Recording device

Abstract

To solve the risk that liquid in a liquid storage part is difficult to be visually recognized when the liquid storage part is mounted in a carriage.SOLUTION: A recording device 101 comprises: a carriage 21 provided with a liquid storage part 46 and a recording head 22, the carriage capable of moving to a visually-recognizable position at which liquid in the liquid storage part 46 can be visually recognized through a front surface 43F and to a recording position at which the recording head 22 ejects the liquid to a medium; and light emission parts 81 and 85 which can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage part 46 when at least the carriage 21 is positioned at the visually recognizable position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inkjet printer, an example of a recording device that records by ejecting ink, an example of a liquid, onto printing paper. This printer includes a recording head that ejects the liquid, a liquid storage unit that stores the liquid to be supplied to the recording head, and a carriage that carries the recording head and the liquid storage unit. Furthermore, at least a portion of the liquid storage unit is made of a transparent material so that the liquid in the liquid storage unit can be seen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-6378 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the printer described in Patent Document 1, the liquid storage unit is mounted on the carriage, which may make it difficult to visually check the liquid inside the liquid storage unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The recording device comprises a liquid storage section capable of storing liquid, the liquid storage section having a viewing surface that allows the stored liquid to be seen from the outside, a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium, a carriage that carries the liquid storage section and the recording head, the carriage being movable to a viewing position where the liquid in the liquid storage section can be seen through the viewing surface, and a recording position where the recording head ejects the liquid onto the medium, and a light-emitting section that can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage section at least when the carriage is positioned at the viewing position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording device with the scanner unit open. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the recording device with the scanner unit open. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording device with the access cover open. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a side view of the recording device, showing the inside of the liquid storage unit from the direction facing the visible surface. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the recording device shown in FIG. 5, showing the cross section d6-d6 when the scanner unit is closed and the opening / closing cover and the cap lever are in a closed state. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the recording device shown in FIG. 5, showing the cross section d6-d6 when the scanner unit is open and the opening / closing cover and the cap lever are in an open state. [Figure 8] 7 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the recording device shown in FIG. 6 taken along line d8-d8. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the recording apparatus. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the recording device according to the fourth embodiment, with the scanner unit open and the opening / closing cover and the cap lever in the open state. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention will be described below based on embodiments. In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0008] In each figure, X, Y, and Z represent three mutually orthogonal spatial axes. In this specification, the directions along these axes are referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. When specifying a direction, a positive direction is designated as "+" and a negative direction as "-," and both positive and negative signs are used to indicate the direction, with the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure being the + direction and the direction opposite the arrow being the - direction. The Z-axis direction indicates the direction of gravity, the +Z direction indicates a vertically downward direction, and the -Z direction indicates a vertically upward direction. In addition, the plane including the X-axis and Y-axis will be referred to as the XY plane, the plane including the X-axis and Z-axis as the XZ plane, and the plane including the Y-axis and Z-axis as the YZ plane. The XY plane will be a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the three spatial axes X, Y, and Z, which are not limited to positive and negative directions, will be referred to as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

[0009] 1. Embodiment 1 The schematic configuration of a recording device 101 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The recording device 101 according to this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped main body 102, a scanner unit 10 attached to the top of the main body 102, and an illumination unit 80, and is installed on a horizontal surface. The width direction of the medium, which intersects with the transport direction in which the medium is transported, is the +X direction or -X direction along the X axis, and the transport direction in which the medium is transported is the +Y direction along the Y axis.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 2, the device body 102 has an opening that exposes the inside of the device body 102. The opening of the device body 102 is provided, for example, on the −Z direction side of the carriage 21 of the recording unit 20, which will be described later, and exposes the −Z direction side above the carriage 21. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scanner unit 10 is disposed on the upper part of the device body 102 and is attached to be rotatable relative to the device body 102. The scanner unit 10 is movable between a closed state in which it covers the opening of the device body 102 and an open state in which it exposes the inside of the device body 102. The scanner unit 10 is an example of a cover unit that covers the opening of the device body 102.

[0011] The scanner unit 10 includes a scanner housing 11, on which a document is placed and scanned, and a document cover 12, stacked in this order. The document cover 12 protects the scanner housing 11 and is rotatable relative to the scanner housing 11. Therefore, at least the scanner housing 11 of the scanner unit 10 can be considered an example of a cover that covers an opening in the device body 102. Furthermore, a front wall 12F is provided at the +Y end of the document cover 12. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , a light-emitting unit 85 of the illumination unit 80 is provided on the surface of the scanner housing 11 opposite the surface on which a document is placed. The light-emitting unit 85 is capable of emitting visible light. The light-emitting unit 85 is located on the +X side of the center of the scanner housing 11 in the X-axis direction. More specifically, the light-emitting unit 85 is located in a position in the X-axis direction corresponding to the carriage 21 of the recording unit 20, which is located at a viewing position (described later).

[0012] 3, by opening the scanner unit 10, it is possible to refill the liquid from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage container 40, which will be described later. At this time, the light-emitting unit 85 emits light, which can illuminate the area above the carriage 21, as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 101 has a display unit 15 and a power operation unit 16 on the front surface of the device main body 102. The display unit 15 is composed of a liquid crystal display module with a touch panel function. The display unit 15 functions as a notification unit that displays operation guidance for the recording device 101 and notifies information related to the recording device 101, and as an operation unit that makes various settings for the recording device 101. The power operation unit 16 can be operated by the user to switch between a powered state in which the recording device 101 is powered on and a power-off state in which the recording device 101 is powered off.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the recording device 101 has a viewing section 34 and a wall section 36 on the front surface of the device body 102. The viewing section 34 is disposed on the −Z direction side of the wall section 36. The viewing section 34 is provided with a through-hole 35 that exposes the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, which will be described later. A user can see through the through-hole 35 of the viewing section 34 and the front surface 43F to ascertain the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46. Note that, as long as it is possible to expose the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, instead of the through-hole 35, the viewing section 34 may be provided with a cutout shape in which a portion of the viewing section 34 is removed.

[0015] 10 to 14, a visual confirmation member 34a made of a translucent or transparent material may be provided in the through-hole 35 of the visual confirmation portion 34. As long as the material making up the visual confirmation member 34a is a resin material, it is possible to use polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), or the like.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the recording device 101 includes, within the device body 102, a transport unit 25 that transports the medium, a recording unit 20, and a maintenance unit 75. The transport unit 25 transports the medium in the transport direction, which is the +Y direction. The recording unit 20 is configured to record an image on the medium using liquid. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6 to 8, the recording unit 20 includes a carriage 21. The carriage 21 is provided with a recording head 22 that ejects liquid onto the medium, a liquid container 40, an upper wall 61, an opening / closing cover 31, a cap lever 50, an opening / closing detection unit 71, a locking mechanism 72, and an illumination unit 80. The liquid supplied to the recording head 22 is stored in a liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid container 40. The liquid container 40 is an example of a liquid container. Note that the cap lever 50 is not shown in FIG. 4.

[0017] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the carriage 21 has a front wall 21F, a bottom wall 21S, a right side wall 21R, a left side wall 21L, and a rear wall (not shown). The front wall 21F is the side wall on the +Y direction side of the carriage 21. The bottom wall 21S is the side wall on the +Z direction side of the carriage 21. The right side wall 21R is the side wall on the +X direction side of the carriage 21. The left side wall 21L is the side wall on the -X direction side of the carriage 21. The rear wall is the side wall on the -Y direction side of the carriage 21.

