Claims
- 1. An ink container connectable with an ink supply tube of a recording head, comprising:
- a container body;
- an ink supply portion, provided at a first position of said container body, for receiving the ink supply tube to supply ink to said recording head;
- an air vent, provided at a second position of said container body, for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of said container body;
- a first ink absorbing material, of fibrous material, for retaining the ink therein, said first ink absorbing material accommodated in a part of said container body so as to cover said ink supply portion; and
- a second ink absorbing material, of porous material, for retaining the ink therein, said second ink absorbing material occupying substantially an entire space in said container body except for said first ink absorbing material;
- wherein said first ink absorbing material and said second ink absorbing material are at least partly in contact with each other, said first ink absorbing material being in the form of a block of fibers extending in a direction toward said ink supply portion, said fibrous material being abutted by an end of the ink supply tube; and
- wherein said first ink absorbing material has a capillary force which is larger than that of said second ink absorbing material.
- 2. A container as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a partition member for providing a first region for accommodating said first ink absorbing material and a second region for accommodating said second ink absorbing material, said partition member comprising an opening for permitting contact between said first ink absorbing material and second ink absorbing material.
- 3. An ink container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said first ink absorbing material comprises fibers which are compressed.
- 4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein said second ink absorbing material includes a continuous porous elastic material which is compressed.
- 5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first ink absorbing material and the second ink absorbing material contact each other adjacent to a center of a length of a bundle of the fibrous material of the first ink absorbing material.
- 6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein a longitudinal portion at an end of the bundle of the fibrous material at a central portion of the end of the bundle is compressed fibrous material.
- 7. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first ink absorbing material and the second ink absorbing material contact each other adjacent to a center of a length of a bundle of the fibrous material of the first ink absorbing material.
- 8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein a longitudinal portion at an end of the bundle of the fibrous material at a central portion of the end of the bundle is compressed fibrous material.
- 9. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said second ink absorbing material includes a continuous porous elastic material which is compressed.
- 10. A container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first ink absorbing material and the second ink absorbing material contact each other adjacent to a center of a length of a bundle of the fibrous material of the first ink absorbing material.
- 11. A container as claimed in claim 10, wherein a longitudinal portion at an end of the bundle of the fibrous material at a central portion of the end of the bundle is compressed fibrous material.
- 12. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein said partition member is in the form of a flexible resin sheet enclosing the fibrous material and is contained in said ink container in contact with said first ink absorbing material.
- 13. A container as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein said first ink absorbing material has a property of increasing its volume when the ink is removed therefrom, and said second ink absorbing material has a property of increasing its volume by absorbing air when it supplies the ink to said first ink absorbing material, and a capillary force in the first ink absorbing material is larger than in the second ink absorbing material.
- 14. A container as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first ink absorbing material and the second ink absorbing material contact each other adjacent to a center of a length of a bundle of the fibrous material of the first ink absorbing material.
- 15. A container as claimed in claim 14, wherein a longitudinal portion at an end of the bundle of the fibrous material at a central portion of the end of the bundle is compressed fibrous material.
- 16. An ink jet recording head comprising an ink container as claimed in claim 1; a number of ejection outlets for ejecting the ink; a common chamber for supplying the ink toward the ejection outlets; and an ink supply member for supplying the ink from said container to the common chamber.
- 17. An ink jet recording head comprising an ink container as claimed in claim 2; a number of ejection outlets for ejecting the ink; a common chamber for supplying the ink toward the ejection outlets; and an ink supply member for supplying the ink from said container to the common chamber.
- 18. A recording head as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the number of the ejection outlets is not less than 10, and said recording head further comprises electrothermal transducers for creating a bubble through film boiling by thermal energy provided for respective ejecting portions, and a filter at an end of the ink supply member, said filter being inserted into the fibrous material in the direction of the length thereof.
- 19. A recording apparatus having a recording head as claimed in claim 18, further comprising driving means for driving the electrothermal transducers at a frequency not less than 5 kHz.
- 20. A recording head as claimed in claim 17, wherein said ink supply member is provided with a filter at an ink receiving end thereof, said filter being inserted into said first ink absorbing material in the direction of the length of the fibrous material, the depth of the insertion being not less than 3 mm, and a diameter D of said ink supply member in a perpendicular cross-section with respect to the direction of the ink supply adjacent the filter of the ink supply member and a diameter d of said first ink absorbing material in the perpendicular cross-section adjacent the filter satisfy the equation d.gtoreq.1.5D, and the opening has an area not less than 100 mm.sup.2.
- 21. A method of supplying ink to an ink container connectable with an ink supply tube of a recording head, the ink container comprising (a) a container body, (b) an ink supply portion, provided at a first position of said container body, for receiving an ink supply tube to supply ink to said recording head, (c) an air vent, provided at a second position of said container body, for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of said container body, (d) a first ink absorbing material, of fibrous material, for retaining the ink therein, said first ink absorbing material accommodated in a part of said container body so as to cover said ink supply portion, and (e) a second ink absorbing material, of porous material, for retaining the ink therein, said second ink absorbing material occupying substantially an entire space in said container body except for said first ink absorbing material, said first ink absorbing material and said second ink absorbing material being at least partly in contact with each other, said first ink absorbing material being in the form of a block of fibers extending in a direction toward said ink supply portion, said fibrous material being abutted by an end of the supply tube, said first ink absorbing material having a capillary force which is larger than that of said second ink absorbing material, said method comprising the steps of:
- inserting an ink supply pipe so that an end of the ink supply pipe is adjacent to the contact portion; and
- supplying the ink through the ink supply pipe.
