Liquid supply device and image recording device

Abstract

To provide a liquid supply device which exhibits excellent operability in mounting a cartridge.SOLUTION: An ink supply device 15 includes a sub tank 100, and an ink cartridge 50 which can be mounted on the sub tank 100 along a longitudinal direction 8. The ink cartridge 50 includes a first storage chamber 53 for storing ink. The sub tank 100 includes a second storage chamber 105 for storing the ink, a liquid passage 103 and gas passage 104 which communicate with the second storage chamber 105, and an atmosphere communication port 106 which communicates the second storage chamber 105 to the outside. In a mounted state in which the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 and the liquid passage 103 and gas passage 104 of the sub tank 100 are communicated and connected, the first storage chamber 53 has a part positioned above the liquid passage 103 and the gas passage 104. The second storage chamber 105 has an internal space 102A, and an internal space 102B. A part of a liquid level L1 overlaps a part of the liquid level L2 when viewed along a vertical direction 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a liquid supplying device that includes a cartridge that contains ink, a sub-tank that is connected to a recording head, and a liquid flow path and a gas flow path that connect the cartridge and the sub-tank. The cartridge is disposed vertically above the sub-tank. The liquid flow path and the gas flow path connect the cartridge and the sub-tank in the vertical direction. The liquid flow path and the gas flow path open to the bottom surface of the cartridge and the top surface of the sub-tank, respectively (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

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

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

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

[0006] In the liquid supply device, the cartridge is connected to the sub-tank in a vertical direction. When the cartridge is installed, it needs to be installed in a vertical direction. For example, the cartridge cannot be installed from the front of the printer, which is inconvenient and makes it difficult to install the cartridge.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a liquid supplying device that provides good operability when mounting a cartridge.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to increase the volume of the space in which liquid is stored relative to the space occupied by the cartridge and the tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] (1) The present invention relates to a liquid supplying device including a tank and a cartridge that is detachable in a mounting direction that intersects with a vertical direction with respect to the tank. The cartridge has a housing having a front and a rear in the mounting direction, a first storage chamber that is located between the front and rear of the housing and stores liquid, and a communication port that is located on the front of the housing or on a surface continuous with the front and opens toward the mounting direction in the mounting direction to communicate the first storage chamber with the outside. The tank has a second storage chamber that stores the liquid, a liquid flow path and a gas flow path that communicate with the second storage chamber, and an atmosphere communication port that communicates the second storage chamber with the outside. The liquid flow path has a first opening formed at one end that communicates with the second storage chamber, a second opening formed at the other end opposite to the one end and that opens to the outside, and a first extension portion that extends from the second opening along the mounting direction in the mounting direction. The gas flow path has a third opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a fourth opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side and opening to the outside, and a second extension portion extending from the fourth opening along the mounting direction of the mounting and detaching direction. In a mounted state in which the first storage chamber of the cartridge is connected in a state in which the second opening and the fourth opening of the tank are in communication with each other, the first storage chamber has a portion located above the liquid flow path and the gas flow path. The second storage chamber has a first region that is above the lower end of the first storage chamber in the vertical direction, and a second region that is continuous with the first region and is below the first storage chamber in the vertical direction. The third opening is located in the second region. A portion of the first liquid level when an initial liquid amount of liquid is stored in the first storage chamber overlaps, when viewed along the vertical direction, with a portion of the second liquid level when the liquid level of the liquid stored in the second storage chamber is at the same position as the third opening in the vertical direction.

[0010] According to the above configuration, since the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber are connected via a gas flow path and a liquid flow path, the liquid in the first storage chamber can be supplied to the second storage chamber by gas-liquid replacement. In addition, since the cartridge can be attached to and detached from the tank along an attachment / detachment direction intersecting the vertical direction, operability during attachment and detachment of the cartridge is good. In addition, since the communication port is located on the front surface of the housing or a surface continuous with the front surface, the lower surface of the housing can be made large, and the attitude of the housing is stable when the lower surface is used as a mounting surface. In addition, since a part of the first liquid surface and a part of the second liquid surface overlap when viewed from the vertical direction in the attached state, the volumes of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber can be made large relative to the space occupied by the cartridge and the tank.