[0018] The carriage 21 has a rear wall supported by a guide shaft and is movable in the width direction of the medium, which intersects with the transport direction in which the medium is transported. The recording head 22 is movable together with the carriage 21 in the width direction of the medium. The recording head 22 has nozzles N, a common liquid chamber (not shown), individual liquid chambers, and ejection elements. The recording head 22 is mounted on the carriage 21 so that the nozzles N are exposed from through-holes 21h provided in the bottom wall 21S of the carriage 21. The nozzles N are located on the +Z side of the bottom wall 21S. The recording head 22 ejects liquid onto the medium at a recording position located in the -Z direction of the medium transported by the transport unit 25 in the transport direction. The recording device 101 according to this embodiment records a desired image on the medium by alternately repeating a recording operation in which the recording head 22 ejects liquid onto the medium while moving in the width direction of the medium, and a transport operation in which the medium is transported in the transport direction by the transport unit 25.

[0019] 1 to 5, when the recording head 22 is not performing a recording operation, the carriage 21 moves to a standby position located in the +X direction from the recording position in the X axis direction and waits there. The through-hole 35 of the viewing unit 34 is located in a position where the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46 can be seen from the +Y direction through the through-hole 35 when the carriage 21 is in the standby position. Therefore, the standby position of the carriage 21 can also be said to be a viewing position where the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46 can be seen from the +Y direction. In other words, the carriage 21 can move between a viewing position where the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 can be seen through the front surface 43F, and a recording position where the recording head 22 ejects liquid onto a medium.

[0020] The maintenance unit 75 performs maintenance on the recording head 22 by discharging liquid from the nozzles N of the recording head 22. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the maintenance unit 75 includes a cap 76 that can form a capping space including the nozzles N by contacting the recording head 22, a pump 79 that is connected to the cap 76 by a waste liquid tube 78 and can suck liquid from the nozzles N through the capping space, and a waste liquid tank 77 that is connected to the waste liquid tube 78 and collects liquid discharged from the nozzles N. The maintenance unit 75 is provided on the +Z side of the carriage 21 in the Z axis direction. The maintenance unit 75 is provided on the +X side of the recording position in the X axis direction. The maintenance unit 75 is provided in a position where the cap 76 can come into contact with the recording head 22 when the carriage 21 is in the standby position.

[0021] 4 and 8, the carriage 21 accommodates six liquid containers 40. The six liquid containers 40 include a liquid container 40K1 that accommodates a black liquid containing a black pigment as a colorant, a liquid container 40K2 that accommodates a black liquid containing a black dye as a colorant, a liquid container 40GR that accommodates a gray liquid containing a gray dye as a colorant, a liquid container 40C that accommodates a cyan liquid containing a cyan pigment as a colorant, a liquid container 40M that accommodates a magenta liquid containing a magenta pigment as a colorant, and a liquid container 40Y that accommodates a yellow liquid containing a yellow pigment as a colorant. The liquid container 40K1, the liquid container 40K2, the liquid container 40GR, the liquid container 40C, the liquid container 40M, and the liquid container 40Y are arranged in this order in the +X direction.

[0022] The number of liquid containers 40 mounted on the carriage 21 is not limited to six, and may be less than six, one, or more than six. The coloring material contained in the liquid contained in the liquid container 40 may be a pigment or a dye. Furthermore, the liquid contained in the liquid container 40 may not contain a coloring material.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid storage container 40 is provided with an inlet 41a through which liquid can be injected from a refill container 90 into the liquid storage portion 46. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the liquid storage portion 46 has a front surface 43F, a rear surface 43B, a bottom surface 43S, a top surface 43U, a right side surface 43R, and a left side surface 43L. The front surface 43F is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage portion 46 on the +Y direction side. The rear surface 43B is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage portion 46 on the -Y direction side. The bottom surface 43S is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage portion 46 on the +Z direction side. The top surface 43U is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage portion 46 on the -Z direction side. The right side surface 43R is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage portion 46 on the +X direction side. The left side surface 43L is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the −X direction side of the liquid storage portion 46. The front surface 43F, the rear surface 43B, the bottom surface 43S, the top surface 43U, the right side surface 43R, and the left side surface 43L can also be said to be side walls that define the interior of the liquid storage portion 46.

[0024] Liquid can be injected into the liquid storage portion 46 via an injection portion 41 including an injection port 41a. As shown in FIG. 6, the injection portion 41 is configured with an injection port 41a, a first flow path 41b, a second flow path 41c, a third flow path 41d, and an outlet 41e. The first flow path 41b extends in the Z-axis direction and connects the injection port 41a and the second flow path 41c. The second flow path 41c extends in the X-axis direction and connects the first flow path 41b and the third flow path 41d. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the third flow path 41d is provided on a left side surface 43L of the liquid storage portion 46 and has an outlet 41e that opens to the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage portion 46, connecting the second flow path 41c and the liquid storage portion 46.

[0025] 6, outlet 41e opens at a position in the +Z direction from a lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 is at a lower limit amount described below. This reduces the frequency with which liquid adheres to an area on the inner surface of front surface 43F that is in the -Z direction from liquid level LS by injecting liquid into liquid storage portion 46 via injector 41.

[0026] An outlet 49 connected to the recording head 22 is provided on the bottom surface 43S of the liquid storage unit 46. The liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 is supplied to the recording head 22 via the outlet 49. The recording head 22 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage unit 46 onto a medium. Note that if the liquid storage container 40 is detachably mounted on the carriage 21, a seal member or filter may be provided at the outlet 49 to prevent the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 from leaking from the outlet 49 when the liquid storage container 40 is removed from the carriage 21.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a window member 43Fa is provided on the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46. A window member 43Ba is provided on the rear surface 43B. A window member 43Ua is provided on the top surface 43U. The window members 43Fa, 43Ba, and 43Ua are made of a translucent or transparent material. The window member 43Fa allows the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46 and the liquid surface LS to be viewed from outside the liquid storage section 46. The window member 43Fa is an example of a viewing surface. Six through holes 21a are provided in the front wall 21F of the carriage 21 located on the +Y side of the window member 43Fa so that the window member 43Fa can be viewed from the +Y side. The through holes 21a are formed larger than the outer shape of the window member 43Fa so that the outer shape of the window member 43Fa can be seen when the window member 43Fa is viewed from the +Y side. Alternatively, one through-hole 21a may be provided so that the six window members 43Fa can be viewed from the +Y direction side. The window members 43Fa, 43Ba, and 43Ua may be made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0028] In this embodiment, the viewing surface is a surface along the XZ plane. The window member 43Fa is provided with scales such as a scale 44a indicating that the liquid volume is at its lower limit and a scale 44b indicating that the liquid volume is at its upper limit. The lower limit in this embodiment is the liquid volume when the liquid storage section 46 is low, and is the liquid volume at which it is desirable to refill the liquid container 40 with liquid. The upper limit in this embodiment is the liquid volume at which refilling the liquid container 40 with liquid is not necessary, and when some air is present in the liquid storage section 46. The lower limit and upper limit are examples of predetermined volumes. In FIGS. 5 to 7, the lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the liquid volume is at its lower limit, and the upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the liquid volume is at its upper limit, are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0029] Furthermore, if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, the window member 43Fa may be omitted. In this case, too, the user can check the liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 46 and the liquid level LS from outside the liquid storage portion 46 through the front surface 43F. Thus, the front surface 43F is an example of a viewing surface. In other words, the liquid storage portion 46 has a front surface 43F that allows the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 to be viewed from outside the liquid storage portion 46.

[0030] 4, the upper wall portion 61 has six cap lever attachment portions 62 corresponding to the six liquid storage containers 40, an opening / closing cover attachment portion 63, a guide portion 64 as a first recess, a second recess 65, and a lock pin protrusion hole 66. The cap lever attachment portion 62 is a cylindrical shaft extending along the X axis. The opening / closing cover attachment portion 63 is a cylindrical shaft extending along the X axis. The opening / closing cover 31 becomes rotatable around the opening / closing cover attachment portion 63 by engaging one end of the opening / closing cover 31 with the opening / closing cover attachment portion 63.

