Cartridge and liquid discharge device

Abstract

To provide a cartridge configured so that an element substrate is suppressed from being broken when the cartridge falls down.SOLUTION: A cartridge is provided with: a case which has a storage part for storing liquid and a flow passage communicated with the storage part; an element substrate that has a discharge port, communicated with the storage part through the flow passage, which discharges liquid stored in the storage part, and an element for generating energy for discharging liquid; and an electric wiring substrate electrically connected to the element substrate. The case has a rectangular support surface fixed with the element substrate and the electric wiring substrate, where a slit is formed on at least one of long sides forming an outer periphery of the support surface, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cartridge and a liquid ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Some liquid ejection devices, such as inkjet printers, have a liquid storage chamber and a liquid ejection portion integrated together, and use a cartridge that is detachable from the device.

[0003] Conventionally, a so-called serial type is known in which the medium onto which the liquid is to be ejected is transported at a predetermined amount at a time while the cartridge is scanned in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the medium, thereby ejecting the liquid in a desired pattern onto the medium. As a configuration of this cartridge, the configuration as shown in Patent Document 1 is particularly known. An ink absorber that holds ink is provided inside the main body member, and a recording element substrate is attached to the lower part of the ink absorber in the direction of gravity. The ink held in the ink absorber is guided to the element substrate through a filter and an ink flow path, and an image is formed on the medium by ejecting the ink from the element substrate.

[0004] The liquid ejection device in which the above-mentioned cartridge is mounted is preferably miniaturized from the viewpoint of space saving. In particular, miniaturization in the width direction of the main body (the scanning direction of the cartridge) is required. Figures 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing the relationship between the size of the cartridge and the size of the liquid ejection device in the width direction of the main body. In Figures 5(a) and (b), a state in which the carriage carrying the cartridge is at one end of the scanning range and a state in which it is at the other end are simultaneously shown in one figure. The scannable range of the carriage in the main body and the main body width are determined so that the carriage does not overlap with the medium 12 when the carriage is positioned at both ends of the scanning range so that it exceeds the width of the medium 12. Therefore, the width of the liquid ejection device main body (hereinafter also referred to as the main body or the main body) is roughly determined by the width of the medium 12 such as paper and the width of the cartridge. Therefore, the width of the main body can be reduced by reducing the width of the cartridge (see Figure 5(b)). Reducing the scanning range of the carriage also leads to a reduction in the scanning time of the carriage, which brings about another advantage of improving throughput. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 4708887 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If the cartridge width is reduced, the rigidity of the cartridge itself will decrease, and there is a concern that it will be more susceptible to damage due to strong impacts such as being dropped. In particular, there is concern that the recording element substrate will be damaged. When the cartridge is dropped and the vicinity of the element substrate collides with the floor or the like, the mount portion to which the element substrate is fixed will bend and deform instantaneously. When the cartridge width is narrow, the bending rigidity is lower than when the cartridge width is wide, so the amount of deformation when dropped will be large. As a result, it is thought that the deformation of the mount portion will damage the element substrate, leading to an inability to eject ink. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention for achieving the above object is a cartridge including: a case having a container for containing a liquid and a flow path communicating with the container; an element substrate having an ejection port communicating with the container via the flow path and for ejecting the liquid contained in the container and an element for generating energy for ejecting the liquid; and an electric wiring substrate electrically connected to the element substrate, The case has a rectangular support surface to which the element substrate and the electrical wiring substrate are fixed, and a cartridge is provided in which a slit is provided on at least one of the long sides forming the outer periphery of the support surface when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above configuration, a cartridge is provided in which the occurrence of damage to the element substrate when dropped is suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are a perspective view and an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a liquid ejection device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cartridge as viewed from the element substrate side in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cartridge as viewed from the element substrate side in the first embodiment, with the electric wiring board omitted. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the dropped cartridge has collided with a floor surface. [Figure 9]13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the dropped cartridge has collided with a floor surface. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the dropped cartridge has collided with a floor surface. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an individual packaging unit in which a cartridge is housed. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing each element included in an individual packaging unit. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the cartridge as viewed from the element substrate side in the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a cartridge according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (First embodiment) (Liquid discharge device) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an inkjet printer (hereinafter also referred to as the device 10) as a liquid ejection device 10 to which the present embodiment can be applied. In the figure, the X direction indicates the scanning direction of the carriage (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction), the Y direction indicates the transport direction of the medium, and the Z direction indicates the vertical upward direction. Note that the following figures for explaining the cartridge alone also show the same XYZ axes as in this figure, based on the case where the cartridge is mounted on the device 10. The liquid ejection device 10 is configured so that the cartridge 100 can be mounted on the carriage 11. The liquid ejection device 10 is a serial on-carriage type liquid ejection device in which the cartridge 100 mounted on the carriage 11 ejects liquid (hereinafter also referred to as ink) while moving relative to the medium 12. In ejection, the carriage 11 ejects liquid from the cartridge 100 while moving back and forth in the X direction. In accordance with the ejection of liquid from the cartridge 100, the medium 12 is transported by a predetermined amount in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the direction in which the carriage 11 moves back and forth, thereby forming an image on the medium 12.

