Cartridges and Printing Systems

Abstract

To provide a technology of preventing an unexpected ink leakage in a cartridge, since such an unexpected ink leakage may occur when a vicinity of a liquid supply port is damaged due to external impact or the like at the time of handling the cartridge.SOLUTION: Provided is a cartridge mounted on a cartridge mounting part of a printing device including a liquid introduction part for receiving liquid. The cartridge includes: a liquid storage part that stores liquid; a bottom wall arranged with a liquid supply part connected with the liquid introduction part to supply liquid; and a rib formed in the bottom wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to cartridges and printing systems. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there has been known a printing system that includes a cartridge provided with a liquid supply port and a printing device to which the cartridge is detachably attached (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 098287 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If the area around the liquid supply port is damaged by an external impact or the like when handling the cartridge, there is a risk of unexpected ink leakage. Also, even in a configuration in which two consecutive operations are performed—inserting the cartridge horizontally into a cartridge holder of a printing device, then rotating the cartridge in the direction of gravity to attach it to the cartridge holder—if the cartridge is misaligned from its intended position during each operation, it may be mis-attached, which could result in unexpected ink leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge to be mounted in a cartridge mounting section of a printing device having a liquid introduction section for receiving a liquid, the cartridge including a liquid storage section for storing the liquid, a bottom wall on which a liquid supply section for connecting to the liquid introduction section and supplying the liquid is disposed, and a rib formed on the bottom wall.

[0006] (2) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a printing system including the cartridge of the above aspect and a printing device having the cartridge mounting section. (3) According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge to be mounted in a cartridge mounting portion of a printing device having a liquid introduction portion for receiving a liquid. The cartridge includes a liquid storage portion for storing the liquid, a liquid supply portion connected to the liquid introduction portion for supplying the liquid, and a rib located on the opposite side of the liquid supply portion from an insertion direction of the cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion and protruding further in the supply direction than a liquid supply port of the liquid supply portion. The rib protrudes in a direction intersecting with the insertion direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating the process of mounting a cartridge to a cartridge mounting portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating the installation process. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a mounted state in which the cartridge has been completely mounted in the cartridge mounting portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a view of the cartridge mounting section as seen from the +Z direction side. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of region R7 in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a first-type cartridge. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first type cartridge. [Figure 10] 10 is an enlarged view showing a part of the bottom wall facing in the opposite direction to the insertion direction. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view for explaining a rib. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the protruding size of a rib. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the cartridge is placed on the desk. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cartridge being mounted horizontally. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cartridge after it has been horizontally mounted. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cartridge being mounted vertically. [Figure 17]10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional relationship between a yoke portion and a yoke engaging portion. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 22] 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the yoke portion and the yoke engaging portion in another embodiment 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] A. Implementation: A-1. Printing system configuration: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a printing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 depicts three mutually orthogonal spatial axes, the X, Y, and Z axes. The directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows indicate the positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The positive directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the +X direction, +Y direction, and +Z direction, respectively. The directions opposite to the directions of the X, Y, and Z arrows are the negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, respectively. The negative directions along the X, Y, and Z axes are referred to as the -X direction, -Y direction, and -Z direction, respectively. The directions along the X, Y, and Z axes, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, are referred to as the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, respectively. This also applies to the following figures and descriptions.

[0009] The printing system 1 includes a printing device 10 and a cartridge 4 that supplies liquid ink to the printing device 10 .

[0010] The printing device 10 of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that ejects ink as a liquid from an ejection head 22. This printing device 10 is a large printer that prints on large-sized paper (A2 to A0, etc.) such as posters. The printing device 10 includes a cartridge mounting unit 6, a control unit 31, a carriage 20, an ejection head 22, and a drive mechanism 30. The printing device 10 also includes operation buttons 15 that allow the user to operate the operation of the printing device 10.

[0011] 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 that is an entrance / exit to the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge 4. The cartridge 4 is stored in the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 and removed from the storage chamber 61 through this insertion / removal opening 674. A plurality of cartridges 4 are detachably mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. In this embodiment, four types of cartridges 4, one for each of the four colors of ink, black, yellow, magenta, and cyan, i.e., a total of four cartridges 4, are mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6. The cartridge 4 that stores black ink is also referred to as cartridge 4K, the cartridge 4 that stores yellow ink is also referred to as cartridge 4Y, the cartridge 4 that stores magenta ink is also referred to as cartridge 4M, and the cartridge 4 that stores cyan ink is also referred to as cartridge 4C. In this embodiment, the cartridge 4K is configured to store more liquid than the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y. Therefore, the cartridge 4K is also called a first-type cartridge 4A, and the cartridges 4C, 4M, and 4Y are also called second-type cartridges 4B.

[0012] The printing device 10 has a replacement cover 13 on the front side in the +Y direction. When the +Z direction side of the replacement cover 13 is tilted forward in the +Y direction, the opening of the cartridge mounting section 6 appears, making it possible to attach and detach the cartridge 4. When the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge mounting section 6, ink can be supplied to the ejection head 22 provided on the carriage 20 via a tube 24 serving as a liquid circulation pipe. In this embodiment, ink is supplied from the cartridge 4 to the ejection head 22 by utilizing a water head difference. Specifically, Cartridge 4 The ink is supplied to the ejection head 22 by the head difference between the ink level in the cartridge 4 and the ejection head 22. Note that in another embodiment, the ink may be supplied to the ejection head 22 by sucking the ink in the cartridge 4 using a pump mechanism (not shown) of the printing device 10. Note that a tube 24 is provided for each type of ink. Here, the state in which the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge attachment portion 6 and ink as a liquid can be supplied to the printing device 10 is also referred to as the "attached state."

[0013] The ejection head 22 is provided with a nozzle for each type of ink. The ejection head 22 ejects ink from the nozzles onto the printing paper 2 to print data such as characters and images. In this embodiment, the printing device 10 is a so-called "off-carriage type" printer, in which the cartridge mounting unit 6 is not linked to the movement of the carriage 20. The technology disclosed herein can also be applied to so-called "on-carriage type" printers, in which the cartridge mounting unit 6 is provided on the carriage 20 and moves together with the carriage 20.

[0014] The control unit 31 controls each unit of the printing device 10 and exchanges signals with the cartridge 4. The carriage 20 moves the ejection head 22 relative to the printing paper 2.

[0015] The drive mechanism 30 reciprocates the carriage 20 based on control signals from the control unit 31. The drive mechanism 30 includes a timing belt 32 and a drive motor 34. By transmitting power from the drive motor 34 to the carriage 20 via the timing belt 32, the carriage 20 moves back and forth in the main scanning direction, which is along the X direction. The printing device 10 also includes a transport mechanism for moving the print paper 2 in the sub-scanning direction, which is the +Y direction. When printing is performed, the print paper 2 is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the transport mechanism, and the print paper 2 after printing is output onto the front cover 11.

