely reduced. This is because there is a possibility that the possibility of occurrence may occur.

In the following embodiment, a configuration for further improving the stability of the negative pressure is proposed.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 8 is a view best showing the features of an ink jet cartridge according to this embodiment. In the drawing, elements having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. It is.

FIG. 8A is an internal sectional view of the ink tank unit to which the ink jet head unit is connected, taken along the ink discharge direction. FIG. 8B is an internal cross-sectional view of the inkjet cartridge along the main scanning direction.

Here, 105 is an ink communicating member for introducing ink into the ink jet head unit, 106 is provided at an end of the ink communicating member 105,
This is a filter that prevents the fine dust from flowing into the inkjet head.

In FIGS. 8 and 9, a is the height of the ink absorbing member housing portion, and h is the height of the top of the groove with reference to the filter surface provided at the end of the ink communication member.

The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the lower part of the partition wall 215 as the partition part on the side of the negative pressure generating member housing part, that is, one end communicates with the ink communication part 206. Is provided with a wide groove portion 216 at the upper part of the frame. By providing the groove 216, it is possible to easily secure a path for air to enter the ink storage unit when gas-liquid exchange is performed due to ink consumption.

Here, gas-liquid exchange is performed through the end of the groove opposite to the end guided to the ink communication part. In this embodiment, the depth of the groove at the end on the gas-liquid exchange side becomes shallower as the distance from the ink communication portion increases. This facilitates the introduction of air into the groove.

Further, in this embodiment, the state of the negative pressure in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is, as shown in FIG. 8, the negative pressure generating force (capillary force) of the ink absorber 205 as the negative pressure generating member. ) And the amount of ink held in the ink absorber 205 above the ink supply port 209.

In this case, the negative pressure generating force in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is determined by the distance between the ink supply port surface and the recording head discharge port surface in order to prevent ink leakage from the recording head discharge port. Is set to D1 mm, a back pressure of D1 mmAq or more is set in a direction opposite to the ink supply direction at the ink supply port.

On the other hand, the upper limit value of the negative pressure generating force must be determined in consideration of running out of ink in ink supply and reduction in print density due to insufficient supply. In the present embodiment, D1 = 20 mm, and at this time, the negative pressure generating force in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is 4 mm from 20 mmAq.
It is set in the range of 0 mmAq.

As means for controlling the negative pressure in the negative pressure generating member accommodating section, in the present embodiment, the gas-liquid exchange groove 216 described above is used.
The method of adjusting the height h is adopted. By changing the height of the groove, the position of the gas-liquid boundary surface in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion can be adjusted, and the negative pressure can be stabilized.

As shown in FIG. 8, the positional relationship between the groove and the filter surface in this embodiment is as follows from the bottom of the negative pressure generating chamber between the filter surface of the ink supply port and the end of the partition wall corresponding to the upper part of the ink communication part. In this state, the distances match.

Then, the distance h from the filter surface to the top of the groove is set to 5 mm, and the gas-liquid interface (ink level) of the remaining ink in the absorber accommodating section from the ink accommodating section is determined by the The filter is maintained at a position within about 5 mm with respect to the filter surface.
By setting the position of the gas-liquid interface within the above-mentioned range of about 5 mm, the negative pressure is kept within the above-mentioned condition range. In this embodiment, the height a in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is 48 mm.
It is.

Therefore, by adopting the configuration of providing the groove proposed in the present embodiment, the ink supply from the ink storage section to the negative pressure member storage section in the ink communication section can be stably maintained while the inside of the negative pressure generation member storage section is maintained. Can be kept almost constant. This allows
Since the amount of ink accommodated in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is also substantially constant, it is possible to suppress fluctuations in negative pressure that affect ink supply and, consequently, recording quality.

As described above, in this embodiment, the filter surface at the end of the ink communication member is made to protrude from the bottom of the negative pressure generating chamber because the vicinity of the ink supply port of the ink absorber is compressed. This is to concentrate the ink and further enhance the ink supply to the inkjet head unit side.

