Ink refill container

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing ink from leaking to the outside in an ink supply container. [Solution] The ink supply container is equipped with an outlet valve unit, and the outlet valve unit is configured to assume a closed valve state, a sealed state in which the tip of the spring seat, pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the ink introduction member, contacts the tip of the ink introduction member and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve contacts the tip of the ink introduction member, and an open valve state, and is configured to transition from the open valve state through the sealed state to the closed valve state when the ink introduction member is removed from the ink outlet forming portion.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to ink supply containers. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional example of an ink jet device is a printer that can print on a print medium such as printing paper by ejecting ink from a print head toward the print medium. Some such printers are of an ink refill type that are used by refilling an ink tank with ink. Patent Document 1 discloses an ink refill container that is used to refill an ink refill type ink tank with ink. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-51714 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a conventional technology, an ink supply container includes an ink outlet forming portion and an outlet valve unit. The ink outlet forming portion has a valve housing, a seal member, and a spring valve. An ink inlet flow path member of a printer presses the valve body, forming a gap between the seal member and the valve body, allowing ink and air to flow through this gap, and ink flows from the ink supply container into the ink inlet flow path member. This allows ink to be supplied to an ink tank via the ink inlet flow path member. In the conventional technology, the sealing position between the ink inlet flow path member and the sealing protrusion of the seal member is spaced apart in the central axis direction and radial direction from the sealing position between the valve body and the sealing end of the seal member. Therefore, when the ink inlet flow path member is removed from the ink outlet forming portion after ink supply, a space is formed between the valve body, the seal member, and the ink inlet flow path member. Ink may remain in this space. If ink remains in this space, at least a portion of the ink may leak to the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member having a flow path that communicates with the ink tank. The ink supply container comprises: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming part connected to the container body and forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit attached within the ink outlet forming part that opens when the ink introduction member is inserted through the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the outlet. The outlet valve unit comprises a valve housing, a spring member supported by the valve housing within the valve housing and biasing in a first direction toward the outlet, a spring seat movably disposed within the valve housing, positioned closer to the outlet than the spring member in the first direction and biased by the spring member, and a membrane valve supported by the valve housing within the valve housing and having an elasticity, the membrane valve having a hole formed in its center. The outlet valve unit further comprises: The ink introduction member is configured to assume the following states: a closed valve state in which a seal is formed between the tip and the membrane valve when the tip of the spring seat in the first direction is inserted into the hole of the membrane valve; a sealed state in which the tip of the spring seat, which has been pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the ink introduction member, comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member; and an open valve state in which the tip of the spring seat is pressed in the second direction further than in the sealed state, releasing the seal between the tip and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the side of the ink introduction member inserted into the hole, sealing the gap between the membrane valve and the side, and when the ink introduction member is removed from the ink outlet forming portion, the ink introduction member is configured to go from the open valve state through the sealed state to the closed valve state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which ink is being replenished into the ink tank. [Figure 3]FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a front view of the ink supply container in a normal position. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating the first direction side of the ink supply container. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the state of the outlet valve unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container with the cap closed. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container with the camp fully opened. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the membrane valve forming member of another embodiment 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] A. Implementation: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100 according to an embodiment. The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. FIG. 1 depicts mutually perpendicular X, Y, and Z axes. The X axis corresponds to the width direction of the printer 100, the Y axis corresponds to the depth direction of the printer 100, and the Z axis corresponds to the height direction of the printer 100. The printer 100 is installed on a horizontal installation surface defined by the X and Y directions. Note that the "X direction" refers to the concept of combining the +X direction and the -X direction. Similarly, the "Y direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the "Z direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Z direction and the -Z direction.

[0008] The printer 100 has a housing 110. Inside the housing 110 is a carriage (not shown) that is movable in the X direction, which is the main scanning direction. The carriage is equipped with a print head that ejects ink onto a print medium. An ink tank housing unit 160 that houses multiple ink tanks 700S and 700L is provided at one end of the front of the housing 110. The ink tank housing unit 160 has an openable / closable lid 162 on top. The ink tank 700S is a small-capacity tank, while the ink tank 700L is a large-capacity tank. However, in the following description, the two will be simply referred to as "ink tanks 700." Each ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage by a tube (not shown). In other words, the ink tanks 700 are stationary ink tanks that are not mounted on the carriage of the printer 100. Each ink tank 700 is an ink refill type ink tank that receives ink from an ink refill container when the remaining ink level becomes low. In this embodiment, the ink tank 700 is a stationary ink tank, but it may also be mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.

