Ink refill container and ink refill container remanufacturing method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an ink refilling container and an ink refilling container remanufacturing method. The ink refilling container for refilling ink to an ink jet device that jets ink includes an ink container bag configured to contain ink and including a discharge port that allows discharge of the contained ink, a container main body portion configured to house the ink container bag, and a nozzle portion including a communication port that communicates with the discharge port and configured to be attached to the container main body portion via the ink container bag, wherein an elastic portion is provided in a contact region in which the nozzle portion and the container main body portion contact each other via the ink container bag.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an ink refill container and a method for remanufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Inkjet printers record on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a liquid ejector head onto a recording medium such as paper. In inkjet printers, a known configuration stores the liquid to be ejected from the printhead in an ink tank within the printer body. In this configuration, an ink refill container refills the ink tank. Such ink refill containers typically have a large ink capacity. Therefore, compared to other ink cartridges, the ink refill container used to refill the ink tank in the printer body uses less plastic per unit ink capacity. That is, ink refill containers offer environmental advantages. Furthermore, in recent years, to achieve a sustainable society such as a decarbonized / circular society, adherence to the 3R principle is necessary. The 3R principle includes "reuse," which reuses used products and their components; "recycling," which effectively utilizes waste as a raw material and energy source; and "reduction," which reduces the amount of waste.

[0003] As a technology to meet such needs, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-13034 describes a technique to reduce the volume of components to be discarded by refilling a portion of a container with used ink.

[0004] Specifically, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-13034 describes an ink refill container that houses an ink container bag made of an elastic material within its main body. By storing the ink inside the ink container bag, the main body of the container does not come into contact with the ink. Therefore, the main body of the container can be easily reused by removing the ink container bag that has been in contact with the ink. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To facilitate the refilling of ink from an ink refill container into an ink canister, it is conceivable to include a nozzle portion attached to the container body via an ink container bag in the ink refill container described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-13034. In this case, it is necessary to prevent ink leakage from the gap between the ink container bag and the nozzle portion. That is, good sealing performance is required by ensuring tight contact between the nozzle portion and the container body via the ink container bag. However, the ink refill container described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-13034 does not have a structure that ensures a seal between the nozzle portion via the ink container bag and the container body. Therefore, there is a potential risk of ink leakage from the gap between the ink container bag and the nozzle portion.

[0006] Furthermore, after removing the ink container bag from the used ink refill container, the distance between the nozzle and the container body changes due to the thickness of the ink container bag. Therefore, when refilling the container with reused ink, the seal between the nozzle and the container body is reduced, and ink leakage may occur.

[0007] This disclosure aims to provide an ink refill container and a method for remanufacturing the ink refill container, wherein the ink refill container has good sealing performance and is easy to reuse due to the close contact between the nozzle portion and the container body portion.

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an ink refill container is provided for refilling ink into an ink ejection device. The ink refill container includes: an ink container bag configured to contain ink and including an outlet allowing discharge of the contained ink; a container body configured to house the ink container bag; and a nozzle portion including a communication port communicating with the outlet and configured to be attached to the container body portion via the ink container bag, wherein an elastic portion is provided in a contact area where the nozzle portion and the container body portion contact each other via the ink container bag.

[0009] The features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments will now be described by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the inkjet printer's exterior.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the internal structure of an inkjet printer.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the ink supply system of an inkjet printer.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of refilling ink from the ink refill container to the ink canister.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a schematic front view of the ink refill container.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink refill container.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a magnified view of the area near the nozzle of the ink refill container.

[0017] Figure 8 This is an enlarged view of the elastic part.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the ink refill container remanufacturing process.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink refill container.

[0020] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the ink refill container remanufacturing process.

[0021] Figure 12A The illustration shows the state before the first bag is removed from the main body of the container, and Figure 12B The illustration shows the state after the first bag has been removed from the main body of the container.

[0022] Figure 13 This is a magnified view of the area near the nozzle of the ink refill container.

[0023] Figure 14 This is a magnified view of the area near the contact point.

[0024] Figure 15 This is a magnified view of the area near the contact point. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in these embodiments are essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the same components are indicated by the same reference numerals. Each embodiment of the invention described below can be implemented individually, or, where necessary or where a combination of elements or features from various embodiments is advantageous in a single embodiment, as a combination of multiple embodiments or features thereof.

[0026] (First embodiment) (Inkjet printer) Figure 1 This is an overall perspective view of the inkjet printer 11 according to this embodiment. The inkjet printer 11 according to this embodiment is a recording apparatus that records an image on a recording medium by ejecting liquid ink from an inkjet head (hereinafter referred to as the "head") onto the recording medium. The inkjet printer 11 is an example of a liquid jetting apparatus that ejects liquid.

