Recording device and liquid storage tank

Abstract

To provide a technique that can stably execute replenishment of liquid into a tank that stores the liquid such as ink.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: recording means that ejects a recording agent onto a recording medium to perform recording; a liquid storage tank that stores the recording agent to be supplied to the recording means and can replenish ink to the inside via a conduit extending in a first direction; and a holder that has a hole section into which the conduit is inserted and a cap that opens and closes the conduit inserted into the hole section and that is positioned and fixed in the first direction in the liquid storage tank.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus equipped with a liquid storage tank that stores liquid such as ink, and to a liquid storage tank provided in the recording apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] An inkjet recording device is provided with an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to a recording head that ejects ink. In such a recording device, when the amount of ink remaining in the ink tank becomes low, for example, an ink inlet conduit provided in the ink tank is inserted into an ink refill container, and the ink contained in the ink refill container is refilled into the ink tank via the ink inlet conduit.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an ink inlet conduit for refilling ink is inserted into an ink tank, and a holder having a configuration capable of engaging with an ink refill container is provided with an openable and closable cap for closing and opening the ink inlet conduit. Patent Document 2 discloses that such a holder is positioned relative to the ink tank in the front-rear and left-right directions, and is also positioned relative to the housing of the device in the up-down direction.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for stably inserting an ink inlet conduit into an ink refill container. Specifically, the ink refill container is inserted into an ink inlet conduit inserted into a through hole in the bottom surface of a recess formed in a holder, and when the ink refill container is inserted, the ink refill container is engaged with the recess. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-116962 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-202464 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the holder is positioned vertically relative to the housing, so there is a risk that an error may occur in the vertical position of the holder relative to the ink tank, and the ink inlet conduit may not be properly closed by the cap provided on the holder. As a result, even if the ink inlet conduit is closed by the cap, ink may leak from the ink inlet conduit and the leaked ink may solidify while adhering to the ink inlet conduit. Therefore, when refilling ink, it may not be possible to properly insert the ink inlet conduit into the ink refill container, and ink refilling may not be performed stably.

[0007] In addition, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, the ink refill container is configured to abut against the bottom surface of a recess provided in the holder when engaged. Therefore, there is a risk that the insertion amount of the ink inlet conduit into the ink refill container will vary due to variations in manufacturing tolerances of the holder, which may cause, for example, variations in the amount of ink flowing into the ink tank, which may result in a longer refill time and thus make it impossible to stably refill the ink.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique that enables a tank that stores a liquid such as ink to be stably refilled with the liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of a recording device according to the present invention is characterized in having a recording means that ejects a recording agent onto a recording medium to record, a liquid storage tank that stores the recording agent to be supplied to the recording means and can be replenished with ink via a conduit extending in a first direction, a hole into which the conduit is inserted, and a cap that closes and opens the conduit inserted into the hole, and a holder that is positioned and fixed in the liquid storage tank in the first direction. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to stably refill a tank that stores liquid with liquid. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] Cross-sectional view of Figure 3. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 shows the ink refill container inserted into the ink inlet conduit. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the arrangement position of the absorbent body. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the arrangement position of the absorbent body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An example of an embodiment of a recording device and a liquid storage 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.

[0013] (Recording device configuration) The recording apparatus according to the present embodiment may be an apparatus having only a function of ejecting ink onto a recording medium to record an image, or may be a multi-function 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 liquid storage tank.

[0014] The liquid that can be stored in 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.

[0015] 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)".

[0016] 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 an ink tank (described later) that stores ink used in recording by the recording unit 14. The recording device 10 also includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the overall operation.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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, and thus 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The recording head 20 is connected to an ink tank unit 28 that stores each type of ink independently and is housed in the container 11, and is configured to be able to eject ink supplied from the ink tank unit 28 from the ejection opening. The ink tank unit 28 is connected to the recording head 20 via a tube 34 for each type of ink. The recording device 10 is configured to be able to supply the ink stored in the ink tank unit 28 to the recording head 20 independently for each type of ink. The tube 34 is provided with a valve 38, and when the valve 38 is closed, the tube 34 is closed and the supply of ink from the ink tank unit 28 to the recording head 20 is restricted.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The storage section 11 contains ink tank units 28 that store ink of each type independently to be supplied to the recording head 20. In this embodiment, the ink tank units 28 in the storage section 11 are fixed to the housing of the recording device 10. 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 which is in the standby position. The standby position is the position where the recording head 20 is located when not recording (see FIG. 1).

