JP2022016794A - Ink container and recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ink storage body that can reduce differences in color development performance on a recording medium and is excellent in white color development performance, when using titanium oxide pigment as sedimented components in an ink composition stored in the ink storage body.SOLUTION: An ink storage body according to the present invention, which stores an ink composition, comprises: a container that stores the ink composition; an ink leading-out part, attached to an end part of the container, which leads out the ink composition and supplies the composition to an inkjet recording device; an ink leading-out pipe, connected to the ink leading-out part and arranged in the container; a converging part connected to the ink leading-out pipe; and a plurality of ink introducing ports through which the ink composition is introduced to the converging part. The plurality of ink introducing ports are arranged at different positions in a height direction in a state where the ink storage body is used, and the ink composition contains titanium oxide pigment and water.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to an ink container and a recording method.

In recent years, a white ink composition containing a white pigment such as titanium oxide has attracted attention as a coloring material. By printing the white ink composition as a base, it is possible to express colors that match the image without being affected by the colors and patterns of the recording medium. The white ink composition is required to improve the color-developing property of white when it is adhered to a recording medium.

On the other hand, since titanium oxide is a pigment having a large specific gravity, the white ink composition has a property that the pigment tends to settle with time. Therefore, the white color development property on the recording medium may be different between the initial stage and the final stage when the ink container is left for a long time before and after or when the image is continuously formed.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid container provided with a plurality of liquid inlets. Further, the patent document describes that the purpose of providing the plurality of liquid inlets is to reduce the non-uniform concentration of the liquid having a sedimentation component supplied to the liquid injection device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-24194

However, in the liquid container described in Patent Document 1, when a titanium oxide pigment is used as a precipitation component in the ink composition, the white color development property on the recording medium and the reduction of the color development property difference (color development stability) are obtained. It was not fully considered.

One aspect of the ink container according to the present invention is
An ink container containing an ink composition, which is attached to a container containing the ink composition and an end portion of the container to derive the ink composition and supply the ink to an inkjet recording apparatus. A lead-out unit, an ink lead-out tube connected to the ink lead-out section and arranged in the container, a confluence section connected to the ink lead-out tube, and a plurality of ink introductions for incorporating the ink composition into the confluence section. The ink inlets are provided at different positions in the height direction in a state where the ink container is used, and the ink composition contains a titanium oxide pigment and water. It is a thing.

One aspect of the recording method according to the present invention is
Using a recording device provided with the ink container of the above aspect, a step of adhering the ink composition contained in the ink container to a recording medium with an ink adhesion amount of 30 mg / inch ² or more per unit area. include.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an inkjet recording device including an ink container. The figure which looked at a part of the inkjet recording apparatus from the front side. The figure which looked at a part of the inkjet recording apparatus from the top side. The figure for demonstrating the internal structure of an inkjet recording apparatus. External view of the wearing body. An exploded perspective view of the wearing body. External view of the ink container. The figure for schematically showing the ink drawing part of an ink container, and the structure inside a container. An exploded perspective view of the internal structure. First perspective view of the internal structure. A second perspective view of the internal structure. The figure which looked at the internal structure from the + D direction side. Top view of the confluence. Bottom view of the confluence. The first side view of the confluence part. The second side view of the confluence part. The figure which looked at the confluence part from the -D direction side. The figure which looked at the merging part from the + D direction side. The figure which looked at the merging part from the + T direction side. The figure which looked at the confluence part from the -T direction side. The schematic diagram which shows the initial state of an ink container. The schematic diagram which shows the state of the ink container when the ink composition of the ink container is consumed to some extent.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. The embodiments described below illustrate examples of the present invention. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and includes various modifications implemented without changing the gist of the present invention. Not all of the configurations described below are essential configurations of the present invention.

1. 1. Ink Container The ink container according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “ink container”) is an ink container in which an ink composition is housed, and houses the ink composition. An ink lead-out unit attached to the end of the container and for deriving the ink composition and supplying the ink composition to the ink jet recording device, and an ink lead-out unit connected to the ink lead-out unit and arranged in the container. A tube, a merging portion connected to the ink outlet tube, and a plurality of ink inlets for incorporating the ink composition into the merging portion are provided, and the ink container is used for the plurality of ink inlets. The ink composition is provided at different positions in the height direction in the above-mentioned state, and is characterized by containing a titanium oxide pigment and water.

When the ink composition contains a titanium oxide pigment having a large specific gravity and water, the titanium oxide pigment tends to settle. Therefore, the pigment concentration in the ink composition changes in the height direction in the container due to aging. Will be different in. That is, even if the pigment concentration of the ink composition is uniform at the initial stage of use, the titanium oxide pigment in the ink composition precipitates during use, and the pigment concentration is high in the lower layer of the container, and conversely. The pigment concentration is low in the upper layer of the container. Therefore, when there is only one ink inlet for taking in the ink composition, the ink composition having different pigment concentrations at the initial stage and the final stage of use is supplied to the inkjet recording apparatus. Since the white color development on the recording medium is greatly affected by the pigment concentration of the ink composition, the white color development is different between the initial stage and the final stage when the image is continuously formed after being left for a long time. There was a case that it ended up. On the other hand, the ink container according to the present embodiment has a plurality of ink inlets for taking in the ink composition, and the plurality of ink inlets have a structure provided at different heights. Therefore, even if the pigment concentration of the ink composition differs in the height direction at the end of use, the pigment concentration can be increased by simultaneously introducing and mixing the low-concentration upper layer ink and the high-concentration lower layer ink. It can be made uniform. Therefore, according to the ink container according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the difference in color development on the recording medium between the initial stage and the final stage of use, and to improve the white color development.

Hereinafter, the ink jet recording apparatus to which the ink container according to the present embodiment can be applied, the structure of the ink container, and the ink composition contained in the ink container will be described in detail in this order.

1.1. Inkjet recording device The ink container according to the present embodiment can supply an ink composition to an inkjet recording device from an ink lead-out unit provided in the ink container.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, an example of a configuration of an inkjet recording apparatus capable of supplying an ink composition from an ink lead-out unit provided in the ink container according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet recording device 1 including an ink container 60. FIG. 2 is a view of a part of the inkjet recording device 1 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 3 is a view of a part of the inkjet recording device 1 as viewed from the upper surface side. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the inkjet recording device 1. In FIGS. 1 to 4, X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis that are orthogonal to each other are drawn. In the present specification, the direction parallel to the X-axis direction is defined as the X direction, the direction parallel to the Y-axis direction is defined as the Y direction, and the direction parallel to the Z axis is defined as the Z direction. Further, in other figures as well, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 4 are drawn as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet recording device 1 includes a mounting body 24 provided with an ink container 60 for supplying an ink composition to the inkjet recording device 1. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the mounting body 24 is configured by the case 40 and the ink accommodating body 60 mounted on the case 40. The case 40 is a component provided in the inkjet recording device 1 that can be detachably attached to the inkjet recording device 1 even in a single state that does not hold the ink container 60. Hereinafter, the state in which the ink container 60 is mounted on the inkjet recording device 1 and used is referred to as a “mounted state” or a “used state (also simply referred to as a“ used state ”)”.

The inkjet recording device 1 is an inkjet printer that records by injecting an ink composition onto a recording medium. When the inkjet recording device 1 is installed on a horizontal plane parallel to the X and Y directions, the Z direction is the gravity direction and the −Z direction is the antigravity direction.

The inkjet recording device 1 includes an exterior body 12 having a height, a depth, and a width, respectively, in a state of being installed on a horizontal surface (installed state). The exterior body 12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The exterior body 12 includes the front surface of the device (first surface of the device, the first wall of the device) 121, the back surface of the device (second surface of the device, the second wall of the device) 122, and the upper surface of the device (third surface of the device, the third wall of the device). 123, the bottom surface of the device (4th surface of the device, the 4th wall of the device) 124, the right side surface of the device (5th surface of the device, the 5th wall of the device) 125, and the left side surface of the device (6th surface, 6th wall) 126. Has. Each surface 121 to 126 forms the outer shell of the exterior body 12.

The front surface 121 of the device and the back surface 122 of the device face each other. The top surface 123 of the device and the bottom surface 124 of the device face each other. The right side surface 125 of the device and the left side surface 126 of the device face each other. The front surface 121 of the device, the back surface 122 of the device, the right side surface 125 of the device, and the left side surface 126 of the device are each substantially perpendicular to the installation surface in the installed state of the inkjet recording device 1. The upper surface 123 of the device and the lower surface 124 of the device are planes substantially parallel to the installation surface in the installed state of the inkjet recording device 1, respectively. Here, "substantially vertical" and "substantially horizontal" include the meaning of being "vertically" or "horizontally" in addition to the meaning of being completely "vertical" or "horizontal". That is, since each surface 121 to 126 is not a perfect flat surface but a surface including unevenness and the like, it may be generally "vertical" or generally "horizontal" in appearance.

The inkjet recording device 1 further includes an injection unit 15, a control unit 16, and a tube 22. The injection unit 15, the control unit 16, and the tube 22 are arranged inside the exterior body 12, respectively.

The tube 22 communicates with the injection unit 15 and the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24. The tube 22 is a flexible member. The ink composition supplied from the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24 is distributed in the tube 22.

The injection unit 15 reciprocates along the X direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). The injection unit 15 records by injecting the ink composition supplied from the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24 onto the recording medium via the tube 22. Specifically, when the ink composition is jetted onto a recording medium for recording, the jetting unit 15 reciprocates along the X direction, and the recording medium is exteriorized by a transport mechanism (not shown). Move inside the body 12 in the -Y direction. In another embodiment, the injection unit 15 may be a line head whose position is fixed without reciprocating.

The control unit 16 (FIG. 1) controls the operation of the inkjet recording device 1. For example, the control unit 16 controls the operation of the drive mechanism and the transport mechanism described above. Further, the control unit 16 is electrically connected to the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24 and can exchange various information with the ink container 60. Examples of various information include ink color information of the ink container 60 and information indicating whether or not the ink container 60 is attached to the inkjet recording device 1.

The inkjet recording device 1 (FIG. 1) has a front lid 17, a paper feed port 18, a discharge tray 19, and an operation panel 20 arranged on the front surface 121 side of the device. The front lid 17, the paper feed port 18, the discharge tray 19, and the operation panel 20 are arranged in this order from the device bottom surface 124 side to the device top surface 123 side.

The front lid 17 is configured so that the upper end portion can be rotated with the lower end portion as a fulcrum. The front lid 17 opens and closes by rotating the upper end portion. By opening the front lid 17, as shown in FIG. 2, the detachable wall 172 included in the inkjet recording device 1 is exposed from the outside. The attachment / detachment wall 172 is formed with an opening 173 for attaching / detaching the mounting body 24 to / from the inkjet recording device 1. The mounting body 24 passes through the opening 173 when it is attached or detached. Inside the exterior body 12, a storage space 50 is formed with the detachable wall 172 on the front side (FIG. 3). The accommodation space 50 accommodates the mounting body 24. The mounting direction to the mounting body 24 inkjet recording device 1 is the + Y direction, and the removing direction is the −Y direction.

The paper feed port 18 (FIG. 1) is an opening for arranging the recording medium inside the exterior body 12. The discharge tray 19 is a portion where the recording medium on which recording is performed is discharged. The operation panel 20 receives an operation instruction (for example, a power ON / OFF instruction, the number of copies) of the inkjet recording device 1 from the outside.

The inkjet recording device 1 (FIG. 4) further includes a supply mechanism 29 and a connection mechanism 30. The supply mechanism 29 and the connection mechanism 30 are arranged inside the exterior body 12.

The connection mechanism 30 connects to the mounting body 24 in a state where the mounting body 24 is mounted on the inkjet recording device 1 (mounted state). The connection mechanism 30 is arranged on the back surface 122 side of the device in the accommodation space 50. The connection mechanism 30 has an ink introduction tube 32 extending along the Y direction. The ink introduction tube 32 is connected to the ink lead-out unit 61 (described later) of the ink accommodating body 60 provided in the mounting body 24, and the ink composition derived from the ink lead-out unit 61 is distributed. The ink composition flowing through the ink introduction tube 32 is sent out to the injection unit 15 via the tube 22 by the operation of the supply mechanism 29. The connection mechanism 30 further has a terminal (not shown) that electrically connects to the circuit board of the mounting body 24 in the mounted state of the mounting body 24.

