Liquid supply device

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply device that can reduce the number of mouth parts provided in a liquid container and alleviate the operational burden on a user.SOLUTION: A liquid supply device includes a liquid container having a container body, a sealing member, and a cap, and a container holding part that holds the liquid container. The container holding part includes a cap receiving part and a needle. The sealing member is made of an elastic material and has a slit. The cap is made of a rigid material and has a lid portion arranged in a state of being opposed to the sealing member. The lid portion is configured to break along a groove when the lid portion is pressed by the needle. The sealing member is configured so that the slit is stretched out when the sealing member is pressed by the needle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supply device.

Background Art

[0002] An automatic analyzer is a device that quickly and accurately analyzes multiple components contained in a specimen, and is used in various fields such as biochemical tests and blood transfusion tests. The automatic analyzer includes a measurement unit for measuring a specimen. Also, in the measurement unit, liquids such as a diluent and a cleaning liquid are used. Such liquids are stored in a tank or the like provided in the automatic analyzer. The liquid stored in the tank is sent to a predetermined portion using, for example, a pump and a tube.

[0003] When the remaining amount of the liquid stored in the tank is sent to a predetermined portion by a pump or the like, it decreases by that amount. Therefore, it is necessary to supply (refill) the liquid to the tank before the tank becomes empty. Accordingly, the automatic analyzer includes a device for supplying liquid to the tank, that is, a liquid supply device.

[0004] Regarding liquid supply devices, for example, the technique described in Patent Document 1 is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which mouthparts are provided at the upper and lower parts of a liquid container, a screw-cap is attached to the upper mouthpart, and a septum and a cap are attached to the lower mouthpart. Also, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a needle is provided at the bottom of a mounting bracket on which the liquid container is set, and the septum is punctured by the needle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, since two openings are provided in the liquid container, for example, when the liquid container is manufactured by blow molding or the like, the difficulty of manufacturing the container increases, and the manufacturing cost of the liquid container increases. Further, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, when the septum is punctured by the needle, in order to allow the liquid in the liquid container to flow down through the needle, the user has to loosen the screw cap that closes the upper opening and allow air to flow into the inside of the liquid container. Therefore, there is a problem to be improved from the viewpoint of user operability.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid supply device capable of reducing the number of openings provided in a liquid container and reducing the operation burden on the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The liquid supply device according to the present invention includes a liquid container having a container body for storing a liquid, a sealing member for sealing an opening provided in the container body, and a cap for fastening the sealing member to the opening, and a container holding portion for holding the liquid container with the cap facing downward, the container holding portion having a cap receiving portion for forming a space capable of receiving the cap, and a needle disposed in the space formed by the cap receiving portion. The sealing member is made of an elastic material and has a cut portion. The cap is made of a hard material and has a lid portion disposed in a state of facing the sealing member, and the lid portion has a groove portion formed by partially reducing the thickness dimension of the lid portion. The lid portion of the cap is configured to be cracked along the groove portion when the needle presses the lid portion. The sealing member is configured such that the cut portion is expanded when the needle presses the sealing member.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the number of openings provided in the liquid container can be reduced, and the operation burden on the user can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function or configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Also, the following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and may be omitted and simplified for convenience of explanation. Each component may be singular or plural unless otherwise particularly limited. Also, the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. of the components shown in the drawings may not represent the actual positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. For this reason, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the positions, sizes, shapes, ranges, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0012] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a liquid supply device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the liquid supply device 10 shown in FIG. 1. The vertical direction in FIG. 1 is a direction parallel to the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 is a direction parallel to the horizontal direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid supply device 10 includes a liquid container 11, a container holding portion 12 that holds the liquid container 11, and a tank 13 that stores the liquid flowing down from the liquid container 11. The liquid supply device 10 is equipped in, for example, an automatic analyzer that uses liquids such as various diluents and cleaning liquids. However, the liquid supply device 10 may be a device other than an automatic analyzer and may be equipped in various devices that handle different types of liquids. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the liquid supply device 10 is equipped in an automatic analyzer. As described above, the automatic analyzer is a device that quickly and accurately analyzes multiple components contained in a sample and is used in various fields such as biochemical tests and blood transfusion tests. Generally, a single automatic analyzer is equipped with a plurality of liquid supply devices 10. Among the components of the liquid supply device 10, the liquid container 11 is replaceable, and the container holding portion 12 and the tank 13 are permanently installed at a predetermined location of the liquid supply device 10.

[0013] (Liquid Container) The liquid container 11 is configured to be detachable from the container holding portion 12. When setting the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12, the liquid container 11 is inserted into the container holding portion 12 from above downward. Also, when removing the liquid container 11 from the container holding portion 12, the liquid container 11 is pulled upward from the container holding portion 12. The attachment and detachment operation of the liquid container 11 with respect to the container holding portion 12 is performed by the user. Note that FIGS. 1 and 2 show a state in the middle of setting (inserting) the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12.

[0014] The liquid container 11 has a container body 15, a sealing member 16, and a cap 17. The container body 15 is constituted by a bottle for containing a liquid. The bottle as the container body 15 is handled, for example, as a disposable replacement bottle. In that case, the sealing member 16 and the cap 17 are handled as disposable members in the same manner as the above replacement bottle. However, the container body 15 may not be disposable and may be reused by performing a cleaning process or the like. Also, the bottle as the container body 15 is manufactured, for example, by blow molding. The container body 15 is a hollow body having a volume capable of containing a predetermined amount of liquid.

[0015] The container body 15 integrally has a mouth portion 21 and a handle portion 22 (see FIG. 1). The mouth portion 21 is disposed downward when the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12. The mouth portion 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape. An external male screw portion 23 (see FIG. 2) is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 21. The handle portion 22 is disposed on the side opposite to the mouth portion 21 in the vertical direction of FIG. 1. The handle portion 22 is a portion for the user to hold the liquid container 11 by hand when the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12. Also, a tab 24 (see FIG. 1) is integrally formed on the liquid container 11. The tab 24 is a portion for detecting whether or not the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12, that is, the presence or absence of the liquid container 11, by a sensor (not shown).

[0016] In addition, in this example, an example in which the tab 24 is provided on the liquid container 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured to detect whether or not the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12 via a separate member. A separate member that rotates in contact with the liquid container 11 when the liquid container 11 is set in the case portion 51 of the container holding portion 12 described later is provided. Then, it may be configured to detect whether or not the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12 by a sensor that detects the rotation of this separate member. As the sensor, an optical sensor including a light emitting portion that irradiates light and a light receiving portion that detects the light from the light emitting portion may be used. When the liquid container 11 is set and the separate member rotates, the separate member blocks the light from the light emitting portion. Thereby, it is possible to detect that the liquid container 11 has been set in the container holding portion 12. Note that as the separate member, an opaque member that does not transmit light is preferable.

