Ink storage bottle and ink replenishing system

Abstract

To provide a liquid storage bottle capable of pouring out liquid while preventing the liquid stored therein from remaining.SOLUTION: The ink storage bottle 20 has a bottle body 21 and a nozzle 22 for pouring out the liquid stored in the bottle body 21, the nozzle 22 has a first fluid passage 24 and a second fluid passage 25 each of which opening to the outside on a tip end side of the nozzle 22, and an inner peripheral surface of the nozzle 22 has a portion inclined on an inside toward the first fluid passage 24 and the second fluid passage 25, where the first fluid passage 24 has a flow passage sectional area that is larger than a flow passage sectional area of the second fluid passage 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink containing bottle and an ink refill system. [Background technology]

[0002] Some liquid tanks used in liquid ejection devices that eject liquid such as ink can be refilled with liquid from a separately provided liquid-containing bottle. Such liquid-containing bottles for refilling liquid are required to prevent the refilled liquid from accidentally leaking outside and contaminating the user's hands or surroundings. Patent Document 1 describes a liquid-containing bottle having a bottle body and a bottle cap rotatably attached to the bottle body. The bottle cap is rotatable between a sealed state, which seals the opening of the bottle body to prevent liquid from being poured out of the bottle body, and an open state, which opens the opening of the bottle body to allow liquid to be poured out of the bottle body. Thus, the liquid-containing bottle described in Patent Document 1 is kept in an open state only when refilling the liquid tank with liquid, and is otherwise kept in a sealed state, thereby preventing unexpected liquid from leaking outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-177567 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the liquid-containing bottle described in Patent Document 1, due to its structure, even if you try to pour out all of the liquid inside, some liquid may remain inside. As a result, when removing the liquid-containing bottle from the liquid tank after refilling it with liquid, the liquid remaining inside may drip from the bottle and stick to the user's hands and surrounding area, staining them. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ink containing bottle and an ink refilling system that are capable of pouring out liquid while preventing residual liquid from being contained therein. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the ink storage bottle of the present invention is an ink storage bottle that stores ink to be refilled into an ink tank, and has a bottle main body and a nozzle that dispenses the ink stored in the bottle main body, the nozzle has a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage that each open to the outside at the tip side of the nozzle, the inner surface of the nozzle has portions that slope inward toward the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first fluid passage is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second fluid passage. The ink refill system of the present invention includes an ink tank and the ink containing bottle for containing ink to be refilled into the ink tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, the liquid can be poured out while preventing the liquid content from remaining. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a main part of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the liquid ejection device shown in FIG. 1 is being refilled with liquid. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a liquid containing bottle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view of a liquid containing bottle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views showing a liquid refilling operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the communication passage according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are a cross-sectional view and a plan view of a liquid containing bottle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing a liquid refilling operation according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the nozzle according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the liquid containing bottle and liquid refill system of the present invention will be described using an example in which they are used to refill a liquid ejection device with ink as the liquid, but the uses of the liquid containing bottle and liquid refill system are not limited to this.

[0009] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid ejection device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view schematically showing the main part of the liquid ejection device of this embodiment. The liquid ejection device 200 includes a feed unit 1, a transport unit 2, an ejection unit 3, a liquid supply unit 4, and a display unit 5. The feeding unit 1 has a feeding roller 10 that separates recording media one by one from a stack of sheet-like recording media stored in a tray and supplies the recording media to the transporting unit 2. The transporting unit 2 has a transporting roller 11 and a paper discharge roller 12 that transport the recording media supplied from the feeding unit 1. A platen 13 that supports the transported recording media from below is disposed between the transporting roller 11 and the paper discharge roller 12. The ejecting unit 3 is located above the platen 13 and has a carriage 14 that moves back and forth in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording media, and a liquid ejection head 15 that is mounted on the carriage 14 and ejects liquid such as ink. The ejecting unit 3 can record an image on the recording media supported by the platen 13 by having the liquid ejection head 15 eject liquid based on image information.

