JP4356429B2 - ink cartridge - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink cartridge, and more particularly to an ink cartridge capable of selectively switching between communication and blocking between an ink chamber and the outside by being attached to and detached from an ink jet recording apparatus.

  As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-113723 (Patent Document 1), in order to selectively switch between communication and blocking between an ink chamber storing ink and the outside, a valve body and a spring are provided. Ink cartridges are known. In this ink cartridge, a cylindrical packing that forms an insertion path for an ink supply needle is press-fitted into an ink supply port that communicates the ink chamber with the outside. An ink guide chamber is formed on the ink chamber side from the cylindrical packing, and a valve body and a spring for urging the valve body to elastically contact the cylindrical packing are disposed in the ink guide chamber. ing.

When this ink cartridge is installed in the ink jet recording apparatus, the ink supply needle contacts the valve body through the insertion path of the cylindrical packing, and the valve body is moved to the ink chamber side, so that the space between the ink chamber and the ink supply needle is reached. Thus, an ink flow path is formed. At this time, since the inner peripheral surface of the insertion path of the cylindrical packing is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the ink supply needle, ink in the ink chamber can be prevented from leaking from the insertion path of the cylindrical packing. On the other hand, when the ink cartridge is detached from the ink jet recording apparatus, the valve body is biased by the spring so as to elastically contact the cylindrical packing, and the valve body is seated on the cylindrical packing, and the insertion path is closed. Therefore, the ink in the ink chamber can be prevented from leaking outside from the insertion path.
JP 2001-113723 A (FIG. 4 etc.)

  However, in the above-described ink cartridge, in order to selectively switch between communication and blocking between the ink chamber and the outside, it is necessary to include a cylindrical packing that elastically contacts the valve body, a spring, and a plurality of parts of the valve body. Not only is the structure complicated, but the number of assembly steps increases and the cost increases. Further, when the spring is made of a metal material, it is necessary to separate the spring from other parts when discarding the ink cartridge, and there is a problem that the disposal cost is increased.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can reduce the number of components and selectively switch between communication and blocking between the ink chamber and the outside with a simple structure. The object is to provide a cartridge.

In order to achieve this object, an ink cartridge according to claim 1 is configured to be detachable from an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from a recording head, and has a hollow shape protruding from the ink jet recording apparatus. An ink chamber that communicates with the recording head via an extraction member; an ink chamber that stores the ink; and an ink supply chamber into which the extraction member is inserted to supply ink from the ink chamber to the recording head; A first communication hole that communicates the ink chamber and the ink supply chamber, and an outer peripheral portion that at least partially adheres to an inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber that is substantially parallel to an axial direction along the insertion direction of the extraction member; And the outer peripheral portion extending in a direction crossing the axial direction at positions spaced from both axial positions of the ink supply chamber. And a resilient sealing member made of an intermediate portion connected, with at least partially closely worn on the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber of the outer peripheral portion of the sealing member, to close the first communication hole, the extraction member Is inserted into the ink supply chamber, and the outer peripheral portion is separated from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber as the extraction member bends and deforms in the axial direction with the intermediate portion serving as the apex. One communication hole communicates with the extraction member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the ink cartridge according to the first aspect, the outer peripheral portion of the seal member is positioned substantially over the entire length in the axial direction in the ink supply chamber and does not face the first communication hole. a second communication hole penetrating the outer peripheral portion thereof at a position, the seal with at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion is closely worn on the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber member, the said first communication hole second Shielding between the communication holes and allowing the ink chamber to communicate with the extraction member via the first communication hole and the second communication hole when the outer peripheral portion is separated from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber. It is.

  The ink cartridge according to claim 3 is the ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate portion of the seal member is formed as a wall that bisects the outer peripheral portion on the inner side spaced from both ends of the outer peripheral portion. It is formed integrally with the part.

  The ink cartridge according to claim 4 is the ink cartridge according to claim 3, wherein the second communication hole is formed in the outer peripheral portion on one side with respect to the intermediate portion, and the outer peripheral portion on the one side is formed. The extraction member is inserted into the internal space.

  The ink cartridge according to claim 5 is the ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the outer peripheral portion on the other side with respect to the intermediate portion is inclined inward from an extended surface of the outer peripheral portion on the one side. Is formed.

