Cartridge

Abstract

To provide a technology that can improve rigidity of a hollow liquid container.SOLUTION: A cartridge includes: a hollow liquid container for sectioning a liquid chamber for storing liquid; and a liquid supply part communicated to the liquid chamber and supplying the liquid from the liquid chamber to a printing device, where the liquid container has an uneven part having an uneven shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technology of cartridges.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a cartridge including a liquid storage portion for storing a flexible liquid and a case for housing the liquid storage portion has been known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the conventional technology, the case is more rigid than the liquid storage portion, and the liquid storage portion is protected by housing the liquid storage portion in the case. When a large amount of liquid is stored in the liquid storage portion, the liquid storage portion supports the case from the inside, so that the deformation of the case can be suppressed by the liquid storage portion located inside. However, when the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage portion is small, the liquid storage portion cannot support the case from the inside, and there may be a case where the deformation of the case cannot be suppressed by the liquid storage portion. Therefore, in the case of a cartridge of a type in which the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage portion is small, it may be necessary to provide a separate part such as a rib on the case in order to improve the rigidity of the case. Therefore, conventionally, a technology that can improve the rigidity without providing a separate part for the case has been desired. Such problems are common to a hollow liquid container for storing liquid, not limited to the case.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge that is detachably attached to a cartridge mounting portion of a printing apparatus. The cartridge includes a hollow liquid container that defines a liquid chamber for storing a liquid, and a liquid supply portion that communicates with the liquid chamber and supplies the liquid in the liquid chamber to the printing apparatus. The liquid container has an uneven portion with an uneven shape.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] A. Embodiment: A-1. Configuration of the printing system: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing system 1 as an embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1, XYZ axes, which are three spatial axes orthogonal to each other, are drawn. The directions in which the arrows of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis point indicate the positive directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. The positive directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined as the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction, respectively. The directions opposite to the directions in which the arrows of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis point are the negative directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. The negative directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are defined as the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction, respectively. Directions along the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis regardless of positive or negative are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. The same applies to the figures and descriptions shown hereinafter.

[0008] The printing system 1 includes a printing device 10 and a cartridge 4 that supplies ink, which is a liquid, to the printing device 10.

[0009] The printing device 10 of the present embodiment is an inkjet printer that discharges ink as a liquid from a discharge head 22. This printing device 10 is a large printer that performs printing on large-sized paper such as posters (A2 to A0, etc.). The printing device 10 includes a cartridge mounting portion 6, a control unit 31, a carriage 20, a discharge head 22, and a drive mechanism 30. Further, the printing device 10 includes an operation button 15 for a user to operate the operation of the printing device 10.

[0010] The cartridge mounting portion 6 has a first device wall 67 located on the +Y direction side. The first device wall 67 has an insertion / removal opening 674 which is an entrance / exit to the accommodation chamber 61 of the cartridge 4. Through this insertion / removal opening 674, the cartridge 4 is accommodated in the accommodation chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 or removed from the accommodation chamber 61. A plurality of cartridges 4 are detachably mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6. In the present embodiment, four types of cartridges 4 corresponding to four colors of ink, namely black, yellow, magenta, and cyan, are mounted one by one on the cartridge mounting portion 6, that is, a total of four cartridges 4 are mounted. The cartridge 4 that accommodates black ink is also called cartridge 4K, the cartridge 4 that accommodates yellow ink is also called cartridge 4Y, the cartridge 4 that accommodates magenta ink is also called cartridge 4M, and the cartridge 4 that accommodates cyan ink is also called cartridge 4C. In the present embodiment, the cartridge 4K is configured to be able to accommodate more liquid than the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y. Therefore, the cartridge 4K is also called the first type cartridge 4A, and the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y are also called the second type cartridges 4B.

[0011] The printing apparatus 10 has a replacement cover 13 on the front surface on the +Y direction side. The replacement cover 13 is configured to be openable and closable. By opening the replacement cover 13, the insertion and removal opening 674 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 appears, and the cartridge 4 can be attached and detached. When the cartridge 4 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6, ink can be supplied to the discharge head 22 provided on the carriage 20 through the tube 24 as a liquid circulation pipe. In the present embodiment, ink is supplied from the cartridge 4 to the discharge head 22 by utilizing the head difference. Specifically, the ink is supplied to the discharge head 22 by the head difference between the liquid level of the ink in the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the discharge head 22. In other embodiments, the ink may be supplied to the discharge head 22 by sucking the ink in the cartridge 4 by a pump mechanism (not shown) of the printing apparatus 10. The tube 24 is provided for each type of ink. Here, the state where the cartridge 4 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6 and ink as a liquid can be supplied to the printing apparatus 10 is also referred to as the "mounting completed state".

[0012] Nozzles are provided for each type of ink in the discharge head 22. The discharge head 22 discharges ink from the nozzles toward the printing paper 2 to print data such as characters and images. The printing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is a printer called a so-called "off-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting portion 6 does not move in conjunction with the movement of the carriage 20. The technique of the present disclosure can also be applied to a printer called a so-called "on-carriage type" in which the cartridge mounting portion 6 is provided on the carriage 20 and the cartridge mounting portion 6 moves together with the carriage 20.

[0013] The control unit 31 controls each part of the printing apparatus 10 and exchanges signals with the cartridge 4. The carriage 20 relatively moves the discharge head 22 with respect to the printing paper 2.

[0014] The drive mechanism 30 reciprocates the carriage 20 based on a control signal from the control unit 31. The drive mechanism 30 includes a timing belt 32 and a drive motor 34. By transmitting the power of the drive motor 34 to the carriage 20 via the timing belt 32, the carriage 20 reciprocates in the main scanning direction, which is the direction along the X axis. Further, the printing apparatus 10 includes a conveyance mechanism for moving the printing paper 2 in the sub-scanning direction, which is the +Y axis direction. When printing is performed, the conveyance mechanism moves the printing paper 2 in the sub-scanning direction, and the printed paper 2 after printing is output onto the front cover 11.

[0015] Also, a region called the home position is provided at a position outside the printing area where the carriage 20 is moved in the main scanning direction, and a maintenance mechanism for performing maintenance for normally executing printing is mounted at the home position. The maintenance mechanism includes a cap member 8 that is pressed against the surface on which the nozzles are formed on the bottom surface side of the ejection head 22 to form a closed space surrounding the nozzles, and a lifting mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the cap member 8 to press it against the nozzle surface of the ejection head 22.

