Liquid container

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of contributing to reduction of an environmental load since a main part of a liquid container is configured to be reusable and a lid member is formed of a material containing a recycled material.SOLUTION: A liquid container that supplies liquid to a printer includes: a main part having an opening and capable of storing the liquid; and a lid member detachably attached to the main part and closing the opening so as to be openable and closable. The lid member is formed of a material containing a recycled material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a liquid container having a main part capable of storing ink has been known. The main part of the liquid container in Patent Document 1 has two openings. A spout having an ink outlet and a cap covering the ink outlet are attached to one opening. The other opening is sealed with a film and further covered with a cover member. The main part of the liquid container in Patent Document 2 is made of reusable metal. Also, in the liquid container of Patent Document 2, a spout having an ink outlet and a cap covering the ink outlet are attached to the opening of the main part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the liquid container in Patent Document 1, since the spout and the cap are easily damaged or broken during transportation, it is difficult to be reused, which may cause a problem leading to an environmental burden. In the liquid container in Patent Document 2, when the spout or the cap has a complicated shape, there may occur a problem that it is difficult to form the main part with metal. For this reason, there is a demand for providing a liquid container that can contribute to reducing the environmental burden.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present disclosure can be realized in the following forms.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container for supplying liquid to a printer. The liquid container includes a main body having an opening and capable of containing liquid, and a lid member detachably attached to the main body and configured to open and close the opening, wherein the lid member is made of a material containing recycled material.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] A. First Embodiment: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment. The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. FIG. 1 depicts mutually perpendicular X, Y, and Z axes. The X axis corresponds to the width direction of the printer 100, the Y axis corresponds to the depth direction of the printer 100, and the Z axis corresponds to the height direction of the printer 100. The printer 100 is installed on a horizontal installation surface defined by the X axis and Y axis directions. Note that the "X axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +X direction and the -X direction. Similarly, the "Y axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the "Z axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Z direction and the -Z direction.

[0009] The printer 100 has a housing 110. Inside the housing 110 is a carriage (not shown) that is movable in the main scanning direction, which is the X-axis direction. The carriage is equipped with a print head that ejects ink onto a print medium. An ink tank housing unit 160 that houses multiple ink tanks 700S and 700L is provided at one end of the front of the housing 110. The ink tank housing unit 160 has an openable / closable lid 162 on top. The ink tank 700S is a small-capacity tank, while the ink tank 700L is a large-capacity tank. However, in the following description, the two will be simply referred to as "ink tanks 700" without distinction. Each ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage by a tube (not shown). In other words, the ink tanks 700 are stationary ink tanks that are not mounted on the carriage of the printer 100. Each ink tank 700 is an ink supply type ink tank that is replenished with ink from a liquid container when the remaining ink level is low. In this embodiment, the ink tank 700 is a stationary ink tank, but it may also be mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which ink is supplied to the ink tank 700 using the liquid container 200. The front surface of each ink tank 700 is formed of a transparent member, and the remaining ink amount in each ink tank 700 is visible from the outside. When the remaining ink amount decreases, the lid 162 can be opened and ink can be replenished from the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700.

[0011] On the upper surface of each ink tank 700, a cylindrical flow path member 710 communicating with the ink tank 700 is provided. The ink tank housing unit 160 includes a sealing cap member 164. The sealing cap member 164 has a sealing cap 165 for sealing the tip of the flow path member 710. In a state where ink is not replenished to the ink tank 700, the tip of the flow path member 710 is sealed with the sealing cap 165 of the sealing cap member 164. When replenishing ink to the ink tank 700, the sealing cap member 164 is removed from the flow path member 710, and the tip of the liquid container 200 is inserted into the position of the flow path member 710 to replenish ink. Around the flow path member 710, two recesses 750 that fit with a wall portion (described later) of the liquid container 200 are provided. These recesses 750 have a shape that is rotationally symmetric by 180 degrees about the flow path member 710.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid container 200 in the first embodiment. The liquid container 200 includes a main portion 300 and a lid member 900. The main portion 300 is configured to be able to contain liquid. In the present embodiment, the main portion 300 is a hollow cylindrical container. The main portion 300 has two openings 320 and 340 formed in the cylindrical upper portion and bottom portion. The two openings include a first opening 320 for supplying liquid to the printer 100 and a second opening 340 disposed at a position different from the first opening 320. In the present embodiment, the first opening 320 is formed in the upper portion 330 of the main portion 300. Further, the second opening 340 is formed in the bottom portion 350 of the main portion 300. Note that the liquid container 200 does not necessarily include the two openings of the first opening 320 and the second opening 340. For example, it may include only the first opening 320.