[0017] (Sealing member) The sealing member 16 is a member that seals the mouth portion 21 of the liquid container 11. The sealing member 16 is made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber, for example. That is, the sealing member 16 is a rubber-like elastic body. The sealing member 16 is disposed in a state of being in contact (adhering) with the end face 21a (see FIG. 2) of the mouth portion 21.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sealing member 16 included in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the sealing member 16 is formed in a disk shape having a predetermined thickness. A slit-shaped cut portion 26 is formed in the sealing member 16. The cut portion 26 is formed so as to penetrate the sealing member 16 in the thickness dimension. However, the surfaces forming the cut portion 26 are in contact (adhering) with each other due to the elasticity of the sealing member 16.

[0019] The sealing member 16 has a plurality of cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) extending radially outward from the central portion of the sealing member 16. In the present embodiment, as an example, four cut portions 26a to 26d are formed in the sealing member 16. The four cut portions 26a to 26d are formed in rotational symmetry. Further, the four cut portions 26a to 26d are formed in a cross shape.

[0020] The sealing member 16 is configured such that when the needle 70 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) presses the sealing member 16, as shown in FIG. 4, each of the cut portions 26a to 26d is expanded. Further, the sealing member 16 is configured such that when the needle 70 is pulled out from the sealing member 16, each of the cut portions 26a to 26d closes due to the elasticity of the sealing member 16. The configuration of the needle 70 will be described in detail later.

[0021] Here, as shown in FIG. 3, when the thickness of the sealing member 16 is t (mm), the thickness t of the sealing member 16 is preferably 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less. Further, when the radius of the needle 70 is r (mm), the length L (mm) of each of the cut portions 26a to 26d preferably satisfies the following formula (1). The radius r of the needle 70 is the radius of the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. r + t ≦ L ≦ 5t …(1)

[0022] By having the length L of each of the cut portions 26a to 26d satisfy the above formula (1), the following effects can be obtained. First, when the four cut portions 26a to 26d are expanded by the needle 70, a predetermined gap can be formed between each of the cut portions 26a to 26d. The predetermined gap is formed around the needle 70 as each of the cut portions 26a to 26d is expanded in a V shape when viewed from the central axis direction of the needle 70. Therefore, the predetermined gap formed between each of the cut portions 26a to 26d can be utilized as a flow path for air and liquid. Also, when the needle 70 is pulled out from the sealing member 16, due to the elasticity of the sealing member 16, each of the cut portions 26a to 26d can be returned to its original state (the state before being expanded by the needle 70), and the above-mentioned predetermined gap can be closed. Therefore, when the needle 70 is pulled out from the sealing member 16, leakage of liquid from the cut portions 26a to 26d can be suppressed.

[0023] In this embodiment, four cut portions 26a to 26d are formed in a cross shape in the sealing member 16, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, three cut portions may be formed so as to trisect the sealing member 16 in the circumferential direction with the central portion of the sealing member 16 as a reference point. Also, five or more cut portions may be formed in the sealing member 16.

[0024] Also, in this embodiment, the cut portion 26 is formed in a state of penetrating the sealing member 16 in the thickness direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cut portion 26 may be formed with a cut depth that does not penetrate the sealing member 16 in the thickness direction, and may have a shape in which a thin portion remains on the inner side in the depth direction of the cut portion 26. In this case, during transportation or storage of the liquid container 11, the sealing performance (sealing performance) of the mouth portion 21 by the sealing member 16 can be enhanced. Also, when the needle 70 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) presses the sealing member 16, the above-mentioned thin portion is pushed by the needle 70 and broken. Therefore, each of the cut portions 26a to 26d can be expanded by the needle 70.

[0025] (Cap) The cap 17 is a member attached to the mouth portion 21 in order to fasten the sealing member 16 to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. The cap 17 is made of a hard material. Specifically, the cap 17 is made of a hard resin such as polypropylene, for example.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap 17 provided in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the outside (lower side in FIG. 1) of the container body 15, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cap 17 provided in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the inside (upper side in FIG. 1) of the container body 15. Further, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the cap 17 provided in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of the cap 17 shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 8.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the cap 17 has a cylindrical side wall 28, a lid portion 29 formed so as to close one opening of the side wall 28, an annular portion 30 formed so as to project radially inward from the inner surface of the side wall 28, and a flange portion 31 formed so as to project radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 28. The cap 17 is an integrally molded resin product.

[0028] On the inner peripheral side of the side wall 28, a female screw portion 32 is formed together with the above-described annular portion 30. The female screw portion 32 is a portion that meshes with the male screw portion 23 of the mouth portion 21 when the cap 17 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the cap 17 is fastened to the mouth portion 21 of the liquid container 11 by meshing the female screw portion 32 with the male screw portion 23 of the mouth portion 21 and tightening the cap 17. The annular portion 30 is a portion that presses the sealing member 16 against the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21 by tightening the cap 17 as described above. When the cap 17 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the mouth portion 21 is arranged upward. In that case, the sealing member 16 is disposed between the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21 and the annular portion 30 of the cap 17, and by tightening the cap 17 in that state, it is fixed in a state of being in close contact with the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the lid portion 29 is arranged in a state facing the sealing member 16. When the cap 17 is viewed from the front direction, the lid portion 29 is formed in a circular shape. Further, the lid portion 29 is formed in a disk shape. When the cap 17 is attached to the mouth portion 21, the lid portion 29 is arranged at a position separated from the sealing member 16 by a predetermined distance (described later).

[0030] A groove portion 35 is formed in the lid portion 29. The groove portion 35 is formed by partially reducing the thickness dimension of the lid portion 29. For this reason, in the lid portion 29, the portion where the groove portion 35 is formed has a lower mechanical strength than the portion where the groove portion 35 is not formed. However, the lid portion 29 does not have a portion that penetrates the lid portion 29 in the thickness direction including the portion where the groove portion 35 is formed. For this reason, when the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15 is sealed with the sealing member 16 and the cap 17 is tightened, the mouth portion 21 is in a state of being doubly sealed by the sealing member 16 and the cap 17. Thereby, the sealing performance during transportation and storage of the liquid container 11 can be enhanced.

[0031] The lid portion 29 has a plurality of groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) extending radially outward from the central portion of the lid portion 29. The groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) are formed such that when the needle 70 presses the lid portion 29, the lid portion 29 breaks along the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f). In the present embodiment, as an example, six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed in the lid portion 29. The six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed in rotational symmetry. Further, the six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed radially. The cross-sectional shape of the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) is preferably a V shape, but other shapes, for example, a U shape, may also be acceptable.

[0032] The lid portion 29 has a first surface 36 (see FIGS. 6 and 8) disposed in a state facing the sealing member 16, and a second surface 37 (see FIGS. 5 and 8) disposed on the side opposite to the first surface 36. In a state where the cap 17 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the first surface 36 of the lid portion 29 becomes the inner surface of the lid portion 29 disposed toward the inside of the container body 15, and the second surface 37 of the lid portion 29 becomes the outer surface of the lid portion 29 disposed toward the outside of the container body 15.

