Storage container for liquid cartridge

Abstract

To provide a storage container capable of suppressing breakage of a liquid cartridge stored in the storage container even when the storage container for the liquid cartridge receives an impact.SOLUTION: A storage container for storing a liquid cartridge, the storage container having a storage portion configured by a bottom portion and at least four side walls, and an opening facing the bottom portion, wherein the storage container protrudes in a space formed between the storage portion and the liquid cartridge in a direction from an inner surface of the side wall of the storage portion toward the inside of the storage portion when the liquid cartridge is stored in the storage portion, and, A plurality of ribs extending in a direction from the bottom portion toward the opening portion are provided, the plurality of ribs include a first rib, and the first rib protrudes in a first direction parallel to the bottom portion and inclined with respect to the side wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to a reservoir for a liquid cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] Inkjet recording devices, which are liquid ejection devices that perform desired recording by ejecting liquid such as ink from a liquid ejection head, are equipped with an ink tank for storing ink and a liquid ejection head that ejects the ink stored in the ink tank. Some inkjet recording devices are equipped with a liquid cartridge, such as an ink cartridge, which is a cartridge-shaped ink tank, and a liquid ejection head cartridge, which is a cartridge-shaped liquid ejection head, separately. Other inkjet recording devices are equipped with an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head, which is a cartridge-shaped ink tank and liquid ejection head.

[0003] During distribution, liquid cartridges are stored in a storage container for the liquid cartridge after a seal is applied to the ink supply port to the liquid ejection head. Blister packs are often used as storage containers for liquid cartridges. Similarly, ink cartridges with liquid ejection heads are stored in a storage container for the ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head after a seal is applied to the ejection port of the liquid ejection head. Blister packs are also often used as storage containers for ink cartridges with liquid ejection heads. The storage container for the liquid ejection head cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a main body having an opening on a surface opposite the bottom and a holding section for holding the liquid ejection head cartridge. The storage container for the liquid ejection head cartridge also includes a lid for closing the opening of the main body. A substantially cylindrical rib extends from the bottom toward the opening on the side of the main body. The storage container for the liquid ejection head cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to suppress deformation even when the external environment (temperature, pressure, etc.) changes during distribution, thereby protecting the liquid ejection head cartridge from environmental changes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-10082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The roughly cylindrical ribs used in the storage container for the liquid ejection head cartridge disclosed in Patent Document 1 are used to prevent the entire storage container from deforming due to changes in the external environment (air pressure and temperature). However, impacts such as those caused by a drop can be transmitted from the storage container to the liquid ejection head cartridge via the ribs, which can damage the liquid ejection head cartridge. In particular, ink cartridges with a large ink capacity to increase the guaranteed print count and ink cartridges with liquid ejection heads are relatively heavy, which poses a problem of greater potential impacts if dropped.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a storage container that can prevent damage to liquid cartridges stored in the storage container even if the storage container for liquid cartridges is subjected to impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure, which solves the above-mentioned problems, is a storage container for storing a liquid cartridge, having a storage section consisting of a bottom and at least four side walls, and an opening facing the bottom, wherein in the space formed between the storage section and the liquid cartridge when the liquid cartridge is stored in the storage section, a plurality of ribs are provided, which protrude from the inner surface of the side walls of the storage section in a direction toward the inside of the storage section and extend from the bottom toward the opening, and the plurality of ribs include a first rib, which is parallel to the bottom and protrudes in a first direction inclined relative to the side walls. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, even if a container for a liquid cartridge receives an impact, it is possible to prevent damage to the liquid cartridge housed in the container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]A side cross-sectional view and a perspective view of an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head [Figure 2] A side cross-sectional view of a container for an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of a storage container for an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head and an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head; [Figure 4] A top cross-sectional view of a container for an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head and an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head housed therein. [Figure 5] A front cross-sectional view of a container for an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head and an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head housed therein. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing that the ribs bend and have an elastic effect when the container for the ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head is dropped. [Figure 7] A side cross-sectional view of a container for an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head and an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head housed therein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following describes in detail exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiments may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] Furthermore, the storage container of this embodiment is a storage container for a liquid ejection head in which the liquid ejection head is housed when the liquid ejection head is distributed on the market. Note that, although a storage container for a liquid ejection head is described in this embodiment, the object housed in the storage container is not limited to a liquid ejection head. For example, the storage container may be a storage container that houses a liquid cartridge for refilling a liquid ejection head (inkjet head) equipped in an inkjet printer with liquid, or a liquid cartridge that has a liquid ejection head. In the following, an ink cartridge that houses ink as the liquid will be described as an example.