The supply mechanism 29 sucks the ink composition from the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24 connected to the ink introduction tube 32, and the ink composition flowing into the ink introduction tube 32 is passed through the tube 22. It is a mechanism to send out to the injection unit 15. The supply mechanism 29 has a pressure fluctuation unit 292 and a pressure transmission pipe 293. The pressure fluctuation generated by the pressure fluctuation unit 292 is transmitted to each connection mechanism 30 via the pressure transmission pipe 293. Each connection mechanism 30 utilizes the pressure fluctuation to suck the ink composition contained in the ink container 60 provided in the mounting body 24 and to send the sucked ink composition to the tube 22. The ink composition is repeatedly supplied to the injection unit 15.

1.2. Structure of Ink Container An example of the structure of the ink container according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 to 22.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the mounting body 24. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the mounting body 24. FIG. 7 is an external view of the ink container 60.

The mounting body 24 (FIG. 5) includes an ink container 60 and a case 40. The mounting body 24 forms a substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance by the ink container 60 and the case 40. The mounting body 24 has a front surface (first surface, first wall) 241, a back surface (second surface, second wall) 42, an upper surface (third surface, third wall) 43, and a bottom surface (fourth surface, fourth wall). A fourth wall) 44, a right side surface (fifth surface, fifth wall) 45, and a left side surface (sixth surface, sixth wall) 46 are provided. A part of the upper surface 43 is opened, and the container 62 of the ink container 60 is exposed.

The front surface 241 and the back surface 42 face each other. The upper surface 43 and the bottom surface 44 face each other. The right side surface 45 and the left side surface 46 face each other. The back surface 42, the right side surface 45, and the left side surface 46 stand up from the bottom surface 44. The front surface 241 is located on the tip side in the mounting direction (-Y direction). The direction in which the right side surface 45 and the left side surface 46 face each other is the X direction. The direction in which the front surface 241 and the back surface 42 face each other is the Y direction. The direction in which the upper surface 43 and the bottom surface 44 face each other is the Z direction. The X direction is the "width direction" of the mounting body 24, the Y direction is the "depth direction" of the mounting body 24, and the Z direction is the "height direction (thickness direction)" of the mounting body 24. The mounting body 24 of the present embodiment has the smallest dimension in the height direction and the largest dimension in the depth direction.

The case 40 (FIG. 6) has a concave shape. The case 40 mainly forms the back surface 42, the upper surface 43, the bottom surface 44, the right side surface 45, and the left side surface 46 of the mounting body 24. An opening 41 is formed on the side of the case 40 facing the back surface 42. The case 40 contains the container 62 of the ink containers 60.

The ink container 60 is for supplying the ink composition to the inkjet recording apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the ink container 60 includes a container 62 and a connecting member 65. The container 62 contains the ink composition. The container 62 is preferably a flexible bag. The container 62 has a bag shape, and is preferably formed by attaching a plurality of films. In the present embodiment, two films are superposed on each other, and a part of the peripheral edge portion and the other part of the peripheral edge portion and the joint portion 614 (FIG. 7) of the connecting member 65 are welded by heat welding or the like. The container 62 is formed by joining. The film constituting the container 62 is made of a material having flexibility and gas barrier properties. For example, examples of the film material include polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, and polyethylene. Further, the film may be formed by using a laminated structure in which a plurality of films made of these materials are laminated. In such a laminated structure, for example, the outer layer may be formed of PET or nylon having excellent impact resistance, and the inner layer may be formed of polyethylene having excellent ink resistance. Further, a film having a layer on which aluminum or the like is vapor-deposited may be used as one constituent member of the laminated structure.

Further, the ink storage capacity of the ink container 60 is preferably 1000 mL or more, and the height of the installed state of the ink container 60 is preferably 3 cm or more, and the ink capacity of the ink container 60 is 1500 mL or more. It is more preferable that the height of the ink container 60 in the installed state is 4 cm or more, the ink storage capacity of the ink container 60 is 2000 mL or more, and the height of the ink container 60 is in the installed state. It is particularly preferable that the height is 5 cm or more. When the ink storage capacity and height of the ink container 60 are within the above ranges, more ink composition can be stored in the ink container 60. On the other hand, since the change in pigment concentration in the ink composition in the ink container 60 tends to be large in the height direction, the color development stability and the white color development property tend to be inferior. However, according to the ink container according to the present embodiment, it is possible to store a larger amount of ink composition, and it is possible to make it excellent in color development stability and white color development. In the present invention, the "ink storage capacity" means the maximum volume of the ink composition that can be stored in the ink container 60. That is, the "ink storage capacity" is obtained by subtracting the volume of the space occupied by the internal structure 200 described later from the maximum volume of the ink composition that can be stored in the container 62. Further, in this case, the "height in the installed state" means that the maximum volume of the ink composition that can be accommodated in the ink container 60 is filled in the container 62 and attached to the inkjet recording device in the installed state for use. Refers to the longest part of the container 62 along the Z direction.

The container 62 has a first surface 627 (FIG. 6) forming an upper surface and a second surface 628 (FIG. 7) forming a bottom surface. The first surface 627 is formed of one film, and the second surface 628 is formed of another sheet. The container 62 has one end 621 and the other end 622 facing the one end 621. One end portion 621 is an end portion on the mounting direction (+ Y direction) side. The other end portion 622 is an end portion on the removal direction (−Y direction) side.

Here, FIG. 5 shows three directions orthogonal to each other, the D direction, the T direction, and the W direction. In the present embodiment, the D direction is the direction along the Y direction shown in FIG. 1, and is the direction in which the container 62 extends. In the following description, of the D directions, the direction from the ink lead-out portion 61 toward the other end 622 side of the container 62 is the + D direction, and the direction opposite to the + D direction is the −D direction. Further, the direction having the smallest dimension among the outer shapes of the mounting body 24 is defined as the T direction. Then, the direction orthogonal to the D direction and the T direction is defined as the W direction. In the present embodiment, the T direction is a direction along the Z direction, and the + T direction corresponds to the −Z direction. Further, the W direction is a direction along the X direction, and the + W direction corresponds to the + X direction. In the present embodiment, the T direction is the thickness direction of the container 62. In the following, when the term "upward" is used, the term "upward" refers to the + T direction in the mounted state, and the term "downward" refers to the -T direction in the mounted state.

The connecting member 65 (FIG. 7) is located on the one end portion 621 side of the container 62. The connecting member 65 is connected to the connecting mechanism 30 of the inkjet recording device 1 in the mounted state of the mounting body 24. The connecting member 65 has an ink lead-out portion 61 and a cover portion 63 (FIG. 6).

The ink lead-out unit 61 is connected to the ink introduction tube 32 (FIG. 4) in the mounted state. The ink lead-out portion 61 is integrally molded with a synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The ink lead-out unit 61 communicates with the container 62. The ink lead-out unit 61 leads out the ink composition of the container 62 to the inkjet recording device 1 (specifically, the ink introduction tube 32). In the ink flow direction from the container 62 to the outside (for example, the ink introduction tube 32), the downstream end of the ink lead-out portion 61 forms an opening 612. Ink circulates to the outside through the opening 612. The detailed configuration of the ink derivation unit 61 will be described later.

The cover portion 63 is fixed to the ink lead-out portion 61. Further, the cover portion 63 is fixed to the opening portion 41 of the case 40. The cover portion 63 has an arrangement opening 632 and a circuit board 68. The arrangement opening 632 is an opening penetrating along the Y direction, and a part of the ink lead-out portion 61 (including the opening 612) is arranged inside. The circuit board 68 has a contact portion formed on the front surface for contacting with the terminal of the connection mechanism 30 for electrical connection, and a storage portion for storing various information (for example, ink color information) is arranged on the back surface. There is.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for schematically showing the ink lead-out portion 61 of the ink container 60 and the internal configuration of the container 62. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the internal structure 200. FIG. 10 is a first perspective view of the internal structure 200. FIG. 11 is a second perspective view of the internal structure 200. FIG. 12 is a view of the internal structure 200 as viewed from the + D direction side. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the confluence portion 90. FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the merging portion 90. FIG. 15 is a first side view of the merging portion 90. FIG. 16 is a second side view of the merging portion 90. FIG. 17 is a view of the merging portion 90 as viewed from the −D direction side. FIG. 18 is a view of the merging portion 90 as viewed from the + D direction side. FIG. 19 is a view of the merging portion 90 as viewed from the + T direction side. FIG. 20 is a view of the merging portion 90 as viewed from the −T direction side. 8 to 20, the internal configuration of the ink lead-out unit 61 and the container 62 and the internal structure 200 will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a state (initial state) in which the container 62 is filled with the ink composition and before the ink composition is consumed. 9 to 12 are views showing an internal structure 200 including an ink lead-out portion 61, an ink lead-out pipe 80, and a merging portion 90 in a state before being assembled in the container 62. 13 to 20 are views showing the merging portion 90 in a state before being assembled to the internal structure 200.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the internal structure 200 includes an ink lead-out unit 61, a merging unit 90, and an ink lead-out tube 80. In the used state of the ink container 24, the ink lead-out portion 61, the ink lead-out tube 80, and the confluence portion 90 are arranged along the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the ink lead-out portion 61, the ink lead-out tube 80, and the confluence portion 90 are arranged in this order from the −D direction side to the + D direction side.

The ink lead-out unit 61 is a member attached to one end portion 621 of the container 62 and leads out the ink composition in the container 62 to the inkjet recording device 1. The ink lead-out portion 61 includes a welded portion 66a into which an opening portion (not shown) of the container 62 is welded. The welded portion 66a includes a portion having the largest outer periphery in the ink lead-out portion 61.

As shown in FIG. 9, two cylindrical first convex portions 661 and 662 are provided at the end portion of the ink lead-out portion 61 on the + D direction side. The internal space of the first convex portions 661 and 662 communicates with the opening 612. A tubular ink outlet tube 80 is connected to the first convex portions 661 and 662. The ink lead-out tube 80 includes a first flow path portion 81 and a second flow path portion 82. An end portion of the first flow path portion 81 on the −D direction side is connected to the first convex portion 661. An end portion of the second flow path portion 82 on the −D direction side is connected to the first convex portion 662.

The merging portion 90 is a structure for partitioning a region having a certain volume inside the container 62. The merging portion 90 regulates the shrinkage of the container 62 in the thickness direction. The merging portion 90 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, the merging portion 90 is provided in the ink accommodating body 60 at a position intersecting the TD surface passing through the central axis CX of the ink lead-out portion 61. The TD surface is a surface including the T direction and the D direction.

As shown in FIG. 9, the merging portion 90 is connected to the end portion of the ink lead-out portion 61 on the + D direction side via a rod-shaped connecting member 85 extending along the D direction. More specifically, the end of the connecting member 85 on the + D direction side is provided at the insertion port 903 shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 provided along the W direction near the end portion of the regulation structure 901 on the −D direction side. The connecting member 85 is fixed to the regulation structure 901 by press-fitting the insertion portion 904 shown in FIG. 9 provided in the portion from the −W direction to the + W direction. On the other hand, the end portion of the connecting member 85 on the −D direction side is locked and fixed to the locking projection 86 provided near the end portion of the ink lead-out portion 61 on the + D direction side.

The regulation structure 901 is integrally provided in the merging portion 90, and is a portion that functions as a spacer that regulates the shrinkage of the container 62 in the thickness direction. The regulation structure 901 has an inclined surface 91 on the + D direction side, which is inclined so that the dimension along the T direction increases from the + D direction side to the −D direction side. As shown in FIGS. 8 to 12, in the present embodiment, the regulation structure 901 has inclined surfaces 91 on the + T direction side and the −T direction side of the central axis CX, respectively. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the regulation structure 901 has a sharp shape toward the + D direction side when viewed from the W direction. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 91 is formed with a groove along the D direction and a groove along the W direction. In the present embodiment, the "face" is not only a surface composed of only a flat surface, but also a surface having grooves or recesses formed on the surface thereof, or a surface having protrusions or protrusions formed on the surface thereof. , Also includes a virtual surface surrounded by a frame. That is, as long as it can be grasped as a "surface" as a whole, there may be irregularities or through holes in a certain area occupied by the surface.

