Liquid-containing bottle

Abstract

To provide a liquid-containing bottle that can improve cleanability of an inside of a bottle while improving its self-supporting ability, thereby contributing to a realization of a sustainable society such as a carbon / recycling society.SOLUTION: A liquid-containing bottle includes a bottle body for containing a liquid, a nozzle for discharging the liquid contained in the bottle body, and a cap for sealing the nozzle. At a first curved portion between a bottom surface and a side surface of the bottle body in a vertical cross section of the bottle body, a radius of curvature of an inner wall is larger than a radius of curvature of an outer wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid containing bottle for use in a liquid ejection device. [Background technology]

[0002] A liquid-containing bottle used when refilling a liquid ejection device with liquid generally has a container for containing the liquid and an outlet for pouring the liquid. In order to realize a sustainable society such as a carbon-free / recycling society and to comply with recent environmental regulations, it is preferable that such a liquid-containing bottle be reused. An example of a liquid-containing bottle is a bottle as described in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-166947 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when reusing the liquid-containing bottle of Patent Document 1, the small radius of curvature of the bent portion at the outer periphery of the bottom inside the bottle makes it difficult to clean, and there is a risk of dirt remaining. Also, by increasing the radius of curvature of the bent portion at the outer periphery of the bottom, it becomes difficult for the liquid-containing bottle to stand on its own, and there is a risk of it being easily tipped over.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid storage bottle that can improve the cleanability of the inside of the bottle while also improving its self-supporting ability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A liquid-containing bottle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a bottle body for containing a liquid, a nozzle for ejecting the liquid contained in the bottle body, and a cap for sealing the nozzle, and is characterized in that in a vertical cross-section of the bottle body, at a first curved portion between a bottom surface and a side surface of the bottle body, the radius of curvature of the inner wall is greater than the radius of curvature of the outer wall. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the cleanability of the inside of the bottle and its self-supporting ability can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a main part of the liquid ejection device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid tank of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid containing bottle. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid containing bottle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid containing bottle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing examples of detailed components of a liquid containing bottle. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a slit valve type nozzle. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the nozzle and the cap. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing the relationship between a slit valve and a protrusion. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a nozzle having two holes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the relative arrangement and shapes of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples.

[0010] First Embodiment (Liquid discharge device) 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection device 1 in which a liquid storage container according to the present embodiment is used. The liquid ejection device 1 is a serial type inkjet recording device, and includes a housing 11 and a liquid tank 12 arranged inside the housing 11. The liquid tank 12 contains ink, which is a liquid to be ejected onto a recording medium (not shown).

[0011] 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the liquid ejection device 1 shown in FIG. The liquid ejection device 1 includes a transport roller 13 for transporting a recording medium (not shown), a liquid ejection head 14 for ejecting liquid, a carriage 15 on which the liquid ejection head 14 is mounted, and a carriage motor 16 for driving the carriage 15. The liquid ejection device 1 includes a liquid passage 17 disposed between the liquid tank 12 and the liquid ejection head 14. The type of recording medium is not particularly limited as long as an image is formed by the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection head 14. The type of recording medium may be, for example, paper, cloth, an optical disc label surface, a plastic sheet, or an OHP sheet.

[0012] The liquid is stored in the liquid tank 12, supplied to the liquid ejection head 14 via the liquid passage 122, and ejected from the liquid ejection head 14. In this embodiment, for example, four colors of ink (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) are used as the liquid. The liquid tank 12 is provided with four liquid tanks 12a to 12d, each of which stores an ink of a respective color. Hereinafter, when identifying and referring to each individual liquid tank, the liquid tanks 12a to 12d, etc. will be suffixed with an alphabet, and when referring to any liquid tank, it will be referred to as the liquid tank 12. Each of the four liquid tanks 12a to 12d is disposed at the front part of the liquid ejection device 1 inside the housing 11.

[0013] (Liquid tank) Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid tank 12 of the liquid ejection device 1 shown in Fig. 1. The liquid tank 12 of this embodiment has a liquid tank body 121 for storing liquid, an inlet 122 that communicates with a liquid storage chamber in the liquid tank body 121, and a tank lid 123 that can be attached to the liquid tank body 121 so as to cover the inlet 122. After refilling the liquid tank 3 with liquid, in order to suppress evaporation of the liquid from the liquid storage chamber in the liquid tank body 31, the tank lid 33 is attached to the liquid tank body 31 to seal the liquid storage chamber in the liquid tank body 31.

