Liquid replenishment system, liquid replenishment bottle, liquid replenishment bottle set
The liquid replenishment system optimizes ink refill times by separate tanks and bottles with tailored connection points and flow rates, addressing the longer refill times of black ink in inkjet printers.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2020012579
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2020-01-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-15
- Estimated Expiration
- 2040-01-29
AI Technical Summary
The consumption of black ink in an inkjet printer is higher than other colors, leading to longer refill times when using larger capacity ink refill bottles, which increases the overall replenishment time.
A liquid replenishment system with separate storage tanks and bottles for different inks, where the connection points and opening areas are designed to optimize the flow rate and level heights, ensuring faster replenishment of larger volume black ink without increasing total time.
The system ensures that even with larger black ink capacity, the refill time is shortened, maintaining efficiency in replenishing all inks simultaneously.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid replenishment system including a liquid storage tank for storing a liquid therein and a liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the liquid into the liquid storage tank, a liquid replenishment bottle used for the liquid replenishment system, and a liquid replenishment bottle set composed of the liquid replenishment bottle.
Background Art
[0002] For example, in an inkjet printer which is an example of an image forming apparatus for forming an image on an object such as a sheet, a liquid replenishment system including an ink storage tank for storing ink therein and an ink replenishment bottle for replenishing the ink into the ink storage tank is considered to be constructed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, in an inkjet printer, generally, it is assumed that the consumption amount of black ink is larger than the consumption amounts of cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink. Therefore, it is considered to make the content volume of the ink replenishment bottle for black ink for replenishing black ink larger than the content volumes of the ink replenishment bottles for cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink.
[0005] However, if the content volume of the ink refill bottle for black ink is made larger than the content volume of the ink refill bottles for inks other than black ink, there arises a problem that the time required to refill the black ink from the ink refill bottle into the ink storage tank becomes longer than the time required to refill the inks other than black ink from the ink refill bottle into the ink storage tank.
[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid supply system capable of suppressing an increase in the time required to supply a liquid from a liquid refill bottle having a large content volume into a liquid storage tank, a liquid refill bottle used in this liquid supply system, and a liquid refill bottle set including this liquid refill bottle.
Means for Solving the Problem
[0007] The liquid supply system according to the present disclosure includes a first liquid storage tank in which a first liquid is stored, a second liquid storage tank in which a second liquid is stored, a first liquid refill bottle for refilling the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank, a second liquid refill bottle for refilling the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank, a first liquid supply unit provided at a connection portion between the first liquid refill bottle and the first liquid storage tank at a first refill time when the first liquid is refilled from the first liquid refill bottle in an unrefilled state in which the first liquid storage tank is not refilled with the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank, and a second liquid supply unit provided at a connection portion between the second liquid refill bottle and the second liquid storage tank at a second refill time when the second liquid is refilled from the second liquid refill bottle in an unrefilled state in which the second liquid storage tank is not refilled with the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank. The liquid supply system is characterized in that a first liquid level height, which is a height from the first liquid supply unit at the first refill time to the liquid level of the first liquid in the first liquid refill bottle, is higher than a second liquid level height, which is a height from the second liquid supply unit at the second refill time to the liquid level of the second liquid in the second liquid refill bottle.
[0008] Further, the liquid replenishment system according to the present disclosure includes a first liquid storage tank for storing a first liquid therein, a second liquid storage tank for storing a second liquid therein, a first liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank, and a second liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank. When replenishing the first liquid from the first liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the first liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank during a first replenishment, an opening area of a first liquid supply portion provided at a connection portion between the first liquid replenishment bottle and the first liquid storage tank is larger than an opening area of a second liquid supply portion provided at a connection portion between the second liquid replenishment bottle and the second liquid storage tank when replenishing the second liquid from the second liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the second liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank during a second replenishment.
[0009] Further, the liquid replenishment bottle according to the present disclosure is for replenishing a liquid into a liquid storage tank and is characterized by being used in the liquid replenishment system according to the present disclosure.
[0010] Moreover, the liquid replenishment bottle set according to the present disclosure includes a first liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing a first liquid into a first liquid storage tank and a second liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing a second liquid into a second liquid storage tank. When the first liquid is replenished from the first liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the first liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank during a first replenishment, the first liquid replenishment bottle is provided with a first liquid supply portion at a connection portion with the first liquid storage tank. When the second liquid is replenished from the second liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the second liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank during a second replenishment, the second liquid replenishment bottle is provided with a second liquid supply portion at a connection portion with the second liquid storage tank. A first liquid level height, which is the height from the first liquid supply portion at the first replenishment to the liquid level of the first liquid in the first liquid replenishment bottle, is higher than a second liquid level height, which is the height from the second liquid supply portion at the second replenishment to the liquid level of the second liquid in the second liquid replenishment bottle.
[0011] Moreover, the liquid replenishment bottle set according to the present disclosure includes a first liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing a first liquid into a first liquid storage tank and a second liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing a second liquid into a second liquid storage tank. When the first liquid is replenished from the first liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the first liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank during a first replenishment, an opening area of a first liquid supply portion provided at a connection portion between the first liquid replenishment bottle and the first liquid storage tank is larger than an opening area of a second liquid supply portion provided at a connection portion between the second liquid replenishment bottle and the second liquid storage tank when the second liquid is replenished from the second liquid replenishment bottle in an unrefilled state where the second liquid storage tank has not been replenished with the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank during a second replenishment.
[0012] According to the liquid replenishment system, liquid replenishment bottle, and liquid replenishment bottle set according to the present disclosure, even if the internal volume of the first liquid replenishment bottle is made larger than the internal volume of the second liquid replenishment bottle, it is possible to shorten the time required to replenish the first liquid from the first liquid replenishment bottle into the first liquid storage tank. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to replenish the liquid from the liquid replenishment bottle with a larger internal volume into the liquid storage tank.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0013]
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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0014] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments related to the liquid supply system, the liquid supply bottle, and the liquid supply bottle set of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In a plurality of embodiments, substantially the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, the vertical arrows shown in the drawings indicate the vertical direction set based on the "usage state" in which ink, which is an example of a liquid, can be injected into the liquid storage tank. In this "usage state", the upper portion is defined as the upper side and the lower portion is defined as the lower side.