[0027] This embodiment will be described using an inkjet printer 11 as an example. However, the liquid jetting device according to this disclosure is not limited to inkjet printers, as long as the liquid tank of the device body can be refilled with liquid from the liquid refill container. Furthermore, the ink refill container is not limited to containers used for refilling ink, as long as the ink refill container can be refilled with liquid. However, this disclosure is particularly applicable to ink refill containers used for refilling ink. This is because ink refill containers contain ink, and the reuse (remanufacturing) of ink refill containers requires steps such as cleaning, thus making the reuse of ink refill containers difficult.

[0028] In the following description, the width direction of the inkjet printer 11 is defined as the X direction, the depth direction as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions as the Z direction. When the inkjet printer 11 is mounted on a horizontal surface, the Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction. As described below, the main scanning direction of the head is parallel to the X direction, and the transport direction of the recording medium is parallel to the Y direction.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the inkjet printer 11 includes a housing (external component) 20 and a head 13 for recording operations on a recording medium (not shown) (see [reference]). Figure 2 The housing 20 includes an ink tank 15, which serves as an ink container for supplying ink to the head 13. According to this embodiment, the ink tank 15 is disposed on the front side (+Y direction side) of the housing 20 and fixed to the inkjet printer 11. Furthermore, a scanner unit 17 for document reading operations and an operation input unit 18 for user operations such as inputting commands are provided on the upper part of the housing 20.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the internal structure of the inkjet printer 11. The inkjet printer 11 includes a feed unit 500 for feeding recording media, a transport roller 16 for conveying recording media, and an ejection unit 40 for ejecting recording media (see [reference]). Figure 1 The recording medium is fed from the feed unit 500 into the interior of the inkjet printer 11 via rollers (not shown). The head 13 records the medium while it is being conveyed by the transport rollers 16. The recorded medium is then discharged from the discharge unit 40 to the outside of the inkjet printer 11. As described above, the direction (Y direction) of conveying the recording medium is referred to as the "conveyor direction".

[0031] The carriage 12 is moved by a drive source (not shown) along a main scanning direction (X direction) that intersects with the transport direction of the recording medium. According to this embodiment, the transport direction and the main scanning direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0032] The head 13 is mounted on the carriage 12 and performs a recording operation in which the head 13 records an image strip on the recording medium by ejecting ink droplets while moving along the main scanning direction.

[0033] According to this embodiment, the head 13 is, for example, a serial head mounted on the carriage 12 that ejects ink while moving along the main scanning direction. However, the head 13 is not limited to a serial head. In other words, the head 13 can also be a line head mounted on the carriage 12 that can eject ink over the entire area of ​​the recording medium in the width direction (X direction) without scanning through the carriage 12.

[0034] When recording an image strip on a recording medium, the recording medium is conveyed in a predetermined amount along the conveying direction via conveyor roller 16 (intermittent conveying operation). By repeating the recording operation of one strip and the intermittent conveying operation, the image is recorded on the entire recording medium.

[0035] In addition, the inkjet printer 11 includes a maintenance unit for maintaining the head 13 in the moving area along the main scanning direction of the carriage 12.

[0036] The inkjet printer 11 has ink cartridges 15, each containing ink of a different color for recording. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the inkjet printer 11 includes a black ink tank 15K for black ink, a cyan ink tank 15C for cyan ink, a magenta ink tank 15M for magenta ink, and a yellow ink tank 15Y for yellow ink.

[0037] In the following text, when it is not necessary to distinguish the ink colors of each other, that is, when the general structure of ink color description is not considered, the characters Y, M, C and K indicating the ink color can be omitted, and all ink cans can be referred to as "Ink Can 15".

[0038] When viewed from the front (+Y direction) side of the inkjet printer 11, the black ink tank 15K is positioned to the left of the ejection unit 40. When viewed from the front (+Y direction) side of the inkjet printer 11, the ink tanks for other colors (cyan ink tank 15C, magenta ink tank 15M, and yellow ink tank 15Y) are positioned to the right of the ejection unit 40. The ejection unit 40 is positioned between the black ink tank 15K and the ink tanks for the other colors.

[0039] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the ink supply system of the inkjet printer 11, viewed from the rear (-Y direction side). One ink tank 15 is provided for each ink color. Flexible tubes forming ink supply paths 14 (ink flow paths) that supply ink to the head 13 are attached to each ink tank 15.

[0040] In addition, flexible tubes forming air communication channels that connect the interior of ink tank 15 to the atmosphere are attached to each ink tank 15. Figure 4 It is ink 800 (see Figure 6 A perspective view of ink being refilled from ink refill container 200 (ink bottle) into ink tank 15 of inkjet printer 11.

