Light-emitting device and liquid ejecting device

Abstract

To solve the problem in which, although a light-emitting unit may have conspicuous uneven brightness, yet suppressing the uneven brightness by increasing the number of light sources may increase costs of the device.SOLUTION: A light-emitting device includes a light source, and a light-guiding member on which light emitted by the light source is incident and from which the incident light exits to an outside. The light-guiding member includes a plate portion having a planar shape, a first hole which is formed in the plate portion and in which the light source is disposed, and a plurality of second holes formed in the plate portion, where the second holes are located between the first hole and a peripheral edge of the light-guiding member in plan view of the plate portion and are spaced along the peripheral edge. The light source emits light toward a side surface of the first hole.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 20

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light emitting device that emits light from a light source to the outside, and also to a liquid ejection device including the light emitting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a panel device in which a light-emitting section made of a transparent material is arranged around a button member, and the light-emitting section illuminates the area around the button member. In this panel device, a light source is provided on a substrate, and light emitted from the light source is incident on a side surface of a light-guiding member. The light that has entered the light-guiding member is emitted from the upper surface of the light-guiding member toward the light-emitting section, making it possible to illuminate a relatively wide area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-254680 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In some cases, uneven brightness becomes noticeable in the light-emitting portion. In order to suppress uneven brightness, it may be possible to increase the number of light sources, but this would increase the cost of the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problem, the light emitting device of the present invention comprises a light source and a light guiding member which is a member into which light emitted from the light source is incident and which emits the incident light to the outside, the light guiding member comprising: a flat plate portion; a first hole which is provided in the plate portion and in which the light source is positioned; and a second hole which is provided in the plate portion and is located between the first hole and a periphery of the light guiding member in a planar view of the plate portion and is provided in a plurality of spaces apart along the periphery, and the light source emits light toward a side surface of the first hole.

[0006] The liquid ejection device of the present invention further comprises a device main body having a liquid ejection head which ejects liquid onto a medium, and a liquid storage section which stores the liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection head, the liquid storage section having a liquid supply port and an opening / closing cover which can be switched between a closed state which covers the supply port and an open state which opens the supply port, and the light emitting device is configured in the opening / closing cover and emits light according to the remaining amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the printer. [Figure 3A] FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3C] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3D] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3E] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3F] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3G] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 3H] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 4]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer with the cover unit open. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink containing section with the cover unit open. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the ink storage unit taken along the YZ plane. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8A] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage section taken along the YZ plane. [Figure 8B] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage section taken along the YZ plane. [Figure 8C] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage section taken along the YZ plane. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the printer with the document cover open. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage section taken along the YZ plane. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ink storage section taken along the XZ plane. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the printer with the document cover omitted from the illustration. [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view of the operation panel cut along the YZ plane. [Figure 14] Top view of the printer. [Figure 15] Top view of the printer. [Figure 16] Side view of the printer. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which light travels inside a light-guiding member. [Figure 23] A diagram to explain the placement of the third hole. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which light travels inside a light-guiding member. [Diagram 25] A diagram to explain the placement of the third hole. [Figure 26] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which light travels inside a light-guiding member. [Figure 27] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which light travels inside a light-guiding member. [Figure 28] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a light guide member and a substrate according to another embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view of a light guide member according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The present invention will now be briefly described. The light emitting device of the first aspect comprises a light source and a light guiding member which is a member into which light emitted by the light source is incident and which outputs the incident light to the outside, the light guiding member comprising: a flat plate portion; a first hole provided in the plate portion in which the light source is positioned; and a second hole provided in the plate portion which is located between the first hole and a periphery of the light guiding member in a planar view of the plate portion and is provided in a plurality of spaces apart along the periphery, and the light source emits light toward a side surface of the first hole.

[0009] Since the light source emits light toward the side surface of the first hole, the light emitted from the light source enters from the side surface of the first hole and travels toward the periphery of the light-guiding member in a plan view of the plate portion. The light traveling toward the periphery of the light-guiding member exits from the outer surface of the light-guiding member, and this allows the outer surface of the light-guiding member to be visually recognized as emitting light. The periphery of the light-guiding member may be the emitting outer surface, or a portion other than the periphery may be the emitting outer surface as a result of light being reflected by the periphery. In this specification, the periphery refers to an edge that forms the outer shape of the light-guiding member when the plate portion is viewed in a plan view. Here, in order for light to be emitted from the outer surface of the light-guiding member, the light needs to be directed at an angle that does not cause total reflection with respect to the outer surface of the light-guiding member. Therefore, if the amount of light that is totally reflected at a given location on the outer surface of the light-guiding member is greater than the amount of light that is not totally reflected, the brightness at the given location will decrease. Conversely, if the amount of light that is not totally reflected at a given location on the outer surface of the light-guiding member is greater than the amount of light that is totally reflected, the brightness at the given location will increase. For these reasons, there is a risk of uneven brightness occurring overall on the outer surface of the light-guiding member. However, according to this aspect, the light incident from the side of the first hole is reflected by the side of the second holes, so that the light incident from the first hole is directed in more directions. This makes the ratio of the amount of light totally reflected to the outer surface of the light guide member and the amount of light not totally reflected uniform on the outer surface of the light guide member. As a result, it is possible to suppress unevenness in brightness when the light guide member emits light, and to obtain a good light emission state.

[0010] The second aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that the light-guiding member includes a third hole, which is a hole provided in the plate portion and is located between the first hole and the second hole in a planar view of the plate portion, a line connecting the light source and a first portion of the periphery in the planar view of the plate portion is defined as a first straight line, a line connecting the light source and a second portion of the periphery which is shorter than the first straight line is defined as a second straight line, and the third hole is provided at a position intersecting the second straight line.

[0011] The outer surface of the light guide member closer to the light source tends to have a higher luminance than the outer surface relatively farther from the light source, which causes uneven luminance. However, according to the present embodiment, the third hole is located at a position where it intersects with the second straight line, which is shorter than the first straight line, so that the light is diffused by being reflected or refracted on the side of the third hole, thereby preventing the brightness of the outer surface closer to the light source from becoming too high, and thereby suppressing brightness unevenness. In addition, it is expected that light reflected on the side of the third hole will return to the first hole, be reflected on the side of the first hole, and travel toward the distant outer surface.

[0012] The third aspect is a dependent aspect of the second aspect, and is characterized in that the third holes are provided in a plurality of places, and at least one of the plurality of the third holes has an elliptical shape so as to expand the distance between the third holes and the first hole and the distance between the third holes and the second hole.

[0013] The third hole is for suppressing the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source, so it is preferable that it is as large as possible. However, if the distance between the first hole and the third hole or the distance between the second hole and the third hole is narrow, the fluidity of the resin in the mold decreases when the light guide member is molded from resin, which is likely to cause molding defects. However, according to the present embodiment, at least one of the third holes has an elliptical shape so as to increase the distance between the first hole and the second hole. This allows the light from the light source toward the outer surface closer to the light source to be reflected over a wide area while preventing the distance between the first hole and the third hole and the distance between the second hole and the third hole from narrowing, thereby suppressing the above-mentioned molding defects.

[0014] A fourth aspect is a aspect dependent on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the third holes are provided in plurality, and at least one of the third holes has a shape of a circle cut out so as to have a chord and an arc, and is positioned so that the chord faces the first hole.

[0015] The third hole is for suppressing the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source, so it is preferable that it is as large as possible. However, if the distance between the first hole and the third hole or the distance between the second hole and the third hole is narrow, the fluidity of the resin in the mold decreases when the light guide member is molded from resin, which is likely to cause molding defects. However, according to the present embodiment, at least one of the third holes has a shape of a circle cut out to have a chord and an arc, and is positioned so that the chord faces the first hole. Therefore, light from the light source toward the outer surface close to the light source can be reflected over a wide area while preventing the spacing between the first hole and the third hole, and the spacing between the second hole and the third hole from narrowing, thereby suppressing the above-mentioned molding defects.

[0016] The fifth aspect is a aspect dependent on the second aspect, and is characterized in that the third holes are provided in plurality, and at least one of the plurality of third holes is a hole having a larger area than the second hole and is shaped like a circle, an ellipse, or a closed curve.

[0017] The third hole is for suppressing the luminance of the outer surface close to the light source, and therefore preferably has a certain size. According to this aspect, at least one of the third holes has a larger area than the second hole and is shaped like a circle, an ellipse, or a closed curve, thereby ensuring reflection of light on the side of the third hole and effectively suppressing the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source. The above area means the area of ​​the third hole when viewed from above.

[0018] A sixth aspect is a dependent aspect of the second aspect, and is characterized in that the light-guiding member has a fourth hole which is provided in the center of the plate portion and has a larger opening than the first hole, the second hole, and the third hole.

[0019] According to this aspect, the light-guiding member is provided with a fourth hole which is a hole provided in the center of the plate portion and has a larger opening than the first hole, the second hole, and the third hole. Therefore, it is expected that light which is reflected off the side of the third hole or the second hole and returns toward the center of the plate portion will be reflected off the side of the fourth hole and head toward the outer surface farther from the light source, i.e., the outer surface which is likely to have lower brightness. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned second aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned third to fifth aspects.

[0020] A seventh aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that the light-guiding member has an outer wall portion that forms the peripheral edge and rises in a direction intersecting with the surface of the plate portion.