[0013] In this embodiment, the lid member 900 includes an outlet member 550, a first lid member 600, and a second lid member 800. The outlet member 550 includes a liquid outlet forming portion 400 and an outlet valve unit 500. The liquid outlet forming portion 400 has a cylindrical portion 420 that forms a liquid outlet portion 460. Note that the liquid outlet portion 460 is a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid flowing from the first opening 320 to the printer 100. The outlet valve unit 500 is mounted within the cylindrical portion 420. Therefore, the outlet valve unit 500 can also be regarded as a member that constitutes a part of the liquid outlet forming portion 400. Details of the liquid outlet forming portion 400 and the outlet valve unit 500 will be described later. Further, the lid member 900 does not necessarily include all of the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800, and may include at least any one of the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800.

[0014] In this embodiment, the first lid member 600 is a cap, and the second lid member 800 is a bottom cap. The first lid member 600 is detachably attached to the main body portion 300 via the liquid outlet forming portion 400 and closes the first opening 320 in an openable and closable manner. In this embodiment, the first lid member 600 has a shape that covers the liquid outlet portion 460 of the outlet member 550. The second lid member 800 is detachably attached to the main body portion 300 and closes the second opening 340 in an openable and closable manner.

[0015] In FIG. 3, the central axis C of the liquid container 200 is shown. In the present disclosure, the direction parallel to the central axis C of the liquid container 200 is referred to as the "axial direction", and the direction orthogonal to the central axis C is referred to as the "radial direction". Further, the upper end side of the liquid container 200 on the side of the first lid member 600 is referred to as the "tip side", and the lower end side of the liquid container 200 on the side of the second lid member 800 is referred to as the "rear end side".

[0016] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the tip side of the liquid container 200 in Figure 3. The outlet valve unit 500 that constitutes the outlet member 550 has a valve body 520. Also, the outlet valve unit 500 has a seal member 510 on the tip side of the valve body 520. Details of the valve body 520 and the seal member 510 will be described later. Further, in the present embodiment, an internal thread portion (not shown) is formed at the end on the rear end side on the inner circumference of the first lid member 600. The internal thread portion of the first lid member 600 is thread-engaged with the first external thread portion 455 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the liquid outlet forming portion 400. Therefore, the first lid member 600 can be attached to and detached from the liquid outlet forming portion 400.

[0017] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the rear end side of the liquid container 200 in Figure 3. A second external thread portion 335 is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the rear end side of the main portion 300. On the other hand, a second internal thread portion 835 is formed on the inner peripheral surface on the tip side of the second lid member 800. Therefore, the second lid member 800 can be attached to and detached from the main portion 300.

[0018] In the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the liquid container 200 has two openings, a first opening 320 and a second opening 340. Therefore, by using the second opening 340 or both the first opening 320 and the second opening 340, the main portion 300 can be efficiently filled with liquid. Also, by using the second opening 340 or both the first opening 320 and the second opening 340, the discharge, cleaning, and drying of the remaining liquid in the main portion 300 can be efficiently performed.

[0019] In this embodiment, the opening area S2 of the second opening 340 shown in FIG. 5 is larger than the opening area S1 of the first opening 320 shown in FIG. 4. Note that the opening area S1 is the opening area of the upper portion 330 in the main portion 300 when the liquid container 200 is viewed in the direction of the central axis C from the tip side. The opening area S2 is the opening area of the bottom portion 350 in the main portion 300 when the liquid container 200 is viewed in the direction of the central axis C from the rear end side. According to this configuration, by making the opening area S2 of the second opening 340 larger than the opening area S1 of the first opening 320, when mainly using the second opening 340, the efficiency can be improved when storing liquid in the main portion 300 or when performing cleaning or the like inside the main portion 300.

[0020] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the liquid container 200 in the first embodiment. As described above, the liquid container 200 includes a main portion 300, a liquid outlet forming portion 400, a first lid member 600, and a second lid member 800. The liquid outlet forming portion 400 has an outlet valve unit 500 inside. A liquid outlet portion 460 is provided at the tip of the liquid outlet forming portion 400. As described above, the liquid outlet forming portion 400 has a first male screw portion 455 formed on the outer peripheral surface.

