Liquid supply device

Abstract

To provide a technique that, even when a liquid supply device is configured so that a cartridge case accommodating a liquid container can be inserted to a housing along an inclination that becomes lower toward the insertion direction, makes it possible to avoid restricting as much as possible a space where the liquid supply device is installed.SOLUTION: An ink supply unit 1 comprises a unit housing 10 and a cartridge case 20 capable of accommodating an ink container 100. The unit housing 10 has a panel 11 provided with an insertion opening 12, and a case accommodating section 40 that accommodates the cartridge case 20 inserted through the insertion opening 12. The case accommodating section 40 has a bottom surface 42 with an inclination that becomes lower toward the insertion direction in which the cartridge case 20 is inserted. The inclination is set such that, when the cartridge case 20 accommodated in the case accommodating section 40 is drawn to the outside of the insertion opening 12 along the bottom surface 42, an upper end of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed a height of an upper end of the unit housing 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a liquid supply device that supplies liquid contained in a liquid container to a recording head. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an image recording device that can hold a liquid cartridge in a cartridge holding section in two different positions. This image recording device is configured so that the liquid cartridge can be attached to or detached from the cartridge holding section by inserting or pulling the liquid cartridge horizontally into or out of the cartridge holding section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-58669 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the image recording device described in Patent Document 1, the liquid cartridge is inserted or pulled horizontally into or from the cartridge holding portion. However, the image recording device is often installed at a position lower than the user's viewpoint. Therefore, when inserting or removing the liquid cartridge, the user must bend down to lower their viewpoint and insert the liquid cartridge into the image recording device while checking the position of the cartridge holding portion, making it difficult to perform the liquid cartridge installation work. For this reason, there are cases where the user wants to insert or pull the liquid cartridge along an inclination that decreases in the insertion direction.

[0005] If a device configured in this way is installed in a location with limited vertical space, the liquid cartridge may interfere with the upper wall that defines that space when pulled out, limiting the installation space.

[0006] The present application aims to provide a technology that makes it possible to minimize the restriction on the space in which a liquid supply device is installed, even when the liquid supply device is configured so that a cartridge case that houses a liquid container can be inserted into a housing along a slope that decreases in the insertion direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the liquid supply device of the present application comprises a housing connectable to a recording head capable of ejecting liquid, and a cartridge case capable of accommodating a liquid container containing liquid to be supplied to the recording head, the housing having a panel with an insertion opening through which the cartridge case can be inserted, and a case storage section for storing the cartridge case inserted through the insertion opening, the case storage section having a bottom surface that slopes downward in the insertion direction of the cartridge case, the slope being set so that when the cartridge case stored in the case storage section is pulled out along the bottom surface from a position where the bottom surface of the cartridge case faces the bottom surface of the case storage section to a position where the bottom surface does not face the bottom surface, the upper end of the cartridge case does not exceed the height of the upper end of the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present application, the slope of the bottom surface of the case storage section is set so that when the cartridge case stored in the case storage section is pulled out along the bottom surface and outward from the insertion port, the upper end of the cartridge case does not exceed the height of the upper end of the housing.Therefore, even if the liquid supply device is configured so that the cartridge case can be inserted into the housing along a slope that becomes lower toward the insertion direction, it is easy to insert and remove the cartridge case and it is possible to minimize the restriction on the space in which the liquid supply device is installed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1A and 1B are perspective views showing the appearance of an ink supply unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a cartridge case is housed (FIG. 1A) and a state in which the cartridge case is pulled out (FIG. 1B). [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are a left side view and a front view, respectively, of the ink supply unit of FIG. 1; [Figure 3] 2 is a right side view showing the ink supply unit of FIG. 1 with a cover removed. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front view of the ink supply unit of FIG. 1 as seen from the insertion direction of the cartridge case.

[0010] [Figure 5] 2A to 2C are six-view diagrams of a cartridge case that constitutes the ink supply unit of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, some basic components may be omitted, and the dimensional ratios of the depicted components may not be accurate. In Figures 1 to 4, the front-rear direction D1, the up-down direction D2, and the left-right direction D3 are as shown in each figure.