[0031] 6 and 7, the cap lever 50 has an end 53, an engagement portion 51, a cap 54 that can close the injection port 41a, and a protrusion 55 provided on the engagement portion 51. When the engagement portion 51 is engaged with the cap lever attachment portion 62 of the upper wall portion 61, the cap lever 50 becomes rotatable around the cap lever attachment portion 62 as an axis.

[0032] In FIG. 2, the cap lever 50 is disposed in a position where the filler port 41a of the liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, and 40M is sealed, and the cap lever 50 is disposed in a position where the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40Y is opened. As shown in FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, the cap lever 50 is rotatable between a closed state where the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is sealed and an open state where the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is opened. In this case, the cap lever 50 can also be said to be provided on the carriage 21 so as to be rotatable between a closed state where the upper portion of the liquid storage portion 46 is covered and an open state where the upper portion of the liquid storage portion 46 is exposed. The cap lever 50 is an example of a lid. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cap lever 50 is in the open state, the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 is opened, allowing liquid to be refilled from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage container 40.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the open-close cover 31 protects the cap levers 50 and the upper wall portion 61. The open-close cover 31 rotates around the open-close cover mounting portion 63 as an axis, and can be in a closed state in which it covers the six cap levers 50, and an open state in which it exposes the six cap levers 50. In other words, the open-close cover 31 is mounted on the carriage 21 so as to be rotatable between a closed state in which it covers the tops of the six liquid storage portions 46, and an open state in which it exposes the tops of the six liquid storage portions 46. The open-close cover 31 is an example of a lid portion. As shown in FIG. 4, the open-close cover 31 has a regulated portion 31a. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 6, the open-close cover 31 has a through-hole 31b.

[0034] When the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 46 becomes low and the user wishes to refill the liquid storage container 40 with liquid from the refill container 90, the user changes the opening / closing cover 31 from the closed state shown in FIG. 6 to the open state shown in FIG. 7. The user then places their finger on the end 53 of the cap lever 50 and moves the cap lever 50 from the closed state to the open state, thereby changing the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 from a sealed state to an open state, as shown in FIG. 7. The user then inserts the tip of the refiller container 90 into the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40 and refills the liquid from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the guide portion 64 has an inlet 41a arranged therein. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the cap 54 is inserted into the recessed portion of the guide portion 64. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when refilling the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40 with liquid from a refilling container 90, the tip of the refilling container 90 is inserted into the recessed portion of the guide portion 64. At this time, the recessed portion of the guide portion 64 guides the position of the tip of the refilling container 90.

[0036] As shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the second recess 65 has a cap lever attachment portion 62 and an open / closed detection portion 71 disposed therein. The open / closed detection portion 71 is provided so as to be able to detect either the closed state or the open state of the cap lever 50. Six open / closed detection portions 71 are provided corresponding to the six cap levers 50. The protrusion 55 of the cap lever 50 functions as a detection portion for detecting either the closed state or the open state of the cap lever 50.

[0037] The open / close detection unit 71 in this embodiment is a contact sensor having a movable detector 71a. The detector 71a can be biased in the protruding direction and can be displaced between protruding and retracting. The open / close detection unit 71 is not limited to a contact sensor, and may be a limit switch, a pressure sensor, or an angle sensor that detects the rotation angle of the cap lever 50. The open / close detection unit 71 is also not limited to a contact sensor, and may be a non-contact sensor such as a transmission photo sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, as long as it can detect either the closed state or the open state of the cap lever 50.

[0038] 6, the detector 71a is pushed by the protrusion 55 and retracts in a direction that reduces the amount of protrusion, and the open / close detector 71 detects the protrusion 55, thereby entering a state in which it can detect the closed state of the cap lever 50. Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the detector 71a protrudes without being pushed by the protrusion 55 and does not detect the protrusion 55, thereby entering a state in which it can detect the open state of the cap lever 50.

[0039] 4, the locking mechanism 72 is provided at a position on the +Z direction side of the upper wall portion 61. The locking mechanism 72 is also provided at a position on the −X direction side in the X axis direction adjacent to the guide portion 64 in which the filler port 41a of the liquid storage container 40K1 is disposed. The locking mechanism 72 is provided so as to be switchable between a locked state in which the opening / closing cover 31 cannot be shifted from the closed state to the open state, and an unlocked state in which the opening / closing cover 31 can be shifted from the closed state to the open state.

[0040] The locking mechanism 72 of this embodiment is a solenoid that linearly moves a locking pin (not shown) by magnetic force generated by passing a current through an electromagnetic coil. The locking pin is the movable iron core of the solenoid. The locking pin is movable between a retracted position where the tip of the locking pin is located within the locking pin protruding hole 66 and a protruding position where the tip of the locking pin protrudes in the +Y direction from the retracted position.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lock pin in the protruding position restricts the upward movement of the restricted portion 31a of the opening / closing cover 31 in the closed state. At this time, the opening / closing cover 31 is in a locked state where it cannot move from the closed state to the open state. Meanwhile, the lock pin in the retracted position does not restrict the upward movement of the opening / closing cover 31 in the closed state. At this time, the opening / closing cover 31 is in an unlocked state where it can move from the closed state to the open state.

[0042] In this embodiment, the lock pin of the lock mechanism 72 moves from the protruding position to the retracted position when current is applied to the lock mechanism 72. That is, the open-close cover 31 is unlocked when current is applied to the lock mechanism 72, and is locked when current is cut off to the lock mechanism 72. Therefore, the open-close cover 31 in this embodiment is locked when the power to the recording device 101 is cut off.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6 , the illumination unit 80 of this embodiment is provided outside the liquid storage unit 46. The illumination unit 80 includes a light-emitting unit 81 that emits light, a light-guiding unit 82, and a light-guiding unit 86 on the carriage 21. The illumination unit 80 of this embodiment includes six light-emitting units 81, six light-guiding units 82, and one light-guiding unit 86 corresponding to the six liquid storage units 46. The light-emitting unit 81 emits visible light. The light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the −Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. The light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position between the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46 and the rear wall of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction. This prevents the size of the carriage 21 in the X-axis direction from becoming large when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the carriage 21. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 is directed in the +Z direction. Although the light emitting section 81 and the light guiding section 82 in this embodiment are attached to the carriage 21, they may also be attached to the liquid storage section 46.

[0044] The light guide 82 is made of a translucent or transparent material. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the light guide 82 is provided on the −Y direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46. The light guide 82 includes an entrance surface 82b, an irradiation surface 82a, and a rear surface 82r. The light guide 82 of this embodiment is a light-guiding member that guides light entering from the entrance surface 82b toward the irradiation surface 82a. For example, the light guide 82 may be made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[0045] The entrance surface 82b is a side surface of the light guiding section 82 on the −Z direction side, and is provided at a position facing the front surface 81a of the light emitting section 81. The entrance surface 82b is located on the −Y direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storing section 46.

[0046] The irradiation surface 82a is the side surface on the +Y direction side of the light-guiding unit 82. Therefore, the irradiation surface 82a is located closer to the front surface 43F than the light-emitting unit 81. This makes it easier to guide light from the light-emitting unit 81 to the front surface 43F side within the liquid storage unit 46. The irradiation surface 82a extends from a position on the -Z direction from the upper limit liquid level LH ​​to a position on the +Z direction from the lower limit liquid level LL. In this embodiment, the irradiation surface 82a extends in the Z-axis direction from the same position as the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46 to a position on the +Z direction from the end of the window member 43Ba on the +Z direction side. Note that if the liquid storage unit 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, the window member 43Ba may be omitted.