[0011] (2) Preferably, the volume of the first region is smaller than the volume of the second region.

[0012] According to the above configuration, since the volume of the first region facing the communication port of the housing is small, the dimension of the second storage chamber in the attachment / detachment direction can be made small. Also, since the volume of the second region is large, the space below the first storage chamber can be used as a space capable of storing liquid.

[0013] (3) Preferably, the first storage chamber has a larger volume than the second storage chamber.

[0014] (4) Preferably, the tank defines at least one of the first extension portion and the second extension portion, and has a tubular joint that connects with the communication port of the cartridge in the attached state.

[0015] (5) Preferably, the attachment / detachment direction intersects with the horizontal direction.

[0016] (6) Preferably, the attachment / detachment direction is a horizontal direction.

[0017] (7) The present invention may be understood as an image recording apparatus including the above liquid supplying device and a recording section that ejects the liquid supplied from a tank of the liquid supplying device. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In the liquid supply device according to the present invention, the cartridge can be attached in a mounting direction that intersects with the vertical direction, which makes it easy to attach the cartridge. Also, in the attached state, the volumes of the first and second storage chambers can be made larger than the space occupied by the cartridge and the tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a multifunction device 10 according to this embodiment, in which (A) shows a state in which a cover 48 is in a closed position, and (B) shows a state in which the cover 48 is in an open position. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic internal structure of the printer unit 11. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and the ink supply device 15. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the ink cartridge 50. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100 in the installed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ink cartridge 50 and the sub-tank 100 of the modified example in the attached state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] 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, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the posture in which the multifunction device 10 and the ink cartridge 50 attached to the multifunction device 10 are installed on a horizontal surface so as to be usable (the posture in FIG. 1, which may be referred to as the "use posture"). The attachment / detachment direction 8 is defined with the surface in which the opening 13 of the multifunction device 10 is provided as the rear, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed in the attachment orientation 8A. In this embodiment, in the use posture, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, and the attachment / detachment direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction. In the attachment / detachment direction 8, the front of the attachment orientation 8A is referred to as the "front" and the rear of the attachment orientation 8A is referred to as the "rear" based on the attachment orientation 8A.

[0021] [Present embodiment] The multifunction device 10 and the ink supply device 15 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0022] [Overall configuration of multifunction device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 (an example of an image recording device) has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multifunction device 10 has a printer unit 11, a scanner unit 12, and an operation panel 17. The printer unit 11 is located at the bottom of the multifunction device 10, and records an image on paper 28 (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method. The scanner unit 12 is a device having a scanning function, and is located above the printer unit 11. The printer unit 11 includes a main body housing 14 having an opening 13, and an ink supply device 15 located to the right of the opening 13 inside the main body housing 14. The operation panel 17 is located behind the scanner unit 12 in the attachment / detachment direction 8. The operation panel 17 is operated by a user to cause the multifunction device 10 to perform image recording by the printer unit 11 and image reading by the scanner unit 12.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, inside the main body housing 14, there are arranged a feeding section 16, a feeding tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a pair of transport rollers 45, a recording section 24, a pair of discharge rollers 46, and a platen 42.

[0024] [Feed tray 20, output tray 21] As shown in Fig. 1, the feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the main body housing 14 along the attachment / detachment direction 8 through the opening 13. The opening 13 is located at the center in the left-right direction 9 on a surface of the multifunction device 10 facing rearward in the attachment / detachment direction 8. As shown in Fig. 2, the feed tray 20 can support a plurality of stacked sheets of paper 28. The discharge tray 21 is disposed above the feed tray 20, and is inserted and removed together with the feed tray 20 along the attachment / detachment direction 8. The discharge tray 21 supports the sheets of paper 28 discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 46.

[0025] [Feeding section 16] The feeding unit 16 feeds the paper 28 supported by the feeding tray 20 to a transport path 38. As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding unit 16 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. A driving force is transmitted to the feeding roller 25 from a feeding motor (not shown). The feeding arm 26 is rotatably supported by the shaft 27 supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The feeding arm 26 is urged to rotate toward the feeding tray 20 by its own weight or by elastic force of a spring or the like.

