tank

Abstract

To provide a system which enables easy connection between a tank and a liquid bottle and enables reduction of the possibility that a liquid flowing from the liquid bottle into the tank flows reversely to a liquid passage.SOLUTION: An ink tank 100 includes: an ink chamber 111; an atmosphere communication hole 113 which allows communication between the ink chamber 111 and atmospheric air; and a pipe body 112 which defines a gas passage 121 and a liquid passage 122. The pipe body 112 extends from an inclined wall 106 to the oblique upward side along an extending direction intersecting with a vertical direction and a horizontal direction at the outside of the ink tank 100. An opening 122A of the liquid passage 122 is located below an opening 121A of the gas passage 121.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tank to which a liquid bottle is connected. [Background technology]

[0002] A system has been disclosed in which liquid is supplied from a cartridge to a tank using a so-called chicken feed method, which is a configuration that can keep the liquid level of the liquid stored in the tank constant by sequentially supplying the liquid from a cartridge connected to the tank to the tank each time the liquid stored in the tank is consumed (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the tank is located below the cartridge. The tank also includes an air communication section that communicates with the atmosphere. The tank also communicates with the cartridge through two flow paths, an air flow path and a liquid flow path. When the liquid in the tank is consumed and the liquid level of the liquid becomes lower than the opening at the lower end of the air flow path, air enters the tank from the air communication section, and the air that has entered the tank enters the cartridge through the air flow path. Then, liquid equivalent to the volume of the air that has entered the cartridge is supplied from the cartridge to the tank through the liquid flow path. When the liquid level of the liquid reaches the opening of the air flow path, the supply of the liquid is stopped. In this way, the liquid level of the liquid in the tank is maintained constant.

[0004] Also, a system is known in which, when the liquid in a tank is consumed, the liquid can be replenished through an inlet of the tank (see Patent Document 2). In such a system, for example, a liquid bottle is inserted into the inlet, and the liquid stored in the liquid bottle is replenished to the tank. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-205528 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-20495 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the so-called chicken feed system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the liquid bottle is connected vertically downward from above the tank, a space is required above the tank to position the liquid bottle. Therefore, in a configuration in which the scanner is located above the tank, such as a multifunction printer, it is necessary to move the scanner to ensure sufficient space above the tank for the bottle to be located.

[0007] If the liquid bottle could be connected to the front of the tank, the liquid flow path and the gas flow path in the liquid bottle would extend obliquely rather than vertically, which could result in liquid flowing from the liquid bottle through the liquid flow path into the tank and then flow back into the liquid bottle via the gas flow path in the tank.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a system that makes it easy to connect a tank and a liquid bottle and reduces the possibility of liquid flowing from the liquid bottle into the tank flowing back into the liquid flow path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The present invention relates to a tank to which a liquid bottle is connected. The tank includes a storage chamber for storing liquid, an atmosphere communication part for communicating the storage chamber with the atmosphere, a first opening located in the storage chamber below at least a part of the atmosphere communication part, and a liquid flow path connecting a second opening located outside the storage chamber, the first pipe protruding from an outer wall of the tank to the inside and outside of the tank, and a gas flow path connecting a third opening located in the storage chamber and a fourth opening located outside the storage chamber, the second pipe protruding from the outer wall of the tank to the inside and outside of the tank. The first pipe and the second pipe extend obliquely upward from the outer wall of the tank along an extension direction intersecting the vertical and horizontal directions at least outside the tank. The first opening is located below the third opening.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the liquid that has flowed into the storage chamber from the first opening flows downward, and is therefore unlikely to reach the third opening that is located above the first opening.

[0011] (2) Preferably, the length of the liquid flow path is longer than the length of the gas flow path.

[0012] (3) Preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the liquid flow path in the vicinity of the first opening is polygonal.

[0013] According to the above configuration, a meniscus of the liquid is unlikely to be formed in the vicinity of the first opening of the liquid flow path.

[0014] (4) Preferably, the third opening penetrates a peripheral wall of the second tubular body, and an end face of the second tubular body located in the storage chamber is closed.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the liquid that has flowed into the storage chamber from the first opening is less likely to reach the third opening.

[0016] (5) Preferably, the first pipe and the second pipe are a single pipe partitioned by a partition wall.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the first pipe and the second pipe can be easily constructed, and the tank and the liquid bottle can be easily connected.

[0018] (6) Preferably, the device further includes a housing defining the storage chamber and having a through hole connecting the storage chamber to the outside, and the one tube is removably inserted into the through hole of the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, the tank and the liquid bottle can be easily connected, and the possibility of liquid that has flowed from the liquid bottle into the tank flowing back into the gas flow path can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction device 10, in which (A) shows a state in which a cover 70 is in a closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover 70 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, the platen 42, the guide rails 43 and 44, and the ink tank 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink tank 100. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the ink tank 100M. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100M, showing the state in which the liquid bottle 80 is not connected to the ink tank 100M. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100M, showing the state in which the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100M. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of the tube body 112 of the ink tank 100M. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the liquid bottle 80. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the tip portion 84 of the liquid bottle 80 and the periphery of the tube body 112 of the ink tank 100M in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the tip portion 84 of the liquid bottle 80 and the periphery of the tube body 112 of the ink tank 100M in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing the vicinity of the tube body 112 of an ink tank 100M according to a modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a tube 112 of an ink tank 100M according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] 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 appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the end point is expressed as the direction, and the movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, the direction is one component of the direction. Furthermore, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the attitude (see Figs. 1 and 2, sometimes referred to as the "use attitude") in which the multifunction device 10 and the ink tank 100 installed in the multifunction device 10 are installed on a horizontal surface so that they can be used, the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 (see Fig. 1) is provided as the front, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front. The up-down direction 7, the front-rear direction 8, and the left-right direction 9 are mutually orthogonal. In this embodiment, in the use attitude, 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.

