cartridge

Abstract

To provide a cartridge which enables smooth gas-liquid exchange.SOLUTION: A cartridge includes a liquid storage part for storing a liquid, a liquid supply part having a supply part flow channel communicating with the liquid storage part and having a central axis, and a valve mechanism arranged in the supply part flow channel, wherein the valve mechanism has a valve seat having an insertion port to which a liquid introduction part is inserted, a valve body which has a blocking surface for blocking the insertion port by brought into contact with the valve body and is positioned on the upstream side of the valve seat in a liquid flow direction of the supply part flow channel when the liquid is supplied, and an energization member for energizing the valve body toward the valve seat, the valve mechanism opens the valve by separating the valve body from the valve seat by pressed by the liquid introduction part, the blocking surface has a plane part and an inclination part that is a slope part formed around the plane part, and is inclined so as to be positioned on the upstream side in the flow direction as getting closer to the edge of the blocking surface, and at least a part of the slope part faces an introduction part flow channel in the mounting state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cartridge. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a cartridge mounted on a liquid ejecting device is known that includes a supply valve that opens and closes a liquid supply port that communicates with a liquid storage chamber (for example, Patent Document 1). When the supply valve is pressed against a liquid introduction section included in the liquid ejecting device, the supply valve opens and liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber is supplied to the liquid ejecting device via the liquid introduction section. The cartridge described in Patent Document 1 further includes an atmospheric valve, and when liquid is supplied to the liquid ejecting device, air is taken in through the atmospheric valve, thereby performing gas-liquid exchange in the liquid storage chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-62377 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the cartridge described in Patent Document 1, liquid is supplied from the liquid storage chamber through a liquid supply port, and air flows into the liquid storage chamber for gas-liquid exchange through an atmospheric valve. Alternatively, a configuration may be considered in which both liquid supply and air flow are through the liquid supply port. In this configuration, if air bubbles, which are the inflowing air, remain in the flow path connecting the liquid supply port and the liquid storage chamber, the supply of liquid may be halted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge that is detachably mounted to a liquid ejection device that includes a liquid introduction part having an introduction part flow path. The cartridge includes a liquid storage part for storing liquid, a liquid supply part having a supply part flow path communicating with the liquid storage part, the liquid supply part having a central axis, and a valve mechanism that is disposed in the supply part flow path and closes the valve when the liquid ejection device is not attached to the liquid ejection device to make the supply part flow path non-communicating and opens the valve when the liquid ejection device is attached to the liquid ejection device to make the supply part flow path communicated. The valve mechanism includes a valve seat having an insertion port into which the liquid introduction part is inserted, a valve body having a blocking surface that abuts against the valve seat to block the insertion port, the valve body being located upstream of the valve seat in the flow direction of the liquid in the supply part flow path when the liquid is supplied, and a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat. The valve mechanism opens when the valve body is pushed by the liquid inlet portion and moves away from the valve seat, and the blocking surface has a flat portion and a sloped portion formed around the flat portion, the sloped portion being inclined so as to be positioned upstream in the flow direction the closer it is to the edge of the blocking surface, and in the attached state, at least a portion of the sloped portion faces the inlet flow path. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a printing system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge in an attached state. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a process of mounting a cartridge. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the liquid supply portion and the liquid introduction portion in an unattached state. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid supply unit in an unattached state. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid supply unit in an attached state. [Figure 8] VIII-VIII sectional view of Figure 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] A. Embodiment: A-1. Printing system configuration: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, XYZ axes, which are three spatial axes perpendicular to each other, are depicted. The directions in which the arrows of the X, Y, and Z axes point indicate the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are respectively the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction. The directions opposite to the directions in which the arrows of the X, Y, and Z axes point are respectively the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes. The negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are respectively the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction. The directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, are respectively called the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction. The same applies to the figures and explanations shown below.

[0008] The printing system 1 includes a printing device 10 as a liquid ejection device, and a plurality of cartridges 4 that supply ink as liquid to the printing device 10. The printing device 10 of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that ejects ink as liquid from an ejection head 22. This printing device 10 is a large printer that prints on large-sized paper such as posters. The printing device 10 includes a cartridge mounting section 6, a carriage 20, an ejection head 22, and a drive mechanism 30. A plurality of cartridges 4 that contain ink of different colors are removably attached to the cartridge mounting section 6.

[0009] The printing device 10 has a replacement cover 13 on the front side in the +Y direction. When the +Z direction side of the replacement cover 13 is tilted toward the front side in the +Y direction, an opening of the cartridge mounting section 6 appears, and the cartridge 4 can be attached and detached. When the cartridge 4 is mounted in the cartridge mounting section 6, ink can be supplied to the ejection head 22 provided in the carriage 20 through a tube 24 as a liquid circulation pipe. In this embodiment, ink is supplied from the cartridge 4 to the ejection head 22 by utilizing a head difference. Specifically, ink is supplied to the ejection head 22 by a head difference between the liquid level of the ink in the liquid storage section 699 and the ejection head 22. In another embodiment, ink may be supplied to the ejection head 22 by sucking ink in the cartridge 4 using a pump mechanism (not shown) of the printing device 10. The tube 24 is provided for each type of ink. The state in which the cartridge 4 is mounted in the cartridge mounting section 6 and ink as a liquid can be supplied to the printing device 10 is also called an attached state.