[0026] Hereinafter, the rotation of the feed roller 25, the transport roller 34, and the discharge roller 36 involved in the transport of the paper 28 in the transport direction 38A will be referred to as "forward rotation."

[0027] [Transportation Route 38] As shown in FIG. 2, the transport path 38 refers to a space formed by the outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19, which face each other at a predetermined interval, inside the printer unit 11. The transport path 38 is a path that extends rearward from the rear end of the feed tray 20. The transport path 38 extends upward from the feed tray 20, makes a U-turn rearward in the attachment / detachment direction 8, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through a space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the transport path 38 between the pair of transport rollers 45 and the pair of discharge rollers 46 is provided in the approximate center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction 9, and extends in the attachment / detachment direction 8. The transport direction 38A of the paper 28 in the transport path 38 is indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2.

[0028] [Transport roller pair 45] 2, the conveying roller pair 45 is located upstream of the recording unit 24 in the conveying direction 38A. The conveying roller pair 45 has a conveying roller 34 and a pinch roller 35 that face each other. The conveying roller 34 rotates forward or backward by a drive force transmitted from a conveying motor (not shown). The pinch roller 35 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller 34. The paper 28 is sandwiched between the conveying roller 34 and the pinch roller 35 that rotate forward, and is conveyed in the conveying direction 38A.

[0029] [Discharge roller pair 46] 2, the discharge roller pair 46 is disposed downstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 38A. The discharge roller pair 46 has a discharge roller 36 and a spur 37 that face each other. The discharge roller 36 rotates forward or backward by a drive force transmitted from a transport motor (not shown). The spur 37 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the discharge roller 36. The paper 28 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 36 and the spur 37 that rotate forward, and is transported in the transport direction 38A.

[0030] [Record 24] 2, the recording unit 24 is located between the pair of transport rollers 45 and the pair of discharge rollers 46 in the transport direction 38A. The recording unit 24 faces the platen 42 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 38 in between. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39 mounted on the carriage 23.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the carriage 23 is spaced apart in the attachment / detachment direction 8 and is supported by guide rails 43, 44 that each extend in the left-right direction 9. The guide rails 43, 44 are supported by a frame (not shown). The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism rotates by a driving force transmitted from a carriage drive motor (not shown). As the belt mechanism rotates, the carriage 23 moves back and forth in the left-right direction 9 while being guided by the guide rails 43, 44. The movement range of the carriage 23 extends to the right and left of the width 38B of the transport path 38, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3.

[0032] The recording head 39 and four sub-tanks 100 (see FIG. 5) provided in the ink supply device 15 are connected by four ink tubes 32. The recording head 39 is connected to a control board (not shown) by a flexible flat cable 33.

[0033] The four subtanks 100 are a magenta subtank 100, a cyan subtank 100, a yellow subtank 100, and a black subtank 100. In this specification, the magenta subtank 100, the cyan subtank 100, the yellow subtank 100, and the black subtank 100 are collectively referred to as subtanks 100 unless a distinction needs to be made therebetween.

[0034] The four ink tubes 32 consist of a yellow ink tube 32Y, a cyan ink tube 32C, a magenta ink tube 32M, and a black ink tube 32B. In this specification, the yellow ink tube 32Y, the cyan ink tube 32C, the magenta ink tube 32M, and the black ink tube 32B are collectively referred to as ink tubes 32 unless there is a need to distinguish between them. The four ink tubes 32 are bundled together.

[0035] The flexible flat cable 33 electrically connects a control board on which a control unit is mounted and the recording head 39. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits to the recording head 39 a control signal output from the control unit.

[0036] 2, a plurality of nozzles 40 are arranged on the underside of the recording head 39. The tips of the plurality of nozzles 40 are exposed from the underside of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 ejects ink as minute ink droplets from the nozzles 40. As the carriage 23 moves, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the paper 28 supported by a platen 42. This causes an image to be recorded on the paper 28. This also consumes the ink stored in the four sub-tanks 100.

