LIQUID SUPPLY DEVICE AND IMAGE RECORDING DEVICE

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply device that can efficiently perform gas-liquid replacement.SOLUTION: An ink supply device 15 comprises a sub tank 100 and an ink cartridge 50 that can be attached, through a longitudinal direction 8, to the sub tank 100. The ink cartridge 50 has a first storage chamber 53 for storing ink. The sub tank 100 has a second storage chamber 105 for storing ink, a liquid passage 103 and a gas passage 104 which are communicated with the second storage chamber 105, and an atmospheric communication port 106 through which the second storage chamber 105 is communicated with the outside. The sub tank 100 has a narrow wide narrow part 151 having a width narrower than a width of the ink cartridge 50 in a lateral direction 9 at a front end part thereof, in which a vertical portion 133 of the liquid passage 103, a vertical portion 143 of the gas passage 104 and the atmospheric communication port 106 are positioned in this order, along the longitudinal direction 8, in a direction away from the front end part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid supplying device capable of storing liquid, and an image recording apparatus including the liquid supplying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a liquid supplying device that includes a cartridge that contains ink, a subtank that is connected to a recording head, and a liquid flow path and a gas flow path that connect the cartridge and the subtank. The cartridge is disposed vertically above the subtank. The liquid flow path and the gas flow path connect the cartridge and the subtank in the vertical direction. The liquid flow path and the gas flow path open to the bottom surface of the cartridge and the top surface of the subtank, respectively. An air inlet is provided through the top wall of the subtank, and gas is supplied from the air inlet through the inside of the subtank to the gas flow path (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the subtank, the liquid flow path extends below the gas flow path, and the opening of the gas flow path is above the opening of the liquid flow path. When the cartridge is connected without ink in the subtank, such as when replacing the cartridge, the ink in the cartridge falls naturally through the liquid flow path and is introduced into the subtank. At this time, air in the subtank, the same volume as the amount of ink introduced, is introduced into the cartridge from the air inlet through the gas flow path. This type of gas-liquid replacement is performed until the opening of the gas flow path is blocked, and ink is stored in the subtank.

[0004] When ink is ejected from the printhead during a printing operation, the ink in the subtank decreases, and the ink level in the subtank drops. As a result, the opening of the gas flow path opens, and ink is supplied from the cartridge into the subtank. When the ink is introduced, the liquid level in the subtank rises and the opening of the gas flow path is blocked, and the supply of ink from the cartridge stops. To compensate for the ink consumption in the printhead, ink is replenished from the cartridge to the subtank, and the height of the ink level in the subtank is maintained at the opening position of the gas flow path. Therefore, the printer can be used continuously by leaving the subtank in the printer and replacing the empty cartridge with a cartridge filled with ink. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4934338 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the above liquid supply device, the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are both located at the same distance from the atmosphere inlet in a horizontal plane. Therefore, the gas introduced from the atmosphere inlet may, for example, flow around the liquid flow path, obstructing the flow of liquid from the liquid flow path, or preventing the gas from flowing smoothly from the atmosphere inlet to the gas flow path. As a result, there is a risk of a decrease in the efficiency of gas-liquid replacement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supplying device that enables efficient gas-liquid replacement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) According to a liquid supplying device of the present invention, there is provided a liquid supplying device comprising a tank and a cartridge attachable to the tank, wherein the cartridge has a first storage chamber for storing liquid and a communication port communicating with the first storage chamber, the tank has a second storage chamber for storing the liquid, and a liquid flow path and a gas flow path each having a first opening formed at one end communicating with the second storage chamber and a second opening formed at the other end opposite to the one end and opening to the outside, a joint within which the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are formed at least in a portion including the second opening, and an atmosphere communication port communicating the second storage chamber with the outside, and in an attached state in which the communication port of the cartridge and the joint of the tank are connected, The first storage chamber has a portion located above the joint, and the second storage chamber is located below the joint, the liquid flow path and the gas flow path have a vertical portion extending vertically upward from the first opening, and the vertical portion is partitioned by a cylindrical outer wall and an inner wall that divides an internal space partitioned by the inner surface of the outer wall along the vertical direction, and the tank has a narrow portion at at least one end in a first direction in a horizontal plane, the narrow portion having a width narrower than the width of the cartridge in a second direction in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the first direction, and the liquid flow path in the vertical portion, the gas flow path in the vertical portion, and the atmosphere vent are located in that order along the first direction, away from the one end.

[0009] According to the above configuration, since the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are connected via the gas flow path and the liquid flow path, the liquid in the first storage chamber can be supplied to the second storage chamber by gas-liquid replacement. Since the first storage chamber is disposed above the second storage chamber, the liquid is supplied from the first storage chamber to the second storage chamber in response to a decrease in the liquid in the second storage chamber. In addition, since the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are partitioned by the inner surface of the outer wall and the surface of the inner wall, the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are integrated. Therefore, compared with the case where the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are separated, the space required for connecting the liquid flow path and the gas flow path to the second storage chamber is reduced, and the tank can be made smaller. In addition, since the liquid flow path is disposed at a position away from between the gas flow path and the atmosphere communication port, the gas flows smoothly from the atmosphere communication port toward the gas flow path. Therefore, the gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

[0010] (2) Preferably, both of the first openings of the liquid flow path and the gas flow path communicate with the second storage chamber within the narrow width portion.

[0011] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since both the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are connected to the narrow portion, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port is easily guided directly to the gas flow path without flowing over the gas flow path toward the liquid flow path, and therefore the gas flows smoothly from the atmosphere communication port toward the gas flow path.

[0012] (3) Preferably, the width in the second direction of the liquid flow path and the gas flow path in the vertical portion is the same as the width in the second direction of the second storage chamber defined by the narrow portion.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the widths of the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are the same as the width of the second storage chamber defined by the narrow portion, so that the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port is easily guided directly to the gas flow path without overcoming the gas flow path and flowing toward the liquid flow path.

