Liquid storage container and liquid ejection device

Abstract

To provide a technique that can suppress the possibility that liquid on a plug member is adhered to a human hand without scattering liquid from a liquid storage container.SOLUTION: A liquid storage container according to a technique described in the disclosure comprises: a container main body which comprises a storage chamber that stores liquid and a supply port through which liquid is supplied to the storage chamber; a plug member configured to be attachable to and detachable from the container main body for sealing the supply port, and which comprises a covering part that covers the supply port from the outside of the container main body with the plug member mounted on the container main body, and a protruding portion protruding from the covering portion to the inside of the supply port, where the protruding portion has liquid holding portion that is provided at a position including a tip face of the protruding portion and can hold liquid by capillary force.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid storage container capable of storing a liquid and a liquid discharge device including the same.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a liquid discharge device generally includes a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid such as a liquid, and a liquid storage container that stores the liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head. The liquid in the liquid storage container is supplied to the liquid discharge head via a tube or a liquid flow path.

[0003] Unlike the above-described liquid discharge device that supplies a liquid from a liquid storage container to a liquid discharge head via a tube or a liquid flow path, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid discharge device that injects a liquid from an injection port provided in a large-capacity liquid storage container into the liquid discharge head. The liquid storage container disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an injection port for injecting a liquid and a plug member for preventing leakage of the liquid from the injection port. The plug member has a detachable structure with respect to the injection port. When injecting a liquid, the plug member is removed from the injection port, and in other cases, the plug member is attached to the injection port to prevent the liquid from leaking to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When pouring liquid into a liquid container, liquid may adhere to the area around the inlet of the container. If a stopper is attached to the inlet while liquid is adhering to the area around the inlet, the stopper may be contaminated by the liquid adhering to the area around the inlet. In addition, when moving a liquid dispensing device with liquid stored in the liquid container, the agitation of the liquid may cause the liquid inside the container to adhere to the stopper.

[0006] The stopper is press-fitted onto the opening of the liquid container. When removing the stopper, a force must be applied to the stopper to counteract the frictional force acting on the press-fitted portion. As a result, the impact when the stopper is removed from the opening may cause any liquid adhering to the stopper to splash out. Additionally, after opening, there is a possibility that liquid adhering to the stopper may come into contact with the user's hands.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a liquid container equipped with a stopper member that can reduce the risk of liquid splashing or soiling hands when the stopper member is opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The liquid container relating to the technology disclosed herein is A container body comprising a storage chamber for containing liquid and a supply port for supplying liquid to the storage chamber, A liquid storage container comprising a stopper member that is detachably configured to the container body and seals the supply port, the stopper member having a cover portion that covers the supply port from the outside of the container body when the stopper member is attached to the container body, and a protrusion that extends from the cover portion inward into the supply port, The aforementioned protrusion is provided at a position including the tip surface of the protrusion, and is capable of holding liquid by capillary force. This includes a liquid container characterized by having a liquid-holding section.

[0009] Furthermore, the liquid dispensing device related to the technology disclosed herein is A liquid dispensing head that dispenses liquid, The above liquid container and, The liquid dispensing device is characterized by being equipped with the following features. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The technology disclosed herein makes it possible to provide a liquid container and a liquid dispensing device equipped therewith that can reduce the possibility of liquid splashing from the liquid container and the possibility of liquid from the stopper member adhering to human hands. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the mechanism of a liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing a cross-section of a liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a liquid dispensing device to which liquid is replenished in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing the liquid container of the liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing a stopper member of a comparative example. [Figure 6] These are a cross-sectional view and a top view showing an example of a plug member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing an example of a stopper member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a top view showing another example of a plug member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] These are a cross-sectional view and a top view showing another example of a plug member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a plug member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] These are a cross-sectional view and a top view showing an example of a plug member according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] These are cross-sectional and top views showing a plug member according to one modification. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view showing another plug member relating to one modified example.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the technology of the present disclosure will be described. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative arrangements of the components described below should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. Therefore, the scope of this invention is not intended to be limited to the following description. In particular, well-known techniques or publicly known techniques in the relevant technical field can be applied to configurations and processes that are not specifically illustrated or described. Also, duplicate explanations may be omitted.

