JP2005231113A - Ink filling aid, container containing ink filling aid, and ink filling method - Google Patents

Abstract

An inkjet head can be shipped in a dry state, and it is possible to freely fill ink desired by a user without requiring a large apparatus for filling ink under the user.
When filling an inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, a surface tension adjusting agent, etc., at least the high-viscosity solvent and surface An empty ink jet head is filled with an ink filling auxiliary agent containing a tension adjusting agent, and the component ratio of the high viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent is higher than the component ratio of the ink for the ink jet head. The ink filling aid is replaced with ink jet ink.
[Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink filling auxiliary agent that fills an empty ink jet head prior to ink jet ink, a container containing the ink filling auxiliary agent, and an ink filling method.

  Conventionally, when an inkjet head or a printer equipped with an inkjet head is shipped, the inkjet head is shipped by filling the ink path and the interior of the inkjet head with ink or a solvent.

In addition, the technique (refer patent document 1) which wash | cleans the inside of an inkjet head, and the technique (refer patent document 2) which substitutes the liquid in an inkjet head are known.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-58776 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-286977

  However, when the ink jet head is filled with ink or solvent, the liquid may leak due to environmental changes or vibrations, the leaked liquid may adhere to the orifice surface, the orifice surface may become obstructed due to drying, or the liquid may change due to environmental changes or changes over time. Therefore, when shipping an inkjet head and a printer equipped with an inkjet head, it is desirable to ship the ink path and the interior of the inkjet head in a dry and empty state. . This is because if the inside of the inkjet head is empty, the user can freely fill the ink to be used from a plurality of types of ink.

  When the inkjet head is shipped in an empty state as described above, it is necessary to fill the inkjet head with ink. However, under the user, large-scale filling means such as vacuum filling cannot be used. It is difficult to fill ink without causing the head to be mixed with air. That is, if the wettability between the ink and the ink chamber in the inkjet head is poor and the contact angle is large, air remains due to the relationship between the unevenness of the ink chamber and the flow of ink during filling. Also, when a filter is present in the ink path, air remains on the filter mesh if the filter and ink are poorly wettable and the contact angle is large. On the other hand, if the wettability is too good, air remains on the upper part of the ink jet head such as an ink path according to gravity. Further, when ink is filled at a high speed, air is entrained by the turbulent flow of the gas-liquid surface, and small bubbles remain.

  If air bubbles are generated in the ink as described above, the printing stability of the ink jet head is deteriorated. That is, when a small bubble flows into the ink chamber of the ink jet head, it becomes difficult to apply pressure and non-ejection occurs. The bubbles attached to the inner wall of the ink flow and the filter flow away in a chance, so that non-ejection occurs randomly. Also, the air generated on the inner wall of the ink flow dew is separated into small bubbles by chance and flows into the ink chamber due to vibrations applied to the ink jet head, which similarly causes non-ejection.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable the inkjet head to be shipped in an empty state, without requiring a large device for filling the ink under the user, An object of the present invention is to provide an ink filling auxiliary agent that can be freely filled with a desired ink, a container containing the ink filling auxiliary agent, and an ink filling method.

  The present invention provides at least a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, a surface tension adjuster, and the like. An empty inkjet head is filled with an ink filling auxiliary agent containing a viscosity solvent and a surface tension modifier, and the component ratio of the high viscosity solvent and the surface tension modifier is higher than the component ratio in the ink for the inkjet head, respectively. The ink filling auxiliary agent filled in the ink jet head is replaced with ink jet ink.

  According to the present invention, the ink jet head can be shipped in an empty state, and does not require a large device for filling ink under the user, and can be filled freely with ink desired by the user. A container containing an agent, an ink filling auxiliary agent, and an ink filling method.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the entire inkjet head. As shown in FIG. 1, the inkjet head 100 is provided on the base substrate 1. The ink jet head 100 includes a pressure generating means 2 to be described later in detail, and a drive IC (integrated circuit) which is a drive circuit for driving the ink jet head 100 provided on the same surface as the ink jet head 100 on the base substrate 1. Drive circuit board 4 having 3.