[0010] The ejection head 22 is provided with a nozzle for each type of ink. The ejection head 22 ejects ink from the nozzles toward the printing paper 2 to print data such as characters and images. The ejection head 22 is attached to the carriage 20. Note that in this embodiment, the printing device 10 is a printer of the so-called "off-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting section 6 is not linked to the movement of the carriage 20. The present disclosure can also be applied to printers of the so-called "on-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting section 6 is provided on the carriage 20 and moves together with the carriage 20.

[0011] The drive mechanism 30 reciprocates the carriage 20 based on a control signal from the control unit. The drive mechanism 30 includes a timing belt 32 and a drive motor 34. The power of the drive motor 34 is transmitted to the carriage 20 via the timing belt 32, causing the carriage 20 to reciprocate in the main scanning direction, which is the direction along the X direction. The printing device 10 also includes a transport mechanism for moving the print paper 2 in the sub-scanning direction, which is the +Y direction. When printing is performed, the print paper 2 is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the transport mechanism, and the print paper 2 after printing is completed is output onto the front cover 11.

[0012] The cartridge 4 is removably mounted in the printing device 10. The cartridge 4 is inserted in the -Y direction from the insertion / removal opening 674 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, and is stored in the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0013] In this embodiment, in the use state of the printing system 1, the axis along the sub-scanning direction in which the print paper 2 is transported is the Y axis, the axis along the gravity direction is the Z axis, and the axis along the movement direction of the carriage 20 is the X axis. Here, the "use state of the printing system 1" refers to a state in which the printing system 1 is installed on a horizontal surface. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction is the +Y direction, the opposite direction is the -Y direction, the gravity direction is the -Z direction, and the antigravity direction is the +Z direction. The X and Y directions are directions along the horizontal direction. In addition, when the printing system 1 is viewed from the front side, the direction from the right side to the left side is the +X direction, and the opposite direction is the -X direction. In this embodiment, the insertion direction in which the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6 for mounting is the -Y direction, and the direction in which the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 is the +Y direction. Therefore, the -Y direction side of the cartridge mounting portion 6 is also called the back side, and the +Y direction side is also called the front side. In this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the multiple cartridges 4 is the X direction.

[0014] A-2. Description of the cartridge mounting section and cartridge in the mounted state: 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 4 and the cartridge mounting portion 6 in the mounted state, cut along a YZ plane passing through the central axis of the liquid introduction portion 642. As shown in FIG. 2, in the mounted state, the cartridge 4 is accommodated in an accommodation chamber 61 disposed above the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0015] The cartridge mounting section 6 has a liquid storage section 699 disposed below the storage chamber 61, and a liquid introduction section 642. A support member 610 forming the bottom wall of the storage chamber 61 supports the cartridge 4 from below. When the cartridge 4 is mounted, a main wall 613 forming the bottom of the support member 610 is inclined with respect to the Y direction. Specifically, the main wall 613 of the support member 610 is inclined so as to be positioned on the lower side, that is, the -Z direction side, as it approaches the +Y axis direction. This main wall 613 is parallel to the Y direction in the initial arrangement state of the cartridge mounting section 6 when the cartridge 4 is not mounted.

[0016] The liquid storage section 699 communicates with the ejection head 22 via the tube 24 shown in Fig. 1, and also communicates with the liquid introduction section 642. An air inlet port (not shown) for taking in air is formed in the liquid storage section 699. The liquid introduction section 642 is a cylindrical member, and has an introduction section flow path 682 therein for circulating liquid. In a mounted state in which the cartridge 4 is mounted in the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting section 6, the liquid supply section 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction section 642 of the cartridge mounting section 6 are connected.

[0017] In addition to the above configuration, the cartridge mounting section 6 has an apparatus-side supply section positioning section 644 used to position the cartridge 4. The apparatus-side supply section positioning section 644 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The apparatus-side supply section positioning section 644, which is a protrusion of the cartridge mounting section 6, fits into the concave supply section positioning section 448 of the cartridge 4, thereby restricting movement of the liquid supply section 442 that intersects with the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply section 442. This allows the liquid supply section 442 to be positioned relative to the liquid introduction section 642.

[0018] In a mounted state in which the cartridge 4 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6, the liquid supply portion 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction portion 642 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 are connected. As a result, the ink contained in the liquid storage portion 450 of the cartridge 4 is supplied to the liquid introduction portion 642 via the liquid supply portion 442. Also, in this embodiment, while ink is supplied from the liquid supply portion 442 to the liquid introduction portion 642, the air contained in the liquid storage portion 699 becomes air bubbles, which flow through the liquid introduction portion 642 and the liquid supply portion 442 to the liquid storage portion 450. As a result, air-liquid exchange in the liquid storage portion 450 is performed.