[0016] In this embodiment, in the usage state of the printing system 1, the axis along the sub-scanning direction in which the printing paper 2 is conveyed is defined as the Y-axis, the axis along the downward direction of gravity is defined as the Z-axis, and the axis along the moving direction of the carriage 20 is defined as the X-axis. Here, the "usage state of the printing system 1" refers to the state in which the printing system 1 is installed on a horizontal plane. Also, in this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction is the +Y direction, the opposite direction is the -Y direction, the downward direction of gravity is the -Z direction, and the upward direction of gravity is the +Z direction. The X direction and the Y direction are directions along the horizontal direction. Also, when the printing system 1 is viewed from the front side, the direction from the right side to the left side is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is the -X direction. Also, in this embodiment, the insertion direction D1 in which the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6 for mounting is the -Y direction, and the removal direction D4 in which the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 is the +Y direction. Therefore, among the cartridge mounting portion 6, the -Y direction side is also referred to as the back side, and the +Y direction side is also referred to as the front side. Also, in this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the plurality of cartridges 4 is the X direction.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the cartridge 4. In FIG. 2, the cartridges 4K, 4M, 4Y indicate the mounted completed state in which the mounting to the cartridge mounting portion 6 is completed. Also, in FIG. 2, the cartridge 4C indicates the insertion completed state in which the insertion into the cartridge mounting portion 6 is completed. In the mounted completed state, the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4 is located on the downward direction side of gravity rather than the insertion completed state.

[0018] A-2. Explanation of the mounting process and mounted state of the cartridge: FIG. 3 is the first diagram for explaining the mounting process of the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6. FIG. 4 is the second diagram for explaining the mounting process. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the mounted completed state in which the mounting of the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6 is completed. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge 4 and the cartridge mounting portion 6 in the mounted completed state.

[0019] The process of mounting the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6 of the cartridge includes a terminal connection process and a supply unit connection process that is executed after the terminal connection process. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal connection process involves moving the cartridge 4 in the insertion direction D1, which is the -Y direction, through the insertion opening 674 of the first device wall 67 and inserting it into the accommodation chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, thereby bringing the device-side terminal (described below) of the cartridge mounting portion 6 into contact with the cartridge-side terminal (described below) of the cartridge 4 and electrically connecting them. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the supply unit connection process is a process of connecting the liquid introduction portion (described below) of the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the liquid supply portion (described below) of the cartridge 4 while maintaining the electrical connection between the device-side terminal and the cartridge-side terminal. Specifically, in the supply unit connection process, with the rotation fulcrum 698 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 as the center, the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4 is rotationally moved in the connection direction D2 indicated by the arrow, so that the liquid introduction portion and the liquid supply portion are connected. In the mounted state shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge 4 is held in the mounted state by being engaged by the engagement formation body 677 provided on the first device wall 67 side of the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, when removing the cartridge 4 from the cartridge mounting portion 6, the user lifts the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4, and with the rotation fulcrum 698 as the fulcrum, rotationally moves the rear end 47 side in the disconnection direction D3, which is the direction opposite to the connection direction D2. During this rotational movement, the engagement by the engagement formation body 677 is released. After rotationally moving the cartridge 4 in the disconnection direction D3 until the cartridge 4 reaches the state shown in FIG. 4, the cartridge 4 is moved in the +Y direction, which is the removal direction D4, so that the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the cartridge 4 is completely mounted, the liquid supply unit 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction unit 642 of the cartridge mounting unit 6 are connected. Thereby, the liquid stored in the liquid chamber 450 of the cartridge 4 is supplied to the liquid introduction unit 642 via the liquid supply unit 442. Further, in the present embodiment, while the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply unit 442 to the liquid introduction unit 642, the air stored in the liquid storage unit 699 of the cartridge mounting unit 6 becomes bubbles and flows through the liquid introduction unit 642 and the liquid supply unit 442 to flow into the liquid chamber 450. Thereby, gas-liquid exchange in the liquid chamber 450 is performed. In other embodiments, the cartridge 4 may have an air communication passage that communicates the liquid chamber 450 with the outside, and gas-liquid exchange may be performed through this air communication passage. The air communication passage is arranged at a position different from the liquid supply unit 442, and is formed, for example, in the liquid container 401 that forms the liquid chamber 450.

[0022] Also, in the state where the cartridge 4 is completely mounted, the cartridge engaging portion 497 of the cartridge 4 engages with the mounting engaging portion 697 of the cartridge mounting unit 6, thereby maintaining the completely mounted state. The mounting engaging portion 697 is formed on the engaging formation body 677 located on the first device wall 67 side of the cartridge mounting unit 6.

[0023] A-3. Detailed Configuration of Cartridge Mounting Unit 6: FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cartridge mounting unit 6. FIG. 8 is a view of the cartridge mounting unit 6 as viewed from the +Z direction side. In FIGS. 7 and 8, illustration of a part of the configuration of the cartridge mounting unit 6 is omitted for ease of understanding. Regarding the cartridge mounting unit 6, the X direction is also referred to as the width direction, the Y direction as the depth direction, and the Z direction as the height direction. In the following, each element will be described on the premise of the cartridge mounting unit 6 in the initial arrangement state where the cartridge 4 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting unit 6, unless otherwise specified.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 7, the cartridge mounting portion 6 forms an accommodation chamber 61 in which the cartridge 4 is accommodated. The accommodation chamber 61 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Among the accommodation chamber 61, slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, and 61K, which are portions for accommodating the respective cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K, generally correspond to the outer shapes of the respective cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K. In the present embodiment, the cartridge 4K has a larger dimension in the X direction in order to increase the amount of liquid to be accommodated compared to the other cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the width of the slot 61K is larger than the widths of the other slots 61C, 61M, and 61Y.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 7, the cartridge mounting portion 6 has six device walls 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, and 67 that form the accommodation chamber 61. In the present disclosure, the term "wall" includes not only a single wall but also a wall formed by a plurality of walls. The first device wall 67 forms an insertion and removal opening 674 through which the cartridge 4 is inserted into and removed from the accommodation chamber 61. The second device wall 62 forms the wall on the -Y direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The second device wall 62 faces the first device wall 67 in the Y direction. The second device wall 62 is generally a vertical wall in the usage state of the printing device 10.