[0012] [First embodiment] <Liquid cartridge with liquid ejection head> In the following description, the height direction of the liquid cartridge when it is attached to the liquid ejection device is referred to as the Z direction. The width direction of the liquid cartridge, which is perpendicular to the Z direction, is referred to as the X direction. The depth direction of the liquid cartridge, which is perpendicular to the X and Z directions, is referred to as the Y direction.

[0013] Figure 1(a) shows a cross-sectional view of the side of an ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head. Figures 1(b) and 1(c) show perspective views of the ink cartridge with a liquid ejection head. An ink cartridge 100 with a liquid ejection head (hereinafter referred to as the "ink cartridge") has a tank case 101, a tank lid 102, and a ribbed plate 103. Here, the tank case 101 has an ink storage chamber (storage section) 104, a head section 105, and an ejection substrate 106 equipped with ejection ports.

[0014] An absorber 107 that holds ink is packed inside the ink storage chamber 104. An air vent 108 is formed in the tank lid 102. The above-mentioned rib plate 103 is disposed between the absorber 107 and the tank lid 102.

[0015] The head portion 105 is provided so as to be connected to the bottom of the ink storage chamber 104. The width of the head portion 105 is narrower than the width of the ink storage chamber 104, and therefore a bottom portion 104a is formed near the portion of the ink storage chamber 104 where the head portion 105 is connected to the bottom of the ink storage chamber 104. An ejection substrate 106 is connected to the lower tip of the head portion 105. A head fixing surface 1014 on which the ejection substrate 106 is provided has head fixing portion side surfaces 1015 on both ends. The head fixing portion side surfaces 1015 are positioned inward (on the ink storage chamber 104 side in the X direction) from the first and second side surfaces (1011, 1012) of the ink cartridge.

[0016] Even if the ink cartridge 100 falls over, the ink is retained by the absorber 107. Even if the ink overflows from the absorber 107, the rib plate 103 prevents the ink from reaching the air vent 108. Therefore, even if the ink cartridge 100 falls over, ink leakage can be suppressed.

[0017] During printing, ink in the ink storage chamber 104 is ejected from the ejection port. As the ink in the ink storage chamber 104 decreases due to ejection, air is introduced into the ink storage chamber 104 from the atmosphere communication port .

[0018] Before the ink cartridge 100 is stored in a storage container 110 (described later), a protective seal 109 is attached so as to straddle the ejection substrate 106 and the lower end of the ink storage chamber 104, as shown in FIG. 1(c).

[0019] <Storage container for ink cartridge with liquid ejection head> Next, the storage container 110 (hereinafter referred to as "storage container") that stores the ink cartridge 100 of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the storage container 110. FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of the storage container 110 and the ink cartridge 100. FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the storage container 110 seen from a different angle than FIG. 3(a). FIG. 3(c) is a perspective view of the storage container 110 seen from a different angle than FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b). FIG. 4(a) is a top cross-sectional view of the storage container 110 and the ink cartridge 100 stored in the storage container 110, taken along line IVa-IVa in FIG. 5(a) described below. FIG. 4(b) is a top cross-sectional view of the storage container 110 and the ink cartridge 100 stored in the storage container 110, taken along line IVa-IVb in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 4(c) is a top cross-sectional view of the storage container 110, taken along line IVb-IVb in FIG. 5(a). FIG. 5(a) is a front cross-sectional view of the storage container 110, taken along line IVc-IVc in FIG. 4(a). FIG. 5(a) is a front cross-sectional view of the storage container 110, taken along line Vb-Vb in FIG. 4(a).

[0021] Referring to Figure 2, the storage container 110 comprises a main body 111 and a lid 114. The main body 111 comprises a storage section 112 that forms a storage space 112a for storing the ink cartridge 100 therein, and a flange section 113 that extends outward from the opening of the storage section 112. The ink cartridge 100 can be stored in the storage section 112 from the top surface direction of the storage section 112 through the opening of the storage section 112. The storage section 112 of the main body 111 can also be said to be composed of a bottom and at least four side walls. When the ink cartridge 100 is stored inside the storage container 110, an ink cartridge storage body 1000 is formed.

