Ink replenishment container

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of shortening an ink supply time when ink is supplied by gas-liquid exchange.SOLUTION: The ink replenishing container includes a container main body, an ink outlet forming portion, and an outlet valve unit, the outlet valve unit includes a valve body, a spring member, and a seal member, the valve body has a cylindrical portion, a seal surface, and a projection, the projection has a partition-contact portion and an inclined surface extending from the partition-contact portion toward the seal surface, a cross-sectional area in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a central axis direction is larger on a side opposite to an outlet than on the outlet side, and an angle formed by the inclined surface and the seal surface is 110 degrees or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to the art of ink supply containers. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional technique for replenishing ink from an ink supply container to a printer by gas-liquid exchange via an ink introduction member that communicates with the printer's ink tank is known (see Patent Document 1). In this technique, the ink supply container is provided with a spring valve at its ink outlet, which includes a valve body and a spring member that biases the valve body. When the ink introduction member is inserted through the ink outlet and presses the valve body in the direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring member, the spring valve opens and ink is supplied to the printer. When the ink introduction member is removed, the spring valve closes. The valve body has a protrusion that comes into contact with the ink introduction member. The protrusion is formed so that the cross-sectional area on the side opposite the ink outlet is larger than that on the ink outlet side. This gives the protrusion an inclined surface that expands outward from the ink outlet side toward the side opposite the ink outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-43905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Unlike conventional technology, by having the protrusion of the valve body have an inclined surface that widens outward from the ink outlet side toward the opposite side of the ink outlet, gas and liquid flow along the inclined surface, making it possible to smoothly replenish ink by gas-liquid exchange. The inventors of the present application have improved the ink supply container in order to further shorten the ink replenishment time, and have arrived at the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container. The ink supply container communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via an ink introduction member having a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, the ink supply container comprising: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having a tubular portion forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit attached within the ink outlet forming portion, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the tubular portion from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the tubular portion, the outlet valve unit comprising: a valve body arranged to be movable in a central axis direction along the central axis of the tubular portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; and a seal member located closer to the outlet than the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member can be inserted and removed, the seal member further comprising: a valve body that is in contact with the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state. and a first seal portion that closes the through hole by contacting the first seal portion with the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and the valve body has a cylindrical portion extending in the central axis direction, and a seal surface that is formed on an outlet-side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side and extends in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, and a protrusion formed on the outlet-side end face radially inward from the seal surface, and the protrusion is located closer to the outlet than the seal surface in the central axis direction, and has a partition contact portion that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introduction member when the ink introduction member is in the open state, and an inclined surface extending from the partition contact portion toward the seal surface, and a cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction is larger on the opposite side to the outlet than on the outlet side, and an angle formed between the inclined surface and the seal surface is 110 degrees or more.

[0006] (2) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container, which communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via an ink introduction member having a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, the ink supply container comprising: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having a tubular portion forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit attached to the ink outlet forming portion, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the tubular portion from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the tubular portion, the outlet valve unit comprising: a valve body arranged to be movable in a central axis direction along the central axis of the tubular portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; and a seal member located on the outlet side of the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, the seal member further comprising: a front end; the outlet valve unit has a first seal portion that comes into contact with the valve body to close the through hole when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, and a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and the valve body has a cylindrical portion extending in the central axis direction, and a seal surface formed on an outlet side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side and extending in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion in the closed state, and a protrusion formed on the outlet side end face radially inward from the seal surface, the protrusion being located on the outlet side of the seal surface in the central axis direction, and having a partition contact portion that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introduction member in the open state, and a closing portion that blocks a portion of the open end face of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, which have a uniform open end area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container of the first embodiment in a non-supply state. [Figure 6] An enlarged view of a portion of Figure 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container and other components of the first embodiment in a supply state. [Figure 8] An enlarged view of a portion of Figure 7. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a valve body in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the ink supply container and other components of the first embodiment in a supply state. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an ink supply container and the like as a reference example in a supply state. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container and the like in a transition state. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container and the like as a reference example in a transition state. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a valve body in a second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container according to a second embodiment in a non-supply state. [Figure 17] An enlarged view of a part of Figure 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container and other components of a second embodiment in a supply state. [Figure 19] An enlarged view of a portion of Figure 17. [Figure 20] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a state of contact between a protrusion and a tip surface of an ink introduction member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. First embodiment: A-1. Printer configuration: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100. FIG. 1 depicts three mutually orthogonal spatial axes, the X, Y, and Z axes. The directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows indicate the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction, respectively. The directions opposite to the directions of the X, Y, and Z axes are the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction, respectively. The directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively.

