Recording device and tank

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing extension of a space to be stored.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: conveyance means for conveying a recording medium in a first direction; recording means for discharging a recording agent to the recording medium conveyed by the conveyance means, and performing recording; one or a plurality of first tanks for storing the recording agent supplied to the recording means; and a second tank which is set in parallel in a second direction crossing the first direction together with the first tank, where a storage chamber for storing the recording agent supplied to the recording means is formed so as to be overlapped with at least the one first tank when being viewed from the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a tank for storing liquid such as ink, and to a tank provided in the printing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet recording devices are provided with ink tanks that store ink to be supplied to a recording head that ejects the ink. Inkjet recording devices capable of color recording have independent ink tanks for each usable ink color arranged side by side in the width direction.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for increasing the amount of ink that can be stored in a specific ink tank by making the width of the specific ink tank wider than the other ink tanks among a plurality of ink tanks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-069696 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The minimum width of an ink tank is determined according to the width of the ink inlet for injecting ink. Therefore, when the width of the other ink tanks is at its minimum and it is desired to increase the width of a specific ink tank in order to increase the amount of ink stored in the specific ink tank, the width of the other ink tanks cannot be narrowed by the amount of the increase in the width of the specific ink tank. Therefore, in the inkjet recording device, it is necessary to provide a large space to accommodate these ink tanks, which may result in the device becoming larger.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique capable of suppressing the expansion of a space in which a tank that stores a recording material is housed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized by having a transport means for transporting a recording medium in a first direction, a recording means for ejecting a recording agent onto the recording medium transported by the transport means to record, one or more first tanks for storing the recording agent to be supplied to the recording means, and a second tank arranged in parallel with the first tanks in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a storage chamber for storing the recording agent to be supplied to the recording means formed to overlap at least one of the first tanks when viewed from the first direction. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the expansion of the space in which the tank that stores the recording material is housed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a specific ink tank. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of another ink tank. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration around the detection pin on the ink tank. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view of a particular ink tank. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the fixing portion and its periphery in FIG. 8 . [Figure 10]13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the printing apparatus and the ink tank unit. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the printing apparatus and the ink tank unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the fixing portion. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the ink tank shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of the recording device and tank will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Furthermore, the positions, shapes, and the like of the components described in the embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to only those.

[0011] (Recording device configuration) The recording apparatus according to the present embodiment may be an apparatus having only the function of ejecting ink onto a recording medium to record an image, or may be a multifunction machine having a function of reading an image, etc. In the present embodiment, a recording apparatus capable of color recording by ejecting ink of multiple colors will be described as an example. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an ink tank that stores ink as a liquid will be described as an example of a tank.

[0012] The liquid that can be stored in the tank (hereinafter also referred to as the "liquid storage tank") according to this embodiment is not limited to ink as a recording agent, but includes various known recording agents used in recording, such as a processing liquid that performs a predetermined process on the ejected ink, or various liquids used in various known devices that eject liquid to obtain a desired product.

[0013] In this specification, the direction from the left side to the right side of the device when facing the side where the recorded recording medium is discharged is defined as the X direction, the direction from the back side (rear side) to the front side (front side) is defined as the Y direction, and the direction from the bottom side to the top is defined as the Z direction. In this way, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are directions from one side to the other and are perpendicular to each other. In this specification, when each direction is from one side to the other, it is appropriately indicated with a "+ (plus)" and when it is from the other side to one side, it is appropriately indicated with a "- (minus)".

[0014] 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording device equipped with a liquid storage tank according to this embodiment. The recording device 10 includes a transport unit 12 that transports a recording medium fed from a feed unit (not shown) in the Y direction, and a recording unit 14 that ejects ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit 12 to record. The recording medium recorded in the recording unit 14 is discharged from the front of the device to the outside by a discharge unit (not shown). The recording device 10 also includes a storage unit 11 that stores a tank (described later) that stores ink used in recording by the recording unit 14. The recording device 10 also includes a control unit 200 (see FIG. 2) that controls the overall operation.

[0015] The transport unit 12 includes a transport roller 16 driven by a drive unit (not shown), and a pinch roller 18 that is in pressure contact with the transport roller 16 and follows the transport roller 16. The recording medium fed by the feed unit is sandwiched between the transport roller 16 and the pinch roller 18, and is transported to the recording unit 14 by the rotation of the transport roller 16. The transport roller 16 is a metal roller that has fine irregularities formed on the surface with which the pinch roller 18 is in pressure contact, and is processed so that frictional force is generated between the recording medium and the transport roller 16 when the recording medium is sandwiched together with the pinch roller 18. The pinch roller 18 is elastically biased against the transport roller 16 by a biasing member such as a spring.

[0016] The recording unit 14 includes a recording head 20 that ejects ink onto the recording medium transported by the transport unit 12 to perform recording, and a platen 22 that supports the transported recording medium in a recording area where the recording head 20 ejects ink onto the recording medium. The platen 22 is disposed so as to face an ejection port surface of the recording head 20 on which ejection ports for ejecting ink are formed, so that the recording medium supported by the platen 22 is maintained at a predetermined distance from the ejection port surface of the recording head 20. The recording medium that has been recorded on by the recording unit 14 is transported to a discharge unit, and is discharged from the front of the recording device 10 to the outside of the device by the discharge unit. In the discharge unit, the recording medium is, for example, sandwiched between a discharge roller and a spur, and is discharged after recording. The discharge roller is, for example, a rubber roller having a large friction coefficient, and the spur is, for example, elastically urged against the discharge roller by an urging means such as a spring.

[0017] The recording head 20 is mounted on a carriage 24 that can reciprocate in the X direction so as to face the surface of a recording medium supported by a platen 22. This allows the recording head 20 to reciprocate in the X direction via the carriage 24. The carriage 24 is slidably mounted on a pair of guide rails 26 that extend in the X direction. The recording head 20 is detachably mounted on the carriage 24. The recording head 20 is also configured to eject ink by an inkjet method. The recording head 20 is equipped with a configuration that generates thermal energy, such as a heating element, as the energy used to eject ink. The inkjet method applied to the recording head 20 is not limited to a method using a heating element, and various known methods such as a method using a piezoelectric element can be used.

[0018] The recording head 20 has an ejection port array formed by arranging a plurality of ejection ports for ejecting ink on an ejection port surface facing the platen 22. The ejection port array extends along a direction intersecting the movement direction of the recording head 20, for example, along the Y direction. The recording head 20 is configured to be able to eject ink of four different colors. Therefore, the ejection port surface of the recording head 20 has an ejection port array formed for each color.

