Liquid storage bottle

Abstract

To make an operator harder to make mistakes on the type of bottle 200A.SOLUTION: An annular wall 44 of a bottle 200A is configured by combination of the connection plates 71, 72 with the bent plates 73, 74, and the annular wall 85 is composed by combination of the connection plates 851, 852 with the bent plates 853, 854. Accordingly, an operator is easy to make positioning of a key member 855 into a key hole 78 in make-up of an ink. Besides, the numbers of the protrusion parts configuring the key member 855 and key hole 78, ribs, grooves, slits and those three dimensional positions and shapes can be changed for every bottle 200A to 200D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid storage bottle for storing a liquid.

Background Art

[0002] As a configuration capable of keeping the liquid level of the ink stored in the tank constant by sequentially supplying ink from the bottle connected to the tank to the tank each time the ink stored in the tank is consumed, an ink supply device in which ink is supplied from the bottle to the tank by a so-called chicken feed method is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the ink supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the bottle is connected to the tank from above. The tank includes an air introduction portion 4 that communicates with the atmosphere. The bottle includes an ink outflow pipe 2 and an air inflow pipe 3. In a state where the bottle is connected to the tank, the bottle and the tank communicate with each other through the ink outflow pipe 2 and the air inflow pipe 3. When the ink in the tank is consumed and the liquid level of the ink becomes lower than the tip 3a of the air inflow pipe 3, air enters the tank from the air introduction portion 4, and the air that has entered the tank enters the bottle through the air inflow pipe 3. Then, an amount of ink equal to the volume of the air that has entered the bottle is supplied from the bottle to the tank through the ink outflow pipe 2. When the liquid level of the ink reaches the tip 3a of the air inflow pipe 3, the supply of the ink is stopped. In this way, the liquid level of the ink in the tank is maintained constant.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In an ink supply device that uses multiple types of inks with different colors, it has a plurality of tanks corresponding to the types of inks. Also, the bottles are also corresponding to the types of inks. Then, the user selects a tank corresponding to the type of ink stored in the bottle and supplies the ink from the bottle to the tank. However, it is also assumed that the user may select the wrong tank.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its object is to provide a liquid storage bottle in which it is difficult for the user to make a mistake in the correspondence with the tank.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] (1) The present invention is a liquid storage bottle including a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid to be supplied to a tank of a liquid consumption device. The bottle body has an upper surface, a nozzle protruding upward from the upper surface and having an opening formed in a tip surface, an annular wall spaced from the nozzle and located around the nozzle and protruding upward from the upper surface, and a key member formed on the annular wall and fitting with a fitting portion provided around an injection port of the tank. The annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring. The key member is at least one of a convex portion protruding in an intersecting direction intersecting with an outer surface, which is a main surface of the connecting plate of the annular wall, and a concave portion recessed in the intersecting direction.

[0008] Based on the connecting plate, the circumferential position of the bottle body can be easily grasped. By changing at least one of the position, length, height, and number of the key members for each type of liquid storage bottle, the type of the liquid storage bottle can be grasped by the key member.

[0009] (2) The annular wall has a pair of the curved plates located at positions sandwiching the nozzle, and a connecting plate connecting the pair of the curved plates respectively. The connecting plate is a flat plate.

[0010] (3) It further includes a cap that is attached to the bottle body. The cap is screwed onto the curved plate and attached to the bottle body.

[0011] Regardless of the shape of the key member, the cap can be easily and securely attached to the bottle body.

[0012] (4) The key member has the convex portion. A first distance from the center of the nozzle to the protruding end of the convex portion is shorter than a second distance from the center of the nozzle to the outer surface which is the main surface of the curved plate.

[0013] The convex portion which is the key member does not interfere with the cap.

[0014] (5) The key member has the convex portion. A third distance in the vertical direction from the upper surface to the upper end of the convex portion is shorter than a fourth distance in the vertical direction from the upper surface to the upper end of the annular wall.

[0015] (6) The nozzle has a seating surface that is located closer to the upper surface than the tip surface around the tip surface, and a groove that is recessed from the seating surface and extends downward. The cap has a sealing portion that seals the opening in the attached state to the bottle body, and a protruding piece that protrudes from the periphery of the sealing portion and abuts against the seating surface in the attached state.

[0016] Since the liquid flows down from the seating surface through the groove, it is difficult for the liquid to remain on the seating surface. As a result, it is difficult for the liquid to adhere to the protruding piece that abuts against the seating surface, and it is difficult for the liquid to drip from the cap removed from the bottle body.

[0017] (7) The upper part of the nozzle located above the seating surface is cylindrical. The seating surface is an upward-facing annular shape. The protruding piece is cylindrical.

[0018] Since the upper part of the nozzle and the protruding piece are fitted together, the cap can be easily attached to the bottle body.

[0019] (8) The bottom surface of the groove slopes downward toward the internal space.

[0020] Liquid is easily guided downward from the seating surface through the groove.

[0021] (9) The upper end of the annular wall is located above the tip surface.

[0022] When the bottle body is tilted so that the top and bottom are reversed, the liquid dripping from the tip surface of the nozzle is easily received by the annular wall.

[0023] (10) The present invention is a liquid supply device including the liquid storage bottle and a tank having a storage chamber for storing liquid. The tank has a tank recess that fits with the annular wall, a communication pipe that is located in the tank recess and has a first flow path and a second flow path that communicate the storage chamber with the outside, and a fitted portion that is located in the tank recess and fits with the key member. When the annular wall is inserted into the tank recess, the key member fits with the fitted portion, and the communication pipe is inserted into the opening of the nozzle, the bottle body is connected so that liquid can flow out from the internal space of the bottle body into the storage chamber of the tank.

[0024] (11) A plurality of the tanks are provided for each color of the liquid to be stored. The fitted portion has a different position or shape for each of the plurality of tanks. The key member has a convex portion or a concave portion at a position or in a shape that can fit with the fitted portion of the corresponding tank.

Advantages of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, it is difficult for a user to mistake the correspondence between the liquid storage bottle and the tank.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention can be appropriately changed without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, in the following description, the progression from the starting point to the ending point of an arrow is expressed as the direction, and the movement back and forth on the line connecting the starting point and the ending point of the arrow is expressed as the orientation. In other words, the direction is one component of the orientation. Furthermore, with reference to the posture in which the MFP100 is installed horizontally and can be used (the posture shown in FIG. 1, also referred to as the "use posture"), the vertical direction z1 is defined, the front-rear direction y1 is defined with the surface on which the opening 1B of the MFP100 is provided as the front surface 11, and the left-right direction x1 is defined when the MFP100 is viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, in the use posture, the vertical direction z1 is the vertical direction, the front-rear direction y1 and the left-right direction x1 are parallel to the horizontal plane, and the front-rear direction y1 and the left-right direction x1 are orthogonal to each other.

[0028] [Configuration of MFP100] In FIG. 1, the MFP100 is a multifunction device and includes a housing 1, a housing cover 2, and a printer unit 3. The MFP100 is an example of a liquid consumption device and is a part of a liquid supply device.

[0029] The housing 1 is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape and partitions the internal space 1A (see FIG. 1(B)) of the MFP100 from the outside. The upper end of the internal space 1A is an upward opening. Near the center of the left and right on the front surface 11 of the housing 1, a forward opening 1B is formed. The opening 1B is rectangular in a front view from the front (hereinafter, also referred to as the "first front view") and communicates with the internal space 1A.

[0030] The housing cover 2 is connected near the upper rear corner of the housing 1 by a connector 21 (see FIG. 1(B)) and rotates around the rotation axis of the connector 21 between a shielding position P11 (see FIG. 1(A)) and an exposure position P12 (see FIG. 1(B)). At the shielding position P11, the housing cover 2 shields the components (see FIG. 1(B)) in the internal space 1A. The components include a tank set 31, a recording unit 32, and the like. At the exposure position P12, the housing cover 2 exposes these components to the outside.

[0031] The housing cover 2 may house a scanner unit that optically reads a document inside. The MFP 100 may also have other functions such as a fax function.

[0032] In FIG. 2, in addition to the tank set 31 and the recording unit 32 (see FIG. 1(B)), the printer unit 3 includes a supply tray 33, a discharge tray 34, a conveyance path 35, a feed roller unit 36, a conveyance roller unit 37, a discharge roller unit 38, and a platen 39 in the internal space 1A, and records an image on a sheet S (see FIG. 2) by an inkjet recording method.

