Ink Cartridge Provided with Air Communication Portion

摘要

An ink cartridge includes a cartridge body, an ink supply portion and an air communication portion provided at the cartridge body, a block member and a slider. The air communication portion has an inner peripheral wall defining an air passage, and a communication port for allowing communication between an ink chamber and the air passage. The block member moves from a first position to a second position by contact with the slider sliding in a sliding direction to block and open the air passage. The slider includes: a first cylindrical portion having an upstream through-hole penetrating therethrough; a second cylindrical portion having a downstream through-hole penetrating therethrough and communicating with the upstream through-hole; and a semipermeable membrane closing the upstream through-hole. The slider has a contact portion in close contact with the inner peripheral wall and positioned upstream of the block member at the first position in the sliding direction.

主权项

1. An ink cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body defining an ink chamber therein for storing ink; an ink supply portion provided at the cartridge body and configured to supply the ink stored in the ink chamber to outside; an air communication portion provided at the cartridge body, the air communication portion having an inner peripheral wall that defines an air passage and a communication port configured to allow communication between the ink chamber and the air passage, the air communication portion having an aperture exposed to outside and in communication with the air passage for introducing air into the air passage; a block member configured to move from a first position to a second position, the block member at the first position being disposed in the air passage and configured to block the air passage, the block member at the second position being configured to open the air passage; and a slider configured to contact the block member and slide in a sliding direction along the air passage, wherein the block member is configured to be moved from the first position to the second position by the slider sliding in the sliding direction while contacting the block member, the slider comprising:
a first cylindrical portion having an upstream through-hole formed therein to penetrate the first cylindrical portion in the sliding direction, the upstream through-hole having a cross-sectional area larger than a cross-sectional area of the air passage when viewed in the sliding direction, the first cylindrical portion having an upstream end at which the upstream through-hole is opened;a second cylindrical portion provided downstream of the first cylindrical portion in the sliding direction and having a downstream through-hole formed therein to penetrate the second cylindrical portion in the sliding direction such that the downstream through-hole and the upstream through-hole are in communication with each other, the second cylindrical portion having a downstream end at which the downstream through-hole is opened to be communicable with the air passage, the second cylindrical portion having a contact portion configured to be in close contact with the inner peripheral wall of the air communication portion at a position upstream of the block member at the first position in the sliding direction; anda semipermeable membrane provided at the upstream end of the first cylindrical portion to seal the upstream through-hole.