[0025] 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. The ink tank 30Bk is configured to be able to store a larger volume of ink than the ink tank 30C and the like. A holder 32 is disposed on the upper portion of each ink tank 30, and includes a cap portion 206 (see FIG. 2) for closing and opening the ink inlet conduit 202 (see FIG. 2) provided on each ink tank. The detailed configuration of the ink tank unit 28 will be described later.

[0026] The recording device 10 also includes a recovery unit 36 ​​for performing recovery operations to maintain and recover the ink ejection performance of the recording head 20. The recovery unit 36 ​​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 36 ​​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 with the ejection port face capped, and a wiper section for wiping the ejection port face.

[0027] (Ink tank unit configuration) Next, the configuration of the ink tank unit 28 will be described. Fig. 2 is a perspective configuration diagram of the ink tank unit 28. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the ink tank unit 28. Note that Figs. 2 and 3 show a state in which the cap portion of the holder 32 is open and the opening of the ink inlet conduit is open. In addition, in the description of the ink tank unit 28, the ink tank 30, and the holder 32 using Fig. 2 and subsequent figures, for ease of understanding, the description will be given in the orientation when they are housed in the housing portion 11 of the recording device 10.

[0028] The ink tank unit 28 includes an ink tank 30 that stores ink, and a holder 32 having a configuration including a cap portion 206 that closes and opens an ink inlet conduit 202 that is provided on the top surface of the ink tank 30. In this embodiment, the ink tanks 30 are arranged in the +X direction in the order of ink tank 30Bk, ink tank 30C, ink tank 30M, and ink tank 30Y (see FIG. 2). Note that the arrangement of the ink tanks in the X direction is not limited to this.

[0029] <Holder configuration> The holder 32 includes a hole 208 into which the ink inlet conduit 202 is inserted, and a cap portion 206 that closes and opens the ink inlet conduit 202 inserted into the hole 208. The cap portions 206 are provided corresponding to the ink inlet conduits 202 of the ink tanks 30, and each cap portion 206 is provided in the holder 32 so as to be capable of being opened and closed independently. Each cap portion 206 includes a cap 210 that closes the opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202 when in a closed state, and opens the opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202 when in an open state. The cap 210 is formed so as to be insertable into and removable from the hole 208 in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the cap portion 206. In this specification, "closing (opening) the opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202" is simply referred to as "closing (opening) the ink inlet conduit 202" as appropriate.

[0030] Each cap 210 is provided with a seal portion 212 that comes into close contact with the outer diameter portion of the ink inlet conduit 202 (the insertion portion 402 described below) when closing the ink inlet conduit 202. This prevents ink in the ink tank 30 from leaking out of the ink inlet conduit 202 when the cap portion 206 is closed. The holder 32 is provided with a shaft portion 502 (see FIG. 5(a)) for supporting the cap portion 206 so that it can be opened and closed, and the cap portion 206 is supported by the shaft portion via a bearing 504 (see FIG. 5(a)). The shaft portion 502 extends in the X direction.

[0031] A plurality of protrusions 208a extending in the Z direction and protruding in the Y direction are formed on the inner circumferential surface of each hole 208 at different positions and shapes. As a result, when the holes 208 are viewed in the -Z direction, the shapes of the holes 208 are different from each other. Note that since the holes 208 are through holes, in FIG. 3, the shapes appearing in the holes 208 are configured to be formed on the upper surface 30a of the ink tank 30 (see FIG. 4) except for the protrusions 208a.

[0032] The holder 32 includes a hole 302 and a clamping member 304 for positioning the holder 32 in the XY plane relative to the ink tank 30. The hole 302 is formed on the rear side of the holder 32, and is a through hole through which a first standing member 412 (described later) provided on the ink tank 30 can be inserted. The hole 302 is preferably formed in a size and shape that does not leave any play when the first standing member 412 is inserted. The clamping member 304 is formed on the front side of the holder 32, and is formed in a shape that can clamp a second standing member 414 (described later) provided on the ink tank 30 in the X direction. Specifically, the clamping member 304 includes a first contact portion 304a that contacts the second standing member 414 from the left side, and a second contact portion 304b that contacts the second standing member 414 from the right side (see FIG. 2).

[0033] Furthermore, the holder 32 is provided with a first protruding member 306 and a second protruding member 308 for positioning in the +Z direction relative to the ink tank 30. The first protruding member 306 is formed on the rear side of the holder 32, and is formed in a rib shape (see FIG. 4(b)) that can engage with a first claw member 416 (described later) provided on the ink tank 30 within an opening 305 through which the first claw member 416 (described later) provided on the ink tank 30 can be inserted. The second protruding member 308 is formed on the front side of the holder 32, and is formed in a rib shape (see FIG. 4(b)) that can engage with a second claw member 418 (described later) provided on the ink tank 30.