The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the ink supply chamber includes the inner wall surface located outside the outer peripheral portion of the seal member, and both ends in the axial direction. is defined by two end surfaces for restricting movement of the axial position and the sealing member, one end face of of said two end faces, the cover member for have a through hole for inserting the extraction member The opening facing the other end surface of the two end surfaces is covered by the lid member.

  The ink cartridge according to claim 7 is the ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the ink supply chamber and the ink chamber are separated from each other by a partition wall that forms the inner wall surface and the other end surface. The inner wall surface is integrally connected to the bottom wall so that the inner wall surface rises from the bottom wall of the case forming the ink chamber into the ink chamber, and the first communication hole is formed between the partition wall and the bottom wall. It is formed in the connection part.

An ink cartridge according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the ink cartridge according to the sixth aspect, wherein the lid member includes an insertion hole sealing member that is in contact with the inner surface of the insertion hole in a sealed state with the outer periphery of the extraction member.

An ink cartridge according to a ninth aspect is the ink cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the outside air is introduced into the ink chamber via a hollow outside air introducing member provided so as to protrude from the ink jet recording apparatus. An outside air introduction chamber configured to be introduced and configured to introduce the outside air into the ink chamber, the outside air introduction chamber into which the outside air introduction member is inserted, an outside air introduction hole communicating the ink chamber and the outside air introduction chamber, and the outside air introduction chamber provided, to close the outside air introduction hole, and a second resilient sealing member which communicates the outside air introduction hole by insertion into the outside air introducing chamber of the air introduction member with respect to the air introduction member, its second elastic sealing member, said sealing member and is formed in the same shape Rutotomoni, the outside air introducing chamber is formed in the ink supply chamber and the same shape and the same size There.

According to the ink cartridge of claim 1, wherein, in the case where the extraction member is not inserted into the ink supply chamber, at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion of the sealing member is an inner peripheral surface closely wearing of the ink supply chamber, and the ink chamber Since the first communication hole communicating with the ink supply chamber is closed, it is possible to block between the ink chamber and the outside. On the other hand, when the extraction member is inserted into the ink supply chamber, the seal member bends and deforms in the axial direction with the approximate center of the intermediate portion as the apex, and accordingly, the outer peripheral portion is separated from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber. The first communication hole communicates with the ink chamber and the extraction member. The sealing member are the elastic body, when the extraction member is pulled out, the first communicating hole and restored to the shape of at least a part of the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber dense wear of the outer peripheral portion again closed In addition, the ink chamber can be blocked from the outside. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, there is no need for a plurality of parts such as a cylindrical packing, a valve body, and a coil spring, and the communication between the ink chamber and the outside is simple by providing a seal member in the ink supply chamber. There is an effect that can be selectively switched between and off.

According to the ink cartridge of the second aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge of the first aspect, the outer peripheral portion of the seal member is located almost entirely in the axial direction length in the ink supply chamber. It has the 2nd communicating hole which penetrates an outer peripheral part in the position which does not oppose a communicating hole. Therefore, at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion is in the state of dense wear on the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, between the first communicating hole and the second communicating hole is blocked. When the extraction member is inserted and the outer peripheral portion is separated from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, the ink chamber and the extraction member communicate with each other through the first communication hole and the second communication hole. Therefore, there is an effect that communication and shielding between the ink chamber and the extraction member can be ensured.

  According to the ink cartridge of the third aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge according to the second aspect, the intermediate portion of the seal member divides the inside of the outer peripheral portion into two substantially inwardly spaced from both ends of the outer peripheral portion. It is integrally formed with the outer periphery as a wall. Accordingly, the outer peripheral portion is greatly deformed with the deformation of the intermediate portion, and the entire outer peripheral portion can be separated from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, and the second communication hole is formed at any position of the outer peripheral portion. Also, there is an effect that an ink flow path can be formed.