[0016] Furthermore, an area called a home position is provided outside the printing area when the carriage 20 is moved in the main scanning direction, and a maintenance mechanism is mounted at the home position to perform maintenance to ensure normal printing. The maintenance mechanism is made up of a cap member 8 that is pressed against the surface on the bottom side of the ejection head 22 on which the nozzles are formed, forming a closed space surrounding the nozzles, an elevating mechanism (not shown) that raises and lowers the cap member 8 to press it against the nozzle surface of the ejection head 22, and a suction pump (not shown) that introduces negative pressure into the closed space formed by pressing the cap member 8 against the nozzle surface of the ejection head 22.

[0017] In this embodiment, when the printing system 1 is in use, the axis along the sub-scanning direction in which the print paper 2 is transported is defined as the Y axis, the axis along the direction of gravity is defined as the Z axis, and the axis along the movement direction of the carriage 20 is defined as the X axis. Here, the "usage state of the printing system 1" refers to a state in which the printing system 1 is installed on a horizontal surface. In this embodiment, the sub-scanning direction is defined as the +Y direction, the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction, the direction of gravity is defined as the -Z direction, and the direction opposite to gravity is defined as the +Z direction. The X and Y directions are horizontal. When viewing the printing system 1 from the front, the direction from right to left is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. In this embodiment, the insertion direction of the cartridge 4 into the cartridge mounting portion 6 for installation is defined as the -Y direction, and the direction in which the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 is defined as the +Y direction. Therefore, the -Y side of the cartridge mounting portion 6 is also referred to as the rear side, and the +Y side is also referred to as the front side. In this embodiment, the arrangement direction of the multiple cartridges 4 is defined as the X direction.

[0018] A-2. Cartridge installation process and installation status: Fig. 2 is a first diagram illustrating the process of mounting the cartridge 4 to the cartridge mounting portion 6. Fig. 3 is a second diagram illustrating the mounting process. Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating the mounted state after the cartridge 4 has been mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0019] The mounting process is composed of a terminal connection process and a supply unit connection process that follows the terminal connection process. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal connection process is a process in which the cartridge 4 is moved in the insertion direction D1, which is the -Y direction, through the insertion / removal opening 674 of the first device wall 67 and inserted into the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting unit 6, thereby bringing into contact and electrically connecting the device-side terminals (described later) of the cartridge mounting unit 6 with the cartridge-side terminals (described later) of the cartridge 4. The insertion direction D1 is parallel to the horizontal direction. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the supply unit connection process is a process in which a liquid introduction section (described later) of the cartridge mounting unit 6 is connected to a liquid supply section (described later) of the cartridge 4 while maintaining the electrical connection between the device-side terminals and the cartridge-side terminals. Specifically, in the supply unit connection process, the rear of the cartridge 4 is rotated around a rotation fulcrum 698 of the cartridge mounting unit 6. wall The liquid introduction section and the liquid supply section are connected by rotating the cartridge 47 side in the connecting direction D2 shown by the arrow. In the mounted state shown in Fig. 4, the cartridge 4 is held in the mounted state by being engaged with an engagement formation body 677 provided on the first device wall 67 side of the cartridge mounting section 6.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, when removing the cartridge 4 from the cartridge mounting portion 6, the user lifts the rear wall 47 side of the cartridge 4, and rotates the cartridge 4 backward in the disconnection direction D3, which is the opposite direction to the connection direction D2, about the rotation fulcrum 698. wall 47 is rotated. During this rotation, the engagement by the engagement formation body 677 is released. After the cartridge 4 is rotated in the connection release direction D3 and reaches the state shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge 4 is removed from the cartridge mounting portion 6 by moving the cartridge 4 in the +Y direction, which is the removal direction.

[0021] A-3.Detailed explanation of cartridge installation status: 5 is a view of the cartridge mounting portion 6 as seen from the +Z direction side. VI - VI5 is a cross-sectional view. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of region R7 in Fig. 6. In Fig. 5, cartridge 4K is mounted in cartridge mounting portion 6. The mounted state of cartridge 4 will be described using Figs. 5 to 7. The mounted state is the same for cartridges 4C, 4M, 4Y, and 4K.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6 , the cartridge mounting portion 6 has a support member 610 that forms the bottom wall of the storage chamber 61. The support member 610 supports the cartridge 4 from below. When the cartridge 4 is inserted into the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, the support member 610 supports the cartridge 4 from the −Z direction side. Furthermore, when the cartridge 4 is mounted in the storage chamber 61 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, the liquid supply portion 442 of the cartridge 4 and the liquid introduction portion 642 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 are connected. As a result, the liquid contained in the liquid storage portion 450 of the cartridge 4 is supplied to the liquid introduction portion 642 via the liquid supply portion 442. Furthermore, in this embodiment, while the liquid is supplied from the liquid supply portion 442 to the liquid introduction portion 642, air contained in the liquid storage portion 699 of the cartridge mounting portion 6 becomes bubbles, which flow through the liquid introduction portion 642 and the liquid supply portion 442 and then into the liquid storage portion 450. As a result, gas-liquid exchange in the liquid storage portion 450 is performed. In another embodiment, the cartridge 4 may have an atmosphere communication passage that connects the liquid storage portion 450 with the outside, and gas-liquid exchange may occur via this atmosphere communication passage. The atmosphere communication passage is located at a position different from the liquid supply portion 442, and is formed in, for example, a wall that forms the liquid storage portion 450.

[0023] The liquid introduction portion 642 receives the liquid supplied from the cartridge 4. The liquid introduction portion 642 is a cylindrical member and has an internal flow path through which the liquid flows. The liquid introduction portion 642 has a base end 642a and a tip end 642b. An opening that communicates with the introduction portion flow path, which is an internal flow path, is formed in the tip end 642b, and ink from the liquid supply portion 442 flows into the introduction portion flow path through this opening. The base end 642a is connected to a liquid storage portion 699, and causes ink that has flowed through the introduction portion flow path to flow into the liquid storage portion 699. The liquid storage portion 699 is located on the -Z direction side of the accommodation chamber 61. The liquid storage portion 699 communicates with the ejection head 22 via the tube 24 shown in FIG. 1. As described above, the liquid introduction portion 642 communicates with the ejection head 22 via the liquid storage portion 699 and the tube 24. The central axis CA1 of the liquid introduction part 642 is parallel to the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply part 442 in the attached state and is inclined with respect to the Z direction. In other words, the direction along the central axis CA1, which is the direction in which the liquid introduction part 642 extends, intersects with the insertion direction of the cartridge 4. The central axis CA2 of the liquid supply part 442 is the direction along which the liquid supply part 442 extends.

[0024] 7, when the cartridge 4 is attached, the circuit board 50 of the cartridge 4 and the device-side terminal section 70 of the cartridge attachment section 6 come into contact with each other and are thereby electrically connected. The device-side terminal section 70 is held by a holding mechanism 73. The device-side terminal section 70 has a plurality of device-side terminals 721, a terminal holding section 750, and a connector 739.

