Liquid container and liquid consuming apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid container and a liquid consuming apparatus. One embodiment is a liquid container mounted on a liquid consuming apparatus, the liquid consuming apparatus including a liquid ejecting head for ejecting liquid, and the liquid container being configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head. The liquid container includes: a tank chamber configured to store a liquid; an inlet provided above the tank chamber and into which the liquid is injected; and an outlet provided to face the inside of the tank chamber, and from which the liquid injected from the inlet is discharged after moving through the flow path by gas-liquid exchange. If the depth direction intersects the height direction and the left-right direction of the liquid consumption device, the center position of the outlet in the depth direction is closer to the center of the tank chamber than the center position of the inlet in the depth direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container such as an ink tank, and more particularly to a liquid container including an inlet for replenishing ink. Background Art

[0002] As a liquid container of this type, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-104163 describes an ink tank including an inlet for filling ink, an ink flow path extending straight downward from the inlet, openings corresponding to the ends of each ink flow path, and a tank unit. Specifically, two ink flow paths and two openings are provided to exert a gas-liquid exchange function, and ink injected from the inlet flows through the ink flow paths and the openings through the gas-liquid exchange function, thereby replenishing the tank unit with ink. Summary of the invention

[0003] However, the problem with Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-104163 is that since the ink inlet is arranged at the front end of the ink tank and the two openings are arranged vertically below the inlet, the gas-liquid exchange function is easily affected by changes in the posture of the ink tank. For example, the ink tank may be tilted because the entire device equipped with the ink tank is tilted during ink replenishment, or because the ink tank itself is attached in a slightly tilted posture. In this case, the liquid level in the tank unit relative to the two openings changes, and the gas-liquid exchange via the two openings stops, making it impossible to replenish ink. For this reason, the amount of ink that can be replenished changes according to the tilt of the ink tank.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to stabilize the replenishment amount of liquid regardless of the tilt of the liquid container.

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention is a liquid container, which is mounted on a liquid consuming device, the liquid consuming device includes a liquid injection head configured to spray liquid, and the liquid container is configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid injection head, the liquid container includes: a tank chamber configured to store liquid; an inlet, which is arranged above the tank chamber and into which liquid is injected; and an outlet, which is arranged to face the interior of the tank chamber, and into which liquid injected from the inlet is discharged after moving through a flow path through gas-liquid exchange, wherein, assuming that the depth direction is a direction intersecting the height direction and the left-right direction of the liquid consuming device, the depth direction center position of the outlet is closer to the center of the tank chamber than the depth direction center position of the inlet.

[0006] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mechanism unit of an inkjet printing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2A This is a three-dimensional image of an ink tank. Figure 2B It is an exploded view of the ink tank;

[0009] Figure 3A This is the front view of the tank shell. Figure 3B This is the right side view of the tank shell. Figure 3C This is the left side view of the tank shell. Figure 3D It is a top view of the tank shell;

[0010] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C is a view showing a state in the tank chamber 22 in a state where the ink tank is tilted by rotating about the X-axis;

[0011] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a tank chamber of an ink tank in the prior art; and

[0012] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a tank chamber of an ink tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments are not intended to unnecessarily limit the present invention according to the scope of the claims. Although multiple features are described in the following embodiments, not all of these multiple features are essential for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and some features can be combined as needed. In addition, the same or similar constituent elements in the drawings will be represented by the same reference numerals, and their repeated description will be omitted in some cases.

[0014] In the present disclosure, "printing" means forming meaningful information, such as text, graphics, etc. In addition, "printing" not only means forming information, but also broadly means forming an image, design, pattern, etc. on a printing medium or processing the printing medium, regardless of whether the formed or processed product is meaningful or whether the formed or processed product is obvious enough for people to visually perceive. In addition, "printing" is sometimes also called "text printing" or "recording".

[0015] The term "print medium" includes not only printing paper used in general imaging devices, but also various transportable media such as cloth, plastic, film (OHP), metal plate, glass, ceramic, wood, leather, etc. Here, "print medium" is also referred to as "sheet" in some cases.