[0009] 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which ink is being refilled into an ink tank 700 using an ink refill container 200. The front of each ink tank 700 is made of a transparent material, making it possible to visually check the amount of ink remaining in each ink tank 700 from the outside. When the amount of ink remaining becomes low, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to open the lid 162 and refill ink through an ink introduction member 710 having a flow path that communicates with the ink tank 700.

[0010] A cylindrical ink introduction member 710 is provided on the top surface of each ink tank 700 for replenishing the ink tank 700 with ink. The ink tank accommodating unit 160 is equipped with a sealing cap member 164 having a sealing cap 165 for sealing a tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710. When the ink tank 700 is not being refilled with ink, the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710 is sealed by the sealing cap 165 of the sealing cap member 164. When refilling the ink tank 700 with ink, the sealing cap member 164 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 to refill the ink. Two recesses 750 that fit into the fitting portions of the ink supply container 200 are provided around the periphery of the ink introduction member 710. These recesses 750 have a shape that is rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees about the ink introduction member 710.

[0011] In this specification, the term "ink refilling" refers to the operation of supplying ink to the ink tank 700 to increase the remaining ink amount. However, "ink refilling" does not necessarily mean filling the ink tank 700 with ink. "Ink refilling" also includes the operation of filling an empty ink tank 700 with ink when using the printer 100 for the first time. As described above, the ink refill container 200 refills ink into the ink tank 700 of the printer 100 via the ink introduction member 710, which has a flow path that communicates with the ink tank 700.

[0012] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ink supply container 200 according to this embodiment. The ink supply container 200 includes a container body 300, an ink outlet forming portion 400, an outlet valve unit 500, and a cap 600.

[0013] The container body 300 is configured to be able to contain ink. The ink outlet forming portion 400 is connected to the container body 300. The ink outlet forming portion 400 forms an ink outlet 460 on the side opposite to the side on which the container body 300 is located. The outlet valve unit 500 is attached within the ink outlet forming portion 400. The outlet valve unit 500 opens when an ink introduction member 710 is inserted through the outlet 460, and closes when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the outlet 460. The cap 600 is detachably attached to the ink outlet forming portion 400.

[0014] The upper end of the ink supply container 200, which is on the cap 600 side, is referred to as the "front end side," and the lower end, which is on the container body 300 side, is referred to as the "rear end side." The container body 300 is a hollow cylindrical container with an opening on the front end side. A small-diameter portion at the front end of the container body 300 is provided with an external thread 312 for attaching the ink outlet forming portion 400. In this disclosure, the direction parallel to the central axis C of the ink supply container 200 is referred to as the "axial direction," and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction is referred to as the "radial direction." Within the axial direction, the direction from the rear end side of the container body 300 toward the outlet 460 located on the front end side is also referred to as the first direction D1. The direction opposite to the first direction D1 is referred to as the second direction D2.

[0015] The ink outlet forming portion 400 has the aforementioned outlet 460 at its tip. The ink outlet forming portion 400 is connected to the container body 300 and includes a tubular portion 420 having the outlet 460. An outlet valve unit 500 is attached inside the tubular portion 420. Therefore, the outlet valve unit 500 can also be considered to be a component that constitutes part of the ink outlet forming portion 400. The outlet valve unit 500 is attached inside the tubular portion 420 so that a radial gap is provided between the outlet valve unit 500 and the tubular portion 420. When refilling the ink tank 700 with ink, the ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700 shown in FIG. 2 is inserted into the outlet 460.

[0016] The outlet valve unit 500 is configured to seal the outlet 460 to prevent ink from leaking to the outside when the ink tank 700 is not being replenished with ink, and to release the seal when the ink tank 700 is being replenished with ink, allowing ink to flow into the ink introduction member 710.

[0017] The outlet valve unit 500 has a valve housing 517, a spring member 530, a spring seat 520, and a membrane valve forming member 510 that forms the membrane valve. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit 500. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the membrane valve forming member 510. The configuration of the outlet valve unit 500 will be explained using Figures 4 and 5 in addition to Figure 3.

[0018] The valve housing 517 shown in Figure 3 allows the ink introduction member 710 to be inserted and removed. The valve housing 517 houses the spring member 530, spring seat 520, and membrane valve formation member 510 inside. As shown in Figure 4, the valve housing 517 has a retaining portion 517A on the tip side to prevent the membrane valve formation member 510 from coming out of the valve housing 517, and an engaging portion 517B with the tubular portion 420. For this reason, the outlet valve unit 500 alone can be attached and detached as an element of the ink supply container 200, making it easy to manufacture.