[0025] In this embodiment, nine device-side terminals 721 are provided. Each of the device-side terminals 721 is a conductive metal plate member. The device-side terminal 721 has a terminal rotation fulcrum Rp, and the portion of the device-side terminal 721 that contacts the cartridge-side terminal 521 of the circuit board 50, which is the end portion, can elastically deform around the terminal rotation fulcrum Rp. The elastic deformation occurs in the Y and Z directions. The terminal holder 750 holds the device-side terminals 721. The connector 739 is electrically connected to the device-side terminals 721. The connector 739 is also electrically connected to the control unit 31 of the printing device 10 by wiring (not shown). This enables data communication between the circuit board 50 and the control unit 31.

[0026] The holding mechanism 73 has a biasing member 780 and an attachment member 782. The biasing member 780 is configured by a coil spring. The attachment member 782 has the biasing member 780 disposed inside it. The device-side terminal portion 70 is attached to the attachment member 782. The biasing member 780 is compressed when the cartridge 4 has been completely inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6. As a result, the biasing member 780 applies an external force Fa to the device-side terminal portion 70 via the attachment member 782 in a direction toward the first device wall 67, that is, the removal direction of the cartridge 4. The external force Fa presses the device-side terminal portion 70 against the circuit board 50, thereby maintaining good contact between the device-side terminals 721 and the cartridge-side terminals 521.

[0027] As described above, the holding mechanism 73 holds the device-side terminal portion 70 so that it can be displaced in the direction along the insertion direction of the cartridge 4. Furthermore, one end of the urging member 780 on the device-side terminal portion 70 side is configured to be slightly movable in the X and Z directions that intersect with the insertion direction. As a result, the device-side terminal portion 70 is held by the holding mechanism 73 so that it can be slightly movable in the X and Z directions that intersect with the insertion direction.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, during the supply unit connection process, the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644, which is a protrusion on the cartridge mounting portion 6, fits into the recessed supply unit positioning portion 448 of the cartridge 4, thereby restricting movement of the liquid supply unit 442 that intersects with the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply unit 442. This positions the liquid supply unit 442 relative to the liquid introduction portion 642. The apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 has one end 644a and the other end 644b. The one end 644a is located on the liquid storage portion 699 side. The one end 644a is located closer to the storage chamber 61 than the other end 644b.

[0029] When the cartridge 4 is attached, the main wall 613 forming the bottom of the support member 610 is inclined with respect to the Y direction. Specifically, the main wall 613 of the support member 610 is inclined so as to be positioned lower in the -Z direction as it moves toward the +Y axis direction. This main wall 613 is parallel to the Y direction in the initial arrangement state of the cartridge attachment portion 6 when the cartridge 4 is not attached.

[0030] The cartridge mounting portion 6 has a biasing member 625 that applies an external force Ft1 to the support member 610 to return the support member 610 to its initial position when the cartridge 4 is mounted. The biasing member 625 is a coil spring provided between the support member 610 and the liquid storage portion 699, and is compressed when the cartridge is mounted. When compressed, the biasing member 625 applies an external force Ft1 having a +Z direction component to the support member 610. Meanwhile, when the cartridge 4 is mounted, the cartridge engaging portion 497 of the cartridge 4 engages with a mounting engaging portion 697 of the cartridge mounting portion 6, thereby maintaining the mounted state. The mounting engaging portion 697 is formed on an engaging formation body 677 that is located on the first device wall 67 side of the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0031] 6, when the support member 610 is pushed down in the connection direction D2 around the rotation fulcrum 698, the liquid supply portion 442 is pushed down and connected to the liquid introduction portion 642. When the support member 610 is pushed up in the connection release direction D3 around the rotation fulcrum 698, the liquid supply portion 442 is pushed up and separated from the liquid introduction portion 642, and the connection between the liquid supply portion 442 and the liquid introduction portion 642 is released.

[0032] A-4. Detailed configuration of Cartridge 4: FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the first-type cartridge 4A. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the first-type cartridge 4A. The difference between the first-type cartridge 4A and the second-type cartridge 4B shown in FIG. 1 is the volume of the liquid storage section 450. Specifically, the width of the liquid storage body 401 (described later) of the first-type cartridge 4A is larger than the width of the liquid storage body 401 of the second-type cartridge 4B, resulting in the difference in volume of the liquid storage section 450. Other components, such as the adapter 402 serving as the arrangement section, are the same between the first-type cartridge 4A and the second-type cartridge 4B. Therefore, the detailed configuration of the cartridge 4 will be described below using the first-type cartridge 4A. Note that hereinafter, the first-type cartridge 4A will also be simply referred to as the cartridge 4. In the drawings showing the cartridge 4, the X, Y, and Z directions are based on the state in which the terminal connection process is completed, as shown in FIG. 3, in which the cartridge 4 has been inserted into the cartridge mounting section 6. That is, in the drawings showing the cartridge 4, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are based on the state before the supply unit connecting process in which the support member 610 is rotationally moved.

[0033] As shown in Figure 9, the cartridge 4 has an outer shape that is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped. In the cartridge 4, the direction along the -Y direction, which is the insertion direction 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 longitudinal dimension is the largest and the short side dimension is the smallest.

[0034] The cartridge 4 includes a cartridge body 41 and a circuit board 50 shown in FIG. 7 attached to the cartridge body 41. In this embodiment, the cartridge body 41 is made up of two members as shown in FIG. 8. In detail, the cartridge body 41 includes a liquid container 401 and an adapter 402 as a placement part attached to the liquid container 401 by fitting. Note that in other embodiments, the cartridge body 41 may be a single unit.

[0035] The liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 are each molded by, for example, injection molding synthetic resin such as polypropylene. The liquid container 401 and the adapter 402 may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9 , the cartridge body 41 has a front wall 42, a rear wall 47, an upper wall 43, a bottom wall 44, a first side wall 45 as a side wall, a second side wall 46 as a side wall, and a corner portion 89. The walls 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47 are also referred to as faces 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47. The front wall 42 and the rear wall 47 face each other in the Y direction, which is the insertion direction. The upper wall 43 and the bottom wall 44 face each other in the Z direction. The Z direction is parallel to the central axis CA2, which is aligned with the extension direction of the liquid supply portion 442. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 face each other in the X direction.

[0037] The front wall 42 is located on the insertion direction D1 side in which the cartridge 4 is inserted into the mounting portion 6. In other words, the front wall 42 forms an insertion tip surface on the -Y direction side, which is the insertion direction D1 side. The rear wall 47 forms a surface on the +Y direction side, which is the removal direction. The top 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 gravity direction side, in the mounted state, and forms a connection tip surface in the connection direction D2 shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the bottom wall 44 is located on the connection direction D2 side. The bottom wall 44 intersects with the front wall 42 and the rear wall 47. An opening 446 through which the liquid introduction portion 642 is inserted is formed in the bottom wall 44. When the cartridge 4 is viewed from the bottom wall 44 side, the opening 446 and the liquid supply portion 442 are in a positional relationship where they overlap. In this embodiment, the liquid supply portion 442 is disposed so that the central axis CA2 of the liquid supply portion 442 passes through the opening 446. As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom wall 44 faces the supply portion tip 442a of the liquid supply portion 442 in the Z direction.