[0037] [Platen 42] 2 and 3, the platen 42 is disposed between the pair of transport rollers 45 and the pair of discharge rollers 46 in the transport path 38. The platen 42 is disposed opposite the recording unit 24 in the up-down direction 7, with the transport path 38 in between. The platen 42 supports the paper 28 transported by the pair of transport rollers 45 from below.

[0038] [Cover 48] As shown in FIG. 1(B), an opening 47 is formed on the right side of the surface of the main body housing 14 facing rearward in the mounting / removal direction 8. The main body housing 14 houses the ink supply device 15, and a rear wall 58 of the ink cartridge 50 is exposed from the opening 47. A cover 48 capable of opening and closing the opening 47 is attached to the main body housing 14. A lower end of the cover 48 is supported by the main body housing 14 below the opening 47 so as to be rotatable around an axis in the left-right direction 9. The cover 48 is rotatable between a closed position (position shown in FIG. 1(A)) where the opening 47 is closed, and an open position (position shown in FIG. 1(B)) where the opening 47 is opened.

[0039] 1(A), the cover 48 has a light-transmitting portion 49. The light-transmitting portion 49 has a translucency that allows the internal configuration to be seen from the outside of the cover 48. When the cover 48 is in the closed position, a rear wall 58 of an ink cartridge 50 attached to the ink supply device 15 is visible from the light-transmitting portion 49.

[0040] [Ink supply device 15] As shown in FIG. 3, the ink supply device 15 (an example of a liquid supply device) includes four ink cartridges 50, a storage case 71, and four sub-tanks 100 (see FIG. 5).

[0041] [Ink Cartridge 50] 1 and 3, the four ink cartridges 50 (one example of a cartridge) are a magenta ink cartridge 50M, a cyan ink cartridge 50C, a yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and a black ink cartridge 50B. In this specification, the magenta ink cartridge 50M, the cyan ink cartridge 50C, the yellow ink cartridge 50Y, and the black ink cartridge 50B are collectively referred to as the ink cartridges 50 unless there is a need to distinguish them.

[0042] 4 and 5, the ink cartridge 50 includes a cartridge housing 51. The cartridge housing 51 has a first storage chamber 53 that stores ink (an example of liquid) and communication openings 62, 63.

[0043] The cartridge housing 51 has a generally rectangular box shape. The cartridge housing 51 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the up-down direction 7 and the mounting / removal direction 8. The cartridge housing 51 has an upper wall 54, a right wall 56, a left wall 57, a rear wall 58, a front wall 59, and a lower wall 60. The outer surfaces of the upper wall 54 and the rear wall 58 correspond to the front surface and the rear surface, respectively. The front surface of the housing 15 is the surface facing the mounting direction 8A. The first storage chamber 53 is located between the front wall 59 and the rear wall 58.

[0044] The cartridge housing 51 has communication ports 62, 63 in the front wall 59, which open toward the mounting direction 8A. The communication ports 62, 63 are openings that are arranged vertically with the communication port 62 at the bottom. The communication ports 62, 63 communicate the first storage chamber 53 with the outside. Although not shown in the figures, the communication ports 62, 63 can be opened and closed to the outside by a known valve.

[0045] [Subtank 100] As shown in Fig. 5, the subtank 100 (an example of a tank) includes a tank body 101 and joints 120 and 121. A second storage chamber 105 for storing ink is formed inside the tank body 101. The joints 120 and 121 are tubular members extending rearward from the rear wall of the tank body 101 along the mounting direction 8A. The internal spaces of the joints 120 and 121 communicate with the second storage chamber 105 through through holes that penetrate the rear wall of the tank body 101. The joints 120 and 121 are lined up above each other with the joint 120 at the bottom.

[0046] The subtank 100 has a liquid flow path 103 and a gas flow path 104 which communicate with the second storage chamber 105. The liquid flow path 103 is formed inside the tank body 101 and inside the joint 120. The gas flow path 104 is formed inside the tank body 101 and inside the joint 121. The subtank 100 also has an atmosphere communication port 106 which communicates the second storage chamber 105 with the outside.