[0022] After the ink cartridge 100 is stored in the storage section 112, the lid 114 is joined to the flange section 113 to form a sealed space. In this embodiment, the lid 114 is a film, and the joint between the storage container 110 and the lid 114 is sealed by heat sealing, but other joining methods may be used. In this embodiment, as an example, the material for the lid 114 is a laminate film of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) resin and PP (polypropylene). Furthermore, the material for the storage container 110 is PP (polypropylene). The materials for the lid 114 and the storage container 110 are not limited to those mentioned above.

[0023] Recycled plastics can also be used as the material for the lid 114 and the main body 111. In this disclosure, recycled plastics are used in a broad sense to encompass both post-consumer plastics (PCR materials) and pre-consumer materials. Recycled plastics are made from materials that have undergone significant degradation due to thermal history during molding, stress during use, heat, light, solvents, and other factors. For these reasons, recycled plastics are known to have different physical properties from virgin materials. For example, their shock absorption, in which the molecular chains within the material flex to absorb force upon impact, tends to deteriorate. This tendency can be confirmed by Charpy impact testing, and molded materials containing recycled plastics exhibit lower impact strength than virgin materials. This deterioration in shock absorption is due to the original molecular chains being severed due to the aforementioned deterioration, reducing the impact-absorbing effect of the molecular chains themselves.

[0024] The ribs of the main body 111 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3(a) to 3(c), 4(a), 4(b), 4(c), 5(a), and 5(b). A second rib 118 and a first rib 115 are provided on the inner side surface (inner side wall surface) of the storage section 112 of the main body 111. Hereinafter, the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 will be collectively referred to as "ribs." In this embodiment, the ribs are integrally molded with the main body 111. The ribs extend inward from the inner side surface of the storage section 112. In other words, the ribs protrude from the inner side surface of the storage section 112 toward the storage space 112a. In other words, the ribs protrude in a first direction that is parallel to the bottom of the storage section 112 and inclined relative to the side wall of the storage section 112.

[0025] The second rib 118 has a substantially constant protruding length in the protruding direction (XY plane direction). On the other hand, the first rib 115 has two portions with different protruding lengths in the protruding direction (XY plane direction). The first rib 115 has a first portion 1151 with a protruding length substantially the same as that of the second rib 118, and a second portion 1152 with a protruding length longer than that of the first portion 1151.

[0026] Additionally, both the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 are inclined and are provided in proximity to the first and second side surfaces (1011, 1012) of the cartridge 100.

[0027] When the ink cartridge 100 is housed in the housing 112, a gap g2 of distance G2 exists on the XY plane between the second rib 118 and the first portion 1151 of the first rib 115 and the side surface of the ink cartridge 100. The second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 is located close to the head fixing portion side surface 1015, and a gap g1 of distance G1 exists on the XY plane between the second portion 1152 and the head fixing portion side surface 1015. A gap g3 of distance G3 (see FIG. 5 ) exists between the second rib 118 and the head fixing portion side surface 1015. G2 is smaller than G3 and G1, and when the ink cartridge 100 is housed in the main body 111, the position of the ink cartridge 100 within the housing 112 is restricted by the second rib 118 and the first portion 1151. In other words, the second rib 118 and the first portion 1151 act as position restricting portions for the ink cartridge 100.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4(a), 4(b), 4(c), 5(a) and 5(b), when the ink cartridge 100 is stored in the storage section 112, the cartridge 100 occupies most of the storage space 112a. A gap space 112s is formed between the storage section 112 and the ink cartridge 100. The gap space 112s is the space remaining in the storage space 112a excluding the portion occupied by the cartridge 100.

[0029] 4(a), the second ribs 118 and the first ribs 115 are inclined with respect to both the inner lateral surface of the storage section 112 and the outer lateral surface of the ink cartridge 100. In other words, the direction in which each of the second ribs 118 and the first ribs 115 extends inward includes a component inclined with respect to the outer surface of the ink cartridge 100 when the ink cartridge 100 is stored in the storage section 112, over the entire range of the second ribs 118 and the first ribs 115 extending in the Z direction.