[0009] In this embodiment, when the printer 100 is in use, the X and Y axes are axes along a horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis along the direction of gravity. In the following, the direction of gravity is referred to as the -Z direction, and the anti-gravity direction is referred to as the +Z direction. The direction from the rear side of the printer 100 to the front side is referred to as the -Y direction, and the direction from the front side to the rear side is referred to as the +Y direction. When viewing the printer 100 from the front side, the direction from the right side to the left side is referred to as the -X direction, and the direction from the left side to the right side is referred to as the +X direction. Note that "when the printer 100 is in use" refers to a state in which the printer 100 is placed on a horizontal surface. The same applies to the following figures and explanations.

[0010] The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. The printer 100 has a housing 110. A carriage (not shown) is installed inside the housing 110. The carriage is movable in the main scanning direction along the X axis. A print head (not shown) that ejects ink onto the print medium is mounted on the carriage. An ink tank housing unit 160 is installed at one end of the front of the housing 110. The ink tank housing unit 160 houses multiple ink tanks 700S and 700L. The ink tank housing unit 160 has an openable / closable lid 162 on its top. The first ink tank 700S is a small-capacity tank. The second ink tank 700L is a large-capacity tank. However, in the following description, the two will be referred to simply as "ink tanks 700" without distinction. The ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage by a tube (not shown). In other words, the ink tank 700 is a stationary ink tank that is not mounted on the carriage of the printer 100. The ink tank 700 may be mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.

[0011] A-2. Ink tank configuration: FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ink tank 700. An ink introduction member 710 is provided on the top surface of the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 is a cylindrical member for replenishing ink into the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 protrudes upward from the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 has a plurality of introduction channels 711, 712 separated by a partition 714. In this embodiment, the ink introduction member 710 has two introduction channels 711, 712. The two introduction channels 711, 712 each communicate with two internal tank channels 721, 722 that protrude into the ink storage chamber 760 of the ink tank 700. The two introduction channels 711, 712 each have opening end surfaces 717, 718 formed in a tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710. The opening end area, which is the area of ​​the opening end faces 717 and 718, is uniform in the two introduction channels 711 and 712. A part of the tip end face 715 of the ink introduction member 710 corresponds to the end of the partition 714.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the ink tank 700 being refilled with ink from the ink refill container 200. The front of the ink tank 700 is made of a transparent material. This allows the remaining ink level in the ink tank 700 to be visually observed from the outside. When the remaining ink level in the ink tank 700 becomes low, the user can open the lid 162 and refill the ink tank 700 with ink through the ink introduction member 710. In this disclosure, "replenishing ink" refers to the action of supplying ink to the ink tank 700 to increase the remaining ink level in the ink tank 700. However, "replenishing ink" does not necessarily mean filling the ink tank 700 with ink. "Refilling ink" also includes the action of filling an empty ink tank 700 with ink when using the printer 100 for the first time.

[0013] The ink tank accommodating unit 160 has a sealing cap 165 for sealing the tip of the ink introduction member 710. When the ink tank 700 is not being refilled with ink, the tip of the ink introduction member 710 is sealed with the sealing cap 165. When refilling the ink tank 700 with ink, the sealing cap 165 is removed from the ink introduction member 710, and the tip of the ink supply container 200 is inserted into the position of the ink introduction member 710. In this way, the ink tank 700 is refilled with ink.

[0014] A-3. Ink supply container configuration: FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink supply container 200. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 of the first embodiment in a non-replenishment state in which the ink tank 700 is not being replenished with ink. FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of a portion of the ink supply container 200 taken along the central axis C of a tubular portion 420, which will be described later. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 and the ink tank 700 of the first embodiment in a replenishment state in which the ink tank 700 is being replenished with ink. FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of a portion of the ink supply container 200 and a portion of the ink introduction member 710 taken along the central axis C of a tubular portion 420, which will be described later. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7.

[0015] The ink supply container 200 is a container for replenishing ink to the ink tank 700 by gas-liquid exchange. As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply container 200 has a container body 300, an ink outlet forming portion 400, and an outlet valve unit 500.

[0016] The container body 300 is configured to be able to contain ink. The container body 300 is a hollow cylindrical container with an opening. An external thread 312 for attaching the ink outlet forming portion 400 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the container body 300 on the opening side.