[0038] The first side wall 45 is located on the -X direction side, and the second side wall 46 is located on the +X direction side. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 intersect with the front wall 42, the rear wall 47, the top wall 43, and the bottom wall 44, respectively. The first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46 each extend along the insertion direction D1. A corner portion 89 is provided at the corner where the front wall 42 and the bottom wall 44 intersect. The corner portion 89 has a terminal arrangement portion 90 that is recessed inward. The circuit board 50 shown in FIG. 7 is attached to this terminal arrangement portion 90.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8, the liquid container 401 has a liquid container portion 450 that contains liquid, and a liquid supply portion 442. The liquid supply portion 442 is a cylindrical member that protrudes from the container bottom wall 431 of the liquid container 401, which faces the top wall 43. In the attached state, the liquid supply portion 442 is connected to the liquid introduction portion 642, and supplies the liquid in the liquid container portion 450 to the ejection head 22 of the printing device 10 via the liquid introduction portion 642. As shown in Fig. 9, the liquid supply portion 442 has a supply portion tip portion 442a as a tip portion that forms an opening through which the liquid is led out to the outside.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 8 , the adapter 402 serving as the placement section includes an adapter front wall 82 serving as the placement section front wall, an adapter rear wall 87 serving as the placement section rear wall, an adapter bottom wall 84 serving as the placement section bottom wall, a first adapter side wall 85 serving as the first placement section side wall, and a second adapter side wall 86 serving as the second placement section side wall. The adapter front wall 82 constitutes a part of the front wall 42 and forms an insertion tip surface on the -Y direction side, which is the insertion direction. The adapter rear wall 87 constitutes 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 with the adapter front wall 82 and the adapter rear wall 87.

[0041] The first adapter side wall 85 intersects with 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-like 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 short side direction of the adapter 402. The second adapter side wall 86 intersects with 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-like wall that rises from the adapter bottom wall 84 toward the liquid container 401.

[0042] The adaptor 402 has a concave shape with the adaptor bottom wall 84 as its bottom. The side of the adaptor 402 facing the adaptor bottom wall 84 is open, and a liquid supply unit 442 is disposed inside the adaptor 402 through this opening. The portion of the adaptor 402 where the liquid supply unit 442 is disposed is also referred to as a supply unit mounting portion 831. As shown in FIG. 9 , the adaptor bottom wall 84 has an opening 446, through which the liquid introduction unit 642 is inserted, at a position opposite the supply unit tip end 442a.

[0043] 9, the adapter 402 as an arrangement unit further includes an attachment element 700 that cooperates with the cartridge attachment unit 6 during at least one of an attachment process in which the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge attachment unit 6 of the printing device 10 and an attached state in which the cartridge 4 is attached to the cartridge attachment unit 6. The attachment element 700 mechanically cooperates with the cartridge attachment unit 6 by, for example, contacting, engaging with, or being inserted into the cartridge attachment unit 6. The attachment element 700 includes a cartridge-side identification member 430, a cartridge guide portion 447, a supply unit positioning portion 448, a cartridge engaging portion 497, and the circuit board 50 shown in FIG.

[0044] The cartridge-side identification member 430 shown in FIG. 9 is provided on the end of the bottom wall 44 on the front wall 42 side. The cartridge-side identification member 430 is composed of protrusions. The pattern shape of the cartridge-side identification member 430 is determined by the number and positions of the protrusions. The pattern shape differs depending on the type of cartridge 4, i.e., the color of the liquid contained therein. During the cartridge 4 installation process, if 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 them.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the cartridge guide portion 447 extends along the insertion direction D1. For ease of understanding, the cartridge guide portion 447 is single-hatched in FIG. 9. The cartridge guide portion 447 extends along the insertion direction D1 from a portion where the corner portion 89 is located to a portion where the opening 446 is located. That is, in the width direction of the cartridge 4, the first cartridge guide portion 447a is located on one side of the opening 446, and the second cartridge guide portion 447b is located on the other side of the 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. The cartridge guide portion 447 is formed on the first side wall 45 and the second side wall 46, specifically, on the first adapter side wall 85 and the second adapter side wall 86.

[0046] The cartridge guide portion 447 is formed by a step on each of the first adapter side wall 85 and the second adapter side wall 86. In other words, the width of the cartridge 4 is smaller at a portion including the bottom wall 44 than at another portion that is farther away from the bottom wall 44. This forms the step that forms the cartridge guide portion 447. 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 referred to as a first cartridge guide portion 447a.

[0047] When the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion 6, the +Z direction surface of the device guide portion 602 comes into contact with the cartridge guide portion 447, thereby guiding the movement of the cartridge 4 in the insertion direction D1 while maintaining the orientation of the cartridge 4. In the process of inserting the cartridge 4 into the storage chamber 61, the +Z direction surface of the first device guide portion 602a comes into contact with the first cartridge guide portion 447a, and the +Z direction surface of the second device guide portion 602b comes into contact with the second cartridge guide portion (not shown).

[0048] The supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 during the attachment process, and positions the liquid supply unit 442 relative to the liquid introduction portion 642. Specifically, during the supply unit connection process of the attachment process, the supply unit positioning portion 448 receives the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and restricts movement of the supply unit positioning portion 448 in a direction intersecting with the connection direction D2, thereby positioning the liquid supply unit 442 relative to the liquid introduction portion 642. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is a recess formed in the bottom wall 44 and recessed from the outer surface of the bottom wall 44. The supply unit positioning portion 448 is located between the opening 446 and the bottom wall 444. Adapter rear wall 87 In another embodiment, the supply unit positioning portion 448 may be a hole that penetrates the bottom wall 44.

[0049] The cartridge engaging portion 497 is provided on the rear wall 47, more specifically, on 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 on the adapter rear wall 87 near the end portion that intersects with the adapter bottom wall 84. As shown in FIG. 6 , in the mounted state, the cartridge engaging portion 497 engages with the mounting engaging portion 697 as the mounting engaging portion 697 fits into the cartridge engaging portion 497. This engagement maintains the mounted state of the cartridge 4 in the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0050] 8 and 9, which is provided on the adapter 402. The circuit board 50 has cartridge-side terminals 521 that come into contact with the device-side terminals 721 shown in FIG.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 9 , the cartridge 4 further includes a first attachment portion 54 and a second attachment portion 55. The first attachment portion 54 and the second attachment portion 55 are each portions for releasably attaching a film (not shown) to the adapter bottom wall 84 by heat welding, adhesive, or the like. The first attachment portion 54 and the second attachment portion 55 are each a protrusion provided on the adapter bottom wall 84. The first attachment portion 54 is formed so as to surround the opening 446. The second attachment portion 55 is formed so as to surround the supply unit positioning portion 448 except for the side facing the opening 446. Note that the first attachment portion 54 and the second attachment portion 55 are deformed or disappear when the film (not shown) is heat-sealed, and the protrusion shape is lost.