[0034] In the holder 32, the cap portion 206, the hole portion 208, the hole 302, the clamping member 304, the first protruding member 306, and the second protruding member 308 are provided at positions corresponding to the corresponding configurations formed on the upper surface 30a of the four ink tanks 30. In this embodiment, the first protruding member 306 or the second protruding member 308 is provided at a position corresponding to each ink tank in the holder 32. Specifically, the first protruding member 306 is provided at a position corresponding to the configurations of the ink tanks 30C and 30Y, and the second protruding member 308 is provided at a position corresponding to the configurations of the ink tanks 30Bk and 30M. It is to be noted that both the first protruding member 306 and the second protruding member 308 may be provided at a position corresponding to each ink tank. In this case, the first claw member 416 and the second claw member 418 are provided on the upper surface of each ink tank 30.

[0035] <Ink tank configuration> Next, the configuration of the ink tank 30 will be described. In this embodiment, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y are different from the ink tank 30Bk only in the amount of ink that can be stored therein. Therefore, in the following description, the configuration of the ink tank 30C will be described, and the configurations of the other ink tanks will not be described. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the ink tank 30C.

[0036] The ink tank 30C is provided with an ink inlet conduit 202 for introducing ink into the ink tank 30C. The ink tank 30C is configured to be refilled with ink from an ink refill container 600 via the ink inlet conduit 202. Specifically, the ink inlet conduit 202 is erected upward from the upper surface 30a of the ink tank 30C and is formed so as to be insertable into an ink refill container 600 (described later). The ink tank 30C is provided with a flow path section 404 that guides the ink introduced into the ink tank 30C by the ink inlet conduit 202 to a storage chamber 406. A film is welded to the side surface of the ink tank 30C, thereby sealing the flow path section 404 and other components.

[0037] The ink tank 30C includes a first standing member 412 having a substantially columnar shape that stands upright near the end on the rear side of the top surface 30a and can be inserted into a hole 302 provided in the holder 32. In this embodiment, the hole 302 is formed in a circular shape, and the first standing member 412 is formed in a substantially columnar shape, but this is not limited to this. The hole 302 may be formed in a polygonal shape, and the first standing member 412 may be formed in a substantially polygonal column shape corresponding to the hole 302. The first standing member 412 is not limited to a substantially columnar shape, and may be formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The ink tank 30C also includes a second standing member 414 that stands upright in a substantially columnar shape (or a substantially cylindrical shape) that can be clamped by a clamping member 304 provided in the holder 32, near the end on the front side of the top surface 30a. In this embodiment, since the clamping members 304 can clamp from both the -X and +X directions, it is preferable that the surface that the clamping members 304 contact is a surface parallel to the YZ plane perpendicular to the X direction.

[0038] The ink tank 30C includes a first claw member 416 erected on the rear side of the top surface 30a so as to be engageable with the first protruding member 306 provided on the holder 32. The first claw member 416 is provided at a position not overlapping with the first standing member 412 in the Y direction. The first claw member 416 includes a return portion 416a on the upper side, and the return portion 416a and the first protruding member engage with each other to restrict the movement of the holder 32 in the +Z direction. The ink tank 30C also includes a second claw member 418 erected on the front side of the top surface 30a so as to be engageable with the second protruding member 308 provided on the holder 32. The second claw member 418 is provided at a position not overlapping with the second standing member 414 in the Y direction. The second claw member 418 has a return portion 418a on the upper side, and the return portion 418a and the second protruding member engage with each other to restrict the movement of the holder 32 in the +Z direction.

[0039] Furthermore, the ink tank 30C includes a frame portion 420 formed by ribs erected on the top surface 30a so as to surround an area including the ink inlet conduit 202. In this embodiment, the frame portion 420 is extended in the Y direction between the first claw member 416 and the second claw member 418. The frame portion 420 includes a first abutment portion 420a that is located in the hole portion 208 in the X direction and the Y direction when the holder 32 is attached, and against which the ink refill container 600 inserted in the hole portion 208 abuts. In this embodiment, the shape of the first abutment portion 420a is formed slightly smaller than the opening size of the hole portion 208. Therefore, in the hole portion 208 of the holder 32 attached to the ink tank 30, the first abutment portion 420a appears near the inner circumferential surface of the hole portion 208 when viewed from the -Z direction (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the frame portion 420 includes a second abutment portion 420b against which the bottom surface 32a of the holder 32 abuts when the holder 32 is attached. In this embodiment, the second abutment portion 420b is formed so that an area (predetermined area) surrounded by the second abutment portion 420b is connected to an area surrounded by the first abutment portion 420a.

