Liquid containment bottle

Abstract

To prevent that it is difficult for liquid to drip from a removed bottle cap 9.SOLUTION: In a bottle cap 9, an annular projecting piece 94 in an attached state abuts on a seat surface 865A, and the annular projecting piece 94 slides on a seat surface 865A in a circumferential direction θ1 in a process of removing the bottle cap 9. Further, since an annular groove 865E and inclined grooves 865F to 865H are formed on the seat surface 865A, ink adhering to the annular projection piece 94 is guided to the inclined grooves 865F to 865H. This ink flows down through the inclined grooves 865F to 865H into canal sections 866 to 868 due to adhesion force and gravity of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid storage bottle for storing a liquid.

Background Art

[0002] As a configuration capable of keeping the liquid level of the ink stored in the tank constant by sequentially supplying ink from a bottle connected to the tank to the tank each time the ink stored in the tank is consumed, an ink supply device in which ink is supplied from the bottle to the tank by a so-called chicken feed method is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the ink supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the bottle is connected to the tank from above. The tank includes an air introduction portion 4 that communicates with the atmosphere. The bottle includes an ink outflow pipe 2 and an air inflow pipe 3. In a state where the bottle is connected to the tank, the bottle and the tank communicate with each other through the ink outflow pipe 2 and the air inflow pipe 3. When the ink in the tank is consumed and the liquid level of the ink becomes lower than the tip portion 3a of the air inflow pipe 3, air enters the tank from the air introduction portion 4, and the air that has entered the tank enters the bottle through the air inflow pipe 3. Then, an amount of ink equal to the volume of the air that has entered the bottle is supplied from the bottle to the tank through the ink outflow pipe 2. When the liquid level of the ink reaches the tip portion 3a of the air inflow pipe 3, the supply of the ink is stopped. In this way, the liquid level of the ink in the tank is maintained constant.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] After supplying ink from the bottle to the tank, if ink remains in the bottle, the bottle is capped and stored. Then, when supplying ink to the tank again, the cap is removed. In the operation of supplying ink from the bottle to the tank, if ink adhering to the ink outflow pipe 2 and the air inflow pipe 3 of the bottle adheres to the cap, when removing the cap from the bottle or when the removed cap is placed on a desk or the like, ink may drip from the cap and stain the desk or the like.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid storage bottle in which liquid hardly drips from a cap attached to a bottle body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The present invention is a liquid storage bottle including a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid and a cap attached to the bottle body. The bottle body has a base end surface, a nozzle protruding in a first direction from the base end surface, and an annular wall protruding in the first direction from the base end surface and positioned around the nozzle with a space therebetween in a second direction intersecting the first direction with respect to the nozzle. The nozzle has a tip surface formed with an opening through which the liquid stored in the internal space flows out, a seating surface closer to the annular wall in the second direction than the tip surface and closer to the internal space in the first direction than the tip surface, and a groove formed in the seating surface and having an end communicating with a space between the nozzle and the annular wall. The cap has a sealing portion that seals the opening in a state of being attached to the bottle body, and a protruding piece protruding from around the sealing portion and abutting against the seating surface in the attached state.

[0008] Since the liquid flows down from the seating surface to the space between the nozzle and the annular wall through the groove, it is difficult for the liquid to remain on the seating surface. As a result, it is difficult for the liquid to adhere to the protruding piece that abuts against the seating surface, and it is difficult for the liquid to drip from the cap removed from the bottle body.

[0009] (2) The upper part of the nozzle located above the seating surface in the above nozzle is cylindrical. The seating surface is an annular shape facing upward. The protruding piece is cylindrical.

[0010] Since the upper part of the nozzle and the protruding piece are fitted together, it is easy to attach the cap to the bottle body.

[0011] (3) The bottom surface of the above groove is inclined downward toward the above internal space.

[0012] Liquid is easily guided downward from the seating surface through the groove.

[0013] (4) The above annular wall is formed in a shape where a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of the cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring.

[0014] Based on the connecting plate, the circumferential position of the bottle body can be easily grasped.

[0015] (5) The above seating surface has a first region between the part where the above seating surface and the above connecting plate intersect and the above nozzle. The above groove is formed in a second region other than the above first region on the above seating surface.

[0016] Even when the liquid storage bottle is laid on its side, it is difficult for the liquid accumulated in the space to flow back reversely to the seating surface.

[0017] (6) The above liquid storage bottle is for supplying liquid to the tank of a liquid consumption device. It further has a key member formed on the above annular wall and fitted with a fitting portion provided around the supply port of the above tank.

[0018] By changing at least any one of the position, length, height, and number of the key member for each type of liquid storage bottle, the type of the liquid storage bottle can be grasped by the key member.

[0019] (7) The above cap is screwed onto the above annular wall and attached to the bottle body.

[0020] A cap can be easily and surely attached to the bottle body.

[0021] (8) The upper end of the annular wall is located above the tip surface.

[0022] When the bottle body is tilted so that the top and bottom are reversed, the liquid dripping from the tip surface of the nozzle is easily received by the annular wall.

[0023] (9) The liquid storage bottle further includes a first bottom portion that partitions the space and is located below the seat surface, and a second bottom portion that partitions the space and is located below the first bottom portion. The end of the groove is above the second bottom portion.

[0024] Since the distance from the bottom to the end of the groove can be increased, even if the liquid storage bottle is laid on its side, the liquid accumulating in the space hardly moves to the end of the groove and hardly flows back to the seat surface.

[0025] (10) The liquid storage bottle further includes ribs that partition the space into a plurality of small spaces.

[0026] Even if the liquid storage bottle is laid on its side, it is possible to reduce the accumulation of liquid at one end of the space, so that the liquid hardly flows back to the seat surface.

[0027] (11) The present invention is a liquid supply device including the liquid storage bottle and a tank having a storage chamber for storing liquid. The tank has a recess, and a communication pipe located in the recess and having a first flow path and a second flow path that communicate the storage chamber with the outside. The bottle body is connected such that the annular wall is inserted into the recess and the communication pipe is inserted into the opening of the nozzle, so that liquid can flow out from the internal space of the bottle body to the storage chamber of the tank.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, it is difficult for liquid to drip from the cap removed from the bottle body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. In the following description, the progression from the starting point to the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the direction, and the movement back and forth on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the orientation. In other words, the direction is one component of the orientation. Further, with reference to the posture in which the MFP100 is installed on the horizontal plane so as to be usable (the posture in Fig. 1, also referred to as the "use posture"), the vertical direction z1 is defined, the front-rear direction y1 is defined with the surface on which the opening 1B of the MFP100 is provided as the front surface 11, and the left-right direction x1 is defined when the MFP100 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, in the use posture, the vertical direction z1 is the vertical direction, the front-rear direction y1 and the left-right direction x1 are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the front-rear direction y1 and the left-right direction x1 are orthogonal.

[0031] [Configuration of MFP100] In Fig. 1, the MFP100 is a multifunction device and includes a housing 1, a housing cover 2, and a printer unit 3. The MFP100 is an example of a liquid consumption device and is a part of a liquid supply device.

[0032] The housing 1 is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape and partitions the internal space 1A (see Fig. 1(B)) of the MFP100 from the outside. The upper end of the internal space 1A is an upward opening. A forward opening 1B is formed near the left-right center on the front surface 11 of the housing 1. The opening 1B is rectangular in a front view from the front (hereinafter, also referred to as the "first front view") and communicates with the internal space 1A.

[0033] The housing cover 2 is connected near the upper rear corner of the housing 1 by a coupler 21 (see Fig. 1(B)), and rotates around the rotation axis of the coupler 21 between a shielding position P11 (see Fig. 1(A)) and an exposure position P12 (see Fig. 1(B)). At the shielding position P11, the housing cover 2 shields the components (see Fig. 1(B)) in the internal space 1A. The components include a tank set 31, a recording unit 32, etc. At the exposure position P12, the housing cover 2 exposes these components to the outside.

[0034] The housing cover 2 may accommodate a scanner unit that optically reads the original document inside. The MFP 100 may also have other functions such as a fax function.