[0013] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the mechanism of a liquid ejection device 200 to which this embodiment can be applied, and FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross-section of the liquid ejection device 200 taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the sizes of each member are changed or members are omitted.

[0014] The liquid ejection device 200 includes a feeding unit 1, a conveying unit 2, a ejection unit 3, a supply unit 4, and a display unit 5. The feeding unit 1 separates the print media one by one from a stack of sheet-like print media using a feeding roller 10 and supplies them to the conveying unit 2. The conveying unit 2 is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the feeding unit 1 and includes a platen 13 for holding the print media between a conveying roller 11 and a paper discharge roller 12. The conveying unit 2 conveys the print media fed from the feeding roller 10 using the conveying roller 11, the paper discharge roller 12, etc.

[0015] The ejection unit 3 uses a liquid ejection head 15 mounted on a carriage 14 to eject liquid onto the print media Liquid is discharged. The print medium, transported by the transport unit 2, is supported vertically from below by the platen 13. Then, by discharging liquid from the liquid discharge head 15 located vertically above, an image based on image information is formed. The liquid storage container 16 is capable of containing liquid, and the supply unit 4 is configured to supply liquid from the storage chamber 100 of the container body 111 to the liquid discharge head 15 via the flow path 101 and a flexible supply tube 17.

[0016] In this embodiment, the liquid is ink, and more specifically, four supply tubes 17 through which ink of each color (black, magenta, cyan, and yellow) flows extend from the liquid container 16, and these are bundled together and connected to the liquid discharge head 15.

[0017] When the liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head 15 is discharged from the discharge port of the liquid discharge head 15, the same amount of liquid as the amount of liquid discharged is supplied to the liquid discharge head 15 from the liquid storage container 16. Then, in the liquid storage container 16, the same amount of air as the amount of liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head 15 flows in through the air communication port 102 located vertically above the container body 111. The display unit 5 is used to notify the user of the status of the device during operation and to display information when the user selects an operation.

[0018] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a liquid dispensing device 200 from which liquid is replenished from a liquid replenishment container 201. As shown in the figure, in the liquid dispensing device 200 of this embodiment, when supplying liquid, the user opens the container cover 7 and supplies liquid from the liquid replenishment container 201 into the storage chamber 100 through the supply port 106 provided on the liquid storage container 16. A stopper member 105, which is detachably attached to the container body 111 and seals the supply port 106, is attached to the supply port 106, and when replenishing liquid with the liquid replenishment container 201, the user removes the stopper member 105 from the supply port 106. Note that the liquid storage container 16 is not limited to a configuration in which it is incorporated inside the main body of the liquid dispensing device 200, as in this embodiment. The liquid storage container 16 may be provided outside the main body of the liquid dispensing device 200, as long as it is possible to supply liquid from the liquid storage container 16 to the liquid dispensing head 15. The stopper portion 105 corresponds to a protrusion that extends from the cover portion of the stopper member inward into the supply port.

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the liquid container 16 of the liquid dispensing device 200. In this embodiment, the liquid container 16 consists of a container body 111 having a storage chamber 100 and a supply port 106, and a stopper member 105. The container body 111 is molded from a synthetic resin such as polypropylene and has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. The container body 111 has a front wall 1010, a right wall 1020, a left wall 1030, an upper wall 1040, and a lower wall 1050. The front wall 1010 consists of a vertical wall 1010A that extends roughly vertically from the lower wall 1050, and an inclined wall 1010B (an example of an outer wall) connected to the upper end of the vertical wall 1010A and inclined with respect to the vertical and front-rear directions. The inclined wall 1010B is inclined to the rearward side with respect to the vertical wall 1010A, and a liquid supply port 106 is formed in the inclined wall 1010B.

[0020] On the other hand, the rear surface of the container body 111 is open. The container body 111 is sealed and the rear wall is formed by welding the film 1060 to the rear ends of the right wall 1020, the left wall 1030, the intercolor walls 1021, 1022, 1023, the upper wall 1040, and the lower wall 1050. In other words, the rear wall of the container body 111 is formed by the film 1060. The above configuration forms a storage chamber 100 for containing liquid.

