JP3490167B2 - Ink absorber for writing implements - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink occlusion body for writing implements, and more particularly, to a modified cross section obtained by treating an ink occlusion body for writing implements with a wettability modifier for ink. The present invention relates to an ink occluding body provided with fibers. 2. Description of the Related Art In general, a writing instrument having an ink-absorbing body using an extruded pen core having a large number of holes at its center, which is often used for a pen core for a fine pen or a pen for a brush pen,
In particular, as the required performance, an important characteristic is that the writing distance is long with an appropriate amount of ink flowing out. To make this possible, it is necessary to increase the porosity of the ink occluding body to occlude a large amount of ink. [0003] While it is possible to increase the writing distance by reducing the amount of fibers in the ink occluding body and increasing the amount of voids, on the other hand, the capillary force of the ink occluding body itself is reduced, and the ink is naturally absorbed. In the filling method, the ink holding amount (absorbing amount) of the ink occluding body is reduced, and in the forced filling method, the specified amount of ink cannot be maintained, which causes a problem in that the ink leaks. Conventionally, as fibers used in ink storage materials for writing instruments, polyester fibers or the like having a round cross section are usually used. However, fibers having a round cross section have bulky properties. In a small and low-density ink occluding body, the fiber bundle easily deforms at the contact point with the pen core rear end, but the fiber rebound is small,
Tubing with soft materials (film, cellophane, etc.) due to poor contact with the pen core rear end, which tends to cause a decrease in writing performance, and which has less rebound of the fiber bundle, Due to the weight of the occlusion body at the time of packing, the ink occlusion body itself is easily deformed, which makes it difficult to insert the ink occlusion body into the writing instrument main body. Also has a problem in that it has an adverse effect. On the other hand, conventionally, one of fibers in a fiber bundle in which two or more kinds of fibers are mixed is melted by heat so that the fibers are fused with each other to form countless minute gaps between the fibers. Occlusion bodies (Japanese Patent Publication No. 50-37571 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-47730) are known, but these types of ink occlusion bodies for writing implements have a drawback in that the lead-out of ink to the pen core is hindered. In addition, it has a drawback that it is difficult to manufacture an ink occlusion body having a high porosity and a high accuracy with an outer diameter. As a solution to these drawbacks, a composite fiber composed of a low-melting polyester and a high-melting polyester, the outer surface of which is at least partially made of a low-melting polyester, and a non-composite fiber composed of a high-melting polyester are used. A fiber bundle blended at a ratio of 5 to 30 parts to 70 to 95 parts in a ratio is filled in a cylindrical body, and the low melting point polyester on the surface of the conjugate fiber is melted to partially heat-bond the fibers. An ink-absorbing body for writing implements (actual) that forms a uniform, resilient fiber bundle with a capillary distribution, short-circuited in a net-like manner with the ink space with a high porosity, and effectively and reliably leads the ink to the pen core side. Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-35585) is known. [0007] The non-composite fiber composed of a high-melting polyester used in the ink occlusion body for a writing instrument includes:
It is described that the cross section can be appropriately used in a round (circular), triangular, or Y-shape, and there is described an example using polyester fibers having a triangular cross section (page 16, right column, line 16 to).
Line 18, page 3, left column, lines 14-18. However, in the ink occlusion body for a writing instrument, the fiber bundle is easily deformed at the contact portion with the rear end of the pen core, but the rebound of the fiber is small, so that the poor contact with the rear end of the pen core. Is easy to occur, and there is still a problem in that the writing performance is low.In addition, the ink occlusion body for a writing instrument partially fuses only the low-melting polyester of the polyester-based composite fiber by heat fusion. Because of this, there is a large variation in quality, and it is not possible to provide a product with stable quality, and it is not yet satisfactory in practical use. The non-composite fiber made of the high-melting polyester used in the ink-absorbing material for a writing instrument may have a cross section of a circle (circle), a triangle, a Y shape, or the like. Although it discloses a proximity technology, it does not particularly describe the effect of using a triangular shape or a Y shape, and the non-composite fiber made of the high-melting polyester is a heat-resistant polyester-based composite fiber. The present invention is used for effectively exhibiting the function and effect of fusion, and has a different technical idea from the present invention. In order to solve these problems, the present applicant has filed a prior application, in which the cross-sectional shape is made of fibers having at least three or more protrusions, and the content of the fibers in the protrusions is 30%. We have applied for an ink occlusion body for a writing implement characterized by the above, but it is suitable for a writing implement with a small diameter pen core, but a pen core whose central part is composed of many holes, for example, ,