[0017] The ink outlet forming portion 400 is connected to the container body 300. As shown in FIG. 7 , the ink outlet forming portion 400 has a cylindrical portion 420 and a tubular flow path portion 410. The cylindrical portion 420 forms an ink outlet 460 on the side opposite the container body 300. An ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the tubular flow path portion 410 through a through-hole 515 of a sealing member 510 (described later) of the outlet valve unit 500. The tubular flow path portion 410 has multiple supply flow paths 411, 412. In this embodiment, the tubular flow path portion 410 has two supply flow paths 411, 412. Each of the two supply flow paths 411, 412 is formed by a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 420 and the outer circumferential surface of the outlet valve unit 500. One of the two supply flow paths 411, 412 is used as an ink flow path, and the other is used as an air flow path. In FIG. 7 , solid arrows indicate the flow of ink. The dashed arrows indicate the flow of air. In this embodiment, the first supply flow path 411 is used as a flow path for ink. The second supply flow path 412 is used as a flow path for air.

[0018] The outlet valve unit 500 is mounted within the ink outlet forming portion 400. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the non-replenishment state, the outlet valve unit 500 seals the ink outlet 460 to prevent ink from leaking to the outside, thereby closing the valve. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the refilling state, the outlet valve unit 500 opens the ink outlet forming portion 400 by unsealing it, allowing ink to flow into the ink introducing member 710. The outlet valve unit 500 is a spring valve. The outlet valve unit 500 opens when the ink introducing member 710 is inserted into the tubular portion 420 from the ink outlet 460. This connects the refill flow paths 411 and 412 of the ink refill container 200 to the introduction flow paths 711 and 712 of the printer 100. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outlet valve unit 500 closes when the ink introducing member 710 is removed from the tubular portion 420.

[0019] 9 is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit 500. The outlet valve unit 500 has a valve housing 517, a valve body 520, a spring member 530, and a seal member 510 that functions as a valve seat.

[0020] The valve housing 517 accommodates the valve element 520, the spring member 530, and the seal member 510 therein. The valve housing 517 is generally cylindrical in shape, with one end open in the central axis direction along the central axis C of the tubular portion 420 and the other end closed in the central axis direction. The ink introduction member 710 can be inserted and removed from the valve housing 517 through an opening formed at one end in the central axis direction. The valve housing 517 has, at one end in the central axis direction, a retaining portion 517A for the seal member 510 and an engaging portion 517B with the tubular portion 420. As shown in FIG. 5, the valve housing 517 is attached to the tubular portion 420. At this time, gaps forming the supply flow paths 411 and 412 are formed between the valve housing 517 and the tubular portion 420. The valve housing 517 has a side opening 517C, and in the open state, the supply flow paths 411 and 412 communicate with the introduction flow paths 711 and 712 via the side opening 517C.

[0021] Valve element 520 is arranged to be movable in the direction of the central axis within valve housing 517. Valve element 520 is formed from a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0022] 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the valve body 520 in the first embodiment. The valve body 520 has a cylindrical portion 524, a sealing surface 525, and a protrusion 526.

[0023] The cylindrical portion 524 extends in the central axis direction. The cylindrical portion 524 has a cylindrical shape. As shown in Fig. 5, the cylindrical portion 524 faces the inner surface of the valve housing 517. The cylindrical portion 524 is guided by the inner surface of the valve housing 517, and is thereby able to slide in the central axis direction.

[0024] The sealing surface 525 is formed on an outlet-side end face 527 of the cylindrical portion 524 that is located on the ink outlet 460 side. As shown in FIG. 10, the sealing surface 525 extends in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion 524 that intersects with the central axis direction. The sealing surface 525 is formed around the entire circumferential direction, centered on the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. As shown in FIG. 6, the sealing surface 525 comes into contact with a first sealing portion 511 (described later) of the sealing member 510 when the outlet valve unit 500 is in a closed state.

[0025] The protrusion 526 is formed on the outlet-side end surface 527 radially inward of the cylindrical portion 524 relative to the seal surface 525. As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusion 526 is located closer to the ink outlet 460 than the seal surface 525 in the central axis direction. The protrusion 526 has a partition contact portion 526A and a sloped surface 526B. As shown in FIG. 8, the partition contact portion 526A contacts the partition 714 of the ink introducing member 710 when the outlet valve unit 500 is in an open state. As shown in FIG. 10, the sloped surface 526B extends from the partition contact portion 526A toward the seal surface 525. In this embodiment, the shape of the protrusion 526 is a truncated cone whose cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction is larger on the side opposite the ink outlet 460 than on the side facing the ink outlet 460.