[0033] The supply tray 33 and the discharge tray 34 are mounted in the internal space 1A through the opening 1B (see FIG. 1). A plurality of sheets S are stacked on the supply tray 33. The discharge tray 34 is located above the supply tray 33 and supports the sheet S on which an image has been recorded. The conveyance path 35 is indicated by the arrow of the dashed line in FIG. 2 and has a curved portion 351 and a straight portion 352. The curved portion 351 extends upward from the rear end of the supply tray 33 and makes a U-turn forward. The straight portion 352 extends linearly forward from the downstream end of the curved portion 351 and reaches the rear end of the discharge tray 34.

[0034] The feed roller unit 36 feeds the sheets S on the supply tray 33 one by one to the upstream end of the curved portion 351. The conveyance roller unit 37 is located at the downstream end of the curved portion 351 and feeds the sheet S conveyed by the curved portion 351 in the conveyance direction y2 toward the straight portion 352. The conveyance direction y2 is forward in the straight portion 352. The discharge roller unit 38 is located immediately behind the discharge tray 34 in the straight portion 352 and discharges the sheet S conveyed in the straight portion 352 to the discharge tray 34.

[0035] The platen 39 is positioned between the conveyance roller unit 37 and the discharge roller unit 38 in the straight portion 352, and supports the sheet S fed out from the conveyance roller unit 37 from below. The recording unit 32 is positioned above the platen 39 and includes a carriage 321 and a recording head 322. The carriage 321 reciprocates in the main scanning direction x2 parallel to the left-right direction x1. The recording head 322 is mounted on the carriage 321 such that the lower surface of the recording head 322 faces the upper surface of the platen 39 via the straight portion 352. Nozzles 323 are arranged on the lower surface of the recording head 322 in the front-back, left-right directions. The recording head 322 discharges four colors of ink stored in the recording head 322 from the plurality of nozzles 323. The four colors are Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black). The recording head 322 discharges ink from the nozzles 323 toward the sheet S stopped on the platen 39 while moving at a constant speed in the main scanning direction x2 together with the carriage 321. Thereby, an image for one pass is recorded on the sheet S. When the image recording for one pass is completed, the sheet S is conveyed in the conveyance direction y2 by a unit line feed width by the intermittent conveyance by the conveyance roller unit 37. This image recording and intermittent conveyance are alternately repeated, and an image is recorded on the entire sheet S.

[0036] [Tank set 31] In FIG. 3, the tank set 31 includes four tanks 4A to 4D, two holding members 51A and 51B, four caps 6A to 6D, and two tank covers 52A and 52B. In FIG. 3(B), the holding members 51A and 51B, the caps 6A to 6D, and the tank covers 52A and 52B are not shown.

[0037] The tanks 4A to 4D are installed immediately behind the front surface 11. The tank 4A is positioned to the left of the supply tray 33. The tanks 4B to 4D are positioned to the right of the supply tray 33 and are arranged from left to right in the order of the tanks 4B, 4C, and 4D.

[0038] [Tank 4A] In FIG. 3(B), the tank 4A is an example of a tank and includes a main body 41. The main body 41 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with left and right dimensions smaller than the vertical and front - rear dimensions. The main body 41 demarcates a storage chamber 46 (see FIG. 4(B)) for storing K - colored ink from the outside. The main body 41 is made by injection molding of a resin material having translucency, except for one of the left - right side surfaces. One side surface of the main body 41 is closed by a resin film thinner than the other parts.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3(B), one end of a flexible resin tube 42 is connected near the rear end of the main body 41. The other end of each tube 42 is connected to the recording head 322. In response to the consumption of ink in the recording head 322, the ink in the main body 41 is supplied to the recording head 322 through the tube 42. An air communication hole is also formed near the rear end of the main body 41.

[0040] In FIG. 4, an annular wall 44 and a needle 45 extend upward from the upper surface 43 of the main body 41. The upper end surfaces of the upper surface 43 and the annular wall 44 are parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0041] The annular wall 44 has connecting plates 71, 72 and curved plates 73, 74. The outer - shape of the connecting plates 71, 72 is generally rectangular in plan view from the left and right. The connecting plates 71, 72 have a plate - like shape that expands vertically and horizontally. The connecting plate 71 is located to the right of the needle 45, and the connecting plate 72 is located to the left of the needle 45. The curved plates 73, 74 have an arc shape in plan view from above (hereinafter, also referred to as "first plan view"). The curved plate 73 bulges forward, and the curved plate 74 bulges backward. The curved plate 73 is located in front of the needle 45, and the curved plate 74 is located behind the needle 45. The connecting plate 71 connects the right ends of the curved plates 73, 74, and the connecting plate 72 connects the left ends of the curved plates 73, 74.

[0042] In FIG. 4(A), ribs 711, grooves 712, and slits 713 are arranged in this order from the front to the rear on the connecting plate 71.

[0043] The rib 711 protrudes vertically leftward from a position in front of the needle 45 on the inner surface of the connecting plate 71. The rib 711 is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 71 and extends straight up and down. The rib 711 is thin in the front-rear direction and has a rectangular plate shape that is elongated vertically in a first front view.

[0044] The groove 712 is located to the right when viewed from the needle 45, is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 71, and extends linearly up and down. The groove 712 is recessed rightward from the inner surface of the connecting plate 71. The depth and width of the groove 712 are substantially constant throughout the entire area between the upper and lower ends of the groove 712.

[0045] The slit 713 is continuous between a position slightly above the lower end of the connecting plate 71 and the upper end of the connecting plate 71 and extends linearly up and down. The distance between both ends of the slit 713 in the vertical direction z1 is substantially the same as the distance between both ends of the rib 813 (see FIG. 6) in the extending direction z2. Hereinafter, the distance between both ends in the vertical direction z1 and the distance between both ends in the extending direction z2 are each simply referred to as the height. The width of the slit 713 is substantially constant throughout the entire area between the upper and lower ends of the slit 713.

[0046] In FIG. 4, the connecting plate 72 is composed of an inner plate 75 and an outer plate 76 that expand in the vertical and front-rear directions. The inner plate 75 faces the outer plate 76 left and right at a position slightly closer to the needle 45 than the outer plate 76. Slits 721 and ribs 722 are formed in the inner plate 75.

[0047] The slit 721 is located to the left when viewed from the needle 45, is continuous between a position slightly above the lower end of the inner plate 75 and the upper end of the inner plate 75, and extends linearly up and down. The slit 721 is substantially the same height as the rib 815 (see FIG. 6). The width of the slit 721 is substantially constant throughout the entire area between the upper and lower ends of the slit 721.

[0048] The rib 722 projects vertically rightward from a position behind the needle 45 on the inner surface of the inner plate 75. The rib 722 is continuous between the lower end and the upper end of the inner plate 75 and extends straight up and down. The rib 722 has the same plate-like shape as the rib 711 of the connecting plate 71. The protruding end surface (i.e., the right side surface) of the rib 722 expands vertically and horizontally and is slightly inclined with respect to the left-right direction x1.

[0049] In FIG. 4(A), a convex portion 731 is formed on the curved plate 73. The convex portion 731 is located generally in front of the needle 45 and away from the needle 45, and is located near the center of the curved plate 73 in the left-right direction x1. The convex portion 731 is generally rectangular in a first plan view and protrudes rearward from the inner surface of the curved plate 73. The rear end surface of the convex portion 731 is arc-shaped in the first plan view (see FIG. 6(B)). The right side surface and the left side surface of the convex portion 731 are flat surfaces that are substantially orthogonal to the left-right direction x1. The convex portion 731 is continuous between the upper and lower ends of the curved plate 73 and extends linearly up and down, except for a portion 732 at the rear right corner in the first plan view. The portion 732 is generally parallelogram-shaped in the first plan view and is continuous between the lower end of the curved plate 73 and a position below the upper end of the curved plate 73 and extends up and down.

[0050] The annular wall 44, together with the ribs 711, 722, the groove 712, the slits 713, 721, the convex portion 731, and the portion 732, defines a keyhole 78 that is open upward. The keyhole 78 is an example of a fitting portion or a recess. A bottle 200A described later is connected to the keyhole 78 during ink replenishment. The keyhole 78 engages with a key member 855 formed on the bottle 200A side, but does not engage with the key members of other bottles 200B to 200D.