[0033] On the other hand, the six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed on both the first surface 36 and the second surface 37. The depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the first surface 36 is the same as the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the second surface 37. However, the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the first surface 36 may be different from the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the second surface 37. The six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed at corresponding positions on the first surface 36 and the second surface 37. The corresponding positions on the first surface 36 and the second surface 37 mean positions that overlap each other, that is, the same position, when the cap 17 is viewed through from the front direction.

[0034] A thin portion 38 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) for suppressing displacement of the needle 70 is formed at the center portion of the lid portion 29. The thin portion 38 is formed on both the first surface 36 and the second surface 37, similar to the six groove portions 35a to 35f described above. Further, the thin portion 38 is formed in a substantially circular shape. The depth of the thin portion 38 on the first surface 36 is the same as the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the first surface 36, and the depth of the thin portion 38 on the second surface 37 is the same as the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f on the second surface 37.

[0035] Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a second groove portion 39 is formed in the second surface 37 of the lid portion 29. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the second groove portion 39 is not formed in the first surface 36 of the lid portion 29. The second groove portion 39 is formed to make the lid portion 29 more likely to crack along the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) when the needle 70 presses the lid portion 29. Further, the second groove portion 39 is formed so that a part of the lid portion 29 cracked along the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) does not separate from the cap 17 as fragments when the needle 70 presses the lid portion 29.

[0036] The depth of the second groove portion 39 in the second surface 37 is the same as the depth of each of the groove portions 35a to 35f in the second surface 37. The second surface 37 is formed in a state of connecting between the radially outer ends of the plurality of groove portions 35a to 35f formed in the second surface 37. In the present embodiment, six groove portions 35a to 35f are formed in the second surface 37. The second groove portion 39 is formed in a hexagonal shape when the cap 17 is viewed from the front direction. However, the shape of the second groove portion 39 is not limited to a hexagonal shape, and may be a polygon corresponding to the number of groove portions formed in the second surface 37. For example, although not shown, when four groove portions are formed in a cross shape in the second surface 37, the second groove portion 39 is formed in a square shape. Further, the second groove portion 39 may be circular regardless of the number of groove portions formed in the second surface 37.

[0037] The flange portion 31 is formed with a plurality of notch portions 41. In the present embodiment, as an example, two notch portions 41 are formed on the circumference of the flange portion 31. The two notch portions 41 are formed by shifting the position by 180° in the circumferential direction of the cap 17. Further, each notch portion 41 is formed with a predetermined width in the circumferential direction. In the circumferential direction of the cap 17, the notch position, which is the position of each notch portion 41, is determined for each type of liquid stored in the container body 15. The number of notch portions 41 may be one or three or more. When the cap 17 is fastened and fixed to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15 by screwing, the position of the notch portion 41 in the circumferential direction of the cap 17 is determined to a predetermined position by a part of the cap 17 hitting the end face 21a (see FIG. 2) of the mouth portion 21 or by controlling the tightening torque of the cap 17.

[0038] The notch portion 41 of the flange portion 31 is formed to prevent the incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11. The incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11 means that a liquid container 11 different from the liquid container 11 to be inserted (set) into the container holding portion 12 is inserted into the container holding portion 12. Specifically, the following cases can be considered. For example, consider a case where there is a liquid container 11 that stores a first diluent and a liquid container 11 that stores a second diluent having a different type (component, etc.) from the first diluent. In this case, although the liquid container 11 storing the first diluent should be inserted into the container holding portion 12, the user may accidentally insert the liquid container 11 storing the second diluent. This is the incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11. The incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11 is prevented by the interference between the flange portion 31 and a key 56 (see FIG. 10) described later.

[0039] (Container holding portion) The container holding part 12 holds the liquid container 11 with the cap 17 facing downward. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the container holding part 12 has a housing 45 and a manifold 46. The manifold 46 is fastened and fixed to the lower part of the housing 45 by a plurality of bolts 47. Also, a ring-shaped seal member 48 is attached inside the fastening position by the bolts 47. The seal member 48 is a member that suppresses leakage of gas and liquid at the contact interface between the housing 45 and the manifold 46.

[0040] (Housing) The housing 45 has rigidity enough to hold the container body 15 containing a predetermined amount of liquid. The housing 45 integrally has a case part 51 that forms a space capable of accommodating the container body 15, a container receiving part 52 provided at the bottom of the case part 51, and a connecting part 53 connected to the manifold 46.

[0041] The container receiving part 52 is a part that receives and supports the liquid container 11 inserted (set) into the container holding part 12 from below. Specifically, the container receiving part 52 is a part that receives and supports the bottom surface of the container body 15 from below outside the mouth part 21. Thus, the mass of the entire liquid container 11 is applied to the container receiving part 52. The mass of the entire liquid container 11 includes the mass of the liquid contained in the container body 15.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 10, the container receiving part 52 is formed in a substantially annular shape. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid supply device 10 shown in FIG. 1 taken at the C-C line position. A plurality of key attachment parts 55 are formed on the same circumferential surface as the container receiving part 52. Each key attachment part 55 is a part to which a key 56 is detachably attached. The key 56 is a member for preventing misinsertion of the liquid container 11 described above. The key 56 is attached at a position that avoids interference with the flange part 31 according to the type of liquid contained in the container body 15. The key attachment part 55 and the key 56, together with the container receiving part 52 described above, are elements that constitute the housing 45 of the container holding part 12.

[0043] Each key attachment portion 55 is formed in a state where a part of the circumferential surface described above is recessed in a concave shape. In the present embodiment, as an example, six key attachment portions 55 are provided. The six key attachment portions 55 are formed at equal intervals (60° intervals) in the circumferential direction. Also, in the present embodiment, as an example, one key 56 is attached to each of two of the six key attachment portions 55. The number of keys 56 is the same as the number of notches 41 formed in the flange portion 31 of the cap 17. Each key 56 is attached to the key attachment portion 55 by a bolt 57. For this reason, each key attachment portion 55 is provided with a screw hole 58 that meshes with the male screw of the bolt 57. Also, the recess dimension of each key attachment portion 55 is set such that when the key 56 is attached to the key attachment portion 55 by the bolt 57, the head of the bolt 57 is disposed at a position lower than the upper surface of the container receiving portion 52. The key 56 is disposed in a state of protruding radially inward from the container receiving portion 52. The protruding dimension of the key 56 is set such that when there is a misinsertion of the liquid container 11, the key 56 interferes (contacts) with the flange portion 31 of the cap 17.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 53 is formed radially outside the container receiving portion 52. Also, the connecting portion 53 is formed in an annular shape. The connecting portion 53 is provided with a screw hole (female screw) that meshes with the male screw of the bolt 47. Then, the housing 45 and the manifold 46 are fixed to each other by tightening a bolt 47 that meshes with the screw hole of the connecting portion 53.

[0045] (Manifold) FIG. 11 is a view of the manifold 46 seen from obliquely above. As shown in FIG. 11, the manifold 46 is a hollow member integrally having a cap receiving portion 60, a first mounting portion 61, a second mounting portion 62, and a needle mounting portion 63. The cap receiving portion 60 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The cap receiving portion 60 forms a space capable of receiving the above-described cap 17. A needle 70 is disposed in the space formed by the cap receiving portion 60 (see FIG. 2). The needle 70, together with the housing 45 and the manifold 46, is an element constituting the container holding portion 12. The upper end portion of the cap receiving portion 60 is fitted inside the above-described connecting portion 53.