[0035] In Fig. 2, the printer unit 3 includes, in addition to the tank set 31 and the recording unit 32 (see Fig. 1(B)), a supply tray 33, a discharge tray 34, a conveyance path 35, a feed roller unit 36, a conveyance roller unit 37, a discharge roller unit 38, and a platen 39 in the internal space 1A, and records an image on a sheet of paper S (see Fig. 2) by an inkjet recording method.

[0036] The supply tray 33 and the discharge tray 34 are mounted in the internal space 1A through the opening 1B (see Fig. 1). A plurality of sheets of paper S are stacked on the supply tray 33. The discharge tray 34 is located above the supply tray 33 and supports the sheet of paper S on which the image is recorded. The conveyance path 35 is indicated by the arrow of the dashed line in Fig. 2 and has a curved portion 351 and a straight portion 352. The curved portion 351 extends upward from the rear end of the supply tray 33 and makes a U-turn forward. The straight portion 352 extends linearly forward from the downstream end of the curved portion 351 and reaches the rear end of the discharge tray 34.

[0037] The feed roller unit 36 feeds the sheets of paper S on the supply tray 33 one by one to the upstream end of the curved portion 351. The conveyance roller unit 37 is located at the downstream end of the curved portion 351 and sends out the sheet of paper S conveyed by the curved portion 351 in the conveyance direction y2 toward the straight portion 352. The conveyance direction y2 is forward in the straight portion 352. The discharge roller unit 38 is located immediately behind the discharge tray 34 in the straight portion 352 and discharges the sheet of paper S conveyed by the straight portion 352 to the discharge tray 34.

[0038] The platen 39 is positioned between the conveyance roller unit 37 and the discharge roller unit 38 in the straight portion 352, and supports the sheet S fed out from the conveyance roller unit 37 from below. The recording unit 32 is positioned above the platen 39 and includes a carriage 321 and a recording head 322. The carriage 321 reciprocates in the main scanning direction x2 parallel to the left-right direction x1. The recording head 322 is mounted on the carriage 321 such that the lower surface of the recording head 322 faces the upper surface of the platen 39 via the straight portion 352. Nozzles 323 are arranged on the lower surface of the recording head 322 in the front-back, left-right directions. The recording head 322 discharges four-color ink stored in the recording head 322 from a plurality of nozzles 323. The four colors are Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). The recording head 322 discharges ink from the nozzles 323 toward the sheet S stopped on the platen 39 while moving at a constant speed in the main scanning direction x2 together with the carriage 321. Thereby, an image for one pass is recorded on the sheet S. When the image recording for one pass is completed, the sheet S is conveyed in the conveyance direction y2 by a unit line feed width by the intermittent conveyance by the conveyance roller unit 37. This image recording and intermittent conveyance are alternately repeated, and an image is recorded on the entire sheet S.

[0039] [Tank set 31] In FIG. 3, the tank set 31 includes four tanks 4A to 4D, two holding members 51A, 51B, four caps 6A to 6D, and two tank covers 52A, 52B. In FIG. 3(B), the holding members 51A, 51B, the caps 6A to 6D, and the tank covers 52A, 52B are not shown.

[0040] The tanks 4A to 4D are installed immediately behind the front surface 11. The tank 4A is positioned to the left of the supply tray 33. The tanks 4B to 4D are to the right of the supply tray 33 and are arranged from left to right in the order of the tanks 4B, 4C, 4D.

[0041] [Tank 4A] In FIG. 3(B), the tank 4A is an example of a tank and includes a main body 41. The main body 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with left - right dimensions smaller than the up - down dimensions and the front - rear dimensions. The main body 41 demarcates a storage chamber 46 (see FIG. 4(B)) for storing K - colored ink from the outside. The main body 41 is made by injection molding of a resin material having translucency, except for one of the left - right side surfaces. One side surface of the main body 41 is closed by a resin film thinner than the other parts.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3(B), one end of a flexible resin tube 42 is connected near the rear end of the main body 41. The other end of each tube 42 is connected to the recording head 322. In response to the consumption of ink in the recording head 322, the ink in the main body 41 is supplied to the recording head 322 via the tube 42. An air communication hole is also formed near the rear end of the main body 41.

[0043] In FIG. 4, an annular wall 44 and a needle 45 extend upward from the upper surface 43 of the main body 41. The upper end surfaces of the upper surface 43 and the annular wall 44 are parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0044] The annular wall 44 has connecting plates 71, 72 and curved plates 73, 74. The outer shape of the connecting plates 71, 72 is generally rectangular in a plan view from the left and right. The connecting plates 71, 72 have a plate - like shape that expands vertically and horizontally. The connecting plate 71 is located to the right of the needle 45, and the connecting plate 72 is located to the left of the needle 45. The curved plates 73, 74 have an arc shape in a plan view from above (hereinafter also referred to as "the first plan view"). The curved plate 73 bulges forward, and the curved plate 74 bulges backward. The curved plate 73 is located in front of the needle 45, and the curved plate 74 is located behind the needle 45. The connecting plate 71 connects the right ends of the curved plates 73, 74, and the connecting plate 72 connects the left ends of the curved plates 73, 74.

[0045] In FIG. 4(A), on the connecting plate 71, ribs 711, grooves 712, and slits 713 are arranged in this order from the front to the rear.

[0046] The rib 711 projects vertically leftward from a position in front of the needle 45 on the inner surface of the connecting plate 71. The rib 711 is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 71 and extends straight up and down. The rib 711 has a rectangular plate shape that is thin in the front-back direction and slender in the up-down direction in the first front view.

[0047] The groove 712 is located on the right when viewed from the needle 45, is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 71, and extends linearly up and down. The groove 712 is recessed rightward from the inner surface of the connecting plate 71. The depth and width of the groove 712 are substantially constant throughout the area between the upper and lower ends of the groove 712.

[0048] The slit 713 is continuous between a position slightly above the lower end of the connecting plate 71 and the upper end of the connecting plate 71 and extends linearly up and down. The distance between both ends of the slit 713 in the vertical direction z1 is approximately the same as the distance between both ends of the rib 813 (see FIG. 6) in the extending direction z2. Hereinafter, the distance between both ends in the vertical direction z1 and the distance between both ends in the extending direction z2 are each also simply referred to as the height. The width of the slit 713 is substantially constant throughout the area between the upper and lower ends of the slit 713.

[0049] In FIG. 4, the connecting plate 72 is composed of an inner plate 75 and an outer plate 76 that expand in the up-down, front-back directions. The inner plate 75 faces the outer plate 76 left-right at a position slightly closer to the needle 45 than the outer plate 76. Slits 721 and ribs 722 are formed in the inner plate 75.

[0050] The slit 721 is located on the left when viewed from the needle 45, is continuous between a position slightly above the lower end of the inner plate 75 and the upper end of the inner plate 75, and extends linearly up and down. The slit 721 is approximately the same height as the rib 815 (see FIG. 6). The width of the slit 721 is substantially constant throughout the area between the upper and lower ends of the slit 721.

[0051] The rib 722 projects vertically rightward from a position behind the needle 45 on the inner surface of the inner plate 75. The rib 722 is continuous between the lower end and the upper end of the inner plate 75 and extends straight up and down. The rib 722 has the same plate-like shape as the rib 711 of the connecting plate 71. The protruding end surface (i.e., the right side surface) of the rib 722 extends in the vertical and longitudinal directions and is slightly inclined with respect to the left-right direction x1.

[0052] In FIG. 4(A), a convex portion 731 is formed on the curved plate 73. The convex portion 731 is located generally in front of the needle 45 and away from the needle 45, and is located near the center of the curved plate 73 in the left-right direction x1. The convex portion 731 is generally rectangular in a first plan view and protrudes rearward from the inner surface of the curved plate 73. The rear end surface of the convex portion 731 is arc-shaped in a first plan view (see FIG. 6(B)). The right side surface and the left side surface of the convex portion 731 are flat surfaces that are substantially orthogonal to the left-right direction x1. The convex portion 731 is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the curved plate 73 and extends linearly up and down, except for a portion 732 at the rear right corner in a first plan view. The portion 732 is generally parallelogram-shaped in a first plan view, is continuous between the lower end of the curved plate 73 and a position below the upper end of the curved plate 73, and extends up and down.