[0014] (liquid containing bottle) In this embodiment, the liquid containing bottle of the present disclosure is used as a liquid containing bottle for refilling the above-mentioned liquid ejection device with ink. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a liquid containing bottle according to this embodiment. The liquid containing bottle 100 has a bottle body 101 that contains liquid, a nozzle 102 that ejects the liquid contained in the bottle body 101, and a cap 103 that seals the nozzle 102.

[0015] The liquid-containing bottle 100 is generally made of resin or metal that does not harm the liquid contained therein. In detail, the liquid-containing bottle may be made of a general resin material, fluororesin, or the like. As the general resin material, both virgin material and recycled plastic material are used in blow molding. For example, any of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS) may be used. However, without being limited to this, other resin materials may be used, or a plurality of materials may be used. That is, the recycled plastic material may be one of PP, PE, PET, PVC, and PS, or a mixture of a plurality of types. By using fluororesin, it is possible to have chemical resistance, weather resistance, and high strength compared to general resin. In addition, a fluororesin coating may be applied to general resin. This allows the same effect as when using fluororesin to be obtained.

[0016] If it is desired to increase the mechanical strength, the material of the liquid-containing bottle may be a metal material. Furthermore, the material of the liquid-containing bottle may be a material that does not dissolve in the liquid contained inside the bottle and that can withstand impacts and temperature changes during distribution. Furthermore, in this embodiment, recycled plastic material may be used, or a material containing post-consumer material (PCR material) and pre-consumer material may be used. Here, the proportion of recycled plastic material used is set to 5% wt or more of the total.

[0017] Post-consumer materials (PCR materials) are materials that are made by collecting and reusing plastic products after distribution to the market. For example, PCR materials are plastics prepared from cleaned and crushed waste products. PCR materials may also be thermoplastics prepared from waste industrial plastics by someone other than the original processor. Pre-consumer materials are materials that are made by collecting and reusing waste plastics generated in the manufacturing process before distribution to the market. For example, pre-consumer materials are thermoplastics prepared from off-cuts or rejected molded products that have been previously processed by molding, extrusion, etc. in a processor's factory and then reprocessed in the same factory. In this embodiment, the recycled plastic material may be PCR material or pre-consumer material. It may also be a mixture of both.

[0018] When the liquid containing bottle 100 is to be reused after the liquid has been discharged, the inside of the liquid containing bottle 100 is cleaned. When cleaning the liquid containing bottle 100, it is desirable to be able to clean it as easily as possible. This is because if cleaning is time-consuming, the cleaning cost will increase, and the cost of reuse will also rise. Furthermore, the higher the center of gravity of the liquid containing bottle 100, the more likely the liquid containing bottle 100 is to tip over. A shape that improves the cleaning efficiency of the liquid containing bottle 100 while preventing the liquid containing bottle 100 from tipping over will be described.

[0019] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid-containing bottle 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The liquid-containing bottle 100 is composed of a bottle body 101, a nozzle 102 for discharging the liquid in the bottle body 101 to the outside, and a cap 103 located on the upper part of the bottle body 101 and sealing the nozzle 102. In this embodiment, the shape of the bottom surface of the bottle body 101 is formed in a circular shape. However, the shape of the bottom surface of the bottle body 101 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be formed in a polygonal shape. After the liquid is contained, the cap 103 is tightened to seal the liquid so that it does not spill. The tip of the nozzle 102 has a hole, which is sealed by the cap 103.

[0020] In this embodiment, the liquid-containing bottle 100 has a first curved portion between its bottom surface and its side surface. In FIG. 5(a), the first curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 in the vertical cross section of the liquid-containing bottle 100 has different radii of curvature between its inner wall and its outer wall. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the first curved portion is larger than the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall. For example, in one embodiment, the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 is 50 mm, whereas the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall is 20 mm. The radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 may be in the range of 1.0 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 may be in the range of 0.5 mm or more and 50 mm or less, provided that the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the bent portion is larger than the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall. The radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall and the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 are preferably in the range of 2.0 mm or more and 25 mm or less, provided that the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the first curved portion is greater than the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall. Furthermore, the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall and the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 are preferably in the range of 3.0 mm or more and 15 mm or less, provided that the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall of the first curved portion is greater than the radius of curvature R2 of the outer wall.

