Liquid container, printing apparatus, and printing system

Abstract

To provide a liquid container using recycled plastic.SOLUTION: According to a first embodiment, a liquid container including a liquid accommodation container and an adapter is provided. The liquid container includes a liquid contact section that is in contact with a liquid and a non-liquid contact section that is not in contact with the liquid, and a specific portion that is at least a portion of the non-liquid contact section in the adapter is made of a material containing recycled plastic. According to a second embodiment, a liquid container including a liquid accommodation container and an adapter is provided. The liquid container includes a liquid contact section that is in contact with a liquid and a non-liquid contact section that is not in contact with the liquid. The liquid accommodation container is formed of a multilayer structure including at least two layers. In the multilayer, the liquid contact section is made of a virgin plastic material. In the multilayer, the non-liquid contact section is made of a material containing recycled plastic.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container, a printing device, and a printing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, liquid containers that are configured with a liquid reservoir and an adapter and supply liquid to a printing device have been known. Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid container in which functional members such as a positioning portion, a liquid supply port, and a terminal contact substrate are formed on the adapter side. This liquid container is positioned relative to the printing device via the functional members. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-53798 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The material that constitutes the liquid container is not considered in Patent Document 1. However, in recent years, from the perspective of a recycling-oriented society, it has been desired to use recycled plastics as the material that constitutes the liquid container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container including a liquid container and an adapter, the liquid container including a liquid-contacting portion that contacts the liquid and a non-liquid-contacting portion that does not contact the liquid, and a specific portion of the adapter that is at least a part of the non-liquid-contacting portion is made of a material that includes recycled plastic. (2) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container comprising a liquid container and an adapter, the liquid container comprising a liquid-contacting portion that comes into contact with the liquid and a non-liquid-contacting portion that does not come into contact with the liquid, the liquid container having a multi-layer structure including at least two layers, the liquid-contacting portion of the multi-layer being made of virgin plastic material, and the non-liquid-contacting portion of the multi-layer being made of a material including recycled plastic. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cartridge mounting portion and a cartridge. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] First exploded view of the first type cartridge. [Figure 7] Second exploded view of the first type cartridge. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 shows a part of a first-class cartridge. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 shows a part of a first-class cartridge. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 shows a part of a first-class cartridge. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge and the cartridge mounting portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] Schematic diagram of the printing device as seen in the +Y direction. [Figure 14] Schematic diagram of the printing device as seen in the +Z direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a liquid supply unit. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of a first connection receiving portion. [Figure 17]FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a first liquid container. [Figure 19] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first attachment. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a part of the first attachment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: A-1. Printing system configuration: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing system 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 depicts three mutually orthogonal spatial axes, the X, Y, and Z axes. The directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows indicate the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the +X, +Y, and +Z directions, respectively. The directions opposite to the directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows are the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes. The negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the -X, -Y, and -Z directions, respectively. The directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. This also applies to the following figures and descriptions.

[0009] The printing system 1 includes a printing device 10 and a liquid container 4 that supplies ink, which is a liquid, to the printing device 10. In the first embodiment, the liquid container 4 is a cartridge. In the description of the first embodiment, the liquid container 4 will be referred to as a "cartridge 4."

[0010] The printing device 10 of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that ejects ink as a liquid from an ejection head 22. This printing device 10 is a large printer that prints on large-sized paper such as posters. The printing device 10 includes a cartridge mounting unit 6, a control unit 31, a carriage 20, an ejection head 22, and a drive unit 30. The printing device 10 also includes operation buttons 15 that allow the user to operate the operation of the printing device 10.

[0011] The cartridge mounting portion 6 has a first device wall 67 located on the +Y direction side. The first device wall 67 has an insertion / removal opening 674 that is an entrance / exit to the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge 4. The cartridge 4 is stored in the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 and removed from the storage chamber 61 through this insertion / removal opening 674. A plurality of cartridges 4 are detachably mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. In this embodiment, four types of cartridges 4, one for each of the four colors of ink, black, yellow, magenta, and cyan, i.e., a total of four cartridges 4, are mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. The cartridge 4 that stores black ink is also referred to as cartridge 4K, the cartridge 4 that stores yellow ink is also referred to as cartridge 4Y, the cartridge 4 that stores magenta ink is also referred to as cartridge 4M, and the cartridge 4 that stores cyan ink is also referred to as cartridge 4C. In this embodiment, the cartridge 4K is configured to store more liquid than the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y. Therefore, the cartridge 4K is also called a first-type cartridge 4A, and the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y are also called second-type cartridges 4B.

[0012] The printing device 10 has a replacement cover 13 on the front side in the +Y direction. The replacement cover 13 is configured to be openable and closable. Opening the replacement cover 13 exposes an opening in the cartridge mounting portion 6, allowing the cartridge 4 to be attached or detached. When the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge mounting portion 6, ink can be supplied to the ejection head 22 provided on the carriage 20 via a tube 24 serving as a liquid circulation pipe. In this embodiment, ink is supplied from the cartridge 4 to the ejection head 22 using a hydraulic head difference. Specifically, ink is supplied to the ejection head 22 by the hydraulic head difference between the ink liquid level in the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the ejection head 22. Note that the printing device 10 may supply ink to the ejection head 22 by sucking ink from the cartridge 4 using a pump mechanism (not shown). Note that a tube 24 is provided for each type of ink. In the present disclosure, a state in which the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge mounting portion 6 and ink as a liquid can be supplied to the printing device 10 is also referred to as an "attached state."

[0013] The ejection head 22 is provided with nozzles for each type of ink. The ejection head 22 ejects ink from the nozzles onto the printing paper 2 to print data such as characters and images. In this embodiment, the printing device 10 is a printer called an "off-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting unit 6 is not linked to the movement of the carriage 20. However, the printer may also be an "on-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting unit 6 is provided on the carriage 20 and moves together with the carriage 20.

[0014] The control unit 31 controls each unit of the printing device 10 and exchanges signals with the cartridge 4. The carriage 20 moves the ejection head 22 relative to the printing paper 2.

[0015] The drive device 30 reciprocates the carriage 20 based on control signals from the control unit 31. The drive device 30 includes a timing belt 32 and a drive motor 34. By transmitting power from the drive motor 34 to the carriage 20 via the timing belt 32, the carriage 20 moves back and forth in the main scanning direction, which is along the X direction. The printing device 10 also includes a transport mechanism for moving the print paper 2 in the sub-scanning direction, which is the +Y direction. When printing is performed, the print paper 2 is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the transport mechanism, and the print paper 2 after printing is output onto the front cover 11.

[0016] In this embodiment, when the printing system 1 is in use, the axis along the sub-scanning direction in which the print paper 2 is transported is defined as the Y axis, the axis along the downward direction of gravity is defined as the Z axis, and the axis along the movement direction of the carriage 20 is defined as the X axis. Here, the "usage state of the printing system 1" refers to a state in which the printing system 1 is installed on a horizontal surface. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction is defined as the +Y direction, the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction, the downward direction of gravity is defined as the -Z direction, and the upward direction of gravity is defined as the +Z direction. The X and Y directions are horizontal. When viewing the printing system 1 from the front, the direction from right to left is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. In this embodiment, the insertion direction of the cartridge 4 into the cartridge mounting portion 6 for installation is defined as the -Y direction, and the direction in which the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 is defined as the +Y direction. Therefore, the -Y side of the cartridge mounting portion 6 is also referred to as the rear side, and the +Y side is also referred to as the front side. In this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the multiple cartridges 4 is defined as the X direction.

[0017] A-2. General configuration of cartridge 4 when installed: Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the cartridge 4. In Fig. 2, cartridges 4K, 4M, and 4Y are shown in a mounted state where they have been completely mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. Also, in Fig. 2, cartridge 4C is shown in a state where it has been completely inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6. In the present disclosure, the state of the cartridge 4 where it has been completely inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6 is referred to as the "inserted state."

[0018] The cartridge 4 is detachably mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. The cartridge 4 moves in the horizontal insertion direction D1 to a predetermined position in the cartridge mounting portion 6. Then, the cartridge 4 rotates in the rotational mounting direction D2 around the rear side of the cartridge mounting portion 6 in the insertion direction D1 as a rotation fulcrum 698, receiving a force having a downward gravitational component, thereby reaching a mounted state in the cartridge mounting portion 6. Specifically, when the cartridge 4 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6, an mounting process is performed. The mounting process includes a terminal connection process and a supply unit connection process, which is performed after the terminal connection process. The terminal connection process is a process in which the cartridge 4 is moved in the horizontal insertion direction D1 through the insertion / removal opening 674 of the first device wall 67 and inserted into the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 to a predetermined position. The predetermined position is a position where contact between the cartridge-side terminals of the cartridge 4 (described later) and the device-side terminals of the cartridge mounting portion 6 (described later) is completed. The supply unit connecting process is a process of connecting a liquid introduction unit (described later) of the cartridge mounting unit 6 to a liquid supply unit (described later) of the cartridge 4 while maintaining contact between the device-side terminals and the cartridge-side terminals. Specifically, in the supply unit connecting process, the operation surface 435 of the cartridge 4 is subjected to a downward force of gravity, and the cartridge 4 rotates in the rotational mounting direction D2 indicated by the arrow around the rotation fulcrum 698 of the cartridge mounting unit 6, thereby connecting the liquid introduction unit to the liquid supply unit. Note that in the mounted state, a cartridge-side engaging unit (described later) of the cartridge 4 engages with an attachment engaging unit (described later) provided on the cartridge mounting unit 6, thereby maintaining the mounted state.

[0019] To remove the cartridge 4 from the cartridge mounting portion 6, the user lifts the rear wall 47 of the cartridge 4, causing it to rotate about the rotation fulcrum 698 in the disconnection direction D3, which is the opposite direction to the rotational mounting direction D2. This disengages the mounting engagement portion of the cartridge mounting portion 6 from the cartridge engagement portion of the cartridge 4. The cartridge 4 transitions from the mounted state to the inserted state by rotating in the disconnection direction D3. After the cartridge 4 has entered the inserted state, the cartridge 4 can be removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 by moving the cartridge 4 in the +Y direction, which is the removal direction D4.

[0020] A-3. Detailed configuration of cartridge mounting section 6: Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cartridge mounting portion 6. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the cartridge mounting portion 6. With respect to the cartridge mounting portion 6, the X direction is also referred to as the width direction, the Y direction is the depth direction, and the Z direction is the height direction. Note that, unless otherwise specified, the following description of each element will be based on the cartridge mounting portion 6 being in an initial arrangement state in which the cartridge 4 is not mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge mounting portion 6 forms a storage chamber 61 in which the cartridge 4 is stored. The storage chamber 61 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Within the storage chamber 61, slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, and 61K, which are portions that store the cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K, generally correspond to the external shapes of the cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K. In this embodiment, the cartridge 4K has a larger dimension in the X direction than the other cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y in order to store a larger amount of liquid. Therefore, in this embodiment, the width of the slot 61K is larger than the widths of the other slots 61C, 61M, and 61Y.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge mounting section 6 has six device walls 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 67 that form the storage chamber 61. In this disclosure, the term "wall" refers to a single wall as well as a wall formed by multiple walls. The first device wall 67 forms an insertion / removal opening 674 through which the cartridge 4 passes when inserted into or removed from the storage chamber 61. The second device wall 62 forms the wall of the storage chamber 61 in the -Y direction. The second device wall 62 faces the first device wall 67 in the Y direction.