[0041] A refill port 22 is provided on the upper part of the ink tank 15 for the user to refill ink into the ink tank 15. The refill port 22 is an opening in the direction having a vertical component. The ink injected (refilled) through the refill port 22 is stored in the tank portion 21 of the ink tank 15. A cap (can lid) (not shown) for sealing the refill port 22 is detachably attached to the refill port 22. The user can inject ink from the ink refill container 200 into the ink tank 15 by removing the cap and connecting the nozzle portion 600 of the ink refill container 200 to the refill port 22.

[0042] (Ink refill container) Figure 5 This is a front view of the ink refill container 200 in an upright position. The upright position refers to the state where the bottom portion 311 of the ink refill container 200 is placed on a horizontal surface. The ink refill container 200 includes a container body 300, a nozzle portion 600, and a cap 400.

[0043] The main body 300 of the container holds the ink container bag 700, which will be described below. Figure 6 This allows ink to be discharged from the outlet 702 of the ink container bag 700. The nozzle portion 600 is detachably attached to the container body portion 300. By connecting the end portion of the nozzle portion 600 to the refill port 22 of the ink tank 15, ink in the container body portion 300 is injected into the ink tank 15 via the nozzle portion 600. In this way, ink can be refilled from the ink refill container 200 into the ink tank 15. The cap 400 is attachable to and detachable from the tip portion of the nozzle portion 600, sealing the opening of the nozzle portion 600 by attaching it to the nozzle portion 600 and opening the opening of the nozzle portion 600 by detaching it from the nozzle portion 600.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the ink refill container 200. In its upright state, the container body 300 comprises, from bottom to top, a cylindrical portion 301, a shoulder portion 302, and a neck portion 303. The cylindrical portion 301 is a bottomed cylinder. The direction in which the cylinder extends is referred to as the "axial direction" (also called the "longitudinal direction") of the container body 300 and the ink refill container 200, and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction (first direction) is referred to as the "radial direction" (second direction). In the upright state, the axial direction is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0045] The bottom portion 311 can be circular, rectangular, polygonal, etc., and is not particularly limited in shape. A shoulder portion 302, with an inner and outer diameter smaller than that of the cylindrical portion 301, is provided on the side of the cylindrical portion 301 opposite to the bottom portion 311. A neck portion 303, with an inner and outer diameter smaller than that of the shoulder portion 302, is provided on the side of the shoulder portion 302 opposite to the cylindrical portion 301. An opening 320 is formed in the neck portion 303 on the side opposite to the shoulder portion 302, allowing ink in the container body 300 to flow to the outside. As described below, the opening 320 also serves as an opening for storing the ink container bag 700 inside the container body 300. The opening 320 is formed by the opening portion 321.

[0046] The container body 300 houses an ink container bag 700, which contains ink and has a discharge port 702 for discharging the contained ink. According to a first embodiment, the ink container bag 700 is composed of a first bag 721. Ink 800 is contained in the first bag 721. The container body 300 houses the ink container bag 700 such that ink 800 can be discharged from the discharge port 702.

[0047] The first bag 721 is made of a resin material such as polypropylene or polyethylene and can be manufactured by blow molding. Alternatively, preferably, the ink container bag 700 is made of an elastic material.

[0048] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 An enlarged view of the vicinity of the nozzle portion 600. The nozzle portion 600 is attachable to and detachable from the container body portion 300. The nozzle portion 600 includes a container attachment portion 603 detachably attached to the container body portion 300 and a container attachment portion 609 detachably attached to the cap 400. The container attachment portion 603 is, for example, attachable to and detachable from the shoulder portion 302 of the container body portion 300. The nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300 by securing the container attachment portion 603 to the shoulder portion 302, and detached from the container body portion 300 by removing the container attachment portion 603 from the shoulder portion 302.

[0049] A helical external thread (male thread) 604 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the container attachment portion 603 of the nozzle portion 600, and a helical internal thread (female thread) 305 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shoulder portion 302 of the container body portion 300. The nozzle portion 600 can be attached to the container body portion 300 by rotating the nozzle portion 600 in the attachment direction (left-handed direction) while engaging the external thread 604 and the internal thread 305. The nozzle portion 600 can be detached from the container body portion 300 by rotating the nozzle portion 600 in the removal direction (right-handed direction) opposite to the left-handed direction relative to the container body portion 300. The rotation directions for attaching (left-handed) and detaching (right-handed) the nozzle can be reversed.