[0019] The spring member 530 shown in FIG. 3 is supported by the valve housing 517 within the valve housing 517. The spring member 530 is housed in the valve housing 517 on the rear end side in the axial direction. The spring member 530 can be made of, for example, metal. In this embodiment, the spring member 530 is a coil spring. The spring member 530 biases the spring seat 520 in a first direction D1 toward the outlet 460.

[0020] The spring seat 520 is arranged so that it can move axially inside the valve housing 517. The spring seat 520 functions as a valve element that opens and closes the flow path. The spring seat 520 is located on the outlet 460 side of the spring member 530 in the first direction D1. The spring seat 520 receives the biasing force of the spring member 530 in the first direction D1. The spring seat 520 has a spring arrangement section 522 where the end of the spring member 530 is arranged, and a tip section 524 that is located on the first direction D1 side of the spring arrangement section 522. The outer shape of the spring arrangement section 522 is cylindrical. The outer shape of the tip section 524 is a truncated cone. The tip section 524 functions as a valve element that opens and closes the flow path of the outlet valve unit 500 by coming into contact with and separating from the membrane valve forming member 510.

[0021] The membrane valve forming member 510 shown in Fig. 3 is supported by the valve housing 517 inside the valve housing 517. In other words, the membrane valve forming member 510 is attached inside the valve housing 512. The membrane valve forming member 510 is formed from a member that has elasticity. The membrane valve forming member 510 is formed from a rubber member such as an elastomer that has rubber elasticity, for example.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the membrane valve forming member 510 has a member main body 511 and a membrane valve 514. The member main body 511 is in a roughly cylindrical shape. The member main body 511 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the valve housing 517. The membrane valve 514 is a membrane-shaped member that extends radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the member main body 511. The outer shape of the membrane valve 514 is circular. A hole 510h is formed in the center of the membrane valve 514. The diameter of the hole 510h is smaller than the outer diameter of the ink introduction member 710. The membrane valve 514 is supported by the valve housing 517 inside the valve housing 517. The membrane valve 514 is a component of the membrane valve forming member 510, and so has elasticity. Note that the elements of the ink supply container 200 other than the spring member 530 and the membrane valve forming member 510 can be formed from synthetic resins such as polyethylene or polypropylene, for example.

[0023] The outlet valve unit 500 is configured to be in one of a closed state S1 in which the outlet 460 and the container body 300 are not in communication, a sealed state S2, and an open state S3 in which ink can flow from the container body 300 to the ink introducing member 710. The axial position of the spring seat 520 within the valve housing 517 is different in the closed state S1, the sealed state S2, and the open state S3. The axial position of the spring seat 520 within the valve housing 517 is located closest to the first direction D1 in the closed state S1, and is located closest to the second direction D1 in the open state S3. The closed state S1, sealed state S2, and open state S3 will be described using figures below.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, two mating portions 450 are provided around the outlet 460. These mating portions 450 are protrusions extending upward in the axial direction and serve as positioning members for positioning the ink supply container 200 by inserting or mating with recesses 750, which are holes (shown in FIG. 2) provided around the ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700. Positioning refers to at least one of two functions: preventing erroneous ink injection; for example, the ink supply container 200 for replenishing yellow ink is mated with the recess 750 corresponding to the ink tank 700 containing yellow ink, but preventing ink supply containers 200 for replenishing other colors of ink, such as magenta ink or cyan ink, from mating; and stabilizing the ink injection position of the ink supply container, as described below. The function of preventing erroneous ink injection is not limited to the ink color; for example, it also serves to prevent erroneous injection of dye ink and pigment ink, for example, black ink. In this embodiment, the two fitting portions 450 have shapes that are rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees about the central axis C of the ink supply container 200. The recess 750 provided around the ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700 also has a shape that is rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees about the ink introduction member 710. When refilling ink, the fitting portions 450 of the ink supply container 200 are fitted into the recesses 750 around the ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700, thereby limiting the orientation of the ink supply container 200 to two orientations that are rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees. As a result, it is possible to maintain the ink supply container 200 in a stable position during ink refilling. However, the fitting portions 450 may be omitted. Note that "fitted" includes a loose fit with a small gap between them.

[0025] Fig. 6 is a front view of the ink supply container 200 in a normal position, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the ink supply container 200. "Normal position of the ink supply container 200" means a state in which the ink supply container 200 is placed on a horizontal surface such as a desk with the bottom of the container body 300 facing downwards. As shown in Fig. 2 above, ink is replenished into the ink tank 700 when the ink supply container 200 is placed in an inverted position with the tip side of the ink supply container 200 facing downwards. Note that Figs. 6 and 7 show the state in which the cap 600 is removed.