[0022] [Overall configuration of multifunction device 10] As shown in Fig. 1, the multifunction device 10 (an example of a system) is generally rectangular in shape. The multifunction device 10 has a printer unit 11 at the bottom, which records an image on paper 12 (see Fig. 2) using an inkjet recording method. The printer unit 11 has a housing 14 with an opening 13 formed in a front wall 14A.

[0023] 2, there are arranged inside the housing 14 a feeding section 15, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport roller section 54, a recording section 24, a discharge roller section 55, a platen 42, and an ink tank 100. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a printing function.

[0024] [Feed tray 20, output tray 21] As shown in Fig. 1, the feed tray 20 is inserted into and removed from the multifunction device 10 in the front-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-right direction 9. As shown in Fig. 2, the feed tray 20 is capable of supporting a plurality of stacked sheets of paper 12. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the sheets of paper 12 discharged from between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42 by the discharge roller unit 55.

[0025] [Feeding section 15] The feeding section 15 feeds the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20 to the transport path 65. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding section 15 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. The feeding roller 25 is driven by a feeding motor (not shown). The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by the shaft 27 supported by the frame (not shown) of the printer section 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.

[0026] [Transportation Route 65] 2, the transport path 65 refers to a space formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 opposed to each other at a predetermined distance inside the printer unit 11. The transport path 65 extends rearward from the rear end of the feed tray 20, 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. The transport path 65 between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 is provided in the approximate center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9, as shown in FIG. 3, and extends in the front-rear direction 8. The transport direction 29 of the paper 12 in the transport path 65 is indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. 2.

[0027] [Transport roller section 54] 2, the conveying roller unit 54 is disposed on the conveying path 65. The conveying roller unit 54 has a conveying roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 that face each other. The conveying roller 60 is driven by a conveying motor (not shown). The pinch roller 61 rotates with the rotation of the conveying roller 60. The paper 12 is sandwiched between the conveying roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 that are driven to rotate by the conveying motor, and conveyed in the conveying direction 29.

[0028] [Discharge roller section 55] 2, the discharge roller unit 55 is disposed downstream of the conveying roller unit 54 in the conveying direction 29 on the conveying path 65. The discharge roller unit 55 has a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63 that face each other. The discharge roller 62 is driven by a conveying motor (not shown). The spur 63 rotates with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. The paper 12 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 that are driven to rotate by the conveying motor, and is conveyed in the conveying direction 29.

[0029] [Record 24] 2, the recording unit 24 is disposed between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 on the transport path 65. The recording unit 24 is disposed opposite the platen 42 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 65 in between. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43, 44 that extend in the left-right direction 9 at positions spaced apart in the front-rear direction 8. The guide rails 43, 44 are supported by a frame of the printer unit 11. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism is driven by a carriage drive motor (not shown). The carriage 23 connected to the belt mechanism reciprocates in the left-right direction 9 by being driven by the carriage motor. The range of movement of the carriage 23 extends to the right and left of the transport path 65, as shown by the dashed dotted lines in FIG. 3.

[0031] An ink tube 32 and a flexible flat cable 33 extend from the carriage 23 .

[0032] The ink tubes 32 connect the ink tanks 100 and the recording head 39. The ink tubes 32 supply ink (an example of liquid) stored in four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M (which may be collectively referred to as "ink tanks 100") to the recording head 39. The ink tank 100 is an example of a tank. In detail, four ink tubes 32B, 32Y, 32C, and 32M (which may be collectively referred to as "ink tubes 32") through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) flows extend from the ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M, respectively, and are connected to the carriage 23 in a bundled state.

[0033] The flexible flat cable 33 electrically connects the recording head 39 to a control board on which a controller (not shown) that controls the operation of the multifunction device 10 is mounted. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits control signals output from the controller to the recording head 39.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 23 is equipped with a recording head 39. A plurality of nozzles 40 are arranged on the bottom surface of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the bottom surface 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 12 supported by a platen 42. This causes an image to be recorded on the paper 12. This also consumes the ink stored in the ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M.

[0035] [Platen 42] 2 and 3, the platen 42 is disposed between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the transport path 65. The platen 42 is disposed opposite the recording unit 24 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 65 in between. The platen 42 supports the paper 12 transported by the transport roller unit 54 from below.

