Ink replenishment container

Abstract

To provide an ink supply container which can be easily attached to a printer by a user.SOLUTION: The outlet valve unit includes a valve housing, a spring member, a seal member, and a valve body capable of taking a valve-closed state in which the valve body is biased in a first direction toward the seal member by the spring member and comes into contact with the seal member to close a through-hole of the seal member and a valve-opened state in which the valve body is pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by insertion of the ink introduction member and is separated from the seal member, the valve housing includes an end surface support portion that supports at least a part of an end surface of the seal member in the second direction, an outer periphery support portion that is located on the first direction side with respect to the end surface support portion, is located in a region outside the seal member in a radial direction of the seal member, and faces at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the seal member, and a space forming portion that is located outside the seal member in the radial direction and forms a space in at least a part in a circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

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 via an ink inlet flow path 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 outlet, which includes a valve body, a seal member, a spring member that biases the valve body toward the seal member, and a valve housing that houses these. When the ink inlet flow path member is inserted through the outlet, the valve body is pressed in the direction opposite to the biasing direction of the spring member, causing the valve body to separate from the seal member. This opens the spring valve, allowing ink to be replenished into the printer. When the ink inlet flow path member is removed from the outlet, the valve body is biased toward the seal member by the spring member, causing the spring valve to come into contact with the seal member. This closes the spring valve. The seal member is elastic and is mounted within the valve housing. The entire outer periphery of the seal member is surrounded by the valve housing. [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] In conventional technology, the entire outer periphery of the seal member is surrounded by the valve housing. Therefore, when the ink inlet flow path member is inserted through the outlet, the deformation of the seal member, which is an elastic body, is restricted by the valve housing, which can increase the load. If the load increases, the user may need to forcefully push the ink supply container into the ink inlet flow path member of the printer when installing the ink supply container in the printer. Therefore, there is a demand for an ink supply container that is easy for users to install in a printer. [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 includes a container body configured to be able to contain ink, an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body, and an outlet valve unit mounted within the ink outlet forming portion. The outlet valve unit includes a valve housing, a spring member disposed within the valve housing and supported by the valve housing, and an annular seal member having elasticity and disposed within the valve housing and supported by the valve housing, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member can be inserted and removed and a seal portion that comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole, and an annular seal member disposed within the valve housing and supported by the spring member. and a valve body that can assume a closed state in which it is biased in a first direction toward the sealing member by an ink introduction member and comes into contact with the sealing member to close the through hole, and an open state in which it is pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by insertion of the ink introduction member and moves away from the sealing member, and the valve housing comprises an end face support portion that supports at least a part of the end face of the sealing member in the second direction, an outer periphery support portion that is located on the first direction side of the end face support portion and in an outer region of the sealing member in the radial direction of the sealing member and faces at least a part of the outer periphery surface of the sealing member, and a space forming portion that is located radially outside the sealing member and forms a space in at least a part of the circumferential direction along the outer periphery surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container in a non-supply state. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container and the ink tank in a supply state. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining details of a valve housing in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 3 is a first schematic cross-sectional view of a valve housing and a seal member in the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a second schematic cross-sectional view of the valve housing and the seal member in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a valve housing as a reference example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining details of a valve housing in a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an outer periphery support portion and a seal member in a third embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway view of a valve housing according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an outer periphery support portion and a seal member in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an outer periphery support portion and a seal member in a fifth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an outer periphery support portion and a seal member in a sixth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] 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.

[0008] 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.

[0009] 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.

[0010] 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 multiple 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 open at a tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710. A portion of the tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710 corresponds to the end of the partition 714.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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 in a non-replenishment state where 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 a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 and the ink tank 700 in a replenishing state where the ink tank 700 is being replenished with ink. Fig. 6 shows a cross-section of a portion of the ink supply container 200 and the ink tank 700 taken along the central axis C of the tubular portion 420.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] The ink outlet forming portion 400 is connected to the container body 300. As shown in FIG. 6, the ink outlet forming portion 400 has a cylindrical portion 420 and a tubular flow path portion 410. The cylindrical portion 420 forms an 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 559 of a sealing member 550 (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. 6, 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.

