Liquid storage body

Abstract

To provide a liquid storage body capable of recycling a liquid storage bag while having a barrier function, as a technology capable of contributing to realization of a sustainable society such as a decarbonization / recycling-oriented society.SOLUTION: A liquid storage body comprises: a liquid storage bag for storing a liquid; a joint member which communicates with the liquid storage bag so as to be joined to a device for consuming the liquid stored in the liquid storage bag; and a protective member which protects the liquid storage bag while housing it and which has a barrier function of suppressing permeation of the liquid stored in the liquid storage bag.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A recording device includes a replaceable liquid container that contains a liquid such as ink to supply the liquid to the recording head. Such a liquid container includes, for example, a liquid containing bag that contains the liquid, and a protective case that houses the liquid containing bag and protects the liquid containing bag from vibrations during transportation and impacts when dropped.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid container in which a liquid containing bag made of a multilayer film with a barrier function is protected by a protective case made of cardboard. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-129101 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] From the perspective of recyclability, the liquid container of Patent Document 1 allows the paper case to be collected and reused as is, but the liquid storage bag is soft and tiny cracks can occur in the barrier layer due to vibration or impact, making it difficult to reuse.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a liquid container that has a barrier function and allows the liquid containing bag to be reused. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of a liquid container according to the present disclosure is characterized by having a liquid storage bag for storing liquid, a joining member that communicates with the liquid storage bag and is for joining to a device that consumes the liquid stored in the liquid storage bag, and a protective member that stores and protects the liquid storage bag and has a barrier function that suppresses permeation of the liquid stored in the liquid storage bag. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, the liquid container has a barrier function, and the liquid containing bag can be reused. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus that uses a liquid container. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a liquid container. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a protection member. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a joining member. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a liquid container according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of a liquid container will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present disclosure, and not all combinations of features described in the present embodiment are necessarily essential to the solutions of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the positions, shapes, and the like of components described in the present embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to only those.

[0011] The technology described in this specification can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, such as a carbon-free / recycling-based society. In this specification, a liquid container that allows the reuse of a liquid containing bag will be described as a technology that can be used to realize such a sustainable society.

[0012] (First embodiment) A liquid container according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] <Recording device> First, a recording device that stores a replaceable liquid container according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording device that stores a replaceable liquid container according to this embodiment. In this specification, for ease of understanding, the width direction of the recording device when facing the recording device 10 in FIG. 1 will be described as the X direction, the depth direction of the recording device 10 as the Y direction, and the height direction of the recording device 10 as the Z direction. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the liquid container will be described using the directions when the liquid container is stored in the recording device 10.

[0014] The recording device 10 is configured to perform recording by ejecting a liquid such as ink from a recording head (not shown) onto a recording medium transported by a transport unit (not shown). The recording device 10 includes a storage unit 14 that replaceably houses a liquid container 12 that contains the liquid. In the recording device 10, the liquid container 12 stored in the storage unit 14 is connected to the recording head, and the liquid contained in the liquid container 12 is transferred from the liquid container 12 to the recording head via a pump or the like. Therefore, the amount of liquid contained in the liquid container 12 decreases as the recording head performs recording.

[0015] The storage unit 14 is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction, and moves between an exchange position (position shown in FIG. 1) where the liquid container 12 can be exchanged, and a supply position located within the housing of the recording device 10 where ink can be supplied from the stored liquid container 12 to the recording head. Note that, although the recording device 10 is configured so that the liquid container 12 is stored near the bottom on the front side of the recording device 10, this is not limitative. The configuration for storing the liquid container 12 (storage unit 14) can be changed as appropriate depending on the internal configuration of the recording device 10, such as to the upper rear side or the upper side.

[0016] <Liquid container> Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the liquid container 12. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the liquid container 12, where (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a view taken along the line IIb in (a).