[0040] In the above description, the ink tanks 30C, 30M, and 30Y are different from the ink tank 30Bk only in the amount of ink that can be stored therein. However, as shown in Fig. 3, the holder 32 does not have an opening 305 at a position corresponding to the first claw member 416 of the ink tank 30Bk. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ink tank 30Bk does not have the first claw member 416.

[0041] (Positioning the holder relative to the ink tank) Next, the positioning of the holder 32 in the ink tank 30 will be described. Fig. 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Va-Va in Fig. 3. Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line Vb-Vb in Fig. 3. In Fig. 5(a), the cap portion 206 is in a closed state.

[0042] When mounting the holder 32 to the ink tank 30, the ink inlet conduits 202 extending upward from the upper surface 30a of each ink tank 30 are inserted into the holes 208 of the holder 32 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Also, the first standing members 412 provided on the upper surface 30a of each ink tank 30 are inserted into the holes 302 of the holder 32 (see Fig. 3). Furthermore, the second standing members 414 provided on the upper surface 30a of each ink tank 30 are sandwiched between the clamping members 304 of the holder 32 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Furthermore, the first protruding members 306 of the holder 32 are engaged with the first claw members 416 provided on the upper surface 30a of the ink tanks 30C and 30Y (see Figs. 5(a) and 5(b)). Also, the second protruding member 308 of the holder 32 is engaged with the second claw member 418 erected on the upper surface 30a of the ink tanks 30Bk and 30M (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)).

[0043] The first standing member 412 is inserted into the hole 302, and the second standing member 414 is sandwiched between the sandwiching member 304, whereby the holder 32 is positioned and fixed in the XY plane (X direction and Y direction) on the ink tank 30. In other words, the holder 32 is fixed at two different positions in the Y direction on each ink tank 30, and at one of the two positions, the holder 32 is fixed and positioned so as to restrict movement of the holder 32 in the X direction, whereby the holder 32 is positioned in the X and Y directions with respect to the ink tank 30.

[0044] When the ink tank 30 is attached to the holder 32, the first protrusion member 306 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the return portion 416a of the first claw member 416 inserted into the opening 305 (see FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)). The second protrusion member 308 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the return portion 418a of the second claw member 418. This restricts movement of the holder 32 in the +Z direction in the ink tank 30. Also, when the ink tank 30 is attached to the holder 32, the bottom surface 32a of the holder 32 comes into contact with the second abutment portion 420b of the frame portion 420 of the ink tank 30. This restricts movement of the holder 32 in the -Z direction in the ink tank 30. That is, by sandwiching the holder 32 between two members (the return portions 416a, 418a and the second abutment portion 420b) provided at different positions in the Z direction on the ink tank 30, the holder 32 is positioned in the Z direction and fixed on the ink tank 30. In this manner, in this embodiment, the first claw member 416 (the return portion 416a), the second claw member 418 (the return portion 418a), and the second abutment portion 420b function as positioning portions that position the holder 32 in the Z direction relative to the ink tank 30 and enable attachment.

[0045] It should be noted that the member that the bottom surface 32a of the holder 32 abuts against when the ink tank 30 is attached to the holder 32 is not limited to the second abutment portion 420b. For example, the holder 32 may be provided with a structure that can abut against the top surface 30a of the ink tank 30, or both the holder 32 and the ink tank 30 may be provided with structures that abut against each other when the ink tank 30 is attached to the holder 32.

[0046] (Refilling ink tanks) Next, refilling of the ink tank 30 with ink will be described. First, the configuration of the ink refill container will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the ink refill container, where (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIb-VIb in (a), and (c) is an enlarged view of the rubber seal in (b).

[0047] <Ink refill container configuration> The bottle-shaped ink refill container 600 comprises an ink storage section 602 for storing ink, and an outlet section 604 for allowing and restricting the outflow of the ink stored in the ink storage section 602 to the outside (see FIG. 6(a)). The ink refill container 600 also comprises a mechanical ID section 606 that can be inserted into the hole section 208 of the holder 32. The mechanical ID section 606 has a plurality of groove-shaped recesses 608 formed on its side surface, the recesses 608 extending in the height direction of the ink refill container 600. The recesses 608 are formed at different positions and with different widths for each type (color) of ink stored in the ink storage section 602.