[0036] [Cover 70] As shown in FIG. 1B, an opening 22 is formed in the right part of the front wall 14A of the housing 14. As shown in FIG. 1A, a cover 70 is attached to the housing 14 so as to cover the opening 22. The cover 70 is rotatable between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1A) in which the opening 22 is closed and an open position (position shown in FIG. 1B) in which the opening 22 is opened. As shown in FIG. 1A, when the cover 70 is in the closed position, the tube 112 (see FIG. 1B and FIG. 4) of the ink tank 100 is closed from the outside. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the cover 70 is in the open position, the tube 112 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside. As shown in FIG. 1A, an opening 97 is formed in the cover 70. A space is expanded in a portion of the inside of the housing 14 that is located behind the opening 22. The ink tank 100 is disposed in this space.

[0037] [Ink Tank 100] The ink tank 100 shown in Fig. 4 is provided in the printer unit 11. The ink tank 100 supplies ink to the recording unit 24 provided in the printer unit 11. The ink tank 100 includes four ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M.

[0038] Ink of a different color is stored in each ink tank 100. Specifically, black ink is stored in ink tank 100B, yellow ink is stored in ink tank 100Y, cyan ink is stored in ink tank 100C, and magenta ink is stored in ink tank 100M. However, the number of ink tanks 100 and the colors of ink are not limited to the above example.

[0039] The ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M have roughly the same configuration, except that the length of ink tank 100B in the left-right direction 9 is longer than the length of each of the other three ink tanks 100Y, 100C, and 100M in the left-right direction 9. Therefore, in the following, the configuration of ink tank 100M will be described, and descriptions of the configurations of the other ink tanks 100B, 100Y, and 100C will be omitted.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the ink tank 100M has a frame made up of a front wall 101, a rear wall 110, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, a right wall 107, and a left wall 108. The front wall 101, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105 are made of resin. The right wall 107 and the left wall 108 are made of film. The film serving as the right wall 107 is attached to an opening formed at the right end of the front wall 101, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105. The film serving as the left wall 108 is attached to an opening formed at the left end of the front wall 101, the rear wall 110, the upper wall 104, and the lower wall 105. The frame and the film form a housing that forms the outer shape of the ink tank 100M. Further, an ink chamber 111 (see FIG. 6, an example of a storage chamber) is defined by a front wall 101, a rear wall 110, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, a right wall 107, and a left wall 108 of the housing.

[0041] Whether each wall of the frame is made of resin or film is not limited to the above. For example, only rear wall 110 may be made of film, and the other walls may be made of resin. Also, for example, a part of right wall 107 may be made of resin, and the remaining part of right wall 107 may be made of film. Furthermore, a part of left wall 108 may be made of resin, and the remaining part of left wall 108 may be made of film.

[0042] The resin portion of the frame is integrally formed from a resin having a degree of translucency that allows the ink in the ink chamber 111 to be visible from outside the ink tank 100. The resin portion of the frame is formed from, for example, polypropylene. The resin portion of the frame is integrally molded, for example, by injection molding of a resin material.

[0043] 1, the front wall 101 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 through the opening 97 of the cover 70 and the opening 22 of the housing 14. The front wall 101 is visible from the front of the multifunction device 10, and the user can check the remaining amount of ink stored in the ink chamber 111 from the front of the multifunction device 10 through the front wall 101.

[0044] 5 and 6, the front wall 101 is composed of a standing wall 102 and an inclined wall 106. The standing wall 102 extends in the up-down direction 7 and the left-right direction 9. The inclined wall 106 is a wall that connects the upper end of the standing wall 102 and the front end of the upper wall 104. The inclined wall 106 is inclined with respect to the up-down direction 7 and the front-rear direction 8.

[0045] The ink tank 100M includes a first line 146 and a second line 147. The first line 146 and the second line 147 are formed in the standing wall 102.

[0046] The first line 146 extends in the left-right direction 9. The position of the first line 146 in the up-down direction 7 is at the same height as the liquid level of the ink when the maximum amount of ink that can be stored is stored in the ink chamber 111 in the ink tank 100M in the usage position.

[0047] The second line 147 extends in the left-right direction 9. The second line 147 is located lower than the first line 146. The position of the second line 147 in the up-down direction 7 is at the same height as the liquid level of the ink when an amount of ink less than the above-mentioned maximum amount is stored in the ink chamber 111 in the ink tank 100M in the usage position. In this embodiment, the position of the second line 147 in the up-down direction 7 is at the same height as the liquid level of the ink when a minimum amount of ink that requires refilling is stored in the ink chamber 111 in the ink tank 100M in the usage position.