[0026] The device upper wall 63 forms the wall on the +Z direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The device bottom wall 64 faces the device upper wall 63 in the Z direction and forms the wall on the -Z direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The device bottom wall 64 is formed by the support member 610. The device bottom wall 64 has a plurality of device openings 614. In the present embodiment, four device openings 614 are formed corresponding to the slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, and 61K. The device upper wall 63 and the device bottom wall 64 intersect with the second device wall 62 and the first device wall 67. In the present disclosure, "intersect" or "cross" means any one of the following states: (i) a state where two elements intersect and actually cross each other, (ii) a state where one element intersects the other element when the one element is extended, and (iii) a state where the elements cross each other when the respective elements are extended.

[0027] The side wall 65 of the first device forms the wall on the +X direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The side wall 66 of the second device faces the side wall 65 of the first device in the X direction and forms the wall on the -X direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The side wall 65 of the first device and the side wall 66 of the second device intersect with the second device wall 62, the first device wall 67, the device upper wall 63, and the device bottom wall 64.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cartridge mounting portion 6 further includes a support member 610, a liquid introduction portion 642, a supply portion positioning portion 644, a device guide portion 602, and an engagement forming body 677. A plurality of support members 610 are provided according to the number of cartridges 4 to be mounted. In the present embodiment, four support members 610 are provided. The support member 610 forms the device bottom wall 64 on the downward side of the accommodation chamber 61 under gravity. The support member 610 supports the cartridge 4 from the -Z direction side which is the downward side under gravity. The support member 610 is a member extending along the Y direction. The support member 610 has a concave shape. The support member 610 includes a main wall 613 forming the device bottom wall 64, a first support side wall 611, and a second support side wall 612.

[0029] The main wall 613 forms a concave bottom portion located on the downward side under gravity. An apparatus opening 614 is formed at the end of the main wall 613 on the side of the first apparatus wall 67. The apparatus opening 614 penetrates the main wall 613 in the thickness direction of the main wall 613.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7, the first support side wall 611 rises upward in the +Z direction which is the upward side under gravity from the +X direction side end of the main wall 613. The second support side wall 612 rises upward in the +Z direction from the -X axis direction side end of the main wall 613. The first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612 face each other in the X direction.

[0031] The device guide portion 602 inside the device guides the cartridge 4 in the insertion direction D1 and the removal direction D4. The device guide portion 602 is provided for each support member 610. The device guide portion 602 is provided on each of the first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612. The device guide portion 602 is a protrusion provided on the first support side wall 611 and the second support side wall 612. As shown in FIG. 8, the first device guide portion 602a provided on the first support side wall 611 is a protrusion protruding from the first support side wall 611 toward the second support side wall 612. The first device guide portion 602a extends along the Y direction. Further, a plurality of the first device guide portions 602a are arranged at intervals in the Y direction. The second device guide portion 602b provided on the second support side wall 612 is a protrusion protruding from the second support side wall 612 toward the first support side wall 611. The second device guide portion 602b extends along the Y direction. Further, a plurality of the second device guide portions 602b are arranged at intervals in the Y direction.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the liquid introduction portion 642 receives the liquid of the cartridge 4. In the initial arrangement state of the cartridge mounting portion 6, the liquid introduction portion 642 is not located in the accommodation chamber 61 but is located on the -Z direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. That is, the liquid introduction portion 642 is located on the opposite side of the accommodation chamber 61 with respect to the support member 610. Thereby, when the cartridge 4 is inserted into the accommodation chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, it is possible to prevent the cartridge 4 from colliding with the liquid introduction portion 642. The tip portion 642b of the liquid introduction portion 642 is arranged in the accommodation chamber 61 by rotating the support member 610 in the connection direction D2 around the rotation fulcrum 698 and pushing down the device opening portion 614. That is, the rotation fulcrum 698 arranges the tip portion 642b of the liquid introduction portion 642 in the accommodation chamber 61 through the device opening portion 614 by rotating the support member 610 and displacing the device opening portion 614 downward in the direction of gravity.

[0033] The device-side supply unit positioning unit 644 shown in FIG. 7 restricts the movement of the liquid introduction unit 642 of the liquid supply unit 442 by being received by the supply unit positioning unit 448. Thereby, the positioning of the liquid supply unit 442 is performed. In the initial arrangement state of the cartridge mounting unit 6, the device-side supply unit positioning unit 644 is located on the -Z direction side of the storage chamber 61 without being located within the storage chamber 61. That is, the device-side supply unit positioning unit 644 is located on the opposite side of the support member 610 with the storage chamber 61 interposed therebetween. Thereby, when the cartridge 4 is inserted into the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting unit 6, it is possible to prevent the cartridge 4 from colliding with the device-side supply unit positioning unit 644. The other end portion 644b of the device-side supply unit positioning unit 644 is arranged in the storage chamber 61 by rotating the support member 610 in the connection direction D2 around the rotation fulcrum 698 to push down the device opening 614. That is, the rotation fulcrum 698 displaces the device opening 614 by rotating the support member 610, and thereby arranges the other end portion 644b of the device-side supply unit positioning unit 644 in the storage chamber 61 through the device opening 614.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 8, the cartridge mounting unit 6 further includes the above-described device-side terminal unit 70 and a device-side identification member 630. The device-side identification member 630 is used to identify whether the correct types of cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, 4K are inserted into the respective slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, 61K of the storage chamber 61. The device-side identification member 630 forms different pattern shapes according to the colors of the liquids contained in the cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, 4K. In FIG. 7, in each of the slots 61C, 61M, 61Y, 61K, the device-side identification member 630 is shown as the same pattern shape for convenience, but actually has different pattern shapes. The device-side identification member 630 is provided on the main wall 613 of the support member 610.

