Cartridge and liquid ejecting apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a cartridge and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can suppress an increase in size of the liquid ejecting apparatus. To this end, in the cartridge, a plurality of storage chambers including absorbers are linearly arranged along an arrangement direction of ejection ports in an ejection port row.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge used in a liquid ejecting device and containing liquid, and the liquid ejecting device. Background Art

[0002] A conventional ink cartridge of a structure as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-260199 is known. The ink cartridge according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-260199 comprises a housing for accommodating ink and a printing element substrate for ejecting ink. The interior of the housing is divided into three adjacent areas, and absorbers for holding different inks are stored in these areas respectively. The ink held by each absorber passes through a filter and an ink channel, and is supplied to the printing element substrate arranged at the lower part of the housing. On the printing element substrate, a row of ejection ports in which a plurality of ejection ports are formed into a row is arranged along a direction intersecting with the scanning direction of the ink cartridge, and a plurality of ejection port rows corresponding to ink colors are arranged along the scanning direction.

[0003] According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-260199, absorbers stored in a housing are arranged in three adjacent regions, and a configuration in which a plurality of absorbers are arranged in a scanning direction is applied. In this configuration, the width of the housing in the scanning direction is wide, and there is a problem of an increase in the size of the device. Summary of the invention

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a cartridge and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus.

[0005] To this end, the box of the present invention includes: a printing element substrate, which includes a first jet port row in which a plurality of jet ports for ejecting a first liquid are arranged along a first direction and a second jet port row in which a plurality of jet ports for ejecting a second liquid are arranged along the first direction, the second jet port row being arranged relative to the first jet port row along a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first storage chamber, which contains the first liquid; a second storage chamber, which contains the second liquid; a first channel, which can supply the first liquid in the first storage chamber to the first jet port row; and a second channel, which can supply the second liquid in the second storage chamber to the second jet port row, wherein the widths of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber in the second direction are equal to each other, and the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are arranged along the first direction.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cartridge and a liquid ejecting apparatus that can suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus.

[0007] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1is a schematic diagram showing an inkjet printing apparatus;

[0009] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the box;

[0010] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the box;

[0011] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the space extracted and modeled as a passage;

[0012] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C is a perspective view showing the space extracted and modeled as a passage;

[0013] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C is a perspective view showing the space extracted and modeled as a passage;

[0014] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C is a perspective view showing the space extracted and modeled as a passage;

[0015] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C is a perspective view showing the space extracted and modeled as a passage;

[0016] Fig. 9 is a top view showing the housing;

[0017] Fig.10 is a top view showing a housing with a filter welded thereto;

[0018] Fig.11 is a top view showing a housing into which the absorber is inserted;

[0019] Fig.12 is a top view showing a model from which channel space is extracted;

[0020] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional box;

[0021] Fig.14 is a top view showing a model in which a conventional channel space is extracted;

[0022] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram of a model showing the extraction of a conventional channel space and an absorber; and

[0023] Fig.16 is a top view showing a portion of the model in which the channel space and the absorber are extracted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an inkjet printing apparatus (hereinafter, also referred to as a liquid ejecting apparatus) 102 to which the present embodiment can be applied. Figure 1 , the X direction indicates the scanning direction of the carriage, the Y direction indicates the conveying direction of the print medium, and the Z direction indicates the vertically upward direction. It should be noted that the subsequent drawings describing only the cartridge also show the same as the case where the cartridge is installed in the printing apparatus. Figure 1 The liquid ejection device 102 is formed so that the cartridge 100 can be mounted on the carriage 101, and while moving relative to the print medium 103, printing is performed by ejecting liquid (hereinafter, also referred to as ink) using the cartridge 100 mounted on the carriage 101. That is, the liquid ejection device 102 is a tandem type printing device. During ejection, liquid is ejected from the cartridge 100 while the carriage 101 reciprocates in the X direction. According to the liquid ejection from the cartridge 100, an image is formed on the print medium 103 by conveying a predetermined amount of the print medium 103 in a direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the direction of the reciprocating motion of the carriage 101.

[0026] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the box 100, and Figure 3 2 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge 100. The cartridge 100 includes a printing element substrate 303 for ejecting liquid, a housing 200 in which a storage chamber 302 for accommodating liquid is formed, and a cover 201. In the storage chamber 302, a filter 301 and an absorber 300 for holding the liquid contained in the storage chamber 302 are stored. The liquid held by the absorber 300 is discharged through a channel portion ( Figure 2 and Figure 3 302 is supplied to the ejection port of the printing element substrate 303. In the present embodiment, the absorber 300 is inserted into the storage chamber 302 as a negative pressure generating unit to hold the liquid; however, the liquid can also be similarly held in a mode that adopts a pressure control unit and a circulation unit as the negative pressure generating unit.