[0023] The upper wall 63 forms the wall on the +Z direction side of the storage chamber 61. The bottom wall 64 faces the upper wall 63 in the Z direction and forms the wall on the -Z direction side of the storage chamber 61. The bottom wall 64 is formed by a support member 610. The bottom wall 64 has a plurality of openings 614. In this embodiment, four openings 614 are formed corresponding to the slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, and 61K. The upper wall 63 and the bottom wall 64 intersect with the second wall 62 and the first wall 67. In this disclosure, "intersect" and "intersect" refer to any of the following states: (i) two elements actually intersect with each other, (ii) one element intersects with the other element when extended, and (iii) the elements intersect with each other when extended.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge mounting section 6 further includes a support member 610, a liquid introduction section 642, an apparatus-side supply section positioning section 644, and an apparatus guide section 602. A plurality of support members 610 are provided according to the number of cartridges 4 to be mounted. In this embodiment, four support members 610 are provided. The support members 610 form the apparatus bottom wall 64 on the downward gravity side of the storage chamber 61. The support members 610 support the cartridges 4 from the -Z direction side, which is the downward gravity side. The support members 610 are members that extend along the Y direction. The support member 610 has a concave shape. The support member 610 includes a main wall 613 that forms the apparatus bottom wall 64, a first support side wall 611, and a second support side wall 612.

[0025] The main wall 613 forms a concave bottom located on the downward side of gravity. An apparatus opening 614 is formed in the end of the main wall 613 on the first apparatus wall 67 side. The apparatus opening 614 penetrates the main wall 613 in the thickness direction of the main wall 613.

[0026] 3, the first support side wall 611 rises in the +Z direction, which is the upward direction of gravity, from the +X direction end of the main wall 613. The second support side wall 612 rises in the +Z direction from the -X axis direction end of the main wall 613. The first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612 face each other in the X direction.

[0027] The device guide portion 602 guides the cartridge 4 in the insertion direction D1 and the removal direction D4. A device guide portion 602 is provided for each support member 610. A device guide portion 602 is provided on each of the first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612. The device guide portion 602 is a protrusion provided on the first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3 , the liquid introduction portion 642 receives the liquid from the cartridge 4. The liquid introduction portion 642 has a central axis CA1. In the initial arrangement state of the cartridge mounting portion 6, the liquid introduction portion 642 is not located within the storage chamber 61 but is located on the −Z direction side of the storage chamber 61. In other words, the liquid introduction portion 642 is located on the opposite side of the storage chamber 610 with respect to the support member 610 across the storage chamber 61. In this embodiment, the tip portion 642b of the liquid introduction portion 642 is located within the storage chamber 61 by rotating the support member 610 about the rotation fulcrum 698 in the rotational mounting direction D2 to press down the device opening 614. In other words, the rotation fulcrum 698 rotates the support member 610 to displace the device opening 614 downward in the direction of gravity, thereby positioning the tip portion 642b of the liquid introduction portion 642 within the storage chamber 61 via the device opening 614.

[0029] The apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 shown in FIG. 3 is received in a supply unit positioning portion of the cartridge 4 (described later) to restrict movement of the liquid supply unit of the cartridge 4 relative to the liquid introducing portion. This positions the liquid supply unit of the cartridge 4. In the initial state of the cartridge mounting portion 6, the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 is not located within the storage chamber 61, but is located on the -Z direction side of the storage chamber 61. In other words, the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 is located on the opposite side of the storage chamber 61 with respect to the support member 610, sandwiching the storage chamber 61 therebetween. The other end 644b of the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 is positioned within the storage chamber 61 by rotating the support member 610 about the rotation fulcrum 698 in the rotation mounting direction D2 to press down the device opening 614. In other words, the rotation fulcrum 698 rotates the support member 610 to displace the device opening 614, thereby positioning the other end 644b of the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 within the storage chamber 61 via the device opening 614.

[0030] 3, the cartridge mounting section 6 further includes an apparatus-side terminal section 70 and an apparatus-side identification section 630. The apparatus-side terminal section 70 includes an apparatus-side terminal that comes into contact with the cartridge-side terminal of the cartridge 4 when the cartridge 4 is in a fully mounted state.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the device-side terminal portion 70 has a plurality of device-side terminals 721 and a device-side terminal positioning portion 756. In this embodiment, nine device-side terminals 721 are provided. Each of the device-side terminals 721 is a conductive metal plate member. During the process of inserting the cartridge 4 into the accommodating chamber 61, the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 is received by the terminal positioning portion of the cartridge 4, and movement in the X and Y directions, which are directions intersecting with the insertion direction D1, is restricted. This allows the device-side terminals 721 and the cartridge-side terminals 521 to be positioned in the directions intersecting with the insertion direction D1.

[0032] Two device-side terminal positioning portions 756 are provided for each of the slots 61C to 61K. One of the two device-side terminal positioning portions 756 is also referred to as a first device-side terminal positioning portion 756t, and the other is also referred to as a second device-side terminal positioning portion 756w. The first device-side terminal positioning portion 756t and the second device-side terminal positioning portion 756w are each a columnar member extending in the Y direction. The first device-side terminal positioning portion 756t is provided on the first holding portion side wall 750ft. The second device-side terminal positioning portion 756w is provided on the second holding portion side wall 750fw.

[0033] 3 and 4, the device-side identification part 630 is used to identify whether the correct types of cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K have been inserted into the respective slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, and 61K of the storage chamber 61. The device-side identification part 630 forms different pattern shapes depending on the colors of the liquids contained in the cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K. The device-side identification part 630 is provided on the main wall 613 of the support member 610.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the device-side identifier 630 is formed by at least one rib. The pattern shape is determined by the number and position of the ribs. The cartridge 4 also has a cartridge-side identifier formed by ribs, which will be described later. The cartridge-side identifier forms a different pattern shape depending on the type of cartridge 4, i.e., the color of the liquid contained therein. When the correct type of cartridge 4 is inserted into the corresponding slot 61C to 61K, the device-side identifier 630 and the cartridge-side identifier fit together without collision. On the other hand, when the wrong type of cartridge 4 is inserted into the slot 61C to 61K, the device-side identifier 630 and the cartridge-side identifier collide, preventing further insertion of the cartridge 4. This reduces the possibility that the wrong type of cartridge 4 will be installed in each of the slots 61C to 61K of the cartridge installation unit 6.

[0035] 3, the apparatus-side terminal portion 70 and the apparatus-side indicator portion 630 are each provided on the support member 610. In the Y direction, which is the direction in which the support member 610 extends, the apparatus-side terminal portion 70 and the apparatus-side indicator portion 630 are located on the opposite side of the liquid introduction portion 642 and the apparatus opening portion 614 from the first apparatus wall 67. Specifically, the apparatus-side terminal portion 70 and the apparatus-side indicator portion 630 are provided near the second apparatus wall 62. Furthermore, the apparatus-side terminal portion 70 is located on the second apparatus wall 62 side, which is on the -Y direction side, compared to the apparatus-side indicator portion 630.

[0036] A-4. Detailed configuration of Cartridge 4: FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 6 is a first exploded view of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 7 is a second exploded view of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 8 is a first view showing a portion of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 9 is a second view showing a portion of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 10 is a third view showing a portion of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 4 and the cartridge mounting portion 6. With respect to the cartridge 4, the Y direction is the depth direction, the Z direction is the height direction, and the X direction is the width direction. In the views showing the cartridge 4, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are based on the insertion posture of the cartridge 4 into the cartridge mounting portion 6. The insertion posture is the same as the posture of the cartridge 4 in an inserted state after insertion into the cartridge mounting portion 6 is complete. The first-type cartridge 4A and the second-type cartridge 4B differ in the width of the liquid container 401. The first-type cartridge 4A is wider than the second-type cartridge 4B. Therefore, the volume of the liquid container 450 of the first type cartridge 4A is larger than the volume of the liquid container 450 of the second type cartridge 4B. The other configurations are the same between the first type cartridge 4A and the second type cartridge 4B. Note that, below, the configuration of the cartridge 4 will be described using the first type cartridge 4A.

[0037] 5, in this embodiment, the first-type cartridge 4A is composed of two members. In detail, the first-type cartridge 4A includes a liquid container 401 and an adapter 402 attached by fitting into the liquid container 401. The liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 are each molded by, for example, injection molding a synthetic resin such as polypropylene.

[0038] The first-class cartridge 4A in this embodiment includes a liquid-contacting portion that contacts the stored liquid and a non-liquid-contacting portion that does not contact the liquid. The liquid-contacting portion is made of virgin plastic material. Virgin plastic material is plastic produced without any additives and does not use waste plastic. In other words, virgin plastic material is plastic that has not been reused. The non-liquid-contacting portion is made of a material containing recycled plastic. Recycled plastic is plastic produced from waste plastic and is a mixture of multiple plastics. Here, the waste plastic can be recycled materials such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). In this disclosure, "recycled material" includes pre-consumer materials and post-consumer materials as defined in JIS Q14021. Pre-consumer materials are materials extracted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process. Specifically, pre-consumer materials can be, for example, waste scraps generated during the production of synthetic resin containers. Post-consumer materials are materials discarded from households or materials generated by commercial, industrial, and other end-user facilities that can no longer be used for their intended purposes. They also include materials returned from distribution channels. Specifically, post-consumer materials can be, for example, recycled resins, such as pulverized plastics obtained by crushing recycled synthetic resin containers. In this embodiment, materials containing recycled plastics include not only materials composed solely of recycled plastics, but also materials composed of a mixture of virgin and recycled plastics. Materials containing recycled plastics include, for example, more than 0% by weight and up to approximately 40% by weight of recycled plastics and less than 100% by weight and up to approximately 60% by weight of virgin plastics. Materials containing recycled plastics may also be produced by reacting polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, and a resin with reactive functional groups, and have excellent impact strength and flame retardancy. In this embodiment, the liquid-contacting portions are the liquid container 401 and the first peripheral portion (described later) of the adapter 402.The non-liquid-contacting portion is the portion of adapter 402 excluding the first peripheral portion. Note that in Figures 5 to 10, the portions that constitute the non-liquid-contacting portion are hatched. The non-hatched portions are the liquid-contacting portions.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, the first-type cartridge 4A includes a main body 41 forming an outer shell and a circuit board 50 attached to the main body 41. The main body 41 is formed by the liquid container 401 and the adapter 402. The main body 41 of the first-type cartridge 4A includes a front wall 42, a rear wall 47, an upper wall 43, a bottom wall 44, a first side wall 45, a second side wall 46, and a corner portion 89. The walls 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 are also referred to as surfaces 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47. The front wall 42 and the rear wall 47 face each other in the Y direction along the insertion direction D1. The upper wall 43 and the bottom wall 44 face each other in the Z direction. The Z direction is parallel to the central axis CA2 along the extension direction of the liquid supply portion 442. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 face each other in the X direction.

[0040] 5, the first side wall 45 is located on the -X direction side, and the second side wall 46 is located on the +X direction side. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 intersect with the front wall 42, the rear wall 47, the top wall 43, and the bottom wall 44, respectively. A corner portion 89 is provided at the corner where the front wall 42 and the bottom wall 44 intersect, and a circuit board 50 having cartridge-side terminals 521 is disposed thereon. The corner portion 89 has a recess 90 recessed inward.

[0041] The first type cartridge 4A further includes a liquid container 450 for storing liquid, a liquid supply section 442, a cartridge side identification section 430, a supply section positioning section 448, a container engagement section 80, a circuit board 50, a protrusion section 418, and a cartridge engagement section 497 shown in FIG. 10.