[0021] In this way, if the radius of curvature R1 of the inner wall is small at the first curved portion between the bottom and side of the liquid containing bottle, the circulation of the cleaning liquid inside the containing bottle 100 during cleaning is low. However, by increasing the radius of curvature R1 at the first curved portion between the bottom and side of the liquid containing bottle, the circulation of the cleaning liquid inside the containing bottle 100 can be improved. Therefore, the cleanability of the liquid containing bottle can be improved.

[0022] On the other hand, in the first curved portion located between the bottom surface and the side surface of the liquid-containing bottle 100, if the curvature radius R1 of the inner wall is too large, the bottle body 101 may easily fall over. Also, the smaller the bottom area of ​​the liquid-containing bottle 100, the more likely the liquid-containing bottle 100 may fall over. Therefore, in this embodiment, the curvature radius R2 of the outer wall is made small in the first curved portion between the bottom surface and the side surface of the liquid-containing bottle 100 to improve the self-supporting property of the bottle 101. In this embodiment, the curvature radius R2 of the outer wall is set to 20 mm. In this way, the first curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 can achieve both the cleanability of the inside of the liquid-containing bottle 100 and the self-supporting property by making the bending radius of the inner wall larger than the curvature radius of the outer wall. Furthermore, the thickness of the first curved portion can be increased by making the curvature radius R2 of the outer wall of the first curved portion small. The strength of the liquid-containing bottle 100 can be improved by increasing the thickness of the first curved portion.

[0023] FIG. 5(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the liquid-containing bottle 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a second curved portion is provided between the upper surface and the side surface. In this embodiment, an opening is provided on the upper surface of the liquid-containing bottle 100, and the nozzle 102 is provided so that the nozzle 102 communicates with the inside of the bottle 100 through the opening. In FIG. 5(b), the second curved portion between the upper surface and the side surface of the liquid-containing bottle 100 in the vertical cross section of the liquid-containing bottle 100 has different radii of curvature between the inner wall and the outer wall. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion is larger than the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall. The radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 according to this embodiment is 50 mm, whereas the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall is 20 mm. The radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 may be in the range of 1.0 mm to 50 mm. The radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 may be in the range of 0.5 mm to 50 mm, provided that the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion is greater than the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall. The radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion and the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall are preferably in the range of 2.0 mm to 25 mm, provided that the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion is greater than the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall. Furthermore, the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion and the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall of the liquid-containing bottle 100 are preferably in the range of 3.0 mm to 15 mm, provided that the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion is greater than the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall.

[0024] In this way, by increasing the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100, the circulation of the cleaning liquid inside the bottle 100 can be improved, and the cleaning property of the liquid-containing bottle 100 can be further improved. In other words, the reuse of the liquid-containing bottle 100 can be promoted and environmental regulations can be met. That is, the technology described in this specification can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society such as a carbon-free / recycling society. In addition, the radius of curvature R3 of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 is larger than the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall. Although the first curved portion of the liquid-containing bottle is not involved in the self-supporting property of the liquid-containing bottle 100, the thickness of the second curved portion can be increased by reducing the radius of curvature R4 of the outer wall. The strength of the liquid-containing bottle 100 can be improved by increasing the thickness of the second curved portion. Furthermore, the liquid-containing bottle can be improved in resistance to impacts during logistics.

[0025] <Second embodiment> A second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. Descriptions of the basic configuration of the present disclosure and the same functions and configurations as those of the first embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be described.

[0026] In this embodiment, the radii of curvature of the outer wall and inner wall of the first curved portion at the bottom of the liquid containing bottle are different, similar to the first embodiment, thereby achieving both washability and self-supporting ability of the liquid containing bottle.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a liquid containing bottle according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 6, the thickness of the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 is different from the thickness of the side surface of the liquid containing bottle 100. In this embodiment, the thickness of the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 is thicker than the thickness of the side surface of the liquid containing bottle 100. In this embodiment, the thickness T1 of the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 is thicker than the thickness T2 of the side surface of the liquid containing bottle 100. The thickness T1 of the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 in this embodiment may be in the range of 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less. The thickness T1 of the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 is preferably in the range of 0.3 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less.

