Liquid replenishment container

Abstract

The invention provides a liquid supply container which can separate a liquid outlet forming part and a container main body, can be reused easily, and can inhibit pollution caused by liquid due to excessive decomposition by a user. The liquid supply container includes: a container main body portion having an opening and capable of accommodating a liquid; a liquid outlet forming part which is connected to the container main body part, and which has a cylindrical part that defines a liquid outflow channel that communicates with the opening; and a cap configured to be attachable to and detachable from the liquid outlet forming portion. The liquid outlet forming portion is provided with a valve provided in the liquid outflow channel, and when the engagement between the container main body portion and the liquid outlet forming portion is set as a first engagement and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap is set as a second engagement, the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap are engaged. The first engagement is a threaded engagement, and the second engagement is an engagement structure that can be separated in the axial direction without rotation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid supply container. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as an example of an ink ejection device, there is known an inkjet printer that can print on a print medium with ink by ejecting ink from a print head toward a print medium such as a print paper. Among such inkjet printers, there is an ink replenishment type printer that is used by replenishing ink into an ink tank.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses a liquid supply container for supplying ink to this type of inkjet printer. In the case of the liquid supply container, during the initial ink injection operation, when the container is mounted on the printer, the inside plug is pressed by a needle on the printer side and disengaged, so that the inside plug falls into the container body. As a result, the ink flow path is opened. In addition, the ink outlet forming portion forming the ink flow path outlet is fixed relative to the container body by a ratchet structure.

[0004] Recently, as one of the environmental countermeasures, it is desired that the container is not disposable but reusable. In the liquid supply container described in the above-mentioned patent document 1, since the ink outlet forming part is fixed to the container body by a ratchet structure, it is very difficult to remove the ink outlet forming part from the container body. Therefore, it is difficult to remove the middle plug that has fallen into the container body or to reinstall the middle plug in the ink outlet forming part, which has problems in the reuse and regeneration of the bottle. On the other hand, in the case where the ink outlet forming part and the container body are set as a structure that is easy to separate, the user may mistakenly remove the ink outlet forming part and suffer from contamination caused by ink, which also becomes a problem.

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 379623 Summary of the invention

[0006] The present disclosure can be implemented as the following aspects.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid replenishment container is provided. The liquid replenishment container is a liquid replenishment container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle for a liquid ejection device having a liquid introduction needle, and comprises: a container body having an opening and capable of accommodating the liquid; a liquid outlet forming part connected to the container body, and the liquid outlet forming part having a cylindrical part defining a liquid outflow channel connected to the opening; and a cap configured to be detachable relative to the liquid outlet forming part, the liquid outlet forming part having a valve disposed in the liquid outflow channel, and having a first engagement structure in which the first engagement is a threaded engagement and the second engagement is an interlocking structure that can be separated in the axial direction without rotation when the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming part is set as a first engagement and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming part and the cap is set as a second engagement.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid replenishment container is provided. The liquid replenishment container is a liquid replenishment container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle for a liquid ejection device having a liquid introduction needle, and comprises: a container body having an opening and capable of accommodating the liquid; a liquid outlet forming part connected to the container body, and the liquid outlet forming part having a cylindrical part defining a liquid outflow channel connected to the opening; and a cap configured to be detachable relative to the liquid outlet forming part, the liquid outlet forming part having a valve disposed in the liquid outflow channel, and when the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming part is set as a first engagement, and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming part and the cap is set as a second engagement, the first engagement and the second engagement respectively have a fixing structure using a thread, and are configured to be separable by rotation, and are configured such that the fixing force of the first engagement is greater than the fixing force of the second engagement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the printer in the first embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing a state in which ink is replenished into an ink tank using an ink replenishing container.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the ink supply container according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 To express in an enlarged manner Figure 3 The figure shows the part surrounded by the dotted line.

[0013] Figure 5This is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the internal structure of the ink supply container.

[0014] Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing the assembled valve unit.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the ink supply container according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the ink supply container according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] A. First Implementation Method:

[0018] A1. Structure of the printer 100:

[0019] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100 in the first embodiment. The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. The printer 100 is equivalent to a "liquid ejection device". Figure 1 In the figure, mutually orthogonal XYZ axes are depicted. The X axis corresponds to the width direction of the printer 100, the Y axis corresponds to the depth direction of the printer 100, and the Z axis corresponds to the height direction of the printer 100. The printer 100 is set on a horizontal setting surface defined by the X direction and the Y direction. In addition, the so-called "X-axis direction" means the concept of combining the +X direction and the -X direction. Similarly, the so-called "Y-axis direction" means the concept of combining the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the so-called "Z-axis direction" means the concept of combining the +Z direction and the -Z direction.

[0020] The printer 100 has a housing 110. A carriage (not shown) that can move in the main scanning direction (X-axis direction) is provided inside the housing 110. A print head that ejects ink onto a printing medium is provided on the carriage. An ink tank storage unit 160 that stores a plurality of ink tanks 700S and 700L is provided at one end of the front surface of the housing 110. The ink tank storage unit 160 has a cover 162 that can be opened and closed on its upper portion. In addition, the ink tank 700S is a small-capacity tank, and the ink tank 700L is a large-capacity tank. However, in the following description, the two are not distinguished and are simply referred to as "ink tank 700".

