Ink tank and system

Abstract

An ink reservoir (30), which can be inserted into a mounting space (108) of a mounting section (101) in a front-back direction in a forward direction, comprises a chamber (46) configured to store ink, a feed section (33) having a feed port (34) that defines a front end section thereof, facing forward, and configured to be connected to a feed line (102) of the mounting section (101), a valve (36) configured to open and close the feed port (34) and to contact the feed line (102) in a mounted state in which the ink reservoir (30) is mounted in the mounting section (101), an electrical interface (60) having a contact surface (61) that faces upward in an upward-downward direction perpendicular to the front-back direction, and a projection (77).which is positioned upwards and forwards with respect to the feed port (34) and below the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60), with the projection (77) extending downwards from the ink reservoir (30). The projection (77) has a receiving surface (77L) which, in the installed state, is configured to receive an upward clamping force.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ink container and a system, both of which are configured to store ink. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an ink cartridge to be mounted in a cartridge mounting portion of a printer. An ink supply port of the ink cartridge is closed by a valve body. When the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, an ink needle pushes the valve body, which closes an ink supply port. When the valve body is pushed by the ink needle, the valve body moves against the biasing force of a coil spring and separates from the ink supply port.

[0003] Furthermore, in a state where the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, the ink cartridge is prevented from moving backward by contacting a locking portion of the cartridge mounting portion, thereby maintaining the ink cartridge in the mounted state. Furthermore, each electrode of the respective IC board of the ink cartridge is electrically connected to the corresponding contact of the cartridge mounting portion. Patent literature:

[0004] Patent Literature 1: JP 2023-22950 A DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In the attached state, a reaction force acts on the ink cartridge due to the tension force of the coil spring pressing the valve body. As a result, a torque is exerted on the ink cartridge, causing one side of the front end of the ink cartridge to move downward around the ink supply port with respect to the insertion direction.

[0006] When torque is applied to the ink needle, there is a possibility of gradual deformation of the ink needle. When the ink needle deforms, the contact area between the ink supply port and the ink needle may no longer be sufficiently sealed, resulting in ink leakage depending on the environmental conditions.

[0007] To prevent ink needle deformation, it is possible to increase the strength of the ink needle by increasing its outer diameter. However, in this case, the inner diameter of the ink supply port connected to the ink needle is also increased. Consequently, the size of the ink cartridge also increases.

[0008] The present disclosure provides an ink container and a system each preventing deformation of a member of an attachment portion due to torque generated in the ink container.

[0009] Embodiments of various aspects of the invention, which address the above-described disadvantages of the prior art, are apparent from an ink container as defined in claim 1, from an ink container as defined in claim 17, and from a system as defined in claim 18. Even more detailed advantageous embodiments are apparent from the dependent claims.

[0010] According to such an aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink container which is insertable into a mounting space of a mounting portion in a forward direction in a front-to-rear direction.

[0011] The ink tank includes a chamber configured to store ink, a supply portion having a supply port defining a front end portion thereof, facing forward, and configured to be connected to a supply line of the mounting portion, a valve configured to open and close the supply port and contact the supply line in an attached state in which the ink tank is mounted in the mounting portion, an electrical interface having a contact surface facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction, and a protrusion positioned upward and forward with respect to the supply port and below the contact surface of the electrical interface, the protrusion protruding downward from the ink tank.

[0012] The protrusion has a receiving surface configured to receive an upward clamping force in the mounted state. An advantageous effect of this configuration is as follows: the ink container can be inserted into the mounting portion in a forward direction. When the supply line of the mounting portion is connected to the supply port, the valve moves in a rearward direction. In the mounted state, the contact of the mounting portion then abuts against the contact surface of the electrical interface, i.e., to establish an electrical connection. The contact of the mounting portion can be provided by spring-biased elements, so that a force can optionally be exerted on the contact surface.

[0013] However, because the receiving surface of the protrusion absorbs the upward clamping force, the contact surface and the contact reliably come into contact with each other. Due to the reaction force of the valve moving backward, a torque is generated in the ink tank, causing a front end to move downward around an axis extending through a center of the supply port.

[0014] Due to the upward clamping force received by the receiving surface of the protrusion positioned forward with respect to the supply port, a torque opposite to a direction of the valve torque is generated, thus mitigating the valve torque. Accordingly, deformation of the supply line connected to the supply port can be advantageously avoided.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the ink container, in the mounted state, the receiving surface of the projection and the contact surface of the electrical interface overlap each other at least partially in the up-down direction. Since the force exerted downward from the contact point of the attachment section by the contact surface of the electrical interface is received by the receiving surface of the projection, which is positioned essentially directly below, the mounted position of the ink container in the mounted state is prevented from tilting in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a front end of the receiving surface of the protrusion is positioned forward in the attached state with respect to a front end of the contact surface of the electrical interface. Because the clamping force acts on the receiving surface of the protrusion before the contact of the attachment portion abuts against the contact surface of the electrical interface, the posture of the ink container is stabilized in the attached state.

[0017] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a length of the receiving surface of the protrusion in the front-to-back direction is greater than a length of the contact surface of the electrical interface in the front-to-back direction. As a result, the upward force received by the receiving surface is applied smoothly and constantly when the contact of the mounting portion slides over a surface of the electrical interface.

[0018] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a rear end of the receiving surface of the protrusion is positioned rearward relative to a rear end of the contact surface of the electrical interface. The same advantage as described above is achieved.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the ink container, the supply section has a tensioning element which is configured to press the valve in the forward direction.

[0020] According to a further embodiment of the ink container, the ink container has a contact surface facing rearward, positioned rearwardly with respect to the supply port and above the contact surface of the electrical interface, and configured to contact the attachment portion.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container has a bottom surface facing downward, the bottom surface including a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface, the first bottom surface being positioned rearwardly with respect to the supply port, and the second bottom surface being positioned forwardly and upwardly with respect to a rear end of the first bottom surface, and forwardly and upwardly with respect to the supply port. An outer surface of the supply portion includes the first bottom surface.Furthermore, a front end of the first lower surface is a front end of the supply portion defined by the supply port, and the outer surface of the supply portion has a curved surface curved in a circumferential direction around an axis of the supply port extending in the front-rear direction. Due to this structure, a portion of the outer surface of the supply portion, which forms a part of the lower surface of the ink tank, comes into contact with a guide or the like of the mounting portion, so that the supply portion is guided toward the supply pipe.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container has a downwardly facing bottom surface. Further, the bottom surface has a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface, wherein the first bottom surface is positioned rearward with respect to the supply port, and the second bottom surface is positioned forward and upward with respect to a front end of the first bottom surface, and is positioned forward and upward with respect to the supply port. Here, the projection protrudes downward from the second bottom surface, and the second bottom surface is inclined such that a rear end of the second bottom surface is positioned downward with respect to a front end of the second bottom surface in the attached state.Advantageously, even if the posture of the ink tank changes due to the torque in the attached state, the front end of the second lower surface is unlikely to come into contact with and collide with the attaching portion.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a length of the protrusion in the up-down direction decreases toward a rear end of the protrusion. As a result, a strength of the protrusion increases toward a rear end thereof.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the protrusion has a left side surface facing leftward in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction, and a right side surface facing rightward, wherein a length of both the left side surface and the right side surface in the front-back direction is greater than a length of a front end of the protrusion in the up-down direction. With this configuration, a guiding function of the protrusion using the left and right side surfaces becomes particularly advantageous considering their lengths.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the ink tank, the ink tank has a left surface facing left in the left-right direction and a right surface facing right. Further, the left side surface and the right side surface of the protrusion are positioned forward with respect to the supply port and rearward with respect to a front end of the ink tank. Moreover, the left side surface is positioned rightward with respect to the left surface of the ink tank, and the right side surface is positioned leftward with respect to the right surface of the ink tank.

[0026] Here, because the left side surface of the protrusion is positioned to the right with respect to the left surface of the ink tank, and the right side surface is positioned to the left with respect to the right surface of the ink tank, the protrusion does not immediately absorb the impact of the drop even if the ink tank falls with the left surface or the right surface facing down. Therefore, the embodiment avoids a situation in which the protrusion might be deformed, rendering the ink tank unusable. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the width of the ink tank in the left-right direction.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the left side surface of the protrusion is positioned in the right direction with respect to a left end of the supply portion, and the right side surface of the protrusion is positioned in the left direction with respect to a right end of the supply portion.

[0028] Because the left side surface of the protrusion is positioned to the right with respect to the left end of the feed section, and the right side surface of the protrusion is positioned to the left with respect to the right end of the feed section, the protrusion does not immediately absorb the impact of a drop even if the ink tank is dropped with the left end or the right end facing down. This ensures that the above-described functions of the protrusion are most likely to be maintained even if the ink tank absorbs an impact. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the length (or width) of the ink tank in the left-right direction in the ink cartridge design.

[0029] According to another embodiment of the ink tank, a maximum length of the protrusion in the front-back direction is greater than a maximum length of the protrusion in the up-down direction, and a maximum length (or width) of the protrusion in the left-right direction is shorter than a maximum length (or width) of the ink tank in the left-right direction.

[0030] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container has a left wall and a right wall separated from each other in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction, and the protrusion has a left side surface facing left in the left-right direction and a right side surface facing right. Further, the left side surface faces the left wall of the ink container in the left-right direction, and the right side surface faces the right wall of the ink container in the left-right direction. As a result, the protrusion is protected by the left wall and the right wall, which are positioned to sandwich the protrusion in the left-right direction. This particularly relates to impacts occurring with respect to the ink container.

[0031] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container comprises a main body having the chamber and the supply portion, as well as a cover having the electrical interface and the protrusion. Such a structure offers an advantage in that the cover can be replaced with respect to the main body, and / or that the cover is movable, in particular rotatable, with respect to the main body to improve the properties when inserting the ink container with respect to the attachment portion.

[0032] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink container comprising a chamber for storing ink, a supply portion having a supply port defining a front end thereof and facing forward in a front-back direction, a valve configured to open and close the supply port, an electrical interface having an electrode facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction, and a protrusion positioned upward and forward with respect to the supply port and downward with respect to the electrode of the electrical interface, the protrusion protruding downward from the ink container. The protrusion has a receiving surface positioned below the electrode and upward and forward with respect to the supply port.The ink container has a first lower surface facing downward and positioned rearward with respect to the supply port, and a second lower surface positioned forward and upward with respect to a front end of the first lower surface and forward and upward with respect to the supply port, with the projection extending downward from the second lower surface. The same or similar advantages as in the above-described embodiments can be achieved.

[0033] According to another aspect of the invention, a system is provided in which an ink container is to be mounted in a mounting portion in a mounting direction. The ink container comprises a chamber configured to store ink, a supply portion having a supply port defining a front end thereof and facing forward, a valve configured to open and close the supply port, an electrical interface having an electrode facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction, and a protrusion positioned upward and forward with respect to the supply port and downward with respect to the electrode of the electrical interface, the protrusion protruding downward from the ink container.The protrusion has a receiving surface positioned below the electrode and upward and forward with respect to the feed terminal. Furthermore, a first lower surface faces downward and is positioned rearward with respect to the feed terminal, and a second lower surface is positioned forward and upward with respect to a front end of the first lower surface and forward and upward with respect to the feed terminal. The protrusion extends downward from the second lower surface.Furthermore, the mounting portion includes a receiving housing configured to receive the ink container, a supply line connectable to the supply port, and a clamping member configured to exert an upward clamping force on the receiving surface in a mounted state in which the ink container is mounted in the receiving housing. The same advantages as described above with respect to the various embodiments can be achieved.

[0034] According to the present disclosure, deformation of the member of the attachment portion, which otherwise occurs due to the torque generated in the ink tank, is avoided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of a printer 10. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of a cartridge case 110. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge 30, viewed from the front and top. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge 30, viewed from the rear and bottom. Fig. Figure 5 is a right side view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 6 is a top view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 8 is a front view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 9 is a rear view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 10 is a left side view of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 11 is a front view of four ink cartridges 30. Fig. 12 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge case 110. Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B are cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, each showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge case 110 and an ink receiving member 130 is arranged in a first position. Fig. 13A is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a bottom surface 70 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B are cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, each showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge case 110 and the ink receiving member 130 is in a second position. Fig. 14A is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a bottom surface 70 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 15A and Fig. 15B are cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, each showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge case 110 and a supply pipe 102 is inserted into a supply port 34. Fig. 15A is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a bottom surface 70 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 16A and Fig. 16B are cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, each showing an attached state of the ink cartridge 30 in which the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge case 110. Fig. 16A is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a bottom surface 70 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 16B is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110 taken along a vertical plane intersecting a first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 17 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge case 110, showing the attached state of the ink cartridge 30 in which the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge case 110. Fig. 18 is a rear view of the ink cartridge 30 according to a modified embodiment. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the ink cartridge 30 according to another modified embodiment, viewed from the front and top. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiment described below is merely an example of implementing the present disclosure, and the embodiment may be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0036] Hereinafter, an ink cartridge 30 is inserted into and removed from a cartridge case 110 in a horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity). Furthermore, whenever appropriate, a forward direction and a backward direction may be collectively referred to as a front-to-back direction. An upward direction and a downward direction may be collectively referred to as an up-down direction. A rightward direction and a leftward direction may be collectively referred to as a right-to-left direction.

[0037] For the purposes of this description, the front-back and right-left directions are assumed to be horizontal directions. Furthermore, a vertical direction perpendicular to the front-back direction is defined as the up-down direction. A direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-back direction is defined as the right-left direction.

[0038] Note that an attached state in which the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge case 110 is a state in which the ink cartridge 30 has been inserted into an attachment position in the cartridge case 110 and is ready to be used with the printer 10. The attachment position is a position in which a supply pipe 102 provided in the cartridge case 110 is inserted into a supply port 34 provided in the ink cartridge 30 and connected to the supply port 34.

[0039] Hereinafter, the position of the ink cartridge 30 when the ink cartridge 30 is in the attached state and ready to be used with the printer 10 is referred to as the use position or upright position.

[0040] When the positional relationships between the components of the ink cartridge 30 are described with the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," and when the orientations or directions of the components of the ink cartridge 30 are described with the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," these descriptions refer to the ink cartridge 30 being in the use position unless otherwise specified. When the positions, orientations, or directions of the ink cartridge 30 itself are described with the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "rear," these descriptions refer to the ink cartridge 30 being in the use position.