[0026] 5, the spring member 530 biases the valve body 520 toward the ink outlet 460. The spring member 530 is housed in the valve housing 517 and supported by the valve housing 517. The spring member 530 is made of, for example, metal. In this embodiment, the spring member 530 is a coil spring.

[0027] The seal member 510 is mounted inside the valve housing 517. The seal member 510 is located closer to the ink outlet 460 than the valve body 520 in the central axis direction. The seal member 510 is generally ring-shaped. The seal member 510 is formed, for example, from an elastic rubber member or elastomer. The seal member 510 has a through hole 515 through which the ink introduction member 710 is inserted and removed. The through hole 515 is formed by the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510.

[0028] A-4. Detailed configuration of the valve body: FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ink supply state when ink is supplied to an ink tank 700 from an ink supply container 200 having a valve element 520 in which the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or more. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ink supply state when ink is supplied to an ink tank 700 from an ink supply container 200r as a reference example having a valve element 520r in which the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. FIGS. 11 and 12 show cross sections of a portion of the ink supply containers 200, 200r and a portion of the ink introduction member 710 when the outlet valve unit 500 is in an open state, cut along the central axis C of the tubular portion 420. In FIGS. 11 and 12, solid arrows indicate the flow of ink. Dashed arrows indicate the flow of air A.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 12 , if the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees, air A in the form of air bubbles inside the ink tank 700 may accumulate at a corner 529 formed at the boundary between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525. If air A inside the ink tank 700 accumulates at the corner 529, the flow of air A from the ink tank 700 to the ink supply container 200r may be obstructed. If the flow of air A from the ink tank 700 to the ink supply container 200r is obstructed, the supply of ink from the ink supply container 200r to the ink tank 700 may not start, or the timing at which the ink supply starts may be delayed. Furthermore, if the flow of air A from the ink tank 700 to the ink supply container 200r is obstructed, the rate at which ink is supplied from the ink supply container 200r to the ink tank 700 may decrease.

[0030] 11 , in this embodiment, the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or greater. When the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or greater, air A flows along the inclined surface 526B, thereby reducing the possibility of air A accumulating in the corner 529 inside the ink tank 700. As a result, when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or greater, air A can flow more smoothly from the ink tank 700 to the ink supply container 200 than when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. When the air A flows into the container body 300 via the second supply flow path 412, ink flows out of the container body 300 and into the first introduction flow path 711 via the first supply flow path 411, thereby performing gas-liquid exchange. With this configuration, it is possible to quickly start supplying ink from the ink supply container 200 to the ink tank 700. Furthermore, it is possible to increase the speed at which ink is supplied from the ink supply container 200 to the ink tank 700 compared to when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. Therefore, when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or more, it is possible to shorten the ink supply time compared to when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees.

[0031] The angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 may be 110 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less. The diameter L1 of the bottom surface of the protrusion 526 may be 4.3 times or less the height L2 of the protrusion 526. The height L2 of the protrusion 526 may be 1.5 mm or more. This more reliably reduces the possibility that gas-liquid exchange will be hindered.

[0032] A-5. Detailed configuration of sealing components: FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 and the ink tank 700 in a transition state between the open and closed states of the outlet valve unit 500. FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200r and the ink tank 700 as a reference example in a transition state of the outlet valve unit 500r. The outlet valve units 500r are in a transition state during the process of removing the ink introduction member 710 from the ink supply container 200r and the process of inserting the ink introduction member 710 into the ink supply container 200r. FIGS. 13 and 14 show cross sections of a portion of the ink supply container 200r and a portion of the ink introduction member 710 in the transition state of the outlet valve unit 500r, taken along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. In FIGS. 13 and 14, the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 420 but is not in contact with the partition contact portion 526A.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 13 , in this embodiment, the sealing member 510 further includes a first sealing portion 511. The first sealing portion 511 switches communication between the supply channels 411, 412 and the introduction channels 711, 712. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 , when the outlet valve unit 500 is in a closed state, the valve element 520 is biased by the spring member 530 toward the sealing member 510, which is located closer to the ink outlet 460 than the valve element 520. When the outlet valve unit 500 is in a closed state, the first sealing portion 511 is biased by the spring member 530 to come into contact with the sealing surface 525 of the valve element 520, thereby closing the through-hole 515. As a result, the first sealing portion 511 blocks communication between the supply channels 411, 412 and the introduction channels 711, 712. 7, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the tube portion 420 from the ink outlet 460 and the valve body 520 is pressed in the counter biasing direction D2 opposite to the biasing direction D1 of the spring member 530, the first seal portion 511 moves away from the seal surface 525 of the valve body 520. As a result, when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the open state, a gap is formed between the first seal portion 511 and the valve body 520.

