Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-28
2004-12-14
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06830321
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-403338 filed Dec. 28, 2000, 2001-328301 filed Oct. 25, 2001 and 2001-374843 filed Dec. 7, 2001, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure, a liquid tank for storing ink used to form images on a print medium and a treatment liquid used to orient the print property of ink on the print medium, manufacture methods for the structure and the liquid tank, a head cartridge incorporating this liquid tank, and an ink jet apparatus and an image forming apparatus which use this liquid tank.
In this specification, a word “print” refers to not only forming a significant information, such a characters and figures, but also forming an image, designs or patterns on the printing medium and processing such as etching and so forth in the printing medium, whether the information is significant or insignificant or whether it is visible so as to be perceived by humans.
The term “printing medium” includes not only paper used in common printing apparatus, but also sheet materials such as cloths, plastic films, metal sheets, glass plates, ceramic sheets, wood panels and leathers or three-dimensional materials such as spheres, round pipes and so forth that can receive the ink.
Further, the word “ink” should be interpreted in its wide sense as with the word “print”, refers to liquid that is applied to the printing medium for forming images, designs or patterns, processing such as etching in the printing medium or processing such as coagulating or insolubilizing a colorant in the ink and includes any liquids used for printing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-201021 proposes a technique of preventing the leakage of ink from an ink tank of an ink jet printer using a gas-liquid separating element for an atmosphere communication port, the gas-liquid separating element consisting of fluoroplastic and so forth. According to this method, a joined portion of the gas-liquid separating element is heated from the interior of the ink tank to fuse the gas-liquid separating element on a wall surface of the ink tank.
However, thermal fusion requires the gas-liquid separating element to be heated at a temperature close to the melting point of polypropylene or the like, and this heat may degrade the liquid repellency of the gas-liquid separating element, so that the ink is likely to remain in a ventilation area of the gas-liquid separating element, thereby hindering ventilation.
Further, if to prevent the adverse effects of heat, ultrasonic vibration is imparted to an interface to cause friction for bonding, the vibration may be transmitted to the ventilation area of the gas-liquid separating element during fusion to stretch this area, thereby degrading the liquid repellency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure that serves to maintain the liquid repellency of a gas-liquid separating element and a manufacture method therefor, a liquid tank conforming to this structure and a manufacture method therefor, an ink jet apparatus using this liquid tank and a manufacture method thereof, and a head cartridge using this liquid tank and a manufacture method therefor.
A first aspect of the present invention is in a structure comprising a communication section for providing communication between an interior and an exterior, and a gas-liquid separating element for passing through only a gas, the gas-liquid separating element being disposed in the communication section, the structure being characterized in that the gas-liquid separating element has a joined portion formed at least on an outer periphery of the gas-liquid separating element and joined to the communication section, and a ventilation area that contributes to ventilation. According to the present invention, the liquid repellency of the ventilation area can be appropriately maintained.
In the first aspect of the present invention, the gas-liquid separating element may further have a non-joined portion between the joined portion and the ventilation area. In this case, the non-joined area may be a non-heated area. If the non-joined area is provided between the joined portion and the ventilation area of the gas-liquid separating element, it serves to reduce the adverse effects of the jointed portion on the ventilation area, thereby more appropriately maintaining the liquid repellency of the ventilation area. In particular, if the non-joined area is a non-heated area, even if the joined portion is a thermally bonded portion, the presence of the non-joined area, which is not heated, protects the ventilation area of the gas-liquid separating element from thermal adverse effects, thereby more appropriately maintaining the liquid repellency of the gas-liquid separating element.
The joined portion may be the thermally bonded portion. In this case, the gas-liquid separating element can be reliably joined to the communication portion.
The second aspect of the present invention is in a structure characterized by comprising a communication section for providing communication between an interior and an exterior, a gas-liquid separating element for passing through only a gas, the gas-liquid separating element being disposed in the communication section, and an adhesive layer for joining the gas-liquid separating element and the communication section, the adhesive layer being formed between the gas-liquid separating element and the communication section. According to the present invention, the gas-liquid separating element need not be heated at high temperature, and its liquid repellency can thus be more appropriately maintained.
In the second aspect of the present invention, an adhesive constituting the adhesive layer may be a thermosetting adhesive that is hardened at a temperature at which the gas-liquid separating element is not thermally adversely affected. Alternatively, the adhesive may be a hot-melt adhesive that is melted at a temperature at which the gas-liquid separating element is not thermally adversely affected. If such a thermosetting adhesive or hot-melt adhesive is used, the gas-liquid separating element can be reliably fixed to the communication section without degrading the liquid repellency of the gas-liquid separating element.
The third aspect of the present invention is in a structure characterized by comprising a communication section for providing communication between an interior and an exterior, a gas-liquid separating element for passing through only a gas, the gas-liquid separating element being disposed in the communication section, and a holding member for holding at least an outer periphery of the gas-liquid separating element between the holding member and the communication section, the holding member being attached to the communication section. According to the present invention, the gas-liquid separating element need not be heated at high temperature, and its liquid repellency can thus be more appropriately maintained.
In the structures according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the gas-liquid separating element may be composed of PTFE. In this case, the gas-liquid separating element may undergo liquid repellency treatment. If the gas-liquid separating element comprises PTFE, which is chemically stable and fine resist heat, liquid repellency treatment specifically enables the liquid repellency of the gas-liquid separating element to be appropriately maintained for a long time.
The fourth aspect of the present invention is in a method for manufacturing a structure comprising a communication section for providing communication between an interior and an exterior, and a gas-liquid separating element for passing through only a gas, the gas-liquid separating element being disposed in the communication section, the method being characterized by comprising the step of heating the gas-liquid separating element from a surface thereof which is op
Netsu Hiroshi
Okamoto Hideaki
Canon Kabsuhiki Kaisha
Vo Anh T. N.
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