[0012] 1 shows the appearance of an ink supply unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present application. The ink supply unit 1 is configured to be connectable to a recording head (not shown) that ejects ink to record (print) on a recording medium via, for example, a cable (not shown), and is a device that supplies ink to the recording head. Ink is an example of the "liquid" in the present application.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the ink supply unit 1 includes a unit housing 10 and a case storage section 40 capable of storing a cartridge case 20 within the unit housing 10. The cartridge case 20 stores an ink container 100 containing ink, and can be removably stored within the case storage section 40. Fig. 1(a) shows the state in which the cartridge case 20 has been completely stored within the unit housing 10, i.e., the case storage section 40, and Fig. 1(b) shows the state in which the cartridge case 20 has been pulled out of the unit housing 10.

[0014] The unit housing 10 has a panel 11 on its front side. An insertion opening 12 for inserting the cartridge case 20 into the case storage section 40 is formed on the right side of the panel 11. An operator can hold a handle 31 provided on the cartridge case 20 and insert the cartridge case 20 into or remove it from the case storage section 40 through the insertion opening 12. The insertion opening 12 is formed on the right side of the panel 11 so that a right-handed operator can easily attach and detach the cartridge case 20.

[0015] FIG. 3 shows a state in which the cover portion 10A (see FIG. 1) is removed from the unit housing 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the case storage portion 40 is configured so that the cartridge case 20 can be inserted from the front side to the rear side of the unit housing 10 at a predetermined inclination. Specifically, the predetermined inclination is an inclination that decreases in the insertion direction in which the cartridge case 20 is inserted into the case storage portion 40. In other words, as the cartridge case 20 is inserted into the case storage portion 40, the inclination decreases as the cartridge case 20 approaches the rear end 41 of the case storage portion 40. To achieve this inclination, the case storage portion 40 is provided with a bottom surface 42 that has this inclination. The reason why the cartridge case 20 is configured to be inserted into the case storage portion 40 at an inclination that decreases in the insertion direction is as follows.

[0016] First, the ink supply unit 1 is often installed at a position lower than the user's viewpoint, so the intention is to make it easier for the user to check the position of the insertion opening 12 of the case storage section 40 without having to bend down when inserting or removing the cartridge case 20.

[0017] The second reason is due to the size of the ink container 100 used in the ink supply unit 1. In this embodiment, an ink container 100 containing a large volume of ink, for example, 300 ml to 1000 ml, is used so that printing can be performed continuously with the recording head for a long period of time. In other words, when an ink container 100 filled with ink is housed in a cartridge case 20, the cartridge case 20 becomes heavy because the weight of the ink container 100 is added to the weight of the ink container 100. The greater the volume of ink that can be housed in the ink container 100, the greater the weight of the entire cartridge case 20. If a heavy cartridge case 20 is housed horizontally within the unit housing 10, for example, the weight of the cartridge case 20 makes it difficult to work with. On the other hand, if the cartridge case 20 is configured to be inserted at an inclination that decreases in the insertion direction when being inserted into the case storage section 40, the operator only needs to bring the rear end of the cartridge case 20, i.e., the front end in the insertion direction, to the insertion opening 12 of the panel 11, and the subsequent insertion work of the cartridge case 20 can be completed with a light force, thanks to the addition of the weight of the entire cartridge case 20.

[0018] However, if the cartridge case 20 is configured to be inserted into the unit housing 10 at an inclination that decreases in the insertion direction, there is a possibility that the cartridge case 20 may interfere with objects installed around the unit housing 10 when the cartridge case 20 is pulled out of the unit housing 10. Therefore, the ink supply unit 1 of this embodiment is configured so that the angle of inclination is set so that the upper end of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed the height of the upper end of the unit housing 10 when the cartridge case 20 is pulled out to the outside of the insertion opening 12 of the unit housing 10.

[0019] Figure 2 shows a state in which the cartridge case 20 has been pulled out to the maximum extent from the unit housing 10. Figure 2(a) is a left side view, and Figure 2(b) is a front view. As shown in Figure 2, when the cartridge case 20 is pulled out to the maximum extent from the unit housing 10, in this embodiment, even when the second surface 22 (see Figure 5) of the cartridge case 20 is pulled out to a position where it does not face the bottom surface 42 (see Figure 3) of the case storage section 40, the upper end 20A of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed the height of the upper end 10A1 of the unit housing 10.