[0042] The liquid supply unit 442 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is in communication with the liquid container 450 and has a central axis CA2. The direction along the central axis CA2 is the Z direction. The direction along the central axis CA, which is the extension direction of the liquid supply unit 442, intersects with the -Y direction, which is the insertion direction D1. In other words, the liquid supply unit 442 extends in a direction intersecting the insertion direction D1, which is the Z direction in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid supply unit 442 is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the container bottom wall 431, which is the bottom wall of the liquid container 401, toward the adapter 402. The liquid supply unit 442 is disposed in a concave-shaped supply unit placement chamber 461 of the adapter 402. An insertion opening 446 is formed in the concave bottom of the supply unit placement chamber 461.

[0043] The peripheral portion 447 of the insertion portion shown in FIG. 5 is a region surrounding the insertion opening 446 and defines the insertion opening 446. The peripheral portion 447 has a first peripheral portion 447a that is a region surrounding the liquid supply portion 442 and a second peripheral portion 447b that is a region surrounding the first peripheral portion 447a. In the adapter 402, the first peripheral portion 447a is a region that may come into contact with liquid. For example, when the liquid supply portion 442 and the liquid introduction portion 642 are disconnected, the first peripheral portion 447a may come into contact with liquid leaking from the liquid supply portion 442. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first peripheral portion 447a is made of virgin plastic material. On the other hand, the second peripheral portion 447b is a region that does not come into contact with liquid. Therefore, in the adapter 402, the second peripheral portion 447b that constitutes the insertion portion is made of a material containing recycled plastic.

[0044] The cartridge-side identification portion 430 shown in FIG. 5 is used to identify whether the cartridge 4 is inserted into the correct slot 61C, 61M, 61Y, or 61K of the cartridge mounting portion 6. The cartridge-side identification portion 430 is a rib located on the bottom wall 44 on the side closer to the front wall 42, adjacent to the corner portion 89 in this embodiment. The cartridge-side identification portion 430 forms a different pattern shape depending on the color of the liquid contained in the cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, or 4K. The pattern shape is determined by the number and position of the ribs. In this embodiment, the cartridge-side identification portion 430 is formed from a material containing recycled plastic.

[0045] The supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 shown in FIG. 3 and positions the liquid supply unit 442 by restricting its movement relative to the liquid introduction portion 642. Specifically, during the supply unit connection process, the supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and restricts its movement in a direction intersecting the rotational mounting direction D2, thereby positioning the liquid supply unit 442 relative to the liquid introduction portion 642. As shown in FIG. 5, the supply unit positioning portion 448 is a recess formed in the bottom wall 44 and recessed from the outer surface of the bottom wall 44. The cross section of the supply unit positioning portion 448 is rectangular. Note that in other embodiments, the supply unit positioning portion 448 may be a recess that penetrates the bottom wall 44. In this embodiment, the supply unit positioning portion 448 extends in the +Z direction from the bottom wall 44 toward the top wall 43. The extension direction of the supply unit positioning portion 448 is the direction along which the liquid introduction portion 642 is received.

[0046] The supply unit positioning portion 448 is a recessed portion having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The opening area of ​​the inlet portion of the supply unit positioning portion 448 formed on the outer surface side of the bottom wall 44 is larger than the opening area of ​​the bottom side of the recess, which is located further back than the inlet portion. This allows the supply unit positioning portion 448 to easily receive the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 during the supply unit connection process. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is located on the opposite side of the cartridge-side terminals 521 of the circuit board 50, across the liquid supply unit 442 and the insertion opening 446, in the insertion direction D1. In this embodiment, the supply unit positioning portion 448 is formed near the rear wall 47 of the bottom wall 44. Note that in this embodiment, the supply unit positioning portion 448 is formed of a material containing recycled plastic.

[0047] 5 to 7, the liquid container 401 further has a container engaging portion 80 that detachably engages with the adapter 402. In this embodiment, six container engaging portions 80 are provided. When the six container engaging portions 80 are to be distinguished, they are referred to as a first container engaging portion 811, a second container engaging portion 812, a third container engaging portion 813, a fourth container engaging portion 814, a fifth container engaging portion 815, and a sixth container engaging portion 816.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the container engagement portion 80 is formed on the front surface 42, rear surface 47, first side surface 45, and second side surface 46 of the liquid container 401. As shown in FIG. 6, the first container engagement portion 811 and the second container engagement portion 812 are formed on the second side surface 46 at a position closer to the bottom surface 44. The first container engagement portion 811 is formed closer to the front surface 42 than the second container engagement portion 812. As shown in FIG. 5, the third container engagement portion 813 and the fourth container engagement portion 814 are formed on the container first side surface 45 at a position closer to the bottom surface 44. The third container engagement portion 813 is formed closer to the front surface 42 than the fourth container engagement portion 814. As shown in FIG. 6, the fifth container engagement portion 815 is formed on the front surface 42 at a position closer to the bottom surface 44. The sixth container engagement portion 816 is formed on the rear surface 47 at a position closer to the bottom surface 44. In this embodiment, the container engagement portions 80 are recesses formed in the front surface 42, the rear surface 47, the first side surface 45, and the second side surface 46.

[0049] The adapter 402 has an adapter engagement portion 410 that detachably engages with the container engagement portion 80. The adapter engagement portion 410 can engage and disengage with the container engagement portion 80 by elastically deforming. In this embodiment, the adapter engagement portion 410 has a snap-fit ​​structure, which allows it to elastically deform. In this embodiment, six adapter engagement portions 410 are provided, corresponding to the number of container engagement portions 80. When distinguishing between the six adapter engagement portions 410, they are referred to as a first adapter engagement portion 411, a second adapter engagement portion 412, a third adapter engagement portion 413, a fourth adapter engagement portion 414, a fifth adapter engagement portion 415, and a sixth adapter engagement portion 416.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 7 , the adapter engagement portion 410 is formed on the adapter peripheral surfaces, namely, the adapter front surface 472, the adapter rear surface 477, the adapter first side surface 475, and the adapter second side surface 476. The first adapter engagement portion 411 and the second adapter engagement portion 412 are formed on the adapter second side surface 476 near an end surface 476f that defines the opening (op) of the adapter 402 and faces the adapter bottom surface 474. The first adapter engagement portion 411 is formed closer to the adapter front surface 472 than the second adapter engagement portion 412. The third adapter engagement portion 413 and the fourth adapter engagement portion 414 are formed on the adapter first side surface 475 near an end surface 475f that defines the opening (op) of the adapter 402 and faces the adapter bottom surface 474. The third adapter engagement portion 413 is formed closer to the adapter front surface 472 than the fourth adapter engagement portion 414. The fifth adapter engagement portion 415 is formed on the adapter front surface 472 near the adapter bottom surface 474. The sixth adapter engagement portion 416 is formed on the adapter rear surface 477 at a position close to the adapter bottom surface 474. In this embodiment, the adapter engagement portion 410 is a protrusion that engages with the container engagement portion 80, which is a recess. The adapter engagement portions 410 protrude inward of the adapter 402 from the adapter front surface 472, the adapter rear surface 477, the adapter first side surface 475, and the adapter second side surface 476.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the first adapter engagement portion 411 engages with the first housing engagement portion 811. The second adapter engagement portion 412 engages with the second housing engagement portion 812. The third adapter engagement portion 413 engages with the third housing engagement portion 813. The fourth adapter engagement portion 414 engages with the fourth housing engagement portion 814. The fifth adapter engagement portion 415 engages with the fifth housing engagement portion 815. The sixth adapter engagement portion 416 engages with the sixth housing engagement portion 816.

[0052] As described above, each of the adapter engaging portions 411-416 disengageably engages with each of the corresponding container engaging portions 811-816, whereby the adapter engaging portions 411-416 detachably engage the liquid container 401 with the adapter 402. In this embodiment, the adapter engaging portion 410 is formed from a material containing recycled plastic.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8, the circuit board 50 is disposed in the corner portion 89. The circuit board 50 has a plurality of cartridge-side terminals 521 disposed on a surface 50fa. In this embodiment, nine cartridge-side terminals 521 are provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the surface 50fa on which the plurality of cartridge-side terminals 521 are disposed is inclined with respect to the insertion direction D1. Specifically, the surface 50fa faces in a direction including a -Z direction component and a -Y direction component, and is inclined with respect to the insertion direction D1.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the terminal mounting portion 52 mounts the circuit board 50 to the corner portion 89. In this embodiment, the terminal mounting portion 52 has a first terminal mounting portion 523 and a second terminal mounting portion 525. The first terminal mounting portion 523 mounts the circuit board 50 from the +Y direction side. The second terminal mounting portion 525 mounts the circuit board 50 from the -Y direction side. In this embodiment, the first terminal mounting portion 523 and the second terminal mounting portion 525 are formed from a material that contains recycled plastic.

[0055] 8 and 9, the circuit board 50 is disposed in a recess 90 in the corner portion 89. As shown in Fig. 5, the recess 90 is provided across the front wall 42 and the bottom wall 44. As shown in Fig. 9, the recess 90 has a recess front wall 982 that forms an entrance opening located on the front wall 42 side, a recess bottom wall 988 that forms the bottom of the recess 90, and a pair of recess side walls 902t, 902w.

[0056] The recess bottom wall 988 has a portion that is inclined with respect to the Y direction. In this embodiment, the inclined portion is inclined so as to be positioned toward the +Z direction side as it approaches the recess front wall 982 in the Y direction. The circuit board 50 is placed on this inclined portion.

[0057] The pair of recess side walls 902t, 902w are walls connected to the recess bottom wall 988. The pair of recess side walls 902t, 902w face each other in the X direction. The first recess side wall 902t is connected to the -X direction end of the recess bottom wall 988. The second recess side wall 902w is connected to the +X direction end of the recess bottom wall 988. When the first recess side wall 902t and the second recess side wall 902w are used without distinction, they are referred to as recess side walls 902. An entrance opening, which is an opening formed in the recess front wall 982, serves as an entrance when the device-side terminal unit 70 shown in FIG. 4 is inserted into the recess 90.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 9 , a pair of terminal positioning portions 906t, 906w are provided on a pair of recess sidewalls 902t, 902w, respectively. The pair of terminal positioning portions 906t, 906w are arranged to face each other in the X-axis direction. When the pair of terminal positioning portions 906t, 906w are used separately, they are also referred to as a first terminal positioning portion 906t and a second terminal positioning portion 906w. When they are not used separately, they are also referred to as a terminal positioning portion 906. The terminal positioning portion 906 is a groove formed in the recess sidewall 902. The first terminal positioning portion 906t is a groove recessed from the surface of the first recess sidewall 902t. The second terminal positioning portion 906w is a groove recessed from the surface of the second recess sidewall 902w. Note that the shape of the terminal positioning portion 906 is not limited to a groove as long as it can accommodate the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 shown in FIG. 4. For example, in another embodiment, the terminal positioning portion 906 may be configured with two protrusions spaced apart in the Z direction, with the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 shown in FIG.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 , the first terminal positioning portion 906t receives the first device-side terminal positioning portion 756t during the terminal connection process. That is, the first device-side terminal positioning portion 756t is inserted into the first terminal positioning portion 906t. The second terminal positioning portion 906w receives the second device-side terminal positioning portion 756w during the terminal connection process. That is, the second device-side terminal positioning portion 756w is inserted into the second terminal positioning portion 906w. The insertion of the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 into the terminal positioning portion 906 is performed after the cartridge-side indicator 430 and the device-side indicator 630 have started to fit together. Furthermore, the insertion of the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 into the terminal positioning portion 906 is started before the device-side terminals 721 and the cartridge-side terminals 521 start to contact each other.