[0019] The central axis CA1 of the liquid introduction part 642 is parallel to the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply part 442 in the attached state, and is inclined with respect to the Z direction. Moreover, the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply part 442 is a direction along the extension direction of the liquid supply part 442.

[0020] A-3. Cartridge Description: 3 is a perspective view of the cartridge 4. The cartridge 4 has an outer shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The cartridge 4 has a depth direction in the Y direction, a height direction in the Z direction, and a width direction in the X direction. The outer shape of the cartridge 4 has the largest dimension in the Y direction, followed by the smallest dimensions in the Z direction and the smallest dimensions in the X direction. The cartridge 4 includes a liquid container 401 and an adaptor 402. The adaptor 402 is attached to the liquid container 401 by fitting.

[0021] The cartridge 4 has a front wall 42, a rear wall 47, an upper wall 43, a bottom wall 44, a first side wall 45, a second side wall 46, and a corner portion 89. The front wall 42 and the rear wall 47 face each other in the Y direction. The upper wall 43 and the bottom wall 44 face each other in the Z direction. The Z direction is parallel to a central axis CA2 along the extension direction of the liquid supply part 442. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 face each other in the X direction. The upper wall 43 is located on the +Z direction side and intersects with the front wall 42 and the rear wall 47. The bottom wall 44 is located on the -Z direction side, which is the gravity direction side, in the attached state. The bottom wall 44 intersects with the front wall 42 and the rear wall 47. The corner portion 89 is provided at a corner portion where the front wall 42 and the bottom wall 44 intersect.

[0022] The liquid container 401 has a liquid storage section 450 and a liquid supply section 442. The liquid storage section 450 is an internal space of the liquid container 401, and is provided for storing liquid. The liquid supply section 442, which communicates with the liquid storage section 450, is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the bottom wall 44 of the liquid container 401 towards the adapter 402.

[0023] The adaptor 402 has a supply unit positioning portion 448 and an opening 446. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is a hole extending from the second side wall 46 toward the upper wall 43. The opening 446 is an opening formed in the bottom wall 44 for inserting the liquid supply unit 442. When the cartridge 4 is viewed from the bottom wall 44 side, the opening 446 and the liquid supply unit 442 are in an overlapping positional relationship. In this embodiment, the liquid supply unit 442 is disposed such that the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply unit 442 passes through the opening 446.

[0024] A-4. Cartridge installation instructions: FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the process of mounting the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6. When the cartridge 4 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 6, the cartridge 4 is first inserted into the storage chamber 61 through the insertion / removal opening 674 of the cartridge mounting portion 6. As a result, the front wall 42 of the cartridge 4 is positioned as shown in FIG. 4. Next, the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4 is rotated about the rotation fulcrum 698 in the connection direction CD2 indicated by the arrow. As a result, the liquid supply portion 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction portion 642 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 are connected. The rotation fulcrum 698 is provided on the second device wall 62 side of the cartridge mounting portion 6. When the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6, the above procedure is performed in the reverse order. That is, the cartridge 4 is rotated about the rotation fulcrum 698 in the connection direction CD3 indicated by the arrow, and then is pulled out of the storage chamber 61. A state in which the liquid supply unit 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction unit 642 of the cartridge mounting unit 6 are connected, as in the state shown in Fig. 2, is also referred to as an attached state. In contrast, a state in which the liquid supply unit 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction unit 642 of the cartridge mounting unit 6 are not connected, as in the state shown in Fig. 4 or in the case of a single cartridge 4, is also referred to as a non-attached state. A state in which the cartridge 4 is inserted into the storage chamber 61, as in the state shown in Fig. 4, is also referred to as an inserted state.

[0025] A-5. Detailed description of the cartridge mounting section and cartridge: Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a partial cross section of the liquid supply part 442 and the liquid introduction part 642 in the non-attached state. Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid supply part 442 and the liquid introduction part 642 in the non-attached state after the cartridge 4 is inserted into the storage chamber 61 and before it is rotated. Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the liquid supply part 442 and the liquid introduction part 642 in the attached state. Figs. 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken along the YZ plane passing through the central axis CA1 and the central axis CA2. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 6.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid supply unit 442 has a supply unit flow path 482 that communicates with the liquid storage unit 450. As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid supply unit 442 is inserted into an inflow opening 432 formed in a container bottom wall 431, which is the bottom wall of the liquid storage unit 450. The liquid supply unit 442 is generally cylindrical in shape having a central axis CA2. The liquid supply unit 442 has a housing 480, a guide portion 481, and a rib 483. The housing 480 has a cylindrical shape. A portion of the housing 480 that is housed in the liquid storage unit 450 has a plurality of slits 441 that extend in the axial direction along the central axis CA2 and are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The liquid in the liquid storage unit 450 flows into the supply unit flow path 482 through the slits 441.

