ink reservoir

Abstract

An ink reservoir (30) is configured to be inserted into an installation space (108) of an installation section (101) in a forward direction in a front-to-back direction. The ink reservoir (30) comprises: a main body (31) which has a chamber (46) configured to store ink, an ink supply section (33) configured to supply the ink from the chamber (46), a front wall (40) which faces forward, a rear wall (41) which is positioned aft of and spaced apart from the front wall (40), a right wall (43) which is positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and has a right surface which faces to the right in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, and a left wall (42).which is positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and is positioned to the left and spaced apart from the right wall (43) and has a left surface facing left, a first inclined surface (65) which adjoins the right surface of the right wall (43) at a rear end thereof and is inclined with respect to it, and a second inclined surface (64) which adjoins the left surface of the left wall (42) at a rear end thereof and is inclined with respect to it; wherein a distance between the first inclined surface (65) and the second inclined surface (64) decreases in the front-back direction towards the rear; wherein the first inclined surface (65) has a first flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the first inclined surface (65),and wherein the second inclined surface (64) has a second flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the second inclined surface (64).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ink container that stores ink. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses an ink tank that stores ink. The ink tank described in Patent Literature 1 has an ink storage portion that has a substantially cubic shape and stores ink. When a user mounts the ink tank in an ink tank holder, the user grips a left wall and a right wall of the ink storage portion of the ink tank and moves the ink storage portion toward the ink tank holder. At this time, a frictional force is generated between the fingers and the left wall and the right wall of the ink tank, so that a force for the user to move the ink tank into the ink tank holder acts on the ink tank. Patent literature

[0003] Patent Literature 1: JP 2006-56118 A DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] For example, in a case where the left and right walls of the ink storage section are smooth, it is difficult for the frictional force generated between the left and right walls of the ink storage section and the fingers to act on the left and right walls. Therefore, the user must firmly grasp the left and right walls of the ink storage section. However, if the user firmly grasps the ink container, there is a possibility that the ink container may become difficult to handle.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an ink container capable of being easily inserted into a mounting portion.

[0006] Embodiments of the various aspects of the invention, which take into account the above-described disadvantages of the prior art, are apparent from an ink container as defined in claim 1. More detailed, advantageous embodiments are apparent from the dependent claims.

[0007] According to such an aspect of the invention, an ink container is provided which is configured to be inserted forward into a mounting space of a mounting portion in a front-to-back direction. The ink container comprises a main body having a chamber configured to store ink, an ink supply portion configured to supply the ink from the chamber, a front wall facing forward, a rear wall positioned rearward with respect to the front wall and spaced from the front wall, a right wall positioned between the front wall and the rear wall and having a right surface facing rightward in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, a left wall positioned between the front wall and the rear wall and positioned leftward and spaced from the right wall and having a left surface facing leftward,a first inclined surface adjacent to and inclined with respect to the right surface of the right wall at a rear end thereof, and a second inclined surface adjacent to and inclined with respect to the left surface of the left wall at a rear end thereof. A distance between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface decreases toward the rear in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the first inclined surface has a first flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the first inclined surface, and the second inclined surface has a second flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the second inclined surface.

[0008] According to the above-described structure, a force applied to the first flat surface and the second flat surface by the user is converted into a force that moves the ink container into the attachment space because the user can pinch the first flat surface of the first inclined surface and the second flat surface of the second inclined surface between his fingers when inserting the ink container into the attachment space of the attachment portion.

[0009] Therefore, for example, even if the main body is formed smoothly, it is not necessary to grip the main body in the left-right direction compared with a case where the ink tank is attached to the attachment portion by gripping the right wall and the left wall, thereby making it possible to easily mount the ink tank in the attachment portion.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the ink container, the rear wall has a rear surface facing rearward, the rear surface of the rear wall being positioned at a center of the main body with respect to the left-right direction, a right end of the rear surface being adjacent to a rear end of the first inclined surface, and a left end of the rear surface being adjacent to a right end of the second inclined surface.

[0011] Because the first flat surface of the first inclined surface and the second flat surface of the second inclined surface are separated from each other in the left-right direction, this structure makes it less likely that a finger touching the first flat surface of the first inclined surface and a finger touching the second flat surface of the second inclined surface will come into contact with each other. Furthermore, a tactile response of the ink tank during insertion is generated in a case where the insertion is almost completed and, for example, only one finger is used to press the rear wall. Therefore, the user can relatively easily pinch the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface between their fingers.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a length of the rear surface of the rear wall in the left-right direction is greater than a length between the front end and the rear end of the first inclined surface in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction or a length of the second inclined surface between the front end and the rear end of the second inclined surface in the plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. As a result, the user can easily visually recognize the rear surface from the rear.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container further includes a top wall positioned between the front wall and the rear wall and having an upper surface facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the left-right direction, and a locking surface extending upward from the upper surface of the top wall, facing rearward, and configured to contact a locking portion of the attachment portion when the ink container is inserted into the attachment portion. The locking surface is positioned rearward with respect to a supply port positioned at a front end of the supply portion.The rear surface is inclined with respect to an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, so that a distance between the rear surface and a position of the locking surface gradually decreases upward in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the feeding section is positioned at a lower end of the front wall.

[0014] Therefore, when the user engages the locking surface of the ink tank with the locking portion of the attachment portion, the upper side of the rear surface is positioned closer to the user than the lower side. Furthermore, the user can apply a large rotational movement to the ink tank around the feed portion by pressing the upper side of the rear surface, which is remote from the feed portion and is the center of rotation of the ink tank. Therefore, because the user can relatively easily move the locking surface of the ink tank toward the locking portion of the attachment portion, it is easy to mount the ink tank in the attachment portion.

[0015] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container further comprises a bottom wall positioned between the front wall and the rear wall and facing downward, the bottom wall having a bottom surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are each continuously formed from the upper surface of the upper wall to the lower surface of the bottom wall. Because the user can easily grasp the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface, it is easy to maintain the posture of the ink container in the left-right direction when the ink container is mounted in the mounting portion.

[0016] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the upper surface of the top wall has a first upper surface facing upward and an actuating surface connecting the rear end of the first upper surface and the respective upper ends of the first inclined surface, the second inclined surface and the rear surface.

[0017] Here, the actuating surface is inclined with respect to the first upper surface, such that a distance between the actuating surface and the lower surface decreases from a boundary between the actuating surface and the first upper surface at a rear end thereof toward the rear surface. With such a configuration, the user can release the ink tank by pressing the actuating surface downward, causing the ink tank to rotate around the supply section.

[0018] Because the saturation surface is adjacent to the upper end of the first inclined surface, the upper end of the second inclined surface, and the upper end of the rear surface, the user can relatively easily remove the ink tank from the attachment portion by pinching the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface between his fingers after the ink tank is unlocked.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the lower surface of the lower wall has a third inclined surface extending forward from a lower end of the rear surface, the third inclined surface being inclined such that a distance between the third inclined surface and the first upper surface in the up-down direction gradually decreases from a front end of the third inclined surface toward the rear surface in the front-back direction. In other words, the third inclined surface may be inclined with respect to the front-back direction so as to extend upward in the rearward direction. Therefore, by pressing the operation surface downward, the lower surface of the lower wall is less likely to come into contact with the attachment portion even when the ink container pivots downward around the supply portion.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the ink tank, a length of the third inclined surface in the left-right direction is shorter than a length of the supply section in the left-right direction. According to this embodiment, because the user can visually recognize the rear end of the supply section when viewing the ink tank from behind, it is relatively easy for the user to recognize which side of the ink tank is facing upward when the ink tank is mounted in the mounting section. For this reason, it is easy for the user to mount the ink tank in the correct orientation when mounting the ink tank in the mounting section.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the ink container, a front end of the first inclined surface is adjacent to a rear end of the supply portion. Because the rear end of the supply portion is reinforced by being adjacent to the third inclined surface, it is possible to prevent the supply portion from being deformed even when the lower end of the ink container receives an impact.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the supply portion is adjacent to the lower surface of the bottom wall. In a case where an outer peripheral surface of the supply portion is adjacent to the lower surface of the bottom wall, the outer peripheral surface of the supply portion is less likely to be deformed even when the lower end of the ink container receives an impact, compared to a case where the outer peripheral surface of the supply portion is not adjacent to the lower surface of the bottom wall.