[0060] When the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 is received in the terminal positioning portion 906, the device-side terminal positioning portion 756 and the terminal positioning portion 906 come into contact with each other. This restricts movement of the cartridge-side terminals 521 in the Z direction and the X direction, which are directions intersecting the insertion direction D1 of the cartridge-side terminals 521 relative to the device-side terminals 721. In other words, by receiving the device-side terminal positioning portion 756, the terminal positioning portion 906 restricts relative movement of the cartridge-side terminals 521 and the device-side terminals 721 in directions intersecting the direction of insertion D1. By restricting movement, the cartridge-side terminals 521 are positioned in the Z direction and the X direction, which are directions intersecting the insertion direction D1 of the cartridge-side terminals 521 relative to the device-side terminals 721. In this embodiment, the terminal positioning portion 906 is made of a material that contains recycled plastic.

[0061] 5, the protrusion 418 is formed on the adapter bottom surface 474. More specifically, the protrusion 418 is formed on the end of the adapter bottom surface 474 on the adapter rear surface 477 side. The protrusion 418 releases the restriction imposed by the restriction mechanism of the cartridge mounting portion 6 that restricts movement of the adapter 402 in the rotational mounting direction D2 for inserting the liquid introduction portion 642 into the insertion opening 446. In this embodiment, the protrusion 418 is made of a material that includes recycled plastic.

[0062] 10, cartridge engaging portion 497 is provided on rear wall 47. Cartridge engaging portion 497 is a recess recessed from the outer surface of rear wall 47. In this embodiment, cartridge engaging portion 497 is made of a material containing recycled plastic.

[0063] 11, in a mounted state in which the cartridge 4 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6, the apparatus-side supply portion positioning portion 644 is received in the supply portion positioning portion 448 of the cartridge 4. In addition, the liquid introduction portion 642 and the liquid supply portion 442 are connected. At this time, the cartridge engaging portion 497 engages with the mounting engaging portion 697 of the cartridge mounting portion 6. This maintains the mounted state of the cartridge 4 and the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0064] The cartridge mounting portion 6 has an apparatus biasing member 625 that applies an external force Ft1 to the support member 610 to return the support member 610 to its initial position when the cartridge 4 is mounted. The apparatus biasing member 625 is a coil spring provided between the support member 610 and the liquid storage portion 699, and is compressed when mounted. When compressed, the apparatus biasing member 625 applies an external force Ft1 having a +Z direction component to the support member 610. Therefore, when the user lifts the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4 in the mounted state, the cartridge 4 receives the external force Ft1 and rotates in the connection release direction D3. This disengages the mounting engagement portion 697 from the cartridge engagement portion 497.

[0065] As described above, in the cartridge 4 of this embodiment, the liquid-contacting portion that comes into contact with the liquid is made of virgin plastic material. Furthermore, the non-liquid-contacting portion that does not come into contact with the liquid is made of a material containing recycled plastic. In this embodiment, the liquid-contacting portion is the liquid container 401 and the first peripheral portion 447a of the adapter 402, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this disclosure, the "liquid-contacting portion" of the cartridge 4 includes not only the area that comes into contact with the liquid by storing the liquid, but also the area that is likely to come into contact with the liquid due to the liquid adhering thereto. For example, when the cartridge 4 is attached to or detached from the printing device 10, liquid may adhere to the first peripheral portion 447a. Therefore, the liquid-contacting portion includes not only the liquid container 401 that comes into contact with the liquid by storing the liquid, but also the first peripheral portion 447a that is likely to come into contact with the liquid due to the liquid adhering thereto. The non-liquid-contacting portion is the portion of the adapter 402 excluding the first peripheral portion 447a. The non-liquid-contacting portion of the adapter 402 includes a specific portion that is at least a part of the adapter 402, and other portions of the adapter 402. In this embodiment, the specific portion includes the second peripheral portion 447b, the supply unit positioning portion 448, the terminal mounting portion 52, the terminal positioning portion 906, the cartridge side identification portion 430, the adapter engaging portion 410, and the protrusion 418. Note that the specific portion may be the remaining portion of the adapter 402 excluding the first peripheral portion 447a. In this way, by constructing the specific portion of the adapter 402 of the cartridge using a material that includes recycled plastic, the environmental impact can be reduced.

[0066] In this embodiment, first peripheral portion 447a of liquid container 401 and adapter 402 is made of virgin plastic material. This is because when a component containing recycled plastic comes into contact with liquid, the recycled plastic dissolves in the liquid, generating foreign matter that could affect the quality of the liquid. In this embodiment, by making first peripheral portion 447a of liquid container 401 and adapter 402 out of virgin plastic material, the quality of the liquid can be maintained.

[0067] Furthermore, when a member containing recycled plastic comes into contact with a liquid, the strength of the member may decrease or the member may deform. Therefore, by forming liquid container 401 and peripheral portion 447 of liquid supply portion 442 from virgin plastic material, it is possible to prevent liquid container 401 and first peripheral portion 447a of adapter 402 from decreasing in strength or deforming.

[0068] As described above, in this embodiment, the specific portion has the second peripheral portion 447b, the supply unit positioning portion 448, the terminal mounting portion 52, the terminal positioning portion 906, the cartridge side indicator 430, the container engaging portion 80, and the protrusion 418. Note that the specific portion only needs to have at least one of the second peripheral portion 447b, the supply unit positioning portion 448, the terminal mounting portion 52, the terminal positioning portion 906, and the cartridge side indicator 430. This allows recycled plastic to be used uniformly for cartridges 4 even when the types, destinations, etc. of the printing devices 10 and cartridges 4 are different.

[0069] In this embodiment, the specific portion is configured as a separate member from the other portions of the adapter 402. Here, the term "separate members" refers to cases where the two members can be disassembled and cases where the two members cannot be disassembled but are formed by two-color molding. In this embodiment, the second peripheral portion 447b, the supply unit positioning portion 448, the terminal mounting portion 52, the terminal positioning portion 906, and the cartridge side indicator 430 are configured to be separable from the other portions of the adapter 402. For example, the separable structure may use a snap fit structure, a sliding detachable structure, or a hook-and-loop fastener detachable structure. Note that at least one of the second peripheral portion 447b, the supply unit positioning portion 448, the terminal mounting portion 52, the terminal positioning portion 906, and the cartridge side indicator 430 may be configured as a separate member from the other portions of the adapter 402. This allows the recycled plastic content ratio in the specific portion to be different from the recycled plastic content ratio in the other portions of the adapter 402.

[0070] In this embodiment, the terminal positioning portion 906 shown in FIG. 9 requires higher precision and strength than the other specific portions. Generally, when a component is constructed using recycled plastic and virgin plastic, the higher the proportion of virgin plastic, the higher the precision and strength of the component. Therefore, when the specific portion is constructed as a separate component from the other portions of the adapter 402, for example, the proportion of virgin plastic used in the terminal positioning portion 906 can be higher than the proportion of virgin plastic used in the supply unit positioning portion 448. In this way, by constructing the specific portion as a separate component from the other portions of the adapter 402, the proportion of recycled plastic and virgin plastic used can be changed depending on the precision and strength required of the component.

[0071] In this embodiment, the cartridge 4 is configured so that the liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 can be disassembled. Specifically, in this embodiment, the liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 are configured so that they can be disassembled using an adapter engaging portion 410 that has a snap-fit ​​structure. This makes it possible to reuse only the liquid container 401 after collecting the used cartridge 4, thereby reducing the environmental impact. Note that in other embodiments, the liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 may be configured so that they can be attached and detached using a sliding mechanism, or so that they can be attached and detached using a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0072] B. Second embodiment: B-1. Printing system configuration: Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing device 10t that constitutes a printing system 1t in the second embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, Fig. 12 depicts three mutually orthogonal spatial axes, that is, X, Y, and Z axes.

[0073] In the second embodiment, the printing system 1t is an inkjet printing system. The printing device 10t is an inkjet printer. The printing device 10t has a housing 3, which is a hollow resin box that forms the exterior of the printing device 10t. The housing 3 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. An operation unit 7, a medium discharge port 9, a medium receiving unit 12, a medium storage port 14, a medium storage unit 16, and a cover member 17 are provided on a front surface 5 located on the -Y direction side.

[0074] The operation unit 7 has a display unit 7i that displays information to the user and multiple operation buttons 7b that accept user operations. The medium outlet 9 is an exit for media fed from inside the printing device 10t. The medium outlet 9 is formed as a slit-like opening that is wide in the X direction and opens in the -Y direction. The medium receiving unit 12 protrudes like a canopy in the -Y direction from below the medium outlet 9 and receives media discharged from the medium outlet 9.

[0075] The medium storage opening 14 is an opening through which the user can replenish media in the printing device 10t. In this embodiment, the medium storage opening 14 is open in the -Y direction below the medium receiving section 12 and has a generally rectangular opening shape that is wide in the X direction. The medium storage unit 16 is a tray-shaped member that stores a stock of media, which are the media to be processed in this embodiment. The medium storage unit 16 is stored in the medium storage opening 14 with its front surface visible from outside the printing device 10t through the medium storage opening 14. The user can replenish media in the printing device 10t by pulling the medium storage unit 16 out of the printing device 10t in the -Y direction, storing the media in the medium storage unit 16, and then loading the medium storage unit 16 back into the medium storage opening 14.

[0076] The cover member 17 is a plate-like member made of resin that forms part of the exterior of the printing device 10t. In this embodiment, the cover member 17 has a generally rectangular shape that is wide in the X direction, and is disposed below the medium storage opening 14. The cover member 17 has claws (not shown) on its outer periphery, and is removably attached to the housing 3. The cover member 17 covers and protects multiple liquid containers 4 stored inside the printing device 10t. In the second embodiment, the liquid containers 4 are ink packs. In the description of the second embodiment, the liquid containers 4 will be referred to as "ink packs 4t."

[0077] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the printing device 10t viewed in the +Y direction with the housing 3 and cover member 17 removed. Of the main components of the printing device 10t, FIG. 13 illustrates the control unit 31t, the ejection execution unit 25, the medium transport unit 35, the liquid supply mechanism 40, and the case storage unit 60. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the printing device 10t viewed in the +Z direction with the housing 3 and cover member 17 removed. The control unit 31t, the ejection execution unit 25, and the medium transport unit 35 shown in FIG. 13 are omitted from FIG. 14. For convenience, FIG. 14 illustrates the state in which each of the ink packs 4t, together with the case 162, has been pulled out in the -Y direction from the placement area LA, which is the installation position where the ink packs 4t have been completely installed in the printing device 10t.

[0078] As shown in Figure 13, the printing device 10t includes a control unit 31t, a jetting unit 25, a medium transport unit 35, a liquid supply mechanism 40, and a case storage unit 60. In the printing device 10t, liquid is supplied to the jetting unit 25 from ink packs 4t stored in the case storage unit 60 via supply piping 420 of the liquid supply mechanism 40. The jetting unit 25 then ejects the liquid onto the medium MP that is being fed and transported by the medium transport unit 35 from the medium storage unit 16, thereby forming a printed image on the medium MP. The control unit 31t, the jetting unit 25, the medium transport unit 35, the liquid supply mechanism 40, and the case storage unit 60 will be described in order.

[0079] The control unit 31t controls the operation of each component in the printing device 10t. The control unit 31t is configured by a microcomputer equipped with at least a central processing unit and a main memory device, and performs various functions by the central processing unit loading and executing various programs into the main memory device. The functions of the control unit 31t will be explained in turn.

[0080] 13, the ejection execution unit 25 includes a head unit 22t and a plurality of tubes 27. The head unit 22t receives a supply of liquid from the liquid supply mechanism unit 40 via the plurality of tubes 27. The head unit 22t includes a liquid chamber (not shown) that stores the liquid supplied from the liquid supply mechanism unit 40. A nozzle 33 that opens downward is provided on the bottom surface of the liquid chamber. Under the control of the control unit 31t, the head unit 22t ejects the liquid from the liquid chamber through the nozzle 33 by a known method, such as applying pressure to the ink using a piezoelectric element.