[0021] Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the stopper member 905 of a comparative example, and Figure 6A shows a cross-section of the stopper member 105 of this embodiment. Note that Figure 6A is a cross-sectional view of the stopper member 105 along the line V-V' in Figure 4, and Figure 5 shows the cross-section of the stopper member 905 corresponding to the cross-sectional view in Figure 6A. Hereafter, Figures 9A, 10, 11A, 12A, 12C, and 13 also show the stopper portion corresponding to the cross-sectional view in Figure 6A. The cross-section of the material is shown. Furthermore, the vertical direction of the paper in Figures 5 and 6A coincides with the vertical direction of gravity of the stopper member in the liquid container 16 when the stopper member is removed from the supply port 106. Similarly, the diagrams showing the stopper member in the embodiments described later are also shown with the same orientation.

[0022] As shown in Figure 5, the stopper member 905 comprises a main body portion 905C located outside the storage chamber 100 and the supply port 106 when attached to the supply port 106, and a stopper portion 905D that is inserted into the supply port 106 and closes the supply port 106. The stopper member 905 is attached by elastic deformation so as to sandwich the supply port 106 from above and below. The main body portion 905C of the stopper member 905 also comprises a cover portion 905B that covers the opening surface of the supply port 106, and a protruding portion 905A that protrudes from the upper surface 904 of the cover portion 905B. The protruding portion 905A also serves as a gripping portion for the user to grasp when removing the stopper member 905 from the supply port 106. The user pulls the protruding portion 905A to open the stopper member 905 by pulling it out of the supply port 106. In the following description, the protruding portion will also be referred to as the "grip portion". As shown in Figure 5, the knob portion 905A is formed to protrude from the upper surface 904 of the cover portion 905B along the opening surface of the supply port 106 when the stopper member is attached to the supply port.

[0023] In the comparative example of the stopper member 905, if the back surface 907 is a surface that is substantially horizontal to the opening surface of the supply port 106, then if ink 108 adheres to the back surface 907, the ink 108 is likely to drip when the user pulls the stopper member 905 out of the supply port 106. Therefore, there is a concern that the dripping ink 108 may adhere to the user's fingers or other body parts.

[0024] Therefore, the stopper member 105 that seals the supply port 106 in this embodiment comprises a main body portion 105C having a knob portion 105A and a cover portion 105B, and a stopper portion 105D that is inserted into the supply port 106 and closes the supply port 106. The knob portion 105A is provided protruding from the upper surface 104 of the cover portion 105B of the stopper member. The upper surface 104 is aligned with the opening surface of the outer opening 106D of the supply port 106 when the stopper member 105 is attached to the supply port 106. Furthermore, the knob portion 105A is provided so as to protrude vertically from the upper surface 104 at a position through which the axis 105CP passing through the center of the stopper member 105 passes when the liquid container 16 is in the position when the stopper member 105 is removed from the supply port 106. Furthermore, "protruding" of the knob portion 105A means that it protrudes from the upper surface 104 to the extent that the user can pinch the knob portion 105A or apply force to the knob portion 105A.

[0025] The axis 105CP of the stopper member 105 passes through the center of the stopper portion 105E, which will be described below, when viewed from the opening surface of the supply port 106. As shown in Figure 6A, the supply port 106 has a substantially cylindrical projection 106A that protrudes from the outer surface of the container body 111. Furthermore, the supply port 106 has an outer opening 106D that opens to the outside of the container body 111 at the tip of the projection 106A, an inner opening 106E that opens into the storage chamber 100, and an inner circumferential surface 106C that connects the outer opening 106D and the inner opening 106E. The opening surface that becomes the outer opening 106D and the opening surface that becomes the inner opening 106E of the supply port 106 are examples of opening surfaces of the supply port where the axis 105CP is perpendicular.

