Liquid container

Abstract

A liquid container (1) includes a container body (10) including an outlet (12), and a screw cap (20). The outlet (12) includes a protrusion (14A). The screw cap (20) includes a first protruding portion (26A) having an inclined portion (26A1) configured to allow the protrusion (14A) to pass when the screw cap (20) is screwed into the outlet (12) by being rotated in a first direction of a rotation direction, and an interference portion (26A2) configured to interfere with the protrusion (14A) to prevent the screw cap (20) from being rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a second protruding portion (27A) configured to allow the protrusion (14A) to pass when the screw cap (20) is screwed into the outlet (12), and to generate a frictional force in the rotation direction by contacting the protrusion (14A).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a liquid container with a threaded cap that can be screwed into an outlet disposed on the container body. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a container for refilling pigment, wherein a protrusion for preventing reverse rotation is provided at the opening of the container body containing the pigment, and the cover is composed of a first cover with an engaging portion and a second cover with an engaging protrusion, the engaging protrusion being configured to restrict reverse rotation of the cover by engaging with the protrusion for preventing reverse rotation, and the first cover and the second cover can be separated from each other.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-49236.

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] However, in the container for refilling pigment described in Patent Document 1, the reverse rotation of the lid is prevented after the lid is installed at the opening of the container body, making it difficult to adjust the positional relationship between the lid and the container body after the lid is installed at the opening of the container body. Summary of the Invention

[0008] One object of this disclosure is to provide a technique that, when a threaded cap is screwed into the outlet of a container body, prevents the threaded cap from rotating in the reverse direction and adjusts the positional relationship between the threaded cap and the container body.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0010] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a liquid container is provided, comprising:

[0011] A container body, the container body including an outlet having a cylindrical shape, wherein an external thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet; and

[0012] A threaded cap, having a cylindrical shape, has an internal thread formed on its inner circumferential surface. The threaded cap is configured such that it is screwed into the outlet when the outer circumferential surface of the outlet and the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap face each other, wherein:

[0013] The outlet includes a protrusion disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet at a position adjacent to the cylindrical base of the outlet; and

[0014] The threaded cap includes:

[0015] A first protrusion, disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap, has an inclined portion and an interference portion. The inclined portion is configured to allow the protrusion to pass through when the threaded cap is rotated in a first direction of rotation and screwed into the outlet. The interference portion is configured to interfere with the protrusion to prevent the threaded cap from rotating in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction.

[0016] The second protrusion is configured to allow the protrusion to pass through when the threaded cap is screwed into the outlet, and the second protrusion contacts the protrusion to generate friction in the rotational direction.

[0017] The effects of the invention

[0018] According to this disclosure, when the threaded cap is screwed into the outlet of the container body, it is possible to restrict the reverse rotation of the threaded cap and adjust the positional relationship between the threaded cap and the container body. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view depicting the appearance of a liquid container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A partial sectional view of the XX line.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a description of containment Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the shell of a liquid container.

[0022] Figure 4A It is a description Figure 3 A 3D view of the cartridge housing being inserted into the ink supply unit. Figure 4B It is a description Figure 3 A 3D view of the cartridge housing being received by the ink supply unit.

[0023] Figure 5 Describes the screwing in of the threaded cap Figure 1 The status of the outlet of the liquid container.

[0024] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Each depicts the threaded cap being screwed into a number of... Figure 1 The different protrusions on the outlet of the liquid container indicate their different states. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of this application will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, some basic structures may be omitted, and the dimensions and proportions of the depicted components are not necessarily precise. Figure 3 In Figure 4, the forward / backward direction D1, the up / down direction D2, and the left / right direction D3 are defined as shown in the respective figures.

[0026] Figure 1 The appearance of a liquid container 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is depicted. The liquid container 1 is, for example, a container for containing UV ink, which is an ultraviolet-curable ink. In the following description, the liquid container 1 is referred to as ink container 1.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the ink container 1 has a structure in which a threaded cap 20 is attached to the container body 10. The container body 10 has a structure in which an outlet 12, which is cylindrical in shape and made of resin, is attached to a bag 11 made of membrane material. The ink will be contained in the bag 11. The bag 11 is formed such that the width of the bag 11 is greater than the thickness of the bag 11.

[0028] The threaded cap 20 is configured to cover the outlet 12 by screwing it into the outlet 12 from the outside. The threaded cap 20 includes a threaded cap body 21 having a cylindrical shape and an ink outlet portion 22 erected on the threaded cap body 21.