[0021] According to this aspect, the light-guiding member is a part that forms the periphery and has an outer wall portion that rises in a direction intersecting the surface of the plate portion. Therefore, since the light emitted by the light source is emitted from the outer wall portion, the light emission can be seen not only from the side but also from above, improving visibility. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to sixth aspects.

[0022] The eighth aspect is a dependent aspect of the seventh aspect, and is characterized in that a groove portion is formed on the outside of the outer wall portion to reflect light traveling toward the outside of the plate portion and guide it to the top of the outer wall portion.

[0023] According to the present aspect, a groove portion is formed on the outside of the outer wall portion to reflect light traveling toward the outside of the plate portion and guide it to the top of the outer wall portion, thereby ensuring the brightness of the outer wall portion.

[0024] The ninth aspect is a dependent aspect of the seventh aspect, and is characterized in that a light-shielding member is provided inside the outer wall portion and on the upper part of the plate portion, and the light-shielding member causes the outer wall portion to emit light in a ring shape.

[0025] According to the present aspect, a light-shielding member is provided inside the outer wall portion and on the upper part of the plate portion, and the light-shielding member causes the outer wall portion to emit light in a ring shape. As a result, brightness unevenness is less noticeable compared to a configuration in which the entire light-guiding member is the light-emitting part. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the seventh aspect, but may be subordinate to the eighth aspect.

[0026] The tenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that it has a substrate on which the light source is provided, and the surface of the substrate on which the light source is provided is formed as a reflective surface that reflects light.

[0027] According to the present aspect, the surface of the substrate on which the light source is provided is formed as a reflective surface that reflects light, thereby making it possible to suppress loss of light emitted from the light source and to preferably emit light from the light-guiding member. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to ninth aspects.

[0028] The eleventh aspect is a dependent aspect of the first aspect, and is characterized in that it has a substrate on which the light source is provided, and a reflective sheet that reflects light is provided on the opposite side of the plate portion of the light-guiding member to the substrate.

[0029] According to the present aspect, a reflective sheet that reflects light is provided on the opposite side of the plate portion of the light-guiding member from the substrate, thereby making it possible to suppress loss of light emitted from the light source and to emit light preferably from the light-guiding member. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to tenth aspects.

[0030] A twelfth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, and is characterized in that a filter for adjusting a color of emitted light is provided between an inner surface of the first hole and the light source. According to this aspect, a filter for adjusting the emitted light color is provided between the inner surface of the first hole and the light source, so that the emitted light color can be easily adjusted. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to eleventh aspects.

[0031] A thirteenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the light guide member is formed of a light-transmitting material containing a light diffusing material. According to this aspect, since the light-guiding member is formed of a light-transmitting material containing a light diffusing agent, the manner in which light is reflected inside the light-guiding member can be blurred, making it appear as if light is being emitted uniformly. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to twelfth aspects.

[0032] A fourteenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that a surface of the light guide member is textured. According to this aspect, since the surface of the light-guiding member is textured, the manner in which light is reflected inside the light-guiding member can be blurred, and light can be made to appear to be emitted uniformly. Incidentally, this aspect is not limited to the above-mentioned first aspect, and may be subordinate to any of the above-mentioned second to thirteenth aspects.

[0033] The liquid ejection device of the 15th aspect comprises a device body having a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto a medium, and a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection head, the liquid storage section having a liquid supply port and an opening / closing cover that can be switched between a closed state that covers the supply port and an open state that opens the supply port, and the light-emitting device of any of the first to fourteenth aspects is configured on the opening / closing cover and emits light according to the remaining amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage section. According to this aspect, in a liquid ejection device that ejects liquid onto a medium, the effects of any one of the first to fourteenth aspects described above can be obtained.

[0034] The present invention will be specifically described below. In each drawing, the X-axis direction is the width direction of the device, the -X direction is the right direction as seen by a user when the front of the device faces the user, and the +X direction is the left direction. The Y-axis direction is the depth direction of the device, the +Y direction is the direction from the rear side of the device to the front side of the device, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front side of the device to the rear side of the device. In this embodiment, the side surface of the device on which the operation panel 15 is provided, i.e., the side surface in the +Y direction, is the front side of the device. Additionally, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, with the +Z direction being vertically upward and the -Z direction being vertically downward.

[0035] <Overall printer configuration> 1, an inkjet printer 1A, which is an example of a liquid ejection device, is a multifunction device equipped with a scanner unit 3, which is an example of a reading unit, on top of a device main body 2. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer will be abbreviated to "printer". The device body 2 has a box-shaped outer shell, and the device body 2 and the scanner unit 3 are configured so that the -X direction side, i.e., the right side, and the +X direction side, i.e., the left side, are substantially flush with each other. The right side and the left side of the device body 2 and the scanner unit 3 are parallel to the YZ plane.

[0036] The device body 2 has a function of recording on a medium such as recording paper, and the scanner unit 3 has a function of reading an original. The device body 2 is equipped with an ink ejection head 17 (see Figs. 14 and 16) that ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the medium. The ink ejection head 17 is provided on a carriage 16 (see Figs. 14 and 16) that moves in the X-axis direction, i.e., the width direction of the medium. Ink is supplied to the ink ejection head 17 from an ink storage section 10, which is an example of a liquid storage section described below, via an ink tube (not shown). The scanner unit 3 includes a reading sensor 5 (see FIG. 14) extending in the Y-axis direction on the unit body 3c. The reading sensor 5, which is an example of a reading section that reads a document, is configured with a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) in this embodiment, and reads a document placed on a document table 6 (see FIG. 9) while moving in the X-axis direction. The document table 6 is formed of glass, for example.

[0037] An original cover 8 that can open and close the original table 6 is provided above the original table 6. The original cover 8 is connected to the unit body 3c of the scanner unit 3 via a hinge (not shown) provided at the rear of the device. The axis of rotation of the original cover 8 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the original cover 8 opens and closes the original table 6 by rotating in the +Y direction, i.e., with the front of the device as its free end.

[0038] Incidentally, instead of the document cover 8, a document feeder that automatically feeds a document that is set thereon may be provided. The printer 1B shown in Fig. 2 has such a configuration, and is provided with a document feeder 9 instead of the document cover 8 described above. The document feeder 9 is rotatably connected to the scanner unit 3 via a hinge (not shown) provided at the rear of the device, similar to the document cover 8 described above. The axis of rotation of the document feeder 9 is parallel to the X-axis direction, and the document feeder 9 opens and closes the document table 6 by rotating in the +Y direction, i.e., with the front of the device as its free end. When an original is read using the original feeding device 9, the reading sensor 5 (see FIG. 14) reads the transported original while stopped at the end in the +X direction with respect to the original table 6. In this case, the first side of the original is read by the reading sensor 5 (see FIG. 14), and the second side opposite to the first side is read by a reading sensor (not shown) provided inside the original feeding device 9. It is also possible to provide only the reading sensor 5 and a reversing path for reversing the original, and to reverse the original using the reversing path and read it with the reading sensor 5, thereby reading the first and second sides of the original. The basic configuration of the device main body 2 and the unit main body 3c that constitutes the scanner unit 3 is the same in the printer 1A and the printer 1B.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 1, an operation panel 15 for performing various operation settings is provided on the front of the device. The operation panel 15 is tiltable and can be rotated between a first state shown in FIG. 1 and a second state (see FIGS. 12 and 13) in which a panel surface 15a, which is the front surface, faces vertically upward from the first state. In this embodiment, the panel surface 15a in the second state is slightly inclined downward and forms a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. However, the panel surface 15a in the second state may be parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0040] In Fig. 1, a front cover 14 is provided below the operation panel 15. The front cover 14 is provided so as to be able to open and close, and can be in a closed state (Fig. 1) or an open state (not shown). When the front cover 14 is opened, a discharge tray 13 (see Fig. 12) is exposed, which receives the medium discharged after recording. The front cover 14 is provided so as to be rotatable relative to a medium storage cassette (not shown). The medium stored in the medium storage cassette is fed in the -Y direction by a feed roller (not shown), reversed, and transported in the +Y direction while recording is performed, and then discharged in the +Y direction. The front cover 14 in the closed state and the operation panel 15 in the first state are flush with each other as shown in FIG.

[0041] Next, on the front side of the device body 2 in the -X direction, that is, on the right side, an ink containing section 10, which is an example of a liquid containing section, is provided. Ink tanks 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D (see FIG. 11) are provided as liquid storage containers inside the ink storage unit 10. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the ink tanks 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D, they will be collectively referred to as ink tanks 18. The ink tanks 18 constitute the ink storage unit 10. As an example, ink tank 18A contains black ink, and ink tanks 18B, 18C, and 18D contain colored inks, for example, yellow, magenta, and cyan inks, respectively.

[0042] 1, the ink tank 18 is provided inside an exterior member 47. An opening is provided on the front surface of the exterior member 47, and this exposes remaining ink visualizing portions 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D at the front of the device for visually checking the remaining ink amount. The remaining amount visualizing portions 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D are parts of the ink tanks 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D, respectively. That is, parts of the ink tanks 18A, 18B, 18C, and 18D are formed to be transparent or semi-transparent so that the insides can be visually confirmed, and these parts become the remaining amount visualizing portions 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D. When there is no need to distinguish between the remaining amount visualizing portions 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D, they will be collectively referred to as the remaining amount visualizing portion 23. The side surface of the exterior member 47 in the -X direction is flush with the side surfaces of the apparatus body 2 and the scanner unit 3 in the -X direction.