[0020] The conditions for the inclination will be explained below with reference to FIG. 2(a). In FIG. 2(a), the height from the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1 to the upper end 10A1 of the unit housing 10 is defined as X. The height from the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1 to the lower end 12A of the insertion opening 12 is defined as h. The inclination angle between the bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40 (see FIG. 3) and the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1 is defined as θ. Furthermore, the length of the cartridge case 20 in the insertion direction (the length of the cartridge case 20 in the insertion direction; in this embodiment, the length of the second surface 22) is defined as l, and the height of the cartridge case 20 as viewed from the insertion direction (in this embodiment, the height of the cover surface 30 (see FIG. 5)) is defined as m.

[0021] When height m is converted to height m1 in the vertical direction, i.e., the up-down direction D2, m1 = mcosθ. When length l is converted to height l1 in the vertical direction, l1 = lsinθ. Therefore, height Y from installation surface 200 to upper end 20A of cartridge case 20 is expressed by the following equation (1). Y=h+m1+l1=h+mcosθ+lsinθ…(1) If the condition of the following formula (2) is satisfied, the upper end 20A of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed the height of the upper end 10A1 of the unit housing 10 even when the cartridge case 20 is pulled out to the maximum from the unit housing 10. X>Y=h+mcosθ+lsinθ …(2)

[0022] As such, conditional formula (2) contains four parameters, namely, h, m, l, and θ, and the range of angle θ that satisfies conditional formula (2) is determined depending on the design of unit housing 10. A specific example of the range of angle θ is between 5 degrees and 15 degrees.

[0023] Next, the configuration of the cartridge case 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a six-sided view of the cartridge case 20 housing the ink container 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the cartridge case 20 has first to fifth faces 21 to 25 and an opening 26, and the first to fifth faces 21 to 25 and the opening 26 form a housing chamber 27 that houses the ink container 100.

[0024] The first surface 21 is a side surface located on the upstream side in the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20 (the rear side in the front-to-rear direction D1 when attached to the ink supply unit 1). The second surface 22 is connected to a lower end 21A located below the first surface 21, and is a surface that faces a bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40 of the unit housing 10, and is a surface that constitutes the bottom surface of the cartridge case 20. The third surface 23 is connected to an upper end 21B located above the first surface 21, and is a surface that constitutes the top surface of the cartridge case 20. The fourth surface 24 is connected to the second surface 22 and the third surface 23, and is a side surface that is located on the downstream side in the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20 (the front side in the front-to-rear direction D1 when attached to the ink supply unit 1). The fifth surface 25 is connected to the first surface 21, the second surface 22, the third surface 23, and the fourth surface 24, and is a side surface located on the right side as seen from the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20. The opening 26 is located on the left side as seen from the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20, and opens opposite the fifth surface 25.

[0025] The ink container 100 has a bag-shaped pouch 101 that contains ink and a spout 110 that allows the ink in the pouch 101 to flow out. An ink supply port 21C that engages with the spout 110 to supply the ink in the pouch 101 to the recording head is formed on the first surface 21 of the cartridge case 20. Male portions 29A and 29B of a catch 29 are attached to the first surface 21, above and below the ink supply port 21C. When the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40, the male portions 29A and 29B of the catch 29 engage with female portions 50A and 50B (see FIG. 3) of the catch 29 attached to the rear end 41 of the case storage section 40.

[0026] The cartridge case 20 also has a cover surface 30. The cover surface 30 is provided, for example, by bonding it to the fourth surface 24. The cover surface 30 closes the insertion opening 12 formed in the panel 11 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. The cover surface 30 may also serve as the fourth surface 24. A handle portion 31 is provided on the cover surface 30. The handle portion 31 is a member that can be held when the cartridge case 20 is attached to or detached from the case storage section 40. The handle portion 31 is exposed to the outside from the unit housing 10 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40.