[0015] (First Embodiment) The ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a liquid supply system, and is provided in an image forming apparatus such as an inkjet printer that forms an image by discharging ink onto an image forming object such as a sheet. The ink supply system 100 includes a black ink storage tank 101, a non-black ink storage tank 102, a black ink supply bottle 103, and a non-black ink supply bottle 104.
[0016] The black ink storage tank 101 is an example of the first liquid storage tank and the first type of first liquid storage tank, and is a tank in which black ink is stored inside. The black ink is an example of the first liquid. The black ink storage tank 101 is provided with an ink inlet 101a. In this case, the ink inlet 101a is an inlet that protrudes upward from the upper wall portion of the black ink storage tank 101. Also, the ink inlet 101a is simply an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the black ink storage tank 101. The ink inlet 101a is opened and closed by a cap (not shown).
[0017] The non-black ink storage tank 102 is an example of the second liquid storage tank and the first type of second liquid storage tank, and is a tank in which non-black ink, that is, ink other than black ink, is stored inside. The non-black ink is an example of the second liquid. In this case, for one non-black ink storage tank 102, any one of cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink is selected. The non-black ink storage tank 102 is provided with an ink inlet 102a. In this case, the ink inlet 102a is an inlet that protrudes upward from the upper wall portion of the non-black ink storage tank 102. Also, the ink inlet 102a is simply an opening that communicates the inside and outside of the non-black ink storage tank 102. The ink inlet 102a is opened and closed by a cap (not shown).
[0018] For the sake of convenience of explanation, only one non-black ink storage tank 102 is shown in the figure. However, when using, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, yellow ink, etc. as non-black ink, the ink supply system 100 is provided with three non-black ink storage tanks 102 corresponding to these three types of ink. That is, the ink supply system 100 is provided with as many non-black ink storage tanks 102 as the number of non-black inks used for image formation.
[0019] The black ink supply bottle 103 is an example of a liquid supply bottle, a first liquid supply bottle, and a first-type first liquid supply bottle, and is a bottle for supplying black ink into the black ink storage tank 101. The black ink supply bottle 103 includes a bottle main body portion 103a and a nozzle portion 103b. The bottle main body portion 103a is an example of a first bottle main body portion and stores black ink inside. The nozzle portion 103b is an example of a first nozzle portion and is attached to the tip of the bottle main body portion 103a. Note that the black ink supply bottle 103 supplies black ink into the black ink storage tank 101 and can also be defined as an example of a liquid supply bottle used in the ink supply system 100.
[0020] The non-black ink supply bottle 104 is an example of a second liquid supply bottle and a first-type second liquid supply bottle, and is a bottle for supplying non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102. The non-black ink supply bottle 104 includes a bottle main body portion 104a and a nozzle portion 104b. The bottle main body portion 104a is an example of a second bottle main body portion and stores non-black ink, in this case, any one of cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink inside. The nozzle portion 104b is an example of a second nozzle portion and is attached to the tip of the bottle main body portion 104a. Note that the non-black ink supply bottle 104 supplies non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102 and can also be defined as an example of a liquid supply bottle used in the ink supply system 100.
[0021] Also, a bottle set composed of a plurality of bottles including the black ink supply bottle 103 and one or two or more non-black ink supply bottles 104 can be defined as an example of a liquid supply bottle set BS used in the ink supply system 100.
[0022] In the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, with the tip of the black ink supply bottle 103, i.e., the nozzle portion 103b, inserted into the ink inlet 101a of the black ink storage tank 101 from above, the bottle main body portion 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is repeatedly crushed by the user, causing the black ink in the bottle main body portion 103a to flow into the black ink storage tank 101. As a result, black ink is supplied from the black ink supply bottle 103 in an unrefilled state, where the black ink storage tank 101 has not been replenished with black ink, into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0023] Also, with the tip of the non - black ink supply bottle 104, i.e., the nozzle portion 104b, inserted into the ink inlet 102a of the non - black ink storage tank 102 from above, the bottle main body portion 104a of the non - black ink supply bottle 104 is repeatedly crushed by the user, causing the non - black ink in the bottle main body portion 104a to flow into the non - black ink storage tank 102. As a result, non - black ink is supplied from the non - black ink supply bottle 104 in an unrefilled state, where the non - black ink storage tank 102 has not been replenished with non - black ink, into the non - black ink storage tank 102.
[0024] That is, the ink supply method in the ink supply system 100 is an ink supply method, so - called a pumping method, in which the bottle main body portion 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is repeatedly crushed to supply black ink into the black ink storage tank 101, and the bottle main body portion 104a of the non - black ink supply bottle is repeatedly crushed to supply non - black ink into the non - black ink storage tank 102. Note that this pumping method is an example of the first method.
[0025] Also, in this case, the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 have the same height dimension and are installed at the same height within the image forming apparatus. Therefore, the heights of the ink inlets 101a and 102a are almost or exactly the same height.
[0026] In the ink replenishment system 100 configured as described above, further, a black ink supply unit 110 and a non-black ink supply unit 120 are provided. The black ink supply unit 110 is an example of the first liquid supply unit and the first method first liquid supply unit. Also, the non-black ink supply unit 120 is an example of the second liquid supply unit and the first method second liquid supply unit.
[0027] That is, the black ink supply unit 110 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink refill bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101 when replenishing black ink from the non-replenished black ink refill bottle 103 in which the black ink storage tank 101 has not been replenished with black ink into the black ink storage tank 101. Note that the replenishment of black ink formed by this black ink supply unit 110 is an example of the first replenishment.