[0012] (Cartridge configuration) FIG. 2(a) is an external perspective view of the cartridge 100 as viewed from the +Z direction, and FIG. 2(b) is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge 100 as viewed from the +Z direction. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the cartridge 100 as viewed from the -Z direction. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 100 on the YZ plane. The cartridge 100 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is a type that stores ink of one color inside, for example, a cartridge for black ink. The cartridge 100 includes an element substrate 110 for ejecting liquid, a case 120 in which a storage chamber (storage section) 121 for storing liquid is formed, a rib plate 140, and a lid 150. The storage chamber 121 stores a filter 160 (see FIG. 4) and an absorbent 130 that holds the stored liquid. The liquid held in the absorbent 130 is supplied to an ejection port of the element substrate 110 through a flow path section (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) that communicates with the storage chamber 121. In this embodiment, an absorbent 130 is inserted into the storage chamber 121 as a negative pressure generating means for retaining liquid, but liquid can also be retained in a similar manner using a negative pressure generating unit such as a pressure control unit or a circulation unit.

[0013] The element substrate 110 is an ejection section that ejects ink, and includes an element (e.g., a heater or a piezoelectric element) that applies energy to the liquid in order to eject the liquid. The element substrate 110 has an ejection port array 111 in which ejection ports are arranged (see FIG. 6). The element substrate 110 is disposed on a support surface 127, which is the bottom surface of the case 120 below the direction of gravity. In other words, the element substrate 110 is disposed on the bottom surface of the entire cartridge 100, and ejects liquid in a state close to the medium 12 during liquid ejection. The support surface 127 will be described in detail later.

[0014] The absorber in this embodiment is, for example, made of a fibrous body or a porous body, and can hold ink inside by exerting a capillary force. The absorber 130 is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 121 of the case 120, in contact with a filter 160 capable of trapping foreign matter such as dust in the ink. The ink in the absorber 130 is supplied to the element substrate 110 via the filter 160 and the flow channel 122.

[0015] From the viewpoint of liquid supply, it is desirable for the absorber 130 to have a shape close to a cube. However, when the width of the cartridge is reduced as in this embodiment, or when the size of the absorber 300 is changed in consideration of the amount of liquid to be stored, it is preferable to stretch the absorber 130 in the direction of gravity (Z direction). If the size of the absorber 130 is increased in the scanning direction (X direction), the width of the cartridge 100 will increase, leading to an increase in the size of the entire device. Furthermore, if the size of the absorber 130 is increased in the arrangement direction of the discharge ports (Y direction), the flow path from the absorber 130 to the element substrate 110 will become longer, and there is a risk of an increase in flow resistance during liquid supply.

[0016] The lid 150 is disposed so as to close the opening of the case 120, and defines the storage chamber 121. The lid 150 is provided with an air communication port 151, and air can be taken in from the outside to compensate for the amount of liquid consumed by the liquid in the absorbent body 300 due to discharge. The rib plate 140 is disposed between the absorbent body 130 and the lid 150, and holds the absorbent body 130 in place.

