Printing liquid container

Abstract

To provide a liquid container for printing which does not fall from a tank easily in a state that liquid is supplied to the tank.SOLUTION: A bottle 100 includes: a nozzle material 101 having a supply port 113; a valve body 102 having a rod 122 which opens or closes the supply port 113; and a housing 103. The nozzle material 101 has engagement ribs 114 each of which fits in a recessed groove 86 of a tank 80. The housing 103 has grooves 131 in which protruding pieces 87 of the tank 80 are respectively fitted. The grooves 131 allow the valve body 102 and the housing 103 to rotate relative to the nozzle material 101 in a state that the engagement ribs 114 and the recessed grooves 86 are fitted. Fitting of the engagement ribs 114 with the recessed grooves 86 prevents the nozzle material 101 from co-rotating with rotation of the valve body 102 and the housing 103. Fitting of the protruding pieces 87 with the grooves 131 in the second state prevents the housing 103 from being removed to an area above the protruding pieces 87.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing liquid container in which liquid is stored. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional printing device, a configuration is known in which ink is supplied to a tank from a container connected to the tank each time the ink stored in the tank is consumed. When the ink stored in the tank is consumed, ink is supplied to the tank from a bottle through an inlet of the tank. When multiple tanks store different types of ink, such as ink colors, the bottle is formed with an uneven shape that makes it impossible to fit with any tank other than the specific tank, so that the bottle is not mistakenly connected to the bottle that supplies the ink to each tank (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-6396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A supply port is opened at the tip of the tapered nozzle so that ink can flow out smoothly from the bottle. On the other hand, the body of the bottle has a larger outer diameter than the nozzle, taking into consideration the amount of ink that can be stored in the bottle. When the bottle is connected to the tank upside down, i.e., with the nozzle lower than the body, if the connection between the nozzle and the tank is not complete or the bottle is tilted, the weight of the ink may cause the bottle to become unstable, and the nozzle may fall out of the tank.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing liquid container that is unlikely to fall out of a tank when liquid is being supplied to the tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The present invention is a printing liquid container that can be fitted into a tank having a fitted portion having an inlet. The printing liquid container includes a first member having a supply port communicating with an internal space, and a second member having a valve that opens or closes the supply port. The first member and the second member are connected to be relatively rotatable between a first state and a second state. The internal space of the first member and the internal space of the second member are storage chambers that store liquid. The valve closes the supply port in the first state and opens the supply port in the second state. One of the first member or the second member has a first fitting portion that fits into the fitted portion. The other of the first member or the second member has a second fitting portion that fits into the fitted portion. The first fitting portion and the second fitting portion fit into the fitted portion in the first state. The second fitting portion allows the other of the first member or the second member to rotate relative to the fitted portion when the fitted portion and the first fitting portion are fitted together. One of the first member or the second member does not rotate in response to the rotation of the other of the first member or the second member due to the fitting of the fitted portion and the first fitting portion. Due to the fitting of the second fitting portion and the fitted portion in the second state, the other of the first member or the second member cannot be removed from the fitted portion.

[0007] When the first fitting portion and the fitted portion are fitted together, the first member and the second member can be rotated relative to each other by operating only the other of the first member or the second member. The printing liquid container in the second state is prevented from being removed from the fitted portion of the tank.

[0008] (2) Preferably, the first member has the first fitting portion, and the second member has the second fitting portion.

[0009] (3) Preferably, the first fitting portion is a first protrusion or a first groove extending radially from a periphery of the supply port.

[0010] (4) Preferably, the second fitting portion includes a second groove on an outer surface of the second member extending in a first direction along the axis of relative rotation, and a third groove on the outer surface of the second member extending from the second groove in a second direction around the axis.

[0011] (5) Preferably, an extending end of the third groove abuts against the fitted portion in the second state.

[0012] The extension end of the third groove abuts against the fitted portion, thereby restricting the relative rotation range of the first member and the second member.

[0013] (6) Preferably, the outer surface of the second member along the axis is a circumferential surface.

[0014] (7) Preferably, the second member has an atmosphere communication passage that connects the internal space with the outside, the atmosphere communication passage being closed in the first state and being open in the second state. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a printing liquid container that is unlikely to fall out of the tank when liquid is being supplied to the tank. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a multifunction device 10. As shown in FIG. [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 an external perspective view of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the up-down direction 7 including the axis 83A of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the appearance of the bottle 100. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 6(A) is a perspective view showing the nozzle material 101 and the valve body 102 in a first state, and FIG. 6(B) is a perspective view showing the nozzle material 101 and the valve body 102 in a second state. [Figure 7] Figure 7(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the vertical direction 7 including the axis 100A of the bottle 100 in a first state, and Figure 7(B) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the vertical direction 7 including the axis 100A of the bottle 100 in a second state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bottle 100 in the first state is inserted into the recess 84 of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the bottle 100 in the second state is inserted into the recess 84 of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the exterior of the bottle 150. As shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing the nozzle material 151 and the valve body 152 in a first state, and FIG. 11B is a perspective view showing the nozzle material 151 and the valve body 152 in a second state. [Figure 12] Figure 12(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the vertical direction 7 including the axis 150A of the bottle 150 in a first state, and Figure 12(B) is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section along the vertical direction 7 including the axis 150A of the bottle 150 in a second state. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the bottle 150 in the first state is inserted into the recess 84 of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the bottle 150 in the second state is inserted into the recess 84 of the tank 80. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, in the following description, the progress from the starting point of the arrow to the end point is expressed as the direction, and the movement on the line connecting the starting point and the end point of the arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, the direction is one component of the direction. Furthermore, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the posture in which the multifunction device 10 is installed on a horizontal surface so that it can be used (the posture in FIG. 1, which may be referred to as the "use posture"), the front-rear direction 8 is defined with the surface in which the opening 13 of the multifunction device 10 is provided as the front, and the left-right direction 9 is defined when the multifunction device 10 is viewed from the front. In this embodiment, in the use posture, the up-down direction 7 corresponds to the vertical direction, the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 correspond to the horizontal direction, and the front-rear direction 8 and the left-right direction 9 are orthogonal to each other.