[0010] The liquid supply unit 4 includes a liquid tank 16 and a flexible supply tube 17 that connects the liquid tank 16 and the liquid ejection head 15 via a liquid flow path 101. The liquid tank 16 has a storage chamber 100 therein that stores liquid, a tank body 160 formed with an inlet 106 for injecting liquid into the storage chamber 100, and a tank cap 105 that can be attached to the tank body 160 to seal the storage chamber 100. The liquid stored in the storage chamber 100 is supplied to the liquid ejection head 15 from the liquid flow path 101 via the supply tube 17 in accordance with the amount of liquid to be ejected from the liquid ejection head 15. At this time, air equal in amount to the liquid supplied to the liquid ejection head 15 flows into the storage chamber 100 in the liquid tank 16 through an air vent 102 provided on the top surface of the tank body 160. In this embodiment, four colors of ink (e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) are used as the liquid, and a liquid tank 16 and a supply tube 17 are provided for each color of ink. The number of colors of liquid used is not limited to four, and may be one color, or two or more colors. In this embodiment, the liquid tank 16 is housed inside the main body of the liquid ejection device 200, but the location of the liquid tank 16 is not limited to this and may be outside the main body of the liquid ejection device 200 as long as it can supply liquid to the liquid ejection head 15. The display unit 5 displays information necessary to operate the liquid ejection device 200 (operating status, operation items, menus, etc.), and also displays a message urging the user to refill the liquid tank 16 with liquid.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state when the liquid ejection device shown in FIG. 1 is replenished with liquid. The user tilts forward and opens the cover 7 provided on the front of the liquid ejection device 200, removes the tank cap 105 attached to the liquid tank 16 to be refilled with liquid, and exposes the filler port 106. Then, using the liquid containing bottle 20 containing the liquid to be refilled, the user refills the liquid into the liquid tank 16 through the exposed filler port 106.

[0012] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the liquid-containing bottle of this embodiment. Fig. 5(a) is an exploded cross-sectional view of the liquid-containing bottle of this embodiment, and Fig. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the liquid-containing bottle of this embodiment, both of which show cross sections including the central axis of the bottle. Fig. 5(c) is a plan view of the inside of the nozzle constituting the liquid-containing bottle of this embodiment, seen from the base end side. The liquid-containing bottle 20 is a cylindrical container for refilling the liquid tank 16 with liquid, and together with the liquid tank 16, constitutes the liquid refilling system of this embodiment. The liquid-containing bottle 20 has a bottle body 21 that contains the liquid, a nozzle 22 that dispenses the liquid contained in the bottle body 21, and a cap 23 that can be attached to the nozzle 22 to seal the tip of the nozzle 22. A bottle thread portion 21a having a male thread formed on the outer circumferential surface is provided at the top of the bottle body 21, and a cylindrical nozzle thread portion 22a having a female thread formed on the inner circumferential surface is provided at the bottom of the nozzle 22 so as to protrude. The nozzle 22 is fixed to the bottle body 21 by threading the female thread of the nozzle thread portion 22a into the male thread of the bottle thread portion 21a. A ring-shaped rib 23a is provided on the bottom surface of the cap 23 (the surface facing the tip of the nozzle 22) that covers the tip of the nozzle 22 when the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22.

[0013] Two parallel fluid passages 24, 25 and a communication passage 26 communicating therewith are formed inside the nozzle 22. The two fluid passages 24, 25 each open to the outside at the tip of the nozzle 22 and are formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis C (hereinafter simply referred to as the "central axis") of the liquid-containing bottle 20, i.e., the nozzle 22 (and the bottle body 21), as shown in FIG. 5(c). However, if the two fluid passages 24, 25 are formed in positions facing each other across the central axis C, the distance between them in the vertical direction can be increased as much as possible in the optimal liquid refilling position described below, which is preferable in terms of promoting gas-liquid exchange. Therefore, the positions of the fluid passages 24, 25 do not necessarily have to be symmetrical with respect to the central axis C, as long as they are positioned facing each other across the central axis C. Note that FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) each show a cross section including the central axis of each of the two fluid passages 24, 25. The communicating passage 26 opens into the bottle body 21 at the base end of the nozzle 22 and has an inner circumferential surface that slopes inward toward the two fluid passages 24, 25. More specifically, the communicating passage 26 has an inner circumferential surface that is continuous without any steps with the inner circumferential surfaces of the two fluid passages 24, 25. In other words, the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 has a shape resembling two oblique cones joined together, with the apexes of the oblique cones smoothly connecting to the inner circumferential surfaces of the two fluid passages 24, 25. Note that the term "inclined" here refers to a predetermined inclination angle θ1 (0°<θ1<180°) relative to the central axis C, and includes not only a linear inclination but also a curved inclination in a cross section including the central axis C. In the following description, the term "inclination angle" refers to the inclination angle relative to the central axis C unless otherwise specified.