[0052] Figure 10 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the bottom wall 44 in the direction opposite to the insertion direction D1. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cartridge 4 further includes a rib 500. The rib 500 is a protrusion formed on the adapter bottom wall 84. The rib 500 is located on the opposite side of the supply unit tip 442a in the insertion direction D1. The rib 500 protrudes in the -Z direction, which is the supply direction side, beyond the opening 446, which is the liquid supply port of the liquid supply unit 442.

[0053] FIG. 11 is an enlarged view for explaining the rib 500. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the rib 500 has a rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 and a triangular prism portion 520. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 is a convex portion having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 pushes a lever formed on the cartridge mounting portion 6 in the insertion direction D1. The lever is a yoke portion 900, which will be described later in this embodiment. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 pushes the yoke portion 900 to release the restriction between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 910. Details will be described later. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 is formed on the insertion direction D1 side of the rib 500.

[0054] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the protrusion size of the rib 500. In this embodiment, the protrusion size of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 toward the supply direction side is 3 mm (millimeters) from the opening 446 of the supply unit tip 442a. The length of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the insertion direction D1 is 4.6 mm. The length of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction, is 2.5 mm. The protrusion size of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 toward the supply direction side is not limited to 3 mm from the opening 446 of the supply unit tip 442a, but may be 3.5 mm. The protrusion size of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 toward the supply direction side is only required to be 0.5 mm or more. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, the protrusion size of the rib 500 toward the supply direction side is only required to be 4 mm or less. If the protrusion size of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 toward the supply direction side is less than 0.5 mm, there is a possibility that the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 will not be caught on the end Eg of the latch portion 900, which is on the side opposite to the supply direction, and will not be able to be pushed. Furthermore, the length of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the insertion direction and the length in the X-axis direction, which is the width direction of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, are not limited to 4.6 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively, and may be any size that can be molded.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 11 , the triangular prism-shaped portion 520 contacts the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 on the side opposite the insertion direction. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 is a prism-shaped portion having a triangular shape when viewed in the X-axis direction. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 is larger than the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the supply direction and width direction. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 protects the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 from deformation. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 protrudes from the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the −Z direction, which is the liquid supply direction. This protruding portion is also called a protruding portion 522. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 is wider in the X-axis direction than the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510. The rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 is located at the center of this width. The triangular prism-shaped portion 520 is a convex portion having an inclined surface 524. Inclined surface 524 is a continuous inclined surface from the tip of triangular prism portion 520 in the supply direction to the end of adapter bottom wall 84 on the +Y direction side, which is the side opposite the insertion direction. By forming such inclined surface 524, when cartridge 4 is mounted vertically, mounting engagement portion 697 slides upward along inclined surface 524, thereby reducing the load and suppressing a rattle during mounting.

[0056] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the cartridge 4 placed on the desk DE. Even if the cartridge 4 is dropped onto the desk DE in the orientation shown in FIG. 13 due to an external impact or other reason, the protruding portion 522 of the triangular prism portion 520 contacts the desk DE, preventing the opening 446 from coming into contact with the desk DE and being damaged. This prevents unexpected ink leakage. Furthermore, as described above, the triangular prism portion 520 is larger than the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in both the supply direction and width direction. This protects the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 and prevents deformation of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510. Preventing deformation of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in this manner ensures that the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 presses the latch portion 900 when the cartridge 4 is inserted horizontally. Details will be described later.

[0057] A-5. Cartridge installation process and latch explanation: FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the installation of the cartridge 4 in the middle of horizontal installation. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the installation of the cartridge 4 after horizontal installation. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the installation of the cartridge 4 in the middle of vertical installation. As shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 and 6, installation of the cartridge 4 is completed in the order of FIGS. 14, 15, 16, and 6. The liquid supply portion 442 extends downward when the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge installation portion 6. The cartridge installation portion 6 has a latch portion 900 and a latch engagement portion 910.

[0058] The yoke portion 900 is biased upward by a biasing member such as a spring (not shown) and is in the position shown in Figure 19. When the cartridge 4 is mounted horizontally, the yoke portion 900 rotates and moves in the YZ directions as shown in Figure 20. When the cartridge 4 is mounted vertically or removed, the yoke portion 900 can move up and down in the Z-axis direction. As shown in Figure 21, the yoke portion 900 moves downward as the cartridge 4 moves downward, which is the supply direction.

[0059] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 910. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the yoke portion 900. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the yoke portion 900 includes a thin plate-like member 901 and a rotation pin 902 inserted into a through-hole formed in the member in the thickness direction. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the plate-like member has a general shape with its longitudinal direction generally parallel to the Z-axis direction when viewed in the X-axis direction. The plate-like member also includes, near the -Z-direction end, a restricting protrusion Ju that protrudes significantly in the -Y direction and a small protrusion in the +Y direction. In this embodiment, the yoke portion 900 is made of polypropylene. The yoke portion 900 is not limited to polypropylene and may be made of other plastics.

[0060] Figure 19 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 14. As shown in Figure 19, the yoke portion 900 is disposed in a position where it is pressed by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 when the cartridge 4 is inserted in the insertion direction. The end Eg of the yoke portion 900 opposite the supply direction is pressed by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510. The yoke portion 900 serves to prevent the cartridge 4 from shifting position when the cartridge 4 is installed horizontally and vertically. Details will be described later.

[0061] 15. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 6. The yoke engagement portion 910 shown in FIG. 17 and FIGS. 19 to 21 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view with the X-axis direction as its longitudinal direction. As shown on the left side of FIG. 17 and in FIG. 19, the yoke engagement portion 910 is disposed at a position where it can be regulated by the yoke portion 900. Specifically, when the yoke portion 900 is in the position shown on the left side of FIG. 17 and in FIG. 19, the yoke engagement portion 910 can be regulated in the Z-axis direction (the supply direction and the opposite direction) by the regulating protrusion Ju, which is the tip of the yoke portion 900 in the -Y direction, at the engagement portion end Ju10, which is the end on the +Y direction side. In other words, the regulating protrusion Ju -Z Movement in the direction (supply direction) is restricted.