[0035] The device-side identification member 630 is formed by at least one or more ribs. The pattern shape is determined by the number and position of the ribs. The cartridge 4 is also provided with a cartridge-side identification member formed by ribs. The cartridge-side identification member forms different pattern shapes according to the type of the cartridge 4, that is, the color of the liquid to be accommodated. When the correct type of cartridge 4 is inserted into the corresponding slots 61C to 61K, the device-side identification member 630 and the cartridge-side identification member do not collide. On the other hand, when an incorrect type of cartridge 4 is inserted into the slots 61C to 61K, the device-side identification member 630 and the cartridge-side identification member collide, and further insertion of the cartridge 4 is inhibited. Thereby, the possibility that an incorrect type of cartridge 4 is mounted on each of the slots 61C to 61K of the cartridge mounting portion 6 can be reduced.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 7, the engagement formation body 677 is formed on the +Y direction side of the support member 610. Further, the engagement formation body 677 is located on the -Z direction side of the insertion and extraction opening 674. Four mounting engagement portions 697 shown in FIG. 6 are arranged on the engagement formation body 677 corresponding to each of the slots 61C to 61K.

[0037] A-4. Detailed Configuration of Cartridge 4: FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the first type of cartridge 4A. FIG. 10 is a first perspective view of the first type of cartridge 4A. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the first type of cartridge 4A. FIG. 12 is a second perspective view of the first type of cartridge 4A. FIG. 13 is a side view of the first type of cartridge 4A. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 in FIG. 13. FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the first type of cartridge 4A shown in FIG. 14. Among FIGS. 9 to 15, the illustration of the film 200 that closes the insertion opening 446 is omitted in FIGS. 9 and 10. The difference between the first type of cartridge 4A and the second type of cartridge 4B shown in FIG. 1 is the volume of the liquid container 401. Specifically, the volume of the liquid container 401 is different because the width of the liquid container 401 of the first type of cartridge 4A, which will be described later, is larger than the width of the liquid container 401 of the second type of cartridge 4B. Since other components such as the adapter 402 and the film 200 are the same in the first type of cartridge 4A and the second type of cartridge 4B, the detailed configuration of the cartridge 4 will be described below using the first type of cartridge 4A. Hereinafter, the first type of cartridge 4A will also be simply referred to as the cartridge 4. Regarding the figures showing the cartridge 4, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are based on the state when the insertion into the cartridge mounting portion 6 of the cartridge 4 is completed, i.e., the insertion completed state. That is, regarding the figures showing the cartridge 4, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are based on the state before the supply unit connection process of rotating and moving the support member 610.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 10, the outer shape of the cartridge 4 is substantially rectangular parallelepiped. In the cartridge 4, the direction along the -Y direction, which is the insertion direction D1 into the cartridge mounting portion 6, is the longitudinal direction, the X direction is the short side direction as the width direction, and the Z direction is the height direction. In the cartridge 4, the dimension in the longitudinal direction is the largest, and the dimension in the short side direction is the smallest.

[0039] The cartridge 4 includes a cartridge body 41 and a circuit board 50 shown in FIG. 11 attached to the cartridge body 41. In the present embodiment, the cartridge body 41 is composed of two members as shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, the cartridge body 41 includes a liquid container 401, an adapter 402 attached to the liquid container 401 by fitting, and a liquid supply unit 442 attached to the liquid container 401. In other embodiments, the cartridge body 41 may be integrated.

[0040] The liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 are each formed by, for example, injection molding a synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 may be formed of the same material or different materials.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 12, the cartridge body 41 has a front wall 42, a rear wall 47, an upper wall 43, a bottom wall 44, a first main body side wall 45, a second main body side wall 46, and a corner portion 89 shown in FIG. 10. Each of the walls 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 is also referred to as each surface 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47. The front wall 42 and the rear wall 47 face each other in the Y direction along the insertion direction D1. The upper wall 43 and the bottom wall 44 face each other in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 10, the Z direction is parallel to the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply unit 442. The first main body side wall 45 and the second main body side wall 46 face each other in the X direction.

[0042] The front wall 42 is located on the insertion direction D1 side where the cartridge 4 is inserted into the mounting portion 6. That is, the front wall 42 forms the insertion tip surface on the -Y direction side which is the insertion direction D1 side. The rear wall 47 forms the surface on the +Y direction side which is the removal direction D4. The upper wall 43 is located on the +Z direction side and intersects with the front wall 42 and the rear wall 47. The bottom wall 44 is located on the -Z direction side which is the direction downward by gravity in the mounted state. The bottom wall 44 intersects with the front wall 42 and the rear wall 47. An insertion opening 446 through which the liquid introduction portion 642 is inserted is formed in the bottom wall 44. When viewing the cartridge 4 from the bottom wall 44 side, the insertion opening 446 and the liquid supply portion 442 are in an overlapping positional relationship. In the present embodiment, the liquid supply portion 442 is arranged such that the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply portion 442 passes through the insertion opening 446.

[0043] The first main body side wall 45 is located on the -X direction side, and the second main body side wall 46 is located on the +X direction side. The first main body side wall 45 and the second main body side wall 46 each intersect with the front wall 42, the rear wall 47, the upper wall 43, and the bottom wall 44. The first main body side wall 45 and the second main body side wall 46 each extend along the insertion direction D1. The corner portion 89 is provided at the corner portion where the front wall 42 and the bottom wall 44 intersect. The corner portion 89 has a concave terminal arrangement portion 90 recessed inward. As shown in FIG. 11, the circuit board 50 is attached to this terminal arrangement portion 90.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9, the liquid supply portion 442 is a cylindrical member protruding from the container bottom wall 74 of the liquid container 401 facing the upper wall 43. The liquid supply portion 442 has a central axis CA2. The liquid supply portion 442 communicates with a liquid chamber 450 for storing liquid and supplies the liquid in the liquid chamber 450 to the printing apparatus 10. Specifically, the liquid supply portion 442 is connected to the liquid introduction portion 642 in the mounted state, and supplies the liquid in the liquid chamber 450 to the discharge head 22 of the printing apparatus 10 via the liquid introduction portion 642. The liquid supply portion 442 has a supply portion tip end portion 442a as a tip end portion that forms an opening through which the liquid is led out to the outside. A valve mechanism for opening and closing a flow path through which the liquid flows is arranged in the liquid supply portion 422. The valve mechanism opens when the liquid introduction portion 642 is inserted into the liquid supply portion 422.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the adapter 402 includes an adapter front wall 82, an adapter rear wall 87, an adapter bottom wall 84, a first adapter side wall 85, and a second adapter side wall 86. The adapter front wall 82 forms a part of the front wall 42 and is located at the tip side on the insertion direction D1 side. The adapter rear wall 87 forms a part of the rear wall 47 and faces the adapter front wall 82 in the Y direction. The adapter bottom wall 84 constitutes the bottom wall 44. The adapter bottom wall 84 intersects the adapter front wall 82 and the adapter rear wall 87.