[0021] Each ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage through a tube (not shown). That is, the ink tank 700 is a fixed type ink tank that is not mounted on the carriage of the printer 100. In addition, each ink tank 700 is an ink replenishment type ink tank that is replenished with ink from an ink replenishment container 1 described later when the remaining amount of ink decreases. In addition, although the ink tank 700 is a fixed type ink tank in the present embodiment, it may also be an ink tank mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.

[0022] Figure 2 1 is a perspective view showing a state where ink is replenished into an ink tank 700 using an ink replenishing container 1. The ink replenishing container 1 is equivalent to a "liquid replenishing container". The front surface of each ink tank 700 is formed of a transparent or translucent member, so that the remaining amount of ink in each ink tank 700 can be visually confirmed from the outside. When the remaining amount of ink becomes low, Figure 2 As shown, the cover 162 can be opened and ink can be replenished from the liquid introduction needle 710 of the ink tank 700.

[0023] On the upper surface of each ink tank 700, a cylindrical liquid introduction needle 710 for replenishing ink to the ink tank 700 is provided. The ink tank storage unit 160 is provided with a sealing cap member 164 having a sealing cap 165 for sealing the tip of the liquid introduction needle 710. In a state where ink is not replenished to the ink tank 700, the tip of the liquid introduction needle 710 is sealed by the sealing cap 165 of the sealing cap member 164. When replenishing ink to the ink tank 700, the sealing cap 165 is removed from the liquid introduction needle 710, and the tip of the ink replenishment container 1 is inserted into the ink inlet provided with the liquid introduction needle 710 to replenish ink.

[0024] At this time, ink is supplied from the ink supply container 1 to the ink tank 700 via the liquid introduction needle 710. The liquid introduction needle 710 has a partition wall 710a that divides the interior into two flow channels. One of the two flow channels is used for the inflow of ink, and the other is used for the outflow of air from the ink tank 700 to the interior of the ink supply container 1. Figure 2 In the illustrated liquid introduction needle 710, although the top surface of the partition wall 710a and the top surface of the tubular portion 710b are located on the same horizontal plane, the top surface of the partition wall 710a may be formed higher than the top surface of the tubular portion 710b.

[0025] In this specification, the term "ink replenishment" means supplying ink to the ink tank 700 to increase the remaining amount of ink. However, the ink tank 700 does not need to be filled with ink by "ink replenishment". In addition, "ink replenishment" also includes the action of filling an empty ink tank 700 with ink when the printer 100 is used for the first time.

[0026] A2. Structure of ink supply container 1:

[0027] Next, refer to Figures 3 to 6 Next, the structure of the ink supply container 1 will be described. Figure 3 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the ink supply container 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 The ink outlet forming portion 12 and its surrounding area are shown in a state where the cap 13 is attached to the ink refilling container 1 , and a cross section on a plane passing through the central axis C of the ink refilling container 1 is shown. Figure 4 As, in an enlarged manner, Figure 3 The figure shows the part surrounded by the dotted line. Figure 5 FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the internal structure of the ink supply container 1. Figure 5 , the internal structure of the ink outlet forming portion 12 located inside the cap 13 is particularly illustrated. Figure 6 2 is a perspective view showing the assembled valve unit 300 .

[0028] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the ink supply container 1 comprises: a container body 11 having an opening 14 and capable of storing ink inside; an ink outlet forming portion 12 connected to the container body 11; and a cap 13 mounted on the ink outlet forming portion 12. The ink supply container 1 is in the shape of a cylindrical bottle as a whole (see Figure 2 ). Hereinafter, when describing the ink supply container 1, the vertical direction of the ink supply container 1 in a state where the ink supply container 1 is erected on a horizontal surface as a single unit is defined as the height direction, and the vertical direction of the ink supply container 1 is defined as the height direction. Figure 3 The upper and lower parts shown are referred to as “upper and lower parts” for explanation. In the ink supply container 1 , the ink outlet forming portion 12 and the cap 13 are located on the upper side of the container body 11 .

[0029] The ink outlet forming portion 12 is a portion that has an ink outlet 15 for pouring out the ink contained in the container body 11 and is used to pour the ink from the inside of the container body 11 to the outside. The ink outlet forming portion 12 is made of resin. The ink outlet forming portion 12 is equivalent to a "liquid outlet forming portion". An ink outflow channel 16 is formed in a cylindrical portion 52 described later of the ink outlet forming portion 12. The ink outflow channel 16 is equivalent to a "liquid outflow channel", is connected to the opening 14, and includes the ink outlet 15 at the downstream end of the ink outflow direction (liquid outflow direction). In other words, although the ink outflow channel 16 is an internal space defined by the cylindrical portion 52, when a component defining a space is added at the top end of the ink outlet 15 side of the cylindrical portion 52, the internal space is also included. The ink outlet forming portion 12 has a sealing component 41, a spring valve 17, and a middle plug 42. The sealing member 41 , the spring valve 17 , and the center plug 42 are arranged in a state where the central axes C thereof are aligned with each other.