[0050] Furthermore, the nozzle portion 600 includes a communication port 602 communicating with the discharge port 702 of the ink container bag 700 and an opening 610 that opens the communication port 602 outward. The opening 610 is formed in the tip portion 601 of the cap attachment portion 609. The shape of the tip portion 601 allows the tip portion 601 to connect to the refill port 22 of the ink tank 15. A communication channel 612 through which ink can flow is formed inside the cap attachment portion 609. When the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300, the communication channel 612 communicates with the discharge port 702 via the communication port 602. Ink in the container body portion 300 flows to the opening 610 via the discharge port 702, the communication port 602, and the communication channel 612, and ink discharged from the opening 610 is supplied to the ink tank 15.

[0051] In the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, the end portion 701 of the ink container bag 700 housed in the container body 300 is attached to the opening portion 321 of the container body 300. Therefore, when the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body 300, the nozzle portion 600 and the container body 300 come into contact with each other via the ink container bag 700. In this case, a good seal is required between the nozzle portion 600 of the ink container bag 700 and the container body 300. If the seal is poor, ink may leak from the ink refill container 200, causing contamination of the ink refill container 200. This necessitates more work, such as cleaning, raising concerns about increased environmental impact. Furthermore, if ink is discharged from the ink refill container 200 to the outside unexpectedly, the discharged ink may have a significant impact on the external environment.

[0052] Therefore, in the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, an elastic portion 10 is provided in the contact area A where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 contact each other via the ink container bag 700. Because the elastic portion is provided in the contact area A, the elastic portion 10 is compressed when the nozzle portion 600 is pressed against the container body portion 300. This improves the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 via the ink container bag 700. This reduces the possibility of ink leakage from the gap between the ink container bag 700 and the nozzle portion 600.

[0053] In the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, an elastic portion 10 is provided on the nozzle portion 600. The elastic modulus of the elastic portion 10 is preferably greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the nozzle portion 600. In this way, the compression of the elastic portion 10 can be stabilized, and the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 via the ink container bag 700 can be further improved.

[0054] The elastic modulus of the nozzle portion 600 can be the average elastic modulus of the entire nozzle portion 600, or it can be the average elastic modulus near the portion of the nozzle portion 600 where the elastic portion 10 is provided.

[0055] Furthermore, the elastic portion 10 is preferably provided at the position of the communication opening 602 surrounding the nozzle portion 600. That is, the elastic portion 10 is preferably provided in the entire area A where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 are in contact with each other via the ink container bag 700.

[0056] In this way, when the nozzle part 600 is screwed onto the container body part 300, the sealing performance between the nozzle part 600 and the container body part 300 is further improved.

[0057] Figure 8 This is an enlarged view of the elastic part 10 with a suitable shape. When the nozzle part 600 contacts the container body part 300 via the elastic part 10, it moves along... Figure 8The arrows shown indicate that pressure is applied to the elastic portion 10. Therefore, the surface of the elastic portion 10, which contacts the opening portion 321 via the ink container pouch 700, is compressed. This seals the gap between the nozzle portion 600 and the ink container pouch 700. To further improve the sealing force, ideally, pressure should be applied uniformly to the entire contact surface of the elastic portion 10, compressing the entire contact surface. Therefore, when the length of the elastic portion 10 in the radial direction on the base side is L1 and the length of the elastic portion 10 in the radial direction on the distal side is L2, L1 is preferably greater than or equal to L2 (L1≥L2). In other words, the elastic portion 10 preferably includes a portion extending from the nozzle portion 600 along a first direction that presses the nozzle portion 600 onto the opening portion 321, and the length of this portion in a direction perpendicular to the first direction decreases as the elastic portion 10 extends along the first direction.

[0058] The elastic part 10 can be a component separate from the nozzle part 600, or it can be a component such as an O-ring. Rubber, elastomer, spring, etc. can be used as materials for the elastic part 10.

[0059] The attachment and disassembly mechanism between the nozzle part 600 and the container body part 300 is not limited to the threaded screwing mechanism described above, but may also be, for example, a joining mechanism between the joining part and the joined part or a fitting mechanism between the fitting part and the fitted part.

[0060] In the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, the elastic portion 10 is formed on the nozzle portion 600; however, the elastic portion 10 may also be formed on the container body portion 300. In this case, the elastic portion 10 is formed in the area where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 contact each other via the ink container bag 700, that is, in the opening portion 321 of the container body portion 300. Even in this case, when the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300, the elastic portion 10 is compressed, thereby improving the sealing force between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 via the ink container bag 700.

[0061] In this case, the elastic modulus of the elastic portion 10 is preferably greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the container body portion 300. This stabilizes the compression of the elastic portion 10 and further improves the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 of the ink container bag 700 and the container body portion 300. The elastic modulus of the container body portion 300 indicates the elastic modulus of the portion of the container body portion 300 where the elastic portion 10 is located, i.e., the elastic modulus near the opening portion 321.