[0028] On the other hand, the side of the liquid-containing bottle 100 of this embodiment is squeezed by hand when discharging the liquid inside, so the side needs to be soft to make it easier to squeeze. Therefore, the thickness of the side is accordingly thin. The thickness T2 of the side of the liquid-containing bottle 100 may be in the range of 0.1 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, provided that the thickness of the bottom surface is thicker than the thickness of the side surface. The thickness T2 of the side of the liquid-containing bottle 100 is preferably in the range of 0.2 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less, provided that the thickness of the bottom surface is thicker than the thickness of the side surface. Furthermore, the thickness T1 of the bottom surface and the thickness T2 of the side of the liquid-containing bottle 100 are preferably in the range of 1.0 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less, provided that the thickness of the bottom surface is thicker than the thickness of the side surface.

[0029] In this way, by making the bottom surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 thicker, it is possible to improve the self-supporting ability of the liquid containing bottle 100. Also, by making the side surface of the liquid containing bottle 100 thinner, it is possible to make it easier to squeeze. Furthermore, the liquid containing bottle 100 can improve resistance to shocks during distribution while improving the strength of the liquid containing bottle itself.

[0030] <Other embodiments> (Configuration of liquid supply unit (nozzle)) In the first and second embodiments, the curvature radius and thickness of the first and second curved portions of the bottle body 101 have been mainly described. Below, a configuration example of the nozzle 22, which is the liquid supply portion of the liquid containing bottle 100, will be described.

[0031] (Valve spring configuration) Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of more detailed components of the liquid-containing bottle 100. Fig. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of a components diagram of the liquid-containing bottle 100 shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the components diagram of the liquid-containing bottle 100 shown in Fig. 7(a) is combined. Inside the nozzle 22, there are provided a seal 24 having an opening, a valve 25 that opens and closes the opening of the seal 24, a spring 26 that biases the valve 25, and a holder 27 that fixes the spring 26.

[0032] When supplying liquid from the liquid containing bottle 100 to the liquid tank 12, the injection port 122 of the liquid tank 12 is inserted into the opening of the nozzle 22 of the liquid containing bottle 100. The nozzle 22 of the liquid containing bottle 100 is provided with a recess that engages with a protrusion provided on the liquid discharge device 1, and the liquid containing bottle 100 is positioned when the injection port 122 is inserted into the opening of the nozzle 22. Then, the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 100 is supplied to the storage chamber of the tank body 121 through the injection port 122 due to the head difference.

[0033] The liquid-containing bottle 100 has two sealable portions (hereinafter referred to as sealing portions). FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the sealing portions. At the first sealing portion, sealing is achieved by fitting the cap 23 with the nozzle 22, as shown in FIG. 8(a). At the second sealing portion, sealing is achieved by a valve structure within the nozzle 22, as shown in FIG. 8(b). Each sealing portion will be described below.

[0034] The first sealing portion will be described with reference to FIG. 8(a). FIG. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 with the cap 23 attached to the nozzle 22, and an enlarged view of the same is also shown. The first sealing portion is a portion where the cap seal portion 23b of the cap 23 is fitted to the nozzle 22, and the nozzle seal portion 22d, which is a part of the spout 22a of the nozzle 22, is fitted to the nozzle 22. An example of a method for attaching the cap 23 to the nozzle 22 is a method of screwing the nozzle 22 and the cap 23 together. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7(a), FIG. 7(b), and FIG. 8(a), a method of screwing the nozzle 22 and the cap 23 together using the nozzle screw portion 22b having a male screw structure formed on the outside of the nozzle 22 and the cap screw portion 23a having a female screw structure formed on the inside of the lower portion of the cap 23 may be used. Conversely, the cap 23 having a male screw portion and the nozzle 22 having a female screw portion may be used.

[0035] Alternatively, the cap 23 may be attached to the nozzle 22 by providing a fitting portion other than the sealed portion, rather than by screwing. For example, the cap 23 may be configured as an external fitting lid that fits on the outside of the nozzle 22, or an internal fitting lid that fits on the inside.

[0036] The second sealing portion will be described with reference to FIG. 8(b). FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the liquid-containing bottle 100 without the cap 23 attached, and an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view is also shown. The second sealing portion is a liquid stop valve structure (valve structure) disposed inside the nozzle 22 of the liquid-containing bottle 100. As shown in FIG. 8(b), the nozzle 22 is provided with a seal 24, which is an orifice portion having an opening at its tip (upper end) into which the injection port 122 is inserted. The gap between the seal 24 and the valve 25 is closed by biasing the valve body of the liquid stop valve, ie, the valve 25, toward the opening side by the spring 26, thereby sealing the liquid-containing bottle 100. In this example, the spring 26 is used as a biasing mechanism, and the spring 26 is held by a holder 27 fixed to the inner space of the nozzle 22. The seal 24 is made of a flexible member such as rubber or elastomer.