[0019] In this embodiment, the recording head 20 is configured to be capable of ejecting four colors of ink: black (Bk) ink, cyan (C) ink, magenta (M) ink, and yellow (Y) ink. Note that the inks that can be ejected from the recording head 20 are not limited to the four colors described above. In other words, the inks that can be ejected from the recording head 20 may be colors different from those described above, or may be fewer or more than the four colors described above.

[0020] The recording head 20 is connected to ink tank units 28 (described later) that are housed in the container 11 and store each type of ink independently, and is configured to be able to eject ink supplied from the ink tank units 28 from the ejection openings. The ink tank units 28 are connected to the recording head 20 via tubes 34 for each type of ink. The recording device 10 is configured to be able to supply the ink stored in the ink tank units 28 to the recording head 20 independently for each type of ink.

[0021] In recording in the recording device 10 equipped with such a recording unit 14, first, the recording medium is transported to the recording start position by the transport unit 12. Next, a recording operation is performed on the recording medium transported to the recording start position by discharging ink while moving the recording head 20 in the X direction. Thereafter, a transport operation is performed by the transport unit 12 to transport the recording medium a predetermined amount, and then a recording operation is performed again. In this manner, the recording device 10 performs a predetermined recording on the recording medium by repeatedly alternately executing the transport operation and the recording operation.

[0022] The storage section 11 stores ink tank units 28 that store ink of each type separately to be supplied to the recording head 20. In this embodiment, the storage section 11 is provided on the right side of the front side of the recording device 10, and is located in front of the recording head 20 that is in the standby position. The standby position is the position shown in FIG. 1 where the recording head 20 is located when not recording.

[0023] In this embodiment, the ink tank unit 28 includes an ink tank 30Bk for storing Bk ink, an ink tank 30C for storing C ink, an ink tank 30M for storing M ink, and an ink tank 30Y for storing Y ink. In this embodiment, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y have the same configuration. An injection port 302 (see FIG. 3(a)) for injecting the corresponding ink into the ink tank is provided at the top of each ink tank 30, and a plug member 32 that can be opened and closed to cover the injection port 302 or expose the injection port 302 to the outside. The detailed configuration of each ink tank 30 will be described later.

[0024] Although not shown, the recording device 10 also includes a recovery unit for performing recovery operations to maintain and recover the ink ejection performance of the recording head 20. The recovery unit is disposed at a position facing the ejection port face of the recording head 20 that is positioned at the standby position. The recovery unit includes, for example, a cap section for capping and protecting the ejection port face of the recording head 20, a suction section for forcibly sucking ink from the recording head 20 while the ejection port face is capped, and a wiper section for wiping the ejection port face.

[0025] (Control Unit Configuration) Next, the configuration of the control unit that controls the entire recording device 10 will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. The control unit 200 that controls the entire operation of the recording device 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 202 that controls the operation of each component of the recording device 10 and processes input image data based on various programs. The control unit 200 also includes a ROM 204 that stores various control and image data processing programs executed by the CPU 202, and a RAM 206 that is used as a memory area and work area for saving various data used to control the recording device 10.

[0026] The control unit 200 also includes a user interface (UI) 208 including keys operated by the user and a display panel that displays various information, and an input / output interface circuit (I / O) 210 for various devices connected from the outside. A sensor 212 provided in the recording device 10 is connected to the control unit 200 via the I / O 210. In FIG. 2, for ease of understanding, various detection units provided in the recording device 10 are collectively represented as the sensor 212. The sensor 212 includes, for example, a detection pin 604 (see FIG. 6) that can detect that the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink tank 30 has fallen below a predetermined amount.

[0027] Although the details will be described later, the ink tank 30 is provided with a substrate 300 (see FIG. 3(a)) for connecting the detection pin 604 to a power source (not shown) and the control unit 200. Therefore, a voltage is applied to the detection pin 604 from the power source via the substrate 300, and the detection result at the detection pin 604 is output to the control unit 200 via the substrate 300. Then, the control unit 200 detects that the remaining amount of ink has become a predetermined amount or less based on this detection result. The control unit 200 also includes a counter 214 that counts the number of times ink is ejected from the print head 20 via the I / O 210. The counter 214 counts the number of times ejection is performed for each type of ink. The control unit 200 calculates the ink consumption amount by adding up the count value of the counter 214 by the amount of ink ejected in one operation at a timing such as after the end of an operation of ejecting ink. The amount of ink ejected in one operation is stored in advance in a storage area such as the RAM 206. Then, the control unit 200 writes information regarding the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 30. The control unit 200 manages the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 30, for example, by calculating the amount of ink consumed from the point in time when the remaining amount of ink falls below a predetermined amount based on the detection result by the detection pin 604.

[0028] (Ink tank configuration) Next, the configurations of the ink tank unit 28 and the ink tank 30 will be described. Regarding the ink tank 30, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y have the same configuration, while the ink tank 30Bk has a different configuration from the other three ink tanks. Therefore, in describing the configuration of the ink tank 30, the configurations of the ink tank 30Bk and the ink tank 30C will be described, and descriptions of the configurations of the ink tanks 30M and 30Y will be omitted.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the ink tank unit 28, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view. Note that FIG. 3(a) shows a state in which the substrate 300 is attached, and FIG. 3(b) shows a state in which the substrate 300 is removed. FIGS. 4(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of the ink tank 30Bk. FIGS. 5(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of the ink tank 30C. Note that in FIGS. 3 to 5, the plug member 32 is omitted for ease of understanding. In addition, in the description of the ink tank unit 28 and the ink tank 30 using the drawings from FIG. 3 onwards, the description will be given in the direction in which they are accommodated in the accommodation section 11 of the recording device 10 for ease of understanding.

[0030] <Outline of the ink tank unit 28> In the ink tank unit 28, ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y, which are identical in configuration, and ink tank 30Bk, which has a larger capacity than ink tank 30C, etc., are arranged side by side in the X direction (see FIG. 3(b)). In the ink tank unit 28, a substrate 300 is fixed to each ink tank 30 (see FIG. 3(a)). In the ink tank unit 28, the injection ports 302 formed on the top of each ink tank 30 are designed to be disposed at equal intervals. In the ink tank unit 28, each ink tank 30 is connected to a tube 34 at a joint portion 304.

[0031] <Ink tank 30Bk configuration> The ink tank 30Bk, which has a larger capacity than the ink tank 30C, etc., includes a main body portion 402 formed with a width W1 in the X direction, and an expanded portion 404 extending in the X direction on one side in the Y direction of the main body portion 402, i.e., the rear side (see FIG. 4(a)). In the ink tank unit 28, the ink tank 30Bk, ink tank 30C, ink tank 30M, and ink tank 30Y are arranged in this order in the +X direction. For this reason, in this embodiment, the expanded portion 404 in the ink tank 30Bk extends in the +X direction where the other ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y are located. The main body portion 402 includes a storage chamber 406 that communicates with the expanded portion 404 and stores ink together with the expanded portion 404. The enlarged portion 404, together with the storage chamber 406, is a component that stores ink in the ink tank 30Bk. By providing this enlarged portion 404, the ink tank 30Bk is able to store more ink than other ink tanks.