[0018] [Overall structure of multifunction device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 has a housing 14 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. A printer unit 11 is provided at the bottom of the housing 14. The multifunction device 10 has various functions such as a facsimile function and a print function. The multifunction device 10 has a function of recording an image on one side of a sheet of paper 12 by an inkjet method as a print function. The multifunction device 10 may record an image on both sides of the sheet of paper 12. An operation unit 17 is provided at the top of the housing 14. The operation unit 17 is composed of buttons that are operated to instruct image recording and for various settings, a liquid crystal display that displays various information, and the like. In this embodiment, the operation unit 17 is composed of a touch panel having both the functions of a button and a liquid crystal display.

[0019] 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feed tray 20, a feed unit 16, an outer guide member 18, an inner guide member 19, a transport roller pair 59, a discharge roller pair 44, a platen 42, and a recording unit 24. These are located inside the housing 14. Also located inside the housing 14 are various status sensors that detect the status of the multifunction device 10 and output signals according to the detection results. Note that the configuration of the printer unit 11 is an example, and the configuration of the printer unit 11 may be replaced with other known configurations.

[0020] [Feed Tray 20] As shown in Fig. 1, an opening 13 is formed in a front surface 23 of the printer unit 11. The feed tray 20 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 14 through the opening 13 by moving the feed tray 20 in the front-rear direction 8. The feed tray 20 can be moved between a feed position (position shown in Figs. 1 and 2) where it is attached to the housing 14, and a non-feed position where it is removed from the housing 14. The feed tray 20 moves to the feed position by being inserted backward into the housing 14, and moves to the non-feed position by being pulled forward into the housing 14.

[0021] The feed tray 20 is a box-shaped member that is open at the top and stores the papers 12. As shown in Fig. 2, the papers 12 are supported in a stacked state on a bottom plate 22 of the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 is located above the front part of the feed tray 20. The papers 12 that have had images recorded on them by the recording unit 24 and are discharged are supported on the upper surface of the discharge tray 21.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, when the feed tray 20 is in the feed position, the paper 12 supported by the feed tray 20 can be fed to the transport path 65 .

[0023] [Feeding section 16] 2, the feeding unit 16 is located below the recording unit 24 and above the bottom plate 22 of the feeding tray 20. The feeding unit 16 includes a feeding roller 25, a feeding arm 26, a drive transmission mechanism 27, and a shaft 28. The feeding roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feeding arm 26. The feeding arm 26 rotates in the direction of the arrow 29 about the shaft 28 provided at the base end. This allows the feeding roller 25 to come into contact with and separate from the feeding tray 20 or the paper 12 supported by the feeding tray 20.

[0024] The feed roller 25 rotates by the driving force of the motor transmitted by the drive transmission mechanism 27, which is made up of multiple meshed gears. As a result, the uppermost sheet 12 in contact with the feed roller 25 among the sheets 12 supported by the bottom plate 22 of the feed tray 20 at the feed position is fed to the conveying path 65.

[0025] [Transport Path 65] 2, a transport path 65 extends from the rear end of the feed tray 20. The transport path 65 includes a curved portion 33 and a straight portion 34. The curved portion 33 extends upward, making a U-turn from the rear to the front. The straight portion 34 extends generally along the front-rear direction 8.

[0026] The curved portion 33 is formed by an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 which face each other at a predetermined interval. The outer guide member 18 and the inner guide member 19 are provided to extend in the left-right direction 9. The straight portion 34, in the range where the recording unit 24 is located, is formed by the recording unit 24 and a platen 42 which face each other at a predetermined interval in the up-down direction 7.

[0027] The paper 12 supported on the feed tray 20 is transported along the curved portion 33 by the feed roller 25 and reaches the pair of transport rollers 59. The paper 12 held between the pair of transport rollers 59 is transported forward along the straight portion 34 toward the recording unit 24. An image is recorded on the paper 12 that has reached directly below the recording unit 24 by ink ejected from the recording unit 24 adhering to the paper 12. The paper 12 with the image recorded is transported forward along the straight portion 34 and discharged to the discharge tray 21. As described above, the paper 12 is transported along the transport direction 15 indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 2.

[0028] [Transport roller pair 59 and discharge roller pair 44] 2, the conveying roller pair 59 is located in the straight portion 34. The discharge roller pair 44 is located downstream of the conveying roller pair 59 in the straight portion 34 in the conveying direction 15.

[0029] The conveying roller pair 59 includes a conveying roller 60 and a pinch roller 61 located below the conveying roller 60. The pinch roller 61 is pressed against the conveying roller 60 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a coil spring. The conveying roller pair 59 is capable of pinching the paper 12.

[0030] The discharge roller pair 44 includes a discharge roller 62 and a spur roller 63 located above the discharge roller 62. The spur roller 63 is pressed toward the discharge roller 62 by an elastic member (not shown) such as a coil spring. The discharge roller pair 44 is capable of clamping the paper 12.

[0031] The conveying roller 60 and the discharge roller 62 are rotated by a driving force applied from a motor. When the conveying roller 60 rotates with the paper 12 sandwiched between the conveying roller pair 59, the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveying direction 15 by the conveying roller pair 59 and conveyed onto the platen 42. When the discharge roller 62 rotates with the paper 12 sandwiched between the discharge roller pair 44, the paper 12 is conveyed in the conveying direction 15 by the discharge roller pair 44 and discharged onto the discharge tray 21.

[0032] [Platen 42] 2, the platen 42 is located in the straight portion 34 of the transport path 65. The platen 42 faces the recording unit 24 in the up-down direction 7. The platen 42 supports the paper 12 transported on the transport path 65 from below.

[0033] [Record 24] 2, the recording unit 24 is located above a platen 42. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 40, a head 38, and a tank 80.

[0034] The carriage 40 is supported by two guide rails 56, 57 spaced apart in the front-rear direction 8 to be movable along a left-right direction 9 perpendicular to the conveying direction 15. The guide rail 56 is located upstream of the head 38 in the conveying direction 15. The guide rail 57 is located downstream of the head 38 in the conveying direction 15. The guide rails 56, 57 are supported by a pair of side frames (not shown) located outside the straight portion 34 of the conveying path 65 in the left-right direction 9. The carriage 40 moves when a driving force is applied from a motor.

[0035] The head 38 is supported by the carriage 40. A lower surface 68 of the head 38 is exposed downward and faces the platen 42. The head 38 includes a plurality of nozzles 39, an ink flow path 37, and a piezoelectric element (not shown).