[0016] The term "liquid" may be interpreted broadly as in the definition of "printing" described above, and includes ink to be applied to a print medium to form an image, design, pattern, etc., a processing liquid for processing the surface of a print medium, a reaction liquid for performing a special treatment (e.g., imparting gloss) to the applied liquid, etc. In addition, "processing of ink" refers to, for example, solidification or insolubilization of a colorant in the ink applied to the print medium.

[0017] In the following description, the axis in the main scanning direction of the carriage is defined as the X axis, the axis in the conveying direction of the print medium is defined as the Y axis, and the axis in the direction perpendicular to the plane on which the printing device is installed is defined as the Z axis. These axes are orthogonal to each other. The X axis direction is referred to as the "left-right direction (when the printing device is viewed from the front), the Y axis direction is referred to as the "longitudinal direction (depth direction) (of the printing device)", and the Z axis direction is referred to as the "height direction (of the printing device)". In addition, the +X direction is the right side, the -X direction indicates the left side, the +Y direction indicates the front side, the -Y direction indicates the rear side (back side), the +Z direction indicates the upper side, and the -Z direction indicates the lower side.

[0018] [First embodiment]

[0019] Below, we will use Figure 1 An overview of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the present embodiment is described.

[0020] The printing device 1 includes a conveying roller 2 extending in the X direction, a pinch roller 3 biased toward the conveying roller 2 and driven by the conveying roller 2, a box 4 configured to load a print medium, and a platen 5 configured to support the print medium. Each print medium loaded on the box 4 is fed by a sheet feed roller (not shown) and is guided between the conveying roller 2 and the pinch roller 3. Then, as the conveying roller 2 rotates, the print medium is conveyed along the +Y direction on the platen 5. The print medium is further guided between a discharge roller (not shown) and a push roller driven by the discharge roller. After the image is printed on the print medium on the platen 5, the print medium is discharged to the outside of the device by the rotation of the discharge roller. Considering the characteristic that the printing device consumes liquid (such as ink) used for printing on the print medium, the printing device can be called a "liquid consumption device".

[0021] The ink tanks 6K, 6C, 6M, and 6Y (hereinafter, in the case where they are collectively referred to or do not need to be distinguished, they will be referred to as the ink tank 6. The same expression rule will also apply to other components) are liquid containers configured to store ink. K represents black, C represents cyan, M represents magenta, and Y represents yellow. The ink tanks 6C, 6M, and 6Y have the same shape, while the ink tank 6K is different in size from these ink tanks but has the same basic structure. Since the ink tank 6 is set on the front side of the printing device 1, the user can check the ink remaining in the tank shell 12 in the ink tank 6 by observing the front side of the printing device 1 (see Figure 2A and Figure 2B ). Considering the characteristic that the ink tank stores liquid (such as ink), the ink tank may also be referred to as a "liquid tank", "liquid container" or the like.

[0022] When the remaining amount of ink is reduced, the user can replenish the ink to the ink tank 6 fixed to the housing 7 by replacing the ink bottle (not shown). The four ink tanks store inks of different colors. Specifically, the ink tank 6K stores black ink, the ink tank 6C stores cyan ink, the ink tank 6M stores magenta ink, and the ink tank 6Y stores yellow ink. Here, the number of ink tanks is not limited to four as in the present embodiment, but can be equal to or greater than the number corresponding to the ink type. In view of the characteristic that the ink bottle stores liquid (such as ink), the ink bottle can also be called a "(liquid) bottle".

[0023] The print head 8 is used to eject ink onto a print medium, and an ejection surface facing the platen 5 is provided in the lower surface of the print head 8, in which a nozzle configured to eject ink is formed. Each nozzle is provided with an electrothermal transducer element (heater). By energizing, the electrothermal transducer element generates heat to foam the ink and eject the ink using the foaming energy. The print head 8 can be configured to eject ink by using a piezoelectric transducer element (piezoelectric element) instead of the electrothermal transducer element. Ink is supplied to the print head 8 via a tube 9 provided between the print head 8 and the ink tank 6. Since the tubes 9 are provided for each ink type, there are four tubes 9 in the present embodiment. Considering the characteristic that the print head ejects liquid (e.g., ink) from the nozzle, the print head can also be referred to as a "liquid ejection head."