[0017] The outlet valve unit 500 is mounted within the ink outlet forming portion 400. As shown in FIG. 5, in a non-replenishment state, the outlet valve unit 500 seals the outlet 460 to prevent ink from leaking to the outside. As shown in FIG. 6, in a refilling state, the outlet valve unit 500 unseals the outlet 460 to allow 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 outlet 460. This connects the refill flow paths 411, 412 of the ink refill container 200 with the introduction flow paths 711, 712 of the printer 100. As shown in FIG. 5, when the ink introducing member 710 is removed from the tubular portion 420, the outlet valve unit 500 closes.

[0018] 7 is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit 500. The outlet valve unit 500 has a valve housing 510, a spring member 530, a seal member 550, and a valve body 570.

[0019] The valve housing 510 accommodates the spring member 530, the seal member 550, and the valve body 570 inside. The valve housing 510 is shaped like a cylinder with one end in the central axis direction along the central axis C of the tubular portion 420 that is open and the other end in the central axis direction that is closed. The ink introduction member 710 can be inserted and removed from the opening formed at one end of the valve housing 510 in the central axis direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the valve housing 510 is attached inside the tubular portion 420. At this time, a gap is formed between the valve housing 510 and the tubular portion 420 in a direction perpendicular to the central axis direction.

[0020] The spring member 530 biases the valve body 570 toward the outlet 460. The spring member 530 is disposed within the valve housing 510 and is supported by the valve housing 510. The spring member 530 is formed of, for example, metal. In this embodiment, the spring member 530 is a coil spring.

[0021] The seal member 550 functions as a valve seat. The seal member 550 is disposed within the valve housing 510 and is supported by the valve housing 510. The seal member 550 is located closer to the outlet 460 than the valve body 570 in the central axis direction. The seal member 550 has an annular shape. The seal member 550 is formed from, for example, an elastic rubber member or elastomer.

[0022] The seal member 550 has a through hole 559, a first seal portion 551, and a second seal portion 552. As shown in FIG. 6, the through hole 559 allows the ink introduction member 710 to be inserted and removed. The through hole 559 is formed by an inner circumferential surface 558 of the seal member 550. The first seal portion 551 switches communication between the supply channels 411, 412 and the introduction channels 711, 712. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, in the non-replenishment state, the first seal portion 551 comes into contact with a seal surface 573 (described later) of the valve body 570 to close the through hole 559, thereby blocking communication between the supply channels 411, 412 and the introduction channels 711, 712. 6, in the refilling state, the first seal portion 551 moves away from the seal surface 573 of the valve body 570, thereby forming a gap between the first seal portion 551 and the valve body 570, thereby communicating the refilling channels 411, 412 with the introduction channels 711, 712. The first seal portion 551 protrudes toward the seal surface 573 of the valve body 570 along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. The second seal portion 552 prevents ink contained in the space portion 501 from leaking out of the ink introduction member 710 through the outlet 460. The space portion 501 is a space formed by the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 420, the seal member 550, the valve body 570, and the ink introduction member 710. Specifically, space 501 is a space within the interior space of tubular portion 420 that is partially defined by tip surface 715 of ink introduction member 710, seal surface 573, partition contact portion 577, and inclined surface 578 of valve body 570, and a portion of inner circumferential surface 558 of seal member 550 from first seal portion 551 to second seal portion 552. In the refilling state, second seal portion 552 comes into contact with outer circumferential surface 717 of ink introduction member 710 inserted into through-hole 559. Second seal portion 552 protrudes toward central axis C of tubular portion 420.