[0030] The sealing member 41 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or an elastomer, and is arranged in the ink outlet 15. The sealing member 41 has a sealing member cylindrical portion having a central axis C. In addition, the sealing member 41 has a feather portion 41b extending from the inner peripheral wall 41a of the sealing member cylindrical portion in the radial direction toward the central axis C, and having an arc-shaped cross section in the central axis direction. The feather portion 41b is in the form of individual elastic pieces divided by slits 43b extending in a radial direction or a radial direction from a through hole 43a formed in the center of the dome-shaped elastic film portion toward the inner peripheral wall 41a of the sealing member cylindrical portion.

[0031] The slit 43b may be a slit extending in the diameter direction through the through hole 43a. In the closed valve state, the top end of the valve body 44 described later, which is urged in the closing direction (upward direction), is inserted into the through hole 43a. Furthermore, in the closed valve state, the upper surface (at the bottom) of the disc portion 48 of the valve body 44 described later Figure 5 The portion (indicated by the circular dotted line in the figure) is in close contact with the annular protrusion 41c formed on the lower end surface of the sealing member 41. Therefore, in the ink outflow channel 16, the space inside the inner peripheral wall 41a of the sealing member 41 and the space on the upstream side of the space in the ink outflow direction are separated.

[0032] The spring valve 17 is arranged on the ink outflow passage 16 of the ink outlet forming portion 12. In the non-replenishing state of the spring valve 17, the spring member 45 presses the valve body 44 toward the sealing member 41. As a result, the spring valve 17 is in a closed valve state in which the valve body 44 is in contact with the sealing member 41, so that the ink is difficult to leak to the outside. In the replenishing state in which the ink is replenished to the ink tank 700, the ink replenishing container 1 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the ink outlet 15 is connected to the liquid introduction needle 710 of the printer 100 in an inverted posture with the ink outlet 15 facing downward.

[0033] The liquid introduction needle 710 overcomes the force of the spring member 45 of the spring valve 17 and presses the valve body 44, thereby allowing the ink in the ink outflow channel 16 to flow through the gap between the valve body 44 and the sealing member 41. At this time, the partition wall 710a of the liquid introduction needle 710 presses the truncated cone portion 47 of the valve body 44, and the tubular portion 710b presses the feather portion 41b, and the spring valve 17 is opened while expanding the through hole 43a and the slit 43b. As a result, the ink flows from the ink outflow channel 16 into the liquid introduction needle 710. The spring valve 17 is a normally closed valve.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the spring valve 17 includes at least a valve body 44, a spring member 45, and a contact portion 51, and these components are held on the holding portion 46. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the holding portion 46 also holds the sealing member 41, and the valve unit 300 is formed by including the spring valve 17, the sealing member 41, and the holding portion 46. The valve unit 300 is engaged with the cylindrical portion 52. The valve body 44 is constructed in such a manner that it has a truncated cone portion 47, a disc portion 48, and a side wall portion 49 in sequence from the ink outlet 15 side. In addition, in order to facilitate assembly, the valve body 44 including the disc portion 48 and the side wall portion 49 may also be provided as different components. In this case, the side wall portion 49 may also be held on the holding portion 46 together with the valve body 44. Alternatively, the holding portion 46 may be divided into two parts, upper and lower.

[0035] When the ink outlet 15 is directed upward, that is, in the +Z direction, the truncated cone portion 47 is a portion having a truncated cone shape provided at the center of the upper surface of the disk portion 48 so as to protrude upward, and its upper end protrudes upward from the through hole 43a of the sealing member 41 in the valve closed state. When the valve is opened, the top end of the partition wall 710a of the liquid introduction needle 710 of the printer 100 abuts against the top end surface of the truncated cone portion 47. In addition, in the valve closed state, the top end surface of the disk portion 48 is in close contact with the annular protrusion 41c formed on the lower end surface of the sealing member 41, thereby closing the ink outflow channel 16. The side wall portion 49 is a columnar member having a cross section in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the central axis C that is a part of a circular ring shape (central angle of about 20°) and extending downward from the outer peripheral side surface of the disk portion 48. In the present embodiment, there are four side wall portions 49, and they are provided at substantially equal intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the disk portion 48. The side wall portion 49 extends from the disk portion 48 of the valve body 44 toward the container body 11 side, and is extended in a direction along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 52 .