[0036] The multiple nozzles 39 open on the bottom surface 68 of the head 38. The ink flow path 37 connects the tank 80 and the multiple nozzles 39. The piezoelectric element deforms when power is supplied, and the deformation in the ink flow path 37 causes ink droplets to be ejected downward from the nozzles 39.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the tank 80 is mounted on the carriage 40. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the tank 80 has an internal space 81. Ink is stored in the internal space 81. The internal space 81 of the tank 80 communicates with the multiple nozzles 39 via the ink flow paths 37. In this way, ink is supplied from the internal space 81 to the nozzles 39.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 2, the tanks 80 are located above the heads 38. In this embodiment, all of the tanks 80 are located above the heads 38, but the positional relationship between the tanks 80 and the heads 38 may be changed as appropriate. In this embodiment, the recording unit 24 includes one tank 80. This one tank 80 stores black ink. The color of the ink stored in the tank 80 is not limited to black.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 4, a recess 84 is formed in the upper wall 82 of the tank 80, recessed toward the internal space 81. The cross section of the recess 84 is circular, into which a bottle 100 (see Fig. 5) can be inserted. An injection port 83 for injecting ink into the internal space 81 is provided at the lower end of the recess 84. Within the recess 84, a plurality of grooves 86 (an example of a fitted portion) into which a bottle 100 (described later) is fitted are positioned radially around the injection port 83. Each groove 86 extends linearly from the injection port 83 outward.

[0040] Two protrusions 87 (examples of fitted portions) are located at the upper end of the recess 84. The two protrusions 87 are located at positions that are 180 degrees apart about the axis 83A of the injection port 83. Each protrusion 87 protrudes from the upper end of the recess 84 toward the axis 83A.

[0041] 2, a lid 85 is fitted into the recess 84. When the lid 85 is removed, the injection port 83 is exposed to the outside. In this state, the bottle 100 is inserted into the recess 84, and ink is injected from the bottle 100 into the internal space 81 through the injection port 83.

[0042] Although not shown in the drawings, the tank 80 may be provided with an air opening port. The air opening port may be capable of being opened and closed by an electromagnetic valve or the like.

[0043] [Bottle 100] The bottle 100 will be described below with appropriate reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 8. The bottle 100 (an example of a printing liquid container) stores ink (an example of a printing liquid). The bottle 100 supplies ink to a tank 80 through an inlet 83. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the bottle 100 has a nozzle material 101, a valve body 102, and a housing 103. The nozzle material 101 is an example of a first member. The valve body 102 and the housing 103 are examples of a second member.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 5, the outer shape of bottle 100 is a generally cylindrical shape that is elongated in the vertical direction 7. In Figs. 5 to 7, bottle 100 is shown in a position in which supply port 113 faces downward, but bottle 100 may be in a position in which supply port 113 faces upward during transportation or storage.

[0045] 6 and 7, the nozzle material 101 is located inside the housing 103, and a portion of it protrudes outward (downward in each figure) from the nozzle material 101. The nozzle material 101 has a nozzle portion 111 and an inserted portion 112.

[0046] The nozzle portion 111 has an outer shape of a generally cylindrical shape tapered downward. A supply port 113 opens at a lower end surface 111L of the nozzle portion 111. The supply port 113 is circular and communicates the internal space of the nozzle portion 111 with the outside. A plurality of elongated engagement ribs 114 (an example of a first fitting portion or a first protruding piece) extending along the up-down direction 7 are positioned on an outer peripheral surface 111C of the nozzle portion 111. The plurality of engagement ribs 114 are positioned radially from the supply port 113 as a center. Each engagement rib 114 enters and engages with each recessed groove 86 of the tank 80. The number and arrangement of the engagement ribs 114 match the number and arrangement of the recessed grooves 86.

[0047] The inserted portion 112 extends upward from the upper end surface 111U of the nozzle portion 111. The inserted portion 112 is generally cylindrical in shape. The outer diameter of the inserted portion 112 is smaller than the diameter of the upper end surface 111U. Therefore, the upper end surface 111U is located around the lower end of the inserted portion 112. The axis of the nozzle portion 111 and the axis of the inserted portion 112 coincide with the axis 100A of the bottle 100. The inserted portion 112 is inserted into the internal space of the valve body 102. The internal space of the inserted portion 112 is continuous with the internal space of the nozzle portion 111.

[0048] The outer peripheral surface of the inserted portion 112 has flat portions 115 formed by cutting out parts of the outer peripheral surface at three locations around the axis 100A. The flat portion 115 is a rectangle that is elongated in the up-down direction 7. A protrusion 116 that protrudes outward is located on the flat portion 115. The protrusion 116 has a generally parallelogram shape when viewed along the radial direction of the inserted portion 112. The protrusion 116 is fitted into a guide groove 124 of the valve body 102.

[0049] 6 and 7, the valve body 102 is located inside the housing 103. The outer shape of the valve body 102 is generally cylindrical. The axis of the valve body 102 coincides with the axis 100A.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 7, the valve body 102 has a cylindrical tube portion 121 and a rod 122 (an example of a valve) located inside the tube portion 121. The rod 122 is columnar, and its lower end portion protrudes downward from the lower end of the tube portion 121. The dimension of the rod 122 along the up-down direction 7 is longer than the dimension of the nozzle material 101 along the up-down direction 7. The outer shape of the lower end portion of the rod 122 matches the inner diameter of the supply port 113 of the nozzle portion 111. As shown in Fig. 7(A), the rod 122 fits into the supply port 113, thereby closing the supply port 113.