[0027] The liquid contained in the storage chamber 302 is usually a color ink, and cyan, magenta, and yellow inks are each contained in a corresponding storage chamber. It should be noted that although the configuration in which the cartridge 100 includes three storage chambers 302 is described as an example in the present embodiment, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and the present embodiment may also be applied to a case in which there are four or more storage chambers 302. For example, the same idea applies to a four-color integrated ink cartridge including black.

[0028] Figure 3Three absorbers 300A, 300B and 300C for cyan, magenta and yellow are shown. The absorber 300 ideally has a shape close to a cube to ensure the supply performance of the liquid. It should be noted that in the case where the size of the absorber 300 is changed in consideration of the amount of liquid contained, the shape is preferably extended in the direction of gravity (Z direction). In the case where the size of the absorber 300 is increased in the scanning direction (X direction), the width of the box 100 increases, and this causes the size of the entire device to increase. In addition, in the case where the size of the absorber 300 is increased in the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the ejection port, the length of the channel from the absorber 300 to the printing element substrate 303 increases, and the flow resistance during the liquid supply increases, which is not preferred.

[0029] The absorber 300 is formed of a fiber material, a porous body or the like, and can hold ink therein by generating a capillary force. When the absorber 300 contacts a filter 301 as a dust catcher, the absorber is stored in a storage chamber 302 of the housing 200, and the liquid in the absorber 300 is supplied to the printing element substrate 303 through the filter 301 and the channel portion.

[0030] The printing element substrate 303 is an ejection unit that ejects ink, and is arranged on the bottom surface of the lower part of the housing 200 in the gravity direction. The printing element substrate 303 is arranged near the lower parts of the absorber 300A and the absorber 300B, and is located away from the absorber 300C. The housing 200 includes a box portion 307 in which the storage chamber 302 is formed and a channel forming portion 306 protruding from the box portion 307 in the -Z direction, and the printing element substrate 303 is attached on the -Z direction side of the channel forming portion 306. That is, the printing element substrate 303 is arranged on the bottom surface of the entire cartridge 100, and in liquid ejection, the liquid is ejected in a state where the liquid is close to the print medium 103.

[0031] The cover 201 is arranged to close the opening of the housing 200 and partition a storage chamber 302 storing the absorber 300. An air communication port not shown is provided in the cover 201, and air can be sucked from the outside to the inside corresponding to the amount of liquid consumed in the absorber 300 due to injection.

[0032] Figure 4 1 is a perspective view in which a space serving as a liquid channel in the housing 200 is extracted and modeled and illustrated as a channel portion 400 . Figure 5A is a top view of the channel portion 400, Figure 5B is a front view of the channel portion 400, and Figure 5C400 is a side view of the channel section 400. The channel section 400 is a model of an extracted ink channel, and includes three color channels (400A, 400B, and 400C). The channels are independent of each other, and specifically, as shown in FIG. Figure 5A As shown, the channel 400A, the channel 400B, and the channel 400C are arranged in this order in the Y direction. Such a channel portion 400 is formed so as to be able to supply the liquid in the reservoir chamber 302 to the printing element substrate 303.

[0033] Fig. 6A is a top view of channel 400A, Figure 6B is a side view of channel 400A, and Figure 6C is a front view of channel 400A. Fig. 7A is a top view of channel 400B, Figure 7B is a side view of channel 400B, and Figure 7C is a front view of channel 400B. Fig. 8A is a top view of channel 400C. Figure 8B is a side view of channel 400C, and Figure 8C is a front view of channel 400C.

[0034] like FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C As shown, the passage 400A includes: a first opening portion 600 provided with a filter 301A; a first storage portion 601; a second storage portion 602; a second opening portion 609 connecting the first storage portion 601 and the second storage portion 602 to each other; and a connection passage 607 connected to the printing element substrate 303. The first storage portion 601 and the second storage portion 602 are wider than other areas and can store bubbles generated by ejection or the like.

[0035] The first opening portion 600 is an opening for receiving the liquid passing through the filter 301A, and is located on the bottom surface of the storage chamber 302 containing the absorber 300A. The first storage portion 601 and the second storage portion 602 are each formed to have a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction. Specifically, in the first storage portion 601, a tapered portion 604 is provided to obtain a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction, and in the second storage portion 602, a first tapered portion 605 and a second tapered portion 606 are provided. With this configuration, bubbles generated in the channel can be collected by utilizing buoyancy and kept at a certain distance from the injection port.