[0027] Furthermore, the cartridge case 20 has a recessed step 21D. The step 21D is formed on the first surface 21 and extends from the upper end 21B of the first surface 21 toward the front in the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20. The step 21D is formed so that when the ink container 100 is housed in the cartridge case 20, an inner wall 21D1 of the first surface 21 that constitutes the step 21D functions to support a portion of the pouch 101. When the cartridge case 20 is housed in the case storage section 40, the ink container 100 also inclines downward in the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20, and therefore the weight of the pouch 101 applies a load to the spout 110 that is engaged with the ink supply port 21C. At this time, a portion of the pouch 101 is supported by the step 21D (the inner wall 21D1 of the first surface 21 that constitutes the step 21D), thereby reducing the load on the spout 110 due to the weight of the pouch 101. Furthermore, the provision of step 21D makes it easier to visually recognize the up-down direction of cartridge case 20, thereby preventing it from being inserted upside down when being housed in case housing 40. Furthermore, a protruding step 44 is formed on the upper part of case housing 40, which faces step 21D when cartridge case 20 is housed. When cartridge case 20 is inserted upside down, step 44 escapes into step 21D and the cartridge case 20 is housed all the way. However, when the cartridge case 20 is inserted upside down, the lower part of first surface 21 interferes with step 44, preventing the cartridge case 20 from being housed all the way. In this case, hollow needle 51, which will be described later, will not be inserted into a receiving hole (not shown) in spout 110. Therefore, incorrect installation of cartridge case 20 upside down can also be prevented mechanically.

[0028] The cartridge case 20 is also characterized by having an inclined surface 21E at a lower portion of the first surface 21 and at a portion of the second surface 22 toward the front in the insertion direction. The inclined surface 21E makes the first surface 21 smaller in the vertical direction than the insertion opening 12, making it easier to insert the cartridge case 20 into the insertion opening 12. The inclined surface 21E is also provided so as to initially contact the bottom surface 42 when the cartridge case 20 is inserted into the case storage section 40 from the insertion opening 12 to guide the insertion angle, thereby facilitating vertical positioning. Furthermore, even when the cartridge case 20 is completely pulled out from the insertion opening 12, the position of the cartridge case 20 is lowered by the height of the inclination of the inclined surface 21E, so the cartridge case 20 can be pulled out without its upper end exceeding the height of the upper end of the unit housing 10.

[0029] Next, a brief description will be given of the configuration inside the unit housing 10 of the ink supply unit 1 with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 4 is a view of the ink supply unit 1 as seen from the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20, showing the state in which the cartridge case 20 has been pulled out of the case storage section 40.

[0030] The case storage section 40 has a wall 43 on the left side. The wall 43 closes the opening 26 of the cartridge case 20 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. Therefore, the wall 43 is provided in a position adjacent to the opening 26 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. The wall 43 is provided to prevent light from entering the cartridge case 20 through the opening 26. This is because, when using an ink container 100 containing UV ink, which is an ultraviolet-curable ink, it is preferable that light not be exposed to the ink container 100 as much as possible. Furthermore, even when an ink other than UV ink is stored in the ink container 100, covering the opening 26 with the wall 43 is useful because it prevents ink from leaking from the ink container 100 to the outside.

[0031] Furthermore, the female portions 50A, 50B of the catch 29 are attached to the rear end 41 of the case storage section 40 at positions that correspond to the male portions 29A, 29B of the catch 29 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. When the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40, the female portions 50A, 50B of the catch 29 attached to the rear end 41 of the case storage section 40 engage. The catch 29 engages with such a holding force that the cartridge case 20 does not easily come out of the case storage section 40 under its own weight, even if the panel 11 of the ink supply unit 1 is oriented downward. Therefore, the cartridge case 20 is stably stored in the ink supply device 1. Furthermore, even if the ink supply unit 1 is accidentally tilted when transporting, installing, or fixing the ink supply unit 1, an accident such as the cartridge case 20 coming out and falling can be prevented.

[0032] Furthermore, a hollow needle 51 penetrates the rear end 41 of the case storage section 40 and protrudes in the opposite direction to the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20. When the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40, the hollow needle 51 is inserted into a receiving hole (not shown) in the spout 110 and dispenses the ink from the ink container 100. Note that a description of the ink extraction method will be omitted. In this embodiment, the first surface 21 on which the ink supply port 21C of the attached cartridge case 20 is provided faces downward by the amount of inclination, so that the ink is more easily guided toward the hollow needle 51 due to the influence of gravity. This also improves the efficiency of using up the ink in the ink container 100.