The merging portion 90 has an opening 905 in a portion facing the inner surface of the container 62. That is, the merging portion 90 has an opening 905 at the end surface on the + T direction side. A film 112 that seals the opening 905 is arranged in the opening 905. The film 112 is joined by welding to the edge of the opening 905. Therefore, the confluence 90 has an internal space formed by welding the film 112 to the opening 905.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a flow path resistance portion 111 may be arranged in the merging portion 90 for the purpose of stirring the introduced ink composition. As described above, since the merging portion 90 has the flow path resistance portion 111, the introduced ink composition can be stirred and mixed more uniformly, so that the color development stability can be improved. In the merging portion 90, the flow path resistance portion 111 is arranged along the WD surface. The WD surface is a surface including the W direction and the D direction. As shown in FIG. 8, the merging portion 90 is divided into an upper space S1 and a lower space S2 by a flow path resistance portion 111. In the present embodiment, the flow path resistance portion 111 is formed by a filter. More specifically, the filter is formed of a stainless twill mesh. The flow path resistance portion 111 is welded to the edge portion of the internal opening 906 located between the upper space S1 and the lower space S2 at the confluence portion 90. In the present embodiment, since the flow path resistance portion 111 is formed of a stainless twill tatami mat, foreign matter mixed in the container 62 or foreign matter generated in the container 62 can be filtered. Therefore, the amount of foreign matter flowing into the inkjet recording device can be reduced. The flow path resistance portion 111 may be arranged so as to stir the ink composition that has flowed into the merging portion 90, may be arranged so as to be inclined to the WD surface, or may be arranged along the T direction. It may be arranged. Further, the form of the flow path resistance portion 111 is not limited to the filter, and may be a form that causes a pressure loss, and may be a form in which the area of the flow path is steeply narrowed.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, the merging portion 90 includes a plurality of ink introduction ports 910. The ink introduction port 910 is an opening for incorporating the ink composition into the merging portion 90. The plurality of ink inlets 910 include a first liquid inlet 92 and a second liquid inlet 93. The first liquid introduction port 92 and the second liquid introduction port 93 communicate with the upper space S1 of the merging portion 90, respectively. The merging portion 90 has a point 907 between the flow path resistance portion 111 and the plurality of ink introduction ports 910 where the ink compositions flowing in from the plurality of ink introduction ports 910 merge. In other words, the merging point 907 is provided upstream of the flow path resistance portion 111 and downstream of the plurality of ink introduction ports 910 in the flow direction of the ink composition. Further, since the ink outlet pipe 80 is connected to the end portion of the merging portion 90 on the −D direction side, the merging portion 90 has a flow path resistance portion between the merging point 907 and the ink outlet pipe 80. Has 111. That is, the flow path resistance portion 111 is provided upstream of the ink outlet pipe 80 and downstream of the merging point 907 in the flow direction of the ink composition. Therefore, the ink compositions flowing in from the plurality of ink introduction ports 910 are mixed at the merging point 907, then further stirred and mixed in the flow path resistance portion 111, and further stirred by flowing in the ink outlet tube 80. Can be done. Therefore, since the ink composition introduced from the container 62 can be supplied to the inkjet recording apparatus 1 in a state of being more stirred and mixed, the color development stability and the white color development property can be further improved. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 13, ribs 908 for preventing the film 112 from coming into contact with the bottom surface of the merging point 907 are provided at the merging point 907 in the + T direction. ..

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, the plurality of ink inlets 910 are arranged at different positions in the height direction in the usage state of the ink container 60. Specifically, in the used state of the ink container 60, the second liquid introduction port 93 is arranged at a position higher in the T direction than the first liquid introduction port 92. The second liquid introduction port 93 is an end portion of the merging portion 90 on the + D direction side, and is formed near the upper end of the regulation structure 901 so as to face the + D direction. On the other hand, the first liquid introduction port 92 is formed near the lower end of the regulation structure 901 so as to face the −T direction and the + D direction. In the present embodiment, the opening area of the first liquid introduction port 92 is larger than the opening area of the second liquid introduction port 93. The opening area is the area of a portion where each introduction port opens toward the space in the container 62.

As shown in FIGS. 12, 14, and 20, the portion of the regulation structure 901 from the lower inclined surface 91 to the WD surface passing through the central axis CX on the + D direction side of the first liquid introduction port 92. The first groove 912 is formed in the first groove 912. The first groove 912 is formed so as to be connected to the first liquid introduction port 92. The ink composition easily flows into the first liquid introduction port 92 from the + D direction side through the second groove 913. Further, as shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and 19, on the + D direction side of the regulation structure 901 from the second liquid introduction port 93, from the upper inclined surface 91 to the WD surface passing through the central axis CX. A second groove 913 is formed in the portion. The second groove 913 is formed so as to be connected to the second liquid introduction port 93. The ink composition easily flows into the second liquid introduction port 93 from the + D direction side through the second groove 913.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 17, two cylindrical second convex portions 141 and 142 are arranged side by side in the W direction at the end portion of the merging portion 90 in the −D direction. The internal space of the second convex portions 141 and 142 communicates with the lower space S2 of the confluence portion 90. The end of the first flow path portion 81 on the + D direction side is connected to the second convex portion 141, and the end portion of the second flow path portion 82 on the + D direction side is connected to the second convex portion 142. ..

As shown in FIG. 8, the ink compositions flowing in from the first liquid introduction port 92 and the second liquid introduction port 93 merge at the merging point 907 in the merging portion 90, and then pass through the flow path resistance portion 111 to the upper part. It flows from the space S1 into the lower space S2, and the ink composition is agitated by the flow path resistance portion 111. The ink composition agitated by the flow path resistance portion 111 passes through the flow path in the second convex portion 141, 142, the ink lead-out tube 80, and the first convex portion 661, 662, and is led out from the ink lead-out portion 61 to the outside. Ink.

FIG. 21 is a schematic view showing an initial state of the ink container 60. FIG. 22 is a schematic view showing a state of the ink container 60 when the ink composition of the ink container 60 is consumed to some extent.

The distance between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the second liquid introduction port 93 is defined as the distance Da. The distance Da is a distance in the T direction when the ink container 60 is in use. The distance between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the first surface 627, which is the inner wall surface of the container 62 in the −T direction, is defined as the distance Db. Further, the distance Db is a distance in the T direction when the ink container 60 is used. The distance between the second liquid introduction port 93 and the second surface 628, which is the inner wall surface of the container 62 in the + T direction, is defined as the distance Dc. Further, the distance Dc is a distance in the T direction in the state of use of the ink container 60.

As the ink composition in the container 62 is supplied to the inkjet recording device 1 and consumed, the volume of the container 62 becomes smaller. That is, in the container 62, the first surface 627 and the second surface 628 are displaced in a direction in which the first surface 627 and the second surface 628 are close to each other as the ink composition is consumed. In the present embodiment, as the ink composition in the container 62 is consumed, the first surface 627 is displaced in the + T direction so as to approach the internal structure 200, and the second surface 628 is displaced so as to approach the internal structure 200. Displace in the direction. Therefore, the distance Db between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the first surface 627 gradually decreases as the volume of the container 62 decreases. Further, the distance Dc between the second liquid introduction port 93 and the second surface 628 also gradually decreases as the volume of the container 62 decreases.

Most of the titanium oxide pigments, which are the sedimentation components in the ink composition INK in the ink container 60, move toward the gravity direction (−T direction) due to their own weight. Therefore, the pigment concentration in the ink composition in the ink container 60 tends to be higher on the first surface 627 side than on the second surface 628 side. In the present embodiment, the ink composition INKa containing a large amount of titanium oxide pigment and having a high pigment concentration is sucked into the confluence 90 from the first liquid introduction port 92. Further, the ink composition INKb having a low pigment concentration containing a smaller amount of titanium oxide pigment than the ink composition INKa is sucked into the confluence 90 from the second liquid introduction port 93. The ink composition INKa having a high pigment concentration sucked into the merging portion 90 and the ink composition INKb having a low pigment concentration merge and are mixed at the merging point 907 in the merging portion 90.

In the ink container 60 in the initial state shown in FIG. 21, the distance Da between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the second liquid introduction port 93 is longer than the distance Db between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the first surface 627. Moreover, the distance Da between the first liquid introduction port 92 and the second liquid introduction port 93 is longer than the distance Dc between the second liquid introduction port 93 and the second surface 628. As a result, in the ink composition INK in the ink container 60, the ink composition INKa can be introduced into the first liquid introduction port 92 from the region where the pigment concentration is higher, and the pigment concentration becomes lower. The ink composition INKb can be introduced from the region into the second liquid introduction port 93. Therefore, even if there is a difference in pigment concentration in the ink composition in the container 62, the ink composition having a high pigment concentration and a low pigment concentration can be mixed in a well-balanced manner, so that the color development stability and the white color development property are further improved. Can be improved.

1.3. Ink Composition The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “ink composition”) contains a titanium oxide pigment and water. Hereinafter, each component contained in the ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment will be described.

1.3.1. Titanium Oxide Pigment The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment contains a titanium oxide pigment. Examples of the titanium oxide pigment include C.I. I. Pigment White 6 (titanium dioxide).

Further, as the titanium oxide pigment, a commercially available product may be used, and examples of the commercially available product include MT-01, MT-10EX, MT-05, MT-100S, MT-100TV, MT-100Z, MT-150EX, and the like. MT-150W, MT-100AQ, MT-100WP, MT-100SA, MT-100HD, MT-300HD, MT-500HD, MT-500B, MT-500SA, MT-600B, MT-600SA, MT-700B, MT- 700HD, MTY-02, MTY-110M3S, MT-500SAS, MTY-700BS, JMT-150IB, JMT-150AO, JMT-150FI, JMT-150ANO (all are products of Teika Co., Ltd.), TTO-51 (A), TTO -51 (C), TTO-55 (A), TTO-55 (B), TTO-55 (C), TTO-55 (D), TTO-S-1, TTO-S-2, TTO-S- 3, TTO-S-4, MPT-136, MPT-141, TTO-V-3, TTO-V-4, TTO-F-2, TTO-F-6, and TTO-W-5 (all Ishihara) Sangyo Co., Ltd. products).

The titanium oxide pigment may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The form of the titanium oxide pigment is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include an amorphous form, an anatase type crystal form, and a rutile type crystal form, which are rutile type crystal forms generally used for titanium oxide pigments. Is preferable.

The average particle size of the titanium oxide pigment is preferably 30.0 nm or more and 600.0 nm or less, more preferably 100.0 nm or more and 500.0 nm or less, and particularly preferably 150.0 nm or more and 400.0 nm or less. When the average particle size is within the above range, the particles are less likely to settle, the dispersion stability can be improved, and the nozzle is less likely to be clogged when applied to an inkjet recording device. can. Further, when the average particle size of the titanium oxide pigment is within the above range, the color density such as whiteness can be sufficiently satisfied, and the color development stability and the white color development property tend to be further improved.

The average particle size of the titanium oxide pigment referred to here means "a sphere-equivalent 50% average particle size by a dynamic light scattering method (hereinafter, also referred to as" D50 ")". The average particle size can be measured by, for example, the following method. The particles in the dispersion medium are irradiated with light, and the diffracted scattered light generated by the detectors arranged in front, side, and rear of the dispersion medium is measured. Using the obtained measured values, it is assumed that the particles that are originally amorphous are spherical, and the cumulative curve is obtained by assuming that the total product of the particle population converted into a sphere equal to the volume of the particles is 100%. Calculate the point where the cumulative value is 50%.