[0036] In order to move the air bubbles to the filter side in a narrow space, a two-stage tapered portion, i.e., a first tapered portion 605 and a second tapered portion 606, is formed in the second storage portion 602. In order to avoid the meniscus while moving the air bubbles upward, the angle of the first tapered portion 605 relative to the horizontal direction is preferably equal to or greater than 10 degrees and equal to or less than 80 degrees, more preferably equal to or greater than 20 degrees and equal to or less than 60 degrees, and even more preferably equal to or greater than 30 degrees and equal to or less than 50 degrees. Additionally, in the second storage portion 602, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of the ink flowing during the recovery operation such as suction by shortening the distance between the space of the second storage portion 602 and the filter 301A. Therefore, the angle of the second tapered portion 606 relative to the horizontal direction is preferably equal to or less than 45 degrees, more preferably equal to or less than 30 degrees, and even more preferably equal to or less than 20 degrees.

[0037] The first storage portion 601 is connected to a connection channel 607 , and the connection channel 607 is connected to an ejection port row in the printing element substrate 303 .

[0038] like FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C As shown, the channel 400B includes a first opening portion 700 provided with a filter 301B; a first storage portion 701; a second storage portion 702; a second opening portion 709 connecting the first storage portion 701 and the second storage portion 702 to each other; and a connection channel 707.

[0039] The first opening portion 700 is an opening for receiving the liquid passing through the filter 301B, and is located on the bottom surface of the storage chamber 302 containing the absorber 300B. The first storage portion 701 disposed near the nozzle row and the second storage portion 702 disposed near the storage chamber are connected to each other through the second opening portion 709 and the horizontal portion 708 extending in the Y direction. Additionally, the first storage portion 701 and the second storage portion 702 are formed to have a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction. In the first storage portion 701, a tapered portion 704 is provided to obtain a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction, and in the second storage portion 702, a first tapered portion 705 and a second tapered portion 706 are provided. With this configuration, bubbles generated in the channel can be collected by utilizing buoyancy and kept at a certain distance from the injection port.

[0040] In order to move the air bubble to the filter side in a narrow space, a two-stage tapered portion, i.e., a first tapered portion 705 and a second tapered portion 706, is formed in the second storage portion 702. In order to avoid the meniscus while moving the air bubble upward, the angle of the first tapered portion 705 relative to the horizontal direction is preferably equal to or greater than 10 degrees and equal to or less than 80 degrees, more preferably equal to or greater than 20 degrees and equal to or less than 60 degrees, and even more preferably equal to or greater than 30 degrees and equal to or less than 50 degrees. Additionally, in the second storage portion 702, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of the ink flowing during the recovery operation such as suction by shortening the distance between the space of the second storage portion 702 and the filter 301B. Therefore, the angle of the second tapered portion 706 relative to the horizontal direction is preferably equal to or less than 45 degrees, more preferably equal to or less than 30 degrees, and even more preferably equal to or less than 20 degrees.

[0041] The first storage portion 701 is connected to a connection channel 707 , and the connection channel 707 is connected to an ejection port row in the printing element substrate 303 .

[0042] like FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C As shown, the channel 400C includes a first opening portion 800 provided with a filter 301C; a first storage portion 801; a second storage portion 802; a second opening portion 809 connecting the first storage portion 801 and the second storage portion 802 to each other; and a connection channel 807.

[0043] The first opening portion 800 is an opening for receiving the liquid passing through the filter 301C, and is located on the bottom surface of the storage chamber 302 containing the absorber 300C. The first storage portion 801 disposed near the nozzle row and the second storage portion 802 disposed near the storage chamber are connected to each other through the second opening portion 809 and the horizontal portion 808 extending in the Y direction. Additionally, the first storage portion 801 and the second storage portion 802 are formed to have a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction. In the first storage portion 801, a tapered portion 804 is provided to obtain a space that widens as it goes up in the vertical direction, and in the second storage portion 802, a first tapered portion 805 and a second tapered portion 806 are provided. With this configuration, bubbles generated in the channel can be collected by utilizing buoyancy and kept at a certain distance from the injection port.

