Ink refill container

Abstract

To provide an ink supply container that is easy to connect to the ink introduction component. [Solution] The ink supply container comprises a container body and an outlet valve unit, the outlet valve unit comprises a valve body, a spring member and a sealing member, the sealing member having a first sealing portion which, in the open state, contacts at least a part of the side surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole to provide a seal, the first sealing portion being an annular projection having a minimum inner diameter portion in a first radial direction toward the central axis in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the projection having a height along the first radial direction from the second direction side inner circumferential surface located on the second direction side of the projection to the minimum inner diameter portion, and when the position of the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the second direction of the projection is used as the boundary, the portion located on the first direction side of the boundary is the outlet side portion and the portion located on the second direction side of the boundary is the valve body side portion, the volume of the valve body side portion is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ink supply container.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank via an ink inlet passage member communicating with the ink tank of a printer. The ink supply container includes an ink outlet forming portion having a cylindrical portion with an ink outlet. An outlet valve unit is mounted inside the cylindrical portion. When the user attaches the ink supply container to the printer, the ink inlet passage member is inserted into the ink outlet, the outlet valve unit opens, and ink is supplied to the ink tank. In the open valve state, a substantially ring-shaped seal member forming part of the outlet valve unit contacts the outer peripheral surface of the ink inlet passage member, thereby sealing the outer peripheral surface of the ink inlet passage member. The inner surface of the seal member protrudes inward so as to interfere with the outer peripheral surface of the ink inlet passage member.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the interference volume between the ink introduction member inserted into the ink outlet of the ink supply container and the seal member that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the ink introduction member is large, the load when connecting the ink supply container to the ink introduction member increases. Therefore, there was room for improvement in the ink supply container in terms of ease of connection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first embodiment of this disclosure, an ink refill container is provided. This ink supply container is an ink supply container that supplies ink to the ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member that communicates with the ink tank, and comprises a container body configured to contain the ink, an ink outlet forming part connected to the container body and having a cylindrical part that forms an outlet on the opposite side of the container body, and an outlet valve unit installed in the ink outlet forming part, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the cylindrical part from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the cylindrical part, the outlet valve unit having a valve body arranged to be movable in the central axis direction along the central axis of the cylindrical part, a spring member that biases the valve body in a first direction toward the outlet side in the central axis direction, and a seal member located on the outlet side of the valve body in the central axis direction, having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, and when the valve is open, the ink introduction member is inserted through the through hole and presses the valve body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby releasing the ink between the seal member and the valve body. The valve comprises a sealing member that forms a gap through which air can flow, and in the closed state, when the ink introduction member is removed through the through hole, the valve body comes into contact with the sealing member and the through hole is closed, the sealing member having a first sealing portion on the inner circumferential surface forming the through hole, which in the open state comes into contact with at least a part of the side surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole to provide a seal, the first sealing portion being an annular projection having a minimum inner diameter portion in a first radial direction toward the central axis in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the projection having a height along the first radial direction from the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential surface located on the second direction side of the projection to the minimum inner diameter portion, and the sealing member being formed such that when the position of the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the second direction of the projection is used as a boundary, the portion located on the first direction side of the boundary is the outlet side portion, and the portion located on the second direction side of the boundary is the valve body side portion, the volume of the valve body side portion is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a printer. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the ink tank. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the ink supply process, where ink is being transferred from an ink supply container to an ink tank. [Figure 4] This is a disassembled perspective view of an ink refill container. [Figure 5] This is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container in a non-replenished state, where no ink is being supplied to the ink tank. [Figure 6] This is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container and an ink tank in a state where ink is being supplied to the ink tank. [Figure 8] This is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the structure of the valve body. [Figure 11] This figure shows a portion of the cross-section of the sealing member, cut along the central axis of the cylindrical part. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the deformation of the first sealing portion when the ink introduction member is inserted into the through hole. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the deformation of the first sealing portion when the ink introduction member is removed from the through hole. [Figure 14] This figure illustrates the shape of the sealing member in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] This figure shows a portion of the cross-section of the sealing member cut along the central axis of the cylindrical portion in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] A. First Embodiment: Figure 1 is a perspective view of printer 100. Figure 1 shows three mutually orthogonal spatial axes, the X, Y, and Z axes. The arrows on the X, Y, and Z axes point in the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. These positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are called the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction, respectively. The directions opposite to those pointed out by the arrows on the X, Y, and Z axes are the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. These negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are called the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction, respectively. Directions along the X, Y, and Z axes that are not positive or negative are called 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 aligned with the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis aligned with the direction of gravity. Hereafter, the direction of gravity will be referred to as the -Z direction, and the direction of anti-gravity will be referred to as the +Z direction. Furthermore, the direction from the rear side to the front side of the printer 100 will be referred to as the -Y direction, and the direction from the front side to the rear side will be referred to as the +Y direction. Also, when viewing the printer 100 from the front side, the direction from right to left will be referred to as the -X direction, and the direction from left to right will be referred to as the +X direction. Note that "printer 100 in use" refers to the state in which the printer 100 is installed on a horizontal surface. The same applies to the figures and descriptions shown from here on.