[0047] [Liquid flow path 103 and gas flow path 104] The liquid flow path 103 has a first opening 131, a second opening 132, a vertical portion 133, and an extending portion 134. The first opening 131 is an opening formed at one end side of the liquid flow path 103 and communicating with the second storage chamber 105. The first opening 131 opens along the up-down direction 7. The second opening 132 is an opening formed at the other end side opposite to the one end side of the liquid flow path 103 and opening to the outside. The second opening 132 opens along the mounting / removal direction 8. The second opening 132 is located in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is in the mounted state. The vertical portion 133 (an example of a first up-down portion) is a portion of the liquid flow path 103 that extends upward from the first opening 131. The extending portion 134 (an example of a first extending portion) is a portion that extends forward in the mounting direction 8A from the second opening 132 in the liquid flow path 103. An upper end of the vertical portion 133 is connected to a front end of the extending portion 134.

[0048] The gas flow path 104 has a third opening 141, a fourth opening 142, a vertical portion 143, and an extending portion 144. The third opening 141 is an opening formed on one end side of the gas flow path 104 and communicating with the second storage chamber 105. The third opening 141 opens along the vertical direction 7. The fourth opening 142 is an opening formed on the other end side opposite to the one end side of the gas flow path 104 and opening to the outside. The fourth opening 142 opens along the mounting / removal direction 8. The fourth opening 142 communicates with the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 when the ink cartridge 50 is mounted. The vertical portion 143 (an example of a second vertical portion) is a portion of the gas flow path 104 that extends upward from the third opening 141. The extending portion 144 (an example of a second extending portion) is a portion that extends forward in the mounting direction 8A from the fourth opening 142 in the gas flow path 104. An upper end of the vertical portion 143 is connected to a front end of the extending portion 144.

[0049] [Tank body 101] The tank body 101 is box-shaped and has an upper portion 101A and a lower portion 101B. The upper portion 101A is located directly above the lower portion 101B, in front of the lower portion 101B in the mounting direction 8A. When the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the subtank 100, the upper portion 101A has an internal space 102A (an example of a first region) above the lower end 53B of the first storage chamber 53. The lower portion 101B has an internal space 102B (an example of a second region) below the lower end 53B of the first storage chamber 53. The internal space 102A of the upper portion 101A and the internal space 102B of the lower portion 101B are continuous and together form the second storage chamber 105. The volume Va of the internal space 102A is smaller than the volume Vb of the internal space 102B (Va <Vb)。

[0050] A communication port 129 that communicates with the second storage chamber 105 is formed in the lower wall of the lower portion 101B of the tank body 101. One end of the ink tube 32 is connected to the communication port 129, and the second storage chamber 105 and the recording head 39 are connected in communication with each other via the ink tube 32.

[0051] An atmosphere communication port 106 penetrating the front wall is formed near the upper end of the front wall of the upper portion 101A of the tank body 101. The second storage chamber 105 communicates with the outside through the atmosphere communication port 106.

[0052] In the internal space of the tank body 101, a part including a vertical portion 133 of the liquid flow path 103 is formed by a partition wall, a pipe, etc. A first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103 is located in the internal space 102B of the lower part 101B. In addition, in the internal space of the tank body 101, a part including a vertical portion 143 of the gas flow path 104 is formed by a partition wall, a pipe, etc. A third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is located in the internal space 102B of the lower part 101B. In addition, the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is located above the first opening 131 of the liquid flow path 103.

[0053] [Ink cartridge 50 installation status] 5, in an attached state in which the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the subtank 100, the joint 120 of the subtank 100 is inserted into the communication port 62 of the ink cartridge 50 along the attachment / detachment direction 8. Also, the joint 121 of the subtank 100 is inserted into the communication port 63 of the ink cartridge 50 along the attachment / detachment direction 8. In this attached state, the second opening 132 of the liquid flow path 103 of the subtank 100 enters the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50. Also, the fourth opening 142 of the gas flow path 104 of the subtank 100 enters the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50. The ink cartridge 50 can be separated from and attached to the subtank 100 along the attachment / detachment direction 8.