[0029] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A partial sectional view of the XX line. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the inner diameter of the threaded cap body 21 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the outlet 12. An internal thread 25A is threaded onto the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap body 21, and an external thread 13A is threaded onto the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12. As a result, the threaded cap 20 can be installed on the outlet 12 by screwing it into the outlet 12 with the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap body 21 and the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12 facing each other.

[0030] The ink outlet portion 22 has a receiving hole 23 and a valve mechanism 24. A hollow needle (not shown) can be inserted into the receiving hole 23 from the outside. The valve mechanism 24 opens or closes depending on whether a hollow needle is inserted into the receiving hole 23. An IC memory 30 is installed inside the ink outlet portion 22. The IC memory 30 stores various information about the ink in the bag 11, such as the type, capacity, and manufacturing date of the ink. Figure 1 As shown, the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 are configured to protrude to the outside of the surface of the threaded cover 20.

[0031] A mark 29 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the threaded cap body 21. This mark 29 has a recessed shape for aligning the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10. When viewed along the direction in which the hollow needle is inserted, the mark 29 is located aligned with the center of the contact 31 of the IC memory 30. That is, the mark 29 is configured to align the orientation of the contact 31 of the IC memory 30 with the orientation of the container body 10.

[0032] Next, based on Figure 3 Figure 4 illustrates the method of using ink container 1. Figure 3 As shown, ink container 1 is housed in cartridge housing 120 such that the width direction of ink container body 10 matches the vertical direction of cartridge housing 120. Cartridge housing 120 has a receiving chamber 121 for receiving ink container 1. Receiving chamber 121 has an opening 122 defined on a side surface (in Figure 3 (In the example, the left side surface), and the ink container 1 is received in the receiving chamber 121 via the opening 122. An opening 124 for exposing the ink outlet 22 to the outside of the receiving chamber 121 is defined on the rear surface 123, which defines the receiving chamber 121. A retaining portion 125 for holding the ink outlet 22 is formed in the receiving chamber 121 at a position adjacent to the opening 124. The ink outlet 22 is held by the retaining portion 125 in a state where the contact 31 is exposed to the outside via the opening 122.

[0033] The housing 120 that houses the ink container 1 Figure 4A As shown, it is inserted into the unit housing 110 from the front position of the ink supply unit 100, and as shown... Figure 4B It is housed in the unit housing 110 as shown.

[0034] The ink supply unit 100 is configured to, for example, be connected to a recording head (not shown) via a cable (not shown), which is configured to eject ink for recording (printing) on ​​a recording medium. The ink supply unit 100 supplies ink from the ink container 1 to the recording head.

[0035] The ink supply unit 100 includes the hollow needle described above, which is disposed inside the unit housing 110. When the cartridge housing 120 containing the ink container 1 is housed within the unit housing 110, the hollow needle is inserted into the receiving hole 23 of the ink outlet 22. Therefore, the valve mechanism 24 rotates to the open state, enabling the ink in the ink container 1 to be poured out via the hollow needle. A pump (not shown) for supplying ink and a controller (not shown) for controlling the pump are disposed within the unit housing 110. For example, when the user instructs the user to start supplying ink, the controller starts driving the pump, and the pump pours ink from the ink container 1 through the hollow needle and delivers ink toward the recording head.

[0036] The ink supply unit 100 includes contacts (not shown) disposed on the unit housing 110, and contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 are in contact with these contacts. When the cartridge housing 120 housing the ink container 1 is housed within the unit housing 110, the contacts in the unit housing 110 and the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 are in contact with each other. The controller reads various information stored in the IC memory 30 at predetermined times, stores the read information in the controller's memory (not shown), and uses the stored information for control processing.

[0037] If the ink supply unit 100 continues to supply ink to the recording head and the ink in the ink container 1 runs out, the user, following the reverse process of housing the cartridge housing 120 in the ink supply unit 100, removes the cartridge housing 120 from the ink supply unit 100 and removes the ink container 1 housed in the cartridge housing 120 from the cartridge housing 120 to replace the ink container 1 with a new ink container 1. Then, the user houses the cartridge housing 120 containing the new ink container 1 back into the ink supply unit 100.

[0038] In this way, the ink container 1 is used while housed in the housing 120. The ink container 1 is housed in the housing 120 with the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 exposed through the opening 122 of the housing 120, and the width direction of the container body 10 matching the vertical direction of the housing 120. In other words, the ink container 1 is aligned in the housing 120 using the orientation of the threaded cap 20 as a reference. Therefore, if the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 is not properly aligned, the ink container 1 cannot properly fit the housing 120 when the container body 10 is housed in the housing 120. Here, the proper positional relationship is specifically such that, when viewed along the direction in which the hollow needle is inserted, the mark 29 is aligned with the center of the container body 10 in the width direction.