[0009] Printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a printing medium. Printer 100 has a housing 110. Inside the housing 110 is a carriage (not shown). The carriage is movable in the main scanning direction along the X direction. A print head (not shown) that ejects ink onto the printing medium is installed on the carriage. An ink tank housing unit 160 is provided at one end of the front of the housing 110. The ink tank housing unit 160 houses a plurality of ink tanks 700S and 700L. The ink tank housing unit 160 has an openable and 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. In the following description, both will be referred to simply as "ink tank 700" without distinction. The ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage by a tube (not shown). That is, the ink tank 700 is a stationary ink tank that is not mounted on the carriage of printer 100. The ink tank 700 may also be mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.

[0010] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ink tank 700. An ink introduction member 710 is provided on the upper surface of the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 is a cylindrical member for supplying ink to the ink tank 700. The outer diameter of the ink introduction member 710 is constant regardless of its axial position. The ink introduction member 710 protrudes upward from the ink tank 700. The ink introduction member 710 has a plurality of introduction channels 711, 712 separated by a partition 714. In this embodiment, the ink introduction member 710 has two introduction channels 711, 712. The two introduction channels 711, 712 each communicate with two in-tank channels 721, 722 that protrude into the ink storage chamber 760 of the ink tank 700. The two introduction channels 711, 712 each have open end faces 717, 718 as openings formed on the tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710. The open end area, which is the area of ​​the open end faces 717 and 718, is uniform in the two introduction channels 711 and 712. A portion of the tip surface 715 of the ink introduction member 710 corresponds to the end of the partition 714. The outer diameter of the ink introduction member 710 only needs to be constant regardless of the axial position of the portion inserted into the ink supply container 200, which will be described later.

[0011] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the replenishment state in which ink is replenished from the ink supply container 200 to the ink tank 700. The front of the ink tank 700 is made of a transparent material. This makes the ink level in the ink tank 700 visible from the outside. When the ink level in the ink tank 700 decreases, the user can open the lid 162 and replenish the ink in the ink tank 700 from the ink introduction member 710. In this disclosure, "ink replenishment" means the operation of supplying ink to the ink tank 700 to increase the ink level in the ink tank 700. However, it is not necessary to fill the ink tank 700 completely with ink by "ink replenishment". "Ink replenishment" includes the operation of filling an empty ink tank 700 with ink when the printer 100 is used 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 replenished with ink, the tip of the ink introduction member 710 is sealed with the sealing cap 165. When replenishing the ink tank 700 with ink, the sealing cap 165 is removed from the ink introduction member 710, and the tip of the ink replenishment container 200 is inserted into the position of the ink introduction member 710. Thereby, the ink tank 700 is replenished with ink.