[0053] The annular wall 44, together with the ribs 711, 722, the groove 712, the slits 713, 721, the convex portion 731, and the portion 732, defines a keyhole 78 that is open upward. The keyhole 78 is an example of a fitting portion or a recess. A bottle 200A described later is connected to the keyhole 78 during ink replenishment. The keyhole 78 engages with a key member 855 formed on the bottle 200A side, but does not engage with the key members of other bottles 200B to 200D.

[0054] The needle 45 extends along the vertical direction z1 from the upper surface 43 at a position that is approximately at the center in the front - rear direction y1 of the curved plates 73, 74 and approximately at the center in the left - right direction x1 of the connecting plates 71, 72. The upper end of the needle 45 is at a position slightly lower than the upper end of the annular wall 44 (see also Fig. 11(B)). The lower end of the needle 45 is located above the bottom of the storage chamber 46. The needle 45 is a vertically long cylindrical member and is an example of a supply port of a tank or a communication pipe. For gas - liquid exchange with a bottle 200A (described later), two flow paths 451, 452 are formed in the needle 45, extending linearly vertically from the tip (upper end) to the storage chamber 46 of the main body 41 (see Fig. 4(B)). In Fig. 4(B), the flow paths 451, 452 are partitioned by a partition wall 453 that expands vertically over the entire region between the upper and lower ends of the needle 45. The upper end of the partition wall 453 is located above the upper ends of the flow paths 451, 452. The lower end of the flow path 451 is located below the lower end of the flow path 452.

[0055] [Tanks 4B - 4D] Each of the tanks 4B - 4D is another example of a tank and has a main body similar to the main body 41 except for the following points. In the main body 41 of each of the tanks 4B - 4D, the cylindrical wall is partitioned into a keyhole that opens upward by at least one kind of rib, groove, slit, and convex portion or a combination of two or more of these. Here, the combinations of ribs, grooves, and slits are different from each other in the tanks 4A - 4D. The three - dimensional shapes of the keyholes of the tanks 4B - 4D are different from each other and also different from the three - dimensional shape of the keyhole 78. In the embodiment, the three - dimensional shape of each keyhole is determined by the dimensions and positions of the rib, groove, slit, or convex portion in the left - right direction x1, front - rear direction y1, and vertical direction z1. In addition, the main bodies of the tanks 4B, 4C, 4D are different from the main body 41 in that they store C - color, M - color, and Y - color inks. The main bodies of the tanks 4B - 4D may be different from the main body 41 in terms of the ink capacity.

[0056] In FIG. 3(A), the holding member 51A covers the upper surface 43 (see FIG. 4(A)) of the main body 41. The holding member 51A is formed with a through hole 511 (see FIG. 5(A)) through which the annular wall 44 and the needle 45 (see FIG. 4(A)) are inserted. The holding member 51B collectively covers the upper surfaces of the tanks 4B to 4D (see FIG. 3(B)). The holding member 51B is formed with through holes 511B to 511D (see FIG. 5(A)). The through holes 511B to 511D are inserted by the cylindrical walls and needles of the tanks 4B to 4D.

[0057] Behind the through hole 511A in the holding member 51A, a bearing 53A is provided. Behind the through holes 511B to 511D in the holding member 51B, bearings 53B to 53D are respectively provided. Each of the bearings 53A to 53D has a rotation axis parallel to the left-right direction x1, and supports each of the caps 6A to 6D so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis of the bearings 53A to 53D between the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)) and the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)).

[0058] In FIGS. 3 and 5, the cap 6A has a rubber portion 61A and an arm portion 62A. The rubber portion 61A has a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than that of the needle 45 (see FIG. 4) and has a hole through which the needle 45 is inserted. In FIG. 5, for convenience, the needle 45 is not shown. The arm portion 62A is made of a resin material harder than the rubber portion 61A and has an elongated rod shape. The rubber portion 61A is attached to one end of the arm portion 62A. A rotation axis inserted by the bearing 53A is provided at the other end of the arm portion 62A.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3(A), when the cap 6A is in the closed position P21, the arm portion 62A extends forward from the bearing 53A, and the rubber portion 61A fits into the keyhole 78 through the through hole 511A of the holding member 51A. At this time, the needle 45 is inserted into the hole of the rubber portion 61A. In FIG. 5, for convenience, the needle 45 and the keyhole 78 are not shown. Thereby, leakage and drying of the ink in the main body 41 are prevented. The open position P22 is a position rotated about 90° to 100° around the rotation axis of the bearing 53A from the closed position P21.

[0060] Caps 6B to 6D are the same as cap 6A in terms of the configuration surface, but are different from cap 6A in that they are fitted into keyholes provided in bottles 200B to 200D (see Fig. 3(B) etc.) through through-holes 511B to 511D of holding member 51B.

[0061] Tank covers 52A and 52B are rotatable around a rotation axis behind bearings 53A to 53D between a covering position P31 and an exposed position P32 (see Fig. 3(A)) when housing cover 2 is in the exposed position P12 (see Fig. 1(B)). When tank cover 52A is in the covering position P31, it covers holding member 51A, cap 6A, and bearing 53A from above. When tank cover 52B is in the covering position P31, it covers holding member 51B, caps 6B to 6D, and bearings 53B to 53D from above. The exposed position P32 is a position rotated about 90° to 100° around the rotation axis of tank covers 52A and 52B from the covering position P31.

[0062] [Bottles 200A to 200D] As shown in Fig. 5(B), in MFP 100 (see Fig. 1), for example, four bottles 200A to 200D are used for ink replenishment to tanks 4A to 4D. Bottles 200A to 200D are the remaining part of the liquid supply device. In Fig. 6(A), bottle 200A is shown larger than the others for convenience. Bottle 200A stores ink (K-color ink) for replenishing tank 4A. Bottle 200A includes a bottle body 8 and a bottle cap 9. Bottle 200A is an example of a liquid storage bottle, and bottle cap 9 is an example of a cap.

[0063] [Bottle body 8] In Fig. 6(A), bottle body 8 has a bottom 81, a body portion 82, a shoulder portion 83, a base portion 84, an annular wall 85, and a neck portion 86.

[0064] [Bottom 81] The bottom 81 is a flat portion of the bottom wall in a substantially disk shape. When the bottom 81 is brought into contact with the horizontal plane 300 (see Fig. 5(B)), the posture in which the bottle body 8 is placed on the horizontal plane 300 is referred to as the placement posture. A virtual line passing through the center of the bottom 81 and perpendicular to the bottom 81 is defined as the axis Ax1. Among the extending directions z2 in which the axis Ax1 extends, the direction from the bottom 81 to the neck portion 86 is also referred to as the separating direction z21, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the approaching direction z22. Among the radial directions r1 of the axis Ax1, the direction approaching the axis Ax1 is also referred to as the centripetal direction r11, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the centrifugal direction r12. Only an example of the radial direction r1, the centripetal direction r11, and the centrifugal direction r12 is shown in Fig. 6.

[0065] [Barrel portion 82, Shoulder portion 83] The barrel portion 82 is a substantially cylindrical wall extending in the separating direction z21 from the outer edge of the bottom 81. The shoulder portion 83 is a wall extending in the centripetal direction r11 from the extending end of the barrel portion 82. The shoulder portion 83 is inclined with respect to the radial direction r1 of the axis Ax1 so as to move away from the bottom 81 as it approaches the axis Ax1. The extending end of the shoulder portion 83 is separated from the axis Ax1 in the centrifugal direction r12 and is circular in a plan view (hereinafter, also referred to as the "second plan view") from the approaching direction z22.

[0066] [Base portion 84] The base portion 84 has a side wall and an upper wall. This side wall protrudes in the separating direction z21 (i.e., upward) from the extending end of the shoulder portion 83 when the bottle body 8 is in the placement posture and is substantially cylindrical. The upper wall extends in the centripetal direction r11 from the protruding end (i.e., the upper end) of the side wall of the base portion 84 and is substantially annular in the second plan view. The base portion 84 has an upper surface 841 (an example of a base end surface). The upper surface 841 defines the upper end on the outer surface of the base portion 84 and is a plane parallel to the radial direction r1.