[0048] The ink tank 100M has an atmosphere communication hole 113 (an example of an atmosphere communication portion). In this embodiment, the atmosphere communication hole 113 is formed in the upper wall 104, but may be formed in a wall other than the upper wall 104. The atmosphere communication hole 113 is a hole that communicates the atmosphere outside the ink tank 100M with the ink chamber 111. The atmosphere communication hole 113 and the ink chamber 111 may be directly connected to each other as shown in FIG. 6, or may be connected to each other via an atmosphere flow path through which air passes. A semipermeable membrane (not shown) may be attached to the atmosphere communication hole 113 or the atmosphere flow path. The semipermeable membrane is a porous membrane having minute holes that block the passage of ink and allow the passage of gas. The atmosphere communication hole 113 and the ink chamber 111 are connected via an atmosphere flow path, and in a configuration in which a semipermeable membrane is attached to the atmosphere communication hole 113 or the atmosphere flow path, the atmosphere communication hole 113, the atmosphere flow path, and the semipermeable membrane correspond to the atmosphere communication section, and the atmosphere communication hole 113 corresponds to the atmosphere communication port.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 6, the ink tank 100M has an outlet 115 through which ink stored in the ink chamber 111 flows out. The outlet 115 is an opening formed in the rear wall 110. The ink tube 32 is connected to the outlet 115. As shown in Fig. 3, the ink stored in the ink chamber 111 is supplied to the recording head 39 via the outlet 115 and the ink tube 32.

[0050] 5 and 6, the ink tank 100M has a protruding portion 120 that protrudes obliquely forward and upward from the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106. The protruding portion 120 is formed above the tube body 112. The protruding portion 120 can bend when an external force is applied to it. The protruding portion 120 has a projection 120A at its tip that protrudes forward and downward. The projection 120A can be engaged with a projection 86 of the liquid bottle 80, which will be described later.

[0051] 5, the ink tank 100M has a rib 148 on the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106. The rib 148 is formed below the tube body 112. The rib 148 extends generally in the left-right direction 9 from near the right end to near the left end of the inclined wall 106. In detail, the rib 148 is inclined so as to head downward as it goes rightward from the center in the left-right direction 9, and is also inclined so as to head downward as it goes leftward from the center in the left-right direction 9.

[0052] Since the rib 148 is formed on the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106, even if ink leaks from the tube 112 when ink is injected into the ink chamber 111 through the tube 112, the rib 148 prevents the leaked ink from adhering to the outer surface of the standing wall 102, particularly below the first line 146 on the outer surface of the standing wall 102. Furthermore, since the rib 148 is inclined, ink adhering to the rib 148 from above is guided along the rib 148 to the outside of the ink tank 100 in the left-right direction 9. As a result, the possibility of ink adhering to the outer surface of the standing wall 102 can be reduced, and therefore the possibility that the ink in the ink chamber 111 being visually recognized through the standing wall 102 from the outside of the ink tank 100 is reduced. The shape of the rib 148 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 5, and it is not necessarily required to be provided.

[0053] [Tube 112] 5, the ink tank 100M includes a tube 112 (an example of a first tube and a second tube). The tube 112 is inserted into a through hole 109 that penetrates the inclined wall 106 of the ink tank 100M. Note that the tube 112 may be provided with a flange that protrudes from the outer peripheral wall in order to determine the insertion position relative to the through hole 109.

[0054] The tube 112 inserted into the through hole 109 of the inclined wall 106 protrudes obliquely forward and upward from the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106. In other words, the tube 112 extends in a direction having components of a front-rear direction 8 (horizontal direction) and a top-bottom direction 7 (vertical direction). In this embodiment, the tube 112 extends in a direction inclined at 45 degrees to the horizontal direction. The tube 112 protrudes from a position below the protruding portion 120 of the inclined wall 106. The tube 112 is inserted into the supply port 85 of the liquid bottle 80 (see FIG. 7). As a result, the ink stored in the liquid bottle 80 is injected into the ink chamber 111.

[0055] The portion of the tube 112 that protrudes from the outer surface of the inclined wall 106 has a cylindrical shape. Note that the tube 112 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a polygonal tube shape such as a rectangular tube shape, as long as the tube shape is cylindrical.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, the tube 112 has two through holes 112C (an example of a fourth opening) and 112D (an example of a second opening) that penetrate the peripheral wall of the tube 112 at its tip (the end located outside the ink chamber 111). The two through holes 112C and 112D are independent. That is, the peripheral wall of the tube 112 exists between the two through holes 112C and 112D. The through hole 112C is formed on the upper side of the tube 112 (more specifically, on a surface of the outer surface of the tube 112 that has an upward component). The through hole 112D is formed on the lower side of the tube 112 (more specifically, on a surface of the outer surface of the tube 112 that has a downward component). The tip of the tube 112 is closed by the outer wall 112A without opening.

[0057] Through hole 112C is located at the same position as through hole 112D in the extension direction of tube 112. Note that in the extension direction of tube 112, through hole 112C and through hole 112D may be located at the same position or at different positions.

[0058] 6, the outer peripheral wall 103 of the tube body 112 in the ink chamber 111 extends downward from the inner surface 106B of the inclined wall 106. The front portion 103A of the outer peripheral wall 103 extends downward further than the rear portion 103B of the outer peripheral wall 103.

[0059] 6, the tube 112 has a partition wall 117 (an example of a partition wall) in its internal space. The partition wall 117 extends in the internal space of the tube 112 from the outer wall 112A at the tip to a space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 103 of the ink chamber 111. The partition wall 117 extends in the internal space of the tube 112 along the axial direction of the tube 112 (in other words, the protruding direction of the tube 112). The partition wall 117 also extends in the space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 103 of the ink chamber 111 along the extension direction of the outer peripheral wall 103 (in other words, the up-down direction 7).