The height of the groove is set at least at a position higher than the filter surface, more preferably at a position higher than the filter surface by 1 mm, more preferably at a position higher by 2 mm.

Considering the non-uniformity of the compression distribution of the ink absorber due to the inserted state of the ink absorber,
This is because the ink level may locally rise and fall in the negative pressure generating member housing chamber, and may cause ink breakage or the like.

Therefore, by providing the groove proposed in the present embodiment above the ink communicating portion, the inside of the absorber containing portion when the ink is supplied from the ink containing portion to the absorber containing portion until the ink is used up. Is maintained at an appropriate position, the negative static pressure in the absorber is generated in a more stable state.

(Embodiment 7) As described above, in the configuration of Embodiment 1 described above, the ink level may fluctuate with ink consumption. In the case where the bottom surface of the ink storage unit and the bottom surface of the absorber storage unit are the same surface and the ink supply port is provided on the bottom surface of the negative pressure generation member storage unit as in the first embodiment, the fluctuation of the ink level is as described above. In addition to the fluctuation of the negative pressure, there is a possibility that the ink flow path in the absorber is cut off when the ink is supplied from the ink container to the absorber container.

In this case, as described above, improvement cannot be achieved by increasing the gap between the ink communicating portions between the two storage portions. Therefore, in this embodiment, the following configuration is employed to further stabilize the ink supply. Was realized.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of this embodiment. In the figure, elements having the same functions as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 10A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink discharge direction, and FIG. 10B is an internal cross-sectional view along the main scanning direction of the ink jet cartridge.

As shown in FIG. 10B, a concave portion 217 is provided at the bottom of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion so that the bottom of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion is lower than the bottom of the ink accommodating portion when the ink jet cartridge is mounted. It is configured to be lower. As shown in FIG. 10A, the concave portion 217 is provided in a region from the vicinity of the ink communication portion 206 to the vicinity of the ink supply port 209 so as to have a depth b.

By providing the concave portion, it is possible to secure the ink flow path in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion in the height direction without obstructing meniscus formation at the time of gas-liquid exchange in the ink communicating portion.

Since the depth b of the concave portion affects the width of the ink flow path, the larger the value of b, the more effective the effect and the higher the reliability of preventing ink shortage.

Further, in the case where the configuration shown in the above-described embodiment 6 in which the groove is provided in the partition wall is added to the configuration of the present embodiment, the stable generation of negative pressure and the securing of the ink flow path become more reliable. The supply of ink becomes more stable.

(Embodiment 8) FIG. 11 shows an example of an ink jet recording apparatus equipped with the ink jet cartridge of the present invention.

In the figure, C is the above-described ink jet cartridge of the present invention, and 2 is a carriage for mounting and moving the ink jet cartridge.

Here, the carriage 2 is slidably engaged with the guide shaft 11, and a part of the carriage 2 is connected to a belt 42 driven by a motor. Thus, the carriage 2 can move along the guide shaft 11, and the inkjet cartridge C can move the recording area and the area adjacent thereto.

Reference numerals 15 and 16 denote motor driven feed rollers. With such a configuration, the recording medium 10 is supplied to a position facing the ejection port surface of the recording head, and is sent to a paper discharge unit provided with rollers 17 and 18 as recording proceeds.

In this embodiment, after the recording medium 10 is conveyed by the feed roller in the conveying direction (sub-scanning direction), and the recording medium 10 is set at a predetermined recording position,
An image is recorded (main scanning) by the ink jet cartridge C mounted on the carriage 2 that moves along the recording medium 10, and after a recording of one line is completed, a predetermined amount of paper feeding (pitch conveyance) is performed. By repeating the operation of recording (main scanning) the image of the next line,
Image recording of the entire recording medium is performed.

Reference numeral 401 denotes a blade as a wiping member, one end of which is held by a blade holding member and serves as a fixed end, forming a cantilever. The blade 401 is disposed at a position adjacent to a recording area of the recording head, and in this example, is held in a form protruding into the movement path of the recording head.

