JPH11129489A - ink cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an ink cartridge that can prevent an elastic sealing material from coming off together with an ink supply needle when the ink supply needle is pulled out, and can maintain high sealing properties for a long period of time. . An elastic sealing material is inserted into a tubular member fixed to an ink bag, and a tape member is provided to cover an open end of the tubular member. The tape member 7 has a surface layer 7a of substantially the same material as the cylindrical member 5, and the surface layer 7a of the tape member 7 is welded to the cylindrical member 5. Due to the high bonding force, the tape material 7 restricts the elastic seal material 6 from coming out of the cylindrical member 5 when the ink supply needle is pulled out. Further, the airtight state is maintained for a long period of time to prevent air from being mixed into the ink.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink cartridge for storing ink to be supplied to an ink jet print head or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, a tubular member 102 (so-called spout) is fixed to an ink bag 101 for storing ink, and the inside of the tubular member 102 is connected to the outside of the ink bag 101. An elastic sealing member 103 (7 mm in diameter and 6.5 mm in thickness) for blocking communication with the inside is inserted and the cylindrical member 102 is fixed to one side surface of the casing 104, and the ink bag body is placed in the casing 104. 101, and the ink supply needle 105 is
Through the ink supply needle 105,
There is known an ink cartridge 106 that guides the ink inside the ink bag body 101 to the outside.

When the ink cartridge 106 is replaced, the ink supply needle 10 is
5, the elastic seal material 103 and the ink supply needle 105 have high adhesion, so that when the ink supply needle 105 is pulled out, the elastic seal material 103 and the ink supply needle 105 are also cylindrical members. There is a risk of being pulled out from the inside of the motor 102.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, a heat caulking 102a is formed by projecting a part of the inner peripheral portion of the cylindrical member 102 inward so as to prevent the elastic sealing material 103 from coming off and melting and solidifying the same. Further, in order to enhance the sealing performance, a sealing tape 107 is thermally welded to the upper surface of the open end of the tubular member 102.

[0005]

However, in such a structure in which the heat caulking 102a is provided, the cylindrical member 10
There is a problem that the operation of applying the heat caulking 102a to the inner peripheral portion of the second 2 is troublesome and the production efficiency is poor. Further, the sealing tape 107 is provided to enhance the sealing property, but has a low welding force to the tubular member 102, an effect of preventing the elastic sealing material 103 from coming off, and a sealing state to maintain ink. The effect of preventing air from being mixed is not sufficient. The air becomes bubbles in the ink and causes non-ejection of the ink jet type print head.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-180351 discloses that a film made of metal, ceramics, glass, resin, or the like is provided on an upper end surface of an ink outlet in which an ink rubber stopper for sealing ink is inserted without heat staking. Although it is described that a member is provided, this film member is merely provided to prevent the air from being dissolved and dissolved in the ink, and is similar to the case where the seal tape 107 described above is used. The welding force to the ink outlet (cylindrical member) is weak, and when pulling out the ink supply needle, it is impossible to restrict the ink rubber stopper (elastic sealing material) from being pulled out from the ink outlet together with the ink supply needle. Can not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink cartridge which can prevent the elastic sealing material from coming off together with the ink supply needle when the ink supply needle is pulled out. .