[0060] The partition wall 117 divides the internal space of the tube body 112 and the space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 103 of the ink chamber 111 into two spaces. One of the two spaces is a gas flow path 121. The other of the two spaces is a liquid flow path 122.

[0061] The gas flow path 121 is made up of a portion of the internal space of the tube 112 behind and above the partition wall 117, and a portion of the space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 103 in the ink chamber 111 behind the partition wall 117. In other words, the gas flow path 121 is a space surrounded by the rear portion 103B of the outer peripheral wall 103 and the partition wall 117 in the ink chamber 111.

[0062] The liquid flow path 122 is made up of a portion of the internal space of the tube body 112 that is forward of and below the partition wall 117, and a portion of the space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 103 in the ink chamber 111 that is forward of the partition wall 117. In other words, the liquid flow path 122 is a space surrounded by the front part 103A of the outer peripheral wall 103 and the partition wall 117 in the ink chamber 111.

[0063] An opening 121A (an example of a third opening) of the gas flow path 121 opens downward at a rear portion 103B of the outer circumferential wall 103 of the ink chamber 111. An opening 122A (an example of a first opening) of the liquid flow path 122 opens downward at a front portion 103A of the outer circumferential wall 103 of the ink chamber 111. In other words, the opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 is located above the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122. The opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 is at the same position as the first line 146 in the up-down direction 7. The gas flow path 121 and the liquid flow path 122 are located below the atmosphere communication hole 113.

[0064] The cross-sectional shape (horizontal cross-sectional shape) of the opening 122A defined by the outer peripheral wall 103 of the tube 112 and the partition wall 117 is rectangular. In other words, the outer shape of the outer peripheral wall 103 is circular inside the ink chamber 111, but the outer shape of the front part 103A together with the partition wall 117 is rectangular.

[0065] The other end of the gas flow path 121 communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100M at a through hole 112C of the tube 112. The other end of the liquid flow path 122 communicates with the outside of the ink tank 100M at a through hole 112D of the tube 112.

[0066] The flow path length L2 of the liquid flow path 122 is longer than the flow path length L1 of the gas flow path 121 (L2>L1). The flow path length L1 of the gas flow path 121 is the length from the through hole 112C to the opening 121A along the axis of the tube 112. The flow path length L2 of the liquid flow path 122 is the length from the through hole 112D to the opening 122A along the axis of the tube 112.

[0067] In addition, provided that opening 122A of liquid flow path 122 is located below opening 121A of gas flow path 121, at least a portion of the gas flow path 121 other than opening 121A may be located below opening 122A of liquid flow path 122.

[0068] Furthermore, when the atmosphere communication section is composed of the atmosphere communication hole 113 and an atmosphere flow path, at least a part of the atmosphere flow path may be located below the opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 and the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122, provided that the atmosphere communication hole 113 is located above the opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 and the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122.

[0069] [Liquid Bottle 80] 9 is connected to the ink tank 100 and has a generally cylindrical shape. The liquid bottle 80 has an internal space, and is a container in which ink is stored.

[0070] The liquid bottles 80 are provided corresponding to the ink tanks 100B, 100Y, 100C, and 100M, and store ink of the same color as the corresponding ink tank 100. That is, black ink is stored in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 corresponding to the ink tank 100B, yellow ink is stored in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 corresponding to the ink tank 100Y, cyan ink is stored in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 corresponding to the ink tank 100C, and magenta ink is stored in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 corresponding to the ink tank 100M. Note that, in this embodiment, the liquid bottles 80 have the same configuration regardless of the color of the ink stored therein, but the liquid bottles 80 may have different configurations (e.g., different external shapes) depending on the color of the ink stored therein.

[0071] The liquid bottle 80 is constituted by an outer wall 81. The outer wall 81 defines an internal space of the liquid bottle 80. The outer wall 81 includes a main body portion 82, a tapered portion 83, and a tip portion 84.

[0072] The main body 82 has a cylindrical shape. The tapered portion 83 has a truncated cone shape. The tapered portion 83 extends from one end of the axial direction 151 of the liquid bottle 80 (in other words, the longitudinal direction of the main body 82) along the axial direction 151 while decreasing in diameter. That is, the tapered portion 83 becomes thinner in the radial direction 152 of the liquid bottle 80 (in other words, the direction intersecting with the axial direction 151) toward the tip of the liquid bottle 80 (in other words, the tip portion 84 and the supply port 85 described later).

[0073] The tip portion 84 protrudes from one end of the tapered portion 83 (the end of the tapered portion 83 opposite the main body portion 82) along the axial direction 151. The tip portion 84 is provided with a supply port 85. The supply port 85 is a part of the internal space of the liquid bottle 80. As shown in FIG. 6, the supply port 85 penetrates the tip portion 84 in the axial direction 151. One end of the supply port 85 (the end on the base end side of the tip portion 84) communicates with the internal space of the tapered portion 83. The other end of the supply port 85 (the end on the tip side of the tip portion 84) opens to the outside of the liquid bottle 80 and communicates with the outside. In other words, the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 communicates with the outside through the supply port 85. A protrusion 86 is formed on the outer surface of the tip portion 84.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, the liquid bottle 80 includes a wall 87, a valve 88, a coil spring 89, and a seal 90 within its interior space.