[0036] In the present embodiment, the spring valve 17 and the sealing member 41 are held inside the retaining portion 46 to form the valve unit 300. The valve unit is arranged inside the cylindrical portion 52 and is engaged with the cylindrical portion 52 in a detachable manner. In addition, it is also possible to have a valve unit 300 in which the sealing member 41, the valve body 44, and the spring member 45 are not held on the retaining portion 46, but the sealing member 41, the valve body 44, and the spring member 45 are engaged with the cylindrical portion 52 respectively without using the retaining portion 46. In addition, it is also possible to have a sealing member 41 engaged with the cylindrical portion 52 alone, and the valve body 44 and the spring member 45 engaged with the cylindrical portion 52 in a state of being held on the retaining portion 46. Various combinations such as the sealing member 41 engaging with the cylindrical portion 52 in a state of being held on the retaining portion 46, and the valve body 44 and the spring member 45 engaging with the cylindrical portion 52 alone are all included in the present embodiment.

[0037] The spring member 45 is a cylindrical coil spring and is provided on the lower surface of the disk portion 48 of the valve body 44 and radially inward of the four side walls 49. The spring member 45 urges the valve body 44 toward the sealing member 41 in the valve closed state.

[0038] The contact portion 51 is formed on the end surface (lower end surface) on the side of the middle plug 42 in the axial direction of the side wall portion 49, that is, on the end surface of the side wall portion 49 opposite to the middle plug 42. In the present embodiment, the side wall portion 49 and the valve body 44 are formed integrally. Therefore, the contact portion 51 and the valve body 44 are formed integrally, and contact the middle plug 42 in at least the open valve state of the valve 17. The contact portion 51 functions as a portion that moves toward the container body 11 side in a manner linked to the valve body 44 when the valve is opened, and presses the middle plug 42 toward the container body 11 side. In addition, the contact portion 51 contacts the middle plug 42 not only in the open valve state, but also in the closed valve state. The retaining portion 46 accommodates the sealing component 41, the spring component 45 and the valve body 44 inside.

[0039] The holding portion 46 has a protrusion 46a on which the sealing member 41 is placed along the inner peripheral wall, and when the liquid introduction needle 710 is inserted into the inner space of the sealing member 41, the movement in the insertion direction is restricted. Furthermore, the holding portion 46 has four columns 46b that hold the valve body 44 in a manner that allows it to move along the central axis C, and a spring member support portion 46c that supports the spring member 45. The column 46b has an outer side surface that follows the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 52, and a gap space that penetrates in the radial direction is formed between adjacent columns 46b. The gap space has the following function, that is, in the valve open state, the air flowing in from the ink tank 700 flows from the central axis C side toward the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 52 on the radial outer side, and the ink flowing out from the container body 11 flows from the inner wall side of the cylindrical portion 52 toward the central axis C side on the radial inner side, so that the ink and air are easily separated. However, in the present embodiment, the gap space is utilized, and the side wall portion 49 is disposed in the gap space.

[0040] The ink outlet forming portion 12 is provided with a pair of identification structures 72 arranged to sandwich the cylindrical portion 52 in the radial direction. The identification structures 72 have different shapes depending on the type of ink contained in the ink supply container 1, and are used to appropriately supply the type of ink corresponding to the ink in the tank 700.

[0041] The cylindrical portion 52 is connected to the opening 14 of the container body 11. The middle plug 42 is located between the spring valve 17 and the opening 14 in the direction along the central axis C, and is engaged with the cylindrical portion 52 via the sealing ring 53. The middle plug 42 is a cap-shaped member in the shape of a bottomed cylinder, and is equivalent to a flow channel sealing member that seals the ink outflow channel 16. When the ink supply container 1 is used for the first time, as shown in FIG. Figure 2As shown, it is connected to the liquid introduction needle 710 of the printer 100. Since the liquid introduction needle 710 presses the valve body 44, the middle plug 42 is pressed by the contact portion 51. As a result, the middle plug 42 is separated from the ink outlet forming portion 12 and falls into the container body 11.

[0042] In addition, if Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the container body 11 has a bottomed cylindrical large diameter portion 18 on the opposite side of the opening 14 in the direction along the central axis C. The container body 11 occupies a length of about 1 / 2 or more and about 2 / 3 or less of the ink replenishing container 1 in the direction along the central axis C, and constitutes the main body of the ink replenishing container 1.

[0043] The ink outlet forming portion 12 is connected to the upper end of the container body 11. The ink outlet forming portion 12 is made of resin. The container body 11 has a large diameter portion 18 in order from the bottom side (see Figure 2 ), a reduced diameter portion 19 connected to the large diameter portion 18 and having a gradually decreasing diameter, and a small diameter portion 20 connected to the reduced diameter upper end of the reduced diameter portion 19 and having a fixed diameter. The diameter of the small diameter portion 20 is smaller than the diameter of the lower end of the ink outlet forming portion 12, and the ink outlet forming portion 12 is connected to the outer side of the container body 11. On the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 20 of the container body 11, an external thread portion 63 protruding radially outward is formed.

[0044] When the ink outlet forming part 12 is assembled on the container body 11, the internal threaded part 64 of the ink outlet forming part 12 is engaged with the external threaded part 63 of the container body 11, and the threaded fastening is performed. Thus, the ink outlet forming part 12 is connected to the container body 11. Therefore, the user cannot easily remove the ink outlet forming part 12 from the container body 11. However, since it is threaded fastening, the ink outlet forming part 12 and the container body 11 can be separated when the ink supply container 1 is reused. In addition, the engagement of the internal threaded part 64 of the ink outlet forming part 12 with the external threaded part 63 of the container body 11 is also referred to as "first engagement 50". As mentioned above, the first engagement 50 is a threaded engagement.