[0017] The cartridge 100 further includes an electric wiring board 170 that has a wiring portion electrically connected to the element substrate 110 and supplies driving signals and the like to the elements (see FIG. 3).

[0018] (Cartridge and device size) The relationship between the size of the cartridge and the size of the liquid ejection device will be described. Figures 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing the relationship between the size of the cartridge and the size of the liquid ejection device in the width direction of the main body. In Figures 5(a) and (b), a state in which a carriage carrying a cartridge is at one end of a scanning range and a state in which it is at the other end are simultaneously shown in one diagram. Figure 5(a) is a schematic diagram for explaining a conventional cartridge and device 10, and Figure 5(b) is a schematic diagram for explaining a cartridge and device 10 of this embodiment. The cartridge 100 of this embodiment shown in Figure 5(b) has a smaller width in the carriage scanning direction than the conventional head-integrated cartridge 1000 shown in Figure 5(a).

[0019] The scannable range of the carriage within the device body is determined so that it exceeds the width of the medium 12 and that the carriage does not overlap with the medium 12 when the carriage is located at both ends of the scanning range, and the width of the body is also determined accordingly. Therefore, the width of the liquid ejection device body is roughly determined by the width of the medium 12, such as paper, and the width of the cartridge. Therefore, the width of the body can be reduced by reducing the width of the cartridge (see FIG. 5(b)). Reducing the scanning distance of the carriage also reduces the scanning time required for one round trip of the carriage, which has the effect of improving throughput.

[0020] The conventional cartridge has a large size in the scanning direction when mounted on the carriage, for example, the size in the X direction is 29.5 mm, and the size (height) in the Z direction is 42.0 mm. In contrast, the size of the cartridge 100 of this embodiment is, for example, 22 mm in the X direction and 56.5 mm in the Z direction (excluding the protrusion). That is, compared to the conventional cartridge, the size in the X direction (width dimension) is 7.5 mm smaller, and conversely, the size in the Z direction (height dimension) is 14.5 mm larger. The ratio of the size in the Z direction to the size in the X direction of the cartridge is 1.4 in the above conventional example and 2.6 in the above embodiment. As will be described later, the present invention can be more suitably used for a thin cartridge with a large ratio of the size in the Z direction to the size in the X direction, as in this embodiment. Specifically, the ratio of the size in the Z direction to the size in the X direction is preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and more preferably 2.4 to 2.8 from the viewpoint of the balance between the rigidity of the cartridge and the liquid storage capacity. In other words, the direction in which the multiple ejection ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, the direction parallel to support surface 127 and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions is defined as a third direction, and the ratio of the length of the cartridge in the second direction to the length in the third direction is more preferably 2.0 to 3.0, and even more preferably 2.4 to 2.8. Furthermore, cartridge 100 in which the length of case 120 in the second direction is 25 mm or less is configured to better obtain the effects of the present invention.

[0021] (Mounting part) Next, the mount section 123 and the support surface 127 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the cartridge 100 as viewed from the element substrate 110 side, and FIG. 7 is a diagram in which the electric wiring board 170 is omitted from FIG. 6. The mount section 123 is a part that protrudes from the case 120 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and as shown in FIG. 4, a flow path 122 is provided inside the mount section 123. The flow path wall 124, the front surface 125, and the mount section rear surface 126 form the mount section 123. The element substrate 110 and the electric wiring board 170 are fixed to the support surface 127 via adhesives, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the support surface 127 has a first surface 1271 that supports the element substrate 110 and a second surface 1272 that supports the electric wiring board 170. The electric wiring board 170 is for electrically connecting the element substrate 110 to the liquid ejection device 10, and is electrically connected to the element substrate 110. 6 and 7, the cartridge of this embodiment has an electrical wiring board 170, which is a flexible wiring board, that has an opening that exposes the element substrate 110 and has an electrical connection portion with the element substrate 110. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and can be suitably used with a cartridge or the like that has a configuration in which one side of the electrical wiring board is adjacent to and electrically connected to one side of the element substrate.