[0054] [Layout of the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100] The layout of the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100 will be described. The layout will be described assuming that the ink cartridge 50 is attached to the storage case 71, and that the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100 are in the usage position shown in FIG.

[0055] 5, an upper portion 101A of the tank body 101 faces a front wall 59 of the ink cartridge 50 in the attachment / detachment direction 8. A lower portion 101B of the tank body 101 is located lower than a bottom wall 60 of the ink cartridge 50 in the vertical direction 7.

[0056] Most of the first storage chamber 53 is located above the extending portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and the extending portion 144 of the gas flow path 104. The lower portion of the first storage chamber 53 and the internal space 102A of the upper portion 101A of the tank body 101 are aligned coaxially in the attachment / detachment direction 8. The volume of the first storage chamber 53 is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber 105.

[0057] The internal space 102A of the upper part 101A of the tank body 101 is located so as to overlap, in the vertical direction 7, a part of the extending portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and a part of the extending portion 144 of the gas flow path 104. The internal space 102B of the lower part 101B of the tank body 101 is located lower than the extending portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and the extending portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 in the vertical direction 7.

[0058] The extending portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 is located above the extending portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 .

[0059] 5, a portion of liquid level L1 (an example of a first liquid level) when an initial liquid amount of ink is stored in first storage chamber 53 overlaps with a portion of liquid level L2 (an example of a second liquid level) of ink stored in second storage chamber 105 when liquid level L2 is at the same position as third opening 141 of gas flow path 104 in the vertical direction 7, when viewed along the vertical direction 7. Note that Fig. 5 shows a range R1 along attachment / detachment direction 8 where liquid level L1 and liquid level L2 overlap.

[0060] [Operation of this embodiment] First, the flow of ink and air during initial installation when the ink cartridge 50 is first installed in an empty subtank 100 will be described.

[0061] In the state before initial installation (pre-state), the ink cartridge 50 is separated from the subtank 100. At this time, the liquid level of the ink stored in the first storage chamber 53 is liquid level L1. In the pre-state, the second storage chamber 105 is not filled with ink and is empty.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 5, when the ink cartridge 50 is mounted in the subtank 100 in the mounting direction 8A, the joint 120 of the subtank 100 is inserted into the communication port 62 of the ink cartridge 50, and the joint 121 of the subtank 100 is inserted into the communication port 63 of the ink cartridge 50. As a result, the lower part of the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the second storage chamber 105 through the liquid flow path 103. Also, the lower part of the first storage chamber 53 communicates with the second storage chamber 105 through the gas flow path 104. Then, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 naturally falls through the liquid flow path 103 and is introduced into the second storage chamber 105 of the subtank 100. Air of the same volume as the amount of ink introduced into the second storage chamber 105 is introduced into the first storage chamber 53 through the gas flow path 104. In this manner, the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is replaced with air (gas-liquid replacement), and thereby the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is supplied to the second storage chamber 105.

[0063] As the gas-liquid replacement progresses, the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 rises. When the ink level rises, the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is closed. Then, gas-liquid replacement cannot be performed, and the supply of ink from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105 is stopped. At this time, the ink level stored in the second storage chamber 105 is the ink level L2. In this manner, ink is supplied at the time of initial introduction. At this time, ink is present between the ink detection plates 158, and electrical conduction between the ink detection plates 158 occurs, so that it is detected that the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 has risen to a predetermined position.

[0064] Next, the flow of ink and air when a recording operation is performed by the printer unit 11 with the ink cartridge 50 installed will be described.

[0065] When ink is discharged from the recording head 39 during the recording operation, the ink in the second storage chamber 105 is sucked into the recording head 39 through the communication port 129. As the ink decreases, the ink level L2 in the second storage chamber 105 drops, and the closed third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened. When the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 is opened, gas-liquid replacement is performed as described above, and ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105. In order to compensate for the consumption of ink in the recording head 39, ink is supplied from the first storage chamber 53 to the second storage chamber 105, and the height of the ink level L2 in the second storage chamber 105 is maintained at the position of the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104. On the other hand, an amount of air corresponding to the supply amount of ink is supplied to the second storage chamber 105 from the atmosphere communication port 106, and the gas-liquid replacement is continued.