[0014] (4) Preferably, the tank has a wide portion having a width wider than the narrow portion in the second direction and not exceeding the width of the cartridge, and the second storage chamber is formed across the wide portion and the narrow portion.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the width of the second storage chamber is increased by the wide portion, so that the amount of liquid that can be stored in the second storage chamber is ensured without increasing the width of the tank in the first direction.

[0016] (5) Preferably, the vertical portion extends above an upper wall of the tank that defines an upper surface of the second storage chamber at the wide portion.

[0017] (6) Preferably, the joint extends in the first direction, the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are formed within the joint and have horizontal portions extending horizontally from the second opening, and the joint is connectable to the communication port of the cartridge along the first direction.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned configuration, since the cartridge is detachable from the tank in the horizontal direction, the operability in replacing the cartridge is good.

[0019] (7) An image recording apparatus according to the present invention includes the liquid supplying device and a recording section that ejects the liquid supplied from the tank.

[0020] According to the above configuration, gas-liquid exchange is carried out efficiently. Effect of the Invention

[0021] In the liquid supplying device according to the present invention, gas-liquid replacement is carried out efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction device 10 according to this embodiment, in which (A) shows a state in which a cover 48 is in a closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover 48 is in an open position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic internal structure of the printer unit 11. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink supply device 15. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink supply device 15 as viewed from the left front. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4 with the ink cartridge 50 removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 4, showing the periphery of the sub-tank 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the sub-tank 100 and the buffer tank 90 as viewed from the front left. [Figure 12] 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIA-XIIA in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIB-XIIB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without changing the gist of the present invention. In addition, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the posture in which the multifunction device 10 and the ink cartridge 50 attached to the multifunction device 10 are installed on a horizontal surface so as to be usable (the posture in FIG. 1, which may be referred to as the "use posture"). The front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided as the front, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, in the use posture, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0024] [Present embodiment] The multifunction device 10 and the ink supply device 15 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0025] [Overall configuration of multifunction device 10] 1, the multifunction device 10 (an example of an image recording device) has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multifunction device 10 has a printer unit 11, a scanner unit 12, and an operation panel 17. The printer unit 11 is located at the bottom of the multifunction device 10, and records an image on paper 28 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method. The scanner unit 12 is a device with a scanning function, and is located above the printer unit 11. The printer unit 11 includes a housing 14 having an opening 13 opening to the front, and an ink supply device 15 located to the right of the opening 13 inside the housing 14. The operation panel 17 is located in front of the scanner unit 12. The operation panel 17 is operated by the user to cause the multifunction device 10 to perform image recording by the printer unit 11 and image reading by the scanner unit 12.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the housing 14, a feeding section 16, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a pair of transport rollers 45, a recording section 24, a pair of discharge rollers 46, and a platen 42 are arranged.

[0027] [Feed tray 20, output tray 21] As shown in Fig. 1, the feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 14 in the front-to-rear direction 8 through an opening 13. The opening 13 is located on the front side of the multifunction device 10 and at the center in the left-to-right direction 9. As shown in Fig. 2, the feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets of paper 28. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feed tray 20, and is inserted and removed together with the feed tray 20 in the front-to-rear direction 8. The discharge tray 21 supports the sheets of paper 28 discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 46.

[0028] [Feeding section 16] The feeding unit 16 feeds the paper 28 supported by the feeding tray 20 to a transport path 38. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 16 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. A driving force is transmitted to the feeding roller 25 from a feeding motor (not shown). The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by the shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or by elastic force of a spring or the like.

[0029] Hereinafter, the rotation of the feed roller 25, the transport roller 34, and the discharge roller 36 involved in the transport of the paper 28 in the transport direction 38A will be referred to as "forward rotation."

[0030] [Transportation Route 38] As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying path 38 refers to a space formed by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19, which face each other at a predetermined interval, inside the printer unit 11. The conveying path 38 is a path that extends rearward from the rear end of the feed tray 20. The conveying path 38 extends upward at the rear of the printer unit 11, makes a U-turn forward, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through the space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the conveying path 38 between the conveying roller pair 45 and the discharge roller pair 46 is provided in the approximate center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9, and extends in the front-rear direction 8. A conveying direction 38A of the paper 28 in the conveying path 38 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2.

[0031] [Transport roller pair 45] 2, the conveying roller pair 45 is located upstream of the recording unit 24 in the conveying direction 38A. The conveying roller pair 45 has a conveying roller 34 and a pinch roller 35 that face each other. The conveying roller 34 rotates forward or backward by a drive force transmitted from a conveying motor (not shown). The pinch roller 35 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller 34. The paper 28 is sandwiched between the conveying roller 34 and the pinch roller 35 that rotate forward, and is conveyed in the conveying direction 38A.

[0032] [Discharge roller pair 46] 2, the discharge roller pair 46 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 38A. The discharge roller pair 46 has a discharge roller 36 and a spur 37 that face each other. The discharge roller 36 rotates forward or backward by a drive force transmitted from a transport motor (not shown). The spur 37 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the discharge roller 36. The paper 28 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 36 and the spur 37 that rotate forward, and is transported in the transport direction 38A.

[0033] [Record 24] 2, the recording unit 24 is located between the pair of transport rollers 45 and the pair of discharge rollers 46 in the transport direction 38A. The recording unit 24 faces the platen 42 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 38 in between. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39 mounted on the carriage 23.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, the carriages 23 are spaced apart in the front-rear direction 8 and are supported by guide rails 43, 44 that each extend in the left-right direction 9. The guide rails 43, 44 are supported by a frame (not shown). The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism rotates by a driving force transmitted from a carriage drive motor (not shown). As the belt mechanism rotates, the carriage 23 moves back and forth in the left-right direction 9 while being guided by the guide rails 43, 44. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends to the right and left of the width 38B of the transport path 38, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3.