[0062] The elastic portion 10 can be formed as part of the ink container bag 700. In other words, the elastic portion 10 can be provided in the portion of the ink container bag 700 corresponding to region A where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 come into contact with each other via the ink container bag 700. Even in this case, when the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300, the elastic portion 10 is compressed, thereby improving the sealing force between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 via the ink container bag 700.

[0063] In this case, the elastic modulus of the elastic portion 10 is preferably greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the ink container bag 700. This stabilizes the compression of the elastic portion 10 and further improves the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 of the ink container bag 700. Here, the elastic modulus of the ink container bag 700 refers to the elastic modulus near the portion of the ink container bag 700 where the elastic portion 10 is located.

[0064] As described above, in the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, even in the configuration where the ink container bag 700 is housed in the container body 300, the elastic portion 10 ensures a seal between the nozzle portion 600 of the ink container bag 700 and the container body 300. Therefore, the possibility of ink leakage from the gap between the nozzle portion 600 and the ink container bag 700 can be reduced.

[0065] (Ink refill container remanufacturing method) Next, a method for reusing (remanufacturing) an ink refill container using a used ink refill container will be described. Here, a used ink refill container refers to an ink refill container including an ink container bag 700, a container body 300, and a nozzle part 600, wherein an elastic part 10 is provided in the area where the nozzle part 600 and the container body 300 contact each other via the ink container bag 700. A used ink refill container indicates an ink refill container 200 in which the ink in the ink container bag 700 has been consumed. Examples of used ink refill containers include ink refill containers 200 in which the ink inside the ink container bag 700 has been completely consumed, and ink refill containers 200 in which a small amount of ink remains in the ink container bag 700. Alternatively, the used ink refill container may be an ink refill container 200 that is unopened but unusable.

[0066] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for remanufacturing ink and refilling container 200.

[0067] First, in step S901, the used ink refill container is prepared. This preparation step corresponds to, for example, the action of collecting the used ink refill container.

[0068] Next, in step S902, the nozzle part 600 is detached from the container body part 300.

[0069] In the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, the nozzle portion 600 can be detached from the container body portion 300 by rotating the nozzle portion 600 relative to the container body portion 300 in a detachment direction opposite to the attachment direction.

[0070] Next, in step S903, the ink container bag 700 is removed from the container body 300. Ink adheres to the inside of the ink container bag 700. When the ink container bag 700 is removed from the container body 300, the inside of the container body 300 is exposed. In this case, no ink adheres to the inside of the container body 300, so, for example, when refilling the container body 300 with new ink, it is not necessary to clean the inside of the container body 300. Therefore, the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured by using the used ink refill container. The inside of the container body 300 can be cleaned to remove foreign objects that have entered the container body 300. Even in this case, the cleaning process is easier than when ink adheres to the inside of the container body 300. Therefore, the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured by using the used ink refill container.

[0071] Next, in step S904, ink is filled into the container body 300 through the opening 320. The type of ink filled into the container body 300 is preferably the same as the type of ink contained in the ink container bag 700.

[0072] Finally, in step S905, the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300. The nozzle portion 600 is attached such that the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 are in contact with each other via the elastic portion 10. In this way, even when the thickness dimension is reduced due to the thickness of the removed ink container bag 700, the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 can still be improved. Although it is preferable to reuse the nozzle portion 600 from an environmental perspective, a new nozzle portion 600 without ink adhering to it can also be used.

[0073] According to this embodiment, after removing the ink container bag 700 in step S903, ink is filled into the container body 300 in step S904. However, it is also possible to insert an ink container bag different from the ink container bag removed in step S903 after step S903. In this case, instead of performing step S904, the step of filling the new ink container bag with ink is performed. Even when the ink container bag is replaced by a new ink container bag, the container body 300 can still be reused, thereby reducing the environmental burden. Furthermore, since the elastic part 10 is provided, good sealing performance between the container body 300 and the nozzle part 600 via the new ink container bag can be achieved.

[0074] By performing the above steps, ink refill container 200 can be remanufactured by using used ink to refill the container.

[0075] By using the ink refill container remanufacturing method according to this embodiment, even the remanufactured ink refill container 200 can ensure the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300. Therefore, ink leakage can be prevented and the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured.

[0076] The ink refill container remanufacturing process may include other steps, as long as the process includes the steps S901 to S905 described above.

[0077] (Second Embodiment) (Ink refill container) The construction of the ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described, and descriptions of parts similar to those according to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0078] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment. The ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment differs from the ink refill container according to the first embodiment in that the ink container bag 700 includes a first bag 721 for containing ink and a second bag 722 for containing the first bag 721. The second bag 722 does not necessarily need to contain the entire surface of the first bag 721, and the end portion 701 of the first bag 721 can extend from the second bag 722.