[0062] The end Eg of the yoke portion 900 in the direction opposite to the supply direction (+Z direction) is pushed in the insertion direction (-Y direction) by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, so that, as shown on the right side of FIG. 17 and in FIG. 20, the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 91017 and 20, the yoke engaging portion 910 is released from the restriction in the Z-axis direction by the restricting protrusion Ju, which is the tip of the yoke portion 900 in the -Y direction, at the engaging portion end Ju10, which is the end on the +Y direction side. When the yoke portion 900 is released from the restriction by the yoke engaging portion 910, the restriction on movement in the supply direction, i.e., downward movement, is released. The released restriction state occurs when the cartridge 4 is pushed in the insertion direction (-Y direction) and cannot be pushed any further in the insertion direction, as shown in FIG. 20. In other words, this is a state in which the cartridge 4 has been pushed as far as it can be inserted in the insertion direction. As the cartridge 4 is pushed in the insertion direction (-Y direction), the supply unit positioning portion 448 slides in the insertion direction (-Y direction), and as shown in FIG. 20, the position of the supply unit positioning portion 448 and the position of the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 coincide in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, when the cartridge 4 is pushed as far as possible in the insertion direction (-Y direction), the downward restriction on the yoke portion 900 is released, and the cartridge 4 can move downward while pushing the yoke portion 900 downward. Furthermore, the positions of the apparatus-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and the supply unit positioning portion 448 coincide in the Z-axis direction, allowing the cartridge 4 to be fitted. More specifically, when the cartridge 4 is vertically mounted and moves downward in the supply direction, the yoke portion 900 also moves downward as the cartridge 4 moves downward, as shown in FIG. 21. Furthermore, the mounting engagement portion 697 moves upward along the inclined surface 524 and engages with the cartridge engagement portion 497. In this way, the cartridge 4 is prevented from being displaced and the normal installation of the cartridge 4 is completed.

[0063] The "opening 446" in this embodiment corresponds to the "liquid supply port" in the claims. Furthermore, the "rectangular parallelepiped portion 510" in this embodiment corresponds to the "first protrusion" in the claims. Furthermore, the "triangular prism portion 520" in this embodiment corresponds to the "second protrusion" in the claims. Furthermore, the "yoke portion 900" in this embodiment corresponds to the "lever" in the claims, and the "yoke engagement portion 910" corresponds to the "lever engagement portion" in the claims.

[0064] According to the above embodiment, the adapter bottom wall 84 is formed with the rib 500 that protrudes in the supply direction, which can prevent damage to the vicinity of the opening 446 due to external impacts when handling the cartridge 4, for example, when placing the cartridge 4 on a table. This can prevent unexpected ink leakage.

[0065] Furthermore, rib 500 is located on the opposite side of insertion direction D1 with respect to liquid supply part 442, and protrudes further toward the supply direction than opening 446, which is a liquid supply port of liquid supply part 442. Therefore, by clearly indicating the position of rib 500 and the protruding direction of rib 500, the effect of rib 500 in suppressing damage to the vicinity of opening 446 of liquid supply part 442 can be made more pronounced.

[0066] Furthermore, the protrusion size of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 in the supply direction side is 3 mm from the opening 446 of the supply portion tip end 442a. Therefore, the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 can catch on the end Eg of the latch portion 900 on the side opposite to the supply direction and push the end Eg.

[0067] Furthermore, the adapter 402 is further formed with a cartridge guide portion 447 that extends along the insertion direction D1 and is guided in the insertion direction D1 by the cartridge mounting portion 6, so that the cartridge guide portion 447 can be disposed on the adapter 402.

[0068] Furthermore, the rib 500 has a rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 and a triangular prism portion 520 that contacts the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 on the side opposite to the insertion direction D1 relative to the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, thereby specifying the shape of the rib 500.

[0069] Furthermore, because the triangular prism portion 520 protrudes further in the supply direction and width direction than the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, even if the cartridge 4 is dropped onto the desk DE with the protruding portion 522 facing downward due to an external impact or the like, the protruding portion 522 of the triangular prism portion 520 will come into contact with the desk DE. This prevents the opening 446 from coming into contact with the desk or the like and being damaged, thereby preventing unexpected ink leakage.

[0070] Furthermore, the triangular prism portion 520 further has an inclined surface 524 that continues from the tip in the supply direction to the end portion of the adapter bottom wall 84 on the opposite side, so that when the cartridge 4 is mounted vertically, the mounting engagement portion 697 slides upward along the inclined surface 524, thereby reducing the load and suppressing the feeling of rattling when mounted.

[0071] In addition, when the cartridge 4 is inserted in the insertion direction D1, the rib 500 pushes the latch portion 900 formed in the cartridge mounting portion 6 in the insertion direction D1, thereby demonstrating the function of the rib 500 of the cartridge 4 when it is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 6.

[0072] Furthermore, when the yoke portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction D1, the restriction between the yoke portion 900 formed in the cartridge mounting portion 6 and the yoke engagement portion 910 arranged in a regulating position is released, thereby realizing a change in the degree of restriction between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 910 when the yoke portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction D1.

[0073] Furthermore, a printing system including the cartridge 4 and the printing device 10 having the cartridge mounting section 6 can be realized.

[0074] Furthermore, the insertion direction D1 is parallel to the horizontal direction, and the direction in which the liquid supply section 442 extends is downward when the cartridge 4 is inserted into the cartridge mounting section 6, thereby improving the operability of the cartridge 4 while reducing the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid storage section 450 without being consumed.

[0075] In addition, the cartridge mounting portion 6 has a latch portion 900 at a position where it is pressed by the rib 500 when the cartridge 4 is inserted in the insertion direction D1, so that the latch portion 900 is reliably pressed by the rib 500 when the cartridge 4 is inserted in the insertion direction D1.

[0076] Furthermore, the cartridge mounting section 6 further includes a yoke engagement portion 910 that is disposed at a position where it can be regulated by the yoke portion 900 and that regulates downward movement of the yoke portion 900 when regulated by the yoke portion 900. When the yoke portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction D1 by the rib 500, the regulation by the yoke engagement portion 910 is released and the cartridge 4 moves downward as the cartridge 4 moves downward. When the yoke portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction D1 by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 and the regulation by the yoke engagement portion 910 is released, the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and the supply unit positioning portion 448 can be fitted together in the Z-axis direction. Conversely, when the regulation by the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 910 is not released, the yoke portion 900 cannot move downward, and therefore the cartridge 4 cannot move downward. Furthermore, when the restriction between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engaging portion 910 is not released, the position of the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and the position of the supply unit positioning portion 448 do not match in the Z-axis direction, and they cannot be fitted together. This prevents the user from lowering the cartridge 4 unless the cartridge 4 is inserted to the expected horizontal position. This prevents misalignment of the cartridge 4, i.e., incorrect cartridge installation, and prevents unexpected ink leakage.