Reference numeral 300 denotes a cap, and the blade 401
Is provided at the home position of the carriage so as to be adjacent to the recording head, and moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the recording head to contact the ejection port surface to perform capping. Further, reference numeral 403 denotes an absorber provided adjacent to the blade 401, and is held in a form protruding into the movement path of the recording head, similarly to the blade 401.

The blade 401, the cap 300, and the absorber 403 constitute an ejection port recovery section 500, and the blade 401 and the absorber 403 remove ink, dust, and the like attached to the ink ejection port surface.

In the above configuration, when the ink jet cartridge C returns to the home position after the end of recording, the cap 300 of the ejection port recovery section 500 of the recording head is retracted from the moving path of the ink jet cartridge C, but the blade 401 is moved. It protrudes into the road. As a result, the ejection surface of the ink jet cartridge C is wiped by the protruding blade 401.

When capping is performed by contacting the cap 300 with the ejection surface of the ink jet cartridge, the cap 300 moves so as to protrude into the movement path of the cartridge. When the cartridge C moves from the home position to the recording start position, the cap 300 and the blade 401 are at the same position as at the time of the wiping described above. As a result, the ejection port surface of the cartridge C is wiped even in the movement before the start of recording.

The above-described recovery of the ejection port of the recording head by the blade is performed at predetermined time intervals not only when the carriage is moved before or after the recording is completed but also during the recording.

The ink and the like adhering to the blade 401 at the time of recovery are removed from the head-side ink absorber 104 described above.
(See FIG. 1).

When the ink jet cartridge of the present invention is used in the above-described recording apparatus or the like, the present invention increases the ink storage capacity of the ink tank unit by improving the ink filling rate. In the taking posture, the height H of the ink jet cartridge does not increase as the ink storage amount increases.

Further, according to the present invention, since the porous member and the like are not arranged in the ink storage section, the thickness can be reduced, and a plurality of ink jet cartridges such as a color recording apparatus as shown in FIG. Are arranged side by side, the carriage can be made smaller.

In this embodiment, among the ink jet recording systems, a recording head and a recording apparatus of an ink jet recording system for forming and recording flying droplets by using thermal energy are used. It is also suitable for use in flying droplets.

The typical structure and principle of the ink jet system using thermal energy are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796.
It is preferred that the invention be practiced using these basic principles. This recording method can be applied to any of a so-called on-demand type and a continuity type.

The recording method will be briefly described. The nucleate boiling of the liquid (ink) corresponding to the recording information is performed on the electrothermal transducer disposed corresponding to the liquid path holding the liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal for providing a rapid temperature rise beyond the phenomenon and causing a film boiling phenomenon, heat energy is generated,
Film boiling occurs on the heat-acting surface of the recording head.

As described above, since bubbles corresponding to the drive signal applied to the electrothermal transducer from the liquid (ink) can be formed one-to-one, it is particularly effective for an on-demand type recording method.
The liquid (ink) is ejected through the ejection hole by the growth and shrinkage of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the ejection of a liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be achieved, which is more preferable.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head is a combination of a discharge hole, a liquid flow path, and an electrothermal converter (a linear liquid flow path or a right-angle liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications. In addition, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, those having a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bent region are also included in the present invention.

In addition, JP-A-59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge hole of an electrothermal converter for a plurality of electrothermal converters, or a pressure wave of thermal energy is absorbed. The present invention is also effective in a configuration based on JP-A-59-138461, which discloses a configuration in which the opening to be made corresponds to the discharge section.

Further, the recording mode of the recording apparatus is not limited to the mode for recording only the mainstream color such as black, and may be either a mode in which a recording head is integrally formed or a mode in which a plurality of recording heads are combined. However, the present invention is extremely effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of multiple colors of different colors or full color by mixing colors.

[0122]

According to the ink jet head cartridge of the present invention, the air communication port and the ink supply port of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion of the ink tank are respectively provided on opposite surfaces, and the air communication port is located above. Therefore, even if ink is collected near the ink supply port, it is easy to maintain a state where there is no ink near the air communication port, and it is unlikely to cause ink leakage.