[0046] The first adapter side wall 85 intersects the adapter bottom wall 84 and extends in the Y direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the adapter 402. The first adapter side wall 85 is a plate-shaped wall that rises from the adapter bottom wall 84 toward the liquid container 401. The second adapter side wall 86 faces the first adapter side wall 85 in the X direction, which is the lateral direction of the adapter 402. The second adapter side wall 86 intersects the adapter bottom wall 84 and extends in the Y direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the adapter 402. The second adapter side wall 86 is a plate-shaped wall that rises from the adapter bottom wall 84 toward the liquid container 401.

[0047] The adapter 402 has a concave shape with the adapter bottom wall 84 as the bottom. The side of the adapter 402 that faces the adapter bottom wall 84 is open, and through this opening, the liquid supply unit 442 is disposed inside the adapter 402. The portion of the adapter 402 where the liquid supply unit 442 is disposed is also referred to as the supply unit disposition portion 831. The adapter bottom wall 84 has an insertion opening 446 through which the liquid introduction unit 642 is inserted at a position facing the supply unit tip portion 442a.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10, the adapter 402 further has a mounting element 700 that cooperates with the cartridge mounting portion 6 of the printing apparatus 10 at least either during the mounting process of mounting the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6 of the printing apparatus 10 or in the mounted state where the cartridge 4 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 6. The mounting element 700 mechanically cooperates, for example, by contacting, engaging with, or being inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6. The mounting element 700 has a cartridge-side identification member 430, a cartridge guide portion 447, a supply portion positioning portion 448, a cartridge engaging portion 497, and a circuit board 50 shown in FIG. 11.

[0049] The cartridge-side identification member 430 shown in FIG. 10 is constituted by ribs. The pattern shape of the cartridge-side identification member 430 is determined by the number and positions of the ribs. The pattern shape varies according to the type of the cartridge 4, that is, the color of the liquid to be stored. In the mounting process of the cartridge 4, when the correct type of cartridge 4 is inserted into the corresponding slots 61C to 61K, the cartridge-side identification member 430 can pass between the device-side identification members 630 without colliding with the device-side identification members 630.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the cartridge guide portion 447 extends along the insertion direction D1. In FIGS. 10 and 11, for ease of understanding, the cartridge guide portion 447 is provided with single hatching. The cartridge guide portion 447 extends along the insertion direction D1 from the portion where the corner portion 89 is located to the portion where the insertion opening 446 is located in terms of the insertion direction D1. In the width direction of the cartridge 4, a first cartridge guide portion 447a is located on one side with respect to the insertion opening 446, and a second cartridge guide portion 447b is located on the other side with respect to the insertion opening 446. The cartridge guide portion 447 is guided in the insertion direction D1 by the device guide portion 602 of the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0051] The cartridge guide portion 447 is formed on the first adapter side wall 85 and the second adapter side wall 86 by steps respectively. The cartridge guide portion 447 is a surface facing the -Z direction. The cartridge guide portion 447 formed on the first adapter side wall 85 is also called the first cartridge guide portion 447a, and the cartridge guide portion 447 formed on the second adapter side wall 86 is also called the second cartridge guide portion 447b. When the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6, the movement of the cartridge 4 in the insertion direction D1 is guided while maintaining the posture of the cartridge 4 by the contact between the surface on the +Z direction side of the device guide portion 602 and the cartridge guide portion 447.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 10, during the mounting process, the supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and positions the liquid supply unit 442 with respect to the liquid introduction portion 642 of the liquid supply unit 442. Specifically, during the supply unit connection process of the mounting process, the supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and positions the liquid supply unit 442 with respect to the liquid introduction portion 642 by restricting the movement of the supply unit positioning portion 448 in a direction intersecting the connection direction D2. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is formed on the bottom wall 44 and is a recess recessed from the outer surface of the bottom wall 44. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is located between the insertion opening 446 and the end portion where the adapter front wall 82 is connected in the bottom wall 44. In other embodiments, the supply unit positioning portion 448 may be a hole penetrating the bottom wall 44.

[0053] The cartridge engaging portion 497 is provided on the rear wall 47, specifically, the adapter rear wall 87. The cartridge engaging portion 497 is a recess recessed from the outer surface of the adapter rear wall 87. The cartridge engaging portion 497 is formed near the end portion of the adapter rear wall 87 that intersects the adapter bottom wall 84. As shown in FIG. 6, the cartridge engaging portion 497 engages with the mounting engaging portion 697 when the mounting engaging portion 697 enters in the mounted state. By this engagement, the mounted state of the cartridge 4 with respect to the cartridge mounting portion 6 is maintained.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 11, the circuit board 50 is disposed in a terminal arrangement portion 90 provided in the adapter 402. The circuit board 50 has cartridge-side terminals 521 that come into contact with the device-side terminals 721 in the mounted state.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 13, the film 200 is detachably attached to the adapter 402 in a state of covering the insertion opening 446. Before the cartridge 4 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6, the film 200 is peeled off from the cartridge 4 by the user. The film 200 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or polypropylene.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 15, the liquid container 401 is a hollow container that defines a liquid chamber 450 for storing a liquid. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the liquid container 401 includes a container upper wall 73, a container bottom wall 74, and four container side walls 72, 75, 76, and 77. These walls 72 to 77 form the outer shell of the liquid container 401.

[0057] The container bottom wall 74 shown in FIG. 10 is the wall to which the liquid supply portion 442 is connected. The container bottom wall 74 forms the bottom surface of the liquid container 401 in the mounted state where it is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6. The container upper wall 73 shown in FIG. 12 constitutes the upper wall 43 of the cartridge body 41. The container upper wall 73 faces the container bottom wall 74 in the central axis direction along the central axis CA2. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the four container side walls 72, 75, 76, and 77 are walls that connect the container bottom wall 74 and the container upper wall 73.