[0043] A cover unit 45A is provided on the upper part of exterior member 47. There are a number of embodiments of the cover unit, as will be described later with reference to Figures 3A to 3H, and hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be collectively referred to as cover unit 45. Cover unit 45 is an example of an opening and closing cover. The cover unit 45 has a cover member 46 as a base. The cover member 46, i.e., the cover unit 45, is provided rotatably around a rotation shaft 45a (FIGS. 8A to 8C) provided at the bottom, and can be in a closed state (FIGS. 1 and 8C) and a fully open state (FIG. 8A) by rotating. In this embodiment, the axis center line of the rotation shaft 45a is parallel to the X-axis. The cover member 46, i.e., the cover unit 45 according to this embodiment, is provided detachably with respect to the rotation shaft 45a. However, the cover member 46, i.e., the cover unit 45, may be provided fixedly with respect to the rotation shaft 45a. The side surface of the cover unit 45 in the -X direction is flush with the side surfaces of the apparatus main body 2 and the scanner unit 3 in the -X direction. Further, the side surface in the +Y direction of the cover unit 45, i.e., the front surface, is flush with the side surface in the +Y direction of the exterior member 47, i.e., the front surface.

[0044] As shown in the change from Fig. 1 to Fig. 4 or the change from Fig. 8C to Fig. 8A, the cover unit 45 opens by rotating from a closed state toward the front of the device with its upper end as a free end. The maximum opening angle of the cover unit 45 is smaller than 90° (see also Fig. 8A), and the cover unit 45 is configured so that even when the cover unit 45 is fully open, the cover unit 45 does not obstruct the viewing of the remaining amount viewing portions 23A, 23B, 23C, and 23D. When the cover unit 45 is opened, the opening / closing levers 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D are exposed as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a state in which the opening / closing levers 21B, 21C, and 21D are closed and the opening / closing lever 21A is open. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the opening / closing levers 21A, 21B, 21C, and 21D, they will be collectively referred to as the opening / closing lever 21.

[0045] For example, a sealing cap 20A is provided on the opening / closing lever 21A. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the ink tank 18A is provided with an ink supply port 19A, and the ink supply port 19A is exposed by opening the opening / closing lever 21A. The sealing cap 20A is made of an elastic material, and closes the ink supply port 19A when the opening / closing lever 21A is closed. A user can refill ink tank 18A with ink via ink supply port 19A by opening opening / closing lever 21A and setting an ink refill bottle (not shown) in ink supply port 19A. Similarly, the other ink tanks 18B, 18C, and 18D are each provided with an ink supply port 19B, 19C, and 19D, respectively, as shown in Fig. 11. Similarly, the opening / closing levers 21B, 21C, and 21D are each provided with a sealing cap 20B, 20C, and 20D, respectively.

[0046] Next, a part of the outer surface of the cover unit 45 emits light. The light emission of the cover unit 45 is controlled by a control unit (not shown) according to the remaining amount of ink. For example, when the remaining amount of ink is sufficient, the cover unit 45 does not emit light, and when the remaining amount of ink is near the end, i.e., close to zero, or when the ink is out, i.e., zero, the cover unit 45 emits light. The term "emission" includes lighting and blinking, and may be either lighting or blinking, or a combination of lighting and blinking. The control unit (not shown) accumulates the amount of ink ejected from the ink ejection head 17 (see Figs. 14 and 16) to grasp the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank 18, and causes a part of the cover unit 45 to emit light as necessary.

[0047] <Example of the light-emitting part of the cover unit> The internal structure of the cover unit 45 will be described in detail later, but here, an example of the light-emitting portion of the cover unit 45 will be described with reference to Figures 3A to 3H. Note that the light-emitting portion is indicated by hatching in Figures 3A to 3H. In the cover unit 45A shown in Fig. 3A, a light-emitting unit 50A is provided at the upper end of the cover unit 45A. As will be described in detail later, the upper end of the cover unit 45A has a recess on the inside of the outer periphery, so that the outer periphery protrudes upward. The outer periphery protruding upward at the upper end of the cover unit 45A is configured as the light-emitting unit 50A that emits light. In other words, the light-emitting unit 50A emits light in a ring shape. In addition to the light-emitting unit 50A according to this embodiment, there are also light-emitting units 50A to 50H described below, and hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between them, they will be collectively referred to as the light-emitting unit 50. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit refers to a portion that emits light. According to this embodiment, the light emitting section 50A is provided at the upper end of the cover unit 45A, thereby improving the visibility of the light emitting section 50A.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 50A is provided at the upper end of the cover unit 45A along the outer periphery of the cover unit 45A and emits light in a ring shape, thereby ensuring the length of the area in which the light-emitting unit 50A emits light and improving the visibility of the light-emitting unit 50A.

[0049] Furthermore, the cover unit 45A has a recessed area on the inside of the light-emitting portion 50A, which makes the light-emitting portion 50A even more noticeable and improves the visibility of the light-emitting portion 50A. In addition, when opening and closing the cover unit 45A, the upper part of the cover unit 45A can be used as a finger hook, improving the operability of the cover unit 45A.

[0050] Next, the light-emitting section 50 may have a configuration shown in FIG. 3B. 3B includes a light-emitting section 50B. The light-emitting section 50B differs from the light-emitting section 50A described above in that the light-emitting section 50B does not emit light over the entire circumference, but emits light over half the circumference. In addition, in FIG. 3B, the light-emitting section 50B emits light from the side located in the -Y direction and the side located in the +X direction at the upper end of the cover unit 45B, but the side located in the +Y direction and the side located in the -X direction may also emit light. Alternatively, among the four sides of the top end of the cover unit 45B, the side located in the -Y direction, the side located in the +Y direction, the side located in the -X direction, and the side located in the +Y direction, the other two sides may be illuminated. Alternatively, any one of the four sides may be illuminated, or any three of the four sides may be illuminated.

[0051] The light-emitting section 50 may have a configuration shown in FIG. 3C. The cover unit 45C shown in Fig. 3C includes a light emitting section 50C. In this embodiment, the upper end of the cover unit 45C is formed flat, and the entire upper end is configured to emit light. However, in a configuration in which the upper end of the cover unit 45C has a recessed inner periphery and the outer periphery protrudes upward, similar to the other cover units 45 described above, the outer periphery and the inside of the outer periphery may be configured to emit light.

[0052] The light emitting section 50 may have a configuration shown in FIG. 3D. 3D includes a light-emitting unit 50D. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 50D is provided on the inside of the recess on the inner side of the outer periphery at the upper part of the cover unit 45D, and a part of the inner side of the outer periphery is configured to emit light. However, the upper part of the cover unit 45D may be formed flat like the above-mentioned cover unit 45C, and the light-emitting unit 50D may be provided on a part of the upper part. Although the light-emitting portion 50D has a rectangular shape in a plan view, the shape is not limited to this and may be other figures, and is also not limited to figures and may be characters. As described above, the light-emitting units 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D are provided on the upper part of the cover unit 45, so that the visibility of the light-emitting units 50 is improved.

[0053] The light-emitting section 50 may also have a configuration shown in FIG. 3E. 3E includes a light emitting section 50E. In this embodiment, the light emitting section 50E is configured so that the +Y side and the -X side of the lower end of the cover unit 45E emit light. However, the light-emitting unit 50E may illuminate the other two of the three sides at the lower end of the cover unit 45E, namely the side located in the +Y direction, the side located in the -X direction, and the side located in the +X direction that is located in the +Y direction from the operation panel 15, or it may illuminate any one of the other sides.

[0054] The light-emitting section 50 may also have a configuration shown in FIG. 3F. The cover unit 45F shown in Fig. 3F includes a light-emitting section 50F. In this embodiment, the light-emitting section 50F is configured to be provided on a part of the side in the +Y direction at the lower end of the cover unit 45F. However, the light-emitting section 50F may be configured to be provided on a part of the side in the -X direction at the lower end of the cover unit 45F.

[0055] As described above, the light emitting units 50E, 50F are provided at the lower end of the side surface of the cover units 45E, 45F located above the remaining amount visualizing unit 23. This allows the remaining amount visualizing unit 23 and the light emitting unit 50 to be viewed at a close distance, making it easier for the user to view information related to the remaining amount of ink.

[0056] The light-emitting section 50 may also have a configuration shown in FIG. 3G. 3G includes a light-emitting unit 50G. In this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 50G extends in the Z-axis direction. The light-emitting unit 50G is provided at the end of the cover unit 45G in the -X direction on the side surface in the +Y direction. However, the light-emitting unit 50G may be provided at the end in the +X direction on the +Y direction side surface of the cover unit 45G, or may be provided at the center in the X-axis direction.

[0057] The light emitting section 50 may also have a configuration shown in FIG. 3H. 3H includes a light emitting section 50H. In this embodiment, the light emitting section 50H is provided on a part of the side surface in the +Y direction of the cover unit 45G. Although the light emitting portion 50H has a rectangular shape in a plan view, the shape is not limited to this and may be other figures, and is also not limited to figures and may be characters. As described above, the light-emitting units 50G, 50H are provided on the side surfaces of the cover units 45G, 45H that are located above the remaining amount visualizing unit 23. This allows the remaining amount visualizing unit 23 and the light-emitting unit 50 to be viewed on the same surface, making it easier for the user to view information related to the remaining amount of ink.