[0023] The valve element 570 is disposed within the valve housing 510 so as to be movable in the central axis direction. The valve element 570 is formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The valve element 570 can be in a closed state and an open state. As shown in FIG. 5 , in the closed state, the valve element 570 is biased by the spring member 530 in a first direction D1 toward the seal member 550. This causes the valve element 570 to contact the seal member 550 and close the through-hole 559. As shown in FIG. 6 , in the open state, the valve element 570 is pressed in a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1 by the insertion of the ink introduction member 710, and moves away from the seal member 550. Note that in this embodiment, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are directions along the central axis.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, the valve element 570 has a cylindrical portion 571, a sealing surface 573, and a protrusion 575. The cylindrical portion 571 extends in the central axis direction. The cylindrical portion 571 is cylindrical. As shown in FIG. 5, the cylindrical portion 571 faces an inner circumferential surface 518 of the valve housing 510. The cylindrical portion 571 is slidable by being guided along the inner circumferential surface 518 of the valve housing 510. The sealing surface 573 is formed on the outlet-side end surface of the cylindrical portion 571, which is located on the outlet 460 side. As shown in FIG. 4, the sealing surface 573 extends in a radial direction of the cylindrical portion 571 that intersects with the central axis direction. The sealing surface 573 is formed around the entire circumferential direction, centered on the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 571. As shown in FIG. 5, the sealing surface 573 comes into contact with the first sealing portion 551 of the seal member 550 in the closed state. The protrusion 575 is formed on the outlet-side end face, radially inward of the cylindrical portion 571 relative to the sealing surface 573. The protrusion 575 is located closer to the outlet 460 than the sealing surface 573 in the central axial direction. The protrusion 575 has a partition contact portion 577 and an inclined surface 578. As shown in FIG. 6 , the partition contact portion 577 contacts the partition 714 of the ink introducing member 710 in the open state. The inclined surface 578 extends from the partition contact portion 577 toward the sealing surface 573.

[0025] A-4. Valve housing details: FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the details of the valve housing 510 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, the seal member 550 is indicated by dot hatching. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the valve housing 510 and the seal member 550 according to the first embodiment, cut along the central axis direction. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the valve housing 510 according to the first embodiment, cut along the radial direction of the seal member 550, perpendicular to the central axis direction, at a cutting position P shown in FIG. 8, of an outer peripheral support portion 515 (described later). In addition to the outer peripheral surface 517A of the valve housing 510 at the cutting position P of the outer peripheral support portion 515, FIG. 10 also illustrates the outer peripheral surface 517B of the valve housing 510 at a full peripheral support portion 514 (described later). FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a valve housing 510r as a reference example.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 8, the valve housing 510 has a plurality of pillars 511, a space forming portion 512, an end face support portion 513, a full circumference support portion 514, and an outer periphery support portion 515 formed at the end of the pillars 511 in the first direction D1.

[0027] Each of the multiple pillars 511 extends along the second direction D2. A side opening 517C is formed between adjacent pillars 511, and in the open state, the supply flow paths 411, 412 communicate with the introduction flow paths 711, 712 via the side opening 517C. The multiple pillars 511 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the seal member 550. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the valve housing 510 has six pillars 511. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, an outer periphery support portion 515 is formed at an extension portion of the pillar 511. The outer periphery support portion 515 is located on the first direction D1 side of an end face support portion 513, which will be described later. The outer periphery support portion 515 is located in an outer region of the seal member 550 in the radial direction of the seal member 550. The outer periphery support portion 515 faces at least a portion of an outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550. In this embodiment, outer peripheral support portion 515 supports at least a portion of outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550. Outer peripheral support portion 515 has outer peripheral support surface 516. Outer peripheral support surface 516 contacts at least a portion of outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550. As shown in FIG. 10 , in this embodiment, outer peripheral support surface 516 is a curved surface shaped to fit outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550. Also, in this embodiment, outer peripheral support portion 515 is formed on an extension portion of pillar 511, but may be arranged at a position different from pillar 511 in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of seal member 550.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 8, the space forming portion 512 is located radially outward of the seal member 550 and forms a space in at least a portion of the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the space forming portion 512 is formed at a position Q that faces the second seal portion 552 in the radial direction of the seal member 550. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the space forming portion 512 is an opening formed between adjacent outer circumferential support portions 515. As shown in FIG. 10, the space forming portion 512 occupies 50% or more of the dimension in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550 in the portion where the outer circumferential support portions 515 are located. In other words, the total dimension in the circumferential direction of the space forming portion 512 is equal to or greater than the total dimension in the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential support portions 515.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 8 , the end face support portion 513 supports at least a portion of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2. In this embodiment, the end face support portion 513 is an annular portion 519 that supports the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2 around the entire circumference. The end face support portion 513 faces the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2 in the central axial direction. The end face support portion 513 has an end face support surface 513f facing the first direction D1. The end face support surface 513f faces the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2 along the first direction D1. When an external force in the second direction D2 is applied to the seal member 550 by the ink introduction member 710 or the like, the end face support portion 513 supports the seal member 550 and restricts movement in the second direction D2.