The content of the titanium oxide pigment is preferably 2% by mass or more and 15% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or more and 12% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5% by mass, based on the entire ink composition. It is 10% by mass or less. When the content of the titanium oxide pigment is low, the change in shade of color on the recording medium is noticeable. Therefore, it is easily affected by the precipitation of the pigment, and tends to be inferior in color development stability and white color development. However, by using the ink container according to the present embodiment, there is an effect that the color development stability and the white color development property are excellent even within the above range.

1.3.2. Water The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment contains water as a main solvent. As the water, it is preferable to use pure water such as ion-exchanged water, ultra-filtered water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, or ultrapure water. In particular, it is preferable to use water that has been sterilized by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or addition of hydrogen peroxide, because it prevents the growth of mold and bacteria and enables long-term storage of the ink composition.

The content of water is preferably 40% by mass or more, more preferably 45% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 50% by mass or more, based on the total amount of the ink composition. When the water content is within the above range, the color development stability and the white color development property may be further improved.

1.3.3. Organic Solvent The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment preferably contains an organic solvent. By containing the organic solvent, the wettability of the ink composition with respect to the recording medium may be improved, and the moisturizing property of the ink composition may be enhanced.

Examples of the organic solvent include esters, alkylene glycol ethers, cyclic esters, nitrogen-containing solvents, polyhydric alcohols and the like. Among these, alkylene glycol ethers, nitrogen-containing solvents, polyhydric alcohols and the like are preferable.

Esters include ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, and dipropylene glycol monomethyl. Glycol monoacetates such as ether acetate and methoxybutyl acetate, ethylene glycol diacetate, diethylene glycol diacetate, propylene glycol diacetate, dipropylene glycol diacetate, ethylene glycol acetate propionate, ethylene glycol acetate butyrate, diethylene glycol acetate butyrate. , Diethylene glycol acetate propionate, diethylene glycol acetate butyrate, propylene glycol acetate propionate, propylene glycol acetate butyrate, dipropylene glycol acetate butyrate, dipropylene glycol acetate propionate and other glycol diesters.

The alkylene glycol ethers may be alkylene glycol monoethers or diethers, and alkyl ethers are preferable. Specific examples include ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and triethylene glycol. Monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monomethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monoethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monopropyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether. , Dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether, Dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, Dipropylene glycol monopropyl ether, Dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, Tripropylene glycol monobutyl ether and other alkylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, and ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl. Ether, ethylene glycol dibutyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol diethyl ether, diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl butyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol diethyl ether, triethylene glycol dibutyl ether, triethylene glycol methyl butyl ether, Examples thereof include alkylene glycol dialkyl ethers such as tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol diethyl ether, tetraethylene glycol dibutyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol diethyl ether, dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol diethyl ether, and tripropylene glycol dimethyl ether. Will be. The alkylene glycol ether preferably has 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkylene glycol portion, and preferably 1 or more and 4 or less carbon atoms in one ether portion.

Cyclic esters include β-propiolactone, γ-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone, ε-caprolactone, β-butyrolactone, β-valerolactone, γ-valerolactone, β-hexanolactone, γ-hexanolactone. , Δ-Hexanolactone, β-Heptanolactone, γ-Heptanolactone, δ-Heptanolactone, ε-Heptanolactone, γ-Octanolactone, δ-Octanolactone, ε-Octanolactone, δ Cyclic esters (lactones) such as -nonalactone, ε-nonalactone, and ε-decanolactone, and compounds in which the hydrogen of the methylene group adjacent to their carbonyl group is replaced by an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. be able to.

Examples of the nitrogen-containing solvent include cyclic amides and acyclic amides. Examples of the acyclic amides include alkoxyalkyl amides. When the ink composition contains a nitrogen-containing solvent, the scratch resistance of the image and the wetting and spreading on the recording medium can be further improved. The organic solvent preferably contains a nitrogen-containing solvent, and particularly preferably an acyclic amide.

Examples of the cyclic amides include lactams, for example, 2-pyrrolidone, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1-propyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1-butyl-2-pyrrolidone and the like. Examples include pyrrolidones. These are preferable in that they promote the solubility of the flocculant and the film formation of the resin particles described later, and 2-pyrrolidone is particularly preferable. Examples of the acyclic amides include alkyl amides, and examples thereof include alkoxyalkyl amides.

Examples of the polyhydric alcohol include 1,2-alkanediol (for example, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,2-butanediol, 1,2-pentanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, 1,2-heptanediol, 1). , 2-Octanediol and other alkanediols), polyhydric alcohols (polyols) excluding 1,2-alkanediol (eg, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3 -Butandiol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 2-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-2-propyl-1, 3-Propylenediol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediol, 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol, 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol , 3-Methyl-1,5-pentanediol, 2-methylpentane-2,4-diol, trimethylolpropane, glycerin, etc.) and the like.

Among these organic solvents, it is more preferable to contain an organic solvent having a boiling point of 160 ° C. or higher and 280 ° C. or lower, and one or more selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol is contained. It is more preferable to do so. By containing such an organic solvent, it is possible to perform recording in which the formed image is dried and fixed faster. In addition, the scratch resistance of the image, the spread of wetness on the recording medium, and / or the drying property of the image can be further improved. In particular, when one or more selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol are contained, the viscosity of the ink composition tends to be suitable, and the precipitation of the titanium oxide pigment is suppressed. It's easy to do. In addition, the drying property of the ink composition on the recording medium tends to be good, and as a result, the friction fastness is better than when it contains an organic solvent having a higher boiling point (for example, an organic solvent having a boiling point of 290 ° C. or higher). Easy to do.

When one or more selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol is contained, the content thereof is preferably 5% by mass or more, preferably 10% by mass, based on the total amount of the ink composition. % Or more is more preferable, and 14% by mass or more is further preferable. Further, 25% by mass or less is preferable, 23% by mass or less is more preferable, and 20% by mass or less is further preferable. When the content of one or more selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol is within the above range, the viscosity of the ink composition tends to be more suitable, and the titanium oxide pigment It is easier to suppress sedimentation. Therefore, there is a tendency that the color development stability and the white color development property can be improved. In addition, the drying property of the ink composition on the recording medium tends to be better, and the friction fastness tends to be better.

When the ink composition contains an organic solvent, one type of organic solvent may be used alone, or two or more types may be used in combination. The total content of the organic solvent is preferably 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, and further preferably 15% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. Yes, and particularly preferably 20% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less. When the total content of the organic solvent is within the above range, the balance between the wettability and the dryness is further improved, and it is easy to form a high-quality image.

Further, among the organic solvents, when the organic solvent having a boiling point of more than 280 ° C. is contained, the content thereof is preferably 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, more preferably 12% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less. It is more preferably 14% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less. In such a case, the drying property of the ink composition can be improved.

The content of the organic solvent having a boiling point of 290 ° C. or higher is preferably 20% by mass or less, and more preferably 10% by mass or less. Further, from the viewpoint of improving the friction fastness, it is preferable not to contain it.

Further, among these organic solvents, it is preferable to contain 2-pyrrolidone in order to improve the pigment dispersion stability of the ink composition.

When 2-pyrrolidone is contained, the content thereof is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.1 to 7% by mass, and particularly preferably 0, based on the total amount of the ink composition. .1 to 3% by mass. While 2-pyrrolidone can improve the pigment dispersion stability of the ink composition, it may cause an attack property by contact with a member such as an ink container or a flow path device of an inkjet recording device. However, by using the ink container according to the present embodiment, even when the pigment precipitates over time and a pigment concentration difference occurs in the ink container, the color is developed on the recording medium at the initial stage and the final stage of use. Gender differences can be reduced. Therefore, even if the content of 2-pyrrolidone is within the above range, it is possible to obtain a recorded material having excellent color development stability and white color development. That is, when the content of 2-pyrrolidone is within the above range, it is possible to obtain a recorded material having excellent color development stability and white color development while reducing the attack property on the member.

1.3.4. Resin Particles The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment preferably contains resin particles for the purpose of improving the frictional fastness of the image formed on the recording medium.

The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin particles is preferably 0 ° C. or lower, preferably -10 ° C. or lower, from the viewpoint of excellent frictional fastness of the recorded material and excellent texture of the recorded material. Is more preferable, and it is particularly preferable that the temperature is −15 ° C. or lower. When the Tg of the resin particles is within the above range, the fixing property of the ink composition adhering to the recording medium becomes more excellent, and as a result, the frictional fastness of the recorded material and the texture of the recorded material become further excellent. .. The lower limit of Tg is not particularly limited, but is preferably −50 ° C. or higher.

Examples of the resin component contained in the resin particles include urethane resin, styrene acrylic resin, acrylic resin and the like. Among these, urethane resin is particularly preferable because it can further improve the frictional fastness of the recorded material.

The urethane resin is not particularly limited as long as it has a urethane bond in the molecule, but in addition to the urethane bond, a polyether type urethane resin having an ether bond in the main chain and a polyester type urethane having an ester bond in the main chain. A resin, a polycarbonate type urethane resin containing a carbonate bond in the main chain, or the like can also be used.

As the resin component contained in the resin particles, a self-reactive urethane resin, a styrene acrylic resin, or an acrylic resin may be used. Examples of such a self-reactive resin include a urethane resin blocked with a blocking agent having a hydrophilic group, a blocked urethane resin having a hydrophilic segment, and a functional group such as a carboxyl group, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, and a methylol group. Examples thereof include an acrylic resin obtained by copolymerizing an acrylic monomer having the above.

The acid value of the resin particles is preferably 10 to 100 mgKOH / g, more preferably 15 to 50 mgKOH / g. When the acid value is 100 mgKOH / g or less, the frictional fastness of the recorded material can be well maintained. Further, when the acid value is 10 mgKOH / g or more, the storage stability of the ink composition and the white color development and fixing property of the ink composition on the recording medium may be excellent.

The acid value in the present specification shall be measured by using AT610 manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and the value calculated by applying the numerical value to the following formula shall be adopted.
Acid value (mg / g) = (EP1-BL1) x FA1 x C1 x K1 / SIZE
In the above formula, EP1 is the titration amount (mL), BL1 is the blank value (0.0mL), FA1 is the titration solution factor (1.00), and C1 is the concentration conversion value (5.611mg / mL) (0. 1mo1 / L KOH (1 mL equivalent of potassium hydroxide), K1 represents the coefficient (1), and SIZE represents the sampling amount (g).

Further, the resin particles preferably have a breaking point elongation of 200 to 500% and an elastic coefficient of 20 to 400 MPa. By using such resin particles, even when a recording medium that easily expands and contracts is used, the image, that is, the ink layer is prevented from being broken or cracked, and the recorded material is excellent in flexibility and friction fastness. It tends to be.

Here, the elongation at break point in the present specification can be measured under the conditions of producing a film having a thickness of about 60 μm, a tensile test gauge length of 20 mm, and a tensile speed of 100 mm / min. Further, the elastic modulus in the present specification is obtained by preparing a film having a thickness of about 60 μm, forming it into a tensile test dumbbell having a parallel portion width of 10 mm and a length of 40 mm, and performing a tensile test in accordance with JIS K7161: 1994. The tensile modulus can be measured.

The D50 of the resin particles is preferably 30 to 300 nm, more preferably 80 to 300 nm. When D50 is within the above range, the resin particles can be uniformly dispersed in the ink composition. Further, the lower limit of D50 is more preferably 100 nm because the friction fastness of the recorded material becomes more excellent.

Commercially available urethane resins include, for example, Sancure 2710 (manufactured by Japan Lubrizol), Permarin UA-150 (manufactured by Sanyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Superflex 150, 420, 460, 470, 610, 700 (above, No. 1). Ichiko Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), NeoRez R-9660, R-9637, R-940 (above, Kusumoto Kasei Co., Ltd.), Adeka Bontita HUX-380, 290K (above, ADEKA Corporation), Takelac (R) ) W-605, W-635, WS-6021 (all manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.) and the like.