  2 and 3 are schematic views for explaining the pressure generating means 2 in detail, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the pressure generating means 2, and FIG. 3 is an AA sectional view thereof. The pressure generating means 2 includes a nozzle plate 6 in which a plurality of nozzles 5 are formed, and a plurality of pressure chambers that are provided at positions facing the plurality of nozzles 5 and store ink. The plurality of pressure chambers 7 are configured to be supplied with ink from the common ink chamber 8. A surface forming a part of the pressure chamber 7 is formed by a diaphragm. A plurality of piezoelectric members 10 are fixed to the diaphragm 9 so as to correspond to the pressure chambers 7. The diaphragm 9 and the piezoelectric member 10 constitute an actuator, and the piezoelectric member 10 is electrically connected to the output terminal of the drive IC 3. In addition, although the piezoelectric element (piezo element) is used as the piezoelectric member 10, it is not restricted to this.

  Further, the common ink chamber 8 is formed with an ink supply port 11 connected to an ink tank (not shown) for storing ink via an ink supply path (not shown). As a result, the ink stored in the ink tank is supplied from the ink supply port 11 to the common ink chamber 8 via the ink supply path. A plurality of nozzle holes (ejection ports) 12 are formed on the nozzle surface 11 of the nozzle plate 3 in a substantially straight line.

  As the ink, various inks such as water-based ink, oil-based ink, solvent ink, and UV ink (ultraviolet curable ink) are used. The UV ink is composed of, for example, a pigment, a monomer, an oligomer, a photopolymerization initiator, a dispersant, and other additives (for example, a surface tension adjusting agent).

  Such an ink jet head 100 applies a drive signal from the drive IC 3 to the piezoelectric member 10, deforms the piezoelectric member 10, and vibrates the diaphragm 9. This vibration changes the volume of the pressure chamber 7. In the process of increasing the volume of the pressure chamber 7, the ink in the common ink chamber 8 is sucked into the pressure chamber 7, and in the process of decreasing the volume of the pressure chamber 7, the ink in the pressure chamber 7 becomes ink droplets (droplets). Discharge from 12 to the outside.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the piezoelectric member 10 is used as an actuator, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a heating element is used as an actuator, and the ink is boiled by this, so that the ink is ejected from the nozzle. A configuration may be adopted in which droplets are ejected.

  The components of the inkjet ink used in the inkjet head 100 configured as described above generally include a high-viscosity solvent (A), a low-viscosity solvent (B), a colorant / dispersant (C), It is comprised by the surface tension regulator (D), other additives, etc. (E). Accordingly, when ink jet ink is supplied from the ink supply port 10 when the inside of the ink jet head 100 is in a dry state, the wall surface in the ink flow path is difficult to get wet if the surface tension is high, and small bubbles are likely to remain on the wall surface. In addition, when the surface tension is low, the wall surface is likely to get wet, but since the ink flows along the wall surface, large bubbles are likely to remain. If air bubbles are generated in this way, the air bubbles are likely to enter the ink chamber, and ink ejection from the inkjet head 100 may occur.

  Therefore, in order to prevent bubbles and the like from being generated in the inkjet head 100, before filling the inkjet head 100 with inkjet ink, the empty empty inkjet head 100 in a dry state is filled with an ink filling auxiliary agent. And

  Next, components of the ink filling aid will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4A shows the configuration of the ink components, and FIG. 4B shows the configuration of the ink filling auxiliary components. The composition of the ink components is the same as the composition of the general ink components described above, the high viscosity solvent (A), the low viscosity solvent (B), the colorant / dispersant (C), the surface tension adjusting agent ( D) and other additives (E). The composition of the ink filling auxiliary component is such that the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent (A) and the surface tension modifier (D) is made higher than that of the ink, and the low-viscosity solvent (B) is reduced or used. The colorant / dispersant (C) and other additives (E) are unnecessary. In this embodiment, the ink filling auxiliary agent is composed of a high viscosity solvent (A), a low viscosity solvent (B), and a surface tension adjusting agent (D).

