Image forming device with holder for detachably mounting ink cartridge thereon
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShingo Ito, Noritsugu Ito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To prevent leakage of ink in an ink tank from an air inflow port formed in an ink cartridge, an accommodating section in which an ink absorbing member is disposed is provided outside the ink cartridge so that the ink absorbing member opposes the air inflow port of the ink cartridge. The accommodating section is fluidly connected to the air inflow port of the ink cartridge and formed with an atmosphere communication hole in communication with atmosphere. Thus, ink leaked out through the air inflow port can be absorbed by the ink absorbing member and air can be introduced into the ink tank for an amount corresponding to an amount of ink supplied to a recording head.
Claims16
An image forming device comprising:
- a recording head that forms images with ink;
- an ink cartridge including an ink tank in which ink is stored, the ink cartridge having a wall formed with an ink outflow port from which ink in the ink tank is discharged and an air inflow port that brings an internal space of the ink tank in communication with atmosphere;
- a holder having a wall on which the ink cartridge is detachably mounted;
- an ink supply tube that is connected to the holder and supplies ink discharged from the ink tank via the ink outflow port to the recording head while air is introduced into the ink tank via the air inflow port for an amount corresponding to an amount of ink supplied to the recording head;
- an ink absorbing member;
- and
- an accommodating section disposed in a position opposed to the ink cartridge with the wall of the holder interposed therebetween and having an inner space in which the ink absorbing member is accommodated, the accommodating section being formed with an atmosphere communication hole in communication with atmosphere,
- wherein the ink absorbing member disposed within the accommodating section is opposed to the air inflow port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.