[0033] As described above, the ink supply unit 1 of this embodiment comprises a unit housing 10 connectable to a recording head capable of ejecting ink, and a cartridge case 20 capable of accommodating an ink container 100 containing ink to be supplied to the recording head. The unit housing 10 has a panel 11 having an insertion opening 12 through which the cartridge case 20 can be inserted, and a case storage section 40 that stores the cartridge case 20 inserted through the insertion opening 12. The case storage section 40 has a bottom surface 42 that slopes downward in the insertion direction of the cartridge case 20, and the slope is set so that when the cartridge case 20 stored in the case storage section 40 is pulled out along the bottom surface 42 from a position where its lower surface, that is, the second surface 22, faces the bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40, to a position where the second surface 22 does not face the bottom surface 42, the upper end of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed the height of the upper end of the unit housing 10.

[0034] As described above, in the ink supply unit 1 of this embodiment, the inclination of the bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40 makes it easier for the user to see the insertion opening 12. Furthermore, when the cartridge case 20 stored in the case storage section 40 is pulled out of the insertion opening 12 along the bottom surface 42, the upper end 20A of the cartridge case 20 is set so as not to exceed the height of the upper end 10A1 of the unit housing 10. Therefore, even if the ink supply unit 1 is configured so that the cartridge case 20 can be inserted into the unit housing 10 along a slope that decreases in the insertion direction, it is possible to minimize restrictions on the space in which the ink supply unit 1 is installed. This makes it easier to insert and remove the cartridge case 20.

[0035] Furthermore, the ink supply unit 1 is characterized in that the relational expression X>h+lsinθ+mcosθ is satisfied, where X is the height from the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1 to the top end of the unit housing 10, h is the height from the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1 to the bottom end of the insertion opening 12, θ is the inclination angle of the bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40 with the installation surface 200 of the ink supply unit 1, l is the length of the cartridge case 20 in the insertion direction, and m is the height of the cartridge case 20 as seen from the insertion direction. If the ink supply unit 1 is designed to satisfy this condition, when the cartridge case 20 stored in the case storage section 40 is pulled out along the bottom surface 42 to the outside of the insertion opening 12, the top end 20A of the cartridge case 20 will not exceed the height of the top end 10A1 of the unit housing 10. Therefore, even when the ink supply unit 1 is configured so that the cartridge case 20 can be inserted into the unit housing 10 along an incline that decreases in the insertion direction, it is possible to minimize restrictions on the space in which the ink supply unit 1 is installed.

[0036] The inclination angle θ of the bottom surface 42 is also characterized by being equal to or greater than 5 degrees and equal to or less than 15 degrees. If the inclination angle θ is set within this range, the user can generally easily see the insertion opening 12, and it becomes easy to insert and remove even a cartridge case 20 that houses a relatively heavy ink container 100. Furthermore, when the cartridge case 20 housed in the case storage section 40 is pulled out along the bottom surface 42 to the outside of the insertion opening 12, the upper end 20A of the cartridge case 20 does not exceed the height of the upper end 10A1 of the unit housing 10.

[0037] The cartridge case 20 also has a first surface 21, which is a side surface located on the upstream side in the insertion direction (the rear side in the front-to-rear direction D1 when attached to the ink supply unit 1), a second surface 22 connected to a lower end 21A of the first surface 21 and which is a lower surface facing a bottom surface 42 of the case storage section 40 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40, a third surface 23 connected to an upper end 21B of the first surface 21 and which is a top surface, a fourth surface 24 located on the downstream side in the insertion direction (the front side in the front-to-rear direction D1 when attached to the ink supply unit 1) and connected to the second surface 22 and the third surface 23, and a side surface connected to the first surface 21, the second surface 22, the third surface 23, and the fourth surface 24, and which is located on the right side when viewed from the insertion direction. The cartridge case 20 has a fifth surface 25, and these five surfaces 21 to 25 form a storage chamber 27 capable of storing an ink container 100. The cartridge case 20 is characterized by the following: an opening 26 located on the left side as viewed from the insertion direction and opening opposite the fifth surface 25; an ink supply port 21C provided on the first surface 21, which engages with a liquid outlet provided on the ink container 100 stored in the storage chamber 27 to supply liquid to the recording head when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40; a cover surface 30 provided on the fourth surface 24, which closes the insertion opening 12 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40; and a handle portion 31 provided on the cover surface 30, which is exposed outside the unit housing 10 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. The lower end 21A of the first surface 21 is an example of the "lower side of the first surface." The upper end 21B of the first surface 21 is an example of the "upper side of the first surface."