[0077] B. Other Embodiments: B-1. Alternative embodiment 1: In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the latch part 900 is own Although the yoke portion 900A is rotatable around a central axis CE in the longitudinal direction, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the yoke portion 900A and the yoke engagement portion 910A in another embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 22, the yoke portion 900A may be rotatable around a central axis CEA at the end in the −Z direction, which is the longitudinal supply direction. In this case, as shown in FIG. 22, the shape of the yoke portion 900A and its positional relationship with the yoke engagement portion 910A are configured by inverting the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engagement portion 910 shown in FIG. 17 by 180 degrees. Note that the length from the longest portion of the yoke portion 900A in the insertion direction to the end in the supply direction in FIG. 22 is longer than the length shown in FIG. 17, but may be any length as long as the yoke portion 900A can rotate and be released from the restriction of the yoke engagement portion 910A. Even in this case, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0078] B-2. Alternative embodiment 2: 9 and 10 , in the above embodiment, the rib 500 is formed on the end of the adapter bottom wall 84 opposite the insertion direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The rib 500 does not have to be formed on the end of the adapter bottom wall 84 opposite the insertion direction as long as the rib 500 is positioned so that the latch portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, the restriction with the latch engaging portion 910 is released, and the device-side supply unit positioning portion 644 and the supply unit positioning portion 448 can be fitted together in the Z-axis direction. For example, the rib 500 may be formed between the end of the adapter bottom wall 84 opposite the insertion direction and the supply unit positioning portion 448.

[0079] B-3. Alternative embodiment 3: In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11 , the rib 500 has the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 and the triangular prism-shaped portion 520, but this is not limiting. The rib 500 may have only the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510. Conversely, the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 may be omitted, and the triangular prism-shaped portion 520 may be configured to have only the function of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510. In such a configuration, the end face in the -Y direction of the triangular prism-shaped portion 520 may be moved so that the position of the end face in the -Y direction of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 is the same as the position of the end face in the -Y direction of the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 shown in Fig. 11 .

[0080] B-4. Alternative embodiment 4: 19 to 21, in the above embodiment, the restriction between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engaging portion 910 is released when the yoke portion 900 is pushed in the insertion direction by the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism may be used in which, when the rib 500 enters the cartridge mounting portion 6, a mechanical switch is pressed, releasing the restriction between the yoke portion 900 and the yoke engaging portion 910.

[0081] B-5. Alternative embodiment 5: In the above embodiment, the rectangular parallelepiped portion 510 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but may have a convex portion of any shape. Also, the triangular prism portion 520 has a triangular shape when viewed in the X-axis direction, but may have a convex portion of any shape.

[0082] B-6. Alternative embodiment 6: In the above embodiment, the triangular prism portion 520 had an inclined surface 524 that continued from the tip of the triangular prism portion 520 in the supply direction to the end of the adapter bottom wall 84 on the +Y direction side, which is the side opposite to the insertion direction, but it is not necessary to have such an inclined surface.

[0083] B-7. Alternative Embodiment 7: The present disclosure is not limited to inkjet printers and their ink cartridges, but can also be applied to cartridges installed in any printing device that ejects liquids other than ink. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to various printing devices and their cartridges, such as the following: (1) Image recording devices such as facsimile machines (2) A printing device that sprays color materials used in the manufacture of color filters for image display devices such as liquid crystal displays. (3) A printing device that sprays electrode materials used to form electrodes in organic EL (Electro Luminescence) displays, surface-emitting displays (Field Emission Displays, FEDs), etc. (4) A printing device that sprays liquid containing bioorganic substances used in biochip manufacturing. (5) Sample printing device as a precision pipette (6) Lubricant printing device (7) Resin liquid printing device (8) A printing device that injects lubricating oil into precision machinery such as watches and cameras. (9) A printing device that sprays transparent resin liquid, such as ultraviolet curing resin liquid, onto a substrate to form minute hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements, etc. (10) A printing device that sprays acidic or alkaline etching liquid to etch substrates, etc. (11) A printing device equipped with a liquid ejection head that ejects any other minute amount of liquid droplets.

[0084] The term "droplet" refers to the state of liquid ejected from a printing device, including droplets, tears, and string-like droplets. The term "liquid" as used herein refers to any material that can be ejected by a printing device. For example, "liquid" refers to any material in its liquid phase, including materials with high or low viscosity, as well as liquid materials such as sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, and liquid metals. The term "liquid" also includes not only liquids as a single state of matter, but also particles of functional materials composed of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals, as described in the above embodiments. Here, "ink" encompasses various liquid compositions, such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot-melt inks.

[0085] 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 spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described below can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.

[0086] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cartridge to be mounted in a cartridge mounting section of a printing device having a liquid introduction section that receives liquid. The cartridge includes a liquid storage section that stores liquid, a bottom wall on which a liquid supply section that connects to the liquid introduction section and supplies the liquid is disposed, and a rib formed on the bottom wall. According to this aspect, the rib formed on the bottom wall can prevent damage to the vicinity of the opening of the liquid supply section due to external impact when handling the cartridge, for example, when placing the cartridge on a table. This can prevent unexpected ink leakage.

[0087] (2) In the above embodiment, the rib may be located on the opposite side of the liquid supply unit from the insertion direction of the cartridge mounting portion, and may protrude further toward the supply direction than the liquid supply port of the liquid supply unit. According to this embodiment, by clearly indicating the position of the rib and the protruding direction of the rib, the effect of the rib in suppressing damage to the vicinity of the opening of the liquid supply unit can be more pronounced.

[0088] (3) In the above embodiment, the protrusion size of the rib in the supply direction from the liquid supply port may be 0.5 mm (millimeters) or more and 4 mm or less. This embodiment clarifies the specific protrusion size from the liquid supply port.

[0089] (4) In the above aspect, a cartridge guide portion may be formed that extends along the insertion direction and is guided in the insertion direction by the cartridge mounting portion. According to this aspect, the cartridge guide portion can be disposed.

[0090] (5) In the above embodiment, the rib may have a first protrusion and a second protrusion that is in contact with the first protrusion on the opposite side of the first protrusion. According to this embodiment, the shape of the rib is specified.

[0091] (6) In the above embodiment, the second protrusion may protrude further in a direction intersecting the insertion direction than the first protrusion. According to this embodiment, even if the cartridge is dropped onto a desk or the like with the protruding part facing downward due to an external impact or the like, the protruding part of the second protrusion will come into contact with the desk or the like, thereby preventing the liquid supply port from coming into contact with the desk or the like and being damaged, thereby preventing unexpected ink leakage.

[0092] (7) In the above embodiment, the second protrusion may further have an inclined surface that continues from the tip in the supply direction to the end of the bottom wall on the opposite side. According to this embodiment, when the cartridge is attached, the attachment engaging portion of the cartridge attachment portion slides upward along the inclined surface, thereby reducing the load and suppressing rattling during attachment.

[0093] (8) In the above embodiment, the rib may push a lever formed on the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction. This embodiment shows the function of the rib of the cartridge when it is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion.

[0094] (9) In the above embodiment, the lever may be released from the restriction between the lever and the lever engaging portion formed in the cartridge mounting portion and disposed at a position where the restriction can be established by being pushed in the insertion direction. According to this embodiment, the degree of restriction between the lever and the lever engaging portion when the lever is pushed in the insertion direction is changed.