[0013] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the ink replenishment container 200. The ink replenishment container 200 is a container for replenishing the ink tank 700 by gas-liquid exchange. The ink replenishment container 200 has a container body 300, an ink outlet forming portion 400, and an outlet valve unit 500. The container body 300 is configured to be able to accommodate ink. The container body 300 is a hollow cylindrical container having 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. The ink outlet forming portion 400 is connected to the container body 300. The ink outlet forming portion 400 has a cylindrical portion 420 that forms an ink outlet 460 on the side opposite to the container body 300. The outlet valve unit 500 is mounted inside the ink outlet forming portion 400. The outlet valve unit 500 is a spring valve.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink replenishment container 200 in a non-replenishment state where the ink tank 700 is not replenished with ink. FIG. 5 shows a cross-section when a part of the configuration of the ink replenishment container 2 is cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the ink replenishment container 200 and the ink tank 700 in a replenishment state where the ink tank 700 is replenished with ink. FIG. shows a cross-section when a part of the configuration of the ink replenishment container 200 and a part of the configuration of the ink introduction member 710 are cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 7. Hereinafter, the ink replenishment container 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8.

[0015] In this specification, the direction along the central axis C of the cylinder portion 420 is referred to as the central axis direction. Also, in the central axis direction, the direction from the container body 300 toward the ink outlet 460 side is referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction opposite to the first direction D1 is referred to as the second direction D2. Further, in the radial direction orthogonal to the central axis direction, the direction toward the central axis C is referred to as the first radial direction D3.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in the non-replenishment state, the outlet valve unit 500 is in a valve-closed state that seals the ink outlet 460 so that ink does not leak to the outside. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, in the replenishment state, the outlet valve unit 500 is in a valve-open state that releases the seal of the ink outlet 460 so that ink flows into the ink introduction member 710. The outlet valve unit 500 opens when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the cylinder portion 420 from the ink outlet 460, and closes when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the cylinder portion 420. Note that in FIGS. 7 and 8, the ink introduction member 710 and the seal member 510 of the outlet valve unit 500 described later are depicted as interfering with each other, but in actuality, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the cylinder portion 420 from the ink outlet 460, the seal member 510 is deformed so as to contact the side surface of the ink introduction member 710. The deformation of the seal member 510 will be described later.

[0017] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the ink outlet forming section 400 further includes a tubular flow path section 410. As shown in Figure 7, the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the tubular flow path section 410 through a through hole 519 of a sealing member 510 of the outlet valve unit 500, which will be described later. The tubular flow path section 410 has a plurality of replenishment channels 411, 412. In this embodiment, the tubular flow path section 410 has two replenishment channels 411, 412. The two replenishment channels 411, 412 are each formed by the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical section 420 and the outer circumferential surface of the outlet valve unit 500. Of the two replenishment channels 411, 412, one is used as an ink channel and the other is used as an air channel. In Figure 7, solid arrows indicate ink flow and dashed arrows indicate air flow. In this embodiment, the first replenishment channel 411 is used as an ink channel. The second replenishment channel 412 is used as an air channel.

[0018] Figure 9 is a perspective view of the outlet valve unit 500. As shown in Figures 9 and 4, the outlet valve unit 500 includes a valve housing 540, a valve body 520, a spring member 530, and a sealing member 510 that functions as a valve seat.

[0019] The valve housing 540 houses the valve body 520, the spring member 530, and the seal member 510. The valve housing 540 has a substantially cylindrical shape with one end open in the direction of the central axis and the other end closed in the direction of the central axis. Here, one end in the direction of the central axis is the end on the first direction D1 side, and the other end in the direction of the central axis is the end on the second direction D2 side. The ink introduction member 710 can be inserted into and removed from the valve housing 540 through the opening formed at one end in the direction of the central axis. The valve housing 540 has a retaining portion 540A for the seal member 510 and an engaging portion 540B for the cylindrical portion 420 on the one end in the direction of the central axis. As shown in Figure 5, the valve housing 540 is installed inside the cylindrical portion 420. At this time, a gap forming the supply passages 411 and 412 is formed between the valve housing 540 and the cylindrical portion 420. The valve housing 540 has a side opening 540C, and in the open valve state, the supply passages 411 and 412 communicate with the introduction passages 711 and 712 through the side opening 540C.

[0020] The valve body 520 is positioned within the valve housing 540 so as to be movable in the central axis direction. The valve body 520 is formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0021] Figure 10 shows the configuration of the valve body 520. The valve body 520 has a cylindrical portion 524, a sealing surface 525, and a projection 526.