[0067] [Accommodation chamber 87] In Fig. 7(B), the space defined by the bottom 81 (see Fig. 6), the barrel portion 82 (see Fig. 7(A)), the shoulder portion 83, and the base portion 84 forms an accommodation chamber 87 in which K-color ink is accommodated.

[0068] [Annular wall 85, Neck portion 86] In FIG. 6(A), the annular wall 85 and the neck portion 86 extend in the separating direction z21 with respect to the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84. The extending end of the annular wall 85 is parallel to the upper surface 841. The height of the annular wall 85 is equal to or less than the height of the annular wall 44 in the tank 4A (see also FIG. 11).

[0069] [Annular wall 85] In FIG. 6, the annular wall 85 has connecting plates 851, 852 and curved plates 853, 854. The ends in the separating direction z21 of the annular wall 85 form the periphery of an opening.

[0070] The connecting plates 851, 852 are formed of flat plates that are substantially linear in a second plan view, and face each other in the radial direction r1 with the neck portion 86 therebetween. During ink replenishment, the connecting plate 851 is located to the left of the connecting plate 71 of the annular wall 44 (see FIG. 4(A)), and the connecting plate 852 is located to the right of the connecting plate 72 of the annular wall 44 (see FIG. 4).

[0071] The curved plates 853, 854 have an arc shape on a virtual circle c1 (see FIG. 6(B)) in a second plan view, and face each other in the radial direction r1 with the neck portion 86 therebetween. The virtual circle c1 is a circle centered on the axis Ax1 in a second plan view, and is slightly smaller in diameter than the upper surface 841. Specifically, the planar shape of the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 is substantially circular. The curved plate 853 extends in the separating direction z21 from a position along the virtual circle c1 on the upper surface 841. The curved plate 854 extends in the extending direction z2 at a position obtained by rotating the position occupied by the curved plate 853 on the upper surface 841 approximately 180° in the circumferential direction θ1 around the axis Ax1. The curved plate 853 is connected to each of one ends of the connecting plates 851, 852 that are close to each other in the circumferential direction θ1. The other ends of the connecting plates 851, 852 are connected to each other by the curved plate 854. During ink replenishment, the curved plate 853 has a shape that overlaps immediately behind the curved plate 73 of the annular wall 44 (see FIG. 4), and the curved plate 854 has a shape that overlaps immediately in front of the curved plate 74 of the annular wall 44 (see FIG. 4).

[0072] In FIG. 6, ribs 811 to 813 project vertically from the outer surface of the connecting plate 851 toward the outside of the annular wall 85. Among the ribs 811 to 813, the rib 811 is located closest to the curved plate 853, and the rib 813 is located closest to the curved plate 854. The ribs 811 to 813 are continuous between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the connecting plate 851 and extend linearly in the extending direction z2. The ribs 811 to 813 are approximately at the same height as the slit 713 (see FIG. 4(A)) in the tank 4A. The ribs 811 to 813 do not protrude from the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 in the second plan view. Specifically, the maximum distance between both ends in the protruding direction of the rib 811 is shorter than the distance between both ends in the protruding direction of the rib 711 (see FIG. 4(A)) on the tank 4A side. When comparing the distances in the radial direction r1 from the axis Ax1 to the protruding end of the rib 811 and the outer peripheral surface of the curved plate 853, in order to avoid interference with the bottle cap 9, the distance to this protruding end (an example of the first distance) is shorter than the distance to this outer peripheral surface (an example of the second distance). The rib 811 abuts against the rib 711 from the rear when the connection is completed. At this time, the protruding end (i.e., the left end) of the rib 711 abuts against the connecting plate 851 from the right. The rib 812 fits into the groove 712 when the bottle 200A and the tank 4A are connected. At this time, the protruding end of the rib 812 abuts against the bottom of the groove 712 from the left. The rib 813 is inserted into the slit 713 when the bottle 200A and the tank 4A are connected. A part of the protruding end surface of the rib 813 is cut out and forms a part of a male screw 814 (see FIG. 6(A)) described later.

[0073] In FIG. 6, ribs 815 and grooves 816 are formed on the outer surface of the connecting plate 852. The rib 815 projects vertically outward from the annular wall 85 from a position closer to the curved plate 853 than the groove 816 on the outer surface of the connecting plate 852. The protruding end of the rib 815 does not protrude centrifugally r12 from the upper surface 841 in the second plan view. The rib 815 is approximately at the same height as the slit 721 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the ends of the rib 815 and the connecting plate 852 in the proximity direction z22 are at the same position. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 is slightly closer to the proximity direction z22 than the end of the connecting plate 852 in the separation direction z21. That is, the distance in the extension direction z2 from the upper surface 841 to the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 (an example of the third distance) is shorter than the distance in the extension direction z2 from the upper surface 841 to the end of the connecting plate 852 in the same direction (an example of the fourth distance). Note that the separation direction z21 is the vertical direction z1 in the placement posture, and the end in the separation direction z21 is the upper end in the placement posture. When the connection is completed, the rib 815 is inserted into the slit 721, and the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 abuts against the lower end of the slit 721. The groove 816 is continuous between both ends of the connecting plate 852 in the extension direction z2 and linearly extends in the extension direction z2. The groove 816 is recessed from the outer surface to the inner surface of the connecting plate 852. The bottom surface of the groove 816 is parallel to the circumferential direction θ1 in the first plan view. The width of the groove 816 is substantially constant between both axial ends of the connecting plate 852. The rib 722 (see FIG. 4) is fitted into the groove 816 during ink replenishment, and at this time, the protruding end of the rib 722 abuts against the bottom of the groove 816 from the left side.

[0074] In FIG. 6, on each outer peripheral surface of the curved plates 853 and 854 near the central portion in the extension direction z2, another part of the male screw 814 is formed. As described above, a part of the male screw 814 is also formed on the rib 813. That is, the male screw 814 is formed separately on the protruding end surface of the rib 813 and the curved plates 853 and 854. The male screw 814 is screwed into the female screw 93 formed on the bottle cap 9.

[0075] On the outer surface of the curved plate 853, a groove 817 is formed. The groove 817 is continuous between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the curved plate 853 at the central part in the circumferential direction θ1 of the curved plate 853 and linearly extends in the extending direction z2. The groove 817 is recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the curved plate 853 toward the inner peripheral surface. The bottom surface of the groove 817 is parallel to the circumferential direction θ1 in the first plan view. The width and depth of the groove 817 are substantially constant between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the curved plate 853 except for the portion of the rib 818 described later. Specifically, the depth of the groove 817 is the same as the front-rear dimension of the convex portion 731, and the width of the groove 817 is the same as the maximum value of the left-right dimension in the convex portion 731. A rib 818 is formed in the groove 817. The rib 818 extends from one side surface (clockwise direction in FIG. 6) in the circumferential direction θ1 in the groove 817. The rib 818 extends from between both ends in the radial direction r1 of the groove 817 and expands in the radial direction r1 and the circumferential direction θ1. The rib 818 is substantially the same shape as the portion 732 (see FIG. 4) on the tank 4A side in the second plan view and is a thin plate shape in the extending direction z2. The end surface of the rib 818 in the separating direction z21 is separated from the end in the separating direction z21 of the groove 817 by the height of the portion 732 (see FIG. 4) in the approaching direction z22.

[0076] When the connection is completed, the groove 817 fits into the convex portion 731 (see FIG. 4). At this time, the end surface of the rib 818 in the separating direction z21 abuts against the portion 732 from above.

[0077] The annular wall 85, together with the ribs 811 to 813, 815, 818 and the grooves 816, 817, forms a key member 855 that fits into the key hole 78 (see FIG. 4).

