Ink cartridge and inkjet recording device equipped with the ink cartridge

Abstract

[Problem] To provide: an ink cartridge that allows easy replacement of ink and that has a securing plate to which an ink pouch can be secured even if the rigidity of a plate material is somewhat poor; and an inkjet printer provided with this ink cartridge. [Solution] An ink cartridge includes: a box body having a bottomed box main body with an opening section in a top surface thereof and a lid for covering the opening section; and a bag body that is secured to the box main body and is filled with ink. The ink cartridge includes a plate member provided with: at least one bent section; and a first flat plate section and another flat plate section that are formed by bending of the bending section. The bag body is affixed to an upper surface of the first flat plate section. When the box body is closed, an end section of the other flat plate section abuts a corner section formed by the box main body and the lid. The first flat plate section is disposed so as to abut the bottom surface of the box main body.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to an ink cartridge and an inkjet recording apparatus including the ink cartridge, and more particularly to an ink cartridge having an ink-filled bag body inside a box body and an inkjet recording apparatus including the ink cartridge. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, an ink cartridge for supplying ink to an inkjet recording apparatus such as an inkjet printer has fixed an ink pouch containing ink inside a case with a double-sided tape. 【0003】 When the ink in the ink cartridge runs out, the ink cartridge including the ink pouch and the case has been replaced with a new one. 【0004】 However, in recent years, there has been a need to reuse the case of the ink cartridge from the viewpoints of reducing environmental impact and cost. 【0005】 Patent Document 1 discloses an ink cartridge in which a fixing plate is interposed between an ink pouch and a case, the ink pouch is adhered to the fixing plate, and the protruding portion of the fixing plate is inserted into the gap between the rib provided on the case and the case side plate, thereby fixing the ink pouch to a predetermined position of the case via the fixing plate. 【0006】 According to the ink cartridge of Patent Document 1, when replacing the ink pouch, the fixing plate can be pulled out from the gap between the rib and the case side plate, the ink pouch together with the fixing plate can be removed from the case, and replaced with a new ink pouch. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0007】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent No. 5960423 【Summary of the Invention】 [Problems that the invention aims to solve] 【0008】 However, according to the ink cartridge described in Patent Document 1, the protrusions of the fixing plate are fitted into the gap between the rib and the side plate of the case, so inserting and removing the ink pouch is not easy for the average user. In order to make the ink pouch a replaceable cartridge, it is necessary that it be easy for anyone to replace. Also, according to Patent Document 1, the ink pouch is fixed by a single flat plate, so it is necessary to use a rigid plate material for the fixing plate. 【0009】 The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an ink cartridge having a fixing plate that allows for easy replacement of the ink pouch and can secure the ink pouch even if the plate material has somewhat poor rigidity, and an inkjet printer equipped with this ink cartridge. [Means for solving the problem] 【0010】 The ink cartridge according to the present invention comprises a box body with a bottom having an opening on the top surface and a lid covering the opening, and a bag body fixedly installed in the box body and filled with ink, The plate member comprises at least one bent portion, a first flat portion and another flat portion formed by bending at the bent portion, the bag body is adhered to the upper surface of the first flat portion, and when the box body is closed, the end of the other flat portion abuts against the corner between the box body and the lid, and the first flat portion abuts against the bottom surface of the box body. 【0011】 According to the above ink cartridge, at least one end of the other flat plate portion of the plate member is positioned to abut against the corner between the box body and the lid when the box is closed, and the first flat plate portion is positioned in contact with the bottom surface of the box body. Therefore, when the lid is opened, the contact of the first flat plate portion with the bottom surface of the box body is released. Thus, opening and closing the box releases / fixes the first flat plate portion, to which the pouch body is attached, to the box body, making it easy for even ordinary users to replace the pouch body (ink). 【0012】 Furthermore, since the ink-filled bags are held by a plate member that has been folded at least once, the rigidity of the plate member can be increased compared to using a conventional single-piece fixing plate. Therefore, the physical properties of the plate member can be replaced with materials that have lower rigidity than conventional materials. [Effects of the Invention] 【0013】 According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink cartridge having a fixing plate that allows for easy ink replacement and can secure an ink pouch even if the plate material has somewhat poor rigidity, and an inkjet printer equipped with this ink cartridge. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0014】 [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 2. [Figure 4] These are schematic diagrams showing other embodiments of the plate member, each representing a plate member having an L-shape in cross-section, a U-shape in cross-section, a square shape in cross-section, a form of (B) with the corners cut off, and a form of (B) with the ends folded back. [Figure 5] These are schematic diagrams showing (A) a plate member 90 with an opening 90a, (B) a plate member 91 with a notch 91a, and (C) a plate member 92 with notches 92a and 92b. [Figure 6]A cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 of the ink cartridge 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which has another aspect of the plate member. [Figure 7] It is a schematic view showing a plate member having a folded-back portion with a rectangular cross-section on the end side. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of an inkjet recording apparatus 130 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a schematic view of an ink supply system 150 of an inkjet recording apparatus 50. [Figure 10] It is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the ink cartridge 10 in the ink cartridge case 136, where (A) shows the state with a large amount of ink and (B) shows the state with a small amount of ink. 【Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0015】 <Ink Cartridge> Next, the ink cartridge 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the ink cartridge 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 2. In each figure, the arrow H indicates the height direction, the arrow W indicates the width direction, and the arrow L indicates the length direction. Also, in each figure, above the height H direction means the arrow direction, below the height H direction means the opposite direction, the depth direction of the width W means the arrow direction, the front direction of the width W means the opposite direction, the front direction of the length L direction means the arrow direction, and the rear direction of the length L direction means the opposite direction. 【0016】 As shown in the figure, the ink cartridge 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a box body 20, a bag body 40, and a plate member 50. 【0017】 The box body 20 is, as shown in FIG. 1, a wide substantially rectangular parallelepiped box body in which the width W and the length L are larger than the height H, and has a box main body 22 and a lid 30. 【0018】 In this embodiment, the box body 22 consists of a roughly rectangular bottom wall 23 (see Figure 2), and a front wall 24, a side wall 25, a side wall 26 opposite the side wall 25, and a rear wall 27, which are erected from the ends of the bottom wall 23. As shown in Figure 1, the front wall 24 protrudes slightly in the height H direction compared to the side walls 25, 26, and rear wall 27, and the side walls 25, 26, and rear wall 27 are at approximately the same height. Therefore, the box body 22 is a box body with a bottom (the bottom is the top surface of the bottom wall 23) and has an opening on its top surface surrounded by the upper edges of the front wall 24, side walls 25, 26, and rear wall 27. 【0019】 The front wall 24 is provided with a U-shaped groove 24a at an intermediate position in the width direction W, and the spout 42 of the bag body 40, which will be described later, is attached to this groove 24a from above in the height direction H. 【0020】 In Figure 1, the front side wall 26 of the width W is provided with substantially rectangular holes 26a and 26b, respectively, at a position slightly forward of the center in the length L direction and upward in the height H direction, and at a position backward in the length L direction and upward in the height H direction. 【0021】 Furthermore, holes 25a and 25b are provided in the rear side wall 25 of the width W, opposite to the holes 26a and 26b. The rear portion of the holes 25a and 25b in the length L direction of the side wall 25 is a thin-walled portion 25c and 25d, which is carved out on the front side in the width W direction. These thin-walled portions 25c and 25d are ultimately eliminated at the rear position in the length L direction by inclined surfaces 25ca and 25da that rise upward in the height H direction as they extend to the rear in the length L direction. 【0022】 Although not shown in Figure 1, the side wall 26 also has thin-walled sections 26c and 26d opposite to the thin-walled sections 25c and 25d, and inclined surfaces 26ca and 26da opposite to the inclined surfaces 25ca and 25da. 【0023】 Furthermore, on the side wall 25 on the far side in the width W direction of Figure 1, ribs 25e and 25f are provided at positions on the forward side in the length L direction and adjacent to the hole 25b, respectively, projecting in the forward direction of the width W. Similarly, on the side wall 26, ribs 26e and 26f are provided at positions opposite to the ribs 25e and 25f, respectively, projecting in the far direction of the width W. 