[0051] 7 and 8, the upper end of the rod 122 is connected to the tube portion 121 by a plurality of connecting portions 123. The multiple connecting portions 123 are located around the upper end of the rod 122 at intervals in the circumferential direction. A space is provided between two adjacent connecting portions 123 through which ink can flow. The multiple connecting portions 123 connect the rod 122 and the tube portion 121 with the axis of the rod 122 coinciding with the axis 100A. The rod 122 extending downward from the connecting portions 123 enters the internal space of the inserted portion 112 and the nozzle portion 111 from above the nozzle material 101.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 7, the tube portion 121 is inserted into the internal space of the housing 103. The outer diameter of the tube portion 121 is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 103. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the tube portion 121 has a guide groove 124 that forms a part of a spiral shape around the axis 100A. The guide groove 124 is formed at three places around the axis 100A and penetrates the tube portion 121. The guide groove 124 is directed upward as it goes rightward in FIG. 6. Each of the convex portions 116 is fitted into each of the guide grooves 124. With each of the convex portions 116 fitted into each of the guide grooves 124, the valve body 102 and the nozzle material 101 can rotate relatively around the axis 100A. Due to this relative rotation, each of the convex portions 116 can move near the right end or near the left end of each of the guide grooves 124.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6(A), in a state where each convex portion 116 is positioned near the right end of each guide groove 124, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the valve body 102 is in a state (an example of a first state) where it has moved downward relative to the nozzle material 101, and the lower end portion of the rod 122 blocks the supply port 113.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6(B), in a state where each convex portion 116 is positioned near the left end of each guide groove 124, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the valve body 102 is in a state (an example of a second state) where it has moved upward relative to the nozzle material 101, and the lower end portion of the rod 122 is positioned above the supply port 113, so that the supply port 113 is opened.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6, two annular ribs 125 extending annularly along the circumferential direction are located on the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion 121. The annular ribs 125 protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion 121. The two annular ribs 125 are located above the guide groove 124 and spaced apart in the up-down direction 7. Each annular rib 125 has a notch 126 formed at a position 180 degrees apart about the axis 100A. The notches 126 of the two annular ribs 125 form a pair in the up-down direction 7. The pair of notches 126 are aligned along the axis 100A and function as a third groove. The pair of notches 126 are fitted into the guide rails 133 of the housing 103.

[0056] 6 and 7, two through holes 127 that communicate between the internal space of the cylindrical portion 121 and the outside are located near the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 121. The two through holes 127 are located at positions that are 180 degrees apart from each other about the axis 100A.

[0057] Annular receivers 128 are located on the outer peripheral surface of the tube portion 121 above and below the through hole 127. The receivers 128 protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface and support an O-ring 129. The O-ring 129 is made of an elastically deformable resin and is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the housing 103. The O-ring 129 seals the space between the housing 103 and the tube portion 121 airtight and liquidtight. The valve body 102 is supported via the O-ring 129 so as to be slidable relative to the housing 103 in the up-down direction 7.

[0058] The upper end of the tube portion 121 is closed by a plug portion 130. The internal space of the tube portion 121 and the internal space of the nozzle material 101 form a storage chamber 104 in which ink is stored.

[0059] 5 and 7, the outer shape of the housing 103 is generally cylindrical. The outer peripheral surface of the housing 103 (the outer surface around the axis 100A) is a circumferential surface. The dimension of the housing 103 in the up-down direction 7 is greater than the dimension of the valve body 102 in the up-down direction 7. Therefore, the valve body 102 is accommodated in the internal space of the housing 103 and is movable along the up-down direction 7 within the internal space of the housing 103.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, two grooves 131 (an example of a second fitting portion) are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 103. The two grooves 131 are located at positions 180 degrees apart from each other about the axis 100A. The grooves 131 include a first groove 131A (an example of a second groove) that opens on the lower end surface of the housing 103 and extends along the up-down direction 7 (an example of a first direction), and a second groove 131B (an example of a third groove) that extends from the upper end of the first groove 131A along the circumferential direction (an example of a second direction) to the left in the figure. The first groove 131A and the second groove 131B define a continuous space. The groove 131 allows the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 to enter.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7, two grooves 132 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 103. The two grooves 132 are located at positions 180 degrees apart from each other about the axis 100A. The grooves 132 open to the circumferential end surface of the housing 103 and extend along the vertical direction 7. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the lower end of the groove 132 is located above the two O-rings 129 of the valve body 102 in the first state. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the lower end of the groove 132 is located between the two O-rings 129 of the valve body 102 in the second state. The two grooves 132, together with the through hole 127 of the valve body 102, constitute an atmosphere communication passage that communicates the storage chamber 104 with the outside. Therefore, in the first state shown in FIG. 7(A), the atmosphere communication passage is closed. In the second state shown in FIG. 7(B), the atmosphere communication passage is opened.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 7, two guide rails 133 are located below groove 132 on the inner peripheral surface of housing 103. Guide rails 133 are located at positions 180 degrees apart about axis 100A. Guide rails 133 protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface of housing 103 and extend linearly in the up-down direction 7. The dimension of guide rail 133 in the circumferential direction is slightly smaller than the dimension of notch 126 in the circumferential direction. Guide rail 133 fits into a pair of notches 126 to guide valve body 102 movably in the up-down direction 7.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 7, an annular protrusion 134 is located near the lower end of the inner peripheral surface of the housing 103. The protrusion 134 is located slightly above the lower end surface of the housing 103. The protrusion 134 protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the housing 103. The inner diameter of the annular protrusion 134 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the inserted portion 112 of the nozzle material 101. The inserted portion 112 of the nozzle material 101 is inserted into the inside of the protrusion 134 from the lower end of the housing 103. The upper end surface 111U of the nozzle portion 111 of the nozzle material 101 abuts against the protrusion 134. The nozzle material 101 is positioned relative to the housing 103 by the abutment of the upper end surface 111U of the nozzle portion 111 and the protrusion 134. The outer peripheral surface of the nozzle portion 111 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the housing 103. The housing 103 is capable of rotating relatively to the nozzle material 101 by the projection 134 sliding against the upper end surface 111U of the nozzle portion 111 and the inner peripheral surface sliding against the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle portion 111. As shown in FIG. 7(A), in the first state, the projection 134 is sandwiched between the nozzle portion 111 and the tube portion 121.

[0064] [Supply of ink to tank 80 from bottle 100] Hereinafter, a method of supplying ink to the tank 80 from the bottle 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] When the ink in the tank 80 is consumed by discharging ink from the nozzles 39 of the head 38, for example, in response to a notification indicating that the remaining amount of ink in the tank 80 is low, the user refills the tank 80 with ink. When refilling the tank 80 with ink, the user exposes the upper wall 82 of the tank 80 to the outside by, for example, rotating the top cover of the multifunction device 10. Then, the user removes the lid 85 to expose the recess 84 to the outside.

[0066] A user prepares a bottle 100 in which ink is stored, and inserts the nozzle portion 111 of the bottle 100 into the recess 84 of the tank 80 with the supply port 113 facing downward. At this time, the bottle 100 is in a state in which the rod 122 closes the supply port 113, i.e., in the first state.