[0041] The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge case 110 in the front direction, which direction may also be referred to as the attachment direction. The ink cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge case 110 in the rear direction. When a component of the ink cartridge 30 is described as facing in a certain direction, the direction in which the component faces is not strictly limited to that specific direction. For example, when it is described as "a front surface facing forward," the front surface may face forward and upward.

[0042] A front surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface formed in the Fig. 8 appears. A rear surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface shown in Fig. 9 appears. An upper surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface which is in the Fig. 6. A lower surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface formed in the Fig. 7 appears. A left surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface shown in Fig. 10. A right surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface shown in the Fig. 5 appears. [Outline of printer 10]

[0043] As in Fig. 1, the printer 10 includes the cartridge case 110, an intermediate tank 120, an ink conduit 20, a recording head 21, and the ink cartridge 30. The printer 10 is an inkjet recording apparatus, such as an inkjet printer, that records an image by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head 21 onto a sheet based on an inkjet recording method. The printer 10 is an example of a system.

[0044] The printer 10 includes the cartridge housing 110. The cartridge housing 110 is an example of an attachment portion. The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be attached to the cartridge housing 110. The ink cartridge 30 is an example of an ink container. The cartridge housing 110 has an opening 112 at its rear end.

[0045] The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be inserted into the housing 110 from the front through the opening 112 and to be attached to the housing 110 when the ink cartridge 30 reaches the attachment position. The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be taken out and removed from the housing 110 rearward through the opening 112. The opening 112 is covered by a cover 126 when the cover 126 is closed and is open to the outside of the printer 10 when the cover 126 is opened.

[0046] Fig. 1 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is completely attached to the cartridge case 110. Fig. Figure 1 shows the ink cartridge 30 in its attached state. The position of the ink cartridge 30 when inserted is the use position.

[0047] The ink cartridge 30 stores ink that can be used in the printer 10. The ink may be a liquid containing a coloring material such as a pigment, or a processing liquid that does not contain a coloring material but contains an additive for improving the quality of the image formed by the coloring material. In a state where the ink cartridge 30 is completely attached to the cartridge case 110, that is, when the ink cartridge 30 is in the attached state, the ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are connected to each other via the ink conduit 20.

[0048] The recording head 21 discharges the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 30 from a plurality of nozzles 29. Specifically, a head control board included in the recording head 21 selectively applies a drive voltage to a plurality of piezoelectric elements 29A provided corresponding to the plurality of nozzles 29. As a result, ink is selectively discharged from the nozzles 29. That is, the recording head 21 consumes the ink stored in the ink cartridge 30 attached to the cartridge case 110.

[0049] The printer 10 includes a paper feed tray 15, a paper feed roller 23, a pair of transport rollers 25, a roller 26, a pair of output rollers 27, and a paper output tray 16. The sheet feed roller 23 feeds a sheet on the sheet feed tray 15 toward a transport path 24. The sheet fed to the transport path 24 reaches the pair of transport rollers 25. The pair of transport rollers 25 transports the sheet that has reached the pair of transport rollers 25 onto the roller 26. The recording head 21 selectively ejects ink onto the sheet passing over the roller 26. Thus, an image is recorded on the sheet. The sheet that has passed the roller 26 reaches the pair of output rollers 27. The pair of output rollers 27 delivers the sheet that has reached the pair of output rollers 27 to an output tray 16 located at the downstream end of the transport path 24. [Cartridge case 110]

[0050] As in Fig. 2, the cartridge case 110 includes a case body 101 and a supply pipe 102. The cartridge case 110 is an example of a mounting portion. The case body 101 is an example of a receiving case. The case body 101 has a box shape. The case body 101 has an internal space in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted. The case body 101 has an end surface 103 defining a front end in the mounting direction when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the internal space, a left wall defining a left end of the internal space, a right wall defining a right end of the internal space, a bottom wall, and a cover wall 171 covering a power transmission plate 134, which will be described below. The cover wall 171 has an upper wall 172 facing upward and a rear wall 173 extending downward from a rear end portion of the upper wall 172.

[0051] The housing body 101 has the opening 112 at its rear end. Once the user opens the cover 126 to use the printer 10, the opening 112 is freely accessible. The housing body 101 has three partition walls 109 in its interior. The three partition walls 109 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The slot 108 is an example of a mounting space. The interior of the housing body 101 has four slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D arranged in the left-right direction.

[0052] The socket 108A is positioned on the rightmost side among the four sockets 108A to 108D. The socket 108B is positioned to the left of the socket 108A. The socket 108C is positioned to the left of the socket 108B. The socket 108D is positioned on the left side of the socket 108C and is on the leftmost side among the sockets 108A to 108D. The interior space of the housing body 101 is divided into the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D by the three partition walls 109, which divide the interior space of the housing body 101, and by the inner surface of the housing body 101.

[0053] The partition wall 109 extends upward from the upper surface of the upper wall 172 of the covering wall 171. The three partition walls 109 are positioned at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The partition wall 109 has the shape of a flat plate that extends in the up-down and front-back directions. The partition wall 109 extends from the front end to the rear end of the upper wall 172.

[0054] The case body 101 has a guide surface 161. The guide surface 161 is disposed in each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. The guide surface 161 faces upward. The guide surface 161 is substantially a semi-circular surface. When the ink cartridge 30 is attached to or removed from the case body 101, the guide surface 161 guides the ink cartridge 30 in the front-to-back direction. The guide surface 161 supports the lower end of the ink cartridge 30 in the attached state in which the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the case body 101.

[0055] As in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, there is a space 162 below the supply line 102.

[0056] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, the cover wall 171 is positioned below the end surface 103 of the case body 101. The top wall 172 extends from the left wall to the right wall of the case body 101. The rear wall 173 has the shape of a flat plate extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The rear wall 173 extends from the left wall to the right wall of the case body 101. In the rear wall 173, through holes 144 are positioned at equal intervals in the left-right direction in the corresponding slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. The guide surface 161 is positioned below each through hole 144. The feed line 102 passes through the through hole 144 and projects in the rearward direction from the rear wall 173.

[0057] In each slot 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D, the top wall 172 has a recess 113 and a recess 114. The recess 113 and the recess 114 in each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D have a corresponding shape. The recess 113 is located at the left end of each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D, and the recess 114 is located at the right end of each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. Both the recess 113 and the recess 114 are cut downward from the top wall 172 and extend along the front-to-rear direction to open into the rear wall 173. The ink cartridge 30 has a pair of walls (described below), each wall 71 being inserted into a corresponding one of the recess 113 or recess 114.

[0058] In each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D, two protruding portions 117 protrude upward from the upper wall 172 of the cover wall 171, are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, and are disposed between the recess 113 and the recess 114 in the left-right direction. The upper wall 172 of the cover wall 171 has a through-hole 140A that is continuously connected to a space between the two protruding portions 117. The rear wall 173 of the cover wall 171 has a through-hole 140B. The lower end of the through-hole 140A and the upper end of the through-hole 140B are continuously connected to each other.

[0059] A first key slot 115 is positioned in each of the socket positions 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D between the two protruding parts 117. The first key slot 115 is an example of a first receiving section. In particular, the socket position 108A has a first key slot 115A, the socket position 108B has a first key slot 115B, the socket position 108C has a first key slot 115C, and the socket position 108D has a first key slot 115D. The first key slot 115 opens upward and rearward. A first key section 77 (described below) of the ink cartridge 30 can be inserted into the first key slot 115. The first key slots 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D have different positions in the left-right direction with respect to the recess 113 and the recess 114.Specifically, the first key slot 115A is closer to the recess 113 than a center of the slot 108A between the recess 113 and the recess 114 in the left-right direction. The first key slot 115B is closer to the recess 114 in the slot 108B than the first key slot 115A with respect to the recess 114 in the slot 108A in the left-right direction. The first key slot 115C is closer to the recess 114 in the slot 108C than the first key slot 115B with respect to the recess 114 in the slot 108B in the left-right direction. The first key slot 115D is closer to the recess 114 in the slot 108D than the first key slot 115C with respect to the recess 114 in the slot 108C in the left-right direction.

[0060] In each slot 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D, a rib 118 is positioned above the recess 113 and a rib 119 is positioned above the recess 114, respectively. In slot 108A, the rib 118 protrudes from the inner surface of the right wall 129. In slot 108B, the rib 118 protrudes from the partition 109 defining the right end of slot 108B. In slot 108C, the rib 118 protrudes from the partition 109 defining the right end of slot 108C. In slot 108D, the rib 118 protrudes from the partition 109 defining the right end of slot 108D. In slot 108A, rib 119 protrudes from partition 109 defining the left end of slot 108A. In slot 108B, rib 119 protrudes from partition 109 defining the left end of slot 108B.In socket 108C, the rib 119 of the partition wall 109, which defines the left end of socket 108C, protrudes. In socket 108D, the rib 119 protrudes from the inner upper surface of the left wall 128. The ribs 118 and 119 face each other in the left - right direction in each of the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D.

[0061] The supply line 102 is positioned in the interior of each of the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D. The supply line 102 is positioned below each of the first key slots 115A, 115B, 115C and 115D. The supply line 102 has the shape of a hollow round tube. The supply line 102 extends along the front - rear direction from an intermediate tank 120 towards the interior of each of the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D. A rear end of the supply line 102 is open. The rear end of the supply line 102 is positioned in the interior of each of the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C and 108D. Although not described in detail, a valve is arranged in the interior of the supply line 102. The valve opens and closes the opening of the supply line 102. The supply line 102 is connectable to the supply connection 34 of the ink cartridge 30.

[0062] As in Fig. 1, a front end of the supply line 102 is connected to the intermediate tank 120. The intermediate tank 120 has an internal space that stores the ink supplied from the ink cartridge 30 through the supply line 102. The internal space of the intermediate tank 120 communicates with an outside at an upper portion thereof and is open to the atmosphere. The ink in the intermediate tank 120 is supplied to the recording head 21 through the ink line 20.

[0063] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 12, a rod 121 is positioned above each of the first key slots 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D. The rod 121 protrudes rearward from the end surface 103. The rod 121 is connectable to an atmosphere opening passage 38 of the ink cartridge 30, which will be described below.

[0064] A fitting piece 122 and a fitting piece 123 are positioned above each of the first key slots 115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D and below the rod 121. The fitting piece 122 is a plate-like member. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the inner surface of the right wall 129 in the slot 108A. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the partition wall 109 that defines the right end of the slot 108B. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the partition wall 109 that defines the right end of the slot 108C. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the partition wall 109 that defines the right end of the slot 108D. The fitting piece 123 is a plate-like member. The fitting piece 123 projects to the right of the partition wall 109, which defines the left end of the slot 108A. The fitting piece 123 projects to the right of the partition wall 109, which defines the left end of the slot 108B.The fitting piece 123 projects to the right of the partition wall 109 defining the left end of the slot 108C. The fitting piece 123 projects to the right from the inner surface of the left wall 128 in the slot 108D.

[0065] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 13, contacts 125 are positioned on the upper inner surface of the housing body 101 in each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. The contacts 125 are connectable to an IC board 60 of the ink cartridge 30. Through the contacts 125, a control unit of the printer 10 reads information stored in the IC board 60 and also records information in the IC board 60.

[0066] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 13, an ink receiving member 130 is positioned in the space 162 of the case body 101. One ink receiving member 130 is provided for each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. The ink receiving member 130 has a front end portion 131 extending in the left-right direction. The front end portion 131 is supported on the case body 101. The ink receiving member 130 has a substantially flat plate shape and extends rearward and upward from the front end portion 131, and a rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130 is positioned in the vicinity of the rear end of the supply pipe 102. The ink receiving member 130 rotates around the front end portion 131, so that the rear end portion 132 moves substantially in the up-down direction.

[0067] A coil spring 133 extending along the front-to-rear direction is positioned between the ink receiving member 130 and the case body 101. The coil spring 133 exerts a forward force on the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130, or pulls the rear end portion 132 forward. The coil spring 133 is an example of a biasing element.

[0068] As in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, the ink receiving member 130, urged or pulled by the coil spring 133, is held in a state in which the rear end portion 132 is closest to a lower surface of the supply pipe 102. In this state, the rear end portion 132 is not in contact with the lower surface of the supply pipe 102. The state in which the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130 is closest to the lower surface of the supply pipe 102 will hereinafter be referred to as a closest state of the ink receiving member 130.

[0069] In the state in which the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130 is closest to the lower surface of the supply pipe 102, the ink receiving member 130 is positioned in a first position. In a state in which the ink cartridge is not attached to the supply pipe 102, the ink receiving member 130 is in the closest state but is not in contact with the lower surface of the supply pipe 102.

[0070] After the ink cartridge 30 is removed from the case body 101, ink may remain at the rear end of the supply pipe 102. This ink moves to a lower portion of the rear end of the supply pipe 102 due to gravity and subsequently drops onto the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130, which is in the closest state to the lower surface of the supply pipe 102. The received ink moves along the ink receiving member 130 from the rear end portion 132 toward the front end portion 131 away from the ink cartridge 30. Because the ink remaining at the rear end of the supply pipe 102 is received by the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130, it is possible to reduce a probability of ink adhering to the bottom wall of the case body 101.

[0071] As in the Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B, the ink receiving member 130 is in a second position in a state in which the ink receiving member 130 has moved downward against the tensile force of the coil spring 133. Between the ink receiving member 130 in the second position and the supply pipe 102, there is a space of such dimensions that a lower portion of a supply section 33 of the ink cartridge 30 can be positioned in this space so that the supply pipe 102 can be received by the supply section 33. That is, the ink receiving member 130 does not obstruct or restrict the forward movement of the ink cartridge 30 when the supply pipe 102 is received in the supply port 34 of the ink cartridge 30, which in turn is inserted into a corresponding one of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D.

[0072] As in the Fig. 2, the force transmission plate 134 is positioned below the cover wall 171 in each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D and in front of the rear wall 173.

[0073] The force transmission plate 134 is an example of a moving mechanism. The force transmission plate 134 is supported in the case body 101 so as to be movable in the up-down direction. A lower end 135 of the force transmission plate 134 contacts the ink receiving member 130 in a portion between the front end portion 131 and the rear end portion 132 of the ink receiving member 130. An upper end 136 of the force transmission plate 134 is positioned below the first key slot 115 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110 in the mounted state.

[0074] The force transmission plate 134 is positioned below the through-hole 140A of the cover wall 171. The force transmission plate 134 is positioned in front of the through-hole 140B of the rear wall 173. With this configuration, the force transmission plate 134 can contact a first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30 via the first key slot 115, the through-hole 140A, and the through-hole 140B, which will be described below.