[0081] In the second embodiment, the head unit 22t is mounted on a carriage 20t and configured to move linearly back and forth in the X direction under the control of the control unit 31t. In FIG. 2, a double-headed arrow PS is shown indicating the direction and range of movement of the head unit 22t. In the second embodiment, the main scanning direction of the printing device 10t coincides with the X direction. The ejection execution unit 25 includes, as a drive mechanism for moving the head unit 22t, a guide shaft for moving the carriage 20t, a motor that generates driving force, and a pulley that transmits the driving force.

[0082] The multiple tubes 27 connected to the head unit 22t are flexible. The multiple tubes 27 are arranged in parallel in the Y direction. The multiple tubes 27 are arranged in a substantially straight line in the +X direction along the scanning path of the head unit 22t from joints 433, which are connection sites with supply pipes 420 of the liquid supply mechanism 40 described below, and are curved upward and folded back in the -X direction before being connected to the head unit 22t. The curved portions 32r of the multiple tubes 27 are displaced as the head unit 22t moves. This prevents the multiple tubes 27 from interfering with the main scanning of the head unit 22t, facilitating the movement of the head unit 22t.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 13, the medium transport unit 35 transports the medium MP to be processed under the control of the control unit 31t. The medium transport unit 35 includes a transport roller 36 installed in the X direction below the head unit 22t. The above-mentioned medium storage unit 16 is located below the transport roller 36. The medium transport unit 35 includes a feeding mechanism (not shown) that feeds the medium MP one sheet at a time from the medium storage unit 16 onto the outer peripheral side surface of the transport roller 36. The medium transport unit 35 rotates the transport roller 36 using a drive motor (not shown), and the rotational driving force moves the medium MP in the -Y direction below the head unit 22t. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction of the printing device 10t coincides with the -Y direction. The medium MP that passes through the area below the head unit 22t is discharged to the outside of the printing device 10t via the medium discharge port 9 shown in FIG. 12.

[0084] 13, when a printing process is executed in the printing device 10t, the control unit 31t causes the medium transport unit 35 to transport the medium MP in the sub-scanning direction described above. Then, above the transport roller 36, the head unit 22t is caused to move back and forth in the main scanning direction along the transport roller 36, and ink droplets are ejected from the head unit 22t toward the printing surface of the medium MP at timing determined based on the print data. As a result, ink dots are recorded on the medium MP at positions determined based on the print data, and an image based on the print data is formed.

[0085] Figure 15 is a schematic perspective view showing the liquid supply mechanism 40. In order to show the positional relationship between the liquid supply mechanism 40 and the opening member 163 in the printing apparatus 10t, Figure 15 shows the opening member 163 along with the liquid supply mechanism 40. In addition to the above-mentioned plurality of supply pipes 420 and joint parts 433, the liquid supply mechanism 40 includes a plurality of connection receptacles 500, a fluctuating pressure generating part 455, and a pressure transmission pipe 460.

[0086] 14, the liquid supply mechanism 40 is connected to each of the ink packs 4t housed in the case housing 60 via a plurality of connection receptacles 500. In the printing device 10t, four ink packs 4t, one for each color ink, are installed, as will be described later. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the liquid supply mechanism 40 is provided with four connection receptacles 500 corresponding to each of the four ink packs 4t.

[0087] In the second embodiment, three of the four ink packs 4t are first ink packs 4ta, each with the same liquid capacity, and the remaining ink pack 4tb is a second ink pack 4tb, with a larger liquid capacity than the first ink pack 4ta. Three of the multiple connection receptacles 500 are first connection receptacles 500a corresponding to the first ink pack 4ta, and the remaining connection receptacle 500b corresponding to the second ink pack 4tb. The first connection receptacle 500a and the second connection receptacle 500b are collectively referred to as "connection receptacles 500" unless otherwise required. Similarly, the first ink pack 4ta and the second ink pack 4tb are collectively referred to as "ink pack 4t" unless otherwise required. Note that in this embodiment, there is virtually no substantial difference in the configuration for connection to the ink pack 4t between the first connection receptacle 500a and the second connection receptacle 500b.

[0088] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, multiple connection receptacles 500 are installed at the end of the case storage unit 60 on the +Y direction side. The connection receptacles 500 are arranged in a row in the X direction at the bottom row in the deepest position on the rear side of the printing device 10t. Each connection receptacle 500 is installed so that it can accept a connection from the -Y direction side of the corresponding ink pack 4t. The three first connection receptacles 500a are installed in parallel, approximately equally spaced from the right side. The second connection receptacle 500b is installed on the far left.

[0089] B-2.Detailed configuration of the connection receiving section: 16 is a schematic perspective view showing a portion of the first connection receiving portion 500a among the multiple connection receiving portions 500. Unless otherwise specified, the following description applies to both the first connection receiving portion 500a and the second connection receiving portion 500b. The connection receiving portion 500 is configured as a single component that integrates a liquid introduction portion 642t, an apparatus-side terminal portion 70t, an apparatus-side supply portion positioning portion 644t, an apparatus-side fixing structure 54, and an apparatus-side identification portion 630t.

[0090] The liquid introduction portion 642t receives liquid from the ink pack 4t. In the second embodiment, the liquid introduction portion 642t is located at the end of the case storage portion 60 on the +Y direction side. The liquid introduction portion 642t is configured as a tube portion having a shape that extends linearly in the -Y direction, and is open at a tip portion 642tc on the -Y direction side. The liquid introduction portion 642t is connected to the ink pack 4t by inserting the tip portion 642tc into the ink pack 4t. The liquid introduction portion 642t protrudes in the -Y direction from approximately the center of the connection receiving portion 500 in the X direction.

[0091] The rear end of the liquid introduction part 642t on the +Y direction side communicates with a pump chamber (not shown) provided inside the connection receiving part 500. The liquid that flows into the liquid introduction part 642t flows into the pump chamber.

[0092] The connection receiver 500 in the second embodiment has a liquid receptacle 56 provided below the liquid introduction portion 642t. The liquid receptacle 56 extends in the -Y direction along the liquid introduction portion 642t. The liquid receptacle 56 is slightly curved downward to fit the shape of the lower side of the liquid introduction portion 642t, and functions as a tray to receive liquid that leaks from the connection portion between the liquid introduction portion 642t and the ink pack 4t. The liquid receptacle 56 is optional.

[0093] A base end member 57 is provided at the rear end of the liquid introduction portion 642t and the liquid receiving portion 56 on the +Y direction side. The base end member 57 is a resin member having a through hole 57p through which the liquid introduction portion 642t is inserted. The base end member 57 is attached so as to be movable in the Y direction. A helical spring serving as a biasing member 57e is disposed on the rear side of the base end member 57 so as to surround the periphery of the liquid introduction portion 642t, and applies an elastic force in the -Y direction to the base end member 57. Because the biasing member 57e is located behind the base end member 57, its position is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 16. The force applied by the biasing member 57e causes the base end member 57 to elastically move in the Y direction, as indicated by arrow SD.

[0094] The apparatus-side terminal portion 70t shown in FIG. 16 is electrically connected to the ink pack 4t. The apparatus-side terminal portion 70t is located at the end of the case storage portion 60 on the +Y direction side. The apparatus-side terminal portion 70t has multiple apparatus-side terminals 721t arranged in the X direction. The multiple apparatus-side terminals 721t protrude from the surface of the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t and contact and electrically connect with ink pack-side terminals of the ink pack 4t (described later). It is desirable that the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t be biased in its protruding direction by an elastic member such as a leaf spring. In the second embodiment, the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t is arranged at an inclination angle corresponding to the arrangement angle of the ink pack-side terminals of the ink pack 4t. The apparatus-side terminal portion 70t is arranged facing diagonally upward so that the normal vector of its surface has a vector component in the -Y direction and a vector component in the -Z direction.

[0095] An apparatus-side terminal positioning portion 756t is provided on each side of the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t in the X direction. Of the two apparatus-side terminal positioning portions 756t, one is also referred to as the first apparatus-side terminal positioning portion 756tt, and the other is also referred to as the second apparatus-side terminal positioning portion 756tw. The apparatus-side terminal positioning portions 756tt and 756tw are columnar members that protrude in the -Y direction and function as positioning portions when connecting the ink pack-side terminals of the ink pack 4t to the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t.

[0096] 16 includes two apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644t: a first apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644tf and a second apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644ts. The pair of apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644tf, 644ts protrude at positions spaced apart from each other. In the second embodiment, the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644tf, 644ts are configured as axial portions extending in the -Y direction and are arranged in parallel with the liquid introduction portion 642t. The first apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644tf is located on the -X direction side of the liquid introduction portion 642t, and the second apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644ts is located on the +X direction side of the liquid introduction portion 642t. The first apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644tf is located on the -X direction side of the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t. In this embodiment, the tip positions of the pair of apparatus-side supply section positioning sections 644tf, 644ts in the Y direction are substantially aligned. The apparatus-side supply section positioning sections 644tf, 644ts are provided at substantially the same height, and are provided at a lower position than the liquid introduction section 642t and the apparatus-side terminal section 70t.

[0097] When the ink pack 4t is installed, the pair of apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644tf, 644ts are both inserted into supply unit positioning portions (described later) provided on the ink pack 4t. The apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644tf, 644ts have the function of determining the position of the ink pack 4t in the X direction and the angle of the ink pack 4t in the horizontal direction when the ink pack 4t is installed.

[0098] 16, the apparatus-side fixed structure 54 cooperates with a case-side fixed structure (described later) provided on the case 162 in which the ink pack 4t is placed, to restrict movement of the case 162 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the apparatus-side fixed structure 54 is configured as an arm-shaped member that extends in the -Y direction so that it can fit under the installed ink pack 4t. The apparatus-side fixed structure 54 is located on the -X direction side of the liquid introduction portion 642t, and below the apparatus-side terminal portion 70t.

[0099] The tip 54b on the -Y direction side of the apparatus-side fixing structure 54 protrudes further in the -Y direction than the tip 642tc of the liquid introduction portion 642. Furthermore, the tip 54b protrudes further in the -Y direction than the tips of the positioning portions 644tf, 644ts. A protrusion 54p is provided on the tip 54b. The protrusion 54p protrudes in the -Z direction from the center of the tip 54t. The protrusion 54p engages with an engaged portion (not shown) provided on the case-side fixing structure when the case 162 is in a case-stored state attached to the case storage portion 60. More specifically, the protrusion 54p engages with the engaged portion provided on the case-side fixing structure, thereby restricting movement of the case 162 in the -Y direction. In the second embodiment, the engaged portion provided on the case-side fixing structure has a heart-cam structure.