[0058] The four container side walls 72, 75, 76, and 77 are a container front wall 72, a container rear wall 77, a first container side wall 75, and a second container side wall 76. The container front wall 72 constitutes a part of the front wall 42 and is located on the tip side in the insertion direction D1. The container rear wall 77 constitutes a part of the rear wall 47 of the cartridge body 41. The container rear wall 77 faces the container front wall 72 in the Y direction along the insertion direction D1.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 10, the first container side wall 75 as the first side wall constitutes a part of the first main body side wall 45. The first container side wall 75 connects the container front wall 72 and the container rear wall 77. The first container side wall 75 is a side wall on one side in the width direction of the liquid container 401. As shown in FIG. 12, the second container side wall 76 as the second side wall constitutes a part of the second main body side wall 46. The second container side wall 76 faces the first container side wall 75 in the Y direction which is the width direction of the liquid container 401. That is, the second container side wall 76 is a side wall on the other side in the width direction of the liquid container 401. The second container side wall 76 connects the container front wall 72 and the container rear wall 77. The outer shapes of the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76 are larger than the outer shape of the container front wall 72 and the outer shape of the container rear wall 77. In the present embodiment, the outer shapes of the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76 are the same, and are the largest among the walls 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 forming the liquid container 401.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the liquid container 401 has concavo-convex portions 99 of a concavo-convex shape. The concavo-convex portion 99 has a first concavo-convex portion 91 formed on the first container side wall 75 as the first side wall as shown in FIG. 10, and a second concavo-convex portion 92 formed on the second container side wall 76 as the second side wall as shown in FIG. 12.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 10, four first concavo-convex portions 91 are provided. The four first concavo-convex portions 91 are formed side by side in the Y direction along the insertion direction D1 with a predetermined interval therebetween. As shown in FIG. 12, four second concavo-convex portions 92 are provided. The four second concavo-convex portions 92 are formed side by side in the Y direction along the insertion direction D1 with a predetermined interval therebetween. The four first concavo-convex portions 91 and the four second concavo-convex portions 92 are formed so as to face each other in the Y direction which is the width direction of the liquid container 401.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 15, the uneven portion 99 has a recess 93 that is recessed from the outer surface 401fa of the liquid container 401 toward the inner side on the liquid chamber 450 side, and a protrusion 94 that protrudes from the inner surface 401fb of the liquid container 401 formed by the recess 93 toward the liquid chamber 450 side. Here, the recess 93 of the first uneven portion 91 shown in Fig. 10 is also referred to as the first recess 93a, and the protrusion 94 of the first uneven portion 91 shown in Fig. 14 is also referred to as the first protrusion 94a. Also, the recess 93 of the second uneven portion 92 shown in Fig. 12 is also referred to as the second recess 93b, and the protrusion 94 of the second uneven portion 92 shown in Fig. 14 is also referred to as the second protrusion 94b.

[0063] As shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the cross-sectional shape of the recess 93 perpendicular to the X direction, which is the direction in which the recess 93 is recessed, is circular. Also, as shown in Fig. 15, the cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 94 perpendicular to the X direction, which is the protruding direction of the protrusion 94, is circular. As a result, the outer peripheral surface 991 of the protrusion 94 does not have a horizontal surface in the state where the cartridge 4 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 6. That is, as shown in Fig. 6, in the mounted state, the upper surface 998 located on the upper side of the outer peripheral surface 991 of the protrusion 94 is an arcuate curved surface and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. That is, the upper surface 998 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to gradually move downward from the topmost position.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 14, the first tip portion 98a, which is the tip portion in the protruding direction of the first protrusion 94a, and the second tip portion 98b, which is the tip portion in the protruding direction of the second protrusion 94b, are adhered to each other. The first tip portion 98a and the second tip portion 98b are each a circular plane. As shown in Fig. 14, the protrusion 94 of the uneven portion 99 is arranged at a position deviated from the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply portion 442. In the present embodiment, when the cartridge 4 is viewed from the direction along the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply portion 442, for example, the direction in which the upper wall 73 of the container is located, the protrusion 94 of the uneven portion 99 is arranged in a second region Rg2 different from the first region Rg1 where the liquid supply portion 442 is located.

[0065] The uneven portion 99 is formed, for example, by the following method. First, after heating the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76 to make them soft like syrup, a cylindrical pin is pushed inward from the outer surface 401fa of the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76. Then, the pin is pushed until the tip portions of the first convex portion 94a and the second convex portion 94b formed by pushing the pin collide with each other, and then the liquid container 401 is cooled, for example, by natural cooling. Thereby, the first uneven portion 91 and the second uneven portion 92 are formed.

[0066] According to the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, since the hollow liquid container 401 has the uneven portion 99 with an uneven shape, the rigidity of the liquid container 401 can be improved without providing a separate part from the liquid container 401. Thereby, even when an impact or the like is applied to the cartridge 4 due to the cartridge 4 falling or the like, the possibility of the liquid container 401 being damaged can be reduced. Also, even when the internal pressure of the liquid chamber 450 becomes low, the possibility of the liquid container 401 being deformed can be reduced. Further, by improving the rigidity of the liquid container 401 by the uneven portion 99, the desired rigidity can be ensured regardless of the amount of liquid stored in the liquid chamber 450, so the amount of liquid stored in the liquid chamber 450 can be flexibly changed. Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the first tip portion 98a of the first convex portion 94a and the second tip portion 98b of the second convex portion 94b are adhered to each other. Thereby, the rigidity of the liquid container 401 can be further improved. Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, by providing the uneven portion 99 on the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76 having a large outer shape, the rigidity of the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76, which are walls with a large outer shape and tend to have low rigidity, can be improved.

[0067] Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the uneven portion 99 has a concave portion 93 recessed from the outer surface 401fa of the liquid container 401 toward the inner side on the liquid chamber 450 side, and a convex portion 94 protruding from the inner surface 401fb of the liquid container 401 formed by the concave portion 93 toward the liquid chamber 450 side. Thereby, the concave portion 93 and the convex portion 94 of the uneven portion 99 can be easily formed.