[0044] In order to move the air bubble to the filter side in a narrow space, a two-stage tapered portion, i.e., a first tapered portion 805 and a second tapered portion 806, is formed in the second storage portion 802. In order to avoid the meniscus while moving the air bubble upward, the angle of the first tapered portion 805 relative to the horizontal direction is preferably equal to or greater than 10 degrees and equal to or less than 80 degrees, more preferably equal to or greater than 20 degrees and equal to or less than 60 degrees, and even more preferably equal to or greater than 30 degrees and equal to or less than 50 degrees. Additionally, in the second storage portion 802, it is necessary to increase the flow rate of the ink flowing during the recovery operation such as suction by shortening the distance between the space of the second storage portion 802 and the filter 301C. Therefore, the angle of the second tapered portion 806 relative to the horizontal direction is ideally equal to or less than 45 degrees, more ideally equal to or less than 30 degrees, and even more ideally equal to or less than 20 degrees.

[0045] The first storage portion 801 is connected to a connection channel 807 , and the connection channel 807 is connected to an ejection port row in the printing element substrate 303 .

[0046] Fig. 9 300 and the filter 301 are shown in a top view of the housing 200 in a state where the absorber 300 and the filter 301 are not included. In the housing 200, an opening 900A connected to the first opening portion 600 of the channel 400A, an opening 900B connected to the first opening portion 700 of the channel 400B, and an opening 900C connected to the first opening portion 800 of the channel 400C are arranged on the same straight line extending in the Y direction. Openings 900A, 900B, and 900C are arranged on the -Y direction side so that the lengths of the channels 400A, 400B, and 400C in the Y direction are shortened respectively. Additionally, in each storage chamber 302, a rib 901 is provided so as to allow air communication even when the absorber 300 is inserted. Rib 901A is provided in the storage chamber 302 corresponding to the opening 900A, rib 901B is provided in the storage chamber 302 corresponding to the opening 900B, and rib 901C is provided in the storage chamber 302 corresponding to the opening 900C.

[0047] The rib 901 is arranged at a position near a corresponding one of the openings 900A, 900B, and 900C in the storage chamber 302. Therefore, even if the air in the channel portion 400 or the air in the gap between the absorber 300 and the storage chamber 302 expands due to environmental changes (temperature or air pressure), leakage of liquid from the cover 201 can be suppressed.

[0048] The second opening portion 609 of the passage 400A is disposed on the center line C of the housing 200 in the X direction. In addition, the second opening portion 709 of the passage 400B is disposed offset from the center line in the -X direction, and the rib 901B is disposed on one side close to the second opening portion 709 ( Fig. 9 In addition, the second opening portion 809 of the channel 400C is arranged to be offset from the center line in the +X direction, and the rib 901C is arranged on a side close to the second opening portion 809 ( Fig. 9 on the right side of the image).

[0049] Relative to the width of the filter 301 in the X direction, the deviation of the second opening portion 709 and the second opening portion 809 relative to the center line is ideally in the range of equal to or greater than 5% and equal to or less than 30%, more ideally in the range of equal to or greater than 10% and equal to or less than 25%, and even more ideally in the range of equal to or greater than 15% and equal to or less than 20%. In the present embodiment, the second opening portion 709 and the second opening portion 809 deviate from ±1 mm (8.3%) in the X direction relative to the filter width of 12 mm. In the case where the deviation of the second opening portion 609 is too large, it is not desirable because it is difficult to supply liquid from the opposite side of the direction in which the second opening portion 609 deviates. Therefore, it is desirable to set the second opening portions 609, 709 and 809 at a position near the center line as in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the shapes of the second opening portions 609, 709 and 809 are all vertical long slit shapes; however, another shape can be applied. For example, the shapes of the second opening portions 609 , 709 , and 809 may all be circular, elliptical, or the like.

[0050] Fig.10 3 is a top view showing the housing 200 to which the filters 301 are welded. In the housing 200, three filters 301 are welded to cover the second opening portions 609, 709, and 809, thereby suppressing dust from entering the second opening portions 609, 709, and 809. It should be noted that the filters 301 and the housing 200 are not limited to being fixed by welding, but may be fixed by an adhesive or the like. In addition, the housing 200 and the filters 301 may be formed integrally.

[0051] Fig.11 A top view of the housing 200 in which the absorber 300 is inserted is shown. The absorber 300 formed of a fiber material, a porous body or the like is inserted into a container portion 302 of the housing 200 so that liquid can be held by the absorber 300. The liquid held by the absorber 300 is supplied to the printing element substrate 303 through the channel portion 400. Fig.11 The printing element substrate 303 and the ejection port row 1101 are shown by dotted lines.

