INK ABSORBER, INK TANK USING THE INK ABSORBER, INK JET CARTRIDGE INTEGRALLY INCORPORATING INK JET RECORDING HEAD AND THE INK TANK, PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE INK TANK, FIBER BODY USED IN THE INK TANK, AND INK JET RECORDING APPARATUS CAPABLE OF MOUNTING THE INK JET CARTRIDGE

摘要

An ink absorber is housed inside a housing of anink tank and is capable of retaining ink. The inkabsorber has an outer surface equal to or corresponding toa shape of an internal surface of the housing and is madeof a fiber material obtained by compressing a fiber bodyand thermally molding at least a surface thereof. An inktank is comprised of the ink absorber and the housing. Anink jet cartridge is comprised of the ink tank and a printhead.A process for producing the ink tank comprises afirst molding step of molding a continuous fiber aggregateof a rod shape or a plate shape with elasticity, a step ofcutting the fiber aggregate thus molded to form a fiberbody, a second molding step of subjecting the fiber bodyto compression and thermal molding so as to provide thefiber body with an outer surface corresponding to a shapeof the inside of the housing, thus forming an ink absorberand a step of inserting the ink absorber into the insideof the housing.