[0051] The needle 45 extends along the vertical direction z1 from the upper surface 43 at a position that is approximately at the center in the front-rear direction y1 of the curved plates 73 and 74 and approximately at the center in the left-right direction x1 of the connecting plates 71 and 72. The upper end of the needle 45 is located at a position slightly lower than the upper end of the annular wall 44 (see also Fig. 11(B)). The lower end of the needle 45 is located above the bottom of the storage chamber 46. The needle 45 is a vertically elongated cylindrical member and is an example of a supply port of the tank or a communication pipe. For gas-liquid exchange with a bottle 200A (described later), two flow paths 451 and 452 are formed in the needle 45 that extend linearly upward and downward from the tip (upper end) to the storage chamber 46 of the main body 41 (see Fig. 4(B)). In Fig. 4(B), the flow paths 451 and 452 are partitioned by a partition wall 453 that expands vertically throughout the entire region between the upper and lower ends of the needle 45. The upper end of the partition wall 453 is located above the upper ends of the flow paths 451 and 452. The lower end of the flow path 451 is located below the lower end of the flow path 452.

[0052] [Tanks 4B to 4D] Each of the tanks 4B to 4D is another example of a tank and includes a main body similar to the main body 41 except for the following points. In the main body 41 of each of the tanks 4B to 4D, the cylindrical wall defines a keyhole that is open upward by at least one kind or a combination of two or more kinds of ribs, grooves, slits, and protrusions. Here, the combinations of ribs, grooves, and slits are different from each other in the tanks 4A to 4D. The three-dimensional shapes of the keyholes of the tanks 4B to 4D are different from each other and also different from the three-dimensional shape of the keyhole 78. In the embodiment, the three-dimensional shape of each keyhole is determined by the dimensions and positions of the ribs, grooves, slits, or protrusions in the left-right direction x1, the front-rear direction y1, and the vertical direction z1. In addition, the main bodies of the tanks 4B, 4C, and 4D are different from the main body 41 in that they store C-color, M-color, and Y-color inks. The main bodies of the tanks 4B to 4D may be different from the main body 41 in terms of the ink capacity.

[0053] In FIG. 3(A), the holding member 51A covers the upper surface 43 (see FIG. 4(A)) of the main body 41. A through hole 511 (see FIG. 5(A)) through which the annular wall 44 and the needle 45 (see FIG. 4(A)) are inserted is formed in the holding member 51A. The holding member 51B collectively covers the upper surfaces of the tanks 4B to 4D (see FIG. 3(B)). Through holes 511B to 511D (see FIG. 5(A)) are formed in the holding member 51B. The through holes 511B to 511D are inserted through by the cylindrical walls and needles of the tanks 4B to 4D.

[0054] A bearing 53A is provided behind the through hole 511A in the holding member 51A. Bearings 53B to 53D are respectively provided behind the through holes 511B to 511D in the holding member 51B. Each of the bearings 53A to 53D has a rotation axis parallel to the left-right direction x1, and supports each of the caps 6A to 6D so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis of the bearings 53A to 53D between the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)) and the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)).

[0055] In FIGS. 3 and 5, the cap 6A has a rubber portion 61A and an arm portion 62A. The rubber portion 61A has a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than that of the needle 45 (see FIG. 4) and has a hole through which the needle 45 is inserted. Note that, for convenience, the needle 45 is not shown in FIG. 5. The arm portion 62A is made of a resin material harder than the rubber portion 61A and has an elongated rod shape. The rubber portion 61A is attached to one end of the arm portion 62A. A rotation axis inserted through by the bearing 53A is provided at the other end of the arm portion 62A.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3(A), when the cap 6A is in the closed position P21, the arm portion 62A extends forward from the bearing 53A, and the rubber portion 61A fits into the key hole 78 through the through hole 511A of the holding member 51A. At this time, the needle 45 is inserted through the hole of the rubber portion 61A. Note that, for convenience, the needle 45 and the key hole 78 are not shown in FIG. 5. Thereby, leakage and drying of the ink in the main body 41 are prevented. The open position P22 is a position rotated about 90° to 100° around the rotation axis of the bearing 53A from the closed position P21.

[0057] Caps 6B to 6D are the same as cap 6A in terms of the constituent surfaces, but differ from cap 6A in that they are fitted into keyholes provided in bottles 200B to 200D (see Fig. 3(B) etc.) through through-holes 511B to 511D of holding member 51B.

[0058] Tank covers 52A and 52B are rotatable around a rotation axis behind bearings 53A to 53D between a covering position P31 and an exposure position P32 (see Fig. 3(A)) when housing cover 2 is in the exposure position P12 (see Fig. 1(B)). When tank cover 52A is in the covering position P31, it covers holding member 51A, cap 6A, and bearing 53A from above. When tank cover 52B is in the covering position P31, it covers holding member 51B, caps 6B to 6D, and bearings 53B to 53D from above. Exposure position P32 is a position rotated approximately 90° to 100° around the rotation axis of tank covers 52A and 52B from the covering position P31.

[0059] [Bottles 200A to 200D] As shown in Fig. 5(B), in MFP100 (see Fig. 1), for example, four bottles 200A to 200D are used for ink replenishment to tanks 4A to 4D. Bottles 200A to 200D are the remaining part of the liquid supply device. In Fig. 6(A), bottle 200A is shown larger than the others for convenience. Bottle 200A stores ink (K-color ink) for replenishing tank 4A. Bottle 200A includes a bottle body 8 and a bottle cap 9. Bottle 200A is an example of a liquid storage bottle, and bottle cap 9 is an example of a cap.

[0060] [Bottle body 8] In Fig. 6(A), bottle body 8 has a bottom 81, a body portion 82, a shoulder portion 83, a base portion 84, an annular wall 85, and a neck portion 86.

[0061] [Bottom 81] The bottom 81 is a flat portion of the bottom wall having a substantially disk shape. The posture in which the bottle body 8 is placed on the horizontal plane 300 (see Fig. 5(B)) with the bottom 81 in contact with the horizontal plane 300 is referred to as the placement posture. A virtual line passing through the center of the bottom 81 and perpendicular to the bottom 81 is defined as the axis Ax1. Among the extending directions z2 in which the axis Ax1 extends, the direction from the bottom 81 to the neck portion 86 is also referred to as the separation direction z21, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the proximity direction z22. Among the radial directions r1 of the axis Ax1, the direction approaching the axis Ax1 is also referred to as the centripetal direction r11, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the centrifugal direction r12. Fig. 6 shows only an example of the radial direction r1, the centripetal direction r11, and the centrifugal direction r12.

[0062] [Barrel portion 82, shoulder portion 83] The barrel portion 82 is a generally cylindrical wall extending in the separation direction z21 from the outer edge of the bottom 81. The shoulder portion 83 is a wall extending in the centripetal direction r11 from the extending end of the barrel portion 82. The shoulder portion 83 is inclined with respect to the radial direction r1 of the axis Ax1 so as to move away from the bottom 81 as it approaches the axis Ax1. The extending end of the shoulder portion 83 is separated from the axis Ax1 in the centrifugal direction r12 and is circular in a plan view (hereinafter, also referred to as the "second plan view") from the proximity direction z22.

[0063] [Base portion 84] The base portion 84 has a side wall and an upper wall. This side wall protrudes in the separation direction z21 (i.e., upward) from the extending end of the shoulder portion 83 when the bottle body 8 is in the placement posture and is generally cylindrical. The upper wall extends in the centripetal direction r11 from the protruding end (i.e., the upper end) of the side wall of the base portion 84 and is generally annular in the second plan view. The base portion 84 has an upper surface 841 (an example of a base end surface). The upper surface 841 defines the upper end on the outer surface of the base portion 84 and is a plane parallel to the radial direction r1.

[0064] [Accommodation chamber 87] In Fig. 7(B), the space defined by the bottom 81 (see Fig. 6), the barrel portion 82 (see Fig. 7(A)), the shoulder portion 83, and the base portion 84 forms an accommodation chamber 87 in which K-color ink is accommodated.

[0065] [Annular wall 85, neck portion 86] In FIG. 6(A), the annular wall 85 and the neck portion 86 extend in a direction z21 away from the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84. The extending end of the annular wall 85 is parallel to the upper surface 841. The height of the annular wall 85 is equal to or less than the height of the annular wall 44 in the tank 4A (see also FIG. 11).

[0066] [annular wall 85] In FIG. 6, the annular wall 85 has connecting plates 851, 852 and curved plates 853, 854. The ends of the annular wall 85 in the direction z21 away from each other form the periphery of the opening.

[0067] The connecting plates 851, 852 are formed of flat plates that are substantially linear in a second plan view and face each other in the radial direction r1 with the neck portion 86 interposed therebetween. When replenishing the ink, the connecting plate 851 is located to the left of the connecting plate 71 (see FIG. 4(A)) of the annular wall 44, and the connecting plate 852 is located to the right of the connecting plate 72 (see FIG. 4) of the annular wall 44.