[0035] The recording head 39 and the four sub-tanks 100 provided in the ink supply device 15 are connected by four ink tubes 32. The recording head 39 is connected to a control board (not shown) by a flexible flat cable 33.

[0036] The four sub-tanks 100 are a magenta sub-tank 100M, a cyan sub-tank 100C, a yellow sub-tank 100Y, and a black sub-tank 100B. In this specification, the magenta sub-tank 100M, the cyan sub-tank 100C, the yellow sub-tank 100Y, and the black sub-tank 100B are collectively referred to as sub-tanks 100 unless a distinction needs to be made therebetween.

[0037] The four ink tubes 32 consist of a yellow ink tube 32Y, a cyan ink tube 32C, a magenta ink tube 32M, and a black ink tube 32B. In this specification, the yellow ink tube 32Y, the cyan ink tube 32C, the magenta ink tube 32M, and the black ink tube 32B are collectively referred to as ink tubes 32 unless there is a need to distinguish between them. The four ink tubes 32 are bundled together.

[0038] The flexible flat cable 33 electrically connects a control board on which a control unit is mounted and the recording head 39. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits to the recording head 39 a control signal output from the control unit.

[0039] 2, a plurality of nozzles 40 are arranged on the underside of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the underside of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 ejects ink as minute ink droplets from the nozzles 40. As the carriage 23 moves, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the paper 28 supported by a platen 42. This causes an image to be recorded on the paper 28. This also consumes the ink stored in the four sub-tanks 100.

[0040] [Platen 42] 2 and 3, the platen 42 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 45 and the pair of discharge rollers 46 in the transport path 38. The platen 42 is disposed opposite the recording unit 24 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 38 in between. The platen 42 supports the paper 28 transported by the pair of transport rollers 45 from below.

[0041] [Cover 48] As shown in FIG. 1(B), an opening 47 is formed in the right front portion of the housing 14. The ink supply device 15 is housed in the housing 14, and the front surface of the ink supply device 15 is exposed from the opening 47. A cover 48 capable of opening and closing the opening 47 is attached to the housing 14. A lower end portion of the cover 48 is supported by the housing 14 below the opening 47 so as to be rotatable about an axis in the left-right direction 9. The cover 48 is rotatable between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1(A)) in which the opening 47 is closed, and an open position (position shown in FIG. 1(B)) in which the opening 47 is opened.

[0042] 1(A), the cover 48 has a light-transmitting portion 49. The light-transmitting portion 49 has a translucency that allows the internal configuration to be seen from the outside of the cover 48. When the cover 48 is in the closed position, the front surface of the ink cartridge 50 attached to the ink supply device 15 can be seen from the light-transmitting portion 49.

[0043] [Ink supply device 15] As shown in FIG. 4, the ink supply device 15 (an example of a liquid supply device) includes four ink cartridges 50, a storage case 71, four sub-tanks 100, and an atmosphere communication part 70 (see FIGS. 5 and 11).

[0044] [Ink Cartridge 50] 1 and 3, the four ink cartridges 50 (one example of a cartridge) are a magenta ink cartridge 50M, a cyan ink cartridge 50C, a yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and a black ink cartridge 50B. In this specification, the magenta ink cartridge 50M, the cyan ink cartridge 50C, the yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and the black ink cartridge 50B are collectively referred to as the ink cartridges 50 unless there is a need to distinguish them.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a state in which only the magenta ink cartridge 50M, which is located at the leftmost position in the left-right direction 9, of the four ink cartridges 50 is stored in the storage case 71.

[0046] 5 and 6, the ink cartridge 50 includes a cartridge body 51 and a joint receiving portion 52. The cartridge body 51 has a first storage chamber 53 that stores ink (an example of liquid).

[0047] The cartridge body 51 has a generally rectangular box shape. The cartridge body 51 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed in the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8. The cartridge body 51 has a protruding portion 65 protruding downward at the front end of the cartridge body 51. The cartridge body 51 has an upper wall 54, a sub-lower wall 55, a right wall 56 (see FIG. 4), a left wall 57 (see FIG. 4), a rear wall 58, a front wall 59, and a lower wall 60. The lower wall 60 is located at the front and lower end of the cartridge body 51 and is located lower than the sub-lower wall 55. The sub-lower wall 55 is located rearward of the lower wall 60. The cartridge body 51 has a communication port 61 that opens rearward (one example of a horizontal direction) at the protruding portion 65. The communication port 61 is an opening defined by the sub-lower wall 55, the lower wall 60, the right wall 56, and the left wall 57.

[0048] The upper wall 54 is provided with a contact portion 64 that protrudes upward in the center in the front-rear direction 8. The contact portion 64 is a portion that comes into contact with a lock lever 79 (described later) of the storage case 71.

[0049] The upper surface of the sub-lower wall 55 that defines the bottom surface of the first storage chamber 53 is inclined downward toward the protrusion 65 in the front-rear direction 8.

[0050] The joint receiving portion 52 has a cylindrical shape extending rearward from a portion of the cartridge body 51 surrounding the communication port 61. The joint receiving portion 52 is a portion into which a joint 102 (described later) of the subtank 100 is inserted.

[0051] Fig. 5 shows a mounted state in which the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the subtank 100. Fig. 6 shows a separated state in which the ink cartridge 50 is separated from the subtank 100. The mounted state will be described in detail below.