[0023] According to another embodiment of the ink container, the ink container includes a recessed portion recessed toward the front of at least one of the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface. Further, the recessed portion is configured to receive a protrusion provided on a cover that closes an opening of the mounting space of the mounting portion. Furthermore, the recessed portion has an upper surface that is inclined with respect to the left-right direction and the front-back direction.

[0024] For example, when the projection of the cover is received in the recessed portion, the recessed portion comes into contact with the projection even if vibration occurs during transportation of the printer including the ink tank, thereby preventing the ink tank from being detached from the attachment portion.

[0025] Because the upper surface of the recessed portion is inclined with respect to the left-right and front-back directions, a gap between the recessed portion and the protrusion can be reduced when the recessed portion accommodates the protrusion. Therefore, for example, rattling of the ink tank due to vibration during transportation of the printer including the ink tank in the printer is prevented.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the ink container, an outer peripheral surface of the ink supply section has a curved surface centered on an axis of the supply section along the front-rear direction, the curved surface defining a lower end of the ink container. The curved surface may define a lower end of the ink container.

[0027] In a case where the lower end of the ink container has a curved surface, it is likely that the ink container will be inclined in the left - right direction when the ink container is attached in the attachment section.

[0028] In the above - described structure, a force applied by the user to the first flat surface of the first inclined surface and the second flat surface of the second inclined surface is not only converted into a force for moving the ink container into the attachment space, but also into a force for clamping the ink container on both sides in the left - right direction.

[0029] Therefore, the user can relatively easily maintain the position of the ink container in the left - right direction, so that the ink container can be relatively easily attached in the attachment section.

[0030] According to the present disclosure, an ink container is mounted relatively easily in the mounting portion. 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 side view from the left of the ink cartridge 30. Fig. 11 is a front view of four ink cartridges 30. Fig. 12 is a perspective partial cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110, showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge housing 110. Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B are cross-sectional views of the ink cartridge 30 and the cartridge housing 110, each showing a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is positioned in the cartridge housing 110 and an ink intake element 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 that intersects a lower 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 side view of the ink cartridge 30 according to a modified embodiment. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of an ink cartridge 30 according to another modified embodiment, viewed from the front and top. Fig. 20 is a schematic view of an ink cartridge viewed from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] 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 for implementing the present disclosure, and the embodiment may be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Next, 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).

[0032] Furthermore, whenever appropriate, a forward direction and a backward direction may be collectively referred to as a front-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-left direction.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] Hereinafter, the posture 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 posture or upright posture. When the positional relationships between the components of the ink cartridge 30 are described using the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "back," and when the orientations or directions of the components of the ink cartridge 30 are described using the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "back," these descriptions refer to the ink cartridge 30 being in the use posture unless otherwise specified. When the positions, orientations, or directions of the ink cartridge 30 itself are described using the terms "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "front," and "back," these descriptions refer to the ink cartridge 30 being in the use posture.

[0036] The ink cartridge 30 is inserted into the cartridge case 110 in the forward direction, which may also be referred to as the fastening direction. The ink cartridge 30 is removed from the cartridge case 110 in the backward direction.

[0037] When a component of the ink cartridge 30 is described as facing in a particular direction, the direction in which the component faces is not strictly limited to that particular direction. For example, when it is described as "a front surface facing forward," the front surface may face forward and upward. A front surface of the ink cartridge 30 is a surface facing in the direction shown in 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]

[0038] As in Fig. 1, the printer 10 includes the cartridge case 110, an intermediate tank 120, an ink pipe 20, a recording head 21, and the ink cartridge 30. The printer 10 is an inkjet recording apparatus, e.g., an inkjet printer, which records an image by ejecting ink droplets from the recording head 21 onto a sheet based on an inkjet recording method.

[0039] The printer 10 includes the cartridge case 110. The cartridge case 110 is an example of an attachment portion. The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be attached to the cartridge case 110. The ink cartridge 30 is an example of an ink tank. The cartridge case 110 has an opening 112 at its rear end. The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be inserted into the case 110 from the front through the opening 112 and to be attached to the case 110 when the ink cartridge 30 reaches the attachment position. The ink cartridge 30 is configured to be taken out and removed from the case 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.

[0040] Fig. 1 shows a state in which the ink cartridge 30 is completely attached to the cartridge case 110. Fig. 1 shows the ink cartridge 30 in the attached state. The position of the ink cartridge 30 in the inserted state is the use position. 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 to improve the quality of the image produced by the coloring material.

[0041] 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 mounted state, the ink cartridge 30 and the recording head 21 are connected to each other via the ink pipe 20. 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.

[0042] 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 discharge rollers 27, and a paper discharge 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, which 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]

[0043] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the cartridge casing 110 includes a casing body 101 and a supply line 102. The casing body 101 has a box shape. The casing body 101 has an interior space in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted.

[0044] The casing body 101 has an end surface 103 defining a front end in the mounting direction when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the interior, a left wall defining a left end of the interior, a right wall defining a right end of the interior, a bottom wall, and a cover wall 171 covering a force 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.

[0045] 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. An interior space 101A of the housing body 101 is an example of a mounting space. The housing body 101 has three partition walls 109 arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The three partition walls 109 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. The interior space of the housing body 101 has four slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D arranged in the left-right direction.

[0046] Slot 108A is positioned on the rightmost side among the four slots 108A to 108D. Slot 108B is positioned to the left of slot 108A. Slot 108C is positioned to the left of slot 108B. Slot 108D is positioned on the left side of slot 108C and is located on the leftmost side among slots 108A to 108D. The interior of the housing body 101 is divided into slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D by the three partition walls 109, which divide the interior of the housing body 101, and by the inner surface of the housing body 101.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] As in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, there is a space 162 below the supply line 102.

[0050] 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 and left-right directions. 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 the through hole 144. The feed pipe 102 passes through the through hole 144 and projects in the rearward direction from the rear wall 173.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] A first key slot 115 is positioned in each of the slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D between the two protruding portions 117. Specifically, the slot 108A has a first key slot 115A, the slot 108B has a first key slot 115B, the slot 108C has a first key slot 115C, and the slot 108D has a first key slot 115D. The first key slot 115 opens upward and backward. A first key portion 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] In slot 108B, rib 118 protrudes from partition 109 defining the right end of slot 108B. In slot 108C, rib 118 protrudes from partition 109 defining the right end of slot 108C. In slot 108D, rib 118 protrudes from 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 slot 108C, rib 119 protrudes from the partition wall 109 defining the left end of slot 108C. In slot 108D, rib 119 protrudes from the inner surface of left wall 128. Ribs 118 and 119 face each other in the left-right direction in each of slots 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D.