- 22. A method of supplying ink to a recording head, the recording head comprising (a) an ink container, the ink container including (i) a container body, (ii) an ink supply portion, provided at a first position of said container body, for receiving an ink supply tube to supply ink to said recording head, (iii) an air vent, provided at a second position of said container body, for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of said container body, (iv) a first ink absorbing material, of fibrous material, for retaining the ink therein, said first ink absorbing material accommodated in a part of said container body so as to cover said ink supply portion, and (v) a second ink absorbing material, of porous material, for retaining the ink therein, said second ink absorbing material occupying substantially an entire space in said container body except for said first ink absorbing material, said first ink absorbing material and said second ink absorbing material being at least partly in contact with each other, said first ink absorbing material being in the form of a block of fibers extending in a direction toward said ink supply portion, said fibrous material being abutted by an end of the ink supply tube, and said first ink absorbing material having a capillary force which is larger than that of said second ink absorbing material, (b) a number of ejection outlets for ejecting the ink, (c) a common chamber for supplying the ink toward the ejection outlets, and (d) an ink supply member for supplying the ink from said container to the common chamber, said method comprising the steps of:
- inserting an ink supply pipe so that an end of the ink supply pipe is adjacent to the contact portion; and
- supplying the ink through the ink supply pipe.
- 23. A method of supplying ink to a recording apparatus, the recording apparatus comprising (a) a recording head, the recording head including (i) an ink container, the ink container including (A) a container body, (B) an ink supply portion, provided at a first position of said container body, for receiving an ink supply tube to supply ink to said recording head, (C) an air vent, provided at a second position of said container body, for fluid communication between an inside and an outside of said container body, (D) a first ink absorbing material, of fibrous material, for retaining the ink therein, said first ink absorbing material accommodated in a part of said container body so as to cover said ink supply portion, and (E) a second ink absorbing material, of porous material, for retaining the ink therein, said second ink absorbing material occupying substantially an entire space in said container body except for said first ink absorbing material, said first ink absorbing material and said second ink absorbing material being at least partly in contact with each other, said first ink absorbing material being in the form of a block of fibers extending in a direction toward said ink supply portion, said fibrous material being abutted by an end of the ink supply tube, said first ink absorbing material having a capillary force which is larger than that of said second ink absorbing material, (ii) a number of ejection outlets for ejecting the ink, (iii) a common chamber for supplying the ink toward the ejection outlets, (iv) an ink supply member for supplying the ink from said container to the common chamber, and (v) electrothermal transducers, and (b) driving means for driving the electrothermal transducers at a frequency not less than 5 kHz, said method comprising the steps of:
- inserting an ink supply pipe so that an end of the ink supply pipe is adjacent to the contact portion; and
- supplying the ink through the ink supply pipe.
- 24. A recording liquid container connectable with a liquid ejection head having a recording liquid receiving tube, said container comprising:
- container means having a recording liquid supply port, provided at a first position of said container means, for receiving the recording liquid receiving tube, and an air vent portion, provided at a second portion of said container body, in fluid communication with ambient surroundings;
- a liquid absorbing material, of porous material, accommodated in said container means; and
- a bundle of fibrous material accommodated in a part of said container means so as to cover said recording liquid supply port, wherein said bundle includes fibers extended substantially unidirectionally, and wherein an end surface of said bundle is faced to said recording liquid supply port.
- 25. A container according to claim 24, wherein a direction in which said fibers are extended is along a direction of flow of the recording liquid.
- 26. A container according to claim 24, wherein the end surface of said bundle is press-contacted by the recording liquid receiving tube when said container is connected to the liquid ejection head.
- 27. A container according to claim 24, wherein said container means contains the recording liquid.
- 28. A recording liquid container connectable with a liquid ejection head having a recording liquid receiving tube, said container comprising:
- container means having a recording liquid supply port, provided at a first position of said container means, for receiving the recording liquid receiving tube, and an air vent portion, provided at a second position of said container body, in fluid communication with ambient surroundings;
- a liquid absorbing material, of porous material, accommodated in said container means; and
- a bundle of fibrous material accommodated in a part of said container means so as to cover said recording liquid supply port, wherein said bundle includes fibers extended substantially unidirectionally toward said recording liquid supply port.
- 29. A container according to claim 28, wherein a direction in which said fibers are extended is along a direction of flow of the recording liquid.
- 30. A container according to claim 28, wherein an end surface of said bundle is press-contacted by the recording liquid receiving tube when said container is connected to the liquid ejection head.
- 31. A container according to claim 28, wherein said container means contains the recording liquid.
Priority Claims (6)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-329748 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-329749 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-329751 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-329752 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-329753 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-329754 |
Nov 1990 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/368,056 filed Jan. 3, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,446, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/801,360 filed Dec. 2, 1991 now abandoned.
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59-123670 |
Jul 1984 |
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59-138461 |
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Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
368056 |
Jan 1995 |
|
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
801360 |
Dec 1991 |
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