[0052] The joint receiving portion 52 is provided with a plug member 62 capable of closing the communication port 61, and a spring 63 that biases the plug member 62 rearward. As shown in FIG. 6, when no external force is applied to the ink cartridge 50, the plug member 62 is in a position that closes the communication port 61. The spring 63 extends along the front-rear direction 8 between the plug member 62 and the front wall 59, and is compressible in the front-rear direction 8. As shown in FIG. 5, when a forward external force greater than the elastic force of the spring 63 is applied to the plug member 62 by the joint 102, the plug member 62 moves forward and separates from the communication port 61.

[0053] [Storage case 71] The storage case 71 has a rectangular box shape with an open front. The storage case 71 has an upper wall 72, a lower wall 73, a right wall 74, a left wall 75, a rear wall 76, and three partition walls 77. An internal space 78 with an open front is defined by the upper wall 72, the lower wall 73, the right wall 74, the left wall 75, and the rear wall 76. The three partition walls 77 are parallel to the right wall 74 and the left wall 75, and divide the internal space 78 into four spaces. Four ink cartridges 50 are stored in each of the four divided spaces.

[0054] [Lock lever 79] As shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, the storage case 71 is provided with a lock lever 79 that holds the ink cartridge 50 in the internal space 78. The lock lever 79 is a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction. The center of the lock lever 79 is provided on the upper wall 72 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction 9. The lock lever 79 rotates between a locked position tilted backward and an unlocked position tilted forward. When no external force is applied, the lock lever 79 tilts backward by its own weight to the locked position. In the locked position, the rear end of the lock lever 79 abuts against the front surface of the abutment portion 64 of the ink cartridge 50 in the internal space 78, restricting the ink cartridge 50 from moving forward in the front-rear direction 8. When the front end of the lock lever 79 in the locked position is pressed downward by the user's finger or the like, the lock lever 79 rotates from the locked position to the unlocked position. In the unlocked position, the rear end of the lock lever 79 is located above the front surface of the abutment portion 64. Since the lock lever 79 in the unlocked position does not come into contact with the contact portion 64 of the ink cartridge 50 moving forward in the front-rear direction 8 , the ink cartridge 50 can be removed from the storage case 71 .

[0055] [Subtank 100] 4 to 11 show a sub-tank 100 (an example of a tank). The sub-tank 100 is located below the bottom wall 73 of the storage case 71.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 7, the subtank 100 includes a tank body 101 and a joint 102. A second storage chamber 105 for storing ink is formed inside the tank body 101. The subtank 100 includes a liquid flow path 103 and a gas flow path 104 that communicate with the second storage chamber 105. The liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are formed inside the tank body 101 and inside the joint 102. The subtank 100 also includes an atmosphere communication port 106 (see Figs. 9, 10, and 12(A)) that communicates the second storage chamber 105 with the outside.

[0057] [Liquid flow path 103 and gas flow path 104] As shown in FIG. 7, the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are positioned in parallel.

[0058] The liquid flow path 103 has a first opening 131, a second opening 132, a vertical portion 133, and a horizontal portion 134. The first opening 131 is an opening formed at one end side (rear end side) of the liquid flow path 103 and communicating with the second storage chamber 105. The first opening 131 opens along the up-down direction 7. The second opening 132 is an opening formed at the other end side (front end side) opposite to the one end side of the liquid flow path 103 and opening to the outside. The second opening 132 opens along the front-rear direction 8. The second opening 132 is located in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is attached. The vertical portion 133 is a portion of the liquid flow path 103 that extends upward (an example of a vertical direction) from the first opening 131. The horizontal portion 134 is a portion that extends rearward (an example of a horizontal direction) from the second opening 132 in the liquid flow path 103. The upper end of the vertical portion 133 is connected to the rear end of the horizontal portion 134.

[0059] The gas flow path 104 has a first opening 141, a second opening 142, a vertical portion 143, and a horizontal portion 144. The first opening 141 is an opening formed at one end side (rear end side) of the gas flow path 104 and communicates with the second storage chamber 105. The first opening 141 opens along the up-down direction 7. The second opening 142 is an opening formed at the other end side (front end side) opposite to the one end side of the gas flow path 104 and opens to the outside. The second opening 142 opens along the front-rear direction 8. The second opening 142 communicates with the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is attached. The vertical portion 143 is a portion of the gas flow path 104 that extends upward (an example of a vertical direction) from the first opening 141. The horizontal portion 144 is a portion that extends rearward (an example of a horizontal direction) from the second opening 142 in the gas flow path 104. An upper end of the vertical portion 143 is connected to a rear end of the horizontal portion 144.

[0060] [Tank body 101] The tank body 101 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer wall. The tank body 101 is generally T-shaped when viewed from the top-bottom direction 7 (see Figs. 9 and 10), generally rectangular when viewed from the front-back direction 8 (see Fig. 8), and L-shaped when viewed from the left-right direction 9 (see Figs. 4 to 7).

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 11, the outer wall of the tank body 101 has a rear upper wall 107, a curved upper wall 130, a front upper wall 108, a lower wall 109, two rear side walls 110, two front curved side walls 111, a rear wall 112, and a front wall 113. The rear upper wall 107 is a wall that extends forward from its rear end while inclining upward with respect to the horizontal plane. The curved upper wall 130 is a wall that extends from the front end of the rear upper wall 107 and curves upward from the front. The front upper wall 108 extends forward from the upper end of the curved upper wall 130 in parallel with the horizontal plane. The lower wall 109 extends in the front-rear direction 8 in parallel with the horizontal plane. The lower wall 109 has a T-shape when viewed from the up-down direction 7. The rear side wall 110 connects the rear upper wall 107 and the lower wall 109 in the up-down direction 7. The rear side wall 110 is generally rectangular when viewed from the left-right direction 9. As shown in FIG. 9, the rear side wall 110 is shared by adjacent tank bodies 101 of different inks. The front curved side wall 111 connects the curved upper wall 130 and the front upper wall 108 to the lower wall 109 in the up-down direction 7. The front curved side wall 111 is generally rectangular when viewed from the left-right direction 9, and has an L-shape with an arched corner when viewed from the up-down direction 7. The rear wall 112 extends upward from the rear end of the lower wall 109 and is connected to the two rear side walls 110 located on the left and right and the rear upper wall 107. The front wall 113 extends upward from the front end of the lower wall 109 and is connected to the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right.