[0075] The wall 87 protrudes from the inner surface of the liquid bottle 80 so as to be located on the axis of the supply port 85 (an imaginary line 150 that passes through the center of the supply port 85 and extends along the axial direction 151) in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80. The wall 87 has an outer surface that is perpendicular to the axis of the supply port 85. The outer surface of the wall 87 functions as a spring seat for the coil spring 89.

[0076] 9, the valve 88 is located between the supply port 85 and the wall 87. One end of the coil spring 89 abuts against the wall 87. The other end of the coil spring 89 abuts against the valve 88. The seal 90 is a ring-shaped member made of an elastic member such as rubber. The seal 90 is located closer to the other end of the supply port 85 than the valve 88 (the tip side of the tip portion 84). The seal 90 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface that defines the supply port 85.

[0077] Valve 88 is movable along axial direction 151 between a closed position (an example of a first position) shown in FIGS. 6 and 10 and an open position (an example of a second position) shown in FIG.

[0078] When the valve 88 is in the closed position, the valve 88 abuts against the seal 90. As a result, the other end of the supply port 85 (the opening in the supply port 85 that communicates with the outside) is closed, and the communication between the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 and the outside of the liquid bottle 80 is blocked by the valve 88.

[0079] When the valve 88 is in the open position, the valve 88 is separated from the seal 90. As a result, the other end of the supply port 85 is open, and the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 communicates with the outside of the liquid bottle 80.

[0080] The coil spring 89 biases the valve 88 towards the seal 90. Therefore, when no external force is applied (when the liquid bottle 80 is not attached to the ink tank 100), the valve 88 is always in the closed position.

[0081] [Connection of the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100] The connection between the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100 will now be described.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 10, when the liquid bottle 80 is not connected to the ink tank 100, the valve 88 of the liquid bottle 80 is in a closed position.

[0083] When connecting the liquid bottle 80 to the tube 112, the liquid bottle 80 is brought close to the tube 112 while maintaining a position in which the supply port 85 faces the outer wall 112A of the tube 112 and the protrusion 86 faces the protruding portion 120 of the ink tank 100.

[0084] When tube 112 is inserted into supply port 85, the outer circumferential surface of tube 112 comes into liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of seal 90. This prevents ink from leaking from the gap between liquid bottle 80 and tube 112.

[0085] Furthermore, when the tube 112 is inserted into the supply port 85, the outer wall 112A of the tube 112 comes into contact with the valve 88 and pushes the valve 88 toward the internal space of the liquid bottle 80. As a result, the valve 88 moves away from the seal 90 against the biasing force of the coil spring 89, and moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0086] Furthermore, when the projection 86 approaches the protruding portion 120 and abuts against the projection 120A, the projection 120 receives a reaction force from the projection 86 and bends. Furthermore, when the tube 112 is inserted into the supply port 85 and the projection 86 becomes closer to the front wall 101 than the projection 120A, the bent projection 120 elastically returns to its original state. This causes the projection 86 to engage with the projection 120A, as shown in Figures 7 and 11. As a result, the liquid bottle 80 is locked to the ink tank 100.

[0087] The connected state is a state in which tube 112 is inserted into supply port 85, valve 88 moves to the open position, valve 118 moves to the open position, and protrusion 86 and protrusion 120A are engaged (the state shown in FIGS. 7 and 10). In the connected state, through holes 112C and 112D of tube 112 are located in the internal space of liquid bottle 80.

[0088] The supply of ink from the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100 in the connected state shown in FIGS. 7 and 11 will be described below.

[0089] When the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100 and the through holes 112C and 112D of the tube body 112 are positioned in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80, the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 communicates with the ink chamber 111 through the gas flow path 121 and the liquid flow path 122. As a result, the ink stored in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 flows into the liquid flow path 122 through the through hole 112D, and flows into the ink chamber 111 from the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122. In addition, when the ink flows, air enters the ink chamber 111 from the atmosphere communication hole 113, and flows into the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 from the gas flow path 121 through the through hole 112C. Here, the volume of the ink flowing from the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100 and the volume of the air flowing from the ink tank 100 to the liquid bottle 80 are approximately the same. In this manner, so-called gas-liquid replacement is performed.

[0090] When the ink flows into the ink chamber 111, causing the ink level in the ink chamber 111 to rise and reach the opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 (in other words, the same height as the first line 146), the flow of air between the gas flow path 121 and the ink chamber 111 is blocked. This stops the flow of air from the ink chamber 111 to the internal space of the liquid bottle 80. Therefore, the flow of ink from the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 to the ink chamber 111 is stopped. Then, when the liquid bottle 80 is removed from the ink tank 100, the refilling of the ink chamber 111 with ink is completed.

[0091] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the above embodiment, ink that flows into ink chamber 111 from opening 122A of tube 112 flows downward and is unlikely to reach opening 121A located above opening 122A. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that ink that flows from liquid bottle 80 into tank 100 through liquid flow path 122 will flow back into gas flow path 121.