[0030] The circumferential support portion 514 supports the outer circumferential surface 557 of the sealing member 550 around the entire circumference, on the first direction D1 side of the space forming portion 512 and the outer circumferential support portion 515. In the present embodiment, the circumferential support portion 514 is located at the end of the valve housing 510 in the first direction D1. The circumferential support portion 514 has an circumferential support surface 514f that faces the outer circumferential surface 557 of the sealing member 550, on the first direction D1 side of the outer circumferential support portion 515. In the replenishing state, the circumferential support portion 514 supports the sealing member 550 and restricts deformation in the radial direction.

[0031] According to the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, when refilling the ink tank 700 with ink from the ink supply container 200, the ink introduction member 710 is inserted in the second direction D2 while deforming the second seal portion 552 of the seal member 550 so as to expand it. Here, as shown in Fig. 11, if the entire outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550 is surrounded by the valve housing 510r, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559, the deformation of the seal member 550 may be restricted by the valve housing 510r, and the load may not be released and may increase. In contrast, in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the valve housing 510 has a space forming portion 512 between adjacent outer circumferential support portions 515 at a position facing a part of the outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550. 9, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559, the portion of the seal member 550 that is crushed and deformed by the ink introduction member 710 can be accommodated in the space forming portion 512. With this configuration, the deformed portion of the seal member 550 can be released into the space forming portion 512. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the ink supply container 200 of this embodiment can suppress an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This can suppress breakage or damage to the valve housing 510, the seal member 550, etc.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , the second seal portion 552 has a greater radial thickness than other portions of the seal member 550 in the central axis direction. Therefore, the second seal portion 552 deforms more when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559 than other portions of the seal member 550. Here, the space forming portion 512 is formed at a position facing the second seal portion 552 in the radial direction of the seal member 550. This allows the deformed portion of the seal member 550 to escape to the radially outer side D3 of the seal member 550 at the position of the second seal portion 552 facing the space forming portion 512. This configuration allows the most deformed portion of the seal member 550 to easily escape radially outward. This more reliably prevents an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100. Furthermore, damage to the valve housing 510, the seal member 550, etc. can be more reliably prevented.

[0034] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the ink tank 700, the outer circumferential surface 717 of the ink introduction member 710 rubs against the second seal portion 552 due to friction, causing the ink introduction member 710 to be removed from the through hole 559. In other words, when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the through hole 559, no force is required to spread the seal member 550. Therefore, the force required to remove the ink introduction member 710 from the through hole 559 is smaller than the force required to insert the ink introduction member 710 into the through hole 559. From the perspective of user operability, if the force required to insert the ink introduction member 710 into the through hole 559 is reduced, the force required to remove the ink introduction member 710 from the through hole 559 will also be reduced. Therefore, during ink refilling, the biasing force of the spring member 530 causes the valve body 570 to press the ink introduction member 710 in the first direction D1, which is the same as the biasing direction of the spring member 530, and this may cause the ink supply container 200 to rise in the second direction D2 together with the valve housing 510. If the ink supply container 200 rises in the second direction D2, adverse effects such as poor ink injection or unstable ink injection posture may occur. In response to this, as shown in FIG. 8 , the valve housing 510 has a full-circumferential support portion 514 that extends around the entire outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550 on the first direction D1 side of the space forming portion 512. With this configuration, when the deformed portion of the seal member 550 housed in the space forming portion 512 returns to its pre-deformation state, the deformation of the seal member 550 is restricted by the full-circumferential support portion 514. This makes it possible to prevent the ink supply container 200 from floating up in the second direction D2 while ink is being supplied, and to prevent the ink introduction member 710 from unintentionally coming out of the through-hole 559. Note that the full-circumference support portion 514 is not an essential component of the ink supply container 200.

[0035] 8, the valve housing 510 has an end face support portion 513 that supports at least a portion of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2. This configuration can prevent the seal member 550 from moving in the second direction D2 when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This can prevent a decrease in the sealing ability of the seal member 550 with respect to the ink introduction member 710. This can prevent ink from leaking from the outlet 460 to the outside of the ink introduction member 710.