[0079] The first bag 721 and the second bag 722 are arranged such that the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 overlap each other in a nested manner. The outermost bag of the ink container bag 700 is at least partially attached to the inner surface of the container body 300. According to this embodiment, the outermost bag of the ink container bag 700 is the second bag 722, and the second bag 722 is at least partially attached to the inner surface of the container body 300.

[0080] Both the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 are made of resin materials such as polypropylene or polyethylene, and can be manufactured together, for example, by multi-layer blow molding. In the case of manufacturing by multi-layer blow molding, adjacent bags (such as the first bag 721 and the second bag 722) need to be non-fused to prevent them from fusing together during molding. Therefore, the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 are preferably made of different materials.

[0081] Alternatively, if the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 are not manufactured together by multi-layer blow molding, that is, if the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 are manufactured separately, the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 can be made of the same material. In this case, the ink container bag 700 is manufactured by overlapping the separately manufactured first bag 721 and the second bag 722.

[0082] Similar to the ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment, even if the ink container bag 700 includes a first bag 721 and a second bag 722, as long as the elastic part 10 is provided in the contact area A, ink leakage from the gap between the nozzle part 600 and the ink container bag 700 can be prevented.

[0083] The second embodiment is described based on an example where the ink container bag 700 includes a first bag 721 and a second bag 722. However, a third and fourth bag may also be provided on the outside of the second bag 722. That is, there is no particular limitation on the number of bags included in the ink container bag 700.

[0084] (Ink refill container remanufacturing method) A remanufacturing method for the ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating the ink refill container remanufacturing method according to the second embodiment.

[0085] First, in step S1101, a used ink refill container is prepared. According to the second embodiment, the used ink refill container includes an ink container bag 700 containing a first bag 721 and a second bag 722, a container body 300, and a nozzle portion 600, and an elastic portion 10 is provided in the area where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body 300 contact each other via the ink container bag 700. The used ink refill container is an ink refill container 200 indicating that the ink in the first bag 721 has been consumed.

[0086] Next, in step S1102, the nozzle part 600 is detached from the container body part 300. Step S1102 is the same as step S902.

[0087] Next, in step S1103, the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300. Ink adheres to the inside of the first bag 721. When the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300, the inside of the second bag 722 is exposed. In this case, no ink adheres to the inside of the second bag 722, so, for example, when refilling the second bag 722 with new ink, it is not necessary to clean the inside of the second bag 722. Therefore, the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured by using the used ink refill container. The inside of the second bag 722 can be cleaned to remove foreign objects that have entered the second bag 722. Even in this case, the cleaning process is easier than when ink adheres to the inside of the second bag 722. Therefore, the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured by using the used ink refill container.

[0088] Next, in step S1104, ink is filled into the second bag 722. The type of ink filled into the second bag 722 is preferably the same as the ink contained in the first bag 721. When the first bag 721 is removed and ink is filled into the second bag 722, the capacity of the second bag 722 is greater than the capacity of the first bag 721, thus increasing the amount of evaporable ink contained therein. Therefore, in the step of filling the second bag 722 with ink, preferably, the amount of ink filled into the second bag 722 is greater than the amount of ink contained in the unopened ink refill container 200, specifically the first bag 721.

[0089] Finally, in step S1105, the nozzle portion 600 is attached to the container body portion 300. According to this embodiment, an elastic portion 10 is provided at the point where the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 contact each other via the second bag 722. Therefore, even after the first bag 721 is removed, the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 can be ensured. This will be described in detail below.

[0090] Figure 12A and Figure 12B This is an enlarged view of the area near the nozzle portion 600 of the ink refill container 200 according to the second embodiment. Figure 12A The illustration shows the state before the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300, and Figure 12B The illustration shows the state after the first bag 721 has been removed from the container body 300.

[0091] Assuming the thickness of the first bag of 721 is as follows: Figure 12A In the diagram, H represents the distance between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 after step S1103, when the elastic portion 10 is not provided, compared to the state before step S1103. Therefore, there is a possibility that ink may leak from the gap between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body portion 300 (second bag 722).

[0092] On the other hand, when the elastic part 10 is provided and compressed by the container body 300, even if the nozzle part 600 and the container body 300 are separated by a thickness H by removing the first pouch 721, the nozzle part 600 and the container body 300 can still come into contact with each other via the second pouch 722. Therefore, no gap is formed between the nozzle part 600 and the container body 300 (the second pouch 722), and ink leakage is prevented. Furthermore, in the configuration where the nozzle part 600 can be rotatably screwed onto the container body 300, by further screwing the nozzle part 600 into the container body 300 by a thickness H, the compression of the elastic part 10 can be maintained at a certain level or above. Therefore, stable sealing performance can be maintained.