[0068] Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, when the cartridge 4 is viewed from the direction along the central axis CA2, the uneven portion 99 is disposed in a second region Rg2 different from the first region Rg1 where the liquid supply portion 442 is located. When injecting liquid into the liquid chamber 450, for example, after the cartridge 4 is disposed in an injection posture in which the supply portion tip 442a of the liquid supply portion 442 shown in FIG. 10 faces upward, a rod-shaped liquid injection tube, which is a jig, is inserted from the liquid supply portion 442 into the liquid chamber 450. In order to suppress the generation of bubbles in the liquid chamber 450 during the liquid injection process, the liquid injection tube is inserted into the liquid chamber 450 such that the tip of the liquid injection tube is located near the upper wall 43, and the liquid is injected. Then, as the liquid level in the liquid chamber 450 rises, the liquid injection is performed while moving the tip of the liquid injection tube toward the bottom wall 44 side, that is, upward in the injection posture. In this case, since the uneven portion 99 is not disposed in the first region Rg1, the possibility that the liquid injection tube, which is a jig, collides with the convex portion 94 when injecting liquid from the liquid supply portion 442 into the liquid chamber 450 can be reduced. Thereby, the liquid can be smoothly injected from the liquid supply portion 442 into the liquid chamber 450.

[0069] Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the mounting is completed, among the outer peripheral surface 991 of the convex portion 94, the upper surface 998 is an arcuate curved surface and is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Thereby, in the state where the mounting is completed, since the upper surface 998 of the convex portion 94 does not have a horizontal surface, it is possible to suppress the liquid in the liquid chamber 450 from remaining on the upper surface 998 of the convex portion 94. Therefore, the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid chamber 450 can be reduced. Also, according to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the convex portion 94 has a frustum of a cone shape, and the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the protruding direction of the convex portion 94 is circular. Thereby, in the state where the mounting is completed, it is possible to easily form the convex portion 94 such that the upper surface 998 among the outer peripheral surface 991 of the convex portion 94 becomes an arcuate curved surface.

[0070] B. Other Embodiments: B-1. Other Embodiment 1: In the above-described embodiment, the uneven portions 99 are formed on the first container side wall 75 and the second container side wall 76, but may be formed on other walls of the liquid container 401. For example, the uneven portions 99 may be formed on the container front wall 72 and the container rear wall 77. When the uneven portions 99 are formed on the container front wall 72 and the container rear wall 77, the container front wall 72 functions as the first side wall, and the container rear wall 77 functions as the second side wall. Also, for example, the uneven portions 99 may be formed on the container upper wall 73 or the container bottom wall 74. Further, the uneven portions 99 do not need to be formed on two walls of the liquid container 401 that face each other. For example, the uneven portions 99 may be formed on at least one of the container upper wall 73, the first container side wall 75, the second container side wall 76, the container front wall 72, the container rear wall 77, and the container bottom wall 74. Also, the concave portions 93 and the convex portions 94 of the uneven portions 99 may be formed at different positions. Also, the shape of the convex portion 94 is not limited to a frustum of a cone shape. For example, the convex portion 94 may be a rectangular parallelepiped shape or a cylindrical shape.

[0071] The present disclosure is not limited to an inkjet printer and a cartridge used in an inkjet printer, and can also be applied to a cartridge mounted on any printing device that ejects a liquid other than ink. For example, it is applicable to various printing devices and their cartridges as follows. (1) An image recording device such as a facsimile machine (2) A printing device that ejects a coloring material used in the manufacture of a color filter for an image display device such as a liquid crystal display (3) A printing device that ejects an electrode material used in the formation of electrodes for an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a field emission display (FED), or the like (4) A printing device that ejects a liquid containing a biological organism used in the manufacture of a biochip (5) A sample printing device as a precision pipette (6) A printing device for lubricating oil (7) A printing device for a resin solution (8) A printing device that injects lubricating oil pinpoint into precision machinery such as watches and cameras (9) A printing apparatus that sprays a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin liquid onto a substrate to form a micro hemispherical lens (optical lens) or the like used in an optical communication element or the like. (10) A printing apparatus that sprays an acidic or alkaline etching liquid to etch a substrate or the like. (11) A printing apparatus including a liquid ejection head that ejects any other arbitrary minute droplets.

[0072] Note that the "droplet" refers to the state of the liquid ejected from the printing apparatus, and includes those in a granular, teardrop-like, or filamentous state with a trailing tail. Also, the "liquid" here may be any material that the printing apparatus can spray. For example, the "liquid" may be a material in a state when the substance is in a liquid phase, and includes liquid state materials with high or low viscosity, as well as liquid state materials such as sols, gels, water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals. Further, not only liquids as a state of matter, but also those in which particles of functional materials composed of solids such as pigments and metal particles are dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent are included in the "liquid". Also, typical examples of the liquid include ink, liquid crystal, etc. as described in the above embodiments. Here, the ink is intended to include general aqueous inks, oil-based inks, and various liquid compositions such as gel inks and hot melt inks.

[0073] C. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each of the forms described below can be appropriately replaced or combined in order to solve some or all of the above-described problems, or to achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Also, if the technical features are not described as essential in this specification, they can be appropriately deleted.

[0074] (1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cartridge that is detachably attached to a cartridge mounting portion of a printing apparatus is provided. This cartridge includes a hollow liquid container that defines a liquid chamber for storing a liquid, and a liquid supply portion that communicates with the liquid chamber and supplies the liquid in the liquid chamber to the printing apparatus. The liquid container has a concavo-convex portion having a concavo-convex shape. According to this aspect, by providing the concavo-convex portion, the rigidity of the liquid container can be improved without providing a separate component from the liquid container.

[0075] (2) In the above aspect, the concavo-convex portion may include a concave portion that is recessed from the outer surface of the liquid container toward the liquid chamber side, and a convex portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the liquid container formed by the concave portion. According to this aspect, the concave portion and the convex portion of the concavo-convex portion can be easily formed.

[0076] (3) In the above aspect, the liquid supply portion has a central axis, and when the cartridge is viewed from a direction along the central axis, the concavo-convex portion may be arranged in a second region different from a first region where the liquid supply portion is located. According to this aspect, when injecting liquid from the liquid supply portion into the liquid chamber, the possibility that a jig for injecting the liquid collides with the convex portion can be reduced. Thereby, the liquid can be smoothly injected from the liquid supply portion into the liquid chamber.

[0077] (4) In the above aspect, in a state where the cartridge is attached to the cartridge mounting portion, the upper surface of the convex portion may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress the liquid in the liquid chamber from staying on the upper surface of the convex portion. Thereby, the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid chamber can be reduced.