[0021] The liquid outlet portion 460 has a cylindrical shape, and two protruding wall portions 450 extending in the axial direction are provided in a region radially outside the liquid outlet portion 460. In this embodiment, the two wall portions 450 have a shape that is rotationally symmetric by 180 degrees about the central axis C of the liquid container 200. The wall portion 450 fits into a recess 750 provided around the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700 shown in FIG. 2. Further, for example, the wall portion 450 of the liquid container 200 for replenishing yellow ink fits into the recess 750 corresponding to the ink tank 700 that stores yellow ink, and the wall portion 450 of the liquid container 200 for replenishing other colors of ink such as magenta ink and cyan ink cannot be fitted. Note that FIGS. 3 and 4 show cross-sectional views not including the wall portion 450, so the liquid outlet forming portion 400 does not include the wall portion 450.

[0022] The outlet valve unit 500 shown in Figure 6 is configured so that, in a non-replenishment state where ink is not being replenished into the ink tank 700, it seals the liquid outlet portion 460 to prevent ink from leaking to the outside, and in a replenishment state where ink is being replenished into the ink tank 700, a flow path member 710 is inserted into the liquid outlet portion 460, the valve opens, and ink flows into the flow path member 710.

[0023] The outlet valve unit 500 has a valve housing 517, a seal member 510, and a spring valve 535. The valve housing 517 is attached to the inside of the cylindrical portion 420 so as to provide a gap between the valve housing 517 and the cylindrical portion 420 in the radial direction.

[0024] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit 500. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a flow path member 710 is inserted into the outlet valve unit 500.

[0025] The valve housing 517 allows the flow path member 710 shown in FIG. 2 to be inserted and removed. As shown in FIG. 7, the valve housing 517 has a retaining portion 517A for the seal member 510 on the tip side and an engaging portion 517B with the tubular portion 420. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the valve housing 517 has a through-hole Ho penetrating in a direction intersecting the axial direction. The through-hole Ho is a hole that penetrates the side wall of the valve housing 517 in the radial direction centered on the central axis C, and is also formed to extend in the axial direction. The through-hole Ho communicates with the radial gap between the valve housing 517 and the tubular portion 420.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the spring valve 535 has a valve body 520 and a spring member 530. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the spring member 530 is housed in the valve housing 517. The spring member 530 is housed in the valve housing 517 at the rear end side in the axial direction. The spring member 530 can be made of, for example, metal. In this embodiment, the spring member 530 is a coil spring. As shown in FIG. 6, the spring member 530 biases the valve body 520 toward the tip side.

[0027] The valve element 520 is mounted within the valve housing 517 so as to be axially movable. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the valve element 520 has a cylindrical portion 524 and a protruding portion 526. The protruding portion 526 is disposed on the end surface of the cylindrical portion 524, which is a substantially cylindrical member. The cylindrical portion 524 faces the inner surface of the valve housing 517. The valve element 520 can be formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. As shown in FIG. 7, the protruding portion 526 of the valve element 520 has a tip portion 526A having a circular end surface that can abut against the flow path member 710 shown in FIG. 2. Note that the tip portion 526A is not limited to a circular end surface and may have an end surface of any shape, such as an elliptical end surface.

[0028] The spring valve 535 can be in a "closed state" and an "open state." Specifically, the valve element 520 is biased toward the seal member 510 by the spring member 530. When the cylindrical portion 524 comes into contact with the seal member 510 due to this bias, the "closed state" is established. In the "closed state," the cylindrical portion 524 comes into contact with the seal member 510, thereby closing an opening formed in the seal member 510 that penetrates the seal member 510 in the axial direction. On the other hand, the flow path member 710 inserted into the tubular portion 420 presses the valve element 520 in the direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring member 530, and the cylindrical portion 524 moves away from the seal member 510, thereby establishing the "open state." In the "open state," the cylindrical portion 524 moves away from the seal member 510, thereby opening an opening formed in the seal member 510 that penetrates the seal member 510 in the axial direction. That is, when ink is replenished, the flow path member 710 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 420 to be in the "valve open state", and the flow path member 710 is removed from the cylindrical portion 420 to be in the "valve closed state".