[0017] The liquid container 12 includes a liquid containing bag 202 that contains liquid, a joining member 204 for joining to the recording device 10, and a liquid intake section 206 that communicates with the joining member 204 and can take in the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202. The liquid container 12 also includes a protective member 208 that covers and protects the outside of the liquid containing bag 202, and a communication plug 210 that takes in outside air into the protective member 208.

[0018] =Liquid storage bag= Liquid containing bag 202 is a pillow-type bag made by stacking two flexible films and joining their peripheries by welding, etc. Note that liquid containing bag 202 is not limited to this, and various known bags that can be deformed according to the amount of liquid to be contained may be used, such as a bag called a gusset bag that has gussets on both ends in the X direction, or a bag formed by welding a single sheet into a cylindrical shape.

[0019] The liquid containing bag 202 is made of a film laminated with multiple layers, such as polyester, nylon, and polyethylene, and has a bag-like shape to contain a liquid. The layer structure of the film can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of liquid to be contained. In this embodiment, the size of the liquid containing bag 202 is 120 mm in the X direction and 220 mm in the Y direction.

[0020] =Protective material= The protective member 208 is made of cardboard with a thickness of 1.5 mm. However, the protective member 208 is not limited to being made of cardboard, and may be made of strong paper such as cardboard. Alternatively, biodegradable plastic may be used.

[0021] In this embodiment, the liquid containing bag 202 does not have a function (hereinafter referred to as a "barrier function") to suppress liquid permeation (evaporation). Therefore, if the liquid containing bag 202 is left while containing liquid, the contained liquid may permeate through the layers of film that make up the liquid containing bag 202 and evaporate to the outside of the liquid containing bag 202, which may result in a decrease in the liquid capacity or an increase in the viscosity of the contained liquid. If the liquid containing bag 202 experiences a decrease in the liquid capacity or an increase in the viscosity of the contained liquid, this may affect the recording performance of the recording device 10 that uses the liquid containing bag 202.

[0022] For this reason, a material with a barrier function is arranged on the inner surface 208a of the protective member 208, which faces the liquid containing bag 202. In this embodiment, aluminum foil 212 is laminated on the inner surface 208a. This blocks the liquid containing bag 202 contained in the protective member 208 from the outside air. The material with a barrier function may also be arranged on the outer surface 208b of the protective member 208. Furthermore, various known materials may be used as the material with a barrier function, such as a film in which a ceramic material is vapor-deposited on a PET film or the like.

[0023] In this embodiment, cardboard or cardboard is used as the material for forming the protective member 208 as part of efforts to reduce plastic use, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a material such as plastic or metal that has the effect of insulating the liquid containing bag 202 from the outside air may be used.

[0024] Here, a detailed description will be given of the configuration of the protective member 208. Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the protective member 208, in which (a) is an external view of the protective member 208, (b) is a developed view of the body part 302 of the protective member 208, (c) is a side view of one side of the protective member 208, and (d) is a side view of the other side of the protective member 208.

[0025] The protective member 208 includes a body portion 302, a side surface portion 304 having an opening 304a through which the joining member 204 is inserted, and a side surface portion 306 having an opening 306a through which the connecting plug 210 is inserted. The body portion 302 is formed into a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape by bonding, with an adhesive or the like, regions Ar on two opposing short sides Ss of a single sheet-like material S (corrugated cardboard in this embodiment). The side surface portion 304 is bonded and fixed to one side of the substantially elliptical opening portion of the body portion 302, and the side surface portion 306 is bonded and fixed to the other side.

[0026] In this embodiment, protective member 208 has a hollow, generally elliptical cylindrical shape, formed by body portion 302 and side portions 304, 306. This is because, in the case of a shape that forms a bendable portion, such as a prismatic shape, there is a risk that the barrier function of aluminum foil 212 laminated on inner surface 208a of protective member 208 may be reduced by the creases that act as a folding trigger or the folding itself. Note that protective member 208 may be shaped like a prismatic column if the reduction in barrier function can be suppressed by devising a folding method or by thickening aluminum foil 212 in the folded portion.