[0056] The supply line 102 is positioned within 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 within the interior of each of the sockets 108A, 108B, 108C, and 108D. Although not described in detail, a valve is arranged within 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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, respectively.

[0060] 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 defining the right end of the slot 108B. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the partition wall 109 defining the right end of the slot 108C. The fitting piece 122 protrudes to the left from the partition wall 109 defining the right end of the slot 108D.

[0061] The fitting piece 123 is a plate-like member. The fitting piece 123 protrudes to the right of the partition wall 109 defining the left end of the slot 108A. The fitting piece 123 protrudes to the right of the partition wall 109 defining the left end of the slot 108B. The fitting piece 123 protrudes to the right of the partition wall 109 defining the left end of the slot 108C. The fitting piece 123 protrudes to the right from the inner surface of the left wall 128 in the slot 108D.

[0062] 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.

[0063] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 13, an ink receiving member 130 is positioned in the space 162 of the case body 101. An ink receiving member 130 is provided in 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.

[0064] The ink receiving member 130 rotates around the front end portion 131, causing the rear end portion 132 to move substantially in the up-down direction. A coil spring 133 extending along the front-back 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] In the state where the rear end portion 132 of the ink absorption element 130 is closest to the lower surface of the supply pipe 102, the ink absorption element 130 is positioned in a first position. In a state where the ink cartridge is not attached to the supply pipe 102, although the ink absorption element 130 is in the closest state, it is not in contact with the lower surface of the supply pipe 102.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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 possibility of ink adhering to the bottom wall of the case body 101.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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 hinder 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.

[0071] As in the Fig. As shown in 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. 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. 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.

[0072] With this structure, the force transmission plate 134 can come into contact with 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 a recess formed in a rear end of an upper surface of the housing body 101, which defines 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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]

[0078] The ink cartridge 30 is a container in which ink is stored as a liquid.

[0079] As in the Fig. 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 main body. The cover 32 covers a front portion of the container body 31. 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.

[0080] The container body 31 has a substantially flat cuboid 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. The container body 31 has a front wall 40, a rear wall 41, a left wall 42, a right wall 43, an upper wall 44, and a lower wall 45. The front wall 40 has a front surface facing forward. The rear wall 41 is arranged rearwardly with respect to the front wall 40 and spaced therefrom. The rear wall 41 is positioned at the center of the container body 31 in the left-right direction. The rear wall 41 faces the front wall 40 in the front-back direction. The rear wall 41 has a rear surface 62 facing rearward.

[0081] The rear surface 62 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction so that it extends rearward as it extends upward. That is, the rear surface 62 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction so that a distance between the rear surface 62 and a position of the locking surface gradually decreases upward in the front-back direction. The left wall 42 is positioned between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41. The left wall 42 has a left surface facing leftward. The left wall 42 extends rearward from a left end of the front wall 40. The right wall 43 is positioned between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41. The right wall 43 faces the left wall 42 in the left-right direction. The right wall 43 has a right surface facing rightward.The right wall 43 extends rearward from a right end of the front wall 40. The upper wall 44 is positioned between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41. The upper wall 44 connects an upper end of the front wall 40 and an upper end of the rear wall 41. The lower wall 45 is positioned between the front wall 40 and the rear wall 41. The lower wall 45 faces the upper wall 44 in the up-down direction. The lower wall 45 has a lower surface 145 facing downward. The lower wall 45 connects a lower end of the front wall 40 and a lower end of the rear wall 41.

[0082] As in the Fig. 6 and Fig. 9, the container body 31 further includes a right inclined wall 181 and a left inclined wall 182. The right inclined wall 181 connects a rear end of the right wall 43 and a right end of the right wall 41. The right inclined wall 181 is continuous from the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45. The right inclined wall 181 has a right inclined surface 65 facing rearward and rightward. The right inclined surface 65 has a right flat surface 65A and two curved surfaces 65B. The right flat surface 65A is inclined with respect to the right surface 43A of the right wall 43 at a rear end thereof, that is, to extend leftward while extending rearward. The entirety of the right surface 65A forms the same plane.

[0083] The two right curved surfaces 65B are curved surfaces with a predetermined curvature. One curved surface 65B connects the front end of the right flat surface 64A and the rear end of the right surface 43A of the right wall 43. The other curved surface 65B connects the rear end of the right flat surface 64A and the right end of the rear surface of the rear wall 41.

[0084] As in the Fig. 20, a length L3 of the right flat surface 65A in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, that is, the inclination direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, is smaller than a length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 in the left-right direction. In other words, the length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 in the left-right direction is greater than the length L3 between the front end and the rear end of the first inclined surface 85A in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, that is, an inclination direction. The length L3 is not particularly limited, but is preferably equal to or greater than 2 mm from the viewpoint of operability when the right flat surface 85A is pressed. From the viewpoint of ensuring the volume of the chamber 46 of the container body 31, the length L3 is preferably equal to or less than 5 mm.The length L3 is preferably equal to or greater than one-fifth of the length L4. More preferably, the length L3 is greater than or equal to one-quarter of the length L4. Even more preferably, the length L3 is equal to or greater than one-third of the length L4.

[0085] The right inclined surface 65 is an example of a first inclined surface. The left inclined wall 182 connects the rear end of the left wall 42 and the left end of the rear wall. The left inclined wall 182 is continuous from the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45. The left inclined wall 182 has a left inclined surface 64 facing rearward and leftward. The left inclined surface 64 has a left flat surface 64A and two left curved surfaces 64B. The left flat surface 64A is inclined with respect to the left surface 42A of the left wall 42 at a rear end thereof, extending rightward therefrom while extending rearward. The entirety of the left flat surface 64A forms the same plane.

[0086] Two left curved surfaces 64B form curved surfaces with predetermined curvatures. The left curved surface 64B connects the front end of the left flat surface 64A and the rear end of the left surface 42A of the left wall 42. The other left curved surface 64B connects the rear end of the left flat surface 64A and the left end of the rear surface of the rear wall 41.

[0087] As in the Fig. 20, a length L5 of the left flat surface 64A in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, that is, the inclination direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, is smaller than the length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 in the left-right direction.

[0088] In other words, the length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 in the left-right direction is greater than the length L5 between the front end and the rear end of the left flat surface 64A in the plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. The length L5 of the left surface 64A along the inclination direction is equal to the length L3 of the right flat surface 65A along the inclination direction. The length L5 is not particularly limited, but is preferably equal to or greater than 2 mm from the viewpoint of operability when the left flat surface 64A is pressed. From the viewpoint of ensuring the volume of the chamber 46 of the container body 31, the length L5 is preferably equal to or less than 5 mm. The length L5 is preferably equal to or more than one-fifth of the length L4.

[0089] More preferably, the length L5 is greater than or equal to a quarter of the length L4. Even more preferably, the length L5 is equal to or greater than a third of the length L4.

[0090] The left inclined surface 64 is an example of a second inclined surface. The left flat surface 64A is an example of a second flat surface.

[0091] As in the Fig. 13, the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, the lower wall 45, the right inclined wall 182, and the left inclined wall 182 define the 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.

[0092] 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 forward 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 supply portion 33.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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 continuous with the upper front wall 40U. The rear left wall 42R and the rear right wall 43R are continuous with the rear wall 41U. A space between the front left wall 42F and the front right wall 43F is a part of the chamber 46.

[0095] 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. 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.