[0039] When the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12 of the container body 10 and the screwing is completed, the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 may not be appropriate. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 before and / or after screwing is completed. In this case, if the threaded cap 20 is installed on the container body 10 only by tightening the internal thread 25A screwed into the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap body 21 and the external thread 13A screwed into the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12, the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 can be easily adjusted by further screwing the threaded cap 20 into the container body 10 or by rotating the threaded cap 20 in the direction opposite to the direction used to screw the threaded cap 20 into the container body 10.

[0040] However, typically, the threaded cap body 21 and / or outlet 12 are equipped with a reverse rotation prevention mechanism to prevent ink leakage caused by the threaded cap 20 accidentally dislodging from the container body 10 due to reverse rotation after the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12. Therefore, in some cases, it may be difficult to reverse rotate the threaded cap 20 to adjust the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10. The ink container 1 of this embodiment is configured to solve this problem.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a view from the base of outlet 12 showing the threaded cap 20 screwed into outlet 12. Figure 5 In this context, a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system is defined with the center O of exit 12 as the origin, the axis passing through the center of mark 29 as the X-axis, and the axis orthogonal to the X-axis as the Y-axis. Figure 5 In the diagram, arrow A indicates the direction of screwing in the threaded cap 20.

[0042] like Figure 5 As shown, six protrusions 14A, 15A, 16A, 14B, 15B, and 16B are positioned adjacent to the base of the outlet 12, projecting outwards from the center O onto the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12. Specifically, this position is adjacent to the bottom of the external thread 13A etched into the outer circumferential surface 13, and is such that the tip of the threaded cap 20 can be externally covered when it is screwed into the outlet 12. Three protrusions 14A, 15A, and 16A are adjacent to each other, and three protrusions 14B, 15B, and 16B are adjacent to each other. Since the protrusions 14A, 15A, 16A, 14B, 15B, and 16B have the same shape, protrusion 14A will be used as a representative to describe the specific shape of the protrusion.

[0043] The protrusion 14A is composed of an inclined portion 14A1 and an interference portion 14A2. The interference portion 14A2 has a shape that rises approximately orthogonally from the outer circumferential surface 13 at an angle of, for example, 80º to 90º. The inclined portion 14A1 is continuous with the interference portion 14A2 and with the outer circumferential surface 13. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 14A1 relative to the outer circumferential surface 13 is a predetermined angle, for example, 15º to 45º. The inclination direction of the inclined portion 14A1 and the inclination direction of the interference portion 14A2 are different from each other. The inclination degree of the inclined portion 14A1 is less than the inclination degree of the interference portion 14A2.

[0044] Protrusion 15A is positioned at a location obtained by rotating protrusion 14A clockwise around center O, for example, by 45°. Similarly, protrusion 16A is positioned at a location obtained by rotating protrusion 15A clockwise around center O, for example, by 45°. That is, protrusion 16A is positioned at a location obtained by rotating protrusion 14A clockwise around center O by 90°. Protrusion 14B is positioned at a location obtained by rotating protrusion 14A around center O by 180°. Similarly, protrusions 15B and 16B are positioned at locations obtained by rotating protrusions 15A and 16A around center O by 180°, respectively.

[0045] On the other hand, the first protrusion 26A and the second protrusion 27A, the first protrusion 26B and the second protrusion 27B are provided on the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap body 21 in a manner that protrudes in a direction toward the center O. The first protrusion 26A and the first protrusion 26B have the same shape, and the first protrusion 26B is positioned at the position obtained by rotating the first protrusion 26A about the center O by 180°. The second protrusion 27A and the second protrusion 27B have the same shape, and the second protrusion 27B is positioned at the position obtained by rotating the second protrusion 27A about the center O by 180°.