[0027] The inner wall 480a forming the supply passage 482 is formed with a rib 483 that protrudes inward from the inner wall 480a and extends in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The rib 483 is formed at an end of the inner wall 480a in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, eight ribs 483 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 6, in the non-attached state, an outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 described later and the rib 483 overlap in a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the central axis CA2. That is, in the axial direction along the central axis CA2, the rib 483 and the outermost wall 492 are arranged in the same position range. As a result, as will be described in detail later, it is possible to suppress the oscillation of the cartridge-side valve body 486 due to impact and suppress the leakage of liquid. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in the attached state, the outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 does not overlap with the rib 483 in a side view. That is, in the axial direction along the central axis CA2, the rib 483 and the outermost wall 492 are disposed in different positional ranges. This makes it possible to ensure a sufficient flow channel cross-sectional area of ​​the supply section flow channel 482.

[0028] 5, the guide portion 481 is located inward of the inner wall 480a and extends in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The guide portion 481 guides the axial movement of the cartridge-side valve body 486. The guide portion 481 and the housing 480 are connected to each other at their ends on the liquid storage portion 450 side in the axial direction.

[0029] 6, the liquid supply unit 442 includes a cartridge-side valve mechanism 484 as a valve mechanism in a supply unit flow path 482. The cartridge-side valve mechanism 484 closes the supply unit flow path 482 in the unattached state to bring the supply unit flow path 482 into a non-communicating state, and opens the supply unit flow path 482 in the attached state to bring the supply unit flow path 482 into a communicating state. The cartridge-side valve mechanism 484 has a cartridge-side valve seat 485 as a valve seat, a cartridge-side valve body 486 as a valve body, and a cartridge-side biasing member 487 as a biasing member.

[0030] The cartridge side valve seat 485 is disposed near the supply opening 442e1. The cartridge side valve seat 485 is an annular member. The cartridge side valve seat 485 is formed of an elastic member such as synthetic rubber or elastomer. The outer peripheral surface of the cartridge side valve seat 485 is airtightly attached to the inner peripheral surface of the liquid supply part 442. The cartridge side valve seat 485 is formed with an insertion port 485a penetrating in a direction along the central axis CA2. When mounting, the liquid introduction part 642 is inserted into the insertion port 485a.

[0031] The cartridge-side valve body 486 is attached to the liquid supply portion 442 so as to be slidable in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. As shown in Fig. 5, the cartridge-side valve body 486 is a rod-shaped member extending in a direction along the central axis CA2. The cartridge-side valve body 486 is located upstream of the cartridge-side valve seat 485 in the flow direction of the liquid in the supply flow path when the liquid is supplied. As shown in Fig. 6, the cartridge-side valve body 486 has a blocking surface 488, a convex portion 489, an aligning portion 490, a cylindrical portion 491, and an outermost wall 492.

[0032] The blocking surface 488 is located at the tip of the cartridge-side valve body 486. The blocking surface 488 has a circular shape when viewed from the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The blocking surface 488 abuts against the cartridge-side valve seat 485 to close the insertion port 485a. The cartridge-side valve body 486 has a flat surface portion 495 and an inclined surface portion 496 formed around the flat surface portion 495. The flat surface portion 495 has a circular shape when viewed from the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The inclined surface portion 496 has an annular shape when viewed from the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The inclined surface portion 496 is inclined so as to be located on the upstream side in the liquid flow direction as it approaches the edge of the blocking surface 488. In this embodiment, in an inserted state or an attached state in which the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6, the liquid supply portion 442 is located on the antigravity direction side as it approaches the upstream side. That is, in the inserted state or the attached state, the inclined surface portion 496 is inclined so as to be positioned higher as it approaches the edge of the blocking surface 488. As shown in Fig. 7, in the attached state, at least a portion of the inclined surface portion 496 faces the introduction part flow path 682 in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. This allows smooth gas-liquid exchange during liquid supply, as will be described in detail later.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, a convex portion 489 that protrudes toward the supply opening 442e1 side is formed at the center of the blocking surface 488. The convex portion 489 is cylindrical. The convex portion 489 is disposed at a position that passes through the central axis CA2. When the cartridge side valve mechanism 484 is in a closed state, the convex portion 489 is disposed within the insertion port 485a of the cartridge side valve seat 485. As shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 489 of the cartridge side valve body 486, in the mounted state, pushes the device side valve body 685 disposed within the liquid introduction portion 642 to open the valve. The cylindrical portion 491 has a cylindrical shape and is formed around the centering portion 490. In the mounted state, the tip of the guide portion 481 is inserted between the centering portion 490 and the cylindrical portion 491. The outermost wall 492 is a portion that extends from the edge of the blocking surface 488 in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The outermost wall 492 is located at the outermost position in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The aligning portion 490 has a cylindrical shape extending along the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The aligning portion 490 is disposed inside the guide portion 481. By engaging the aligning portion 490 with the guide portion 481, the movement of the cartridge-side valve body 486 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction along the central axis CA2 is restricted.

[0034] The cartridge side biasing member 487 biases the cartridge side valve body 486 in a direction toward the cartridge side valve seat 485. The cartridge side biasing member 487 is, for example, a compression coil spring. One end of the cartridge side biasing member 487 abuts against the cartridge side valve body 486, and the other end abuts against the liquid supply portion 442.