[0026] The stopper member 105 will be further described with reference to Figures 6A and 7. In the installed state in which the stopper member 105 is attached to the container body 111 so as to seal the supply port 106, the stopper member 105 comprises a main body portion 105C consisting of a knob portion 105A and a cover portion 105B located outside the storage chamber 100 and the supply port 106 of the container body 111. In this installed state, the stopper member 105 also comprises a stopper portion 105D that is inserted into the supply port 106. As shown in Figure 7, the stopper portion 105D is a member having a substantially cylindrical shape. The stopper portion 105D is a member that protrudes from the cover portion 105B and is press-fitted into the supply port 106. The plug portion 105D, when attached to the supply portion 106, has a press-fit portion 105E that press-fits onto the inner circumferential surface 106C of the supply port 106, and a tip portion 105F that is exposed to the receiving chamber 100 on the tip side of the press-fit portion 105E.

[0027] When the stopper member 105 is attached to the supply port 106, the tip portion 105F of the stopper portion 105D protrudes below the outer opening 106E of the supply port 106 (towards the containment chamber 100). Liquid stored in the containment chamber 100 may adhere to the tip portion 105F. If the stopper portion 505D does not have a configuration to actively remove or hold the attached liquid to prevent splashing, as in the comparative example stopper member 505, when the stopper member 505 is removed, the liquid attached to the stopper member 505 may splash or drip to the outside.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, the stopper portion 105D of the stopper member 105 is provided with a liquid-holding groove 107 capable of holding attached liquid by capillary force. The liquid-holding groove 107 is provided so as to extend in a direction parallel to the axis 105CP of the stopper member 105 in the position of the liquid container 16 when the stopper member 105 is removed from the supply port 106. The liquid-holding groove 107 corresponds to the liquid-holding portion capable of holding liquid by capillary force.

[0029] The liquid retention groove 107 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6B. Figure 6B is a top view of the stopper member 105 as seen from the stopper portion 105D side. Note that the position of the liquid retention groove 107 changes depending on the viewing direction, so Figure 6B shows an example of the liquid retention groove 107.

[0030] In this embodiment, the stopper portion 105D has a cylindrical shape. As shown in Figure 6B, in a top view, the liquid-retaining groove 107 is a plurality of linear grooves that connect the circular outer circumference of the stopper portion 105D, and each groove is arranged to be parallel to the others. Therefore, the liquid-retaining groove 107 is provided as grooves on the tip surface and outer circumference surface of the tip portion 105F of the stopper portion 105D.

[0031] The depth d of the liquid-holding groove 107 in the direction of the axis 105CP is set to a depth that does not reach the inner opening 106E of the supply port 106 when the stopper portion 105 is attached to the supply port 106, in order to ensure that the stopper portion 105D seals against the inner circumferential surface 106C of the supply port 106. Furthermore, while a smaller width w of the liquid-holding groove 107 results in greater capillary force in holding the liquid, considering the ease of forming the liquid-holding groove 107, a width w of about 0.1 to 1 mm is preferable.

[0032] When liquid adheres to the stopper portion 105D, the liquid is held in the liquid retention groove 107 by the capillary force of the liquid retention groove 107. This prevents the liquid adhering to the stopper portion 105D from splashing or dripping when the stopper member 105D is removed from the supply port 106.

[0033] The optimal depth d and width w of the liquid-holding groove 107 for holding liquid by capillary force will vary depending on the material of the stopper portion 105D, the surface tension and density of the liquid adhering to it, and the contact angle of the liquid with respect to the stopper portion 105D, so these should be set as appropriate.

[0034] Furthermore, the shape of the liquid-holding groove 107 is not limited to the shape shown in Figure 6B. For example, the liquid-holding groove 107 can hold liquid even if it is a groove formed on the tip surface or outer surface of the tip portion 105F. Figures 8A to 8E show examples of shapes that can be used for the liquid-holding groove 107. Figures 8A to 8E correspond to the top view of the stopper member 105 in Figure 6B. As shown in Figures 8A to 8E, the shape of the liquid-holding groove 107 can be a shape that freely combines straight lines and / or curves.

[0035] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the more liquid retaining grooves 107 there are, the greater the amount of liquid that the grooves 107 can hold, making it possible to further suppress the scattering and dripping of liquid adhering to the stopper portion 105D. However, the more liquid retaining grooves 107 there are, the more complex the molding of the stopper portion 105D becomes. Therefore, from the viewpoint of ease of molding the stopper portion 105D, Figures 8C~ As shown in Figure 8E, liquid-holding grooves 107 may be provided in a top view of the stopper portion 105D as radially extending grooves, circular grooves, and / or cross-shaped grooves.

