Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-28
2001-03-20
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203148
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a liquid container for an ink jet apparatus containing therein liquid to be supplied to the recording element of the ink jet apparatus and providing a negative pressure source to the recording element, and particularly to a liquid container for an ink jet apparatus containing a single kind of liquid therein and having a plurality of liquid supply portions disposed therein to introduce the liquid.
2. Related Background Art
The construction of an example of a liquid container for an ink jet apparatus containing therein liquid to be supplied to the recording element (recording head) of the ink jet apparatus and providing a negative pressure source to the recording head is schematically shown in
FIGS. 7A
,
7
B and
7
C of the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 7A
is a partly broken-away side view of the liquid container,
FIG. 7B
is a bottom view thereof, and
FIG. 7C
is a front view thereof.
As shown in
FIG. 7A
, the liquid container
1
is provided with a liquid containing portion
20
and a supply port as a liquid supplying portion provided in a portion of the liquid containing portion
20
for supplying the contained liquid to the recording head of the ink jet apparatus. A liquid holding member
3
for holding the liquid to be supplied to the recording head is contained in the liquid containing portion
20
.
The liquid container
1
shown thus has adopted a construction in which a single kind of liquid, e.g. black ink, is held in the liquid holding member
3
and a liquid supplying port
2
is provided for a recording head (e.g. a recording head for black ink) provided in an ink jet apparatus, whereby liquid is supplied at one by one.
There is also an example of the liquid container
1
in which a plurality of liquid containing portions
20
containing therein a plurality of liquids (e.g. cyan ink, magenta ink and yellow ink) are constructed integrally with one another, and again in such construction, only a single liquid supplying port
2
has been disposed for a liquid containing portion
20
containing a single kind of liquid therein.
In the conventional ink jet apparatus, recording has been effected with a single liquid (ink) discharged from a single recording head, but there is conceived a form in which use is made of a plurality of recording heads for discharging a single kind of ink with a view to improve the recording speed and improve the printing density by superposition.
In this case, a liquid container is prepared for each recording head, but the disposition space for the liquid containers need be wide, thus resulting in the bulkiness of the apparatus. Also, to prevent any irregularity from occurring to recorded prints, it is preferable to make the discharge condition uniform for a plurality of recording heads discharging a single kind of ink and it is preferable to exactly adjust the conditions of a plurality of liquid containers supplying the ink to one another, but it is difficult to prepare liquid containers uniform in condition. Further, it is conceivable to cope with the condition by making the ink path leading from the liquid container to the recording head branch off in the course thereof, but according to this, the ink path is liable to become complicated and it is difficult to cope with the condition easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation and an object thereof is to provide a liquid container which can substantially equalize the conditions of ink supply even when use is made of a plurality of recording heads discharging a single kind of ink, and achieves the stable supply of the ink.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a liquid container which can achieve the saving of the disposition space for the liquid container in the interior of an apparatus.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a liquid container capable of supplying ink without a supply route for the ink being especially complicated.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a liquid container which can contribute to an improvement in printing speed and an improvement in printing density.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention is a liquid container for an ink jet apparatus provided with a liquid containing portion containing a single kind of liquid therein, a supplying portion for directing the liquid outwardly from the liquid containing portion, and an atmosphere communicating portion for communicating the interior of the liquid containing portion with the atmosphere, and enabling the liquid to be supplied from the supplying portion to the recording element of the ink jet apparatus and providing a negative pressure source for the recording element, characterized in that a plurality of the supplying portions are disposed corresponding to a plurality of recording elements for the liquid containing portion so that the liquid can be supplied to the recording elements.
Even when a plurality of recording elements are used, only one liquid container is required for a single kind of liquid (ink or treating liquid). Thereby, the liquid supplied becomes uniform in any one of the recording elements and therefore, the irregularity of the discharging condition of the liquid can be suppressed. Also, the disposition space for the liquid container in the interior of the apparatus can be saved.
A liquid holding member is contained in the liquid containing portion, and a fibrous member is disposed in the supplying portion.
The performance of directing the liquid outwardly from the liquid container can be improved and the more stable performance of supplying the liquid can be achieved. The fibrous member may be in the form of a fiber bundle or the form of a felt material.
The liquid containing portion is divided into a plurality of chambers, which are connected together by a communication opening portion.
Only the liquid can be contained in the liquid container and an improvement in the quantity of contained ink can be achieved.
Also, the liquid containing portion is provided with a first chamber provided with a plurality of the supplying portions and the atmosphere communicating portion and having a liquid holding member contained therein, and a second chamber made into a substantially closed space except a communication opening portion provided for communication with the first chamber, and communicating with the first chamber only through the communication opening and containing therein the liquid to be supplied to the first chamber.
The level of the liquid in the first chamber in which the liquid holding member is contained can be stabilized and the state of the negative pressure level relative to the recording elements can be stabilized. Therefore, stable liquid supply free of the irregularity of characteristic becomes possible to each recording element.
Also, the number of the plurality of supplying portions disposed in the first chamber is two, and the supplying portions are juxtaposed so that the distances thereof from the communication opening portion may be substantially equal to each other.
The distances from the communication opening portion to the liquid supplying portions can be made equal to each other, the flow resistance of the liquid can be uniformized, and the liquid supplying properties can be adjusted to each other in the two supplying portions.
Also, respective ones of the central positions of the two supplying portions are disposed at locations spaced apart from two side walls constituting the liquid containing portion and adjacent to the supplying portions, by a distance obtained by substantially quartering the spacing between the side walls.
The plurality of supplying portions in the liquid containing portion are disposed well-balancedly and therefore, the liquid supplying performance can be equalized irrespective of the supplying portions.
Also, black, cyan, magenta or yellow ink is contained in the liquid container.
Also, treating liquid is contained in the liquid
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Le N.
Vo Anh T. N.
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