[0047] Rear surface 82r is the side surface on the -Y direction side of light-guiding unit 82. Rear surface 82r is formed by a plurality of reflecting portions 82t lined up in the Z-axis direction, and has a sawtooth shape extending in the Z-axis direction. Reflecting portion 82t has a convex shape formed by reflecting surface 82d and reflecting surface 82e lined up in the Z-axis direction.

[0048] 7, light emitted from front surface 81a of light-emitting unit 81 enters light-guiding unit 82 from entrance surface 82b of light-guiding unit 82. In Fig. 7, the path of light emitted from light-emitting unit 81 is indicated by dashed arrows. The light from light-emitting unit 81 that enters light-guiding unit 82 from entrance surface 82b is guided inside light-guiding unit 82 toward irradiation surface 82a by multiple reflecting portions 82t that form rear surface 82r, and the side surfaces of light-guiding unit 82 on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, and the +Z direction side.

[0049] Light from light-emitting unit 81 guided to irradiation surface 82a passes through window member 43Ba, enters liquid storage unit 46 from the -Y direction side of rear surface 43B, and illuminates the inside of liquid storage unit 46 containing liquid. In other words, light-emitting unit 81 is provided outside liquid storage unit 46, and is able to illuminate the inside of liquid storage unit 46 containing liquid from the rear surface 43B side via light-guiding unit 82, at least when carriage 21 is positioned in the visible position. Furthermore, recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the inside of six liquid storage units 46 with six light-emitting units 81 via six light-guiding units 82.

[0050] The light guiding section 86 is made of a translucent or transparent material. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the light guiding section 86 is provided on the −Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage section 46. The light guiding section 86 is provided in the Y-axis direction between the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46 and the injection port 41a. The light guiding section 86 has an entrance surface 86b and an irradiation surface 86a. The light guiding section 86 of this embodiment is a light-guiding member that guides light entering from the entrance surface 86b toward the irradiation surface 86a. The material constituting the light guiding section 86 can be the same resin material as the light guiding section 82, as long as it is a resin material.

[0051] The entrance surface 86b is a side surface on the -Z direction side of the light guiding section 86. The irradiation surface 86a is a side surface on the +Z direction side of the light guiding section 86. The irradiation surface 86a is located in the -Z direction of the window member 43Ua and faces the window member 43Ua. Note that if the liquid storage section 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, the window member 43Ua may be omitted.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6 , when the carriage 21 is in the viewing position and at least the scanner housing 11 of the scanner unit 10 is in the closed state, the front surface 85a of the light-emitting unit 85 of the scanner housing 11 is located on the −Z direction of the entrance surface 86b of the light-guiding unit 86. In other words, the light-emitting unit 85 is located on the −Z direction of the liquid storage unit 46 when the scanner housing 11 is in the closed state. Furthermore, a through-hole 31b is provided in the openable cover 31, which is located between the front surface 85a of the light-emitting unit 85 and the entrance surface 86b of the light-guiding unit 86 in the Z axis direction. Therefore, the front surface 85a of the light-emitting unit 85 faces the entrance surface 86b. In this embodiment, the front surface 85a of the light-emitting unit 85 faces the entrance surfaces 86b of the six light-guiding units 86.

[0053] Therefore, when carriage 21 is in the viewing position and at least scanner housing 11 of scanner unit 10 is in the closed state, light emitted from front surface 85a of light-emitting unit 85 enters light-guiding unit 86 from entrance surface 86b of light-guiding unit 86. In Figure 6, the path of light emitted from light-emitting unit 85 is indicated by dashed arrows. The light from light-emitting unit 85 that enters light-guiding unit 86 from entrance surface 86b is guided inside light-guiding unit 86 toward irradiation surface 86a by the side surfaces of light-guiding unit 86 on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, the +Y direction side, and the -Y direction side.

[0054] Light from the light-emitting unit 85 guided to the irradiation surface 86a passes through the window member 43Ua, enters the liquid storage unit 46 from the -Z direction side of the top surface 43U, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 85 is provided outside the carriage 21, and when the carriage 21 is positioned at the viewing position, it can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid from the top surface 43U side via the light-guiding unit 86. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 85 illuminates an area in the liquid storage unit 46 that is closer to the front surface 43F than the center from the top surface 43U side via the light-guiding unit 86. Furthermore, the recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the inside of six liquid storage units 46 with one light-emitting unit 85 via one light-guiding unit 86.

[0055] In this embodiment, light-emitting unit 81 and light-emitting unit 85 emit visible light to illuminate the inside of liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid. This makes it easier for recording device 101 of this embodiment to check the liquid stored in liquid storage unit 46 and the liquid surface LS of the liquid compared to a case where lighting unit 80 is not provided.

[0056] Next, the electrical configuration of the recording device 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the recording device 101 includes a control unit 111. The control unit 111 is connected to the scanner unit 10, power operation unit 16, display unit 15, and open / close detection unit 71 via an input interface (not shown). The control unit 111 is also connected to the display unit 15, transport unit 25, recording unit 20, locking mechanism 72, maintenance unit 75, and light-emitting units 81 and 85 of the illumination unit 80 via an output interface (not shown). The display units 15 and 215, which serve as notification units, have the function of displaying and notifying information received along with display instructions in accordance with the instructions.

[0057] Here, the control unit 111 is connected to the display unit 215 of the host device 210, which is an external device, via a communication interface, a communication cable, a wireless communication line, or the like (not shown) in the device main body 102. The control unit 111 transmits data together with a signal requesting the display of information based on the data to at least one of the display unit 15 and the host device 210, and performs notification processing to notify the user by displaying information based on the data on the display unit 15 or the display unit 215. Examples of the host device 210 include a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, and a personal digital assistant.

[0058] The control unit 111 includes, for example, a built-in CPU and memory (not shown), and performs various controls by the CPU executing programs stored in the memory. The CPU is a calculation processing unit. The control unit 111 has a function of displaying information on either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215, thereby notifying the user of the information by displaying the information.

[0059] The control unit 111 causes either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215 to notify information relating to either the closed state or the open state of the cap lever 50 based on the detection result that the open / close detection unit 71 has detected either the closed state or the open state of the cap lever 50. Furthermore, if the open / close detection unit 71 has detected the open state of the cap lever 50 when an operation to cut off the power to the recording device 101 has been performed, the control unit 111 causes either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215 to notify information requesting that the cap lever 50 be put into the closed state.

[0060] The control unit 111 manages the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 of each liquid storage container 40. When the user has finished pouring liquid into the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40, the user inputs information about the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 into the recording device 101 by operating the display unit 15 or the host device 210. The control unit 111 obtains the current amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 after the liquid has been poured based on the input information about the amount of liquid. The control unit 111 also measures the amount of liquid consumed by the recording unit 20, and manages the current amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 for each liquid storage container 40 by subtracting the current amount of liquid consumed from the previous amount of liquid for each liquid storage container 40.

[0061] The control unit 111 controls the recording unit 20 to perform a recording operation in which liquid is ejected toward the medium transported by the transport unit 25, and a flushing operation in which liquid unrelated to recording is ejected. The control unit 111 also controls the maintenance unit 75 to perform a cleaning operation in which liquid is forcibly discharged from the nozzles of the recording head 22. The recording device 101 includes a carriage motor (not shown) as a drive source for moving the carriage 21 in the width direction of the medium, and the control unit 111 controls the liquid ejection of the recording head 22 and the drive control of the carriage motor to perform a recording operation in which liquid is ejected toward the recording head 22 that is mounted on the carriage 21 and moving.

[0062] The control unit 111 controls the transport unit 25 to feed a medium from a medium storage cassette (not shown) and transport the fed medium along a predetermined transport path. The transport unit 25 includes, for example, a roller-type or belt-type transport mechanism and a transport motor (not shown) that serves as its drive source. The control unit 111 controls the transport motor to control the transport of the medium.

