Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-04
2002-11-05
Nghiem, Michael (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C141S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06474796
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for filling a liquid into a liquid container having a liquid accommodating chamber, a filling unit for executing the filling method, and a liquid container manufactured according to the filling method. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for filling a liquid into a liquid container used in a liquid discharging apparatus, such as an ink-jet recording apparatus or the like, a filling unit, and a liquid container manufactured according to the filling method.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a liquid container used in a liquid discharging apparatus, particularly an ink cartridge used in an ink-jet recording apparatus, it is required, for example, to reliably supply ink corresponding to the amount of ink discharged from a recording means while the recording means operates, and not to leak ink from discharging ports while the recording means does not operate.
In order to satisfy such conditions, a mechanism for generating a back pressure for ink supplied to the recording means is often used in an ink cartridge. Since the back pressure causes the pressure of discharging ports of the recording means to be negative with respect to the atmospheric pressure, it is called a negative pressure.
One of the easiest ways to generate a negative pressure is to utilize a capillary force of a porous member (negative pressure generating member), such as a sponge or the like. The assignee of the present application has proposed, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application (Kokai) No. 7-108688 (1995), a small-size ink-jet cartridge having a high efficiency of use which utilizes such a porous member, and which nevertheless can increase the amount of accommodated ink per unit volume of the ink cartridge and realize stable ink supply.
FIG. 8
is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an ink cartridge having the above-described configuration. The inside of an ink cartridge
101
is divided into two spaces by a partition
103
having a communicating hole (communicating portion)
102
. One of the spaces is an ink accommodating chamber (second chamber)
104
which is closed except for the communicating hole
102
of the partition
103
and directly holds ink
90
without the ink
80
being mixed with other materials. The other space is a negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber (first chamber)
106
which accommodates a negative pressure generating member
105
. An atmospheric-air communicating portion
107
for introducing the atmospheric air into the ink cartridge in accordance with consumption of ink, and a supply port (liquid supply portion)
108
for supplying a recording head with ink are formed in a wall of the negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber
106
.
In such a tank structure, when ink
80
in the negative pressure generating member
105
is consumed by the recording head, ink is filled from the ink accommodating chamber
104
into the negative pressure generating member
105
of the negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber
106
through the communicating hole
102
of the partition
103
. At that time, while the pressure within the ink accommodating chamber
104
is reduced, air entering from the atmospheric-air communicating portion
107
and passing through the negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber
106
enters the ink accommodating chamber
104
via the communicating hole
102
of the partition
103
to mitigate the reduced pressure within the ink accommodating chamber
104
. Accordingly, even if; ink is consumed by the recording head, ink fills the absorbing member (the negative pressure generating member
105
) in accordance with the consumed amount of ink, so that the negative pressure generating member
105
holds a constant amount of ink and maintains the negative pressure with respect to the recording head substantially constant, to stabilize ink supply to the recording head.
Particularly, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application (Kokai) No. 6-40043 (1994), by forming a structure for urging introduction of the atmospheric air (for example, a channel
110
or the like) in the vicinity of the communicating portion between the negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber and the ink accommodating chamber, ink can be supplied in a more advantageous manner. Alternatively, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application (Kokai) No. 7-108688 (1995), an atmospheric-air communicating portion may be provided at an upper portion of the ink cartridge, and a space (buffer portion)
109
where the negative pressure generating member is absent may be provided in the vicinity of the atmospheric-air communicating portion.
Various methods for injecting ink into an ink cartridge having the above-described configuration are known. In one method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application (Kokai) No. 8-090785 (1996), ink is injected by providing an appropriate timing between the posture of the ink tank and opening/closing of the ink supply port and the atmospheric-air communicating portion while always inclining the ink cartridge. In another method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application (Kokai) No. 8-132636 (1996), ink is injected while reducing the pressure of the ink cartridge.
As for methods for refilling ink into the above-described ink cartridge, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 6-226990 (1994), a method is known in which a plug is provided at an upper portion of the ink accommodating chamber, the plug is opened before ink in the negative-pressure-generating-member accommodating chamber is consumed to less than a predetermined amount, and ink is injected from an opening closed by the plug into the ink chamber using a syringe or the like.
The above-described ink injection methods are satisfactory from the viewpoint of assuredly injecting ink into an ink cartridge without causing leakage of ink.
For future use, however, in accordance with the recent rapid spread of ink-jet recording apparatuses, it is desired to provide the market with lower-cost ink cartridges, and to provide a low-cost and high-productivity ink injection method in an ink injection process in a process for manufacturing ink tanks.
From such a viewpoint, although the above-described small-size ink cartridge has a high efficiency of use and satisfies the condition of low cost, most of the conventional ink injection methods have a complicated injection process or require a particular apparatus for ink injection.
Furthermore, although the above-described ink refilling method uses a simple injection apparatus, the ink cartridge must in most cases be held in an awkward position during ink injection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid container, such as the above-described small-size ink cartridge having a high efficiency of use, or the like, with a simple and high-productivity liquid filling method in which a liquid is filled without greatly changing the position or posture of the container, and without using a complicated process or apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid filling method having a high accuracy in ink injection into the above-described liquid container.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a liquid filling method capable of performing more stable liquid supply when using the above-described liquid container.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a filling unit and the like which utilize the above-described liquid filling methods.
One aspect of the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a liquid filling method for filling a liquid into a liquid container, the liquid container including a first chamber incorporating a negative pressure generating member and including a liquid supply portion and an atmospheric-air communicating portion, and a second chamber including a communicating portion c
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Nghiem Michael
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