[0036] Furthermore, to obtain the effect of retaining liquid by capillary force, a groove shape is suitable for the liquid-retaining groove 107. However, the shape of the liquid-retaining groove 107 is not limited to a groove shape; as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, if a hole 108 extending parallel to the axis 105CP is provided instead of the liquid-retaining groove 107, the effect of retaining liquid can also be obtained by the hole 108. However, if a hole 108 is provided, if the liquid retained by the hole 108 blocks the hole 108, the capillary force provided by the hole 108 may not be obtained. Therefore, when a hole 108 is provided at the tip portion 105F, it is preferable to provide a connecting hole 109 that connects the holes 108 at the tip portion 105F, as shown in Figure 8A.

[0037] The various liquid-holding grooves 107 described above can be formed by injection molding. In the case of the stopper member 105 illustrated in Figures 9A and 9B, after forming the hole 108 by injection molding, the communication hole 109 can be formed by additional processing. The liquid-holding grooves 107, hole 108, and communication hole 109 may be combined as appropriate to constitute the stopper member 105.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the stopper member 105 is attached to the supply port 106, instead of providing a liquid-holding groove 107 at the tip 105F of the supply port 106, the tip 105F may be formed from a porous material 110. This allows the liquid adhering to the tip 105F to permeate into the porous material 110, thereby suppressing splashing and dripping of liquid when the stopper member 105 is removed from the supply port 106. As the porous material 110, for example, a material that allows liquid to easily permeate, such as a urethane sponge or a fiber aggregate, can be used.

[0039] Furthermore, a place to place the stopper member 105, which has been removed from the supply port 106 when refilling the storage chamber 100 with liquid, may be provided in the container body 111 or the liquid dispensing device 200. In addition, a liquid absorbent member that contacts the tip portion 105F of the stopper member 105 may be placed in the place where the stopper member 105 is placed. The liquid absorbent member can be made of the same material as the porous body 110 described above. This allows the liquid absorbent member to absorb the liquid held in the liquid holding groove 107 of the tip portion 105F and the porous body 110, thereby maintaining the liquid holding performance of the liquid holding groove 107 and the porous body 110 for a longer period of time.

[0040] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components similar to those in the first or second embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions will be omitted. Figures 11A and 11B show an example of the plug member 205 in this embodiment. Figure 11A shows the plug member 205 attached to the supply port 106. Figure 11B is a top view of the plug member 205 as seen from the side of the protrusion 205G, which will be described below. Figure 11B corresponds to the top views of Figures 6B, 8A to 8E, and 9B.

[0041] When the stopper member 205 is attached to the supply unit 106, the stopper member 205 is press-fitted onto the inner circumferential surface 106C of the supply port 106. Therefore, in order to ensure a seal that prevents liquid leakage between the stopper member 205 and the supply port 106, the stopper member 205 is made of a flexible material such as rubber.

[0042] The main body 105C comprises a knob 105A, a cover 105B, and a sealing portion 205F that covers the outer circumferential surface 106G of the supply port 106. The sealing portion 205F is provided so as to protrude from the outer circumference of the cover 105B and is a substantially cylindrical member that fits onto the outer circumferential surface 106G of the protruding portion 106A of the supply port 106. The main body 105C also has a protrusion 205G that is press-fitted onto the inner circumferential surface 106C of the supply port 106. The protrusion 205G protrudes from the cover 105B and forms the outer opening of the supply port 106. It is inserted into the supply port 106 from 106. In the cross-sectional view of Figure 11A, the sealing portion 205F protrudes more than the convex portion 205G in the direction of the axis 205CP of the stopper member 205. Also, when the stopper member 205 is attached to the supply port 106, the tip surface 205H of the sealing portion 205F is in contact with the inclined surface 111A of the container body 111.

[0043] The protrusion 205G, which is inserted into the supply port 106, protrudes from the cover portion 105B in the same direction as the sealing portion 205F. Furthermore, the protruding length of the sealing portion 205F is longer than the protruding length of the protrusion 205G. Therefore, the sealing portion 205F protrudes more than the protrusion 205G in the direction in which the stopper member 205 is inserted into the supply port 106. In addition, the protrusion 205G is provided with a liquid-holding groove 207 at a depth d' that does not reach the upper surface 104 of the main body portion 105C.