[0022] In this embodiment, as an example, when viewed in a plan view from a direction perpendicular to the support surface 127, the area ratio of the element substrate 110 to the support surface 127 is approximately 10%, and the area ratio of the electrical connection substrate 170 to the support surface 127 is approximately 53%. In other words, the element substrate 110 and the electrical wiring substrate 170 occupy 60% or more of the area of ​​the support surface 127.

[0023] In the present embodiment, the size of the support surface 127 is, as an example, about 16 mm in the X direction (width), about 35 mm in the Y direction (depth), and about 2 mm in the Z direction (thickness). The size of the element substrate 110 is about 2.5 mm in the X direction, about 23 mm in the Y direction, and about 1 mm in the Z direction (thickness). Both the support surface 127 and the element substrate 110 are elongated rectangular shapes with a size in the Y direction that is at least twice as large as the size in the X direction. If the aspect ratio of the planar shape of the support surface 127 or the element substrate 110 is large in this way, it may be easily deformed when a drop impact is applied, as will be described in detail later. In addition, the effect of the present invention is more easily obtained when the direction in which the multiple ejection ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, and the direction parallel to the support surface 127 and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and the ratio of the length of the element substrate 110 in the first direction to the length in the second direction is 5 or more. Furthermore, when the length of the element substrate 110 in the first direction is 15 mm or more, the effects of the present invention are more easily obtained.

[0024] (When the cartridge is dropped) Next, the impact and deformation of the cartridge when the cartridge is dropped and hits a floor surface will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the state in which the cartridge 100 hits a floor surface 500, and shows the state in which the maximum area surface (YZ surface) of the case 120 hits the floor surface 500 from the support surface angle 129b at an angle of inclination of 0 to 45° with respect to the floor surface 500. During the study by the present inventors, when the cartridge was dropped, the corner 129 of the support surface 127 hit the floor surface 500 first, and the element substrate 110 was sometimes damaged.

[0025] When the cartridge collides with the floor surface, an impact is applied to the support surface 127 instantaneously so that the support surface 127 is curved and deformed as a whole in the direction of the dotted line D. As described above, since the support surface 127 is an elongated rectangular shape, the long side 127a forming the outer periphery of the support surface 127 is curved and deformed. In the case of a thin cartridge such as that of this embodiment, the ratio of the width (length in the X direction), i.e., the size of the short side 127b to the length in the depth direction (Y direction) of the support surface 127, i.e., the size of the long side 127a, is smaller than that of a conventional cartridge. Therefore, the rigidity in the dotted line D direction is weaker than that of a conventional cartridge, and the amount of deformation caused by the curved surface is likely to be large. When the support surface 127 is curved significantly, the element substrate 110 fixed to the support surface 127 may also be subjected to stress and be curved significantly similarly to the support surface 127. The element substrate 110 is relatively thin, and may be damaged by the curved support surface 127 when dropped, especially when the aspect ratio of the planar shape is large as in this embodiment.

[0026] (slit) In order to suppress the bending of the support surface 127 and the element substrate 110 when the cartridge is dropped, slits 128 are provided on the sides forming the outer periphery of the support surface 127 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface 127. In this embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, slits 128 (128a, 128b, 128c, and 128d) are provided on the long side 127a of the support surface 127. In this embodiment, a space is formed between the support surface 127 on the flow path 122 side, which is the +Z side of the support surface 127, and the storage chamber 121 (see Figs. 2 and 3). For this reason, the slits 128 are formed penetrating the support surface 127 in the Z direction. In Figs. 6 and 7, the slits 128a and 128b face each other across the support surface 127 in the X direction, and similarly, the slits 128c and 129d are also arranged at positions facing each other across the support surface 127 in the X direction. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface 127, the distance of the slits 128a and 128b from the front surface 125 in the direction along the long side 127a is about 8 mm, and the distance of the slits 128c and 128d from the mount portion rear surface 126 in the direction along the long side 127a is about 6 mm. That is, the slits 128 are provided in the vicinity of four corners 129 (129a, 129b, 129c, and 129d) of the support surface 127 in the mount portion 123. As will be described later, when the cartridge is dropped and any of the corners 129 of the support surface 127 collides with the floor surface or the like, the slits 128 function as bending points of the sides forming the outer periphery of the support surface 127 to suppress deformation of the support surface 127. Therefore, in order for the slits 128 to function as bending points before the support surface 127 to which the element substrate 110 is fixed is deformed, it is preferable that the slits 128 are provided near the four corners 129 of the support surface 127, and it is more preferable that the slits 128 are provided at positions away from the center of the long side 127a.