[0075] The force transmission plate 134 is held in a raised position by the ink receiving member 130 being urged or attracted by the coil spring 133. Although details will be described below, when the first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30 enters the first key slot 115, the force transmission plate 134 is pushed downward by the first key portion 77 against the applied force or the pulling force of the coil spring 133. Once the force transmission plate 134 moves downward, the ink receiving member 130 is movable between the first position and the second position.

[0076] As in the Fig. 2, second key slots 138 are arranged in the respective slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D in a surface 137 located on an upper side at an outer edge of the housing body 101, which edge defines the opening 112. Specifically, in the housing body 101, the slot 108A has a second key slot 138A, the slot 108B has a second key slot 138B, the slot 108C has a second key slot 138C, and the slot 108D has a second key slot 138D. The second key slot 138 is an example of a second receiving portion.

[0077] The second key slot 138 is a recess formed in a rear end of an upper surface of the housing body 101, defining an upper end of the interior of the housing body 101. The second key slot 138 is cut upward from the upper surface. The lower end of the second key slot is continuously connected to the interior of the housing body 101. A rear end of the second key slot 138 is open to a surrounding area of ​​the housing body 101.

[0078] A distance between a lower end and an upper end of the opening at the rear end of the second key slot 138 is greater than a distance between a lower end and an upper end of the opening at the front end of the second key slot 138. In the present embodiment, a distance between the lower end and the upper end of the opening of the second key slot 138 gradually decreases from the rear end of the opening toward the front end of the opening. Alternatively, the distance between the lower end and the upper end of the opening of the second key slot 138 may first gradually increase from the rear end of the opening toward the front end of the opening and then gradually decrease.

[0079] The second key slots 138A, 138B, and 138C are respectively arranged to the left of the center of the slots 108A, 108B, and 108C in the left-right direction. The second key slot 108D is arranged to the right of the center of the slot 108D in the left-right direction. A second key portion 78 of the ink cartridge 30 can respectively enter at least one of the second key slots.

[0080] A locking portion 139 is positioned in a space defining the opening of each of the second key slots 138A, 138B, 138C, and 138D. The locking portion 139 is a rod-like member extending in the left-right direction. The locking portion 139 comes into contact with a locking surface 87 of the ink cartridge 30 when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110 in the mounted state. [Ink Cartridge 30]

[0081] The ink cartridge 30 is a container in which ink is stored as a liquid. As shown in the Fig. As shown in FIGS. 3-10, the ink cartridge 30 includes a container body 31, a cover 32, and an IC board 60. The container body 31 is an example of a first main body. The container body 31 and the cover 32 are an example of a container. The IC board 60 is an example of an electrical interface. The cover 32 covers a front portion of the container body 31.

[0082] The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into a corresponding one of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D in the forward direction with the cover 32 facing the end surface 103 of the case body 101. The container body 31 has a substantially flat parallelepiped shape, in which the length in the left-right direction is smaller than the length in the up-down direction and the length in the front-back direction. The container body 31 has a feed portion 33 and a second key portion 78.

[0083] The container body 31 has a front wall 40, a rear wall 41 opposite to the front wall 40 in the front-rear direction, a left wall 42 connecting the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41, a right wall 43 opposite to the left wall 42 in the left-right direction, an upper wall 44 connecting the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41, and a lower wall 45 opposite to the upper wall 44 in the up-down direction.

[0084] The container body 31 has an upper surface 80, which is an outer surface of the upper wall 44. The outer surface of the front wall 40 faces forward. The rear wall 41 has a rear surface 62 facing rearward. The outer surface of the left wall 42 faces left. The outer surface of the right wall 43 faces right. The outer surface of the upper wall 44, i.e., the upper surface 80, faces upward. The outer surface of the lower wall 45 faces downward. The outer surface of the left wall 42 is an example of a left surface. The outer surface of the right wall 43 is an example of a right surface.

[0085] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 13, the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, and the lower wall 45 define a chamber 46 in the interior of the container body 31. The front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, and the lower wall 45 have light transmittance to such an extent that the liquid level of the ink stored in the chamber 46 can be visually recognized from the outside. The container body 31 is, for example, an integrally injection-molded product made of synthetic resin. The front wall 40 has an upper front wall 40U located on an upper side and a lower front wall 40L located on a lower side. The upper front wall 40U is positioned forwardly in front of the lower front wall 40L in the front-rear direction.A space behind the upper front wall 40U in the front-rear direction is also a part of the chamber 46. In other words, the upper portion of the chamber 46 extends further forward than the lower portion of the chamber 46. The lower front wall 40L is continuously connected to the feed portion 33.

[0086] As in Fig. 10, the left wall 42 includes a front left wall 42F positioned on the front side in the front-to-rear direction and a rear left wall 42R positioned on the rear side in the front-to-rear direction.

[0087] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 5, the right wall 43 includes a front right wall 43F positioned on the front side in the front-rear direction and a rear right wall 43R positioned on the rear side in the front-rear direction. The front left wall 42F and the front right wall 43F are formed continuously with the upper front wall 40U. The rear left wall 42R and the rear right wall 43R are formed continuously with the rear wall 41. A space between the front left wall 42F and the front right wall 43F is a part of the chamber 46. A distance in the left-right direction between an outer surface of the front left wall 42F and an outer surface of the front right wall 43F is smaller than a distance in the left-right direction between an outer surface of the rear left wall 42R and an outer surface of the rear right wall 43R.

[0088] Two protrusions 52 are positioned on the front left wall 42F. Two protrusions 52 are positioned on the front right wall 43F. On the front left wall 42F, the two protrusions 52 are separated from each other in the up-down direction. On the front left wall 43F, the two protrusions 52 are separated from each other in the up-down direction. The protrusion 52 has a substantially rectangular shape in a side view. The protrusion 52 passes through a through hole 76 of the cover 32, as described below.

[0089] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 4, the feeding portion 33 is a cylindrical member. The feeding portion 33 has an outer peripheral surface extending in the front-rear direction. The outer peripheral surface is a curved surface curved in a circumferential direction with an axis defined in the front-rear direction. The feeding portion 33 is positioned at a lower end of the container body 31, and a part of an outer surface of the feeding portion 33 forms a lower surface 47 of the container body 31.

[0090] The supply portion 33 has a supply port 34 through which the ink flows out of the ink cartridge 30. The supply port 34 is positioned at the front end of the supply portion 33. The supply port 34 is circular when viewed from the front. The lower surface 47 is an example of a first lower surface. The lower surface 47 has a lower half of a circumferential surface with an axis in the front-rear direction. The front end of the lower surface 47 is a front end of the supply portion. The lower surface 47 has a first surface 48 having a cylindrical shape in the front-rear direction and a second surface 49 positioned rearward in the front-rear direction with respect to the first surface 48. The outer diameter of the supply portion 33 decreases from the first surface 48 to the second surface 49.

[0091] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 13, the supply portion 33 has a cylindrical shape and an internal space. The internal space of the supply portion 33 communicates with the chamber 46 at a rear portion in the front-to-rear direction. Ink in the internal space of the supply portion 33 can flow out to an external environment of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply port 34. A sealing member 35, a valve 36, and a coil spring 37 are disposed in the internal space of the supply portion 33.

[0092] The sealing member 35 is an annular member made of an elastic member such as rubber or the like, and positioned in the supply port 34 and the interior of the supply section 33. The supply port 34 is filled with the sealing member 35, but ink in the interior of the supply section 33 can flow out to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through a hole formed in the center of the sealing member 35 in the front-to-back direction, that is, ink in the interior of the supply section 33 can still flow out to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply port 34.

[0093] The valve 36 is movable in the front-to-back direction within the interior of the supply portion 33. When the valve 36 comes into contact with the sealing member 35, the hole formed in the sealing member 35 is closed or sealed. In other words, the supply port 34 is closed or sealed. This means that the ink present within the interior of the supply portion 33 cannot flow out to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the hole formed in the sealing member 35. In other words, the ink cannot flow out to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply port 34. The coil spring 37 urges the valve 36 against the sealing member 35, so that the valve 36 contacts the sealing member 35. The coil spring 37 is an example of a biasing member.

[0094] When the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge case 110, the supply pipe 102 enters the supply port 34. An outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 102 comes into fluid-tight contact with an inner peripheral surface defining the hole of the sealing member 35, while the supply pipe 102 elastically deforms the sealing member 35. When the rear end of the supply pipe 102 passes through the sealing member 35 and enters the interior of the supply portion 33, the rear end of the supply pipe 102 comes into contact with the valve 36. As the ink cartridge 30 is further inserted into the cartridge case 110, the supply pipe 102 pushes the valve 36 to move it backward against the urging force of the coil spring 37.

[0095] When the valve moves rearward, the interior of the supply section 33 and the interior of the supply pipe 102 communicate with each other, and the ink in the chamber 46 flows into the interior of the supply pipe 102 through the interior of the supply section 33. Although not shown in the drawings, ink flows from the interior of the supply section 33 into the interior of the supply pipe 102 through a hole formed in the rear end of the supply pipe 102. Thus, ink flows from the interior of the supply section 33 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply pipe 102 when it is positioned in the supply port 34, in other words, through the supply port 34.

[0096] The sealing member 35 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 102, preventing ink leakage. The valve 36 that closes or seals the supply port 34 and the coil spring 37 are not necessarily provided. For example, in another embodiment, the supply port 34 may be blocked with a film or the like, so that when the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge case 110, the supply pipe 102 breaks through the film, and the rear end of the supply pipe 102 enters the interior of the supply section 33 through the supply port 34.Alternatively, according to yet another embodiment, the hole of the sealing member 35 positioned in the supply port 34 may be closed by the elasticity of the sealing member 35 itself, so that when the supply tube 102 is inserted, the hole is expanded by the pressure of the inserted supply tube 102, and the rear end of the supply tube 102 thereby enters the interior of the supply section 33 through the supply port 34. In any case, the ink flows from the interior of the supply section 33 to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply tube 102 when it is positioned in the supply port 34, in other words, it flows through the supply port 34.

[0097] As in the Fig. 4, a downwardly projecting convex portion 59 is positioned on the first surface 48 of the feed portion 33.

[0098] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 7, an outline of a portion where the convex portion 59 adjoins the first surface 48 is substantially square when viewed from below in an upward direction, and a length of the outline in the front-back direction is substantially equal to the length of the outline in the left-right direction. The two side surfaces of the convex portion 59 in the left-right direction are inverted triangles. Each side surface of the convex portion 59 in the left-right direction is a tapered surface that slopes toward a center of the convex portion 59 in the left-right direction while extending downward. In other words, the convex portion 59 has a tapered shape in which the length in the left-right direction gradually decreases as the side surface extends downward.

[0099] As in the Fig. 13, an atmosphere opening passage 38 connects the environment of the upper end of the chamber 46 and is connectable to an outside environment of the ink cartridge 30. The atmosphere opening passage 38 is disposed on the upper front wall 40U of the container body 31. The atmosphere opening passage 38 opens forwardly on the upper front wall 40U. A valve 50 and a coil spring 51 are positioned in the atmosphere opening passage 38. The coil spring 51 is an example of a biasing member. A front end of the coil spring 51 is positioned above and forwardly with respect to the supply port 34 of the supply portion 33. The front end of the coil spring 51 is positioned forwardly with respect to the second key portion 78. The valve is arranged to be movable in the front-rear direction in the atmosphere opening passage 38.The coil spring 51 pushes the valve 50 forward. The valve 50 pushed by the coil spring 51 seals the opening of the atmosphere vent passage 38. As described below, when the valve 50 moves rearward against the biasing force of the coil spring 51, the atmosphere vent passage 38 is opened to allow air to flow between an external environment of the ink cartridge 30 and the chamber 46.

[0100] The cover 32 is substantially rectangular in shape, with a length in the left-right direction being smaller than a length in the up-down direction and a length in the front-back direction. The cover 32 is box-shaped with a rearward-facing opening. The cover 32 is attached to the container body 31 to substantially cover the upper front wall 40U, the front left wall 42F, and the front right wall 43F.

[0101] The cover 32 includes a front wall 53, a left wall 54 extending rearward from a left end of the front wall 53, a right wall 55 opposite the left wall 54 in the left-right direction, an upper wall 56 extending rearward from an upper end of the front wall 53, and a lower wall 57 opposite the upper wall 56 in the up-down direction. The front wall 53, the left wall 54, the right wall 55, the upper wall 56, and the lower wall 57 define an interior space of the cover 32. The opening of the cover 32 is defined by rear ends of the front wall 53, the left wall 54, the right wall 55, the upper wall 56, and the lower wall 57. The front wall 53 is a part of the front wall of the ink cartridge 30. The left wall 54 is a part of the left wall of the ink cartridge 30. The right wall 55 is a part of the right wall of the ink cartridge 30.The upper wall 56 is a part of an upper wall of the ink cartridge 30. The lower wall 57 is a part of a lower wall of the ink cartridge 30.

[0102] The length of the cover 32 in the up-down direction is shorter than the length of the container body 31 in the up-down direction. The length of the cover 32 in the front-back direction is shorter than the length of the container body 31 in the front-back direction. The distance of the cover 32 in the left-right direction is slightly larger than the distance between the outer surface of the front left wall 42F and the outer surface of the front right wall 43F of the container body 31 in the left-right direction, and is substantially equal to the distance between the outer surface of the rear left wall 42R and the outer surface of the rear right wall 43R in the left-right direction.

[0103] The left wall 54 has two through-holes 58 spaced from each other in the up-down direction. The right wall 55 has two through-holes 58 spaced from each other in the up-down direction. The projections 52 on the front left wall 42F are positioned in the through-holes 58 of the left wall 54, and the projections 52 on the front right wall 43F are positioned in the through-holes 58 of the right wall 55. The through-hole 58 has a substantially rectangular shape. Specifically, the length of each through-hole 58 in the up-down direction is greater than the length thereof in the front-back direction. The through hole 58 is sufficiently larger than an outer shape of the projections 52. That is, the length of each through hole 58 in the up-down direction is larger than the length of each projection 52 in the up-down direction.The length of each through hole 58 in the front-to-back direction is greater than the length of each projection 52 in the front-to-back direction.

[0104] The container body 31 and the cover 32 are assembled by inserting the projection 52 into the corresponding through hole 58. Because the through hole 58 is larger than the external shape of the projection 52, the cover 32 is relatively movable in the up-down and front-back directions with respect to the container body 31 in a state in which the container body 31 and the cover 32 are assembled. Because the through hole 58 is sufficiently larger than the external shape of the projection 52, the cover 32 can be moved relative to the container body 31 not only in the up-down and front-back directions, but also in a direction in which the cover 32 is rotated relative to the container body 31 within a plane extending in the up-down and front-back directions.