[0029] The components of the liquid container 200 other than the outlet valve unit 500 can be made of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0030] In a conventional liquid container, corners of a liquid outlet forming portion, corners of a lid member, etc. are more likely to be damaged or broken during transportation compared to surface portions such as the side surface of the main part. For this reason, the liquid outlet forming portion and the lid member are difficult to be reused, which may lead to a problem of increasing the environmental load. Further, as in the above-described Patent Document 2, a liquid container having a main part made of metal is suitable for reuse. However, when the liquid outlet forming portion and the lid member have a complicated shape, there may arise a problem that it is difficult to form the main part with metal. Therefore, it is conceivable to form the main part of the liquid container using plastic or the like. However, in this case, depending on the strength of the main part, there may arise a problem that it is difficult to repeatedly reuse the main part. For this reason, there is a demand for providing a liquid container that can contribute to the reduction of the environmental load. In the present disclosure, "reuse" means cleaning etc. a liquid container that has become empty without discarding it and refilling it with liquid again.

[0031] In this embodiment, the liquid container 200 has a lid member 900 shown in FIG. 3 made of a material containing recycled materials. As described above, the lid member 900 only needs to include at least one of the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800. In this embodiment, the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 are made of a material containing recycled materials. That is, among the outlet members 550, the outlet valve unit 500 is not made of a material containing recycled materials. Also, the main body 300 is not made of a material containing recycled materials. In contrast, in other embodiments, the outlet valve unit 500 and the main body 300 may be made of a material containing recycled materials. In the present disclosure, "recycled materials" include, for example, recycled plastics and metals such as aluminum. Here, recycled plastics are plastics that have been processed so that plastics that have been used once and discarded can be reused through material recycling or chemical recycling. Recycled plastics include, for example, recycled polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, etc. Recycled metals are metals that have been processed so that metals that have been used once and discarded can be reused through recycling. According to this form, compared with the main body 300, the lid member 900, which is easily damaged during transportation and difficult to reuse, is made of a material containing recycled materials, so it can contribute to reducing the environmental load.

[0032] In the liquid container 200 according to the present embodiment, the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 are formed using materials having similar physical properties. More specifically, the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 are formed using materials having similar physical properties. Here, "physical properties" is, for example, viscosity. Note that "physical properties" is not limited to viscosity. In the present disclosure, for example, when the viscosities are "similar", it means that the viscosities of two different materials are within the range of -20% or more and +20% or less under the same temperature of 200 °C or higher and the same pressure. Note that "under the same pressure" includes under atmospheric pressure. Also, regarding "similar", two different materials are used, and using the melt flow rate, which is an index of the fluidity of molten plastic, the weight of the plastic that has flowed out in a predetermined time under the same temperature of 200 °C or higher and the same pressure is measured for the plastic, and the difference between the two may be within the range of -20% or more and +20% or less. According to this form, since the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 have similar physical properties, there is no need to separate them at the recovery stage before regeneration. Therefore, the efficiency when regenerating the members can be increased.

[0033] Also, in the present embodiment, the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 are formed by the same molding method. The molding method is, for example, injection molding or pro-molding. Usually, even when two members are molded using the same material, if the molding methods are different, the two members have different compatible physical properties. Therefore, at the recovery stage before regeneration, it is necessary to separate the two members. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800 are formed by the same molding method. Therefore, at the recovery stage before regeneration, there is no need to separate the liquid outlet forming portion 400, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800. Thereby, the efficiency when regenerating the members can be increased.

[0034] In this embodiment, the material constituting the main part 300 has a higher strength than the material constituting the lid member 900. The strength is, for example, the impact strength. The impact strength is measured using, for example, the Charpy impact test defined in JIS7111. When the strength of the material constituting the main part 300 is higher than the strength of the material constituting the lid member 900, the strength of the main part 300 as a member can be increased as compared with the case where the strength of the material constituting the main part 300 is equal to or lower than the strength of the material constituting the lid member 900. That is, the main part 300 is formed so as to be less likely to be damaged as compared with the lid member 900. For this reason, the main part 300 can be repeatedly reused.

[0035] According to the first embodiment described above, the liquid container 200 includes the main part 300 having the first opening 320 and the second opening 340. Further, the lid member 900 in the liquid container 200 is detachably attached to the main part 300. Furthermore, the lid member 900 is made of a material containing recycled material. According to this form, the main part 300 can be reused. In addition, since the lid member 900 removable from the main part 300 is made of a material containing recycled material, the environmental load can be reduced.

[0036] B. Second Embodiment: FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the liquid container 200a in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, among the liquid containers 200a, the configuration on the tip side including the liquid outlet forming portion 400a and the first lid member 600a is different from that of the first embodiment. For this reason, in FIG. 9, a part of the main part 300a and the description of the second lid member 800a in the liquid container 200a are omitted.