[0032] The main body 402 is provided with a buffer section 408 formed in the upper front of the storage chamber 406, which serves as an air-communicating flow path for the storage chamber 406, and an inflow path 410 that allows the ink injected from the injection port 302 to flow into the storage chamber 406 (see FIG. 4(b)). The main body 402 also has a connection path 412 that connects the storage chamber 406 and the joint section 304. The other end of the connection path 412 is connected to the joint section 304, and an opening 412a is formed at one end of the connection path 412 that is extended to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage chamber 406. The ink stored in the storage chamber 406 is transferred from the opening 412a through the connection path 412 to the joint section 304. The opening 412a is located on the front side of the storage chamber 406, and the bottom surface of the storage chamber 406 is gently inclined downward from the rear side to the front side. Furthermore, the main body 402 is provided with an insertion portion 414 at the rear of the upper side of the storage chamber 406 into which the detection pin 604 can be inserted, and a fixing member 416 to which the substrate 300 can be fixed.

[0033] The buffer section 408 has five buffer chambers. Specifically, the buffer section 408 has a first buffer chamber 420 located at the rear on the lower side of the buffer section 408, a second buffer chamber 422 located at the front on the lower side of the buffer section 408, and a third buffer chamber 424 located above the first buffer chamber 420. The buffer section 408 also has a fourth buffer chamber 426 located at the rear on the upper side of the second buffer chamber 422, and a fifth buffer chamber 428 located at the front on the upper side of the second buffer chamber 422.

[0034] The storage chamber 406 is connected to the first buffer chamber 420 via a small chamber 430. The small chamber 430 is located above the rear side of the storage chamber 406, and is located rearward of the insertion portion 414 and forward of the expansion portion 404 in the Y direction. An opening 432 is formed on the bottom surface of the small chamber 430, and the small chamber 430 and the storage chamber 406 are connected to each other via the opening 432. The small chamber 430 is also connected to the first buffer chamber 420 via a flow path 434, and the first buffer chamber 420 is connected to the second buffer chamber 422 via a flow path 436. Furthermore, the second buffer chamber 422 is connected to the third buffer chamber 424 via a flow path 438, and the third buffer chamber 424 is connected to the fourth buffer chamber 426 via a flow path 440. Furthermore, the fourth buffer chamber 426 is connected to a fifth buffer chamber 428 via a flow path 442, and the fifth buffer chamber 428 is connected to the outside of the ink tank 30Bk via an atmosphere communication port 444.

[0035] In this manner, the storage chamber 406 is configured to communicate with the outside via the small chamber 430, the first buffer chamber 420, the second buffer chamber 422, the third buffer chamber 424, the fourth buffer chamber 426, and the fifth buffer chamber 428. The first buffer chamber 420 is configured to open in the +X direction, and the flow path 436 is configured to open in a direction different from the first buffer chamber 420 (i.e., the -X direction). Similarly, the second buffer chamber 422, the third buffer chamber 424, and the fourth buffer chamber 426 are configured to open in the -X direction, and the flow path 438, the flow path 440, and the flow path 442 are configured to open in the +X direction. Since the buffer chamber and the flow path communicating with the buffer chamber are configured to open in different directions, the ink stored in the storage chamber 406 is configured to be unlikely to leak to the outside via the air communication port 444, regardless of the posture of the ink tank 30Bk. On the left side of the ink tank 30Bk, a film (not shown) is welded to the main body 402 and the expansion section 404, and on the right side, another film (not shown) is welded to the main body 402. This seals the storage chamber 406, each buffer chamber in the buffer section 408, the inlet channel 410, the connecting channel 412, and the channels communicating with each buffer chamber. The right side of the expansion section 404 is made of the same material as the main body 402, etc., and is closed.

[0036] <Configuration of Ink Tank 30C> The ink tank 30C is basically the same as the ink tank 30Bk, except for the arrangement of the communication port and the fact that it does not have a structure corresponding to the enlarged portion 404. Specifically, the ink tank 30C, which has a smaller capacity than the ink tank 30Bk, has a main body portion 502 formed with a width W2 smaller than the width W1 in the X direction (see FIG. 5(a)). The main body portion 502 has a storage chamber 506 for storing ink. Note that, unlike the ink tank 30Bk, the ink tank 30C does not have a structure corresponding to the enlarged portion 404, and is formed smaller in the X direction than the ink tank 30Bk. For this reason, the amount of ink that can be stored in the storage chamber 506 is smaller than the amount of ink that can be stored in the storage chamber 406.

[0037] The main body 502 includes a buffer portion 508 formed in the upper front of the storage chamber 506 and serving as an air-communicating flow path, and an inflow path 510 through which ink injected from the inlet 302 flows into the storage chamber 506 (see FIG. 5(b)). The main body 502 also includes a connection path 512 that connects the storage chamber 506 to the joint portion 304. The other end of the connection path 512 is connected to the joint portion 304, and an opening 512a is formed at one end of the connection path 512 that is extended to the vicinity of the bottom surface of the storage chamber 506. The ink stored in the storage chamber 506 is transferred from the opening 512a through the connection path 512 to the joint portion 304. The opening 512a is located on the front side of the storage chamber 506, and the bottom surface of the storage chamber 506 is gently inclined downward from the rear side to the front side. Furthermore, the main body 502 is provided with an insertion portion 514 at the rear of the upper side of the storage chamber 506 into which the detection pin 604 can be inserted, and a fixing member 516 to which the substrate 300 can be fixed.

[0038] The buffer section 508 has five buffer chambers. Specifically, the buffer section 508 has a first buffer chamber 520 located at the rear on the lower side of the buffer section 508, a second buffer chamber 522 located at the front on the lower side of the buffer section 508, and a third buffer chamber 524 located above the first buffer chamber 520. The buffer section 508 also has a fourth buffer chamber 526 located at the rear on the upper side of the second buffer chamber 522, and a fifth buffer chamber 528 located at the front on the upper side of the second buffer chamber 522.