[0105] The cover 32 covers the upper front wall 40U of the container body 31 in a state in which the cover 32 is attached to the container body 31. The front wall 53 of the cover 32 is positioned forward with respect to the supply port 34. The supply port 34 is positioned below the lower wall 57 of the cover 32.

[0106] The IC board 60 is positioned on the top wall 56 of the cover 32. The IC board 60 is an example of an electrical interface. The IC board 60 extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The IC board 60 is positioned above the lead terminal 34. The IC board 60 includes a substrate made of, for example, silicone or a glass-fiber reinforced plastic, an IC (integrated circuit) mounted on the substrate, and three electrodes 61 mounted on the substrate. Note that the IC is not illustrated in the drawings.

[0107] The three electrodes 61 face upward (in an upward direction). The IC board 60 may comprise a flexible substrate provided with flexibility. The upper surface of the electrode 61 is an example of a contact surface. The IC board 60 is bonded to the top wall 56 of the cover 32 using, for example, a photo-curable resin. The IC board 60 may be bonded to the cover 32 using an adhesive other than the photo-curable resin, or may be fixed to the cover 32 by fitting or the like other than bonding. The electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 come into contact with the contacts 125 during the process of inserting the ink cartridge 30 into the cartridge case 110. In the mounted state in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110, the IC board 60 is in contact with the contacts 125 and is electrically connected thereto.The IC is an integrated semiconductor circuit.

[0108] Information related to the ink cartridge 30 is stored in the IC in a readable manner again. The information related to the ink cartridge 30 is, for example, data that indicates information such as a lot number, a manufacturing date, and an ink color. The electrode 61 is electrically connected to the IC. The electrode 61 extends in the front - back direction. The electrodes 61 are arranged on an upper surface of the IC board 60 such that they are spaced apart from each other in the left - right direction. The electrode 61 is disposed exposed on the upper surface of the IC board 60 to be electrically accessible.

[0109] As in the Fig. 3, the top wall 56 of the cover 32 has a through-hole 90 in front of the IC board 60. The atmosphere opening passage 38 is positioned below the through-hole 90. Guide pieces 91 extend in the front-to-back direction and protrude upward near both ends of the top wall 56 of the cover 32 in the left-to-right direction. The IC board 60 is positioned between one guide piece 91 and the other guide piece 91 in the left-to-right direction. The guide piece 91 functions as a guide for the cover 32 to move along the front-to-back direction when the cover 32 is inserted into the cartridge case 110.

[0110] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, a lower surface 70, which is an outer surface of the lower wall 57 of the cover 32, is positioned above and forward with respect to the feed port 34. The lower surface 70 is arranged forward and upward with respect to the front end of the lower surface 47. The lower surface 70 is a flat surface that extends rearward from the lower end of the front wall 53 and is inclined to extend downward in the rearward direction. The lower surface 70 is an example of a second lower surface.

[0111] The cover 32 has walls 71 extending downward from both ends of the bottom surface 70 in the left-right direction. One wall 71 and the other wall 71 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The wall 71 is a plate-like member extending in the up-down and front-back directions and having a thickness in the left-right direction. A length of the wall 71 in the front-back direction is greater than a length of the wall 71 in the left-right direction and a length of the wall 71 in the up-down direction. The length of the wall 71 in the up-down direction is greater than the length thereof in the left-right direction.

[0112] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 5, a front surface of the wall 71 has a first front surface 72 positioned at an upper portion thereof and a second front surface 73 positioned at a lower portion thereof. A front end of the first front surface 72 is inclined to extend upward, while the front end of the first front surface 72 extends rearward. A front end of the second front surface 73 is inclined to extend downward, while the front end of the second front surface 73 extends rearward. The pair of walls 71 is an example of a left wall and a right wall.

[0113] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the rear ends of the two walls 71 contact a front sub-wall 88 (also referred to as a wall), and the two walls 71 extend forward from the front sub-wall 88. The front sub-wall 88 extends downward from the rear end of the bottom surface 70. The front sub-wall 88 has a plate shape extending in the up-down and left-right directions and has a thickness in the front-back direction. The length of the front sub-wall 88 in the left-right direction is greater than a length thereof in the up-down direction. The outer surface of the front sub-wall 88 faces forward and is a part of the front surface of the cover 32.

[0114] In the left wall 54 of the cover 32, a groove 74 (also referred to as a first groove 74) is positioned above the wall 71, extending in the front-rear direction. The first groove 74 is positioned leftward and upward with respect to the first key portion 77 and extends in the front-rear direction. In the right wall 55 of the cover 32, a groove 74 (also referred to as a second groove 74) is positioned above the wall 71, extending in the front-rear direction. The second groove 74 is positioned rightward and upward with respect to the first key portion 77 and extends in the front-rear direction. A longitudinal direction of the groove 74 is the front-rear direction.

[0115] As in the Fig. 8, the groove 74 is defined by an upwardly facing surface 74L, a surface 74U facing the surface 74L in the up-down direction, and a surface 74M connecting the surface 74L to the surface 74U. The front end of the groove 74 is open to the front in the front wall 53 of the cover 32. That is, the first groove 74 has an opening at a front end and a left end, and the second groove has an opening at a front end and a right end.

[0116] As in the Fig. 3-10, the first front surface 72 of one wall 71 serves as a guide for guiding the ribs 118 of the cartridge case 110 into the one groove 74. The first front surface 72 of the other wall 71 serves as a guide for guiding the rib 119 of the cartridge case 110 into the first groove 74. One of the grooves 74 has a length that allows the rib 118 of the cartridge case 110 to be received in the front-to-back direction, and the other groove 74 has a length that allows the rib 119 of the cartridge case 110 to be received in the front-to-back direction. Specifically, the distance between the surface 74L and the surface 74U of the groove 74 in the up-down direction is greater than the respective lengths of the ribs 118 and the rib 119 of the housing body 101 in the up-down direction.

[0117] The position of the cover 32 with respect to the cartridge case 101 in the up-down direction is determined by the contact of the surface 74U and the surface 74L of one of the grooves 74 with the rib 118 and by the contact of the surface 74U and the surface 74L of one of the grooves 74 with the rib 119.

[0118] The outer surface of the front wall 53 of the cover 32 is a front surface 75. The front surface 75 is positioned forward with respect to the feed port 34. The front surface 75 has an upper front surface 75U positioned in an upper portion thereof and a lower surface 75L positioned in a lower portion thereof. The upper end of the lower front surface 75L is adjacent to the upper front surface 75U.

[0119] The lower end of the lower front surface 75L is positioned rearward relative to the upper end of the lower front surface 75L, and the lower front surface of the 75L is inclined upward while extending forward. The lower front surface 75L provides a guide for guiding the rib 118 and the rib 119 into the groove 74. Specifically, during the process of inserting the ink cartridge 30 into the case 110, the lower front surface 75L comes into contact with the front end of the rib 118 and the front end of the rib 119. In this configuration, the lower front surface 75L guides both the rib 118 and the rib 119 to the groove 74.

[0120] The upper front surface 75U of the front wall 53 of the cover 32 has a through-hole 76. The valve 50 of the container body 31 is exposed to the outside through the through-hole 76. The front end of the through-hole 76 is positioned forward with respect to the supply port 34 of the supply section 33.

[0121] The lower surface 70 of the cover 32 has a first key portion 77. The first key portion 77 is positioned above the feed terminal 34 and below the upper surface of the electrode 61 of the IC board 60. The first key portion 77 is arranged in the forward direction with respect to the feed terminal 34. Specifically, a front portion of the first key portion 77 is arranged in the forward direction with respect to the feed terminal 34. The front end of the first key portion 77 is positioned forward with respect to the front end of the electrode 61. The first key portion 77 is positioned below the through hole 76. The first key portion 77 is an example of a protrusion. In other words, the opening of the atmosphere opening passage 38 is positioned between the first key portion 77 and the electrode 61 in the up-down direction.The first key portion 77 is positioned at a front part of the ink cartridge 30.

[0122] As in the Fig. 8, the first key portion 77 is positioned between the pair of walls 71 in the left-right direction and extends downward from the bottom surface 70.

[0123] A rear end of the wall 71 is continuous with the front sub-wall 88. A rear end of the first key portion 77 is continuous with the front sub-wall 88. The first key portion 77 has a bottom surface 77L defining a bottom end of the first key portion 77, side surfaces 77S, and a front surface 77F defining a front end of the first key portion 77. The side surfaces 77F of the first key portion 77 include a left-facing surface and a right-facing surface. Each of the side surfaces 77S of the first key portion extends along an up-down direction and the front-back direction. The bottom surface 77L is an example of a receiving surface. The side surface 77S is an example of a left side surface and a right side surface.The bottom surface 77L of the first key portion extends along the front-back direction and the left-right direction. The bottom surface 77L defines a width of the first key portion 77 in the left-right direction.

[0124] In the present embodiment, the first key portion 77 has a plate shape in which the length in the front-back direction is longer than the length in both the left-right direction and the up-down direction, but the shape of the first key portion 77 is not fundamentally limited to this. For example, the length of the first key portion in the front-back direction may be shorter than the length thereof in the up-down direction.

[0125] The lower surface 77L has a position that at least partially overlaps with at least one of the electrodes 61 in the up-down direction in the attached state. In other words, the lower surface 77L is positioned directly below at least one of the electrodes 61 in the up-down direction.

[0126] As in the Fig. 5, the length L1 of the lower surface 77L in the front-to-back direction is greater than the length L2 of the upper surface of the electrodes 61 in the front-to-back direction. The front surface 77F of the first key portion 77 faces forward. The front end of the lower surface 77L is positioned forward with respect to the front end of the electrode 61. The rear end of the lower surface 77L is positioned rearward with respect to the rear end of the electrode 61. The length of the first key portion 77 in the up-down direction decreases from the front end of the first key portion 77 toward the rear end thereof. The front surface 77F is positioned rearward with respect to the front end of the first front surface 72 of the wall 71. The first front surface 72 is positioned rearward with respect to the front end of the second front surface 73.

[0127] Further, the front surface 77F of the first key portion 77 is positioned rearward with respect to the front end of the front wall 53 of the cover 32.

[0128] Consequently, even if the first front surface 72 or the second front surface 73 of the wall 71 or the front end of the front wall 53 of the cover 32 collides with a floor or the like, the front surface 77F of the first key portion 77 does not collide with the floor or the like in a case where the ink cartridge falls with the front wall 53 of the cover 32 facing downward. Therefore, the first key portion 77 is less likely to be deformed by a direct impact. In this regard, as described later, the first key portion 77 functions as a key to ensure that the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the correct slot 108. If the first key portion 77 is deformed, the first key portion 77 can no longer reliably function as a key.The front surface 77F is an example of a front end of the projection.

[0129] Each of the side surfaces 77S is positioned forward with respect to the feed port 34 and rearward with respect to the front end of the first front surface 72 of the wall 71. The side surfaces 77S are positioned to the right of the outer surface of the left wall 42 and to the left of the outer surface of the right wall 43 in the left-right direction. The side surfaces 77S of the first key portion 77 are positioned to the right of the left end of the feed portion 33 and to the left of the right end of the feed portion 33.

[0130] As in the Fig. 7, a maximum length L3 between the side surfaces 77S in the left-right direction is shorter than a maximum length L4 between the outer surface of the left wall 42 and the outer surface of the right wall 43, that is, shorter than a maximum length of the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction.

[0131] As in the Fig. 5, the length of the side surfaces 77S in the front-back direction is equal to the length L1 (i.e., the maximum length) of the bottom surface 77L in the front-back direction. The maximum length L1 of the first key portion 77 in the front-back direction is greater than a maximum length M3 of the first key portion 77 in the up-down direction.

[0132] As in the Fig. 7, the side surface 77S faces an outer surface of the wall 71 on the left side of the pair of walls 71, and the side surface 77S faces an outer surface of the wall 71 on the right side of the pair of walls 71.

[0133] As in the Fig. As shown in FIG. 11, the position of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) in the left-right direction is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). This difference in the position of the first key portions 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) corresponds to the difference in the position of the first key slots 115 (115A, 115B, 115C, and 115D) in the slots (108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D). This difference in the positions of the first key portions 77 (77A, 77B, 77C and 77D) further corresponds to the difference in the characteristics of the ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C and 30D) referred to herein as a first characteristic).

[0134] In this embodiment, the position of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) in the left-right direction is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). Nevertheless, according to another embodiment, the position of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) in the left-right direction may be the same among the four cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D), but the shape of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) may be different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D).In such a case, the position of the first key slots 115 (115A, 115B, 115C and 115D) in the slots 108 (108A, 108B, 108C and 108D) may be the same, but the shape of the first key slots 115 (115A, 115B, 115C and 115D) in the slots 108 (108A, 108B, 108C and 108D) may be different according to the difference in the shape of the first key portions 77 (77A, 77B, 77C and 77D). Accordingly, the mechanical property, such as position or shape, of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). That is, the mechanical property of the first key portion 77 (77A, 77B, 77C, and 77D) is associated with a corresponding one of the ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D).This in turn means that the first key portion 77 has a shape and / or position on the container body 31 which is linked to a corresponding first property of the ink cartridge 30.

[0135] An example of a characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 is the characteristic of the ink stored in the chamber 46. In this embodiment, the position of the first key portion 77 in the left-right direction is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D) depending on the characteristic of the ink stored in the chamber 46. The characteristic of the ink may be, for example, the color or the composition of the ink.

[0136] The cover 32 includes a third key portion 79. The third key portion 79 is defined as a recessed portion recessed from the left wall 54 of the cover 32, a recessed portion recessed from the right wall 55, a convex portion protruding to the left from the left wall 54, or a convex portion protruding to the right from the right wall 55. In the present embodiment, the third key portion 79 includes a recessed portion recessed from (or indented into) the left wall 54 of the cover 32 and a recessed portion recessed from (or indented into) the right wall 55.

[0137] As in the Fig. 8, the third key portion 79 is a combination of the recessed portion of the left wall 54 and the recessed portion of the right wall 55. The third key portion 79 is positioned above the first key portion 77 and below the upper surface of the electrode 61 of the IC board 60. In this embodiment, the third key portion 79 is positioned below the through hole 76. The third key portion 79 is positioned at both ends of the upper front surface 75U in the left-right direction.