[0068] The curved plates 853, 854 have an arc shape on a virtual circle c1 (see FIG. 6(B)) in a second plan view and face each other in the radial direction r1 with the neck portion 86 interposed therebetween. The virtual circle c1 is a circle centered on the axis Ax1 in a second plan view and is slightly smaller in diameter than the upper surface 841. Specifically, the planar shape of the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 is substantially circular. The curved plate 853 extends in a direction z21 away from a position along the virtual circle c1 on the upper surface 841. The curved plate 854 extends in a direction z2 at a position obtained by rotating the position occupied by the curved plate 853 on the upper surface 841 by approximately 180° in the circumferential direction θ1 around the axis Ax1. The curved plate 853 is connected to each of one ends of the connecting plates 851, 852 that are close to each other in the circumferential direction θ1. The other ends of the connecting plates 851, 852 are connected to each other by the curved plate 854. When replenishing the ink, the curved plate 853 has a shape that overlaps immediately after the curved plate 73 (see FIG. 4) of the annular wall 44, and the curved plate 854 has a shape that overlaps immediately before the curved plate 74 (see FIG. 4) of the annular wall 44.

[0069] In FIG. 6, ribs 811 to 813 project vertically from the outer surface of the connecting plate 851 toward the outside of the annular wall 85. Among the ribs 811 to 813, the rib 811 is located closest to the curved plate 853, and the rib 813 is located closest to the curved plate 854. The ribs 811 to 813 are continuous between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the connecting plate 851 and linearly extend in the extending direction z2. The ribs 811 to 813 are approximately at the same height as the slit 713 (see FIG. 4(A)) in the tank 4A. The ribs 811 to 813 do not protrude from the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 in the second plan view. Specifically, the maximum distance between both ends in the protruding direction of the rib 811 is shorter than the distance between both ends in the protruding direction of the rib 711 (see FIG. 4(A)) on the tank 4A side. When comparing the distances in the radial direction r1 from the axis Ax1 to the protruding end of the rib 811 and the outer peripheral surface of the curved plate 853, in order to avoid interference with the bottle cap 9, the distance to this protruding end (an example of the first distance) is shorter than the distance to this outer peripheral surface (an example of the second distance). The rib 811 abuts against the rib 711 from behind when the connection is completed. At this time, the protruding end (i.e., the left end) of the rib 711 abuts against the connecting plate 851 from the right. The rib 812 fits into the groove 712 when the bottle 200A and the tank 4A are connected. At this time, the protruding end of the rib 812 abuts against the bottom of the groove 712 from the left. The rib 813 is inserted into the slit 713 when the bottle 200A and the tank 4A are connected. A part of the protruding end surface of the rib 813 is cut out and forms a part of a male screw 814 (see FIG. 6(A)) described later.

[0070] In FIG. 6, ribs 815 and grooves 816 are formed on the outer surface of the connecting plate 852. The rib 815 projects vertically outward from the annular wall 85 from a position closer to the curved plate 853 than the groove 816 on the outer surface of the connecting plate 852. The protruding end of the rib 815 does not protrude centrifugally r12 from the upper surface 841 in the second plan view. The rib 815 is approximately at the same height as the slit 721 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the ends of the rib 815 and the connecting plate 852 in the proximity direction z22 are at the same position. On the other hand, the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 is slightly closer to the proximity direction z22 than the end of the connecting plate 852 in the separation direction z21, as shown in FIG. 6(A). That is, the distance in the extension direction z2 from the upper surface 841 to the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 (an example of the third distance) is shorter than the distance in the extension direction z2 from the upper surface 841 to the end of the connecting plate 852 in the same direction (an example of the fourth distance). Note that the separation direction z21 is the vertical direction z1 in the placement posture, and the end in the separation direction z21 is the upper end in the placement posture. When the connection is completed, the rib 815 is inserted into the slit 721, and the end of the rib 815 in the separation direction z21 abuts against the lower end of the slit 721. The groove 816 is continuous between both ends of the connecting plate 852 in the extension direction z2 and extends linearly in the extension direction z2. The groove 816 is recessed from the outer surface to the inner surface of the connecting plate 852. The bottom surface of the groove 816 is parallel to the circumferential direction θ1 in the first plan view. The width of the groove 816 is substantially constant between both axial ends of the connecting plate 852. When ink is replenished, the rib 722 (see FIG. 4) is fitted into the groove 816, and at this time, the protruding end of the rib 722 abuts against the bottom of the groove 816 from the left side.

[0071] In FIG. 6, on each outer peripheral surface of the curved plates 853 and 854 near the central portion in the extension direction z2, another part of the male screw 814 is formed. As described above, a part of the male screw 814 is also formed on the rib 813. That is, the male screw 814 is formed separately on the protruding end surface of the rib 813 and the curved plates 853 and 854. The male screw 814 is screwed with the female screw 93 formed on the bottle cap 9.

[0072] On the outer surface of the curved plate 853, a groove 817 is formed. The groove 817 is continuous between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the curved plate 853 at the central portion in the circumferential direction θ1 of the curved plate 853, and linearly extends in the extending direction z2. The groove 817 is recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the curved plate 853 toward the inner peripheral surface. The bottom surface of the groove 817 is parallel to the circumferential direction θ1 in a first plan view. The width and depth of the groove 817 are substantially constant between both ends in the extending direction z2 of the curved plate 853 except for the portion of the rib 818 described later. Specifically, the depth of the groove 817 is the same as the front-rear dimension of the convex portion 731, and the width of the groove 817 is the same as the maximum value of the left-right dimension in the convex portion 731. A rib 818 is formed in the groove 817. The rib 818 extends from one side surface (clockwise direction in FIG. 6) in the circumferential direction θ1 in the groove 817. The rib 818 extends from between both ends in the radial direction r1 of the groove 817 and expands in the radial direction r1 and the circumferential direction θ1. The rib 818 has substantially the same shape as the portion 732 (see FIG. 4) on the tank 4A side in a second plan view, and is a thin plate shape in the extending direction z2. The end surface of the rib 818 in the separating direction z21 is separated from the end in the separating direction z21 of the groove 817 by the height of the portion 732 (see FIG. 4) in the approaching direction z22.

[0073] When the connection is completed, the groove 817 fits into the convex portion 731 (see FIG. 4). At this time, the end surface of the rib 818 in the separating direction z21 abuts against the portion 732 from above.

[0074] The annular wall 85, together with the ribs 811 to 813, 815, 818 and the grooves 816, 817, forms a key member 855 that fits into the keyhole 78 (see FIG. 4).

[0075] [Head 86] In FIG. 7, the head portion 86 is an example of a nozzle or the upper part of a nozzle. The head portion 86 protrudes in a direction away from the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 in the direction z21 (an example of the first direction). Specifically, the head portion 86 has a side wall 861 and an annular wall 862. The side wall 861 extends in the direction z21 away from the upper surface 841 and away from the annular wall 85 in the radial direction r11 from a position that is away from the annular wall 85 in the direction z21. The side wall 861 has a generally cylindrical shape that is coaxial with the axis Ax1. The annular wall 862 extends from the end of the side wall 861 in the direction z21 in the radial direction r11. In a second plan view, a through hole having a substantially circular shape that is coaxial with the axis Ax1 is formed at the center of the annular wall 862. The side wall 861 and the annular wall 862 define a substantially cylindrical space inside the head portion 86. This space forms part of a flow path 863 through which the ink stored in the storage chamber 87 passes. As is clear from FIG. 7(B), the end of the flow path 863 in the proximity direction z22 is continuous with the storage chamber 87 through the space between the side portions 882A of the support member 882 when the valve body 883 is not in close contact with the rubber portion 881. The flow path 863 is continuous with a flow outlet 864 (an example of an opening) at its end in the direction z21. The flow outlet 864 is an opening that is formed at the tip surface of the head portion 86 in the direction z21 in the through hole of the annular wall 862 and is open in the direction z21. The flow outlet 864 has a diameter slightly larger than that of the needle 45 and causes the ink that has passed through the flow path 863 to flow out to the outside of the bottle 200A.

[0076] [Relationship between the annular wall 85 and the head portion 86] The annular wall 85 is located around the head portion 86 with a space in the centrifugal direction r12 (an example of the second direction) away from the head portion 86. In the direction z21, the tip of the annular wall 85 is farther from the bottom 81 than the tip of the head portion 86. In the placement posture, the tip of the annular wall 85 is located above the tip of the head portion 86.

[0077] [Valve mechanism 88] In FIG. 7(B), the bottle body 8 further includes a valve mechanism 88 in the internal space of the head portion 86. The valve mechanism 88 has a rubber portion 881, a support member 882, a valve body 883, and a coil spring 884.