【0024】 Next, the lid 30 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the lid 30 has a ceiling wall 31 that corresponds to the size of the bottom wall 23 of the box body 22, and side frames 32 that are erected downward from the end of the ceiling wall 31, side frames 33 that are opposite to the side frames 32, and a rear frame 34. There is no frame on the front of the ceiling wall 31 in the direction of length L, and the heights of the side frames 32, side frames 33, and rear frame 34 are approximately the same as the height difference between the front wall 24 and the side walls 25 to the rear wall 27 of the box body 22, respectively. 【0025】 The side frame 33 of the lid 30 is provided with claw portions 33a and 33b that protrude downward in the height H direction from the lower end of the side frame 33 at positions corresponding to the holes 26a and 26b of the side wall 26 in the length L direction. Similarly, the side frame 32 of the lid 30 is provided with claw portions 32a and 32b that protrude downward in the height H direction from the lower end of the side frame 32 at positions corresponding to the holes 25a and 25b of the side wall 25 in the length L direction. 【0026】 In this embodiment, the bag 40 has a structure formed by bonding the edges of two rectangular films of the same size together. A cylindrical spout 42 is inserted halfway into the bag 40 at the center of the width W direction of the short side at the front in the length L direction in Figure 1. A stopper 42a is attached to the front end of the spout 42 in the length L direction. The inside of the bag 40 is filled with ink. 【0027】 In this embodiment, the size of the bag body 40 is slightly shorter than the length in the length L direction and the width W direction of the bottom wall 23 of the box body 22. 【0028】 Next, the plate member will be described. In the present invention, the plate member comprises at least one bent portion, a first flat portion and other flat portions formed by bending at this bent portion. In this embodiment, the plate member 50 is a plate member having three U-shaped flat portions in cross-section and two bent portions, formed by folding a rectangular flat plate back from both ends in the short direction at 90-degree angles in the same direction so that the folds are parallel (see Figure 2). The three flat portions are, as shown in Figure 2, a first flat portion 51, a second flat portion 52 and a third flat portion 53 located on the opposite side of the first flat portion 51, and the two bent portions are a bent portion 54 between the first flat portion 51 and the second flat portion 52 and a bent portion 55 between the first flat portion 51 and the third flat portion 53. 【0029】 As shown in Figure 2, the width of the first flat plate portion 51 is shorter than the length between the side walls 25 and 26 in the width W direction of Figure 2, and longer than the length of the bag body 40 in the short side direction. Also, the length of the first flat plate portion 51 is just enough to fit between the ribs 25e to 25f of the side wall 25 and between the ribs 26e to 26f of the side wall 26 in the length L direction of Figure 1. 【0030】 The lengths of the second flat plate section 52 and the third flat plate section 53 are the same as the length L direction in Figure 1 as the length of the first flat plate section 51, and the heights of the second flat plate section 52 and the third flat plate section 53 are approximately the same as the heights of the side walls 25 and 26 of the box body 22 in the height H direction in Figure 2. 【0031】 Therefore, the plate member 50 is fitted into the box body 22 between the ribs 25e to 25f of the side wall 25 and between the ribs 26e to 26f of the side wall 26, and the bag body 40 is placed inside the box body 22 with the spout 42 attached to the U-shaped groove 24a of the box body 22 from above in the height H direction. The bag body 40 is then bonded to the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 51 from the position near the furthest back to the position near the furthest front of the width W of the bag body 40 in Figure 1. 【0032】 Next, the attachment of the lid 30 to the box body 22 will be described. The claws 32a and 32b of the side frame 32 of the lid 30 and the claws 33a and 33b of the side frame 33 are engaged with the holes 25a and 25b of the side wall 25 and the holes 26a and 26b of the side wall 26, respectively, from the inside to the outside of the box body 20 (see Figures 2 and 3), thereby forming the closed box body 20. 