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink container for storing ink, a tubular member fixed to the ink container and having an ink supply hole, and an ink inserted into the tubular member. An elastic seal material that blocks communication between the outside and the inside of the container, and the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply hole via the elastic seal material, so that the ink inside the ink container passes through the ink supply needle. In the ink cartridge guided to the outside, a tape material which is welded to an open end side of the cylindrical member and holds the elastic seal material in the cylindrical member is provided, and the tape material is substantially the same as the cylindrical member. And the surface layer is welded to the cylindrical member.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tape material to be welded to the open end of the tubular member has a surface layer of substantially the same material as the tubular member, and the surface layer is formed of the tubular member. Therefore, the welding force between the tape member and the cylindrical member is greatly increased as compared with the case where a material of a different material is used. Therefore, when the ink supply needle is pulled out, even if the elastic sealing material tries to come out of the cylindrical member together with the ink supply needle due to the close contact between the ink supply needle and the elastic sealing material, the cylindrical member has a high welding force. The release of the elastic seal material is restricted by the tape material welded to the open end of the elastic seal material, and as a result, the elastic seal material is held in the tubular member. Further, the hermetically sealed state is maintained for a long period of time, thereby preventing air from being mixed into the ink.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink cartridge of the first aspect, the surface layer and the cylindrical member of the tape member are made of a material containing polypropylene as a main component.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the surface layer of the tape material and the cylindrical member are made of a material containing polypropylene as a main component, which is mutually welded with a high welding force, and which has excellent ink resistance. This is advantageous for storing ink with high quality for a long period of time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ink cartridge according to the second aspect, the ink container is formed in a flexible bag shape, and an inner peripheral surface of the ink container is made of substantially the same material as the surface layer of the tape material. It has an inner surface layer made of a material as a main component, and is welded to the cylindrical member at the inner surface layer.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, not only the tape member and the tubular member but also the ink container and the tubular member are connected with a high welding force, and the ink container is excellent in ink resistance. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the ink cartridge according to any one of the first to third aspects, the elastic sealing material is mainly composed of a gas-impermeable rubber-like material.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the elastic sealing material is formed mainly of a gas-impermeable rubber-like material, the sealing property is ensured, and as a result, bubbles are generated in the ink. Is suppressed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the ink cartridge according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the length of the elastic sealing material in the insertion direction of the ink supply needle is about 40 times or less the thickness of the tape material. It has been.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the length of the elastic sealing material in the insertion direction of the ink supply needle is about 40 times or less the thickness of the tape material, which is smaller than about 65 times the conventional thickness. . As described above, since the elastic sealing material is securely held in the cylindrical member by the tape material, even if the elastic sealing material is thinned to reduce the frictional force with the cylindrical member, the elastic sealing material is reduced. Can be prevented. As a result, when pulling out the ink supply needle, it is only necessary to apply a smaller pulling force than in the related art, which is further advantageous in preventing the elastic sealing material from coming off when the ink supply needle is pulled out. Further, the operation of press-fitting the elastic sealing material into the cylindrical member is also facilitated, which is advantageous in manufacturing.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an ink cartridge 1 in which an ink bag 2 which is an ink container in which ink is stored is housed in a box-shaped cartridge case 3. ing. Ink bag 2
Is provided with an ink supply hole 4, and the ink supply hole 4
A cylindrical member 5 attached to and fixed to the cartridge case 3 and having an ink supply hole 5a as a center; and a communication member which is inserted into the ink supply hole 5a of the cylindrical member 5 to communicate between the outside and the inside of the ink bag body 2. It is composed of an elastic sealing material 6 (diameter 7 mm, thickness 4 mm or less).

A tape material 7 (for example, heat welding or ultrasonic welding) is welded to the end face on the open end side of the tubular member 5 so as to cover the ink supply hole 5a. The sealing member 6 is securely held in the tubular member 5.

When connecting the ink supply needle 8 to the ink cartridge 1, the ink supply needle 8 is first opposed to the ink supply hole 4, and then the ink cartridge 1 is moved in the direction A. The ink supply hole 5a of the tubular member 5 which breaks through the tape material 7 and the elastic seal material 6
Through the ink supply needle 5a,
The ink inside the ink bag 2 can be led to the outside. The ink supply needle 8 is connected to a print head of a printing device (not shown) through an ink supply pipe 9.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the elastic seal member 6 has a large diameter portion 6a having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 5b of the ink supply hole 5a, and a small diameter portion smaller than the large diameter portion 6a. The outer peripheral portion of the large diameter portion 6a and the inner peripheral surface of the ink supply hole 5a are formed by press-fitting the elastic sealing material 6 into the ink supply hole 5a against the elasticity of the large diameter portion 6a. 5b is elastically contacted to ensure the sealing property, so that the communication between the outside and the inside of the ink bag body 2 is reliably blocked.