[0022] The cylindrical portion 524 has a cylindrical shape extending in the direction of the central axis. As shown in Figure 5, the cylindrical portion 524 faces the inner surface of the valve housing 540. The cylindrical portion 524 is slidable in the direction of the central axis by being guided by the inner surface of the valve housing 540.

[0023] The sealing surface 525 is formed on the end face of the cylindrical portion 524 located on the first direction D1 side. The sealing surface 525 extends radially along the cylindrical portion 524, intersecting the central axis direction. The shape of the sealing surface 525, as viewed along the central axis direction, is annular. As shown in Figure 6, the sealing surface 525 contacts the second sealing portion 512 of the sealing member 510, which will be described later, when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the closed state.

[0024] The projection 526 is formed radially inward of the cylindrical portion 524 compared to the sealing surface 525. As shown in Figure 5, the projection 526 is located on the ink outlet 460 side of the sealing surface 525 in the central axis direction. The shape of the projection 526 is a frustoconical shape in which the radial cross-sectional area perpendicular to the central axis direction is larger on the second direction D2 side than on the first direction D1 side. As shown in Figure 8, the tip of the projection 526 contacts the partition 714 of the ink introduction member 710 when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the open state.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the spring member 530 biases the valve body 520 in a first direction D1. The spring member 530 is housed within the valve housing 540 and supported by the valve housing 540. The spring member 530 is made of, for example, metal. In this embodiment, the spring member 530 is a coil spring.

[0026] The sealing member 510 is installed inside the valve housing 540. The sealing member 510 is located on the ink outlet 460 side of the valve body 520 in the central axis direction. The shape of the sealing member 510 is substantially ring-shaped. The sealing member 510 is formed of, for example, an elastic rubber material or elastomer. The sealing member 510 has a through hole 519 through which the ink introduction member 710 is inserted and removed. The through hole 519 is formed by the inner circumferential surface of the sealing member 510.

[0027] The sealing member 510 further comprises a first sealing portion 511 and a second sealing portion 512. The first sealing portion 511 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the sealing member 510 and, in the open state, contacts the side surface of the ink introduction member 710 inserted into the through hole 519 to provide a seal. Details of the first sealing portion 511 will be described later.

[0028] The second seal portion 512 protrudes toward the sealing surface 525 of the valve body 520 along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. The second seal portion 512 switches the communication between the replenishment passages 411, 412 and the introduction passages 711, 712. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in the closed state of the outlet valve unit 500, the valve body 520 is biased by the spring member 530 toward the sealing member 510 located on the ink outlet 460 side of the valve body 520. Due to the biasing by the spring member 530, the second seal portion 512 contacts the sealing surface 525 of the valve body 520 in the closed state of the outlet valve unit 500, thereby closing the through hole 519. As a result, the second seal portion 512 blocks the communication between the replenishment passages 411, 412 and the introduction passages 711, 712. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 420 from the ink outlet 460 and the valve body 520 is pressed in the second direction D2, the second seal portion 512 separates from the sealing surface 525 of the valve body 520. As a result, when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the open state, a gap is formed between the second seal portion 512 and the valve body 520. In other words, when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the open state, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted through the through hole 519 and presses the valve body 520 in the second direction D2, a gap is formed between the seal member 510 and the valve body 520 through which ink and air can flow. Also, when the outlet valve unit 500 is in the closed state, when the ink introduction member 710 is removed through the through hole 519, the valve body 520 comes into contact with the seal member 510 and the through hole 519 is closed.

[0029] Figure 11 shows a portion of the cross-section of the seal member 510 cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. As shown in Figure 11, the first seal portion 511 is an annular projection 511p having a minimum inner diameter portion 513 in the first radial direction D3. Here, the minimum inner diameter portion 513 is the portion of the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510 where the diameter is smallest. In this embodiment, the minimum inner diameter portion 513 has a length along the central axis direction. In other words, the seal member 510 has a portion with the smallest inner diameter within a certain range along the central axis direction. Hereinafter, the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510 located on the first direction D1 side of the projection 511p will be called the first direction side inner circumferential surface 514, and the inner circumferential surface located on the second direction D2 side of the projection 511p will be called the second direction side inner circumferential surface 515. The projection 511p is the height from the second direction side inner circumferential surface 515 to the minimum inner diameter portion 513, and has a height along the first radial direction D3. In other words, the protruding portion 511p refers to the part that extends outward in the first radial direction D3 from the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side. In Figure 11, the protruding portion 511p is the part that is located on the first radial direction D3 side of the boundary B along the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side.

