Ink wastage absorber and ink supporter

Abstract

An ink wastage absorber is made from a flexible polyurethane foam having an air-permeability of 1.0 cc/cm 2 /sec or more, or is made from a flexible polyurethane foam produced by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent, wherein the polyurethane foam is impregnated with a surface active agent. An ink supporter includes an ink permeation member provided at a portion corresponding to a printer head and an ink absorbing member being in contact with the ink permeation member.

1 . An ink wastage absorber comprising a flexible polyurethane foam having an air-permeability of 1.0 cc/cm 2 /sec or more.  
     
     
         2 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 1 , wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is a non-compressed foam.  
     
     
         3 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 1 , wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is a compressed foam.  
     
     
         4 . An ink wastage absorber according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is a flexible polyurethane foam with no cell membranes.  
     
     
         5 . An ink wastage absorber comprising a flexible polyurethane foam produced by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent, wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is impregnated with a surface active agent.  
     
     
         6 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 5 , wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is a non-compressed foam.  
     
     
         7 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 5 , wherein said flexible polyurethane foam is a compressed foam.  
     
     
         8 . An ink wastage absorber according to any one of  claims 5  to  7 , said surface active agent is a denaturated sodium succinate.  
     
     
         9 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 8 , wherein said denaturated sodium succinate is impregnated in said flexible polyurethane foam in an amount of 1 to 500,000 g per 1 m 3  of said flexible polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         10 . An ink wastage absorber according to  claim 8 , wherein said denaturated sodium succinate is impregnated in said flexible polyurethane foam in an amount of 1,000 to 20,000 g per 1 m 3  of said flexible polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         11 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber, comprising the steps of: 
 preparing a flexible polyurethane foam by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent;    dipping said flexible polyurethane foam in water in which a surface active agent is dispersed; and    squeezing water from said flexible polyurethane foam thus treated and then drying said flexible polyurethane foam, to make said surface active agent adhere on the surface of said soft polyurethane foam.    
     
     
         12 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of compressing said flexible polyurethane foam on which said surface active agent has impregnated.  
     
     
         13 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber according to  claim 11 , wherein said step of dipping said flexible polyurethane foam in water in which a surface active agent is dispersed comprises the steps of compressing said flexible polyurethane foam, and dipping said compressed foam thus obtained in water in which a surface active agent is dispersed.  
     
     
         14 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber according to any one of  claims 11  to  13 , said surface active agent is a denaturated sodium succinate.  
     
     
         15 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber according to  claim 14 , wherein said denaturated sodium succinate is impregnated in said flexible polyurethane foam in an amount of 1 to 500,000 g per 1 m 3  of said polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         16 . A process of producing an ink wastage absorber according to  claim 14 , wherein said denaturated sodium succinate is impregnated in said flexible polyurethane foam in an amount of 1,000 to 20,000 g per 1 m 3  of said polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         17 . An ink supporter comprising: 
 an ink permeation member provided at a portion corresponding to a printer head, said ink permeation member being obtained by producing a flexible polyurethane foam by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent, and making said flexible polyurethane foam contain a surface active agent; and    an ink absorbing member being in contact with said ink permeation member, said ink absorbing member being obtained by producing a flexible polyurethane foam by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent, and thermally compressing said flexible polyurethane foam at a compression magnification of 2 to 20 times by a hot press.    
     
     
         18 . An ink supporter according to  claim 17 , wherein said ink absorbing member contains a surface active agent.  
     
     
         19 . An ink supporter according to  claim 17 , wherein the number of cells of said flexible polyurethane foam for forming said ink absorbing member is in a range of 20 pieces/25 mm or more.  
     
     
         20 . An ink supporter according to  claim 19 , wherein the number of cells of said flexible polyurethane foam for forming said ink absorbing member is in a range of 40 to 150 pieces/25 mm or more.  
     
     
         21 . An ink supporter according to any one of  claims 17  to  20 , wherein said ink permeation member is produced by preparing a flexible polyurethane foam by using a foamable raw material containing a polyol, an isocyanate, a catalyst, and a foaming agent; dipping said flexible polyurethane foam in water in which a surface active agent is dispersed; and squeezing water from said flexible polyurethane foam thus treated and then drying said flexible polyurethane foam, to make said surface active agent adhere on the surface of said flexible polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         22 . An ink supporter according to any one of  claims 17  to  20 , said surface active agent is a denaturated sodium succinate.  
     
     
         23 . An ink supporter according to  claim 22 , wherein the amount of said denaturated sodium succinate adhering on said flexible polyurethane foam is in a range of 1 to 500,000 g per 1 m 3  of said polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         24 . An ink supporter according to  claim 22 , wherein the amount of said denaturated sodium succinate adhering on said flexible polyurethane foam is in a range of 1,000 to 20,000 g per 1 m 3  of said polyurethane foam.  
     
     
         25 . An ink supporter according to any one of  claims 17  to  20 , wherein said ink absorbing member is formed of a plurality of ink absorbing layers; and 
 the ink absorbing abilities of said plurality of said ink absorbing layers are set such that said ink absorbing layer located farther from said ink permeation member has a higher ink absorptivity.  
 
     
     
         26 . An ink supporter according to  claim 25 , wherein the thermal compression magnifications of said plurality of ink absorbing layers are set such that said ink absorbing layer located farther from said ink permeation member has a higher thermal compression magnification.