[0046] The first mounting portion 61 is a portion for mounting the manifold 46 to the housing 45. A through hole 61a for inserting the shaft portion (male screw portion) of the above-described bolt 47 is formed in the first mounting portion 61. In the present embodiment, as an example, four through holes 61a are formed in the first mounting portion 61. In this case, the manifold 46 is fastened and fixed to the connecting portion 53 of the housing 45 using four bolts 47.

[0047] The second mounting portion 62 is a portion for mounting the manifold 46 to the tank 13. As shown in FIG. 1, the second mounting portion 62 is fixed to the upper end portion of the tank 13 by a fixture 65. The fixture 65 fixes the second mounting portion 62 to the upper end portion of the tank 13 by, for example, a fastening force due to the engagement of screws.

[0048] The needle mounting portion 63 is a portion for mounting the needle 70 to the manifold 46. A plurality of communication holes 64 are formed around the needle mounting portion 63. The plurality of communication holes 64 are holes that communicate the space above the needle mounting portion 63 and the space below the needle mounting portion 63 inside the manifold 46. Communication means being spatially connected. In the present embodiment, as an example, four communication holes 64 are formed around the needle mounting portion 63.

[0049] The needle attachment portion 63 is provided with a fixing hole 63a for fixing the needle 70. The fixing hole 63a is constituted by, for example, a screw hole (female screw) when the needle 70 is fastened and fixed to the needle attachment portion 63 by meshing of screws. In that case, a male screw that meshes with the fixing hole 63a is formed on the needle 70. The attachment structure (fixing structure) of the needle 70 to the needle attachment portion 63 is not limited to fastening by screws, and other structures such as adhesion and press-fitting may also be used.

[0050] Further, the manifold 46 is provided with a sensor attachment hole 66. The sensor attachment hole 66 is a hole for attaching a remaining amount sensor (not shown) described later.

[0051] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the needle provided in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the tip side. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the needle provided in the liquid supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the needle 70 integrally has a needle shaft portion 71, a needle flange portion 72, and a needle base portion 73. The needle 70 is preferably made of a chemical-resistant metal. The tip of the needle 70 (the needle shaft portion 71) is arranged upward. Further, the tip of the needle 70 is formed in a conical shape.

[0052] The needle 70 has a hollow portion 74. The hollow portion 74 is formed along the central axis direction of the needle 70 from the needle shaft portion 71 through the needle flange portion 72 to the needle base portion 73, excluding the conical portion at the tip of the needle 70. That is, the needle 70 has a hollow structure.

[0053] A notch hole 75 is formed at the tip of the needle 70. The notch hole 75 is formed at the tip of the needle 70 as a hole communicating with the hollow portion 74. In the present embodiment, as a preferred example, a plurality of notch holes 75 are formed at the tip of the needle 70. Further, in the present embodiment, as an example, four notch holes 75 are formed at the tip of the needle 70. The four notch holes 75 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with an angular pitch of 90°. The notch hole 75 is formed in a semi-elongated hole shape as shown in FIG. 12. The notch hole 75 is formed so as to notch a part of the conical surface at the tip of the needle 70.

[0054] The needle flange portion 72 is formed so as to protrude radially outward of the needle 70 with respect to the needle shaft portion 71 and the needle base portion 73. The needle flange portion 72 is a portion that abuts against the upper surface of the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 when the needle 70 is mounted on the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 described above.

[0055] The needle base portion 73 is formed on the side opposite to the needle shaft portion 71 with the needle flange portion 72 interposed therebetween. Further, the needle base portion 73 is formed at the rear end portion of the needle 70. The needle base portion 73 is a portion that is inserted into the fixing hole 63a of the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 when the needle 70 is mounted on the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 described above. Further, the needle base portion 73 is a portion where a male screw is formed, for example, when the needle 70 is fastened and fixed to the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 by screwing.

[0056] The needle 70 having the above-described configuration is attached to the needle attachment portion 63 of the manifold 46 as shown in FIG. 2. Further, the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70 is arranged in a state of standing vertically from the needle attachment portion 63 with the tip of the needle 70 facing upward. Further, the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70 is arranged at the center of the space formed by the cap receiving portion 60 of the manifold 46.

[0057] Next, in the liquid supply device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the procedure for setting the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12 will be described.

[0058] First, the user inserts the unused liquid container 11 into the container holding portion 12. Specifically, the user holds the handle portion 22 of the liquid container 11 by hand and inserts the liquid container 11 from above the housing 45 into the case portion 51 of the container holding portion 12. At this time, the mouth portion 21 of the liquid container 11 and the cap 17 attached to the mouth portion 21 are arranged downward. Further, the mouth portion 21 of the liquid container 11 is sealed by the sealing member 16 and the cap 17. Also, the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 is arranged below the sealing member 16.

[0059] Here, when the liquid container 11 is inserted into the container holding portion 12 as described above, the positions of the two notches 41 provided in the flange portion 31 of the cap 17 and the two keys 56 attached to the key attachment portion 55 of the housing 45 may not match. Specifically, this is the case where the type of liquid contained in the liquid container 11 to be set in the container holding portion 12 and the type of liquid contained in the liquid container 11 that the user is trying to set in the container holding portion 12 are different due to the user's mistake. In this case, before the tip of the needle 70 contacts the lid portion 29 of the cap 17, the flange portion 31 of the cap 17 contacts (interferes with) the key 56 of the housing 45. Therefore, due to the user's mistake, it is possible to prevent the incorrect liquid container 11 from being set in the container holding portion 12, that is, to prevent the incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11.

[0060] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when the positions of the two notches 41 provided in the flange portion 31 of the cap 17 and the two keys 56 attached to the key attachment portion 55 of the housing 45 match, the flange portion 31 of the cap 17 does not contact (interfere with) the key 56 of the housing 45. In this case, the needle 70 contacts the lid portion 29 of the cap 17. Specifically, the tip of the needle 70 contacts the central portion of the lid portion 29. In the present embodiment, a thin portion 38 is provided at the center of the lid portion 29, and a thick portion (a portion other than the groove portion 35) exists around this thin portion 38. Therefore, when the tip of the needle 70 is brought into contact with the lid portion 29, the displacement of the needle 70 is suppressed by the thick portion around the thin portion 38.

[0061] Also, when the user pushes the liquid container 11 downward in a state where the tip of the needle 70 contacts the central portion of the lid portion 29 as described above, the central portion of the lid portion 29 is pressed upward by the tip of the needle 70 in response to the pushing force. As a result, a hole is formed in the thin portion 38 formed in the central portion of the lid portion 29, and this hole is expanded by the tip of the needle 70. Therefore, the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 cracks along the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. In other words, the lid portion 29 is broken into six parts with the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) as boundaries. Further, in the lid portion 29 of the cap 17, the portion where the groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) are formed is bent so as to curl upward. As a result, a gap 77 (see FIG. 15) is formed around the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70. This gap 77 is formed one by one for each groove portion 35 (35a to 35f). Also, the gap 77 is formed by the lid portion 29 cracking along the groove portion 35 and a part of the lid portion 29 being bent so as to curl upward.