[0058] As described above, the light-emitting unit 50 according to each of the above embodiments is provided in the cover unit 45 which can be switched between a closed state which covers the ink supply port 19 for supplying ink, and an open state which opens the ink supply port 19. In addition, the light source 60 is also provided in the cover unit 45, which will be described in detail later. By providing the light-emitting unit 50 and the light source 60 in the cover unit 45 in this manner, when maintenance work such as replacing the light source 60 becomes necessary, it is sufficient to simply remove the cover unit 45, or the maintenance work can be performed without removing the cover unit 45. This eliminates the need for extensive disassembly of the housing of the device, making the maintenance work easier.

[0059] In this embodiment, the light emitting unit 50 emits light in response to the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink containing unit 10, but this is not limiting, and the light emitting unit 50 may emit light in response to other states of the device body 2, such as various states when an error occurs, when maintenance is performed, when printing, when a document is read, etc. The lit light may also be used to guide operations. The following (1) to (12) are specific examples. Only one of the following (1) to (12) may be adopted, or any two or more of them may be adopted. (1) A sensor is provided in the discharge tray 13 to detect the presence or absence of a medium. If the medium on which data has been recorded is discharged to the discharge tray 13 and the user does not remove the discharged medium within a predetermined time, the light-emitting section 50 is caused to emit light to notify the user of this. In addition, the light emitting section 50 may be made to emit light in order to notify the completion of ejection of the medium onto the ejection tray 13 .

[0060] (2) A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an original is provided in the output tray (not shown) of the original feeding device 9 equipped in the printer 1B, and if the original that has been read is not removed by the user within a predetermined time after it is output to the output tray, the light-emitting section 50 is illuminated to notify the user of this. (3) When a document is placed on document table 6, if the document remains there even after a predetermined time has elapsed, light emitting portion 50 is caused to emit light to notify the user of the fact. (4) If there is no media in a media storage cassette (not shown) or if there is no media on a media feed tray (not shown), the light-emitting section 50 is caused to emit light to notify the user of this based on information from a sensor that detects this.

[0061] (5) A sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an original is provided in a feed tray (not shown) of the original feeding device 9 equipped in the printer 1B, and when a subsequent original following the preceding original is not on the feed tray, the light emitting section 50 is caused to emit light to notify that fact. (6) A sensor is provided for detecting when the media reaches the maximum loadable amount on the discharge tray 13, and when the maximum loadable amount is reached, the light emitting portion 50 is caused to emit light to notify that effect. (7) A sensor is provided in the output tray (not shown) of the document feeder 9 of the printer 1B to detect when the document has reached its load limit, and when the load limit is reached, the light-emitting section 50 is illuminated to notify that fact.

[0062] (8) When wireless communication is possible between a control unit (not shown) included in the printers 1A, 1B and an external information terminal, the light emitting unit 50 is caused to emit light to notify that wireless communication is in progress. (9) If the printers 1A and 1B are configured to be battery powered, the light emitting unit 50 emits light to indicate that charging is in progress. (10) The light emitting unit 50 emits light to notify that the time to replace a consumable item is approaching or has come to an end. An example of the consumable item is a feed roller. (11) A sensor is provided to detect the open / closed state of the opening / closing parts, and when the opening / closing parts remain open for a predetermined time, the light emitting part 50 is illuminated to notify the fact. Examples of the opening / closing parts include the document cover 8, the document feeder 9, the cover unit 45, the opening / closing lever 21, etc. (12) When the ink ejection head 17 is undergoing a maintenance operation or is being initially filled with ink, the light emitting portion 50 is caused to emit light to notify that effect.

[0063] In this embodiment, the light emitting section 50 emits light according to the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink containing section 10. In other words, the cover unit 45 is configured to emit light according to the remaining amount of ink contained in the ink containing section 10, that is, the part that the user should operate first when the ink runs out is configured to emit light, so that the user can visually grasp the part that should be operated next, thereby improving usability.

[0064] The cover unit 45 opens and closes by rotating with the upper end serving as the free end when rotating, and further, the cover unit 45 opens when the upper part moves forward from the closed state, and closes when the upper part moves backward from the open state. This eliminates the need for space above or to the sides of the device when opening and closing the cover unit 45, making it possible to save space required for installing the device. In addition, since the upper ends of cover units 45A, 45B, 45D, 45E, 45F, 45G, and 45H have recessed areas on the inside of the outer periphery, the user can place his or her finger on the upper end of each cover unit to open and close cover unit 45, thereby improving the operability of cover unit 45. Additionally, in cover unit 45A, light-emitting unit 50A is the part on which the user places his or her finger, making it easier for the user to know which part to operate.

[0065] The light-emitting portion of the light-emitting unit 50A shown in Fig. 3A may be controlled so as to visually move along the outer periphery of the cover unit 45A. Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 50A has four light sources 60 (see Fig. 20), and by sequentially turning on and off the four light sources 60 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting unit 50A can be made to visually appear to move along the outer periphery of the cover unit 45A. This further improves the visibility of the light-emitting unit 50. Incidentally, when the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting unit 50A visually moves, this does not mean that the light-emitting unit 50A physically moves, as described above, but rather that the light-emitting portion of the light-emitting unit 50A changes over time, resulting in the light-emitting portion appearing to move. For example, the light-emitting portion may be made to appear to move linearly in the light-emitting portion 50F shown in Fig. 3F or the light-emitting portion 50G shown in Fig. 3G. In other words, when multiple light sources are arranged in a line, the light sources are turned on and off in sequence from one end to the other, so that the light-emitting portion appears to move linearly.

[0066] <Positional relationship between the ink storage unit and the scanner unit> Next, a description will be given of the positional relationship between the ink containing section 10 and the scanner unit 3. In the following, the cover unit 45 will be described by taking the cover unit 45A from among the above-mentioned embodiments as an example. When refilling the ink containing section 10 with ink, it is preferable from the viewpoint of workability that the ink containing section 10 be configured so that the top of the ink containing section 10 is largely open. If the scanner unit 3 covers the top of the ink containing section 10, it is necessary to open the scanner unit 3. In order to open the scanner unit 3, a large space is required above the device. In order to solve this problem, it may be possible to provide the ink container 10 so that it protrudes significantly toward the front or side of the device, but in this case the device would become larger overall.

[0067] Therefore, in the printer 1A according to this embodiment, the scanner unit 3 has a cutout portion 3a at a corner on the front side of the device as shown in Fig. 4. Then, when the cover unit 45, which is a part of the ink containing section 10, fits into the cutout portion 3a, the top of the ink containing section 10 becomes open. With this configuration, the ink containing section 10 can be accessed from above without opening the scanner unit 3, and the ink containing section 10 can be easily refilled with ink. In addition, since a part of the ink containing section 10 is recessed into the cutout section 3a, the ink containing section 10 does not protrude significantly forward from the front surface of the device, which makes it possible to prevent the device from becoming larger. In this embodiment, the printer 1 has the cutout portion 3a and the ink storage section 10 at the corner in the -X direction on the front side of the device, but the printer 1 may also have the cutout portion 3a and the ink storage section 10 at the corner in the +X direction on the front side of the device.

[0068] Furthermore, the shape of the cutout portion 3a in a plan view of the device follows the outer shape of the cover unit 45 (see FIG. 14). This prevents unnecessary space from being formed between the cover unit 45 and the scanner unit 3, making it possible to prevent the device from becoming larger.

[0069] Incidentally, a cutout portion along the outer shape of the cover unit 45 is formed not only in the unit main body 3c but also in the document cover 8 as indicated by the reference symbol 8a. This allows access to the ink containing section 10 from above without opening the document cover 8, facilitating the task of refilling the ink containing section 10 with ink. Incidentally, the contours of the cutout portion 3a formed in the unit main body 3c and the cutout portion 8a formed in the document cover 8 roughly match when viewed from above the device, i.e., from the +Z direction (see FIG. 14).

[0070] 2, in the printer 1B equipped with the document feeder 9, the scanner unit 3 has a cutout 3a, and a cover unit 45 that is part of the ink containing section 10 fits into the cutout 3a. The document feeder 9 also has a cutout 9a. This leaves the top of the ink containing section 10 open. The cutout 3a formed in the unit body 3c and the cutout 9a formed in the document feeder 9 have roughly the same contour when viewed from the +Z direction in a plan view of the device. However, the cutout 9a in the document feeder 9 is formed to be slightly larger in the +Z direction.

[0071] Next, as shown in Fig. 10, the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state in the vertical direction is aligned with the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6. The upper end of the cover unit 45 is the part of the cover unit 45 that is located furthest in the +Z direction in the Z axis direction. In Fig. 10, the symbol Z1 indicates the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 and the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6. This provides the following advantageous effects. If the size of the document is larger than the size of the document table 6, the document will protrude from the document table 6 when placed on the document table 6. In this case, if the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state is too high relative to the height position of the document table 6, the cover unit 45 will get in the way. Conversely, if the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state is too low relative to the height position of the document table 6, the document will droop significantly, making it easier for the document to slant relative to the document table 6, or causing problems such as the document becoming curved. However, as described above, the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6 are aligned, so that the occurrence of the above-mentioned problem can be suppressed.

[0072] Incidentally, the fact that the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6 are aligned does not necessarily mean that the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6 are the same, but includes the case where there is some error within a range in which the above-mentioned problems do not occur. As an example, the difference between the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6 is preferably less than 8 mm, more preferably less than 4 mm, and even more preferably 0 to 2 mm.