[0028] Also, the non-black ink supply unit 120 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink refill bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 when replenishing non-black ink from the non-replenished non-black ink refill bottle 104 in which the non-black ink storage tank 102 has not been replenished with non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102. Note that the replenishment of non-black ink formed by this non-black ink supply unit 120 is an example of the second replenishment.
[0029] And the first liquid level height Lp, which is the height from the black ink supply unit 110 to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment, is higher than the second liquid level height Lq, which is the height from the non-black ink supply unit 120 to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink supply bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment.
[0030] More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in this case, a first height reference HK1 is set for the black ink supply unit 110 and the non-black ink supply unit 120. In this case, as the first height reference HK1, the height of the lower end of the opening of the nozzle portion 103b that constitutes the lower end of the opening of the black ink supply unit 110 and the height of the lower end of the opening of the nozzle portion 104b that constitutes the lower end of the opening of the non-black ink supply unit 120 are set. Therefore, the first liquid level height Lp is the height from the lower end of the opening of the black ink supply unit 110 to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment, and the second liquid level height Lq is the height from the lower end of the opening of the non-black ink supply unit 120 to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink supply bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment.
[0031] Also, the first height reference HK1 at which the height of the lower end of the opening of the black ink supply unit 110 and the height of the lower end of the opening of the non-black ink supply unit 120 are set can be defined as follows.
[0032] That is, the first height reference HK1 is set to the height of the tip of the nozzle portion 103b, that is, the height of the portion with the narrowest opening area in the black ink supply unit 110. Also, the first height reference HK1 is set to the height of the tip of the nozzle portion 104b, that is, the height of the portion with the narrowest opening area in the non-black ink supply unit 120.
[0033] Further, the first height reference HK1 is set at the tip of the nozzle portion 103b, that is, the portion where black ink flows out from the black ink supply portion 110, in other words, the height of the portion where the ink detaches. Also, the first height reference HK1 is set at the tip of the nozzle portion 104b, that is, the portion where non-black ink flows out from the non-black ink supply portion 120, in other words, the height of the portion where the ink detaches. That is, in this case, the first height reference HK1 is set at the lower end of the opening of the black ink supply portion 110 and the lower end of the opening of the non-black ink supply portion 120.
[0034] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in addition to the first height reference HK1, a second height reference HK2 may be further set for the black ink supply portion 110 and the non-black ink supply portion 120. As the second height reference HK2, a height different from the first height reference HK1 is set. In this case, the second height reference HK2 is set at the height of the upper end of the nozzle portion 103b that constitutes the lower end portion of the black ink supply portion 110 and the height of the upper end of the nozzle portion 104b that constitutes the lower end portion of the non-black ink supply portion 120.
[0035] Then, the first liquid level height Lp and the second liquid level height Lq may be set with reference to this second height reference HK2. In this case, the first liquid level height Lp is the height from the upper end of the black ink supply portion 110 at the time of black ink replenishment to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink replenishment bottle 103, and the second liquid level height Lq is the height from the upper end of the non-black ink supply portion 120 at the time of non-black ink replenishment to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink replenishment bottle 104.
[0036] Also, as illustrated in FIG. 2, in addition to the first height reference HK1 and the second height reference HK2, a third height reference HK3 may be set for the black ink supply unit 110 and the non-black ink supply unit 120. As the third height reference HK3, an arbitrary height between the first height reference HK1 and the second height reference HK2 is set. In this case, the third height reference HK3 is an arbitrary height between the upper end and the lower end of the nozzle unit 103b constituting the lower end of the black ink supply unit 110, and an arbitrary height between the upper end and the lower end of the nozzle unit 104b constituting the lower end of the non-black ink supply unit 120. Note that the third height reference HK3 can be set to an arbitrary height at a height between the first height reference HK1 and the second height reference HK2 including them.
[0037] And the first liquid level height Lp and the second liquid level height Lq may be set with reference to this third height reference HK3. In this case, the first liquid level height Lp is the height from the middle part of the nozzle unit 103b of the black ink supply unit 110 to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment, and the second liquid level height Lq is the height from the middle part of the nozzle unit 104b of the non-black ink supply unit 120 to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink supply bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment.
[0038] In the ink replenishment system 100 configured as described above, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have the following points in common. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have the same or substantially the same dimension for the cross-sectional area D1 of the bottle main body portion 103a and the cross-sectional area D1 of the bottle main body portion 104a. Also, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have the same or substantially the same dimension for the cross-sectional area D2 of the tip of the nozzle unit 103b and the cross-sectional area D2 of the tip of the nozzle unit 104b. Further, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have the same or substantially the same length for the length D3 of the nozzle unit 103b and the length D3 of the nozzle unit 104b.
[0039] Also, in the ink supply system 100, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non - black ink supply bottle 104 are different in the following points. That is, the length D4p of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 and the length D4q of the bottle main body 104a of the non - black ink supply bottle 104 are different. In this case, the length D4p of the bottle main body 103a is longer than the length D4q of the bottle main body 104a. Therefore, the internal volume of the black ink supply bottle 103, that is, the storage volume of the black ink stored in the bottle main body 103a, is larger than the internal volume of the non - black ink supply bottle 104, that is, the storage volume of the non - black ink stored in the bottle main body 104a.
[0040] According to the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, when replenishing black ink into the black ink storage tank 101, during black ink replenishment, the black ink supply bottle 103 has its tip, that is, the nozzle portion 103b, inserted into the ink inlet 101a of the black ink storage tank 101 from above. Also, when replenishing non - black ink into the non - black ink storage tank 102, during non - black ink replenishment, the non - black ink supply bottle 104 has its tip, that is, the nozzle portion 104b, inserted into the ink inlet 102a of the non - black ink storage tank 102 from above.