[0138] The front end of the third key portion 79 is opened forward in the upper front surface 75U of the cover 32. This means that both the recessed portion of the left wall 54 and the recessed portion of the right wall 55 are opened forward in the upper front surface 75U of the cover 32.

[0139] Depending on the characteristic of each ink cartridge 30, the mechanical characteristic such as the position and / or shape of the third key portion 79 is different. In the present embodiment, the characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 indicated by the first key portion 77 is the color of the ink, and the characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 indicated by the third key portion 79 is the type of contract a user enters into when using a printer in which the ink cartridge 30 is used. The type of contract may refer to a contract in which a user is charged according to the number of pages on which image recording is performed, regardless of the ink used.During the contract period, a new ink cartridge 30 will be delivered when the ink in the chamber 46 of the ink cartridge 30 is used up, but the user does not need to pay for the ink cartridge 30 itself. Alternatively, the characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 indicated by the third key portion 79 may be a sales region of the printer in which the ink cartridge 30 is used.

[0140] The shape of the third key portion 79 of the ink cartridge 30 used in a particular sales region is different from the shape of the third key portion 79 of the ink cartridge 30 used in other sales regions. For example, the third key portion 79 may be arranged only on one of the left or right sides, or the shape of the third key portion 79 that opens forward may vary depending on the contract type or sales region.

[0141] It should be noted here that, as described below, the third key portions 79 in the present embodiment, which include the recessed portion on the left wall 54 of the cover 32 and the recessed portion on the right wall 55, fit the fitting piece 123 and the fitting piece 122, respectively. In a case where the third key portion differs in position or shape, the presence or absence and shape of both the fitting piece 123 and the fitting piece 122 may change depending on the presence or absence and shape of the corresponding third key portion 79.

[0142] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the container body 31 has a rear surface 62 as an outer surface of the rear wall 41 of the container body 31. The rear surface 62 includes a first rear surface 63, a second rear surface 64, and a third rear surface 65. The second rear surface 64 is positioned to the left of the first rear surface 63. The third rear surface 65 is positioned to the right of the first rear surface 63. The first rear surface 63 is a flat surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction.

[0143] The second rear surface 64 corresponds to a plane intersecting the front-back direction and the left-right direction. The right end of the second rear surface 64 is adjacent to the first rear surface 63. The left end of the second rear surface 64 is positioned to the left and rearward of the first rear surface 63.

[0144] The third rear surface 65 corresponds to a plane intersecting the front-back direction and the left-right direction. The left end of the third rear surface 65 is adjacent to the first rear surface 63. The right end of the third rear surface 65 is positioned to the right and rearward of the first rear surface 63. The length of the first rear surface 63 in the left-right direction is constant along the up-down direction.

[0145] As in the Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the bottom wall 45 of the container body 31 includes a first bottom wall 45A and a second bottom wall 45B. A rear end of the first bottom wall 45A is adjacent to a lower end of the rear wall 41. A front portion of the first bottom wall 45A extends in the front-rear direction. A front end of the first bottom wall 45A is adjacent to the front wall 40. The feeding portion 33 is positioned on the first bottom wall 45A. The curved front surface of the feeding portion 33, including the rear end of the feeding portion 33, protrudes downward from the first bottom wall 45A.

[0146] The second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the lower end of the rear wall 41. The second lower wall 45B is an inclined wall inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. The second lower wall 45 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, so that an upper end of the second lower wall 45B is positioned rearward and upward with respect to a lower end thereof. The lower end of the second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end of the lower surface 47 of the feeding section 33. The lower end of the second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end of the feeding section 33 at a position below the first lower wall 45A. The second lower wall 45B is shorter than the first lower wall 45A in the left-right direction.

[0147] Because the feed section 33 is positioned below the first lower wall 45A, as shown in Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the bottom surface 47 of the feeding section 33 is visible when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the rear. Therefore, it is possible for the user to recognize where the feeding section 33 is located when viewed from the rear, making it easy to install the ink cartridge 30 in the correct orientation when installing the ink cartridge 30 in the slot 108. Furthermore, because the bottom wall 45 is adjacent to the rear end of the feeding section 33, the rear end of the feeding section 33 is reinforced. As a result, the feeding section 33 is less likely to be deformed even if the lower end of the ink cartridge 30 receives an impact. Note that the bottom wall 45 may also include only the first bottom wall 45A without the second bottom wall 45B.

[0148] The second rear surface 64 has a recess 66 near the upper end. The recess 66 is composed of a space recessed forward from the second rear surface 64 and a surface defining the space. The third rear surface 65 has a recess 67 near the upper end. The recess 67 is composed of a space recessed forward from the third rear surface 65 and a surface defining the space.

[0149] As in the Fig. 1, a projection 127 projecting from the cover 126 is received in each of the recesses 66 and 67 when the cover 126 is closed. The projection 127 of the cover 126, in the closed state, is in contact with the surface forming the upper end of the recesses 66 and 67. With this structure, the ink cartridge 30 mounted in the cartridge case 110 is less likely to be removed from the cartridge case 110 by an impact or the like.

[0150] As further stated in Fig. As shown in FIG. 9, a length of the first rear surface 63 extending between the recess 66 and the recess 67 in a left-right direction is greater than a length of the recess 66 in the left-right direction and greater than a length of the recess 67 in the left-right direction. Consequently, because the first rear surface 63 of the ink cartridge 30 is easily visible from the rear, a user is even more likely to press an upper portion of the first rear surface 63 when mounting the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge case 110.

[0151] As in the Fig. 9 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 10, the rear end of the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 of the container body 31 has an operating surface 68. The operating surface 68 is an inclined surface inclined so as to be inclined upward and backward. The operating surface 68 is adjacent to the upper end of the rear surface 62. The operating surface 68 has a plurality of projections 69 projecting upward and extending along the left-right direction. The projection 69 is an example of a non-slip structure.

[0152] As in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 12, the protrusions 69 extend downward from both ends of the operation surface 68 in the left-right direction to reach the outer surfaces of the left wall 42 and the right wall 43. Three protrusions 69 extend from the left end of the operation surface 68 to the left wall 42 so that they are spaced from each other in the front-back direction. Three protrusions 69 extend from the left end of the operation surface 68 to the right wall 43 so that they are spaced from each other in the front-back direction. The protrusions 69 function as a slip stopper when the user operates the operation surface 68. Note that the slip stopper may also be, for example, a recess recessed downward from the operation surface 68 instead of the protrusion 69.

[0153] The upper surface 80 of the container body 31 includes a first upper surface 81, a second upper surface 82, a third upper surface 83, an upper end surface 86, and the actuating surface 68. The first upper surface 81 is positioned at a front end of the upper surface 80.

[0154] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 6, the first upper surface 81 has a surface 81A positioned at the center in the left-right direction, a surface 81B positioned on the left side, and a surface 81C positioned on the right side. The surface 81A is a plane oriented perpendicular to the up-down direction. The surface 81B is adjacent to the left end of the surface 81A. The surface 81C is adjacent to the right end of the surface 81A. The surface 81B is a surface facing upward and left. The surface 81C is a surface facing upward and right. The length of the surface 81A in the left-right direction is smaller than the length of the surface 81B in the left-right direction. The length of the surface 81A in the left-right direction is smaller than the length of the surface 81C in the left-right direction.

[0155] The second upper surface 82 is adjacent to the rear end of the first upper surface 81. The rear end of the second upper surface 82 is positioned higher than its front end. The second upper surface 82 has a surface 82A positioned at the center in the left-right direction, a surface 82B positioned on the left side of the surface 82A, and a surface 82C positioned on the right side of the surface 82A.

[0156] As in the Fig. 5 and Fig. 10, the surface 82A is inclined with respect to the front-to-back direction so that it faces forward and upward. The surface 82A is a flat surface extending in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction. The surface 82A faces upward and forward. The surface 82B is adjacent to the left end of the surface 82A and faces to the left. The surface 82C is adjacent to the right end of the surface 82A and faces to the right. The length of the surface 82A in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the length of the surface 82B in the left-to-right direction. The length of the surface 82A in the left-to-right direction is smaller than the length of the surface 82C in the left-to-right direction. The length of surface 82A in the left-right direction is equal to the length of surface 81A in the left-right direction.The length of the surface 82A in the front-to-back direction is greater than the length of the surface 81A in the front-to-back direction.

[0157] The third upper surface 83 is adjacent to the rear end of surface 82C of the second upper surface 82. The third upper surface 83 is a plane oriented perpendicular to the up-down direction. The third upper surface 83 is positioned above the first upper surface 81. A rear end of the third upper surface 83 is adjacent to the actuating surface 68. The third upper surface 83 has a contact surface 92. The contact surface 92 extends rearward from a lower end of a locking surface 87 of a second key portion 78, which will be described below.

[0158] As in the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the second key portion 78 is positioned on the third upper surface 83 of the container body 31. The second key portion 78 protrudes upward from the third upper surface 83. The second key portion 78 is positioned above the feed port 34. An upper end of the second key portion 78 is positioned above the upper surface of the electrode 61 of the IC board 60. The second key portion is positioned rearward in the front-to-back direction with respect to the IC board 60. The second key portion is positioned forward with respect to the actuating surface 68.

[0159] When the protrusion 52 of the container body 31 is in contact with the upper end of the through hole 58 of the cover 32, the cover 32 is in the lowest position with respect to the container body 31. In a state where the cover 32 is in the lowest position with respect to the container body 31, the upper end of the second key portion 78 is positioned above the IC board 60.

[0160] The second key portion 78 has a first forward inclined surface 84A, a second forward inclined surface 84B, a left inclined surface 85A, a right inclined surface 85B, an upper end surface 86, and a locking surface 87.

[0161] The first forward inclined surface 84A is a flat surface and is inclined such that a distance with respect to the supply port 34 gradually increases in the up-down direction from a front end of the second key portion 78 toward a rear end of the second key portion 78. The first forward inclined surface 84A is adjacent to the rear end of the surface 82B of the second upper surface 82. The front end of the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the rear end of the surface 82A of the second upper surface 82.

[0162] The second forward inclined surface 84B extends to the left, while the second forward inclined surface 84B extends rearward from its front end. The rear end of the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the upper end surface 86. The lower end of the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the third upper surface 83. The left end of the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the right end of the first forward inclined surface 84A. A boundary between the first forward inclined surface 84A and the second forward inclined surface 84B extends rearward from the front end to the right side.

[0163] An upper end of the boundary between the first forward inclined surface 84A and the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the upper end surface 86.

[0164] The upper end surface 86 is a flat surface facing upward. An upper end of the locking surface 87 is adjacent to a rear end of the upper end surface 86. In other words, the upper end surface 86 is positioned between the second forward inclined surface 84B and the locking surface 87 in the front-rear direction.

[0165] The locking surface 87 is a flat surface facing rearward. The locking surface 87 is positioned rearward with respect to the supply port 34 and upward with respect to the upper surface of the electrode 61 of the IC board 60. In the mounted state in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110, the locking surface 87 and the contact surface 92 are in contact with the locking portion 139 of the cartridge case 110.

[0166] The left inclined surface 85A is a flat surface inclined with respect to the left-right direction so as to extend upward from the left end to the right end. The left inclined surface 85A is adjacent to a left end of the first forward inclined surface 84A. A boundary between the left inclined surface 85A and the first forward inclined surface 84A extends from the front end toward the rear end to the right side. A rear end of the boundary between the left inclined surface 85A and the first forward inclined surface 84A is adjacent to the upper end surface 86.

[0167] The right inclined surface 85B is a flat surface inclined with respect to the left-right direction so as to extend upward from the right end toward the left end. The right inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the right end of the second forward inclined surface 84B. A boundary between the right inclined surface 85B and the second forward inclined surface 84B extends from the front end toward the rear end to the left side. A rear end of the boundary between the right inclined surface 85B and the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the upper end surface 86. The rear end of the right inclined surface 85B is adjacent to the locking surface 87.

[0168] Because the second key portion 78 has the first forward inclined surface 84A, the second forward inclined surface 84B, the left inclined surface 85A, and the right inclined surface 85B, the strength of the second key portion 78 is higher than in a case where the second key portion 78 has a surface extending in the up-down direction. As a result, the second key portion 78 is not easily deformed by an impact from the right or left direction.

[0169] As in the Fig. 5 and Fig. 8, a first angle θ1 formed between the second forward inclined surface 84B and a horizontal plane is smaller than a second angle θ2 formed between the left inclined surface 85A and a horizontal plane. A third angle θ3 formed between the right inclined surface 85B and a horizontal plane may be different from the second angle θ2 formed between the left inclined surface 85A and a horizontal plane. The first angle θ1 may be, for example, within a range of 5° to 10°, and is 7° in the present embodiment. The second angle θ2 may be, for example, within a range of 30° to 40°. The third angle θ3 may be, for example, within a range of 30° to 40°.

[0170] As in the Fig. As shown in FIG. 11, the position of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) in the left-right direction may be different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). This difference in the position of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) corresponds to the difference in the position of the second key slot 138 (138A, 138B, 138C, and 138D) in the slots 108 (108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D). This difference in the positions of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C and 78D) further corresponds to the difference in the characteristic of the ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C and 30D) (referred to herein as a second characteristic).

[0171] In this embodiment, the position of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) in the left-right direction is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). Nevertheless, according to another embodiment, the position of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) in the left-right direction may be the same among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D), but the shape of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) may be different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). In such a case, the position of the second key slot 138 in the slots 108 (108A, 108B, 108C and 108D) may be the same, but the shape of the second key slot 138 (138A, 138B, 138C and 138D) in the slots 108 (108A, 108B, 108C and 108D) may be different according to the difference in the shape of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C and 78D).As such, the mechanical property, e.g., the position or shape, of the second key portion 78 (78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D) is different among the four ink cartridges 30 (30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D). This means that the second key portion 78 has a shape and / or position on the cover 32 that is associated with a corresponding second property of the ink cartridge 30.

[0172] The characteristic indicated by the second key portion 78 may be the same as or different from the characteristic indicated by the first key portion 77 or the third key portion 79. In the present embodiment, the characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 indicated by the second key portion 78 is the composition of the ink stored in the chamber 46. The position of the second key portion 78 on the second upper surface 82 in the left-right direction varies depending on the composition of the ink stored in the chamber 46. The composition of the ink means what type of components the ink contains and / or what amounts of these components the ink contains. Examples of components are a dye and a pigment. In this embodiment, the composition of the ink as a characteristic of the ink cartridge 30 means whether the ink contains a dye or a pigment.The composition of the ink is an example of the property of the ink.