[0026] 8 is a perspective view of an ink tank 700 according to an embodiment. An ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700 protrudes upward from the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 is a cylindrical member and has a side surface 717 and a tip 715.

[0027] The ink introduction member 710 has two flow paths 711 and 712. The two flow paths 711 and 712 are separated by a partition wall 714. When ink is being replenished, one of the flow paths 711 and 712 constitutes a flow path for ink from the ink supply container 200, and the other constitutes a flow path for air from the ink tank 700 to the ink supply container 200.

[0028] The tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710 is flat, and the two flow paths 711, 712 each open at the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710. A part of the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710 corresponds to the end of the partition wall 714. When replenishing ink, the fitting portion 450 of the ink supply container 200 shown in FIG. 7 fits into the recess 750 around the ink introduction member 710 of the ink tank 700 shown in FIG. 2, thereby positioning the ink supply container 200 in the circumferential direction. The two flow paths 711, 712 separated by the partition wall 714 are respectively connected to two intra-tank flow paths 721, 722 that protrude into the ink storage chamber 760 below. The lower ends of these intra-tank flow paths 721, 722 extend to a position below the ceiling wall of the ink storage chamber 760. The reason for this is that when replenishing ink from the ink replenishing container 200 to the ink tank 700, the gas-liquid exchange stops when the liquid level in the ink storage chamber 760 reaches the lower end of the tank internal flow paths 721, 722, and therefore the replenishing of ink also stops, making the ink replenishing operation easy.

[0029] Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in Figure 7. For ease of understanding, Figure 9 also illustrates the configuration of the ink tank 700. The diagram shown in Figure 9 illustrates the state immediately after the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the outlet valve unit 500 through the outlet 460 and the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710 comes into contact with the tip portion 524 of the spring seat 520.

[0030] The tip 524 of the spring seat 520 abuts against the partition wall 714 of the ink introduction member 710, dividing the ink introduction member 710 into two supply channels 411, 412 formed by the gap between the valve housing 517 and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular portion 420. The two supply channels 411, 412 connect the ink introduction member 710 to the ink container body 300. As described above, in the ink supply state, one of the two supply channels 411, 412 is used as an ink flow channel, and the other is used as an air flow channel. As a result, the ink supply container 200 can be supplied with ink while performing gas-liquid exchange with the ink tank 700. When using gas-liquid exchange to supply ink, there is no need to squeeze the ink container body 300. This type of ink supply container that allows ink to be supplied without squeezing the ink container body 300 is also called a "non-squeezable type." The tubular flow path portion 410 formed as a flow path space inside the cylindrical portion 420 does not need to be divided into two supply flow paths 411, 412, and may be formed as one or three or more supply flow paths.

[0031] Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the first direction D1 side of the ink supply container 200. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the cap 600 shown in Fig. 3 removed from the ink outlet forming part 400. Furthermore, in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 described later, the spring arrangement part 522 of the spring seat 520 shown in Fig. 3 is omitted from illustration.

[0032] 10, in the state of the bottle alone before the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the ink outlet forming portion 400, the outlet valve unit 500 takes the closed valve state S1. In other words, the spring seat 520 is urged in the first direction D1 by the urging force of the spring member 530, and the spring seat 520 is displaced to the first direction D1 side. In the closed valve state S1, the tip portion 524 of the spring seat 520 in the first direction D1 is in a state where it is inserted into the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514, and a seal is made between the tip portion 524 and the membrane valve 514. In other words, in the closed valve state S1, the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514 is blocked by the tip portion 524.

[0033] The tip portion 524 has a tapered surface 526 and a tip surface 528. The tapered surface 526 constitutes the side surface of the truncated cone-shaped tip portion 524. The tapered surface 526 is a surface formed so that the cross-sectional area of ​​the tip portion 524 orthogonal to the first direction D1 increases as it moves in the second direction D2. In detail, the tapered surface 526 is inclined in the axial direction along the first direction D1 so as to be positioned radially outward as it moves in the second direction. In the closed valve state S1, the tapered surface 526 forms a seal with the membrane valve 514. The tip surface 528 is the surface of the tip of the tip portion 524 on the first direction D1 side. The spring arrangement section 522 shown in FIG. 3 is connected to the end of the tapered surface 526 on the second direction D2 side. As described above, the side surface of the tip portion 524 is formed by the tapered surface 526, and does not have a flat surface that extends in a direction orthogonal to the first direction D1. The tip surface 528 is a flat surface, and comes into contact with the partition wall 714 shown in FIG. 8 in the valve closed state S1.