[0062] Here, on the lid portion 29 of the cap 17, a second groove portion 39 is formed on the second surface 37, and the second groove portion 39 is not formed on the first surface 36. For this reason, when the user pushes the liquid container 11 downward, the lid portion 29 is likely to crack along the groove portion 35 at the hexagonal portion surrounded by the second groove portion 39, but the hexagonal portion is held by the cap 17 as a part of the lid portion 29 and does not separate as fragments. Therefore, when the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 is cracked along the groove portion 35 by the pressing of the needle 70, the generation of fragments can be suppressed.

[0063] Also, as shown in FIG. 14, inside the cap 17, a space corresponding to a predetermined distance 76 is secured so that a part of the lid portion 29 cracked along the groove portion 35 does not interfere (contact) with the sealing member 16. The predetermined distance 76 is a distance equal to or greater than the length of the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) with the center portion of the lid portion 29 as a reference point. Thereby, a part of the lid portion 29 cracked along the groove portion 35 does not prevent the opening and closing operation of the sealing member 16 due to the insertion and extraction of the needle 70. The opening and closing operation of the sealing member 16 refers to the operation in which the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) formed in the sealing member 16 are pushed open by the needle 70 and the operation in which the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) are closed by the pulling out of the needle 70.

[0064] Also, when the user pushes the liquid container 11 downward as described above, the tip of the needle 70 contacts the central portion of the sealing member 16 and presses the sealing member 16 after cracking the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 along the groove portion 35. Thereby, the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) formed in the sealing member 16 are pushed by the needle 70 and spread as shown in FIGS. 4 and 16. At this time, a gap 78 (see FIG. 16) is formed around the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70 due to the spreading of the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d). One gap 78 is formed for each cut portion 26 (26a to 26d).

[0065] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12 in the liquid supply device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a part of the liquid supply device 10 shown in FIG. 17. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, when the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12, the tip (upper end) of the needle 70 is disposed in a state of piercing through the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 and the sealing member 16 from below. When the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12 in this way, the tip side of the needle 70 enters the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. For this reason, the tip portion of the needle 70 comes into contact with the liquid (not shown) stored in the liquid container 11. Further, a gap 77 (see FIG. 15) is formed by the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 cracking along the groove portion 35 around the needle shaft portion 71 of the needle 70, and a gap 78 (see FIG. 16) is formed by the cut portion 26 of the sealing member 16 being pushed open.

[0066] Therefore, an air flow path 79 (see FIG. 18) is formed inside the cap receiving portion 60 of the manifold 46 so as to pass through the above-described gaps 77 and 78, and air flows into the inside of the container body 15 through this flow path 79. Thereby, the liquid stored in the container body 15 flows out from the container body 15 by its own weight. Specifically, the liquid in the container body 15 mainly flows out from the container body 15 toward the tank 13 along two paths.

[0067] The first path is a path that flows out through the hollow portion 74 of the needle 70 from the notch hole 75 at the tip of the needle 70. The second path is a path that flows out along the above-described gaps 77, 78, and the communication hole 64. The liquid flowing out from the container body 15 along the first path and the second path flows into the tank 13 through the internal space below the manifold 46. Thereby, the liquid flowing out from the container body 15 accumulates in the tank 13.

[0068] Thereafter, when the surface height (liquid level) of the liquid accumulated in the tank 13 reaches a predetermined height H shown in FIG. 18, the liquid contacts the lower surface of the flange portion 31. As a result, since a part of the flow path 79 is blocked by the liquid, air does not flow into the container body 15. Therefore, the outflow of the liquid from the container body 15 to the tank 13 stops.

[0069] Thereafter, when the liquid in the tank 13 is sent out to the outside by a tube, a pump, etc., and thereby the surface height of the liquid falls below the above-described predetermined height H, air flows into the container body 15 through the flow path 79. For this reason, the liquid flows out from the container body 15 toward the tank 13. Such outflow of the liquid is repeated every time the liquid in the tank 13 is sent out to the outside. For this reason, while there is still liquid in the container body 15, the inside of the tank 13 is filled with the liquid, and the surface height of the liquid is maintained at the predetermined height H.

[0070] On the other hand, when there is no liquid remaining in the container body 15, that is, when the container body 15 is in an empty state, even if the surface height of the liquid falls below the predetermined height H, the liquid does not flow out from the container body 15 to the tank 13. For this reason, when the liquid in the tank 13 is sent out to the outside by a tube, a pump, etc., the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 decreases. Therefore, the user needs to replace the emptied container body 15 with an unused container body 15. Also, it is necessary to prompt the user to replace the container body 15.

[0071] Therefore, a remaining amount sensor (not shown) for detecting the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 is attached to the tank 13. As described above, the remaining amount sensor is attached to the sensor attachment hole 66 provided in the manifold 46. Then, when the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the remaining amount sensor outputs a detection signal indicating that fact to the control unit (not shown) of the automatic analyzer. Then, the control unit of the automatic analyzer controls the display unit so as to display a message or the like prompting the replacement of the container body 15 on the display screen of the display unit provided in the automatic analyzer. Further, when the automatic analyzer is equipped with a plurality of liquid supply devices 10, the control unit displays, on the display screen of the display unit, information for specifying the liquid supply device 10 in which the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 has become equal to or less than the predetermined amount, together with the above message or the like. Thereby, the user can recognize which liquid supply device 10 has a remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 equal to or less than the predetermined amount by checking the display screen of the display unit, and perform the replacement operation of the container body 15 based on this recognition result.

[0072] The procedure for the user to replace the liquid container 11 will be described below. First, the user manually holds the handle portion 22 of the liquid container 11 set in the liquid supply device 10 in which the remaining amount of the liquid in the tank 13 has become equal to or less than the predetermined amount, and pulls up the liquid container 11 from the container holding portion 12. At this time, the needle 70 is pulled out from the sealing member 16 and the lid portion 29 of the cap 17. As a result, the sealing member 16 returns to its original shape (the shape before being pressed by the needle 70) due to the elasticity of the sealing member 16. Further, the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) formed in the sealing member 16 return to the closed state as shown in FIG. 3. Thereby, for example, when a small amount of liquid remains in the container body 15, or when a human error occurs such as the user pulling up a liquid container 11 different from the liquid container 11 to be replaced, the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15 can be sealed with the sealing member 16 to suppress the leakage of the liquid.

[0073] After that, the user sets the unused liquid container 11 in the container holding part 12 in the same procedure as the above-described procedure. Thereby, the replacement of the liquid container 11 is completed.