There is a problem that the pen core itself is slightly weaker than a pen core for a brush pen, a predetermined amount of ink cannot be obtained, and the ink remains slightly without being sufficiently consumed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. Even if the amount of fibers is reduced, sufficient ink holding power can be maintained to increase the amount of ink. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink occlusion body for a writing implement which is adapted to maintain a strong contact force with a pen core rear end portion to improve writing performance and to be suitable for a pen core having a central portion having a large number of holes. I do. The present inventors have conducted intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, and as a result, have found that an ink occluding material composed of a fiber bundle has a wettability to an ink such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ether. In the ink occlusion body for writing implements treated with a modifying agent, the fibers used for the ink occlusion body, while using fibers of specific physical properties, without heat-fusing the fibers together, and the cross-sectional shape The above-mentioned problems can be solved by using fibers having a specific shape, and the ink occlusion body for a writing instrument of the above object has been successfully obtained, and the present invention has been completed. That is, the ink occlusion body for writing implements of the present invention is characterized in that an ink occlusion body composed of a fiber bundle is formed by using one or more of alkyl phosphate, alkyl betaine, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, and polyoxyethylene alkylamine. In the ink occlusion body for writing implements treated with the wettability modifier for the mixed ink, the fibers used for the ink occlusion body are composed of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and the fibers are not thermally fused to each other. It is characterized in that the cross section is made of fibers having at least three or more projections. According to the present invention, the cross-sectional shape of the fiber used in the ink storage body is specified, and the fiber bundle is treated with a specific wettability modifier. Even if the amount of fibers is reduced for the first time by synergizing the above-mentioned specificity with each other, it is possible to maintain a sufficient ink holding force to increase the ink holding amount and to maintain a strong contact force with the pen core rear end portion. It is based on the new fact that the writing performance can be improved, and a sufficient ink bleed amount and a high ink consumption rate can be obtained for a pen core having a large number of holes at the center. Even if the specific conditions are partially satisfied, the object of the present invention is not achieved. Hereinafter, the contents of the present invention will be described in detail.
As the fiber used in the present invention, it is particularly necessary to use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber which is not affected by the type and physical properties of the ink used. This P
As the form of the ET fiber, either a sliver or a filament can be used, and it may be appropriately selected according to the characteristics of the pen. The fibers used in the present invention are constituted by fibers having a cross-sectional shape of at least three or more protrusions, and the fiber bundle is treated with a specific wettability modifying agent. For the first time, even if the amount of fiber, which is the object of the present invention, is reduced, sufficient ink holding power is maintained to increase the amount of ink, and at the same time, strong contact force with the rear end of the pen core is maintained to improve writing performance. In addition, an ink occlusion body for a writing instrument is obtained in which a sufficient amount of ink can be flowed out and a high ink consumption rate can be obtained for a pen core having a large number of holes at the center. Further, the above conditions, that is, at least partially satisfying the point that the fiber is a fiber having at least three or more protrusions, or that the fiber bundle is treated with a specific wettability modifier, or If the conditions are not satisfied, the effects of the present invention cannot be exhibited. The cross-sectional shape of the fiber used in the present invention may be at least three or more protrusions.
X-shaped, T-shaped, U-shaped, * -shaped, three or more irregular projections, etc., can be various irregular cross-sectional shapes,
In particular, it is desirable to make it Y-shaped, X-shaped, or T-shaped. The reason for limiting the cross-sectional shape of the fibers used in the above-mentioned ink occluding material to at least three or more protrusions is as follows. In other words, in the manufacturing process of the ink occluding body, especially when sliver fibers are used, the gil process is performed to reduce the variation in fiber weight in the fiber direction, but in this process, the fibers are stretched to some extent and the weight distribution is reduced. Finished low. However, if a heating test or the like is performed after the pen is used or stored for a long period of time, crimping is restored again due to the memory effect of the fiber. This leads to shrinkage of the fibers in the ink occluding body, causing poor contact with the rear part of the pen core. In particular, in an occlusion body having a small amount of fibers, this occurs remarkably. If the fiber has at least three protrusions in cross section, the bulkiness of the fiber itself causes the crimp to recover due to the memory effect of the fiber. It has the advantage that it is performed more reliably. Further, if the cross-sectional shape is Y-shaped, X-shaped, or T-shaped, it is advantageous in manufacturing. The fiber configured in this way has a denier of 2 to 8 and a sliver having a fiber length of 2 to 4 inches is preferable. In the case of a filament, the fiber length cannot be specified. Examples of the wettability modifier used in the present invention include alkyl phosphates, alkyl betaines, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, and polyoxyethylene alkylamines. Examples of the alkyl phosphate include potassium octyl phosphate, potassium oleyl phosphate, potassium lauryl phosphate, potassium stearyl phosphate, and the like, and examples of the alkyl betaine include distearyl methyl carboxy betaine, stearyl Betaine and the like, as polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, for example, polyoxyethylene lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene stearyl ether, polyoxyethylene oleyl ether and the like, and as polyoxyethylene alkylamine, for example, polyoxyethylene alkylamine Examples include ethylene laurylamine and polyoxyethylene oleylamine. A liquid mixture of one or two or more of the wettability modifiers for these inks is diluted with water, and the treated liquid is treated with an ink occluding body made of the modified cross-section fiber having the above structure. After immersion, it is taken out, the excess is removed by centrifugation, and dried by heating to obtain an ink occluding body. Next, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples. (Example 1) A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber having a cross-sectional shape of "Y" and a filament having a fineness of 8 denier and a fiber amount of 6.0 g / m were used as a polyethylene terephthalate film. φ
6.0 mm, cut to a length of 60 mm and porosity of 82
% Of a fiber bundle was prepared, and this was mixed with 1% of a potassium alkyl phosphate (Elecrylos Stripper F: manufactured by Kao Corporation).