[0014] An abutment wall 27 is formed at the top of the bottle body 21, protruding in an annular shape from the inner circumferential surface and coming into contact with the nozzle 22 when the nozzle 22 is fixed to the bottle body 21. The abutment wall 27 has a truncated conical inner circumferential surface that slopes inward toward the top and continues without any steps into the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26. The inclination angle θ2 of the inner circumferential surface can be set arbitrarily so as to avoid a sudden taper from the inside of the bottle body 21 to the communicating passage 26 of the nozzle 22. Furthermore, like the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26, the inner circumferential surface of the abutment wall 27 is not limited to being linearly inclined in a cross section including the central axis C, but may be curvedly inclined.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid refilling operation by the liquid refilling system of this embodiment. The tank body 160 of the liquid tank 16 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an adapter 30 into which the nozzle 22 of the liquid containing bottle 20 can be inserted is formed on an inclined surface 163 formed between an upper surface 161 and a side surface 162. The adapter 30 protrudes cylindrically from the periphery of the injection port 106 for injecting liquid into the containing chamber 100, and has an inner peripheral surface that can fit onto the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 22 of the liquid containing bottle 20. In the liquid refilling operation, the user holds the liquid containing bottle 20 and inserts and fits the nozzle 22 of the liquid containing bottle 20 into the adapter 30 of the liquid tank 16, thereby holding the liquid containing bottle 20 in the liquid tank 16. At this time, the liquid (not shown) in the liquid containing bottle 20 flows downward toward the nozzle 22, passes through one of the two fluid passages 24, 25, and is injected into the storage chamber 100 in the liquid tank 16. At the same time, air (gas) in the storage chamber 100 is sent into the liquid containing bottle 20 through the other of the two fluid passages 24, 25. Due to this gas-liquid exchange action, the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 20 is refilled into the liquid tank 16. After refilling with the liquid is completed, the user removes the liquid containing bottle 20, thereby completing the liquid refilling operation.

[0016] In this embodiment, as described above, the inner circumferential surface of the communication passage 26 in the nozzle 22 is inclined inward toward the two fluid passages 24, 25. Therefore, when the liquid bottle 20 is tilted, almost no depression that could serve as a liquid reservoir is formed inside the nozzle 22. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the nozzle 22 and the adapter 30 are fitted together and the liquid bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16, the lowest region of the inner circumferential surface of the communication passage 26 is inclined downward toward the two fluid passages 24, 25. Therefore, even during the liquid refilling operation described above, almost no depression that could serve as a liquid reservoir is formed inside the nozzle 22. Therefore, when refilling the liquid tank 16 with liquid from the liquid bottle 20, almost all of the liquid in the liquid bottle 20 can be poured out. As a result, when removing the liquid bottle 20 from the liquid tank 16 after the liquid refilling operation is completed, it is possible to prevent liquid from dripping from the liquid bottle 20 and adhering to the user's hands or the surrounding area.

[0017] When the liquid-containing bottle 20 is tilted, it is preferable that no depression that could serve as a liquid reservoir is formed not only inside the nozzle 22 but also between the nozzle 22 and the bottle body 21. To this end, it is preferable that the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the bottle body 21 are continuous without any steps, as described above. In other words, it is preferable that the opening diameter at the base end of the nozzle 22 and the opening diameter of the bottle body 21 are substantially the same. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner circumferential surface of the bottle body 21 is composed of a cylindrical inner circumferential surface and a truncated conical inner circumferential surface that are continuous without any steps, as shown in the figure. This makes it possible to prevent a depression that could serve as a liquid reservoir from being formed in the bottle body 21 when the liquid-containing bottle 20 is tilted. Furthermore, when the liquid containing bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16, the inclination angle θ3 of the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 at the lowest region relative to the horizontal plane is preferably greater than the inclination angle θ4 of the inclined surface 163 relative to the horizontal plane (although this is different from the state shown in FIG. 6). This allows the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 20 to more easily flow toward the two fluid passages 24, 25, thereby improving the ease of refilling the liquid into the liquid tank 16. From this perspective, the adapter 30 does not necessarily have to be provided on the inclined surface 163 of the tank body 160, and may be provided, for example, on a surface parallel to the horizontal plane of the tank body 160, i.e., on the upper surface 161.

