Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-08-07
Nguyen, Judy (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270206
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to an ink container as liquid containing means for an ink jet recording apparatus, an ink absorbing material as negative pressure producing means and a manufacturing method of the ink container.
Conventionally, the ink container for an ink jet recording apparatus is provided with an ink absorbing material such as an urethane foam resin material or felt to retain the ink while permitting supply of the ink to the ink jet recording head through the supply port thereof, wherein a negative pressure is produced using capillary force of the member. Recently, the ink jet recording apparatuses are widely used with the demand for the color printing and high quality printing, and therefore, the number of used ink containers increases. From the standpoint of environmental health, recycling of the material is desirable, and for easy recycling, a structure using a small number of parts of material or materials which are recyclable is desirable. It is desirable for an ink jet cartridge having a recording head and an ink container which are integral with each other that they are separable.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI- 8-20115 which has been assigned to the assignee of this application discloses an ink container using fibers of olefin resin material having a thermoplastic property as an ink absorbing material in the ink container. The ink container is good in the storing stability of the ink, and the ink container casing and the fiber material are of the same kinds of material, and therefore, the recycling is easy.
It further discloses that relatively smaller size fibers are disposed along the inner wall of the cartridge container, and relatively larger size fibers are disposed inside thereof.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. HEI- 7-47688 discloses an ink container including an ink absorbing material having a heated and melted surface constituting a supply passage upon compression and having a reduced opening diameter to avoid blocking of the ink flow path due to bubble or foreign matter introduction, thus accomplishing the proper printing result.
It discloses that by contracting the opening diameter also at the side adjacent to the side wall of the ink container, the following problem is avoided. The problem is that air layer produced at the interface where the inner wall of the side surface of the ink container and the side surface of the ink absorbing material are close contacted to each other, enters the absorbing material as bubbles during ink consumption with the result of defect in the image quality or improper ink supply.
However, since the air layer per se remains even if the surface of the ink absorbing material is heated and melted, there would be a liability that improper ink supply occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an ink container which is readily recyclable, and the entering of the air through the surface of the ink absorbing material is prevented.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ink container which is assuredly couplable with a recording head or a recording device even when the ink container is repeatedly mounted and demounted relative thereto, in addition to the principal object.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an ink container wherein ink movement from the ink absorbing material to the supply port during the ink supply so that ink supply is stabilized, solely or in addition to the principal and/or second object.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide an ink absorbing material suitable for achieving the object, and a manufacturing method therefor, and to provided various means for decreasing the number of parts and/or improving the reliability during transportation.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink container comprising an ink absorbing material for retaining ink and producing a negative pressure; a casing, provided with an ink supplying portion and an air vent, for accommodating said ink absorbing material; wherein said ink absorbing material is of thermoplastic material and has a surface ink blocking layer provided by heating and melting a surface of the absorbing material; wherein said ink blocking layer blocks movement of the ink contained in said ink absorbing material to outside, and constitutes at least a part of said casing.
According to this aspect, a part of the ink container casing and the ink absorbing material are made integral, and there is not gap between the wall (casing) and the absorbing material at the integrated portion, so that improper ink supply attributable to the entering of the air through between the wall and the absorbing material.
Since the ink absorbing material is of a thermoplastic material, the recycling of the container is easy. Thus, the principal object is achieved.
The following is further improvements.
Where the portion of the casing having the ink supplying portion is formed by the ink blocking layer, the position of the absorbing material at the supply portion is not deviated despite repetition of the mounting and demounting of the ink container. Thus, the second object is achieved.
The casing may all be constituted by said ink blocking layer.
The ink supplying portion and said air vent may be openably sealed.
7
. An ink container The present invention further provides an ink container comprising an ink absorbing material for retaining ink and producing a negative pressure; an ink supplying portion and an air vent; wherein said ink absorbing material is of thermoplastic material and has, at a part thereof, a surface ink blocking layer provided by heating and melting a surface of the absorbing material; wherein the ink blocking layer blocks movement of the ink contained in ink absorbing material.
It may further comprises a boundary layer having a smaller average porosity than that of inside of said absorbing material, at a region adjacent said ink blocking layer.
The present invention further provides an ink absorbing material for an ink container, comprising an ink absorbing portion for retaining ink and producing a negative pressure; an ink blocking layer of thermoplastic material in or at a surface of said ink absorbing portion, said ink blocking layer being produced by heating and melting said ink absorbing portion and blocking movement of the ink contained in said ink absorbing portion.
The present invention further provides a manufacturing method for an ink container including an ink absorbing material for retaining ink and producing a negative pressure and a casing for accommodating the ink absorbing material, comprising the steps of preparing an ink absorbing material of thermoplastic material; forming an ink blocking layer by heating and melting at least a part of a surface layer of the ink absorbing material.
The method may further comprises a step of forming a boundary layer having a smaller average porosity than that of inside of said ink absorbing material by heating and melting at least a part of the surface layer of said ink absorbing material and imparting a pressure to it during cooling, after said ink absorbing material preparation step.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 621478 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 691207 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 705701 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 709209 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 756935 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 7-47688 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 7-314727 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 7-323566 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 8-20115 (1996-01-01), None
patent: 9-183236 (1997-07-01), None
patent: 2000-141684 (2000-05-01), None
Hayashi Hiroki
Hinami Jun
Shimizu Eiichiro
Yamamoto Hajime
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Nguyen Judy
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