Commercially available products of styrene acrylic resin and acrylic resin include, for example, Movinyl 966A, Movinyl 7320 (manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Co., Ltd.), Microgel E-1002, Microgel E-5002 (all manufactured by Nippon Paint Co., Ltd.), Boncoat 4001. , Boncourt 5454 (manufactured by DIC Co., Ltd.), SAE1014 (manufactured by Nippon Zeon Co., Ltd.), Cybinol SK-200 (manufactured by Saiden Chemical Co., Ltd.), John Krill 7100, John Krill 390, John Krill 711, John Krill 511, John Krill 7001, John Krill 632, John Krill 741, John Krill 450, John Krill 840, John Krill 74J, John Krill HRC-1645J, John Krill 734, John Krill 852, John Krill 7600, John Krill 775, John Krill 537J, John Krill 1535, John Krill PDX-7630A, John Krill 352J, John Krill 352D, John Krill PDX-7145, John Krill 538J, John Krill 7640, John Krill 7641, John Krill 631, John Krill 790, John Krill 780, John Krill 7610 (The above is manufactured by BASF), NK binder R-5HN (manufactured by Shin-Nakamura Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) and the like.

The content of the resin particles in the ink composition is preferably 8% by mass or more, more preferably 8 to 15% by mass, based on the entire ink composition. When the content of the resin particles is in the above range, the flexibility of the recorded material is excellent, and the frictional robustness of the recorded material is good. In addition, the long-term stability of the ink composition is also excellent.

1.3.5. Dispersant The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment preferably contains a dispersant for dispersing the titanium oxide pigment. Although the ink composition contains titanium oxide pigments, it is preferable to enable them to be stably dispersed and held in a dispersion medium. One of the methods is to disperse with a dispersant such as a water-soluble resin and / or a water-dispersible resin, or to chemically and physically introduce a hydrophilic functional group on the surface of pigment particles without the above-mentioned dispersant. Examples thereof include a method of making it soluble and / or soluble in water. Among these, the method of dispersing using a dispersant is the dispersion stability of the titanium oxide pigment in the ink composition, the ejection stability from the head nozzle hole when applied to the inkjet method, and the adhesion of the obtained image. It is preferable because it is excellent in durability such as abrasion resistance.

Dispersants include polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylic acid, acrylic acid-acrylic nitrile copolymer, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid ester copolymer, acrylic acid-acrylic acid ester copolymer, styrene-acrylic acid copolymer, and the like. Styline-methacrylic acid copolymer, styrene-methacrylic acid-acrylic acid ester copolymer, styrene-α-methylstyrene-acrylic acid copolymer, styrene-α-methylstyrene-acrylic acid-acrylic acid ester copolymer, Styrene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-acrylic acid copolymer, vinylnaphthalene-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate-maleic acid ester copolymer, vinyl acetate-crotonic acid Examples thereof include copolymers, vinyl acetate-acrylic acid copolymers and the like, and salts thereof. Among these, a copolymer of a monomer having a hydrophobic functional group and a monomer having a hydrophilic functional group, and a polymer consisting of a monomer having both a hydrophobic functional group and a hydrophilic functional group are preferable. As the form of the copolymer, any form of a random copolymer, a block copolymer, an alternating copolymer, and a graft copolymer can be used.

Since the ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment mainly determines the property of whether or not the titanium oxide pigment is aggregated by the aggregating agent in the pretreatment agent described later, the titanium oxide pigment is used. On the other hand, it is possible to appropriately select from the above-mentioned dispersants exhibiting desired properties, depending on the desired agglomerating property.

The content ratio of the dispersant is preferably 5 parts by mass or more and 200 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 20 parts by mass or more and 120 parts by mass or less, based on 100 parts by mass of the titanium oxide pigment in the ink composition.

1.3.6. Other components In addition to the above components, the ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment contains a surfactant, a wax, a preservative / fungicide, a rust inhibitor, a chelating agent, and a viscosity modifier. , Antioxidants, ureas, amines, saccharides and the like may be contained.

1.3.7. Manufacture and Physical Characteristics of Ink Composition In the ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment, each component is mixed in an arbitrary order, and if necessary, filtration or the like is performed to remove impurities. can get. As a mixing method of each component, a method of sequentially adding materials to a container equipped with a stirring device such as a mechanical stirrer or a magnetic stirrer and stirring and mixing is preferably used.

The ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment has a viscosity of the ink composition at 20 ° C., preferably 8 mPa · s or more, more preferably for the purpose of reducing the sedimentation rate of the titanium oxide pigment. Is 10 mPa · s or more, and particularly preferably 12 mPa · s or more. When the viscosity of the ink composition at 20 ° C. is within the above range, the precipitation rate of the titanium oxide pigment can be further reduced, and a recorded material having excellent color development stability and white color development can be obtained.

Further, since the above-mentioned ink composition can obtain excellent white color-developing property in textile printing, it can be suitably used for textile printing.

1.4. Color Ink Composition The ink container according to the present embodiment may contain a color ink composition in addition to the above-mentioned ink composition. The "color ink composition" refers to a composition containing a chromatic pigment. Hereinafter, each component contained in the color ink composition will be described.

1.4.1. Pigment color ink compositions contain pigments. Pigments contained in the color ink composition include, for example, organic pigments such as azo-based, phthalocyanine-based, dye-based, condensed polycyclic, nitro-based, and nitroso-based organic pigments (Brilliant Carmine 6B, Lake Red C, Watching Red, and Disazo. Metals such as yellow, Hansa yellow, phthalocyanine blue, phthalocyanine green, alkali blue, aniline black, cobalt, iron, chromium, copper, zinc, lead, titanium, vanadium, manganese, and nickel, metal oxides and sulfides. , And carbon blacks (CI Pigment Black 7) such as furnace carbon black, lamp black, acetylene black, and channel black, and inorganic pigments such as ocher, ultramarine, and navy blue can be used.

More specifically, as carbon black used as a black pigment, No. 2300, No. 900, MCF88, No. 33, No. 40, No. 45, No. 52, MA7, MA8, MA100, No. 2200B, etc. (trade name, manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation), Raven 5750, Raven 5250, Raven 5000, Raven 3500, Raven 1255, Raven 700, etc. (trade name, manufactured by Columbia Carbon Co., Ltd.), Rega1 400R, Rega1 330R, Rega1 660R, Mogul L, Monarch 700, Monarch 800, Monarch 880, Monarch 900, Monarch 1000, Monarch 1100, Monarch 1300, Monarch 1400, etc. , Color Black FW18, Color Black FW200, Color B1ack S150, Color Black S160, Color Black S170, Printex 35, Printex U, Printex V, PrintBlic4 Product name, manufactured by Degusa), etc.

As the yellow pigment, C.I. I. Pigment Yellow 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 24, 34, 35, 37, 53, 55, 65, 73, 74, 75, 81, 83, 93, 94, 95, 97, 98, 99, 108, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 120, 124, 128, 129, 133, 138, 139, 147, 151, 153, 154, 167, 172, 180 and the like can be mentioned.

As magenta pigments, C.I. I. Pigment Red 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 48 (Ca), 48 (Mn), 57 (Ca), 57: 1, 88, 112, 114, 122, 123, 144, 146, 149, 150, 166, 168 , 170, 171, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 184, 185, 187, 202, 209, 219, 224, 245, and C.I. I. Pigment violets 19, 23, 32, 33, 36, 38, 43, 50 and the like.

Cyan pigments include C.I. I. Pigment Blue 1, 2, 3, 15, 15: 1, 15: 2, 15: 3, 15:34, 15: 4, 16, 18, 22, 25, 60, 65, 66, and C.I. I. Bat blue 4, 60 and the like can be mentioned.

Pigments other than black, yellow, magenta and cyan include, for example, C.I. I. Pigment Greens 7, 10, and C.I. I. Pigment Brown 3, 5, 25, 26, and C.I. I. Pigment Orange 1, 2, 5, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 34, 36, 38, 40, 43, 63 and the like.

The pigments described above may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Although the content of the pigment contained in the color ink composition varies depending on the pigment type used, it should be 1% by mass or more with respect to the total mass of the color ink composition in order to ensure good friction fastness. Is preferable, and it is more preferably 3% by mass or more, and particularly preferably 4% by mass or more. The content of the pigment is preferably 30% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 12% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the color ink composition.

14.2. Surfactant The color ink composition may contain a surfactant for the purpose of adjusting the surface tension and wettability of the color ink composition and improving the ejection stability.

The surfactant is not particularly limited, but is preferably a nonionic surfactant, and more preferably at least one of an acetylene glycol-based surfactant and a silicone-based surfactant.

Examples of the acetylene glycol-based surfactant include Surfinol 104, 104E, 104H, 104A, 104BC, 104DPM, 104PA, 104PG-50, 104S, 420, 440, 465, 485, SE, SE-F, 504, 61. , DF37, CT111, CT121, CT131, CT136, TG, GA, DF110D (all product names, manufactured by Air Products Japan Co., Ltd.), Orfin B, Y, P, A, STG, SPC, E1004, E1010, PD-001 , PD-002W, PD-003, PD-004, EXP. 4001, EXP. 4036, EXP. 4051, AF-103, AF-104, AK-02, SK-14, AE-3 (all product names above, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), acetylenol E00, E00P, E40, E100 (all product names above, all product names, Kawaken Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.).

Examples of the silicone-based surfactant include polysiloxane-based compounds and polyether-modified organosiloxanes. The commercial product of the silicone-based surfactant is not particularly limited, but specifically, BYK-306, BYK-307, BYK-333, BYK-341, BYK-345, BYK-346, BYK-347, BYK. -348, BYK-349 (trade name, manufactured by Big Chemie Japan Co., Ltd.), KF-351A, KF-352A, KF-353, KF-354L, KF-355A, KF-615A, KF-945, KF-640 , KF-642, KF-643, KF-6020, X-22-4515, KF-6011, KF-6012, KF-6015, KF-6017 (trade name, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), Silface 503A, Sylface 014 (trade name, manufactured by Nisshin Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) and the like can be mentioned.

The surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The content of the surfactant is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 2.0% by mass or less, and more preferably 0.2% by mass or more 1 with respect to the total amount (100% by mass) of the color ink composition. .2% by mass. When the content of the surfactant is within the above range, the discharge stability may be further improved.

The components other than the pigment and the surfactant contained in the color ink composition are the same as those of the ink composition contained in the ink container according to the present embodiment described above.

2. 2. Recording Method In the recording method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the ink container is equipped with the above-mentioned ink container, and the ink adhesion amount per unit area to the recording medium is 30 mg / inch ² or more. Including the step of adhering the ink composition contained in the ink composition.

Hereinafter, each step of the recording method according to the present embodiment and the pretreatment agent will be described in detail in this order.

2.1. Pretreatment Agent Adhesion Step In the recording method according to the present embodiment, for the purpose of improving the white color development of the recorded material, the pretreatment agent described later is adhered to the recording medium before the ink composition is adhered to the recording medium. It is preferable to have a pretreatment agent adhering step.

The recording medium is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various cloths. The material constituting the fabric is not particularly limited, and is, for example, natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool and silk, synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyester, acetate, triacetate, polyamide and polyurethane, and biodegradability such as polylactic acid. Examples thereof include fibers, and these blended fibers may be used. As the cloth, the fibers listed above may be in any form such as a woven fabric, a knitted fabric, and a non-woven fabric. The fabric used in this embodiment is more preferably made of fibers containing polyester, acetate and the like. By using such a cloth, it is possible to obtain better dyeability of the ink composition.

The adhesion amount of the pretreatment agent is, for example, preferably 0.02 g / cm ² or more and 0.5 g / cm ² or less, and 0.02 g / cm ² or more and 0.24 g / cm ² or less. It is more preferable to attach them in such a manner. By setting the adhesion amount of the pretreatment agent within the above range, it becomes easy to uniformly apply the pretreatment agent to the recording medium, it is possible to suppress uneven aggregation of images, and it is possible to enhance color development.

When the pretreatment agent contains a polyvalent metal salt in the pretreatment agent adhering step, the amount of the polyvalent metal salt adhering to the pretreatment agent adhering to the recording medium is 1.6 μmol / cm ² . It is preferable to attach the metal so as to be 6 μmol / cm ² or less, and more preferably 2 μmol / cm ² or more and 5 μmol / cm ² or less. By adhering the polyvalent metal salt so that the adhering amount is 1.6 μmol / cm ² or more, the white color development property of the recorded image becomes good. Further, by adhering the polyvalent metal salt so that the adhering amount is 6 μmol / cm ² or less, the white color development property and the friction fastness of the recorded image are improved.