[0096] As in the Fig. 3 and 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 defined on an axis C1 along the front-rear direction of the feeding portion 33. The feeding portion 33 is positioned at a lower end of the container body 31. Specifically, the feeding portion 33 is arranged at a lower end of the front wall and the lower surface 145 of the bottom wall 45 of the container body 31. A part of an outer surface of the feeding portion 33 forms a lower surface 47 of the container body 31. The curved surface of the outer peripheral surface of the feeding portion 33 defines a lower end of the container body 31.

[0097] 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 has a lower half of a circumferential surface with an axis in the front-rear direction. 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.

[0098] As in the Fig. As shown in Figure 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.

[0099] A sealing member 35, a valve 36, and a coil spring 37 are arranged in the interior of the supply portion 33. 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 portion 33. The supply port 34 is filled with the sealing member 35, but ink in the interior of the supply portion 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 portion 33 can still flow out to the outside of the ink cartridge 30 through the supply port 34.

[0100] 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 presses the valve 36 against the sealing member 35, so that the valve 36 contacts the sealing member 35.

[0101] 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 defined by 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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] As in the Fig. 4, a downwardly projecting convex portion 59 is positioned on the first surface 48 of the feed portion 33.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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. 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-to-back direction within the atmosphere opening passage 38. The coil spring 51 urges the valve 50 forward.The valve 50 pressed by the coil spring 51 seals the opening of the atmosphere opening passage 38.

[0107] As described below, when the valve 50 moves rearward against the biasing force of the coil spring 51, the atmosphere opening passage 38 is opened to allow air to flow between an external environment of the ink cartridge 30 and the chamber 46.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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. 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] 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.

[0116] The IC board 60 is positioned on the top wall 56 of the cover 32. 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. The three electrodes 61 face upward (in an upward direction). The IC board 60 may include a flexible substrate provided with flexibility.

[0117] 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 attached to the cover 32 by fitting or the like other than bonding.

[0118] 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.

[0119] The IC is a semiconductor integrated circuit. Information related to the ink cartridge 30 is stored in the IC in a readable manner. The information related to the ink cartridge 30 is, for example, data indicating 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-to-back direction. The electrodes 61 are arranged on an upper surface of the IC board 60 so as to be spaced from each other in the left-to-right direction. The electrode 61 is arranged exposed on the upper surface of the IC board 60 to be electrically accessible.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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 team 91 and the other guide team 91 in the left-to-right direction. The guide piece 91 acts 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.

[0122] 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 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 cover 32 has walls 71 that extend downward from both ends of the lower surface 70 in the left-right direction. The one wall 71 and the other wall 71 are spaced from each other in the left-right direction. The wall 71 is a plate-like member that extends in the up-down and front-back directions and has 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.

[0123] 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. The second front surface 73 is inclined to extend downward, while the front end of the second front surface 73 extends rearward.

[0124] 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.

[0125] 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 that extends in the front - to - rear direction. The first groove 74 is positioned to the left and above with respect to the first key section 77 and extends in the front - to - 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 that extends in the front - to - rear direction. The second groove 74 is positioned to the right and above with respect to the first key section 77 and extends in the front - to - rear direction. The longitudinal direction of the groove 74 is the front - to - rear direction.

[0126] 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.

[0127] 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.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.

[0128] 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 at an upper portion thereof and a lower surface 75L positioned at a lower portion thereof. The upper end of the lower front surface 75L is adjacent to the upper front surface 75U. The lower end of the lower front surface 75L is positioned rearward with respect 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 housing 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. The upper front surface 75U of the front wall 53 of the cover 32 has a through hole 76.

[0129] 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. The lower surface 70 of the cover 32 has a first key portion 77. The first key portion 77 is positioned above the supply port 34 and below the upper surface of the electrode 61 of the IC board 60. 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. 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.

[0130] As in the Fig. As shown in 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. A rear end of the wall 71 is formed continuously with the front sub-wall 88. A rear end of the first key portion 77 is formed continuously with the front sub-wall 88. The first key portion 77 has a bottom surface 77L defining a lower 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.

[0131] The side surfaces 77S 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 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. In the present embodiment, the first key portion 77 has a plate shape in which the length in the front-back direction is greater 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 smaller than its length in the up-down direction. The lower surface 77L has a position that overlaps with at least one of the electrodes 61 in the up-down direction. In other words, the lower surface 77L is positioned directly below at least one of the electrodes 61 in the up-down direction.

[0132] 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 surface 77F is positioned rearward with respect to the front end of the first front surface 72 of the second wall 71. The first front surface 72 is positioned rearward with respect to the front end of the second front surface 73. 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.

[0133] Consequently, 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, 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.

[0134] 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 installed 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.

[0135] 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).

[0136] 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.

[0137] 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.

[0138] 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.

[0139] 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.

[0140] The third key portion 79 is positioned at both ends of the upper front surface 75U in the left-right direction. 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.

[0141] 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 varies. 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.

[0142] The type of contract may refer to a contract in which a user is charged according to the number of pages on which an image is recorded, regardless of the ink used. During the contract period, a new ink cartridge 30 is 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.

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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.

[0145] As in the Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, the bottom wall of the container body 31 includes a first bottom wall 45A and a second bottom wall 45B. The first bottom wall 45A includes a rear bottom wall 141 and a front bottom wall 142. The rear bottom wall 141 is positioned at a rear end portion of the bottom wall 45.

[0146] A rear end of the rear lower wall 141 is adjacent to the lower end of the rear wall 41, the lower end of the left inclined wall 182 and the lower end of the right inclined wall 181.

[0147] A lower surface of the rear lower wall 141 is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to extend upward toward the rear, that is, such that a distance between the rear lower wall 141 and the upper surface in the up-down direction gradually decreases from a front end of the third inclined surface toward the rear surface in the front-rear direction.

[0148] The front lower wall 142 extends forward from a front end of the rear lower wall 141. A lower surface of the front lower wall 142 faces downward. A front end of the front lower wall 142 is adjacent to the front wall 40. The curved surface of the feeding section 33, including the rear end 33B of the feeding section 33, protrudes downward from the lower surface of the front lower wall 142. The second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the lower end of the rear wall 41. The second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end 33B of the feeding section 33. A lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction.

[0149] The lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction to extend upward in the rearward direction. That is, a distance between the lower surface 143 and the upper surface 80 in the up-down direction gradually decreases from a front end of the third inclined surface toward the rear surface in the front-rear direction. The lower end of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end of the lower surface 47 of the feed section 33.

[0150] A length L6 of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B in the front-rear direction is smaller than a length L7 of the feed portion 33 in the left-right direction. The lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is an example of a third inclined surface.

[0151] Because the feed section 33 is positioned below the first lower wall 45A, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the bottom surface 47 of the feed 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 feed section 33 is located when viewed from the rear, making it easy to mount the ink cartridge 30 in the correct orientation when mounting the ink cartridge 30 in the slot 108.

[0152] Furthermore, because the bottom wall 45 is adjacent to the rear end 33B of the feeding section 33, the rear end 33B 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 have only the first bottom wall 45A without the second bottom wall 45B.

[0153] The left inclined surface 64 has a recess 66 near the upper end. The recess 66 is composed of a space recessed from the left portion of the rear surface 62 to the front end of the left inclined surface 64. The recess 66 opens in the rear surface 62, the left inclined surface 64, and the left surface 62A. An upper surface 66A of the recess is inclined with respect to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Specifically, the upper surface 66A of the recess 66 is inclined downward in the front direction. The upper surface 66A of the recess 66 is inclined downward in the right direction. A lower surface 66B of the recess 66 is a substantially horizontal surface extending in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Recess 66 is an example of a recessed section.