[0078] The rubber part 881 has a bottomless cylindrical shape and is inserted into the internal space of the neck part 86 coaxially with the axis Ax1. When inserted, the outer peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 is in close contact with the side wall 861, and one end surface thereof is in close contact with the annular wall 862. The inner peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 has approximately the same diameter as the outlet 864, except for the other end. The other end on this inner peripheral surface slightly protrudes in both the centripetal direction r11 and the approaching direction r22. As a result, the other end of the inner peripheral surface of the rubber part 881 has a slightly smaller diameter than the outlet 864 and the needle 45. The rubber part 881 is shorter than the neck part 86 in the extending direction z2.

[0079] The support member 882 is, for example, an integrally molded product made of resin and is mounted in the internal space of the neck part 86 so as to bring the rubber part 881 into close contact with the annular wall 862. The support member 882 has four side parts 882A and a bottom part 882B. Each side part 882A is fixed at a position closer to the approaching direction z22 than the rubber part 881 on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 861. The tip of each side part 882A abuts against the other end surface of the rubber part 881. The side parts 882A are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction θ1 and extend along the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 861 from the tip toward the storage chamber 87. The space between the side parts 882A allows the flow path 863 and the storage chamber 87 to be continuously connected so that ink can flow through. The bottom wall is cross-shaped in the second plan view and extends radially from a position near the axis Ax1 away from the other end surface of the rubber part 881 in the approaching direction z22 toward the ends of the side parts 882A in the approaching direction z22 and is connected to the side parts 882A. Each side part 882A and the bottom part 882B of the support member 882 define a storage space. The storage space is generally cylindrical and houses the valve body 883 and the coil spring 884.

[0080] The valve body 883 and the coil spring 884 are accommodated in the accommodation space of the support member 882 (i.e., the flow path 863). The valve body 883 is accommodated in the accommodation space so as to be movable in the extending direction z2. Each side portion 882A of the support member 882 guides the movement of the valve body 883 by contacting the valve body 883. The valve body 883 is circular in a second plan view and has substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical accommodation space. The coil spring 884 is a torsion coil spring and is located between the bottom of the support member 882 and the valve body 883 in the accommodation space. The coil spring 884 contacts the valve body 883 in the accommodation space and biases the valve body 883 in the separating direction z21. Thereby, when the valve body 883 does not receive the contact force in the approaching direction z22 from the needle 45, the valve body 883 is in close contact with the other end surface of the rubber portion 881, and the ink in the accommodation chamber 87 does not leak from the outlet 864.

[0081] [Seat surface 865A, annular groove 865E, inclined grooves 865F to 865H] In FIGS. 8 and 9, the neck portion 86 includes a seat portion 865 and recessed portions 866 to 868. The seat portion 865 has a seat surface 865A and three outer peripheral surfaces 865B to 865D.

[0082] The seat surface 865A has a substantially annular shape that surrounds the entire circumference of the neck portion 86 on the outside in a second plan view. The seat surface 865A is a surface parallel to the radial direction r1. Specifically, the seat surface 865A extends from the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface that is separated from the tip surface in the approaching direction z22 in the neck portion 86 toward the annular wall 85 in the centrifugal direction r12. That is, the seat surface 865A is closer to the annular wall 85 in the radial direction r1 than the tip surface of the neck portion 86 and is closer to the accommodation chamber 87 in the extending direction z2 than the tip surface of the neck portion 86. Also, in the placement posture of the bottle body 8, the seat surface 865A faces upward at a position below the tip surface of the neck portion 86. The seat surface 865A is continuous with the inner surfaces of the connecting plates 851 and 852 and the bottom wall of the groove 817, but is not continuous with the inner surfaces of the curved plates 853 and 854. The width of the seat surface 865A in the radial direction r1 is the minimum width W11 between the neck portion 86 and the groove 817.

[0083] The seat surface 865A has intersection portions 865J, 865K and non - intersection portions 865L, 865M, 865N. The intersection portion 865J is a portion that intersects with the lower end of the connecting plate 851 in the placement posture at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer edge of the seat surface 865A is the peripheral edge of the seat surface 865A in the centrifugal direction r12. Also, the lower end is the end in the proximity direction z22. The intersection portion 865K is a portion that intersects with the lower end of the connecting plate 852 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The non - intersection portions 865L, 865M, 865N are portions that intersect with the upper ends of the outer peripheral surfaces 865B, 865C, 865D in the placement posture at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A.

[0084] The seat surface 865A further has first regions 865P, 865Q. The first region 865P is a region on the seat surface 865A between the intersection portion 865J and the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86, and is roughly the region surrounded by the broken line L1 in FIG. 8. The first region 865Q is a region on the seat surface 865A between the intersection portion 865K and the side wall 861, and is roughly the region surrounded by the broken line L2 in FIG. 8.

[0085] The seat surface 865A further has second regions 865R, 865S in addition to the first regions 865P, 865Q. The second region 865R is a region between the non - intersection portions 865L, 865M and the side wall 861, and is roughly the region surrounded by the broken line L3 in FIG. 8. The second region 865S is a region between the non - intersection portion 865N and the side wall 861, and is roughly the region surrounded by the broken line L4 in FIG. 8.

[0086] The outer peripheral surface 865B extends in the proximity direction z22 from a portion between the groove 817 and the connecting plate 851 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer peripheral surface 865C extends in the proximity direction z22 from a portion between the groove 817 and the connecting plate 852 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A. The outer peripheral surfaces 865B, 865C are respectively continuous with the bottom surfaces of the recessed portions 866, 867. The outer peripheral surface 865D extends in the proximity direction z22 from a portion facing the curved plate 854 in the centripetal direction r11 at the outer edge of the seat surface 865A and is continuous with the bottom surface of the recessed portion 868.

[0087] The recesses 866 to 868 are spaces for storing ink between the annular wall 85 and the seating portion 865 of the neck portion 86. The recess 866 is defined by the seating portion 865, the groove 817, the connecting plate 851, and the curved plate 853. The recess 867 is defined by the seating portion 865, the groove 817, the connecting plate 852, and the curved plate 853. The recess 868 is defined by the seating portion 865, the connecting plates 851 and 852, and the curved plate 854. Each of the recesses 866 to 868 is recessed from the seating surface 865A in the approaching direction z22. The ends of the recesses 866 to 868 in the separating direction z21 are openings that are open in the separating direction z21.

[0088] The depths of the recesses 866 and 867 are not constant in the circumferential direction θ1 and vary according to the position in the circumferential direction θ1. Specifically, the bottom of the recess 866 has a relatively shallow portion 866A at an intermediate position in the circumferential direction θ1 and relatively deep portions 866B near both ends in the circumferential direction θ1. The portions 866A and 866B are examples of a first bottom and a second bottom, and are separated from the seating surface 865A in the approaching direction z22. The portion 866B is separated from the seating surface 865A further in the approaching direction z22 than the portion 866A. That is, in the placement posture, the portion 866B is located below the portion 866A. In the recess 867, shallow portions 867A and deep portions 867B appear alternately in the circumferential direction θ1. In the placement posture, the portion 867B is located below the portion 867A. The portions 866A and 866B are examples of a first bottom and a second bottom, and the portions 866A and 866B are other examples of a first bottom and a second bottom.

[0089] The portion 866A is connected to each of the outer peripheral surface 865B and the curved plate 853 and is continuous between the outer peripheral surface 865B and the curved plate 853. Therefore, the portion 866A functions as a rib that divides the space defined by the recess 866 into a plurality of small spaces. Similarly, the portion 867A functions as a rib that divides the space defined by the recess 867 into a plurality of small spaces.