[0078] (5) In the above aspect, the liquid container has a container bottom wall to which the liquid supply portion is connected, a container upper wall facing the container bottom wall, and a container side wall connecting the container bottom wall and the container upper wall, and the concavo-convex portion may be formed on the container side wall. According to this aspect, the rigidity of the liquid container can be improved by the concavo-convex portion formed on the container side wall.

[0079] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the container side wall has a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other, the uneven portion has a first uneven portion formed on the first side wall and a second uneven portion formed on the second side wall, and a first tip portion of the first convex portion as the convex portion of the first uneven portion and a second tip portion of the second convex portion as the convex portion of the second uneven portion may be adhered to each other. According to this embodiment, by adhering the first tip portion and the second tip portion to each other, the rigidity of the liquid container can be further improved.

[0080] (7) In the above-described embodiment, the container side wall has a container front wall located on the tip side in the insertion direction for inserting the cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion, a container rear wall facing the container front wall, a first container side wall as the first side wall connecting the container front wall and the container rear wall, and a second container side wall facing the first container side wall and being the second side wall connecting the container front wall and the container rear wall, and the outer shapes of the first container side wall and the second container side wall may be larger than the outer shapes of the container front wall and the container rear wall. According to this embodiment, by providing uneven portions on the first container side wall and the second container side wall having large outer shapes, the rigidity of the first container side wall and the second container side wall, which are walls with large outer shapes and tend to have low rigidity, can be improved.

[0081] (8) In the above-described embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion perpendicular to the protruding direction of the convex portion may be circular. According to this embodiment, an uneven portion including a convex portion having a circular cross-sectional shape can be provided.

[0082] In addition to the above-described embodiments, the present disclosure can be realized in forms such as a method for manufacturing a cartridge and a printing system including the cartridge and a printing apparatus.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1…Printing system, 2…Printing paper, 4, 4C, 4M, 4Y, 4K…Cartridges, 4A…First type of cartridge, 4B…Second type of cartridge, 6…Cartridge mounting part, 8…Cap member, 10…Printing device, 13…Replacement cover, 15…Operation button, 20…Carriage, 22…Discharge head, 24…Tube, 30…Drive mechanism, 31…Control unit, 32…Timing belt, 34…Drive motor, 41…Cartridge body, 42…Front wall, 43…Upper wall, 44…Bottom wall, 45…First body side wall, 46…Second body side wall, 47…Rear wall, 50…Circuit board, 61…Accommodation chamber, 61C, 61M, 61Y,61K…slot, 62…second device wall, 63…device upper wall, 64…device bottom wall, 65…first device side wall, 66…second device side wall, 67…first device wall, 70…device side terminal part, 72…container front wall, 73…container upper wall, 74…container bottom wall, 75…first container side wall, 76…second container side wall, 77…container rear wall, 82…adapter front wall, 84…adapter bottom wall, 85…first adapter side wall, 86…second adapter side wall, 87…adapter rear wall, 89…corner part, 90…terminal arrangement part, 91…first uneven part, 92…second uneven part, 93…recess, 93a…first recess, 93b…second recess, 94…protrusion, 94a…first protrusion, 94b…second protrusion, 98a…first tip part, 98b…second tip part, 99…uneven part, 200…film, 401…liquid container, 401fa…outer surface, 401fb…inner surface, 402…adapter, 430…cartridge side identification member, 442…liquid supply part, 442a…supply part tip, 446…insertion opening, 447…cartridge guide part, 447a…first cartridge guide part, 447b…second cartridge guide part, 448…supply part positioning part, 450…liquid chamber, 497…cartridge engagement part, 521…cartridge side terminal, 602…device guide part, 602a…first device guide part, 602b…second device guide part, 610…support member, 611…first support side wall, 612…second support side wall, 613…main wall, 614…device opening, 630…device side identification member, 642…liquid introduction part, 642b…tip part, 644…device side supply part positioning part, 644b…other end, 674…insertion / removal opening, 677…engagement formation body, 697…mounting engagement part, 698…rotation fulcrum, 699…liquid storage part, 700…mounting element, 721…device side terminal, 831…supply part arrangement part, 991…outer peripheral surface, 998…upper surface, CA2…central axis, D1…insertion direction, D2…connection direction, D3…disconnection direction, D4…removal direction, Rg1…first region, Rg2…second region

Claims

1. A cartridge detachably attached to a cartridge mounting portion of a printing apparatus, comprising: a hollow liquid container partitioning a liquid chamber for storing a liquid; and a liquid supply portion communicating with the liquid chamber for supplying the liquid in the liquid chamber to the printing apparatus, wherein the liquid container has concavo-convex portions; the concavo-convex portions include a concave portion recessed from the outer surface of the liquid container toward the liquid chamber side and a convex portion protruding from the inner surface of the liquid container formed by the concave portion; the liquid container includes a container bottom wall to which the liquid supply portion is connected; a container upper wall facing the container bottom wall; and a container side wall connecting the container bottom wall and the container upper wall, wherein the concavo-convex portions are formed on the container side wall; the container side wall has a first side wall and a second side wall facing each other; the concavo-convex portions include a first concavo-convex portion formed on the first side wall; and a second concavo-convex portion formed on the second side wall; a first tip portion of the first convex portion as the convex portion of the first concavo-convex portion and a second tip portion of the second convex portion as the convex portion of the second concavo-convex portion are adhered to each other; the liquid supply portion has a central axis; when the cartridge is viewed from a direction along the central axis, the concavo-convex portions are arranged in a second region different from a first region where the liquid supply portion is located; the convex portion has a circular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the protruding direction of the convex portion, a cartridge.

2. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the container side wall includes a container front wall located on the tip side in the insertion direction for inserting the cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion; a container rear wall facing the container front wall; a first container side wall as the first side wall connecting the container front wall and the container rear wall; and a second container side wall facing the first container side wall and being a second container side wall as the second side wall connecting the container front wall and the container rear wall, wherein the outer shapes of the first container side wall and the second container side wall are larger than the outer shape of the container front wall and the outer shape of the container rear wall, a cartridge.

3. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the first concavo-convex portions and a plurality of the second concavo-convex portions are provided respectively, a cartridge.

Images