[0063] The control unit 111 controls the locking mechanism 72 by controlling the supply of electricity to the locking mechanism 72, and switches between a locked state in which the opening / closing cover 31 cannot be moved from a closed state to an open state, and an unlocked state in which the opening / closing cover 31 can be moved from a closed state to an open state. For example, when there is a liquid storage container 40 in which the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 has reached a lower limit, the control unit 111 switches the locking mechanism 72 from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0064] The control unit 111 controls the light-emitting states of the light-emitting units 81 and 85 to notify the user of the operating state of the recording device 101. The control unit 111 also reduces the power consumption of the recording device 101 by controlling the light-emitting states of the light-emitting units 81 and 85. For example, the control unit 111 turns off the light-emitting unit 81 when the carriage 21 is in the recording position, and turns it on when the carriage 21 is in the viewing position. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 111 may turn on the light-emitting unit 81 each time a series of recording operations ends, and turn it off when a recording operation starts. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the user operates the power operation unit 16 to turn on the power of the recording device 101, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 when the carriage 21 is in the recording position. Furthermore, for example, when the power supply operation unit 16, the display unit 15, the scanner unit 10, the opening / closing cover 31, etc. are operated, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81, and when no operation is performed for a certain period of time, it turns off the light-emitting unit 81.

[0065] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the opening / closing cover 31 is opened, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 a certain time after the opening / closing cover 31 is closed. For example, the control unit 111 turns on or flashes the light-emitting unit 81 when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 approaches the lower limit. This notifies the user that the liquid storage container 40 needs to be refilled with liquid. For example, the control unit 111 turns on or flashes the light-emitting unit 81 when the locking mechanism 72 is in the unlocked state. For example, when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 of any liquid storage container 40 has reached the lower limit, the control unit 111 displays this on either the display unit 15 or the display unit 215, and keeps on lighting or flashing the light-emitting unit 81 corresponding to the liquid storage unit 46 whose amount of liquid has reached the lower limit until the opening / closing cover 31 is changed from the open state to the closed state.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 111 may turn on the light-emitting unit 85 when at least the scanner housing 11 of the scanner unit 10 is in the open state. This allows the area above the carriage 21 to be illuminated when the user refills the liquid storage container 40 with liquid from the refill container 90. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 111 may turn on the light-emitting unit 85 to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid when the carriage 21 is in the visible position and at least the scanner housing 11 of the scanner unit 10 is in the closed state.

[0067] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0068] The recording device 101 includes a liquid storage unit 46 capable of storing liquid and having a front surface 43F through which the stored liquid can be seen from the outside, a recording head 22 that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage unit 46 onto a medium, a carriage 21 that carries the liquid storage unit 46 and the recording head 22, the carriage 21 being movable to a viewing position where the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 can be seen through the front surface 43F, and a recording position where the recording head 22 ejects the liquid onto the medium, and light-emitting units 81, 85 that can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 at least when the carriage 21 is located at the viewing position. This makes it easy to see the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 even when the liquid storage unit 46 is mounted on the carriage 21.

[0069] The recording device 101 includes a device main body 102 that houses the carriage 21, and a scanner housing 11 that is provided in the device main body 102. The scanner housing 11 is movable between a closed state that covers the device main body 102 and an open state that exposes the interior of the device main body 102. The light-emitting unit 85 is provided in the scanner housing 11 in the closed state, at a position that is on the -Z direction side of the liquid storage unit 46 when the carriage 21 is located at the viewing position. This allows the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 85 that is provided outside the carriage 21 to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 from above. Furthermore, the dimensions of the carriage 21 are less likely to become large compared to when the light-emitting unit 85 is provided in the carriage 21.

[0070] The light-emitting unit 81 is mounted on the carriage 21. As a result, compared to the light-emitting unit 85 provided in the scanner unit 10, for example, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 81 can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 even when the scanner unit 10 is in the open state.

[0071] The light emitting section 81 is attached to the carriage 21. This makes it easy to mount the liquid storage container 40 on the carriage 21 as a detachable cartridge.

[0072] The recording device 101 further includes a light guide section 86 that guides light from the light emitting section 85 toward the inside of the liquid storage section 46. This reduces restrictions on the location where the light emitting section 85 can be provided.

[0073] Light guiding section 86 faces light emitting section 85 and has entrance surface 86b through which the light from light emitting section 85 enters. This allows light from light emitting section 85 to efficiently enter light guiding section 86, and the light from light emitting section 85 can illuminate the inside of liquid storage section 46 via light guiding section 86.

[0074] Light guiding section 82 has irradiation surface 82a that irradiates light from light emitting section 81 toward the inside of liquid storage section 46, and at least a portion of irradiation surface 82a is located closer to front surface 43F than light emitting section 81. This makes it easier to guide light from light emitting section 81 toward front surface 43F inside liquid storage section 46.

[0075] When carriage 21 is in the viewing position, device body 102 has viewing member 34a at a position facing front surface 43F, and viewing member 34a is translucent or transparent. This not only makes it easier to see the liquid in liquid storage section 46, but also prevents foreign matter such as dust from entering device body 102.

[0076] The recording device 101 further includes a control unit 111 that controls the turning on and off of either the light-emitting unit 81 or the light-emitting unit 85. By controlling the turning on and off of either the light-emitting unit 81 or the light-emitting unit 85 by the control unit 111, the operating state of the recording device 101 can be notified to the user.

[0077] The recording device 101 further includes an injection unit 41 that can inject the liquid into the liquid storage unit 46. As a result, the liquid storage unit 46 can also be used in a top-up type recording device 101 that is used by refilling the liquid.

[0078] 2. Embodiment 2 Next, a recording device 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, descriptions of actions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0079] The recording device 101 of the second embodiment is the same as the recording device 101 of the first embodiment, except for the configuration of the carriage 21. As shown in Fig. 10, the carriage 21 of the second embodiment differs from the carriage 21 of the first embodiment in that the illumination unit 80 provided on the carriage 21 does not include the light guiding unit 82 and the light guiding unit 86, the light emitting unit 81 is arranged differently, and the liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid storage container 40 does not include the window member 43Ba.

[0080] In this embodiment, the illumination unit 80 provided on the carriage 21 has six light-emitting units 81 corresponding to the six liquid storage units 46. As shown in FIG. 10 , the light-emitting units 81 are provided at positions on the +Z direction side with respect to the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. The light-emitting units 81 are also provided at positions on the -Z direction with respect to the through-hole 21a of the carriage 21. The light-emitting units 81 are also provided at positions on the -Z direction with respect to the visualizing member 34a of the visualizing unit 34. The light-emitting units 81 are also provided at positions between the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46 and the front wall 21F of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction. This prevents the size of the carriage 21 in the X-axis direction from becoming large when the light-emitting units 81 are provided on the carriage 21. The light-emitting units 81 are also provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting units 81 is directed in the -Y direction. Although the light emitting unit 81 in this embodiment is attached to the carriage 21, it may also be attached to the liquid storage unit .

[0081] In this embodiment, the −Z end of the window member 43Fa provided in the liquid storage portion 46 is located closer to the −Z direction than the front surface 81a of the light-emitting portion 81 in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, the front surface 81a of the light-emitting portion 81 is provided in a position facing the window member 43Fa. In addition, a reflective surface 43h that slopes toward the +Z direction as it approaches the −Y direction is provided at the −Y end of the window member 43Ua provided in the liquid storage portion 46. Note that if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, the window member 43Ua including the reflective surface 43h may not be necessary. In this case, the window member 43Ua including the reflective surface 43h is provided integrally with the upper surface 43U.