[0074] As described above, the liquid supply device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a container body 15 having a sealing member 16 with a cut portion 26 and a cap 17 having a groove portion 35 in a lid portion 29. Then, the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 cracks along the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) when the needle 70 presses the lid portion 29, and the sealing member 16 is configured such that the cut portion 26 (26a to 26d) is expanded when the needle 70 presses the sealing member 16. Thereby, by providing only one mouth portion 21 in the liquid container 11, it is possible to realize the inflow of air into the liquid container 11 and the outflow of the liquid from the liquid container 11. For this reason, compared with the case where mouth portions are provided in the upper and lower portions of the liquid container as in the prior art, the number of mouth portions provided in the liquid container can be reduced. Therefore, for example, when the container body 15 is manufactured by blow molding or the like, the manufacturing of the container body 15 becomes easy and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Further, the user does not need to loosen the screw cap that closes the upper portion of the liquid container. For this reason, the operation burden on the user can be reduced.

[0075] Further, the sealing member 16 has a plurality of cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) formed radially outward from the central portion of the sealing member 16, and the plurality of cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) are formed rotationally symmetrically. On the other hand, the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 has a plurality of groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) formed radially outward from the central portion of the lid portion 29, and the plurality of groove portions 35 (35a to 35f) are formed rotationally symmetrically. Thereby, when the sealing member 16 is pressed with the needle 70, the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) can be evenly expanded in the circumferential direction of the sealing member 16. Further, when the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 is pressed with the needle 70, the lid portion 29 can be evenly divided along each of the groove portions 35a to 35f in the circumferential direction of the lid portion 29.

[0076] Further, the cap 17 has a cylindrical side wall 28 and an annular portion 30 that projects radially inward from the inner surface of the side wall 28. And the sealing member 16 is pressed against the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21 by the annular portion 30. Thereby, simultaneously with the tightening of the cap 17, the sealing member 16 can be brought into close contact with the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21, and the opening of the mouth portion 21 can be sealed by the sealing member 16.

[0077] Further, the flange portion 31 of the cap 17 is formed with a notch portion 41 whose notch position is determined for each type of liquid stored in the container body 15. On the other hand, the container holding portion 12 has a key 56 attached at a position avoiding interference with the flange portion 31 according to the type of liquid stored in the container body 15, and a plurality of key attachment portions 55 to which the key 56 is detachably attached. And for the plurality of key attachment portions 55, the attachment position of the key 56 can be changed according to the type of liquid stored in the container body 15. Thereby, incorrect insertion of the liquid container 11 can be prevented. Also, when a plurality of liquid supply devices 10 are provided in the automatic analyzer, the attachment position of the key 56 can be freely changed according to the type of liquid stored in the container body 15 of each liquid supply device 10. For this reason, even when the types of liquids stored in the container bodies 15 of the respective liquid supply devices 10 are different, parts other than the cap 17 can be made common. In this example, an example in which the key 56 is detachably attached to the key attachment portion 55 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the key 56 may be integrally formed with the container receiving portion 52.

[0078] Further, the tip of the needle 70 is formed in a conical shape. Thereby, when the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12, the pressing force of the needle 70 can be intensively applied to the central portion of the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 and the central portion of the sealing member 16. For this reason, when setting the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12, the user can simply push the liquid container 11 downward with a relatively light force, and insert the tip side of the needle 70 into the mouth portion 21 through the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 and the sealing member 16.

[0079] Further, the needle 70 has a hollow portion 74, and a notch hole 75 communicating with the hollow portion 74 is formed at the tip of the needle 70. Thus, when the tip side of the needle 70 is inserted into the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the hollow portion 74 of the needle 70 can be utilized as one of the liquid flow paths flowing out from the container body 15 toward the tank 13.

[0080] <Second Embodiment> Subsequently, a liquid supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The liquid supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a different needle configuration compared to the case of the first embodiment described above.

[0081] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a needle included in the liquid supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the arrangement state of each part when a liquid container is set in a container holding portion in the liquid supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 19, the needle 80 integrally has a needle shaft portion 81, a needle flange portion 82, and a needle base portion 83. The tip of the needle 80 (the needle shaft portion 81) is formed in a conical shape. The needle 80 has a hollow portion 84. The hollow portion 84 is formed along the central axis direction of the needle 80 from the needle shaft portion 81 via the needle flange portion 82 to the needle base portion 83, excluding the conical portion at the tip of the needle 80. That is, the needle 80 has a hollow structure. The above configuration is basically the same as that of the needle 70 in the first embodiment.

[0083] A long hole 85 is formed as a hole communicating with the hollow portion 84 in the needle shaft portion 81 excluding the tip (conical portion) of the needle 80. The long hole 85 is formed vertically on the peripheral wall of the needle shaft portion 81. Further, two long holes 85 are provided in one needle 80. The two long holes 85 are provided at positions facing each other via the central axis of the needle 80.

[0084] The needle flange portion 82 is formed to protrude radially outward of the needle 80 with respect to the needle shaft portion 81 and the needle base portion 83. The needle flange portion 82 is a portion that abuts against the upper surface of the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 when the needle 80 is mounted on the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 described above.

[0085] The needle base portion 83 is formed on the side opposite to the needle shaft portion 81 with the needle flange portion 82 interposed therebetween. Further, the needle base portion 83 is formed at the rear end portion of the needle 80. The needle base portion 83 is a portion that is inserted into the fixing hole 63a of the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 when the needle 80 is mounted on the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 described above. In the present embodiment, for example, assuming that the needle 80 is fastened and fixed to the needle mounting portion 63 of the manifold 46 by screwing, a male screw is formed on the needle base portion 83.

[0086] The needle 80 having the above-described configuration is attached to the needle attachment portion 63 of the manifold 46 as shown in FIG. 20. Further, the needle shaft portion 81 of the needle 80 is arranged in a state of standing vertically from the needle attachment portion 63 with the tip of the needle 80 facing upward. Further, the needle shaft portion 81 of the needle 80 is arranged at the center of the space formed by the cap receiving portion 60 of the manifold 46.

[0087] In the liquid supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when the liquid container 11 is set in the container holding portion 12, as shown in FIG. 20, the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 is cracked along the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) when the needle 80 presses the lid portion 29, and the sealing member 16 is configured such that the cut portions 26 (26a to 26d) are expanded when the needle 80 presses the sealing member 16 (see FIGS. 4, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20). For this reason, similarly to the first embodiment, the number of openings provided in the liquid container can be reduced, and the operation burden on the user can be reduced.

[0088] Further, the liquid supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs only in the configuration of the needle 80 compared to the liquid supply device 10 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, in addition to the effects described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0089] Also, the tip of the needle 80 is formed in a conical shape. Thus, similar to the first embodiment, the user can insert the tip side of the needle 80 into the mouth portion 21 through the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 and the sealing member 16 by simply pushing the liquid container 11 downward with a relatively light force.

[0090] Further, the needle 80 has a hollow portion 84, and a long hole 85 communicating with the hollow portion 84 is formed in the needle shaft portion 81 except for the tip (conical portion) of the needle 80. Thereby, when the tip side of the needle 80 is inserted into the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the hollow portion 84 of the needle 80 can be used as one of the liquid flow paths flowing from the container body 15 toward the tank 13.