[0052] The liquid held by the absorber 300A is supplied to the ejection port row 1101A of the printing element substrate 303 through the passage 400A. The liquid held by the absorber 300B is supplied to the ejection port row 1101B of the printing element substrate 303 through the passage 400B. The liquid held by the absorber 300C is supplied to the ejection port row 1101C of the printing element substrate 303 through the passage 400C.

[0053] In the box 100 of the present embodiment, three storage chambers 302 are formed by dividing the interior of the housing 200 so that absorbers 300A, 300B and 300C are arranged along the Y direction along the center line C of the X direction. When the box 100 is mounted on the carriage 101 and performs scanning, the box 100 moves in the +X direction or the -X direction. In the printing element substrate 303, a jet port row 1101 formed by jet ports arranged in the Y direction is provided. That is, absorbers 300A, 300B and 300C are arranged in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the jet ports, and are arranged along the direction intersecting (in the present embodiment, orthogonal) with the scanning direction.

[0054] The housing 200 is formed by molding resin. In the formation of the housing 200, the channel forming portion 306 (see Figure 3 ) and the box portion 307 (one-time molding), and then the channel forming portion 306 and the box portion 307 are joined to each other by secondary molding to form the housing 200. It should be noted that in the secondary molding, a method of forming a space between the box portion 307 and the channel forming portion 306 that are in contact with each other and injecting resin into the space may be adopted, or another connection method such as bonding may be adopted. Therefore, a channel can be formed in the housing 200 by molding the channel forming portion 306 and the box portion 307, and then joining the channel forming portion 306 and the box portion 307 to each other. It should be noted that although the storage chambers 302 are arranged at equal intervals in the present embodiment, it may not be at equal intervals.

[0055] The width of the box 100 in the X direction is ideally equal to or less than 25 mm. In the present embodiment, since the three storage chambers 302 are arranged linearly in the Y direction, the width of the box 100 can be made narrower than the width of the conventional box. It should be noted that the width of the absorber 300 is ideally equal to or greater than 5 mm according to the supply performance of the ink and the pouring performance of the ink. The width of the storage chamber 302 in the X direction is also ideally equal to or greater than 5 mm.

[0056] It should be noted that the width of the box 100 is ideally 10 mm to 25 mm, more ideally 13 mm to 23 mm, and even more ideally 15 mm to 21 mm. Regarding the ratio between the width of the housing 200 in the X direction and the length in the Y direction, since the ink supply performance is better when the cross section of the absorber 300 on the XY plane is close to a square, the width in the X direction and the length in the Y direction preferably have a ratio of about 2:5 to 2:7 when three storage chambers are formed as in the present embodiment. The box 100 of the present embodiment has a width of 20 mm in the X direction and a depth length of 70 mm in the Y direction.

[0057] As described above, in the absorber 300, the cross section in the XY plane is ideally close to a square, and one side is ideally 5 to 25 mm, more ideally 10 to 23 mm, and even more ideally 15 to 21 mm. Regarding the height of the absorber 300 in the Z direction, considering the liquid holding capacity, the liquid can be better exhausted by extending the length in the Z direction compared to the case where the length is extended in the X direction or the Y direction. However, the extension in the Z direction will cause the size of the box to increase, and the size of the device body will also increase accordingly. Therefore, the height of the absorber 300 in the Z direction is ideally equal to or less than four times the width in the X direction or the length in the Y direction, more ideally equal to or less than three times, and even more ideally equal to or less than two times. In the absorber 300 of the present embodiment, the width in the X direction is 17 mm, the depth in the Y direction is 21 mm, and the height in the Z direction is 33 mm.

[0058] Fig.12 is a top view showing the channel 400B and the channel 400C, in other words, Figure 5A 4 is a diagram of a state of the channel portion 400 without the channel 400A. The second opening portion 709 of the channel 400B and the second opening portion 809 of the channel 400C are both arranged at a position deviated from the center of the housing 200 in the X direction. In other words, the second opening portion 709 of the channel 400B is arranged to deviate from the center of the housing 200 in the X direction in the -X direction, and the second opening portion 809 of the channel 400C is arranged to deviate from the center of the housing 200 in the X direction in the +X direction. In the case where the second opening portion 709 is arranged to deviate as described above, the length of the horizontal portion 708 extending to the injection port row in the Y direction in the channel 400B can be shortened, and further, the width of the horizontal portion 808 in the X direction in the channel 400C can be widened. Additionally, in the case where the second opening portion 809 is arranged to deviate from the center in the opposite direction of the second opening portion 709, the length of the horizontal portion 808 of the channel 400C can be shortened.