[0037] With this liquid stop valve structure, the valve 25 is biased by the spring 26 against the opening of the seal 24, so that the interior of the liquid containing bottle 100 can be kept sealed even when the cap 23 is removed from the nozzle 22. When liquid is supplied from the liquid containing bottle 100 to the liquid tank 12, the valve 25 is opened by inserting the injection port 122 into the nozzle 22 through the opening of the seal 24. Then, as described above, the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 100 is supplied to the storage chamber of the tank body 121 through the injection port 122 due to the head difference.

[0038] In this embodiment, these two sealing parts are configured to be temporarily open simultaneously when the cap 23 is removed from the nozzle 22 and when the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle. This allows the inside of the liquid containing bottle 100 to communicate with the atmosphere, making the pressure inside the liquid containing bottle 100 equal to the outside air pressure. This will be described in detail below.

[0039] First, when the cap 23 is in the closed state, the first sealed portion is in a sealed state as shown in Fig. 8(a). On the other hand, in the second sealed portion, the protrusion 23f arranged on the cap 23 is pushed in the opposite direction to the direction in which the valve 25 is biased when the cap 23 is closed, so that a gap is formed between the seal 24 and the valve 25. Thus, in Fig. 8(a), the second sealed portion is in an open state. That is, when the cap 23 is in the closed state, the first sealed portion is sealed and the second sealed portion is open.

[0040] FIG. 8(c) is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the liquid-containing bottle 100 in a state where the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22 as shown in FIG. 8(a) and the cap 23 starts to be opened, and an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view is also shown. The cap 23 moves upward from the closed state shown in FIG. 8(a) as the cap is opened as shown in FIG. 8(c). With this movement of the cap 23, the cap seal part 23b and the nozzle seal part 22d are separated, and the first sealed part is opened. When the first sealed part is opened, the protrusion 23f arranged on the cap 23 is still in a position to push the valve 25 as shown in FIG. 8(c). That is, the second sealed part maintains an open state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(c), when the first sealed part is opened, the second sealed part can be opened at the same time. After that, when the cap 23 is further moved upward, the protrusion 23f is completely separated from the valve 25 as the cap 23 moves, and the second sealed part is sealed as shown in FIG. 8(b). Incidentally, even when the cap 23 is closed from an open state, as the cap 23 moves, the protrusion 23f of the cap 23 pushes in the valve 25, thereby opening the second sealed portion. At this time, the first sealed portion is in a state before sealing and therefore maintains an open state. Thereafter, the cap 23 is closed, and the first sealed portion becomes sealed. Incidentally, the first sealed portion and the second sealed portion being opened simultaneously means that they are opened substantially at the same time. When the second sealed portion is opened in conjunction with the opening of the first sealed portion, both are opened at the same time.

[0041] With the above-described configuration, when the cap 23 is opened, the first sealing portion and the second sealing portion are temporarily opened at the same time, so that the inside of the liquid containing bottle 100 communicates with the atmosphere, and the pressure inside the liquid containing bottle 100 can be made equal to the outside air pressure. Therefore, when the cap 23 is opened and liquid is refilled from the liquid containing bottle 100 to the tank body 121, the liquid can be prevented from spouting out due to an increase in the internal pressure of the liquid containing bottle 100. In addition, the liquid can be prevented from overflowing from the tank body 121. Even when the cap 23 is opened, the inside of the liquid containing bottle 100 is kept sealed by the second sealing portion, so that the liquid can be prevented from leaking out even if the liquid containing bottle 100 is turned upside down.

[0042] (Slit valve configuration) Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a slit valve type nozzle 22. Fig. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of this example, and Fig. 9(b) is a plan view of a slit valve provided in the nozzle of this example. Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the nozzle 22 and the cap of this example.