[0082] 10, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 81 is indicated by dashed arrows. Light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 passes through the window member 43Fa, enters the liquid storage unit 46 from the +Y direction side of the front surface 43F, and travels within the liquid storage unit 46 in the -Y direction. Light traveling within the liquid storage unit 46 in the -Y direction is reflected by the reflecting surface 43h of the window member 43Ua and travels toward the liquid surface LS of the liquid located in the +Z direction. In this case, the reflecting surface 43h of the window member 43Ua can also be said to be a light-guiding unit provided within the liquid storage unit 46.

[0083] Light from light-emitting unit 81 passes through window member 43Fa and enters liquid storage unit 46 from the +Y direction side of front surface 43F, illuminating the inside of liquid storage unit 46 containing liquid. Light-emitting unit 81 also illuminates an area inside liquid storage unit 46 that is closer to front surface 43F than the center, from the top surface 43U side. Furthermore, recording device 101 of this embodiment uses six light-emitting units 81 to illuminate the inside of six liquid storage units 46.

[0084] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the second embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0085] The light emitting section 81 is located between the carriage 21 and the liquid storing section 46. This allows the light emitting section 81 provided on the carriage 21 to be disposed outside the liquid storing section 46.

[0086] 3. Embodiment 3 Next, a recording device 101 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Descriptions of actions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will also be omitted.

[0087] Recording apparatus 101 of embodiment 3 is the same as recording apparatus 101 of embodiment 1, except for the configuration of carriage 21. As shown in Fig. 11, carriage 21 of embodiment 3 differs from carriage 21 of embodiment 1 in that illumination unit 80 provided on carriage 21 does not include light guiding unit 82, light emitting unit 81 is provided on opening / closing cover 31, liquid storage unit 46 of liquid storage container 40 does not include window member 43Ba, and opening / closing cover 31 does not include through-hole 31b.

[0088] In this embodiment, the illumination unit 80 provided on the carriage 21 has six light-emitting units 81 and one light-guiding unit 86 to correspond to the six liquid storage units 46. The light-guiding unit 86 is the same as in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11 , the light-emitting unit 81 in this embodiment is provided on the opening / closing cover 31. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 81 is located in the −Z direction with respect to the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position that is in the −Z direction of the entrance surface 86b of the light-guiding unit 86 and faces the entrance surface 86b when the opening / closing cover 31 is closed. Therefore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 is directed in the +Z direction when the opening / closing cover 31 is closed.

[0089] Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position in the Y-axis direction between the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46 and the cap lever 50 when the opening / closing cover 31 is closed. This prevents the dimension of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction from becoming large when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the carriage 21. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position in the Y-axis direction between the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46 and the injection unit 41 when the opening / closing cover 31 is closed. This prevents the dimension of the carriage 21 in the X-axis direction from becoming large when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the carriage 21. Furthermore, each light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position that is the center of the corresponding liquid storage unit 46 in the X-axis direction.

[0090] 11, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 81 is indicated by dashed arrows. When the open-close cover 31 is in the closed state, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 enters the light-guiding unit 86 from the entrance surface 86b of the light-guiding unit 86. The light from the light-emitting unit 81 that enters the light-guiding unit 86 from the entrance surface 86b is guided inside the light-guiding unit 86 toward the irradiation surface 86a by the side surfaces of the light-guiding unit 86 on the +X direction side, the -X direction side, the +Y direction side, and the -Y direction side.

[0091] Light from the light-emitting unit 81 guided to the irradiation surface 86a passes through the window member 43Ua, enters the liquid storage unit 46 from the -Z direction side of the top surface 43U, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid. Therefore, when the opening / closing cover 31 is in the closed state, the light-emitting unit 81 can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing the liquid via the light-guiding unit 86. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 illuminates an area inside the liquid storage unit 46 that is closer to the front surface 43F than the center, from the top surface 43U side. Furthermore, the recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the inside of six liquid storage units 46 with six light-emitting units 81 via one light-guiding unit 86.

[0092] Furthermore, the control unit 111 of this embodiment turns off the light-emitting unit 81 when the carriage 21 is in the recording position, and turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the carriage 21 is in the viewing position and the opening / closing cover 31 is in the closed state. Furthermore, because the opening / closing cover 31 of this embodiment does not have the through-hole 31b, the control unit 111 turns off the light-emitting unit 85 when the carriage 21 is in the recording position, and turns on the light-emitting unit 85 when the carriage 21 is in the viewing position and the scanner unit 10 is in the open state.

[0093] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the third embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0094] The carriage 21 has an opening / closing cover 31 that can rotate between a closed state that covers the top of the liquid storage section 46 and an open state that exposes the top, and the light emitting section 81 is provided on the opening / closing cover 31. This allows the light emitting section 81 provided on the carriage 21 to be located outside the liquid storage section 46.

[0095] 4. Embodiment 4 Next, a recording device 101 according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, descriptions of actions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0096] The recording device 101 of the fourth embodiment differs from the recording device 101 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the scanner unit 10 and the carriage 21. As shown in Fig. 12, the scanner unit 10 of the present embodiment differs from the scanner unit 10 of the first embodiment in that the scanner housing 11 does not include a light-emitting unit 85 and includes an illumination window 11b. The illumination window 11b is provided at a position on the -Z direction side of the through-hole 31b of the opening / closing cover 31.

[0097] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the carriage 21 of embodiment 4 differs from the carriage 21 of embodiment 1 in that the lighting unit 80 provided on the carriage 21 does not include a light-guiding unit 82 and a light-guiding unit 86, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the cap lever 50, the liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid storage container 40 does not include window members 43Fa, 43Ua, 43Ba, and the liquid storage unit 46 and the upper wall unit 61 are made of a translucent or transparent material.

[0098] In this embodiment, the illumination unit 80 provided on the carriage 21 has six light-emitting units 81 corresponding to the six liquid storage units 46. As shown in FIG. 12 , the light-emitting units 81 in this embodiment are provided on the cap lever 50. Therefore, the light-emitting units 81 are located in the −Z direction with respect to the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. Furthermore, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the light-emitting units 81 are provided in a position that is in the −Z direction with respect to the upper surface 64a of the guide unit 64 of the upper wall unit 61, and that faces the upper surface 64a. Furthermore, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the light-emitting units 81 are provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting units 81 is directed in the +Z direction.

[0099] Furthermore, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position between the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46 and the injection port 41a in the Y-axis direction. This prevents the carriage 21 from becoming large in size in the Y-axis direction when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the carriage 21. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13 , when the cap lever 50 is in the open state, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position between the guide portion 64 of the liquid storage unit 46 and the rear surface 43B in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, when the cap lever 50 is in the open state, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided in a position between the injection port 41a and the top surface of the device body 102 in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, when the cap lever 50 is in the open state, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 is directed in the +Y direction.

[0100] 12 and 13, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting portion 81 is indicated by dashed arrows. As shown in FIG. 12, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting portion 81 enters the guide portion 64 from the upper surface 64a of the guide portion 64. Note that the guide portion 64 of this embodiment is translucent or transparent because the upper wall portion 61 is made of a translucent or transparent material. The light from the light-emitting portion 81 that enters the guide portion 64 from the upper surface 64a is guided inside the guide portion 64 toward the bottom surface 64b of the guide portion 64.

[0101] Light from the light-emitting unit 81 guided to the bottom surface 64b passes through the top surface 43U, enters the liquid storage unit 46 from the -Z direction side of the top surface 43U, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing liquid. Note that the top surface 43U of this embodiment is translucent or transparent because the liquid storage unit 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material. Therefore, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the light-emitting unit 81 can illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 containing liquid via the guide unit 64. At this time, the light-emitting unit 81 illuminates the central area of ​​the liquid storage unit 46 from the top surface 43U side. Furthermore, the recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the inside of the six liquid storage units 46 using the six light-emitting units 81.