[0030] 4(a), the ink cartridge 100 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the storage section 112 also has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, and each side of the ink cartridge 100 is parallel to each side of the storage section 112. Therefore, it can be said that the direction in which the second ribs 118 and the first ribs 115 extend inward in the XY plane includes a component inclined with respect to the inner surface of the storage section 112 when the ink cartridge 100 is stored in the storage section 112, in the entire second ribs 118 and the entire first ribs 115. However, a single rib may have a mixture of a portion that has a component inclined with respect to the inner surface of the storage section 112 and a portion that does not have a component inclined with respect to the inner surface of the storage section 112.

[0031] 4(a) and 5(a), when the ink cartridge 100 is stored in the storage section 112, the head section 105 is stored in a head storage area R that is to the left of line L1 in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) when viewed from above and below line L2 when viewed from the front. When viewed in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(a), the head storage area R is provided with six second ribs 115 above the ink cartridge 100, two first ribs 118 to the left of the ink cartridge 100, and six second ribs 118 and one second rib 115 below the ink cartridge 100. Furthermore, as shown in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), a total of six first ribs 115 are provided on both sides of the head fixing section in the head storage area R.

[0032] 4(a) and 4(b), the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 preferably have a thickness T (length in a direction perpendicular to the inward extension direction in the XY plane) of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less. The first rib 115 preferably has a length L of 2.0 mm or more along its inward extension direction (inward extension direction in the XY plane), and in this embodiment, the length L is set to 2.8 mm, for example. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the length of the first rib 115 along the vertical extension direction (Z direction) is longer than the height of the head unit 105. This allows a gap g4 to be provided between the storage unit 112 and the discharge substrate 106 at the lower end of the head unit 105, as will be described later.

[0033] 4(a) and (b), the angle θ1 between the extension direction (inward extension direction in the XY plane) of the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 and the lateral inner surface of the storage section 112 is preferably 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. More preferably, the angle θ1 is 45 degrees. Furthermore, if the lateral outer surface of the ink cartridge 100 is parallel to the lateral inner surface of the storage section 112, the angle θ2 between the extension direction of the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 and the lateral outer surface of the ink cartridge 100 is preferably 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less. More preferably, the angle θ2 is 45 degrees.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the elastic effect of the first rib 115 when the storage container 110 is dropped. When the storage container 110 containing the ink cartridge 100 is dropped onto the ground or the like, the impact causes the second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 to come into contact with the head portion 105 as shown in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d). Because multiple first ribs 115 are provided, the impact of the drop is dispersed to multiple locations, and the impact is received at multiple points, preventing large localized deformation of the head portion 105. Furthermore, because the first ribs 115 are inclined relative to the cartridge and the inner surface of the storage container, they are flexible against external forces applied to the head portion 105 and the like, and can cushion the drop impact through deformation. When an impact is received due to a drop or the like, the head portion 105 abuts against the second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 as shown in FIG. 6(b). When the head portion 105 is further displaced relative to the storage portion 112 due to an impact, the first rib 115 bends while retaining its elasticity, as shown in Figure 6(c). The more the first rib 115 bends, the greater the elastic force of the first rib 115. Therefore, even if an external impact occurs, the first rib 115 absorbs the impact, and the impact on the head portion 105 can be alleviated. By providing multiple first ribs 115, the impact applied to each rib is reduced, reducing the amount of deformation. This cushions the impact of a fall and prevents the ink cartridge 100 from coming into direct contact with the storage portion 112 (the inner wall of the storage container) and receiving an impact.

[0035] In addition, the first rib 118 and the first portion 1151 of the first rib are arranged to avoid the head fixing surface 1014 and the head fixing portion side surface 1015. This prevents the impact of a drop from being applied directly to the head portion 105, making the head portion less likely to be damaged.

[0036] 4(c), the first rib 115, which is provided so as to face the side surface of the ink cartridge 100, is disposed over almost the entire area of ​​the ejection substrate 106 on which the ejection ports are provided. In this way, it is preferable that the first rib 115 is disposed over an area of ​​at least two-thirds of the length of the ejection substrate 106 in the direction of the side surface of the ink cartridge 100. This makes it possible to disperse the impact of a fall along the length of the ejection substrate 106, and to prevent the head unit 105 or the ejection substrate 106 from being significantly deformed and damaged by a localized impact.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the height of the second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 is adjusted so that, when the ink cartridge 100 is housed in the housing portion 112, the top portion 1152a of the second portion 1152 of the first rib supports the bottom portion 104a of the ink storage chamber 104 from below. In other words, the top portion 1152a is configured to support the bottom portion 104a of the ink storage chamber 104 from the head portion side. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the housing container 110 and the ink cartridge 100 housed in the housing container 110. When the ink cartridge 100 is housed in the housing portion 112, a gap g4 (see FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and 7) exists between the ejection substrate 106 and the bottom of the housing portion 112. This prevents the ejection substrate 106 from contacting the bottom of the housing portion 112.