【0033】 Furthermore, when opening the box body 20, as shown in Figure 1, the lid 30 can be slid rearward in the length L direction relative to the box body 22. This causes the claws 32a and 32b of the side frame 32 and the claws 33a and 33b of the side frame 33 to move away from the holes 25a and 25b of the side wall 25 and the holes 26a and 26b of the side wall 26 and to the thin-walled portions 25c and 25d of the side wall 25 and the thin-walled portions 26c and 26d of the side wall 26 located rearward in the length L direction. They then slide upward along the inclined surfaces 25ca and 25da on the side wall 25 and the inclined surfaces 26ca and 26da on the side wall 26, which are further rearward in the length L direction, allowing the box body 20 to be opened quickly. Furthermore, the opening and closing of the lid 30 is not limited to a sliding mechanism that slides the lid 30 backward in the length L direction relative to the box body 22. It may also be possible to open the lid 30 of the box body 20 by lifting it upward in the height H direction as shown in Figure 1, or by providing a hinge at the upper end of the side wall 25 for opening and closing the lid 30. In short, a well-known opening and closing mechanism for the box body 20 can be adopted. 【0034】 Therefore, according to the ink cartridge 10 of this embodiment, the upper end of the second flat plate portion 52 and the upper end of the third flat plate portion 53 of the plate member 50 are in contact with the corners 21a and 21b of the box body 22 and the lid 30 when the box body 20 is closed, and the first flat plate portion is in contact with the bottom surface of the box body 22. As a result, opening the lid 30 easily releases the contact of the first flat plate portion 51 with the bottom surface of the box body 22. In other words, opening and closing the box body 20 releases / fixes the first flat plate portion 51 to which the bag body 40 is attached to the box body 22, making it easy for even ordinary users to replace the bag body 40 (ink). 【0035】 Furthermore, since the ink-filled bag 40 is held in place by a plate member 50 that has been folded twice, the rigidity of the plate member 50 can be increased compared to using a conventional single-piece fixing plate. Therefore, the material of the plate member 50 can be replaced with a material that has lower rigidity than conventional materials, such as coated cardboard. 【0036】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a gap exists in a part of the box body 20 when it is closed, specifically in the engagement area between the claw portion 33a of the side frame 33 of the lid 30 and the 26a of the side wall 26 of the box body 22. By using a light-shielding material such as coated cardboard as the plate member 50, and positioning the second flat plate portion 52 of this plate member 50 to block the gap when the box body 20 is closed, it is possible to block light in the direction of arrow A entering the box body 20 from the gap. 【0037】 In some cases, a photocurable resin may be used as the ink in the bag. In such cases, there is a risk that the ink may harden or its viscosity may increase due to light entering the box through gaps in the box. However, according to this embodiment, the light in the direction of arrow A entering the box 20 through the gaps is blocked, and even when a photocurable resin is used as the ink in the bag 40, hardening of the ink or an increase in viscosity can be prevented. 【0038】 Furthermore, the ribs 25e, 25f, 26e, and 26f provided on the box body 22 position the plate member 50, thereby suppressing not only the displacement of the plate member 50 in the width W and height H directions of Figure 1, but also the displacement of the plate member 50 in the length L direction of Figure 1. 【0039】 The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. 【0040】 For example, in the above embodiment, the plate member 50 is a plate member having three flat plate portions 51, 52, and 53 that are U-shaped in cross-section, and two bent portions 54 and 55, but it is not limited to this. As stated above, the plate member may be any type that has at least one bent portion and a first flat plate portion and other flat plate portions formed by bending at this bent portion. 【0041】 Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the plate member. The plate member in Figure 4(A) is an L-shaped plate member in cross-section having a first flat portion 56, a second flat portion 57, and a bent portion 58. In Figure 4(A), arrow W indicates the width direction, and arrow H indicates the height direction. Note that arrows W and H are omitted in Figures 4(B) to (E). The plate member in Figure 4(B) is a U-shaped plate member in cross-section having a first flat portion 59, a second flat portion 60, a third flat portion 61, and bent portions 62 and 63. Note that in Figure 4(B), the angles formed by the first flat portion 59 and the second flat portion 60, and the angles formed by the first flat portion 59 and the third flat portion 61 are obtuse angles greater than 90 degrees. 【0042】 The plate member in Figure 4(C) is a plate member with a cross-sectional shape of a square, having a first flat portion 64, a second flat portion 65, a third flat portion 66, a fourth flat portion 67, and bent portions 68, 69, and 70. In Figure 4(C), the two flat portions 65 and 67 may be joined at the contact point between the second flat portion 65 and the fourth flat portion 67. The plate member in Figure 4(D) is a plate member having a first flat portion 72, a second flat portion 73, a third flat portion 74, a fourth flat portion 75, a fifth flat portion 76, and bent portions 77, 78, 79, and 80. In terms of shape, it has the shape of the plate member 50 according to the first embodiment with the corners of the bent portions 54 and 55 cut off. 