[0024] The carriage 10 supports the print head 8. The carriage 10 can reciprocate in the X direction (main scanning direction) while being guided along the guide rail 11. While the carriage 10 moves, the print head 8 ejects ink from the nozzles onto the print medium on the platen 5, thereby printing an image on the print medium. This operation is called "print scanning". The printing operation is performed by alternately repeating the conveying operation of the conveying roller 2 to the print medium and the printing scanning.

[0025] The printing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is a serial inkjet printing apparatus equipped with a print head 8 mounted on a carriage 10 configured to reciprocate in the X direction as described above. However, the technology according to the present disclosure can also be applied to other types of printing apparatuses, such as an inkjet printing apparatus including a so-called full-line print head in which a plurality of nozzles configured to eject ink are provided over an area corresponding to the width of a print medium.

[0026] Next, we will use Figure 2A and Figure 2B The ink tank 6 is described in detail. Figure 2A This is a three-dimensional image of an ink tank. Figure 2B This is an exploded view of the ink tank.

[0027] The ink tank 6 includes a tank shell 12 and left and right filters, and the left and right filters are a membrane 13 and a membrane 14 that is different from the membrane 13 in position in the X direction.

[0028] The tank shell 12 is made of a transparent resin material, allowing the user to see the ink remaining inside. In the present embodiment, the resin material of the tank shell 12 is specifically polypropylene. The film 13 is bonded to the side 12a of the tank shell 12, and the film 14 is bonded to the side 12b of the tank shell 12, thereby covering the opening of the tank shell 12 and forming a closed space. In the present embodiment, the contact surfaces of the films 13 and 14 that contact the tank shell 12 are made of the same material as the tank shell 12, and they are mutually melted in the heat fusion and form a close contact state.

[0029] Next, we will use FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D The tank shell 12 will be described in detail. Figure 3A This is the main view from the +Y direction. Figure 3B is the right view, Figure 3C is the left view, Figure 3D It is a top view.

[0030] The inlet portion 21 is used to inject ink in the bottle into the tank chamber 22. The inlet portion 21 is in a tubular shape protruding in the +Z direction and is formed integrally with the tank case 12. The top end of the inlet portion 21 is partitioned into a first inlet 24a and a second inlet 24b by a wall 23. The first inlet 24a and the second inlet 24b are provided outside and above the tank chamber 22.

[0031] The ink injected from the first inlet 24a flows to the first outlet 26a via the first inlet flow path 25a. The ink injected from the second inlet 24b flows to the second outlet 26b via the second inlet flow path 25b. The first outlet 26a and the second outlet 26b are provided inside the tank chamber 22. In the present embodiment, two flow paths connecting the bottle and the tank chamber 22 inside the ink tank are provided as described above.

[0032] When the ink flows from the bottle to the ink tank, the negative pressure in the bottle increases, and one of the flow paths is blocked by the surface tension of the ink. In the case where the flow path is blocked, air flows into the bottle via another flow path (specifically, from the inlet 24 via the outlet 26 of the other flow path and the inlet flow path 25). This causes the ink to flow further into the blocked flow path. When the weight of the ink itself exceeds the surface tension, the blocked state is eliminated and the ink flows into the tank chamber 22. Finally, the ink flows into the tank chamber 22 to a height where gas-liquid exchange can no longer be performed, that is, to a height where the ink blocks the first outlet 26a and the second outlet 26b.

[0033] As described above, in order for one of the two flow paths in the ink tank to be used as an ink inlet flow path and the other flow path to be used as an air outlet flow path, it is necessary to provide a portion that can be blocked by the surface tension of the ink somewhere in the range from the inlet 24 to the outlet 26 in the flow path. In this regard, the smaller the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path, the easier it is for the flow path to be blocked. However, in the case where the cross-sectional area is too small, the inflow velocity will be reduced, so it is preferable to make the cross-sectional area as large as possible within the range that allows the flow path to be blocked. Whether the flow path can be actually blocked depends on the cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area, etc. of the flow path. Regarding the cross-sectional area of ​​the representative elements in the present embodiment, the first inlet 24a and the second inlet 24b are each approximately 10mm 2 The first inlet flow path 25a and the second inlet flow path 25b are each about 13 mm 2 , and the first outlet 26a and the second outlet 26b are each about 9 mm 2 .