[0036] 8, the end face support portion 513 is an annular portion 519 that supports the entire periphery of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2. This configuration more reliably prevents the seal member 550 from moving in the second direction D2 when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This more reliably prevents the sealability of the seal member 550 with respect to the ink introduction member 710 from decreasing. This more reliably prevents ink from leaking from the outlet 460 to the outside of the ink introduction member 710.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 , the space forming portion 512 occupies 50% or more of the circumferential area of ​​the seal member 550 where the outer peripheral support portion 515 is located. With this configuration, the volume of the space forming portion 512 can be increased as the proportion of the circumferential area of ​​the seal member 550 that the space forming portion 512 occupies increases. This allows the deformed portion of the seal member 550 to be reliably released by the space forming portion 512, more reliably suppressing an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it even easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100. Note that it is not essential that the space forming portion 512 occupy 50% or more of the circumferential area of ​​the seal member 550 where the outer peripheral support portion 515 is located. Even if the space forming portion 512 is less than 50% in the circumferential direction of the seal member 550, the valve housing 510 has the space forming portion 512, so that the deformed portion of the seal member 550 can be released into the space forming portion 512. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10 , the valve housing 510 has six outer peripheral support portions 515 arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the seal member 550. Thus, it is preferable that the valve housing 510 has three or more outer peripheral support portions 515 arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the seal member 550. This configuration reduces the possibility that, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559, the seal member 550 will not deform properly, increasing the undulations of the seal member 550 and reducing the sealing performance, compared to when the valve housing 510 has two or fewer outer peripheral support portions 515. It is also preferable that the valve housing 510 has eight or fewer outer peripheral support portions 515 arranged at intervals along the outer periphery of the seal member 550. This configuration more reliably ensures an escape route for the deformed portion of the seal member 550 compared to when the valve housing 510 has nine or more outer peripheral support portions 515. This prevents the valve housing 510 from excessively restricting the deformation of the seal member 550.

[0039] B. Second embodiment: Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating details of a valve housing 510a in the second embodiment. In Fig. 12, the seal member 550 is indicated by dot hatching. The end face support portions 513a of this embodiment support only a portion of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2, rather than supporting the entire periphery of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2. The end face support portions 513a are provided for each of the multiple columns 511 so as to face the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0040] According to the second embodiment, the space forming portion 512a of this embodiment shown in FIG. 12 is larger in the second direction D2 along the central axis C than the space forming portion 512 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 in which the end surface support portion 513 is the annular portion 519. With this configuration, the deformed portion of the sealing member 550 can be more reliably released to the space forming portion 512a. This more reliably prevents an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0041] 12, in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the seal member 550, at positions where the outer peripheral support portion 515 is not formed, deformation of the end face 555 of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2 is not restricted by the valve housing 510a. With this configuration, at positions in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the seal member 550 facing the space forming portion 512a where the outer peripheral support portion 515 is not formed, the deformed portion of the seal member 550 can be further released in the second direction D2. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it even easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, even if the end face support portion 513a is not the annular portion 519, it is possible to support a part of the end face 555 of the sealing member 550 in the second direction D2. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through hole 559, and also to suppress a decrease in sealing performance due to movement of the sealing member 550 in the second direction D2.

[0043] C. Third embodiment: FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an outer periphery support portion 515b and a seal member 550 according to the third embodiment, taken along the radial direction of the seal member 550 at the same cutting position P as in FIG. 10. In addition to the outer periphery surface 517A of the valve housing 510b at cutting position P of the outer periphery support portion 515b, FIG. 13 also shows the outer periphery surface 517B of the valve housing 510b at the full periphery support portion 514. The outer periphery support portion 515b of this embodiment has an outer periphery support surface 516b that is an arcuate surface that is convex toward the outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550. In other words, the outer periphery support surface 516b is an arcuate surface that makes linear contact with the outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550 along the second direction D2. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0044] According to the third embodiment, the outer peripheral support surface 516b makes linear contact with the outer peripheral surface 557 of the seal member 550 along the second direction D2. That is, in a cross section taken along the radial direction of the seal member 550, the outer peripheral support surface 516b makes point-like contact with the outer peripheral surface 557 of the seal member 550. With this configuration, the deformed portion of the seal member 550 can be more reliably released by the space forming portion 512b than when the outer peripheral support surface 516b makes planar contact with the outer peripheral surface 557 of the seal member 550. An example of the outer peripheral support surface 516b making planar contact with the outer peripheral surface 557 of the seal member 550 is when, for example, the outer peripheral support surface 516b is an arcuate surface that forms a concave surface along the outer periphery of the seal member 550, as shown in FIG. 10 , and the arcuate surface makes contact with the outer peripheral surface 557 of the seal member 550. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100 .