[0027] When the cartridge is dropped and hit, the width of the slit 128 is deformed in a direction opening or closing in a direction parallel to the side 127a having the slit. In order to fully function as a bending point of the side of the support surface 127, the length of the slit 128 is preferably 2.0 mm or more, and more preferably 2.5 mm or more. The length of the slit 128 in this embodiment is set to 2.5 mm. If the slit width is made sufficiently long, at least a part of the slit 128 may overlap with the electric wiring board 170 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface 127, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. As described above, the cartridge of this embodiment shown in Figures 6 and 7 is configured such that the electric wiring board 170, which is a flexible wiring board, has an opening 1701 that exposes the element substrate 110 and has an electrical connection part with the element substrate 110. Therefore, the slit 128 formed in the long side 127a is provided on the second surface 1272 of the support surface 127. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the element substrate 110 is disposed in the opening 1701 of the electric wiring substrate 170, the electric wiring substrate 170 may come into contact with a suction unit (not shown) of the device 10 that performs cleaning to suck ink from the element substrate 110 and enable stable ejection. For this reason, it is preferable that the surface below the electric wiring substrate 170 on the support surface 127 is flat, and therefore it is preferable that the slit width is narrower. Therefore, in this embodiment, the width of the slit 128 is changed from about 0.5 mm at the portion located below the electric wiring substrate 170 to about 2.5 mm at the portion not overlapping with the electric wiring substrate 170, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 127. This realizes smoothness of the electric wiring substrate 170 on the support surface 127 to the extent that it does not affect the contact with the suction unit. In this way, it is preferable that the width of the slit 128 is narrowed from the outer periphery side of the support surface 127 toward the center, from the viewpoint of improving the durability of the mold used in manufacturing the case 120 including the slit 128. Case 120 of the present embodiment is molded using a mold from thermoplastic resin. To form the slit shape, the mold needs to have the same shape as the slit, but a mold shape with a width of about 0.5 mm and a length of about 2.5 mm is weak, and durability may be a concern.In contrast, the slit width under the flexible wiring 170 is approximately 0.5 mm and the length is approximately 1 mm, which is the minimum length, and the other area is approximately 1.5 mm wide and 1.5 mm long, giving it a two-stage width shape to provide strength. As a result, the slit 128 of this embodiment is able to both realize the deformation suppression function of the support surface and improve the durability of the mold when molding the case 120. However, the shape of the slit 128 of the present invention is not limited to a two-stage width shape. For example, it may be a width shape with three or more stages, or may be tapered.

[0028] (Slit function when cartridge falls) Next, the function of the slit 128 when the cartridge is dropped will be described. As described above, when the cartridge is dropped and hits the floor or the like, if the support surface 127 is deformed to be curved, the element substrate 110 may be cracked.

[0029] In contrast, the cartridge 100 of the present invention has a slit 128 on the support surface 127. As shown in FIG. 8, when the dropped cartridge collides with the floor surface 500 at the corner 129b, the support surface 127 is subjected to a stress that causes a curved deformation. At this time, of the slits 128a and 128b located near the collision point, the slit 128a deforms to narrow its width, and the slit 128b deforms to widen its width. In other words, the slits 128a and 128b become bending points, and the support surface 127 is deformed. At this time, if the area from the corner 129b to the slit 128b on the long side 127a is L1, and the area from the slit 128b to the corner 129d is L2, L1 and L2 are relatively deformed by the bending points of the slits 128a and 128b, but the deformation within the areas of L1 and L2 is kept small. That is, the long side 127a and the entire support surface 127 are deformed like a V with the slits 128a and 128b as bending points, so that the curvature deformation in the L1 and L2 regions is suppressed. Most of the element substrate 110 is disposed in the L2 region and is not significantly deformed, so that it is possible to suppress damage to the element substrate 110 even if it is dropped as shown in FIG.