[0092] Furthermore, since the cross-sectional shape of the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122 is rectangular, an ink meniscus is unlikely to form in the vicinity of the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122.

[0093] Furthermore, since the gas flow path 121 and the liquid flow path 122 are formed by dividing one pipe 112 by a partition wall 117, the pipe 112 can be easily constructed. Furthermore, since one pipe 112 is inserted into the supply port 85 of the liquid bottle 80, the construction of the liquid bottle 80 is also simplified. Furthermore, the tank 100 and the liquid bottle 80 can be easily connected.

[0094] [Variations] In the above embodiment, the tube 112 extends along the vertical direction 7 in the ink chamber 111, and the opening 121A of the gas flow path 121 and the opening 122A of the liquid flow path 122 face downward, but the openings 121A and 122A do not have to face downward.

[0095] 12, instead of the tube 112, a tube 160 is inserted into the through-hole 109 of the inclined wall 106 of the ink tank M. The tube 160 protrudes obliquely forward and upward from the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106.

[0096] The tube 160 has two through holes 161, 162 that penetrate an outer peripheral wall 164 of the tube 160 in a portion that protrudes outward. The through hole 161 is formed on the upper side of the tube 160. The through hole 162 is formed on the lower side of the tube 160. The tip of the tube 160 is closed and not opened by an outer wall 163. The through hole 161 is in the same position as the through hole 162 in the direction in which the tube 160 extends.

[0097] The tube 160 protrudes obliquely rearward and downward in the ink chamber 111 along the oblique direction protruding outward from the outer surface 106A of the inclined wall 106. In other words, the tube 160 extends inside and outside the ink chamber 111 along a straight axis.

[0098] The portion of tube 160 that protrudes into ink chamber 111 is longer at the upper portion than at the lower portion. Specifically, semicircular outer peripheral wall 166 that constitutes the upper portion extends further than outer wall 165 that closes the end of the lower portion of tube 160, and the lower portion of outer peripheral wall 166 is closed by partition wall 167 (see FIG. 13). In addition, the end of the upper portion of tube 160 is closed by outer wall 168.

[0099] A through hole 170 is formed in the outer peripheral wall 166 of the upper portion of the tube 160. The through hole 170 is located near the outer wall 168. A through hole 171 is formed in the outer peripheral wall 164 of the lower portion of the tube 160. The through hole 171 is located near the outer wall 165. Note that the through hole 170 may be formed not only in the outer peripheral wall 166 but also across the outer peripheral wall 164.

[0100] Through hole 170 is at a different position from through hole 171 in the extension direction of pipe body 160. A lower end position P1 of through hole 170 in the vertical direction 7 is located higher than a lower end position P2 of through hole 171 in the vertical direction 7.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 12, the tube 160 has a partition 167 in its internal space. The partition 167 extends from the outer wall 163 outside the ink chamber 111 to the outer wall 165 inside the ink chamber 111 in the internal space of the tube 160. The partition 167 extends in the axial direction of the tube 160 within the internal space of the tube 160. The partition 167 divides the internal space of the tube 160 into two spaces, an upper space and an lower space. One of the two spaces (the upper space) is the gas flow path 121. The other of the two spaces (the lower space) is the liquid flow path 122.

[0102] The flow path length L2 of the liquid flow path 122 is longer than the flow path length L1 of the gas flow path 121 (L2>L1). The flow path length L1 of the gas flow path 121 is the length from the through hole 161 to the through hole 170 along the axis of the tube 160. The flow path length L2 of the liquid flow path 122 is the length from the through hole 162 to the through hole 171 along the axis of the tube 160.

[0103] According to the above modification, ink that has flowed into ink chamber 111 from through hole 171 of tube 160 flows downward and is therefore unlikely to reach through hole 170, which is located above through hole 171 and whose end portion of tube 160 is blocked by outer wall 168. This makes it possible to reduce the possibility that ink that has flowed from liquid bottle 80 into tank 100 through liquid flow path 122 will flow back into gas flow path 121.

[0104] In the above modification, it is not necessary to provide the outer wall 165 that closes the end of the lower portion of the tube 160. For example, the opening of the liquid flow path 122 in the ink chamber 111 may be the end where the lower portion of the tube 160 is opened.

[0105] [Other variations] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 86 and the protrusion 120 locked the upper side of the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100, but the presence or absence of a mechanism for locking the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100 is optional and does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the ink tank 100 includes one tube 112. The internal space of the tube 112 is partitioned by the partition wall 117 into the gas flow path 121 and the liquid flow path 122. However, the ink tank 100 may include two tubes that independently define the gas flow path 121 and the liquid flow path 122. In this case, the liquid bottle 80 has two supply ports into which the two tubes are inserted and which communicate with the internal space.

[0107] The shapes of the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the liquid bottle 80 may be cylindrical without the tapered portion 83, or may be a square prism. The ink tank 100 may be rectangular parallelepiped without the inclined wall 106.