[0090] On the seat surface 865A, an annular groove 865E and inclined grooves 865F to 865H (an example of grooves) are formed. The annular groove 865E is in an annular shape surrounding the entire circumference of the neck portion 86, and has a substantially constant depth and width over the entire range of the circumferential direction θ1. The annular groove 865E is formed at a position away from the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 86 in the centrifugal direction r12 and away from the outer edge of the seat surface 865A in the centripetal direction r11. Each of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H communicates with the dug portions 866 to 868 respectively from the annular groove 865E of the seat surface 865A. Specifically, the inclined groove 865F is formed in the second region 865R, extends from the bottom surface of the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 866, and linearly extends along the radial direction r1 between them. Specifically, the end in the centrifugal direction r12 (i.e., the outer end) in the inclined groove 865F is at a position away from the portion 866B in the dug portion 866 in the separation direction z21 (i.e., directly above in the placement posture). Also, the outer end of the inclined groove 865F is located approximately in the middle in the circumferential direction θ1 of the outer peripheral surface 865B in the second plan view. The inclined groove 865F is separated from the connecting plate 851 and the groove 817 in the circumferential direction θ1. The inclined groove 865G is formed in the second region 865R, extends from the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 867, and linearly extends along the radial direction r1 between them. The inclined groove 865G is separated from both the connecting plate 852 and the groove 817 in the circumferential direction θ1. The inclined groove 865H is formed in the second region 865S, extends from the annular groove 865E to reach the dug portion 868, and linearly extends obliquely with respect to the radial direction r1 between them. Specifically, the outer end of the inclined groove 865G is at a position away from the portion 867B in the dug portion 867 in the separation direction z21 (i.e., directly above in the placement posture). Also, the outer end of the inclined groove 865G is located approximately in the middle in the circumferential direction θ1 of the outer peripheral surface 865C in the second plan view. The bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined downward in the placement posture of the bottle body 8. Specifically, the bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are separated from the seat surface 865A as they are separated from the annular groove 865E in the centrifugal direction r12. The outer end of the inclined groove 865H does not reach the deepest part of the dug portion 868, but reaches a portion 868A shallower than the deepest part 868B of the dug portion 868. The inclined groove 865H is separated from both the connecting plates 851 and 852 in the circumferential direction θ1.The bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined with respect to the radial direction r1 so as to be farther from the seating surface 865A as they are farther from the annular groove 865E.

[0091] [Bottles 200B to 200D] Bottles 200B to 200D are the same as bottle 200A except for the following points. In each of the bottles 200B to 200D, the annular wall constitutes a key member by at least one kind or a combination of two kinds of ribs and grooves. Here, the combinations of ribs and grooves are different from each other among the bottles 200A to 200D. The three-dimensional shapes of the key members of the bottles 200B to 200D are different from each other and also different from the three-dimensional shape of the key member 855. This three-dimensional shape is a shape defined by dimensions in the extending direction z2, the radial direction r2, and the circumferential direction θ1. In addition, the bottles 200B, 200C, and 200D are different from the bottle 200A in that they contain inks of colors C, M, and Y. In the embodiment, the bottles 200B to 200D are the same as the bottle 200A in terms of the ink capacity. However, without being limited to this, the bottles 200B to 200D may be different from the bottle 200A in terms of the ink capacity.

[0092] [Bottle cap 9] As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, the bottle cap 9 is a single member and is detachable from the bottle body 8. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the term "bottle cap 9" means the bottle cap 9 attached to the bottle body 8. In FIG. 10, the bottle cap 9 includes a top wall 91, a side wall 92, an internal thread 93, and an annular protrusion 94. The top wall 91 is an example of a sealing portion, and the annular protrusion 94 is an example of a protrusion.

[0093] [Top wall 91, side wall 92, internal thread 93] In FIG. 10, the top wall 91 is a substantially disk-shaped wall coaxial with the axis Ax1, and has two outer main surfaces 911 and inner main surfaces 912 spaced apart in the extending direction z2. The inner main surface 912 is located in the closer direction z22 than the outer main surface 911. From a position close to the axis Ax1 on the inner main surface 912 of the top wall 91, the engaging portion 913 protrudes in the closer direction z22. The engaging portion 913 is substantially annular in a second plan view, and is in liquid-tight contact with the peripheral edge near the outlet 864 on the annular wall 862 of the bottle body 8. Thereby, in the attached state of the bottle cap 9, the top wall 91 seals the outlet 864, and the ink in the storage chamber 87 is prevented from flowing out through the outlet 864.

[0094] The side wall 92 is a generally cylindrical wall extending in the closer direction z22 from the outer edge of the inner main surface 912, and has an inner peripheral surface 921 and an outer peripheral surface 922 spaced apart in the radial direction r1. The inner peripheral surface 921 is slightly larger in diameter than the outer peripheral surfaces of the curved plates 853 and 854. In FIG. 10, the female screw 93 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 921 and can be screwed with the male screw 814 of the bottle body 8. When the male screw 814 is screwed into the female screw 93, the end of the side wall 92 in the closer direction z22 contacts the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84 over the entire circumference. The state where the end of the side wall 92 contacts the upper surface 841 is the attached state where the bottle cap 9 is attached to the bottle body 8. By screwing the female screw 93 of the bottle cap 9 with the male screw 814 formed on the bottle body 8, the bottle cap 9 can be easily and surely attached to the bottle body 8. Further, even if the bottle 200A drops, it is difficult for the bottle cap 9 to be detached from the bottle body 8.

[0095] The annular projection 94 is a generally cylindrical wall that is located at a position radially outward r12 from the engaging portion 913 on the inner main surface 912 and extends in the proximity direction z22 from a position radially inward r11 from the side wall 92, and has an inner peripheral surface 941 and an outer peripheral surface 942. The inner peripheral surface 941 has substantially the same diameter as the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86. The thickness of the annular projection 94 is the dimension in the radial direction r1 between the inner peripheral surface 941 and the outer peripheral surface 942. This thickness is substantially constant over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction θ1 and is slightly smaller than the aforementioned minimum width W11. The annular projection 94 abuts and fits against the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 of the bottle body 8 in the radially inward r11 direction in the attached state of the bottle cap 9.

[0096] In the process of screwing the male screw 814 into the female screw 93 (hereinafter, also referred to as the "screwing process"), the inner peripheral surface 941 slides on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 while rotating around the axis Ax1. After going through the screwing process, the end (i.e., the extending end) 941 in the proximity direction z22 of the annular projection 94 abuts against the seating surface 865A over the entire circumference. By the abutment of the end 941 and the seating surface 865A, the final position where the bottle cap 9 is screwed onto the bottle body 8 is determined, and the screwing of the bottle cap 9 stops in the extending direction z2. The dimension of the annular projection 94 in the extending direction z2 is determined in advance so that the end 941 abuts against the seating surface 865A in the attached state.

[0097] In FIG. 10(B), the rotational direction of the bottle cap 9 during the screwing process is shown as the mounting direction θ11 by an arrow. The representative position of the portion where the inclined groove 865H intersects the annular groove 865E is referred to as the inner end position P41. The representative position of the portion where the inclined groove 865H intersects the outer peripheral surface 865D of the neck portion 86 is referred to as the outer end position P42. Further, the centrifugal direction r12 starting from the inner end position P41 is shown by an arrow AR11, and the tangent line of the mounting direction θ11 starting from the inner end position P41 is shown by an arrow AR12. The inclined groove 865H passes between the arrows AR11 and AR12 from the inner end position P41 and reaches the outer end position P42. With this configuration, when there is an ink droplet upstream of the inner end position P41 in the mounting direction θ11 in the annular groove 865E during the screwing process, the end 941 guides the ink droplet to the annular groove 865E by rotating in the mounting direction θ11. The guided ink droplet is efficiently discharged from the annular groove 865E to the groove portion 868 via the inclined groove 865H.

[0098] Note that the inclined groove 865H may reach the outer end position P42 without passing between the arrows AR11 and AR12 from the inner end position P41.

[0099] [Ink replenishment from the bottle 200A to the tank 4A] When replenishing the ink in the bottle 200A to the tank 4A, the operator moves the housing cover 2 on the MFP100 from the shielding position P11 to the exposed position P12 (see FIG. 1), moves the tank cover 52A from the covering position P31 (see FIG. 1(B)) to the exposed position P32 (see FIG. 3(A)), and moves the cap 6A from the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)) to the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)). The operator removes the bottle cap 9 from the bottle body 8 of the bottle 200A (see FIGS. 5(B) and 6(A)).

[0100] Next, as understood from FIG. 11, the operator turns the outlet 864 of the bottle 200A downward and brings the key member 855 close to the key hole 78 provided in the MFP100. Even when the outlet 864 is turned downward, since the valve body 883 is in close contact with the rubber portion 881 by the biasing force of the coil spring 884, the ink in the storage chamber 87 does not leak to the outside of the bottle 200.

[0101] Next, the operator aligns the key member 855 with the key hole 78. By this alignment, the lower end of the groove 817 is directly above the upper end of the convex portion 731, the lower end of the rib 811 is directly above the upper end of the rib 711, the lower end of the rib 812 is directly above the upper end of the groove 712, and the lower end of the rib 813 is directly above the upper end of the slit 713. The lower end of the rib 815 is directly above the upper end of the slit 721, and the lower end of the groove 816 is directly above the upper end of the rib 722. The operator further positions the outlet 864 of the bottle 200A directly above the upper end of the needle 45 of the tank 4A. Here, the planar shapes of the annular walls 44 and 85 are not circular or regular polygons. Therefore, it is easy for the operator to align the key member 855 with the key hole 78. Specifically, the fitting of the annular wall 44 of the tank 4A and the annular wall 85 of the bottle body 8 is possible only at two positions where the rotational position of the bottle body 8 with respect to the tank 4A differs by 180° about the axis Ax1.