[0046] Like the protrusion 14A, the first protrusion 26A consists of an inclined portion 26A1 and an interference portion 26A2. The interference portion 26A2 has a shape that rises approximately orthogonally from the inner circumferential surface 25 at an angle of, for example, 80° to 100°. The inclined portion 26A1 is continuous with the interference portion 26A2 and with the inner circumferential surface 25. The inclination angle of the inclined portion 26A1 relative to the inner circumferential surface 25 is a predetermined angle, for example, 15° to 30°. The inclination direction of the inclined portion 26A1 and the inclination direction of the interference portion 26A2 are different from each other. The inclination degree of the inclined portion 26A1 is less than that of the interference portion 26A2. When the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the inclined portion 26A1 contacts the inclined portion 14A1 of the protrusion 14A, thereby allowing the protrusion 14A to pass through the inclined portion 26A1. Figure 5 The image depicts the state just after the inclined portion 26A1 of the first protrusion 26A has allowed the protrusion 14A to pass through the inclined portion 26A1. On the other hand, the interference portion 26A2 interferes with the protrusion 14A (the interference portion 14A2 of the protrusion 14A), thereby preventing the threaded cap 20 from rotating in the opposite direction to the screwing rotation direction. Figure 5 If the threaded cap 20 rotates 3º in the opposite direction to the screwing rotation direction, the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A interferes with the protrusion 14A, and further reverse rotation of the threaded cap 20 is prevented.

[0047] Note that the angle "3º" is the angle between the X-axis and the straight line indicated by the dashed line connecting the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A and the center O. Since the X-axis, as described above, is a straight line passing through the center of mark 29 and the center O, the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A does not interfere with the protrusion 14A when mark 29 is facing forward. If the threaded cap 20 is rotated 3º from the state where mark 29 is facing forward in the opposite direction to the screw-in rotation, then the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A interferes with the protrusion 14A. In other words, "3º" is provided as a clearance angle. However, there is no limitation on this. A clearance angle may not be provided, or a clearance angle other than "3º" may be used.

[0048] The second protrusion 27A has a shape that gradually rises from the inner circumferential surface 25 and gradually descends after reaching the apex 27A1 to connect with the inner circumferential surface 25. Further, the second protrusion 27A of this embodiment has a shape in which the shapes of the front half and the rear half, separated from each other by a reference line extending from the center O and passing through the apex 27A1, are linearly symmetrical with respect to the reference line, and the front half and the rear half smoothly connect to each other at the apex 27A1. When the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the second protrusion 27A contacts the inclined portion 14A1 of the protrusion 14A to allow the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A. Since the second protrusion 27A is inclined, even with a gradual inclination, a frictional force in the rotational direction is generated between the second protrusion 27A and the protrusion 14A when the second protrusion 27A contacts the protrusion 14A. Since the second protrusion 27A does not include the interference portion 26A2 like the first protrusion 26A, the second protrusion 27A allows the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A in both the screw-in rotation direction of the threaded cap 20 and the direction opposite to the screw-in rotation direction. The second protrusion 27A can be formed as a hollow structure. If the second protrusion 27A is formed as a hollow structure, the second protrusion 27A is more easily deformed when the protrusion 14A contacts the second protrusion 27A, thus allowing the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A more smoothly. Furthermore, the maximum height of the second protrusion 27A in the direction toward the center O, that is, the height of the second protrusion 27A from the inner circumferential surface 25 to the apex 27A1, is less than the maximum height of the first protrusion 26A, that is, the height of the first protrusion 26A from the inner circumferential surface 25 to the apex of the interference portion 26A2. This ensures that the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A is prevented from interfering with the protrusion 14A, thus reliably suppressing the reverse rotation of the threaded cap 20. On the other hand, the second protrusion 27A allows the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A more smoothly.

[0049] As described above, the shapes of the first protrusion 26B and the second protrusion 27B are the same as or similar to the shapes of the first protrusion 26A and the second protrusion 27A, respectively, so the description of those shapes will be omitted.

[0050] The interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A and the apex 27A1 of the second protrusion 27A are separated from each other by a rotation angle of 3º+45º with the center O as the center of rotation. In this way, the second protrusion 27A is set to be separated from the first protrusion 26A by a predetermined range, and the second protrusion 27A is located upstream of the first protrusion 26A in the screwing rotation direction.

[0051] The following will describe a method for adjusting the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 using an ink container 1 constructed as described above.

[0052] Suppose now Figure 5 This depicts the state of the container body 10 just before adjustments are made to the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10. (If from...) Figure 5 As shown, when the threaded cap 20 is further screwed into the outlet 12, the threaded cap 20 rotates in the screwing rotation direction, i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow A. Therefore, the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A separates from the interference portion 14A2 of the protrusion 14A. Then, the second protrusion 27A approaches the inclined portion 14A1 of the protrusion 14A, and the state between the protrusion 14A (the inclined portion 14A1 of the protrusion 14A) and the second protrusion 27A changes from a non-contact state to a contact state. Figure 6B The state depicted is one where the contact between protrusion 14A and the second convex portion 27A has changed from a non-contact state to a contact state. Note that... Figure 6A and Figure 6B Each is observed from the base of the outlet 12' as the threaded cap 20 has been screwed into the outlet 12', which has two protrusions 14A and 14B, which are positioned on the outer circumferential surface 13 in a manner that protrudes from it. That is, from... Figure 6A and Figure 6B The number of protrusions on the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12' is different from that of the outlet 12'. Figure 5 The number of protrusions on the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12 is provided in a manner that makes the outlet 12 protrude. However, when describing the method of adjusting the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10, attention is paid to a protrusion 14A and a first protrusion 26A and a second protrusion 27A that contact the protrusion 14A, but... Figure 5 and Figure 6A , 6B This can be used as a reference in essentially the same way. Therefore, for convenience, the reference will be... Figure 6A and 6B Describe it. Note that... Figure 6A Describing as Figure 5 The threaded cap 20 is already screwed into the outlet 12.