[0041] And the height Lp of the liquid level of the black ink in the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment is higher than the height Lq of the liquid level of the non - black ink in the bottle main body 104a of the non - black ink supply bottle 104 during non - black ink replenishment. Therefore, for example, due to the pressure difference of the ink, the outflow rate per unit time of the black ink from the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is larger than the outflow rate per unit time of the non - black ink from the bottle main body 104a of the non - black ink supply bottle 104.
[0042] Thus, even if the internal volume of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle main body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, it is possible to shorten the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0043] Note that the liquid level height Lp can, in this case, be defined as the height from the tip of the nozzle portion 103b, which is the final outlet portion where black ink is supplied into the black ink storage tank 101, to the liquid level in the process of supplying black ink from inside the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0044] Also, the liquid level height Lq can, in this case, be defined as the height from the tip of the nozzle portion 104b, which is the final outlet portion where non-black ink is supplied into the non-black ink storage tank 102, to the liquid level in the process of supplying non-black ink from inside the bottle main body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104 into the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0045] Also, the above-described black ink supply is an example of the first supply, and the non-black ink supply can be defined as an example of the second supply. In the ink supply system 100, the supply of black ink and the supply of non-black ink may be performed simultaneously or at different timings. According to the ink supply system 100, even if the supply of black ink and the supply of non-black ink are started simultaneously, it is possible to finish both supplies at substantially or exactly the same timing.
[0046] (Second Embodiment) The ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 3 is configured to include an intermediate nozzle 203b instead of the nozzle portion 103b and an intermediate nozzle 204b instead of the nozzle portion 104b. Further, the black ink storage tank 101 is defined as an example of the first liquid storage tank and the first liquid storage tank of the second method, the non-black ink storage tank 102 is defined as an example of the second liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank of the second method, the black ink supply bottle 103 is defined as an example of the first liquid supply bottle and the first liquid supply bottle of the second method, and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 is defined as an example of the second liquid supply bottle and the second liquid supply bottle of the second method.
[0047] The intermediate nozzle 203b and the intermediate nozzle 204b are configured such that the tip portions thereof are not mere openings but include an ink flow path 230 and an air flow path 240. The ink flow path 230 is an example of a liquid flow path through which ink, which is an example of a liquid, flows. The air flow path 240 is an example of a gas flow path through which air, which is an example of a gas, flows. The ink flow path 230 and the air flow path 240 communicate with the inside and outside of the intermediate nozzle 203b and the intermediate nozzle 204b.
[0048] According to the configuration in which such intermediate nozzles 203b and 204b are provided in the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104, when the tip portions of the intermediate nozzles 203b and 204b are inserted into the ink inlets 101a of the black ink storage tank 101 and the ink inlets 102a of the non-black ink storage tank 102, the ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 flows out into the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 through the ink flow path 230. Along with this, the air in the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 flows out into the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 through the air flow path 240. That is, the ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 is supplied into the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 in such a way as to exchange with the air in the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0049] That is, the ink supply method in the ink supply system 100 is such that the ink flow path 230 and the air flow path 240 are provided in the black ink supply bottle 103, and the black ink is supplied into the black ink storage tank 101 by gas-liquid replacement. Also, the ink flow path 230 and the air flow path 240 are provided in the non-black ink supply bottle 104, and the non-black ink is supplied into the non-black ink storage tank 102 by gas-liquid replacement. The ink supply method by gas-liquid replacement using these intermediate nozzles 203b and 204b is an example of the second method. In the intermediate nozzles 203b and 204b, The opening area of a plurality of holes, that is the opening area of the ink flow path 230 and the opening area of the air flow path 240 may be the same area or different areas.
[0050] In the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, further, a black ink supply unit 210 and a non-black ink supply unit 220 are provided. The black ink supply unit 210 is an example of the first liquid supply unit and the first liquid supply unit of the second method. The non-black ink supply unit 220 is an example of the second liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit of the second method.
[0051] That is, the black ink supply unit 210 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink supply bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101 when replenishing black ink from the un-replenished black ink supply bottle 103 in which the black ink storage tank 101 has not been replenished with black ink into the black ink storage tank 101 during black ink replenishment.
[0052] Also, the non-black ink supply unit 220 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink supply bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 when replenishing non-black ink from the un-replenished non-black ink supply bottle 104 in which the non-black ink storage tank 102 has not been replenished with non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102 during non-black ink replenishment.
[0053] And also in this case, the first liquid level height Lp, which is the height from the black ink supply unit 210 to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment, is higher than the second liquid level height Lq, which is the height from the non-black ink supply unit 220 to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink supply bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment. Note that the reference height for defining the first liquid level height Lp and the second liquid level height Lq may be the first height reference HK, that is, the height of the lower ends of the intermediate nozzles 203b, 204b, or the second height reference HK, that is, the height of the upper ends of the intermediate nozzles 203b, 204b, or the third height reference HK, that is, any height of the intermediate portions of the intermediate nozzles 203b, 204b.
[0054] Even with the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained. That is, even if the internal volume of the bottle body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101 can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0055] (Third Embodiment) The ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 4 is configured to include a gas-liquid replacement part 303b instead of the nozzle part 103b and the intermediate nozzle 203b, and a gas-liquid replacement part 304b instead of the nozzle part 104b and the intermediate nozzle 204b. Further, the black ink storage tank 101 is defined as an example of the first liquid storage tank and the first liquid storage tank of the third method, the non-black ink storage tank 102 is defined as an example of the second liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank of the third method, the black ink supply bottle 103 is defined as an example of the first liquid supply bottle and the first liquid supply bottle of the third method, and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 is defined as an example of the second liquid supply bottle and the second liquid supply bottle of the third method.