【0043】 The plate member in Figure 4(E) is a plate member having a first flat portion 81, a second flat portion 82, a third flat portion 83, a fourth flat portion 84, a fifth flat portion 85, and bent portions 86, 87, 88, and 89. In terms of shape, it can be said that the upper ends of the second flat portion 52 and the third flat portion 53 of the plate member 50 in the height H direction are further bent inward in the width W direction. 【0044】 Furthermore, the plate members in Figures 4(C), (D), and (E) can be described as plate members having four or more flat surfaces, as they are folded at non-intersecting folds in the same direction at least three times. 【0045】 In each of the plate members shown in Figure 4, the ends of the other flat sections abut against the corners between the box body 22 and the lid 30. This restricts the movement of the plate member and the bag 40 bonded to this plate member (specifically, the first flat section) in the height H and width W directions, allowing the ink-filled bag 40 to be fixed to the box body 22. 【0046】 In this invention, the statement that the end of the other flat plate portion abuts against the corner between the box body 22 and the lid 30 does not necessarily mean that the end of the other flat plate portion must abut against both the box body 22 and the lid 30 at this corner. For example, as shown in Figure 2, if the side frame 33 extends downward from the end of the ceiling wall 31 of the lid 30, and the side wall 26 of the box body 22 is located outside of it, then the end of the other flat plate portion (second flat plate portion 52) may abut only against the lid 30 at the corner. 【0047】 Furthermore, although the plate member 50 in this embodiment does not have openings or notches, in the present invention, the plate member may be provided with openings and / or notches. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing (A) a plate member 90 with an opening 90a, (B) a plate member 91 with a notch 91a, and (C) a plate member 92 with notches 92a and 92b. In Figure 5(A), arrow H indicates the height direction, arrow L indicates the length direction, and arrow W indicates the width direction. Note that the arrows H, L, and H are omitted in Figures 5(B) to (C). 【0048】 As shown in Figure 5(A), the plate member 90 has a rectangular opening 90a at the center of the first flat plate portion in the direction of length L, as shown in Figure 5(B), the plate member 91 has a rectangular notch 91a at the front of the first flat plate portion in the direction of length L, and as shown in Figure 5(C), the plate member 92 has rectangular notches 92a and 92b at the center of the second flat plate portion and the third flat plate portion in the direction of length L, respectively. 【0049】 By providing openings and / or notches, as in the plate members 90-92, the amount of material used can be reduced, thereby lowering costs. 【0050】 Furthermore, the plate member may be bent multiple times in the same direction at its end so that substantially parallel edges are formed, thereby creating a polygonal folded portion in cross-section. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 2 of an ink cartridge 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which has a different configuration of the plate member. In this embodiment, the same parts as in the first embodiment will not be described. 【0051】 As shown in Figure 6, the plate member 102 has a first flat portion 103, a second flat portion 104, a third flat portion 105, a fourth flat portion 106, and a fifth flat portion 107, as well as sixth to ninth flat portions 108 to 111 corresponding to the second to fifth flat portions, and also has the illustrated bent portions 112 to 119. 【0052】 Therefore, the plate member 102 is folded three times in the same direction at each end of the plate member 102 so that substantially parallel sides are formed, thereby creating a triangular folded portion 120 in cross-section. Of the second flat portion 104, third flat portion 105, and fourth flat portion 106 that form this triangular folded portion 120 in cross-section, the third flat portion 105 faces the ceiling wall 31 of the lid 30. The same applies to the folded portion 121, and its explanation is omitted. 【0053】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, cylindrical projections 31a and 31b are provided on the lower surface of the ceiling wall 31 of the lid 30, projecting downward in the height direction H. These projections extend to the height of the corners 21a and 21b between the box body 22 and the lid 30 (see Figures 2 and 3). 【0054】 Therefore, by providing triangular folded portions 120 and 121 at the end of the plate member 102, the pressing force from the lid portion 30 can be concentrated at both ends of the first flat plate portion 103 in the width W direction as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the first flat plate portion 103 is not only pressed down from above in the height H direction as shown in Figure 6, but is also pulled in the direction of both ends of the width W. The bag body adhered to the first flat plate portion 103 can also be firmly fixed to the bottom (bottom wall 23) of the box body 22 via this first flat plate portion 103. 