[0034] Each inlet flow path 25 is formed to extend from the inlet 24 to the outlet 26 while having a continuous vertically downward component so that ink can flow into the inlet flow path 25 without any stagnation. The inlet flow path 25 in this embodiment extends vertically downward (in the -Z direction) from the inlet 24 ( Figure 3B region A1 in the -Y direction) and then partially tilted in the -Y direction ( Figure 3B and then extends vertically downwards again to the outlet 26 ( Figure 3B The inflection point where the flow path direction changes in the inlet flow path 25 is preferably formed in an R shape, so as to achieve a smooth connection without hindering the flow of ink. The flow path shape should not be limited to the above-mentioned shape, but may be any shape that extends vertically downward (in the -Z direction) continuously. For example, the inlet flow path 25 may be inclined in the -Y direction immediately from the portion near the inlet 24 and reach the outlet 26 without changing the inclination angle.

[0035] The buffer chamber 27 is a space for temporarily receiving ink in the tank chamber 22 to prevent ink from leaking from the ink tank 6 when the printing apparatus 1 is in a posture different from the use posture. In the present embodiment, five buffer chambers, namely, first to fifth buffer chambers 27a to 27e, are provided, each of which is continuously connected to the tank chamber 22 via a flow path.

[0036] Specifically, the tank chamber 22 is continuously connected to the first buffer chamber 27a via the first flow path 28a. The tank chamber 22 is continuously connected to the second buffer chamber 27b via the second flow path 28b. The tank chamber 22 is continuously connected to the third buffer chamber 27c via the third flow path 28c. The tank chamber 22 is continuously connected to the fourth buffer chamber 27d via the fourth flow path 28d. The tank chamber 22 is continuously connected to the fifth buffer chamber 27e via the fifth flow path 28e.

[0037] An air communication hole 29 is formed on the front surface (+Y direction side) of the tank case 12. The air communication hole 29 communicates with the tank chamber 22 via the first to fifth buffer chambers 27a to 27e and the first to fifth flow paths 28a to 28e. Therefore, even if the printing apparatus 1 is in a posture different from the use posture, the ink in the tank chamber 22 can be prevented from leaking from the air communication hole 29.

[0038] In addition, the front surface of the tank case 12 is provided with an observation surface 30 through which the user can visually check the ink remaining amount. The observation surface 30 is formed of a material (e.g., a transparent resin) through which the user can visually check the ink remaining amount in the tank chamber 22. On the observation surface 30, a lower limit mark 31 indicating the lower limit of the ink remaining amount as a mark of the ink replenishment timing and an upper limit mark 32 indicating the upper limit when the ink is replenished are formed in a convex or concave shape.

[0039] A liquid discharge port 33 for discharging ink to the print head 8 is formed on the rear side of the tank case 12. The liquid discharge port 33 and the tank chamber 22 are communicated with each other via an opening 34 and a discharge flow path 35, and the above-mentioned tube 9 is connected to the liquid discharge port 33. Through this tube 9, the ink in the tank case 12 is supplied to the print head 8.

[0040] In addition, if Figure 3C As shown, a pair of metal pins 36a and 36b for detecting the ink remaining amount in the tank chamber 22 are provided on the rear side of the tank case 12. Both the metal pins 36a and 36b are connected to a circuit board not shown. Whether ink remains is detected based on the difference between the resistance between the metal pins immersed in the ink and the resistance between the metal pins outside the ink.

[0041] Here, the positions of the inlet 24 (the first inlet 24a and the second inlet 24b) and the outlet 26 (the first outlet 26a and the second outlet 26b) will be described. In the tank shell 12, the positions of the inlet 24 and the outlet 26 in the longitudinal direction (also referred to as the Y-direction position or the depth direction position) are preferably set to the optimal position in consideration of the layout of the above-mentioned buffer chamber 27, the air communication hole 29, the metal pin 36, etc. In the present embodiment, the Y-direction center (Y1a) of the first inlet 24a and the Y-direction center (Y2a) of the first outlet 26a are set at different positions in the longitudinal direction, more specifically, Y2a is closer to the center of the tank chamber 22 than Y1a. Similarly, the Y-direction center (Y1b) of the second inlet 24b and the Y-direction center (Y2b) of the second outlet 26b are set at different positions in the longitudinal direction, more specifically, Y2b is closer to the center of the tank chamber 22 than Y1b. In this way, the Y-direction center Y1 of the inlet 24 and the Y-direction center Y2 of the outlet 26 are set at different positions in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the outlet 26 is arranged closer to the center of the tank shell 12 than the inlet 24. More specifically, the outlet 26 is arranged at the approximate center of the tank chamber 22 in the longitudinal direction. With this structure, the positions of the inlet 24 and the outlet 26 in the longitudinal direction can both be set to the optimal position, which will be described in detail below. The dimension of the tank chamber 22 in the depth direction (Y direction) is greater than the dimension of the tank chamber 22 in the left-right direction (X direction).