[0154] The right inclined surface 65 has a recess 67 near the upper end. The recess 67 is composed of a space recessed from the right portion of the rear surface 62 to the front end of the right inclined surface 65. The recess 67 opens in the rear surface 62, the right inclined surface 65, and the right surface 63A. An upper surface 67A of the recess is inclined with respect to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Specifically, the upper surface 67A of the recess 67 is inclined downward in the front direction. The upper surface 67A of the recess 67 is inclined downward in the left direction. A lower surface 67B of the recess 67 is a substantially horizontal surface extending in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Recess 67 is an example of a recessed section.

[0155] 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.

[0156] As further stated in Fig. As shown in FIG. 9, a length of the rear surface in the left-right direction measured between the recess 66 and the recess 67 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, the rear surface 62 on the ink cartridge 30 is easily visible from the rear. Therefore, the user can easily press the area surrounding the rear surface 62 when mounting the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge case 110.

[0157] 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 rearward. That is, the operating surface 68 is inclined with respect to a rear upper surface 83 such that a distance between the operating surface 68 and the lower surface 47 gradually decreases from a boundary between the operating surface 68 and the rear upper surface 83 at a rear end thereof toward the rear surface 62.

[0158] The actuating surface 68 is adjacent to the upper end of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41, the upper end of the left inclined surface 64 of the left inclined wall 182, and the upper end of the right inclined surface 65 of the right inclined wall 181. The actuating surface 68 has a plurality of projections 69 projecting upward and extending along the left-right direction.

[0159] 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. The actuation surface 68 is an example of an actuation surface 68.

[0160] The upper surface 80 of the container body 31 includes a front upper surface 81, a middle upper surface 82, a rear upper surface 83, an upper end surface 86, and the actuating surface 68. The front upper surface 81 is positioned at a forwardmost end of the upper surface 80.

[0161] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 6, the front 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.

[0162] The middle upper surface 82 abuts against the rear end of the front upper surface 81. At the middle upper surface 82, the rear end is positioned above with respect to its front end. The middle upper surface 82 has a surface 82A that is positioned in the middle in the left-right direction, a surface 82B that is positioned on the left side of the surface 82A, and a surface 82C that is positioned on the right side of the surface 82A.

[0163] 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 surface 82A in the front-to-back direction is greater than the length of surface 81A in the front-to-back direction. The rear upper surface 83 is adjacent to the rear end of surface 82C of the middle upper surface 82.

[0164] The rear upper surface 83 is a plane oriented perpendicular to the up-down direction. The rear upper surface 83 is positioned above the front upper surface 81. A rear end of the rear upper surface 83 is adjacent to the actuating surface 68. The rear upper surface 83 has a contact surface 92. The contact surface 92 extends rearwardly from a lower end of a locking surface 87 of a second key portion 78, which will be described below. The rear upper surface 83 is an example of a first upper surface.

[0165] As in the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the second key portion 78 is positioned on the rear upper surface 83 of the container body 31. The second key portion 78 protrudes upward from the rear 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-rear direction with respect to the IC board 60. The second key portion is positioned forward with respect to the actuating surface 68.

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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. The first forward inclined surface 84A is a flat surface and is inclined such that a distance with respect to the feed 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 middle upper surface 82. The front end of the second forward inclined surface 84B is adjacent to the rear end of the surface 82A.

[0168] 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 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. 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.

[0169] The upper end surface 86 is a flat surface facing upward. The locking surface 87 extends upward from an upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44. The locking surface 87 is arranged rearward in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the feed port 34 arranged in the front end 33A of the feed section 33. 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-to-rear direction. The locking surface 87 is a flat surface facing rearward.

[0170] In a state where 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.

[0171] The locking portion 139 is an example of a locking portion. The locking surface 87 is an example of a locking surface. 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 toward 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.

[0172] 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.

[0173] 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.

[0174] 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°.

[0175] 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).

[0176] 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.

[0177] 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.

[0178] The composition of the ink refers to the type of components the ink contains and / or the amounts of each component the ink contains. Examples of the components are a dye and a pigment. In this embodiment, the composition of the ink, as a characteristic of the ink cartridge 30, refers to whether the ink contains a dye or a pigment.

[0179] 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.

[0180] As in the Fig. As shown in 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.

[0181] 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.

[0182] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 11, an ink cartridge set 300 includes a plurality of ink cartridges 30. 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.

[0183] The positions of the first key portions 77 of the four ink cartridges 30 in the left-right direction are different depending on the colors of the inks stored in the ink cartridges 30.

[0184] 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.

[0185] The positions and / or shapes of the third key portions 79 of the four ink cartridges 30 are different depending on the sales regions of the printer in which the cartridges 30 are used.

[0186] The ink cartridge 30A in Fig. 11 corresponds to the ink cartridge 30, which is used 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.

[0187] The second 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.

[0188] The third key section 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.

[0189] 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.

[0190] The left-right positions 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.

[0191] 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]

[0192] 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.

[0193] The 30A ink cartridge, which stores magenta ink, is in Fig. 11 is positioned at the rightmost position. The user clamps the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 and the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined surface 64 as shown in the Fig. 6 Between his fingers in the left-right direction, and inserts the ink cartridge 30A into the interior 101A of the cartridge case 110. As shown in the Fig. As shown in Fig. 20, the forces F1 applied by the user to the right flat surface 65A and the left flat surface 64A are converted into forces F2 that move the ink cartridge 30A forward toward the interior space 101A of the case body 101, and into forces F3 that pinch the ink cartridge 30A in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the ink tank 31 is formed smoothly, the user can easily move the ink cartridge 30 in the forward direction while maintaining the posture of the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction.

[0194] 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, the second key portion 78A reaches a position immediately below the second key slot 138A of the case 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 central upper surface 82A.

[0195] 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. When the downward force is exerted on the second forward inclined surface 84B of the second key portion 78A, the ink cartridge 30A rotates clockwise as shown in FIGS. Fig. 14A and Fig. 14B.

[0196] 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. On the other hand, the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B of the container body 31 and the lower surface of the rear lower wall 141 are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to extend upward toward the rear. Thus, the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45B of the container body 31 is unlikely to come into contact with the guide surface 161 of the case body 101 even if the ink cartridge 30A rotates clockwise.

[0197] Furthermore, the first key portion 77A enters the first key slot 115A in a state in which 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.

[0198] Further, one wall of the pair of walls 71 enters the recesses 113. The other wall 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. 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.

[0199] The second front surface 73 of one of the pair of walls 71 moves forward while being 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 being in contact with the lower surface of the recess 114, whereby in the up-down direction one of the walls 71 is guided into the recess 113, and the other of the walls 71 is guided into the recess 114.

[0200] 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.

[0201] 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.

[0202] 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.

[0203] 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.

[0204] 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. At this time, the user exerts a large torque about an axis parallel to the left-right direction passing through the center of the supply port 34 of the supply portion 33 of the ink cartridge 30A by pushing forward the upper side of the rear surface 62 of the ink cartridge 30A, which is positioned close to the user. Therefore, even when a downward and rearward force is applied to the container body 31, the user can easily move the locking surface 87 toward the locking portion 139 of the cartridge case 110.

[0205] When the key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77A comes into contact with the upper end 136 of the force transmission plate 134.

[0206] When the first key portion 77A of the ink cartridge 30A enters the first key slot 115A, the lower surface 77L of the first key portion 77A presses the force transmission plate 134 downward to move the ink receiving member 130 from the first position to the second position. When this occurs, an upward force resulting from the application of a force, particularly a tensile force, by the coil spring 133 acts on the cover 32 via the ink receiving member 130 and the force transmission plate 134, but the 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.