[0053] like Figure 6B As shown, when the threaded cap 20 is removed from... Figure 6A Screw into outlet 12 at the position shown until... Figure 6B In the position shown, the rotation angle of the threaded cap 20 is, for example, 30º.

[0054] When the state between the protrusion 14A and the second convex portion 27A changes from a non-contact state to a contact state, a frictional force in the rotational direction is generated between the second convex portion 27A and the protrusion 14A, so the operator will feel pressure on their hands when screwing the threaded cap 20 into the outlet 12. This allows the operator to feel that the threaded cap 20 has reached the upper limit of the appropriate screwing amount range (i.e., the limit of the downstream side of the screwing rotation direction).

[0055] After the state between protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A has changed from a non-contact state to a contact state, if the threaded cap 20 continues to be screwed into the outlet 12, in this embodiment, the contact state between protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A is maintained within a rotation angle of 30º in the screwing rotation direction, i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow A. Subsequently, the state between protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A changes from a contact state to a non-contact state. This rotation angle range defines the period during which the operator's hand feels pressure, and this range is configured to make the operator perceive that he / she is over-screwing the threaded cap 20 into the outlet 12 (screwing the threaded cap 20 into the outlet 12 beyond the upper limit of the appropriate screwing amount range). This rotation angle range can vary depending on the shape of the second protrusion 27A. Preferably, this range can be set to a range of 5º to 45º.

[0056] On the other hand, if from Figure 6A Rotate the threaded cap 20 in the opposite direction to the screwing rotation direction, i.e., the opposite direction to arrow A, as shown in the diagram. Then, after rotating the threaded cap 20 by 3º (see...), Figure 5 After that, the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A and the protrusion 14A (the interference portion 14A2 of the protrusion 14A) interfere with each other, and further reverse rotation of the threaded cap 20 is restricted. The position where the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A and the protrusion 14A interfere with each other is the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in amount range (i.e., the limit of the upstream side of the screw-in rotation direction).

[0057] As described above, the appropriate screw-in range set in this embodiment is defined as follows: its lower limit is the position where the protrusion 14A interferes with the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A, and its upper limit is the range where the protrusion 14A contacts the second protrusion 27A. If expressed in terms of rotation angle about the center O, the appropriate screw-in range is 3º+30º. Within this range, the operator can screw in or unscrew the threaded cap 20 without feeling any particular pressure on their hand. That is, after the protrusion 14A has just passed the inclined portion 26A1 of the first protrusion 26A, the rotation angle at which the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12 is defined as 0º, and this 0º rotation angle is set as the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range. In this case, after rotating the threaded cap 20 by 3º+30º, the state between the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A changes from a non-contact state to a contact state. The 3º+30º rotation angle is the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range.

[0058] Because the lower and upper limits of the appropriate screw-in range are defined as described above, the operator can adjust the positional relationship between the threaded cap and the container body between the lower and upper limits of the appropriate screw-in range and restrict reverse rotation. Even if the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range is exceeded, the second protrusion 27A allows the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A, so the operator can reverse screw the threaded cap 20 in the opposite direction to the screw-in rotation until the threaded cap 20 reaches the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range.

[0059] Each of protrusions 14A and 14B is positioned such that if one of protrusions 14A and 14B is rotated 180° around center O, one of protrusions 14A and 14B overlaps with the other. Therefore, when the state between protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A changes from a non-contact state to a contact state, the state between protrusion 14B and the second protrusion 27B also changes from a non-contact state to a contact state. Furthermore, the second protrusion 27A and the first protrusion 26B can be omitted, but the positional relationship between protrusions 14A and 14B can be maintained. In this case, if protrusion 14A is used as a component for detecting the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range, and protrusion 14B is used as a component for detecting the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range, the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 can be adjusted in the same or similar manner as described above.