[0027] The joining member 204 is fixed to the side surface portion 304 while being inserted into the opening 304a. A sealant, adhesive, or the like is used as the fixing method. Furthermore, in order to prevent a decrease in the barrier function of the protective member 208, a gap is prevented from being formed at the joint between the joining member 204 and the opening 304a. Furthermore, the communication plug 210 is fixed to the side surface portion 306 while being inserted into the opening 306a. A sealant, adhesive, or the like is used as the fixing method. Furthermore, in order to prevent a decrease in the barrier function of the protective member 208, a gap is prevented from being formed at the joint between the communication plug 210 and the opening 306a.

[0028] =Liquid intake section= FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liquid intake portion 206. The liquid intake portion 206 is made of a resin material such as polyester or polypropylene and is formed in a linear tubular shape. In this embodiment, the liquid intake portion 206 has a substantially rectangular tubular shape, and a flow path 402 with a substantially circular cross section is formed from one end 206a to the other end 206b in the extension direction. The liquid intake portion 206 has one end 206a joined to the joining member 204, and the other end 206b positioned at approximately the center in the Y direction within the liquid containing bag 202 (see FIG. 1(b)). This allows the liquid intake portion 206 to take in the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 from the other end 206b and guide the taken-in liquid to the joining member 204. Note that the shape of the liquid intake portion 206 is not limited to the above, as long as it is configured to allow the liquid in the liquid containing bag 202 to flow into the joining member 204. Furthermore, the material of the liquid intake portion 206 is not limited to the above-mentioned materials, as long as it is a material that is resistant to the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202.

[0029] = Joining materials = 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the joining member 204, with (a) being a perspective view, (b) being an exploded view, and (c) being a view corresponding to the cross section taken along line Vc-Vc in (a) when a needle 500 is inserted to supply liquid from the liquid container 12 to the recording device 10. The joining member 204 has, at one end 204a exposed to the outside of the protective member 208, an opening 502 through which the needle 500 is inserted to supply liquid from the liquid container 12 to the recording device 10. The joining member 204 also has, at the other end 204b located inside the liquid containing bag 202, an insertion opening 504 through which the one end 206a of the liquid intake portion 206 is inserted, and a storage portion 506 that communicates with the insertion opening 504 and the opening 502 and is capable of storing liquid.

[0030] In joining member 204, liquid intake portion 206 is fixed at insertion opening 504 with an adhesive or the like. This allows reservoir 506 provided in joining member 204 to communicate with flow path 402 of liquid intake portion 206, allowing the liquid taken in flow path 402 to flow into reservoir 506. Gasket 508 made of an elastomer such as rubber is provided in opening 502, and prevents the liquid stored in reservoir 506 from flowing out of opening 502. Joining member 204 is formed by joining two members 510, 512, and with gasket 508 placed in opening 502, the two members 510, 512 are fixed together with gasket 508 by welding or adhesive. Needle 500 has a hollow structure, and when needle 500 is inserted into packing 508, the liquid stored in storage section 506 can flow out through needle 500 to recording device 10. Note that packing 508 is made of elastomer, so needle 500 can be inserted and removed, and is configured to prevent liquid leakage from the inserted and removed portion when and after needle 500 is inserted and removed.

[0031] =Communication plug= Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the communication plug 210. Figure 6(a) is a diagram corresponding to the cross section taken along line VI-VI in Figure 1(a) of the communication plug 210 in a state where the inside and outside of the protective member 208 are not in communication with each other. Figure 6(b) is a diagram corresponding to the cross section taken along line VI-VI in Figure 1(a) of the communication plug 210 in a state where the inside and outside of the protective member 208 are in communication with each other.

[0032] In the liquid container 12, the volume of the liquid containing bag 202 decreases as the amount of liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 decreases. Furthermore, in the liquid container 12, the liquid containing bag 202 is isolated from the outside air by a protective member 208 laminated with aluminum foil 212. Therefore, when the liquid containing bag 202 is deformed due to a decrease in volume, it is necessary to relieve the negative pressure inside the protective member 208 caused by the deformation. In the liquid container 12, the communication plug 210 has the function of relieving the negative pressure inside the protective member 208 caused by the deformation of the liquid containing bag 202 due to a decrease in volume.