[0102] After the alignment is completed, the operator moves the key member 855 of the bottle 200A downward within the key hole 78. Specifically, the groove 817 is inserted through the convex portion 731 and descends along the convex portion 731. The rib 811 descends along the rear surface of the rib 711. The ribs 812, 813, and 815 are respectively inserted into the groove 712, the slit 713, and the slit 721 and descend along the groove 712, the slit 713, and the slit 721, respectively. The groove 816 is inserted through the rib 722 and descends along the rib 722.

[0103] In the process of the key member 855 descending within the key hole 78, after the upper end of the needle 45 abuts against the lower end of the valve body 883, the valve body 883 begins to rise against the biasing force of the coil spring 884 due to the abutting force received from the upper end of the partition wall 453 of the needle 45. In response to the lower end of the neck portion 86 reaching the bottom surface of the key hole 78, the key member 855 of the tank 4A fits into the key hole 78 of the bottle body 8, and the connection of the bottle body 8 to the tank 4A is completed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, even if the operator releases the hand from the bottle body 8, the bottle body 8 is supported by the bottom surface of the key hole 78 and the annular wall 85 and stands upside down. At the time of connection completion, the valve body 883 opens the flow path 863 due to the abutting force from the partition wall 453. Since the tip of the partition wall 453 protrudes above the upper ends of the flow paths 451 and 452, a gap is formed between the valve body 883 and each of the flow paths 451 and 452. Due to these gaps, the storage chamber 87 of the bottle body 8 and the storage chamber 46 of the tank 4A communicate with each other via the flow paths 451, 452, and 863.

[0104] Immediately after the connection is completed, gas-liquid replacement starts between the bottle 200A and the tank 4A. In the gas-liquid replacement, the ink in the storage chamber 87 flows into the storage chamber 46 via the flow paths 863 and 451. In the gas-liquid replacement, air flows into the storage chamber 46 from the atmosphere communication hole of the tank 4A, and this air flows into the storage chamber 87 via the flow paths 452 and 863. The amount of ink flowing out from the storage chamber 87 to the storage chamber 46 and the amount of ink flowing into the storage chamber 87 from the storage chamber 46 are approximately the same. When the liquid level of the ink in the storage chamber 46 reaches the lower end of the flow path 452 or the ink in the storage chamber 87 becomes empty, the gas-liquid replacement ends. In this way, the ink in the bottle 200A is replenished to the tank 4A.

[0105] After the ink replenishment is completed, the operator pulls out the key member 855 and the neck portion 86 of the bottle 200A upward from the key hole 78 of the tank 4A and the needle 45. In the process of the neck portion 86 rising relative to the needle 45, the valve body 883 first maintains the state of abutting against the upper end of the partition wall 453 of the needle 45 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 884. After the valve body 883 abuts against the annular wall 862 of the neck portion 86, it separates from the upper end of the partition wall 453.

[0106] Thereafter, the operator attaches the bottle cap 9 on the bottle 200A to the bottle body 8 (see FIGS. 5(B) and 6(A)). The operator moves the housing cover 2 on the MFP100 from the exposed position P12 to the shielded position P11 (see FIG. 1), moves the tank cover 52A from the exposed position P32 (see FIG. 3(A)) to the covering position P31 (see FIG. 1(B)), and moves the cap 6A from the open position P22 (see FIG. 5(A)) to the closed position P21 (see FIG. 3(A)).

[0107] [Prevention of incorrect connection of bottles 200B to 200D to the tank 4A] If, during alignment, the operator attempts to incorrectly fit any of the bottles 200B to 200D into the keyhole 78 of the tank 4A, the shape and position of at least one of the convex portion 731, rib 711, groove 712, slit 713, slit 721, and rib 722 that make up the keyhole 78 may not match the key member of the bottles 200B to 200D in at least one of the left - right direction x1 and the front - rear direction y1. As a result, the operator can quickly recognize that an incorrect bottle 200B to 200D is being fitted into the tank 4A. Also, incorrect ink being replenished into the tank 4A is quickly prevented.

[0108] Also, if, after alignment, the operator attempts to incorrectly fit any of the bottles 200B to 200D into the keyhole 78 of the tank 4A, the shape and position of at least one of the convex portion 731, rib 711, groove 712, slit 713, slit 721, and rib 722 that make up the keyhole 78 may not match the key member of the bottles 200B to 200D in the up - down direction z1. In this case, since the bottles 200B to 200D do not move downward, the operator can recognize that an incorrect bottle 200B to 200D is being fitted into the tank 4A. Also, incorrect ink being replenished into the tank 4A is prevented.

[0109] [Operation and effect of the embodiment] The annular wall 44 is composed of a combination of connecting plates 71, 72 and curved plates 73, 74, and the annular wall 85 is composed of a combination of connecting plates 851, 852 and curved plates 853, 854. Therefore, it is easy for an operator to align the key member 855 with the key hole 78 during ink replenishment. Also, the number of protrusions, ribs, grooves, and slits that make up the key member 855 and the key hole 78, as well as their three-dimensional positions and three-dimensional shapes, can be changed for each of the bottles 200A to 200D. Therefore, the operator can identify the types of the bottles 200A to 200D based on the shape of the key member 855.

[0110] During the process of attaching the bottle cap 9, after the annular protruding piece 94 fits around the annular wall 862 of the neck portion 86, the annular protruding piece 94 slides on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 861 of the neck portion 86 until the side wall 92 of the bottle cap 9 abuts against the upper surface 841 of the base portion 84. Therefore, it is less likely that a screwing failure occurs between the male screw 814 and the female screw 93, and it is easy to attach the bottle cap 9 to the bottle body 8.

[0111] Since the outlet 864 of the bottle body 8 faces downward during the ink replenishment process, the ink adhering near the outlet 864 is likely to drip from the neck portion 86. However, in the placement posture, since the tip of the annular wall 85 is located above the tip of the neck portion 86, even if the ink adhering near the outlet 864 drips from the neck portion 86 when the orientation of the outlet 864 is changed, it is likely to fall into the annular wall 85. As a result, it is difficult for the periphery of the bottle 200A to be soiled with ink. Also, when the bottle body 8 drops from, for example, a desk, since the annular wall 85 collides with the floor or the like before the neck portion 86, the neck portion 86 can be protected from impact.

[0112] After the bottle cap 9 is removed from the bottle body 8 each time ink is replenished into the tank 4A, it is placed on a desk or the like. At this time, if ink adheres to the annular protruding piece 94, there is a risk that the ink will drip onto the desk or the like. However, in the embodiment, in the attached state (described above), the annular protruding piece 94 abuts against the seating surface 865A, and in the process of removing the bottle cap 9, the annular protruding piece 94 slides in the circumferential direction θ1 on the seating surface 865A. Further, since the annular groove 865E and the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are formed in the seating surface 865A, the ink adhering to the annular protruding piece 94 is guided to the inclined grooves 865F to 865H. This ink flows down into the recesses 866 to 868 along the inclined grooves 865F to 865H due to the adhesive force and gravity in the inclined grooves 865F to 865H. Here, since the bottom surfaces of the inclined grooves 865F to 865H are inclined downward, the ink is more likely to flow down into the recesses 866 to 868. Therefore, it is difficult for the ink to stay on the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for ink droplets to adhere to the annular protruding piece 94 when removing the bottle cap 9 from the bottle body 8. As a result, even when the removed bottle cap 9 is placed on a desk or the like, it is difficult for ink droplets to drip onto the desk or the like.

[0113] The bottle 200A is assumed to fall sideways from the placement posture with ink accumulated in the recesses 866 and 867. However, as shown in FIG. 8, both of the inclined grooves 865F and 865G are formed in the second region 865R, and the inclined groove 865H is formed in the second region 865S. The outer ends of the respective inclined grooves 865F, 865G, and 865H are provided at positions separated from the ends in the circumferential direction θ1 of the recesses 866, 867, and 868 where ink is likely to accumulate when falling sideways. Therefore, when falling sideways, it is difficult for ink to enter the inclined grooves 865F, 865G, and 865H from the outer ends of the inclined grooves 865F, 865G, and 865H. As a result, it is difficult for the ink to flow back to the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9.