[0060] In the above description, the method for adjusting the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 is described by focusing on a protrusion 14A and a first protrusion 26A and a second protrusion 27A that contact the protrusion 14A. However, the state at the moment when adjusting the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 is not limited to... Figure 5The state depicted, and the protrusion within the appropriate screw-in range, can be another protrusion different from protrusion 14A. Even in this case, by simply replacing protrusion 14A with another protrusion, the positional relationship between the threaded cap 20 and the container body 10 can be adjusted in the same or similar manner as described above.

[0061] As described above, the ink container 1 of this embodiment includes: a container body 10, which includes an outlet 12 having a cylindrical shape, and an external thread 13A formed on the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12; and a threaded cap 20, which has a cylindrical shape and an internal thread 25A formed on the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap 20. The threaded cap 20 is configured such that when the outer circumferential surface 13 of the outlet 12 and the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap 20 face each other, the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12. The outlet 12 includes a protrusion 14A, which is provided on the outer circumferential surface 13 at a position adjacent to the cylindrical base of the outlet 12. The threaded cap 20 includes: a first protrusion 26A disposed on the inner circumferential surface 25, and having an inclined portion 26A1 and an interference portion 26A2. The inclined portion 26A1 is configured to allow the protrusion 14A to pass through the first protrusion 26A when the threaded cap 20 is rotated in a first direction of rotation and screwed into the outlet 12. The interference portion 26A2 is configured to interfere with the protrusion 14A to prevent the threaded cap 20 from rotating in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction. The threaded cap 20 also includes a second protrusion 27A configured to allow the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, and the second protrusion 27A contacts the protrusion 14A to generate a frictional force in the rotational direction.

[0062] As described above, in the ink container 1 of this embodiment, when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the first protrusion 26A and the second protrusion 27A of the threaded cap 20 pass through the protrusion 14A of the outlet 12. Then, if the screwing amount is excessive and the threaded cap 20 is rotated in the opposite direction of the screwing rotation to eliminate the excessive screwing amount, the threaded cap 20 can be screwed back even if the protrusion 14A contacts the second protrusion 27A, until the protrusion 14A interferes with the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A. When the threaded cap 20 is further screwed into the outlet 12 thereafter, the protrusion 14A contacts the second protrusion 27A, and a frictional force in the rotational direction is generated between the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A. When the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the operator feels pressure on their hand. Therefore, the operator can perceive that the current screwing amount is within the appropriate screwing amount range.

[0063] The container body 10 has a structure for attaching an outlet 12 made of resin to a bag made of membrane material, and the container body 10 is capable of containing UV-curable ink.

[0064] The threaded cap 20 is provided with an appropriate screw-in range relative to the outlet 12, and the interference portion 26A2 of the protrusion 14A and the first protrusion 26A is configured such that when the threaded cap 20, screwed into the outlet 12, reaches the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range, the interference portion 26A2 of the protrusion 14A and the first protrusion 26A interferes with each other. Based on this structure, the operator cannot rotate the threaded cap 20 in the opposite direction to the screwing direction beyond the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range, thereby limiting the reverse rotation of the threaded cap 20.

[0065] The threaded cap 20 is provided with an appropriate screw-in range relative to the outlet 12, and the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A are configured such that, when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12 and reaches the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range, the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A change from a state where they are not in contact with each other to a state where they are in contact with each other. Based on this structure, a frictional force in the rotational direction is generated between the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A, and the operator feels pressure on their hand when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12. Therefore, the operator can perceive that the current screw-in amount exceeds the appropriate screw-in range.

[0066] The second protrusion 27A is positioned upstream of the first protrusion 26A in the screwing rotation direction of the threaded cap 20, and is separated from the first protrusion 26A by a range of appropriate screwing amount. Based on this structure, the lower limit of the appropriate screwing amount range is defined by the first protrusion 26A, and the upper limit of the appropriate screwing amount range is defined by the second protrusion 27A.

[0067] The protrusions 14A and 14B include a first protrusion 14A and a second protrusion 12B. The second protrusion 14B is disposed downstream of the first protrusion 14A in the screwing rotation direction of the threaded cap 20, and sets an appropriate screwing amount range for the threaded cap 20 relative to the outlet 12. The interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 14A and the first protrusion 26A is configured such that when the threaded cap 20 screwed into the outlet 12 reaches the lower limit of the appropriate screwing amount range, the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 14A and the first protrusion 26A interferes with each other. The second protrusion 14B and the second protrusion 27B are configured such that when the threaded cap 20 screwed into the outlet 12 reaches the upper limit of the appropriate screwing amount range, the second protrusion 14B and the second protrusion 27B change from a state where the second protrusion 14B and the second protrusion 27B are not in contact with each other to a state where the second protrusion 14B and the second protrusion 27B are in contact with each other.