[0045] The cap 13 is mounted on the outer periphery of the ink outlet forming portion 12, covers the ink outlet forming portion 12, and shields the inside of the container body 11 from the outside air. A cap side convex portion 65 is formed on the end of the inner periphery of the cap 13 on the container body 11 side, which protrudes radially inward over the entire periphery. In the ink outlet forming portion 12, an ink outlet forming portion side convex portion 66 is formed on the outer periphery at a position substantially opposite to the cap side convex portion 65 when the cap 13 is mounted, which protrudes radially outward over the entire periphery. In addition, the cap side convex portion 65 and the ink outlet forming portion side convex portion 66 may be formed only on a portion of the entire periphery.

[0046] When the cap 13 is assembled to the ink outlet forming portion 12, the cap 13 is covered from the upper side of the ink outlet forming portion 12 and pressed in the axial direction. At this time, when the cap side protrusion 65 passes over the ink outlet forming portion side protrusion 66 and reaches a position located at the lower side, the cap side protrusion 65 and the ink outlet forming portion side protrusion 66 are engaged. When the cap 13 is removed, the cap 13 can be separated from the ink outlet forming portion 12 by pulling up the cap 13 in the axial direction.

[0047] As described above, the engagement structure of the cap 13 and the ink outlet forming portion 12 is a fitting structure that can be separated in the direction of the central axis C without rotation but with relative movement in the direction of the central axis C. Hereinafter, the engagement of the cap 13 and the ink outlet forming portion 12 is also referred to as "second engagement 60". The second engagement 60 is, for example, a structure called "snap-fit". The first engagement 50 and the second engagement 60 are at substantially the same height position.

[0048] According to the ink supply container 1 of the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be achieved.

[0049] (1) According to the first embodiment, the ink outlet forming portion 12 and the container body 11 are engaged by screw engagement as shown as the first engagement 50, so they can be separated. Therefore, the ink outlet forming portion 12 and the container body 11 can be easily reused, or the flow path sealing member (the middle plug 42 in the first embodiment) can be removed, replaced, and reinstalled.

[0050] (2) In addition, the cap 13 and the ink outlet forming portion 12 are not threadedly engaged, as shown as the second engagement 60, but are engaged in a manner that can be separated in the axial direction without rotation. Therefore, when the user pulls the cap 13 in the axial direction to remove the cap 13 from the ink outlet forming portion 12, there is no action in the direction of disengaging the threaded engagement between the ink outlet forming portion 12 and the container body 11, that is, there is no action to rotate at least one of the ink outlet forming portion 12 and the container body 11 around the central axis C, so it is possible to prevent the ink outlet forming portion 12 from being separated from the container body 11 by mistake. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the user from being contaminated by ink due to the operation of removing the cap 13, etc.

[0051] (3) Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the middle plug 42 is only detachable. Although in the case of a break, the remaining portion needs to be removed when it is reused, since the middle plug 42 does not require such a residual portion removal process, it is only necessary to reengage a new middle plug 42 or a reused middle plug 42 with the ink outlet forming portion 12, and thus it is easy to regenerate.

[0052] (4) According to the first embodiment, in the ink supply container 1 having the spring valve 17, the spring valve 17 includes the contact portion 51 that is linked to the valve body 44 and contacts the middle plug 42. Then, the middle plug 42 is disengaged by the pressure of the ink introduction needle, and the ink outflow channel 16 is opened. Therefore, even if the ink supply container 1 is set to an inverted posture, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking from the container body 11 to the outside before the ink introduction needle is inserted.

[0053] (5) Furthermore, compared with the slit valve, the spring valve 17 is difficult to open even when it is impacted or when the container 1 is pressurized. Therefore, after the middle plug 42 is detached during the first use of the ink replenishing container 1, even when the remaining ink in the ink replenishing container 1 is used for the second or subsequent ink injection operations, a structure can be formed in which ink leakage is unlikely to occur.

[0054] (6) According to the first embodiment, since the contact portion 51 and the valve body 44 are formed integrally, the contact portion 51 is urged toward the ink outlet 15 by the spring member 45. Therefore, even if the ink supply container 1 is subjected to some impact before the ink introduction needle is connected, a structure can be set in which the middle plug 42 is unlikely to be disengaged. In addition, since the contact portion 51 is formed on the end surface of the side wall portion 49 formed along the axial direction on the side of the middle plug 42 in the axial direction, when the valve body 44 is pressed by the ink introduction needle, the contact portion 51 can be guided by the cylindrical portion 52, so that the middle plug 42 can be pushed out to the container body 11 side and disengaged well.

[0055] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0056] Next, refer to Figure 7 , an ink supply container 2 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the embodiments described below, substantially the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. Figure 7 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the ink supply container 2 according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 The portion around the cap 23 of the ink supply container 2 is mainly shown, and a cross section on a plane passing through the central axis C is shown.