[0207] 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. 14B. 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.

[0208] As in the Fig. 15A and Fig. As shown in Fig. 15B, as the ink cartridge 30A continues to move forward, 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. 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.

[0209] Furthermore, the electrodes 61 of the IC board 60 come into contact with the contacts 125 and are thereby electrically connected to the contacts 125. Furthermore, 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. 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.

[0210] 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.

[0211] 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.

[0212] 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.

[0213] 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.

[0214] It is assumed that an ink cartridge 30, which is sold in another region and is not provided with one of the excluded sections of the third key section 79, which are otherwise formed in the left wall 54 and the right wall 55 of the cover 32, is inserted into the socket 108. In the socket 108D, the mating piece 122 is positioned on the right side and the mating piece 123 is positioned on the left side. In the case of the ink cartridge 30 in which one of the excluded sections of the third key section 79, which are 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 mating pieces 122 or 123. As a result, the ink cartridge 30 cannot be further inserted into the socket 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.

[0215] 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.

[0216] When the ink cartridge 30A rotates so that the rear end side moves upward, the locking surface 87 of the second key portion 78A and the locking portion 139 face each other in the front-to-back direction.

[0217] When the user removes his / her fingers from the ink cartridge 30A, the ink cartridge 30A moves backward by the urging force of the coil spring 37 and the coil spring 51, and the locking surface 87 comes into contact with the locking portion 139, as shown in the Fig. 16A and Fig. 16B. Here, the operation surface 68 is adjacent to the upper end of the right inclined surface 65, the upper end of the left inclined surface 64, and the upper end of the rear surface 62. Thus, it is easy for the user to remove the ink cartridge 30A from the cartridge case 110 by pinching the right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 with their fingers after releasing their finger from the operation surface 68. Accordingly, the ink cartridge 30A is held in the attached state. Further, the contact surface 92 comes into contact with the locking portion 139. 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.

[0218] 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.

[0219] 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.

[0220] 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.

[0221] It is assumed that the ink cartridge 30A was mistakenly installed in the Fig. Two insertion slots 108B of the cartridge housing 110 are shown. The first key slot 115B is closer to the recess 114 in the insertion slot 108B than the first key slot 115A is to the recess 114 in the insertion slot 108A in the left - right direction. Therefore, the first key section 77A cannot enter the first key slot 115B and comes into contact with the rear wall 173 because the positions of the first key section 77A of the ink cartridge 30A and the first key slot 115B of the insertion slot 108B are shifted relative to each other in the left - right direction. Since the front surface 77F of the first key section 77A comes into contact with the rear wall 173, the ink cartridge 30A cannot be further inserted into the insertion 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.

[0222] 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.

[0223] 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.

[0224] 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.

[0225] 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.

[0226] 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. At this time, the operation surface 68 is connected to the upper end of the right inclined surface 65, the upper end of the left inclined surface 64, and the upper end of the rear surface 62.Thus, it is easy for the user to remove the ink cartridge 30A from the cartridge case 110 by pressing the right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 together after separating the finger from the operation surface 68.

[0227] 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 rearward direction in the slot 108A, 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.

[0228] As a result, the backward movement of the ink cartridge 30A is restricted, and the ink cartridge 30A springs as 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.

[0229] As further stated in the Fig. 13A and Fig. 13B, when the ink cartridge 30A moves 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]

[0230] When the user inserts the ink cartridge 30 into the interior space 101A of the case body 101, the user can pinch the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 and the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined side 64, which are the outer surface of the case body 31, between his fingers.

[0231] The forces acting on the right flat surface 65A and the left flat surface 64A from the user are converted into forces F2, which push the ink cartridge 30 into the interior 101A of the casing body 101 as shown in Fig. Move as shown in 20.

[0232] For this reason, for example, even if the container body 31 is smooth, it is not necessary to firmly grip the ink container 31 in the left-right direction compared to a case where the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge case 110 by gripping the right surface 43A of the right wall 43 and the left surface 42A of the left wall 42. Therefore, the ink cartridge 30 can be attached to the cartridge case 110 relatively easily.

[0233] The rear surface 62 is positioned between the right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 in the left-right direction. Therefore, because the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 and the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined surface 64 are separated from each other in the left-right direction, a finger touching the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 and a finger touching the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined surface 64 are less likely to touch each other. Therefore, the user can grasp the right flat surface 64A and the left flat surface 64A relatively easily.

[0234] The length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 along the left-right direction is greater than the length L3 of the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 along the inclination direction, and the length L3 of the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined surface 74 along the inclination direction, respectively. Therefore, the user can relatively easily visually recognize the rear surface 62 from the rear.

[0235] The rear surface 62 of the ink cartridge 30 is positioned further rearward, while the rear surface 62 extends upward. Therefore, when the user brings the locking surface 87 of the ink cartridge 30 into contact with the locking portion 139 of the housing 110, the upper side of the rear surface 62 is positioned closer to the user than the lower side of the rear surface 62.

[0236] The user can perform a large rotational movement around an axis parallel to the left-right direction extending through the center of the feed section 33 of the ink cartridge 30 by pressing the upper side of the rear surface 62, which is far from the feed section 33, which is the pivot point of the ink cartridge 30. Therefore, the user can relatively easily move the locking surface 87 of the ink cartridge 30 toward the locking section 139 of the housing 110, so that the ink cartridge 30 can be easily mounted in the housing 110.

[0237] The right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 are continuously formed from the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45. Therefore, the user can easily hold the right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 and easily maintain the posture of the ink cartridge in the left-right direction when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110.

[0238] Once the user presses down the actuating surface 68, the ink cartridge 30 rotates around an axis as a center of rotation that is parallel to the left-right direction extending through the center of the supply port 34 to unlock the ink cartridge 30.

[0239] The actuating surface 68 is adjacent to the upper end of the right inclined surface 65, the upper end of the left inclined surface 64, and the upper end of the rear surface 62. Therefore, after unlocking the ink cartridge 30, the user can relatively easily remove the ink cartridge 30 from the cartridge case 110 by pinching the right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 between their fingers.

[0240] The lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction to extend upward toward the rear.

[0241] The lower surface of the rear lower wall 141 is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction to extend upward toward the rear. Even when the ink cartridge rotates downward about an axis parallel to the left-to-right direction extending through the center of the feed section 33, the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45 is unlikely to come into contact with the cartridge case 110 by pressing the actuating surface 68 downward.

[0242] The length L6 of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B along the left-right direction is smaller than the length L7 of the feed section 33 along the left-right direction. As a result, when the ink cartridge 30 is viewed from the rear side, the user can visually recognize the rear end 33B of the feed section 33. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 30 is attached to the cartridge case 110, the user can relatively easily recognize which side of the ink cartridge should be placed on the upper side. Therefore, the user can relatively easily attach the ink cartridge 30 in the correct orientation when installing the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge case 110.

[0243] The front end of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end 33B of the feeding portion 33. Because the rear end 33B of the feeding portion 33 is thereby reinforced, the feeding portion 33 is prevented from deformation even when the lower end of the ink cartridge 30 receives an impact.

[0244] Because the outer peripheral surface of the feeding portion 33 is adjacent to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45, the outer peripheral surface of the feeding portion 33 is less likely to be deformed in a case where the outer peripheral surface of the feeding portion 33 is not adjacent to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45 even if the lower end of the ink cartridges 30 receives an impact.