[0034] In the closed valve state S1, a seal is formed between the tip portion 524 and the membrane valve 514, which has a small thickness, so by applying a smaller force, the membrane valve 514 can be elastically deformed along the tapered surface 526 of the tip portion 524. In other words, a seal can be formed between the membrane valve 514 and the tip portion 524 even if the biasing force of the spring member 530 is made smaller. This reduces the possibility of the membrane valve 514 being damaged, so the lifespan of the membrane valve 514 can be extended.

[0035] Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating state S of the outlet valve unit 500. The closed valve state S1 in Fig. 11 indicates the point in time when the ink introduction member 710 comes into contact with the tip portion 524 and the spring seat 520 is not displaced.

[0036] When the ink supply container 200 is pushed in the first direction D1 from the closed valve state S1 shown in FIG. 11, the ink introduction member 710 advances further into the outlet valve unit 500, and the outlet valve unit 500 assumes the sealed state S2.

[0037] In the sealed state S2, the tip 524 is pressed towards the second direction D2 by the ink introduction member 710. In other words, the position of the tip 524 in the sealed state S2 is located on the side farther from the outlet 460 than the position of the tip 524 in the closed valve state S1. In the sealed state S2, the tip 524 of the spring seat 520, which is pressed in the second direction D2 by the ink introduction member 710, comes into contact with the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710 and the membrane valve 514, and the membrane valve 514 comes into contact with the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710.

[0038] When the ink supply container 200 is pushed further in the first direction D1 than in the sealed state S2, the tip 524 of the spring seat 520 is pressed further in the second direction D2 by the ink introduction member 710 than in the sealed state S2. As a result, the pressing force of the ink introduction member 710, which is greater than the biasing force of the spring member 530, displaces the position of the spring seat 520 inside the valve housing 517 further toward the second direction D2. As a result, the tip 524 moves away from the membrane valve 514, and the outlet valve unit 500 takes on the open valve state S3. In the process of the ink supply container 200 being pushed further in the first direction D1 than in the sealed state S2, the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the hole 510h, and the membrane valve 514 is elastically deformed so that the radially inner side of the membrane valve 514 is bent in the second direction D2. As a result, the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514 is pushed open, and the membrane valve 514 and the side surface 717 of the ink introduction member 710 come into airtight contact around the circumferential direction of the ink introduction member 710. This contact seals the space between the membrane valve 514 and the side surface 717. Furthermore, while this contact is maintained, the ink supply container 200 is pushed forward in the first direction D1.

[0039] In the open valve state S3, the tip 524 is separated from the membrane valve 514, and the seal between the tip 524 and the membrane valve 514 is released. Also, in the open valve state S3, the membrane valve 514 comes into contact with the side surface 717 of the ink introduction member 710 that has been inserted into the hole 510h, and the space between the membrane valve 514 and the side surface 717 is sealed.

[0040] When the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the ink outlet forming portion 400, the outlet valve unit 500 is configured to change from an open state S3 to a sealed state S2 and then to a closed state S1.

[0041] As described above, the object that the spring seat 520 comes into contact with to form a seal in the closed valve state S1 and the object that the ink introduction member 710 comes into contact with to form a seal in the open valve state S3 are the same, the membrane valve 514. As a result, when the ink supply container 200 is attached to the ink introduction member 710 or when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the ink introduction member 710, it is possible to reduce the space within the outlet valve unit 500 where ink may remain on the first direction D1 side of the tip portion 524.

[0042] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 closed. Figure 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 fully opened. The state in which the cap 600 is closed refers to a cap attached state in which the cap 600 is attached to the ink outlet forming part 400. In the cap fully opened state shown in Figure 13, the membrane valve 514 of the membrane valve forming member 510 and the tip 524 of the spring seat 520 are in contact, in a closed valve state S1.

[0043] 12, the cap 600 has a protrusion 602. The protrusion 602 is a rod-shaped member that extends along the axial direction. In the cap attached state, the protrusion 602 is inserted into the hole 510h without coming into contact with the membrane valve 514. Also, in the cap attached state, the protrusion 602 presses the spring seat 520 in the second direction D2 to a position where the tip 524 of the spring seat 520 and the membrane valve 514 are separated.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 13, when the cap 600 is fully opened, the protrusion 602 and the tip 524 of the spring seat 520 are separated, the membrane valve 514 and the tip 524 come into contact, and a seal is formed between the membrane valve 514 and the tip 524, resulting in a closed valve state S1.