The elastic sealing material 6 is formed of a rubber-like material that is impermeable to ink and impermeable to gas, and has an elastic restoring force to seal the insertion portion after the ink supply needle 8 is pulled out. For example, butyl rubber or a material similar thereto can be used.

The tape member 7 has a surface layer 7a of substantially the same material as the cylindrical member 5 in order to increase the heat welding force to the cylindrical member 5, and the surface layer 7a is Is welded to the end face on the open end side. Specifically, for example, it is conceivable to use a material mainly composed of polypropylene having excellent ink resistance as the cylindrical member 5, in which case the tape material 7 has a surface layer 7a of substantially the same material as the material. Will be.

As described above, since the cylindrical member 5 and the surface layer 7a of the tape 7 welded thereto are made of substantially the same material, the surface layer 7a of the tape 7
They are joined with a higher welding force than when they are made of different materials.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink bag 2 is exhausted, the ink cartridge 1
Is moved in the direction B, and the ink supply needle 8 is pulled out from the elastic sealing material 6 and the tape material 7.
Although the elastic sealing material 6 tends to come off together with the ink supply needle 8, since the tape material 7 is welded to the cylindrical member 5 with a high welding force as described above, the ink is supplied by the tape material 7. It is restricted from coming off together with the needle 8 and is held in the tubular member 5.

The ink bag 2 has a flexible bag shape, and has an inner surface layer (not shown) made of a material mainly composed of substantially the same material as the cylindrical member 5 on its inner peripheral surface. ), And is welded to the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 5 in the inner surface layer. Therefore, the tubular member 5 and the ink bag 2 are joined together with the tape member 7 and the tubular member 5 with a high welding force. As the ink bag 2, for example, an adhesive layer and a nylon layer (outer surface layer) are arranged on one side around an aluminum alloy layer, and an adhesive layer, a polyethylene terephthalate layer, an adhesive layer and a polypropylene layer ( An inner layer can be used in this order, and the same material can be used as the tape 7.

In addition, the length of the elastic sealing material 6 in the insertion direction of the ink supply needle 8 is about 40 times or less the thickness of the tape material 7 (about 100 μm), which is about 65 times the conventional thickness. It has been thinned. As described above, the tape material 7 prevents the elastic sealing material 6 from coming off the cylindrical member 5, so that the elastic sealing material 6 is thinned to reduce the frictional force between the elastic sealing material 6 and the cylindrical member 5. Even if the size is reduced, the elastic sealing material 6 does not come off from the tubular member 5. Therefore, the pulling force when pulling out the ink supply needle 8 can be reduced. Further, the operation of press-fitting the elastic sealing material 6 into the tubular member 5 becomes easy, which is advantageous in manufacturing.

The manufacturing of the ink cartridge 1 is performed as follows. First, a tubular member 5 is welded to the ink bag body 2 and ink is vacuum-dispensed through the ink supply hole 5a of the tubular member 5, and then the elastic sealing material 6 is placed under vacuum in the ink supply hole 5a. Press-fit. After that, the sealing material 7 is welded (for example, heat welding or ultrasonic welding) to the surface of the open end of the tubular member 5, and is attached to the cartridge case 3 to form the ink cartridge 1.

With the above configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 4, the ink cartridge 1 is
Is brought to a position facing the ink supply needle 8, and then, as shown in FIG. 5, the tip of the ink supply needle 8 is inserted into the ink supply hole 5 a via the tape material 7 and the elastic seal material 6. By doing so, the ink inside the ink bag 2 can be led to the outside through the ink supply needle 8.

When the ink inside the ink bag 2 is exhausted, the user can use the ink cartridge 1
When removing the ink supply needle 8, it is necessary to pull out the ink supply needle 8. However, since the elastic sealing material 6 through which the ink supply needle 8 is inserted is in close contact with the ink supply needle 8, the ink supply needle 8 may be pulled out. In other words, the elastic sealing material 6 tries to escape from the cylindrical member 5 together with the ink supply needle 8. At this time, the end of the elastic sealing material 6 is
(The surface layer 7a side), the adhesion of the elastic sealing material 6 due to the welding force of the tape material 7 to the tubular member 5 is regulated, and as shown in FIG. Become.