[0059] In the storage chamber 302, the corresponding absorber 300 is stored, and the filter 301 is provided between the absorber 300 and the channel portion 400 (see Fig.10 and Fig.11 ). The filter 301 ideally has a larger size to reduce flow resistance. The size of the filter 301 is ideally equal to or greater than half of the cross-sectional area of ​​the absorber 300 in the XY plane, and the shape of the filter 301 is ideally close to a square. Therefore, the area in which the absorber 300 and the filter 301 contact each other can be increased, and the liquid can be better used up. Specifically, the size of the filter 301 is ideally equal to or less than 30% to 90% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the absorber 300 in the XY plane, more ideally 40% to 80%, and even more ideally 50% to 70%. In the present embodiment, the size of the filter 301 is 12 mm in width in the X direction, and 12 mm in depth in the Y direction (40% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the absorber in the XY plane).

[0060] The channel 400A is formed below the filter 301A, the channel 400B is formed below the filter 301B, and the channel 400C is formed below the filter 301C (see FIG. Fig. 9 and Fig.10 ). Although the channel 400B is described below, the same applies to the channel 400A and the channel 400C.

[0061] Reference again FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C The liquid passing through the filter 301B passes through the first opening portion 700 of the channel 400B and enters the second opening portion 709. In order to prevent stagnation in the space below the filter 301B, the second opening portion 709 is desirably provided near the central portion of the filter 301 in the X direction.

[0062] The space from the first opening portion 700 to the second opening portion 709 is the second storage portion 702 for storing bubbles. In the second storage portion 702, in order to make it easy for bubbles to move upward, the width of the second opening portion 709 in the X direction is narrower so as to be narrower than the width of the first opening portion 700 in the X direction. However, in the case where the width of the second opening portion 709 in the X direction is too narrow, the flow resistance increases. Therefore, the width of the second opening portion 709 in the X direction is ideally 10% to 60% of the width of the filter 301B in the X direction, more ideally 10% to 40%, and even more ideally 10% to 20%. In the present embodiment, the width of the second opening portion 709 in the X direction is 1.3 mm (10.8% of the width of the filter in the X direction).

[0063] Here, the configuration of a conventional cartridge will be described as a comparative example to the present embodiment.

[0064] Fig.13 It is the schematic diagram of the traditional box 133 disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-260199.Three absorbers 130 are arranged in box 133, and each absorber keeps liquid.Box 133 is mounted on a not shown carriage, and ejects liquid when box 133 moves in the X direction.Liquid is supplied to printing element substrate 132 (shown with dotted lines) from the absorber 130 containing liquid through passage.The inside of box 133 is divided into T-shape, and absorber 130 is arranged in each part in the divided part.In box 133, absorber 130B and absorber 130C are arranged side by side in the X direction as scanning direction.Liquid kept by absorber 130B is ejected from ejection port row 131B, and liquid kept by absorber 130C is ejected from ejection port row 131C.

[0065] The position of the center of gravity 134B of the absorber 130B and the position of the injection port row 131B are offset from each other in the X direction, and the position of the center of gravity 134C of the absorber 130C and the position of the injection port row 131C are offset from each other in the X direction.

[0066] Fig.14 1 is a top view showing a channel portion 140 which is modeled by extracting a channel space formed from the absorber 130 to the ejection port row 131. The liquid held by the absorber 130 is supplied to the ejection port row 131 of the printing element substrate 132 through the channel portion 140. The channel portion 140 includes three channels. The channel 140B connecting the absorber 130B and the ejection port row 131B to each other is arranged at Fig.14 On the far left, channel 140C connecting the absorber 130C and the injection port row 131C to each other is arranged on the far right, and channel 140A connecting the absorber 130A and the injection port row 131A to each other is arranged between channel 140B and channel 140C.

[0067] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram showing the channel 140B, the channel 140C, the absorber 130B, and the absorber 130C. Fig.15 An extension line of each of the injection port row 131B and the injection port row 131C is shown by a dotted line.

[0068] The ejection port row 131B (see FIG. 14B ) ejects the liquid supplied from the channel 140B. Fig.13 ) is arranged to be offset in the +X direction from the center of gravity 134B of the absorber 130B holding the liquid to be supplied to the channel 140B. Additionally, the ejection port row 131C (see Fig.13) is arranged to be offset in the -X direction from the center of gravity 134C of the absorber 130C that holds the liquid to be supplied to the channel 140C.