[0056] The gas-liquid replacement part 303b and the gas-liquid replacement part 304b are configured to include an ink flow path 330 and an air flow path 340. The ink flow path 330 is an example of a liquid flow path through which ink, which is an example of a liquid, flows. The air flow path 340 is an example of a gas flow path through which air, which is an example of a gas, flows. The ink flow path 330 and the air flow path 340 communicate the inside and outside of the gas-liquid replacement part 303b and the gas-liquid replacement part 304b. The gas-liquid replacement part 303b and the gas-liquid replacement part 304b configured in this way constitute the ink supply port of the black ink storage tank 101 and the ink supply port of the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0057] According to the configuration in which such a gas-liquid replacement part 303b and a gas-liquid replacement part 304b are provided in the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102, when the tip parts of the black ink refill bottle 103 and the non-black ink refill bottle 104 are inserted into the gas-liquid replacement part 303b of the black ink storage tank 101 and the gas-liquid replacement part 304b of the non-black ink storage tank 102, the ink in the black ink refill bottle 103 and the non-black ink refill bottle 104 flows out into the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 through the ink flow path 330. Along with this, the air in the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 flows out into the black ink refill bottle 103 and the non-black ink refill bottle 104 through the air flow path 340. That is, the ink in the black ink refill bottle 103 and the non-black ink refill bottle 104 is supplied into the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 in such a manner as to be replaced with the air in the black ink storage tank 101 and the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0058] That is, the ink supply method in the ink supply system 100 is such that the ink flow path 330 and the air flow path 340 are provided in the black ink storage tank 101, and black ink is supplied into the black ink storage tank 101 by gas-liquid replacement. Also, the ink flow path 330 and the air flow path 340 are provided in the non-black ink storage tank 102, and non-black ink is supplied into the non-black ink storage tank 102 by gas-liquid replacement. Note that the ink supply method by gas-liquid replacement using the gas-liquid replacement parts 303b and 304b is an example of the third method. Note that in the gas-liquid replacement parts 303b and 304b, The opening area of a plurality of holes, that is the opening area of the ink flow path 330 and the opening area of the air flow path 340 may be the same area or may be different areas.
[0059] In the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, further, a black ink supply unit 310 and a non-black ink supply unit 320 are provided. The black ink supply unit 310 is an example of the first liquid supply unit and the first liquid supply unit of the third method. The non-black ink supply unit 320 is an example of the second liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit of the third method.
[0060] That is, the black ink supply unit 310 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink supply bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101 when replenishing black ink from the non-replenished black ink supply bottle 103 in which the black ink storage tank 101 is not replenished with black ink into the black ink storage tank 101 during black ink replenishment.
[0061] Further, the non-black ink supply unit 320 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink supply bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 when replenishing non-black ink from the non-replenished non-black ink supply bottle 104 in which the non-black ink storage tank 102 is not replenished with non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102 during non-black ink replenishment.
[0062] And also in this case, the first liquid level height Lp, which is the height from the black ink supply unit 310 to the liquid level of the black ink in the black ink supply bottle 103 during black ink replenishment, is higher than the second liquid level height Lq, which is the height from the non-black ink supply unit 320 to the liquid level of the non-black ink in the non-black ink supply bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment. Note that the reference height for defining the first liquid level height Lp and the second liquid level height Lq may be the first height reference HK, that is, the height of the lower ends of the gas-liquid replacement portions 303b and 304b, or the second height reference HK2, that is, the height of the upper ends of the gas-liquid replacement portions 303b and 304b, or the third height reference HK3, that is, any height in the middle of the gas-liquid replacement portions 303b and 304b.
[0063] Even with the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, the same effects as those of the above-described first embodiment or second embodiment can be obtained. That is, even if the internal volume of the bottle body portion 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle body portion 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, it is possible to shorten the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0064] (Fourth Embodiment) The ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 5 is an example of a liquid supply system and differs from the above-described first embodiment in the following points. That is, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have different cross-sectional areas D2p at the tip of the nozzle portion 403b and D2q at the tip of the nozzle portion 404b. In this case, the cross-sectional area D2p at the tip of the nozzle portion 403b is larger than the cross-sectional area D2q at the tip of the nozzle portion 404b.
[0065] Also in this embodiment, a black ink supply unit 410 and a non-black ink supply unit 420 are provided. The black ink supply unit 410 is an example of a first liquid supply unit and a first-method first liquid supply unit. The non-black ink supply unit 220 is an example of a second liquid supply unit and a first-method second liquid supply unit.
[0066] That is, the black ink supply unit 410 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink supply bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101 when supplying black ink from the non-supplied black ink supply bottle 103, which has not supplied black ink into the black ink storage tank 101, into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0067] Further, when replenishing non-black ink from the non-black ink refill bottle 104 in an unreplenished state where the non-black ink supply unit 420 has not replenished the non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102, the non-black ink supply unit 420 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink refill bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0068] And as described above, the cross-sectional area D2p of the tip of the nozzle portion 403b constituting the black ink supply unit 410 is larger than the cross-sectional area D2q of the tip of the nozzle portion 404b constituting the non-black ink supply unit 420. That is, the opening area of the black ink supply unit 410 is larger than the opening area of the non-black ink supply unit 420.
[0069] Also, in this embodiment as well, similar to the first embodiment described above, the ink replenishing method is a pumping method.
[0070] Also, with the ink replenishing system 100 configured in this way, the height of the liquid level Lp of the black ink in the bottle main body portion 103a of the black ink refill bottle 103 during black ink replenishment is higher than the height of the liquid level Lq of the non-black ink in the bottle main body portion 104a of the non-black ink refill bottle 104 during non-black ink replenishment. Further, since the cross-sectional area D2p of the tip of the nozzle portion 403b is larger than the cross-sectional area D2q of the tip of the nozzle portion 404b, the outflow rate of the black ink per unit time from the bottle main body portion 103a of the black ink refill bottle 103 is larger than the outflow rate of the non-black ink per unit time from the bottle main body portion 104a of the non-black ink refill bottle 104.