[0093] By performing the steps S1101 to S1105 described above, an ink refill container 200 can be remanufactured using used ink refill containers.

[0094] As described above, in the configuration where the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300 of the used ink refill container and ink is filled into the second bag 722, the sealing performance between the nozzle portion 600 of the second bag 722 and the container body 300 is problematic. In the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment, since the elastic portion 10 is provided in the contact area, good sealing performance can be achieved between the nozzle portion 600 and the container body 300 via the second bag 722 even when the thickness of the ink container bag 700 changes. Therefore, ink leakage can be prevented even when remanufacturing the ink refill container 200. Therefore, by using the ink refill container 200 according to this embodiment and its remanufacturing method, the ink refill container 200 can be easily reused.

[0095] (Third embodiment) The construction of the ink refill container 200 according to the third embodiment will be described. In the following description, only the parts that differ from the first and second embodiments will be described, and descriptions of parts similar to those according to the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

[0096] Figure 13 This is an enlarged view of the area near the nozzle portion 600 of the ink refill container 200 according to the third embodiment. Similar to the second embodiment, the first bag 721 and the second bag 722 overlap each other in the aforementioned contact area A.

[0097] Figure 14 This is an enlarged view of the contact area A of the ink refill container 200 according to the third embodiment.

[0098] According to the third embodiment, the end portion 7211 of the first bag 721 includes a region 7215 that does not overlap with the second bag 722, and the end portion 7211 of the first bag 721 is located further from the discharge port 702 than the contact area A. Therefore, during the remanufacturing process of the ink refill container, when the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300, the first bag 721 can be easily removed without winding around the second bag 722 by grasping the end portion 7211 of the first bag 721 and peeling the first bag 721 from the second bag 722. That is, according to the third embodiment, an ink refill container 200 that is easy to reuse can be provided. The ink refill container remanufacturing method according to the third embodiment is the same as the ink refill container remanufacturing method according to the second embodiment.

[0099] In addition to the first bag 721 and the second bag 722, the ink container bag 700 according to the third example may also include a third bag and a fourth bag. Figure 15 This is an enlarged view of the contact area A of the ink refill container 200, which includes an ink container bag 700 containing a third bag 723. The third bag 723 houses the second bag 722. The third bag 723 may not need to contain the entire surface of the second bag 722, and the end portion 7221 of the second bag 722 can protrude from the third bag 723. Figure 15 In the ink refill container 200 shown, the end portion 7221 of the second bag 722 includes a region 7215 that does not overlap with the third bag 723, and the end portion 7221 of the second bag 722 is located further from the discharge port 702 than the contact area A. In other words, a region 7215 is provided between the bags where adjacent bags at least partially do not overlap. In this way, the ink refill container 200 can be easily remanufactured again after the first bag 721 is removed from the container body 300 and the ink refill container 200 is remanufactured once. In other words, when the second bag 722 is removed from the container body 300, the second bag 722 can be easily removed without winding around the third bag 723 by grasping the end portion 7221 of the second bag 722 and peeling the second bag 722 from the third bag 723. That is, an ink refill container 200 that is easy to reuse multiple times can be provided.

[0100] When the ink container bag 700 comprises multiple bags, the innermost bag is used first. Therefore, used ink container bags are separated in order, starting with the innermost bag. Thus, to ensure that adjacent bags do not overlap at least partially, the length of the end portion of the inner bag is preferably longer than the length of the end portion of the outer bag in the radial direction of the discharge port 702.

[0101] The ink refill container 200 according to the third embodiment has an area where adjacent ink container bags at least partially do not overlap with each other. By using this area, only the used ink container bags to be removed can be easily grasped and peeled off. Therefore, an ink refill container 200 that is easy to reuse can be provided.

[0102] As described above, this disclosure provides an ink refill container that achieves good sealing performance through close contact between the nozzle portion and the container body portion and is easy to reuse, and also provides a method for remanufacturing the ink refill container. In other words, the technology described in this specification contributes to achieving goals of sustainable societies such as decarbonized / circular societies.

[0103] This disclosure provides an ink refill container that achieves good sealing performance through close contact between the nozzle portion and the container body portion and is easy to reuse, and provides a method for remanufacturing the ink refill container.

[0104] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to embodiments, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The appended claims should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense to cover all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. An ink refill container for refilling ink into an ink jetting device, the ink refill container comprising: An ink container bag, the ink container bag being configured to contain ink and including a discharge port that allows the contained ink to be discharged; A container body portion, the container body portion being configured to hold the ink container bag; as well as The nozzle portion includes a communication port communicating with the outlet and is configured to be attached to the container body portion via the ink container bag. An elastic portion is provided in the contact area where the nozzle portion and the container body portion come into contact with each other via the ink container bag.