  According to the ink cartridge of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge of the third aspect, the second communication hole is formed in the outer peripheral portion on one side with respect to the intermediate portion, Since the extraction member is inserted into the inner space of the outer peripheral portion, the ink that flows into the inner space of the outer peripheral portion via the second communication hole can be reliably supplied to the recording head via the extraction member. There is an effect. In addition, since the second communication hole is formed in the outer peripheral portion on the insertion side of the extraction member, the distance between the second communication hole and the extraction member is shorter than in the case where the distance is formed in the outer peripheral portion on the other side. . Therefore, since the flow path through which the ink flows is shortened, there is an effect that resistance generated by the flow of the ink through the flow path is reduced and the ink flow efficiency is improved.

  According to the ink cartridge of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge of the fourth aspect, the outer peripheral portion on the other side with respect to the intermediate portion is located on the inner side of the extended surface of the outer peripheral portion on the one side. Since it is formed in an inclined manner, when the intermediate portion is bent and deformed by the extraction member, the tip of the outer peripheral portion on the other side moves inwardly against the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, and the outer periphery on one side There is an effect that the ink flow path can be reliably formed by greatly separating the portion from the inner wall of the ink supply chamber.

  According to the ink cartridge of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effect exhibited by the ink cartridge according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the ink supply chamber includes an inner wall surface that is in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the seal member, and the seal member. It is formed from two end faces that restrict movement in the axial direction. One end surface thereof is formed by a lid member having an insertion hole for inserting the extraction member, and the lid member covers an opening facing the other end surface. Therefore, after the seal member is disposed in the ink supply chamber, the movement of the seal member can be regulated in the ink supply chamber by covering the opening with the lid member, so that the position where the seal member is disposed may be shifted or inclined. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to easily assemble and to prevent the ink from leaking from the gap between the outer wall surface of the seal member and the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, which is generated by the displacement or inclination of the seal member.

  According to the ink cartridge of the seventh aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge of the sixth aspect, the first communication hole is integrally connected to the bottom wall so as to rise from the bottom wall of the case into the ink chamber, and supplies ink. Since it is formed at the connecting part between the partition wall that separates the chamber and the ink chamber and the bottom wall, the ink can be used up to the position where the ink liquid level in the ink chamber becomes the connecting part, and the use efficiency of the ink is improved. There is an effect that it can be improved.

According to the ink cartridge of the eighth aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the ink cartridge of the sixth aspect, the lid member includes the insertion hole sealing member that contacts the inner surface of the insertion hole in a sealed state with the outer periphery of the extraction member. because there, if the extraction member is inserted through the insertion hole, there is an effect that can be reliably prevented that the ink from the insertion hole leaks.

According to the ink cartridge of the ninth aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the ink cartridge according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the second elastic seal provided in the outside air introduction chamber so as to close the outside air introduction hole. member Rutotomoni formed on luciferyl seal member having the same shape provided in the ink supply chamber, outside air introducing chamber and is formed in the ink supply chamber and the same shape and the same size, also serves as a sealing member Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the ink cartridge can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ink cartridge 1 and an ink jet recording apparatus 2 in which the ink cartridge 1 is mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The ink cartridge 1 is configured to be attachable to and detachable from an ink jet recording apparatus 2 including a recording head 7 that ejects ink, and stores ink to be supplied to the recording head 7.

  The ink cartridge 1 includes a hollow box-shaped main body case 1a having an open upper surface and a lid 1b that seals the upper open surface of the main body case 1a. The ink supplied to the recording head 7 is formed inside the main body case 1a. Stored in the ink chamber 16 (see FIG. 2). The ink jet recording apparatus 2 is provided with a plurality of ink cartridges filled with four color inks of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 2 includes a mounting unit 3 that detachably mounts the ink cartridge 1, a tank 5 that stores ink supplied from the ink cartridge 1 via the ink supply tube 4, and ink stored in the tank 5. A recording head 7 for discharging the ink toward the recording paper 6, a carriage 8 on which the tank 5 and the recording head 7 are mounted and reciprocating in a linear direction, a carriage shaft 9 serving as a guide for reciprocating the carriage 8, and recording A transport mechanism 10 for transporting the paper 6 and a purge device 11 are provided.

  The mounting portion 3 includes a base portion 3a and guide portions 3b standing from both sides of the base portion 3a. From the base portion 3a sandwiched between the guide portions 3b, ink stored in the ink cartridge 1 is received. A hollow ink extraction tube 12 for extraction and a hollow outside air introduction tube 13 for introducing outside air into the ink cartridge 1 are disposed so as to protrude.