[0071] Therefore, even if the internal volume of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle main body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, it is possible to shorten the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101. Thus, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0072] (Fifth Embodiment) The ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 6 is configured to include an intermediate nozzle 503b instead of the nozzle portion 403b and an intermediate nozzle 504b instead of the nozzle portion 404b. Further, the black ink storage tank 101 is defined as an example of the first liquid storage tank and the first liquid storage tank of the second method, the non-black ink storage tank 102 is defined as an example of the second liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank of the second method, the black ink supply bottle 103 is defined as an example of the first liquid supply bottle and the first liquid supply bottle of the second method, and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 is defined as an example of the second liquid supply bottle and the second liquid supply bottle of the second method.
[0073] The intermediate nozzle 503b and the intermediate nozzle 304b are configured such that the tip portions thereof are not mere openings but include an ink flow path 530 and an air flow path 540. The ink flow path 530 is an example of a liquid flow path through which ink, which is an example of a liquid, flows. The air flow path 540 is an example of a gas flow path through which air, which is an example of a gas, flows. The ink flow path 530 and the air flow path 540 communicate the inside and outside of the intermediate nozzle 503b and the intermediate nozzle 504b.
[0074] Further, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 are different in the cross-sectional area D2p of the tip portion of the intermediate nozzle 503b and the cross-sectional area D2q of the tip portion of the intermediate nozzle 504b. In this case, the cross-sectional area D2p of the tip portion of the intermediate nozzle 503b is longer than the cross-sectional area D2q of the tip portion of the intermediate nozzle 504b.
[0075] Also, in this embodiment as well, a black ink supply unit 510 and a non-black ink supply unit 520 are provided. The black ink supply unit 510 is an example of the first liquid supply unit and the first liquid supply unit of the second method. The non-black ink supply unit 520 is an example of the second liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit of the second method.
[0076] That is, when replenishing black ink from an unrefilled black ink refill bottle 103 in a state where the black ink storage tank 101 is not replenished with black ink into the black ink storage tank 101 during black ink replenishment, the black ink supply unit 510 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink refill bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101.
[0077] Also, when replenishing non-black ink from an unrefilled non-black ink refill bottle 104 in a state where the non-black ink storage tank 102 is not replenished with non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102 during non-black ink replenishment, the non-black ink supply unit 520 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink refill bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0078] And, as described above, the cross-sectional area D2p of the tip of the nozzle portion 403b constituting the black ink supply unit 510 is larger than the cross-sectional area D2q of the tip of the nozzle portion 404b constituting the non-black ink supply unit 520. That is, the opening area of the black ink supply unit 510 is larger than the opening area of the non-black ink supply unit 520.
[0079] Also, in this embodiment as well, similar to the second embodiment described above, the ink replenishment method is an ink replenishment method by gas-liquid replacement using the intermediate nozzles 503b and 504b.
[0080] Even with the ink supply system 100 configured as described above, the same effects as those of the second embodiment described above can be obtained. That is, even if the internal volume of the bottle body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, it is possible to shorten the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0081] (Sixth Embodiment) The ink supply system 400 illustrated in FIG. 7 is configured to include a gas-liquid replacement unit 603b instead of the nozzle unit 403b and the intermediate nozzle 503b, and a gas-liquid replacement unit 604b instead of the nozzle unit 404b and the intermediate nozzle 504b. Further, the black ink storage tank 101 is defined as an example of the first liquid storage tank and the first liquid storage tank of the third method, the non-black ink storage tank 102 is defined as an example of the second liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank of the third method, the black ink supply bottle 103 is defined as an example of the first liquid supply bottle and the first liquid supply bottle of the third method, and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 is defined as an example of the second liquid supply bottle and the second liquid supply bottle of the third method.
[0082] The gas-liquid replacement unit 603b and the gas-liquid replacement unit 604b are configured to include an ink flow path 630 and an air flow path 640. The ink flow path 630 is an example of a liquid flow path through which ink, which is an example of a liquid, flows. The air flow path 640 is an example of a gas flow path through which air, which is an example of a gas, flows. The ink flow path 630 and the air flow path 640 communicate the inside and outside of the gas-liquid replacement unit 603b and the gas-liquid replacement unit 604b. The gas-liquid replacement unit 603b and the gas-liquid replacement unit 604b configured in this way constitute the ink supply port of the black ink storage tank 101 and the ink supply port of the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0083] Also, the black ink supply bottle 103 and the non-black ink supply bottle 104 have different cross-sectional areas D2p at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 603b and cross-sectional area D2q at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 604b. In this case, the cross-sectional area D2p at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 603b is longer than the cross-sectional area D2q at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 604b.
[0084] Also, in this embodiment as well, a black ink supply unit 610 and a non-black ink supply unit 620 are provided. The black ink supply unit 610 is an example of the first liquid supply unit and the first liquid supply unit of the third method. The non-black ink supply unit 620 is an example of the second liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit of the third method.
[0085] That is, the black ink supply unit 610 is provided at the connection portion between the black ink supply bottle 103 and the black ink storage tank 101 when replenishing black ink from the non-replenished black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101 during black ink replenishment without replenishing black ink into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0086] Also, the non-black ink supply unit 620 is provided at the connection portion between the non-black ink supply bottle 104 and the non-black ink storage tank 102 when replenishing non-black ink from the non-replenished non-black ink supply bottle 104 into the non-black ink storage tank 102 during non-black ink replenishment without replenishing non-black ink into the non-black ink storage tank 102.
[0087] And as described above, the cross-sectional area D2p at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 603b constituting the black ink supply unit 610 is larger than the cross-sectional area D2q at the tip of the gas-liquid replacement part 604b constituting the non-black ink supply unit 620. That is, the opening area of the black ink supply unit 610 is larger than the opening area of the non-black ink supply unit 620.
[0088] Also, in this embodiment as well, similar to the above-described third embodiment, the ink supply method is an ink supply method by gas-liquid replacement using the gas-liquid replacement units 603b and 604b. Note that The opening area of a plurality of holes, that is the opening area of the ink flow path 630 and the opening area of the air flow path 640 in the gas-liquid replacement units 603b and 604b may be the same area or different areas.