[0108] In the above embodiment, ink has been described as an example of the liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, instead of ink, a pretreatment liquid that is ejected onto the paper prior to the ink during printing, or water that is sprayed near the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39 to prevent the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39 from drying, etc. may be an example of the liquid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 100···Ink tank (tank) 109...Through hole 111 Ink chamber (storage chamber) 112... Pipe body (first pipe body, second pipe body) 112C...Through hole (1st opening) 112D...Through hole (second opening) 113... Atmospheric vent hole (atmospheric vent part) 117 Partition wall (partition wall) 121...Gas flow path 121A...Aperture (3rd aperture) 122...Liquid flow path 122A...Aperture (4th aperture)

Claims

1. A tank to which a liquid bottle is connected, A storage chamber for storing a liquid; An atmosphere communication part that communicates the storage chamber with the atmosphere; a first pipe that defines a liquid flow path that connects a first opening located in the storage chamber and a second opening that communicates with the outside of the storage chamber; A second pipe defining a gas flow path connecting a third opening located in the storage chamber and a fourth opening communicating with the outside of the storage chamber, The first pipe body and the second pipe body are a single pipe body partitioned by a partition wall, The first tubular body is a first portion in which the second opening is located and which extends along an extension direction intersecting a vertical direction and a horizontal direction; a portion that extends obliquely downward along the extension direction inside the tank and that constitutes a lower portion of the pipe body, The second tubular body is a second portion in which the fourth opening is located and which extends along the extension direction; an end portion of the first pipe extending obliquely downward along the extension direction within the tank and constituting an upper portion of the pipe, the end portion protruding in the extension direction beyond the first pipe, The end of the second pipe has a semicircular outer wall extending along the extension direction.

2. The third opening penetrates the outer peripheral wall of the second pipe, 2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein an end face of the second pipe located in the storage chamber is closed.

3. A tank to which a liquid bottle is connected, A storage chamber for storing a liquid; An atmosphere communication part that communicates the storage chamber with the atmosphere; a first pipe that defines a liquid flow path that connects a first opening located in the storage chamber and a second opening that communicates with the outside of the storage chamber; A second pipe defining a gas flow path connecting a third opening located in the storage chamber and a fourth opening communicating with the outside of the storage chamber, The first tubular body is a first portion in which the second opening is located and which extends along an extension direction intersecting a vertical direction and a horizontal direction; a portion extending obliquely downward along the extension direction within the tank; A portion extending downward along a vertical direction within the tank, The second tubular body is a second portion in which the fourth opening is located and which extends along the extension direction; a portion extending obliquely downward along the extension direction within the tank; A tank having a portion extending downward along a vertical direction inside the tank.

4. 4. The tank according to claim 3, wherein the first pipe body and the second pipe body are a single pipe body partitioned by a partition wall.

5. The storage chamber is defined by a housing having a through hole communicating the storage chamber with the outside, 5. The tank according to claim 1, wherein the one pipe is detachably inserted into a through hole of the housing.

6. A tank described in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first opening is located lower than the third opening.

7. A tank described in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first opening is located below at least a portion of the atmospheric communication portion.

8. A tank to which a liquid bottle is connected, A storage chamber for storing a liquid; An atmosphere communication part that communicates the storage chamber with the atmosphere; a first pipe that defines a liquid flow path that connects a first opening located in the storage chamber and a second opening that communicates with the outside of the storage chamber; A second pipe defining a gas flow path connecting a third opening located in the storage chamber and a fourth opening communicating with the outside of the storage chamber, The first pipe has a first portion extending along an extension direction intersecting a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, The second pipe has a second portion extending along the extension direction, The first opening is located below at least a portion of the atmosphere communication portion, the second opening is located in the first portion; The fourth opening is a tank located in the second portion.

9. A tank as described in any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first pipe body protrudes from the outer wall of the tank to the outside of the tank.

10. A tank as described in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second pipe body protrudes from the outer wall of the tank to the outside of the tank.

11. A tank described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the flow path length of the liquid flow path is longer than the flow path length of the gas flow path.

12. A tank as described in any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the liquid flow path near the first opening is polygonal.

13. A tank to which a liquid bottle is connected, A storage chamber for storing a liquid; An atmosphere communication part that communicates the storage chamber with the atmosphere; a first pipe that defines a liquid flow path that connects a first opening located in the storage chamber and a second opening that communicates with the outside of the storage chamber; A second pipe defining a gas flow path connecting a third opening located in the storage chamber and a fourth opening communicating with the outside of the storage chamber, The first pipe has a first portion extending along an extension direction intersecting a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, The second pipe has a second portion extending along the extension direction, the second opening is located in the first portion; the fourth opening is located in the second portion; The cross-sectional shape of the liquid flow path in the vicinity of the first opening is polygonal.

14. A tank according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a liquid bottle connected to the tank, The liquid bottle is a mouth portion located at a tip portion of the liquid bottle and defining a supply port into which the first pipe body and the second pipe body can be inserted; and an abutment portion located on an outer surface of the mouth portion, A system in which, in a connection posture in which the first pipe body and the second pipe body are inserted into the supply port, the connection posture is maintained by the abutting portion abutting against a contacted portion located in a position opposite the mouth portion.

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