[0042] Generally speaking, the position of the inlet 24 is preferably a position where the user can easily perform the ink replenishment operation. Figure 3B As shown in the figures, the inlet 24 is arranged on the front side of the tank housing 12, in other words, on the +Y direction side, i.e., on the front side of the printing apparatus 1. On the other hand, the outlet 26 is arranged closer to the longitudinal (Y direction) center of the tank chamber 22 than the inlet 24. This longitudinal positional relationship (positional relationship between the inlet 24 and the outlet 26) is an important feature of the present embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C 2 is a view showing the state in the tank chamber 22 in a state where the ink tank 6 is tilted by rotating about the X-axis. Figure 4A The ink tank 6 is shown in a state where it is not tilted. Figure 4B The ink tank 6 is shown in a state where it is tilted by rotating about 10 degrees clockwise around the X-axis. Figure 4C The state in which the ink tank 6 is tilted by rotating about 10 degrees counterclockwise around the X-axis is shown. FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C The ink tank is shown in a state where the films 13 and 14 are omitted for convenience of description.

[0044] As described above, the storable amount in the tank chamber 22 of the ink tank 6 corresponds to the amount when the liquid level of the ink stored by the gas-liquid exchange function reaches the height of the outlet 26. On the other hand, in the case where the ink tank 6 is tilted by rotating about the X-axis, the height of the outlet 26 relative to the liquid surface changes according to the tilt. Therefore, the storable amount of ink in the ink tank 6 (indicated by V) changes according to the tilt of the ink tank 6.

[0045] In this embodiment, if FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C As shown, the Y-direction position Y2 of the outlet 26 is arranged as close as possible to the center of the tank chamber 22. As a result, compared with the case where the Y-direction position Y2 of the outlet 26 is arranged on the front end side (or rear end side) of the tank chamber 22, the deviation of the ink amount V caused by the inclination of the ink tank 6 can be reduced.

[0046] In other words, compared with the situation described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-104163, the ink tank 6 is tilted. Figure 4B and Figure 4C The difference in the amount of ink stored in the tank chamber 22 between (the amount of stored ink is shown by a dotted line) can be smaller. As a result, the deviation in the replenishment amount that occurs according to the tilt of the ink tank can be reduced, so that the replenishment amount can be stabilized regardless of the tilt. As described above, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-104163, the Y-direction position Y2 of the outlet 26 is arranged on the front end side (or rear end side) of the tank chamber 22.

[0047] Although the structure in which the Y-direction center Y1 of the inlet 24 is arranged on the front side and the Y-direction center Y2 of the outlet 26 is arranged on the center side is described above, the structure applicable according to the technology of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the case where the buffer chamber 27 is arranged on the front side of the tank shell 12 and the metal pin 36 is arranged on the center side of the tank shell 12, the volume of the tank shell 12 can be effectively utilized by the structure in which the Y-direction center Y1 of the inlet 24 is arranged on the center side and the Y-direction center Y2 of the outlet 26 is arranged on the front side.

[0048] <Example>

[0049] In the following, reference FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C , Fig. 6A and Figure 6B , the shape of the bottom surface 37 that constitutes the tank chamber 22 together with the opening portion 34 will be described.

[0050] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view of various tank chambers 22, wherein: Figure 5A The tank chamber is shown with a horizontal bottom surface 37, while Figure 5B and Figure 5C The tank chambers are shown in which the bottom surface 37 is partially inclined. Specifically, Figure 5BThe bottom surface 37 of the tank chamber shown includes an inclined surface and a horizontal surface having the lowest height in the tank chamber (hereinafter referred to as the lowest horizontal surface). Figure 5C The tank chamber bottom surface 37 is shown to include two inclined surfaces and a lowest horizontal surface.