[0030] The inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side is the portion of the inner circumferential surface located on the first direction D1 side of the protrusion 511p, where the diameter is substantially constant regardless of the position in the central axis direction. The inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is the portion of the inner circumferential surface located on the second direction D2 side of the protrusion 511p, where the diameter is substantially constant regardless of the position in the central axis direction. As shown in Figure 8, the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is equal to the diameter A1 of the inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side. The diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is 1.1 times or more the diameter A3 of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member 710.

[0031] In the following, as shown in Figure 11, the portion of the protruding portion 511p located on the first direction D1 side of the boundary E, where the end of the minimum inner diameter portion 513 in the second direction D2 is defined as boundary E, will be referred to as the outlet side portion 516, and the portion located on the second direction D2 side of boundary E will be referred to as the valve body side portion 517. The inner surface of the valve body side portion 517, that is, the portion of the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510 that constitutes the valve body side portion 517, is a concave arc surface in a cross-section along the central axis direction. The inner surface of the outlet side portion 516, that is, the portion of the inner circumferential surface of the seal member 510 that constitutes the outlet side portion 516, is a convex arc surface in a cross-section along the central axis direction. The seal member 510 is formed such that the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion 516.

[0032] Figure 12 illustrates the deformation of the first seal portion 511 when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through hole 519. When the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through hole 519, the first seal portion 511 receives a force from the ink introduction member 710 in the second direction D2. As a result, the first seal portion 511 deforms so that the position of the minimum inner diameter portion 513 moves in the second direction D2.

[0033] Figure 13 illustrates the deformation of the first seal portion 511 when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the through hole 519. When the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the through hole 519, the first seal portion 511 receives a force from the ink introduction member 710 directed in the first direction D1. As a result, the first seal portion 511 deforms so that the position of the minimum inner diameter portion 513 moves in the first direction D1.

[0034] According to the first embodiment described above, the sealing member 510 of the ink supply container 200 is formed such that the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion 516. In other words, the valve body side portion 517 is formed to have less material than the outlet side portion 516. Therefore, the valve body side portion 517 is more easily deformed than the outlet side portion 516. When the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the through hole 519, the first sealing portion 511 receives a force from the ink introduction member 710 in the second direction D2. Therefore, compared to the case where the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is larger than the volume of the outlet side portion 516, or the case where the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is equal to the volume of the outlet side portion 516, the load when connecting the ink supply container 200 to the ink introduction member 710 is smaller in this embodiment. Therefore, the ink supply container 200 can be easily connected to the ink introduction member 710.

[0035] Furthermore, when the ink introduction member 710 is removed from the through hole 519, the first seal portion 511 receives a force directed from the ink introduction member 710 toward the first direction D1. Therefore, compared to cases where the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is larger than the volume of the outlet side portion 516, or where the volume of the valve body side portion 517 is equal to the volume of the outlet side portion 516, the load when removing the ink supply container 200 from the ink introduction member 710 is greater in this embodiment. Consequently, it becomes more difficult to remove the ink supply container 200 from the ink introduction member 710. If the load when removing the ink supply container 200 from the ink introduction member 710 is small, the reaction force of the spring member 530 makes it easier for the replenished ink supply container 200 to move toward the second direction D2, potentially causing ink to leak to the outside. In this embodiment, the load when detaching the ink supply container 200 from the ink introduction member 710 is large, making it difficult for the ink supply container 200 to move in the second direction D2, thus stably maintaining the replenishment state. As a result, ink replenishment is performed effectively.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is 1.1 times or more the diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member 710. Therefore, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the ink supply container 200 through the through hole 519 of the seal member 510, the increase in load can be suppressed even after the ink introduction member 710 has passed through the first seal portion 511. If the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is less than 1.1 times the diameter of the ink introduction member 710, the gap between the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side and the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member 710 becomes narrower. Therefore, if the ink introduction member 710 is inserted at an oblique angle to the through hole 519 of the seal member 510, the ink introduction member 710 that has passed through the first seal portion 511 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side, restricting the deformation of the first seal portion 511 and increasing the insertion load. In this embodiment, since the ink introduction member 710 that has passed through the first seal portion 511 is less likely to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed, making it easier to insert the ink introduction member 710 to a deep position inside the ink supply container 200.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is equal to the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side. Therefore, compared to the case where the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the ink supply container 200 through the through hole 519 of the seal member 510, the ink introduction member 710 that has passed through the first seal portion 511 is less likely to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side. As a result, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed, and the ink introduction member 710 can be easily inserted to a deep position inside the ink supply container 200.