[0039] The storage chamber 506 is in communication with the first buffer chamber 520 via an opening 532. The opening 432 is located on the top surface of the storage chamber 506, and is located approximately at the center of the storage chamber 506 in the Y direction. The first buffer chamber 520 is in communication with the second buffer chamber 522 via a flow path 536, the second buffer chamber 522 is in communication with the third buffer chamber 524 via a flow path 538, and the third buffer chamber 524 is in communication with the fourth buffer chamber 526 via a flow path 540. The fourth buffer chamber 526 is in communication with the fifth buffer chamber 528 via a flow path 542, and the fifth buffer chamber 528 is in communication with the outside of the ink tank 30C via an air communication port 544.

[0040] In this manner, the storage chamber 506 is configured to communicate with the outside via the first buffer chamber 520, the second buffer chamber 522, the third buffer chamber 524, the fourth buffer chamber 526, and the fifth buffer chamber 528. The first buffer chamber 520 is configured to open in the +X direction, and the flow path 536 is configured to open in a direction different from the first buffer chamber 520 (i.e., the -X direction). Similarly, the second buffer chamber 522, the third buffer chamber 524, and the fourth buffer chamber 526 are configured to open in the -X direction, and the flow path 538, the flow path 540, and the flow path 542 are configured to open in the +X direction. Since the buffer chamber and the flow path communicating with the buffer chamber open in different directions, the ink stored in the storage chamber 506 is configured to be unlikely to leak to the outside via the air communication port 544, regardless of the position of the ink tank 30C. In addition, on the left and right sides of the ink tank 30C, a film (not shown) is welded to each side of the main body portion 502, thereby sealing the storage chamber 506, each buffer chamber in the buffer portion 508, the inlet path 510, the connecting path 512, and the paths communicating with each buffer chamber.

[0041] <Configuration of the ink tank unit 28> In the ink tank unit 28, the ink tank 30C, the ink tank 30M, and the ink tank 30Y are arranged side by side in the X direction together with the ink tank 30Bk. At this time, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y are all the same in configuration, so they are arranged aligned in the Y direction. On the other hand, the ink tank 30Bk is formed so that only the enlarged portion 404 is larger in the Y direction. Therefore, in the ink tank unit 28, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y and the main body portion 402 of the ink tank 30Bk are arranged in positions aligned in the Y direction. Then, the enlarged portion 404 of the ink tank 30Bk is arranged in a position overlapping at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y in the X direction. That is, the enlarged portion 404 overlaps at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y when viewed from the Y direction. Furthermore, the enlarged portion 404 is positioned adjacent to the rear side of the ink tank that it overlaps when viewed from the front side of the recording device 10 (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0042] In this embodiment, the enlarged portion 404 is configured to overlap at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y. Therefore, by changing the size and shape of the enlarged portion 404, the number of ink tanks that overlap in the X direction and the amount of overlap can be adjusted. Also, for example, when the enlarged portion 404 overlaps the ink tank 30C when viewed from the Y direction, it is sufficient that the enlarged portion 404 overlaps at least a portion of the ink tank 30C. Similarly, when the enlarged portion 404 overlaps the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y, it is sufficient that the enlarged portion 404 overlaps at least a portion of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y when viewed from the Y direction.

[0043] In this way, an enlarged portion is provided for an ink tank whose capacity is to be increased, and the enlarged portion is formed so as to overlap in the X direction with other ink tanks arranged in parallel in the X direction, thereby suppressing an increase in the size in the X direction of the ink tank to be increased in capacity. In this embodiment, the size in the X direction (W1) of the main body portion 402 of the ink tank 30Bk is made larger than the size in the X direction (W2) of the main body portion 502 of the ink tank 30C. For example, by designing the enlarged portion 404 in the ink tank 30Bk to be large, the size in the X direction of the ink tank 30Bk can be made to match W2 while maintaining the capacity of the ink tank 30Bk. This allows the size in the X direction of the ink tank unit 28 to be reduced, and the size in the X direction of the storage portion 11, which is the space for storing the ink tank unit 28, can be reduced.

[0044] In this embodiment, for example, the capacity of the ink tank 30Bk is approximately 70 ml, and the capacity of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y is approximately 40 ml. Note that Bk ink is often used for business documents. For this reason, in the recording device 10, the ink tank 30Bk that stores Bk ink is formed to have a larger capacity than the ink tanks that store the other color inks.

[0045] <Small room configuration> Next, the configuration of the small chamber 430 provided in the ink tank 30Bk will be described. Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the periphery of the small chamber 430 of the ink tank 30Bk, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a view of the periphery of the small chamber 430 in (a) as seen from the arrow A. Figure 7 is a left side view of the ink tank 30Bk.

[0046] The small chamber 430 provided between the storage chamber 406 and the buffer portion 408 is formed so that ink stored in the storage chamber 406 can flow in even if there is no expansion of air within the storage chamber 406 when the ink tank 30Bk is in a position different from the position during use. The position during use is, for example, the position when the ink tank unit 28 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 11 of the recording device 10 placed on a horizontal surface (see FIG. 3(a)). In the following description, the "position different from the position during use" will be referred to as the "abnormal position" as appropriate.

[0047] Specifically, in the small chamber 430, the opening 432 is shaped like a slit extending in the X direction and is sized so that the ink stored in the storage chamber 406 does not form a meniscus (see FIG. 6(a)). As a result, when the ink tank 30Bk is in an abnormal position and the opening 432 is below the ink level, gas-liquid exchange occurs at the opening 432 and the small chamber 430 is filled with ink. In this way, in this embodiment, the small chamber 430 functions as an inflow chamber into which the ink from the storage chamber 406 can flow.

[0048] Further, a communication port 602 communicating with the flow path 434 is formed in the small chamber 430, and the small chamber 430 communicates with the first buffer chamber 420 of the buffer section 408 via the communication port 602 and the flow path 434 (see FIG. 6(b)). The size of the communication port 602, that is, the opening size, is set to a size that allows the ink stored in the storage chamber 406 to form a meniscus at the communication port 602. The size of the communication port 602 is, for example, 1.6 mm in the Y direction and 2.0 mm in the Z direction.

[0049] In this way, since the ink forms a meniscus at the communication port 602 of the small chamber 430, ink does not flow from the communication port 602 to the flow path 434 when ink simply flows into the small chamber 430, and ink does not flow out to the first buffer chamber 420. On the other hand, when the ink in the small chamber 430 forms a meniscus at the communication port 602, if a pressure change occurs in the storage chamber 406, such as when the air in the storage chamber 406 expands, the meniscus is destroyed and ink flows out from the communication port 602 to the first buffer chamber 420 through the flow path 434. In this way, in the ink tank 30Bk, the buffer section 408 is configured to be able to store ink that cannot be held in the storage chamber 406 due to the expansion of the air in the storage chamber 406 when the ink tank 30Bk is in an abnormal position. That is, in this embodiment, the buffer section 408 functions as a storage chamber that can store liquid that flows out from the storage chamber 406.