[0034] 6, inclined surface 526B is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to central axis C of tubular portion 420. Therefore, although not shown, when sealing member 510 comes into contact with inclined surface 526B of valve body 520 to close through-hole 515, sealing member 510 is deformed so as to be crushed while expanding in the inclined direction along inclined surface 526B, thereby closing through-hole 515. This makes sealing member 510 prone to creep, and the sealing performance of sealing member 510 is likely to deteriorate.

[0035] In contrast, as shown in FIG. 13 , in this embodiment, the first seal portion 511 is formed by a first seal protrusion 511p. The first seal protrusion 511p protrudes toward the seal surface 525 of the valve body 520 along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. As shown in FIG. 6 , the first seal protrusion 511p contacts the seal surface 525 of the valve body 520 when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the valve closed state. With this configuration, the first seal portion 511 can close the through hole 515 by contacting the seal surface 525 extending in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 524 without contacting the inclined surface 526B. This improves the sealing performance of the seal member 510 compared to when the seal member 510 closes the through hole 515 by contacting the inclined surface 526B of the valve body 520.

[0036] 13, in this embodiment, the seal member 510 further includes a second seal portion 512. When the outlet valve unit 500 is in an open state, the second seal portion 512 comes into contact with the ink introduction member 710. This causes the second seal portion 512 to block communication between the space portion 501 and the outside of the ink outlet 460. The space portion 501 is a space defined by the valve body 520 and the seal member 510. Specifically, the space portion 501 is a space surrounded by the tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710, the seal surface 525, partition contact portion 526A, and inclined surface 526B of the valve body 520, and the portion of the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510 from the first seal portion 511 to the second seal portion 512.

[0037] 13 and 14 , regardless of the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the seal surface 525, the first seal portion 511, which contacts the valve bodies 520 and 520r, and the second seal portion 512, which contacts the ink introduction member 710, are spaced apart in both the central axis direction and the radial direction. The second seal portion 512 is located closer to the ink outlet 460 in the central axis direction than the first seal portion 511. Therefore, when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the tube portion 420, the first seal portion 511 first comes into contact with the valve bodies 520 and 520r, thereby blocking communication between the supply channels 411 and 412 and the introduction channels 711 and 712. After the communication between the supply flow paths 411, 412 and the introduction flow paths 711, 712 is blocked, the ink introduction member 710 separates from the second seal portion 512, and the seal by the second seal portion 512 is released, thereby connecting the space portion 501 to the outside of the ink outlet 460. Therefore, when the ink supply container 200, 200r is removed from the ink introduction member 710, the ink contained in the space portion 501 may leak from the ink outlet 460 to the outside of the ink outlet 460, causing the ink to drip.

[0038] When the heights L2 of the protrusions 526, 526r are the same, if the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the seal surface 525 is 110 degrees or more, the base area of ​​the protrusions 526, 526r is larger than when the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the seal surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. The "height L2 of the protrusions 526, 526r" refers to the height from the bottom of the truncated cone-shaped protrusions 526, 526r to the partition contact portion 526A. Therefore, when the heights L2 of the protrusions 526, 526r are the same, if the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the seal surface 525 is 110 degrees or more, the volume of the protrusions 526, 526r is larger than when the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the seal surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. Therefore, when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or more, the volume of the space 501 is smaller than when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. The smaller the volume of the space 501, the less ink can be accommodated in the space 501. Therefore, when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is 110 degrees or more, the following can be achieved compared to when the angle R formed between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 is less than 110 degrees. In this case, the amount of ink that drips when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the ink introduction member 710 can be reduced.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13 , in this embodiment, the second seal portion 512 is formed by a second seal protrusion 512p. The second seal protrusion 512p protrudes toward the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. The cross-sectional shape of the second seal protrusion 512p along the central axis direction is arc-shaped. That is, the second seal protrusion 512p has a directional component B toward the inclined surface 526B of the valve body 520. This configuration can reduce the volume of the space 501 compared to when the cross-sectional shape of the second seal protrusion 512p along the central axis direction is a flat shape protruding parallel to the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 524 without having the directional component B toward the inclined surface 526B of the valve body 520. This can further reduce the amount of ink dripping when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the ink introduction member 710.

[0040] According to the first embodiment, by setting the angle R between the inclined surface 526B and the sealing surface 525 to 110 degrees or more, it is possible to reduce the time required for ink replenishment.