[0067] When inserting the nozzle portion 111, the user aligns the first groove 131A of the housing 103 with the protruding piece 87 of the recess 84. When the positions of the first groove 131A and the protruding piece 87 match, the protruding piece 87 can enter the first groove 131A, and the bottle 100 can be inserted into the recess 84 using the protruding piece 87 as a guide.

[0068] 8, when the protruding piece 87 reaches the upper end of the first groove 131A, the supply port 113 (the lower end of the nozzle portion 111) of the bottle 100 fits into the injection port 83 of the tank 80, and the supply port 113 and the injection port 83 communicate to allow ink to flow therebetween. Also, the engagement rib 114 of the bottle 100 fits into the recessed groove 86 of the tank 80. In this state, the axis 83A and the axis 100A are aligned.

[0069] In the state (first state) shown in FIG. 8, the housing 103 can be rotated around the axis 100A with respect to the tank 80, using the protruding piece 87 as a guide. In other words, the groove 131 allows the housing 103 to rotate with the protruding piece 87 fitted in it. When the user rotates the housing 103 counterclockwise, the protruding piece 87 enters the second groove 131B. Even if the housing 103 is rotated, the nozzle material 101 is prevented from rotating with respect to the tank 80, since the engaging rib 114 is fitted into the concave groove 86. In other words, the nozzle material 101 does not rotate with the rotation of the housing 103. Therefore, the housing 103 rotates counterclockwise relative to the nozzle material 101.

[0070] Since the notch 126 of the valve body 102 is fitted into the guide rail 133, the valve body 102 is subjected to the rotation of the housing 103 and rotates together with the housing 103. In other words, the valve body 102 also rotates counterclockwise relative to the nozzle material 101. When the valve body 102 rotates counterclockwise relative to the nozzle material 101 from the first state shown in Fig. 6(A), the valve body 102 is guided by the engagement between the convex portion 116 of the nozzle material 101 and the guide groove 124 of the valve body 102, and slides upward relative to the housing 103 while rotating relative to the nozzle material 101.

[0071] Since the engagement between notch 126 and guide rail 133 does not prevent valve body 102 from sliding in vertical direction 7 relative to housing 103, valve body 102 rotates together with housing 103 and slides upward along axis 100A in the internal space of housing 103, reaching the second state shown in Fig. 9. In the process of bottle 100 changing from the first state to the second state, supply port 113 is opened, and then the atmosphere communication passage is opened through groove 132. In the second state, protrusion 87 abuts against the extending end of second groove 131B.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7(B), in the second state, the lower end of the groove 132 of the housing 103 is between the two O-rings 129 in the vertical direction 7 and communicates with the through-hole 127 of the valve body 102. As a result, the storage chamber 104 of the bottle 100 communicates with the outside through the through-hole 127 and the groove 132 and is open to the atmosphere. Also, as shown in FIG. 7(B) and FIG. 9, in the second state, the lower end of the rod 122 is located above the supply port 113, so that the supply port 113 is opened. As a result, the ink stored in the storage chamber 104 flows down through the supply port 113 and the injection port 83 into the internal space 81 of the tank 80.

[0073] 9, in the second state, the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 enters the second groove 131B of the housing 103, and therefore the bottle 100 is prevented from moving upward relative to the tank 80. That is, in the second state, the bottle 100 cannot be pulled out of the tank 80.

[0074] When the supply of ink from the bottle 100 to the tank 80 is completed, the user rotates the housing 103 clockwise relative to the tank 80 from the second state shown in Fig. 9 to the first state shown in Fig. 8. This allows the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 to enter the first groove 131A of the housing 103, and the bottle 100 to move upward relative to the tank 80. In the bottle 100 in the first state, the rod 122 closes the supply port 113, so that even if ink remains in the storage chamber 104 of the bottle 100, the ink does not flow out from the supply port 113 of the bottle 100 removed from the tank 80.

[0075] [Effects of the embodiment] According to the embodiment described above, when the engaging rib 114 of the nozzle material 101 and the concave groove 86 of the tank 80 are engaged, the nozzle material 101, the valve body 102, and the housing 103 are rotated relatively to each other by operating only the housing 103. Also, the bottle 100 in the second state is prevented from being removed from the tank 80. Also, the extension end of the second groove 131B of the nozzle material 101 abuts against the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80, thereby restricting the relative rotation range of the nozzle material 101, the valve body 102, and the housing 103.

[0076] [Variations] In the embodiment described above, the valve body 102 and the housing 103 are rotatable relative to the nozzle material 101, so that the rod 122 of the valve body 102 opens or closes the supply port 113 of the nozzle material 101, and the relative position between the O-ring 129 and the lower end of the groove 132 changes to open or close the atmosphere communication passage, but the bottle 100 may not be provided with an atmosphere communication passage. In that case, ink may be discharged from the storage chamber 104 of the bottle 100 by, for example, a chicken feed method in which gas-liquid replacement is performed by a flow path. Below, a chicken feed type bottle 150 will be described in detail.

[0077] [Bottle 150] The bottle 150 will be described below with appropriate reference to Figs. 10 to 14. The bottle 150 (an example of a printing liquid container) stores ink (an example of a printing liquid). The bottle 150 supplies ink to the tank 80 through an inlet 83. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the bottle 150 has a nozzle material 151, a valve body 152, and a housing 153. The nozzle material 111 is an example of a first member. The valve body 152 and the housing 153 are examples of a second member.

[0078] 10, the outer shape of the bottle 150 is a generally cylindrical shape that is elongated in the up-down direction 7. As shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the nozzle material 151 is located inside the housing 153, and a portion of it protrudes outward (downward in each figure) from the housing 153. The nozzle material 151 has a nozzle portion 161 and an inserted portion 162.

[0079] The nozzle portion 161 has an outer shape of a generally cylindrical shape tapered downward. A supply port 163 opens at a lower end surface 161L of the nozzle portion 161. The supply port 163 is circular and communicates the internal space of the nozzle portion 161 with the outside. A plurality of elongated engagement ribs 164 (an example of a first fitting portion or a first protruding piece) extending along the up-down direction 7 are positioned on an outer peripheral surface 161C of the nozzle portion 161. The plurality of engagement ribs 164 are positioned radially from the supply port 163 as a center. Each engagement rib 164 enters and engages with each recessed groove 86 of the tank 80. The number and arrangement of the engagement ribs 164 match the number and arrangement of the recessed grooves 86.

