Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-27
2003-04-22
Vo, Anh T.N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550898
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a liquid supplying system preferably used in the field of an ink jet recording apparatus and the like, a negative pressure generating member container and a liquid container used for the system, an ink jet cartridge and an ink jet recording apparatus employing the system, and an ink container. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid supplying system in which a portion or portions of containers are exchangeable.
In the field of an ink jet recording apparatus, there have been proposed various ink containers which apply negative pressure to an ink jet head. The most common structure among these proposals is a structure which utilizes the capillary force of porous material; more specifically, a structure comprising an external shell, a piece of porous material, preferably sponge or the like, compressed into the shell in a manner to entirely fill the internal space of the shell, and an air venting hole, or an air vent, through which air is drawn into an ink storing portion to enhance the ink supplying performance during printing.
However, usage of a porous member as an ink retaining member creates a problem in that it makes ink storage ratio per unit volume rather low in order to solve this problem, the inventors of the present invention has proposed, in an official journal EP0580433, an ink container comprising a virtually sealed ink storing chamber, that is, an ink container sealed except for the presence of a connective path to a capillary force generating member storing chamber. This ink container is used in the state in which the capillary force generating member storing chamber is open to the atmospheric air. They have proposed another invention in an official journal EP0581531. According to this invention, an ink storing chamber is rendered replaceably connectable to an ink container with the above described structure.
In the case of the above described ink container, ink is supplied from the ink storing chamber to the capillary force generating member storing chamber through gas-liquid exchange, or a process in which gas is drawn into the ink storing chamber as the ink in the ink storing chamber is drawn out. Therefore, it has merit in that during this gas-liquid exchange, ink can be supplied under the condition in which the negative pressure remains approximately stable. In addition, from the viewpoint of exchangeability, the ink container disclosed in the official journal is EP0581531 is a technically superior ink container.
On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention have proposed, in an official journal EP0691207, an ink container which employs fiber made of olefinic resin (for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, or the like) which possesses thermal-plasticity, as the material for the capillary force generating member in the above described ink container. This ink container is superior in terms of the stability of the ink stored therein. It is also superior in terms of recyclability, because the external shell of the ink container, and the material for the internal fibrous member, are made of the same type of material.
Further, the inventors of the present invention have proposed, in an official journal EP0738605, a liquid storage container, which is characterized in that it comprises an external sheet in the form of an approximately polygonal prism, and an internal storing portion which is identical or similar in shape to the internal space of the shell, and is capable of deforming in response to the drawing of the liquid therein from the container, and that the thickness of the walls of the internal storing portion in the form of an approximately polygonal prism is rendered less at the corner portions than at the center portions of the walls. In this liquid storage container, the storing portion properly contracts as the liquid is drawn out (gas-liquid exchange does not occur), and therefore, the liquid can be supplied while using negative pressure. Thus, compared to a conventional ink storing member in the form of a pouch, this liquid storage container does not need any restriction in terms of the position where it is placed. Therefore, it can be placed on a carriage. Further, ink is directly stored in the storing portion, and therefore, the invention may be valued as an excellent invention in terms of exchangeability, and also in terms of improvement in ink storage ratio.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As described above, in the case of an ink container of a type in which a capillary force generating member container such as the above described one, and a correspondent ink storing chamber, are disposed adjacent to each other, when the ink in an ink storage chamber, the internal volume of which is fixed at a predetermined volume, is supplied into the capillary force generating member storage chamber, gas-liquid exchange occurs to allow gas to be drawn into the ink storage chamber.
In order to pursue more ideal conditions for an ink container which has the above described excellent structure, the inventors of the present invention paid attention to the gas-liquid exchange mechanism, and how the ink in the ink storage chamber is drawn out during the gas-liquid exchange, recognizing the following two points.
The first point regards the ambient air drawn into the ink storage chamber through gas-liquid exchange. When the ink in the ink storage chamber is supplied into the capillary force generating member storage chamber through gas-liquid exchange, the ambient air is drawn into the ink storage chamber by an amount equivalent to the amount of the ink drawn out as the ink is supplied. Therefore, a state in which the air from the outside and the ink coexist in the ink storage chamber is effected. This air in the ink storage chamber expands due to the charges which occur to the ambience in which a printer is used (for example, daily temperature fluctuation), sometimes forcing the ink in the ink storage chamber into the capillary force generating member storage chamber. Thus, in the past, a buffer space as large as possible was sometimes secured in the capillary force generating member storage chamber, more specifically, in the capillary force generating member itself, in consideration of the amount by which the ink moves, relative to the expansion ratio, and also in consideration of the various environments in which the ink container is used.
Based on the above described recognition, the inventors of the present invention produced an ink container, the ink storage chamber of which was replaceably connectable to the capillary force generating member storage chamber, and which employed a wad of fiber of olefinic resin as the capillary force generating member, as shown in
FIG. 1
, (
a
) is a drawing for depicting a capillary force generating member storage container
1004
as the capillary force generating member storage chamber in the state in which an exchange liquid storage container
1007
shown in
FIG. 1
, (
b
), as an exchangeable ink storage chamber, has been removed. In
FIG. 1
, (
a
), a referential numeral
1001
designates a capillary force generating member formed of mixed strands of polypropylene and polyethylene;
1002
, ink supplying opening;
1003
, an air vent;
1005
, a connective path portion to be connected to the exchange liquid storage container
1007
for forming a joint path; and a referential numeral
1006
designates a buffer chamber in connection with the air vent. A referential character L designates the interface between the liquid and gas (hereinafter, “gas-liquid interface”). After the liquid in the exchange liquid storage container
1007
is used up, and the exchange liquid storage container
1007
is removed, the interface L is in the connective opening. In other words, a portion of the capillary force generating member, which is exposed at the connective path portion, constitutes a region in which no ink is present. On the other hand,
FIG. 1
, (
b
) depicts the state in which the exchange liquid storage container
1007
has been connected
Hattori Shozo
Hayashi Hiroki
Kitabatake Kenji
Koshikawa Hiroshi
Kotaki Yasuo
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Vo Anh T.N.
LandOfFree
Liquid supply system, liquid supply container, capillary... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Liquid supply system, liquid supply container, capillary..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Liquid supply system, liquid supply container, capillary... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3064301