[0035] The space between the inner wall 480 a and the cartridge-side valve seat 485 and the guide portion 481 and the cartridge-side valve body 486 is a supply portion flow path 482 .

[0036] When the cartridge 4 is in an attached state, the liquid introduction part 642 is connected to the liquid supply part 442 and receives liquid from the liquid supply part 442. The liquid introduction part 642 has an introduction part flow path 682 through which the liquid supplied from the liquid supply part 442 flows. As shown in Fig. 6, the liquid introduction part 642 has a central axis CA1. The central axis CA1 is inclined with respect to the direction of gravity.

[0037] The liquid introduction part 642 includes an introduction part main body 680 and an apparatus side valve mechanism 681. The introduction part main body 680 is hollow, and the tip part is cylindrical. An introduction part flow path 682 is formed inside the introduction part main body 680.

[0038] The device-side valve mechanism 681 is disposed in the introduction part flow path 682 and opens and closes the introduction part flow path 682. The device-side valve mechanism 681 has an device-side valve seat 687 formed by the introduction part main body 680, an device-side valve element 685, and an device-side biasing member 683. The device-side valve seat 687 is a portion of the introduction part main body 680 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CA1. The device-side valve seat 687 has an device-side valve hole 689 that is a part of the introduction part flow path 682.

[0039] The device-side valve body 685 is a rod-shaped member extending in a direction along the central axis CA1. The device-side valve body 685 is located in the introduction passage 682 and opens and closes the introduction passage 682. The device-side valve body 685 is formed with an arrangement portion 686. The arrangement portion 686 is a portion of the main body of the device-side valve body 685 that is larger in size in a direction perpendicular to the central axis CA1 than other portions. The arrangement portion 686 faces the device-side valve seat 687. A seal member 688, which is an annular elastic member, is attached to the arrangement portion 686. The seal member 688 is formed of elastomer or rubber. In a state in which the liquid introduction portion 642 and the liquid supply portion 442 are not connected, the seal member 688 abuts airtightly against the device-side valve seat 687, thereby blocking the device-side valve hole 689 of the device-side valve seat 687 with the device-side valve body 685. As a result, the device-side valve 685 is brought into a closed state.

[0040] The device-side biasing member 683 biases the device-side valve body 685 in a direction toward the device-side valve seat 687. The device-side biasing member 683 is, for example, a compression coil spring. One end of the device-side biasing member 683 abuts against the arrangement portion 686, and the other end abuts against the pedestal 684. The pedestal 684 is a member that forms the base end 642a of the liquid introduction portion 642, and is attached to the introduction portion main body 680.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, when the cartridge 4 is attached, the cartridge-side valve mechanism 484 is pushed by the liquid introduction portion 642 and the cartridge-side valve element 486 is separated from the cartridge-side valve seat 485, thereby opening the valve. On the other hand, when the cartridge 4 is attached, the device-side valve element 685 is separated from the device-side valve seat 687 of the introduction portion main body 680, thereby opening the valve. Then, the supply portion flow path 482 and the introduction portion flow path 682 are connected. In the attached state, the liquid contained in the liquid storage portion 450 flows into the supply portion flow path 482 through the slit 441. Then, the liquid flows from the supply portion flow path 482 to the introduction portion flow path 682 and is supplied to the liquid storage portion 699.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, ink is supplied from the liquid supply unit 442 to the liquid introduction unit 642 through the supply unit flow path 482 and the introduction unit flow path 682. Meanwhile, air contained in the liquid storage unit 699 becomes air bubbles and flows into the liquid storage unit 450 through the introduction unit flow path 682 and the supply unit flow path 482. This allows gas-liquid exchange in the liquid storage unit 450 to be performed. The cartridge 4 is mounted in the printing device 10 with the liquid flow direction oriented substantially in the direction of gravity and in a mounting position in which the supply unit flow path 482 of the cartridge 4 is above the introduction unit flow path 682. The cartridge 4 in this embodiment is designed to smoothly perform gas-liquid exchange, as described below.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, in the mounted state, at least a part of the inclined surface portion 496 faces the introduction flow path 682 in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. This allows smooth gas-liquid exchange. The inventors have found that if a portion of the supply flow path forming surface forming the supply flow path 482 facing the introduction flow path 682 extends horizontally, air bubbles remain in the horizontally extending portion, and gas-liquid exchange is not performed smoothly. Furthermore, the inventors have found that the above problem can be solved by inclining at least a portion of the portion of the supply flow path forming surface forming the introduction flow path 682 facing the introduction flow path 682 with respect to the horizontal direction, so that air bubbles can move upward along the inclined surface by buoyancy. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the mounted state, the cartridge side valve body 486 has a configuration in which at least a portion of the inclined surface portion 496 faces the introduction flow path 682. Specifically, the inner diameter D1 of the inclined surface portion 496 is smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the introduction flow path 682. Here, the inner diameter D1 of the inclined surface portion 496 is the diameter of a circle at the boundary between the flat surface portion 495 and the inclined surface portion 496. In the mounted state, the central axis CA1 of the liquid introduction portion 642 and the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply portion 442 are substantially on the same straight line. Therefore, by configuring the inner diameter D1 to be smaller than the outer diameter D2, a configuration is realized in which the inclined surface portion 496 is formed from a portion of the blocking surface 488 facing the inlet flow path 682 to the edge of the blocking surface 488. In the mounted state, the inclined surface portion 496 is provided on the blocking surface 488 facing the inlet flow path 682, so that the rising air bubbles move smoothly along the inclined surface portion 496 to the edge of the blocking surface 488. The air bubbles that reach the edge of the blocking surface 488 rise up the supply flow path 482 and flow into the liquid storage portion 450. In this way, gas-liquid exchange can be smoothly performed, and the liquid supply speed can be stabilized. Furthermore, since the blocking surface 488 is provided with a flat portion 495 and a convex portion 489, when the liquid supply portion 442 and the liquid introduction portion 642 are connected, the cartridge side valve body 486 can receive the pressing force from the device side valve body 685 evenly along the direction of the central axis CA2.