[0045] According to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , in the sealed state S2, the tip 524 of the spring seat 520, the tip 715 of the ink introduction member 710, and the membrane valve 514 come into contact with each other, so it is possible to reduce the volume of the predetermined space, which is the space formed between the spring seat 520, the ink introduction member 710, and the membrane valve 514. In this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the predetermined space. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of ink remaining in the predetermined space, so it is possible to prevent ink from leaking out of the ink supply container 200. For example, when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the ink introduction member 710, it is possible to prevent ink from dripping from the outlet 460. Furthermore, when removing the ink supply container 200 from the ink introduction member 710, the space between the membrane valve 514 and the spring seat 520 is sealed at almost the same time as the seal between the ink introduction member 710 and the membrane valve 514 is released, so it is possible to further prevent ink from leaking out to the outside.

[0046] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, in the closed valve state S1, the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514 is blocked by the spring member 530 and the spring seat 520, and therefore, compared to an ink supply container 200 that is equipped with only the membrane valve 514, even when an impact is received, the possibility of the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514 being opened and entering the open valve state S3 can be reduced.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the membrane valve 514 that comes into contact with the ink introduction member 710 when switching to the open valve state S3 is membrane-shaped, and therefore the reaction force of the membrane valve 514 can be reduced compared to when the member that comes into contact with the ink introduction member 710 is a valve member that has a certain thickness or more. Therefore, the force required when attaching the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 can be reduced, making it easier for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, in the closed valve state S1, because the elastic membrane valve 514 forms a seal with the tip portion 524 of the spring seat 520, the membrane valve 514 can come into close contact with the tip portion 524 even when the tip portion 524 is pressed against the membrane valve 514 with a smaller force. This makes it possible to reduce the spring load, which is the biasing force of the spring member 530 required to press the tip portion 524 against the membrane valve 514. Therefore, it is possible for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 more easily.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, because the membrane valve 514 is membrane-shaped, the resistance when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the hole 510h and the membrane valve 514 deforms in the direction that pushes the hole 510h open can be made smaller than with a valve member that has a certain thickness or more. Also, when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514, the membrane valve 514 functions like a so-called return. As a result, the resistance that occurs when the ink introduction member 710 is removed, and the resistance when the membrane valve 514 deforms so that the hole 510h tries to return to its original size, can be made relatively large. As a result, when in the open valve state S3, when the biasing force of the spring member 530 is applied to the ink introduction member 710 via the spring seat 520, the possibility of the ink introduction member 710 being pushed back to the outlet 460 side can be reduced. Therefore, the inverted position, which is the position in which the ink supply container 200 supplies the ink introduction member 710, can be stably maintained.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the spring seat 520 seals with the membrane valve 514 at the tapered surface 526, so even if the spring seat 520 is tilted slightly, the sealing performance is unlikely to deteriorate. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of ink leaking to the outside. Furthermore, in the open valve state S3, ink and air can easily circulate along the tapered surface 526, so gas-liquid exchange is carried out smoothly between the ink supply container 200 and the ink introducing member 710, and the ink supply flow rate can be increased, so the ink supply time can be shortened.

[0051] 12, when the cap 600 is attached to the ink outlet forming part 400, there is a protrusion 602 that presses the spring seat 520 in the second direction D2 to a position where the spring seat 520 and the membrane valve 514 are separated. As a result, while the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 attached is being stored, it is possible to prevent the membrane valve 514 from being urged for a long period of time by the spring seat 520 and the spring member 530, and it is possible to prevent the membrane valve 514 from maintaining its deformation even when it is in an unloaded state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the sealing performance between the membrane valve 514 and the spring seat 520. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even if the pressure inside the ink supply container 200 increases while the ink supply container 200 is being stored due to environmental changes such as temperature changes or air pressure changes, a gap is formed between the membrane valve 514 and the spring seat 520, and therefore, when the cap 600 is removed, the air inside will escape to the outside through that gap, and it is possible to prevent ink from spraying due to a pressure difference with the outside.

[0052] B. Other Embodiments: B-1. Alternative embodiment 1: Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a membrane valve formation member 510a of another embodiment 1. Fig. 14 is a diagram of the membrane valve formation member 510a as seen from the second direction D2 side. The difference between the membrane valve formation member 510 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 and the membrane valve formation member 510a shown in Fig. 14 is that the membrane valve 514a of the membrane valve formation member 510a has multiple slits 515. The rest of the configuration of the membrane valve formation member 510a is the same as in the first embodiment, so similar configurations are given the same reference numerals and explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, the membrane valve formation member 510a of another embodiment 1 can be incorporated into the ink supply container 200 in place of the membrane valve formation member 510 of the above embodiment.