[0044] When the stopper member 205 is attached to the supply port 106, the protrusion 205G does not protrude beyond the inner opening 106E of the supply port 106 toward the containment chamber 100. Therefore, compared to the stopper member 505 of the comparative example, the possibility of liquid in the containment chamber 100 adhering to the stopper member 205 (protrusion 205G) is reduced. Furthermore, even if liquid does adhere to the protrusion 205G, the liquid is held in place by the capillary force of the liquid-holding groove 207, suppressing the phenomenon of liquid splashing or dripping when the stopper member 205 is removed from the supply port 106. In addition, since the protrusion length of the protrusion 205G is shorter than the protrusion length of the seal portion 205F, compared to the stopper member 505 of the comparative example, the possibility of the protrusion 205G, which is the part to which liquid adheres, coming into contact with other parts or the user's fingers is reduced after the stopper member 205 is removed from the supply port 106. As a result, the stopper member 205 of this embodiment can also be expected to have the effect of preventing liquid adhering to the stopper member 205 from soiling the user's hands or other body parts.

[0045] The above description concerns embodiments of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the above description of embodiments is merely illustrative for explaining the technology disclosed in this application, and the technology disclosed in this application can be implemented by modifying or combining it as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention, including the following modifications. The following describes modifications of the above embodiments. In the following description, components similar to those in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0046] (Variation 1) A modified example will be described with reference to Figures 12A to 12C. Figure 12A is a cross-sectional view of the stopper member 305 and the container body 111 according to this modified example. Figure 12B is a top view of the stopper member 305 as seen from the stopper portion 305D side. Note that the position of the liquid retention groove 307 changes depending on the viewing direction, so Figure 12B shows an example of the liquid retention groove 307.

[0047] As shown in Figure 12A, the stopper member 305 comprises a main body 105C consisting of a knob 105A and a cover 105B, and a stopper portion 305D that is inserted into the supply port 106. The stopper portion 305D is provided with a liquid holding groove 307 that corresponds to the liquid holding groove 107 when the stopper member 305 is attached to the supply port 106.

[0048] The axis 305CP of the stopper member 305 passes through the center of the stopper portion 305D when viewed from the opening surface of the supply port 106. The depth d'' of the liquid holding groove 307 in the direction of the axis 305CP is set to a depth that, when the stopper member 305 is attached to the supply port 106, extends beyond the outer opening 106D of the supply port 106 into the cover portion 105B, but does not reach the top surface 104. Therefore, the depth d'' of the liquid holding groove 307 is longer than the depths d and d' of the liquid holding grooves 107 and 207 in the above embodiment. As a result, the amount of liquid that can be held by the liquid holding groove 307 is greater than that of the liquid holding grooves 107 and 207, and splashing and dripping of liquid adhering to the stopper portion 305D can be further suppressed when the stopper member 305 is removed from the supply port 106. The width w of the liquid holding groove 307 may be the same as the width w of the liquid holding grooves 107 and 207.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12C, when a user pulls the knob portion 105A in the direction of arrow 310 to remove the stopper member 305 from the supply port 106, the main body portion 105A and the stopper portion 305D deform inward (towards the axis 305CP). At this time, the liquid holding groove 307 deforms so that it closes due to the frictional force generated between the stopper portion 305D and the supply port 106, relative to the cover portion 105B and the stopper portion 305D. With the stopper member 305 configured in this way, the frictional force between the stopper portion 305D and the inner circumferential surface 106C of the supply port 106 is reduced, and the effect of making it easier to remove the stopper member 305 is also expected.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12B, in a top view of the stopper member 305, the liquid retention groove 307 is formed so as not to communicate with the outer circumference 305E of the stopper portion 305D. If the liquid retention groove 307 were configured to communicate with the outer circumference 305E of the stopper portion 305D, as in Figure 6B, there is a possibility that the liquid could leak out of the liquid container 16 through the gap between the liquid retention groove 307, the stopper portion 305D, and the main body portion 105C and the supply port 106. This could impair the sealing performance of the stopper portion 305D to the supply port 106. However, in this modified example, since the liquid retention groove 307 has a groove shape that does not communicate with the outer circumference 305E of the stopper portion 305D, the sealing performance of the stopper portion 305D to the supply port 106 can be ensured.