[0030] 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the cartridge 100 collides with the floor surface 500, and shows a state in which the maximum area surface (YZ surface) of the case 120 collides with the floor surface 500 from the corner 129b at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees with respect to the floor surface 500. Even if the cartridge 100 is dropped and collides in the posture shown in Fig. 9, the effect of the present invention is realized. In this case, contrary to the case of Fig. 8, the slit 128a is deformed so as to widen and the slit 128b is deformed so as to narrow, so that damage to the element substrate 110 can be suppressed.

[0031] FIG. 10 shows a state where the cartridge 100 collides with the floor surface 500, and shows a state where the maximum area surface (YZ surface) of the case 120 collides with the floor surface 500 from the corner 129d at an angle of 45 to 90 degrees with respect to the floor surface 500. Even if the cartridge 100 falls and collides in the posture shown in FIG. 10, the effect of the present invention is realized. In this case, the slit 128d is deformed so as to widen and the slit 128c is deformed so as to narrow. At this time, if the area from the corner 129d to the slit 128d on the long side 127a is L3 and the area from the slit 128d to 129b is L4, the long side 127a and the entire support surface 127 are deformed like a V shape with the slits 128d and 128c as bending points, so that the curvature deformation in the areas of L3 and L4 is suppressed. Most of the element substrate 110 is disposed within the L4 region and is therefore not significantly deformed. As a result, even if a drop such as that shown in FIG. 10 occurs, damage to the element substrate 110 can be suppressed.

[0032] As described above, in order for slit 128 to function as a bending point when dropped, slit 128 is preferably formed to extend in a direction horizontal to support surface 127 and intersects with the side (long side) of the outer periphery of support surface 128 on which the slit is formed at an angle of 45° or more and 90° or less.

[0033] In the above, the slits 128 are provided on each of the two long sides 127a that form the outer periphery of the support surface 127, and one long side 127a has at least two of the slits arranged on either side of the center of the long side. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As long as there is at least one slit, the effect of absorbing impact on the element substrate 110 can be obtained.

[0034] (Individual box) The individual packaging unit 950 in the form in which the cartridge 100 is housed in an individual packaging box when sold at a store or the like will be described. Even with this individual packaging unit 950, the effect of the present invention can be obtained when the cartridge 100 is dropped in a position such that it collides with the floor surface or the like from the vicinity of the support surface 127. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the individual packaging unit 950 in a state in which the cartridge 100 is housed in the individual packaging box 900 (a perspective view of the individual packaging box 900). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing each element included in the individual packaging unit 950. FIG. 13 is a view from the opening 920 of the individual packaging box 900, and is a diagram showing the individual packaging unit 950 in a state in which the flap 901 is not folded. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the individual packaging box 900 as seen from the opening 920 (see FIG. 13) side of the individual packaging box 900.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 12, the individual packaging unit 950 includes the cartridge 100, the blister container 600, the film 700, the cushioning material 800, and the individual packaging box 900. The cartridge 100 is housed in a resin blister container 600, and the opening 601 of the blister container is sealed by the flexible film 700, so that the cartridge 100 is hermetically housed in the blister container 600. The reason for hermetically housed is to suppress evaporation of the liquid in the cartridge, and to prevent a large amount of liquid from evaporating during transportation or storage, which increases the viscosity of the liquid and prevents good discharge from the element substrate 110. In this embodiment, the film 700 is heat welded. A resin layer made of the same material as the blister container 600 is provided on the welded surface of the film 700, and the hermetic seal is maintained by the compatibility of the resins of the blister container 600 and the film 700. The blister pack 650, in which the cartridge 100 is housed in the blister container 600 and the film 700 is welded, and the cushioning material 800 are housed in the individual packaging box 900 to form an individual packaging unit 950. The individual packaging box 900 is made of paper, for example, and after the blister pack 650 and the cushioning material 800 are housed, the flaps 901 (901a, 901b, 901c1, 901c2, and 901d) are folded. First, the flaps 901a and 901b are folded inward, and then the flap 901c1 is folded so as to close the opening 902 of the individual packaging box. Next, the flaps 901c2 and 901d are attached to close the opening 902 of the individual packaging box 900, and the individual packaging unit 950 as shown in FIG. 11 is completed.