[0089] The ink supply system 100 configured as described above can also achieve the same effects as those of the above-described fourth or fifth embodiment. That is, even if the internal volume of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is made larger than the internal volume of the bottle main body 104a of the non-black ink supply bottle 104, the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101 can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with a larger internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101.
[0090] (Other Embodiments) Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described multiple embodiments, and various modifications and expansions are possible without departing from the gist thereof.
[0091] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the ink supply system 100 may be configured such that the cross-sectional area D1p of the bottle main body 103a is longer than the cross-sectional area D1q of the bottle main body 104a. According to this configuration, the internal volume of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 can be further increased. Further, even if the internal volume of the bottle main body 103a of the black ink supply bottle 103 is further increased, the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 into the black ink storage tank 101 can be sufficiently shortened, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the time required to supply black ink from the black ink supply bottle 103 with an increased internal volume into the black ink storage tank 101. Although an embodiment in which the dimensions of each part are compared based on the "cross-sectional area" has been shown, the dimensions of each part may be compared based on, for example, the "diameter dimension". Further, in the ink supply system 100 illustrated in FIG. 8, the length D4 of the bottle main body 103a may be configured to be longer than the length D4 of the bottle main body 104a.
[0092] Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 9, 10, and 11, in the above-described first embodiment, second embodiment, and third embodiment, the openings at the lower ends of the black ink supply portions 110, 210, 310 and the openings at the lower ends of the non-black ink supply portions 120, 220, 320 may be configured to gradually expand downward. FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 schematically show examples of states in which the liquid supply bottle is separated from the liquid storage tank.
[0093] Further, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the first height reference HK1 is set at the uppermost end of the expanded portion of the opening at the lower end, the second height reference HK2 is set at the lowermost end of the expanded portion of the opening at the lower end, and the third height reference HK3 can be set at an arbitrary height at a height between the first height reference HK1 and the second height reference HK2.
[0094] The configuration examples illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 15 are also applicable to the configuration examples of the fourth embodiment, fifth embodiment, and sixth embodiment.
[0095] Also, the liquid supply system may be configured to insert the liquid supply bottle into the liquid storage tank in an inclined state. Further, the liquid supply system is not limited to an inkjet printer and can be provided in other devices as long as they consume liquid. Also, the ink with a large content volume is not limited to black ink and may be, for example, cyan ink, magenta ink, or yellow ink. Further, the ink supply system may be configured such that the content volume of the ink supply bottles of two or more types of ink, for example, black ink, cyan ink, magenta ink, and yellow ink, is larger than the content volume of the ink supply bottles of other ink. Also, the liquid is not limited to ink and may be other liquids. Further, as long as the height to the liquid level of the first liquid in the first liquid supply bottle at the first supply is higher than the height to the liquid level of the second liquid in the second liquid supply bottle at the second supply, the liquid supply system is not limited to the above-described multiple embodiments and can adopt various forms.
Description of Reference Numerals
[0096] 100: Liquid supply system, 101: Black ink storage tank (first liquid storage tank, first type first liquid storage tank, second type first liquid storage tank, third type first liquid storage tank), 102: Non-black ink storage tank (second liquid storage tank, first type second liquid storage tank, second type second liquid storage tank, third type second liquid storage tank), 103: Black ink refill bottle (liquid refill bottle, first liquid refill bottle, first type first liquid refill bottle, second type first liquid refill bottle, third type first liquid refill bottle), 104: Non-black ink refill bottle (liquid refill bottle, second liquid refill bottle, first type second liquid refill bottle, second type second liquid refill bottle, third type second liquid refill bottle), 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610: Black ink supply unit (first liquid supply unit, first type first liquid supply unit, second type first liquid supply unit, third type first liquid supply unit), 120, 220, 320, 420, 520, 620: Non-black ink supply unit (second liquid supply unit, first type second liquid supply unit, second type second liquid supply unit, third type second liquid supply unit), 230, 330, 530, 630: Ink flow path (liquid flow path), 240, 340, 540, 640: Air flow path (gas flow path), BS: Liquid refill bottle set
Claims
1. A first liquid storage tank for storing a first liquid therein; A second liquid storage tank for storing a second liquid therein; A first liquid refill bottle for refilling the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank; A second liquid refill bottle for refilling the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank; A first liquid supply part provided at a connection part between the first liquid refill bottle and the first liquid storage tank at the time of first replenishment for replenishing the first liquid from the first liquid refill bottle in a non-replenished state where the first liquid storage tank is not being replenished with the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank; A second liquid supply part provided at a connection part between the second liquid refill bottle and the second liquid storage tank at the time of second replenishment for replenishing the second liquid from the second liquid refill bottle in a non-replenished state where the second liquid storage tank is not being replenished with the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank; A liquid replenishment system comprising: The first liquid supply part is provided on the first liquid refill bottle; The second liquid supply part is provided on the second liquid refill bottle; The storage capacity of the first liquid in the first liquid refill bottle is larger than the storage capacity of the second liquid in the second liquid refill bottle; The opening area at the tip of the first liquid supply part is larger than the opening area at the tip of the second liquid supply part; The first liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank are tanks to which liquid is supplied by a second method; The first liquid refill bottle and the second liquid refill bottle are bottles for supplying liquid by a second method; The first liquid refill bottle supplies liquid by a second method; The second liquid refill bottle supplies liquid by a second method; In the second method, a liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the first liquid refill bottle, and the first liquid is supplied into the first liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement. A liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the second liquid refill bottle, and the second liquid is supplied into the second liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement. A liquid replenishment system characterized by being a method.