[0173] As in the Fig. 8, a length M1 of the first key portion 77 in the left-right direction is smaller than a length M2 of the second key portion 78 in the left-right direction, that is, a maximum width of the second key portion 78 in the left-right direction.

[0174] As in the Fig. 5, a length M3 of the front end of the first key portion 77 in the up-down direction is greater than a length M4 of the second key portion 78 in the up-down direction, that is, a maximum height of the second key portion 78 in the up-down direction. The length M4 corresponds to a length of the locking surface 87 of the second key portion 78 in the up-down direction. The maximum height of the second key portion 78 in the up-down direction is less than a maximum width of the second key portion 78 in the left-right direction. Note that the length M3 of the front end of the first key portion 77 in the up-down direction corresponds to the length of the front surface 77F in the up-down direction.

[0175] As in the Fig. 5, a first distance N1, which is the shortest distance between the center of the supply port 34 and the first key portion 77, is smaller than a second distance N2, which is the shortest distance between the center of the supply port 34 and the second key portion 78. With such a configuration, when the rear end of the container body 31 is rotated upward around the supply port 34, as described below, the length of a trajectory of rotation of the first key portion 77 is shorter than the length of a trajectory of rotation of the second key portion 78.

[0176] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 11, an ink cartridge set 300 includes a plurality of ink cartridges 30. The ink cartridge set 300 is an example of an ink container set. The ink cartridges 30 included in the ink cartridge set 300 have different mechanical properties, such as the position and / or shape of the first key portion 77, the second key portion 78, and the third key portion 79, depending on a difference in the properties of the ink cartridges 30.

[0177] The positions of the first key portions 77 of the four ink cartridges 30 in the left-right direction vary depending on the colors of the inks stored in the ink cartridges 30. The positions of the second key portions 78 of the four ink cartridges 30 in the left-right direction vary depending on the compositions of the inks stored in the ink cartridges 30. In this particular embodiment, the composition of the ink means whether the ink contains a dye or a pigment. The positions and / or shapes of the third key portions 79 of the four ink cartridges 30 vary depending on the sales regions of the printer in which the cartridges 30 are used.

[0178] The ink cartridge 30A in Fig. 11 corresponds to the ink cartridge 30, which is in the Fig. 3 to 10. The position of the first key portion 77 in the left-right direction corresponds to the position of the first key slot 115 of the cartridge case 110. The first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A, which is shown in Fig. 11, positioned rightmost on the page, is positioned on the bottom surface 70 to the right of the center of the ink cartridge 30A in the left-right direction. The ink cartridge 30A stores a magenta ink containing a dye as the coloring agent.

[0179] The first key portion 77B of the ink cartridge 30B, which is in Fig. 11 is positioned second from the right, is positioned farther to the left in the left-right direction on the bottom surface 70 than the first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A. The ink cartridge 30B stores a cyan ink containing a dye as a coloring agent.

[0180] The first key portion 77C of the ink cartridge 30C, which is Fig. 11, positioned third from the right, is positioned farther to the left in the left-right direction on the bottom surface 70 than the first key portion 77B of the ink cartridge 30B. The ink cartridge 30C stores a yellow ink containing a dye as a coloring agent.

[0181] The first key section 77D of the ink cartridge 30D, which is Fig. 11 is positioned farthest to the left on the side, is positioned farther to the left in the left-right direction on the bottom surface 70 than the first key portion 77C of the ink cartridge 30C. The ink cartridge 30D stores a black ink containing a pigment as a coloring agent.

[0182] The positions in the left-right direction of the second key portions 78A, 78B, 78C, and 78D of the ink cartridges 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D correspond to the positions of the corresponding second key slots 138 of the cartridge case 110. Each of the second key portions 78A, 78B, and 78C of the ink cartridges 30A, 30B, and 30C is positioned farther to the left than the center of the second upper surface 82 in the left-right direction. The second key portion 78D of the ink cartridge 30D is positioned to the right of the center of the second upper surface 82 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the positions and shapes of the third key portions 79 are the same because the four ink cartridges 30 are used in the same sales region. [Attaching the ink cartridge 30 to the cartridge case]

[0183] As in the Fig. 12, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into a predetermined slot 108 of the cartridge case 110 in the forward direction. In other words, the ink cartridge 30 is inserted so that the front wall 53 of the ink cartridge 30 faces the end surface 103 of the case body 101. The ink cartridges 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D, which store magenta, cyan, yellow, and black inks, respectively, are inserted into the four slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D, respectively. An example in which an ink cartridge 30A storing magenta ink is inserted into the rightmost slot 108A will be described below.

[0184] The 30A ink cartridge, which stores magenta ink, is in Fig. 11 is positioned at the rightmost position. The user presses the first rear surface 63 of the ink cartridge 30A forward with his finger and inserts the ink cartridge 30A forward into the cartridge case 110.

[0185] As in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, the ink cartridge 30A is inserted into the slot 108A through the opening 112 of the case body 101. The lower surface 47 of the inserted ink cartridge 30A is on the Fig. 2. Before the feed port 34 of the ink cartridge 30A reaches the feed pipe 102, the second key portion 78A reaches a position immediately below the second key slot 138A of the housing body 101. The second key portion 78A of the ink cartridge 30A is positioned on the left side in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the second upper surface 82A. On the other hand, the second key slot 138A is positioned on the left side in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the slot 108A. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 30A is further inserted in the forward direction as shown in the Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B, the second key portion 78A moves directly below the second key slot 138A. When this occurs, the second forward inclined surface 84B of the second key portion 78A comes into contact with the locking portion 139, exerting a downward force on the ink cartridge 30A.

[0186] When the downward force is applied to the second forward inclined surface 84B of the second key portion 78A, the ink cartridge 30A rotates clockwise as shown in the Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B. As a result, the lower surface 47 of the feeding portion 33, which defines the lower end of the ink cartridge 30A, comes into contact with the guide surface 161 of the case body 101, and the second key portion 78A moves forward while coming into contact with the locking portion 139.

[0187] Furthermore, the first key portion 77A enters the first key slot 115A in a state where the feed portion 33 is in contact with the guide surface 161 of the case body 101 and the second forward inclined surface 84B of the second key portion 78A is in contact with the locking portion 139. Further, one of the pair of walls 71 enters the recesses 113. The other of the pair of walls 71 enters the recesses 114. Further, the rib 118 enters one of the two grooves 74. The rib 119 enters the other of the two grooves 74. One wall of the pair of walls 71 enters the recess 113, and the other wall enters the recess 114, thereby guiding the cover 32 in the forward direction.

[0188] When the rib 118 enters one of the two grooves 74 and the rib 119 enters the other of the two grooves 74, the cover 32 is positioned in the up-down direction with respect to the cartridge case 110. In other words, the position of the cover 32 with respect to the cartridge case 110 is fixed in the up-down direction. The second front surface 73 of one of the pair of walls 71 moves forward while in contact with the lower surface of the recess 113, and the second front surface 73 of the other of the pair of walls 71 moves forward while in contact with the lower surface of the recess 114, thereby guiding one of the walls 71 into the recess 113 and the other of the walls 71 into the recess 114 in the up-down direction.

[0189] Furthermore, the rib 118 is guided in the up-down direction into the groove 74 when the first front surface 72 of one of the walls 71 or the lower front surface 75L of the cover 32 comes into contact with the rib 118 while the ink cartridge 30A moves forward. Further, the rib 119 is guided in the up-down direction into the groove 74 when the first front surface 72 of the other of the walls 71 or the lower front surface 75L of the cover 32 comes into contact with the rib 119 while the ink cartridge 30A moves forward.

[0190] In addition, when the first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the Fig. 4 and Fig. 8, the side surfaces 77S of the first key portion 77A move forward while being in contact with the pair of protruding pieces 117, thereby guiding the first key portion 77A into the first key slot 115A in the left-right direction. While the first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the second key portion 78A enters the second key slot 138A. In addition, the second forward inclined surface 84B and the front end of the end surface 86 sequentially come into contact with the locking portion 139 while the second key portion 78A enters the second key slot 138A.

[0191] As in the Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B, a downward and rearward force acts on the container body 31 in a state where the second forward inclined surface 84B is in contact with the locking portion 139, and a downward force acts on the container body 31 in a state where the upper end surface 86 is in contact with the locking portion 139. When the second forward inclined surface 84B or the upper end surface 86 slides on the locking portion 139, the lower surface 47 of the container body 31 also slides on the guide surface 161.

[0192] When the key section 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the lower surface 77L of the first key section 77A comes into contact with the upper end 136 of the force transmission plate 134. When the first key section 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the lower surface 77L of the first key section 77A presses the force transmission plate 134 downward to move the ink receiving element 130 from the first position to the second position.

[0193] When this occurs, an upward force, which results from exerting a force, in particular a tensile force, by the spiral spring 133, acts on the cover 32 via the ink receiving element 130 and the force transmission plate 134. However, the ones in Fig. 8, the surfaces 74L and 74U of the groove 74 are in contact with the rib 118, thereby positioning or fixing the cover 32 in the up-down direction with respect to the cartridge case 110. As a result, the cover 32 does not move upward.

[0194] The force transmission plate 134 moves downward against the tension force of the coil spring 133. When the force transmission plate 134 moves downward, the ink receiving element 130 moves from the position shown in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B shown first position into the position shown in the Fig. 14A and Fig. Second position shown in Figure 14B.

[0195] When the ink receiving member 130 is in the second position, the supply port 34 is connected to the supply pipe 102 while the ink cartridge 30A moves forward. The supply pipe 102 pushes the valve 36, and the valve 36 moves backward against the urging force of the coil spring 37. The outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 102 connected to the supply portion 33 is in contact with the sealing member 35, so that ink leakage is prevented.

[0196] As in the Fig. 15A and Fig. 15B, the rod 121 of the slot 108A comes into contact with the valve 50 of the atmosphere opening passage 38 via the opening in the cover 32 as the ink cartridge 30A continues to move forward. The rod 121 pushes the valve 50, and the valve 50 moves backward against the biasing force of the coil spring 51. As the valve 50 moves backward, the atmosphere opening passage 38 is opened to allow air to flow between the outside environment and the chamber 46. Further, the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 come into contact with the contacts 125 and are thereby electrically connected to the contacts 125. Further, the locking surface 87 of the second key portion 78A is positioned forward with respect to the locking portion 139. The contact surface 92 is positioned immediately below the locking portion 139.

[0197] The contacts 125 are elastically deformable like a leaf spring, so that the contacts 125 exert a downward compressive force on the electrodes 61 when the electrodes 61 contact the contacts 125.

[0198] Furthermore, the biasing force of the coil spring 133 is indirectly applied in an upward direction to the cover 32. Although the contacts 125 exert the downward contact pressure force on the electrodes 61 and the coil spring 133 exerts the upward pressure force on the first key portion 77A, the surfaces 74L or 74U of the grooves 74 absorb the upward and downward pressure forces through the rib 118 and the rib 119 that contact the surfaces 74L or 74U of the grooves 74. Accordingly, the force acting on the cover 32 in the upward direction and the force acting on the cover 32 in the downward direction balance each other.

[0199] As further stated in the Fig. 15B, the position in the front-to-rear direction at which the upper end 136 of the power transmission plate 134 is in contact with the first key portion 77A is different from the position in the front-to-rear direction at which the contacts 125 are in contact with the electrodes 61. Specifically, the position in the front-to-rear direction at which the upper end 136 of the power transmission plate 134 is in contact with the first key portion 77A is positioned forward, that is, forward, of the position in the front-to-rear direction at which the contacts 125 are in contact with the electrodes 61.

[0200] As a result, a force acts on the cover 32, which would rotate the cover 32 about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction, so that the rear end side of the cover 32 moves upward more than its front end side. On the other hand, the rib 118 and the rib 119 come into contact with the surfaces 74L, 74U of the grooves 74, as shown in Fig. 17, thereby preventing rotation of the cover 32.

[0201] As in Fig. 17, the third key portion 79 fits with the fitting piece 122 and the fitting piece 123 when the ink cartridge 30A is inserted to be in the slot 108A in the attached state.

[0202] Assume that an ink cartridge 30 sold in another region, which is not provided with one of the recessed portions of the third key portion 79 otherwise formed in the left wall 54 and the right wall 55 of the cover 32, is inserted into the slot 108. In the slot 108D, the fitting piece 122 is positioned on the right side and the fitting piece 123 is positioned on the left side. For the ink cartridge 30 in which one of the recessed portions of the third key portion 79 otherwise formed in the left wall 54 and the right wall 55 of the cover 32 is not provided, the front wall 53 of the cover 32 comes into contact with one of the fitting pieces 122 or 123. As a result, the ink cartridge 30 cannot be further inserted into the slot 108D in the forward direction.Because the ink cartridge 30 cannot be inserted into the slot 108 D, this means that the ink cartridge 30 is identified as an ink cartridge 30 intended to be used in a printer distributed in a sales region different from that of the printer 10.

[0203] In the Fig. 15A and Fig. 15B, the container body 31 is rotatable about the feed port 34 so that the rear end thereof is moved downward and upward in a state in which the container body 31 is inserted into the slot 108A. Specifically, the container body 31 is rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction and passing through the center of the feed port 34 so that the rear end side of the container body moves upward in the slot 108A. Although the position of the cover 32 with respect to the cartridge case is fixed in the up-down direction as described above, the container body 31 can rotate in this way because the through-hole 58 of the cover 32 is sufficiently larger than the outer shape of the projection 52 of the container body 31.When the ink cartridge 30A rotates such that the side of the rear end moves upward, the locking surface 87 of the second key section 78A and the locking section 139 face each other in the front - rear direction.

[0204] When the user removes his / her fingers from the ink cartridge 30A, the ink cartridge 30A moves rearward by the biasing force of the spiral spring 37 and the spiral spring 51, and the locking surface 87 comes into contact with the locking section 139, as shown in the Fig. 16A and Fig. 16B. Accordingly, the ink cartridge 30A is held in the attached state. Further, the contact surface 92 comes into contact with the locking section 139.

[0205] As a result, the container body 31 of the ink cartridge 30A is positioned in the up-down direction with respect to the cartridge case 110. In other words, the position of the ink cartridge 30A is fixed in the up-down direction with respect to the cartridge case 110.

[0206] In the mounted state in which the ink cartridge 30A is held in the cartridge case 110, the interior space, i.e., the chamber 46, of the ink cartridge 30A is communicated with the external atmosphere through the atmosphere opening passage 38. As a result, the ink in the chamber 46 flows into the interior space of the supply pipe 102 through the interior space of the supply portion 33.