In addition, only the vicinity of the supply port is wet with ink,
Since the remaining part works as a buffer without getting wet, even if the ink runs through the gap formed by turning or twisting the corner of the negative pressure generating member (ink absorber),
Since ink does not accumulate in the space, ink leakage hardly occurs.

Further, in the cartridge of the present invention, the volume of the ink container can be made larger than that of the negative pressure generating member container by forming the ink container in an L-shape or a U-shape. The running cost can be reduced without increasing the size.

Further, in the cartridge of the present invention,
The corners in the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion are rounded at R1 to R3 to make the four corners curved, so that the corners of the negative pressure generating member can be prevented from being turned or twisted when the negative pressure generating member is inserted. Since there is no gap between the ink storage portion and the negative pressure generating member, ink does not flow to the vicinity of the upper air communication port, and ink concentrates only near the ink supply port, thereby preventing ink leakage. be able to.

By providing a groove having a top height within 5 mm from the filter surface at the end of the ink communication member of the ink jet head unit in the partition wall in the ink cartridge for ink jet, the ink supply to the recording head can be performed stably. It can be performed with high reliability.

Further, by providing a concave portion at the bottom of the negative pressure generating member (ink absorber) accommodating portion of the ink cartridge for ink jet, the width of the ink flow path can be secured, and the ink does not break.

As described above, the present invention provides an ink jet head cartridge which has a large ink storage capacity, has high reliability in preventing ink leakage and ink run out, and has an ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing good printing for a long time. Obtainable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view of one embodiment of an ink jet cartridge of the present invention, wherein (a) is an external perspective view and (b) is (a).
FIG.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the unit shown in FIG.
2A is a cross-sectional view of the unit of FIG. 1B viewed from a direction B in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2B is a view of the unit of FIG. It is a see-through sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an ink tank unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an ink jet cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 4A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink ejection direction, and FIG. It is an internal sectional view.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an ink jet cartridge according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 5A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink discharge direction, and FIG. It is an internal sectional view.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which ink is held in the ink cartridge of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an ink jet cartridge according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 7A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink ejection direction, and FIG. It is an internal sectional view.

8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating an ink jet cartridge according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 8A is an internal cross-sectional view along an ink ejection direction, and FIG. It is an internal sectional view.

9 is a schematic perspective view in which a part of FIG. 8 is enlarged.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an ink jet cartridge according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 10A is an internal cross-sectional view along the ink ejection direction, and FIG. It is an internal sectional view.

FIG. 11 is an example of an ink jet device that can use the ink jet cartridge of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Carriage 10 Recording medium 11 Guide shaft 15, 16 Feed roller 17, 18 Roller 42 Belt 100 Head unit 101 Ejection unit 102 Wiring connector 103 Pin engagement unit 104 Head side absorber 105 Ink communication member 106 Filter 200 Ink tank unit 201 Knob 203 Negative pressure generating member accommodating section 204 Ink accommodating section 205 Ink absorber (negative pressure generating member) 206 Ink communication section 207 Electrode pin 208 Atmospheric communication port 209 Ink supply port 210 Corner 211 Buffer chamber 212 Ink 213 Meniscus generating section 214 Absorption Stop rib 215 Partition (partition wall) 216 Groove 217 Concave part 300 Cap 401 Blade 403 Absorber 500 Discharge port recovery part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/175

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink tank unit having an ink supply port for supplying ink to an ink jet head unit that discharges ink, wherein the ink tank unit directly stores ink supplied to the ink jet head unit. Part, a negative pressure generating member housing part having a negative pressure generating member,
The negative pressure generating member accommodating section is provided with the ink supply port on the bottom surface of the ink tank unit in a used state, and communicates the inside of the ink tank unit with the atmosphere on the opposing surface side. An air communication portion is provided, and the partition portion includes an ink communication portion at a lower end portion of the ink tank unit in use, and a bottom surface of the ink tank unit between the ink supply port and the ink communication portion. An ink tank unit, wherein the ink tank unit is provided with a concave portion. 2. The ink tank unit according to claim 1, wherein the partition has a passage on the side of the negative pressure generating member accommodating portion, the passage communicating with the ink communicating portion.