[0038] As described above, when an external impact of a certain magnitude or greater is applied, such as when dropped, second rib 118 and the second rib distribute the impact to multiple locations on the side of the cartridge, preventing the impact from being applied directly to head portion 105. In particular, first rib 115 regulates the position of ink cartridge 100 with first portion 1151 facing the side of ink cartridge 100, while second portion 1152 facing head portion 105 cushions the impact to head portion 105.

[0039] Furthermore, even if the weight of the ink cartridge 100 increases, the second rib 118 and the first portion 1151 of the first rib 115 distribute the impact to multiple locations on the cartridge side, preventing a strong impact from being directly applied to the head portion. Furthermore, by providing the second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 next to the head portion 105, the first rib 115 can bend and absorb the impact when dropped. Therefore, damage to the ink cartridge 100 can be prevented inexpensively without adding a new shock-absorbing member. In particular, the first rib 115 serves both to regulate the position of the ink cartridge 100 within the storage container 110 and to absorb impact to the head portion 105. To effectively utilize the above-described functions of the first rib 115, it is desirable for the storage container 110 to have multiple first ribs 115.

[0040] [Other embodiments] Only one first rib 115 is provided on the side surface of the storage section 112 that is located at the bottom in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(b). This is to prevent the second portion 1152 of the first rib 115 from interfering with the protective seal 109. If the protective seal 109 is not attached to the ink cartridge 100, multiple first ribs 115 may be arranged on the lower side surface, similar to the side surface that is located at the top in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4(b).

[0041] In the above embodiment, an ink cartridge and a storage container are used as examples. However, the configuration of the above embodiment can be applied to a liquid cartridge that uses a liquid other than ink instead of ink and a storage container corresponding to the liquid cartridge.

[0042] In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the head portion 105 is protected by the second rib 118 and the first rib 115 has been described, but portions of the ink cartridge other than the head portion 105 may also be protected by the second rib 118 and the first rib 115. Furthermore, the present invention can also be suitably used in a storage container for storing an ink cartridge that does not have a head portion 105.

[0043] Furthermore, if a new lid 114 is prepared after the lid 114 is peeled off from the main body 111 and the ink cartridge 100 is removed, it is possible to manufacture a storage body 1000 that reuses the main body 111. In this case, the storage body 1000 that reuses the main body 111 can be manufactured by a recovery process of recovering the main body 111, a storage process of storing a new ink cartridge 100 in the recovered main body 111, and a welding process of welding the new lid 114 to the main body 111. Furthermore, if the used ink cartridge 100 is collected in the collection process while still stored in the main body 111, the ink cartridge can be recycled and reused. In particular, when collecting an ink cartridge 100 with an ejection substrate 106, using the main body 111 of the storage container of the present invention makes it easier to reduce damage to the head unit 105 and the ejection substrate 106 during collection.

[0044] [Technical Features of the Present Disclosure] The present disclosure includes the following configurations and methods.

[0045] [Configuration 1] A container for storing a liquid cartridge, the container having a storage section formed of a bottom and at least four side walls, and an opening facing the bottom, a plurality of ribs are provided in a space formed between the storage section and the liquid cartridge when the liquid cartridge is stored in the storage section, the ribs protruding from the inner surface of the side wall of the storage section in a direction toward the inside of the storage section and extending from the bottom toward the opening, The plurality of ribs include a plurality of first ribs, and the first ribs protrude in a first direction parallel to the bottom and inclined relative to the sidewall. Storage container.

[0046] [Configuration 2] 2. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the first rib has a first portion and a second portion having a protruding length in the first direction different from that of the first portion.

[0047] [Configuration 3] The liquid cartridge comprises: a head portion connected to a discharge substrate having a discharge port for discharging a liquid; a reservoir connected to the head portion and configured to store a liquid; and When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The first rib is provided to face the head portion. 3. The storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

[0048] [Configuration 4] When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, 4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the first portion of the first rib faces the head portion, and the second portion faces a side surface of the liquid cartridge corresponding to the storage portion.