[0068] Based on the above structure, the first protrusion 14A can function as a component that notifies the operator of the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in range, and the second protrusion 14B can function as a component that notifies the operator of the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range. That is, the lower and upper limits of the appropriate screw-in range can be notified to the operator by using both protrusions as the first protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 14B, instead of using only one protrusion as the protrusion 14A to notify the operator of both the lower and upper limits of the appropriate screw-in range.

[0069] The maximum height of the second protrusion 27A in the direction from the inner circumferential surface 25 of the threaded cap 20 toward the axis of the outlet 12 is equal to or less than the maximum height of the first protrusion 26A in the same direction. Based on this structure, interference between the interference portion 26A2 of the first protrusion 26A and the protrusion 14A is prevented, thus reliably suppressing reverse rotation of the threaded cap 20. On the other hand, the second protrusion 27A allows the protrusion 14A to pass through it more smoothly.

[0070] The second protrusion 27A has a hollow portion. Based on this structure, when the protrusion 14A contacts the second protrusion 27A, the second protrusion 27A is easily deformable, thus allowing the protrusion 14A to pass through the second protrusion 27A more smoothly.

[0071] The threaded cap 20 has an IC memory 30, and the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 are exposed to the outside. Therefore, when contacting the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30, no special connector or similar is required; only one contact needs to be prepared.

[0072] The threaded cap 20 includes: a receiving hole 23 configured to receive a hollow needle inserted from the outside into the receiving hole 23; and a valve mechanism 24 configured to open or close depending on whether a hollow needle is inserted into the receiving hole 23. Based on this structure, the valve mechanism 24 is opened simply by inserting a hollow needle into the receiving hole 23, thus allowing ink to be poured out of the ink container 1 immediately.

[0073] The protrusions 14A and 14B of the outlet 12, the first protrusions 26A and 26B of the threaded cap 20, and the second protrusions 27A and 27B of the threaded cap 20 are configured as a group, in which the protrusions 14A and 14B of the outlet 12, the first protrusions 26A and 26B of the threaded cap 20, and the second protrusions 27A and 27B of the threaded cap 20 correspond to each other, and the liquid container 1 includes multiple groups. Based on this structure, when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the load applied to the protrusions 14A and 14B, the first protrusions 26A and 26B, and the second protrusions 27A and 27B of the threaded cap 20 can be distributed.

[0074] The second protrusion 27A is configured to maintain contact with the protrusion 14A within a range of 5° to 45° from the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in amount range in the screwing rotation direction. Based on this structure, the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A are maintained in contact with each other within the aforementioned range, and during this contact period, a frictional force in the rotational direction is generated between the protrusion 14A and the second protrusion 27A. Therefore, when the threaded cap 20 is screwed into the outlet 12, the operator feels pressure on their hand and can reliably sense that the current screw-in amount exceeds the appropriate screw-in amount range.

[0075] This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0076] (1) In the above embodiment, the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range is exemplified as 30º, the clearance angle when the mark 29 is facing forward is exemplified as 3º, and the distance between the protrusions 14A and 15A is exemplified as a rotation angle of 45º. However, angles other than those angles may be used.

[0077] (2) In the above embodiment, the protrusions 14A and 14B of the outlet 12, the first protrusions 26A and 26B and the second protrusions 27A and 27B of the threaded cap 20 are arranged in pairs in such a way that the parts correspond to each other, and there are two pairs. However, the number of pairs may be one or more than three.

[0078] (3) The above embodiments are described with reference to an outlet 12 having six protrusions 14A, 15A, 16A, 14B, 15B, 16B configured to protrude from the outer circumferential surface 13, and an outlet 12' having two protrusions 14A, 14B configured to protrude from the outer circumferential surface 13. However, the number of protrusions may be one, three to five, or more than six.

[0079] (4) In the above embodiments, ink container 1 is used as the liquid container, and UV ink is used as the ink contained in ink container 1. However, ink container 1 may also contain ink other than UV ink. In addition, the liquid contained in the liquid container may also be a liquid other than ink.

[0080] (5) In the above embodiment, the first part and the second part obtained by dividing the second protrusion 27A by a straight line extending from the center O to the vertex 27A1 are linearly symmetrical to each other with respect to the second protrusion 27A. However, the first part and the second part may not be symmetrical to each other. Similarly, the second protrusion 27B may not have a linearly symmetrical shape.