  Specific examples include UV inks and ink filling aids having the following configurations and physical properties. The composition of the UV ink consists of 15 mPas high viscosity acrylic monomer (A), 9 mPas low viscosity acrylic monomer (B), carbon black and dispersant (C), surface tension dispersant (D), light It is a curing initiator (E), and its physical properties are a viscosity of 10 mPas and a surface tension of 32 mN / m (millinewton per meter). An ink filling aid suitable for this UV ink is composed of only a 15 mPas high viscosity acrylic monomer (A) and a surface tension adjusting agent (D). This ink filling auxiliary is prepared by adding the surface tension adjusting agent (D) to the high viscosity acrylic monomer (A) until the surface tension becomes 28 mN / m, and having a viscosity of 15 mPas and a surface tension of 28 mN / m.

  FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the deaeration process of the ink filling auxiliary agent prepared as described above. The deaeration membrane module 14 is a tubular membrane that allows gas to pass but not liquid. After the outside of the degassing membrane module 14 is evacuated, the ink filling auxiliary agent is passed through the degassing membrane module 14 as indicated by the white arrow in the figure, and then outward as indicated by the arrow in the figure. Deaerate the air. FIG. 6 shows an ink tank 15 as a container containing the degassed ink filling auxiliary agent so as to be in a vacuum state. As shown in the figure, a seal 16 a is attached to the vent hole 16 of the ink tank 15, and the ink filling auxiliary agent is vacuum-sealed in the ink tank 15. In this embodiment, a tank is used as a container. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a bottle may be used.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration for explaining ink filling into the printer 101 that performs image recording by operating the inkjet head 100. As shown in the figure, the ink tank 15 is attached to one end of the pipe line member 17. The other end of the pipe member 17 communicates with one end of the pipe member 19 through the filter 18. The other end of the pipe line member 19 is attached to the ink supply port 10 of the inkjet head 100. The printer 101 has a suction unit 20. The suction unit 20 includes a suction cap 21 that moves from a retreat position so as to seal an orifice surface that is a surface on the ink discharge side of the ink jet head 100 in order to suck ink from the ink discharge port 12 of the ink jet head 100, and a suction cap 21. The ink collection tank 23 that collects the ink sucked from the inkjet head 100, and the ink collection tank 23 and the line member 24 to communicate with each other and adjust the suction force of the suction cap 21. A suction pump 25 is provided. Note that the configuration for sucking ink from the inkjet head 100 and the configuration for recording an image of the printer 101 are the same as those of a conventional printer, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, a method of filling the ink jet ink without causing bubbles in the ink jet head 100 in the printer 101 equipped with the ink jet head 100 which is in a dry state configured as described above will be described. .

  In the printer 101, the ink tank 15 is not attached in the initial state, and the ink path including the inside of the inkjet head 100, the pipe line member 17, the filter 18, and the pipe line member 19 is in a dry state.

  From this state, the user attaches the ink tank 15 containing the ink filling auxiliary agent to one end of the conduit member 17. Thereby, the inkjet head 100 and the ink tank 15 are communicated. In addition to the UV ink described above, there are a plurality of types of ink such as oil ink, so the ink tank 15 attached to the printer 101 is filled with ink corresponding to the type of ink used by the user during image recording. Use the one containing the adjuvant.

  Then, the user operates a control panel (not shown) to move the suction cap 21 of the suction unit 20 from the retracted position so as to seal the orifice surface of the inkjet head 100, draw air from the ink discharge port 12, and the ink tank 15. The seal 16a for vacuum-sealing is removed. As a result, filling of the inkjet head 100 with the ink filling auxiliary agent stored in the ink tank 15 is started.