[0095] (10) According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a printing system. This printing system includes the cartridge of the above aspect and a printing device having the cartridge mounting unit. According to this aspect, it is possible to realize a printing system including the cartridge of the first aspect and a printing device having a cartridge mounting unit.

[0096] (11) In the above embodiment, the insertion direction of the cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion may be parallel to the horizontal direction, and the liquid supply portion may extend downward when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion. According to this embodiment, the insertion direction is parallel to the horizontal direction, and the liquid supply portion extends downward when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion, thereby improving the operability of the cartridge and reducing the amount of liquid remaining in the liquid storage portion without being consumed.

[0097] (12) In the above embodiment, the cartridge mounting portion may have a lever at a position where it is pushed by the rib when the cartridge is inserted in the insertion direction. This embodiment embodies the position of the lever and clarifies that the lever is pushed by the rib when the cartridge is inserted in the insertion direction.

[0098] (13) In the above embodiment, the cartridge mounting portion may further include a lever engagement portion disposed at a position where it can be regulated by the lever and which regulates downward movement of the lever when regulated by the lever. The lever may be released from regulation by the lever engagement portion when pushed in the insertion direction by the rib, and may move downward as the cartridge moves downward. According to this embodiment, when the lever is pushed in the insertion direction by the rib and regulation by the lever engagement portion is released, the lever can move downward. Conversely, when regulation by the lever and the lever engagement portion is not released, the lever cannot move downward, and therefore the cartridge cannot move downward. This prevents cartridge misalignment, i.e., incorrect cartridge installation, and prevents unexpected ink leakage.

[0099] In addition to the above aspects, the present disclosure can be realized in other aspects such as a method for manufacturing a cartridge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1...printing system, 2...printing paper, 4, 4C, 4K, 4M, 4Y...cartridge, 4A...first type cartridge, 4B...second type cartridge, 6...cartridge mounting section, 8...cap member, 10...printing device, 13...replacement cover, 15...operation button, 20...carriage, 22...ejection head, 24...tube, 30...driving mechanism, 31...control section, 32...timing belt, 34...driving motor, 41...cartridge body, 42...front wall, 43...top wall, 44...bottom wall, 45...first side wall, 46...second side wall, 47...rear wall, 50...circuit board, 54...first mounting section, 55...second Mounting portion, 61...accommodation chamber, 61C...slot, 67...first device wall, 70...device side terminal portion, 73...retention mechanism, 82...adapter front wall, 84...adapter bottom wall, 85...first adapter side wall, 86...second adapter side wall, 87...adapter rear wall, 89...corner portion, 90...terminal arrangement portion, 401...liquid container, 402...adapter, 430...cartridge side identification member, 431...container bottom wall, 442...liquid supply portion, 442a...supply portion tip portion, 446...opening, 447...cartridge guide portion, 447a...first cartridge guide portion, 447b...second cartridge guide portion, 448...supply unit positioning portion, 450...liquid storage portion, 497...cartridge engagement portion, 500...rib, 510...rectangular parallelepiped portion, 520...triangular prism portion, 521...cartridge side terminal, 522...protruding portion, 524...inclined surface, 602...device guide portion, 602a...first device guide portion, 602b...second device guide portion, 610...support member, 613...main wall, 625...urging member, 630...device side identification member, 642...liquid introduction portion, 642a...base end, 642b...tip, 644...device side supply unit positioning portion, 644a...one end, 644b...other end, 674...insertion / removal opening, 677...engagement formation body, 697...mounting engagement portion, 698...rotation fulcrum, 699...liquid storage portion, 700...mounting element, 721...device side terminal, 739...connector, 750...terminal holding portion, 780...urging member, 782...mounting member, 831...supply portion arrangement portion, 900, 900A...yoke portion, 901...plate-shaped member, 902...rotation pin, 910, 910A...yoke engagement portion, CA1, CA2, CE, CEA...center axis, D1...insertion direction, D2...connection direction, D3...disconnection / disconnection direction, DE...desk, Eg...end, Fa, Ft1...external force, Ju...regulating protrusion, Ju10...engagement portion end, R7...area, Rp...terminal rotation fulcrum

Claims

1. A cartridge to be mounted in a cartridge mounting portion of a printing device having a liquid introduction portion for receiving liquid, a liquid storage portion that stores the liquid; a liquid supply section connected to the liquid introduction section and supplying the liquid; a rib located on the opposite side of the liquid supply unit to an insertion direction in which the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting unit, and protruding further toward the supply direction than a liquid supply port of the liquid supply unit; Equipped with The rib protrudes in a direction intersecting the insertion direction.

2. 2. The cartridge of claim 1, A cartridge in which the protrusion size of the rib toward the supply direction side is 0.5 mm (millimeters) or more and 4 mm or less from the liquid supply port.

3. 3. The cartridge according to claim 1 or 2, A cartridge is formed with a cartridge guide portion that extends along the insertion direction and is guided in the insertion direction by the cartridge mounting portion.

4. The cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The rib has a first protruding portion and a second protruding portion that is in contact with the first protruding portion on the opposite side of the first protruding portion.

5. 5. The cartridge according to claim 4, The second protruding portion protrudes further in a direction intersecting the insertion direction than the first protruding portion.

6. 6. The cartridge according to claim 5, a bottom wall on which the liquid supply unit is disposed, the second protruding portion further has an inclined surface that continues from the leading end in the supply direction to the end of the bottom wall on the opposite direction side.

7. 7. The cartridge according to claim 1, The rib pushes a lever formed on the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion in the insertion direction.

8. 8. The cartridge according to claim 7, When the lever is pushed in the insertion direction, the restriction between the lever and a lever engaging portion formed in the cartridge mounting portion and disposed at a position where the lever can be restricted is released.

9. A cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8, a bottom wall on which the liquid supply portion and the rib are disposed, The bottom wall has a recess formed therein that is recessed from an outer surface of the bottom wall, The liquid supply portion and the rib are disposed with the recessed portion therebetween.

10. 1. A printing system comprising: A cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9; a printing device having the cartridge mounting portion.

11. 11. The printing system of claim 10, The insertion direction of the cartridge into the cartridge mounting portion is parallel to the horizontal direction, A printing system, wherein the liquid supply portion extends downward when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge mounting portion.

12. 12. The printing system of claim 11, The cartridge mounting portion has a lever at a position where it is pressed by the rib when the cartridge is inserted in the insertion direction.

13. 13. The printing system according to claim 12, the cartridge mounting portion further includes a lever engaging portion that is disposed at a position where it can be regulated with respect to the lever, and that regulates downward movement of the lever when regulated with respect to the lever; The lever is pushed in the insertion direction by the rib, whereby the lever is released from the restriction with the lever engaging portion and moves downward as the cartridge moves downward.

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