[0048] Here, a protrusion 208a extending in the Z direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the hole 208 in the holder 32 into which the ink inlet conduit 202 is inserted, the protrusion 208a having a different position and width depending on the type of ink stored in the corresponding ink tank 30. When refilling the ink tank 30 with ink, the mechanical ID section 606 of the ink refill container 600 is inserted into the hole 208. Therefore, the recess 608 is formed so as to be able to fit only with the protrusion 208a formed in the hole 208 into which the ink inlet conduit 202 of the ink tank 30 storing the same type of ink as that stored in the ink storage section 602 is inserted.

[0049] The outlet portion 604 includes an exterior member 612 that forms the exterior of the outlet portion 604, and a seal member 614 that opens to communicate with an opening 612a of the exterior member 612 and is formed of an elastic member such as rubber (see FIG. 6(b)). The opening 612a of the exterior member 612 also communicates with an opening provided in the mechanical ID portion 606. The outlet portion 604 also includes a valve member 616 that can contact the seal member 614 to close an opening 614b of the seal member 614, and a biasing member 618 such as a spring that biases the valve member 616 toward the seal member 614 (see the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6(b)). The outlet portion 604 also includes a guide member 620 that guides the movement of the valve member 616 in a direction toward the seal member 614 and in a direction away from the seal member 614 (see the direction of arrow B in FIG. 6(b)). The valve member 616 moves in the height direction of the ink refill container 600, which is the direction in which the ink refill container 600 is inserted into and removed from the hole 208. The valve member 616 is urged in the direction of arrow A by a urging member 618 and comes into contact with a bottom 614a of the seal member 614, closing an opening 614b of the seal member 614.

[0050] When the mechanical ID section 606 of the ink refill container 600 is inserted into the hole 208 of the holder 32, the ink inlet conduit 202 located in the hole 208 is inserted into the opening 612a of the exterior member 612 and the opening 614b of the seal member 614 through the opening of the mechanical ID section 606. Then, by further insertion, the ink inlet conduit 202 abuts against the valve member 616, and then the valve member 616 is moved in the direction of arrow B against the biasing force of the biasing member 618, and the valve member 616 is separated from the bottom portion 614a of the seal member 614, and the opening 614b is opened. As a result, the opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202 and the inside of the ink storage section 602 are communicated with each other. In addition, a seal portion 614c whose diameter decreases toward the center of the opening is formed in the opening 614b of the seal member 614. Therefore, the seal portion 614c is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion 402 inserted into the opening 614b of the seal member 614. This makes it difficult for ink in the ink storage portion 602 to leak out from between the outlet portion 604 and the ink inlet conduit 202 when the ink inlet conduit 202 is inserted into the outlet portion 604.

[0051] <Ink refill> Next, the operation and function of each component when the ink refill container 600 refills the corresponding ink tank 30 with ink will be described. Figure 7 is a simplified diagram showing the positions of the ink inlet conduit 202, the first abutment portion 420a, and the ink refill container 600 when the ink refill container 600 is inserted into the hole 208 of the holder 32.

[0052] When refilling the ink tank 30 with ink from the ink refill container 600, the ink refill container 600 is placed with the mechanical ID portion 606 facing downward, and the mechanical ID portion 606 is inserted into the hole 208. At this time, for example, if the ink stored in the ink tank 30 and the ink contained in the ink refill container 600 are different, the concave portion 608 of the mechanical ID portion 606 and the convex portion 208a of the hole 208 do not fit together, and therefore the mechanical ID portion 606 cannot be inserted into the hole 208.

[0053] The hole 208 is a through hole, and when the hole 208 is viewed in the -Z direction, a first abutment portion 420a provided on the upper surface 30a of the ink tank 30 is exposed at the bottom of the hole 208 near the inner circumferential surface of the hole 208 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the end face 606a of the mechanical ID portion 606 inserted into the hole 208 is inserted to a position where it abuts against the first abutment portion 420a (see FIG. 7). That is, in this embodiment, when ink is refilled, the ink refill container 600 and the structure provided on the ink tank 30 come into direct contact with each other.

[0054] When the mechanical ID section 606 is inserted into the hole 208, the insertion section 402 comes into contact with the valve member 616 via the opening of the mechanical ID section 606, the opening 612a of the exterior member 612, and the opening 614b of the seal member 614. Then, by further inserting the mechanical ID section 606 into the hole 208, the insertion section 402 moves the valve member 616 in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 6(b)) against the biasing force of the biasing member 618. This causes the ink storage section 602 to communicate with the opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202, and the ink stored in the ink storage section 602 flows into the storage chamber 406 of the ink tank 30 via the opening 204, the ink inlet conduit 202, and the flow path section 404 due to its own weight. The opening 204 of the ink inlet conduit 202 is shaped so that it can maintain communication between the inside of the ink inlet conduit 202 and the outside of the opening 204 even when in contact with the valve member 616 .