[0038] In the procedure for inserting or replacing a new ink container 100 into the cartridge case 20, when an operator typically places the cartridge case 20, specifically, with the top and bottom of the cartridge case 20 facing the correct direction so that the opening 26 faces the user, or when the cartridge is placed on a table or the like with the third surface 23 facing the user and the opening 26 facing upward, the handle 31 is naturally positioned on the right side. Therefore, when a right-handed operator picks up the cartridge case 20 after inserting the ink container, it is easy to grasp the handle 31, improving operability.

[0039] The cartridge case 20 is also characterized in that it has a recessed step 21D at an upper portion of the first surface 21 and at a portion closer to the front in the insertion direction of the third surface 23. The ink container 100 is further characterized in that it has a bag-shaped pouch 101 that contains ink and a spout 110 that allows the liquid in the pouch 101 to flow out, and when the ink container 100 is housed in the cartridge case 20, an inner wall 21D1 of the first surface 21 that constitutes the step 21D supports a portion of the pouch 101.

[0040] When cartridge case 20 is stored in case storage section 40, ink container 100 also tilts downward in the insertion direction of cartridge case 20, and therefore the weight of pouch 101 applies a load to spout 110 engaged with ink supply port 21C. At this time, part of pouch 101 is supported by step portion 21D, so the load on spout 110 due to the weight of pouch 101 is reduced.

[0041] The cartridge case 20 is also characterized in that it has male portions 29A and 29B of the catch 29 on the first surface 21. Furthermore, the male portions 29A and 29B of the catch 29 are provided in plurality on the first surface 21, one above the other and one below the ink supply port 21C. When the cartridge case 20 is housed in the case storage section 40, the cartridge case 20 and the case storage section 40 are securely engaged by the catch 29, thereby preventing problems such as the cartridge case 20 becoming detached from the case storage section 40 during ink supply from the ink supply unit 1 to the recording head, causing the ink supply to stop. This also prevents accidents such as the cartridge case 20 falling off during transportation or installation of the ink supply unit 1.

[0042] The cartridge case 20 is also characterized in that it has an inclined surface 21E at a portion below the first surface 21 and toward the front in the insertion direction of the second surface 22. This inclined surface 21E acts as a guide, making it easy to position the cartridge case 20 in the up-down direction when inserting it into the case storage section 40 from the insertion opening 12.

[0043] Another feature is that the insertion opening 12 of the panel 11 is formed at a position closer to the right of the panel 11 when viewed from the insertion direction, making it easier for a right-handed operator to attach and detach the cartridge case 20.

[0044] The case storage section 40 is also characterized in that it has a wall section 43 that covers and closes the opening 26 of the cartridge case 20, adjacent to the opening direction of the opening 26 when the cartridge case 20 is stored in the case storage section 40. When an ink container 100 containing UV ink, which is an ultraviolet-curable ink, is used, it is preferable that the ink container 100 be exposed to as little light as possible. By covering and closing the opening 26 with the wall section 43, the cartridge case 20 is sealed, thereby preventing light from reaching the ink container 100. Even when an ink other than UV ink is stored in the ink container 100, covering and closing the opening 26 with the wall section 43 is useful because it prevents ink from leaking from the ink container 100 to the outside.

[0045] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0046] (1) In the above embodiment, the ink container 1 containing ink is used as the liquid container, but the type of ink is not important. Also, the liquid contained in the liquid container may be a liquid other than ink.

[0047] (2) In the above embodiment, a catch is used as an example of the engaging portion, but it is not limited to a catch as long as it can be engaged. In addition, the catch may be of any type, such as a ball catch or a magnetic catch.