[0062] 7 and 11, a communication port 129 that communicates with the second storage chamber 105 is formed in the lower wall 109. One end of the ink tube 32 is connected to the communication port 129, and the second storage chamber 105 and the recording head 39 are connected in communication with each other via the ink tube 32.

[0063] A cylindrical inner cylinder portion 114 extending in the front-rear direction 8 is provided at the front end and upper portion of the tank body 101. The inside of the inner cylinder portion 114 communicates with an opening formed by the front wall 113, the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and the front upper wall 108. The rear end of the joint 102 can be attached to the inner cylinder portion 114. In an attached state in which the joint 102 is attached to the inner cylinder portion 114, the inside of the inner cylinder portion 114 and the inside of the joint 102 communicate with each other.

[0064] [Wide portion 150 and narrow portion 151] As shown in FIG. 10, the tank body 101 has a wide portion 150 and a narrow portion 151 aligned along the front-rear direction 8. The wide portion 150 is located at the rear of the tank body 101 in the front-rear direction 8, and includes two rear side walls 110 and a rear wall 112. The narrow portion 151 is located at the front end of the tank body 101 in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of an end in the first direction), and includes two front bent side walls 111 and a front wall 113. The width of the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 (an example of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction) is smaller than the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9. The second storage chamber 105 is formed across the wide portion 150 and the narrow portion 151.

[0065] 8, the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9 is approximately equal to the width of the ink cartridge 50 in the left-right direction 9. Therefore, the width of the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 is smaller than the width of the ink cartridge 50 in the left-right direction 9.

[0066] [Vertical wall 115 and horizontal wall 116] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the tank body 101 has a vertical wall 115 and a horizontal wall 116 at the front and upper part of the tank body 101.

[0067] The vertical wall 115 is a wall extending in the up-down direction 7, and is located between the front wall 113 and the curved upper wall 130 in the front-rear direction 8. The vertical wall 115 connects the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and divides the space defined by the front wall 113, the front upper wall 108, and the two front curved side walls 111 into front and rear. The lower end position of the vertical wall 115 is the position of the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103 in the up-down direction 7, and is also the position of the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 in the up-down direction 7. The lower end position of the vertical wall 115 is equal to the lower end position of the front end of the rear upper wall 107. In other words, the upper surface of the second storage chamber 105 is defined by a virtual plane that passes through the lower end position of the vertical wall 115 and is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the lower surface of the rear upper wall 107.

[0068] The horizontal wall 116 is a wall extending forward from the upper end of the vertical wall 115. The horizontal wall 116 extends to the inside of the inner cylinder portion 114. The horizontal wall 116 connects the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and also connects the inner surface of the inner cylinder portion 114 in the left-right direction 9. The horizontal wall 116 divides a space defined by the front upper wall 108 and the two front curved side walls 111, and a space defined by the inner cylinder portion 114 into upper and lower spaces.

[0069] 10, the vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103 is formed by the vertical wall 115, the front wall 113, and the two front bent side walls 111. The cross section of the vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103 perpendicular to the up-down direction 7 has a rectangular shape. The vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103 is flush with and continuous with the two front bent side walls 111 that define the second storage chamber 105. Therefore, the width of the vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103 in the left-right direction 9 is the same as the width of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 10, the vertical portion 143 of the gas flow path 104 is formed by the curved upper wall 130, the vertical wall 115, and the two front curved side walls 111. The shape of a cross section perpendicular to the up-down direction 7 in the vertical portion 133 of the gas flow path 104 is rectangular. The vertical portion 133 of the gas flow path 104 is flush with and continuous with the two front curved side walls 111 that define the second storage chamber 105. Therefore, the width of the vertical portion 143 of the gas flow path 104 in the left-right direction 9 is the same as the width of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9.

[0071] 10 , a length 149 along the front-rear direction 8 (an example of a horizontal direction) of the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is longer than a length 148 along the front-rear direction 8 (an example of a horizontal direction) of the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103. A length along the left-right direction 9 of the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is equal to the length along the left-right direction 9 of the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103. Therefore, the opening area of ​​the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is larger than the opening area of ​​the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103.

[0072] 7, in the vertical portion 143 of the gas flow path 104, the opening area of ​​the gas flow path 104 increases toward the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104. In the vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103, the opening area of ​​the liquid flow path 103 is constant in the up-down direction 7.

[0073] 7, the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 in the tank body 101 is formed by the front upper wall 108, the horizontal wall 116, the two front curved side walls 111, and the inner cylinder portion 114. The horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 in the tank body 101 is formed by the horizontal wall 116, the two front curved side walls 111, and the inner cylinder portion 114.

[0074] [1st Rib 117] As shown in Figs. 7 and 11, the tank body 101 has a first rib 117 that is continuous with the vertical wall 115. The first rib 117 protrudes from the front curved side wall 111 and extends downward from the vertical wall 115. There is a gap between the first rib 117 and the bottom wall 109. The first rib 117 is provided on each of the two front curved side walls 111 located on the left and right, and the two first ribs 117 are located apart from each other in the left-right direction 9 within one second storage chamber 105.