【0055】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the third flat plate portion 105 and the seventh flat plate portion 109 face the ceiling wall 31 of the lid 30, and when the box body 20 is closed, the third flat plate portion 105 and the seventh flat plate portion 109 are in contact with the projections 31a and 31b, respectively. This allows for a reliable and stable application of pressure to the first flat plate portion 103, thereby more effectively suppressing rattling of the plate member 102 to which the bag body 40 is fixed within the box body 20. 【0056】 Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the folded portions 120 and 121 of the plate member 102 are triangular in cross-section, but are not limited to this. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a plate member in which a folded portion with a rectangular cross-section is formed on the end side. As shown in the figure, the plate member 124 is folded three times in the same direction on both ends of the plate member 124 so that substantially parallel sides are formed, thereby forming folded portions 125 and 126 with a rectangular cross-section. Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the length of the first flat plate portion 51 of the plate member 50 was such that it fit perfectly between the ribs 25e to 25f of the side wall 25 and between the ribs 26e to 26f of the side wall 26 in the length L direction of Figure 1, thereby positioning the first flat plate portion 51 within the box body 22. However, the ribs 25e to 25f and 26e to 26f are not essential components. If these ribs are absent, it is preferable that the lengths of the first flat plate portion in two different directions (width W direction and length L direction in Figure 1) when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first flat plate portion 51 (height H direction in Figure 1) are equal to the lengths of the two directions when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first flat plate portion 51 in the area where the flat plate portion is arranged inside the box body 20 (width W direction and length L direction in Figure 1). With this configuration, the first flat plate portion 51 of the plate member 50 fits snugly inside the box body 20, and the movement of the first flat plate portion 51 (and the bag body 40 bonded to the first flat plate portion 51) in the width W direction and length L direction of Figure 1 is suppressed. In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to an ink cartridge comprising a box body having an opening and a lid covering the opening, and a bag body placed inside the box body and filled with ink, wherein the ink cartridge has a plate member comprising at least one bent portion and a first flat portion and another flat portion formed by bending at the bent portion, the bag body being adhered to one surface of the first flat portion, at least a portion of the other flat portion being located on the side of the first surface, and with the plate member and the bag body arranged in the box body, the length of the other flat portion when viewed from a direction parallel to the surface of the first flat portion (i.e., the length L direction in Figure 1) (i.e., the length in the height H direction in Figure 2) is equal to the length of the area inside the box body where the flat portion is arranged when viewed from a direction parallel to the surface of the first flat portion (i.e., the length L direction in Figure 1) (i.e., the width inside the box body in the height H direction in Figure 2). This embodiment of the ink cartridge also provides an ink cartridge that allows for easy ink replacement and has a fixing plate that can secure the ink pouch even if the plate material has somewhat poor rigidity. 【0057】 <Inkjet recording device> Next, the inkjet recording device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 10. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the inkjet recording device 130 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the ink supply system 150 of the inkjet recording device 50, and Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of ink cartridges in the ink cartridge case, where (A) shows a state with a lot of ink and (B) shows a state with a little ink. In Figures 8 and 10, arrow Y is referred to as the main direction, arrow X as the secondary direction, and arrow H as the height direction. Also, in Figure 9, the ink supply system 150 exemplifies the ink supply system between the ink cartridge 10a and the ink head 145a. 【0058】 The inkjet recording device 130 according to this embodiment includes an ink cartridge 10 according to the first embodiment, an ink head 145 for ejecting the ink filled in the ink cartridge 10, and an ink supply system 150 for guiding the ink filled in the ink cartridge to the ink head 145. 【0059】 The inkjet recording device 130 comprises a main body 134, a main body case 140, a right leg 132R, a left leg 132L, an ink head unit 146, and an ink cartridge case 136. The main body 134 has its longitudinal direction Y as its main axis, and the right leg 132R and the left leg 132L are attached to the lower part of the main body 134 to support it. 【0060】 The main body 134 is provided with a guide rail 135 extending in the main inspection direction Y, and an ink head unit 146 is attached to the guide rail 135 via a carriage (not shown), and the ink head unit 146 moves back and forth along the guide rail 135 in the main inspection direction. 