[0069] Here, consider the case where the box 133 mounted on the carriage is scanned in the +X direction. In this case, when the carriage is accelerated, the inertial force in the opposite direction (-X direction) of the scanning direction acts on the liquid held by the absorber 130B and the absorber 130C. Additionally, when the carriage is decelerated, the inertial force in the opposite direction (+X direction) of the above direction acts on the liquid held by the absorber 130B and the absorber 130C. In addition, when the carriage is scanned in the -X direction, the inertial force in the direction opposite to the above direction acts respectively during acceleration and deceleration. In other words, in the absorber 130B and the absorber 130C, each time the carriage scans, the force in the +X direction and the force in the -X direction act alternately, and the liquid held by the absorber 130 oscillates in the ±X direction each time. As a result, the pressure of the liquid supplied to the channel 140B and the channel 140C also changes, and this pressure change affects the injection state of the injection port rows 131B and 131C. This pressure change becomes larger as the amount of deviation between the center of gravity of the absorber 130 and the ejection port row 131 in the scanning direction (X direction) becomes larger.

[0070] Furthermore, in the case where a force in the +X direction acts on the cartridge 133, the ejection port row 131B is in a pressurized state, and the ejection port row 131C is in a decompressed state. In the case where a force in the -X direction acts on the cartridge 133, the ejection port row 131B is in a decompressed state, and the ejection port row 131C is in a pressurized state. Therefore, since the state between pressurization and decompression differs depending on the color of the ink, there is a possibility that the image quality expressed on the printing medium is impaired.

[0071] Therefore, hereinafter, the pressure that the liquid in the channel receives from the liquid held by the absorber is referred to as oscillation pressure.

[0072] Fig.16 A top view of the channel 400B, the channel 400C, the absorber 300B corresponding to the channel 400B, and the absorber 300C corresponding to the channel 400C in the cartridge 100 in this embodiment is shown. Fig.16 Extensions of each of the injection port row 1101B and the injection port row 1101C (not shown) are shown with dashed lines.

[0073] The following describes a case where a force in the +X direction acts on the cartridge 100 by the movement of the carriage 101 as an example. The ejection port row 1101B ejecting the liquid supplied from the channel 400B is arranged to deviate in the -X direction from the center of gravity 160B of the absorber 300B holding the liquid supplied to the channel 400B. The liquid is supplied from the absorber 300B to the ejection port row 1101B through the channel 400B. Although the center of gravity 160B and the ejection port row 1101B are arranged to deviate from each other in the X direction, the deviation is less than Fig.15 The deviation from the conventional example described in .

[0074] Additionally, the ejection port row 1101C ejecting the liquid supplied from the channel 400C is arranged to be offset in the +X direction from the center of gravity 160C of the absorber 300C holding the liquid supplied to the channel 400C. The liquid is supplied from the absorber 300C to the ejection port row 1101C through the channel 400C. Although the center of gravity 160C and the ejection port row 1101C are arranged to be offset from each other in the X direction, the amount of the offset is less than Fig.15 The deviation from the conventional example described in .

[0075] In the case where the box is subjected to a force in the X direction, such as Fig.16 As shown, an oscillating pressure 161B in a direction toward the center of gravity 160B of the absorber 300B acts on the injection port row 1101B. Therefore, the injection port row 1101B is in a decompressed state. In addition, an oscillating pressure 161C in a direction away from the center of gravity 160C of the absorber 300C acts on the injection port row 1101C. Therefore, the injection port row 1101C is in a pressurized state.

[0076] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the absorbers 300A, 300B, and 300C are arranged linearly in the Y direction. With the absorbers arranged linearly as above, the deviation amount of the center of gravity of the absorbers 300B and 300C from the ejection port rows 1101B and 1101C in the X direction can be made smaller than that of the conventional configuration. Therefore, the oscillation pressure on the ejection port row can be reduced, the instability during ejection can be suppressed, and the decline in printing quality can be suppressed.

[0077] It should be noted that in order to further reduce the oscillation pressure, a narrow width portion obtained by narrowing the channel width can be provided in a part of each of the channels 400B and 400C. With narrowing, resistance is generated, and the oscillation pressure can be reduced. In the case where the width of the narrow width portion is too narrow, the flow resistance increases in the case of supplying ink. Therefore, in the case where the channel has a length of about 50 mm, the width is ideally equal to or greater than 1 mm, more ideally equal to or greater than 1.5 mm, and even more ideally equal to or greater than 2 mm. In addition, because if the channel width of the narrow width portion widens, the box width widens, so the width is preferably equal to or less than 3 mm at most.