[0043] The nozzle 22 has an inlet 122c for injecting liquid, and a nozzle seal portion 122d made of an annular rib provided along the periphery of the inlet 122c. The inlet 122c is provided with a slit valve 124 that opens and closes according to the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100. The slit valve 124 has a valve body 124a made of a flexible material and three intersecting slits 124b formed in the valve body 124a, and can seal the inlet 122c in a closed state. The valve body 124a has six divided pieces 124c formed by the three slits 124b. Note that the number of slits 124b is not limited to this, and may be two, or may be four or more. In this case, it is preferable that the multiple slits 124b are formed so as to be 2n-fold symmetrical with respect to the center of the circular valve body 124a as shown in the figure, where the number of slits is n. This allows the divided pieces 124c to be opened evenly, and the liquid in the liquid-containing bottle 100 to be smoothly injected.

[0044] The bottom surface of the cap 23 (the surface facing the injection port 122c) is provided with a cap seal portion 123b consisting of an annular rib and a protrusion 123c protruding toward the slit valve 124. The cap seal portion 123b fits into the nozzle seal portion 122d when the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22, and thus functions as a sealing means for sealing the injection port 122c together with the nozzle seal portion 122d. When the injection port 122c is sealed by the cap seal portion 123b and the nozzle seal portion 122d, the tip of the protrusion 123c faces the valve body 124a of the slit valve 124 at a position laterally spaced from the intersection 124d of the multiple slits 124b. The lateral direction corresponds to the radial direction of the nozzle 22. With such a configuration of the protrusion 123c, when the internal pressure of the liquid containing bottle 100 is higher than the external air pressure when the cap 23 is opened, the internal pressure can be released, as described later. In this example, the protrusion 123c is provided integrally with the cap 23, but may be provided separately from the cap 23.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between the slit valve 124 and the protrusion 123c. FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 11(b) are cross-sectional views showing the relationship between the slit valve 124 and the protrusion when the cap is opened. When the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22 and the injection port 122c is sealed, as described above, the protrusion 123c faces the valve body 124a at a position laterally separated from the intersection 124d of the slit 124b, and does not contact the valve body 124a. When the cap 23 starts to be opened, the engagement between the cap seal portion 123b and the nozzle seal portion 122d is released, and the sealing of the injection port 122c is released. At this time, if the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100 is higher than the external air pressure, the valve body 124a of the slit valve 124 is bulged outward and deformed by the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100, as shown in FIG. 11(a). When the expanded valve body 124a comes into contact with the protrusion 123c, the slit 124b opens, the pressure inside the liquid containing bottle 100 is released, and the expansion of the valve body 124a is eliminated. When the cap 23 is subsequently removed, the slit 124b closes and the injection port 122c is sealed again, as shown in FIG. 11(b). When liquid is injected from the liquid containing bottle 100 into the liquid tank 12, the air pressure difference between the inside and outside of the liquid containing bottle 100 is eliminated, and the injection port 122c is in a sealed state. Therefore, simply tilting the bottle body 21 prevents the pressure required to open the slit 124b from acting on the slit valve 124, and thus prevents the liquid from leaking from the injection port 122c.

[0046] On the other hand, Fig. 11(c) and Fig. 11(d) are cross-sectional views showing the relationship between the slit valve and the protrusion when the cap is closed. When the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100 rises while the cap 23 is not attached to the nozzle 22, the valve body 124a of the slit valve 124 bulges outward and deforms, as shown in Fig. 11(c). When the cap 23 starts to be closed, the protrusion 123c comes into contact with the bulged valve body 124a before the cap seal part 123b and the nozzle seal part 122d are fitted together, as shown in Fig. 11(d). As a result, the slit 124b opens to release the pressure in the liquid-containing bottle 100, and after the bulge of the valve body 124a is eliminated, the slit 124b closes and the injection port 122c is sealed. Then, when the cap 23 is further closed, the cap seal part 123b and the nozzle seal part 122d are fitted together to seal the injection port 122c. At this time, since the bulge of the valve body 124a has disappeared, the protrusion 123c faces the valve body 124a at a position laterally spaced from the intersection 124d of the slit 124b, and is not in contact with the valve body 124a.

[0047] With this configuration, even if the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100 rises, the projection 123c comes into contact with the slit valve 124 when the cap 23 is opened or closed, and the internal pressure can be released to the outside. The length of the projection 123c is not particularly limited, and can be set to an optimal length depending on the amount of deformation of the valve body 124a that actually occurs due to an increase in the internal pressure of the liquid-containing bottle 100. For example, when the amount of deformation of the valve body 124a is relatively small, the tip of the projection 123c may come into contact with the valve body 124a to an extent that does not deform the valve body 124a when the injection port 122c is sealed by the cap seal portion 123b and the nozzle seal portion 122d.