[0053] The membrane valve 514a is equipped with a seal part 516 that has a first seal part 516a that comes into contact with the spring seat 520 in the closed valve state S1 and forms a seal between it and the tip part 524, and a second seal part 516b that comes into contact with a side surface 717 of the ink introduction member 710 shown in FIG. 8 in the open valve state S3 and forms a seal between it and the side surface 717. Of the membrane valve 514a, the first seal part 516a is an annular area formed on one surface in the axial direction, and the second seal part 516b is an annular area formed on the surface opposite that one surface. In other embodiment 1, the first seal part 516a and the second seal part 516b are formed at the same position in the radial direction, but they may also be formed at different positions. Note that in the above embodiment, although reference numerals are omitted, the membrane valve 514, like other embodiment 1, is equipped with a seal part 516 that has a first seal part 516a and a second seal part 516b.

[0054] Also, the membrane valve 514a has multiple slits 515. The multiple slits 515 are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. In Alternative Embodiment 1, eight slits 515 are formed. Each of the multiple slits 515 is located radially inward from the seal portion 516, and extends radially outward from an end 519 that defines the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514a. Radially inward from the seal portion 516 means that, in cases where the first seal portion 516a and the second seal portion 516b are formed in different positions in the radial direction, the seal portion 516 is located radially inward from the frame region that connects the parts of the seal portion 516 that are located most radially inward at each position in the circumferential direction.

[0055] According to the above-mentioned Alternative Embodiment 1, in addition to the effects of the above-mentioned embodiments, the following effect is further achieved: That is, because the resistance when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the hole 510h of the membrane valve 514a is reduced compared to when there is no slit 515, it is possible for the user to attach the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 even more easily.

[0056] B-2. Alternative embodiment 2: 10, tip portion 524 has tapered surface 526, but this may not be the case. For example, instead of tapered surface 526, tip portion 524 may have a first cylindrical portion having a first outer diameter, and a second cylindrical portion located closer to first direction D1 than the first cylindrical portion and having a second outer diameter smaller than the first outer diameter.

[0057] C. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various forms without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the present disclosure can also be realized in the following forms. The technical features in the above embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described below can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the problems of the present disclosure or to achieve some or all of the effects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0058] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member having a flow path that communicates with the ink tank. This ink supply container comprises: a container body configured to be able to store ink; an ink outlet forming part that is connected to the container body and forms an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; and an outlet valve unit that is attached within the ink outlet forming part and opens when the ink introduction member is inserted through the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the outlet. The outlet valve unit comprises a valve housing, a spring member that is supported by the valve housing within the valve housing and biases in a first direction toward the outlet, a spring seat that is movably disposed within the valve housing and is located closer to the outlet than the spring member in the first direction and is biased by the spring member, and a membrane valve that is supported by the valve housing within the valve housing and has an elastic membrane valve with a hole formed in its center. The outlet valve unit further comprises: The ink introduction member is configured to assume the following states: a closed valve state in which a seal is formed between the tip and the membrane valve when the tip of the spring seat in the first direction is inserted into the hole of the membrane valve; a sealed state in which the tip of the spring seat, which has been pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the ink introduction member, comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member; and an open valve state in which the tip of the spring seat is pressed in the second direction further than in the sealed state, releasing the seal between the tip and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the side of the ink introduction member inserted into the hole, sealing the gap between the membrane valve and the side, and when the ink introduction member is removed from the ink outlet forming portion, the ink introduction member is configured to go from the open valve state through the sealed state to the closed valve state. According to this aspect, in the sealed state, the tip of the spring seat, the tip of the ink introducing member, and the membrane valve come into contact with one another, so the volume of the space formed between the spring seat, the ink introducing member, and the membrane valve can be reduced. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of ink remaining in this space, thereby suppressing ink from leaking out of the ink supply container.

[0059] (2) In the above embodiment, the tip of the spring seat may have a tapered surface formed so that the cross-sectional area in the direction perpendicular to the first direction increases as it approaches the second direction, and in the closed valve state, the tapered surface may form a seal with the membrane valve. According to this embodiment, the spring seat forms a seal with the membrane valve at the tapered surface, so the sealing performance is unlikely to deteriorate even if the spring seat is tilted slightly. Therefore, the possibility of ink leaking to the outside can be reduced. Furthermore, in the open valve state, ink and air can easily flow along the tapered surface, so gas-liquid exchange occurs smoothly between the ink supply container and the ink introducing member, and ink supply time can be shortened.

[0060] (3) In the above aspect, the membrane valve may have a seal portion that has a first seal portion that comes into contact with the spring seat in the closed valve state to form a seal with the tip portion, and a second seal portion that comes into contact with the side surface in the open valve state to form a seal with the side surface, and one or more slits that are located radially inward of the seal portion and extend radially outward from the end of the membrane valve that defines the hole. According to this aspect, the resistance when the ink introduction member is inserted into the hole of the membrane valve is lower compared to when there is no slit, making it even easier for the user to attach the ink supply container to the ink introduction member.