[0044] The aligning portion 490 is formed at a position away from the inner wall 480a forming the supply portion flow path 482. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the supply portion flow path 482 can be formed in the circumferential direction of the liquid supply portion 442. Therefore, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply portion flow path 482 can be secured widely, and gas-liquid exchange can be performed more smoothly. In general, when the flow path cross-sectional area in one flow path is small, smooth gas-liquid exchange is difficult to perform, and when the flow path cross-sectional area in one flow path is increased, smooth gas-liquid exchange is easily performed. This is because when the flow path cross-sectional area is large, a sufficient flow path for bubbles can be secured, and the circulation of bubbles and liquid is easily performed. Note that, for example, when the flow path is divided into a plurality of parts by partitions, even if the total flow path cross-sectional area is large, the individual flow path cross-sectional areas are small, and therefore smooth gas-liquid exchange is difficult to perform. In addition, as a configuration of the aligning portion different from this embodiment, a configuration in which the housing 480 functions as a guide portion and an aligning portion that engages with the inner wall 480a of the housing 480 is provided on the cartridge side valve body 486 is considered. However, in this configuration, the larger the engagement area between the inner wall 480a of the housing 480 and the outer circumferential surface of the alignment portion is in order to restrict the movement of the cartridge side valve body 486 in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the smaller the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply part flow path 482 with the inner wall 480a of the housing 480 as the outer circumferential surface becomes. Therefore, in this embodiment, the alignment portion 490 is formed at a position away from the inner wall 480a that forms the supply part flow path 482, and the guide portion 481 that engages with the alignment portion 490 is provided inside the housing 480. This allows the supply part flow path 482 to be formed between the inner wall 480a of the housing 480 and the outer wall of the guide portion 481. Therefore, the supply part flow path 482 can be formed around the circumferential direction of the liquid supply portion 442. The flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply part flow path 482 can be secured widely, and gas-liquid exchange can be performed more smoothly.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 6, in the non-attached state, the outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 and the rib 483 overlap in a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction along the central axis CA2. This makes it possible to suppress the swinging of the cartridge-side valve body 486 due to impact and suppress leakage of liquid. A single cartridge 4 that is not attached to the printing device 10 may receive an impact due to being dropped or the like. In this case, if the gap between the cartridge-side valve body 486 and the housing 480 is large, the cartridge-side valve body 486 may swing, temporarily releasing the airtight state with the cartridge-side valve seat 485, and the liquid in the liquid supply section 442 may leak to the outside. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rib 483 is formed to fill the gap between the cartridge-side valve body 486 and the housing 480. As a result, the gap between the outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 and the rib 483 is small, so that the movement of the cartridge-side valve body 486 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is restricted. Therefore, the oscillation of the cartridge side valve body 486 due to an impact is suppressed, and leakage of liquid can be suppressed. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 7, in the attached state, the outermost wall 492 of the cartridge side valve body 486 and the rib 483 do not overlap in a side view. Specifically, in the attached state, the rib 483 is located downstream in the flow direction from the outermost wall 492. Therefore, in the attached state, a sufficient space can be secured between the rib 483 and the outermost wall 492, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply portion flow path 482 can be secured.

[0046] According to the above embodiment, the blocking surface 488 of the cartridge side valve body 486 has a flat portion 495 and a slope portion 496. The slope portion 496 is inclined so as to be located on the upstream side in the flow direction as it approaches the edge of the blocking surface 488. In addition, in the mounted state, at least a part of the slope portion 496 faces the introduction part flow path 682. As a result, during liquid supply, air bubbles can move upward along the slope portion 496, so that gas-liquid exchange can be smoothly performed. Also, according to the above embodiment, the inner diameter D1 of the slope portion 496 is smaller than the outer diameter D2 of the introduction part flow path 682. As a result, a configuration in which at least a part of the slope portion 496 faces the introduction part flow path 682 in the mounted state can be realized.