  When filling is started, the ink filling auxiliary agent is supplied from the ink supply port 10 to the inkjet head 100 through the ink path. At this time, the ink filling auxiliary agent passes through the filter 18 and dust and the like existed. Also removed. Further, since the ink filling auxiliary agent supplied from the ink supply port 10 has a lower surface tension than the ink jet ink, the ink path and the wall surface inside the ink jet head 100 are more likely to get wet than the ink jet ink. In addition, since the ink filling auxiliary agent has a higher viscosity than the ink jet ink, the flow speed along the wall surface is slower than that of the ink jet ink, so that large bubbles do not remain during filling. Furthermore, since the ink filling auxiliary agent is deaerated, it has the ability to absorb and dissolve even small bubbles remaining in the ink path and the inkjet head 100 to the saturation solubility.

  Since it takes time to dissolve and absorb the bubbles, it is necessary to perform the following filling process of the ink filling auxiliary agent. When the user fills the ink filling agent into the ink path for a certain period of time, the user pauses for a certain period of time, for example several minutes, until the small bubbles are dissolved, and then repeats the operation of flowing the ink filling adjuvant through the ink path for a certain period of time. Then, the ink filling process is performed in an intermittent liquid feeding manner in which the ink filling auxiliary agent is intermittently passed. By repeating this operation, even if a large bubble is generated, the size is reduced, and the bubble is reduced and disappears. Instead of this intermittent liquid-feeding ink filling process, once the ink filling auxiliary agent is filled, the suction force of the suction pump 25 is lowered, that is, the filling speed is lower than the filling speed when the ink filling auxiliary agent is filled. By adjusting the speed, the ink filling auxiliary agent may be slowly passed through the ink path, for example, for 60 minutes. Furthermore, after filling the empty inkjet head 100 for a predetermined time at a predetermined filling speed, the ink filling auxiliary agent may be filled by filling for a certain time at a filling speed slower than the filling speed. Even if such a filling process of the ink auxiliary agent is performed, the degassing process has an effect of sucking bubbles, so that the filling process can be facilitated.

  After the ink filling auxiliary agent is filled in the ink jet head 100 in this way, the user replaces the filled ink filling auxiliary agent with ink. The replacement must be performed so that air is not mixed in, so that the ink is replenished and washed in place of the ink filling auxiliary agent. Although the ink filling auxiliary agent and the ink are mixed at first, the ink filling auxiliary agent is composed of the main component of the ink. Therefore, there is no possibility that some reaction or the like may be caused by the mixing with the ink. Then, the ink filling is completed when the ink path and the inside of the inkjet head 100 are replaced with ink by sufficiently washing away the ink filling auxiliary agent.

  According to the ink filling auxiliary agent of this embodiment, the inkjet head can be shipped in a dry state, and does not require a large device for filling the ink under the user, and is in a dry state. The ink to be filled can be freely filled.

  In addition, by using such an ink filling auxiliary agent, the inside of the ink jet head can be shipped in a dry state, so that the ink jet head production side is also filled with ink that matches the ink used by the user. It is not necessary to perform the work, and the user can attach the ink jet head by preparing an ink filling auxiliary agent corresponding to the type of ink to be used. A compatible inkjet head can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case of the method of filling the ink into the printer 101 equipped with the ink jet head 100 in a dry state has been described, but the same applies to the case of replacing the ink jet head 100. Can do. That is, even when the used inkjet head 100 whose performance has deteriorated is removed from the printer 101 and the ink is filled after the replacement empty inkjet head 100 is attached, the ink can be filled by the above-described method. In addition, when the inkjet head 100 is recombined, the ink can be filled by the above-described method when the ink is filled when the inkjet head 100 is added.