[0080] The insertion portion 162 extends upward from the upper end surface 161U of the nozzle portion 161. The insertion portion 162 is generally cylindrical. The outer diameter of the insertion portion 162 is smaller than the diameter of the upper end surface 161U. Therefore, the upper end surface 161U is located around the lower end of the insertion portion 162. The axis of the nozzle portion 161 and the axis of the insertion portion 162 coincide with the axis 150A of the bottle 150. The insertion portion 162 is inserted into the internal space of the housing 153. The internal space of the insertion portion 162 is continuous with the internal space of the nozzle portion 161.

[0081] As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the inserted portion 162 has a guide groove 165 that forms a part of a spiral shape around the axis 150A. The guide grooves 165 are formed at three places around the axis 150A and penetrate the inserted portion 162. The guide grooves 165 extend upward as they move to the right in Fig. 11. Each of the convex portions 174 is fitted into each of the guide grooves 165. With each of the convex portions 174 fitted into each of the guide grooves 165, the valve body 152 and the nozzle material 151 can rotate relatively around the axis 150A. This relative rotation allows each of the convex portions 174 to move near the right end or near the left end of each of the guide grooves 165.

[0082] 11 and 12, the valve body 152 is located inside the nozzle member 151 and the housing 153. The valve body 152 has a generally cylindrical outer shape. The axis of the valve body 152 coincides with the axis 150A.

[0083] 12, the valve body 152 has a cylindrical tube portion 171 and a valve 172 (an example of a valve) located inside the tube portion 171. The valve 172 is columnar with a first flow path 191 and a second flow path 192 formed therein, and protrudes downward from the lower end of the tube portion 171. The dimension of the valve 172 in the up-down direction 7 is longer than the dimension of the nozzle material 151 in the up-down direction 7. The outer diameter of the lower end of the valve 172 matches the inner diameter of the supply port 163 of the nozzle portion 161. As shown in FIG. 12(A), the valve 172 fits into the supply port 163, thereby closing the supply port 163.

[0084] 12 and 13, the upper end of the valve 172 is connected to the tube portion 171 by a plurality of connecting portions 173. The connecting portions 173 are located around the upper end of the valve 172 at intervals in the circumferential direction. A space is provided between two adjacent connecting portions 173 through which ink can flow. The valve 172 and the tube portion 171 are connected by the connecting portions 173 such that the axis of the valve 172 coincides with the axis 150A. The valve 172 extends downward from the connecting portions 173 and enters the internal space of the inserted portion 162 and the nozzle portion 161 from above the nozzle material 151.

[0085] 12, the valve 172 is formed with a first flow path 191 and a second flow path 192 extending along the axis 150A. The first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 are partitioned by a peripheral wall of the valve 172 and a partition wall 193. Note that in this embodiment, the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 extend along the axis 150A, but this is not limiting, and for example, the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 may be curved.

[0086] The length of the first flow path 191 along the ink flow direction (in this embodiment, the direction along the axis 150A) is longer than the length of the second flow path 192 along the ink flow direction. Other than this difference in length, the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 have the same shape and the same size. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first flow path 191 perpendicular to the axis 150A is the same as the cross-sectional area of ​​the second flow path 192 perpendicular to the axis 150A. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 are both semicircular. The cross-sectional shapes of the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 may be shapes other than semicircular. The cross-sectional shape of the first flow path 191 may be different from the cross-sectional shape of the second flow path 192, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the first flow path 191 may be different from the cross-sectional area of ​​the second flow path 192.

[0087] One end of the first flow path 191 communicates with the storage chamber 154 through an opening 194. The other end of the first flow path 191, an opening 195, is located at the tip of the valve 172 (the lower end in each drawing). One end of the second flow path 192 communicates with the storage chamber 154 through an opening 196. The other end of the second flow path 192, an opening 197, is located at the tip of the valve 172 (the lower end in each drawing). In this embodiment, the storage chamber 154 communicates with the outside of the bottle 150 only through the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192.

[0088] 12, in a position in which the tip of valve 172 located near supply port 163 faces downward, opening 194 is located higher than opening 196. Also, openings 195 and 197 are at the same position in the up-down direction 7.

[0089] The opening 194 is located at the base end of the valve 172 that is connected to the tubular portion 171 by the connecting portion 173, and opens only into the internal space of the tubular portion 171. The opening 196 is located between the tip and base ends of the valve 172, and opens into the internal space of the tubular portion 171 and also opens into the internal space of the nozzle material 151 through the connecting portion 173.

[0090] Partition wall 193 extends downward (downward in FIG. 12) beyond openings 195 and 197. A disk 198 is connected to the lower end of partition wall 193. The axis of disk 198 coincides with axis 150A. The outer diameter of disk 198 coincides with the inner diameter of supply port 163 of nozzle material 151. Disk 198 fits into the supply port, thereby liquid-tightly closing supply port 163.

[0091] 12, the tubular portion 171 is inserted into the internal space of the housing 153. The outer diameter of the tubular portion 171 is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 153. The lower portion of the tubular portion 171 is also inserted into the inserted portion 162 of the nozzle material 151. The outer diameter of the tubular portion 171 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inserted portion 162.

[0092] A protrusion 174 protruding outward is located on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 171. The protrusion 174 has a generally parallelogram shape when viewed along the radial direction of the inserted portion 162. The protrusion 174 is fitted into the guide groove 165 of the nozzle material 151.

[0093] 11(A), in a state where each convex portion 174 is located near the right end of each guide groove 165, as shown in FIG. 12(A), the valve body 152 is in a state (an example of a first state) where it has moved upward relatively to the nozzle material 151, and the disk 198 of the valve 172 closes the supply port 163. In this state, the openings 195 and 197 are in the storage chamber 154 and are not exposed to the outside of the bottle 150.

[0094] 11(B), in a state where each convex portion 174 is located near the left end of each guide groove 165, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the valve body 152 is in a state (an example of a second state) where it has moved downward relatively to the nozzle material 151, and the disk 198 of the valve 172 is located below the supply port 163. In this state, the tip portion of the valve 172 protrudes to the outside from the supply port 163, and the openings 195 and 197 are exposed to the outside. As a result, the supply port 163 is opened through the first flow path 191 and the second flow path 192 of the valve 172.

