Ink bottle

Abstract

To suppress liquid from leaking, when impact is applied to a lid member.SOLUTION: A liquid storage container comprises a pour-out port member having a pour-out port that pours out liquid stored in a storage part and a joined part having a male screw portion arranged outside thereof, and a lid part, in which a female screw portion that is screwed with the male screw portion is arranged, which is configured to be attachable to the pour-out member, where the male screw portion is divided in the joined part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink bottle that contains ink. [Background technology]

[0002] Some liquid tanks used in liquid ejection devices such as inkjet recording devices can be refilled with liquid. For example, a liquid storage container equipped with a liquid outlet for pouring liquid can be used, and the liquid can be refilled into the liquid tank through the outlet (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which a male thread is provided around the entire circumference of the liquid storage container body, and a lid member having a female thread that can be screwed onto the male thread is attached and fixed to the liquid storage container body, thereby sealing off the liquid from leaking out of the liquid storage container body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-144240 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when the male thread portion of the liquid storage container body is provided around the entire circumference, as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the lid member is subjected to an impact due to being dropped, etc., there is a risk that the lid member will crack or the liquid sealing portion will deform, causing liquid to leak from the liquid storage container body.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an ink bottle that prevents ink from leaking when an impact is applied to the lid member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An ink bottle according to one aspect of the present invention is an ink bottle capable of refilling an ink tank of an inkjet recording device with ink, comprising: a storage section capable of storing ink; an outlet section connected to the storage section and capable of pouring out the ink stored in the storage section; and a coupling section having a male thread section on the outside; and a lid section having a female thread section on the inside configured to be threadedly engaged with the male thread section and configured to be detachable from the outlet section, wherein the male thread section is divided at the coupling section, and the divided male thread section forms a single spiral shape as a whole, and the outlet section extends along a circle formed by the diameter of the coupling section excluding the raised portion of the male thread section when viewed from the ink pouring direction, and includes a first no. a flat portion formed on the inner diameter side of the circle and consisting of a first flat portion and a second flat portion arranged with 180° rotational symmetry about the center of the circle; and a plurality of recesses including a first recess and a second recess, which are formed on the inner diameter side of the circle and are portions that form one end of a space arranged with 180° rotational symmetry about the center of the circle, wherein the first arc portion, the first flat portion, and the second arc portion are arranged successively in this order, the third arc portion, the second flat portion, and the fourth arc portion are arranged successively in this order, the first recess is located between the first arc portion and the third arc portion, and the second recess is located between the second arc portion and the fourth arc portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ink bottle that prevents liquid from leaking when an impact is applied to the lid member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a liquid ejection device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the liquid ejection device. [Figure 3] 2A and 2B are an enlarged perspective view and a plan view of a portion of the liquid ejection device in which a liquid tank is housed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a liquid storage container. [Figure 5] 2A and 2B are a component configuration diagram and a cross-sectional view of a liquid storage container. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a nozzle. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a nozzle. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid storage container. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a top view of a nozzle used in the examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Furthermore, the relative positions and shapes of the components described in the embodiments are merely examples.

[0011] <<First Embodiment>> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a liquid ejection device 1 of this embodiment. The liquid ejection device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a serial type inkjet recording device. The liquid ejection device 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a housing 11 and a liquid tank 12 arranged inside the housing 11. The liquid tank 12 contains ink, which is a liquid to be ejected onto a recording medium (not shown).

[0012] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the liquid ejection device 1 shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, the liquid ejection device 1 includes a transport roller 13 for transporting a recording medium (not shown), a carriage 15 provided with a recording head 14 that ejects liquid, and a carriage motor 16 for driving the carriage 15. The recording medium is not particularly limited as long as an image is formed on it by the liquid ejected from the recording head 14. Examples of the recording medium include paper, cloth, the label surface of an optical disc, a plastic sheet, and an OHP sheet.

[0013] The liquid is contained in liquid tank 12, supplied to recording head 14 via liquid flow passage 17, and ejected from recording head 14. In this embodiment, four colors of ink (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) are used as the liquid, and four color-specific liquid tanks 12a to 12d are provided as liquid tanks 12, each containing one of the four colored inks. Hereinafter, when individually referring to individual liquid tanks, the liquid tanks 12a to 12d will be suffixed with an alphabet, and when referring to any liquid tank, they will be referred to as liquid tank 12. Each of color-specific liquid tanks 12a to 12d is located at the front of liquid ejection device 1 inside housing 11.

[0014] Fig. 3(a) is an example of an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the liquid ejection device 1 shown in Fig. 1 that houses the liquid tanks 12b to 12d, and Fig. 3(b) is a plan view of the perspective view shown in Fig. 3(a). The liquid tank 12 has a liquid tank main body 121 for storing liquid and a communication flow path 122 that communicates with a liquid storage chamber within the liquid tank main body 121. The liquid tank 12 also has a tank cover 123 (see Fig. 2) that can be attached to cover the communication flow path 122 and seal the storage chamber of the liquid tank main body 121 except when the liquid is being refilled. When refilling the liquid tank 12 with liquid, the outlet of the liquid storage container 2 (see Fig. 4) is inserted into the communication flow path 122, and the liquid is poured in. By sealing the liquid storage chamber with the tank cover 123 except when the liquid is being refilled, evaporation of the liquid inside the liquid tank 12 can be suppressed. The communicating flow path 122 has two flow paths extending vertically in parallel therein, and is designed so that the liquid in the liquid storage container 2 is injected into the liquid tank by gas-liquid exchange. In the liquid ejection device 1, a socket 18 may be provided at the portion where the liquid storage container 2 outlet is inserted. If a socket 18 is provided, the socket 18 has a protrusion 19 that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential wall. A socket 18 is provided for each liquid tank 12, and the shape of the protrusion 19 differs for each socket 18 to prevent the liquid container from being inserted incorrectly. The protrusion 19 exists at 180° rotational symmetry with respect to the central axis of the communicating flow path 122.