[0048] (3) The shapes of the cartridge case 20 and the case storage section 40 are not limited to the shapes described in the above embodiment and can be modified. For example, the five surfaces 21 to 25 of the cartridge case 20 are not limited to flat surfaces, and may be curved or uneven as long as it does not interfere with the accommodation of the ink container 100 or the insertion and removal of the cartridge case 20 into and from the case storage section 40. Similarly, the surfaces that make up the case storage section 40 are not limited to flat surfaces, and may be curved or uneven as long as it does not interfere with the insertion and removal of the cartridge case 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...ink supply unit (liquid supply device), 10...unit housing (housing), 11...panel, 12...insertion port, 20...cartridge case, 21...first surface, 21C...ink supply port, 21D...step portion, 21D1...inner wall, 21E...inclined surface, 22...second surface, 23...third surface, 24...fourth surface, 25...fifth surface, 26...opening, 27...storage chamber, 29...catch (engagement portion), 29A, 29B...male portion, lid surface 30, 40...case storage portion, 100...ink container, 101...pouch, 110...spout (liquid dispensing portion).

Claims

1. a housing connectable to a recording head capable of ejecting liquid; a cartridge case capable of accommodating a liquid container containing the liquid to be supplied to the recording head; Equipped with the housing has a panel having an insertion opening into which the cartridge case can be inserted, and a case storage section that stores the cartridge case inserted through the insertion opening, the case storage section has a bottom surface that is inclined downward in an insertion direction in which the cartridge case is inserted, the inclination is set so that when the cartridge case housed in the case housing section is pulled out from a position where the lower surface of the cartridge case faces the bottom surface of the case housing section to a position where the lower surface does not face the bottom surface, along the bottom surface of the case housing section, the upper end of the cartridge case does not exceed the height of the upper end of the housing. A liquid supply device characterized by:

2. The height from the installation surface of the device to the top end of the housing is defined as X, The height from the installation surface of the device to the bottom end of the insertion port is defined as h, an inclination angle of the bottom surface of the case storage portion with respect to an installation surface of the device is defined as θ; The length of the cartridge case in the insertion direction is defined as l, When the height seen from the insertion direction of the cartridge case is m, X>h+lsinθ+mcosθ The following relation is satisfied:

2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1.

3. The inclination angle of the bottom surface is 5 degrees or more and 15 degrees or less.

3. The liquid supply device according to claim 2.

4. The cartridge case includes: a first surface that is a side surface located on the upstream side in the insertion direction; a second surface connected to the lower side of the first surface and serving as a lower surface facing the bottom surface of the case storage section when the cartridge case is stored in the case storage section; a third surface connected to the first surface above the first surface and serving as an upper surface; a fourth surface located downstream in the insertion direction and connected to the second surface and the third surface; a fifth surface that is connected to the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface and that serves as a side surface located on the right side as viewed from the insertion direction; and These five surfaces form a storage chamber capable of storing the liquid container, an opening located on the left side as viewed from the insertion direction and opening to face the fifth surface; a liquid supply port provided on the first surface, the liquid supply port engaging with a liquid outlet provided on the liquid container accommodated in the accommodating chamber to supply liquid to the recording head when the cartridge case is accommodated in the case accommodating section; a cover surface provided on the fourth surface, the cover surface closing the insertion opening when the cartridge case is housed in the case housing portion; a handle portion provided on the cover surface and exposed to the outside from the housing when the cartridge case is housed in the case housing portion; Equipped with 4. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid supply device is a liquid supplying device.

5. the cartridge case has a recessed step at an upper portion of the first surface and at a portion of the third surface closer to the front in the insertion direction; 5. The liquid supply device according to claim 4.

6. the liquid container has a bag-shaped pouch that contains the liquid and a spout that allows the liquid in the pouch to flow out, When the liquid container is housed in the cartridge case, an inner wall of the first surface constituting the step portion supports a part of the pouch.

6. The liquid supply device according to claim 5.

7. the cartridge case has an engagement portion on the first surface; 5. The liquid supply device according to claim 4.

8. a plurality of the engaging portions are provided on the first surface, one above the other and one below the other, with the liquid supply port interposed therebetween; 8. The liquid supply device according to claim 7.

9. the cartridge case has an inclined surface at a lower portion of the first surface and at a front portion of the second surface in the insertion direction; 5. The liquid supply device according to claim 4.

10. The insertion opening of the panel is formed at a position closer to the right of the panel when the panel is viewed from the insertion direction.

2. The liquid supply device according to claim 1.

11. the case storage section has a wall section that is adjacent to the opening of the cartridge case in a direction in which the opening is opened when the cartridge case is stored in the case storage section, and that covers the opening so as to close the opening.

5. The liquid supply device according to claim 4.

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