Examples of the method of adhering the pretreatment agent to the recording medium include a method of immersing the recording medium in the pretreatment agent (immersion coating), a method of applying the pretreatment agent with a roll coater or the like (roller coating), and a pretreatment agent. (Spray coating), a method of spraying the pretreatment agent by an inkjet method (inkjet coating), and the like, and any of these methods may be used.

The recording method according to the present embodiment may include a step of drying the pretreatment agent, which dries the pretreatment agent attached to the recording medium, after the step of adhering the pretreatment agent. The pretreatment agent may be dried naturally, but it is preferably dried with heating from the viewpoint of improving the drying rate. When heating is involved in the drying step of the pretreatment agent, the heating method is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a heat press method, a normal pressure steam method, a high pressure steam method, and a thermofix method. Further, as a heat source for heating, for example, infrared rays (lamps) can be mentioned.

2.2. Ink composition adhesion step In the ink composition adhesion step, the above-mentioned ink composition is ejected from an inkjet nozzle and adhered to a recording medium to at least a part of the region to which the pretreatment agent is adhered by the pretreatment agent adhesion step. It is a process to do. The ejection of the ink composition can be performed, for example, by using the inkjet recording apparatus 1 provided with the ink container 60 described above. By the ink composition adhesion step, an image having excellent white color development can be obtained.

When the ink composition is adhered to the recording medium, the ink composition may be adhered so that at least a part of the region to which the pretreatment agent is adhered overlaps. Specifically, the ink composition is preferably adhered so that at least 50% or more of the region to which the pretreatment agent is adhered overlaps, more preferably 60% or more overlaps, and 70% or more. It is more preferable to attach the inks so as to overlap each other. By adhering the ink composition in this way, a whiter image with excellent color development can be obtained.

In the ink composition adhesion step, the lower limit of the ink adhesion amount of the ink composition to the recording medium is preferably 30 mg / inch ² or more, more preferably 70 mg / inch ² or more, and 100 mg / inch ² or more. It is more preferable to have. The upper limit is preferably 400 mg / inch ² or less, more preferably 350 mg / inch ² or less, and even more preferably 300 mg / inch ² . When the amount of ink adhered to the ink composition is within the above range, the amount of ink adhered to the recording medium of the ink composition can be increased, the difference in color development of the recorded material can be reduced, and the ink composition can be removed from the recording medium. It can prevent overflow and improve the drying speed.

Further, it may also have a color ink composition adhering step. The color ink composition adhering step is a step of ejecting the above-mentioned color ink composition from an inkjet nozzle and adhering it to a recording medium to at least a part of the region to which the ink composition is adhered by the ink composition adhering step. be. The ejection of the color ink composition can be performed, for example, by using the inkjet recording apparatus 1 provided with the ink container 60 described above. An image having excellent color development can be obtained by the process of adhering the color ink composition.

2.3. Heating Step The recording method according to the present embodiment preferably includes a step of heating the recording medium during the ink composition adhesion step. When the recording medium is heated during the ink composition adhesion step, the viscosity and surface tension decrease due to the high temperature of the ink composition, and the ink composition easily wets and spreads uniformly on the recording medium and easily penetrates. .. As a result, the ink composition is easily fixed on the recording medium, and the obtained recorded material has improved color development and leveling properties and is excellent in friction fastness. Further, by adhering the ink composition on the heated recording medium, the drying property of the ink composition can be improved, the drying time can be shortened, and damage to the recording medium can be suppressed. can.

Examples of the heating method for heating the ink composition applied to the recording medium include a heating mechanism. Examples of the heating mechanism include a heat press method, a normal pressure steam method, a high pressure steam method, a hot air drying method, and a thermofix method.

In the heating step, the surface temperature of the heated recording medium is 35 ° C. or higher and 65 ° C. or lower. When the surface temperature of the surface of the recording medium is within the above range, damage to the inkjet head and the recording medium can be reduced, and the ink composition easily wets and spreads uniformly on the recording medium and easily penetrates. The heating temperature in this heating step refers to the surface temperature of the heated recording medium, and is measured using, for example, a non-contact thermometer (trade name "IT2-80", manufactured by KEYENCE CORPORATION). Can be done. The surface temperature of the surface of the heated recording medium is preferably 40 ° C. or higher, more preferably 45 ° C. or higher. The upper limit of the surface temperature is preferably 60 ° C. or lower, more preferably 55 ° C. or lower.

The heating time is not particularly limited as long as the surface of the recording medium is within the above temperature range, but can be, for example, 5 seconds or more and 1 minute or less, preferably 10 seconds or more and 30 seconds or less. be. When the heating time is within the above range, it is possible to sufficiently heat the recording medium while reducing damage to the inkjet head and the recording medium.

In addition to this heating step, it may have a step of making a profit in the second heating mechanism and heating or drying the recording medium after the ink composition adhesion step. This makes it possible to improve the dryness of the droplets of the ink composition adhering to the recording medium. As the second heating mechanism, for example, any mechanism described in the above heating mechanism such as a dryer mechanism can be used.

The heating temperature in this case is not limited to this, but is preferably 100 ° C. or higher and 200 ° C. or lower, and when the recording medium is cotton, it is preferably 110 ° C. or higher and 175 ° C. or lower. , 120 ° C. or higher and 170 ° C. or lower, more preferably 120 ° C. or higher and 165 ° C. or lower, and when the recording medium is made of polyester or polyester blended yarn, the temperature is 100 ° C. or higher and 170 ° C. or lower. It is preferably 100 ° C. or higher and 165 ° C. or lower, and even more preferably 100 ° C. or higher and 140 ° C. or lower. When the heating temperature is within the above range, it is possible to reduce damage to the recording medium and promote film formation of the resin particles contained in the ink composition. The heating time is not limited to this, but can be, for example, 30 seconds or more and 20 minutes or less, preferably 2 minutes or more and 7 minutes or less, and more preferably 3 minutes or more and 5 minutes or less. Is. When the heating time is within the above range, the ink composition can be sufficiently dried while reducing damage to the recording medium.

2.4. Pretreatment Agent The pretreatment agent used in the recording method according to the present embodiment aggregates the components of the above-mentioned ink composition. Hereinafter, each component contained in the pretreatment agent used in the recording method according to the present embodiment will be described.

2.4.1. Coagulant Examples of the flocculant contained in such a pretreatment agent include cationic compounds such as polyvalent metal salts, organic acids, cationic resins, and cationic surfactants. These flocculants may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these flocculants, it is preferable to use at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvalent metal salts and organic acids from the viewpoint of excellent reactivity with pigments and resin particles contained in the ink composition. It is more preferable to use a polyvalent metal salt.

The polyvalent metal salt is a compound that is composed of divalent or higher polyvalent metal ions and anions that bind to these polyvalent metal ions and is soluble in water. Specific examples of polyvalent metal ions include divalent metal ions such as Ca ²⁺ , Cu ²⁺ , Ni ²⁺ , Mg ²⁺ , Zn ²⁺ , and Ba ²⁺ ; and trivalent metal ions such as Al ³⁺ , Fe ³⁺ , and Cr ³⁺ . Be done. Examples of anions include Cl ⁻ , I ⁻ , Br ⁻ , SO _4-2 , ClO ^3- , NO ^3- , HCOO ⁻ _{, CH 3} ^{COO −} and the like. Among these polyvalent metal salts, calcium salt and magnesium salt are preferable, and calcium nitrate or calcium chloride is preferable, from the viewpoint of stability of the pretreatment agent and reactivity as a flocculant.

Examples of organic acids include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitrate, phosphoric acid, polyacrylic acid, acetic acid, glycolic acid, malonic acid, malic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, fumaric acid, citric acid and tartrate acid. , Lactic acid, sulfonic acid, orthoric acid, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, pyron carboxylic acid, pyrrol carboxylic acid, furan carboxylic acid, pyridine carboxylic acid, coumarin acid, thiophene carboxylic acid, nicotinic acid, or derivatives of these compounds, or salts thereof. Etc. are preferably mentioned. The organic acid may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

Examples of the cationic resin include a cationic urethane resin, a cationic olefin resin, and a cationic allylamine resin.

As the cationic urethane resin, known ones can be appropriately selected and used. As the cationic urethane resin, commercially available products can be used, for example, Hydran CP-7010, CP-7020, CP-7030, CP-7040, CP-7050, CP-7060, CP-7610 (trade name, trade name, Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Co., Ltd.), Superflex 600, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650 (trade name, manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.), Urethane Emulsion WBR-2120C, WBR-2122C (trade name, Taisei) Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.) and the like can be used.

The cationic olefin resin has an olefin such as ethylene or propylene in its structural skeleton, and known ones can be appropriately selected and used. Further, the cationic olefin resin may be in an emulsion state in which it is dispersed in a solvent containing water, an organic solvent and the like. As the cationic olefin resin, a commercially available product can be used, and examples thereof include arrow base CB-1200 and CD-1200 (trade name, manufactured by Unitika Ltd.).

As the cationic allylamine resin, known ones can be appropriately selected and used, for example, polyallylamine hydrochloride, polyallylamineamide sulfate, allylamine hydrochloride / diallylamine hydrochloride copolymer, allylamine acetate / diallylamine acetate. Copolymers, allylamine acetate / diallylamine acetate copolymers, allylamine hydrochloride / dimethylallylamine hydrochloride copolymers, allylamine / dimethylallylamine copolymers, polydialylamine hydrochlorides, polymethyldiallylamine hydrochlorides, polymethyldiallylamineamide sulfates, polymethyldiallylamine acetates , Polydialyldimethylammonium chloride, diallylamine acetate / sulfur dioxide copolymer, diallylmethylethylammonium ethylsulfate / sulfur dioxide copolymer, methyldiallylamine hydrochloride / sulfur dioxide copolymer, diallyldimethylammonium chloride / sulfur dioxide copolymer, diallyldimethylammonium chloride / Examples thereof include acrylamide copolymers. Commercially available products can be used as such a cationic allylamine resin, for example, PAA-HCL-01, PAA-HCL-03, PAA-HCL-05, PAA-HCL-3L, PAA-HCL-10L. , PAA-H-HCL, PAA-SA, PAA-01, PAA-03, PAA-05, PAA-08, PAA-15, PAA-15C, PAA-25, PAA-H-10C, PAA-D11-HCL , PAA-D41-HCL, PAA-D19-HCL, PAS-21CL, PAS-M-1L, PAS-M-1, PAS-22SA, PAS-M-1A, PAS-H-1L, PAS-H-5L , PAS-H-10L, PAS-92, PAS-92A, PAS-J-81L, PAS-J-81 (trade name, manufactured by Nittobo Medical Co., Ltd.), HIMO Neo-600, HIMOLOCK Q-101, Q-311, Q-501, Himax SC-505, SC-505 (trade name, manufactured by Hymo Co., Ltd.) and the like can be used.

Examples of the cationic surfactant include primary, secondary and tertiary amine salt type compounds, alkylamine salts, dialkylamine salts, aliphatic amine salts, benzalconium salts, and quaternary ammonium salts. Examples thereof include a quaternary alkylammonium salt, an alkylpyridinium salt, a sulfonium salt, a phosphonium salt, an onium salt, and an imidazolinium salt. Specific examples of the cationic surfactant include hydrochlorides such as laurylamine, coconutamine and rosinamine, acetates and the like, lauryltrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, benzyltributylammonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride and dimethylethyllaurylammonium. Ethyl sulfate, dimethylethyloctylammonium ethyl sulfate, trimethyllaurylammonium hydrochloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetylpyridinium bromide, dihydroxyethyllaurylamine, decyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, dodecyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, tetradecyldimethylammonium chloride, hexa Examples thereof include decyldimethylammonium chloride and octadecyldimethylammonium chloride.