  An ink supply tube 4 is connected to one end side of the ink extraction tube 12, and the ink extraction tube 12 communicates with the tank 5 via the ink supply tube 4. An outside air introduction tube 15 is connected to one end side of the outside air introduction tube 13, and the outside air introduction tube 13 communicates with the outside through the outside air introduction tube 15.

  The ink cartridge 1 is attached to the attachment portion 3 from the vertical direction (arrow X direction). At this time, the ink extraction pipe 12 deforms the seal member 31 provided inside the ink cartridge 1, and the outside air introduction pipe 13 communicates with the inside of the ink chamber 16 by deforming the seal member 51. The protruding tip portions of the ink extraction tube 12 and the outside air introduction tube 13 are rounded to prevent the intermediate walls 31b and 51b from being deteriorated by the tip portions when they contact the intermediate walls 31b and 51b. Yes.

  The ink extraction tube 12 has an opening 12b formed on a side surface orthogonal to the central axis direction of the internal flow path 12a, and ink is supplied to the recording head 7 through the internal flow path 12a communicating with the opening 12b. Similarly, an opening 13b is formed on the side surface of the outside air introduction tube 13, and outside air is introduced into the ink chamber 16 through an internal channel 13a communicating with the opening 13b (see FIG. 4).

  The recording head 7 is provided with a plurality of nozzle holes on the surface facing the recording paper 6, and by driving an actuator made of a piezoelectric element, ink stored in the tank 5 from the nozzle holes is directed toward the recording paper 6. Discharged. In the actual recording operation, recording is performed on the recording paper 6 while the carriage 8 on which the recording head 7 is mounted moves back and forth.

  Further, the recording head 7 is disposed above the mounting portion 3, and the ink in the nozzle hole has a negative pressure (back pressure) due to a water head difference between the ink cartridge 1 mounted in the mounting portion 3 and the nozzle hole. ) Is given.

  The purge device 11 is disposed outside the recording range and faces the recording head 7, and includes a purge cap 11a that covers the nozzle hole forming surface of the recording head 7, and a waste ink tube 11b that communicates with the purge cap 11a. And a pump 11c for sucking ink from the nozzle holes via the waste ink tube 11b.

  When executing the purge process, the carriage 8 is moved to the purge process execution position, and the nozzle hole forming surface of the recording head 7 is covered with the purge cap 11a. In this state, the pump 11c is driven to suck the defective ink containing bubbles and the like accumulated inside the recording head 7. The sucked defective ink is stored in a waste ink tank (not shown) through the waste ink tube 11b. The recording operation and the purge process are controlled under a CPU (not shown) that is a central processing unit mounted on the inkjet recording apparatus 2.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the joint portion (portion A in FIG. 1) of the ink cartridge 1 to the ink jet recording apparatus 2 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the joint portion showing a state before being mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus 2.

  The main body case 1a has an opening 36 at a position corresponding to the ink extraction pipe 12 and an opening 56 at a position corresponding to the outside air introduction pipe 13 on the bottom wall 1c, and communicated with each of the openings. An ink supply chamber 30 and an outside air introduction chamber 50 are formed.

  The ink supply chamber 30 is partitioned from the ink chamber 16 by a partition wall 35 that rises integrally from the bottom wall 1 c into the ink chamber 16, and the opening 36 is closed by a lid member 33, and is parallel to the opening 36. It is demarcated by an inner wall surface 30a parallel to a central axis perpendicular to the flat surface and two end surfaces 30b located at both ends in the axial direction. One end surface 30 b is configured by the upper surface of the lid member 33. The lid member 33 has an insertion hole 34 into which the ink extraction tube 12 is inserted along the direction of the central axis, and a seal member (not shown) that contacts the ink extraction tube 12 in a sealed state on the inner surface of the insertion hole 34. I have. The partition wall 35 is formed with a first communication hole 32 that allows the ink supply chamber 30 and the ink chamber 16 to communicate with each other. Preferably, the side wall of the partition wall 35 corresponding to the inner wall surface 30a is connected to the bottom wall 1c. Formed in the part.