[0037] In the second embodiment, the liquid outlet forming portion 400a is detachably attached to the main part 300a. A third female screw portion 405a is formed on the inner peripheral surface on the tip side of the liquid outlet forming portion 400a. On the other hand, a third male screw portion 305a is formed on the outer peripheral surface on the tip side of the main part 300a. The third female screw portion 405a of the liquid outlet forming portion 400a and the third male screw portion 305a of the main part 300a are screwed together.

[0038] Liquid container 200a has slit valve 515a at one end on the tip side of main section 300a. Slit valve 515a is detachably attached to main section 300a via liquid outlet forming section 400a. In the second embodiment, slit valve 515a has one slit passing through central axis C. In the second embodiment, outlet member 550a is composed of liquid outlet forming section 400a and slit valve 515a.

[0039] The liquid container 200a has two first lid members 640a and 650a. In addition to the first lid members 640a and 650a, the liquid container 200a also has a second lid member 800a (not shown). In the second embodiment, the first lid member 640a is a cap, and the first lid member 650a is an inner plug. The first lid member 650a is detachably attached to the main portion 300a via the liquid outlet forming portion 400a and the slit valve 515a. The first lid member 650a is shaped to cover the first opening 320a via the slit valve 515a. When supplying liquid from the liquid container 200a to an ink tank (not shown), the first lid member 650a is removed from the liquid container 200a, and the liquid is supplied to the ink tank via the slit valve 515a. In the following description, the first lid members 640a and 650a may be collectively referred to as the first lid member 600a.

[0040] As in the first embodiment, a fourth female thread portion 610a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rear end of first lid member 650a of liquid container 200a. Meanwhile, a fourth male thread portion 310a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of main portion 300a. Fourth female thread portion 610a of first lid member 600a and fourth male thread portion 310a of main portion 300a are threadably engaged with each other.

[0041] In the second embodiment, the first lid member 600a, the liquid outlet forming portion 400a, and a second lid member 800a (not shown) are made of a material containing recycled materials. Also, the first lid member 600a, the liquid outlet forming portion 400a, and the second lid member 800a (not shown) are formed by the same molding method using materials having similar physical properties. Thereby, it is possible to provide the liquid container 200a that can contribute to reducing the environmental load.

[0042] C. Third Embodiment: FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the liquid container 200c in the third embodiment. FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view including the wall portion 450 shown in FIG. 6. The liquid container 200c in the third embodiment includes a liquid type identification structure 400c disposed around the liquid outlet portion 460, and is configured separately from the outlet member 550 in the first embodiment. The liquid type identification structure 400c has a wall portion 450c. The wall portion 450c may have different shapes according to the color of the ink contained in the liquid container 200c, or the distinction between dye ink, pigment ink, etc. In the third embodiment, the liquid type identification structure 400c is made of a material containing recycled materials. Also, the liquid type identification structure 400c is formed by the same molding method using a material having physical properties similar to those of the first lid member 600 and the second lid member 800. Regarding other configurations, they are the same as those in the first embodiment. According to this form, even if the liquid type identification structure 400c is separate, since the liquid type identification structure 400c has physical properties similar to those of the first lid member 600 and the second lid member 800, sorting is not required during recycling. Thereby, the efficiency when recycling the members can be increased.

[0043] D. Other Embodiments: (D1) In the first embodiment described above, the lid member 900 had the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800. In contrast, the lid member 900 does not necessarily have to have all of the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800. The lid member 900 may have at least any one of the outlet member 550, the first lid member 600, and the second lid member 800. For example, the lid member 900 may have only the outlet member 550 and the first lid member 600.

[0044] E. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described in the summary of the invention can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Further, if the technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0045] (1) According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid container for supplying a liquid to a printer. This liquid container includes a main part having an opening and capable of accommodating the liquid, and a lid member detachably attached to the main part and capable of opening and closing the opening, and the lid member is made of a material containing a recycled material. According to this aspect, the main part of the liquid container can be reused. In addition, the lid member removable from the main part is made of a material containing a recycled material. Therefore, the environmental load can be reduced.

[0046] (2) In the above aspect, the opening may include a first opening for supplying the liquid to the printer and a second opening disposed at a position different from the first opening. According to this embodiment, by using the second opening or both the first opening and the second opening, the liquid can be efficiently accommodated in the main part. Further, by using the second opening or both the first opening and the second opening, the discharge, cleaning, and drying of the remaining liquid in the main part can be efficiently performed.

[0047] (3) In the above embodiment, the opening area of the second opening may be larger than the opening area of the first opening. According to this embodiment, by making the area of the second opening larger than the area of the first opening, the efficiency when accommodating the liquid in the main part or when performing cleaning or the like inside the main part can be increased.