[0018] In the liquid refilling operation described above, gravity determines which of the two fluid passages 24, 25 the liquid in the liquid bottle 20 flows through. That is, of the two fluid passages 24, 25, the liquid in the liquid bottle 20 is more likely to flow through the fluid passage whose opening on the communicating passage 26 side is located lower when the liquid bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16. However, in this embodiment, the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30 are both cylindrical. Therefore, even when the two are fitted together, the nozzle 22 can rotate with respect to the adapter 30. Therefore, for example, when the nozzle 22 is positioned so that the two fluid passages 24, 25 are horizontally opposed to each other, the gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid bottle 20 may be reduced, potentially hindering smooth liquid refilling. Therefore, it is preferable to insert the nozzle 22 into the adapter 30 and then rotate it relative to the adapter 30 to position the nozzle 22 in an optimal liquid refilling position in which the two fluid passages 24, 25 are vertically opposed to each other across the central axis C. This more reliably ensures gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid containing bottle 20, resulting in smooth liquid refilling. To facilitate this positioning, a user-visible positioning mark may be provided on each of the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30. Note that while FIG. 6 shows the first fluid passage 24 positioned below the second fluid passage 25, the reverse may also be true; that is, the second fluid passage 25 may be positioned below the first fluid passage 24.

[0019] 7(a) to 7(c) are plan views of the inside of the nozzle as viewed from the base end side, showing modified examples of the communication passage of this embodiment, and correspond to FIG. 5(c). In the above-described embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 is continuous with the inner circumferential surfaces of the two fluid passages 24, 25 without any steps, but the shape of the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 is not limited to this as long as it slopes inward toward the two fluid passages 24, 25. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 may be a truncated cone shape in which the inner diameter decreases toward the two fluid passages 24, 25. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 may be a truncated cone shape in which the upper and lower base surfaces are not similar in shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 may be a truncated cone shape in which the upper base surface 26a is elliptical and the lower base surface is circular, or as shown in FIG. 7(c), the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 may be a truncated cone shape in which the upper base surface 26a is elliptical and the lower base surface is circular. 7, however, the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 is continuous with the inner circumferential surfaces of the two fluid passages 24, 25 via steps (step surfaces) 26a. Therefore, for example, if the two fluid passages 24, 25 are positioned so as to face each other horizontally, a small depression that can serve as a liquid reservoir will be formed between the communicating passage 26 and the two fluid passages 24, 25. Therefore, it is preferable that the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 has a shape resembling two oblique cones joined together as described above, in order to prevent the formation of a depression that can serve as a liquid reservoir inside the nozzle 22 regardless of the orientation of the liquid-containing bottle 20.

[0020] (Second embodiment) Fig. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of a liquid containing bottle according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 8(b) is a plan view of the inside of the nozzle of this embodiment as seen from the base end side, which correspond to Figs. 5(b) and 5(c), respectively. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid refilling operation by the liquid refilling system of this embodiment. Hereinafter, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals in the drawings and their description will be omitted, and only the components different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0021] The liquid containing bottle 20 of this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in the configuration of the two fluid passages 24, 25. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the two fluid passages 24, 25 have the same flow path cross-sectional area, but in this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first fluid passage 24 is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second fluid passage 25. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the distances from the central axis C of the nozzle 22 to the central axes of the two fluid passages 24, 25 are the same, but in this embodiment, the distance d2 to the central axis of the second fluid passage 25 is larger than the distance d1 to the central axis of the first fluid passage 24. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the first fluid passage 24, which has a large cross-sectional area, is selected as the passage through which the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 20 flows when the liquid is refilled. That is, the nozzle 22 is fitted to the adapter 30 only at a specific circumferential position so that the two fluid passages 24, 25 are opposed to each other in the vertical direction and the first fluid passage 24 is positioned lower than the second fluid passage 25. One method for restricting the circumferential position of the nozzle 22 is to form an engaging portion (e.g., a convex portion) on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and form an engaging portion (e.g., a concave portion) on the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30 that can engage with the engaging portion.