[0100] As indicated by the double-headed arrow EX, the device-side fixing structure 54 is attached in a state in which it is permitted to rotate laterally around its rear end on the +Y side as a fulcrum. The device-side fixing structure 54 is biased in the +X direction by an elastic member (not shown) arranged inside the connection receiving portion 500, and elastically rotates in the -X direction when subjected to an external force in the -X direction. The device-side fixing structure 54 is also attached in a state in which it is permitted to rotate vertically around its rear end on the +Y side as a fulcrum, as indicated by the double-headed arrow EZ. The device-side fixing structure 54 is biased in the -Z direction by an elastic member (not shown) arranged inside the connection receiving portion 500, and elastically rotates in the +Z direction when subjected to an external force in the +Z direction.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 16 , the device-side indicator 630t is located on the +X direction side of the liquid introduction section 642t. The device-side indicator 630t is located above the second device-side supply section positioning section 644ts. The device-side indicator 630t is formed by at least one rib. The pattern shape is determined by the number and position of the ribs. The ink pack 4t also has an ink pack-side indicator formed by ribs, which will be described later. The ink pack-side indicator forms a different pattern shape depending on the type of ink pack 4t, i.e., the color of the liquid contained therein. When the correct type of ink pack 4t is inserted into the corresponding connection receiving section 500, the device-side indicator 630t and the ink pack-side indicator fit together without collision. On the other hand, when the wrong type of ink pack 4t is inserted into the connection receiving section 500, the device-side indicator 630t and the ink pack-side indicator collide, preventing further insertion of the ink pack 4t. This reduces the possibility that the wrong type of ink pack 4t will be connected to the connection receiving portion 500.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 13, in a printing device 10t according to the second embodiment, a case storage unit 60 is provided at the bottom. A plurality of cases 162 are stored in the case storage unit 60. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, when the cases are stored in the above-described state, the plurality of cases 162 are arranged in a line in the X direction in the case storage unit 60. A plurality of ink packs 4t are arranged in each of the plurality of cases 162. One ink pack 4t is arranged in one case 162. In other words, the case storage unit 60 stores a plurality of ink packs 4t arranged in a line in the X direction with each case 162 arranged in the case. Also, in FIG. 14, an arrangement area LA, which is the arrangement position of the cases 162 and ink packs 4t when installed in the case storage unit 60, is shown by a dashed line.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 14, multiple cases 162 are used to attach ink packs 4t. In the second embodiment, the cases 162 are configured as tray-shaped containers. The cases 162 can be attached to and detached from the printing device 10t by moving them in the Y direction in the case storage unit 60. The cases 162 can be set in the case storage unit 60 even when they are empty and do not contain any ink packs 4t. Details of attaching and detaching the cases 162 and ink packs 4t to and from the printing device 10t will be described later.

[0104] The ink pack 4t is detachably disposed on the -Z direction side of the case 162 pulled out from the case storage section 60. The ink pack 4t is attached to the printing device 10t while it is disposed in the case 162. That is, the printing device 10t is attached to the case storage section 60 of the printing device 10t while it is disposed in the case 162. The ink pack 4t is removed from the case storage section 60 while it is disposed in the case 162. The case 162 includes a first case 162a in which the first ink pack 4ta is disposed, and a second case 162b in which the second ink pack 4tb is disposed. The first case 162a and the second case 162b will be collectively referred to as "case 162" unless there is a need to distinguish between them. Details of the configuration of the case 162 will be described later.

[0105] In this disclosure, the first ink pack 4ta properly arranged in the first case 162a is also referred to as the "first mounting body 105a." Similarly, the second ink pack 4tb properly arranged in the second case 162b is also referred to as the "second mounting body 105b." When there is no particular need to distinguish between the first mounting body 105a and the second mounting body 105b, they are collectively referred to as the "mounting body 105."

[0106] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 15 , an opening member 163 is disposed at the entrance of the case storage section 60. The opening member 163 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape, and is provided with four through holes 164 that penetrate in the thickness direction. The opening member 163 is fixedly installed at the end of the case storage section 60 on the -Y direction side, with its thickness direction coinciding with the Y direction and its longitudinal direction coinciding with the X direction. Each through hole 164 is an insertion hole through which a case 162 is inserted. Each through hole 164 has an opening shape that corresponds to the outer peripheral contour shape of the corresponding case 162 when viewed in the Y direction.

[0107] B-3. ​​Detailed composition of ink pack: Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of the first mounting body 105a as seen from above. Fig. 18 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the first ink pack 4ta removed from the first case 162a as seen from above. Fig. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first mounting body 105a. Fig. 20 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the adapter 402t as seen from above. Fig. 21 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the recess 90t extracted from Fig. 19.

[0108] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the first ink pack 4ta is composed of two members. The first ink pack 4ta includes a liquid container 401t and an adapter 402t. When viewed in the Z direction, the liquid container 401t has a substantially rectangular outer contour with the Y direction as its longitudinal direction. The adapter 402t forms the end portion of the liquid container 401t on the +Y direction side.

[0109] The first ink pack 4ta in the second embodiment has a liquid contact portion that comes into contact with the ink stored therein, and a non-liquid contact portion that does not come into contact with the ink. As in the first embodiment, the liquid contact portion is made of virgin plastic material. The non-liquid contact portion is made of a material containing recycled plastic. In the second embodiment, the liquid contact portion is the liquid container 401t and a first peripheral portion of the adapter 402t, which will be described later. The non-liquid contact portion is the portion of the adapter 402t excluding the first peripheral portion, which will be described later. Note that in Figures 17 to 20, the portions that make up the non-liquid contact portion are hatched. The non-hatched portions are the liquid contact portion.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 19, liquid container 401t is a container having liquid storage portion 115t configured to store liquid therein. Liquid container 401t is flexible. Liquid container 401t may be flexible enough to bend under its own weight, or it may be flexible enough to maintain its shape under its own weight and bend when a load greater than its own weight is applied. As shown in FIG. 18, when viewed in the Z direction, liquid container 401t has a substantially rectangular shape with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 19, liquid container 401t is formed by overlapping two sheet members 111 and 112 and welding their outer peripheral edges 113 together.

[0111] The first sheet member 111 is disposed on the -Z direction side and constitutes the upper surface of the liquid container 401t. The second sheet member 112 is disposed on the +Z direction side and constitutes the lower surface of the liquid container 401t. The sheet members 111, 112 have rectangular shapes of the same size. The sheet members 111, 112 do not have to have a completely flat shape. It is desirable that the sheet members 111, 112 are molded in a curved shape that gradually bulges out toward the center of the liquid container 401t.

[0112] Each of the sheet members 111, 112 is formed of a material that is flexible, gas-barrier, and liquid-impermeable. Each of the sheet members 111, 112 may be formed of a film material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), nylon, or polyethylene. Each of the sheet members 111, 112 may be formed by laminating multiple films made of the above-mentioned materials. In this case, for example, the outer layer may be formed of a PET or nylon film that has excellent impact resistance, and the inner layer may be formed of a polyethylene film that has excellent ink resistance. Furthermore, a layer on which aluminum or the like is vapor-deposited may be added to the laminated structure.

[0113] 19, a supply port member 116 is attached to the end of the liquid container 401t on the +Y direction side. The supply port member 116 will be described later.

[0114] 18, the adapter 402t is attached to the end of the liquid container 401t on the +Y direction side. The adapter 402t has the function of connecting to the corresponding first connection receiving portion 500a and the function of fixing the first ink pack 4ta to the first case 162a. The adapter 402t has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the X direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 20, the adapter 402t has a first surface 121, a second surface 122, a third surface 123, a fourth surface 124, a fifth surface 125, and a sixth surface 126.

[0116] The first surface 121 faces the +Y direction and constitutes the leading edge of the first ink pack 4ta in the installation direction. As will be described later, the components for connecting to the first connection receiving portion 500a are grouped together on the first surface 121 side of the adapter 402t. The second surface 122 faces opposite the first surface 121 and faces the -Y direction. The second surface 122 constitutes the trailing edge of the first ink pack 4ta in the installation direction. The liquid container 401t described above is fixed to the second surface 122. The third surface 123 intersects the first surface 121 and the second surface 122 and faces the -Z direction. The third surface 123 constitutes the top surface of the adapter 402t. A handle 170a is attached to the third surface 123 to improve the handling of the first ink pack 4ta. The handle 170a will be described later.

[0117] The fourth surface 124 faces the third surface 123 and intersects with the first surface 121 and the second surface 122. The fourth surface 124 is the surface on the +Z direction side, faces the +Z direction, and constitutes the bottom surface of the adapter 402t. The fifth surface 125 intersects with the first surface 121, the second surface 122, the third surface 123, and the fourth surface 124. The fifth surface 125 faces the +X direction and constitutes the left side surface of the adapter 402t. The sixth surface 126 faces the fifth surface 125 and intersects with the first surface 121, the second surface 122, the third surface 123, and the fourth surface 124. The sixth surface 126 faces the -X direction and constitutes the right side surface of the adapter 402t.

[0118] The adaptor 402t has a first member 127f and a second member 127s that are stacked in the Z direction. A slit 128 is formed in the adaptor 402t. The end of the liquid container 401t on the +Y direction side is inserted into the slit 128 formed in the second surface portion 122. The liquid container 401t is fixed to the adaptor 402t with its end on the +Y direction side sandwiched between the first member 127f and the second member 127s in the Z direction.

[0119] 20, the adapter 402t is provided with components for connecting to the first connection receiving portion 500a, including an insertion portion 447t that defines an insertion opening 446t, a corner portion 89t, a supply portion positioning portion 448t, and an ink pack side identification portion 430t. In the adapter 402t, these components are all located on the first surface portion 121 side.

[0120] As shown in FIG. 20, the insertion opening 446t is an opening that opens in the +Y direction, and the liquid introduction part 642t shown in FIG. 16 is inserted into it. The liquid supply part 442t is disposed inside the insertion opening 446t. The liquid supply part 442t is cylindrical. The central axis of the liquid supply part 442t is parallel to the Y direction. The liquid introduction part 642t of the first connection receiver 500a shown in FIG. 16 is inserted into the liquid supply part 442t in the +Y direction. The liquid supply part 442t is provided at approximately the center of the first surface part 121 in the X direction.

[0121] 19, the liquid supply unit 442t is in communication with the liquid storage unit 115t. The liquid supply unit 442t is connected to a supply port member 116 attached to the end of the liquid storage container 401t on the +Y direction side, and is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the supply port member 116 in the +Y direction.

[0122] The peripheral portion 447t serving as the insertion portion shown in FIG. 20 defines the insertion opening 446t. The peripheral portion 447t has a first peripheral portion 447ta, which is an area surrounding the insertion opening 446t, and a second peripheral portion 447tb, which is an area surrounding the first peripheral portion 447ta. In the adapter 402t, the first peripheral portion 447ta is an area that may come into contact with liquid. For example, when the liquid supply portion 442t and the liquid introduction portion 642t are disconnected, the first peripheral portion 447ta may come into contact with liquid leaking from the liquid supply portion 442t. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first peripheral portion 447ta is made of virgin plastic material. On the other hand, the second peripheral portion 447tb is an area that does not come into contact with liquid. Therefore, in the adapter 402t, the second peripheral portion 447tb is made of a material containing recycled plastic.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 21, the circuit board 50t is disposed in the corner portion 89t. The circuit board 50t has a plurality of ink pack side terminals 521t disposed on the surface 50tfa. In this embodiment, nine ink pack side terminals 521t are provided. The circuit board 50t is in electrical contact with the device side terminal portion 70t of the first connection receptacle 500a shown in FIG. 16. The ink pack side terminals 521t are disposed in positions corresponding to the device side terminals 721t of the device side terminal portion 70t.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 21 , the terminal mounting portion 52t secures the circuit board 50t to the corner portion 89t. In this embodiment, the terminal mounting portion 52t has a first terminal mounting portion 523t and a second terminal mounting portion 525t. The first terminal mounting portion 523t secures the circuit board 50t from the -Y direction side. The second terminal mounting portion 525t secures the circuit board 50t from the +Y direction side. In the second embodiment, the first terminal mounting portion 523t and the second terminal mounting portion 525t are formed from a material containing recycled plastic.

[0125] As shown in Fig. 20, the circuit board 50t is disposed in a recess 90t in the corner portion 89t. The recess 90t is provided across the first surface portion 121 and the third surface portion 123. As shown in Fig. 21, the recess 90t has a recess front wall 982t that forms an entrance opening located on the first surface portion 121 side, a recess bottom wall 988t that forms the bottom of the recess 90t, and a pair of recess side walls 902tt, 902tw.