[0075] [Joint 102] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9 and 11, the joint 102 includes a joint body 118, an inner wall 119, a plug member 120 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), and a spring 121 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0076] [Joint body 118] 7, the joint body 118 includes an outer cylinder portion 122 located at the rear end, a tip portion 123 located at the front end, and a body portion 124 connecting the outer cylinder portion 122 and the tip portion 123. The outer cylinder portion 122 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the front-rear direction 8. The outer cylinder portion 122 is fitted into the inner cylinder portion 114 of the tank body 101. In this way, the joint body 118 is fixed to the tank body 101. The tip portion 123 has a disk shape with an axis extending in the front-rear direction 8. The main body portion 124 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the front-rear direction 8. An upper opening 125 and a lower opening 126 that open upward and downward, respectively, are formed at the front end portion of the main body portion 124.

[0077] [Partition wall 127 and second rib 128] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the inner wall 119 is located inside the joint body 118. The inner wall 119 extends rearward from the tip portion 123 beyond the outer cylinder portion 122. The inner wall 119 includes a partition wall 127 and a second rib 128. As shown in Fig. 8, the inner wall 119 has a T-shape when viewed from the front-rear direction 8. The rear end surface of the partition wall 127 contacts the front end surface of the horizontal wall 116 in the tank body 101. The partition wall 127 and the horizontal wall 116 divide the internal space of the connection portion between the joint body 118 and the tank body 101 into a liquid flow path 103 and a gas flow path 104.

[0078] The partition wall 127 is a wall extending in the left-right direction 9 inside the joint body 118 . The partition wall 127 extends rearward from the tip portion 123. The internal space of the joint body 118 is divided by the partition wall 127 into an upper portion and a lower portion.

[0079] The second rib 128 protrudes downward from the center of the partition wall 127 in the left-right direction 9. The second rib 128 extends rearward from the tip portion 123. There is a gap between the second rib 128 and the inner surface of the joint body 118.

[0080] The horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 in the joint 102 is formed by the inner surface of the joint body 118 and the lower surface of the inner wall 119. The cross section of the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 in the joint 102 is approximately semicircular. More precisely, the cross section of the horizontal portion 134 is such that the upper portion of the semicircular shape is divided into left and right portions by the second rib 128, and the lower portion of the semicircular shape is connected to the left and right portions without being divided. The horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 in the joint 102 is formed by the inner surface of the joint body 118 and the upper surface of the inner wall 119. The cross section of the horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 in the joint 102 is semicircular.

[0081] [Plug member 120 and spring 121] The plug member 120 is a cylindrical member and is located outside the main body 124 of the joint body 118. The plug member 120 can move in the front-rear direction 8 along the main body 124. The front end of the spring 121 is fixed to the rear end of the plug member 120, and the rear end of the spring 121 abuts against the buffer tank 90 of the air communication part 70 and the outer cylinder part 122 of the joint body 118. The spring 121 biases the plug member 120 forward. In a state where no external force is applied, the plug member 120 is located at the front end of the joint body 118 and closes the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126. When a rearward external force larger than the elastic force of the spring 121 is applied to the plug member 120, the plug member 120 moves backward, and the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 are opened. When the ink cartridge 50 is attached, the joint receiving part 52 of the ink cartridge 50 abuts against the plug member 120. When the ink cartridge 50 is attached, an external force is applied, causing the plug member 120, which abuts against the joint receiving portion 52, to move rearward.

[0082] [Ink cartridge 50 installation status] As shown in Figures 5 and 7, when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the subtank 100, the joint body 118 of the subtank 100 is inserted into the joint receiving portion 52 of the ink cartridge 50 along the front-rear direction 8, and is further inserted into the communication port 61. In this attached state, the second opening 132 of the liquid flow path 103 and the second opening 142 of the gas flow path 104 of the subtank 100 enter the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the ink cartridge 50 can be separated from and attached to the subtank 100 along the front-rear direction 8.

[0083] [Layout of the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100] The layout of the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100 will be described. The layout will be described assuming that the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the storage case 71, and that the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100 are in the usage position shown in FIG.

[0084] 5, the protrusion 65 of the ink cartridge 50 is in approximately the same position as the joint 102 in the up-down direction 7, but the portion of the ink cartridge 50 above the protrusion 65 is above the joint 102. Therefore, most of the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 is located above the joint 102. Also, the upper part of the subtank 100, i.e., the portion above the vicinity of the curved upper wall 130, is in approximately the same position as the joint 102, but the portion of the subtank 100 below the vicinity of the curved upper wall 130 is below the joint 102. Therefore, most of the second storage chamber 105 of the subtank 100 is below the joint 102.

[0085] The portion of the first storage chamber 53 above the convex portion 65 is located above the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104. The second storage chamber 105 is located below the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and the horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104. The lower portion of the first storage chamber 53 and the upper portion of the second storage chamber 105 are aligned coaxially in the front-rear direction 8. The volume of the first storage chamber 53 is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber 105.

[0086] The horizontal portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 is located above the horizontal portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 .

[0087] 7, the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103, the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104, and the atmosphere communication port 106 are located in this order from the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 toward the rear. The position in the up-down direction 7 of the communication port 61 of the first storage chamber 53 corresponds to the position in the up-down direction 7 where the first storage chamber 53 and the liquid flow path 103 communicate with each other, and the direction from the communication port 61 toward the rear at that position in the up-down direction 7 is the direction away from the first storage chamber 53.

[0088] [Atmosphere communication part 70] As shown in FIGS. 5, 11, and 12, the atmosphere communication unit 70 includes a buffer tank 90, a communication flow path 145, and an atmosphere communication passage 147.