  The outside air introduction chamber 50 is partitioned from the ink chamber 16 by a partition wall 55 that rises integrally from the bottom wall 1 c into the ink chamber 16, and the opening 56 side is closed by a lid member 53, and is parallel to the opening 56. The inner wall surface 50a is parallel to a central axis perpendicular to the flat surface, and the two end surfaces 50b are located at both ends in the axial direction. One end surface 50 b is configured by the upper surface of the lid member 53. The lid member 53 has an insertion hole 54 into which the outside air introduction tube 13 is inserted along the central axis direction, and a seal member (not shown) that contacts the outside air introduction tube 13 and the sealed state is formed on the inner surface of the insertion hole 54. I have. The ink supply chamber 30 and the outside air introduction chamber 50 are formed in the same size, and the same components are used in common for the lid members 33 and 53.

  A cylindrical outside air guiding member 21 is fitted and connected to the outer periphery of the partition wall 55, and an outside air communication hole 52 is formed in the upper wall of the partition wall 55 facing the inside of the outside air guiding member 21. As will be described later, when the outside air introduction tube 13 is inserted into and communicated with the outside air introduction chamber 50, outside air from the outside air introduction tube 13 is guided to the upper space of the ink chamber 16.

  Here, the structure of the seal member 31 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the seal member 31. Since the seal member 51 is formed in the same shape as the seal member 31, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The seal member 31 bisects the inside of the outer peripheral wall 31 at an intermediate position between the outer peripheral wall 31c and the outer peripheral wall 31c. The outer peripheral wall 31c has a length substantially in the central axial direction of the ink supply chamber 30. The intermediate wall 31b is positioned, and the bottom wall 31a extends so as to bridge one end of the outer peripheral wall 31c, and is formed of a rubber-like elastic material. The outer peripheral wall 31c is formed in a cylindrical shape in which a portion closer to the bottom wall 31a than the intermediate wall 31b is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber 30, and the intermediate wall 31b is in a direction orthogonal to the central axis direction. It extends and is connected to the outer peripheral wall 31c. A second communication hole 42 penetrating the outer peripheral wall 31c is formed in the portion of the outer peripheral wall 31c so as not to face the first communication hole 32, and the bottom wall 31a is inserted to allow the ink extraction tube 12 to be inserted. A hole 41 is formed corresponding to the insertion hole 34.

  In the outer peripheral wall 31c, a portion 31d extending from the intermediate wall 31b to the side opposite to the bottom wall 31a is formed to be inclined inward from the extended surface of the portion on the bottom wall 31a side, and its tip is a free end.

  The seal member 31 is press-fitted into the ink supply chamber 30, and the lid member 33 is fixed and held on the bottom wall 1c. In this state, the tip of the inclined portion 31d of the outer peripheral wall is in contact with the upper end surface 30b of the ink supply chamber 30, and the bottom wall 31a is in contact with the lid member 33, and is positioned in the axial direction. An outer peripheral wall portion 31c between the intermediate wall 31b and the bottom wall 31a is in close contact with the inner wall surface 30a of the ink supply chamber 30 by an elastic force, and the first communication hole 32 is blocked by the outer peripheral wall 31c, and the inner wall surface 30a The second communication hole 42 is closed.

  The seal member 51 disposed in the atmosphere communication chamber 50 also has an outer peripheral wall 51c, an intermediate wall 51b, a bottom wall 51a, and an inclined portion 51d similar to the seal member 31, and the seal member 31 and the common parts are the same. used.

  Next, the operation of the seal members 31 and 51 when the ink cartridge 1 is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the joint portion showing a state where the ink cartridge 1 is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus 2.

  When the ink cartridge 1 is attached to the attachment portion 3, the ink extraction tube 12 enters the seal member 31 through the insertion hole 34 and the insertion hole 41. When the ink cartridge 1 is further attached, the rounded tip of the ink extraction tube 12 presses the substantially center of the intermediate wall 31b, and the intermediate wall 31b is bent and deformed in a mountain shape in the axial direction with the pressed point as a vertex. To do. As a result, the outer diameter of the outer peripheral wall 31 c corresponding to the direct outer peripheral portion of the intermediate wall 31 b is reduced, and the outer peripheral wall 31 c is separated from the inner wall surface 30 a of the ink supply chamber 30. At the same time, the inclined portion 31d is slid along the end surface 30b by the force received in the axial direction and further inclined inward, and as a result, the outer peripheral wall 31c is further separated from the inner wall surface 30a.