[0081] (6) In the above embodiment, the threaded cap 20 has an IC memory 30, and the contacts 31 of the IC memory 30 are exposed to the outside. However, the IC memory 30 and the contacts 31 can be omitted. Instead, an alignment portion or engagement portion can be formed in the threaded cap 20 to hold the ink outlet portion 22 in a specific orientation by the retaining portion 125.

[0082] List of reference numerals

[0083] 1. Ink container (liquid container)

[0084] 10. Container body

[0085] 13 Outer circumferential surface

[0086] 13A External Thread

[0087] Protrusions in 14A, 15A, 16A, 14B, 15B, and 16B.

[0088] 20 Threaded Cap

[0089] 23 Receiver hole

[0090] 24 Valve Mechanism

[0091] 25 Inner circumferential surface

[0092] 25A internal thread

[0093] 26A, 26B first convex part

[0094] 26A1 Inclined section

[0095] 26A2 Interferometer

[0096] 27A, 27B Second convex part

[0097] 30 IC memory (storage element)

[0098] 31. Contacts.

Claims

1. A liquid container, characterized in that, have: A container body, the container body including an outlet having a cylindrical shape, wherein an external thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet; and A threaded cap, having a cylindrical shape, has an internal thread formed on its inner circumferential surface. The threaded cap is configured such that it is screwed into the outlet when the outer circumferential surface of the outlet and the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap face each other. The outlet includes a protrusion disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the outlet at a position adjacent to the cylindrical base of the outlet, and The threaded cap includes: A first protrusion, disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap, has an inclined portion and an interference portion. The inclined portion is configured to allow the protrusion to pass through when the threaded cap is rotated in a first direction of rotation and screwed into the outlet. The interference portion is configured to interfere with the protrusion to prevent the threaded cap from rotating in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction. The second protrusion is configured to allow the protrusion to pass through when the threaded cap is screwed into the outlet, and the second protrusion contacts the protrusion to generate friction in the rotational direction.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The container body includes: Bags made of membrane material, and The outlet, made of resin, is attached to the bag.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2, characterized in that, The container body is configured to contain ultraviolet-curable ink.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The threaded cap is provided with an appropriate screw-in range relative to the outlet, and The interference portion of the protrusion and the first convex portion is configured such that, at the moment when the threaded cap being screwed into the outlet reaches the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in amount range, the interference portion of the protrusion and the first convex portion interfere with each other.

5. The liquid container according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that, The threaded cap is provided with an appropriate screw-in range relative to the outlet, and The protrusion and the second protrusion are configured such that, when the threaded cap screwed into the outlet reaches the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range, the protrusion and the second protrusion change from a state in which they are not in contact with each other to a state in which they are in contact with each other.

6. The liquid container according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the rotational direction, the second protrusion is disposed upstream of the first protrusion and is separated from the first protrusion by the appropriate screw-in amount range.

7. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, wherein in the rotational direction, the second protrusion is disposed downstream of the first protrusion. The threaded cap is provided with an appropriate screw-in range relative to the outlet, and The interference portions of the first protrusion and the first convex portion are configured such that, at the moment when the threaded cap screwed into the outlet reaches the lower limit of the appropriate screw-in amount range, the interference portions of the first protrusion and the first convex portion interfere with each other, and The second protrusion and the second convex portion are configured such that, when the threaded cap screwed into the outlet reaches the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range, the second protrusion and the second convex portion change from a state in which the second protrusion and the second convex portion are not in contact with each other to a state in which the second protrusion and the second convex portion are in contact with each other.

8. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum height of the second protrusion in the direction from the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap toward the axis of the outlet is equal to or less than the maximum height of the first protrusion in the direction from the inner circumferential surface of the threaded cap toward the axis of the outlet.

9. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second protrusion has a hollow portion.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The threaded cap has a memory, and The contacts of the memory are exposed to the outside.

11. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The threaded cap includes: A receiving hole, configured to receive a hollow needle inserted from the outside into the receiving hole; and A valve configured to open or close depending on the presence or absence of the hollow needle inserted into the receiving hole.

12. The liquid container according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion of the outlet, the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the threaded cap are configured as a group, wherein the protrusion of the outlet, the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the threaded cap in the group correspond to each other; and The liquid container comprises a plurality of the groups.

13. The liquid container according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second protrusion is configured to remain in contact with the protrusion within a range of 5° to 45° from the upper limit of the appropriate screw-in range in the first direction of the rotation direction.

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