[0245] The projections 127 of the cover 126 are received in the recesses 66 and 67 of the ink cartridge 30. Therefore, even if vibrations are generated during transportation of the printer 10 in which the ink cartridge 30 is mounted, for example, the recesses 66 and 67 can come into contact with the projections 127, thereby preventing the ink cartridge 30 from detaching from the cartridge case 110.

[0246] Because the upper surfaces of the recesses 66, 67 are inclined with respect to the left-right direction and the front-back direction, a gap between the recesses 66, 67 and the projections 127 is small when the recesses 66, 67 receive the projections 127. Therefore, movement of the ink cartridge 30 in the printer caused by vibration during transportation of the ink cartridge 30 mounted in the printer 10 is avoided.

[0247] The outer peripheral surface of the feeding section 33 is a curved surface centered on an axis C1 along the front-to-back direction of the feeding section 33. Because the lower end of the ink cartridge is a curved surface, the ink cartridge 30 can be tilted relatively easily in the left-to-right direction when the ink cartridge 30 is mounted in the cartridge case 110.

[0248] However, in the ink cartridge 30, the forces acting on the right flat surface 65A of the right inclined surface 65 and the left flat surface 64A of the left inclined surface 64 by the user are converted not only into forces F2 for moving the ink cartridge forward into the inner space 101A of the case body 101, but also into forces F3 for clamping the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction, as shown in the Fig. 20 is shown.

[0249] Therefore, the user can relatively easily maintain the posture of the ink cartridge 30 in the left-right direction, and can easily mount the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge case 110. [Modifications]

[0250] Although the right inclined surface 65 has the two right curved surfaces 65B, at least one of the two right curved surfaces 65B may be omitted.

[0251] Although the left inclined surface 64 has the two right curved surfaces 64B, at least one of the two right curved surfaces 64B may be omitted.

[0252] Although the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 is positioned at the center of the container body 31 in the left-right direction, the rear surface 62 may also be positioned at the left side or the right side with respect to the center of the container body 31 in the left-right direction.

[0253] The length L4 of the rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 is greater than the length L3 of the right flat surface L3 of the right inclined surface 65 along the inclination direction, but it may also be equal to or shorter than the length L3.

[0254] The rear surface 62 of the rear wall 41 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction to extend rearward, while the rear surface 62 extends upward. However, the rear surface 62 of the wall 41 may also extend parallel to the up-down direction.

[0255] The right inclined surface 65 and the left inclined surface 64 are formed continuously from the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 to the lower surface 145 of the lower wall 45, but they can also be arranged only in a partial area between the upper surface 80 of the upper wall 44 and the lower surface 105 40 of the lower wall 45.

[0256] The actuating surface 68 is formed inclined with respect to the rear upper surface 83 to extend rearwardly downward from the rear end of the rear upper surface 83. However, the actuating surface 68 may also extend parallel to the rear upper surface 83.

[0257] The lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B and the lower surface of the rear lower surface 141 of the first lower wall 45A are formed inclined with respect to the front-rear direction to extend upward toward the rear, but they may also extend parallel to the front-rear direction.

[0258] The length L6 of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B of the ink cartridge 30 is smaller in the left-right direction than the length L7 of the feeding section 33 in the left-right direction, but it may also be equal to or larger than the length L7.

[0259] Furthermore, the second lower wall 45B may also be omitted.

[0260] The front end of the lower surface 143 of the second lower wall 45B is adjacent to the rear end 333B of the feed section 33, but it may also be separated from the rear end 33B of the feed section 33.

[0261] The upper surface 66A of the recess 66 is inclined with respect to the front-back direction and the left-right direction, but it may also extend parallel to the front-back direction and the left-right direction.

[0262] The upper surface 67A of the recess 67 is inclined with respect to the front-back direction and the left-right direction, but it may also extend parallel to the front-back direction and the left-right direction.

[0263] Furthermore, at least one of the recesses 66 and 67 can be omitted.

[0264] The outer peripheral surface of the feeding section 33 is a curved surface centered on the axis C1 of the feeding section 33, but it is not limited to a curved surface.

[0265] For example, the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the feed portion 33 may be a flat surface.

[0266] In the embodiment described above, the length of the rear surface 62 in the left-right direction is constant in the up-down direction.

[0267] As alternative in Fig. 18, the length of a rear surface 363 may gradually decrease in the left-right direction but also gradually decrease downward in the up-down direction.

[0268] This structure 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.

[0269] In the embodiment described above, the ink cartridge 30 comprises the container body 31 and the cover 32.

[0270] As alternative in the 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.

[0271] In this case, the reservoir 431 stores the ink. Furthermore, the distance between the surface 74U and the surface 74L of one of the grooves 74 is greater than the dimension of the rib 118 in the up-down direction, and the distance between the surface 74U and the surface 74L of the other of the grooves 74 is greater than the dimension of the rib 119 in the up-down direction, so that enough space remains between the surfaces 74U and the surfaces 74L and the corresponding rib 118, 119, allowing rotation of the reservoir 431 about the axis extending in the left-right direction and passing through the center of the supply port 34.

[0272] The first key portion 77, the second key portion 78 and the IC board 60 are positioned on the container 431.

[0273] In the embodiment described above, the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, the lower wall 45, the right inclined wall 181 and the left inclined wall 182 are parts of the container body 31 which define the chamber 46.

[0274] Alternatively, the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, the lower wall 45, the right inclined wall 181, and the left inclined wall 182 may be formed separately from the container body 31, which defines the chamber 46. For example, the front wall 40, the rear wall 41, the left wall 42, the right wall 43, the upper wall 44, the lower wall 45, the right inclined wall 181, and the left inclined wall 182 may be walls that enclose the container body 31.

[0275] 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.

[0276] In the above-described embodiment, the force transmission plate 134 and the ink receiving member 130 are arranged in the cartridge case 110. However, the force transmission plate 134 and the ink receiving member 130 may also be omitted. In other words, the first key portion 77 may only have the function of identifying the property of the ink cartridge 30 in this case.

[0277] Furthermore, the second key portion 78 does not need to have the locking surface 87. In this case, the valve 36 and the coil spring 37 do not need to be provided, and the hole of the sealing member 35 positioned in the supply port 34 can be closed by the elasticity of the sealing member 35 itself.

[0278] When the supply pipe 102 is inserted, the hole is expanded by being pushed by the supply pipe 102, and the rear end of the supply pipe 102 enters the interior of the supply portion 33 through the supply port 34. The outer periphery of the supply pipe 102 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface, while the supply pipe 102 elastically deforms the sealing member 35. This elastic force can hold the ink cartridge 30 in the cartridge case 110 against the urging force of the coil spring 51 without the ink cartridge 30 having the locking surface 87. In other words, the second key portion 78 also only needs to realize the function of identifying the property of the ink cartridge 30.

[0279] 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.

[0280] 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 helical spring 37, other means for sealing the chamber in which ink can be stored against the external environment can be provided, such as an elastic plug, a film or the like, which are pierced by the supply line 20 if the latter is formed, for example, as a needle.

[0281] 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. Likewise, 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 or other shape of the container body 31 or the main body 431.

[0282] 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.

[0283] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the first key portion 77 and the second key portion 78 are each linked to a first and a second characteristic 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 can also be reversed, i.e., the first characteristic can be the ink composition and the second characteristic can be the ink color. Likewise, the first and second characteristics can 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 characteristics are not tied to the specific embodiments shown in the figures.