After being sufficiently immersed in the aqueous solution, it was taken out and the excess was removed by centrifugation, and dried in a dryer at 50 ° C. for 16 hours to obtain an ink occluding material. Example 2 In Example 1, only the wetting modifier was 2% stearyl betaine (Amphitol 86:
An ink occluder was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the aqueous solution of Kao Corporation was used. Example 3 Example 1 was the same as Example 1 except that the wettability modifier was changed to an aqueous solution of 1% polyoxyethylene oleyl ether (Emulgen 404, manufactured by Kao Corporation). An ink absorbing body was obtained. Example 4 Example 1 was the same as Example 1 except that only the wetting agent was changed to an aqueous solution of 0.5% polyoxyethylene alkylamine (Amate 105: manufactured by Kao Corporation). Thus, an ink absorbing body was obtained. (Example 5) In Example 1, only 1: 1 mixture of polyoxyethylene stearyl ether (Emulgen 320P: manufactured by Kao Corporation) and stearyl betaine (Amphitol 86B: manufactured by Kao Corporation) was used as the wetting modifier. An ink occluding material was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the solution was changed to a 2% aqueous solution. Example 6 An ink occluding material was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that polyethylene terephthalate fiber having only the cross-sectional shape of “X” was used. Example 7 An ink occluding material was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the cross-sectional shape was changed to polyethylene terephthalate fiber having the shape of "T". (Comparative Example 1) An untreated ink occluding material in Example 1. (Comparative Example 2) Untreated ink occluding material in Example 6. (Comparative Example 3) An ink occluding material produced in the same manner as in Example 2 except that the polyethylene terephthalate fiber was changed into a circular or elliptical cross-sectional shape. Each of the ink occlusion bodies obtained in Examples 1 to 7 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 was mounted on a writing barrel, and the aqueous pigment ink (compounding component: carbon black toner 33) was used.
%, Ethylene glycol 3%, glycerin 20%, urea 10%, and purified water 34%), and each was filled with 1.2 g, and the writing performance was improved by applying an extruded coated core for a brush pen having an outer diameter of 2.0 mm. The writing outflow, total writing distance, and ink consumption rate were evaluated. The writing outflow, the total writing distance, and the ink consumption rate were measured by the following methods. (1) Writing outflow 90 ° writing angle, own weight (no load), writing speed 4.2m
The ink bleeding amount was measured when the initial 50 m was written under the writing conditions of 1 / min. (2) Total writing distance The writing distance was measured as the writing distance under the same writing conditions as described above until the outflow amount (end-point determination flow rate) that was considered to be unwritable and unwritable was reached. (3) Ink consumption rate The ink consumption rate was measured by the following equation. Ink consumption rate = {Amount of ink used until reaching end point determination flow rate / (ink filling amount)} × 100 The results are shown in Table 1 below. Further, only the ink filling amount was changed in the same specifications as in the above test, and the pen was left standing in a constant temperature bath at 50 ° C. for one week with the core facing downward. Then, the cap was removed and the ink leakage was visually checked. The results are shown in Table 2 below. [Table 1] [Table 2] (Consideration of Tables 1 and 2) As can be seen from Table 1, Examples 1 to 7 according to the present invention were prepared by treating a fiber bundle having a modified cross section with a wetting agent. The ink effluent amount and the total writing amount and the ink can be consumed more effectively than the untreated product of No. 3, and as a result, the writing performance can be drastically improved. It was found that ink leakage did not occur even if the ink filling amount was increased. According to the present invention, even when the amount of fibers is reduced, sufficient ink holding power is maintained to increase the amount of ink held, and at the same time, the strong contact force with the pen core rear end is reduced. Provided is an ink occlusion body for a writing implement that can be held to improve writing performance and that can obtain a sufficient amount of ink flowing out and a high ink consumption rate even for a pen core having a central portion having many holes.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] An ink occluding material comprising a fiber bundle is used as an alkyl phosphate, an alkyl betaine, a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, or a polyoxyethylene alkylamine. In the ink occlusion body for writing implements, which is treated with a wettability modifier for the ink obtained by mixing the above, the fibers used for the ink occlusion body are made of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and the fibers are not thermally fused to each other. An ink occlusion body for a writing implement, wherein the cross-sectional shape is made of fibers having at least three or more protrusions.