[0089] [Buffer Tank 90] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, the buffer tank 90 is located below the storage case 71 and above the sub-tank 100.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 11, the buffer tank 90 includes an upper wall 91, a lower wall 92, two side walls 93, three partition walls 94, a rear wall 95, and a protruding wall 96. The upper wall 91 is a wall that extends along a surface inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The lower wall 92 is a wall that extends from the rear in parallel with the horizontal plane and bends upward as it approaches the front. The front end of the lower wall 92 is connected to the front end of the upper wall 91. The two side walls 93 are walls that connect both ends of the upper wall 91 and the lower wall 92 in the left-right direction 9 to the up-down direction 7. The three partition walls 94 are walls that are arranged in parallel with the two side walls 93 in the left-right direction 9. The rear wall 95 is a wall that connects the rear ends of the upper wall 91 and the lower wall 92. The protruding wall 96 is a wall that extends upward from the rear end of the upper wall 91. A gap is formed between the rear wall 95 and the protruding wall 96 in the front-rear direction 8.

[0091] The bottom wall 73 of the storage case 71 is located above the top wall 91 of the buffer tank 90. ​​The top wall 91 of the buffer tank 90 supports the bottom wall 73 of the storage case 71. Therefore, the top wall 91 of the buffer tank 90 can support the ink cartridge 50 stored in the storage case 71 via the bottom wall 73 of the storage case 71.

[0092] [Buffer Room 97] The internal space defined by the upper wall 91, the lower wall 92, the two side walls 93, and the rear wall 95 is partitioned into four buffer chambers 97 by three partition walls 94. The four buffer chambers 97 are connected in communication with the four sub-tanks 100, respectively. The four buffer chambers 97 are spaces capable of storing air that is sent to the first storage chamber 53 as the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by gas-liquid substitution. The four buffer chambers 97 are located above the recording unit 24.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 5, the buffer chamber 97 is located below the first storage chamber 53, and the second storage chamber 105 is located below the buffer chamber 97. A part of the first storage chamber 53 and a part of the buffer chamber 97 formed in the protruding portion 65 are aligned coaxially in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of a horizontal direction). Furthermore, a part of the protruding portion 65, a part of the joint 102, and a part of the buffer tank 90 are aligned coaxially in the front-rear direction 8 (an example of a horizontal direction). Furthermore, a part of the first storage chamber 53 and a part of the buffer chamber 97 are aligned coaxially in the up-down direction 7.

[0094] [Communicating flow path 145] As shown in FIG. 12(A), the bottom wall 92 of the buffer tank 90 has an opening 98 that communicates with the buffer chamber 97. The ink supply device 15 includes a connection pipe 99 that connects the atmosphere communication port 106 of the tank body 101 and the opening 98 of the buffer tank 90. ​​The connection pipe 99 has a cylindrical shape. The inner surface of the connection pipe 99 forms a communication flow path 145 that connects the second storage chamber 105 and the buffer chamber 97. The communication flow path 145 extends in the up-down direction 7.

[0095] [Atmospheric passage 147] As shown in FIG. 12B, an opening 146 is formed in the rear end of the upper wall 91 for each buffer chamber 97. The upper wall 91 has four openings 146 behind the protruding wall 96. The lower surface of the upper wall 91 is inclined upward in the direction opposite to the openings 98 (rearward) along the front-rear direction 8 (one example of the horizontal direction). The openings 146 open in the upper wall 91 at the highest position in the up-down direction 7 of the lower surface of the upper wall 91. Here, an air communication passage 147 extending in the up-down direction 7 is formed by the front surface of the rear wall 95 and the rear surface of the protruding wall 96. The air communication passage 147 extends upward from the buffer chamber 97 via the openings 146 and communicates with the outside of the housing 14 of the multifunction device 10.

[0096] [Operation of this embodiment] First, the flow of ink and air during initial installation when the ink cartridge 50 is first installed in an empty subtank 100 will be described.

[0097] In the state before initial introduction (pre-state) shown in FIG. 6, the ink cartridge 50 is separated from the subtank 100. In the pre-state, the communication port 61 of the ink cartridge 50 is closed by the plug member 62, and the first storage chamber 53 is sealed by the ink cartridge 50. Therefore, the ink filled in the first storage chamber 53 does not leak to the outside. On the other hand, in the pre-state, the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 (see FIG. 7) of the subtank 100 are closed by the plug member 120. Therefore, the second opening 132 of the liquid flow path 103 and the second opening of the gas flow path 104, which communicate with the second storage chamber 105, are closed to the outside. The second storage chamber 105 has an atmosphere communication port 106 (see FIG. 7) and a communication port 129 (see FIG. 7) as parts communicating with the outside, in addition to the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104. The air communication port 106 communicates with the outside air of the multifunction device 10 via the buffer chamber 97. The communication port 129 communicates with the recording head 39 via the ink tube 32, but when the recording head 39 is in a resting state, ink does not flow out from the communication port 129. Here, the second storage chamber 105 is not filled with ink and is empty.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, when the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the subtank 100, the plug member 62 closing the communication port 61 retracts forward against the biasing force of the spring 63, and the plug member 120 closing the upper opening 125 and the lower opening 126 retracts backward against the biasing force of the spring 121. As a result, the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the second storage chamber 105 via the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104. Then, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 naturally falls through the liquid flow path 103 and is introduced into the second storage chamber 105 of the subtank 100. Since the atmosphere communication port 106 is open to the outside air, air of the same volume as the amount of ink introduced into the second storage chamber 105 is introduced into the first storage chamber 53 via the atmosphere communication port 106 and the gas flow path 104. In this manner, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is replaced with air (gas-liquid replacement), and thereby the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is supplied to the second storage chamber 105.

[0099] As the gas-liquid replacement progresses, the ink level in second storage chamber 105 rises. When the ink level rises and reaches the lower end position of vertical wall 115, first opening 141 of gas flow path 104 is closed. Then, gas-liquid replacement cannot be performed, and the supply of ink from first storage chamber 53 to second storage chamber 105 is stopped. In this manner, ink is supplied at the time of initial introduction.

[0100] Next, the flow of ink and air when a recording operation is performed by the printer unit 11 with the ink cartridge 50 installed will be described.