[0102] In this embodiment, the control unit 111 turns off the light-emitting unit 81 when the carriage 21 is in the recording position, and turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the scanner unit 10 is in the open position, the carriage 21 is in the viewing position, and the cap lever 50 is in the closed position. This allows the user to view the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 illuminated by the light-emitting unit 81 from the +Y direction side of the device body 102 through the front surface 43F. The control unit 111 may also turn on the light-emitting source 11a of the scanner housing 11 when the scanner unit 10 is in the closed position, the carriage 21 is in the viewing position, and the cap lever 50 is in the closed position. This allows the user to view the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46 illuminated by the light-emitting source 11a from the +Y direction side of the device body 102 through the front surface 43F.

[0103] Furthermore, the control unit 111 may turn on the light-emitting unit 81 and the light source 11a of the scanner housing 11 when the scanner unit 10 is in the closed state, the carriage 21 is in the visible position, and the cap lever 50 is in the closed state. This allows the user to view the liquid in the liquid storage unit 46, illuminated by the light-emitting unit 81 and the light source 11a, from the +Y direction side of the device body 102 through the front surface 43F.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 111 may turn on the light-emitting unit 81 when the scanner unit 10 is in the open position, the carriage 21 is in the visible position, and the cap lever 50 is in the open position. In this way, when a user refills the liquid container 40 with liquid from the refill container 90, the light-emitting unit 81 emits light, thereby illuminating the guide unit 64 and the vicinity of the fill port 41a. At this time, the control unit 111 may also turn on the light-emitting source 11a of the scanner housing 11. In this way, the light emitted from the light-emitting source 11a can pass through the illumination window 11b and illuminate the area above the carriage 21.

[0105] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the fourth embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0106] The carriage 21 has a cap lever 50 that can rotate between a closed state in which the upper part of the liquid storage section 46 is covered and an open state in which the upper part is exposed, and the light emitting section 81 is provided on the cap lever 50. This allows the light emitting section 81 provided on the carriage 21 to be located outside the liquid storage section 46. Furthermore, when a user accesses the upper part of the carriage 21, the light emitting section 81 emits light, which can illuminate the vicinity of the guide section 64 and the injection port 41a.

[0107] 5. Embodiment 5 Next, a recording device 101 according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Also, descriptions of actions and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0108] The recording device 101 of the fifth embodiment is the same as the recording device 101 of the first embodiment, except for the configuration of the carriage 21. As shown in Fig. 14, the carriage 21 of the fifth embodiment differs from the carriage 21 of the first embodiment in that the arrangement of the light-emitting unit 81 and the light-guiding unit 82 in the illumination unit 80 provided in the carriage 21 is different, the liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid storage container 40 does not include window members 43Fa, 43Ua, 43Ba, and the liquid storage unit 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material.

[0109] 14, in this embodiment, the light-emitting units 81 of the illumination unit 80 provided in the carriage 21 are provided at positions between the six liquid storage units 46 lined up in the X-axis direction in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the illumination unit 80 of this embodiment has five light-emitting units 81. The light-emitting units 81 are also provided at positions between the front surface 43F and rear surface 43B of the liquid storage units 46 in the Y-axis direction, and closer to the rear surface 43B than to the center of the liquid storage units 46. This means that when the light-emitting units 81 are provided in the carriage 21, the dimension of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction is less likely to become large.

[0110] Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided at a position between the top surface 43U and the bottom surface 43S of the liquid storage unit 46 in the Z-axis direction. This prevents the size of the carriage 21 in the Z-axis direction from becoming large when the light-emitting unit 81 is provided on the carriage 21. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 81 is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 is directed in the +Y direction. Note that although the light-emitting unit 81 in this embodiment is attached to the carriage 21, it may also be attached to the liquid storage unit 46.

[0111] In this embodiment, two light guiding sections 82 are provided at positions between the six liquid storage sections 46 aligned in the X-axis direction in the X-axis direction. Therefore, the illumination section 80 in this embodiment has ten light guiding sections 82. Furthermore, the light guiding sections 82 are provided at positions where the entrance surface 82b faces the front surface 81a of the light emitting section 81.

[0112] Of the two light guiding units 82 provided at positions between the liquid storage units 46 in the X-axis direction, one light guiding unit 82 located on the +X direction side is provided so that its irradiation surface 82a faces left side surface 43L of the liquid storage unit 46 located on the +X direction side. Furthermore, of the two light guiding units 82 provided at positions between the liquid storage units 46 in the X-axis direction, the other light guiding unit 82 located on the -X direction side is provided so that its irradiation surface 82a faces right side surface 43R of the liquid storage unit 46 located on the -X direction side.

[0113] Furthermore, the end of irradiation surface 82a on the +Y direction side is located at substantially the same position in the Y axis direction as the end of the inner surface of liquid storage portion 46 on the +Y direction side. Therefore, irradiation surface 82a of light guiding portion 82 extends along either left side surface 43L or right side surface 43R of liquid storage portion 46, and is provided so as to correspond to the inner surface of liquid storage portion 46 in the Y axis direction. In other words, light guiding portion 82 has irradiation surface 82a that irradiates light from light emitter 81 toward the inside of liquid storage portion 46, and at least a portion of irradiation surface 82a is located closer to front surface 43F in the Y axis direction than light emitter 81.

[0114] 14, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 enters the light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b of the light-guiding unit 82. In FIG. 14, the path of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 81 provided between the liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid storage container 40Y and the liquid storage unit 46 of the liquid storage container 40M in the X-axis direction is indicated by a dashed arrow. The light from the light-emitting unit 81 that enters the light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b is guided inside the light-guiding unit 82 toward the irradiation surface 82a by the multiple reflecting units 82t that form the rear surface 82r, and the side surfaces of the light-guiding unit 82 on the +Z direction side, the −Z direction side, and the +Y direction side.

[0115] Of the two light guiding sections 82, in one light guiding section 82 located in the +X direction, light from the light emitting section 81 is guided to the irradiation surface 82a, passes through the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40Y, enters the liquid storage section 46 in the +X direction, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage section 46 containing the liquid. Of the two light guiding sections 82, in the other light guiding section 82 located in the -X direction, light from the light emitting section 81 is guided to the irradiation surface 82a, passes through the right side surface 43R of the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40M, enters the liquid storage section 46 in the -X direction, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage section 46 containing the liquid. In other words, the light emitting section 81 is provided between the liquid storage sections 46 among the multiple liquid storage sections 46 aligned in the X axis direction, and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage section 46 containing the liquid via the light guiding section 82. Furthermore, light-emitting unit 81 illuminates the inside of liquid storage unit 46 from the outside of either left side surface 43L or right side surface 43R, from the front surface 43F to the rear surface 43B. Furthermore, recording device 101 of this embodiment illuminates the inside of six liquid storage units 46 with five light-emitting units 81 via ten light-guiding units 82.

[0116] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the fifth embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0117] The carriage 21 is equipped with a plurality of liquid storage sections 46, and the light emitting section 81 is provided between the liquid storage sections 46. This allows the light emitting section 81 provided on the carriage 21 to be disposed outside the liquid storage sections 46. Furthermore, when the light emitting section 81 is provided on the carriage 21, the dimension of the carriage 21 in the Y-axis direction is unlikely to become large.

[0118] Light guiding section 82 has irradiation surface 82a that irradiates light from light emitting section 81 toward the inside of liquid storage section 46, and at least a portion of irradiation surface 82a is located closer to front surface 43F than light emitting section 81. This makes it easier to guide light from light emitting section 81 toward front surface 43F inside liquid storage section 46.