2. The ink refill container according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic part is disposed on the nozzle part.

3. The ink refill container according to claim 2, wherein, The elastic modulus of the elastic part is greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the nozzle part.

4. The ink refill container according to claim 2, wherein, The elastic part is disposed at the position of the communication port surrounding the nozzle part.

5. The ink refill container according to claim 1, wherein, The ink container bag includes a first bag for containing the ink and a second bag for containing the first bag.

6. The ink refill container according to claim 5, wherein, The first bag and the second bag are made of the same material.

7. The ink refill container according to claim 5, wherein, The first bag and the second bag are made of different materials.

8. The ink refill container according to claim 5, wherein, The first bag and the second bag overlap each other in the contact area.

9. The ink refill container according to claim 5, wherein, The end portion of the first bag includes an area that does not overlap with the second bag, and the end portion of the first bag is located further away from the outlet than the contact area.

10. The ink refill container according to claim 1, in, The container body includes an opening portion that forms an opening for storing the ink container bag inside the container body. The contact area is located above the opening portion.

11. The ink refill container according to claim 10, wherein, The elastic portion extends from the nozzle portion along a first direction that presses the nozzle portion into the opening portion.

12. The ink refill container according to claim 11, wherein, The elastic portion includes a portion whose length decreases as the elastic portion extends along the first direction in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

13. The ink refill container according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic part is disposed on the main body of the container.

14. The ink refill container according to claim 13, wherein, The elastic modulus of the elastic part is greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the container body.

15. The ink refill container according to claim 1, wherein, The elastic part is provided on the ink container bag.

16. The ink refill container according to claim 15, wherein, The elastic modulus of the elastic part is greater than or equal to the elastic modulus of the ink container bag.

17. A method for remanufacturing an ink refill container, wherein the method remanufacturing an ink refill container for refilling ink into a jetting device is achieved by using a used ink refill container. in, The used ink refill container includes: An ink container bag, the ink container bag being configured to contain ink and including a discharge port that allows the contained ink to be discharged; Container body portion, the container body portion being configured to house the ink container bag; and The nozzle portion includes a communication port communicating with the outlet and is configured to be attached to the container body portion via the ink container bag. An elastic portion is provided in the contact area where the nozzle and the container body come into contact with each other via the ink container bag. The ink refill container remanufacturing method includes: Prepare the used ink and refill the container; The nozzle portion is detached from the container body portion; Remove the ink container bag from the container body; Fill the container body with ink; and The nozzle portion is attached to the container body portion. The attachment includes attaching the container body portion and the nozzle portion to each other via the elastic portion.

18. A method for remanufacturing an ink refill container, wherein the method remanufacturing an ink refill container for refilling ink into a jetting device is achieved by using a used ink refill container. in, The used ink refill container includes: An ink container bag, the ink container bag being configured to contain ink and including a discharge port that allows the contained ink to be discharged; Container body portion, the container body portion being configured to house the ink container bag; and The nozzle portion includes a communication port communicating with the outlet and is configured to be attached to the container body portion via the ink container bag. The ink container bag includes a first bag capable of holding ink and a second bag for containing the first bag. An elastic portion is provided in the contact area where the nozzle and the container body come into contact with each other via the ink container bag. The ink refill container remanufacturing method includes: Prepare the used ink and refill the container; The nozzle portion is detached from the container body portion; Remove the first bag from the container body; Fill the second bag with ink; and The nozzle portion is attached to the container body portion. The attachment includes attaching the container body portion and the nozzle portion to each other via the second bag and the elastic portion.

19. The method for remanufacturing an ink refill container according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The elastic part is disposed on the nozzle part.

20. The method for remanufacturing an ink refill container according to claim 17 or 18, wherein, The elastic part is disposed on the main body of the container.

21. A method for remanufacturing an ink refill container, wherein the method remanufacturing an ink refill container for refilling ink into an inkjet device is achieved by using a used ink refill container. in, The used ink refill container includes: An ink container bag, the ink container bag being configured to contain ink and including a discharge port that allows the contained ink to be discharged; Container body portion, the container body portion being configured to house the ink container bag; and The nozzle portion includes a communication port communicating with the outlet and is configured to be attached to the container body portion via the ink container bag. An elastic portion is provided in the contact area where the nozzle and the container body come into contact with each other via the ink container bag. The ink refill container remanufacturing method includes: Prepare the used ink and refill the container; The nozzle portion is detached from the container body portion; Remove the ink container bag from the container body; Store an ink container bag, different from the removed ink container bag, inside the main body of the container. Fill the stored ink container bag with ink; and The nozzle portion is attached to the container body portion. The attachment includes attaching the container body to the nozzle portion via the stored ink container bag and the elastic portion.

Images