[0126] The recess bottom wall 988t has a portion that is inclined with respect to the Y direction. In this embodiment, the inclined portion is inclined so as to be positioned toward the +Z direction as it approaches the recess front wall 982t in the Y direction. The circuit board 50t is placed on this inclined portion.

[0127] The pair of recess side walls 902tt, 902tw are walls connected to the recess bottom wall 988t. The pair of recess side walls 902tt, 902tw face each other in the X direction. The first recess side wall 902tt is connected to the +X direction end of the recess bottom wall 988t. The second recess side wall 902tw is connected to the -X direction end of the recess bottom wall 988t. When the first recess side wall 902tt and the second recess side wall 902tw are used without distinction, they are referred to as the recess side walls 902t. An entrance opening, which is an opening formed in the recess front wall 982t, serves as an entrance when the device-side terminal portion 70t is inserted into the recess 90t.

[0128] A pair of terminal positioning portions 906tt, 906tw are provided on the pair of recess side walls 902t, 902w, respectively. The pair of terminal positioning portions 906tt, 906tw are provided to face each other in the X-axis direction. When the pair of terminal positioning portions 906tt, 906tw are used separately, they are also referred to as the first terminal positioning portion 906tt and the second terminal positioning portion 906tw, and when they are not used separately, they are simply referred to as the terminal positioning portion 906t. The terminal positioning portion 906t is a groove formed in the recess side wall 902t. The first terminal positioning portion 906tt is a groove recessed from the surface of the first recess side wall 902tt. The second terminal positioning portion 906tw is a groove recessed from the surface of the second recess side wall 902tw.

[0129] 16 and 21, when the device-side terminal portion 70t is connected to the circuit board 50t, the first terminal positioning portion 906tt receives the first device-side terminal positioning portion 756tt. That is, the first device-side terminal positioning portion 756tt is inserted into the first terminal positioning portion 906tt. The second terminal positioning portion 906tw receives the second device-side terminal positioning portion 756tw. That is, the second device-side terminal positioning portion 756tw is inserted into the second terminal positioning portion 906tw.

[0130] When the device-side terminal positioning portion 756t is received in the terminal positioning portion 906t, the device-side terminal positioning portion 756t and the terminal positioning portion 906t come into contact. This restricts movement in the Z direction and the X direction, which are directions intersecting the Y direction, which is the insertion direction of the ink pack-side terminal 521t into the device-side terminal 721t. In other words, by receiving the device-side terminal positioning portion 756t, the positioning portion 906t restricts relative movement between the ink pack-side terminal 521t and the device-side terminal 721t in directions intersecting the Y direction, which is the insertion direction. By restricting movement, positioning is performed in the Z direction and the X direction, which are directions intersecting the Y direction, which is the insertion direction of the ink pack-side terminal 521t into the device-side terminal 721t. In this embodiment, the terminal positioning portion 906t is made of a material that includes recycled plastic.

[0131] As shown in Fig. 20, the first supply unit positioning portion 448tf and the second supply unit positioning portion 448ts are provided on the first surface portion 121 of the adapter 402t. When the first ink pack 4ta is attached to the printing device 10t, the first supply unit positioning portion 448tf receives the first device-side supply unit positioning portion 644tf of the first connection receiving portion 500a shown in Fig. 16, and the second supply unit positioning portion 448ts receives the second device-side supply unit positioning portion 644ts. This appropriately determines the attachment position of the first ink pack 4ta.

[0132] In the second embodiment, the first supply unit positioning portion 448tf and the second supply unit positioning portion 448ts are formed as holes extending in the -Y direction and have a first opening 151f and a second opening 151s, respectively. The openings 151f, 151s of the first receiving portion 150f and the second receiving portion 150s respectively receive insertion from the +Y direction side of the corresponding device-side supply unit positioning portion 644tf, 644ts.

[0133] The first receiving portion 150f is located on the -X direction side of the liquid supply portion 442t. In the first ink pack 4ta, the first supply portion positioning portion 448tf is provided at a lower corner on the -X direction side of the first surface portion 121. On the other hand, the second supply portion positioning portion 448ts is located on the +X direction side of the liquid supply portion 442t. In the first ink pack 4ta, the second supply portion positioning portion 448ts is provided at a lower corner on the +X direction side of the first surface portion 121. In this embodiment, the pair of supply portion positioning portions 448tf, 448ts are formed from a material that includes recycled plastic.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 20, the ink pack side indicator 430t is located on the +X side of the liquid supply portion 442t. The ink pack side indicator 430t is located at the +Y side end of the third surface portion 123, closer to the +X side end. The ink pack side indicator 430t is a rib. The ink pack side indicator 430t forms a different pattern shape depending on the color of the liquid contained in the ink pack 4t. The pattern shape is determined by the number and position of the ribs. In the second embodiment, the ink pack side indicator 430t is formed from a material that includes recycled plastic.

[0135] As shown in Fig. 20, the fourth surface 124 of the adapter 402t is provided with a recess 160 that is recessed in the -Z direction. In the second embodiment, the recess 160 has a generally rectangular shape, extends in the +Y direction to the first surface 121, and is open in the +Y direction. As shown in Fig. 18, when the first ink pack 4ta is placed in the first case 162a, a protrusion (described later) formed on the bottom surface of the first case 162a is housed in the recess 160.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 20, a pair of mating recesses 161 are formed on the fourth surface 124 of the adapter 402t. The two mating recesses 161 are arranged to sandwich the liquid supply unit 442t in the X direction. The two mating recesses 161 are formed in positions adjacent to the liquid supply unit 442t and the insertion opening 446t in the X direction. In this embodiment, each mating recess 161 is formed as a recess that is cut in the -Z direction. Like the recess 160 described above, each mating recess 161 opens in the +Y direction on the first surface 121. When the first ink pack 4ta is placed in the first case 162a, a portion of the rear wall 203 of the first case 162a shown in FIG. 18 is inserted into and mated with each mating recess 161. This positions the liquid supply unit 442t relative to the first case 162a in the X direction.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 20, the handle 170a is a portion that the user can grip when moving the first ink pack 4ta, etc. In this embodiment, the handle 170a is made by molding a resin member such as polypropylene. The handle 170a includes a grip portion 171, two connecting portions 172 and 173, and two base end portions 174 and 175. The grip portion 171 is a portion that the user can hold with their hands. The grip portion 171 extends in the X direction.

[0138] The two connecting portions 172, 173 extend from both ends of the grip portion 171 in a direction intersecting the X direction. The first connecting portion 172 connects the end of the grip portion 171 on the +X direction side to a first base end portion 174. The second connecting portion 173 connects the end of the grip portion 171 on the -X direction side to a second base end portion 175. The base ends 174, 175 are shaft-like portions having a substantially cylindrical shape, and protrude to face each other along the X direction. It is desirable that the grip portion 171 and the two connecting portions 172 are appropriately hollowed out to reduce weight.

[0139] The first base end 174 protrudes in the +X direction from an end of the first connecting portion 172, and the second base end 175 protrudes in the -X direction from an end of the second connecting portion 173. The two base ends 174, 175 are each connected to a fixing portion 176 provided on the third surface portion 123 of the adapter 402t. The handle 170a is rotatably fixed to the adapter 402t by the fixing portion 176. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 176 is configured as an axial hole extending in the X direction, and the base ends 174, 175 are inserted into the axial hole in the X direction.

[0140] The handle 170a is provided in a position that is exposed when the first ink pack 4ta is placed in the first case 162a. The handle 170a is provided in a position that is visible to the user and that allows the user to operate it. In the second embodiment, the handle 170a is made of a material that includes recycled plastic.

[0141] B-4. Detailed case configuration: 17 and 18, the first case 162a has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the X direction as the longitudinal direction. The first case 162a is formed as a hollow box that is open in the -Z direction and the +Y direction. The first case 162a is made of a resin material such as polypropylene.

[0142] 18, first case 162a includes a bottom wall 200, two side walls 201 and 202, two rear walls 203, and a front wall 205. Bottom wall 200 is a substantially rectangular wall that forms the bottom of first case 162a and extends in the X and Y directions.

[0143] 17 and 18, the first side wall 201 is a generally rectangular wall that intersects with and is connected to the long side of the bottom wall 200 on the -X direction side, and constitutes the right side wall of the first case 162a. The second side wall 202 is a generally rectangular wall that intersects with and is connected to the long side of the bottom wall 200 on the +X direction side, and constitutes the left side wall of the first case 162a. The first side wall 201 and the second side wall 202 extend parallel to each other over almost the entire area in the Y direction. The first side wall 201 and the second side wall 202 sandwich the liquid container 401t of the first ink pack 4ta in the X direction, and define the angle of the liquid container 401t in the horizontal plane along the Y direction.

[0144] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the two rear walls 203 stand in the -Z direction at the end of the bottom wall 200 on the +Y direction side. Each rear wall 203 is provided at both ends in the X direction and is connected to one of the two side walls 201, 202 that is on the same side in the X direction. When the first ink pack 4ta is placed, the liquid supply portion 442t is located between the two rear walls 203. Parts of the rear wall 203 are inserted into and fit into each of the fitting recesses 161 formed on both sides of the liquid supply portion 442t in the X direction, closing each fitting recess 161.

[0145] 17 and 18, the two rear walls 203 are lower than the side walls 201, 202. The two rear walls 203 are formed to cover the area below the circuit board 50t and the ink pack-side indicator 430t of the adapter 402t when the first ink pack 4ta is placed in the first case 162a. The rear walls 203 are provided with through-holes 203h at positions corresponding to the supply unit positioning portions 448tf, 448ts, for receiving the insertion of the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portions 644tf, 644ts shown in FIG.

[0146] 18, the front wall portion 205 extends in the X and Z directions at the end portion on the -Y direction side of the bottom wall portion 200, and is connected to the bottom wall portion 200 and the two side wall portions 201, 202. The height of the front wall portion 205 is greater than that of the two side wall portions 201, 202.

[0147] A convex portion 210 that protrudes in the -Z direction is provided on the end portion on the +Y direction side of the bottom surface 200s of the bottom wall portion 200. The convex portion 210 is located closer to the -X direction side than the center portion in the X direction, and is located closer to the -X direction side than the pair of fitting convex portions 207. In this embodiment, the convex portion 210 is rectangular. The convex portion 210 is formed hollow. When the first ink pack 4ta is placed in the first case 162a, the convex portion 210 is housed in the recess 160 of the adapter 402t described above.

[0148] In the second embodiment, when the protrusion 210 is housed in the recess 160, the outer wall surface of the protrusion 210 comes into surface contact with the inner wall surface of the recess 160. In other words, the protrusion 210 fits into the recess 160. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the protrusion 210 and the recess 160 function as positioning portions for the adapter 402t in the first case 162a.

[0149] As described above, in the ink pack 4t of the second embodiment, the liquid-contacting portion that comes into contact with the liquid is made of virgin plastic material. The non-liquid-contacting portion that does not come into contact with the liquid is made of a material containing recycled plastic. In the second embodiment, the liquid-contacting portion is the liquid container 401t and the first peripheral portion 447ta of the adapter 402t, as shown in FIG. 5 . The non-liquid-contacting portion is the portion of the adapter 402t excluding the first peripheral portion 447ta. The non-liquid-contacting portion of the adapter 402t includes a specific portion that is at least a part of the adapter 402t and other portions of the adapter 402t. In this embodiment, the specific portion includes the second peripheral portion 447tb that constitutes the insertion portion, the supply unit positioning portion 448t, the terminal mounting portion 52t, the terminal positioning portion 906t, and the ink pack-side indicator 430t. The specific portion may also be the remaining portion of the adapter 402t excluding the first peripheral portion 447ta. As a result, even in the second embodiment in which the liquid container 4t is an ink pack 4t, the environmental load can be reduced by configuring specific portions using materials containing recycled plastics.