[0048] If the projection 123c is simply to be brought into contact with the swollen valve body 124a, a configuration as shown in FIG. 10 may be used. That is, when the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22 (when the inlet 122c is sealed), the tip of the projection 123c may be made to face the intersection 124d of the slit 124b. However, in this case, depending on the thinness of the projection 123c, when the valve body 124a is swollen, the projection 123c may be inserted into the slit 124b near the intersection 124d. Even if the projection 123c is inserted in this way, the slit 124b may remain closed. As a result, even if the projection 123c comes into contact with the swollen valve body 124a, the pressure inside the liquid containing bottle 100 may not be released. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the tip of projection 123c faces valve element 124a of slit valve 124 at a position laterally spaced from intersection 124d of multiple slits 124b when injection port 122c is sealed.

[0049] (two hole configuration) FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a nozzle having two holes. FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b) are cross-sectional views of the nozzle 22. As shown in FIG. 12(a), the nozzle portion 110 protrudes in a first direction 134 from the outer surface of the bottom wall 111 of the nozzle 22. That is, in a state in which the nozzle 22 is attached to the bottle body 21, the nozzle portion 110 protrudes in the first direction 134 from the bottle body 21 via the nozzle 22. The nozzle portion 110 may protrude from the bottom wall 111 in the first direction 134 and also in a second direction 135 from the bottom wall 111. In this case, the nozzle is provided so as to penetrate the bottom wall 111.

[0050] The nozzle part 110 is generally cylindrical. The nozzle part 110 has an outer peripheral surface 112 with a cross section in the shape of a circumferential surface. An outer peripheral surface 113, which is a part of the outer peripheral surface 112, is tapered and inclined in a direction in which the diameter of the outer peripheral circle becomes smaller from the bottom wall 111 toward the first direction 134. This shape enables the nozzle part 110 to move smoothly when it is inserted into the tank in order from the distal end side far from the bottle body 21. However, the nozzle part 110 may have an outer peripheral surface that extends vertically with the same diameter of the outer peripheral circle from the bottom wall 111 to the tip. In addition, the nozzle part 110 may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape, for example, a rectangular prism shape.

[0051] The nozzle portion 110 has a flow path 90 for the flow of ink or gas. The flow path 90 penetrates the nozzle 22 along the first direction 134. The flow path 90 extends along the first direction 134, but is not limited to this, and may be curved. The cross-sectional shape of the flow path 90 may be circular or a shape other than circular. In a state in which the nozzle 22 is attached to the bottle body 21, one end of the flow path 90 communicates with the bottle body 21 through an opening 93. The other end of the flow path communicates with the outside of the nozzle 22 through an opening 94 at the distal end side of the nozzle. The opening 93 is circular. The opening 93 may be a shape other than circular. In addition, the opening 93 may be formed at the base end of the nozzle portion 110, and is not limited to the base end surface 114. The opening 94 is formed at the tip surface 115 that constitutes the end of the nozzle portion 110 in the first direction 134. The opening 94 is circular. It should be noted that the opening 94 may have a shape other than a circular shape.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 12(b), the nozzle section 110 may have two flow paths 190, a first flow path 191 and a second flow path 192. The first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 may have the same or different lengths along the ink flow direction. The first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 may have the same or different cross-sectional shapes and cross-sectional areas. Furthermore, the number of the multiple flow paths 190 may be more than two. When the nozzle section 110 has multiple flow paths 190, the length and shape of each flow path 190 may be the same or different. When the nozzle section 110 has two flow paths 190, the openings 193 and 195 formed at the base end are formed on the same surface. However, they may be formed on different surfaces. The first opening 194 and the second opening 196 are formed in the tip surface 115 that constitutes the end of the nozzle section 110 in the first direction 134. However, the first opening 194 and the second opening 196 may be formed anywhere as long as it is at the tip of the nozzle portion 110, and is not limited to the tip surface 115. The first opening 194 and the second opening 196 are circular. However, the first opening 194 and the second opening 196 may be a shape other than a circular shape.