[0045] 13, outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550 comes into contact with arc-shaped outer peripheral support surface 516b. That is, outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550 comes into contact with the curved surface without coming into contact with corners at both ends in the circumferential direction of outer peripheral support portion 515 shown in FIG. 10, for example. With this configuration, damage to seal member 550 can be suppressed compared to when outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550 comes into contact with the corners of outer peripheral support portion 515.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, in the open state, outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550 contacts outer peripheral support surface 516b, which is an arcuate surface that forms a convex surface toward outer peripheral surface 557 of seal member 550. With this configuration, ink and air flow along arcuate outer peripheral support surface 516b on the second direction D2 side of the sealing position of second seal portion 552, allowing ink and air to flow smoothly.

[0047] D. Fourth embodiment: FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway view of a valve housing 510c according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an outer periphery support portion 515c and a seal member 550 according to the fourth embodiment, taken along the radial direction of the seal member 550 at the cutting position P shown in FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, in each of the multiple outer periphery support portions 515c according to this embodiment, a gap is formed between the inner periphery surface 518 of the outer periphery support portion 515c and the outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550 in the range between the end face support portion 513 and the full periphery support portion 514 in the direction along the central axis C. This gap constitutes a part of the space forming portion 512c. Furthermore, the space forming portion 512c according to this embodiment is also formed between adjacent outer periphery support portions 515c according to the present embodiment.

[0048] According to the fourth embodiment, the space forming portion 512c is formed around the entire circumferential circumference of the seal member 550. In other words, the space forming portion 512c occupies 100% of the seal member 550 in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery. With this configuration, the volume of the space forming portion 512c in the circumferential direction of the seal member 550 can be maximized. This allows the deformed portion of the seal member 550 to be more reliably released by the space forming portion 512c, thereby more reliably suppressing an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it even easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0049] When the space forming portion 512c occupies 100% of the circumferential area of ​​the seal member 550, it is preferable that the valve housing 510c has at least one of the end face support portion 513 and the full circumferential support portion 514. In this configuration, the insertion and removal of the ink introduction member 710 can restrict the movement of the seal member 550 in the second direction D2 and the deformation of the seal member 550 in the radial direction.

[0050] E. Fifth embodiment: FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an outer periphery support portion 515d and a seal member 550 according to the fifth embodiment, taken along the radial direction of the seal member 550 at the same cutting position P as in FIG. 10 . FIG. 16 also illustrates an outer periphery surface 517B of the valve housing 510d at the full periphery support portion 514, in addition to an outer periphery surface 517A of the valve housing 510d at cutting position P of the outer periphery support portion 515d. In this embodiment, a gap is partially formed in the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the seal member 550 between an inner periphery surface 518 of the outer periphery support portion 515d and an outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550. This gap corresponds to the space forming portion 512d. As a result, the inner periphery surface 518 of the outer periphery support portion 515d and the outer periphery surface 557 of the seal member 550 are separated and do not contact each other in a portion of the circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the seal member 550, and are in contact with each other in other portions. Therefore, the space forming portion 512d of this embodiment is a gap formed between the inner circumferential surface 518 of the outer circumferential support portion 515d and the outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550.

[0051] According to the fifth embodiment, the deformed portion of the sealing member 550 can be released into the space forming portion 512d. This can prevent the load from increasing when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0052] F. Sixth embodiment: FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an outer circumferential support portion 515e and a seal member 550 according to the sixth embodiment, taken along the radial direction of the seal member 550 at the same cutting position P as in FIG. 10 . FIG. 17 also illustrates an outer circumferential surface 517B of the valve housing 510e at the full circumferential support portion 514, in addition to an outer circumferential surface 517A of the valve housing 510e at the cutting position P of the outer circumferential support portion 515e. In this embodiment, a gap is formed between an inner circumferential surface 518 of the outer circumferential support portion 515e and an outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550 over the entire circumferential direction along the outer periphery of the seal member 550. This gap corresponds to a space forming portion 512e. As a result, the inner circumferential surface 518 of the outer circumferential support portion 515e and the outer circumferential surface 557 of the seal member 550 are spaced apart without coming into contact with each other.