The content of the flocculant may be, for example, 0.1% by mass or more and 25% by mass or less, or 0.2% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, based on the total mass of the pretreatment agent. It may be 0.3% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. The concentration of the flocculant may be 0.03 mol / kg or more in 1 kg of the pretreatment agent. Further, in 1 kg of the pretreatment agent, it may be 0.1 mol / kg or more and 1.5 mol / kg or less, or 0.2 mol / kg or more and 0.9 mol / kg or less.

2.4.2. Water The pretreatment agent used in this embodiment preferably uses water as the main solvent. This water is a component that evaporates and scatters due to drying after the pretreatment agent is attached to the recording medium. As the water, the same water as the water exemplified in the above-mentioned ink composition can be used, so the example thereof will be omitted. The content of water contained in the pretreatment agent can be, for example, 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, and more preferably 70% by mass or more, based on the total mass of the pretreatment agent. It is more preferably 80% by mass or more.

2.4.3. Organic solvent An organic solvent may be added to the pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment. By adding an organic solvent, the wettability of the pretreatment agent with respect to the recording medium can be improved. As the organic solvent, the same organic solvent as those exemplified in the above-mentioned ink composition can be used. The content of the organic solvent is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 1% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the pretreatment agent.

2.4.4. Surfactant A surfactant may be added to the pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment. By adding the surfactant, the surface tension of the pretreatment agent can be lowered and the wettability with the recording medium can be improved. Among the surfactants, for example, acetylene glycol-based surfactants, silicone-based surfactants, and fluorine-based surfactants can be preferably used. As specific examples of these surfactants, the same surfactants as those exemplified in the above-mentioned color ink composition can be used. The content of the surfactant is not particularly limited, but may be 0.1% by mass or more and 1.5% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the pretreatment agent.

2.4.5. Resin particles The pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment can be blended with resin particles such as a resin emulsion for the purpose of improving friction fastness and suppressing fluffing when a cloth is used as a recording medium. Further, by containing the resin particles, the white color development property is also improved. As such resin particles, the same resin as the resin particles that can be used in the above ink composition can be used, and commercially available products can also be used. For example, in the case of urethane resin, Superflex 500, 6E can be used. -2000, E-2500, E-4000, R-5000 (trade name, manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.), Adeka Bontiter HUX-822, 830 (trade name, manufactured by ADEKA Corporation) can be mentioned. Examples of the vinyl acetate resin include Vinibran 1245L, 2680, 2682, 2684 (trade name, manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.). Examples of the acrylic resin include Boncoat AN-402, R-3310, and R-3360 (trade name, manufactured by Dainippon Ink Co., Ltd.). Examples of the styrene acrylic resin include Movinyl 966A (trade name, manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.).

The lower limit of the content of the resin particles in the pretreatment agent is preferably 1% by mass or more, more preferably 3% by mass or more, and 5% by mass or more with respect to the total mass of the pretreatment agent. Is even more preferable. The upper limit of the content of the resin particles is preferably 12% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or less, and further preferably 8% by mass or less with respect to the total mass of the pretreatment agent. preferable. When the content of the resin particles in the pretreatment agent is within the above range, the white color development property and the friction fastness can be further improved, and the fluffing when the cloth is used as the recording medium can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the resin particles are preferably nonionic or cationic resin particles. When the resin particles are nonionic resin particles, a recorded material having excellent white color development property and friction fastness can be obtained, especially in recording when a cotton cloth is used as a recording medium. Further, when the resin particles are cationic resin particles, a recorded material having excellent white color development property and friction fastness can be obtained, especially in recording when a polyester cloth is used as a recording medium.

2.4.6. Other Ingredients To the pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment, a pH adjuster, a preservative / antifungal agent, a rust preventive agent, a chelating agent and the like may be added, if necessary.

2.4.7. Preparation method and physical properties of pretreatment liquid The pretreatment agent used in this embodiment can be produced by dispersing and mixing each of the above components by an appropriate method. After sufficiently stirring each of the above components, filtration can be performed to remove coarse particles and foreign substances that cause clogging to obtain a desired pretreatment agent.

When the pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment is discharged by an inkjet recording head, the surface tension at 20 ° C. is preferably 20 mN / m or more and 40 mN / m, and 20 mN / m or more and 35 mN / m or less. It is more preferable to have. The surface tension is measured by, for example, using an automatic surface tension meter CBVP-Z (trade name, manufactured by Kyowa Interface Science Co., Ltd.) to measure the surface tension when the platinum plate is wetted with ink in an environment of 20 ° C. It can be measured by checking.

From the same viewpoint, the viscosity of the pretreatment agent used in the present embodiment at 20 ° C. is preferably 3 mPa · s or more and 10 mPa · s or less, and more preferably 3 mPa · s or more and 8 mPa · s or less. preferable. The viscosity can be measured by using, for example, a viscoelasticity tester MCR-300 (trade name, manufactured by Pysica) in an environment of 20 ° C.

3. 3. Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Hereinafter, "%" is based on mass unless otherwise specified.

3.1. Preparation of ink composition Put each component in a container with the contents shown in Tables 1 and 2 below, add ion-exchanged water so that the total mass becomes 100% by mass, mix each component, and mix them at room temperature. After stirring for 2 hours, each ink composition was obtained by filtering using a membrane filter having a pore size of 5 μm. The unit of the content of the ink composition shown in Tables 1 and 2 below is mass%. In Tables 1 to 2 below, the content of the pigment dispersion liquid and the content of the resin dispersion liquid represent the solid content conversion amount. The titanium dioxide pigment dispersion and the hollow particle pigment dispersion were prepared in advance as follows.

<Preparation of titanium dioxide pigment dispersion liquid>
First, an acrylic acid-acrylic acid ester copolymer (weight average molecular weight: 25,000, acid) was added as a dispersant to 55 parts by mass of ion-exchanged water in which 0.1 part by mass of a 30% aqueous ammonia solution (neutralizing agent) was dissolved. Value: 18) 4 parts by mass was added and dissolved. To this, 40 parts by mass of a titanium dioxide pigment (CI Pigment White 6) was added, and a dispersion treatment was performed for 10 hours with a ball mill using zirconia beads. Then, by centrifuging with a centrifuge, impurities such as coarse particles and dust were removed, and the concentration of the titanium dioxide pigment was adjusted to 40% by mass to obtain a titanium dioxide pigment dispersion. The particle size of the titanium dioxide pigment was 350 nm on average.

<Preparation of hollow particle pigment dispersion>
As the hollow particle pigment dispersion liquid, a commercially available product “SX8782 (D)” (manufactured by JSR Corporation) was used. "SX8782 (D)" is an aqueous dispersion type having an outer diameter of 1.0 μm and an inner diameter of 0.8 μm, and has a solid content concentration of 20.5%.

The color ink composition used in the friction fastness evaluation test was prepared by the following procedure.

<Preparation of color ink composition>
Cyan pigment (CI Pigment Blue 15: 3, manufactured by Clariant) was prepared by the same method as in the above-mentioned "Preparation of Titanium Dioxide Pigment Dispersion", and the dispersion was adjusted so that the pigment concentration was 20% by mass. 17.5% by mass, resin dispersion (trade name "Takelac WS-6021", manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals Co., Ltd., urethane resin, solid content 30% by mass) 13% by mass, 2-pyrrolidone 2% by mass, glycerin 15% by mass, Put 2% by mass of triethylene glycol, 1% by mass of triethylene glycol monobutyl ether, and 0.3% by mass of a surfactant (trade name "BYK-348", manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., silicone-based surfactant) in a container. Ion-exchanged water is added so that the total mass is 100% by mass, each component is mixed, stirred at room temperature for 2 hours, and then filtered using a membrane filter having a pore size of 5 μm to obtain a color ink composition. Obtained.

The details of the components described in Tables 1 and 2 other than the compound names are as follows.
・ Superflex 150 (trade name, manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., urethane resin, average particle size 30 nm, Tg: 40 ° C)
-Superflex 460 (trade name, manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., urethane resin, average particle size 40 nm, Tg: -21 ° C)

As the ink containing bodies used in Examples 1 to 16 and Comparative Example 2, the ink containing bodies having the structures shown in FIGS. 7 to 21 having the details described in Tables 1 to 2 are used. board.

In Tables 1 and 2, "two ink inlets + merging part: Yes" means two inks in which the ink composition is taken into the merging part connected to the ink lead-out tube and the merging part in the used ink container. It means having an inlet. Further, the "distance between the first liquid introduction port and the second liquid introduction port" means the distance in the height direction of the two introduction ports. Further, "flow path resistance portion: present" means that the confluence portion has a filter formed of a stainless twill weave mesh as the flow path resistance portion. Further, "flow path resistance portion: none" means that the merging portion does not have a filter as the flow path resistance portion.

Further, the "ink capacity" means the maximum volume of the ink composition that can be contained in the flexible bag of the ink container, that is, the amount of ink contained in the ink container in the initial state. In addition, the "height of the ink container in the installed state" means that the maximum volume of the ink composition that can be stored in the bag body of the ink container is filled in the bag body, and the ink jet recording device placed in the installed state is used for ink. It means the length of the longest part of the bag body along the Z direction when the container body is attached.

Further, as the ink container used in Comparative Example 1, the ink container having the structures shown in FIGS. 7 to 21 having only one ink inlet was used. That is, "two ink inlets + confluence: none" means that there is only one ink inlet.

3.2. Preparation of evaluation cloth 3.2.1. Preparation of pretreatment agent Calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (Ca: 17%) 10.0% by mass, resin dispersion (trade name "Viniblanc 1245L", manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., solid content 40% by mass) 1. Put 0% by mass and 0.1% by mass of a surfactant (trade name "Orfin E1010", manufactured by Nissin Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.) in a container, and add ion-exchanged water so that the total mass becomes 100% by mass. Mixing and stirring with a magnetic stirrer for 2 hours and mixing well. After stirring for 1 hour, a pretreatment agent was obtained by filtering using a 5 μm PTFE membrane filter.

3.2.2. Printing method <Pretreatment>
The pretreatment agent was applied to the fabric (cotton-polyester blend (75% cotton, 25% polyester), Hanes T-shirt fabric, white) using a roller or a spray. The amount of the pretreatment agent applied was 15 to 20 g per A4 size area. The cloth coated with the pretreatment agent is leveled with a hard roller so that its surface becomes smooth, and heat-treated at 160 ° C. for 1 minute using a heat press machine so that the pressing force is 4.2 N / cm ² . did. Then, the cloth was allowed to stand for about 15 minutes until it reached room temperature.

<Manufacturing of evaluation cloth>
The ink container described in each embodiment is connected to a printer manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation (trade name "SC-F2000") in the area where the pretreatment agent is applied to the dried and left-standing cloth that has been pretreated. , A modified machine (trade name "SC-F2000" modified machine) was used, and printing was performed under each evaluation condition with the ink composition described in each example. After printing, the printed fabric was heat-treated at 160 ° C. for 1 minute so that the pressing force was 4.2 N / cm ² using a heat press machine as a drying step. Then, the heated fabric was returned to 25 ° C. to obtain an evaluation fabric printed with the ink composition.

3.3. Evaluation test 3.3.1. Evaluation of White Color Development (Whiteness) The ink container containing the ink composition described in each example was sufficiently shaken and stirred after encapsulation of the ink composition to restore the precipitation of the titanium oxide pigment. Then, using the method described in "3.2.2. Printing method" above, the pretreated fabric was printed with the amount of ink adhered as described in each example to obtain an evaluation fabric. L ^* was measured using a colorimeter (trade name "Spectrolino", Gretag) and judged according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
S: 75 ≤ L ^*
A: 70 ≤ L ^* <75
B: 60 ≤ L ^* <70
C: L ^* <60

3.3.2. Evaluation of color development stability <Evaluation of white color development at the start of printing>
L ^* was measured by the same method as in "3.3.1. Evaluation of whiteness (whiteness)".
<Evaluation of white color development 48 hours after the start of printing>
The ink container containing the ink composition described in each example was allowed to stand for 48 hours after the ink composition was sealed, and the titanium oxide pigment contained in the ink composition was precipitated. Then, using the method described in "3.2.2. Printing method" above, the pretreated fabric was printed with the amount of ink adhered as described in each example to obtain an evaluation fabric. L ^* was measured using a colorimeter (trade name "Spectrolino", Gretag).