[0033] Communication plug 210 is configured to follow the deformation of liquid containing bag 202 and allow outside air to enter protective member 208. Specifically, communication plug 210 includes a hollow, generally cylindrical main body 602 having an opening 602c formed at one end thereof, and a lid 606 biased within main body 602 by a biasing member 604 such as a spring.

[0034] The main body 602 is closed by a wall surface 602a on one side in the extension direction and opened by an opening 602c on the other side. The main body 602 also has a through-hole 608 formed in a side surface 602b extending in the extension direction. In this embodiment, the through-hole 608 has a diameter of 1 mm. The lid 606 is slidably mounted on the inner wall of the side surface 602b of the main body 602, so that outside air does not or almost does not enter through the contact surface between the lid 606 and the side surface 602b. The contact surface between the lid 606 and the main body 602 may be coated with a substance that reduces friction or improves sealing performance, for example. The lid 606 is formed, for example, from fluororubber; however, other materials may be used as long as they ensure the sliding properties and sealing performance required for the lid 606.

[0035] The biasing member 604 is provided between the wall surface 602a and the lid portion 606 so as to bias the lid portion 606 in a direction away from the wall surface 602a. The lid portion 606 biased by the biasing member 604 is designed to be located closer to the opening 602c than the through-hole 608. When the main body portion 602 is fixed to the opening 306a (see FIG. 3(a)), the wall surface 602a side is located inside the protective member 208, and the opening 602c side is located outside the protective member 208. At this time, the through-hole 608 is also located inside the protective member 208. At this time, the main body portion 602 and the opening 306a are sealed with an adhesive or the like to prevent outside air from entering the protective member 208.

[0036] When the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 is not being consumed, the lid portion 606 of the communication plug 210 is positioned closer to the opening 602c than the through-hole 608 (see FIG. 6(a)). In this state, the lid portion 606 is positioned between the through-hole 608 and the opening 602c, and the communication plug 210 is in a state where it is blocked from the outside air.

[0037] When the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 is consumed, the volume of the liquid containing bag 202 decreases, causing a negative pressure inside the protective member 208. When the negative pressure inside the protective member 208 reaches a certain level or above, the lid portion 606, which separates the inside and outside of the protective member 208 in the communication plug 210, moves in the direction of arrow A (see FIG. 6(a)) against the biasing force of the biasing member 604. This movement causes the lid portion 606 to move toward the wall surface 602a from the through-hole 608, and the through-hole 608 and the opening 602c in the communication plug 210 communicate with each other. This connects the inside and outside of the protective member 208, allowing outside air to flow into the inside of the protective member 208.

[0038] When the negative pressure inside protective member 208 is relieved by the inflow of outside air into protective member 208, lid portion 606 moves in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 6(b)) due to the biasing force of biasing member 604. When this movement moves lid portion 606 toward opening 602c from through hole 608, communication between through hole 608 and opening 602c is no longer established in communication plug 210. This blocks the inside and outside of protective member 208 from communicating with each other, and restricts the inflow of outside air into protective member 208. In this way, in this embodiment, communication plug 210 functions as a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and outside of protective member 208 and communication between them depending on the pressure inside protective member 208.

[0039] Before outside air flows into the interior of the protective member 208 via the communicating plug 210, the interior is saturated (or close to saturated) with the evaporative components of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag. Therefore, when outside air flows into the interior of the protective member 208 via the communicating plug 210, the saturated state of the evaporative components is eliminated, and the liquid in the liquid containing bag 202 evaporates in an amount equal to the volume of the outside air that has flowed in. Therefore, the amount of evaporation of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 is based on the flow of outside air into the interior of the protective member 208 via the communicating plug 210, and because the evaporation is completed within the interior of the protective member 208, the amount of evaporation is within a predictable range.