[0041] B. Second embodiment: 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of the valve body 520a in the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the shape of the valve body 520a is different from that in the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment unless otherwise specified. The same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0042] FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200a of the second embodiment in a non-replenishment state. FIG. 16 shows a cross-section of a portion of the ink supply container 200a taken along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200a and ink tank 700 of the second embodiment in a refilling state. FIG. 18 shows a cross-section of a portion of the ink supply container 200a and a portion of the ink introduction member 710 taken along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 17. FIG. 20 shows the contact state between the protrusion 526a of the valve body 520 and the tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710.

[0043] The protrusion 526a of the valve element 520a included in the outlet valve unit 500a of this embodiment further includes a closing portion 526C. As shown in FIG. 20 , the closing portion 526C blocks a portion of the opening end surface 718 of one of the introduction channels 711, 712, which have a uniform opening end area. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ink introduction member 710 has two introduction channels 711, 712. FIGS. 16 to 20 illustrate a case in which the closing portion 526C blocks a portion of the opening end surface 718 of the second introduction channel 712 of the two introduction channels 711, 712. Note that in this embodiment, the closing portion 526C is formed so as to be continuous with the partition contact portion 526A. However, in other embodiments, the closing portion 526C may be formed so as not to be continuous with the partition contact portion 526A.

[0044] When replenishing ink by gas-liquid exchange, if both introduction channels 711 and 712 are equally blocked, ink supply from the ink supply container 200a to the ink tank 700 may not start, or the timing at which ink supply starts may be delayed. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 20 , in this embodiment, the closing portion 526C blocks a portion of the opening end surface 718 of the second introduction channel 712 so that the opening end area of ​​the second introduction channel 712 is smaller than the opening end area of ​​the first introduction channel 711. In other words, the closing portion 526C blocks a portion of the opening end surface 718 of one of the introduction channels 712 so that the opening end areas of the two introduction channels 711 and 712 are uneven. Here, because ink has viscosity, it flows less easily through the channels 411, 412, 711, and 712 than air A. Therefore, of the two introduction channels 711 and 712, ink flows through the introduction channel 711, which has the smaller flow resistance. The larger the opening end area, the smaller the resistance during flow. Therefore, of the two introduction channels 711, 712, ink flows through the first introduction channel 711, which has the larger opening end area. Of the two introduction channels 711, 712, air A flows through the second introduction channel 712, which has the smaller opening end area. This configuration can facilitate the determination of the flow paths 411, 412, 711, and 712 for ink and air A. As a result, when the protrusion 526a has the closing portion 526C as shown in FIG. 15, ink supply from the ink supply container 200a to the ink tank 700 can be started more quickly than when the protrusion 526 does not have the closing portion 526C as shown in FIG. 10. Therefore, when the protrusion 526a has the closing portion 526C, the ink supply time can be shortened compared to when the protrusion 526 does not have the closing portion 526C.

[0045] According to the second embodiment, of the two inlet flow paths 711, 712 having a uniform opening end area, a portion of the opening end surface 718 of one of the inlet flow paths 712 is blocked by the closing portion 526C, thereby shortening the ink replenishment time.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, when the protrusion 526a has the closing portion 526C as shown in Fig. 19, the volume of the space 501 is smaller than when the protrusion 526 does not have the closing portion 526C as shown in Fig. 8. As a result, when the protrusion 526a has the closing portion 526C, the amount of ink that drips when the ink supply container 200a is removed from the ink introduction member 710 can be reduced compared to when the protrusion 526 does not have the closing portion 526C.

[0047] C. Other Embodiments: C-1. Alternative embodiment 1: When valve body 520a has closing portion 526C, angle R formed between inclined surface 526B and sealing surface 525 does not have to be 110 degrees or more. Even with this configuration, the ink replenishment time can be shortened.

[0048] C-2. Alternative embodiment 2: The ink supply container 200, 200a may have three or more supply flow paths 411, 412. The ink introduction member 710 may have three or more introduction flow paths 711, 712. In this case, the closing portion 526C may close a portion of the open end surfaces 717, 718 of two or more introduction flow paths 711, 712. Even in this configuration, the ink supply time can be shortened.

[0049] C-3. Alternative embodiment 3: The closing portion 526C may close a portion of the open end surface 717 of the first inlet flow path 711. In this case, the first inlet flow path 711 is used as a flow path for air A. The second inlet flow path 712 is used as a flow path for ink. Even in this configuration, the ink replenishment time can be shortened.

[0050] C-4. Alternative embodiment 4: In the ink supply container 200, 200a, it is not essential that the first seal portion 511 be formed by the first seal projection 511p. Also, it is not essential that the ink supply container 200, 200a have the second seal portion 512.