[0091] However, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 20, when the tip side of the needle 80 is inserted into the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, a part of the sealing member 16 expanded by the needle 80 may block a part of the long hole 85. For this reason, there is a possibility that the liquid flow path using the hollow portion 84 of the needle 80 may be partially narrowed. Further, when the needle 80 is pulled out from the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 to replace the liquid container 11, a part of the lid portion 29 cracked along the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) may be caught on the upper edge portion of the long hole 85. For this reason, when the liquid container 11 is pulled up from the container holding portion 12, the workability may deteriorate because a part of the lid portion 29 described above is caught on the upper edge portion of the long hole 85.

[0092] In contrast, in the first embodiment described above, the tip of the needle 70 is formed in a conical shape, and the notch hole 75 is formed in the conical surface of the needle 70. Therefore, when the tip side of the needle 70 enters the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, a part of the sealing member 16 pushed apart by the needle 70 does not block the notch hole 75. Also, when pulling out the needle 70 from the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 to replace the liquid container 11, a part of the lid portion 29 that is cracked along the groove portion 35 (35a to 35f) does not get caught in the notch hole 75. Thus, regarding the configuration of the needle, it is preferable to adopt the configuration of the needle 70 employed in the first embodiment described above.

[0093] <Third Embodiment> Subsequently, a liquid supply device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a different cap configuration compared to the case of the first embodiment described above.

[0094] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the cap 87 provided in the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the outside of the container body, and FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the cap 87 provided in the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the inside of the container body. Also, FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the cap 87 provided in the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] The cap 87 shown in FIGS. 21 to 23 is a member for fastening the sealing member 16 to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. The cap 87 is made of a hard material. Specifically, the cap 87 is made of a hard resin such as polypropylene, for example.

[0096] The cap 87 has a cylindrical side wall 88, a lid portion 89 formed to close one opening of the side wall 88, an annular portion 90 formed to project radially inward from the inner surface of the side wall 88, and a flange portion 91 formed to project radially outward from the outer surface of the side wall 88. The cap 87 is an integrally molded resin product.

[0097] On the inner peripheral side of the side wall 88, a female screw portion 92 is formed together with the above-described annular portion 90. The female screw portion 92 is a portion that meshes with the male screw portion 23 (see FIG. 2) of the mouth portion 21 when the cap 87 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. The cap 87 is fastened and fixed to the mouth portion 21 of the liquid container 11 by meshing the female screw portion 92 with the male screw portion 23 of the mouth portion 21 and tightening the cap 87. The annular portion 90 is a portion that presses the sealing member 16 against the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21 by tightening the cap 87 as described above. When the cap 87 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the mouth portion 21 is arranged upward. In that case, the sealing member 16 is arranged between the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21 and the annular portion 90 of the cap 87, and by tightening the cap 87 in that state, it is fixed in a state of being in close contact with the end face 21a of the mouth portion 21.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 24, the lid portion 89 is arranged in a state of facing the sealing member 16. When the cap 87 is viewed from the front direction, the lid portion 89 is formed in a circular shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 21, a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of ribs 93 are formed around the lid portion 89. The ribs 93 are formed in a state of connecting the side wall 88 and the lid portion 89 in the radial direction of the cap 87.

[0099] Further, the lid portion 89 has a first surface 95 arranged in a state of facing the sealing member 16, a second surface 96 arranged on the side opposite to the first surface 95, and a tapered portion 97 having a quadrangular pyramid shape. In a state where the cap 87 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15, the first surface 95 of the lid portion 89 becomes the inner surface of the lid portion 89 facing the inside of the container body 15, and the second surface 96 of the lid portion 89 becomes the outer surface of the lid portion 89 facing the outside of the container body 15. The tapered portion 97 is formed such that the side of the first surface 95 is convex and the side of the second surface 96 is concave.

[0100] A plurality of groove portions 98 (98a to 98d) are formed in the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89. The groove portions 98 (98a to 98d) are formed by partially reducing the thickness dimension of the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89. And the groove portions 98 (98a to 98d) are formed such that when the needle 70 presses the lid portion 89, the lid portion 89 cracks along the groove portions 98 (98a to 98d). FIGS. 21 to 23 show the structure of the cap 87 before the lid portion 89 cracks along the groove portions 98 (98a to 98d).

[0101] In the present embodiment, as an example, four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed in the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89. The four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed in rotational symmetry. Also, the four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed radially so as to extend radially outward from the central portion of the lid portion 89.

[0102] The four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed in both directions of the first surface 95 and the second surface 96. Specifically, the four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed along the ridge line of the tapered portion 97 where the side of the first surface 95 is convex, and are formed along the ridge line of the tapered portion 97 where the side of the second surface 96 is concave. In other words, the four groove portions 98a to 98d are formed at corresponding positions of the first surface 95 and the second surface 96.

[0103] The depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the first surface 95 side is the same as the depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the second surface 96 side. However, the depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the first surface 95 side may be different from the depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the second surface 96 side.

[0104] At the center of the tapered portion 97, a thin portion 99 for suppressing displacement of the needle 70 is formed. The thin portion 99 is formed in both directions of the first surface 95 and the second surface 96, similar to the four groove portions 98a to 98d described above. Further, the thin portion 99 is formed in a substantially circular shape. The depth dimension of the thin portion 99 on the first surface 95 side is the same as the depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the first surface 95 side, and the depth dimension of the thin portion 99 on the second surface 96 side is the same as the depth dimension of each of the groove portions 98a to 98d on the second surface 96 side.

[0105] As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, a plurality of notch portions 100 are formed in the flange portion 91. In the present embodiment, as an example, two notch portions 100 are formed on the circumference of the flange portion 91. The two notch portions 100 are formed by shifting the positions by 180° in the circumferential direction of the cap 87. Further, each notch portion 100 is formed with a predetermined width in the circumferential direction. In the circumferential direction of the cap 87, the notch position, which is the position of each notch portion 100, is determined for each type of liquid stored in the container body 15. The number of notch portions 100 may be one or three or more. The notch portions 100 of the flange portion 91 are formed to prevent misinsertion of the liquid container 11. Since the principle of preventing misinsertion of the liquid container 11 is the same as that in the case of the first embodiment described above, the description thereof is omitted.

[0106] In the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when the user sets the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12, as shown in FIG. 24, a positional deviation S may occur between the central axis of the cap 87 and the central axis of the needle 70. This positional deviation S can be suppressed to a small value by increasing the positioning accuracy of the container body 15 with respect to the case portion 51 of the container holding portion 12 when the container body 15 of the liquid container 11 is inserted into the case portion 51. However, increasing the positioning accuracy of the container body 15 with respect to the case portion 51 makes it difficult to insert the container body 15 into the case portion 51. If the positional accuracy is increased, the manufacturing costs of the liquid container 11, the cap 87, and the case portion 51 increase. Therefore, in order to be able to smoothly insert the container body 15 into the case portion 51 and to suppress an increase in the manufacturing costs of the liquid container 11, the cap 87, and the case portion 51, it is necessary to relax the above-described positioning accuracy.