  Therefore, the first communication hole 32 and the second communication hole 42 are opened, and the first communication hole 32 and the second communication hole 42 communicate with each other. A flow path B is formed from the ink chamber 16 through the ink supply chamber 30 and the seal member 31 to the internal flow path 12 a of the ink extraction tube 12, and ink is supplied to the recording head 7.

  Even when the outside air introduction pipe 13 is inserted into the seal member 51, the seal member 51 is deformed in the same manner as the seal member 31, and the outside air supplied from the outside air introduction pipe 13 is inside the seal member 51, outside air introduction chamber 50, outside air. The ink is introduced into the upper space of the ink chamber 16 through the flow path C passing through the guide member 21. When the ink cartridge 1 is mounted, the upper end of the external air introduction tube 13 is connected to the ink extraction tube 12 so that the external air introduction tube 13 communicates with the ink chamber 16 before the ink extraction tube 12 communicates with the ink chamber 16. The intermediate wall 51b of the seal member 51 on the outside air introduction tube 13 side is set slightly lower than the intermediate wall 31b of the seal member 31 on the ink extraction tube 12 side.

  On the other hand, when the mounted ink cartridge 1 is pulled up from the mounting portion 3, the ink extraction tube 12 side moves away from the intermediate wall 31 b of the seal member 31 and the shape of the seal member 31 by the elastic force of the seal member 31. Is restored, and the first communication hole 32 and the second communication hole 42 are closed to block the flow path B. Similarly, on the outside air introduction pipe 13 side, the outside air introduction pipe 13 is separated from the intermediate wall 51b of the seal member 51, and the shape of the seal member 51 is restored by the elastic force of the seal member 51. The hole 62 is blocked and the flow path C is blocked. Therefore, in a state where the ink cartridge 1 is detached from the ink jet recording apparatus 2, the flow paths B and C are blocked, so that it is possible to prevent ink from leaking out of the ink cartridge 1.

  As described above, according to the ink cartridge 1 of the present invention, when the ink cartridge 1 is attached to or detached from the ink jet recording apparatus 2, the elastic force between the seal members 31 and 51 causes the ink chamber 16 to be connected to the outside. Can be selectively switched between communication and blocking.

  Further, since the seal members 31 and 51 can be assembled only by placing them in the ink supply chamber 30 and the outside air introduction chamber 50, respectively, not only the number of parts can be reduced, but also the number of assembly steps can be reduced and the production cost can be reduced. Can be achieved. Furthermore, since the ink cartridge 1 can be manufactured without using metal parts, the ink cartridge 1 can be easily discarded.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It can be easily guessed.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the seal members 31 and 51 are provided with the inclined portions 31d and 51d, but the entire outer periphery of the seal member may be a straight cylinder or a rectangular tube.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the tip of the ink extraction tube 12 and the outside air introduction tube 13 is rounded, but the tip may be a substantially flat ink extraction tube 12 and outside air introduction tube 13. good. That is, any shape may be used as long as the shape of the tip is not pointed and does not deteriorate the seal member.

  In the above embodiment, the partition walls 35 and 55 rise from the main body case 1a toward the ink chamber 16 to form the ink supply chamber 30 and the outside air introduction chamber 50. However, the ink supply chamber is provided outside the main body case 1a. 30 and the outside air introduction chamber 50 may be formed. In this case, a first communication hole 32 and an outside air introduction hole 52 are formed in the main body case 1a, and the partition walls 35 and 55 are configured to protrude outward so as to cover the first communication hole 32 and the outside air introduction hole 52. It is also good.