[0150] C. Other Embodiments: (C1) In the first and second embodiments described above, the liquid containers 401, 401t are each composed of a single layer. Alternatively, the liquid containers 401, 401t may be formed with a multilayer structure including at least two layers. In this case, the liquid-contacting portions of the multilayer structure may be composed of virgin plastic material, and the non-liquid-contacting portions of the multilayer structure may be composed of a material containing recycled plastic. For example, the outermost and intermediate layers may be composed of a material containing recycled plastic, and the innermost layer may be composed of virgin plastic material. Here, the multilayer structure may be formed, for example, by co-injection molding a layer composed of virgin plastic material and a layer composed of a material containing recycled plastic. The multilayer structure may also be formed by blow molding a layer composed of virgin plastic material and a layer composed of a material containing recycled plastic. In this case, the thickness of any of the layers may be adjusted by adjusting the opening of a valve mechanism or shutter mechanism or adjusting the discharge pressure of an extruder, accumulator, or the like at a predetermined timing during blow molding. When forming a multilayer structure by injection molding or blow molding, for example, a material containing recycled plastic and virgin plastic material may be dry blended in a weight ratio of 50:50.

[0151] (C2) In the first and second embodiments described above, the liquid supply parts 442, 442t that constitute the liquid contact parts were not made of a material containing recycled plastic. In contrast, when recycled plastic that can guarantee the quality of the liquid is used, at least a part of the liquid supply parts 442, 442t may be made of a material containing recycled plastic.

[0152] (C3) The present disclosure is not limited to inkjet printers and their ink cartridges, but can also be applied to cartridges installed in any printing device that ejects liquids other than ink. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to various printing devices and their cartridges, such as the following: (1) Image recording devices such as facsimile machines (2) A printing device that sprays color materials used in the manufacture of color filters for image display devices such as liquid crystal displays. (3) A printing device that sprays electrode materials used to form electrodes in organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, surface-emitting displays (Field Emission Displays, FEDs), etc. (4) A printing device that sprays liquid containing bioorganic substances used in biochip manufacturing. (5) Sample printing device as a precision pipette (6) Lubricant printing device (7) Resin liquid printing device (8) A printing device that injects lubricating oil into precision machinery such as watches and cameras. (9) A printing device that sprays transparent resin liquid, such as ultraviolet curing resin liquid, onto a substrate to form minute hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements, etc. (10) A printing device that sprays acidic or alkaline etching liquid to etch substrates, etc. (11) A printing device equipped with a liquid ejection head that ejects any other minute amount of liquid droplets

[0153] The term "droplets" refers to the liquid ejected from a printing device, and includes droplets, teardrops, and string-like droplets. The term "liquid" here refers to any material that can be ejected by a printing device. For example, "liquid" refers to any material in its liquid phase, including materials with high or low viscosity, as well as liquid materials such as sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals. The term "liquid" also includes not only liquids as a single state of matter, but also solid inorganic particles, such as pigments and metal particles, dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals, as described in the above embodiments. Here, ink refers to various liquid compositions, such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot-melt inks.

[0154] D. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0155] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container including a liquid container and an adapter, the liquid container including a liquid-contacting portion that contacts the liquid and a non-liquid-contacting portion that does not contact the liquid, and a specific portion of the adapter that is at least a part of the non-liquid-contacting portion is made of a material that includes recycled plastic. According to this aspect, by configuring a specific portion of the adapter of the cartridge using a material containing recycled plastic, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact.

[0156] (2) In the above embodiment, the liquid-contacting portion of the adapter may be made of virgin plastic material. According to this aspect, the liquid-contacting portion of the adapter is made of virgin plastic material, so that the quality of the liquid can be maintained.

[0157] (3) In the above embodiment, the liquid container is detachably attached to the printing device, and the specific part has a terminal attachment part to which a liquid container side terminal electrically connected to an apparatus side terminal of the printing device is attached, and a terminal positioning part for positioning the liquid container side terminal relative to the apparatus side terminal, and the specific part may further have at least one of an insertion part that defines an insertion opening into which a liquid introduction part of the printing device is inserted, a supply part positioning part that positions the liquid supply part relative to the printing device, and a liquid container side identification part for preventing erroneous insertion of the liquid container into the printing device, which is a liquid container side identification part that fits with the apparatus side identification part of the printing device. According to this aspect, in addition to the terminal mounting portion and the terminal positioning portion, recycled plastic can be used for at least one of the insertion portion, the supply portion positioning portion, and the liquid container side identifier portion.

[0158] (4) In the above aspect, the non-liquid-contacting portion of the adapter may be configured as a separate member from other portions of the adapter. According to this aspect, at least one of the insertion portion, the supply portion positioning portion, the liquid container terminal, the terminal positioning portion, and the liquid container identifier can be formed as a separate member.

[0159] (5) In the above embodiment, the specific portion may be configured to be disassembled from other portions of the adapter. This configuration allows certain portions to be disassembled relative to other portions of the adapter.

[0160] (6) In the above aspect, the adapter may be configured to be disassembled from the liquid container. According to this aspect, the liquid container can be disassembled from the adapter, which makes it possible to reuse only the liquid container after collecting the used liquid container, thereby reducing the burden on the environment.

[0161] (7) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container comprising a liquid container and an adapter, the liquid container comprising a liquid-contacting portion that comes into contact with the liquid and a non-liquid-contacting portion that does not come into contact with the liquid, the liquid container having a multi-layer structure including at least two layers, the liquid-contacting portion of the multi-layer being made of virgin plastic material, and the non-liquid-contacting portion of the multi-layer being made of a material including recycled plastic. According to this aspect, by forming a part of the liquid container from a material containing recycled plastic, it is possible to reduce the environmental load.

[0162] The present disclosure can be realized in various forms, and in addition to the forms described above, can also be realized in the form of a method for manufacturing a cartridge, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0163] 1,1t...printing system, 2...printing paper, 3...housing, 4...liquid container, 4A...first type cartridge, 4B...second type cartridge, 4t...ink pack, 4ta...first ink pack, 4tb...second ink pack, 5...front portion, 6...cartridge mounting portion, 7...operation portion, 9...medium discharge port, 10,10t...printing device, 12...medium receiving portion, 13...replacement cover, 14...medium storage port, 15...operation button, 16...medium storage portion, 17...cover member, 20,20t...carriage, 22...ejection head, 22t...head portion, 24...tube, 25...ejection execution portion, 27...tube, 30...drive device, 31, 31t...control unit, 32...timing belt, 33...nozzle, 34...drive motor, 35...medium conveying unit, 36...conveying roller, 40...liquid supply mechanism, 41...main body, 42...front wall, 43...upper wall, 44...bottom wall, 45...first side wall, 46...second side wall, 47...rear wall, 50, 50t...circuit board, 50tfa...surface, 52, 52t...terminal mounting portion, 54...device side fixing structure, 56...liquid receiving portion, 57...base end member, 60...case storage portion, 61...accommodation chamber, 62...second device wall, 63...device upper wall, 64...device bottom wall, 67...first device wall, 70, 70t...device side terminal portion, 80...accommodation body engaging portion, 89, 89t...corner portion, 90, 90t...recess, 105...attachment body, 111...first sheet member, 112...second sheet member, 113...outer peripheral end portion, 115t...liquid storage portion, 116...supply port member, 121...first surface portion, 122...second surface portion, 123...third surface portion, 124...fourth surface portion, 125...fifth surface portion, 126...sixth surface portion, 127f...first member, 127s...second member, 128...slit, 150f...first receiving portion, 150s...second receiving portion, 151f...opening, 160...recess, 161...fitting recess, 162...case, 163...opening member, 164...through hole, 170a...handle, 171...gripping portion, 172...first connecting portion, 173...second connecting portion, 174...first base end portion, 175...second base end portion, 176...fixing portion, 200...bottom wall portion, 201...first side wall portion, 202...second side wall portion, 203...rear wall portion, 205...front wall portion, 207...fitting convex portion, 210...convex portion, 401, 401t...liquid container, 402, 402t...adapter, 410...adapter engagement portion, 418...protrusion portion, 420...supply pipe, 430...cartridge side identification portion, 430t...ink pack side identification portion, 431...container bottom wall, 433...joint portion, 435...operation surface, 442,442t...Cylindrical member, 446...Insertion opening, 447, 447t...Peripheral portion, 448...Supply portion positioning portion, 450...Liquid container, 455...Fluctating pressure generating portion, 460...Pressure transmission piping, 461...Supply portion arrangement chamber, 472...Adapter front surface, 474...Adapter bottom surface, 475...Adapter first side surface, 476...Adapter second side surface, 477...Adapter rear surface, 497...Cartridge engaging portion, 500...Connection receiving portion, 521...Cartridge side terminal, 521t...Ink pack side terminal, 602...Apparatus guide portion, 610...Support member, 611 ...First support side wall, 612...Second support side wall, 613...Main wall, 614...Device opening, 625...Device biasing member, 630, 630t...Device side identification portion, 642, 642t...Liquid introduction portion, 644...Device side supply portion positioning portion, 674...Insertion / removal opening, 697...Mounting engagement portion, 698...Rotation fulcrum, 699...Liquid storage portion, 721, 721t...Device side terminal, 750ft...First holding portion side wall, 750fw...Second holding portion side wall, 756...Device side terminal positioning portion, 902...Recess side wall, 906...Terminal positioning portion, 982...Recess front wall, 988...Recess bottom wall,

Claims

1. A liquid container comprising a liquid container and an adapter, The liquid-contacting portion is in contact with the liquid, and the non-liquid-contacting portion is not in contact with the liquid, a specific portion, which is at least a part of the non-liquid-contacting portion of the adapter, being made of a material containing recycled plastic; liquid container.

2. 2. The liquid container according to claim 1, A liquid container, wherein the liquid-contacting part of the adapter is made of virgin plastic material.

3. 2. The liquid container according to claim 1, the liquid container is detachably attached to the printing device; The specific portion is a terminal mounting portion to which a liquid container side terminal electrically connected to an apparatus side terminal of the printing device is mounted; a terminal positioning section for positioning the liquid container-side terminal relative to the device-side terminal, The specific portion further comprises: an insertion portion defining an insertion opening into which a liquid introduction portion of the printing device is inserted; a supply unit positioning unit that positions a liquid supply unit of the liquid container relative to the printing device; A liquid container having at least one of a liquid container side identification part for preventing incorrect insertion of the liquid container into the printing device and a liquid container side identification part that engages with the device side identification part of the printing device.

4. 4. The liquid container according to claim 3, A liquid container, wherein the non-liquid-contacting portion of the adapter is configured as a separate member from other portions of the adapter.

5. 5. The liquid container according to claim 4, The specific part of the liquid container is configured to be separable from the other parts of the adapter.

6. 2. The liquid container according to claim 1, The liquid container, wherein the adapter is configured to be disassembled from the liquid container.

7. A liquid container comprising a liquid container and an adapter, The liquid-contacting portion is in contact with the liquid, and the non-liquid-contacting portion is not in contact with the liquid, the liquid container is formed of a multi-layer structure including at least two layers, Among the multiple layers, the liquid-contacting portion is made of virgin plastic material, Among the multiple layers, the non-liquid-contacting portion is made of a material containing recycled plastic. liquid container.

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