[0050] The communication port 602 is designed to be located at the volume center of the storage chamber 406 in the Y direction. As a result, even if the air in the storage chamber 406 expands when the front side of the ink tank 30Bk is tilted downward or the rear side of the ink tank 30Bk is tilted downward, the difference in the amount of ink flowing into the communication port 602 due to the tilt is small. Note that the volume center is the position of a virtual line 702 (see FIG. 7) passing through the communication port 602 when the volume of one side of the divided storage chamber 406 matches the volume of the other side when the storage chamber 406 is divided by the virtual line 702 in the Y direction (see FIG. 7). Note that, for example, the opening 432 is also formed at a position that approximately matches the communication port 602 in the Y direction.

[0051] Similarly, the opening 532 of the ink tank 30C is designed to be located at the volume center of the storage chamber 506 in the Y direction (see FIG. 5(a)). In the ink tank 30Bk, the enlarged portion 404 is provided on the rear side, so the volume center is located on the rear side by the volume of the enlarged portion 404. As a result, in the ink tank 30Bk, the communication port 602 and the opening 432 are located between the rear wall surface 704 of the buffer portion 408 and the rear wall surface 706 of the enlarged portion 404 in the Y direction. On the other hand, in the ink tank 30C, since no enlarged portion is provided, the volume center of the storage chamber 506 is located at or near the center position of the storage chamber 506 in the Y direction. That is, in the ink tank 30C, the opening 532 is located forward of the rear side surface of the buffer portion 508.

[0052] <Detection pin> Next, a detection pin 604 (see FIG. 6) capable of detecting when the liquid stored in the storage chamber 406 falls below a predetermined amount will be described.

[0053] In the ink tank 30Bk, a pair of detection pins 604 are inserted through the insertion portion 414, and the detection pins 604 are positioned in the storage chamber 406. In the ink tank 30C, the detection pin 604 is inserted through the insertion portion 514, and the detection pin 604 is positioned in the storage chamber 506. Detection using the detection pins 604 is performed by passing electricity between the pair of detection pins 604. When both detection pins 604 are immersed in ink, electricity passes through the ink, so that it is possible to detect that more ink than a predetermined amount is stored in the storage chamber 406. On the other hand, when the detection pins 604 are exposed from the ink, only air exists between the two detection pins 604, so no electricity passes, and it is possible to detect that the ink in the storage chamber 406 has become less than a predetermined amount.

[0054] For example, in the ink tank 30Bk, the position of the detection pin 604 in the Y direction is less affected by the attitude of the ink tank 30Bk the closer it is to the center of the storage chamber 406. The center of the storage chamber 406 here is the position between the wall surface 708 on the front side of the main body 402 and the wall surface 706. If the detection pin 604 is located near the wall surface 706, the position of the ink level in the Z direction near the detection pin 604 will be significantly different when the ink tank 30Bk is tilted forward and when it is tilted backward. For this reason, it is preferable to place the detection pin 604 in the center of the storage chamber 406 or in its vicinity, where the change in the position of the ink level in the Z direction is small even in an abnormal attitude. In this embodiment, the wall surface 706, the communication port 602, the detection pin 604, the wall surface 704, and the wall surface 708 are located in this order in the +Y direction of the ink tank 30Bk.

[0055] The detection pins 604 are electrically connected to a circuit provided on the substrate 300 by a compression spring 802 (see FIG. 8) made of a conductive material such as metal. The substrate 300 is connected to a power source via a cable from a connector. A voltage is applied from this power source to the detection pins 604, and the control unit 200 determines whether or not electricity is flowing based on the resistance value between the two detection pins 604, that is, whether or not the ink in the storage chamber has fallen below a predetermined amount.

[0056] In this embodiment, two detection pins are used as detection pins for detecting the remaining amount of liquid, but this is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of detection pins having different lengths in the Z direction may be used, and the remaining amount of liquid may be detected by a combination of two detection pins that are not energized among the plurality of detection pins.

[0057] <Fixing material> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the fixing members 416, 516 for fixing the substrate 300. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 3(a). Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the fixing members in Fig. 8.

[0058] The fixing members 416 and 516 provided on each ink tank 30 are configured to fix the substrate 300, on which a circuit for outputting a signal from the detection pin 604 provided on each ink tank 30 to the control unit 200, and the like, to each ink tank 30. Since the fixing members 416 and 516 both have the same configuration, the following description will focus on the fixing member 516 and omits the description of the fixing member 416.

[0059] The fixed member 516 is provided in the ink tank 30C so as to extend perpendicularly to a plane 800 in which an insertion portion 514 through which the detection pin 604 is inserted is formed. In this embodiment, the fixed member 516 is provided to extend parallel to the Z direction. The fixed member 516 is located between the two detection pins 604 in the Y direction (see FIG. 8). The fixed member 516 includes a shaft portion 902 extending in the Z direction, and a restricting portion 904 at the tip of the shaft portion 902 for restricting removal of the inserted substrate 300 (see FIG. 9).

[0060] Here, when the substrate 300 is fixed to the fixing member 516, it is electrically connected to the detection pin 604 via the compression spring 802. As a result, when the substrate 300 is fixed to the fixing member 516, it is always biased in a predetermined direction (upward in this embodiment) by the compression spring 802. For this reason, the restricting portion 904 is configured to be able to pass through a hole 310 (see FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 9) provided in the substrate 300 and through which the fixing member 516 is inserted, and to be able to restrict the substrate 300 from moving upward due to the biasing force of the compression spring 802 after the insertion.

[0061] Specifically, the restricting portion 904 is formed in an arrowhead shape, and is formed so as to gradually widen in the Y direction from the tip 902a of the shaft portion 902 downward. More specifically, the restricting portion 904 includes a return portion 904a extending downward from the tip 902a of the shaft portion 902 toward the front, and a return portion 904b extending downward from the tip 902a of the shaft portion 902. The return portions 904a and 904b are connected to the shaft portion 902 only at the tip 902a. Therefore, the return portions 904a and 904b are bent toward the shaft portion 902 side, that is, toward the center of the fixing member 516, when pressed from the upper side to the lower side (the opposite direction to the biasing direction by the compression spring 802), and the bending is eliminated when the pressing force is released. Furthermore, the return portions 904a and 904b are bent in a direction away from the shaft portion 902, that is, in a direction away from the center of the fixing member 516, when pressed from the lower side to the upper side.