[0051] D. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described in the Summary of the Invention section can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0052] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container. The ink supply container communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via an ink introduction member having a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, the ink supply container comprising: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having a tubular portion forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit attached within the ink outlet forming portion, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the tubular portion from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the tubular portion, the outlet valve unit comprising: a valve body arranged to be movable in a central axis direction along the central axis of the tubular portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; and a seal member located closer to the outlet than the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member can be inserted and removed, the seal member further comprising: a valve body that is in contact with the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state. and a first seal portion that closes the through hole by contacting the first seal portion with the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and the valve body has a cylindrical portion extending in the central axis direction, and a seal surface that is formed on an outlet-side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side and extends in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, and a protrusion formed on the outlet-side end face radially inward from the seal surface, and the protrusion is located closer to the outlet than the seal surface in the central axis direction, and has a partition contact portion that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introduction member when the ink introduction member is in the open state, and an inclined surface extending from the partition contact portion toward the seal surface, and a cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction is larger on the opposite side to the outlet than on the outlet side, and an angle formed between the inclined surface and the seal surface is 110 degrees or more. According to this configuration, by making the angle between the inclined surface and the sealing surface 110 degrees or more, air flows along the inclined surface, reducing the possibility of air accumulating in the corner formed at the boundary between the inclined surface and the sealing surface, thereby allowing air to flow smoothly from the ink tank to the ink supply container.Therefore, the supply of ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank can be started quickly, and the speed at which ink is supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank can be increased, thereby shortening the ink supply time.

[0053] (2) In the above embodiment, the angle between the inclined surface and the sealing surface may be 150 degrees or less. This embodiment can more reliably reduce the possibility that gas-liquid exchange will be hindered, thereby more reliably shortening the ink replenishment time.

[0054] (3) In the above embodiment, the first seal portion may be formed by a first seal protrusion that protrudes toward the seal surface along the central axis and that contacts the seal surface in the closed valve state. According to this embodiment, the first seal portion can close the through hole by contacting the seal surface without contacting the inclined surface. This reduces the possibility that the seal member will creep and the sealing performance of the seal member will deteriorate.

[0055] (4) In the above embodiment, the sealing member may further have a second sealing portion that contacts the ink introducing member in the open valve state, and the second sealing portion may be a second sealing protrusion that protrudes toward the central axis and has an arc-shaped cross section along the central axis. This embodiment reduces the volume of the space defined by the valve body and the sealing member. This reduces the amount of ink contained in the space. This reduces the amount of ink that drips when the ink supply container is removed from the ink introducing member.

[0056] (5) In the above embodiment, the protrusion may further have a closing portion that closes a portion of the open end surface of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, which have a uniform open end area. According to this embodiment, by closing a portion of the open end surface of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, which have a uniform open end area, with the closing portion, it is possible to facilitate the determination of the flow paths for ink and air. This allows the supply of ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank to begin quickly. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably shorten the ink supply time.

[0057] (6) According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container, which communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via an ink introduction member having a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, the ink supply container comprising: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having a tubular portion forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit attached to the ink outlet forming portion, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the tubular portion from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the tubular portion, the outlet valve unit comprising: a valve body arranged to be movable in a central axis direction along the central axis of the tubular portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; and a seal member located on the outlet side of the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, the seal member further comprising: a front end; the outlet valve unit has a first seal portion that comes into contact with the valve body to close the through hole when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, and a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body when the outlet valve unit is in an open state, and the valve body has a cylindrical portion extending in the central axis direction, and a seal surface formed on an outlet side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side and extending in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion in the closed state, and a protrusion formed on the outlet side end face radially inward from the seal surface, the protrusion being located on the outlet side of the seal surface in the central axis direction, and having a partition contact portion that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introduction member in the open state, and a closing portion that blocks a portion of the open end face of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, which have a uniform open end area. According to this aspect, by blocking a portion of the open end surface of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, which have a uniform open end area, with the closing portion, it is possible to facilitate the determination of the flow path for ink and air. This allows the ink supply from the ink supply container to the ink tank to start promptly, thereby shortening the ink supply time.