[0114] The outer end of the inclined groove 865F is located at a position in the direction z21 away from the deep portion 866B in the groove 866. Therefore, compared with the case where the outer end is at a position in the direction z21 away from the shallow portion 866A, the distance between the outer end of the inclined groove 865F and the bottom of the groove 866 can be increased. Thus, even if the bottle 200A tilts or falls sideways from the placed posture, it is difficult for the ink to reach the outer end of the inclined groove 865F. The same applies to the inclined groove 865G. As a result, it is difficult for the ink to flow back to the seating surface 865A, and it is difficult for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9.

[0115] The portions 866A and 867A function as ribs that divide the space defined by the grooves 866 and 867 into a plurality of small spaces. Therefore, for example, when the bottle 200A falls sideways with ink accumulated in the groove 866, the ink accumulates at the lower ends of the respective small spaces in the groove 866, making it difficult for the ink to reach the seating surface 865A and difficult for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9. If the portion 866A were not present in the groove 866, when the bottle 200A falls sideways, all the ink would gather at the lower end of the groove 866, making it easy for the ink to reach the seating surface 865A and easy for the ink to adhere to the bottle cap 9. The same applies to the groove 867.

[0116] [Other Modifications] In the embodiment, the inks for the aforementioned four colors were stored in the tanks 4A to 4D. However, the tanks 4A to 4D may store a pretreatment liquid (another example of a liquid) that the recording head 322 discharges onto the paper S prior to ink discharge in image recording. Alternatively, the tanks 4A to 4D may store water (yet another example of a liquid) used for cleaning the recording head 322.

[0117] In the embodiment, the printer unit 3 was capable of recording a full-color image on the paper S. However, without being limited to this, the printer unit 3 may be capable of recording only monochrome images on the paper S. In this case, the tank set 31 includes the tank 4A, the holding member 51A, the cap 6A, and the tank cover 52A.

[0118] In the embodiment, the keyhole 78 was provided in the tank 4A. However, not limited to this, the keyhole 78 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 511A of the holding member 51A.

[0119] In the embodiment, the three-dimensional shapes of the key member 855 and the keyhole 78 were different from each other for each ink color. However, not limited to this, the three-dimensional shapes of the key member 855 and the keyhole 78 may be different from each other for each type (i.e., model) of the MFP100.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0120] 3 ··· Printer unit 31 ··· Tank set 4A to 4D ··· Tanks 41 ··· Main body 43 ··· Upper surface 44 ··· Annular wall 71, 72 ··· Connecting plates 73, 74 ··· Curved plates 711, 722 ··· Ribs 712 ··· Groove 713, 721 ··· Slits 731 ··· Protrusion 732 ··· Portion 78 ··· Keyhole 45 ··· Needle 451, 452 ··· Flow paths 453 ··· Partition wall 46 ··· Storage chamber 200A to 200D ··· Bottles 8 ··· Bottle body 84 ··· Base portion 841 ··· Upper surface 85 ··· Annular wall 851, 852 ··· Connecting plates 853, 854 ··· Curved plates 814 ··· Male screw 811, 812, 813, 815, 818 ··· Ribs 816, 817 ··· Grooves 855 ··· Key member 86 ··· Head portion 865A ··· Seat surface 865B to 865D ··· Outer peripheral surface 865E ··· Annular groove 865F to 865H ··· Inclined groove 866 to 868 ··· Excavated part 87 ··· Accommodation chamber 9 ··· Bottle cap 91 ··· Bottom wall 92 ··· Side wall 93 ··· Female thread 94 ··· Annular projection piece

Claims

1. A liquid storage bottle comprising a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid to be supplied to a tank of a liquid consumption device and a cap attached to the bottle body, wherein the bottle body includes: an upper surface; a nozzle protruding upward from the upper surface and having an opening formed in a tip surface; an annular wall spaced from the nozzle and located around the nozzle, the annular wall protruding upward from the upper surface; a key member formed on the annular wall and adapted to fit with a fitting portion provided around an inlet of the tank; the annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring; the key member has a convex portion protruding in a crossing direction intersecting with an outer surface, which is a main surface of the connecting plate of the annular wall, from the outer surface; the cap is screwed onto the curved plate and attached to the bottle body; a liquid storage bottle in which a first distance from the center of the nozzle to a protruding end of the convex portion is shorter than a second distance from the center of the nozzle to an outer surface, which is a main surface of the curved plate.

2. A liquid storage bottle comprising a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid to be supplied to a tank of a liquid consumption device and a cap attached to the bottle body, wherein the bottle body includes: an upper surface; a nozzle protruding upward from the upper surface and having an opening formed in a tip surface; an annular wall spaced from the nozzle and located around the nozzle, the annular wall protruding upward from the upper surface; a key member formed on the annular wall and adapted to fit with a fitting portion provided around an inlet of the tank; the annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring; the key member has a convex portion protruding in a crossing direction intersecting with an outer surface, which is a main surface of the connecting plate of the annular wall, from the outer surface; the cap is screwed onto the curved plate and attached to the bottle body; a liquid storage bottle in which a third distance in the vertical direction from the upper surface to an upper end of the convex portion is shorter than a fourth distance in the vertical direction from the upper surface to an upper end of the annular wall.

3. The nozzle includes: a seating surface located closer to the upper surface than the tip surface around the tip surface; a groove recessed from the seating surface and extending downward; the cap includes: a sealing portion for sealing the opening in a state of being attached to the bottle body. A liquid storage bottle according to claim 1 or 2, having a projecting piece that projects from around the sealing part and abuts against the seating surface in the mounted state.

4. A liquid storage bottle comprising a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid for supplying to a tank of a liquid consumption device and a cap attached to the bottle body, The bottle body is, An upper surface, A nozzle that projects upward from the upper surface and has an opening formed in the tip surface, An annular wall that is spaced from the nozzle and located around the nozzle, and projects upward from the upper surface, A key member that is formed on the annular wall and engages with a fitting portion provided around the inlet of the tank, The annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring, The key member is at least one of a convex portion that projects in a crossing direction intersecting with the outer surface, which is the main surface of the connecting plate of the annular wall, or a concave portion that is recessed in the crossing direction, The cap is screwed onto the curved plate and attached to the bottle body, The nozzle is, A seating surface that is located closer to the upper surface than the tip surface around the tip surface, A groove that is recessed from the seating surface and extends downward, The cap is, A sealing part that seals the opening in a mounted state attached to the bottle body, A liquid storage bottle having a projecting piece that projects from around the sealing part and abuts against the seating surface in the mounted state.

5. The upper part of the nozzle located above the seating surface in the nozzle is cylindrical, The seating surface is an upward-facing annular shape, The liquid storage bottle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the projecting piece is cylindrical.

6. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the bottom surface of the groove is inclined downward toward the internal space.

7. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the upper end of the annular wall is located above the tip surface.

8. A liquid storage bottle comprising a bottle body having an internal space for storing a liquid for supplying to a tank of a liquid consumption device, The bottle body is, An upper surface, A nozzle that projects upward from the upper surface and has an opening formed in the tip surface, An annular wall that is spaced from the nozzle and located around the nozzle, and projects upward from the upper surface, It has a key member that is formed on the annular wall and fits with a fitting portion provided around the inlet of the tank. The annular wall has a shape in which a curved plate, which is a part of the circumferential direction of a cylindrical shape, and a connecting plate are connected to form a ring. The key member is at least one of a convex portion that protrudes in a crossing direction intersecting the outer surface, which is the main surface of the connecting plate of the annular wall, or a concave portion that is recessed in the crossing direction. The upper end of the annular wall is a liquid storage bottle located above the tip surface.

9. It further includes a cap attached to the bottle body. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 8, wherein the cap is screwed onto the curved plate and attached to the bottle body.

10. The annular wall has a pair of the curved plates located at positions sandwiching the nozzle, and a connecting plate connecting the pair of the curved plates respectively. The liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the connecting plate is a flat plate.

11. A liquid supply device including the liquid storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a tank having a storage chamber for storing liquid, wherein the tank has a tank recess that fits with the annular wall, a communication pipe that is located in the tank recess and has a first flow path and a second flow path that communicate the storage chamber with the outside, and a fitting portion that is located in the tank recess and fits with the key member. The liquid supply device is configured such that the annular wall of the bottle body is inserted into the tank recess, the key member fits with the fitting portion, and the communication pipe is inserted into the opening of the nozzle, thereby enabling liquid to flow out from the internal space of the bottle body to the storage chamber of the tank.

12. A plurality of the tanks are provided for each color of the liquid to be stored. The fitting portion has different positions or shapes for each of the plurality of tanks. The liquid supply device according to claim 11, wherein the key member has a position or shape that can fit with the fitting portion of the corresponding tank.

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