[0036] Next, a configuration for cushioning the impact of dropping the individual packaging unit 950 will be described. The blister container 600 also functions as a protective member for protecting the cartridge 100 from impact. The blister container 600 is made of hard resin. Impact such as that caused by dropping is not directly transmitted to the cartridge 100, but is transmitted indirectly via the blister container 600, and the impact is thus reduced. Furthermore, a cushioning member 800 made of hard resin is disposed on the surface of the blister container opening 601 side to which the flexible film 700 is welded, and therefore the impact transmitted to the cartridge 100 is also reduced.

[0037] The individual packaging box 900 also plays a role in mitigating the impact when dropped. As shown in FIG. 13, an inner wall 920 is provided on the inside of the outer wall 910c that is continuously connected to the flap 901c1. There is a clearance 930 between the outer wall 910c and the inner wall 920, and in this embodiment, the distance L5 is 4 mm. The blister pack 650 and the cushioning member 800 are stored in a space surrounded by the inner wall 920, the outer walls 910b, 910c, 910d, 910e, and the flap 901c1. The inventors have found that the element substrate 110 is likely to be damaged when dropped, particularly in the position shown in FIG. 8, and the inner wall 920 has an impact cushioning structure specialized for that dropped position. As described above, there is a clearance between the outer wall 910c and the inner wall 920, and the inner wall 920 is elastically displaceable relative to the outer wall 910c. When the cartridge 100 of the individual packaging unit 950 is dropped in the posture as shown in FIG. 8, the floor surface 500 and the outer wall 910c collide. If the drop height is low, the clearance 930 prevents the inner wall 920 from colliding with the outer wall 910c, and the impact of the drop is not directly transmitted to the cartridge 100. Even if the drop height is high and the inner wall 920 collides with the outer wall 910c, the inner wall 920 is elastically displaced to absorb the impact, and it is possible to minimize the impact transmitted to the cartridge 100. The width of the clearance 930 (the distance between the outer wall 910c and the inner wall 920) is preferably 0.5 mm or more. In this embodiment, the inner wall 920 is further provided with a notch 921. The presence of the notch 921 is more preferable because it prevents the folded film 700 and the inner wall 920 from interfering with each other and causing an incomplete insertion when the blister pack 650 is inserted into the individual packaging box 900. Without the notch 921, the end of the film 700 and the end of the inner wall 920 would come into face-to-face contact, which may cause incomplete insertion. By providing the notch 921, the inclined surface 922 can avoid face-to-face contact with the end of the film 700, so the above-mentioned incomplete insertion does not occur. Even if such a notch 921 is provided, the shock absorbing function due to the presence of the inner wall 920 described above is fully realized. Note that the cartridge of the present invention is not limited to one housed in the above-mentioned individual packaging box.

[0038] Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as those in the above-mentioned configuration will not be described. FIG. 15 is a view of the cartridge 100 of the second embodiment as seen from the element substrate 110 side. The cartridge 100 has a plurality of liquid storage sections, and stores a plurality of types of liquid (ink). In this embodiment, three colors of ink (cyan, magenta, and yellow) are stored. Note that, in this embodiment, the configuration of a color ink cartridge having three storage chambers 121 will be described as an example, but the number of storage chambers may be two, or four or more. For example, a four-color cartridge that includes black in addition to the above three colors is conceivable.

[0039] The element substrate 110 of this embodiment has three ejection port arrays 111 corresponding to three types of ink. Therefore, the size of the element substrate 110 is about 5 mm in the X direction, about 22 mm in the Y direction, and about 1 mm in the Z direction. Since the element substrate 110 of this embodiment has flow paths 124 (not shown) and ejection ports corresponding to three colors of ink, the length (width) in the X direction is about twice that of the first embodiment, but the strength is not necessarily improved. For example, an element substrate in which a plurality of flow paths 124 corresponding to three or more colors of ink are formed or in which the flow paths and ejection ports are provided near the ends in the width direction is likely to be weak against external stress.