[0061] (4) The above aspect may further comprise a cap that is removably attached to the ink outlet forming portion, and the cap may have a protrusion that presses the spring seat in the second direction to a position where the spring seat and the membrane valve are separated when the cap is attached to the ink outlet forming portion. According to this aspect, the membrane valve can be prevented from being biased by the spring seat and spring member for a long period of time while the ink supply container with the cap attached is being stored, and therefore deformation can be prevented from being maintained even when the membrane valve is in an unloaded state. Therefore, deterioration of the sealing performance between the membrane valve and the spring seat can be prevented. Furthermore, according to this aspect, even if the pressure inside the ink supply container increases while the ink supply container is being stored due to environmental changes such as temperature changes or air pressure changes, a gap is formed between the membrane valve and the spring seat, and therefore, when the cap is removed, the air inside can escape to the outside through this gap, and ink spraying due to a pressure difference with the outside can be prevented.

[0062] The present disclosure can be realized in various forms other than those described above, for example, in the form of a method for manufacturing an ink supply container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 100...printer, 110...casing, 160...ink tank accommodating unit, 162...lid, 164...sealing cap member, 165...sealing cap, 200...ink supply container, 300...container body, 312...external screw, 400...ink outlet forming portion, 410...tubular flow path portion, 411...supply flow path, 420...cylindrical portion, 450...fitting portion, 460...outlet, 500...outlet valve unit, 510, 510a...membrane valve forming member, 511...member body, 514, 514a...membrane valve, 515...slit, 516...sealing portion, 516a...first sealing portion, 516b...second sealing portion, 517...valve housing, 517 A...preventive portion, 517B...engagement portion, 519...end portion, 520...spring seat, 522...spring arrangement portion, 524...tip portion, 526...tapered surface, 528...tip surface, 530...spring member, 600...cap, 602...projection, 700...ink tank, 700L...ink tank, 700S...ink tank, 710...ink introduction member, 711...flow path, 714...partition wall, 715...tip portion, 717...side surface, 721...flow path inside tank, 750...recess, 760...ink storage chamber, C...center axis, D1...first direction, D2...second direction, S...state, S1...closed state, S2...sealed state, S3...open state

Claims

1. An ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member having a flow path that communicates with the ink tank, a container body configured to be able to contain ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and forming an outlet on the opposite side to the container body; an outlet valve unit attached within the ink outlet forming portion, the outlet valve unit opening when the ink introduction member is inserted through the outlet and closing when the ink introduction member is removed from the outlet, The outlet valve unit A valve housing; a spring member supported by the valve housing within the valve housing and biasing the valve in a first direction toward the outlet; a spring seat that is movably disposed within the valve housing, that is located closer to the outlet side than the spring member in the first direction, and that is biased by the spring member; a membrane valve that is supported by the valve housing inside the valve housing and has elasticity, and has a hole formed in the center; The outlet valve unit further comprises: a closed valve state in which a seal is formed between the tip portion and the membrane valve in a state in which the tip portion of the spring seat in the first direction is inserted into the hole of the membrane valve; a sealed state in which the tip of the spring seat, which is pressed in a second direction opposite to the first direction by the ink introduction member, comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the tip of the ink introduction member; an open valve state in which the tip of the spring seat is pressed further in the second direction than in the sealed state, releasing the seal between the tip and the membrane valve, and the membrane valve comes into contact with the side of the ink introduction member inserted into the hole, sealing the space between the membrane valve and the side, The ink supply container is configured to change from the open state to the sealed state and then to the closed state when the ink introduction member is removed from the ink outlet forming portion.

2. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, An ink supply container in which the tip of the spring seat has a tapered surface formed so that the cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the first direction increases as it goes in the second direction, and in the closed valve state, the tapered surface forms a seal with the membrane valve.

3. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The membrane valve has a sealing portion that has a first sealing portion that comes into contact with the spring seat in the closed valve state to form a seal with the tip portion, and a second sealing portion that comes into contact with the side surface in the open valve state to form a seal with the side surface, and one or more slits that are located radially inward of the sealing portion and extend radially outward from an end of the membrane valve that defines the hole.

4. 4. The ink supply container according to claim 1, Further, a cap is provided which is detachably attached to the ink outlet forming portion, an ink supply container, wherein the cap has a protrusion that presses the spring seat in the second direction to a position where the spring seat and the membrane valve are separated when the cap is attached to the ink outlet forming portion.

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