1 is a schematic view showing an ink cartridge of the present invention and an ink jet recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge is mounted. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a joint portion showing a state before the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus. It is the perspective view which showed the structure of the sealing member. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a joint portion showing a state where the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink jet recording apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ink cartridge 2 Inkjet recording device 7 Recording head 12 Ink extraction tube (extraction member)
13 Outside air introduction pipe (outside air introduction member)
16 Ink chamber 30 Ink supply chamber 31 Seal member (elastic seal member)
31a, 51a Bottom wall 31b, 51b Intermediate wall (intermediate part)
31c, 51c outer peripheral wall (part of outer peripheral part)
31d, 51d Inclined part (part of the outer periphery)
32 1st communication hole 33,53 Cover member 34,54 Insertion hole 35,55 Partition wall 36,56 Opening 40a, 40b, 60a, 60b Inclination part (a part of outer peripheral part)
41, 61 Insertion holes 42, 62 Second communication hole 50 Outside air introduction chamber 51 Seal member (second elastic seal member)
52 Outside air introduction hole

Claims (9)

In an ink cartridge that is configured to be detachable from an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by discharging ink from a recording head, and communicates with the recording head via a hollow extraction member that protrudes from the ink jet recording apparatus.
An ink chamber for storing the ink;
An ink supply chamber into which the extraction member is inserted to supply ink from the ink chamber to the recording head;
A first communication hole communicating the ink chamber and the ink supply chamber;
The outer peripheral portion of the ink supply chamber that is at least partially in close contact with the inner wall surface substantially parallel to the axial direction along the insertion direction of the extraction member, and a position spaced from both end positions in the axial direction of the ink supply chamber An elastic seal member comprising an intermediate portion extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction and connected to the outer peripheral portion,
With the at least part of the outer periphery of the seal member in close contact with the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, the first communication hole is closed.
When the extraction member is inserted into the ink supply chamber, the outer peripheral portion is bent from the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber as the extraction member bends and deforms in the axial direction with the middle portion serving as the apex. An ink cartridge, wherein the first communication hole is separated and communicated with the extraction member. The outer peripheral portion of the seal member has a second communication hole that is located substantially over the entire length in the axial direction in the ink supply chamber and penetrates the outer peripheral portion at a position that does not face the first communication hole,
In a state where at least a part of the outer peripheral portion of the seal member is in close contact with the inner wall surface of the ink supply chamber, the space between the first communication hole and the second communication hole is shielded, and the outer peripheral portion is the ink supply chamber. 2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink chamber communicates with the extraction member via the first communication hole and the second communication hole when separated from the inner wall surface of the ink cartridge.   The intermediate portion of the seal member is integrally formed with the outer peripheral portion as a wall that substantially bisects the outer peripheral portion on the inner side spaced from both ends of the outer peripheral portion. Ink cartridge.   The said 2nd communicating hole is formed in the said outer peripheral part of one side with respect to the said intermediate part, The said extraction member is inserted in the internal space of the outer peripheral part of the one side. The ink cartridge according to 3.   5. The ink cartridge according to claim 4, wherein the outer peripheral portion on the other side with respect to the intermediate portion is formed to be inclined inward with respect to an extended surface of the outer peripheral portion on the one side.   The ink supply chamber is defined by the inner wall surface located outside the outer peripheral portion of the seal member, and two end surfaces located at both ends in the axial direction and restricting movement of the seal member in the axial direction, One end face of the two end faces is formed by a lid member having an insertion hole for inserting the extraction member, and the opening facing the other end face of the two end faces by the lid member. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the ink cartridge is covered. The ink supply chamber and the ink chamber are separated by a partition wall that forms the inner wall surface and the other end surface, and the partition wall is separated from the bottom wall of the case where the inner wall surface forms the ink chamber. Connected to the bottom wall so as to stand up,
The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the first communication hole is formed in a connection portion between the partition wall and the bottom wall. The lid member, the ink cartridge according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a through hole sealing member in contact with the outer periphery and the sealing state of the extraction member to the inner surface of the insertion hole. It is configured to be able to introduce outside air into the ink chamber via a hollow outside air introducing member provided protruding from the ink jet recording apparatus,
An outside air introduction chamber into which the outside air introduction member is inserted in order to introduce outside air into the ink chamber;
An outside air introduction hole communicating the ink chamber and the outside air introduction chamber;
A second elastic seal member provided in the outside air introduction chamber, closing the outside air introduction hole, and communicating the outside air introduction hole with the outside air introduction member by inserting the outside air introduction member into the outside air introduction chamber; Further comprising
The second elastic seal member is formed in the same shape as the seal member, and the outside air introduction chamber is formed in the same shape and the same size as the ink supply chamber. The ink cartridge according to any one of 1 to 8.

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