[0049] [Configuration 5] When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, 4. The storage container according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the first portion and the head portion in a direction parallel to the protruding direction is greater than the distance between the second portion and the side surface.

[0050] [Configuration 6] When the liquid cartridge is in a position where it is housed in the housing portion, the width of the storage portion is larger than the width of the head portion, When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, 6. The storage container according to any one of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the top of the second portion supports the storage portion from the head portion side.

[0051] [Configuration 7] 7. The container of any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the first rib is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees or more and 45 degrees or less with respect to the side wall.

[0052] [Configuration 8] 8. The container according to any one of configurations 2 to 7, wherein the first rib has a protruding length of 2.0 mm or more in the second portion.

[0053] [Configuration 9] A storage container described in any one of configurations 2 to 8, wherein the plurality of ribs include a second rib that protrudes at an angle relative to the side wall and has a protruding length that is shorter than the protruding length of the second portion.

[0054] [Configuration 10] 10. The storage container according to any one of configurations 3 to 9, which stores the liquid cartridge including the ejection substrate.

[0055] [Configuration 11] When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, 11. The container according to configuration 10, wherein the first ribs are provided over an area of ​​at least two-thirds of the length of the ejection substrate in the lateral direction of the liquid cartridge.

[0056] [Configuration 12] 12. The container of any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the container is made of plastic.

[0057] [Configuration 13] 13. The storage container of claim 12, wherein the storage container comprises recycled plastic material.

[0058] [Configuration 14] 14. The container of any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the liquid cartridge contains ink.

[0059] [Configuration 15] the liquid cartridge; a storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 14 that stores the liquid cartridge; a lid welded to the container; A liquid cartridge housing comprising:

[0060] [Method 1] A method for recovering a liquid cartridge, comprising storing the used liquid cartridge in the storage container according to any one of configurations 1 to 14. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 100 ink cartridges 101 Tank Case 102 Tank lid 103 Rib Board 104 Ink storage chamber 105 Head 106 Discharge substrate 110 Storage container 111 Main Unit 112 Storage section 114 Lid 115 First Rib 118 Second Rib

Claims

1. A container for storing a liquid cartridge, the container having a storage section formed of a bottom and at least four side walls, and an opening facing the bottom, a plurality of ribs are provided in a space formed between the storage section and the liquid cartridge when the liquid cartridge is stored in the storage section, the ribs protruding from the inner surface of the side wall of the storage section in a direction toward the inside of the storage section and extending from the bottom toward the opening, The plurality of ribs include a first rib that projects in a first direction parallel to the bottom and inclined relative to the sidewall.

2. The storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the first rib has a first portion and a second portion having a protruding length in the first direction different from that of the first portion.

3. The liquid cartridge comprises: a head portion connected to a discharge substrate having a discharge port for discharging a liquid; a reservoir connected to the head portion and configured to store a liquid; and When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The first rib is provided to face the head portion. The storage container according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The container according to claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the first rib faces the head portion, and the second portion faces a side surface of the liquid cartridge corresponding to the storage portion.

5. When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The storage container according to claim 4 , wherein a distance between the first portion and the head portion in a direction parallel to the protruding direction is greater than a distance between the second portion and the side surface.

6. When the liquid cartridge is in a position where it is housed in the housing portion, the width of the storage portion is larger than the width of the head portion, When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The storage container according to claim 3 , wherein the top of the second portion supports the storage portion from the head portion side.

7. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first rib is inclined at an angle of 30 degrees to 45 degrees relative to the side wall.

8. 3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the first rib has a protruding length of 2.0 mm or more at the second portion.

9. 3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of ribs include a second rib that projects obliquely relative to the side wall and has a projecting length shorter than the projecting length of the second portion.

10. The container according to claim 3 , which stores the liquid cartridge including the ejection substrate.

11. When the liquid cartridge is housed in the housing portion, The container according to claim 10 , wherein the first ribs are provided over an area of ​​at least two-thirds of the length of the ejection substrate in the lateral direction of the liquid cartridge.

12. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is made of plastic.

13. 13. The container of claim 12, wherein the container comprises recycled plastic material.

14. 3. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid cartridge contains ink.

15. the liquid cartridge; a storage container according to claim 1 or 2 for storing the liquid cartridge; a lid welded to the container; A liquid cartridge housing comprising:

16. A method for recovering a liquid cartridge, comprising storing the used liquid cartridge in the container according to claim 1 or 2 for recovery.

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