[0051] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B Schematic diagrams showing cross sections of various tank chambers 22, wherein: Fig. 6A and Figure 6B The bottom surface 37 of the tank chamber 22 is shown to be curved.

[0052] The opening portion 34 serves as an outlet for the ink in the tank chamber 22 to flow to the outside. For this reason, the opening portion 34 is generally provided at the lowest position in the tank chamber 22. In this example, the opening portion 34 is provided in the side wall of the tank chamber 22 in such a manner as to be connected to the lowest horizontal surface. In addition, the opening portion 34 is provided at the frontmost side (+Y side) in the longitudinal direction (depth direction).

[0053] In this example, the opening 34 is a rectangular opening shape. Therefore, when ink is supplied to the print head 8 in a state where the ink level is lower than the upper side 34a of the opening shape, air is mixed into the supplied ink, which has an adverse effect on the ejection performance of the print head 8. Therefore, in order to prevent the ink level from being lower than the upper side 34a, it is usually necessary to warn the user to replenish the ink tank 6. In other words, in the prior art, Figure 5A The ink whose liquid level is at the height of the upper side 34a of the opening 34 is in a state where the ink cannot be used by the user. Here, the ink in this state will be referred to as unusable ink. In the case where the amount of unusable ink 38 is large, the change in the liquid level height visible to the user is large due to the tilt of the ink tank (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 4B and Figure 4C ). Therefore, the user may be confused when using the printing device 1.

[0054] To solve this problem, one possible method of reducing unusable ink is as follows Figure 5B As shown, a portion of the bottom surface 37 is formed into an inclined shape. Using this method, Figure 5A The amount of unusable ink 38 shown is reduced to the amount of unusable ink 38b, and the reduced amount corresponds to the oblique line area 38b'. However, the bottom surface 37b as described above brings a disadvantage that the amount of ink available to the user (referred to as effective ink) is reduced by the same amount as that in the case where the ink level is located above the upper side 34a of the opening 34. Figure 5B The grey area 39b shown corresponds to the amount.

[0055] As a countermeasure to suppress the reduction of effective ink, it can be considered to form the shape of the bottom surface to have multiple inclined surfaces, such as Figure 5CThe bottom surface 37c shown. The bottom surface 37c includes a lowest horizontal surface, a first inclined surface connected to the lowest horizontal surface, and a second inclined surface connected to the first inclined surface. Therefore, assuming that the Z-direction position (height) of the upper side 34a of the opening 34 is defined as a boundary, the second inclined surface above the boundary has a gentler slope than the first inclined surface below the boundary. This structure makes it possible to suppress the reduction of effective ink while suppressing the increase of unusable ink 38c.

[0056] However, the capacity of the tank chamber 22 adopting the above-mentioned bottom surface using one or more inclined surfaces is greatly reduced compared to the capacity that the tank chamber 22 could otherwise have. In addition, in the case where the bottom surface is formed of a plurality of inclined surfaces, the efficiency of recovering ink may be impaired due to discontinuous connection between one inclined surface and another inclined surface among the plurality of inclined surfaces.

[0057] A possible structure for solving the above problem is that the bottom surface includes a lowest horizontal surface and a curved surface having a continuously curved shape with an inflection point, such as Fig. 6A The height of the inflection point is equal to the height of the upper side 34a of the opening shape. The above case is that there is one inflection point, but the bottom surface can be formed by using a curved surface with multiple inflection points.

[0058] However, Fig. 6A There is also a problem with the structure in the ink tank. This problem is based on the formability of the plastic ink tank. Specifically, in the case where the box shape of the ink tank 6 is deformed over time and warps in the direction of reducing the capacity of the tank chamber 22 (inward of the ink tank), the ink tank 6 cannot store the desired amount of ink, which is disadvantageous to the user. In this specification, the "inflection point" refers to the point where the "curve convex upward" changes to the "curve convex downward".