[0040] Therefore, the present invention can be suitably used in the cartridge 100 having the element substrate 110 capable of ejecting a plurality of kinds of liquids (inks) as in this embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the cartridge 100 of the second embodiment as seen from the element substrate 110 side. The support surface 127 having a substantially rectangular shape has four slits (129a, 129b, 129c, and 129d) near its corners 129 (129a, 129b, 129c, and 129d). The shape of the slit 128 is the same as that of the first embodiment. Even if the cartridge 100 in the second embodiment is dropped and collides with the floor surface or the like in the posture as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the slit 128 deforms in the opening or closing direction, so that the element substrate 110 is not significantly deformed, and damage to the element substrate 110 can be suppressed.

[0041] (Other embodiments) In the above-described embodiment, the cartridge 100, which is detachable from the liquid ejection device, is a disposable type liquid ejection head that contains liquid that can be used up once. However, the present invention is not limited to disposable type cartridges and liquid ejection devices that use the cartridges. For example, the present invention can be suitably used in liquid ejection devices that have a refill port that can be filled with liquid from the outside and a tank that is configured to supply liquid to the cartridge. The cartridge 400 shown in FIG. 17 has a supply port 410 for supplying liquid from the tank as described above. By connecting a tube that communicates with the tank to the supply port 410 and continuously supplying liquid, it is possible to continuously eject a large amount of liquid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10 Liquid dispensing device 11 Carriage 100 cartridges 110 Element substrate 120 cases 123 Mounting section 127 Support surface 128 Slit

Claims

1. A case having a container for containing a liquid and a flow path communicating with the container; an element substrate including an ejection port communicating with the container via the flow path and ejecting the liquid contained in the container, and an element generating energy for ejecting the liquid; an electric wiring board electrically connected to the element substrate; A cartridge comprising: The case has a rectangular support surface to which the element substrate and the electrical wiring substrate are fixed, and a slit is provided on at least one of the long sides that form the outer periphery of the support surface when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface.

2. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the support surface has a first surface that supports the element substrate and a second surface that supports the electrical wiring board, and the slit is provided in the second surface.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 having a plurality of said slits.

4. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the slit is formed extending in a direction that intersects with the long side on which the slit is formed at an angle of 45° or more and 90° or less in a direction horizontal to the support surface.

5. 2. A cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the slit is provided at a position offset from the center of the long side.

6. The cartridge according to claim 3 , wherein the slit is provided on each of the two long sides that define the outer periphery of the support surface.

7. The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein one of the long sides has at least two of the slits arranged on opposite sides of the center of the long side.

8. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein, when stress is applied to the support surface, the width of the slit is displaced so as to open or close in a direction parallel to the long side having the slit.

9. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface, the electrical wiring board has an opening through which the element substrate is exposed and which has an electrical connection portion with the element substrate; The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the slit at least partially overlaps the electrical wiring board.

10. A direction in which the plurality of discharge ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, and a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the case in the second direction is 25 mm or less.

11. a direction in which the plurality of discharge ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction, The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the length of the cartridge in the first direction to the length of the cartridge in the second direction is 2.4 or more and 2.8 or less.

12. A direction in which the plurality of discharge ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, and a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the element substrate in the first direction is 15 mm or more.

13. A direction in which the plurality of discharge ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, and a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a length of the element substrate in the first direction to a length of the element substrate in the second direction is 5 or more.

14. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface, 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the length of the slit in the extending direction of the slit is 2.0 mm or more.

15. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the support surface, The cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the slit varies in a direction in which the slit extends.

16. The cartridge according to claim 1 , which is detachably mountable to a liquid ejection device.

17. A cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 16, A liquid ejection device in which a direction in which the plurality of ejection ports are arranged is defined as a first direction, and a direction parallel to the support surface and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction, and the cartridge moves in the second direction while ejecting liquid from the element substrate.

18. The liquid ejection device according to claim 17 , further comprising a tank having a refill port through which liquid can be refilled from the outside and for supplying liquid to the cartridge.

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