[0095] 11, an annular rib 175 extending annularly in the circumferential direction is located on the outer circumferential surface of the tube portion 171. The annular rib 175 protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the tube portion 171. The annular rib 175 is located above the protrusion 174. The annular rib 175 has notches 176 formed at positions that are 180 degrees apart about the axis 150A. Guide rails 183 of the housing 153 fit into the notches 176.

[0096] The upper end of the cylindrical portion 171 is closed by a plug member 180. The plug member 180 is screwed onto the upper end of the cylindrical portion 171. The internal space of the cylindrical portion 171 and the internal space of the nozzle material 151 form a storage chamber 154 in which ink is stored.

[0097] A groove 178 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of plug member 180. Groove 178 supports O-ring 179. O-ring 179 is made of an elastically deformable resin, and is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of housing 153. O-ring 179 seals the space between housing 153 and tube portion 171 airtight and liquidtight. In addition, valve body 152 is supported via O-ring 179 so as to be slidable relatively to housing 153 in the up-down direction 7.

[0098] 10 and 12, the outer shape of housing 153 is generally cylindrical. The outer surface of housing 153 around axis 150A is a circumferential surface. The dimension of housing 153 in the up-down direction 7 is greater than the dimension of valve body 152 in the up-down direction 7. Therefore, valve body 152 is accommodated in the internal space of housing 153 and is movable along the up-down direction 7 within the internal space of housing 153.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 10, two grooves 181 (an example of a second fitting portion) are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 153. The two grooves 181 are located at positions 180 degrees apart from each other around the axis 150A. The grooves 181 include a first groove 181A (an example of a second groove) that opens on the lower end surface of the housing 153 and extends along the up-down direction 7 (an example of a first direction), and a second groove 181B that extends from the upper end of the first groove 181A to the left in the figure along the circumferential direction (an example of a second direction). The first groove 181A and the second groove 181B define a continuous space. The groove 181 allows the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 to enter.

[0100] As shown in Fig. 12, four guide rails 183 are positioned on the inner peripheral surface of the housing 153. The guide rails 183 are positioned at different positions by 90 degrees around the axis 150A. The guide rails 183 protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface of the housing 153 and extend linearly along the up-down direction 7. The dimension of the guide rails 183 along the circumferential direction is slightly smaller than the dimension of the notches 176 along the circumferential direction. Each guide rail 183 fits into each notch 176 to guide the valve body 152 movably along the up-down direction 7.

[0101] An upper end surface 161U of the nozzle portion 161 of the nozzle material 151 abuts against a lower end surface of the housing 153. The nozzle material 151 is positioned with respect to the housing 153 by the abutment between the upper end surface 161U of the nozzle portion 161 and the lower end surface of the housing 153. An outer peripheral surface of the inserted portion 162 abuts against an inner peripheral surface of the housing 153. The housing 153 is capable of rotating relatively to the nozzle material 151 by the lower end surface sliding against the upper end surface 161U of the nozzle portion 161 and the inner peripheral surface sliding against the outer peripheral surface of the inserted portion 162.

[0102] [Supply of ink to tank 80 by bottle 150] Hereinafter, a method of supplying ink to the tank 80 from the bottle 150 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0103] When the ink in the tank 80 is consumed by discharging ink from the nozzles 39 of the head 38, for example, in response to a notification indicating that the remaining amount of ink in the tank 80 is low, the user refills the tank 80 with ink. When refilling the tank 80 with ink, the user exposes the upper wall 82 of the tank 80 to the outside by, for example, rotating the top cover of the multifunction device 10. Then, the user removes the lid 85 to expose the recess 84 to the outside.

[0104] A user prepares a bottle 150 in which ink is stored, and inserts the nozzle portion 161 of the bottle 150 into the recess 84 of the tank 80 with the supply port 163 facing downward. At this time, the bottle 150 is in a state in which the valve 172 closes the supply port 163, i.e., in the first state.

[0105] When inserting nozzle portion 161, the user aligns first groove 181A of housing 153 with protruding piece 87 of recess 84. When first groove 181A and protruding piece 87 are aligned, protruding piece 87 can enter first groove 181A, and bottle 150 can be inserted into recess 84 using protruding piece 87 as a guide.

[0106] 13, when the protruding piece 87 reaches the upper end of the first groove 181A, the supply port 163 (the lower end of the nozzle portion 161) of the bottle 150 fits into the injection port 83 of the tank 80, and the supply port 163 and the injection port 83 communicate to allow ink to flow therebetween. Also, the engagement rib 164 of the bottle 150 fits into the recessed groove 86 of the tank 80. In this state, the axis 83A and the axis 150A are aligned.

[0107] In the state (first state) shown in FIG. 13, the housing 153 can be rotated around the axis 150A with respect to the tank 80, using the protruding piece 87 as a guide. When the user rotates the housing 153 clockwise, the protruding piece 87 enters the second groove 181B. In other words, the second groove 181B allows the housing 153 to rotate. Even if the housing 153 is rotated, the engagement rib 164 fits into the concave groove 86, so that the nozzle material 151 is prevented from rotating with respect to the tank 80. In other words, the nozzle material 151 does not rotate with the rotation of the housing 153. Therefore, the housing 153 rotates clockwise relative to the nozzle material 151.

[0108] Since the notch 176 fits into the guide rail 183, the valve body 152 rotates together with the housing 153 in response to the rotation of the housing 153. In other words, the valve body 152 also rotates clockwise relative to the nozzle material 151. When the valve body 152 rotates clockwise relative to the nozzle material 151 from the first state shown in Fig. 11(A) , the valve body 152 is guided by the engagement between the guide groove 165 of the nozzle material 151 and the protrusion 174 of the valve body 152, and slides downward relative to the housing 153 while rotating relative to the nozzle material 151.

[0109] Since the engagement between the notch 176 and the guide rail 183 does not prevent the valve body 152 from sliding in the up-down direction 7 relative to the housing 153, the valve body 152 rotates together with the housing 153 and slides downward along the axis 150A in the internal space of the housing 153, to reach the second state shown in Fig. 9. In the second state, the protruding piece 87 abuts against the extending portion of the second groove 181B.