[0055] For example, an absorber 702 capable of absorbing ink is disposed inside the first abutment portion 420a of the frame portion 420 (see FIG. 7). With this, when the ink remaining on the side surface of the insertion portion 402 drips inside the first abutment portion 420a due to its own weight when the ink refill container 600 is inserted or removed, the absorber 702 absorbs the dripping ink.

[0056] (Action and effect) As described above, in the recording device 10, the ink tank 30 having the ink inlet conduit 202 for introducing ink thereinto, and the holder 32 having the cap portion 206 for closing and opening the ink inlet conduit 202 are configured to be positioned in the XYZ directions. Specifically, the holder 32 is positioned in the X and Y directions relative to the ink tank 30 by positioning one of two different positions in the Y direction at a point and positioning the other in the X direction. In addition, the holder 32 is positioned in the Z direction relative to the ink tank 30 by sandwiching the holder 32 between two members provided on the ink tank 30 at different positions in the Z direction.

[0057] This improves the accuracy of positioning the holder 32 relative to the ink tank 30 in the X direction, and enables the cap 210 of the cap portion 206 to properly close the ink inlet conduit 202. Also, the holder 32 is less likely to become misaligned relative to the ink tank 30 due to an impact on the recording device 10, and solidification of ink in the ink inlet conduit 202 is suppressed, enabling stable ink filling.

[0058] In the holder 32, the hole 208 into which the ink refill container 600 is inserted is a through hole, and a first abutment portion 420a provided on the ink tank 30 is exposed in the hole 208 below the hole 208. This causes the end face 606a of the mechanical ID portion 606 of the ink refill container 600 inserted into the hole 208 to come into direct contact with the ink tank 30, making it difficult for the insertion amount of the ink inlet conduit 202 (insertion portion 402) into the ink refill container 600 to change.

[0059] Therefore, compared to known techniques in which the ink refill container and the ink tank do not come into direct contact with each other and the insertion amount of the ink inlet conduit into the ink refill container is prone to change, the ink refill container is less likely to come out of the ink inlet conduit even if there is inadvertent contact during ink refilling, and this makes it possible to stably fill the ink tank with ink.

[0060] In addition, by configuring the ink refill container to be in direct contact with the ink tank, the ink inlet conduit can be inserted a greater amount into the ink refill container compared to known techniques in which the ink refill container is not in direct contact with the ink tank.

[0061] In this embodiment, the length of the ink inlet conduit 202 is limited to 20 mm due to the constraints of the mold, and it is not possible to simply increase the length of the ink inlet conduit 202 to ensure the amount of ink inserted into the ink refill container 600. In order to improve the mold releasability, the ink inlet conduit 202 and the flow path in the flow path portion 404 are designed so that the flow path diameter increases toward the opening 204. As a result, the mold becomes thinner near the opening 204, and it is no longer possible to ensure the mold strength suitable for mass production. By increasing the diameter of the ink inlet conduit 202, it is possible to lengthen the insertion portion 402 while maintaining the mold strength, but in this embodiment, the diameter of the ink inlet conduit 202 is set to 6.4 mm, taking into account the device size and the ease of introducing ink.

[0062] Even with the design constraints described above, the technology according to the present embodiment allows the ink inlet conduit to be inserted a greater distance into the ink refill container than known technologies.

[0063] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment may be modified as shown in the following (1) to (4).

[0064] (1) In the above embodiment, the absorber 702 is arranged around the ink inlet conduit 202 inside the first abutment portion 420a of the frame portion 420, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the absorber 702 may be arranged in an inner region of the second abutment portion 420b, the inner region of which is formed by connecting with the first abutment portion 420a (see FIG. 8(a)). In this case, in order to guide the ink from the first abutment portion 420a to the second abutment portion 420b, a plurality of ribs 802 are formed extending from the first abutment portion 420a to the second abutment portion 420b at a fixed interval between adjacent ribs (see FIG. 8(b)). The fixed interval is set to an interval at which the capillary phenomenon of the ink occurs. In other words, the rib 802 functions as a guide member that guides the ink from the region in the first abutment portion 420a to the region in the second abutment portion 420b. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing modified positions of the absorbent body, where (a) is a simplified diagram showing the state in which the absorbent body 702 is placed in the second abutment portion 420b, and (b) is a diagram showing a rib 802 provided within the second abutment portion 420b.