[0073] Furthermore, when the operation panel 15 is in the first state, i.e., when the panel surface 15a is along a vertical plane, the operation panel 15 is within the area Wb of the cover unit 45 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the device depth direction (see FIG. 14). As shown in FIG. 11, the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the upper end of the operation panel 15 in the first state are aligned. The upper end of the operation panel 15 is the part of the operation panel 15 that is located furthest in the +Z direction in the Z-axis direction. In FIG. 11, the symbol Z1 indicates the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 and the height position of the upper end of the operation panel 15. As a result, the height position of the upper end of cover unit 45 in the closed state, the height position of the upper end of operation panel 15 in the first state, and the height position of placement surface 6a of document table 6 are aligned. As a result, when a document protrudes from document table 6, operation panel 15 does not get in the way, and cover unit 45 and operation panel 15 can appropriately support the document protruding from document table 6.

[0074] Incidentally, the fact that the height position of the upper end of cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the upper end of operation panel 15 in the first state are aligned does not necessarily mean that the height position of the upper end of cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the upper end of operation panel 15 in the first state are the same, but includes the case where there is some error within a range in which the above-mentioned problems do not occur. As an example, the difference between the height position of the upper end of cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the upper end of operation panel 15 in the first state is preferably less than 8 mm, more preferably less than 4 mm, and even more preferably 0 to 2 mm.

[0075] Incidentally, even when the operation panel 15 is in the second state in which the panel surface 15a is inclined downward, the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45 in the closed state and the height position of the upper end of the operation panel 15 are aligned (see Figs. 12 and 13). This provides the above-mentioned effect regardless of the state of the operation panel 15. Incidentally, in Fig. 13, the symbol Z1 indicates the height position of the upper end of the cover unit 45, the height position of the placement surface 6a of the document table 6, and the height position of the upper end of the operation panel 15 in the second state.

[0076] Next, the scanner unit 3 includes a frame member 7 that forms the periphery of the document table 6 as shown in Fig. 9. The frame member 7 has a first step portion 3b that provides a gap between the cover unit 45 and the frame member 7 in the planar direction, i.e., the XY plane direction, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 10. This makes it easier for the user to recognize the presence of the cover unit 45, improving usability. Furthermore, by providing the above-mentioned gap, when a large document that protrudes from frame member 7 is placed and read, damage to the document caused by the document being pinched between document cover 8 and cover unit 45 can be suppressed.

[0077] As described above, when the operation panel 15 is in the first state, i.e., when the panel surface 15a is along the vertical plane, the operation panel 15 is within the area Wb of the cover unit 45 in the Y-axis direction, i.e., the device depth direction (see FIG. 14). The operation panel 15 has a second step portion 15b that provides a gap between the operation panel 15 and the cover unit 45 in the planar direction, i.e., the XY plane direction, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 11. This makes it easier for the user to recognize the presence of the cover unit 45, improving usability.

[0078] Next, other features of the ink containing section 10 will be described below. In this embodiment, the color of the outer surface of the ink containing unit 10 is different from the color of the outer surface of the device body 2 except for the ink containing unit 10. As an example, the color of the outer surface of the ink containing unit 10 is brighter than the color of the outer surface of the device body 2 except for the ink containing unit 10. More specifically, the color of the outer surface of the device body 2 except for the ink containing unit 10 is black, and the color of the outer surface of the cover member 46 and the outer surface of the exterior member 47 that constitute the cover unit 45 are gray. With this configuration, the user can more easily recognize the presence of the cover unit 45, improving usability. The color of the outer surface of the ink containing section 10 may be made lower in brightness than the color of the outer surfaces of the parts of the device body 2 other than the ink containing section 10 .

[0079] Furthermore, as described with reference to FIG. 3A, the cover unit 45A according to this embodiment is configured so that the upper end portion emits light, making it easier for the user to recognize the presence of the cover unit 45A, improving usability.

[0080] 5 to 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C, a wall portion 46a is formed on the inside of a cover member 46 constituting the cover unit 45. The wall portion 46a forms a surface along the XZ plane when the cover unit 45 is in a closed state. The effect of the wall portion 46a will be described below. First, Fig. 8A shows a state in which the cover unit 45 is fully open and the opening / closing lever 21 is open. When the cover unit 45 is closed from this state, the wall portion 46a comes into contact with the opening / closing lever 21 as shown in Fig. 8B, causing the opening / closing lever 21 to rotate in the closing direction. Then, when the cover unit 45 is closed as shown in Fig. 8C, the wall portion 46a brings the opening / closing lever 21 into a completely closed state. Since the opening / closing lever 21 is also closed when the cover unit 45 is closed in this way, even if the user forgets to close the opening / closing lever 21, the opening / closing lever 21 can be closed and evaporation of moisture in the ink tank 18 can be suppressed.

[0081] 6, 7, and 11, a plate portion 46d is provided on the inside of the cover member 46. The plate portion 46d forms a surface parallel to the XY plane when the cover unit 45 is closed. A substrate 51 (see FIG. 17), which will be described later, is provided on the upper portion of the plate portion 46d when the cover unit 45 is closed. 7, the plate portion 46d is formed with a notch 46b and holes 46c-1 and 46c-2. The notch 46b is a portion for passing a cable (not shown) extending from the substrate 51 (see FIG. 17). The holes 46c-1 and 46c-2 are portions into which two bosses 56f formed on a holder 56 (see FIG. 17) described later are fitted.

[0082] When the cover unit 45 is opened, the user may inadvertently touch the cable (not shown) extending from the cutout portion 46b or the boss 56f, which may transfer static electricity to the board 51 and adversely affect the board 51. However, because the wall portion 46a is provided on the inside of the cover member 46, the cable (not shown) extending from the cutout portion 46b and the boss 56f are hidden by the wall portion 46a when the cover unit 45 is opened as shown in Fig. 5. This makes it possible to prevent the user from accidentally touching the cable (not shown) extending from the cutout portion 46b and the boss 56f.

[0083] <Positional relationship between the light-emitting unit and the printer components> Next, the positional relationship between the light-emitting unit 50A and the components of the printer 1 will be described using the light-emitting unit 50A that constitutes the cover unit 45A as an example. As shown in FIG. 14, when operation panel 15 is in the first state, operation panel 15 is within area Wb of light-emitting section 50A in the Y-axis direction, that is, in the device depth direction. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, the ink supply port 19 is located within the area Wa of the light-emitting section 50A in the X-axis direction, that is, in the device width direction. As is clear from FIG. 1, the length of the document cover 8 in the X-axis direction, ie, the device width direction, is longer than the length of the light-emitting section 50A.

[0084] 1, the remaining amount visualizing section 23 is within the area of ​​the light emitting section 50A. This allows the remaining amount visualizing section 23 and the light emitting section 50A to be viewed from a close distance, making it easier for the user to view information related to the remaining amount of ink.

[0085] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14, when the reading sensor 5 constituting the scanner unit 3 is at the home position in the X-axis direction, ie, the device width direction, the reading sensor 5 is within the area Wa of the light-emitting portion 50A. Furthermore, in the X-axis direction, ie, the device width direction, the carriage 16 located at the home position is within the area Wa of the light-emitting section 50A. 16, the upper surface of the carriage 16 is located lower than the light-emitting unit 50A in the vertical direction. In addition, in FIG. 16, the symbol Z1 indicates the range of the light-emitting unit 50A in the Z-axis direction, and the symbol Z2 indicates the position of the upper surface of the carriage 16 in the Z-axis direction.

[0086] 15, the device main body 2 includes a maintenance unit 41 that performs maintenance on the ink ejection head 17, and a waste liquid storage section 42 that stores ink ejected from the ink ejection head 17 as waste liquid for the maintenance unit 41. The maintenance unit 41 includes a cap section (not shown) that caps the ink ejection head 17, and a pump (not shown) that generates negative pressure in the cap section. The ink ejected into the cap section is sent to the waste liquid storage section 42 by the pump. In the X-axis direction, ie, the width direction of the device, the carriage 16 positioned at the home position, the maintenance unit 41, and the waste liquid storage section 42 are within the area Wa of the light-emitting section 50A.

[0087] <Detailed configuration of the light-emitting section> Next, the detailed configuration of the light-emitting section 50A constituting the cover unit 45A will be described by taking the light-emitting section 50A as an example. The cover unit 45A can also be called a light-emitting device that emits light. As shown in FIG. 17, the cover unit 45A includes a cover member 46, a substrate 51, a color filter 57, a light guide member 53, a reflective sheet 54, a light blocking sheet 55, and a holder 56.

[0088] 11, the cover member 46 is provided with the plate portion 46d described with reference to Fig. 7, and the substrate 51 is provided on the upper part of the plate portion 46d. A light guide member 53 is provided on the upper part of the substrate 51. Although not shown in Fig. 11, the reflection sheet 54 shown in Fig. 17 is provided on the upper part of the light guide member 53, a light blocking sheet 55 is provided on the upper part of the reflection sheet 54, and a holder 56 is provided on the upper part of the light blocking sheet 55. The light emitting portion 50A is configured by a part of the light guiding member 53.

[0089] A cylindrical screw fitting portion 56g is formed in the center of the holder 56. In Fig. 17, the screw fitting portion 56g passes through a hole 51a formed in the center of the substrate 51, a fourth hole h4 formed in the light guiding member 53, a hole 54a formed in the center of the reflecting sheet 54, and a hole 55a formed in the center of the light blocking sheet 55. Furthermore, a base portion 46e (see Figs. 6 and 11) that serves as a base for the substrate 51 is formed on the plate portion 46d of the cover member 46 so as to conform to the outer shape of the substrate 51, and a recess 46f is formed on the inside of the base portion 46e as shown in Figs. 6 and 11. A screw fitting portion 56g of the holder 56 fits into the recess 46f. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, a screw 58 fits into the screw fitting portion 56g. As a result, the substrate 51, the light guide member 53, the reflective sheet 54, and the light blocking sheet 55 are sandwiched between the plate portion 46d and the holder 56.