[0047] According to the above embodiment, the liquid supply unit 442 has a guide portion 481 located inward of the inner wall 480a and extending in the axial direction along the central axis CA2. The cartridge-side valve body 486 has an aligning portion 490 extending in the axial direction, the movement of which in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is restricted by the guide portion 481. This allows the supply unit flow path 482 to be formed between the inner wall 480a and the guide portion 481. This allows the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply unit flow path 482 to be wide, and gas-liquid exchange can be performed more smoothly.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, supply portion flow path 482 is located between inner wall 480a and guide portion 481, and is formed around the circumferential direction of liquid supply portion 442. This makes it possible to ensure a wide flow path cross-sectional area of ​​supply portion flow path 482, and allows gas-liquid exchange to be performed more smoothly.

[0049] According to the above embodiment, in a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the central axis CA2, in the non-attached state, at least a part of the outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 overlaps with the rib 483, and in the attached state, the outermost wall 492 does not overlap with the rib 483. This makes it possible to suppress the oscillation of the cartridge-side valve body 486 due to impact in the non-attached state and to suppress leakage of liquid. On the other hand, in the attached state, a sufficient space can be secured between the rib 483 and the outermost wall 492, and the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply portion flow path 482 can be secured.

[0050] B. Other embodiments: B-1. Alternative embodiment 1: In the above embodiment, in the non-attached state, the entire outermost wall 492 of the cartridge-side valve body 486 overlaps with the rib 483 in a side view. In another embodiment, a part of the outermost wall 492 may overlap with the rib 483 in a side view. By overlapping at least a part of the outermost wall 492 with the rib 483, it is possible to suppress the swinging of the cartridge-side valve body 486.

[0051] B-2. Alternative embodiment 2: The present disclosure is not limited to inkjet printers and their ink cartridges, but may also be applied to any printing device that ejects liquid other than ink and its cartridge. For example, the present disclosure may be applied to various printing devices and their cartridges, such as the following: (1) Image recording devices such as facsimile machines (2) A printing device that sprays color materials used in the manufacture of color filters for image display devices such as liquid crystal displays. (3) A printing device that sprays electrode materials used to form electrodes in organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, field emission displays (FEDs), etc. (4) A printing device that sprays liquid containing biological organic matter used in biochip production. (5) Sample printing device as a precision pipette (6) Lubricant printing device (7) Resin liquid printing device (8) A printing device that injects lubricating oil into precision machinery such as watches and cameras with pinpoint accuracy. (9) A printing device that sprays transparent resin liquid, such as ultraviolet-curing resin liquid, onto a substrate to form minute hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements, etc. (10) A printing device that sprays acidic or alkaline etching liquid to etch substrates, etc. (11) A printing device equipped with a liquid ejection head that ejects any other minute amount of liquid droplets.

[0052] The term "droplet" refers to the state of liquid ejected from a printing device, and includes granular, teardrop, and thread-like tails. The term "liquid" here refers to any material that can be ejected by a printing device. For example, the term "liquid" refers to any material in a liquid phase, and includes materials in a liquid state with high or low viscosity, and materials in a liquid state such as sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals. In addition to liquids as one state of matter, particles of functional materials made of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent are also included in the term "liquid." Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals as described in the above embodiment. Here, ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot melt inks.

[0053] C. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each form described below can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems or to achieve some or all of the above-mentioned effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0054] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge that is detachably mounted to a liquid ejection device that includes a liquid introduction part having an introduction part flow path. The cartridge includes a liquid storage part for storing liquid, a liquid supply part having a supply part flow path that communicates with the liquid storage part, the liquid supply part having a central axis, and a valve mechanism that is disposed in the supply part flow path and closes the supply part flow path in a non-mounted state where the liquid ejection device is not mounted, thereby making the supply part flow path non-communicating, and opens the valve in a mounted state where the liquid ejection device is mounted, thereby making the supply part flow path communicating. The valve mechanism includes a valve seat having an insertion port into which the liquid introduction part is inserted, a valve body having a blocking surface that blocks the insertion port by abutting against the valve seat, the valve body being located upstream of the valve seat in the flow direction of the liquid in the supply part flow path when the liquid is supplied, and a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat. The valve mechanism opens when the valve body is pushed by the liquid introduction part and moves away from the valve seat. The closing surface has a flat portion and an inclined portion formed around the flat portion, the inclined portion inclining toward the upstream side in the flow direction as it approaches the edge of the closing surface, and in the attached state, at least a part of the inclined portion faces the inlet flow path. According to this embodiment, when liquid is supplied to the liquid ejection device, air bubbles can move upward along the inclined portion, so that air-liquid exchange can be smoothly performed.

[0055] (2) In the above embodiment, the liquid supply unit may have an inner wall that forms the supply unit flow path, and a guide portion that is located inside the inner wall and extends in an axial direction along the central axis to guide the movement of the valve body, and the valve body may have an alignment portion that extends in the axial direction and whose movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is restricted by the guide portion. According to this embodiment, the supply unit flow path can be formed between the inner wall and the guide portion. This makes it possible to ensure a wide flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply unit flow path, and makes gas-liquid exchange even smoother.