[0065] When the absorber 702 is provided at the second abutment portion 420b, ink dripping from the insertion portion 402 is guided from the first abutment portion 420a to the second abutment portion 420b by the capillary phenomenon caused by the ribs 802, and is absorbed by the absorber 702. Furthermore, by providing the ribs 802 so as to surround the periphery of the insertion portion 402, the ink dripping from the insertion portion 402 can be reliably received by the ribs, and the received ink is guided to the absorber 702 by the capillary phenomenon, making it difficult for the ink to spread within the first abutment portion 420a.

[0066] When the absorber 702 is disposed at the first abutment portion 420a, depending on the thickness (length in the Z direction) of the absorber 702, there is a risk that the absorber 702 may come into contact with the end face 606a when the end face 606a of the mechanical ID portion 606 abuts against the first abutment portion 420a. When the absorber 702 comes into contact with the end face 606a, the ink absorbed in the absorber 702 may be transferred to the end face 606a. There is a risk that the ink may adhere to the user or the recording device 10 due to the ink refill container 600 after refilling. In contrast, when the absorber 702 is disposed at the second abutment portion 420b, such a concern is eliminated.

[0067] Also, the second abutment portion 420b is formed longer in the Z direction than the first abutment portion 420a. This allows the size of the absorber 702 to be increased in the Z direction, and the amount of ink absorbed by the absorber 702 to be increased. Furthermore, by forming the area of ​​the upper surface 30a of the ink tank 30 located within the second abutment portion 420b into a shape that is recessed downward, the size of the absorber 702 in the Z direction can be further increased (see FIG. 9). FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modified example of the arrangement position of the absorber.

[0068] Furthermore, when the absorber 702 is disposed at the second abutment portion 420b, the first abutment portion 420a may not be provided, and a part of the rib 802 may be made to extend long in the height direction. This allows the end face 606a of the mechanical ID portion 606 of the ink refill container 600 inserted into the hole 208 to abut against the rib 802 formed long in the height direction. In this case, it is preferable that the part of the rib 802 that is extended high in the height direction is located at a position on the rib 802 where ink dripping from the ink inlet conduit 202 is unlikely to adhere to the rib 802.

[0069] (2) 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.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, the first abutment portion 420a is formed on the top surface 30a of the ink tank 30 so as to surround the ink inlet conduit 202, but this is not limited to the above. A configuration may be adopted in which the end surface 606a of the mechanical ID portion 606 of the ink refill container 600 inserted into the hole 208 abuts against the top surface 30a without providing the first abutment portion 420a. That is, in this case, the end surface 606a abuts against the top surface 30a, which is a flat surface, and the insertion amount of the insertion portion 402 into the ink refill container 600 can be increased.

[0071] (4) The above embodiment and the various configurations shown in (1) to (3) above may be combined as appropriate.

[0072] The disclosure of the above embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) a recording means for ejecting a recording agent onto a recording medium to record; a liquid storage tank that stores a recording agent to be supplied to the recording means and that can be replenished with ink through a conduit extending in a first direction; a holder including a hole into which the conduit is inserted, and a cap for closing and opening the conduit inserted into the hole, the holder being positioned and fixed in the liquid storage tank in the first direction. (Configuration 2) the liquid storage tank has a surface on which the conduit is provided, and a claw member that stands upright and an abutment portion against which the holder abuts are provided at different positions in the first direction, 2. The recording device according to configuration 1, wherein the holder is clamped between a return portion provided on the claw member and the abutting portion and positioned in the first direction. (Configuration 3) The recording device described in configuration 1 or 2, wherein the holder is further positioned and fixed in the liquid storage tank in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. (Configuration 4) The recording device described in configuration 3, wherein the holder is fixed at two different positions in the second direction, and at one of the two positions, the holder is fixed and positioned so as to restrict movement in the third direction. (Configuration 5) The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the liquid storage tank further has an abutment portion around the conduit against which a container for refilling the recording agent contained therein via the conduit is abutted when the container is inserted into the hole. (Configuration 6) The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the abutment portion is a rib and is provided at a distance from the conduit. (Configuration 7) 7. The recording device according to configuration 6, wherein an absorbent capable of absorbing the recording agent is disposed inside the abutment portion and around the conduit. (Configuration 8) 6. The recording device according to configuration 5, wherein the abutment portion is a flat surface on which the conduit is erected. (Configuration 9) The liquid storage tank includes: a first rib that is disposed around the conduit and against which a container for refilling the recording agent contained through the conduit is abutted when the container is inserted into the hole; A second rib is formed to surround a predetermined area adjacent to the area surrounded by the first rib, 5. The recording device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein an absorbent capable of absorbing the recording agent is disposed in the predetermined area. (Configuration 10) 10. The recording device according to configuration 9, wherein the predetermined area is formed to be larger in the first direction than an area surrounded by the first rib. (Configuration 11) The recording device according to configuration 9 or 10, wherein a guide member for guiding the recording agent to the predetermined region by utilizing capillary action is formed on the inside of the first rib. (Configuration 12) 12. The recording device according to claim 11, wherein the guide member is formed to surround the conduit. (Configuration 13) The liquid storage tank includes: A first rib formed to surround the periphery of the conduit; A second rib is formed to surround a predetermined area adjacent to the area surrounded by the first rib, an absorbent capable of absorbing the recording agent is disposed in the predetermined region; The first rib is the ink supply pipe extends from the periphery of the conduit to the predetermined region so as to guide the ink to the predetermined region by utilizing capillary action; The recording device described in any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that a portion of the circumference of the conduit is formed to be long in the first direction, and when a container for refilling the recording agent to be contained through the conduit is inserted into the hole, the container abuts against the portion. (Configuration 14) A storage chamber capable of storing liquid; a conduit extending in a first direction for introducing refilled liquid from a container; a flow path that guides the ink introduced from the conduit to the storage chamber; a holder having a cap for closing and opening the conduit; and a positioning means for positioning the holder in the first direction and attaching the holder to the tank. (Configuration 15) 15. The liquid storage tank according to configuration 14, further comprising an abutment portion around the conduit against which the container into which the conduit is inserted abuts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 10 Recording Device 14 Recording section 30 Ink Tank 32 Holder 202 Ink inlet conduit 208 Hole 210 Cap