[0284] In the above embodiments or modifications, the first key portion 77 is illustrated as having a plate shape extending rearwardly 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).

[0285] Furthermore, the plate shape may be replaced by a strut extending in the front-rear 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 strut has the bottom surface 77L. 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.

[0286] Alternatively or additionally, the first key portion 77 having the lower surface 77L may extend only from the front wall 40, but not from the lower 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.

[0287] Furthermore, in another embodiment, the first key portion 77 itself may include an engageable mechanism. 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-transmitting 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.

[0288] According to a further refined embodiment, the first key portion 77 itself may 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 "rolls over" the force transmission plate 134 during insertion, pressing it down, and also optionally enters 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).

[0289] 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.

[0290] 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.

[0291] Furthermore, it should be noted that the special 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 is merely flat and does not include the second and third inclined surfaces 64, 65 and / or the bottom wall 45 having the first and second bottom walls 45A, 45B having the special structure. The rear surface 62 can also have a convex, round, or any other shape.

[0292] 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, one on the left wall 54, or the other on the right wall 55.

[0293] Furthermore, the grooves 74 in the exemplary embodiment or corresponding modifications are described such that they have an upward-facing lower surface 74L, a downward-facing upper surface 74U, and a (bottom) surface 74M that connects the surfaces 74L, 74U. However, according to modified exemplary embodiments, only the bottom surface 74M and the downward-facing upper surface 74U, or only the bottom surface 74M and the upward-facing lower surface 74L may be provided. If neither a downward-facing upper surface 74U nor an upward-facing lower surface 74L is present, no groove 74 needs to be provided at all, even if the first and second key sections 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.

[0294] According to a further modification, the groove or grooves 74 need not have a U-shaped profile, but may instead have, for example, a V-shaped profile with opposing surfaces 74L, 74U that are oriented at slightly inclined directions with respect to the up-down direction. Any other profile is equally possible. Further, the flat (bottom) surface 74 that connects the surfaces 74L, 74U may be omitted or replaced by a rounded, concave or even convex bottom surface 74 that connects the opposing surfaces 74L, 74U. If the flat (bottom) surface 74M that connects the surfaces 74L, 74U in the above embodiments is omitted, the groove 74, or the grooves 74, is formed by an opening that extends in the front-back direction in the left wall 54 and / or the right wall 55.

[0295] In the Fig. In the 1 - 18th illustrated embodiment described, the main body includes a container body 31 and a cover 32. Both are connected to each other by overhangs 52 and through - holes 58, which receive the overhangs 52 with some play to allow a slight and limited rotation of the cover 32 relative to the container body 31. However, in such a case of two elements 31, 32 according to modifications, these can also be connected via other hinge mechanisms that enable rotation, or they are connected to each other in this way without play, so that no relative rotation is enabled.

[0296] 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.

[0297] 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, 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.

[0298] 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.

[0299] 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.

[0300] In the above, in the Fig.1-20 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 2006-56118 A

[0003]

Claims

[1] An ink container (30) adapted to be inserted into a mounting space (108) of a mounting portion (101) in a forward direction in a front-to-rear direction, the ink container (30) comprising: a main body (31) having a chamber (46) adapted to store ink, an ink supply section (33) arranged to supply the ink from the chamber (46), a front wall (40) facing forward, a rear wall (41) positioned rearwardly with respect to the front wall and is spaced from the front wall (40), a right wall (43) positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and having a right surface facing rightward in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, a left wall (42) positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and positioned to the left and spaced from the right wall (43) and having a left surface facing to the left, a first inclined surface (65) adjacent to and inclined with respect to the right surface of the right wall (43) at a rear end thereof, and a second inclined surface (64) adjacent to and inclined with respect to the left surface of the left wall (42) at a rear end thereof; wherein a distance between the first inclined surface (65) and the second inclined surface (64) in the front-rear direction decreases toward the rear; wherein the first inclined surface (65) has a first flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the first inclined surface (65), and wherein the second inclined surface (64) has a second flat surface between a front end and a rear end of the second inclined surface (64). [2] Ink container (30) according to claim 1, wherein the rear wall (41) has a rear surface facing rearward, wherein the rear surface of the rear wall (41) is positioned at a center of the main body (31) with respect to the left-right direction, wherein a right end of the rear surface is adjacent to a rear end of the first inclined surface (65), and wherein a left end of the rear surface is adjacent to a right end of the second inclined surface (64). [3] The ink tank (30) according to claim 2, wherein a length of the rear surface of the rear wall (41) in the left-right direction is greater than a length between the front end and the rear end of the first inclined surface (65) in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction or a length of the second inclined surface (64) between the front end and the rear end of the second inclined surface (64) in the plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. [4] Ink container (30) according to one of claims 2 or 3, further comprising an upper wall (44) positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and having an upper surface facing upward in an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-back direction and the left-right direction; and a locking surface (87) extending upwardly from the upper surface of the upper wall (44), facing rearwardly, and adapted to contact a locking portion (139) of the mounting portion (101) when the ink container (30) is inserted into the mounting portion, wherein: the locking surface (87) is positioned rearwardly with respect to a feed port (34) positioned at a front end of the feed section (33), wherein the rear surface is inclined with respect to an up-down direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, so that a distance between the rear surface and a position of the locking surface (87) gradually decreases upward in the front-rear direction, and the feed section (300) is positioned at a lower end of the front wall (40). [5] Ink container (30) according to claim 4, further comprising: a lower wall (45) positioned between the front wall (40) and the rear wall (41) and facing downwards, the lower wall (45) having a lower surface (47), wherein: the first inclined surface (65) and the second inclined surface (64) are each continuous from the upper surface of the upper wall (44) to the lower surface of the lower wall (44). [6] Ink container (30) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the upper surface of the upper wall (44) has: a first upper surface (83) facing upwards, and an actuating surface (68) comprising a rear end of the first upper surface (83) and the respective upper ends of the first inclined surface (65), the second inclined surface (64) and the rear surface (63), wherein: the actuating surface (68) is inclined with respect to the first upper surface (83) such that a distance between the actuating surface (68) and the lower surface (47) decreases from a boundary between the actuating surface (68) and the first upper surface (83) at a rear end thereof toward the rear surface. [7] Ink container (30) according to claim 5, wherein the lower surface (47) of the lower wall (45) has a third inclined surface (143) extending forwardly from a lower end of the rear surface (63), and the third inclined surface (143) is inclined such that a distance between the third inclined surface (143) and the first upper surface (83) in the up-down direction gradually decreases from a front end of the third inclined surface toward the rear surface in the front-rear direction. [8] The ink tank (30) according to claim 7, wherein a length of the third inclined surface (143) in the left-right direction is shorter than a length of the supply portion (33) in the left-right direction. [9] The ink container (30) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a front end of the third inclined surface (143) is adjacent to a rear end of the supply section (33). [10] The ink container (30) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the supply portion (33) is adjacent to a lower surface (47) of the lower wall (45). [11] The ink container (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a recessed portion (66, 67) recessed from at least one of the first inclined surface (65) or the second inclined surface (64) in the forward direction, wherein the recessed portion (66, 67) is adapted to receive a projection provided on a cover (126) which closes an opening of the mounting space (108) of the mounting portion (101), and the recessed portion (66, 67) has an upper surface (66A, 67A) which is inclined with respect to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. [12] The ink tank (30) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an outer peripheral surface (48) of the supplying portion (33) has a curved surface centered on an axis of the supplying portion (33) along the front-rear direction, and the curved surface (48) defines a lower end of the ink tank (30).

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