[0101] When ink is ejected from the recording head 39 during a recording operation, the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is sucked into the recording head 39 through the communication port 129. As the ink decreases, the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 drops, and the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104, which had been closed, is opened. When the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened, gas-liquid substitution is performed as described above, and ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105. In order to compensate for the ink consumption in the recording head 39, ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105, and the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 is maintained at the position of the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104.

[0102] When the ink in the first storage chamber 53 becomes empty, the empty ink cartridge 50 can be replaced with another ink cartridge 50 filled with ink, allowing the multifunction device 10 to continue performing recording operations.

[0103] [Effects of this embodiment] According to the ink supply device 15 of this embodiment, the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 are connected via the gas flow path 104 and the liquid flow path 103, so that the ink in the first storage chamber 53 can be supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by gas-liquid replacement. Since the first storage chamber 53 is disposed above the second storage chamber 105, ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 in response to a decrease in the ink in the second storage chamber 105. In addition, since the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are partitioned by the inner surface of the joint body 118 and the surface of the partition wall 127, the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are integrated. Therefore, compared to a case in which the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are separated, the space required for connecting the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 to the second storage chamber 105 is reduced, and the subtank 100 can be made smaller in size. In addition, since the liquid flow path 103 is disposed at a position not between the gas flow path 104 and the atmosphere communication port 106, the gas flows smoothly from the atmosphere communication port 106 toward the gas flow path 104. Therefore, gas-liquid replacement is efficiently performed.

[0104] In addition, since both the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are connected to the narrow width portion 151, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port 106 is easily guided directly to the gas flow path 104 without flowing over the gas flow path 104 toward the liquid flow path 103. Therefore, the gas flows smoothly from the atmosphere communication port 106 toward the gas flow path 104.

[0105] In addition, since the widths of the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 are the same as the width of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151, the gas introduced from the atmosphere communication port 106 is easily guided directly to the gas flow path 104 without overcoming the gas flow path 104 and flowing toward the liquid flow path 103.

[0106] Furthermore, since the width of the second storage chamber 105 is increased by the wide portion 150, the amount of ink that can be stored in the second storage chamber 105 is ensured without increasing the width of the subtank 100 in the front-rear direction 8.

[0107] Furthermore, since the ink cartridge 50 is detachable from the subtank 100 in the front-rear direction 8, the ink cartridge 50 can be easily replaced.

[0108] According to the multifunction device 10 of the present invention, gas-liquid replacement is carried out efficiently.

[0109] [Variations] In the ink supply device 15 according to this embodiment, the liquid flow path 103 has a vertical portion 133 and a horizontal portion 134 , and the gas flow path 104 has a vertical portion 143 and a horizontal portion 144 . The liquid flow path 103 may have only vertical portion 133 and no horizontal portion 134. Similarly, the gas flow path 104 may have only vertical portion 143 and no horizontal portion 144.

[0110] In the above embodiment, both the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103 and the first opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 are connected to the second storage chamber 105 in the narrow portion 151, but one of the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 may be connected to the second storage chamber 105 in the wide portion 150.

[0111] In the above embodiment, the width in the left-right direction 9 of the vertical portions 133, 143 of the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 is the same as the width in the left-right direction 9 of the second storage chamber 105 defined by the narrow portion 151, but the above widths of the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 may be different from the width defined by the narrow portion 151.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the subtank 100 has a wide portion 150 that is wider than the narrow portion 151 in the left-right direction 9 and does not exceed the width of the ink cartridge 50, but the width of the wide portion 150 in the left-right direction 9 may exceed the width of the ink cartridge 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 10...Multifunction device 15 Ink supply device 24 Recording section 50···Ink cartridges 53...1st storage chamber 61...Communication port 100...Sub tank 102...Joint 103... Liquid flow path 104...Gas flow path 105...Second storage chamber 106 Atmospheric vent 131...First opening 132...Second opening 133... Vertical section 134...horizontal part 141...First opening 142...Second opening 143 Vertical section 144...Horizontal part 150 Wide section 151...Narrow part

Claims

1. A first chamber for storing a liquid; A second chamber for storing liquid, at least a portion of which is located vertically below the first chamber; a liquid flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber; a gas flow path connecting the first chamber and the second chamber; An atmosphere communication passage connecting the outside and the second chamber, the second chamber has a wide portion having a large width capable of storing liquid in a first horizontal direction and a narrow portion having a width capable of storing liquid narrower than the wide portion, the atmosphere communication passage is connected to the second chamber at the wide portion, the liquid flow path is connected to the second chamber at the narrow portion, The liquid storage section is characterized in that the gas flow path is at least partially connected to the second chamber by the narrow portion, is open across the width of the narrow portion, and is positioned between the liquid flow path and the atmosphere communication passage in a second direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the first direction.

2. a first communication passage that communicates the second chamber with the first chamber; The liquid storage section according to claim 1 , wherein the liquid flow path and the gas flow path are disposed within the first communication passage.

3. The liquid storage section according to claim 2 , wherein the first communication passage includes a wall that divides the liquid flow path and the gas flow path.

4. 4. The liquid storage section according to claim 1, wherein the liquid flow path is open across the width of the narrow portion.

5. The liquid storage section according to claim 1 , further comprising a valve that blocks the gas flow path and the liquid flow path.

6. The liquid storage unit according to claim 5 , wherein the valve is a single valve that blocks both the gas flow path and the liquid flow path.

7. The liquid storage section according to claim 5 , wherein the valve is disposed at an end of the gas flow path and the liquid flow path.

8. 8. The liquid storage section according to claim 1, wherein an opening through which the gas flow path connects to the first chamber is located vertically above an opening through which the liquid flow path connects to the first chamber.

9. A liquid storage portion according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a recording unit that ejects the liquid supplied from the second chamber.

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