[0038] B. Second Embodiment: Figure 14 illustrates the shape of the sealing member 510b in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the shape of the sealing member 510b differs from that of the first embodiment. The configuration of each part of the ink supply container 200 other than the sealing member 510b is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0039] Figure 14 shows a cross-section of the sealing member 510b cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420. As mentioned above, the protrusion 511pb is the portion that extends beyond the second direction inner circumferential surface 515 toward the first radial direction D3. In other words, the protrusion 511pb is the portion that extends from the boundary B along the second direction inner circumferential surface 515 toward the first radial direction D3. In the second embodiment, the entire portion of the inner circumferential surface of the sealing member 510b that is located toward the first direction D1 toward the second direction inner circumferential surface 515 extends from the boundary B toward the first radial direction D3. In other words, the entire portion located toward the first direction D1 toward the second direction inner circumferential surface 515 becomes the protrusion 511p. Therefore, the sealing member 510 does not have a first direction inner circumferential surface 514. As a result, it can be said that the protrusion 511pb is formed at the end of the sealing member 510b toward the first direction D1. The projection 511pb has an inner circumferential surface 518 located on the side of the first direction D1 from the end F of the minimum inner diameter portion 513 in the first direction D1. The inner circumferential surface 518 is the portion of the inner circumferential surface of the projection 511pb located on the side of the first direction D1 from the minimum inner diameter portion 513, in which the diameter is substantially constant regardless of the position in the central axis direction. The diameter A4 of the inner circumferential surface 518 is larger than the diameter A5 of the minimum inner diameter portion 513 and smaller than the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side.

[0040] According to the second embodiment described above, since the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is larger than the diameter A4 of the inner circumferential surface 518 of the protruding portion, when the ink introduction member 710 is inserted into the ink supply container 200 through the through hole 519 of the sealing member 510b, the ink introduction member 710 that has passed through the first sealing portion 511 is less likely to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side. As a result, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed, and the ink introduction member 710 can be easily inserted to a deep position inside the ink supply container 200.

[0041] C. Other embodiments: (C-1) In the above embodiment, the inner surface of the valve body side portion 517 is a concave arc surface in a cross-section along the central axis direction. The inner surface of the outlet side portion 516 is a convex arc surface in a cross-section along the central axis direction. In contrast, the shape of the first seal portion 511c cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420 may be a trapezoidal shape, as shown in Figure 15, where the length in the direction along the central axis direction is greater on the side farther from the central axis C in the radial direction than on the side closer to the central axis C. Figure 15 shows a part of the cross-section of the seal member 510c cut along the central axis C of the cylindrical portion 420.

[0042] (C-2) In the above embodiment, the minimum inner diameter portion 513 has a length along the central axis direction. In contrast, the minimum inner diameter portion 513 may be a single point. That is, the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion 511p may be smallest at a single point in the central axis direction.

[0043] (C-3) In the above embodiment, the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is 1.1 times or more the diameter A3 of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member 710. In contrast, the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side may be less than 1.1 times the diameter A3 of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member 710.

[0044] (C-4) In the above embodiment, the outlet side portion 516 is the portion of the protruding portion 511p located on the first direction D1 side of the boundary E, and the valve body side portion 517 is the portion located on the second direction D2 side of the boundary E. In contrast, the outlet side portion 516 may be the portion of the protruding portion 511p that interferes with the ink introduction member 710 inserted into the through hole 519, and is located on the first direction D1 side of the boundary E. Also, the valve body side portion 517 may be the portion of the protruding portion 511p that interferes with the ink introduction member 710 inserted into the through hole 519, and is located on the second direction D2 side of the boundary E.