[0022] As described above, in the liquid refilling operation of this embodiment, not only is it easier to discharge the liquid from the liquid containing bottle 20 through the first fluid passage 24, which has a larger cross-sectional area, but air is also easier to take into the liquid containing bottle 20 through the second fluid passage 25, which is located higher. As a result, gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid containing bottle 20 is further promoted, allowing the liquid tank 16 to be refilled more efficiently. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nozzle 22 is designed to fit into the adapter 30 only when the nozzle 22 is in the optimal liquid refilling position, so there is no need to rotate the nozzle 22 after inserting it into the adapter 30 in order to adjust the circumferential position of the nozzle 22 relative to the adapter 30. This allows the user to perform the liquid refilling operation without touching the liquid containing bottle 20, thereby reducing the risk of the user's hands or surrounding area becoming soiled with liquid. 8(a), the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 may have the same inclination angle θ5 in the region continuing to the inner circumferential surface of the first fluid passage 24 and the same inclination angle θ6 in the region continuing to the inner circumferential surface of the second fluid passage 25. However, by making the former smaller than the latter, the liquid in the liquid containing bottle 20 can more easily flow from the communicating passage 26 to the first fluid passage 24 in the above-mentioned optimal liquid refilling position, thereby improving the ease of refilling the liquid into the liquid tank 16. In this regard, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ5 in the region continuing to the inner circumferential surface of the first fluid passage 24 is smaller than the inclination angle θ6 in the region continuing to the inner circumferential surface of the second fluid passage 25. In other words, in a cross section including the central axes of each of the two fluid passages 24, 25, it is preferable that the angle formed between the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 and the inner circumferential surface of the first fluid passage 24 is smaller than the angle formed between the inner circumferential surface of the communicating passage 26 and the inner circumferential surface of the first fluid passage 24.

[0023] 10(a) and 10(b) are plan views showing modified examples of the nozzle of this embodiment, as viewed from the tip side of the nozzle. 10(a), in order to regulate the circumferential position of the nozzle 22 with respect to the adapter 30, the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 22 may be elliptical cylindrical, and accordingly, the inner peripheral surface of the adapter 30 may also be elliptical cylindrical. In this case, the two fluid passages 24, 25 are formed in the nozzle 22 so that the planes including their central axes are parallel to the major axis direction of the ellipse, and the adapter 30 is provided on the inclined surface 163 so that the plane including its central axis and the major axis of the ellipse is parallel to the vertical direction. However, with this configuration, there is a possibility that the nozzle 22 may be fitted into the adapter 30 in a state that is upside down relative to the optimal liquid refilling position, in which the first fluid passage 24 is positioned lower than the second fluid passage 25. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10(b), it is preferable that an engaging portion 28 consisting of a recess is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle 22, and that a corresponding engaging portion consisting of a protrusion that can engage with this engaging portion 28 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the adapter 30. This allows the nozzle 22 to be fitted into the adapter 30 in the correct upside-down position. Alternatively, positioning marks may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30 so that the user can visually determine the optimal liquid refilling position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 20 Liquid-containing bottles 21 Bottle body 22 nozzles 24,25 Fluid passage 26 Communication path

Claims

1. An ink containing bottle that contains ink to be replenished in an ink tank, A bottle body; a nozzle portion for dispensing the ink contained in the bottle main body portion, the nozzle portion has a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage that each open to the outside at a tip end side of the nozzle portion, an inner circumferential surface of the nozzle portion has a portion that is inclined inward toward the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage; an ink containing bottle, wherein a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first fluid passage is larger than a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second fluid passage;

2. 2. The ink containing bottle according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage are disposed at positions asymmetric with respect to a central axis of the nozzle portion.

3. 3. The ink containing bottle according to claim 2, wherein a distance from the central axis of the nozzle portion to a central axis of the second fluid passage is greater than a distance from the central axis of the nozzle portion to a central axis of the first fluid passage.

4. An ink refill system comprising: an ink tank; and the ink containing bottle according to claim 1, which contains ink to be refilled into said ink tank.

5. The ink tank The tank body and an adapter provided on an inclined surface connecting the upper surface and the side surface of the tank body, the adapter having an inner circumferential surface that can be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle portion, 5. The ink refill system according to claim 4, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle portion has a shape that regulates the circumferential position of the nozzle portion relative to the adapter when the nozzle portion and the adapter are fitted together.

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