[0053] According to the sixth embodiment, the deformed portion of the sealing member 550 can be released into the space forming portion 512e. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100.

[0054] G. Other Embodiments: The ink supply container 200, 200a to 200e 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. Even in this configuration, it is possible to prevent an increase in load when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through-hole 559. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 of the printer 100. It is also possible to prevent the valve housing 510, 510a to 510e and the seal member 550 from being damaged or broken.

[0055] H. 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.

[0056] (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 includes a container body configured to be able to contain ink, an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body, and an outlet valve unit mounted within the ink outlet forming portion. The outlet valve unit includes a valve housing, a spring member disposed within the valve housing and supported by the valve housing, and an annular seal member having elasticity and disposed within the valve housing and supported by the valve housing, the seal member having a through hole through which the ink introduction member can be inserted and removed and a seal portion that comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole, and an annular seal member disposed within the valve housing and supported by the spring member. and a valve element that can assume two states: a closed state in which the valve element is biased in a first direction toward the sealing member by a pressure member and contacts the sealing member to close the through hole; and an open state in which the valve element is biased in a second direction opposite to the first direction by insertion of the ink introduction member and moves away from the sealing member. The valve housing includes an end face support portion that supports at least a portion of the end face of the sealing member in the second direction; an outer periphery support portion that is located closer to the end face support portion in the first direction and in an outer region of the sealing member in the radial direction, facing at least a portion of the outer periphery of the sealing member; and a space forming portion that is located radially outward of the sealing member and forms a space in at least a portion of the circumferential direction along the outer periphery. According to this embodiment, the valve housing has the space forming portion at a position facing at least a portion of the outer periphery of the sealing member. This allows the portion of the sealing member that is crushed and deformed by the ink introduction member when inserted into the through hole to be accommodated in the space forming portion. This allows the deformed portion of the sealing member to escape into the space forming portion. This can prevent the load from increasing when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through-hole, making it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member of the printer.

[0057] (2) In the above embodiment, the space forming portion may be formed at a position facing the seal portion in the radial direction. According to this embodiment, the portion of the seal portion facing the space forming portion can allow the deformed portion of the seal member to escape radially outward. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member of the printer.

[0058] (3) In the above embodiment, the valve housing may have a plurality of the outer peripheral support portions, the plurality of outer peripheral support portions being spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the space forming portion may be formed between adjacent outer peripheral support portions. According to this embodiment, the deformed portion of the seal member can be released in the second direction at a position of the seal member facing the space forming portion. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member of the printer.

[0059] (4) In the above embodiment, the outer peripheral support portion may have an outer peripheral support surface that contacts at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member, and the outer peripheral support surface may be an arcuate surface that forms a convex surface toward the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member. According to this embodiment, the outer peripheral support surface is an arcuate surface that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member in a line along the second direction. Therefore, compared to when the outer peripheral support surface contacts the sealing member in a planar manner, the deformed portion of the sealing member can be reliably released by the space forming portion. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member of the printer. Furthermore, because the arcuate surface contacts the sealing member but the corners do not, damage to the sealing member is more likely to be prevented.

[0060] (5) In the above embodiment, a gap may be formed between the outer peripheral support portion and the outer peripheral surface of the seal member in at least a portion in the circumferential direction, and the space forming portion may be the gap. According to this embodiment, the space forming portion can be formed by the gap formed between the outer peripheral support portion and the outer peripheral surface of the seal member.

[0061] (6) In the above embodiment, the valve housing may further include an all-around support portion that supports the outer peripheral surface of the sealing member along the entire circumference, on the first direction side of the outer peripheral support portion. According to this embodiment, when the deformed portion of the sealing member housed in the space forming portion returns to its pre-deformation state, the all-around support portion restricts the deformation of the sealing member. This prevents the ink supply container from floating up in the second direction and the ink introduction member from unintentionally coming out of the through hole while ink is being supplied.