In the above embodiment, since the sealing property between the inside and the outside of the ink bag 2 is sufficiently ensured only by the elastic sealing material 6, the tape 7 pulls out the ink supply needle 8. In this case, it is only necessary to have a function of preventing the elastic sealing material 6 from coming off. However, the tape material has an aluminum alloy layer and has a sealing property, so that a synergistic effect between the tape material and the elastic sealing material can be obtained. Thus, it is possible to further enhance the sealing property.

[0032]

The present invention is embodied in the form described above, and has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the tape material to be welded to the open end of the tubular member has a surface layer of substantially the same material as the tubular member, and the surface layer is welded to the tubular member. Since the same material is welded, the welding force between the tape material and the tubular member can be increased, and as a result, even when the ink supply needle is pulled out, By restricting the tape material, the elastic seal material is prevented from coming off together with the ink supply needle, and can be securely held in the tubular member. In addition, the hermetically sealed state can be maintained for a long period of time, and air is prevented from being mixed into the ink.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the surface layer of the tape material and the tubular member are formed by using a material mainly composed of polypropylene having excellent ink resistance, they are mutually welded with a high welding force. In addition to this, the portion that comes into contact with the ink has excellent ink resistance, and the ink can be stored with high quality for a long period of time.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the ink container is formed in a flexible bag shape having an inner surface layer made of a material whose main component is substantially the same as the surface layer of the tape material on the inner surface. Since the layers are welded to the tubular member, not only the tape material and the tubular member, but also the ink container and the tubular member can be bonded with a high welding force, and the ink container is Excellent ink resistance.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the elastic sealing material is formed mainly of a gas-impermeable rubber-like material.
Sealability is ensured, and as a result, generation of bubbles in the ink is suppressed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the elastic sealing material is securely held in the cylindrical member by the tape material as described above, the elastic sealing material can be extended in the insertion direction of the ink supply needle. Is less than about 40 times the thickness of the tape material, and even if it is thinner than about 65 times the conventional thickness, it is possible to prevent the elastic seal material from coming off when the ink supply needle is pulled out. . As a result, the pulling force of the ink supply needle can be reduced. Further, the operation of press-fitting the elastic sealing material into the cylindrical member is also facilitated, which is advantageous in manufacturing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ink cartridge according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the main part.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state of the ink cartridge after use.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state before an ink supply needle is inserted.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a state where an ink supply needle is inserted.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a state after the ink supply needle is pulled out.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a conventional example.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 ink cartridge 2 ink bag 3 cartridge case 4 ink supply hole 5 cylindrical member 5a ink supply hole 6 elastic sealing material 7 tape material 7a surface layer 8 ink supply needle

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ink container for storing ink, a cylindrical member fixed to the ink container and having an ink supply hole, and an elastic member inserted into the cylindrical member to block communication between the outside and the inside of the ink container. A seal material, and the ink supply needle is inserted into the ink supply hole via the elastic seal material,
An ink cartridge through which the ink inside the ink container is led to the outside through the ink supply needle, comprising: a tape member that is welded to an open end of the cylindrical member to hold the elastic seal material in the cylindrical member; An ink cartridge, wherein the tape material has a surface layer of substantially the same material as the cylindrical member, and the surface layer is welded to the cylindrical member. 2. The surface layer of the tape member and the cylindrical member,
The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink cartridge is made of a material containing polypropylene as a main component. Further, the ink container is formed in a flexible bag shape, and has an inner surface layer made of a material mainly composed of substantially the same material as the surface layer of the tape material on an inner peripheral surface, 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the inner surface layer is welded to the cylindrical member.
The ink cartridge as described in the above. 4. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the elastic sealing material is mainly composed of a gas-impermeable rubber-like material. 5. The ink according to claim 1, wherein the length of the elastic sealing material in the insertion direction of the ink supply needle is about 40 times or less the thickness of the tape material. cartridge.