[0040] For this reason, the concentration of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 is set taking into consideration the expected maximum amount of evaporation based on the inflow of outside air into the inside of the protective member 208 via the communicating plug 210. The communicating plug 210 is installed in the protective member 208 at a position where it does not interfere with the configuration of the storage unit 14 or the recording device 10 when stored in the storage unit 14. The communicating plug 210 is installed in the protective member 208 at a position inside the protective member 208 where it is unlikely to interfere with the liquid containing bag 202.

[0041] <Refilling the liquid container> When the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 of the liquid container 12 is consumed and falls below a certain amount, the liquid container 12 is detached from the recording device 10 and collected, and then the liquid can be refilled into the liquid containing bag 202. Specifically, since a small amount of liquid remains inside the liquid containing bag 202 of the liquid container 12 after collection, the joining member 204, the liquid intake portion 206, and the inside of the liquid containing bag 202 are first washed and dried. Next, the inside of the liquid containing bag 202 is depressurized via the joining member 204 so as to leave as little air as possible inside the liquid containing bag 202 during refilling, and then the liquid is refilled. Note that when depressurizing and refilling, a needle or the like is inserted into the packing 508, and after depressurizing and refilling, the hole formed by the needle or the like is sealed with, for example, a sealant.

[0042] <Action and effect> In the liquid containers according to the prior art, the liquid containing bag that contains the liquid is provided with a barrier layer to prevent evaporation of the liquid, but the barrier layer is easily damaged by vibrations during transportation or impacts when dropped, which may render the liquid containing bag unreusable.Furthermore, deformation of the liquid containing bag as the liquid is consumed may cause wrinkles in the liquid containing bag, which may damage the barrier layer, making the liquid containing bag unreusable.

[0043] In contrast, in the liquid container 12 according to this embodiment, aluminum foil 212 is laminated as a barrier layer to the protective member 208, which does not deform as the liquid is consumed and is resistant to deformation due to impact, vibration, and the like. Therefore, in the liquid container 12, the barrier layer is less likely to be damaged by vibration or dropping during transportation, or due to consumption of the liquid, compared to liquid containers according to known techniques. As a result, the liquid containing bag 202 in the recovered liquid container 12 can maintain the same performance as the liquid containing bag 202 in the liquid container 12 before use, and the liquid containing bag 202 of the recovered liquid container 12 can be reused.

[0044] (Second embodiment) Next, a liquid container according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment will be used to denote components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the liquid container according to the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] The liquid container according to the second embodiment differs from the liquid container 12 according to the first embodiment in that the aluminum foil 212 is not laminated to the inner surface 208a of the protective member 208, but the liquid containing bag 202 is provided inside a bag portion having a barrier function.

[0046] <Liquid container> Fig. 7 is a side view of a liquid container 702 according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Fig. 2(b). The liquid container 702 in Fig. 7 includes a bag portion 704 having a barrier function between a protective member 208 having no aluminum foil 212 as a barrier layer on its inner surface 208a and a liquid containing bag 202 that contains liquid.

[0047] In this embodiment, the bag portion 704 is flexible and covers the liquid containing bag 202 and part of the joining member 204 inside the protective member 208. The bag portion 704 is laminated with aluminum or the like to provide a barrier function. Note that, since the liquid containing body 702 does not have the aluminum foil 212 provided on the protective member 208, the cross section of the protective member 208 does not need to be substantially elliptical, and may instead have a prismatic cross section with a folded portion.

[0048] In the liquid container 702, the communicating plug 210 is provided in the bag portion 704. The communicating plug 210 is preferably provided in a position where it is unlikely to be interfered with by the liquid containing bag 202, taking into consideration the effects of impact and the function of communicating with and blocking communication with the outside. In this embodiment, the communicating plug 210 is provided between the joining member 204 and a fixing portion P (described below) where the bag portion 704 is fixed to the protective member 208, where a gap is likely to be secured between the liquid containing bag 202 and the bag portion 704. The installation position of the communicating plug 210 in the bag portion 704 is not limited to the position described above, but may be changed as appropriate depending on the shapes of the bag portion 704, the protective member 208, and the communicating plug 210, etc.