[0048] (4) In the above embodiment, the opening is the first opening for supplying liquid to the printer, and the lid member includes an outlet member having a wall portion defining a liquid outlet portion, and a first lid member covering the liquid outlet portion of the outlet member. The liquid outlet portion is a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid flowing from the first opening to the printer, and the outlet member and the first lid member may be formed using a material having the same level of physical properties. According to this embodiment, since the outlet member and the first lid member have the same level of physical properties, sorting is not required during recycling. Thereby, the efficiency when recycling the members can be increased.

[0049] (5) In the above embodiment, it includes a liquid type identification structure disposed around the liquid outlet portion, and the liquid type identification structure may be configured separately from the outlet member. According to this embodiment, even if the liquid type identification structure is separate, since the liquid type identification structure has the same level of physical properties as the lid member, sorting is not required during recycling. Thereby, the efficiency when recycling the members can be increased.

[0050] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the opening includes a first opening for supplying liquid to the printer and a second opening disposed at a position different from the first opening. The lid member includes an outlet member having a wall portion defining a liquid outlet portion, a first lid member covering the liquid outlet portion of the outlet member, and a second lid member capable of opening and closing the second opening. The liquid outlet portion is a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid flowing from the first opening to the printer. The outlet member, the first lid member, and the second lid member may be formed using the material having the same physical properties. According to this embodiment, since the outlet member, the first lid member, and the second lid member have the same physical properties, sorting is not required during recycling. Thereby, the efficiency at the time of recycling the members can be improved.

[0051] (7) In the above-described embodiment, the material constituting the main part may have a higher strength than the material constituting the lid member. According to this embodiment, the main part can be repeatedly reused.

[0052] The present disclosure can be realized in various forms, and in addition to the above-described forms, it can be realized in forms such as a method for manufacturing a liquid container.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0053] 100... Printer, 110... Housing, 160... Ink tank accommodating unit, 162... Lid, 164... Sealing cap member, 165... Sealing cap, 200, 200a, 200c... Liquid container, 300, 300a... Main part, 305a... Third male screw part, 310a... Fourth male screw part, 320... First opening, 330... Upper part, 335... Second male screw part, 340... Second opening, 350... Bottom part, 400, 400a... Liquid outlet forming part, 400c... Liquid type identification structure, 405a... Third female screw part, 420... Cylindrical part, 450... Wall part, 455... First male screw part, 460... Liquid outlet part, 500... Outlet valve unit, 510... Seal member, 515a... Slit valve, 517... Valve housing, 517A... Part, 517B... Engaging part, 520... Valve body, 524... Cylindrical part, 526... Protrusion, 526A... Tip part, 530... Spring member, 535... Spring valve, 550, 550a... Outlet member, 600, 600a, 640a, 650a... First lid member, 610a... Fourth female screw part, 700, 700L, 700S... Ink tank, 710... Flow path member, 730... Second female screw part, 750... Recessed part, 800, 800a... Second lid member, 835... Second female screw part, 900... Lid member, C... Central axis, S1, S2... Opening area

Claims

1. A liquid container for supplying liquid to a printer, comprising: a main part having an opening and capable of containing liquid; a lid member detachably attached to the main part and closable to open and close the opening; and the lid member is made of a material containing recycled material, liquid container.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes a first opening for supplying liquid to the printer and a second opening disposed at a position different from the first opening, liquid container.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the opening area of the second opening is larger than the opening area of the first opening, liquid container.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a first opening for supplying liquid to the printer, the lid member includes an outlet member having a wall portion defining a liquid outlet portion and a first lid member covering the liquid outlet portion of the outlet member, the liquid outlet portion is a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid flowing from the first opening to the printer, the outlet member and the first lid member are formed using the material having the same physical properties, liquid container.

5. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein it includes a liquid type identification structure disposed around the liquid outlet portion, the liquid type identification structure is configured separately from the outlet member, liquid container.

6. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the opening includes a first opening for supplying liquid to the printer and a second opening disposed at a position different from the first opening, the lid member includes an outlet member having a wall portion defining a liquid outlet portion, a first lid member covering the liquid outlet portion of the outlet member, and a second lid member closable to open and close the second opening, the liquid outlet portion is a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid flowing from the first opening to the printer, the outlet member, the first lid member, and the second lid member are formed using the material having the same physical properties, liquid container.

7. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the material constituting the main part has higher strength than the material constituting the lid member, liquid container.

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