【0061】 The recording paper P is placed on the main body 134, which is positioned opposite the ink head unit 146. 【0062】 The ink cartridge case 136 is located inside the main body case 140 at the right side in the main direction Y of the main body 134. Inside the ink cartridge case 136, multiple (six in this embodiment) ink cartridges 10 are arranged horizontally, as shown in Figure 10(A), with the side walls 25 of the box body 22 facing downward in the height H direction in Figure 8 and the side walls 26 facing upward in the height H direction in Figure 8. 【0063】 Each of the six ink cartridges 10 (10a to 10f, see Figure 8) typically contains a different color of ink in a bag 40. 【0064】 The inkhead unit 146 is equipped with six inkheads 145a to 145f (see Figure 8), each ejecting ink of the different colors onto the recording paper P using an inkjet method. Although not shown in the figure, the underside of the six inkheads 145a to 145f has multiple inkjet nozzles, which are ejection ports for ejecting ink onto the recording paper P, positioned downward in the height H direction and facing the recording paper P. 【0065】 The ink supply system 150 is an ink supply system that supplies ink from ink cartridges 10a to 10f to ink heads 145a to 145f, and as shown in Figure 9, it comprises an ink path 151, a valve 152, a supply pump 153, and a damper 154. The supply pump is an example of an ink supply device. As shown in Figure 9, the ink head 145a and damper 154 are mounted on a carriage (not shown) and move back and forth in the main scanning direction Y. 【0066】 On the other hand, the ink cartridge 10a is not mounted on the carriage and does not reciprocate in the main scanning direction Y. Therefore, to prevent damage to the ink path 151 even when the carriage moves in the main scanning direction Y, most of the ink path 151 (at least half of its total length) is positioned to extend in the main scanning direction Y. In this embodiment, a total of six ink paths 151 are provided. 【0067】 According to the inkjet recording device 130 of this embodiment, ink from ink cartridges 10a to 10f is supplied to ink heads 146a to 146f via the ink supply system 150, and recording can be made on recording paper P. 【0068】 Furthermore, when the ink in the ink cartridge 10 runs out, the user can remove the ink cartridge 10 from the ink cartridge case 136, and as already mentioned, opening and closing the box body 20 releases / re-secures the first flat plate portion 51 to which the bag body 40 is attached to the box body 22, making it easy to replace the bag body 40 (ink). 【0069】 Furthermore, inside the ink cartridge case 136, as shown in Figure 10(A), the ink cartridge 10 is placed horizontally such that the side wall 25 of the box body 22 faces downward in the height H direction in Figure 10, and the side wall 26 faces upward in the height H direction in Figure 10(A). The bag body 40 is then placed on the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 51, and the adhesive portion Ad is located from the furthest point to the furthest point of the width W of the bag body 40 in Figure 1, that is, from the upper end to the lower end in the height H direction in Figure 10(A). 【0070】 Furthermore, in the ink cartridge 10 shown in Figure 10(A), the pigment in the ink generally settles downwards in the height H direction. As a result, the ink is concentrated at the bottom of the bag 40, lighter at the top, and maintained at an ideal concentration in the middle. Since the spout 42 is located in the center of the height H direction in Figure 10, this ideally concentrated ink can be supplied to the ink head 145 via the ink supply system 150. 【0071】 Furthermore, when the ink in the ink cartridge 10 is used up and the amount of ink in the bag 40 decreases, as shown in Figure 10(B), the volume of the bag 40 decreases and the entire bag 40 shifts towards the first flat plate portion 51. However, since the adhesive portion Ad is located from near the top to near the bottom of the bag 40 in the height H direction in Figure 10, ink can be supplied from the center of the bag 40 in the height H direction until the very end, and therefore the ink in the bag 40 can be used up completely while maintaining the perfect concentration. This is because, in the closed state of the box 20, the first flat plate portion 51 is stably fixed to the bottom wall 23, and the bag 40 is fixedly installed to the bottom wall 23 via this first flat plate portion 51. 【0072】 In Figure 10, the bag body 40 is adhered to the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 51 from the furthest point to the furthest point along the width W of the bag body 40 in Figure 1 (that is, the adhesive portion Ad is located from the upper end to the lower end in the height H direction of Figure 10(A)). However, the bag body 40 does not necessarily have to be adhered to the first flat plate portion 51 from the furthest point to the furthest point along the width W of the bag body 1. The inventors have confirmed that if the bag body 40 is adhered to the first flat plate portion 51 for at least 4 / 5 of the short-side length of the bag body 40, with the center position in the height direction of the bag body 40 in Figure 10 as the center position of the adhesive portion, the ink inside the bag body 40 can be used from beginning to end at an acceptable density, neither too dark nor too light. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0073】 10,100 ink cartridges 20 box body 22 Box Body 30 Lid 40 Bag body 50, 102 Plate members 51, 56, 59, 64, 72, 81, 103 First flat section 52 Second flat section (other flat sections) 53 Third flat section (other flat sections) 57, 60, 61, 65-67, 73-76, 82-85, 104-111 Other flat sections 21a, 21b corner 54, 55, 58, 62, 63, 68~70, 77~80, 86~89, 112~119 Bend part 90a opening 91a, 92a, 92b Notches 120, 121, 125, 126 Folded section 130 Inkjet recording device 145 Inkhead 150 Ink supply system

Claims

[Claim 1] An ink cartridge comprising a box body having an opening and a lid covering the opening, and a bag body placed inside the box body and filled with ink, A plate member comprising at least one bent portion, a first flat portion and another flat portion formed by bending at the bent portion, The bag is adhered to one surface of the first flat plate portion. An ink cartridge in which at least a portion of the other flat plate portion is located on the side of the one surface, and when the plate member and bag body are arranged in the box body, the length of the other flat plate portion when viewed from a direction parallel to the surface of the first flat plate portion is equal to the length of the area inside the box body in which the first and other flat plate portions can be arranged when viewed from a direction parallel to the surface of the first flat plate portion. [Claim 2] An ink cartridge comprising a box body with a bottom and an opening on the top surface, a box body having a lid to cover the opening, and a bag body fixedly installed in the box body and filled with ink, A plate member comprising at least one bent portion, a first flat portion and another flat portion formed by bending at the bent portion, The bag is adhered to the upper surface of the first flat plate portion. An ink cartridge in which, when the box is closed, the end of the other flat plate portion abuts against the corner between the box body and the lid, and the first flat plate portion abuts against the bottom surface of the box body. [Claim 3] The aforementioned plate member has two non-intersecting bent portions, thereby having three flat surfaces. The other flat plate portion is a second flat plate portion and a third flat plate portion located on the opposite side of the first flat plate portion. The ink cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the box is closed, the end of the second flat plate portion and the end of the third flat plate portion abut against each other at opposing corners formed by the box body and the lid. [Claim 4] The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plate member is provided with an opening and / or a notch. [Claim 5] A gap exists in a part of the box body when it is in a closed state. The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plate member is made of a light-shielding material and is positioned to block the gap when the box is closed. [Claim 6] The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plate member is folded multiple times in the same direction at the end of the plate member so that substantially parallel sides are formed, thereby forming a folded portion with a polygonal shape in cross-section. [Claim 7] The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the plate member is bent three times in the same direction at the end of the plate member so that substantially parallel sides are formed, thereby forming a triangular folded portion in cross-section. [Claim 8] The ink cartridge according to claim 7, wherein at least one surface of the other flat plate portion that forms the triangular folded portion in cross-section faces the lid. [Claim 9] The ink cartridge according to claim 6, wherein the plate member is folded multiple times in the same direction at the end of the plate member so that substantially parallel sides are formed, thereby forming a folded portion with a rectangular cross-section. [Claim 10] The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, and 5, wherein the plate member is a plate member having four or more flat surfaces by being folded at non-intersecting folds in the same direction at least three times. [Claim 11] The ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the length of two different directions within the surface of the first flat plate portion, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first flat plate portion, is equal to the length of the area within the box in which the first and other flat plate portions can be arranged, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the first flat plate portion. [Claim 12] An ink cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 11, An ink head that ejects the ink filled in the aforementioned ink cartridge, An ink supply system for guiding the ink filled in the ink cartridge to the ink head, An inkjet recording device equipped with the following features.

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