[0057] The ink supply container 2 of the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment in that it has a container body 21, an ink outlet forming portion 22, and a cap 23, but the structure of the interior of the ink outlet forming portion 22 is different from that of the first embodiment. The ink supply container 2 of the second embodiment does not have the middle plug 42, but instead has a film 28 as a flow path sealing member. This will be described in detail below.

[0058] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 2 , a film 28 is attached to the opening 14 of the container body 21 in the ink outlet forming portion 22 so as to cover the opening 14. A ring-shaped gasket 29 is provided at the opening 14 on the opposite side of the film 28 from the opening 14. The film 28 is configured so that the ink flow path connected from the container body to the ink tank is opened by rupture caused by the insertion of the ink introduction needle. That is, the film 28 blocks the ink outflow path 16 before the first use of the ink supply container 2.

[0059] A slit valve 27 is provided in the ink outlet 15 formed in the ink outlet forming portion 22. The slit valve 27 is composed of an elastic member such as a silicon film that seals the ink outlet 15 in an openable and closable manner. The slit valve 27 is provided at a position that is above the film 28 in the direction of the central axis C, that is, at a position on the downstream side in the ink outflow direction during ink replenishment.

[0060] The slit valve 27 is provided with a plurality of (three in this embodiment) slits intersecting at equal angle intervals (120 degree intervals as an example) with the center substantially coinciding with the central axis C as the intersection point. The slit valve 27 is configured so that the valve is opened by pushing and expanding the slits from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet 15. That is, the slit valve 27, which is a normally closed valve, is opened by pushing and expanding the tip of the ink introduction needle when the tip of the ink introduction needle is inserted into the slit and inserted into the ink outlet 15. The valve is closed by pulling the tip of the ink introduction needle out of the slit.

[0061] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the engagement (first engagement 50) between the ink outlet forming portion 22 and the container main body 21 is a threaded engagement, and the engagement (second engagement 60) between the cap 23 and the ink outlet forming portion 22 is a fitting engagement that can be separated in the direction of the center axis C with relative movement in the direction of the center axis C. Therefore, it is easy to avoid the situation where the threaded engagement between the ink outlet forming portion 22 and the container main body 21 is loosened due to the operation of opening the cap 23, thereby leaking ink. In addition, after the ink is replenished, the ink replenishing container 2 can be reused by removing a part of the film 28 remaining at the opening 14.

[0062] According to the second embodiment, the effects of (1) and (2) can be achieved in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the slit valve 27 is used instead of the spring valve, the number of spring components or valve body 44 components can be reduced compared to the spring valve, and the structure in the ink outflow channel 16 can be easily provided.

[0063] C. Third Implementation Method:

[0064] Next, refer to Figure 8 , an ink supply container 3 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 8 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the ink supply container 3 according to the third embodiment. Figure 8 The portion around the cap 33 of the ink supply container 3 is mainly shown, and a cross section on a plane passing through the central axis C is shown.

[0065] The ink supply container 3 of the third embodiment is the same as the second embodiment in that it has a container body 31, an ink outlet forming portion 32, a cap 33, and a slit valve 27. Furthermore, the ink supply container 3 of the third embodiment has the same middle plug 42 as the first embodiment in the opening 14 of the container body 31. The ink supply container 3 of the third embodiment is different from the above-mentioned embodiments mainly in the structure of the engagement (second engagement 70) between the cap 33 and the ink outlet forming portion 32.

[0066] like Figure 8 As shown in the figure, even in the third embodiment, the engagement (first engagement 50) between the ink outlet forming portion 32 and the container main body 31 is a threaded engagement as in the above-mentioned embodiments. In the third embodiment, the engagement (second engagement 70) between the cap 33 and the ink outlet forming portion 32 is also a threaded engagement. An internal thread portion 68 is formed on the inner periphery of the lower end of the cap 33. An external thread portion 67 is formed on the outer periphery of the ink outlet forming portion 12, which protrudes radially outward.

[0067] When the cap 33 is assembled to the ink outlet forming portion 32 , the internal thread portion 68 of the cap 33 is engaged with the external thread portion 67 of the container body 31 , thereby threading and fastening the cap 33 and the ink outlet forming portion 32 .

[0068] Here, the fixing force of the first engagement 50 is greater than the fixing force of the second engagement 70. That is, the fixing force between the container body 31 and the ink outlet forming portion 32 is greater than the fixing force between the cap 33 and the ink outlet forming portion 32. Therefore, when the user rotates the cap 33 to remove the cap 33, the container body 31 and the ink outlet forming portion 32 are not accidentally disassembled by the rotation. The difference in fixing force is set by the difference in loosening torque in the fixing portion realized by the screw.

[0069] According to the third embodiment, the effects of (1) and (2) can be achieved in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, since the difference in the fixing force between the first engagement 50 and the second engagement 70 is set based on the difference in the loosening torque in the engagement achieved by the thread, no special structure is required to set the difference in the fixing force, and a simple structure can be provided.