2. A first liquid storage tank for storing a first liquid therein; A second liquid storage tank for storing a second liquid therein; A first liquid refill bottle for refilling the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank; A second liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank; A first liquid supply unit provided at a connection portion between the first liquid replenishment bottle and the first liquid storage tank during the first replenishment for replenishing the first liquid from the first liquid replenishment bottle in an unreplenished state where the first liquid has not been replenished into the first liquid storage tank into the first liquid storage tank; A second liquid supply unit provided at a connection portion between the second liquid replenishment bottle and the second liquid storage tank during the second replenishment for replenishing the second liquid from the second liquid replenishment bottle in an unreplenished state where the second liquid has not been replenished into the second liquid storage tank into the second liquid storage tank; A liquid replenishment system comprising: The first liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank are tanks to which liquid is supplied by a third method; The first liquid replenishment bottle and the second liquid replenishment bottle are bottles for supplying liquid by a third method; The first liquid supply unit is provided in the first liquid storage tank to which liquid is supplied by a third method; The second liquid supply unit is provided in the second liquid storage tank to which liquid is supplied by a third method; In the third method, a liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the first liquid storage tank, and the first liquid is supplied into the first liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement. A liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the second liquid storage tank, and the second liquid is supplied into the second liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement. The storage capacity of the first liquid in the first liquid replenishment bottle is larger than the storage capacity of the second liquid in the second liquid replenishment bottle; A liquid replenishment system, characterized in that an opening area at the tip of the first liquid supply unit including the liquid flow path and the gas flow path is larger than an opening area at the tip of the second liquid supply unit including the liquid flow path and the gas flow path.
3. A first height reference is set for the first liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit; The liquid replenishment system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an opening area at the first height reference of the first liquid supply unit is larger than an opening area at the first height reference of the second liquid supply unit.
4. A first height reference and a second height reference different from the first height reference are set for the first liquid supply unit and the second liquid supply unit; The liquid replenishment system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening area of the first liquid supply section at the second height reference is larger than the opening area of the second liquid supply section at the second height reference.
5. A first height reference, a second height reference different from the first height reference, and a third height reference that is a height between the first height reference and the second height reference are set for the first liquid supply section and the second liquid supply section. The liquid replenishment system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening area of the first liquid supply section at the third height reference is larger than the opening area of the second liquid supply section at the third height reference.
6. The liquid replenishment system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the first height reference is set at the portion of the first liquid supply section where the opening area is the narrowest and the portion of the second liquid supply section where the opening area is the narrowest.
7. The liquid replenishment system according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the first height reference is set at the lower end of the opening of the first liquid supply section and the lower end of the opening of the second liquid supply section.
8. The liquid replenishment system according to claim 5, characterized in that the third height reference is set at the portion where the first liquid flows out from the first liquid supply section and the portion where the second liquid flows out from the second liquid supply section.
9. The liquid replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first liquid supply section has a plurality of holes with different opening areas.
10. The liquid replenishment system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a first liquid level height, which is the height from the first liquid supply section to the liquid level of the first liquid in the first liquid replenishment bottle during the first replenishment, is higher than a second liquid level height, which is the height from the second liquid supply section to the liquid level of the second liquid in the second liquid replenishment bottle during the second replenishment.
11. A first liquid storage tank for storing the first liquid therein, A second liquid storage tank for storing the second liquid therein, A first liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the first liquid into the first liquid storage tank, A second liquid replenishment bottle for replenishing the second liquid into the second liquid storage tank, When replenishing the first liquid from the first liquid replenishing bottle in an unreplenished state where the first liquid is not replenished into the first liquid storage tank into the first liquid storage tank during the first replenishment, a first liquid supply unit provided at the connection portion between the first liquid replenishing bottle and the first liquid storage tank, When replenishing the second liquid from the second liquid replenishing bottle in an unreplenished state where the second liquid is not replenished into the second liquid storage tank into the second liquid storage tank during the second replenishment, a second liquid supply unit provided at the connection portion between the second liquid replenishing bottle and the second liquid storage tank, A liquid replenishing system comprising: The first liquid supply unit is provided on the first liquid replenishing bottle, The second liquid supply unit is provided on the second liquid replenishing bottle, The storage capacity of the first liquid in the first liquid replenishing bottle is larger than the storage capacity of the second liquid in the second liquid replenishing bottle, The opening area at the tip of the first liquid supply unit is larger than the opening area at the tip of the second liquid supply unit, The first liquid supply unit has a plurality of holes with different opening areas. A liquid replenishing system characterized by this.
12. A first liquid replenishing bottle for replenishing a first liquid into a first liquid storage tank, A second liquid replenishing bottle for replenishing a second liquid into a second liquid storage tank, When replenishing the first liquid from the first liquid replenishing bottle in an unreplenished state where the first liquid is not replenished into the first liquid storage tank into the first liquid storage tank during the first replenishment, a first liquid supply unit provided at the connection portion between the first liquid replenishing bottle and the first liquid storage tank, When replenishing the second liquid from the second liquid replenishing bottle in an unreplenished state where the second liquid is not replenished into the second liquid storage tank into the second liquid storage tank during the second replenishment, a second liquid supply unit provided at the connection portion between the second liquid replenishing bottle and the second liquid storage tank, A liquid replenishing bottle set comprising: The first liquid supply unit is provided on the first liquid replenishing bottle, The second liquid supply unit is provided on the second liquid replenishing bottle, The storage capacity of the first liquid in the first liquid replenishing bottle is larger than the storage capacity of the second liquid in the second liquid replenishing bottle, The opening area at the tip of the first liquid supply unit is larger than the opening area at the tip of the second liquid supply unit, The first liquid storage tank and the second liquid storage tank are tanks to which liquid is supplied by a second method, The first liquid supply bottle and the second liquid supply bottle are bottles for supplying liquid by a second method, The first liquid supply bottle supplies liquid by a second method, The second liquid supply bottle supplies liquid by a second method, The second method is characterized in that a liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the first liquid supply bottle, and the first liquid is supplied into the first liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement, and a liquid flow path through which liquid flows and a gas flow path through which gas flows are provided in the second liquid supply bottle, and the second liquid is supplied into the second liquid storage tank by gas-liquid replacement. A liquid supply bottle set.
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