[0056] (3) In the above embodiment, the supply section flow path may be located between the inner wall and the guide section and formed around the circumferential direction of the liquid supply section. According to this embodiment, a wide flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply section flow path can be ensured, and gas-liquid exchange can be performed more smoothly.

[0057] (4) In the above embodiment, the valve body is outermost in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction along the central axis and has an outermost wall extending in the axial direction, the liquid supply part has a rib protruding inward from an inner wall forming the supply part flow path and extending in the axial direction, and in a side view seen from the perpendicular direction, in the non-attached state, at least a part of the outermost wall overlaps with the rib, and in the attached state, the outermost wall and the rib do not need to overlap. According to this embodiment, in the non-attached state, it is possible to suppress the oscillation of the valve body due to impact and suppress the leakage of liquid. On the other hand, in the attached state, it is possible to secure a sufficient space between the rib and the outermost wall, and it is possible to secure a flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the supply part flow path.

[0058] (5) In the above embodiment, an inner diameter of the inclined surface portion may be smaller than an outer diameter of the inlet flow passage. According to this embodiment, a configuration can be realized in which at least a portion of the inclined surface portion faces the inlet flow passage in an attached state.

[0059] In addition to the above aspects, the present disclosure can be realized in the form of a cartridge manufacturing method, a cartridge valve mechanism, and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...printing system, 2...printing paper, 4...cartridge, 6...cartridge mounting section, 10...printing device, 13...replacement cover, 20...carriage, 22...ejection head, 24...tube, 30...driving mechanism, 32...timing belt, 34...driving motor, 42...front wall, 43...upper wall, 44...bottom wall, 45...first side wall, 46...second side wall, 47...rear wall, 61...accommodation chamber, 62...second device wall, 89...corner section, 401...liquid container, 402...adapter, 431...bottom wall of container, 432...inlet opening, 441...slit, 442...liquid supply section, 446...opening, 448...supply section positioning section, 450...liquid container, 480...housing, 480a...inner wall, 481...guide section, 482...supply section flow path, 483...rib, 484...cartridge side valve mechanism 485 ... cartridge side valve seat, 485a ... insertion port, 486 ... cartridge side valve body, 487 ... cartridge side biasing member, 488 ... blocking surface, 489 ... convex portion, 490 ... aligning portion, 491 ... cylindrical portion, 492 ... outermost wall, 495 ... flat portion, 496 ... inclined portion, 610 ... support member, 613 ... main wall, 642 ... liquid introduction portion, 642a ... base end, 644 ... device side supply portion positioning portion, 6 74...insertion opening, 680...introduction part main body, 681...apparatus side valve mechanism, 682...introduction part flow path, 683...apparatus side biasing member, 684...base, 685...apparatus side valve body, 686...arrangement part, 687...apparatus side valve seat, 688...sealing member, 689...apparatus side valve hole, 698...rotation fulcrum, 699...liquid storage part, CA1, CA2...center axis, CD2, CD3...connection direction, D1...inner diameter, D2...outer diameter

Claims

1. A cartridge that is detachably mounted to a liquid ejecting device and includes a liquid inlet having an inlet flow path, a liquid storage portion for storing liquid; a liquid supply section having a supply section flow path communicating with the liquid storage section, the liquid supply section having a central axis; a valve mechanism that is disposed in the supply portion flow path, and closes the valve in a non-mounted state where the supply portion flow path is not connected to the liquid ejection device, and opens the valve in a mounted state where the supply portion flow path is connected to the liquid ejection device, The valve mechanism includes: a valve seat having an insertion port into which the liquid introduction portion is inserted; a valve body having a blocking surface that blocks the insertion opening by contacting the valve seat, the valve body being located upstream of the valve seat in a flow direction of the liquid in the supply portion flow path when the liquid is supplied; a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the valve seat, the valve mechanism is opened when the valve body is pushed by the liquid introduction portion and moves away from the valve seat; the blocking surface has a flat portion and an inclined portion formed around the flat portion, the inclined portion being inclined so as to be located upstream in the flow direction as it approaches an edge of the blocking surface, and in the attached state, at least a portion of the inclined portion faces the introduction portion flow path, The valve body is The rotor has an outermost wall that is located at the outermost position in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction along the central axis and extends in the axial direction, The liquid supply unit includes: a rib protruding inward from an inner wall that defines the supply portion flow path and extending in the axial direction; When viewed from the orthogonal direction, at least a portion of the outermost wall overlaps with the rib in the non-installed state, and the outermost wall does not overlap with the rib in the installed state.

2. 2. The cartridge of claim 1, The liquid supply unit includes: the supply portion includes an inner wall that defines a flow path of the supply portion, and a guide portion that is located inside the inner wall and extends in an axial direction along the central axis, the guide portion guiding a movement of the valve body; The valve body is a cartridge having an aligning portion extending in the axial direction, the aligning portion being regulated in its movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction by the guide portion.

3. 3. The cartridge of claim 2, The supply portion flow path is located between the inner wall and the guide portion, and is formed around the circumferential direction of the liquid supply portion.

4. A cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, An inner diameter of the inclined surface portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the inlet flow path.

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