[0062] When the substrate 300 is fixed to the fixing member 516, the fixing member 516 is inserted into the hole 310 from the upper side. At this time, the return portions 904a and 904b of the restricting portion 904 are bent toward the shaft portion 902 by the movement of the return portion 904 downward from the hole 310 to allow the return portion 904 to pass through the hole 310, and the bending is released at the timing when the hole 310 is positioned below the restricting portion 904. At this time, the tip 904aa of the return portion 904a is positioned outside the hole 310, that is, forward of the outer periphery of the hole 310, and the tip 904ba of the return portion 904b is positioned outside the hole 310, that is, rearward of the outer periphery of the hole 310. The substrate 300 is biased upward by the compression spring 802, but the return portions 904a and 904b have their tips positioned outside the hole 310, so that the movement upward is restricted. In this manner, in this embodiment, the fixing member 516 functions as a restricting member that restricts the upward movement of the substrate 300 by the compression spring 802. Also, in this embodiment, the fixing member 516 and the compression spring 802 as a biasing member cooperate to function as a fixing portion that fixes the substrate 300.

[0063] Forming the fixing member 516 in this manner makes it easier to fix the substrate 300 to the ink tank 30C and makes it difficult for the substrate 300 to be removed from the ink tank 30C. Therefore, together with the fixing member 416 having a similar configuration to the fixing member 516, the substrate 300 is less likely to come off the ink tank unit 28 to which the substrate 300 is fixed. In addition, since the fixing members 416, 516 and the compression spring 802 work together to fix the substrate 300, displacement of the arrangement position of the substrate 300 due to vibration of the device and the like is suppressed, and damage to members is also reduced.

[0064] (Action and effect) As described above, in this embodiment, an ink tank arranged in parallel with multiple ink tanks in the X direction is provided with a storage chamber formed to overlap at least one of the other ink tanks when viewed from the Y direction. This makes it possible to prevent the ink tank unit from becoming larger in the X direction in which the ink tanks are arranged, and to prevent the space for accommodating the ink tank unit from expanding in the X direction. In addition, by changing the shape of the expansion portion, it becomes possible to change the volume ratio between the large-capacity ink tank and the other ink tanks, increasing the degree of freedom in setting the ink volume ratio between these two types of ink tanks.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, in the ink tank having the above-mentioned storage chamber, a small chamber that allows easy inflow and outflow of ink from the storage chamber is provided between the storage chamber and the buffer section that can store the ink that cannot be held in the storage chamber. Also, in the small chamber, a communication port that communicates with a flow path connected to the buffer section is provided, and the opening size of the communication port is set to a size that allows the ink to form a meniscus. As a result, when the ink tank is in an abnormal position, the ink that has flowed into the small chamber does not flow into the buffer section, and when the air in the storage chamber expands while ink has flowed into the small chamber, the ink flows into the buffer chamber. Also, the communication port is positioned at the volume center of the storage chamber. As a result, even if the air in the storage chamber expands when the ink tank is in an abnormal position, the amount of ink flowing into the communication port can be suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a compression spring arranged on a detection pin that detects the remaining amount of ink in the ink chamber biases the circuit board on which the circuit is formed upward, while a fixing member restricts the upward movement of the board, thereby fixing the board to the ink tank. This makes it difficult for the board to come off the ink tank, and also makes it difficult for the board to shift in position due to vibrations generated in the device, thereby reducing damage to the parts.

[0067] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment may be modified as shown in the following (1) to (10).

[0068] (1) In the above embodiment, the storage unit 11 is located on the front right side of the recording device 10. In addition, in the storage unit 11, the ink tank 30Bk, the ink tank 30C, the ink tank 30M, and the ink tank 30Y are arranged in this order in the +X direction. The position of the storage unit 11 in the recording device 10 and the arrangement order of each ink tank in the storage unit 11 are not limited to this. For example, the storage unit 11 may be located on the front left side of the recording device 10 (see FIG. 10(a)). In this case, the ink tank 30C, the ink tank 30M, the ink tank 30Y, and the ink tank 30Bk may be arranged in this order in the +X direction (see FIG. 10(b)). Therefore, in this case, the expansion portion 404 of the ink tank Bk extends in the -X direction and overlaps at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y when viewed from the Y direction. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples of the recording device, where (a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement position of the storage unit 11, and (b) is a diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement positions of the ink tanks in the storage unit 11. Note that in FIG. 10, for ease of understanding, only the main components are shown in a simplified manner.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, the enlarged portion 404 of the ink tank 30Bk overlaps at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y when viewed from the Y direction, but this is not limited to the above. For example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the enlarged portion 404' of the ink tank 30Bk' may overlap at least one of the ink tanks 30C', 30M', and 30Y' in the X direction and the Z direction. FIG. 11(a) is a diagram showing a modified example of the ink tank 30. Note that in FIG. 11(a), each component is shown in a simplified manner for ease of understanding, and the ink tanks 30C', 30M', and 30Y' are shown by dashed lines.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, in the ink tank 30Bk, the main body 402 is configured to form the storage chamber 406 together with the enlarged portion 404 overlapping the ink tanks 30C, 30M, 30Y, etc. in the X direction, but this is not limited to this. For example, an enlarged portion 1104 overlapping at least one of the ink tanks 30C, 30M, 30Y in the X direction may be formed above the enlarged portion 404, and the main body 402 may form a buffer portion 408 that serves as an air-communicating flow path together with the enlarged portion 1104. FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing a modified example of the ink tank 30Bk. Note that in FIG. 11(b), in order to facilitate understanding, each configuration is shown simplified, and the ink tanks 30C, 30M, 30Y are shown by dashed lines.

[0071] (4) In the above embodiment, the recording device 10 is provided with the storage section 11, and ink is supplied to the recording head 20 from each ink tank 30 of the ink tank unit 28 stored in the storage section 11 through the tube 34, but this is not limited to the above. For example, each ink tank 30 may be mounted on the carriage 24, and each ink tank 30 may be detachably attached to the carriage 24 (see FIG. 11(c)). In this case, for example, each ink tank 30 may be arranged in the +X direction in the order of ink tank 30C, ink tank 30M, ink tank 30Y, and ink tank 30Bk. FIG. 11(c) is a diagram showing a modified example of the recording device 10. Note that in FIG. 11(c), each configuration is shown in a simplified manner to facilitate understanding.

[0072] (5) In the above embodiment, the two return portions 904a, 904b are formed as the restricting portion 904 of the fixed member 416, 516, but this is not limited thereto. For example, one return portion or three or more return portions may be formed. Also, in the above embodiment, one fixed member is provided for one ink tank 30, but this is not limited thereto, and multiple fixed members may be provided for one ink tank 30.