[0049] In this embodiment, in the liquid container 702, the communication plug 210 functions as a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and outside of the bag portion 704 and blocking communication depending on the pressure inside the bag portion 704. Therefore, in the liquid container 702, the protective member 208 does not have a high level of sealing ability, and the inside of the protective member 208 is configured to allow outside air to flow in at all times.

[0050] The bag portion 704 is fixed to the inner surface 208a of the protective member 208 at a position approximately in the center of the protective member 208 in the extension direction (Y direction). In other words, the bag portion 704 is fixed to the inner surface 208a at a fixing portion P. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the liquid containing bag 202 due to vibration or impact. Note that, in cases where the bag portion 704 is formed thick enough to prevent damage to the liquid containing bag 202 due to vibration or impact, it is not necessary to fix the bag portion 704 to the protective member 208.

[0051] In the liquid container 702, a bag portion 704 is provided inside the protective member 208, and the liquid containing bag 202 is provided inside the bag portion 704. Therefore, the volume between the bag portion 704 with a barrier function in the liquid container 702 and the liquid containing bag 202 is smaller than the volume between the protective member 208 with a barrier layer formed thereon in the liquid container 12 and the liquid containing bag 202. Therefore, as the liquid in the liquid containing bag 202 is consumed, the total amount of outside air flowing in through the communication plug 210 is smaller in the liquid container 702 than in the liquid container 12. Therefore, the amount of liquid evaporated from the liquid containing bag 202 is smaller in the liquid container 702 than in the liquid container 12, and the change in concentration of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag 202 is smaller. This enables more stable recording to be achieved in the recording device 10. Note that the liquid container 702 can be refilled with liquid in the same manner as the liquid container 12.

[0052] <Action and effect> As described above, in this embodiment, the liquid containing bag 202 is contained in the bag portion 704 having a barrier function inside the protective member 208. As a result, the liquid container 702 according to this embodiment has the same effects as the liquid container 12 according to the first embodiment, and also has the effect of reducing changes in the concentration of the contained liquid and improving the degree of freedom in the shape of the protective member 208.

[0053] (Other embodiments) The above-described embodiment may be modified as shown in the following (1) to (4).

[0054] (1) In the above embodiment, the communication plug 210 is configured to connect the inside and outside of the protective member 208 (bag portion 704) by moving the lid portion 606 against the biasing force of the biasing member 604 in response to a decrease in pressure inside the protective member 208 (bag portion 704), but this is not limited to this. Any configuration may be used as long as the configuration connects the inside and outside of the protective member 208 (bag portion 704) when the pressure inside the protective member 208 (bag portion 704) falls below a certain value and blocks the inside and outside when the pressure exceeds the certain value.

[0055] (2) In the above embodiment, the communicating plug 210 is provided, but this is not limiting, and the communicating plug 210 may not be provided. For example, the volume of the bag portion 704 is larger than the volume of the liquid containing bag 202, and the volume of the bag portion 704 decreases in accordance with the decrease in the volume of the liquid containing bag 202. Therefore, the bag portion 704 is less likely to wrinkle than the liquid containing bag 202. As a result, the barrier function is less likely to deteriorate due to such wrinkles. Therefore, the communicating plug 210 may not be provided in the bag portion 704, depending on the volume ratio with the liquid containing bag 202, etc.

[0056] (3) In the above embodiment, the liquid containers 12 and 702 are configured to contain liquid such as ink for recording by the recording device 10, but this is not limited thereto. They may also contain liquid used in various processing devices that perform predetermined processing using liquid.

[0057] (4) The above embodiment and the various configurations shown in (1) to (3) above may be combined as appropriate.