[0058] Not all of the multiple components of each of the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are essential, and in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the effects described in this specification, it is possible to change, delete, or replace some of the multiple components with new components, or delete some of the limitations, as appropriate. Furthermore, in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the effects described in this specification, it is also possible to combine some or all of the technical features included in one embodiment of the present disclosure with some or all of the technical features included in another embodiment of the present disclosure to form an independent embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] The present disclosure can be realized in various forms other than ink supply containers, for example, in the form of a method for manufacturing an ink supply container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 100...printer, 110...casing, 160...ink tank accommodating unit, 162...lid, 165...sealing cap, 200, 200a, 200r...ink supply container, 300...container body, 312...external thread, 400...ink outlet forming portion, 410...tubular flow path portion, 411...first supply flow path, 412...second supply flow path, 420...cylindrical portion, 460...ink outlet, 500, 500a, 500r...outlet valve unit, 501...space portion, 510...sealing member, 511...first seal portion, 511p...first seal protrusion, 512...second seal portion, 512p...second seal protrusion, 515...through hole, 517...valve housing, 517A...prevention portion, 517B...engagement portion, 517C...side opening, 520, 520a, 520r...valve body , 524... cylindrical portion, 525... sealing surface, 526, 526a, 526r... protrusion, 526A... partition contact portion, 526B... inclined surface, 526C... closing portion, 527... outlet side end surface, 529... corner portion, 530... spring member, 700... ink tank, 700L... second ink tank, 700S... first ink tank, 710... ink introduction member, 711... first introduction flow path, 712... second introduction flow path, 714... partition, 715... tip surface of ink introduction member, 717, 718... opening end surface, 721, 722... flow path inside tank, 760... ink storage chamber, A... air, B... directional component toward inclined surface, C... central axis, D1... biasing direction, D2... counter biasing direction, L1... diameter of bottom surface of protrusion, L2... height of protrusion, R... angle formed between inclined surface and sealing surface

Claims

1. An ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member that communicates with the ink tank and has a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, a container body configured to be able to contain ink; an ink outlet forming portion including a cylindrical portion connected to the container body and forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; an outlet valve unit that is attached to the ink outlet forming portion, that opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the cylindrical portion from the outlet, and that closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the cylindrical portion, The outlet valve unit a valve body arranged to be movable along a central axis of the cylindrical portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; a seal member located closer to the outlet than the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, the seal member further includes a first seal portion that contacts the valve body to close the through hole when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, When the outlet valve unit is in an open state, a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body, The valve body is a cylindrical portion extending in the direction of the central axis; a seal surface formed on an outlet-side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side, extending in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion in the valve-closed state; a protrusion formed on the outlet-side end surface radially inward from the seal surface, The protrusion is a partition contact portion that is located closer to the outlet side than the seal surface in the central axis direction and that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introducing member in the open state; a slope extending from the partition contact portion toward the seal surface, a cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction is larger on the side opposite to the outlet than on the side of the outlet, The angle formed between the inclined surface and the sealing surface is 110 degrees or more.

2. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The angle formed by the inclined surface and the sealing surface is 150 degrees or less.

3. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The ink supply container, wherein the first seal portion is formed by a first seal protrusion that protrudes toward the seal surface along the central axis and that contacts the seal surface in the closed valve state.

4. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, the seal member further has a second seal portion that contacts the ink introduction member in the open state, The ink supply container, wherein the second seal portion is a second seal protrusion that protrudes toward the central axis and has a cross-sectional shape along the central axis direction that is arc-shaped.

5. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The ink supply container further includes a closing portion that closes a part of the open end surface of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, the flow paths having a uniform open end area.

6. An ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member that communicates with the ink tank and has a plurality of flow paths separated by partitions, a container body configured to be able to contain ink; an ink outlet forming portion including a cylindrical portion connected to the container body and forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; an outlet valve unit that is attached to the ink outlet forming portion, that opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the cylindrical portion from the outlet, and that closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the cylindrical portion, The outlet valve unit a valve body arranged to be movable along a central axis of the cylindrical portion; a spring member that biases the valve body toward the outlet side; a seal member located closer to the outlet than the valve body in the central axis direction, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, the seal member further includes a first seal portion that contacts the valve body to close the through hole when the outlet valve unit is in a closed state, When the outlet valve unit is in an open state, a gap is formed between the first seal portion and the valve body, The valve body is a cylindrical portion extending in the direction of the central axis; a seal surface formed on an outlet-side end face of the cylindrical portion located on the outlet side, extending in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion intersecting the central axis direction, the seal surface coming into contact with the first seal portion in the valve-closed state; a protrusion formed on the outlet-side end surface radially inward from the seal surface, The protrusion is a partition contact portion that is located closer to the outlet side than the seal surface in the central axis direction and that comes into contact with the partition of the ink introducing member in the open state; and a closing portion that closes a part of the open end surface of some of the flow paths of the ink introduction member, the flow paths having a uniform open end area.

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