[0110] 12(B) and 14, in the second state, disk 198 of valve 172 is located below supply port 163, so that supply port 163 is opened. Also, openings 195, 197 are located in internal space 81 of tank 80, so that storage chamber 154 and internal space 81 communicate with each other through first flow path 191 and second flow path 192.

[0111] Since opening 194 is located above opening 196, a head pressure is generated between opening 194 and opening 196. As a result, the ink stored in storage chamber 154 flows into first flow path 191 through opening 194, and then flows into internal space 81 through opening 195.

[0112] Furthermore, when the ink flows, the air in the internal space 81 flows into the storage chamber 154 through the second flow path 192. Here, the volume of the ink flowing from the storage chamber 154 to the internal space 81 is substantially the same as the volume of the air flowing from the internal space 81 to the storage chamber 154. In this manner, so-called gas-liquid substitution is performed. When all the ink in the storage chamber 154 of the bottle 150 flows out into the internal space 81 of the tank 80, the gas-liquid substitution ends.

[0113] 14, in the second state, the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 enters the second groove 181B of the housing 153, and therefore the bottle 150 is prevented from moving upward relative to the tank 80. That is, in the second state, the bottle 150 cannot be pulled out of the tank 80.

[0114] When the supply of ink from the bottle 150 to the tank 80 is completed, the user rotates the housing 153 counterclockwise relative to the tank 80 from the second state shown in Fig. 14 to the first state shown in Fig. 13. This allows the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 to enter the first groove 181A of the housing 153, and the bottle 150 to move upward relative to the tank 80. In the bottle 150 in the first state, the disk 198 of the valve 172 closes the supply port 163, so that even if ink remains in the storage chamber 154 of the bottle 150, the ink does not flow out from the supply port 113 of the bottle 150 removed from the tank 80.

[0115] [Other variations] In the embodiment described above, the nozzle material 101 has the engaging rib 114, and the tank 80 has the recessed groove 86, but since the relationship between the engaging rib 114 and the recessed groove 86 is relative, it is sufficient that either the nozzle material 101 or the tank 80 has the first protrusion and the other has the first groove. In addition, the shapes and arrangements of the engaging rib 114 and the recessed groove 86 are not limited to those extending radially around the supply port 113, and for example, a boss or recess that can be fitted together may be formed only at one place around the supply port 113.

[0116] In the embodiment described above, the nozzle material 101 has the engagement rib 114 for preventing rotation, and the housing 103 has the groove 131 for allowing rotation, but since these are in a relative relationship, the engagement rib 114 may be provided on the housing 103, and the groove 131 may be provided on the nozzle material 101. Furthermore, the protruding piece 87 of the tank 80 does not have to abut against the extending end of the second groove 131B when the bottle 100 is in the second state. Furthermore, instead of the protruding piece 134 of the housing 103, a protruding piece may be made to protrude outward from near the lower end of the inserted portion 112 of the nozzle material 101.

[0117] Furthermore, the valve body 102 and the housing 103 do not necessarily have to be separate members, and may be configured as one member. Furthermore, the shape of the supply port 113 is not limited to a circle, and may be other shapes such as an ellipse or a square. Furthermore, the atmosphere communication passage is not limited to one configured by the through hole 127 and the groove 132.

[0118] Furthermore, in the tank 80, the injection port 83 and the recess 84 may be formed in a portion other than the upper wall 82. For example, the injection port 83 and the recess 84 may be formed in an inclined wall that is on the outer surface of the tank 80 and is inclined with respect to the up-down direction 7. Furthermore, the tank 80 does not necessarily need to be mounted on the carriage 40, and may be connected to the head 38 and the tank 80 by a tube or the like so that ink can flow therebetween, without being mounted on the carriage 40.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, ink is described as an example of the printing liquid, but the printing liquid is not limited to ink. For example, the printing liquid may be a pretreatment liquid that is ejected onto the recording paper prior to the ink during printing, or water that is sprayed onto the nozzles 39 of the head 38 to prevent them from drying out. [Explanation of symbols]

[0120] 80...Tank 83...Inlet 86... Concave groove (engaged part) 100,150·· bottles (liquid containers for printing) 101, 151 Nozzle material (first component) 102, 152 Valve body (second member) 103, 153... Housing (second member) 104,155...Storage chamber 113,163... Supply port 114 Engagement rib (first engagement portion, first protrusion) 122,172 Rod (valve) 127...Through hole (part of air flow path) 131, 181... groove (second engagement portion) 132 Groove (part of air flow path)

Claims

1. A printing liquid container that can be fitted into a tank having a fitting portion with an inlet, A first member having a supply port communicating with the internal space; and a second member having a valve for opening or closing the supply port, The first member and the second member are connected to be relatively rotatable between a first state and a second state, the internal space of the first member and the internal space of the second member are storage chambers for storing liquid, The valve closes the supply port in the first state and opens the supply port in the second state; One of the first member and the second member has a first fitting portion that fits with the fitted portion, the other of the first member and the second member has a second fitting portion that fits with the fitted portion, the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion are fitted with the fitted portion in the first state, the second fitting portion allows the first member or the second member to rotate relative to the fitted portion when the fitted portion and the first fitting portion are fitted together, one of the first member and the second member does not rotate in association with the rotation of the other of the first member and the second member due to the engagement between the engaged portion and the first engaging portion, In the second state, the second fitting portion is fitted into the fitted portion, so that the other of the first member or the second member cannot be removed from the fitted portion.

2. The first member has the first fitting portion, The printing liquid container according to claim 1 , wherein the second member has the second fitting portion.

3. 3. The printing liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the first fitting portion is a first protrusion or a first groove extending radially from a periphery of the supply port.

4. The second fitting portion is a second groove extending in a first direction along an axis of relative rotation on an outer surface of the second member; 4. The printing liquid container according to claim 2, wherein a third groove extends from the second groove in a second direction around the axis on the outer surface of the second member.

5. The printing liquid container according to claim 4 , wherein the extending end of the third groove abuts against the fitted portion in the second state.

6. 6. The printing liquid container according to claim 4, wherein the outer surface of the second member along the axis is a circumferential surface.

7. The second member has an atmosphere communication passage that communicates the internal space with the outside, 7. The printing liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the atmosphere communication passage is closed in the first state and is open in the second state.

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