[0078] [Head 86] In FIG. 7, the head portion 86 is an example of a nozzle or the upper part of a nozzle. The head portion 86 protrudes in a direction of separation z21 (an example of a first direction) from the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84. Specifically, the head portion 86 has a side wall 861 and an annular wall 862. The side wall 861 extends in the direction of separation z21 from a position that is farther from the upper surface 841 in the direction of separation z21 and farther from the annular wall 85 in the centripetal direction r11. The side wall 861 has a generally cylindrical shape that is coaxial with the axis Ax1. The annular wall 862 extends from the end of the side wall 861 in the direction of separation z21 toward the centripetal direction r11. In a second plan view, a through hole having a substantially circular shape and coaxial with the axis Ax1 is formed at the center of the annular wall 862. The side wall 861 and the annular wall 862 partition a substantially cylindrical space within the head portion 86. This space forms a part of a flow path 863 through which the ink stored in the storage chamber 87 passes. As is clear from FIG. 7(B), the end of the flow path 863 in the proximity direction z22 is continuous with the storage chamber 87 through the space between the side portions 882A of the support member 882 when the valve body 883 is not in close contact with the rubber portion 881. The flow path 863 is continuous with a flow outlet 864 (an example of an opening) at the end in the direction of separation z21. The flow outlet 864 is an opening that is open in the direction of separation z21 at the tip surface of the head portion 86 in the through hole of the annular wall 862. The flow outlet 864 has a diameter slightly larger than that of the needle 45 and causes the ink that has passed through the flow path 863 to flow out to the outside of the bottle 200A.

[0079] [Relationship between the annular wall 85 and the head portion 86] The annular wall 85 is located around the head portion 86 with a space in the centrifugal direction r12 (an example of a second direction) from the head portion 86. In the direction of separation z21, the tip of the annular wall 85 is farther from the bottom 81 than the tip of the head portion 86. In the mounted posture, the tip of the annular wall 85 is located above the tip of the head portion 86.

[0080] [Valve mechanism 88] In FIG. 7(B), the bottle body 8 further includes a valve mechanism 88 in the internal space of the head portion 86. The valve mechanism 88 has a rubber portion 881, a support member 882, a valve body 883, and a coil spring 884.

[0081] The rubber part 881 has a bottomless cylindrical shape and is inserted into the internal space of the neck part 86 coaxially with the axis Ax1. When inserted, the outer peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 is in close contact with the side wall 861, and one end surface thereof is in close contact with the annular wall 862. The inner peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 has substantially the same diameter as the outlet 864, except for the other end. The other end on this inner peripheral surface projects slightly in both the centripetal direction r11 and the approaching direction r22. As a result, the other end of the inner peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 has a slightly smaller diameter than the outlet 864 and the needle 45. The rubber part 881 is shorter than the neck part 86 in the extending direction z2.

[0082] The support member 882 is, for example, an integrally molded product made of resin and is mounted in the internal space of the neck part 86 so as to bring the rubber part 881 into close contact with the annular wall 862. The support member 882 has four side parts 882A and a bottom part 882B. Each side part 882A is fixed at a position closer to the approaching direction z22 than the rubber part 881 on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 861. The tip of each side part 882A abuts against the other end surface of the rubber part 881. The side parts 882A are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction θ1 and extend along the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 861 from the tip toward the storage chamber 87. The space between the side parts 882A allows the flow path 863 and the storage chamber 87 to be continuously connected so that ink can flow through. The bottom wall is in a cross shape in the second plan view and extends radially from a position near the axis Ax1 away from the other end surface of the rubber part 881 in the approaching direction z22 toward the ends of the side parts 882A in the approaching direction z22 and is connected to the side parts 882A. Each side part 882A and the bottom part 882B of the support member 882 define a storage space. The storage space is generally cylindrical and houses the valve body 883 and the coil spring 884.

[0083] The valve body 883 and the coil spring 884 are accommodated in the accommodation space of the support member 882 (i.e., the flow path 863). The valve body 883 is accommodated in the accommodation space so as to be movable in the extending direction z2. Each side portion 882A of the support member 882 guides the movement of the valve body 883 by contacting the valve body 883. The valve body 883 is circular in a second plan view and has substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical accommodation space. The coil spring 884 is a torsion coil spring and is located between the bottom of the support member 882 and the valve body 883 in the accommodation space. The coil spring 884 contacts the valve body 883 in the accommodation space and biases the valve body 883 in the separating direction z21. Thereby, when the valve body 883 does not receive the contact force in the approaching direction z22 from the needle 45, the valve body 883 is in close contact with the other end surface of the rubber portion 881, and the ink in the accommodation chamber 87 does not leak from the outlet 864.

[0084] [Seat surface 865A, annular groove 865E, inclined grooves 865F to 865H] In FIGS. 8 and 9, the neck portion 86 includes a seat portion 865 and recessed portions 866 to 868. The seat portion 865 has a seat surface 865A and three outer peripheral surfaces 865B to 865D.

[0085] The seat surface 865A has a substantially annular shape that surrounds the entire circumference of the neck portion 86 on the outside in a second plan view. The seat surface 865A is a surface parallel to the radial direction r1. Specifically, the seat surface 865A extends from the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface that is separated from the tip surface in the approaching direction z22 in the neck portion 86, in the centrifugal direction r12 toward the annular wall 85. That is, the seat surface 865A is closer to the annular wall 85 in the radial direction r1 than the tip surface of the neck portion 86, and is closer to the accommodation chamber 87 in the extending direction z2 than the tip surface of the neck portion 86. Also, in the placement posture of the bottle body 8, the seat surface 865A faces upward at a position below the tip surface of the neck portion 86. The seat surface 865A is continuous with the inner surfaces of the connecting plates 851 and 852 and the bottom wall of the groove 817, but is not continuous with the inner surfaces of the curved plates 853 and 854. The width of the seat surface 865A in the radial direction r1 is the minimum width W11 between the neck portion 86 and the groove 817.

[0086] The seat surface 865A has intersection portions 865J, 865K and non - intersection portions 865L, 865M, 865N. The intersection portion 865J is a portion that intersects with the lower end of the connecting plate 851 in the placement posture at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer edge of the seat surface 865A is the peripheral edge of the seat surface 865A in the centrifugal direction r12. Also, the lower end is the end in the proximity direction z22. The intersection portion 865K is a portion that intersects with the lower end of the connecting plate 852 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The non - intersection portions 865L, 865M, 865N are portions that intersect with the upper ends of the outer peripheral surfaces 865B, 865C, 865D in the placement posture at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A.

[0087] The seat surface 865A further has first regions 865P, 865Q. The first region 865P is a region on the seat surface 865A between the intersection portion 865J and the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86, and is generally the region surrounded by the broken line L1 in FIG. 8. The first region 865Q is a region on the seat surface 865A between the intersection portion 865K and the side wall 861, and is generally the region surrounded by the broken line L2 in FIG. 8.

[0088] The seat surface 865A further has second regions 865R, 865S in addition to the first regions 865P, 865Q. The second region 865R is a region between the non - intersection portions 865L, 865M and the side wall 861, and is generally the region surrounded by the broken line L3 in FIG. 8. The second region 865S is a region between the non - intersection portion 865N and the side wall 861, and is generally the region surrounded by the broken line L4 in FIG. 8.

[0089] The outer peripheral surface 865B extends in the proximity direction z22 from the portion between the groove 817 and the connecting plate 851 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer peripheral surface 865C extends in the proximity direction z22 from the portion between the groove 817 and the connecting plate 852 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer peripheral surfaces 865B, 865C are continuous with the bottom surfaces of the recessed portions 866, 867 respectively. The outer peripheral surface 865D extends in the proximity direction z22 from the portion facing the curved plate 854 in the centripetal direction r11 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A and is continuous with the bottom surface of the recessed portion 868.

[0090] The recesses 866 to 868 are spaces for storing ink between the annular wall 85 and the seating portion 865 of the neck portion 86. The recess 866 is defined by the seating portion 865, the groove 817, the connecting plate 851, and the curved plate 853. The recess 867 is defined by the seating portion 865, the groove 817, the connecting plate 852, and the curved plate 853. The recess 868 is defined by the seating portion 865, the connecting plates 851 and 852, and the curved plate 854. Each of the recesses 866 to 868 is recessed from the seating surface 865A in the approaching direction z22. The ends of the recesses 866 to 868 in the separating direction z21 are openings that are open in the separating direction z21.