[0051] Therefore, this modification also makes it possible to realize a liquid container and a liquid dispensing device equipped therewith that can prevent liquid leakage from the liquid container and prevent liquid from splashing or contaminating hands when the stopper member is removed from the supply port.

[0052] (Modification 2) Next, another modified example will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the stopper member 405 and the container body 111 according to this modified example.

[0053] The stopper member 405 is provided with a hydrophilic layer 306 by applying a hydrophilic treatment to the surfaces of the protrusions 205G and the liquid-holding grooves 207. In this modified example, the hydrophilic treatment used to form the hydrophilic layer 306 is assumed to be surface modification by atmospheric plasma. However, if the hydrophilic layer 306 can be formed, a method of imparting hydrophilicity to the surfaces of the protrusions 205G and the liquid-holding grooves 207 using an appropriate chemical solution may be employed. Alternatively, the material of the stopper member 305 may be subjected to a hydrophilic treatment. This makes the stopper member 305 itself hydrophilic, providing the effect of holding liquid through the liquid-holding grooves 207, and, similar to the stopper member described above, can suppress splashing and dripping of liquid when the stopper member 405 is removed from the supply port 106. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 16. Liquid container, 100 Storage chamber, 105 Stopper member, 105B Cover, 105D Stopper, 105E Pressure fitting part, 105F Tip, 106 Supply port, 107 Liquid holding groove, 111 Container body

Claims

1. a container body including a storage chamber for storing a liquid and a supply port for supplying the liquid to the storage chamber; a liquid storage container comprising: a plug member configured to be detachably attached to the container body and sealing the supply port, the plug member comprising: a cover portion that covers the supply port from the outside of the container body when the plug member is attached to the container body; and a protrusion that protrudes from the cover portion toward the inside of the supply port; The liquid container has a liquid holding portion that is provided at a position including a tip surface of the convex portion and that is capable of holding liquid by capillary force.

2. the protrusion has a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into the supply port, and a tip portion that is exposed in the storage chamber on a tip side of the press-fit portion, 2. A liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the tip portion has the liquid holding portion.

3. the plug member has a plurality of grooves provided on the tip surface of the protrusion, The plurality of grooves are Capable of retaining liquid by capillary force, The depth of the groove reaches into the covering portion, A liquid storage container as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the plug member in the attached state is pulled out of the supply port, the cover portion and the convex portion are deformed so that the plurality of grooves close due to the frictional force generated between the convex portion and the supply port.

4. The supply port is a substantially cylindrical protrusion protruding from the outer surface of the container body; an outer opening that opens to the outside of the container body at the tip of the protrusion; an inner opening that opens into the storage chamber; an inner circumferential surface connecting the outer opening and the inner opening; It is formed by the cover portion covers the outer opening from the outside of the container body when the plug member is attached to the container body, the protrusion protrudes from the cover and is inserted into the supply port through the outer opening, 2. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the plug member includes a substantially cylindrical seal portion that projects from the cover portion and fits onto an outer circumferential surface of the projection portion.

5. 5. The liquid container according to claim 4, wherein the sealing portion protrudes beyond the protrusion in the insertion direction of the plug member into the supply port.

6. 6. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding portion includes a groove provided on the tip surface of the protrusion.

7. 7. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding portion includes a groove provided on an outer peripheral surface of the protrusion.

8. 8. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding portion includes a hole provided in the tip surface of the protrusion.

9. 9. The liquid holding portion according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding portion is formed of a porous material.

10. The liquid storage container according to claim 1 .

10. 10. The liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the tip surface of the convex portion is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment.

11. a liquid ejection head that ejects liquid; A liquid storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 10; A liquid ejection device comprising:

12. The liquid ejection device according to claim 11, further comprising a device body in which the liquid container is incorporated.

13. The liquid ejection device according to claim 12, wherein the plug member is removed from the supply port when the liquid storage container is installed inside the device body, and liquid can be supplied from the supply port to the storage chamber.

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