[0090] Incidentally, two bosses 56f are formed on the holder 56 so as to sandwich the screw fitting portion 56g. In Fig. 17, one of the bosses 56f passes through a hole 55b formed in the light blocking sheet 55, a hole 54b formed in the reflecting sheet 54, a hole 53d1 (see Figs. 18 to 20) formed in the light guiding member 53, and a hole 51b formed in the substrate 51, and fits into a hole 46c-1 (see Fig. 7) formed in the plate portion 46d of the cover member 46. The other boss 56f passes through a hole 55c formed in the light-shielding sheet 55, a hole 54c formed in the reflecting sheet 54, a hole 53d2 formed in the light-guiding member 53 (see Figures 18 to 20), and a hole 51c formed in the substrate 51, and fits into a hole 46c-1 (see Figure 7) formed in the plate portion 46d of the cover member 46. The boss 56f determines the relative positions of the cover member 46, the holder 56, the light blocking sheet 55, the reflective sheet 54, the light guide member 53, and the substrate 51 in the XY plane.

[0091] Incidentally, the hole 55c formed in the light blocking sheet 55 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, unlike the hole 55b. Similarly, the hole 54c formed in the reflection sheet 54 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, unlike the hole 54b. Similarly, the hole 51c formed in the substrate 51 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, unlike the hole 51b. Similarly, the hole 53d2 formed in the light guiding member 53 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, unlike the hole 53d1. Similarly, the hole 46c-2 (see FIG. 7) formed in the cover member 46 is formed as an elongated hole extending in the X-axis direction, unlike the hole 46c-1 (see FIG. 7). As a result, even if there is some error in the position of the holes formed in each member, the two bosses 56f can fit into the two holes formed in each member.

[0092] 18 and 19, the light guide member 53 is integrally provided with a flat plate portion 53a and an outer wall portion 53b that rises in a direction intersecting the surface of the plate portion 53a, specifically in the +Z direction. The outer wall portion 53b is provided along the periphery of the plate portion 53a. A large number of holes are provided in the plate portion 53a, and inside one of these holes, a first hole h1, a light source 60 provided on the substrate 51 is disposed as shown in FIG. 20, symbols E1, E2, E3, and E4 indicate the periphery of the light guide member 53 in a plan view of the plate portion 53a, where the periphery E1 and E3 extend along the X-axis direction, and the periphery E2 and E4 extend along the Y-axis direction. The portion where the two periphery intersect is formed into an R-shape. The length of the periphery E1 and E3 is longer than the length of the periphery E2 and E4. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the edges E1, E2, E3, and E4, they will be collectively referred to as the edge E. In addition, when the edge E is collectively referred to, it includes the edges E1, E2, E3, and E4 as well as the portion where the edges intersect, i.e., the portion formed in an R shape.

[0093] In this embodiment, four light sources 60 are arranged, and each light source 60 is arranged to emit light in a direction opposite to each other toward the outside. Specifically, light source 60A emits light in a direction in which the center of the light emission direction includes a -X direction component and a -Y direction component. Light source 60B emits light in a direction in which the center of the light emission direction includes a +X direction component and a -Y direction component. Light source 60C emits light in a direction in which the center of the light emission direction includes a +X direction component and a +Y direction component. Light source 60D emits light in a direction in which the center of the light emission direction includes a -X direction component and a +Y direction component. When there is no need to distinguish between the light sources 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D, they will be collectively referred to as light source 60.

[0094] Light emitted from the light source 60 enters the light-guiding member 53 from the inner side surface of the first hole h1, i.e., the inner surface, proceeds toward the periphery E of the light-guiding member 53, and is emitted from the outer wall portion 53b. In other words, the outer wall portion 53b constitutes the light-emitting portion 50A. In the following description, the inner side surface of the first hole h1 may be simply referred to as the side surface of the first hole h1, or may be referred to as the inner surface of the first hole h1. Since the light emitted from the light source 60 travels inside the light guide member 53, the light guide member 53 is made of a material having light transparency, for example, a light-transmitting resin material. Examples of the light-transmitting resin material that can be used include acrylic, styrene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, and other resin materials. Of course, the light guide member 53 may be made of glass instead of the light-transmitting resin material.

[0095] It is also preferable that a light diffusing material is contained in the light guide member 53. This can blur the way light is reflected inside the light guide member 53, making it appear as if light is being emitted uniformly. The light diffusing material may be any substance that has a light diffusing function when added to a light-transmitting material, and examples of such materials that can be used include inorganic particles such as aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, and calcium carbonate, and organic particles such as silicone resin and acrylic resin. Instead of incorporating a light diffusing material, a light diffusing resin may be used, for example, a light diffusing resin such as Delpet (registered trademark of Asahi Kasei Corporation) manufactured by Asahi Kasei Corporation.

[0096] Incidentally, instead of or in addition to containing a light diffusing material in the light guiding member 53, the surface of the light guiding member 53 may be textured. This can blur the way light is reflected inside the light guiding member 53, making it appear as if light is being emitted uniformly.

[0097] A light diffusing surface may be disposed on the inner surface of the first hole h1. This makes bright spots less noticeable and makes it easier to visually recognize a uniform light emission state. In this case, the light diffusing surface can be realized by embossing the inner surface of the first hole h1 or by disposing a film having light diffusing properties between the light source 60 and the inner surface of the first hole h1. Such light diffusing properties may also be imparted to the color filter 57 described later. In order to ensure uniformity of light emission, the scattering angle is preferably 15 to 30 degrees, and more preferably 20 degrees.

[0098] As an example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used as the light source 60. LEDs are available in various colors, but in this embodiment, a white LED is used. As shown in FIG. 21, a color filter 57 is disposed between the inner surface of the first hole h1 and the light source 60, and the emitted color is adjusted by the color filter 57. The emitted color can be easily adjusted by the color filter 57. As an example, blue can be used as the color filter 57. It is preferable that the color filter 57 is disposed so as to cover the entire inside of the first hole h1. In this embodiment, the color filter 57 is flexible and arranged in an arc-shaped bent state, so that it can be attached to the inner surface of the first hole h1 by the force that tries to return it to its original straight state. However, the entire or part of the color filter 57 may be fixed using double-sided tape, adhesive, or the like.

[0099] Next, the second hole h2 and the third hole h3 formed in the plate portion 53a will be described. The second hole h2 and the third hole h3 are holes for suppressing luminance unevenness of the light-emitting portion 50A, that is, the light-emitting portion 50A that emits light in a ring shape, so that it appears to be emitting light uniformly. In particular, between the portion close to the light source 60 and the portion far from it, the luminance of the near portion tends to be relatively higher than that of the far portion, but this is suppressed by the holes described below. Each hole described below is a hole that penetrates the thickness direction of the plate portion 53a, i.e., in the Z-axis direction, but it may also be a recess that does not penetrate the +Z direction surface or the -Z direction surface of the plate portion 53a. In the present embodiment, four first holes h1 are formed in the plate portion 53a as shown in Figures 18 to 20. As described above, the light sources 60 are disposed in the first holes h1.

[0100] A plurality of second holes h2 are provided at intervals along the periphery E between the first hole h1 and the periphery E in a plan view of the plate portion 53a. In addition, third holes h3a, h3b, and h3c are formed between the first hole h1 and the second hole h2 in a plan view of the plate portion 53a. When the third holes h3a, h3b, and h3c are not to be distinguished from one another, they are collectively referred to as the third hole h3. Furthermore, a fourth hole h4 is formed in the center of the plate portion 53a. In this embodiment, the first hole h1 communicates with the fourth hole h4 to dissipate heat from the light source 60. However, if there is no need to dissipate heat from the light source 60, there is no need to communicate the first hole h1 with the fourth hole h4.

[0101] The function and effect of each hole will be explained below. First, the function and effect of the second hole h2 will be described. Since the light source 60 emits light toward the side surface of the first hole h1, the light emitted from the light source 60 enters from the side surface of the first hole h1 and travels toward the periphery E of the light-guiding member 53 in a plan view of the plate portion 53a. The light traveling toward the periphery E of the light-guiding member 53 exits from the outer surface of the light-guiding member 53, and this allows the outer surface of the light-guiding member 53 to be visually recognized as emitting light. Note that the periphery E of the light-guiding member 53 may be the emitting outer surface, or a portion other than the periphery E may be the emitting outer surface as a result of light being reflected by the periphery E. In this specification, the periphery E refers to an edge that forms the outer shape of the light-guiding member 53 when the plate portion 53a is viewed in a plan view.

[0102] As will be described later, the surfaces that emit light in this embodiment are the top light-emitting surface K1, the inner light-emitting surface K2, and the outer light-emitting surface K3 shown in Fig. 27. The top light-emitting surface K1, the inner light-emitting surface K2, and the outer light-emitting surface K3 are surfaces that form the outer wall portion 53b. In this embodiment, the outer light-emitting surface K3 corresponds to the periphery E. In the following description, the term "outer surface" refers to the outer surface of the light-guiding member 53. The top light-emitting surface K1, the inner light-emitting surface K2, and the outer light-emitting surface K3 are examples of the outer surfaces of the light-guiding member 53.