[0078] Additionally, as the path from the absorber 300 to the ejection port row 1101 is longer, the influence of the oscillation pressure becomes greater; therefore, the narrow width portion may be provided only in the channel 400C away from the printing element substrate 303. Therefore, the variation of the oscillation pressure in the channels 400A, 400B, and 400C can be reduced to stabilize the ejection, and suppress the degradation of the printing quality.

[0079] As described above, in the box, the center of gravity positions of the plurality of absorbers are arranged linearly along the arrangement direction of the ejection ports in the ejection port row. This makes it possible to provide a box and a liquid ejection device that can suppress the increase in device size. In addition, it is possible to suppress instability during ejection and suppress the decline in print quality.

[0080] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A box comprising: A printing element substrate, the printing element substrate comprising: a first ejection port row in which a plurality of ejection ports ejecting a first liquid are arranged along a first direction, and a second ejection port row in which a plurality of ejection ports ejecting a second liquid are arranged along the first direction, the second ejection port row being arranged relative to the first ejection port row in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first storage chamber, the first storage chamber containing the first liquid; a second storage chamber, the second storage chamber containing the second liquid; a first channel capable of supplying a first liquid in the first storage chamber to a first ejection port row; and a second channel capable of supplying a second liquid in the second storage chamber to a second injection port row, wherein The widths of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber in the second direction are equal to each other, and The first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are arranged along the first direction.

2. The box according to claim 1, wherein The center of gravity of the first storage chamber containing liquid and the center of gravity of the second storage chamber containing liquid are located between an extension line of the first ejection port row and an extension line of the second ejection port row in the second direction.

3. The box according to claim 2, wherein The cartridge moves in the second direction while ejecting the first liquid and the second liquid from the printing element substrate.

4. The box according to claim 2, wherein The printing element substrate further includes a third ejection port row in which a plurality of ejection ports ejecting a third liquid are arranged along the first direction between the first ejection port row and the second ejection port row, and The box also includes: a third storage chamber, the third storage chamber containing a third liquid; as well as A third channel capable of supplying a third liquid in a third storage chamber to the third ejection port row.

5. The box according to claim 4, wherein The widths of the first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the third storage chamber in the second direction are equal to each other, and The first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the third storage chamber are arranged along the first direction.

6. The box according to claim 4, wherein The center of gravity of the third storage chamber containing liquid is on a vertical line in the third ejection port row.

7. The box according to claim 1, wherein The first channel and the second channel each include at least one storage portion capable of storing air bubbles in an orientation when the cartridge is in use.

8. The box according to claim 7, wherein In the orientation when the box is used, the storage portion has a shape that widens as it goes upward in the vertical direction.

9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein The first channel and the second channel each include a horizontal portion to move liquid in a horizontal direction in an orientation when the cartridge is in use.

10. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein The first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the third storage chamber each include an absorber formed of a fiber material or a porous body to hold liquid in the absorber.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein The width in the second direction is equal to or smaller than 25 mm.

12. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein A width of each of the first storage chamber, the second storage chamber, and the third storage chamber in the second direction is equal to or greater than 5 mm.

13. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein A filter is provided between the first storage chamber and the first passage, between the second storage chamber and the second passage, and between the third storage chamber and the third passage.

14. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising: a housing including a box portion in which the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are formed and a channel forming portion in which the first channel and the second channel are formed, wherein The housing is formed by joining the box portion and the passage forming portion to each other.

15. The cartridge of claim 14, wherein The joining is performed by pouring a resin into a gap formed with the box portion and the passage forming portion in contact with each other.

16. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein The first liquid is any one of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, the second liquid is any one of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks different from the first liquid, and the third liquid is any one of cyan, magenta, and yellow inks different from the first and second liquids.

17. A liquid ejection device in which a cartridge can be mounted, the cartridge comprising: A printing element substrate, the printing element substrate comprising: a first ejection port row in which a plurality of ejection ports ejecting a first liquid are arranged along a first direction, and a second ejection port row in which a plurality of ejection ports ejecting a second liquid are arranged along the first direction, the second ejection port row being arranged relative to the first ejection port row in a second direction intersecting the first direction; a first storage chamber, the first storage chamber containing the first liquid; a second storage chamber, the second storage chamber containing the second liquid; a first channel capable of supplying a first liquid in the first storage chamber to a first ejection port row; and a second channel capable of supplying a second liquid in the second storage chamber to a second injection port row, wherein The widths of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber in the second direction are equal to each other, and The first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are arranged along the first direction.

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