[0207] Furthermore, even though the ink cartridge 30A is urged rearward by the coil spring 37 and the coil spring 51, the locking surface 87 of the ink cartridge 30A and the locking portion 139 of the cartridge case come into contact with each other, preventing the ink cartridge 30A from moving rearward. As a result, the ink cartridge 30A is held in the cartridge case 110.

[0208] In addition, the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 are in contact with the contacts 125 in the mounted state in which the ink cartridge 30A is held in the drone case 110. Furthermore, the electrodes 61 are electrically connected to the contacts 125, so that the IC can communicate with the control unit of the printer 10 via the electrodes 61 and the contacts 105 and 20.

[0209] It is assumed that the ink cartridge 30A was mistakenly installed in the Fig. 2 of the cartridge case 110. The first key slot 115B is closer to the recess 114 in the slot 108B than the first key slot 115A is to the recess 114 in the slot 108A in the left-right direction. Therefore, the first key portion 77A cannot enter the first key slot 115B and comes into contact with the rear wall 173 because the positions of the first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A and the first key slot 115B of the slot 108B are shifted from each other in the left-right direction. Because the front surface 77F of the first key portion 77A comes into contact with the rear wall 173, the ink cartridge 30A cannot be further inserted into the slot 108B.Because the ink cartridge 30A cannot be inserted into the slot 108B, the user understands that the ink cartridge 30A is not the ink cartridge 30 to be inserted into the slot 108B.

[0210] It is assumed that an ink cartridge 30 having the first key portion 77 at the same position as the ink cartridge 30A and the second key portion 78 at the same position as the ink cartridge 30D is inserted into the rightmost position in Fig. 2 of the cartridge case 110. In the rightmost slot 108A, the first key slot 115A is positioned on the right side of the slot 108A in the left-right direction, which corresponds to the position of the first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30A. Therefore, the first key portion 77 of the ink cartridge 30A can enter the first key slot 115A. On the other hand, the second key slot 138A is positioned on the left side in the left-right direction with respect to the center of the slot 108A, corresponding to the position of the second key portion 78 of the ink cartridge 30A, but not the ink cartridge 30D.Therefore, the second key portion 78 of this ink cartridge 30 and the second key slot 138A of the slot 108A are misaligned with each other in the left-right direction, causing the upper end surface 86 to come into contact with the case body 101 before the second key portion 78 enters the second key slot 138A when the ink cartridge 30 rotates. As a result, the ink cartridge 30A cannot be held in the slot 108D because the locking surface 87 and the locking portion 139 do not face each other in the front-back direction. Because the container body 31 cannot be rotated, the user understands that the ink cartridge 30A is not the ink cartridge 30 to be inserted into the slot 108A.

[0211] Next, the movement of the ink cartridge 30A, which is in the mounted state in which the ink cartridge 30A is mounted in the cartridge case 110, in disassembling and removing from the cartridge case 110 will be described.

[0212] As in the Fig. 17, the rib 118 and the rib 119, which are in contact with the grooves 74, restrict the up-and-down movement and rotation of the cover 32 in the attached state. Because the container body 31 is relatively movable with respect to the cover 32, only the container body 31 is movable around the supply port 34, specifically, around the axis extending in the left-right direction and passing through the center of the supply port 34, even though the up-and-down movement and rotation of the cover 32 are restricted.

[0213] By rotating the container body 31, the locking surface 87 and the locking portion 139 can selectively contact each other and be separated from each other in the up-down direction. In the attached state, when the user presses down the operation surface 68 of the container body 31 with a finger, the rear end side of the container body 31 moves downward. Thus, the locking surface 87 and the locking portion 139 are separated from each other in the up-down direction. When the user removes his / her finger from the operation surface 68, the ink cartridge 30 is moved rearward in the slot 108A by the urging forces of the coil spring 37 and the coil spring 51.

[0214] In the attached state, the convex portion 59 of the ink cartridge 30A is positioned in the space 162 of the case body 101. As the ink cartridge 30A moves in the slot 108A in the rearward direction, the convex portion 59 also moves rearward in the space 162, and the convex portion 59 comes into contact with the front end of the guide surface 161. As a result, the rearward movement of the ink cartridge 30A is restricted, and the ink cartridge 30A springs as shown in the Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B, the ink cartridge 30A does not come out of the slot 108A, but stands still in a state in which the front side of the ink cartridge 30A is positioned in the slot 108A.

[0215] As further stated in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, as the ink cartridge 30A moves further rearward, the convex portion 59 of the ink cartridge 30A separates from the guide surface 161 of the slot 108A, after which the ink cartridge 30A is taken out from the slot 108A. [Function and effect of the present embodiment]

[0216] As in the Fig. 16B, in the attached state, the contacts 125 are in contact with the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60, and the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 receive a downward force F4 from the contacts 125. When the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77 receives the upward clamping force, the electrodes 61 and the contacts 125 are in reliable contact with each other.

[0217] Furthermore, in the attached state, a reaction force F1 of the valve 36 moved rearward against the urging force of the coil spring 37 generates a torque M5 for moving the front end of the ink cartridge 30 downward about an axis centered on the center of the supply port 34 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, in the attached state, due to the rearward urging force of the coil spring 37, the locking surface 87 receives a forward reaction force F2 from the locking portion 139 by the locking surface 87 being in contact with the locking portion 139. In the present embodiment, the reaction force F1, the reaction force F2, and the force F4 generate a torque M5 about an axis centered on the center of the supply port 34 in the left-right direction.

[0218] Due to the upward clamping force F3 received by the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77 positioned forward with respect to the supply port 34, a torque M6 opposite to the torque M5 is generated, so that the torque M5 is mitigated. Accordingly, deformation of the supply line 102 connected to the supply port 34 is avoided.

[0219] Furthermore, the downward force F4 exerted by the contacts 125 and the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 is absorbed by the surfaces 74L of the grooves 74 that come into contact with the rib 118 and the rib 119. Therefore, the ink cartridge 30 is prevented from tilting in the front-to-back direction in the attached state.

[0220] Furthermore, in the attached state, the front end of the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77 is positioned forward relative to the front end of the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60. Therefore, before the contacts 125 come into contact with the electrodes 61, the clamping force acts on the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77, preventing the rotation of the ink cartridge 30 by the torque M5.

[0221] In addition, a part of the outer surface of the feed section 33, which defines a part of the lower surface 47 of the container body 31, comes into contact with the guide surface 161 of the housing body 101, whereby the feed section 33 is guided toward the feed line 102.

[0222] Furthermore, the lower surface 70 of the cover 32 is inclined downward from the front end toward the rear end. Therefore, even if the posture of the ink cartridge 30 changes due to the torque in the attached state, the front end of the lower surface 70 is less likely to contact the case body 101.

[0223] Moreover, since the length of the first key portion 77 decreases in the up-down direction from the front end toward the rear, the strength of the first key portion 77 increases toward the rear.

[0224] Because the length L1 of the side surfaces 77S of the first key portion 77 in the front-back direction is greater than the length M3 of the front surface 77F of the first key portion 77 in the up-down direction, the insertion of the ink cartridge 30 into the case body 101 is guided by the side surfaces 77S of the first key portion 77.

[0225] Furthermore, the side surfaces 77S of the first key portion 77 are arranged on the right side of the outer surface of the left wall 42 and on the left side of the outer surface of the right wall 43. Even if the ink cartridge 30 falls with the left wall 42 or the right wall 43 facing downward, the first key portion 77 still does not directly absorb the impact of the fall. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the length of the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction.

[0226] Furthermore, the side surfaces 77S of the first key section 77 are positioned with respect to a left end of the supply section 33 in the rightward direction and with respect to a right end of the supply section 33 in the leftward direction. Even if the ink cartridge 30 falls downward with the left wall 42 or the right wall 43 facing downward, the first key section 77 still does not directly receive the impact of the fall. In addition, it is possible to avoid an increase in the length of the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction.

[0227] Furthermore, the side surface 77S of the first key section 77 faces the left wall 42 and the right wall 43 of the container body 31 in the left-right direction. The first key section 77 is positioned between the left wall 42 and the right wall 43 in the left-right direction so that the first key section is protected.

[0228] Because the ink cartridge 30 includes the container body 31 with the chamber 46 and the supply portion 33 and the cover 32 with the IC board 60 and the first key portion 77, the cover 32 can be replaced with respect to the container body 31. [Modifications]

[0229] In the embodiment described above, the first key portion 77 is received in the first key slot 115, but the first key portion 77 may not have any mechanical property such as a shape and / or position.

[0230] In the embodiment described above, the torque M5 generated in the ink cartridge 30 is caused by the reaction force F1 of the valve 36, the forward reaction force F2 of the locking portion 139, and the downward load force F4 exerted by the contact 125 on the electrode 61. However, the forces generating the torque M5 do not necessarily need to include all of these reaction forces F1 and F2, as well as the load force F4. For example, in an embodiment in which the ink cartridge 30 does not have the locking surface 87, the reaction force F2 of the locking portion 139 need not be included.

[0231] In the embodiment described above, the length of the first rear surface 63 in the left-right direction is constant in the up-down direction. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 18, the length of the first rear surface 363 in the left-right direction may also gradually decrease toward the lower side in the up-down direction. This configuration makes it easier for the user to press the upper portion of the first rear surface 363 when it is comparatively wider than the lower portion of the first rear surface 363.

[0232] In the embodiment described above, the ink cartridge 30 comprises the container body 31 and the cover 32. As alternatively shown in the Fig. However, as shown in Fig. 19, the ink cartridge 30 may also have a container 431 in which the container body 31 and the cover 32 are integrally molded. In this case, the container 431 stores the ink. The first key portion 77, the second key portion 78, and the IC board 60 are positioned on the container 431. The container 431, which also integrally includes the surface provided by the first key portion 77 and the IC board 60 and the internal space for storing ink, is another example of the main body of the ink container.

[0233] In the embodiment described above, the atmosphere opening passage 38 is positioned on the upper front wall 40U of the container body 31, but the atmosphere opening passage 38 may also be positioned on a wall other than the front wall 40 of the container body 31, for example, on the upper wall 44.

[0234] Furthermore, the second key portion need not have the locking surface. In other words, the second key portion 78 also only needs to realize the function of identifying the property of the ink cartridge 30.

[0235] In the above-described embodiment, the ink cartridge 30 is described as an example of an ink container. However, the ink container need not be a cartridge attached to the printer 10, but may also be a bottle for refilling ink in a tank or the like of the printer.

[0236] In the above-described embodiments or modifications, the ink supply portion 33 includes a supply port 34 defining a front end portion thereof and configured to receive a supply pipe 20 (ink pipe) provided in the slot 108 (attachment space). A sealing member 35, a valve 36, and a coil spring 37 may be disposed in the supply portion 33. The coil spring 37 may bias the valve 36 toward the sealing member 35 to seal the chamber 40 in the container body 31 or the main body 431.However, instead of the sealing element 35, a valve 36 and a coil spring 37, other means for sealing the chamber in which ink can be stored from the outside environment may be provided, such as an elastic plug, a film or the like, which are pierced by the supply line 20 when it is designed, for example, as a needle.

[0237] In the above-described embodiments or modifications, the feeding portion 33 is described as a cylindrical member and has an outer peripheral surface extending rearward from the feeding port 34. The outer peripheral surface has a curved surface curved in a circumferential direction with the front-rear direction defining an axis. However, according to modifications, the outer peripheral surface of the feeding portion 33 may also include a plurality of flat surfaces arranged adjacent to each other. Also, the curved surface may be provided only in a lower portion of the peripheral surface of the feeding portion in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the feeding portion 33 may be arranged such that its shape is more or less integrated with a parallelepiped shape of the container body 31 or the main body 431.

[0238] In the above-described embodiments or modifications, the supply port 34 is circular when viewed from the front. However, according to modifications, the supply port 34 may have a shape other than circular when viewed from the front. The supply port 34 may have any shape as long as it provides a through hole into which the supply pipe 102 can be inserted, and the through hole can be sealed from the outside by means for sealing the chamber in which ink can be stored.

[0239] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the first key portion 77, as an example of a protrusion defined in the appended claims, and the second key portion 78 are each linked to first and second characteristics of the ink cartridge, which are described as relating, for example, to the ink color and the ink composition (e.g., dye or pigment). However, the specific characteristics of the ink cartridge may also be reversed, that is, the first characteristic may be the ink composition and the second characteristic may be the ink color. Likewise, the first and second characteristics may be different from the above examples, such as the sales region or the contract type (linked to the third key portion in the embodiment), or even other characteristics.Furthermore, the specific properties are not tied to the specific embodiments shown in the figures.

[0240] It should be noted that according to modifications of the above-described embodiments, the projection provided in the appended claims may not necessarily include the function of a key portion associated with a characteristic of a cartridge and adapted to enter one of the first key slots 115A, 115B, 115C or 115D (receiving portion) of the slots 108.

[0241] In addition, the lower surface of the first key portion 77, or the receiving surface 77L, which receives an upwardly directed pressing force from the force transmission plate 134, is shown in the figures, particularly in Fig. 4, with a smooth, linear shape to allow the projection to slide along an upper end 136 of the force transmission plate 134. However, according to embodiments or modifications, the receiving surface 77L may have a convex or concave shape, or may be textured, etc.

[0242] In the above embodiments or modifications, the first key portion 77, as an example of a projection defined in the appended claims, is illustrated as having a plate shape extending rearward from the front surface 77F to the front sub-wall 88. However, the first key portion may be discontinuous (e.g., separate and not connected, and / or spaced apart), or may even be continuous (e.g., integrally formed) with the front sub-wall 88, or even there may be no front sub-wall 88 at all (i.e., omitted).

[0243] Furthermore, the plate shape may be replaced by a strut extending in the front-back direction from the front sub-wall 88 of the cover 32 or from the front wall 40 of the container body 31 or the main body 431, which has the bottom surface 77L as an example of a receiving surface defined in the appended claims. Additionally or alternatively, another strut may be provided extending in the up-down direction and having the front surface 77F. Both struts may be connected to each other and to the corresponding front sub-wall 88 (if present) and / or the bottom wall 70. In other words, such a modified first key portion 77 may have a hollow shape or the like.

[0244] Alternatively or additionally, as an example of a projection having the lower surface 77L defined in the appended claims, the first key portion 77 may extend only from the front wall 40, but not from the bottom wall 70. In the case of the main body of the cartridge 30 having two elements, such as the container body 31 and the cover 32, the first key portion 77 may be formed integrally with the container body 31.