[0073] (6) In the above embodiment, the substrate 300 is fixed to the ink tank unit 28 by the fixing members 416, 516 arranged between the two detection pins 604 in the Y direction, but this is not limited to this. The mechanism for fixing the substrate 300 may be a form in which a claw portion for fixing the long side of the substrate 300 is used in each ink tank 30. A configuration having a claw portion for fixing the long side of the substrate 300 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. Note that the following description describes a modified example of the fixing mechanism, and therefore, unlike the above embodiment, an ink tank unit formed by an ink tank not having an enlarged portion will be described as an example. Note that the modified example of the fixing mechanism described here can of course be applied to an ink tank unit having an ink tank having an enlarged portion.

[0074] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an ink tank unit in which a substrate is fixed by a fixing mechanism of another type. FIG. 13(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIa-XIIIa in FIG. 12, and FIG. 13(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIb-XIIIb in FIG. 12. In an ink tank unit 1210 having three ink tanks 1202, 1204, and 1206 in which a claw portion 1220 constituting a fixing mechanism of another type is formed, the substrate 1212 is fixed by the claw portion 1220 (see FIG. 12). In each of the ink tanks 1202, 1204, and 1206, two detection pins 604 are arranged in parallel along the X direction (see FIG. 13(a)). In addition, the detection pins 604 are electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate 1212 by a compression spring 802.

[0075] The claw portion 1220 includes a first claw portion 1230 that abuts on the upper surface of the substrate 1212 on the long side of the front side of the substrate 1212 that is fixed to the ink tank unit 1210 and extends in the X direction. The claw portion 1220 also includes a second claw portion 1232 that abuts on the upper surface of the substrate 1212 on the long side of the rear side of the substrate 1212. The first claw portion 1230 and the second claw portion 1232 are disposed at positions that do not overlap with each other in the X direction, for example. In this embodiment, a pair of detection pins 604 are positioned between the first claw portion 1230 and the second claw portion 1232 in the X direction.

[0076] The first claw portion 1230 is provided on a wall surface 1208 located on the rear side of the buffer unit, and extends downward from the wall surface 1208 toward the rear. The second claw portion 1232 extends downward from the tip of an erected portion 1234 erected on a plane 1209 parallel to the XY plane located on the rear side of the wall surface 1208. The first claw portion 1230 is bent toward the wall surface 1208 by pressure from the upper side downward, and the second claw portion 1232 is bent toward the erected portion 1234 by pressure from the upper side. When these pressures are released, the bending that has occurred in the first claw portion 1230 and the second claw portion 1232 is eliminated. Moreover, the first claw portion 1230 is bent in a direction away from the wall surface 1208 by pressure from the lower side to the upper side. Then, the second claw portion 1232 is bent in a direction away from the standing portion 1234 by the pressure from below.

[0077] When the substrate 1212 is fixed to the claw portion 1220, the substrate 1212 is pressed from above the claw portion 1220. At this time, the first claw portion 1230 bends toward the wall surface 1208, and the second claw portion 1232 bends toward the erected portion 1234. The bending is eliminated when the substrate 1212 is positioned below the claw portion 1220.

[0078] Here, the distance in the Y direction between the wall surface 1208 as a support member supporting the first claw portion 1230 and the erected portion 1234 as a support member supporting the second claw portion 1232 is equal to or greater than the length of the substrate 1212 in the Y direction. Note that the length of the substrate 1212 in the Y direction refers to the length in the Y direction in an area where the substrate 1212 is fixed to each ink tank by the claw portion 1220. Also, the distance in the Y direction between the tip 1230a of the first claw portion 1230 and the tip 1232a of the second claw portion 1232 is shorter than the length of the substrate 1212 in the Y direction.

[0079] Therefore, with the substrate 1212 positioned below the claw portion 1220, the tip 1230a of the first claw portion 1230 and the tip 1232a of the second claw portion 1232 can be positioned on the surface of the substrate 1212. At this time, the substrate 1212 is biased upward by the compression spring 802, but the upward movement is restricted by the first claw portion 1230 and the second claw portion 1232.

[0080] Note that the claw portion 1220 may be configured such that one of the two claw portions does not bend when pressed from above and below, and the other bends when pressed from above and below. Also, as long as the substrate can be fixed to the ink tank unit, each ink tank may be configured to have one claw portion. In this case, for example, adjacent ink tanks are provided with claw portions at different positions in the Y direction. That is, in the ink tank unit as shown in FIG. 12, for example, the ink tanks 1202 and 1206 are provided with only the first claw portion 1230, and the ink tank 1204 is provided with only the second claw portion 1232.

[0081] (7) In the above embodiment, the fixing member 416 for fixing the substrate 300 is provided for each ink tank of the ink tank unit 28 formed so that a specific ink tank among the four ink tanks 30 at least partially overlaps the other ink tanks. The fixing member 416 is not limited to being formed only for this ink tank unit 28, and may be formed for each ink tank of an ink tank unit made up of multiple ink tanks having the same shape.

[0082] (8) In the above embodiment, the recording device 10 is a so-called serial scan type recording device that ejects ink while moving the recording head in the X direction onto a recording medium transported in the Y direction to record, but is not limited to this. A recording device to which the present invention can be applied may be, for example, a so-called line type recording device that includes a recording head in which a nozzle array is formed in the X direction with a length corresponding to the width of the recordable recording medium, and records onto a recording medium transported in the Y direction from the fixed recording head.

[0083] (9) In the above embodiment, one ink tank is provided with a large storage chamber formed by an enlarged portion, but this is not limited to this, and multiple ink tanks may be provided. For example, in the ink tank 30Bk, the enlarged portion may be extended in the +X direction to overlap with the ink tank 30C in the X direction, and in the ink tank 30Y, the enlarged portion may be extended in the -X direction to overlap with the ink tank 30M in the X direction. In addition, in the above embodiment, three ink tanks without an enlarged portion 404 are provided, but this is not limited to this. The number of ink tanks without an enlarged portion 404 may be one, two, or four or more.

[0084] (10) The above embodiment and the various configurations shown in (1) to (9) above may be combined as appropriate.