The absolute value of the difference between L ^* obtained in the above "evaluation of white color development at the start of printing" and L ^* obtained in the above "evaluation of white color development 48 hours after the start of printing" is | ΔL ^*. The judgment was made according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
S: | ΔL ^* | ≤ 0.5
A: 0.5 << | ΔL ^* | ≦ 2
B: 2 << | ΔL ^* | ≦ 5
C: 5 << | ΔL ^* |

3.3.3. Texture Evaluation The ink container containing the ink composition described in each example was sufficiently shaken and stirred after encapsulation of the ink composition to recover the sedimentation of the titanium oxide pigment. Then, using the method described in "3.2.2. Printing method" above, the pretreated fabric was printed with the amount of ink adhered as described in each example to obtain an evaluation fabric. Subsequently, the texture of the obtained evaluation fabric was evaluated by sensory evaluation. Specifically, any of the five judges can either say "they are not inferior to the original texture of the fabric" or "the evaluation fabric is stiff and the original texture of the fabric is impaired". We asked them to answer and judged according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
S: 4 or more judges who answered "they are not inferior to the original texture of the fabric" A: 3 judges who answered "they are not inferior to the original texture of the fabric" B: "The original texture of the fabric" There are no more than two judges who answered, "It is not inferior to the feel of

3.3.4. Friction Fastness Evaluation The ink container containing the ink composition described in each example was sufficiently shaken and stirred after encapsulation of the ink composition to recover the sedimentation of the titanium oxide pigment. Then, using the method described in "3.2.2. Printing method" above, the ink composition is inkjet-coated on the pretreated fabric with the ink adhesion amount described in each example, and then the ink composition is applied. The color ink composition was inkjet-applied at an ink adhesion amount of 20 mg / inch ² so as to overlap the area to which the ink composition was applied, and printing was performed to obtain an evaluation cloth. Subsequently, a friction fastness test was carried out by rubbing a white cotton cloth for friction 100 times with a load of 200 g using a Gakushin type friction fastness tester (trade name “AB-301S”, manufactured by Tester Sangyo Co., Ltd.). The coloring of the white cotton cloth for friction was evaluated according to the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) JIS L0849, the friction fastness was evaluated using the gray scale for contamination, and the judgment was made according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
S: Friction fastness during drying is 3-4 grade or higher A: Friction fastness during drying is 2-3 grade or 3 grade B: Friction fastness during drying is 1 grade or higher and 2 grade or lower

3.3.5. Evaluation of the amount of foreign matter (on the ink flow path filter) A printer manufactured by Seiko Epson Corporation (trade name "SC-F2000") is connected to the ink container described in each embodiment and modified for printing (trade name). A filter (stainless twill woven mesh, passing grain spheres 10 μm, 900 mm ² ) is installed downstream of the ink flow path of the “SC-F2000” modified machine) immediately after the ink container is located, and the ink composition is formed. After passing 1000 mL of the ink, the filter was observed with an optical microscope, the presence or absence of solid foreign matter on the filter was evaluated, and the determination was made according to the following evaluation criteria.
(Evaluation criteria)
A: Foreign matter cannot be seen on the filter B: Foreign matter can be clearly seen on the filter

3.4. Evaluation Results The results of the evaluation test are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

From the above evaluation results, in Examples 1 to 16, the color development stability and the white color development were excellent. This is because the ink container is provided with a plurality of ink inlets and merging portions having different height directions, so that even when the titanium oxide pigment in the ink composition precipitates over time and a pigment concentration difference occurs, the inkjet device Since it is possible to reduce the change in the pigment concentration at the initial stage and the final stage of the ink composition supplied to the ink composition, it is considered that the color development stability and the white color development property are improved.

More specifically, from Examples 1 and 2, when the ink container includes the flow path resistance portion, the introduced ink composition can be stirred and mixed more uniformly, so that the color development stability is excellent. In addition, since the filter, which is the flow path resistance portion, can capture foreign matter, the amount of foreign matter is also excellent.

From Examples 2 to 3, the one having a lower Tg of the resin particles had better texture, but the friction fastness was lowered.

From Examples 2 to 4, when the content of the resin particles was 8% by mass or more, the friction fastness was excellent.

When the viscosity of the ink composition was higher than in Examples 2 and 5 to 8, the precipitation rate of the titanium oxide pigment was lowered, so that the color development stability and the white color development were excellent. Further, from Examples 5 to 7, 8 in which the proportion of the solvent having a low boiling point among the solvents used in the ink composition was large, the friction fastness was excellent.

From Examples 4, 9 and 16, although not described in Tables 1 and 2, the smaller the content of 2-pyrrolidone, the better the clogging property.

From Examples 2 and 11 to 12, the higher the titanium oxide pigment concentration is, the better the color development stability and the white color development are. However, even when the titanium oxide pigment concentration is low as in Example 11, the color development stability and the white color are excellent. The color development was a favorable result.

In contrast to Examples, Comparative Example 1 in which the ink container of the present invention is not used and Comparative Example 2 in which the ink container of the present invention is used but the pigment is hollow particles are inferior in color development stability and white color development. It became. Specifically, since the ink container does not have a plurality of ink inlets and merging portions having different height directions, the color development stability is low, and when the pigment is hollow particles, the white color development property is inferior. became.

The following contents are derived from the above-described embodiment.

One aspect of the ink container is
An ink container containing an ink composition, which is attached to a container containing the ink composition and an end portion of the container to derive the ink composition and supply the ink to an inkjet recording apparatus. A lead-out unit, an ink lead-out tube connected to the ink lead-out section and arranged in the container, a confluence section connected to the ink lead-out tube, and a plurality of ink introductions for incorporating the ink composition into the confluence section. The ink inlets are provided at different positions in the height direction in a state where the ink container is used, and the ink composition contains a titanium oxide pigment and water. It is a thing.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The container may be a flexible bag.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The merging portion may have a flow path resistance portion between the point where the ink composition flowing from the plurality of ink introduction ports merges and the ink outlet pipe.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The flow path resistance portion may be a filter.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The ink composition may further contain resin particles having a glass transition temperature of 0 ° C. or lower.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The content of the resin particles in the ink composition may be 8% by mass or more.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The ink composition further contains a water-soluble organic solvent, and the water-soluble organic solvent contains at least one selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol in the total amount of the ink composition. However, it may be contained in an amount of 5% by mass or more.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The viscosity of the ink composition at 20 ° C. may be 8 mPa · s or more.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The content of 2-pyrrolidone in the ink composition may be 3% by mass or less.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The ink storage capacity of the ink container may be 1000 mL or more, and the height of the installed state of the ink container may be 3 cm or more.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The ink composition may be used for printing.

In one aspect of the ink container,
The plurality of ink introduction ports include a first liquid introduction port and a second liquid introduction port, and the second liquid introduction port is arranged at a position higher in the height direction than the first liquid introduction port. The distance between the first liquid introduction port and the second liquid introduction port in the height direction is longer than the distance between the second liquid introduction port and the inner wall surface at a high position in the height direction of the container, and The distance between the first liquid introduction port and the second liquid introduction port in the height direction is longer than the distance between the first liquid introduction port and the inner wall surface at a lower position in the height direction of the container. May be.

One aspect of the recording method is
A step of adhering the ink composition contained in the ink container to a recording medium with an ink adhesion amount of 30 mg / inch ² or more per unit area using the recording device provided with the ink container described above is included. ..

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, the present invention includes configurations that are substantially identical to the configurations described in the embodiments, eg, configurations that have the same function, method and result, or configurations that have the same purpose and effect. The present invention also includes a configuration in which a non-essential part of the configuration described in the embodiment is replaced. Further, the present invention includes a configuration having the same action and effect as the configuration described in the embodiment or a configuration capable of achieving the same object. Further, the present invention includes a configuration in which a known technique is added to the configuration described in the embodiment.

1 ... Ink recording device, 12 ... Exterior body, 15 ... Injection unit, 16 ... Control unit, 17 ... Front lid, 18 ... Feed port, 19 ... Discharge tray, 20 ... Operation panel, 22 ... Tube, 24 ... Mounting body , 29 ... Supply mechanism, 30 ... Connection mechanism, 32 ... Ink introduction tube, 40 ... Case, 41 ... Opening, 42 ... Back surface, 43 ... Top surface, 44 ... Bottom surface, 45 ... Right side surface, 46 ... Left side surface, 50 ... Containment space, 60 ... Ink container, 61 ... Ink lead-out unit, 62 ... Container, 63 ... Cover part, 65 ... Connection member, 66a ... Welding part, 68 ... Circuit board, 80 ... Ink lead-out tube, 81 ... First Channel part, 82 ... Second flow path part, 85 ... Connecting member, 86 ... Locking protrusion, 90 ... Confluence part, 91 ... Inclined surface, 92 ... First liquid introduction port, 93 ... Second liquid introduction port, 111 ... Flow path resistance part, 112 ... Film, 121 ... Device front surface, 122 ... Device back surface, 123 ... Device top surface, 124 ... Device bottom surface, 125 ... Device right side surface, 126 ... Device left side surface, 141, 142 ... Second convex portion , 172 ... detachable wall, 173 ... opening, 200 ... internal structure, 241 ... front surface, 292 ... pressure fluctuation part, 293 ... pressure transmission tube, 612 ... opening, 614 ... joint part, 621 ... one end part, 622 ... other end Part, 627 ... 1st surface, 628 ... 2nd surface, 661, 662 ... 1st convex part, 901 ... regulated structure, 903 ... insertion port, 904 ... insertion part, 905 ... opening, 906 ... internal opening Part, 907 ... Confluence point, 908 ... Rib, 910 ... Ink inlet, 912 ... 1st groove, 913 ... 2nd groove, CX ... Central axis, S1 ... Upper space, S2 ... Lower space

Claims (13)

An ink container containing an ink composition, which is an ink container.
A container for accommodating the ink composition and
An ink derivation unit attached to the end of the container for deriving the ink composition and supplying the ink composition to an inkjet recording apparatus.
An ink lead-out tube connected to the ink lead-out unit and arranged in the container,
The confluence connected to the ink outlet tube and
The confluence is provided with a plurality of ink inlets for incorporating the ink composition.
The plurality of ink inlets are provided at different positions in the height direction in a state where the ink container is used.
The ink composition is an ink container containing a titanium oxide pigment and water. The ink container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a flexible bag body. The ink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the merging portion has a flow path resistance portion between a point where the ink composition flowing from the plurality of ink introduction ports merges and the ink outlet tube. Containment body. The ink container according to claim 3, wherein the flow path resistance portion is a filter. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ink composition further contains resin particles having a glass transition temperature of 0 ° C. or lower. The ink container according to claim 5, wherein the content of the resin particles in the ink composition is 8% by mass or more. The ink composition further contains a water-soluble organic solvent,
Claim 1 in which the water-soluble organic solvent contains at least one selected from ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol in an amount of 5% by mass or more based on the total amount of the ink composition. The ink container according to any one of claims 6. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ink composition has a viscosity of 8 mPa · s or more at 20 ° C. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the content of 2-pyrrolidone in the ink composition is 3% by mass or less. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the ink container has an ink storage capacity of 1000 mL or more, and the height of the installed state of the ink container is 3 cm or more. .. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the ink composition is used for printing. The plurality of ink inlets include a first liquid inlet and a second liquid inlet.
The second liquid introduction port is arranged at a position higher in the height direction than the first liquid introduction port.
The distance between the first liquid introduction port and the second liquid introduction port in the height direction is longer than the distance between the second liquid introduction port and the inner wall surface at a high position in the height direction of the container, and The distance between the first liquid introduction port and the second liquid introduction port in the height direction is longer than the distance between the first liquid introduction port and the inner wall surface at a lower position in the height direction of the container. The ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 11. Using the recording apparatus provided with the ink container according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the ink container has an ink adhesion amount of 30 mg / inch ² or more per unit area to the recording medium. A recording method comprising a step of adhering the contained ink composition.

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