[0103] Here, in order for light to be emitted from the outer surface of light-guiding member 53, the light needs to be directed at an angle that does not cause total reflection with respect to the outer surface of light-guiding member 53. Therefore, if the amount of light that is totally reflected at a predetermined location on the outer surface of light-guiding member 53 is greater than the amount of light that is not totally reflected, the brightness at the predetermined location will decrease. Conversely, if the amount of light that is not totally reflected at a predetermined location on the outer surface of light-guiding member 53 is greater than the amount of light that is totally reflected, the brightness at the predetermined location will increase. For these reasons, there is a risk of uneven brightness occurring overall on the outer surface of light-guiding member 53. However, according to this embodiment, the light incident from the side of the first hole h1 is reflected by the side of the second holes h2, so that the light incident from the first hole h1 is directed in more directions. The arrows in Fig. 22 show an example of the light reflected by the side of the second hole h2. This makes it possible to equalize the ratio between the amount of light that is totally reflected on the outer surface of the light-guiding member 53 and the amount of light that is not totally reflected on the outer surface of the light-guiding member 53. As a result, it is possible to suppress unevenness in brightness when the light-guiding member 53 emits light, and to obtain a good light-emitting state.

[0104] Next, the function and effect of the third hole h3 will be described. In Figure 23, when viewed in a plan view of the plate portion 53a, the line connecting the light source 60 and the first point Pc0 of the periphery E is defined as a first straight line Lc0, and the line connecting the light source 60 and the second point Pc1 of the periphery E, which is shorter than the first straight line Lc0, is defined as a second straight line Lc1, and the third hole h3a is provided at a position intersecting the second straight line Lc1. A second straight line Lc2 is a line connecting the light source 60 and the second portion Pc2 of the periphery E and is shorter than the first straight line Lc0, and the third hole h3b is provided at a position intersecting the second straight line Lc1. A second straight line Lc3 is a line connecting the light source 60 and the second portion Pc3 of the periphery E and is shorter than the first straight line Lc0, and the third hole h3c is provided at a position intersecting the second straight line Lc3.

[0105] The first straight line Lc0 defines the shortest distance between the light source 60 and the first position Pc0. The second straight line Lc1 defines the shortest distance between the light source 60 and the second position Pc1. The second straight line Lc2 defines the shortest distance between the light source 60 and the second position Pc2. The second straight line Lc2 defines the shortest distance between the light source 60 and the second position Pc3. Therefore, each straight line may be referred to as a line segment. In addition, the first portion Pc0 and the second portions Pc1, Pc2, and Pc3 in FIG. 23 are merely positions adopted for the sake of convenience in order to explain the arrangement of the third hole h3, and the positions of the respective portions are not limited to those shown in FIG.

[0106] The outer surface of the light guide member 53 that is closer to the light source 60 tends to have a higher luminance than the outer surface that is relatively farther from the light source 60, which causes uneven luminance. However, in this embodiment, each third hole h3 is located at a position that intersects with the second straight lines Lc1, Lc2, and Lc3, which are shorter than the first straight line Lc0. Therefore, light is reflected on the side surface of the third hole h3, which prevents the brightness of the outer surface closer to the light source 60 from becoming high, thereby suppressing brightness unevenness. For example, the third hole h3a can prevent the luminance of the second portion Pc1 from becoming higher than the luminance of the first portion Pc0. The third hole h3b can prevent the luminance of the second portion Pc2 from becoming higher than the luminance of the first portion Pc0. The third hole h3c can prevent the luminance of the second portion Pc3 from becoming higher than the luminance of the first portion Pc0. In addition, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 24, it is expected that the light reflected on the side of the third hole h3 will return to the first hole h1, be reflected on the side of the first hole h1, and travel toward the distant outer surface.

[0107] The above are the common actions and effects of the third holes h3a, h3b, and h3c. Below, the third holes h3a, h3b, and h3c will be explained individually. As shown in FIG. 25, the third hole h3a has an elliptical shape so as to widen the gap between the third hole h3a and the first hole h1 and the gap between the third hole h3a and the second hole h2. More specifically, the third hole h3a has an elliptical shape having a major axis Lj1 and a minor axis Lj2, and is disposed so that the minor axis Lj2 is aligned with the straight line Lj0 connecting the first hole h1 and the second hole h2. Incidentally, the minor axis Lj2 being arranged along the straight line Lj0 does not necessarily mean that the minor axis Lj2 is strictly parallel to the straight line Lj0, but rather that the elliptical shape is arranged so as to ensure a sufficient distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3a, and between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3a, compared to a perfect circular shape having the same radius as the major axis Lj1.

[0108] In addition, the second hole h2 used in Fig. 25 is an example, and other second holes h2 may be used. For example, the second hole h2 used in Fig. 25 may be the second hole h2 closest to the first hole h1, or other second holes h2 may be used. In addition, the straight line Lj0 forms the shortest distance between the first hole h1 and the second hole h2. Therefore, the straight line Lj0 may be rephrased as the line segment Lj0.

[0109] The third hole h3a is preferably as large as possible because it serves to suppress the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source 60. However, if the distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3a or the distance between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3a becomes narrow, the fluidity of the resin in the mold decreases when the light guide member 53 is molded from the resin, which is likely to cause molding defects.

[0110] However, according to this embodiment, the third hole h3a has an elliptical shape so as to widen the distance between it and the first hole h1 and the distance between it and the second hole h2. This allows the light traveling from the light source 60 toward the outer surface closer to the light source 60 to be reflected over a wide area, while preventing the distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3a, and the distance between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3a from narrowing, thereby suppressing the above-mentioned molding defects.

[0111] Next, the third hole h3b will be described with reference to FIG. The third hole h3b has a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a circle so as to have a chord M1 and an arc M2, and is disposed so that the chord M1 faces the first hole h1. The third hole h3b is preferably as large as possible because it serves to suppress the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source 60. However, if the distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3b or the distance between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3b becomes narrow, the fluidity of the resin in the mold decreases when the light guide member 53 is molded from resin, which is likely to cause molding defects. However, the third hole h3b has a shape of a circle cut out so as to have a chord M1 and an arc M2, and is positioned so that the chord M1 faces the first hole h1. As a result, the light traveling from the light source 60 toward the outer surface closer to the light source 60 can be reflected over a wide area, while preventing the distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3b, and the distance between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3b, from narrowing, thereby preventing the above-mentioned molding defects. When the third hole h3b is formed by cutting out a part of a circle so as to have the chord M1 and the arc M2, a part of a perfect circle or an ellipse may be cut out.

[0112] Next, the third hole h3c will be described. The third hole h3c has a perfect circle shape with a larger diameter than the second hole h2, which provides the following advantages. The third hole h3c is preferably of a certain size since it is intended to suppress the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source 60. Since the third hole h3c has a perfect circular shape with a larger diameter than the second hole h2, reflection of light on the side surface of the third hole h3c can be ensured and the brightness of the outer surface close to the light source 60 can be suitably suppressed. In addition, when light enters the third hole h3c from the side of the third hole h3c, the light is diffused inside the third hole h3c, which reduces the number of bright spots. Therefore, the luminance distribution can be adjusted by changing the arrangement of the third hole h3c. The third hole h3c is not limited to a perfect circle, but may be an ellipse. In this case, the ellipse is preferably arranged so as to ensure a sufficient distance between the first hole h1 and the third hole h3c, and between the second hole h2 and the third hole h3c. Furthermore, the third hole h3c is a hole whose area is larger than that of the second hole h2 when viewed in a plane, and may have a shape other than a perfect circle or an ellipse, for example, it may be part of an ellipse, or it may have a shape having a chord and an arc like the third hole h3b described above, or it may have another closed curved shape.

[0113] In this embodiment, the second hole h2 has a perfect circle shape, and the diameter is preferably in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 mm, which can satisfactorily suppress uneven brightness and ensure the fluidity of the resin during resin molding. Moreover, the interval between adjacent second holes h2 is preferably set to 1.5 to 2.0 mm, which can favorably suppress uneven brightness and ensure the fluidity of the resin during resin molding. In addition, the distance between the first hole h1, the second hole h2, and the third hole h3 is preferably 1.5 mm or more, for example, 1.5 to 2.0 mm, which can favorably suppress uneven brightness and ensure the fluidity of the resin during resin molding. In this embodiment, the third hole h3c has a perfect circle shape, and the diameter is preferably in the range of 3.0 mm to 6.0 mm, which can ensure favorable reflection of light on the side surface of the third hole h3c.

[0114] Next, the fourth hole h4 formed in the plate portion 53a will be described. The light guide member 53 includes a fourth hole h4 that is provided in the center of the plate portion 53a and has a larger opening than the first hole h1, the second hole h2, and the third hole h3. As a result, as shown by the solid and dashed arrows in Figure 26, light that is reflected off the side of the third hole h3 or the second hole h2 and returns toward the center of the plate portion 53a is expected to be reflected off the side of the fourth hole h4 and head toward the outer surface farther from the light source 60, i.e., the outer surface which is likely to have lower brightness.

[0115] Next, other features of the cover unit 45 according to this embodiment, that is, the light emitting device, will be described. The light guide member 53 has an outer wall portion 53b which forms the periphery E and rises in a direction intersecting the surface of the plate portion 53a, specifically in the +Z direction. Furthermore, since the light emitted by the light source 60 is emitted from the outer wall portion 53b, the emitted light can be seen not only from the side directions but also from above, improving visibility.