[0119] The recording device 101 and liquid storage container 40 according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are basically configured as described above, but it is of course possible to modify or omit parts of the configuration without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment and other embodiments described below can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0120] In the above embodiment, the liquid container 40 may not include the injection unit 41 that can inject liquid into the liquid storage unit 46. In this case, the carriage 21 may not include the upper wall unit 61, the opening / closing cover 31, and the cap lever 50. The light-emitting unit 85 provided on the scanner housing 11 may extend in the Y-axis direction to a position corresponding to the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46. The liquid storage unit 46 may be made of a translucent or transparent material. The control unit 111 may illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit 46 by turning on the light-emitting unit 85 when the carriage 21 is in the visible position.

[0121] In the above embodiment, the front wall 21F of the carriage 21 may be omitted.

[0122] In the above embodiment, the carriage 21 may detachably mount the liquid container 40.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the device body 102 may not include the viewing unit 34. In this case, the scanner unit 10 may have the front wall 12F of the document cover 12 extending in the +Z direction so as to cover the +Y side of the carriage 21 at the viewing position. In this case, the front wall 12F may have a through-hole that exposes the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46. This allows the user to see the amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 46 through the through-hole in the front wall 12F even when the scanner unit 10 is in the closed state.

[0124] In the first embodiment, the illumination unit 80 does not necessarily have to include either the light-emitting unit 81 or the light-emitting unit 85.

[0125] In the fifth embodiment, the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40 and the light guiding portion 82 may be formed integrally, or at least a portion of the light guiding portion 82 may be formed integrally with the liquid storage portion 46. In this case, for example, of two light guiding portions 82 provided in a position in the X-axis direction between the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40Y and the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40M shown in FIG. 14 , one light guiding portion 82 located on the +X-direction side is provided integrally with the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40Y. Furthermore, the other light guiding portion 82 located on the −X-direction side is provided integrally with the right side surface 43R of the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40M. In other words, at least a portion of the light guiding portion 82 is provided integrally with the left side surface 43L and the right side surface 43R of the liquid storage portion 46. This allows the light from the light emitting section 81 to efficiently illuminate the inside of the liquid storage section 46 from the side of the liquid storage section 46.

[0126] In the above-described embodiment, the color of the light emitted by light-emitting unit 81 may be changeable, and control unit 111 may change the color when light-emitting unit 81 lights up or flashes. For example, in embodiment 1, control unit 111 may cause light-emitting unit 81 to light up with green light when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 is greater than a lower limit, and cause light-emitting unit 81 to flash with yellow light when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 falls below the lower limit. Also, for example, control unit 111 may cause light-emitting unit 81 to light up with red light when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 falls below the lower limit.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the color of the visible light emitted by each light emitting section 81 provided on the carriage 21 may differ depending on the corresponding liquid storage container 40.

[0128] In the above embodiment, the color of either the light guide portion 82 or the light guide portion 86 provided on the carriage 21 may be different depending on the corresponding liquid storage container 40.

[0129] In the above embodiment, the recording device 101 may not include the scanner unit 10. In this case, the recording device 101 may include a cover member that is movable between a closed state that covers the opening of the device body 102 and an open state that exposes the opening of the device body 102. The cover member is an example of a cover unit that covers the opening of the device body 102. In this case, the light-emitting unit 85 may be provided on the cover member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0130] 10...scanner unit, 11...scanner housing, 11a...light source, 11b...illumination window, 12...document cover, 12F...front wall, 15...display unit, 16...power operation unit, 20...recording unit, 21...carriage, 21F...front wall, 21L...left side wall, 21R...right side wall, 21S...bottom wall, 21a...through hole, 21h...through hole, 22...recording head, 25...transport unit, 31...opening cover, 31a...regulated portion, 31b...through hole, 34...visible portion, 34a... Visualization member, 35...through hole, 36...wall portion, 40, 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, 40Y...liquid storage container, 41...injection portion, 41a...injection port, 41b...first flow path, 41c...second flow path, 41d...third flow path, 41e...outlet, 43B...rear surface, 43Ba...window member, 43F...front surface, 43Fa...window member, 43h...reflective surface, 43L...left side surface, 43R...right side surface, 43S...bottom surface, 43U...upper surface, 43Ua...window member, 44a , 44b...scale, 46...liquid storage portion, 49...outlet, 50...cap lever, 51...engagement portion, 53...end, 54...cap, 55...projection, 61...upper wall portion, 62...cap lever mounting portion, 63...cover mounting portion, 64...guide portion, 64a...top surface, 64b...bottom surface, 65...second recess, 66...lock pin protrusion hole, 71...open / close detection portion, 71a...detector, 72...lock mechanism, 75...maintenance portion, 76...cap, 77 ...waste liquid tank, 78...waste liquid tube, 79...pump, 80...illumination unit, 81...light-emitting unit, 81a...front surface, 82...light-guiding unit, 82a...irradiation surface, 82b...entry surface, 82d...reflecting surface, 82e...reflecting surface, 82r...rear surface, 82t...reflecting unit, 85...light-emitting unit, 85a...front surface, 86...light-guiding unit, 86a...irradiation surface, 86b...entry surface, 90...refill container, 101...recording device, 102...device main body, 111...control unit, 210...host device, 215...display unit.

Claims

1. a liquid storage section capable of storing a liquid, the liquid storage section having a visible surface through which the stored liquid can be seen from the outside; a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium; a carriage that carries the liquid storage unit and the recording head, the carriage being movable to a viewing position where the liquid in the liquid storage unit can be viewed through the viewing surface, and a recording position where the recording head ejects the liquid onto the medium; a light emitting unit capable of illuminating the inside of the liquid storage unit at least when the carriage is located at the viewing position; a device body that houses the carriage; a cover portion provided on the device body; a light guide portion that guides light from the light emitting portion toward the liquid storage portion; a cover portion that can be displaced between a state that covers an upper portion of the liquid storage portion and a state that exposes an upper portion of the liquid storage portion; Equipped with the cover portion is movable between a closed state in which the cover portion covers the device body and an open state in which the cover portion exposes the inside of the device body; the light emitting unit is provided at a position vertically above the liquid storage unit when the cover unit is in the closed state and the carriage is located at the viewing position, The lid portion has a through hole between the light emitting portion and the light guiding portion. A recording device characterized by:

2. a liquid storage section capable of storing a liquid, the liquid storage section having a visible surface through which the stored liquid can be seen from the outside; a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium; a carriage that carries the liquid storage unit and the recording head, the carriage being movable to a viewing position where the liquid in the liquid storage unit can be viewed through the viewing surface, and a recording position where the recording head ejects the liquid onto the medium; a light emitting unit capable of illuminating the inside of the liquid storage unit at least when the carriage is located at the viewing position; a light guide portion that guides light from the light emitting portion toward the liquid storage portion; Equipped with the carriage has a lid portion that is rotatable between a closed state that covers an upper portion of the liquid storage portion and an open state that exposes an upper portion of the liquid storage portion; the light emitting unit is provided on the lid unit, the light guide portion faces the light emitting portion when the lid portion is in the closed state. A recording device characterized by:

3. The device further includes a device body that houses the carriage.

3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2.

4. the apparatus body has a viewing member at a position facing the viewing surface when the carriage is at the viewing position, The viewing member is translucent or transparent.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 3.

5. The light guide portion faces the light emitting portion and has an entrance surface through which the light from the light emitting portion enters.

5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW.

6. the light guide portion has an irradiation surface that irradiates the light from the light emitting portion toward the inside of the liquid storage portion, At least a part of the illumination surface is located closer to the viewing surface than the light emitting unit.

6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW.

7. Further, a control unit is provided to control turning on and off the light emitting unit.

7. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW.

8. Further provided is an injection part capable of injecting the liquid into the liquid storage part.

8. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW.

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