[0091] The depths of the recesses 866 and 867 are not constant in the circumferential direction θ1 and vary according to the position in the circumferential direction θ1. Specifically, the bottom of the recess 866 has a relatively shallow portion 866A at an intermediate position in the circumferential direction θ1 and relatively deep portions 866B near both ends in the circumferential direction θ1. The portions 866A and 866B are examples of a first bottom and a second bottom, and are separated from the seating surface 865A in the approaching direction z22. The portion 866B is separated from the seating surface 865A in the approaching direction z22 more than the portion 866A. That is, in the placement posture, the portion 866B is located below the portion 866A. The depth of the recess 867 has alternating shallow portions 867A and deep portions 867B in the circumferential direction θ1. In the placement posture, the portion 867B is located below the portion 867A. The portions 866A and 866B are examples of a first bottom and a second bottom, and the portions 866A and 866B are other examples of a first bottom and a second bottom.

[0092] The portion 866A is connected to each of the outer peripheral surface 865B and the curved plate 853 and is continuous between the outer peripheral surface 865B and the curved plate 853. Therefore, the portion 866A functions as a rib that divides the space defined by the recess 866 into a plurality of small spaces. Similarly, the portion 867A functions as a rib that divides the space defined by the recess 867 into a plurality of small spaces.

[0093] On the seat surface 865A, an annular groove 865E and inclined grooves 865F to 865H (an example of grooves) are formed. The annular groove 865E has an annular shape surrounding the entire circumference of the neck portion 86, and has a substantially constant depth and width over the entire range of the circumferential direction θ1. The annular groove 865E is formed at a position away from the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 86 in the centrifugal direction r12 and away from the outer edge of the seat surface 865A in the centripetal direction r11. Each of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H communicates with the dug portions 866 to 868 respectively from the annular groove 865E of the seat surface 865A. Specifically, the inclined groove 865F is formed in the second region 865R, extends from the bottom surface of the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 866, and linearly extends along the radial direction r1 between them. Specifically, the end in the centrifugal direction r12 (i.e., the outer end) in the inclined groove 865F is at a position in the separation direction z21 (i.e., directly above in the mounted posture) from the portion 866B in the dug portion 866. Also, the outer end of the inclined groove 865F is located approximately in the middle in the circumferential direction θ1 of the outer peripheral surface 865B in the second plan view. The inclined groove 865F is separated from the connecting plate 851 and the groove 817 in the circumferential direction θ1. The inclined groove 865G is formed in the second region 865R, extends from the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 867, and linearly extends along the radial direction r1 between them. The inclined groove 865G is separated from both the connecting plate 852 and the groove 817 in the circumferential direction θ1. The inclined groove 865H is formed in the second region 865S, extends from the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 868, and linearly extends obliquely with respect to the radial direction r1 between them. Specifically, the outer end of the inclined groove 865G is at a position in the separation direction z21 (i.e., directly above in the mounted posture) from the portion 867B in the dug portion 867. Also, the outer end of the inclined groove 865G is located approximately in the middle in the circumferential direction θ1 of the outer peripheral surface 865C in the second plan view. The bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined downward in the mounted posture of the bottle body 8. Specifically, the bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are separated from the seat surface 865A as they are separated from the annular groove 865E in the centrifugal direction r12. The outer end of the inclined groove 865H does not reach the deepest part of the dug portion 868, but reaches a portion 868A shallower than the deepest part 868B of the dug portion 868. The inclined groove 865H is separated from both the connecting plates 851 and 852 in the circumferential direction θ1.The bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined with respect to the radial direction r1 so as to move away from the seating surface 865A as they move away from the annular groove 865E.

[0094] [Bottles 200B to 200D] Bottles 200B to 200D are the same as bottle 200A except for the following points. In each of the bottles 200B to 200D, the annular wall constitutes a key member by at least one kind or a combination of two kinds of ribs and grooves. Here, the combinations of ribs and grooves are different from each other in bottles 200A to 200D. The three-dimensional shapes of the key members of bottles 200B to 200D are different from each other and also different from the three-dimensional shape of the key member 855. This three-dimensional shape is a shape defined by dimensions in the extending direction z2, the radial direction r2, and the circumferential direction θ1. In addition, bottles 200B, 200C, and 200D are different from bottle 200A in that they contain inks of colors C, M, and Y. In the embodiment, bottles 200B to 200D have the same ink capacity as bottle 200A. However, without being limited thereto, bottles 200B to 200D may be different from bottle 200A in terms of ink capacity.

[0095] [Bottle cap 9] As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, the bottle cap 9 is a single member and is detachable from the bottle body 8. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the term "bottle cap 9" means the bottle cap 9 attached to the bottle body 8. In FIG. 10, the bottle cap 9 includes a top wall 91, a side wall 92, an internal thread 93, and an annular projection 94. The top wall 91 is an example of a sealing portion, and the annular projection 94 is an example of a projection.

[0096] [Top wall 91, side wall 92, internal thread 93] In FIG. 10, the top wall 91 is a substantially disk-shaped wall coaxial with the axis Ax1, and has two outer main surfaces 911 and inner main surfaces 912 spaced apart in the extending direction z2. The inner main surface 912 is located in the closer direction z22 than the outer main surface 911. From a position close to the axis Ax1 on the inner main surface 912 of the top wall 91, the engaging portion 913 projects in the closer direction z22. The engaging portion 913 is substantially annular in a second plan view, and is in liquid-tight contact with the periphery of the outlet 864 on the annular wall 862 of the bottle body 8. Thereby, in the attached state of the bottle cap 9, the top wall 91 seals the outlet 864, and it is possible to prevent the ink in the storage chamber 87 from flowing out through the outlet 864.

[0097] The side wall 92 is a generally cylindrical wall extending in the closer direction z22 from the outer edge of the inner main surface 912, and has an inner peripheral surface 921 and an outer peripheral surface 922 spaced apart in the radial direction r1. The inner peripheral surface 921 is slightly larger in diameter than the outer peripheral surfaces of the curved plates 853 and 854. In FIG. 10, the female screw 93 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 921 and can be screwed with the male screw 814 of the bottle body 8. When the male screw 814 is screwed into the female screw 93, the end of the side wall 92 in the closer direction z22 contacts the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 over the entire circumference. The state where the end of the side wall 92 contacts the upper surface 841 is the attached state where the bottle cap 9 is attached to the bottle body 8. By screwing the female screw 93 of the bottle cap 9 with the male screw 814 formed on the bottle body 8, the bottle cap 9 can be easily and surely attached to the bottle body 8. Further, even if the bottle 200A drops, it is difficult for the bottle cap 9 to be detached from the bottle body 8.

[0098] The annular projection 94 is a generally cylindrical wall that is located at a position centrifugal r12 from the engaging portion 913 on the inner main surface 912 and extends in the proximity direction z22 from a position centripetal r11 from the side wall 92. The inner peripheral surface of the annular projection 94 has substantially the same diameter as the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 at the neck portion 86. The thickness of the annular projection 94 is the dimension in the radial direction r1 between the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface of the annular projection 94. This thickness is substantially constant over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction θ1 and is slightly smaller than the aforementioned minimum width W11. The annular projection 94 abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 in the mounted state of the bottle cap 9 and fits between the side wall 861 and the annular wall 85.

[0099] In the process of screwing the male screw 814 into the female screw 93 (hereinafter, also referred to as the "screwing process"), the inner peripheral surface of the annular projection slides on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 while rotating around the axis Ax1. After going through the screwing process, the end (i.e., the extending end) 941 in the proximity direction z22 of the annular projection 94 abuts against the seating surface 865A over the entire circumference. By the abutment of the end 941 and the seating surface 865A, the final position where the bottle cap 9 is screwed onto the bottle body 8 is determined, and the screwing of the bottle cap 9 stops in the extending direction z2. The dimension of the annular projection 94 in the extending direction z2 is determined in advance so that the end 941 abuts against the seating surface 865A in the mounted state.

[0100] In FIG. 10(B), the rotational direction of the bottle cap 9 during the screwing process is shown as the mounting direction θ11 by an arrow. The representative position of the portion where the inclined groove 865H intersects the annular groove 865E is referred to as the inner end position P41. The representative position of the portion where the inclined groove 865H intersects the outer peripheral surface 865D of the neck portion 86 is referred to as the outer end position P42. Also, the centrifugal direction r12 starting from the inner end position P41 is shown by an arrow AR11, and the tangent line of the mounting direction θ11 starting from the inner end position P41 is shown by an arrow AR12. The inclined groove 865H passes between the arrows AR11 and AR12 from the inner end position P41 and reaches the outer end position P42. With this configuration, when there is an ink droplet upstream of the inner end position P41 in the mounting direction θ11 in the annular groove 865E during the screwing process, the end 941 guides the ink droplet into the annular groove 865E by rotating in the mounting direction θ11. The guided ink droplet is efficiently discharged from the annular groove 865E to the groove portion 868 via the inclined groove 865H.