[0085] The disclosure of the above embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) A conveying means for conveying the recording medium in a first direction; a recording means for ejecting a recording agent onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means, one or more first tanks for storing a recording material to be supplied to the recording means; A recording device characterized in that a storage chamber for storing recording agent to be supplied to the recording means includes at least one of the first tanks and a second tank that is arranged in parallel with the first tank in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and is formed so as to overlap with the first tank when viewed from the first direction. (Configuration 2) The recording device according to configuration 1, wherein the storage chamber is further formed so as to overlap with the first tank when viewed from a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction. (Configuration 3) 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tank further comprises, above the storage chamber, a storage chamber capable of storing recording agent that cannot be held in the storage chamber. (Configuration 4) 4. The recording apparatus according to configuration 3, wherein the storage chamber is formed so as to overlap at least one of the first tanks when viewed from the first direction. (Configuration 5) the second tank further includes an inflow chamber into which the recording agent from the storage chamber can flow, The recording device according to configuration 3 or 4, wherein the inflow chamber is formed with a communication port through which the inflowing recording agent flows out to the storage chamber when a pressure change occurs in the storage chamber. (Configuration 6) The recording apparatus according to configuration 5, wherein the communication port has a size that allows the recording material stored in the storage chamber to form a meniscus. (Configuration 7) The recording device according to configuration 5 or 6, wherein the communication port is located at the volume center of the storage chamber in the first direction. (Configuration 8) The second tank is A detection unit capable of detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the storage chamber; 8. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, further comprising: a fixing portion capable of fixing a substrate electrically connected to the detection portion. (Configuration 9) The fixing portion is A biasing member that biases the substrate in a predetermined direction; The recording apparatus according to configuration 8, further comprising: a regulating member that regulates movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction by the biasing member. (Configuration 10) The recording apparatus according to configuration 9, wherein the biasing member is made of a conductive material and electrically connects the detection unit and the substrate. (Configuration 11) The recording device according to any one of configurations 8 to 10, wherein the detection unit is disposed at or near the center of the storage chamber in the first direction. (Configuration 12) The regulating member is A return portion is provided which is formed so as to widen in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, when the return portion is inserted into the hole of the board moving in the reverse direction, the return portion is bent toward the center of the regulating member to allow the return portion to be inserted into the hole; The recording device described in configuration 9 or 10, characterized in that after the substrate is inserted into the hole portion, the substrate is urged in the predetermined direction by the urging member, and the return portion bends in a direction away from the center of the regulating member to regulate the movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction. (Configuration 13) 13. The recording device according to configuration 12, wherein the return portion includes two return portions provided along the first direction. (Configuration 14) The regulating member is a claw portion supported by a support member and formed so as to move away from the support member in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the claw portion bends toward the support member to allow the substrate to move in the reverse direction; The recording device described in configuration 9 or 10, characterized in that after the movement, the claw portion bends in a direction away from the support member relative to the substrate being urged in the predetermined direction by the urging member, thereby regulating the movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction. (Configuration 15) 15. The recording apparatus according to configuration 14, wherein the regulating member includes a plurality of the claw portions provided at intervals in the first direction. (Configuration 16) 16. The recording device according to configuration 15, wherein the plurality of claw portions provided at intervals in the first direction are provided at different positions in the second direction. (Configuration 17) 17. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 16, wherein the first tank and the second tank further include an inlet for injecting a recording agent therein. (Configuration 18) 18. The recording device according to configuration 17, wherein the first tanks and the second tanks are arranged in parallel in the second direction such that adjacent injection ports are spaced equally apart. (Configuration 19) a moving means for moving the recording means in the second direction, 19. The recording apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 18, wherein the first tank and the second tank are mounted on the moving means. (Configuration 20) A tank arranged in a predetermined direction with one or more tanks, A tank capable of storing liquid and characterized by having a storage chamber formed so as to overlap at least one of the other tanks arranged in tandem when viewed from a direction intersecting the specified direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10 Recording Device 12 Conveyor section 14 Recording section 30 Ink Tank 406 Storage room

Claims

1. A conveying means for conveying a recording medium in a first direction; a recording means for ejecting a recording agent onto the recording medium conveyed by the conveying means, and one or more first tanks for storing a recording material to be supplied to the recording means; A recording device characterized in that a storage chamber for storing recording agent to be supplied to the recording means includes at least one of the first tanks and a second tank that is arranged in parallel with the first tank in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and is formed so as to overlap with at least one of the first tanks when viewed from the first direction.

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage chamber is further formed so as to overlap the first tank when viewed from a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction.

3. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tank further comprises, above the storage chamber, a storage chamber capable of storing recording agent that cannot be held in the storage chamber.

4. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the storage chamber is formed so as to overlap at least one of the first tanks when viewed from the first direction.

5. the second tank further includes an inflow chamber into which the recording agent from the storage chamber can flow, 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inflow chamber is formed with a communication port through which the inflowing recording agent flows out to the accommodation chamber when a pressure change occurs in the storage chamber.

6. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the communication opening has a size that allows the recording material stored in the storage chamber to form a meniscus.

7. The recording device according to claim 5 , wherein the communication port is located at a volume center of the storage chamber in the first direction.

8. The second tank is A detection unit capable of detecting the remaining amount of liquid in the storage chamber; 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing portion capable of fixing a substrate electrically connected to the detection portion.

9. The fixing portion is A biasing member that biases the substrate in a predetermined direction; 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a restricting member that restricts movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction by the biasing member.

10. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the biasing member is made of a conductive material and electrically connects the detection portion and the substrate.

11. The recording device according to claim 8 , wherein the detection unit is disposed at or near the center of the storage chamber in the first direction.

12. The regulating member is A return portion is provided which is formed so as to widen in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, when the return portion is inserted into the hole of the board moving in the reverse direction, the return portion is bent toward the center of the regulating member to allow the return portion to be inserted into the hole; A recording device as described in claim 9, characterized in that after the substrate is inserted into the hole portion, the return portion bends in a direction away from the center of the regulating member in response to the substrate being urged in the predetermined direction by the urging member, thereby regulating the movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction.

13. The recording apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the return portion includes two return portions provided along the first direction.

14. The regulating member is a claw portion supported by a support member and formed so as to move away from the support member in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction, the claw portion bends toward the support member to allow the substrate to move in the reverse direction; 10. The recording device according to claim 9, wherein after the movement, the claw portion bends away from the support member in a direction away from the substrate, the substrate being biased in the predetermined direction by the biasing member, thereby regulating the movement of the substrate in the predetermined direction.

15. 15. The recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the regulating member includes a plurality of the claw portions provided at intervals in the first direction.

16. 16. The recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of claws provided at intervals in the first direction are provided at different positions in the second direction.

17. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tank and the second tank further include an inlet for injecting the recording agent therein.

18. 18. The recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the first tanks and the second tanks are arranged in parallel in the second direction such that adjacent injection ports are spaced at equal intervals.

19. a moving means for moving the recording means in the second direction, 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tank and the second tank are mounted on the moving means.

20. A tank arranged in a predetermined direction with one or more tanks, A tank capable of storing liquid and characterized by having a storage chamber formed so as to overlap at least one of the other tanks arranged in parallel when viewed from a direction intersecting the specified direction.

Images