[0066] When the ink in the first storage chamber 53 is emptied, the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 drops due to ink being ejected from the recording head 39, and the third opening 141 of the gas flow path 104 that was closed by the ink is opened. When the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 further drops and ink is no longer present between the ink detection plates 158, electrical conduction between the ink detection plates 158 is lost. The ink detection plate 158 detects that the ink level in the second storage chamber 105 has dropped to a predetermined height based on the change in the presence or absence of conduction. This detects that the ink in the first storage chamber 53 of the ink cartridge 50 is emptied. In this case, the empty ink cartridge 50 can be replaced with another ink cartridge 50 filled with ink, allowing the multifunction device 10 to continue performing recording operations.

[0067] [Effects of this embodiment] According to the above embodiment, the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 are connected via the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104, so that the ink in the first storage chamber 53 can be supplied to the second storage chamber 105 by gas-liquid replacement. In addition, since the ink cartridge 50 can be attached to and detached from the subtank 100 along the attachment / detachment direction 8 intersecting the vertical direction, the operability when attaching and detaching the ink cartridge 50 is good. In addition, since the communication openings 62, 63 are located in the front wall 59 of the cartridge housing 51, the bottom wall 60 of the cartridge housing 51 can be made large, and the attitude of the cartridge housing 51 is stabilized when the bottom wall 60 is used as a mounting surface. In addition, since a part of the liquid level L1 and a part of the liquid level L2 overlap when viewed from the vertical direction 7 in the attached state, the volumes of the first storage chamber 53 and the second storage chamber 105 can be made large relative to the space occupied by the ink cartridge 50 and the subtank 100.

[0068] In addition, in the subtank 100, since the volume Va of the internal space 102A in the upper part 101A is smaller than the volume Vb of the internal space 102B in the lower part 101B, the dimension of the second storage chamber 105 in the attachment / detachment direction 8 can be made smaller. Furthermore, since the volume Vb is larger than the volume Va, the space below the first storage chamber 53 in the attached state can be utilized as a space in the second storage chamber 105 where ink can be stored.

[0069] [Variations] In the ink supply device 15 according to the above embodiment, the mounting / removal direction 8 is a horizontal direction, but the mounting / removal direction 8 may be an oblique direction intersecting the horizontal and vertical directions. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the mounting / removal direction 8 is a direction intersecting the vertical and horizontal directions, and the mounting direction 8A is a direction facing obliquely downward.

[0070] In this modification, the cartridge housing 51 of the ink cartridge 50 has a front wall 59 and a bottom wall 60 that are continuous with each other, and has an inclined wall 55 that faces the mounting direction 8A (diagonally downward). The outer surface of the inclined wall 55 is a surface that is continuous with the outer surface (front surface) of the front wall 59.

[0071] The upper part 101A of the tank body 101 has an inclined wall 107 that faces the inclined wall 55 in the attached state. The joints 120, 121 protrude from the inclined wall 107 along the attachment / detachment direction 8. The extension parts 134, 144 defined by the internal spaces of the joints 120, 121 extend along the attachment / detachment direction 8 that intersects with the horizontal direction. Therefore, the extension part 144 being located above the extension part 134 means that the extension part 144 is located above the extension part 134 at a position in the attachment / detachment direction 8 (a position on a virtual line perpendicular to the attachment / detachment direction 8).

[0072] In the above embodiment and modified examples, the joint 120 defining the liquid flow path 103 and the joint 121 defining the gas flow path 104 are independent tubes, but the internal space of a single tube may be configured as a single joint divided into the liquid flow path 103 and the gas flow path 104 by a partition wall.