[0245] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the first key portion 77 may itself include an engageable mechanism, as an example of a projection defined in the appended claims. When the ink cartridge is inserted into the slot 108, a first contact portion of the movable mechanism may contact a portion of the slot 108 of the cartridge housing 110, and the resulting compressive force on the contact portion is translated into a downward movement of a second contact portion of the movable mechanism, which includes the lower surface 77L. This then pushes the force transmission plate 134 downward. The movable mechanism may include a resilient element that holds the first contact portion and the second contact portion in place before contact is achieved upon cartridge insertion.

[0246] According to a further refined embodiment, the first key portion 77, as an example of a projection defined in the appended claims, may itself comprise a modified movable mechanism in which a rotatable lever is provided on the ink cartridge, which, during insertion, stably and securely contacts the force transmission plate through its contact portion and rotates during further insertion of the ink cartridge 30, further pressing the force transmission plate 134 downward via its contact portion.The movable mechanism may also be a rotatable wheel which, during insertion, "rolls" over the force transmission plate 134, pressing it down and also optionally entering the corresponding receiving portion 115A, 115B, 115C or 115D provided in the slot 108 in the left-right direction (if the position and shape of the wheel fits into the corresponding receiving portion).

[0247] Furthermore, in the above embodiments or modifications, the second key portion is described as having a ramp-like shape across the surfaces 84A, 84B with the laterally inclined surfaces 85A, 85B. However, according to modified embodiments, the second key portion may also be formed of a ramp-shaped plate extending in the front-back and up-down directions, such that it has a thin inclined ramp surface and optionally includes a thin locking surface facing in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The thickness of that plate corresponds to the width of the second key portion in such a case.According to another modification, the second key portion 78 has the surfaces 85A, 85B, which, however, are not inclined but extend in the up-down direction, approaching each other when viewed in the rearward direction.

[0248] Furthermore, it should be noted that when it is described herein that the first or second key sections and the first or second receiving sections fit or are fitted into each other, this does not necessarily mean that the shapes and / or positions, or cross sections in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement, are exactly complementary to each other. Rather, these key sections may be formed as projections which differ in shape or cross section from the shape or cross section of the cavities defined by the corresponding receiving sections. Modified embodiments which include such key sections are encompassed by the appended claims. Nevertheless, the fitting or fitting method described above requiresFitting function at least that the first key sections are positioned and shaped so that they can be received in the first receiving sections, and that the second key sections are positioned and shaped so that they can be received in the second receiving sections respectively.

[0249] Furthermore, it should be noted that the specific structures of the first and second key portions 77, 78 shown in the above embodiments can also be implemented in cartridges (not shown) in which, for example, the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 43 is merely flat and does not include the second and third inclined surfaces 64, 65, and / or the bottom wall 45, which has the first and second bottom walls 45A, 45B having the specific structure shown. The rear surface 62 of the rear wall 43 can also have a convex, round, or any other shape.

[0250] Furthermore, according to further modified embodiments, the pair of walls 71 may be omitted, or the shape of the walls 71 may be configured differently. For example, the first and second front surfaces 72, 73 may not be rounded, but may have a rectangular or tapered, pointed profile. Alternatively or additionally, the walls 71 may extend not from the bottom wall 70, but from the front wall 40 of the container body 31 or the main body 431. According to a further modification, only one of the two walls 71 may be provided, for example, the one on the left wall 54 or the one on the right wall 55.

[0251] Furthermore, in the embodiment or the corresponding modifications, the grooves 74 are described as having an upwardly facing lower surface 74L, a downwardly facing upper surface 74U, and a (bottom) surface 74M connecting the surfaces 74L, 74U. However, according to modified embodiments, only the bottom surface 74M and the downwardly facing upper surface 74U, or only the bottom surface 74M and the upwardly facing surface 74L may be provided. If neither a downwardly facing upper surface 74U nor an upwardly facing lower surface 74L is present, no groove 74 needs to be provided at all, even if the first and second key portions 77, 78 are present.In a further modification, a groove 74 is provided only on one side of the ink cartridge, for example, on the left wall 54 side, but not on the other side, for example, on the right wall 55 side, or vice versa. According to a further modification, an upwardly facing lower surface 74L is provided only on one side, for example, the left wall 54 side, and a downwardly facing upper surface 74U is provided on the other side, for example, the right wall 55 side, or vice versa, but no opposing surfaces 74U, 74L of a groove 74 are provided.

[0252] According to a further modification, the groove or grooves 74 need not have a U-shaped profile, but may, for example, have a V-shaped profile on opposing surfaces 74L, 74U, which face each other with slightly inclined directions with respect to the up-down direction. Any other profile is also possible. Furthermore, the flat (bottom) surface 74 connecting the surfaces 74L, 74U may be omitted or replaced by a rounded, concave, or even convex bottom surface 74 connecting the opposing surfaces 74L, 74U. When the flat (bottom) surface 74M connecting the surfaces 74L, 74U in the above embodiments is omitted, the groove 74, or the grooves 74, is formed by an opening extending in the front-rear direction in the left wall 54 and / or the right wall 55.

[0253] In the Fig. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1-18, it is described that the main body comprises a container body 31 and a cover 32. Both are connected to each other by projections 52 and through holes 58, which receive the projections 52 with some play to allow slight and limited rotation of the cover 32 with respect to the container body 31. However, in such a case of two elements 31, 32, according to modifications, these may also be connected via other joint mechanisms that allow rotation, or they are connected to each other in this way without play, so that no mutual rotation is allowed.

[0254] In the embodiment, the second key portion 78 is described as being integrally formed on the top wall 44. However, according to modifications, the second key portion 78 may also be formed as a separate part on or in the top wall 44. In a further modification, the second key portion 78 may be resiliently projected in a vertical or inclined direction. For example, the second key portion may be pressed downward by the locking portion 139 during insertion (for example, without rotating the container body 31 as in Fig. 1 to 18, or the main body 131 as shown in Fig. 19) to be retracted into a recess formed in the top wall 56 while the locking portion 139 rides on the inclined surface 84B.

[0255] For example, the second key portion may be spring-biased in an upward direction. Once the locking portion 139 has passed the inclined surface 84 and the end surface 86, if present, the second key portion moves upward again under the action of the spring force and snaps into the second receiving portion (second key slot 138) when it fits therein. At the same time, the locking surface 87 comes into contact with the locking portion 139. The cartridge is then securely and stably held in place in the slot 108.

[0256] Depending on the (steeper) inclination of the locking surface 87, the cartridge can later be removed from the slot 108, for example, after the ink has been used up, by exerting a slightly greater force to overcome the friction between the locking portion 139 and the locking surface 87. In this case, the second key portion is retracted again during removal. It should be noted that in any case in which the second key portion does not fit the second key slot 138 during insertion, the locking surface 87 is not brought into contact with the locking portion 139, so that the cartridge is not held in position, thus allowing the user to recognize that the cartridge 30 has been inserted into the wrong slot 108.

[0257] In the above embodiments or its modifications, the third key portion 79 is described as a concave portion formed within the left wall 54 and the right wall 55, respectively. However, according to a further modification of the cartridge 30, the cover 32 may be formed with a thickness between the left wall 54 and the right wall 56 without forming a concave recess, so that it can still be fitted between the fitting pieces 122, 123. One such modification is an embodiment of the ink cartridge 30 in which the third key portion is omitted. However, it is also possible that a concave recess is formed only on one side, for example, only in the left wall 54 or in the right wall 55, but not on the other side.

[0258] In the above, in the Fig.1-19 or their modifications, the rear end of the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 of the container body 31 has an operating surface 68, and the operating surface 68 has a plurality of projections 69 projecting upward and extending along the left-right direction, wherein the projections 69 are an example of a non-slip structure. However, according to a modification of the embodiment, the operating surface may also be configured differently, for example, with recesses instead of projections, or may simply be omitted. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2023-22950 A

[0004]

Claims

[1] An ink tank (30) insertable into a mounting space (108) of a mounting portion (101) in a front-to-back direction in the forward direction, the ink tank (30) comprising: a chamber (46) arranged to store ink; a feed section (33) having a feed port (34) defining a front end portion thereof, facing forward, and adapted to be connected to a feed line (102) of the attachment section (101); a valve (36) configured to open and close the supply port (34) and contact the supply line (102) in an attached state in which the ink container (30) is mounted in the mounting portion (101); an electrical interface (60) having a contact surface (61) facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction; and a projection (77) positioned upwardly and forwardly with respect to the supply port (34) and below the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60), the projection (77) projecting downwardly from the ink container (30), the projection (77) has a receiving surface (77L) adapted to receive an upward clamping force in the attached state. [2] The ink tank (30) according to claim 1, wherein the receiving surface (77L) of the projection (77) and the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60) overlap each other at least partially in the up-down direction in the attached state. [3] The ink tank (30) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a front end of the receiving surface (77L) of the projection (77) is positioned forwardly with respect to a front end of the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60) in the attached state. [4] The ink tank (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a length of the receiving surface (77L) of the projection (77) in the front-to-back direction is greater than a length of the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60) in the front-to-back direction. [5] The ink container (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a rear end of the receiving surface (77L) of the projection (77) is positioned rearwardly with respect to a rear end of the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60). [6] The ink container (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the supply portion (33) has a biasing member (37) configured to urge the valve (36) forward. [7] The ink container (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ink container (30) has a contact surface (87) facing rearward, positioned rearwardly with respect to the supply port (34) and above the contact surface (61) of the electrical interface (60), and configured to contact the mounting portion (101). [8] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ink container (30) has a lower surface facing downward, the lower surface comprising a first lower surface (47) and a second lower surface (70), the first lower surface (47) being positioned rearwardly with respect to the supply port (34), and the second lower surface (70) being positioned forwardly and upwardly with respect to a rear end of the first lower surface (47), and being positioned forwardly and upwardly with respect to the supply port (34), an outer surface (48, 49) of the feed section (34) has the first lower surface (47), a front end of the first lower surface (47) is a front end of the feed section (33) defined by the feed port (34), and the outer surface (48, 49) of the feed section (33) has a curved surface curved in a circumferential direction around an axis of the feed port (34) extending in the front-rear direction. [9] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the ink container (30) has a downwardly facing lower surface, the lower surface has a first lower surface (47) and a second lower surface (70), wherein the first lower surface (47) is positioned rearwardly with respect to the feed port (34), and the second lower surface (70) is positioned forwardly and upwardly with respect to a front end of the first lower surface (47), and is positioned forwardly and upwardly with respect to the feed port (34), the projection (77) projects downwards from the second lower surface (70), and the second lower surface (70) is inclined such that a rear end of the second lower surface (70) is positioned downward with respect to a front end of the second lower surface (70) in the attached state. [10] The ink container (30) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a length of the projection (77) in the up-down direction decreases toward a rear end of the projection (77). [11] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the projection (77) has a left side surface (77S) facing left in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction, and a right side surface (77S) facing right, and a length of each of the left side surface (77S) and the right side surface (77S) in the front-rear direction is greater than a length of a front end (77F) of the projection (77) in the up-down direction. [12] Ink container (30) according to claim 11, wherein the ink container (30) has a left surface (54) facing left in the left-right direction and a right surface (55) facing right, the left side surface (77S) and the right side surface (77S) of the projection (77) are positioned forwardly with respect to the supply port (34) and rearwardly with respect to a front end of the ink container (30), the left side surface (77S) is positioned in the right direction with respect to the left surface (54) of the ink tank (30), and the right side surface (77S) is positioned in the left direction with respect to the right surface (55) of the ink tank (30). [13] Ink container (30) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the left side surface (77S) of the projection (77) is positioned in the right direction with respect to a left end of the feed section (33), and the right side surface (77S) of the projection is positioned in the left direction with respect to a right end of the feed section (33). [14] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein a maximum length of the projection (77) in the front-rear direction is greater than a maximum length of the projection (77) in the up-down direction, and a maximum length of the projection (77) in the left-right direction is shorter than a maximum length of the ink tank (30) in the left-right direction. [15] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the ink container (30) has a left wall (71) and a right wall (71) separated from each other in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the up-down direction, the projection (77) has a left side surface (77S) facing left in the left-right direction and a right side surface (77S) facing right, the left side surface (77S) facing the left wall (71) of the ink container (30) in the left-right direction, and the right side surface (77S) faces the right wall (71) of the ink tank (30) in the left-right direction. [16] Ink container (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the ink container (30) comprises: a main body (31) having the chamber (46) and the feed section (33), and a cover (32) comprising the electrical interface (60) and the projection (77). [17] Ink container (30) comprising: a chamber (46) for storing ink; a feed section (33) having a feed port (34) defining a front end thereof and facing forward in a front-rear direction, a valve (36) configured to open and close the supply port (34); an electrical interface (60) having an electrode (61) pointing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction; and a projection (77) positioned upwards and forwards with respect to the supply port (34) and downwards with respect to the electrode (61) of the electrical interface (60), the projection (77) projecting downwards from the ink container (30), the projection (77) has a receiving surface (77L) positioned below the electrode (61) and upward and forward with respect to the feed terminal (34), wherein the ink container (30) has a first lower surface (47) facing downward and positioned rearward with respect to the supply port (34), and a second lower surface (70) positioned forward and upward with respect to a front end of the first lower surface (47) and forward and upward with respect to the supply port (34), and wherein the projection (77) extends downwardly from the second lower surface (47). [18] A system in which an ink container (30) is to be mounted in a mounting portion (101) in a mounting direction, wherein: the ink container (30) comprises: a chamber (46) arranged to store ink; a feed section (33) having a feed port (34) defining a front end thereof and facing forward; a valve (36) configured to open and close the supply port (34); an electrical interface (60) having an electrode (61) facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction; and a projection (77) positioned upwards and forwards with respect to the supply port (34) and downwards with respect to the electrode (61) of the electrical interface (60), the projection (77) projecting downwards from the ink container (30), the projection (77) has a receiving surface (77L) positioned below the electrode (61) and in an upward and forward direction with respect to the feed terminal (34), a first lower surface (47) faces downwards and is positioned rearwardly with respect to the feed port, and a second lower surface (70) is positioned forwards and upwards with respect to a front end of the first lower surface (47) and forwards and upwards with respect to the feed port (34), the projection (77) extends downwards from the second lower surface (70), and the attachment section (101) comprises: a receiving housing (108) adapted to receive the ink container (30); a supply line (102) to be connected to the supply port (34); and a biasing member (37) configured to exert an upward biasing force on the receiving surface (77L) in an attached state in which the ink container (30) is mounted in the receiving case (108).

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