Claims

1. A recording means for dispensing a recording medium to record data, A liquid storage tank for storing the recording agent to be supplied to the recording means, and for which the recording agent can be replenished through a conduit extending in the first direction, A recording device comprising a hole into which the conduit is inserted, a cap for closing and opening the conduit inserted into the hole, and a holder positioned and fixed in a first direction in the liquid storage tank.

2. The liquid storage tank has, on the surface where the conduit is provided, a vertically erected claw member and a stopper against which the holder abuts are provided at different positions in the first direction. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder is held between a return portion and a stopper portion provided on the claw member and positioned in the first direction.

3. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder is further positioned and fixed in the liquid storage tank in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and in a third direction perpendicular to both the first and second directions.

4. The recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that the holder is fixed at two different positions in the second direction, and at one of the two positions, it is fixed and positioned in such a way as to restrict movement in the third direction.

5. The recording device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid storage tank further has abutment portion around the conduit against which the container abuts when the container for replenishing the recording material contained therein via the conduit is inserted into the hole.

6. The recording device according to claim 5, characterized in that the abutment portion is a rib and is provided at a distance from the conduit.

7. The recording device according to claim 6, characterized in that an absorbent capable of absorbing the recording material is arranged inside the abutment portion and around the conduit.

8. The recording device according to claim 5, characterized in that the abutment portion is a plane on which the conduit is erected.

9. The aforementioned liquid storage tank is When a container for replenishing the recording material contained within the conduit is inserted into the hole, a first rib is provided around the conduit against which the container abuts, It has a second rib formed to surround a predetermined region adjacent to the region surrounded by the first rib, The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that an absorbent capable of absorbing a recording agent is arranged in the predetermined region.

10. The recording device according to claim 9, characterized in that the predetermined region is formed to be wider in the first direction than the region surrounded by the first rib.

11. The recording device according to claim 9, characterized in that a guiding member is formed on the inside of the first rib for guiding the recording material to the predetermined region using capillary action.

12. The recording device according to claim 11, characterized in that the guiding member is formed surrounding the conduit.

13. The aforementioned liquid storage tank is A first rib is formed to surround the conduit, It has a second rib formed to surround a predetermined region adjacent to the region surrounded by the first rib, An absorbent capable of absorbing the recording material is placed in the predetermined area. The first rib is, The conduit extends from its periphery to the predetermined region in order to guide the recording material to the predetermined region using capillary action. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that a portion of the periphery of the conduit is formed to be elongated in the first direction, and when a container for replenishing the recording material contained in the conduit is inserted into the hole, the container abuts against the portion thereof.

14. A storage chamber capable of storing liquid, A conduit extending in the first direction, through which liquid replenished from a container is introduced, A flow path for guiding the liquid introduced from the conduit to the storage chamber, A liquid storage tank characterized by having a positioning means capable of positioning and mounting a holder equipped with a cap for closing and opening the conduit in the first direction.

15. The liquid storage tank according to claim 14, further comprising a fork around the conduit into which the container into which the conduit is inserted abuts.

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