  In such a case, since the ink jet head 100 is empty, the ink jet head 100 can cope with any ink jet and ink type. However, the ink filling auxiliary agent is different from the ink jet ink type used by the user. It is necessary to make it correspond. Therefore, the side providing the ink jet head 100 can also provide an ink jet auxiliary kit corresponding to the type of ink jet ink used by the user and the ink jet head 100 having an empty interior as an ink jet head kit. At this time, the side providing the inkjet head kit can ship the interior of the inkjet head 100 in an empty state, and therefore can be combined with any ink filling auxiliary agent corresponding to any type of inkjet ink. In addition, the inkjet head kit includes a cleaning member for cleaning the inside of the printer 101 and other members necessary for the printer 101 including the inkjet head 100 such as replenishing inkjet ink, as appropriate included in the inkjet head kit. You may do it.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage, and is disclosed in the embodiment. Various inventions can be modified by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing an entire inkjet head in an embodiment of the present invention. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematically the pressure generation means in the embodiment. The figure which shows the AA cross section in FIG. The figure for demonstrating the ink filling auxiliary agent and the component structure of an ink in the embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the deaeration process of the ink filling adjuvant in the embodiment. The figure which shows the ink tank by which the ink filling auxiliary agent in the embodiment was vacuum-sealed. The figure which shows schematically the structure for demonstrating the filling of the ink in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 ... Ink tank, 16a ... Seal, 20 ... Suction unit, 100 ... Inkjet head, 101 ... Printer

Claims (9)

Ink filling assistance for filling an empty inkjet head prior to filling the inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, and a surface tension adjusting agent. In the agent,
An ink comprising at least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent, wherein the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent is higher than the component ratio of the ink for an inkjet head, respectively. Filling aid. Ink filling assistance for filling an empty inkjet head prior to filling the inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, and a surface tension adjusting agent. In the container containing the agent,
An ink filling auxiliary comprising at least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent, wherein the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent is higher than the component ratio of the ink for an inkjet head, is removed. A container containing an ink filling auxiliary agent that is vacuum-treated and accommodated in a vacuum state. Ink filling assistance for filling an empty inkjet head prior to filling the inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, and a surface tension adjusting agent. In an ink jet head kit including at least a container containing an agent and the empty ink jet head,
The container containing the ink filling auxiliary agent includes at least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent, and the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent is higher than the component ratio in the ink for inkjet head. Each of the higher ink filling aids is degassed and stored in a vacuum state,
An ink jet head kit, wherein the empty ink jet head is in a dry state. In an ink filling method for filling an inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, a surface tension adjusting agent, and the like,
An ink filling auxiliary agent containing at least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent, wherein the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension adjusting agent is higher than the component ratio in the ink for an inkjet head, is emptied. Filling the inkjet head of
An ink filling method comprising the step of replacing the ink filling auxiliary agent filled in the ink jet head with the ink jet ink.   The ink filling auxiliary agent is degassed and accommodated in a container in a vacuum state, and comprises a step of opening before a step of filling an empty ink jet head with the ink filling auxiliary agent. Item 5. The ink filling method according to Item 4.   The step of filling the ink filling auxiliary agent includes a step of filling for a certain period of time and a step of stopping filling for a certain period of time when the filling of the certain period of time is completed, and these steps are alternately repeated a plurality of times. The ink filling method according to claim 4, wherein:   The step of filling the ink filling auxiliary agent includes a step of filling the inside of the inkjet head with an ink filling auxiliary agent at a predetermined flow rate, and a predetermined portion of the inside of the inkjet head filled with the ink filling auxiliary agent at a flow rate slower than the predetermined flow rate. The ink filling method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of allowing time to pass. In an ink filling method for filling an inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, a surface tension adjusting agent, and the like,
At least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension modifier, and the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension modifier is higher than the component ratio of the ink for inkjet head, respectively, and degassed. Filling the ink filling auxiliary agent contained in the container with intermittent liquid feeding to an empty inkjet head; and
An ink filling method comprising the step of replacing the ink filling auxiliary agent filled in the ink jet head with the ink jet ink. In an ink filling method for filling an inkjet head with an inkjet ink comprising a high-viscosity solvent, a low-viscosity solvent, a colorant / dispersant, a surface tension adjusting agent, and the like,
At least the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension modifier, and the component ratio of the high-viscosity solvent and the surface tension modifier is higher than the component ratio of the ink for inkjet head, respectively, and degassed. Filling the empty ink-jet head contained in the container with a predetermined filling speed for a predetermined time after filling an empty ink-jet head, and then filling by filling for a predetermined time at a filling speed slower than the predetermined filling speed;
An ink filling method comprising the step of replacing the ink filling auxiliary agent filled in the ink jet head with the ink jet ink.

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