[0101] Note that the inclined groove 865H may reach the outer end position P42 without passing between the arrows AR11 and AR12 from the inner end position P41.

[0102] [Ink replenishment from the bottle 200A to the tank 4A] When replenishing the ink in the bottle 200A into the tank 4A, the operator moves the housing cover 2 on the MFP100 from the shielding position P11 to the exposed position P12 (see FIG. 1), moves the tank cover 52A from the covering position P31 (see FIG. 1(B)) to the exposed position P32 (see FIG. 3(A)), and moves the cap 6A from the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)) to the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)). The operator removes the bottle cap 9 from the bottle body 8 of the bottle 200A (see FIGS. 5(B) and 6(A)).

[0103] Next, as understood from FIG. 11, the operator turns the outlet 864 of the bottle 200A downward and brings the key member 855 close to the key hole 78 provided in the MFP100. Even when the outlet 864 is turned downward, since the valve body 883 is in close contact with the rubber portion 881 by the biasing force of the coil spring 884, the ink in the storage chamber 87 does not leak to the outside of the bottle 200.

[0104] Next, the operator aligns the key member 855 with the keyhole 78. By this alignment, the lower end of the groove 817 is directly above the upper end of the convex portion 731, the lower end of the rib 811 is directly above the upper end of the rib 711, the lower end of the rib 812 is directly above the upper end of the groove 712, and the lower end of the rib 813 is directly above the upper end of the slit 713. The lower end of the rib 815 is directly above the upper end of the slit 721, and the lower end of the groove 816 is directly above the upper end of the rib 722. The operator further positions the outlet 864 of the bottle 200A directly above the upper end of the needle 45 of the tank 4A. Here, the planar shapes of the annular walls 44 and 85 are not circular or regular polygons. Therefore, it is easy for the operator to align the key member 855 with the keyhole 78. Specifically, the fitting of the annular wall 44 of the tank 4A and the annular wall 85 of the bottle body 8 is possible only at two positions where the rotational position of the bottle body 8 with respect to the tank 4A is different by 180° about the axis Ax1.

[0105] After the alignment is completed, the operator moves the key member 855 of the bottle 200A downward within the keyhole 78. Specifically, the groove 817 is inserted through the convex portion 731 and descends along the convex portion 731. The rib 811 descends along the rear surface of the rib 711. The ribs 812, 813, and 815 are respectively inserted into the groove 712, the slit 713, and the slit 721 and descend along the groove 712, the slit 713, and the slit 721, respectively. The groove 816 is inserted through the rib 722 and descends along the rib 722.

[0106] In the process of the key member 855 descending within the key hole 78, after the upper end of the needle 45 comes into contact with the lower end of the valve body 883, the valve body 883 begins to rise against the biasing force of the coil spring 884 due to the contact force received from the upper end of the partition wall 453 of the needle 45. In response to the lower end of the neck portion 86 reaching the bottom surface of the key hole 78, the key member 855 of the tank 4A fits into the key hole 78 of the bottle body 8, and the connection of the bottle body 8 to the tank 4A is completed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, even if the operator releases their hand from the bottle body 8, the bottle body 8 is supported by the bottom surface of the key hole 78 and the annular wall 85 and stands upside down. At the time of connection completion, the valve body 883 opens the flow path 863 due to the contact force from the partition wall 453. Since the tip of the partition wall 453 protrudes above the upper ends of the flow paths 451, 452, a gap is formed between the valve body 883 and each of the flow paths 451, 452. Due to these gaps, the storage chamber 87 of the bottle body 8 and the storage chamber 46 of the tank 4A communicate with each other via the flow paths 451, 452, 863.

[0107] Immediately after the connection is completed, gas-liquid replacement starts between the bottle 200A and the tank 4A. In the gas-liquid replacement, the ink in the storage chamber 87 flows into the storage chamber 46 via the flow paths 863, 451. In the gas-liquid replacement, air flows into the storage chamber 46 from the atmosphere communication hole of the tank 4A, and this air flows into the storage chamber 87 via the flow paths 452, 863. The amount of ink flowing out from the storage chamber 87 to the storage chamber 46 and the amount of ink flowing into the storage chamber 87 from the storage chamber 46 are approximately the same. When the liquid level of the ink in the storage chamber 46 reaches the lower end of the flow path 452 or the ink in the storage chamber 87 runs out, the gas-liquid replacement ends. In this way, the ink in the bottle 200A is replenished to the tank 4A.

[0108] After the ink replenishment is completed, the operator pulls out the key member 855 and the neck portion 86 of the bottle 200A upward from the key hole 78 and the needle 45 of the tank 4A. In the process of the neck portion 86 rising relative to the needle 45, the valve body 883 first maintains a state of contacting the upper end of the partition wall 453 of the needle 45 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 884. After the valve body 883 contacts the annular wall 862 of the neck portion 86, it separates from the upper end of the partition wall 453.

[0109] Thereafter, the operator attaches the bottle cap 9 on the bottle 200A to the bottle body 8 (see FIGS. 5(B) and 6(A)). The operator moves the housing cover 2 on the MFP 100 from the exposed position P12 to the shielded position P11 (see FIG. 1), moves the tank cover 52A from the exposed position P32 (see FIG. 3(A)) to the covering position P31 (see FIG. 1(B)), and moves the cap 6A from the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)) to the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)).

[0110] [Prevention of incorrect connection of bottles 200B to 200D to the tank 4A] If, during alignment, the operator attempts to incorrectly fit any of the bottles 200B to 200D into the keyhole 78 of the tank 4A, the shape and position of at least one of the convex portion 731, rib 711, groove 712, slit 713, slit 721, and rib 722 that make up the keyhole 78 may not match the key members of the bottles 200B to 200D in at least one of the left - right direction x1 and the front - rear direction y1. As a result, the operator can quickly recognize that an incorrect bottle 200B to 200D is being fitted into the tank 4A. Also, incorrect ink being replenished into the tank 4A is quickly prevented.

[0111] Also, if, after alignment, the operator attempts to incorrectly fit any of the bottles 200B to 200D into the keyhole 78 of the tank 4A, the shape and position of at least one of the convex portion 731, rib 711, groove 712, slit 713, slit 721, and rib 722 that make up the keyhole 78 may not match the key members of the bottles 200B to 200D in the up - down direction z1. In this case, since the bottles 200B to 200D do not move downward, the operator can recognize that an incorrect bottle 200B to 200D is being fitted into the tank 4A. Also, incorrect ink being replenished into the tank 4A is prevented.

[0112] [Operational effects of the embodiment] After the bottle cap 9 is removed from the bottle body 8 each time ink is replenished into the tank 4A, it is placed on a desk or the like. At this time, if ink adheres to the annular protruding piece 94, there is a risk that the ink will drip onto the desk or the like. However, in the embodiment, in the attached state (described above), the annular protruding piece 94 abuts against the seating surface 865A, and in the process of removing the bottle cap 9, the annular protruding piece 94 slides in the circumferential direction θ1 on the seating surface 865A. Further, since the annular groove 865E and the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are formed in the seating surface 865A, the ink adhering to the annular protruding piece 94 is guided to the inclined grooves 865F to 865H. This ink flows down into the recesses 866 to 868 along the inclined grooves 865F to 865H due to the adhesive force and gravity in the inclined grooves 865F to 865H. Here, since the bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined downward, the ink is more likely to flow down into the recesses 866 to 868. Therefore, the ink is less likely to stay on the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for ink droplets to adhere to the annular protruding piece 94 when removing the bottle cap 9 from the bottle body 8. As a result, even when the removed bottle cap 9 is placed on a desk or the like, it is difficult for ink droplets to drip onto the desk or the like.