[0053] The tip of the nozzle part 110 is, for example, a part of the nozzle part 110 that is configured by the tip surface 115 and the outer peripheral surface 112. The nozzle part 110 has a recess 116 on its outer peripheral surface 112. The recess 116 is defined by the tip surface 115 and an inner peripheral surface 118 (one surface of the side surface) of an annular rib 117 that protrudes from the outer edge of the tip surface 115 in the first direction 134. That is, the tip surface 115 is recessed from the tip of the nozzle part 110 (the tip of the annular rib 117). The inner peripheral surface 118 extends toward the outer edge of the tip surface 115 as it moves from the tip surface 115 toward the first direction 134. That is, the inner peripheral surface 118 extends in the first direction 134 while inclining in a direction that expands the diameter of the recess 116. The inner peripheral surface 118 may extend along the first direction 134 without inclining. Furthermore, the nozzle portion 110 does not necessarily have to have the recess 116. In other words, the tip portion of the nozzle portion 110 does not necessarily have to be recessed.

[0054] The present disclosure includes configurations typified by the following liquid-containing bottle examples.

[0055] <Configuration 1> The bottle includes a bottle body that contains a liquid, a cap that seals the bottle body, and a nozzle that is connected to the cap and that ejects the liquid contained in the bottle body. A liquid-containing bottle, wherein the radius of curvature of an inner wall of a first curved portion between a bottom surface and a side surface of the bottle body is greater than the radius of curvature of an outer wall.

[0056] <Configuration 2> 2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the inner wall of the second curved portion between the upper surface and the side surface of the bottle body is greater than the radius of curvature of the outer wall.

[0057] <Configuration 3> 3. The liquid containing bottle according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall of the liquid containing bottle is greater than the thickness of the side wall of the liquid containing bottle.

[0058] <Configuration 4> 4. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the bottle body is made of recycled plastic material or a resin material mixed with recycled plastic material.

[0059] <Component 5> 5. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 4, wherein the recycled plastic material is one or a mixture of two or more of PP, PE, PET, PVC, and PS.

[0060] <Component 6> 6. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the bottle body contains 5 wt % or more of recycled plastic material.

[0061] <Component 7> 7. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the radius of curvature of the inner wall of the first curved portion of the bottle body is in the range of 1.0 mm or more and 50 mm or less.

[0062] <Component 8> 8. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the radius of curvature of the outer wall of the first curved portion of the bottle body is in the range of 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

[0063] <Component 9> 3. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the bottle body is in the range of 1.0 mm or more and 50 mm or less.

[0064] <Component 10> 3. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the outer wall of the second curved portion of the bottle body is in the range of 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

[0065] <Component 11> 11. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of configurations 1 to 10, wherein the thickness of the bottom surface of the bottle body is in the range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm.

[0066] <Component 12> 12. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of configurations 1 to 11, wherein the thickness of the side surface of the bottle body is in the range of 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 101 Bottle body 102 Nozzle 103 Cap R1 Radius of curvature of the inner wall at the bottom R2 Radius of curvature of bottom outer wall

Claims

1. The bottle includes a bottle body for containing a liquid, a nozzle for discharging the liquid contained in the bottle body, and a cap for sealing the nozzle. A liquid storage bottle, characterized in that in a vertical cross section of the bottle body, a first curved portion between a bottom surface and a side surface of the bottle body, a radius of curvature of an inner wall is larger than a radius of curvature of an outer wall.

2. 2. The liquid containing bottle according to claim 1, wherein the radius of curvature of the inner wall of the second curved portion between the upper surface and the side surface of the bottle body is greater than the radius of curvature of the outer wall.

3. 2. The liquid containing bottle according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the bottom wall of the liquid containing bottle is greater than the thickness of the side walls of the liquid containing bottle.

4. 2. The liquid containing bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle body is made of recycled plastic material or a resin material mixed with recycled plastic material.

5. 5. The liquid containing bottle according to claim 4, wherein the recycled plastic material is one or a mixture of two or more of PP, PE, PET, PVC, and PS.

6. 2. The liquid containing bottle according to claim 1, wherein the bottle body contains 5 wt % or more of recycled plastic material.

7. 2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature of the inner wall of the first curved portion of the bottle body is in a range of 1.0 mm to 50 mm.

8. 2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature of the outer wall of the first curved portion of the bottle body is in a range of 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

9. 3. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 2, wherein a radius of curvature of the inner wall of the second curved portion of the bottle body is in a range of 1.0 mm to 50 mm.

10. 3. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 2, wherein a radius of curvature of the outer wall of the second curved portion of the bottle body is in a range of 0.5 mm to 50 mm.

11. 2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the bottom surface of the bottle body is in the range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm.

12. 2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the side surface of the bottle body is in the range of 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm.

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