[0045] (C-5) In the first embodiment, the sealing member 510 has an inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the sealing member 510 does not have to have an inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side. That is, the first sealing portion 511 may be formed at the end of the sealing member 510 on the first direction D1 side.

[0046] (C-6) In the first embodiment, the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side is equal to the diameter A1 of the inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the diameter A2 of the inner circumferential surface 515 on the second direction side may be smaller than the diameter A1 of the inner circumferential surface 514 on the first direction side.

[0047] D. Other forms: This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from its spirit. For example, this disclosure can also be implemented in the following forms. The technical features in the embodiments described below that correspond to the technical features in each of the forms described below can be replaced or combined as appropriate in order to solve some or all of the problems of this disclosure, or to achieve some or all of the effects of this disclosure. Furthermore, if such technical features are not described as essential in this specification, they can be deleted as appropriate.

[0048] (1) According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, an ink refill container is provided. This ink supply container is an ink supply container that supplies ink to the ink tank of a printer via an ink introduction member that communicates with the ink tank, and comprises a container body configured to contain the ink, an ink outlet forming part connected to the container body and having a cylindrical part that forms an outlet on the opposite side of the container body, and an outlet valve unit installed in the ink outlet forming part, which opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the cylindrical part from the outlet and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the cylindrical part, the outlet valve unit having a valve body arranged to be movable in the central axis direction along the central axis of the cylindrical part, a spring member that biases the valve body in a first direction toward the outlet side in the central axis direction, and a seal member located on the outlet side of the valve body in the central axis direction, having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, and when the valve is open, the ink introduction member is inserted through the through hole and presses the valve body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby releasing the ink between the seal member and the valve body. The valve comprises a sealing member that forms a gap through which air can flow, and in the closed state, when the ink introduction member is removed through the through hole, the valve body comes into contact with the sealing member and the through hole is closed, the sealing member having a first sealing portion on the inner circumferential surface forming the through hole, which in the open state comes into contact with at least a part of the side surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole to provide a seal, the first sealing portion being an annular projection having a minimum inner diameter portion in a first radial direction toward the central axis in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, the projection having a height along the first radial direction from the inner circumferential surface of the inner circumferential surface located on the second direction side of the projection to the minimum inner diameter portion, and the sealing member being formed such that when the position of the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the second direction of the projection is used as a boundary, the portion located on the first direction side of the boundary is the outlet side portion, and the portion located on the second direction side of the boundary is the valve body side portion, the volume of the valve body side portion is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion. With this configuration, the valve body side is more easily deformed than the outlet side, so the load when connecting the ink supply container to the ink introduction member is smaller compared to cases where the volume of the valve body side is larger than the volume of the outlet side, or where the volume of the valve body side is equal to the volume of the outlet side. Therefore, it is easier to connect the ink supply container to the ink introduction member.

[0049] (2) In the above embodiment, the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side is 1.1 times or more the diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member. With this configuration, when the ink introduction member is inserted into the ink supply container through the through-hole of the sealing member, the increase in load can be suppressed even after the ink introduction member has passed through the first sealing portion. Therefore, it is possible to easily connect the ink supply container to the ink introduction member.

[0050] (3) In the above embodiment, the inner surface further has a first-direction side inner surface located on the first-direction side of the protrusion, and the diameter of the second-direction side inner surface is equal to the diameter of the first-direction side inner surface. With this configuration, compared to the case where the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side is smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the first direction side, when the ink introduction member is inserted into the ink supply container through the through hole of the sealing member, the ink introduction member that has passed through the first sealing portion is less likely to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side. As a result, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed, and the ink introduction member can be easily inserted to a deep position inside the ink supply container.