[0062] (7) In the above embodiment, the end face support portion may be an annular portion that supports the end face of the seal member in the second direction around the entire circumference. This embodiment can prevent the seal member from moving in the second direction when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. This prevents a decrease in the sealing ability of the seal member relative to the ink introduction member. This prevents ink from leaking from the outlet to the outside of the ink introduction member.

[0063] (8) In the above embodiment, the space forming portion may occupy 50% or more in the circumferential direction. According to this embodiment, the space forming portion can reliably allow the deformed portion of the sealing member to escape. This more reliably suppresses an increase in load when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. This makes it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member of the printer.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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]

[0066] 100...printer, 110...casing, 160...ink tank accommodating unit, 162...lid, 165...sealing cap, 200...ink supply container, 300...container body, 312...external screw, 400...ink outlet forming portion, 410...tubular flow path portion, 411...first supply flow path, 412...second supply flow path, 420...cylindrical portion, 460...outlet, 500...outlet valve unit, 501...space portion, 509...accommodating portion, 510, 5 10a to 510e, 510r... valve housing, 511, 511b, 511c... pillar, 512, 512a to 512e... space forming portion, 513, 513a... end face support portion, 513f... end face support surface, 514... full periphery support portion, 514f... full periphery support surface, 515, 515b to 515e... outer periphery support portion, 516, 516b... outer periphery support surface, 517, 517A, 517B... outer periphery surface of valve housing, 517C... side opening, 518 ...inner peripheral surface of valve housing, 519...annular portion, 530...spring member, 550...sealing member, 551...first sealing portion, 552...second sealing portion, 555...end face of sealing member in second direction, 557...outer peripheral surface of sealing member, 558...inner peripheral surface of sealing member, 559...through hole, 570...valve body, 571...cylindrical portion, 573...sealing surface, 575...protrusion, 577...partition contact portion, 578...inclined surface, 700...inker 700L...second ink tank, 700S...first ink tank, 710...ink introduction member, 711, 712...introduction flow path, 714...partition, 715...tip surface of ink introduction member, 717...outer peripheral surface of ink introduction member, 721, 722...flow path inside tank, 760...ink storage chamber, C...central axis, D1...first direction, D2...second direction, D3...radial outer side, P...cutting position, Q...forming position of space forming portion

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 connected to the container body; an outlet valve unit mounted in the ink outlet forming portion, The outlet valve unit A valve housing; a spring member disposed within the valve housing and supported by the valve housing; a seal member having elasticity, being disposed within the valve housing, and being supported by the valve housing, the seal member being annular and having a through hole through which the ink introduction member can be inserted and removed, and a seal portion that comes into contact with an outer peripheral surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole; a valve body that is disposed within the valve housing and that can assume a closed state in which it is biased by the spring member in a first direction toward the seal member and comes into contact with the seal member to close the through hole, and an open state in which it is pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by insertion of the ink introduction member and moves away from the seal member, The valve housing includes: an end surface support portion that supports at least a portion of an end surface of the seal member in the second direction; an outer periphery support portion located on the first direction side of the end face support portion and located in an outer region of the seal member in the radial direction of the seal member, the outer periphery support portion facing at least a portion of an outer periphery of the seal member; a space forming portion located radially outward of the seal member and forming a space in at least a portion of a circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface; An ink supply container comprising:

2. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The ink supply container is configured such that the space forming portion is formed at a position opposite to the sealing portion in the radial direction.

3. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, the valve housing has a plurality of the outer peripheral support portions, The plurality of outer periphery support portions are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, The space forming portion is formed between the adjacent outer peripheral support portions.

4. 4. The ink supply container according to claim 3, the outer peripheral support portion has an outer peripheral support surface that contacts at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the seal member, The outer peripheral support surface is an arcuate surface that forms a convex surface toward the outer peripheral surface of the seal member.

5. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, a gap is formed between the outer peripheral support portion and the outer peripheral surface of the seal member in at least a portion in the circumferential direction; The space forming portion is the gap.

6. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The valve housing further has an entire periphery support portion that supports the outer periphery of the sealing member over the entire periphery on the first direction side of the outer periphery support portion.

7. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The ink supply container, wherein the end surface support portion is an annular portion that supports the end surface of the seal member in the second direction over the entire circumference.

8. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The space forming portion occupies 50% or more of the ink supply container in the circumferential direction.

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