[0058] The disclosure of the above embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) a liquid containing bag for containing a liquid; a connecting member that communicates with the liquid containing bag and is used to connect the liquid containing bag to a device that consumes the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a protective member that accommodates and protects the liquid containing bag and has a barrier function that inhibits permeation of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag. (Configuration 2) The liquid container according to configuration 1, wherein the protection member has an inner surface facing the liquid container, the inner surface being made of a material having a barrier function. (Configuration 3) 3. The liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the protection member is laminated with aluminum foil. (Configuration 4) The liquid container according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, further comprising a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and the outside of the protection member and blocking communication depending on the pressure inside the protection member. (Configuration 5) The liquid container according to configuration 4, wherein the plug member is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the device when housed in the device. (Configuration 6) a liquid containing bag for containing a liquid; a connecting member that communicates with the liquid containing bag and is used to connect the liquid containing bag to a device that consumes the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a bag portion that accommodates the liquid containing bag therein and has a barrier function that suppresses permeation of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a protection member that accommodates the liquid containing bag and the bag portion and protects the liquid containing bag and the bag portion. (Configuration 7) The bag portion is one end in the extension direction is fixed to the joining member, The liquid container according to configuration 6, wherein the liquid container is fixed to the protection member at a substantially central position in the extending direction. (Configuration 8) The liquid container according to configuration 6 or 7, further comprising a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and outside of the bag portion and blocking communication between the inside and outside of the bag portion in accordance with the pressure inside the bag portion. (Configuration 9) The bag further includes a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and the outside of the bag in accordance with the pressure inside the bag, 8. The liquid container according to claim 7, wherein the plug member is provided between the joining member and a fixing portion of the bag portion to the protection member. (Configuration 10) 10. The liquid container according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the protection member has a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape. (Configuration 11) 10. The liquid container according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the protection member is made of corrugated cardboard or cardboard. (Configuration 12) The liquid container according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, wherein the joining member is provided with a packing through which a hollow needle can be inserted and removed, and which is less likely to cause liquid leakage from the inserted and removed portion during and after insertion and removal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 12 702 Liquid container 202 Liquid storage bag 204 Joint materials 208 Protective materials

Claims

1. a liquid containing bag for containing a liquid; a connecting member that communicates with the liquid containing bag and is used to connect the liquid containing bag to a device that consumes the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a protective member that accommodates and protects the liquid containing bag and has a barrier function that inhibits permeation of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag.

2. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the protection member has an inner surface facing the liquid container, the inner surface being made of a material having a barrier function.

3. The liquid container according to claim 2 , wherein the inner surface of the protection member is laminated with aluminum foil.

4. The liquid container according to claim 1 , further comprising a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and outside of the protection member and blocking communication between the inside and outside of the protection member in accordance with the pressure inside the protection member.

5. The liquid container according to claim 4 , wherein the plug member is provided at a position where it does not interfere with the device when housed in the device.

6. a liquid containing bag for containing a liquid; a connecting member that communicates with the liquid containing bag and is used to connect the liquid containing bag to a device that consumes the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a bag portion that accommodates the liquid containing bag therein and has a barrier function that suppresses permeation of the liquid contained in the liquid containing bag; a protection member that accommodates the liquid containing bag and the bag portion and protects the liquid containing bag and the bag portion.

7. The bag portion is one end in the extension direction is fixed to the joining member, The liquid container according to claim 6 , wherein the liquid container is fixed to the protection member at a substantially central position in the extending direction.

8. The liquid container according to claim 6 , further comprising a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and outside of the bag and blocking communication between the inside and outside of the bag in accordance with the pressure inside the bag.

9. The bag further includes a plug member that switches between communication between the inside and the outside of the bag in accordance with the pressure inside the bag, The liquid container according to claim 7 , wherein the plug member is provided between the joining member and a fixing portion of the bag portion to the protection member.

10. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the protection member has a substantially elliptical cylindrical shape.

11. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the protection member is made of corrugated cardboard or cardboard.

12. The liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the joining member includes a packing through which a hollow needle can be inserted and removed, and which is less likely to cause liquid leakage from the inserted and removed portion during and after insertion and removal.

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