[0051] (4) In the above embodiment, the protrusion has an inner circumferential surface of the protrusion located on the first direction side of the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the first direction, and the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion may be larger than the diameter of the minimum inner diameter portion and smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side. With this configuration, compared to the case where the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side is smaller than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the protruding part, when the ink introduction member is inserted into the ink supply container through the through hole of the sealing member, the ink introduction member that has passed through the first sealing part is less likely to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side. As a result, the increase in insertion load can be suppressed, and the ink introduction member can be easily inserted to a deep position inside the ink supply container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100…Printer, 110…Housing, 160…Ink tank housing unit, 162…Lid, 165…Sealing cap, 200…Ink refill container, 300…Container body, 312…External thread, 400…Ink outlet forming part, 410…Tubular flow path part, 411…First refill flow path, 412…Second refill flow path, 420…Cylinder part, 460…Ink outlet, 500…Outlet valve unit, 510, 510b, 510c…Sealing member, 511, 511c…First sealing part, 511p, 511pb…Protruding part, 512…Second sealing part, 513…Minimum inner diameter part, 514…Inner circumferential surface on the first direction side, 515…Inner circumferential surface on the second direction side, 516…Outlet side part Minutes, 517... Valve body side portion, 518... Inner circumferential surface of protruding part, 519... Through hole, 520... Valve body, 524... Cylindrical part, 525... Seal surface, 526... Projection, 530... Spring member, 540... Valve housing, 540A... Retaining part, 540B... Engaging part, 540C... Side opening, 700... Ink tank, 700L... Second ink tank, 700S... First ink tank, 710... Ink introduction member, 711, 712... Intake flow path, 714... Partition, 715... Tip surface, 717, 718... Open end surface, 721, 722... Tank internal flow path, 760... Ink storage chamber, C... Central axis, D1... First direction, D2... Second direction, D3... First radial direction

Claims

1. An ink supply container that supplies ink to a printer's ink tank via an ink introduction member that communicates with the ink tank, A container body configured to contain the aforementioned ink, An ink outlet forming section is connected to the container body and has a cylindrical portion that forms an outlet on the opposite side from the container body, The outlet valve unit is installed in the ink outlet forming section and opens when the ink introduction member is inserted into the cylindrical section from the outlet, and closes when the ink introduction member is removed from the cylindrical section. The aforementioned outlet valve unit is A valve body is arranged to be movable in the central axis direction along the central axis of the cylindrical portion, A spring member that biases the valve body in a first direction toward the outlet side in the central axis direction, A sealing member located on the outlet side of the valve body in the central axis direction, having a through hole through which the ink introduction member is inserted and removed, wherein in the open state, the ink introduction member is inserted through the through hole and presses the valve body in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby forming a gap between the sealing member and the valve body through which the ink and air can flow, and in the closed state, the ink introduction member is removed through the through hole, causing the valve body to come into contact with the sealing member and the through hole to close, The sealing member has a first sealing portion on its inner circumferential surface that forms the through hole, which contacts at least a portion of the side surface of the ink introduction member inserted into the through hole when the valve is open, thereby creating a seal. The first sealing portion is an annular projection having a minimum inner diameter portion in a first radial direction toward the central axis in a radial direction perpendicular to the central axis, The protrusion has a height along the first radial direction, from the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side of the inner circumferential surface located on the second direction side of the protrusion to the minimum inner diameter portion. Of the protruding portion, with the position of the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the second direction as the boundary, the portion located on the first direction side of the boundary is defined as the outlet side portion, and the portion located on the second direction side of the boundary is defined as the valve body side portion, the sealing member is formed such that the volume of the valve body side portion is smaller than the volume of the outlet side portion. Ink refill container.

2. An ink supply container according to claim 1, The diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side is 1.1 times or more the diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the ink introduction member. Ink refill container.

3. An ink supply container according to claim 1 or 2, The inner circumferential surface further has a first-direction side inner circumferential surface located on the first-direction side of the protrusion, The diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side is equal to the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the first direction side. Ink refill container.

4. An ink supply container according to claim 1 or 2, The projection has an inner circumferential surface of the projection located on the first direction side from the end of the minimum inner diameter portion in the first direction, The diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the protrusion is greater than the diameter of the minimum inner diameter portion and less than the diameter of the inner circumferential surface on the second direction side. Ink refill container.

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