[0070] D.Other methods:

[0071] (D1) In the first embodiment described above, a valve of another structure may be used instead of the spring valve 17, for example Figure 7 A slit valve 27 as shown.

[0072] (D2) In the above-mentioned first embodiment and third embodiment, the center plug 42 may not be provided.

[0073] (D3) In the third embodiment described above, a valve of another structure may be used instead of the slit valve 27, for example Figure 3 Spring valve 17 as shown.

[0074] (D4) In the first embodiment, the side wall portion 49 and the valve body 44 having the contact portion 51 may be provided as separate parts. Even in a separate structure, the side wall portion 49 may be retained on the retaining portion 46, and thus, when the valve unit 300 is reused, cleaned, or replaced, the valve unit 300 can be disassembled as a whole, so that it is easy to handle and convenient.

[0075] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various structures within the scope of its main purpose. For example, in order to solve part or all of the above-mentioned problems, or to achieve part or all of the above-mentioned effects, the technical features in the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the various modes recorded in the invention content column can be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, if the technical feature is not described as a necessary content in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0076] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid replenishment container is provided. The liquid replenishment container is a liquid replenishment container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle for a liquid ejection device having a liquid introduction needle, and the liquid replenishment container comprises: a container body having an opening and capable of accommodating the liquid; a liquid outlet forming portion connected to the container body, the liquid outlet forming portion having a cylindrical portion defining a liquid outflow channel connected to the opening; and a cap configured to be detachable relative to the liquid outlet forming portion, the liquid outlet forming portion having a valve disposed in the liquid outflow channel, and having a first engagement structure in which the first engagement is a threaded engagement and the second engagement is an interlocking structure that can be separated in the axial direction without rotation when the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming portion is set as a first engagement and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap is set as a second engagement.

[0077] According to this mode, since the fluid outlet forming part and the container body are engaged by threaded engagement, they can be separated. Therefore, in the reuse of the fluid outlet forming part and the container body, convenience is improved. Specifically, it is easy to re-inject ink into the container body on the basis of removing the liquid outlet forming part, clean each component, replace the components that need to be replaced, etc. In addition, the cap and the fluid outlet forming part are not threaded engagement, but are axially separable. That is, when the user takes the cap off the fluid outlet forming part and pulls the cap up axially, it will not act in the direction of disengaging the threaded engagement of the fluid outlet forming part from the container body, so that the situation of mistakenly separating the fluid outlet forming part from the container body can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation that the user is polluted by the liquid due to the operation of taking off the cap, etc.

[0078] (2) In the liquid replenishing container of the above-mentioned method, the liquid outlet forming part includes a sealing part which is arranged on the downstream side of the valve in the liquid outflow direction of the liquid outflow channel, and a middle plug which is arranged in the liquid outflow channel between the opening and the valve, the middle plug being engaged with the liquid outlet forming part in a manner that it can be disengaged by being pressed by the liquid introduction needle through the valve, the valve having a spring part, a valve body and a contact part, the valve body being urged by the spring part to contact the sealing part in a closed valve state, and being pressed by the liquid introduction needle inserted into the liquid outflow channel to separate from the sealing part in an open valve state, the contact part being linked to the valve body and contacting the middle plug at least in the open valve state.

[0079] According to this method, the middle plug is a structure that can be detached. Although the residual part needs to be removed when it is reused in the case of rupture, since the middle plug does not need such a residual part removal process, it only needs to reengage a new middle plug or a reused middle plug with the liquid outlet forming part, so it is easy to regenerate.

[0080] (3) In the liquid replenishing container of the above-mentioned method, the following method can also be adopted, that is, the valve is a slit valve in which one or more slits are formed on the elastic member, and the valve functions in a manner of being opened by being pushed and expanded by the liquid introduction needle through the slit and being closed by pulling the liquid introduction needle out of the slit, and a film that blocks the flow of liquid is provided at the opening or in the liquid outflow channel between the opening and the valve, and the film is constructed so that the liquid outflow channel is opened by being ruptured by the insertion of the liquid introduction needle into the opening or into the liquid outflow channel.

[0081] According to this method, since a slit valve is used instead of a spring valve, the number of components such as a spring member and a valve body can be reduced compared to a spring valve, thereby making it possible to simplify the structure in the liquid flow path. In addition, since the film is ruptured by the liquid introduction needle, ink leakage can be suppressed during initial use until the liquid supply container is connected to the liquid introduction needle.

[0082] (4) According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid replenishing container. The liquid replenishing container is a liquid replenishing container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle for a liquid ejecting device having a liquid introduction needle, and the liquid replenishing container comprises: a container body having an opening and capable of accommodating the liquid; a liquid outlet forming portion connected to the container body, the liquid outlet forming portion having a cylindrical portion defining a liquid outflow channel communicating with the opening; and a cap configured to be detachable relative to the liquid outlet forming portion, the liquid outlet forming portion having a valve disposed in the liquid outflow channel, and when the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming portion is set as a first engagement and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap is set as a second engagement, the first engagement and the second engagement each have a fixing structure using a thread, and are configured to be separable by rotation, and are configured such that the fixing force of the first engagement is greater than the fixing force of the second engagement.