[0116] In addition, on the outside of the outer wall portion 53b, as shown in Figures 19 and 27, a groove portion 53c is formed to reflect light heading toward the outside of the plate portion 53a and guide it to the top of the outer wall portion 53b. The solid line arrow and the dashed line arrow in Figure 27 show how the light heading toward the outside of the plate portion 53a is reflected by the groove portion 53c and directed toward the top of the outer wall portion 53b. This makes it possible to ensure the brightness of the outer wall portion 53b.

[0117] In addition, the cover unit 45 has a holder 56, which is an example of a light-shielding member, provided on the inside of the outer wall portion 53b and on the upper part of the plate portion 53a, as shown in Figures 11 and 17, thereby configuring the outer wall portion 53b to emit light in a ring shape. This makes luminance unevenness less noticeable compared to a configuration in which the entire light guide member 53 is a light emitting portion.

[0118] In the present embodiment, the substrate 51 on which the light source 60 is provided has a surface on which the light source 60 is provided formed as a reflective surface that reflects light. This makes it possible to suppress loss of light emitted from the light source 60 and to appropriately emit the light from the light-guiding member 53. The reflecting surface can be formed, for example, of a mirror surface or a white surface. 17 and 20, the area of ​​the substrate 51 is smaller than the area of ​​the plate portion 53a of the light-guiding member 53. Therefore, it is also preferable to extend the reflective surface of the substrate 51 in the planar direction and install a reflective sheet or the like so as to cover the lower surface of the plate portion 53a.

[0119] In this embodiment, the cover unit 45 includes a reflection sheet 54 that reflects light as described with reference to Fig. 17 on the side opposite to the substrate 51 with respect to the plate portion 53a of the light guide member 53. As an example, the reflection sheet 54 is formed to a size sufficient to cover the upper surface of the plate portion 53a. This allows the light to be suitably emitted from the light source 60 by suppressing loss of the light. In addition, the light blocking sheet 55 is provided between the reflection sheet 54 and the holder 56, thereby preventing light from passing through the holder 56. The light blocking sheet 55 is formed to have the same size as the reflection sheet 54, for example.

[0120] Next, a light guiding member 53A according to another embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 28 and Fig. 29. Note that the same components as those already described in Fig. 28 and Fig. 29 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be avoided below. The light guide member 53A has a third hole denoted by reference symbol h3d instead of the above-mentioned third holes h3a, h3b, and h3c. The third hole h3d has a perfect circular shape with a smaller diameter than the second hole h2, and is disposed more inward than the second hole h2.

[0121] Fig. 29 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 28, and the dashed line is a straight line connecting the midpoint between two adjacent second holes h2 and the light source 60. The midpoint between two adjacent second holes h2 is the midpoint of a line segment connecting the center position of one of the two adjacent second holes h2 to the center position of the other second hole h2. The third hole h3d is provided at a position intersecting the dashed line. This makes it possible to eliminate light that travels directly from the light source 60 toward the periphery E of the light-guiding member 53A, thereby making it possible to prevent the brightness from becoming locally high. It is preferable to arrange the third hole h3d so that the center position of the third hole h3d is located on the above-mentioned broken line, but it is sufficient that the third hole h3d intersects with the above-mentioned broken line. Furthermore, the third hole h3d may have the same diameter as the second hole h2, or may have a larger diameter than the second hole h2.

[0122] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, but various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0123] For example, the top surface or sides of the cover unit 45 may be made transparent or semi-transparent so that the ink supply port 19 inside can be seen. In addition, in a configuration in which the corner closest to the cover unit 45 among the four corners of the document table 6 is set as the reference position when setting a document, and a mark indicating that the corner is the reference position is provided on the frame member 7, the mark can be easily viewed even in a dark environment by illuminating the light emitting unit 50, and the document can be easily set. In this case, it is also preferable to provide an opening / closing sensor for detecting that the document cover 8 or the document feeder 9 is opened, and to illuminate the light emitting unit 50 when the document cover 8 or the document feeder 9 is opened, and to turn off the light emitting unit 50 when the document cover 8 or the document feeder 9 is closed. It is also preferable to light only the light source 60 closest to the reference position among the multiple light sources 60, specifically, the light source 60A in FIG. 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] Reference Signs List 1A, 1B... inkjet printer, 2... device main body, 3... scanner unit, 3a... notch portion, 3b... first step portion, 3c... unit main body, 5... reading sensor, 6... manuscript table, 6a... placement surface, 7... frame member, 8... manuscript cover, 8a... notch portion, 9... manuscript feeder, 9a... notch portion, 10... ink storage section, 13... discharge tray, 14... front cover, 15...operation panel, 15a...panel surface, 15b...second step portion, 16...carriage, 17...ink ejection head, 18, 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D...ink tank, 19, 19A, 19B, 19C, 19D...ink supply port, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D...sealing cap, 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D...opening / closing lever, 23, 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D...remaining amount visualizing portion, 41...maintenance unit, 42...waste liquid storage portion, 45, 45A, 45B, 45C, 45D, 45E, 45F, 45G, 45H...Cover unit, 45a...Rotating shaft, 46...Cover member, 46a...Wall portion, 46b...Notch portion, 46c-1, 46c-2...Holes, 46d...Plate portion, 46e...Pedestal portion, 46f...Recess, 47...Exterior member, 50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E, 50F, 50G, 50H...Light-emitting portion, 51...Substrate, 51a, 51b, 51c...Holes, 52, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D...LED, 53...Light-guiding member, 53a...Plate portion, 53b...outer wall portion, 53c...groove portion, 53d1, 53d2...holes, 54...reflective sheet, 54a, 54b, 54c...holes, 55...light-shielding sheet, 55a, 55b, 55c...holes, 56...holder, 56f...boss, 56g...screw fitting portion, 57...color filter, 58...screw, 60, 60A, 60B, 60C, 60D...light source, h1...first hole, h2...second hole, h3, h3a, h3b, h3c...third hole, h4...fourth hole, E, E1, E2, E3, E4...periphery, K1...top light-emitting surface, K2...inner light-emitting surface, K3...outer light-emitting surface

Claims

1. A light source; a light guide member into which the light emitted from the light source is incident and which outputs the incident light to the outside, The light guiding member is A flat plate portion; a first hole provided in the plate portion, in which the light source is disposed; a second hole provided in the plate portion, the second hole being located between the first hole and a periphery of the light guiding member in a plan view of the plate portion and provided at intervals along the periphery; Equipped with The light source emits light toward a side surface of the first hole. A light emitting device characterized by:

2. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, the light guide member includes a third hole that is provided in the plate portion and is located between the first hole and the second hole in a plan view of the plate portion, a line connecting the light source and a first portion of the peripheral edge in a plan view of the plate portion is defined as a first straight line, a line connecting the light source and a second portion of the peripheral edge that is shorter than the first straight line is defined as a second straight line, and the third hole is provided at a position intersecting the second straight line. A light emitting device characterized by:

3. 3. The light emitting device according to claim 2, A plurality of the third holes are provided, At least one of the plurality of third holes has an elliptical shape so as to increase a distance between the third hole and the first hole and a distance between the third hole and the second hole. A light emitting device characterized by:

4. 3. The light emitting device according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of the third holes, At least one of the plurality of third holes has a shape obtained by cutting out a part of a circle so as to have a chord and an arc, and is disposed so that the chord faces the first hole. A light emitting device characterized by:

5. 3. The light emitting device according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of the third holes, At least one of the plurality of third holes has an area larger than that of the second holes and has a circular, elliptical or closed curved shape. A light emitting device characterized by:

6. 3. The light emitting device according to claim 2, the light guiding member includes a fourth hole that is provided at the center of the plate portion and has an opening larger than the first hole, the second hole, and the third hole; A light emitting device characterized by:

7. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, The light guide member has an outer wall portion that forms the peripheral edge and that rises in a direction intersecting with a surface of the plate portion. A light emitting device characterized by:

8. 8. The light emitting device according to claim 7, A groove is formed on the outside of the outer wall portion to reflect light traveling toward the outside of the plate portion and guide it to the top of the outer wall portion. A light emitting device characterized by:

9. 8. The light emitting device according to claim 7, a light-shielding member is provided on the inside of the outer wall portion and on an upper portion of the plate portion; The outer wall portion is configured to emit light in a ring shape by the light blocking member. A light emitting device characterized by:

10. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, A substrate on which the light source is provided, The surface of the substrate on which the light source is provided is formed as a reflective surface that reflects light. A light emitting device characterized by:

11. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, A substrate on which the light source is provided, a reflection sheet that reflects light is provided on the opposite side of the plate portion of the light guide member to the substrate; A light emitting device characterized by:

12. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, A filter for adjusting the emission color is provided between the inner surface of the first hole and the light source. A light emitting device characterized by:

13. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, The light guide member is formed of a light-transmitting material containing a light diffusing material. A light emitting device characterized by:

14. 2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, The surface of the light guide member is textured. A light emitting device characterized by:

15. An apparatus body including a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid onto a medium; a liquid storage section that stores liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection head; Equipped with The liquid storage portion is A liquid supply port; an opening / closing cover that is switchable between a closed state that covers the supply port and an open state that opens the supply port; Equipped with The light emitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is provided on the opening / closing cover, and emits light according to the remaining amount of liquid contained in the liquid container. A liquid ejection device comprising:

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