[0107] On the other hand, in the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a tapered portion 97 is formed on the lid portion 89 of the cap 87, and groove portions 98 (98a to 98d) are formed in this tapered portion 97. For this reason, when a positional deviation S occurs between the central axis of the cap 87 and the central axis of the needle 70, the inclined surface of the tapered portion 97 comes into contact with the tip of the needle 70. At this time, the inclined surface of the tapered portion 97 functions as a guide surface for guiding the tip of the needle 70 to the central portion (thin-walled portion 99) of the tapered portion 97. Further, when the tip of the needle 70 comes into contact with the inclined surface (concave surface) of the tapered portion 97 while the user is inserting the container body 15 into the case portion 51, a lateral (horizontal) force F for reducing the positional deviation S is applied to the cap 87. The cap 87 is attached to the mouth portion 21 of the container body 15. For this reason, when the lateral force F is applied to the cap 87, the position of the container body 15 is corrected together with the cap 87. Therefore, during the process in which the user sets the liquid container 11 in the container holding portion 12, the positional deviation S is eliminated. For this reason, the tip of the needle 70 can be brought into contact with the central portion of the lid portion 89.

[0108] Also, when the user pushes the liquid container 11 downward with the tip of the needle 70 in contact with the center of the lid portion 89 as described above, the lid portion 89 of the cap 87 is pressed by the needle 80 and cracks along the groove portion 98 (98a to 98d). Specifically, when the center of the lid portion 89 is pressed by the tip of the needle 80, a hole appears in the thin portion 99 formed in the center of the lid portion 89, and this hole is expanded by the tip of the needle 80, so that the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89 is broken into four parts with the groove portion 98 (98a to 98d) as the boundary. Therefore, even when the positioning accuracy of the container body 15 with respect to the case portion 51 is relaxed, the tip of the needle 80 can be surely brought into contact with the center of the lid portion 89, and the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89 can be broken along the groove portion 98 (98a to 98d). Further, the inclined surface of the tapered portion 97 functions as a guide surface for guiding the tip of the needle 80 to the center of the lid portion 89. Thereby, the pushing force of the user required to break the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89 along the groove portion 98 (98a to 98d) can be made constant. Therefore, a liquid supply device that is easy for the user to use can be provided.

[0109] In the third embodiment of the present invention, the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89 is formed in a quadrangular pyramid shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the tapered portion of the lid portion 89 may have a pyramid shape other than a quadrangular pyramid or a conical shape. Further, the number of groove portions 98 formed in the tapered portion of the lid portion 89 may be changed according to the shape of the tapered portion. Further, the liquid supply device according to the third embodiment of the present invention may have a configuration including a needle 80 instead of the needle 70.

[0110] <Modifications, etc.> The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes forms in which various changes and improvements are made within the range in which specific effects obtained by the constituent elements of the invention and their combinations can be derived.

[0111] For example, in each of the above embodiments, as a preferred example, the needle has a hollow portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the needle may have a configuration without a hollow portion.

[0112] Also, in each of the above embodiments, as a preferred example, the tip of the needle is conical. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the tip of the needle may be pyramidal. Further, the tip of the needle may have any shape as long as it can cut the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 along the groove portion 35 when the lid portion 29 of the cap 17 is pressed against the tip of the needle.

[0113] Also, in the above first embodiment, as a preferred example, the groove portions 35 are formed on both surfaces (the first surface 36 and the second surface 37) of the lid portion 29 of the cap 17. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the groove portion 35 may be formed on one surface of the lid portion 29 of the cap 17. This also applies to the groove portion 98 formed in the tapered portion 97 of the lid portion 89 in the above third embodiment.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0114] 10…Liquid supply device, 11…Liquid container, 15…Container body, 16…Sealing member, 17…Cap, 21…Mouth portion, 21a…End face, 28…Side wall, 38, 99…Thin-walled portion, 39…Second groove portion, 30…Annular portion, 31…Flange portion, 35(35a~35f), 70, 80…Needle, 74, 84…Hollow portion, 75…Notch hole (hole), 85…Long hole (hole), 98(98a~98d)…Groove portion, 36, 95…First surface, 37, 96…Second surface, 41…Notch portion, 55…Key attachment portion, 56…Key, 97…Tapered portion

Claims

1. A liquid container comprising a container body for containing a liquid, a sealing member for sealing an opening provided in the container body, and a cap for fastening the sealing member to the opening. A container holding part for holding the liquid container with the cap facing downward, the container holding part having a cap receiving part for forming a space capable of receiving the cap, and a needle disposed in the space formed by the cap receiving part. Comprising: The sealing member is made of an elastic material and has a cut portion. The cap is made of a hard material and has a lid portion disposed to face the sealing member, and the lid portion has a groove portion formed by partially reducing the thickness dimension of the lid portion. The lid portion of the cap is configured to crack along the groove portion when the needle presses the lid portion. The sealing member is configured such that the cut portion is expanded when the needle presses the sealing member. A liquid supply device.

2. The sealing member has a plurality of cut portions extending radially outward from the central portion of the sealing member, and the plurality of cut portions are formed rotationally symmetrically. The lid portion has a plurality of groove portions extending radially outward from the central portion of the lid portion, and the plurality of groove portions are formed rotationally symmetrically. The liquid supply device according to Claim 1.

3. A thin portion is formed at the central portion of the lid portion to suppress displacement of the needle. The liquid supply device according to Claim 2.

4. The cap has a cylindrical side wall and an annular portion formed to project radially inward from the inner surface of the side wall. The sealing member is pressed against the end face of the opening by the annular portion. The liquid supply device according to Claim 1.

5. The cap has a flange portion formed to project radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the side wall, and the flange portion is formed with a notch portion whose notch position is determined for each type of liquid contained in the container body. The container holding part has a key attached at a position that avoids interference with the flange portion according to the type of liquid contained in the container body. The liquid supply device according to Claim 4.

6. The container holding part has a plurality of key attachment parts to which the key is detachably attached, and is configured to be able to change the attachment position of the key according to the type of the liquid. The liquid supply device according to claim 5.

7. A distance equal to or greater than the length of the groove part with the central part of the lid part as a reference point is secured between the sealing member and the lid part. The liquid supply device according to claim 1.

8. The lid part has a first surface disposed in a state of facing the sealing member and a second surface disposed on the side opposite to the first surface. The plurality of groove parts are formed at corresponding positions on the first surface and the second surface, and a second groove part is formed on the second surface in a state of connecting between the radially outer ends of the plurality of groove parts. The liquid supply device according to claim 2.

9. The lid part has a first surface disposed in a state of facing the sealing member, a second surface disposed on the side opposite to the first surface, and a tapered part formed such that the side of the first surface is convex and the side of the second surface is concave. The groove part is formed in the tapered part. The liquid supply device according to claim 1.

10. The tip of the needle is conical. The liquid supply device according to claim 1.

11. The needle has a hollow part. A hole communicating with the hollow part is formed at the tip or the peripheral wall of the needle. The liquid supply device according to claim 10.

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