[0083] According to this mode, since the fluid outlet forming part and the container body are engaged by the threaded engagement, they can be separated when the liquid supply container is reused. On the other hand, since the fixing force of the first engagement is greater than the fixing force of the second engagement, when the user rotates the cap to remove the cap, it is possible to prevent the container body and the liquid outlet forming part from being rotated together by mistake and being separated, thereby preventing the user from being contaminated by the liquid.

[0084] (5) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the following embodiment may be adopted, that is, the difference in the fixing force between the first engagement and the second engagement is set by the difference in loosening torque. According to this embodiment, no special structure is required in setting the difference in the fixing force between the first engagement and the second engagement, and the liquid supply container can be set to a simple structure.

[0085] Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the inkjet method, and can also be applied to a liquid replenishing container for replenishing liquid to any liquid ejecting device that ejects liquid other than ink.

[0086] Explanation of symbols

[0087] 1, 2, 3…ink supply container (liquid supply container); 11, 21, 31…container body; 12, 22, 32…ink outlet forming portion (liquid outlet forming portion); 13, 23, 33…cap; 14…opening; 15…ink outlet (liquid outlet); 16…ink outflow channel (liquid outflow channel); 17…spring valve; 18…large diameter portion; 19…reduced diameter portion; 20…small diameter portion; 27…sealing valve; 28…film; 29…seal; 41…sealing member; 42…middle plug; 43…opening; 44…valve body; 45…spring member; 46…holding portion ; 47…conical cone portion; 48…disk portion; 49…side wall portion; 50…first engagement; 51…contact portion; 52…cylindrical portion; 53…sealing ring; 60, 70…second engagement; 63…external thread portion; 64…internal thread portion; 65…cap side protrusion; 66…ink outlet forming portion side protrusion; 67…external thread portion; 68…internal thread portion; 100…printer (liquid ejection device); 110…housing; 160…ink tank storage unit; 162…cover; 164…sealing cap member; 165…sealing cap; 700…ink tank; 710…liquid introduction needle; C…center axis.

Claims

1. A liquid replenishing container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle to a liquid ejecting device having a liquid introduction needle, the liquid replenishing container comprising: a container body having an opening and capable of containing the liquid; a liquid outlet forming portion connected to the container body portion, wherein the liquid outlet forming portion has a cylindrical portion defining a liquid outflow passage communicating with the opening; a cap configured to be attachable to and detachable from the liquid outlet forming portion, The liquid outlet forming portion includes a valve disposed in the liquid outflow passage, When the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming portion is set as a first engagement, and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap is set as a second engagement, the first engagement is a threaded engagement, and the second engagement is an engagement structure that can be separated in the axial direction without rotation.

2. The liquid replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid outlet forming portion comprises a sealing member disposed on a downstream side of the valve in a liquid outflow direction of the liquid outflow channel, and a middle plug disposed in the liquid outflow channel between the opening and the valve, the middle plug being engaged with the liquid outlet forming portion in a manner that it can be disengaged by being pressed by the liquid introduction needle through the valve, The valve comprises a spring component, a valve body and a contact portion. The valve body is urged by the spring component to contact the sealing component in a closed valve state, and is pressed by the liquid introduction needle inserted into the liquid outflow channel to separate from the sealing component in an open valve state. The contact portion is linked to the valve body and contacts the center plug at least in the open valve state.

3. The liquid replenishing container according to claim 1, wherein: The valve is a slit valve having one or more slits formed in an elastic member, and functions in a manner such that the valve is opened by being pushed and expanded by the liquid introduction needle through the slit and is closed by pulling the liquid introduction needle out of the slit. A film is provided at the opening or in the liquid outflow channel between the opening and the valve to block the flow of liquid. The thin film is configured to open the liquid outflow channel by being ruptured by the insertion of the liquid introduction needle into the opening or into the liquid outflow channel.

4. A liquid replenishing container for replenishing liquid via a liquid introduction needle to a liquid ejecting device having a liquid introduction needle, the liquid replenishing container comprising: a container body having an opening and capable of containing the liquid; a liquid outlet forming portion connected to the container body portion, wherein the liquid outlet forming portion has a cylindrical portion defining a liquid outflow passage communicating with the opening; a cap configured to be attachable to and detachable from the liquid outlet forming portion, The liquid outlet forming portion includes a valve disposed in the liquid outflow passage, When the engagement between the container body and the liquid outlet forming portion is set as the first engagement, and the engagement between the liquid outlet forming portion and the cap is set as the second engagement, The first engagement and the second engagement each have a fixing structure using a screw thread and are configured to be separable by rotation, and the fixing force of the first engagement is larger than the fixing force of the second engagement.

5. The liquid replenishing container according to claim 4, wherein: The difference in the fixing force between the first engagement and the second engagement is set by a difference in loosening torque.

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