[0073] Furthermore, in the ink supply device 15 according to the above embodiment, the liquid flow path 103 has the vertical portion 133 and the extending portion 134, and the gas flow path 104 has the vertical portion 143 and the extending portion 144, but the liquid flow path 103 may have only the extending portion 134 and not the vertical portion 133. Similarly, the gas flow path 104 may have only the extending portion 144 and not the vertical portion 143. Furthermore, the relative positional relationship in the up-down direction between the extending portion 134 of the liquid flow path 103 and the extending portion 144 of the gas flow path 104 may be either above or below.

[0074] In addition, in the above embodiment, the volume of the first storage chamber 53 is larger than the volume of the second storage chamber 105, but these volumes may be approximately the same, or the volume of the second storage chamber 105 may be larger than the volume of the first storage chamber 53. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10. Multifunction printer (image recording device) 15 Ink supply device (liquid supply device) 24 Recording section 50···Ink cartridge (cartridge) 51 Cartridge housing (housing) 53...1st storage chamber 55... Inclined wall (surface continuing from the front) 59...Front wall (front) 62,63...Communication port 100...Sub tank 103... Liquid flow path 104...Gas flow path 105...Second storage chamber 106 Atmospheric vent 120,121...Joint

Claims

1. A liquid supplying device including a tank and a cartridge that is detachable along a mounting direction intersecting a vertical direction with respect to the tank, The cartridge has a first storage chamber for storing a liquid, The tank has a second storage chamber for storing liquid, In an attached state in which the first storage chamber of the cartridge and the second storage chamber of the tank are connected in a state in which they communicate with each other through a first flow path and a second flow path, The first storage chamber has a portion located above the first flow path and the second flow path, The second storage chamber includes: A first region that is above a lower end of the first storage chamber in the vertical direction; A second region that is continuous with the first region and is below the first storage chamber in the vertical direction; The liquid supply device, wherein the first region does not vertically overlap the first reservoir chamber, and the second region vertically overlaps the first reservoir chamber.

2. The tank has the first flow path and the second flow path, The first flow path is a liquid flow path, and has a first opening formed at one end communicating with the second storage chamber, a second opening formed at the other end opposite to the one end and opening to the outside, and a first extension portion extending from the second opening along the mounting direction of the mounting / removal direction, The liquid supply device of claim 1, wherein the second flow path is a gas flow path and has a third opening formed at one end side communicating with the second storage chamber, a fourth opening formed at the other end side opposite the one end side and opening to the outside, and a second extension portion extending from the fourth opening along the mounting direction in the mounting / removal direction.

3. 3. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the third opening is located higher than the first opening in the vertical direction, and the fourth opening is located higher than the second opening in the vertical direction.

4. 4. The liquid supply device according to claim 2, wherein the tank has an atmosphere communication port that connects the second storage chamber with the outside.

5. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the atmosphere vent is located in the first area.

6. 6. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the atmosphere communication port is located higher than the first opening and the second opening in the vertical direction.

7. 7. The liquid supply device according to claim 2, wherein the volume of the first region is smaller than the volume of the second region.

8. 8. The liquid supply device according to claim 2, wherein the first storage chamber has a larger volume than the second storage chamber.

9. the cartridge has a housing having a front surface and a rear surface in the mounting / removal direction, The above tank is A liquid supply device as described in any of claims 2 to 8, which has a tubular joint that defines at least one of the first extension portion and the second extension portion, and in the attached state, is located on the front surface of the housing or on a surface continuous with the front surface, and connects to a communication port that opens toward the attachment direction of the attachment / detachment direction to connect the first storage chamber to the outside.

10. the cartridge has a housing having a front surface and a rear surface in the mounting / removal direction, 10. The liquid supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the second region is located on the front side of the rear side in the mounting / removal direction in the mounted state.

11. the cartridge has a housing having an upper surface and a lower surface in the vertical direction, 11. The liquid supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the first area is located below the upper surface in the vertical direction in the attached state.

12. 12. The liquid supplying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment / detachment direction intersects with a horizontal direction.

13. 12. The liquid supplying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment and detachment direction is a horizontal direction.

14. A liquid supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a recording unit that ejects the liquid supplied from the tank of the liquid supplying device.

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