[0059] In order to solve this problem, it can be considered that the bottom surface is formed by a curved surface with a downward convex arc, such as Figure 6B The bottom surface 37e in the middle. Using this structure can make the amount of unusable ink less than Figure 5B The amount in the effective ink volume is suppressed to the same level as Figure 5B The level of the same or smaller, and can also reduce the deviation in forming. Figure 6B The structure in the embodiment can make the amount of unusable ink less than Figure 5A The amount in Figure 5B Compared with the structure in the embodiment, the reduction in the effective ink volume can be suppressed. In addition, the deviation in the ink capacity of the ink container caused by the moldability can be reduced.

[0060] According to the present disclosure, the replenishment amount of liquid can be stabilized regardless of the tilt of the liquid container.

[0061] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A liquid container, the liquid container being mounted on a liquid consuming device, the liquid consuming device including a liquid ejecting head configured to eject liquid, and the liquid container being configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head, the liquid container comprising: a tank room configured to store a liquid; an inlet, disposed above the tank chamber and into which liquid is injected; and an outlet, which is arranged to face the interior of the tank chamber, and from which the liquid injected from the inlet is discharged after moving through the flow path by gas-liquid exchange, Here, assuming that the depth direction is a direction intersecting the height direction and the left-right direction of the liquid consuming device, the depth direction center position of the outlet is closer to the center of the tank chamber than the depth direction center position of the inlet.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein: Ink is supplied from a bottle attached to the liquid consuming device to the tank chamber via the inlet, the flow path, and the outlet.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein: The outlet is arranged closer to the center of the liquid consuming device in the depth direction than the inlet.

4. The liquid container according to claim 3, wherein: The outlet is provided at approximately the center of the tank chamber in the depth direction.

5. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein: In depth direction, the inlet is arranged outside the liquid consuming apparatus compared to the outlet.

6. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein: The flow path is formed to extend from the inlet to the outlet while having a continuous vertically downward component.

7. The liquid container according to claim 6, wherein: The entrance comprises a first entrance and a second entrance, The flow path includes a first flow path and a second flow path, The outlet includes a first outlet and a second outlet, The liquid injected from the first inlet flows through the first flow path and is discharged from the first outlet, and The liquid injected from the second inlet flows through the second flow path and is discharged from the second outlet.

8. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein: In the case where any one of the first flow path and the second flow path is blocked, air flows into the bottle via the other flow path which is not blocked.

9. The liquid container according to claim 8, further comprising an air communication hole and a buffer chamber, wherein: The air communication hole communicates with the tank chamber via the buffer chamber.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein The tank chamber includes a bottom surface and an opening, and the liquid in the tank chamber flows out from the opening. The bottom surface includes at least the lowest horizontal surface, and The opening portion is provided in the side wall of the tank chamber in such a manner as to be connected to the lowest horizontal surface.

11. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein: In the depth direction, the outlet is arranged closer to the center of the liquid consuming apparatus than the opening.

12. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein: The bottom surface includes a lowest horizontal surface and an inclined surface.

13. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein: The bottom surface includes a lowest horizontal surface, a first inclined surface connected to the lowest horizontal surface, and a second inclined surface having a slope gentler than that of the first inclined surface.

14. The liquid container according to claim 13, wherein: The opening is a rectangular opening shape. The height of the upper side of the opening shape is equal to the height at a position where the first inclined surface is connected to the second inclined surface.

15. The liquid container according to claim 10, wherein: The bottom surface includes the lowest horizontal surface and the curved surface.

16. The liquid container according to claim 15, wherein The opening is a rectangular opening shape, and The curve has an inflection point, and The height of the upper side of the opening shape is equal to the height of the one inflection point.

17. The liquid container according to claim 15, wherein: The surface has multiple inflection points.

18. The liquid container according to claim 15, wherein: The curved surface has an arc shape that is convex downward.

19. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein: The dimension of the tank chamber in the depth direction is greater than the dimension of the tank chamber in the left-right direction.

20. A liquid consuming device comprising: a liquid ejection head configured to eject liquid; and a liquid container configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head, wherein Liquid containers include: a tank room configured to store a liquid; an inlet disposed above the tank chamber and into which liquid is injected; and an outlet which is arranged to face the interior of the tank chamber and from which the liquid injected from the inlet is discharged after moving through the flow path by gas-liquid exchange, and Assuming that the depth direction is a direction intersecting the height direction and the left-right direction of the liquid consuming device, the depth direction center position of the outlet is closer to the center of the tank chamber than the depth direction center position of the inlet.

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