[0113] In the process of attaching the bottle cap 9, after the annular protruding piece 94 fits around the annular wall 862 of the neck portion 86, the annular protruding piece 94 slides on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 until the side wall 92 of the bottle cap 9 abuts against the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84. Therefore, poor screwing of the male screw 814 and the female screw 93 is less likely to occur, and it is easy to attach the bottle cap 9 to the bottle body 8.

[0114] Since the outlet 864 of the bottle body 8 faces downward during the ink replenishment process, the ink adhering near the outlet 864 is likely to drip from the neck portion 86. However, in the placement posture, the tip of the annular wall 85 is located above the tip of the neck portion 86. Therefore, when the orientation of the outlet 864 is changed, even if the ink adhering thereto drips from the neck portion 86, it is likely to fall into the annular wall 85. As a result, the periphery of the bottle 200A is less likely to be soiled with ink. Further, when the bottle body 8 falls from, for example, a desk or the like, since the annular wall 85 collides with the floor or the like before the neck portion 86, the neck portion 86 can be protected from impact.

[0115] The annular wall 44 is composed of a combination of connecting plates 71, 72 and curved plates 73, 74, and the annular wall 85 is composed of a combination of connecting plates 851, 852 and curved plates 853, 854. Therefore, it is easy for an operator to align the key member 855 with the key hole 78 when replenishing ink. Also, the number of protrusions, ribs, grooves, and slits that make up the key member 855 and the key hole 78, as well as their three-dimensional positions and three-dimensional shapes, can be changed for each of the bottles 200A to 200D. Therefore, the operator can identify the types of the bottles 200A to 200D based on the shape of the key member 855.

[0116] It is assumed that the bottle 200A will fall sideways from the placement posture with ink accumulated in the grooves 866, 867. However, as shown in FIG. 8, both the inclined grooves 865F and 865G are formed in the second region 865R, and the inclined groove 865H is formed in the second region 865S. The outer ends of the respective inclined grooves 865F, 865G, 865H are provided at positions away from the ends in the circumferential direction θ1 of the grooves 866, 867, 868 where ink is likely to accumulate when falling sideways. Therefore, it is difficult for ink to enter the inclined grooves 865F, 865G, 865H from the outer ends of the inclined grooves 865F, 865G, 865H when falling sideways. As a result, it is difficult for the ink to flow back to the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9.

[0117] The outer end of the inclined groove 865F is at a position in the separation direction z21 from the deep portion 866B in the groove 866. Therefore, the distance between the outer end of the inclined groove 865F and the bottom of the groove 866 can be increased as compared with the case where the outer end is at a position in the separation direction z21 from the shallow portion 866A. Therefore, even if the bottle 200A tilts or falls sideways from the placement posture, it is difficult for the ink to reach the outer end of the inclined groove 865F. The same applies to the inclined groove 865G. As a result, it is difficult for the ink to flow back to the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9.

[0118] The portions 866A and 867A function as ribs that partition the space defined by the recesses 866 and 867 into a plurality of small spaces. Therefore, for example, when the bottle 200A is lying on its side with ink accumulated in the recess 866, ink accumulates at the lower ends of the small spaces in the recess 866, making it difficult for the ink to reach the seating surface 865A and for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9. If the portion 866A were not present in the recess 866, when the bottle 200A is lying on its side, all the ink would gather at the lower end of the recess 866, making it easy for the ink to reach the seating surface 865A and for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9. The same applies to the recess 867.

[0119] [Other Modifications] In the embodiment, the tanks 4A to 4D stored the ink for the aforementioned four colors. However, the tanks 4A to 4D may store a pretreatment liquid (another example of a liquid) that the recording head 322 discharges onto the paper S prior to ink discharge in image recording. Alternatively, the tanks 4A to 4D may store water (yet another example of a liquid) used for cleaning the recording head 322.

[0120] In the embodiment, the printer unit 3 was capable of recording full-color images on the paper S. However, the printer unit 3 is not limited to this and may be capable of recording only monochrome images on the paper S. In this case, the tank set 31 includes the tank 4A, the holding member 51A, the cap 6A, and the tank cover 52A.

[0121] In the embodiment, the keyhole 78 was provided in the tank 4A. However, the keyhole 78 is not limited to this and may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 511A of the holding member 51A.

[0122] In the embodiment, the three-dimensional shapes of the key member 855 and the keyhole 78 were different for each ink color. However, the three-dimensional shapes of the key member 855 and the keyhole 78 are not limited to this and may be different for each type (i.e., model) of the MFP 100. [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0123] 3... Printer unit 31... Tank set 4A~4D... Tanks April 1... Main body April 3... Upper surface April 4... Annular wall July 1, July 2... Connecting plates July 3, July 4... Curved plates July 11, July 22... Ribs July 12... Groove July 13, July 21... Slits July 31... Protrusion July 32... Portion July 8... Keyhole April 5... Needle April 51, April 52... Flow paths April 53... Partition wall April 6... Storage chamber 200A~200D... Bottles August... Bottle body August 4... Base portion August 41... Upper surface August 5... Annular wall August 51, August 52... Connecting plates August 53, August 54... Curved plates August 14... Male screw August 11, August 12, August 13, August 15, August 18... Ribs August 16, August 17... Grooves August 55... Key member August 6... Head portion August 65A... Seat surface August 65B~August 65D... Outer peripheral surfaces August 65E... Annular groove August 65F~August 65H... Inclined grooves August 66~August 68... Depressions August 7... Accommodation chamber September... Bottle cap September 1... Top wall September 2... Side wall September 3... Female screw September 4... Annular projection It should be noted that the content you provided seems to be a bit disordered in terms of item numbers and descriptions. The above translation is based on the literal meaning while trying to make sense of the overall context. If there are specific requirements or corrections needed, please let me know.

Claims

1. A liquid storage bottle comprising a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid, and a cap attached to the bottle body, wherein the bottle body has a base end face, a nozzle protruding in a first direction from the base end face, and an annular wall protruding in the first direction from the base end face and positioned around the nozzle with a space therebetween in a second direction intersecting the first direction with respect to the nozzle, the nozzle has a tip face formed with an opening through which the liquid stored in the internal space flows out, a seat face closer to the annular wall in the second direction than the tip face and closer to the internal space in the first direction than the tip face, and a groove formed in the seat face and having an end communicating with a space between the nozzle and the annular wall, and the cap has a sealing portion for sealing the opening in a state of being attached to the bottle body and a protruding piece protruding from around the sealing portion and abutting against the seat face in the attached state.

2. In the nozzle, an upper portion of the nozzle located above the seat face has a cylindrical shape, the seat face has an upward-facing annular shape, and the protruding piece has a cylindrical shape, the liquid storage bottle according to Claim 1.

3. The bottom surface of the groove is inclined downward toward the internal space, the liquid storage bottle according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. The annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate and a connecting plate, which are a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, are connected to form a ring, the liquid storage bottle according to any one of Claims 1 to 3.

5. The seat face has a first region between a portion where the seat face and the connecting plate intersect and the nozzle, and the groove is formed in a second region of the seat face other than the first region, the liquid storage bottle according to Claim 4.

6. The liquid storage bottle is for supplying a liquid to a tank of a liquid consumption device, and further has a key member formed on the annular wall and fitting with a fitting portion provided around a supply port of the tank, the liquid storage bottle according to Claim 4 or 5.

7. The cap is screwed onto the annular wall and attached to the bottle body, the liquid storage bottle according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

8. The upper end of the annular wall is located above the tip face, the liquid storage bottle according to any one of Claims 1 to 7.

9. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ partitioning the above space, and having a first bottom portion located below the above seating surface, further comprising partitioning the above space and having a second bottom portion located below the above first bottom portion, The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein an end portion of the above groove is above the above second bottom portion.

10. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising ribs partitioning the above space into a plurality of small spaces.

11. A liquid supply device comprising the liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a tank having a storage chamber for storing a liquid, wherein the above tank has a recess, and a communication pipe located in the above recess and having a first flow path and a second flow path communicating the above storage chamber with the outside, The liquid supply device is configured such that the annular wall is inserted into the above recess and the communication pipe is inserted into the above opening of the nozzle, thereby enabling liquid to flow out from the internal space of the above bottle body to the above storage chamber of the above tank.

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