[0015] FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing the appearance of liquid storage container 2, which is a liquid container for refilling liquid tank 12 with liquid. Liquid storage container 2 in FIG. 4 has bottle 21, which is a storage portion (main body) for storing liquid, nozzle 22 connected to bottle 21, and cap 23 detachable from nozzle 22. Nozzle 22 is a spout member that functions as an outlet for pouring out the liquid stored in bottle 21. Cap 23 is a lid that is attached to nozzle 22 to shield the inside of liquid storage container 2 (specifically, bottle 21) from the outside air. Methods for connecting bottle 21 and nozzle 22 include a method of sealing by sandwiching a flexible part between them, or a method of welding bottle 21 and nozzle 22 together as resin parts. Bottle 21 and nozzle 22 may also be an integrated part.

[0016] FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing an example of a component diagram of the liquid storage container 2 shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view of the liquid storage container 2 shown in FIG. 5(a) in a combined state. The bottle 21 of the liquid storage container 2 includes a bottle weld portion 21a formed at its top and a liquid storage portion 21b formed at its bottom. The nozzle 22 includes a spout 22a for dispensing the liquid, a coupling portion 22b having a male thread structure formed on the outside, and a nozzle weld portion 22c having a welded surface formed on the inside or bottom surface. The cap 23, which serves as a lid, is configured to be detachable from the nozzle 22, which serves as a spout member, and enables the spout 22a to be opened and closed. Examples of materials for forming the bottle 21 include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Examples of materials for forming the nozzle 22 include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). The nozzle 22 is joined to the bottle 21 by welding the nozzle weld portion 22c to the bottle weld portion 21a. When the bottle 21 and the nozzle 22 are joined by welding, it is preferable that the bottle 21 and the nozzle 22 are made of the same material. Inside the nozzle 22, there are provided a seal 24 having an opening, a valve 25 that opens and closes the opening of the seal 24, a spring 26 that biases the valve 25, and a holder 27 that fixes the spring 26.

[0017] An example of a method for attaching the cap 23 to the nozzle 22 is to screw the nozzle 22 and the cap 23 together. Specifically, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), one example is a method in which a coupling portion 22b having a male thread structure formed on the outside of the nozzle 22 is used to screw the nozzle 22 together with a cap thread portion 23a having a female thread structure formed on the inside of the lower part of the cap 23. In this way, the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22 by screwing the cap thread portion 23a into the coupling portion 22b. At this time, the cap seal portion 23b of the cap 23 and a part of the outlet 22a of the nozzle 22 fit together, sealing the interior of the liquid storage container 2. That is, a sealed portion is formed by the contact point between the cap seal portion 23b and a part of the outlet 22a of the nozzle 22.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the nozzle 22, which is a spout member of this embodiment. FIG. 6(a) is an example of a perspective view of the component shape of the nozzle 22. FIG. 6(b) is a top view of FIG. 6(a). The male thread portion 221 of the nozzle 22 of this embodiment has a segmented structure. That is, the male thread portion 221 is not formed continuously around the entire circumference of the nozzle 22, but is segmented in parts. The segmented male thread portion 221 forms a single spiral shape as a whole, and each segmented male thread is configured to thread into the female thread of the cap. Note that a segment may also be formed in part of the cap thread portion 23a of the cap 23.

[0019] A recess 223 is formed in at least a portion of the divided portion of the male thread portion 221. In this embodiment, the recess 223 refers to one end of a space formed on the inner diameter side of a circle 222 (shown by a dotted line) formed by the base of the coupling portion 22b having the male thread portion 221 in a top view of the nozzle 22, as shown in FIG. 6(b). The diameter of the circle 222 corresponds to the radius of rotation when the cap is opened, and is generally 15 mm to 40 mm. The diameter of the circle 222 corresponds to the diameter of the coupling portion 22b excluding the protruding portion of the male thread portion 221. From the viewpoint of drop resistance, the width 224 of the recess 223 of the nozzle 22 is preferably 0.5 mm or more, and more preferably 1.0 mm or more. Here, the width 224 of the recess 223 corresponds to the distance between the arc of the circle 222 corresponding to the recess 223 and the recess 223. In this example, it corresponds to the maximum distance between the circle 222 and the nozzle 22 in a top view of the nozzle 22. The ratio of the recess 223 to the circle 222 is preferably 10% or more, and more preferably 20% or more, from the viewpoint of drop resistance. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of preventing loosening of the cap due to vibration, etc., the ratio of the recess 223 to the circle 222 is preferably 90% or less, and more preferably 70% or less. Here, the ratio of the recess 223 to the circle 222 refers to the ratio of the angle of the recess 223 to 360°, which is the angle of the entire circumference of the circle 222. In the example shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the recess 223 is provided at two locations with rotational symmetry. Therefore, the ratio of the recess 223 to the circle 222 is calculated by the angle θ × 2 / 360 shown in Figure 6(b).

[0020] As described above, by separating the male thread portion 221 of the nozzle 22, it is possible to prevent liquid from leaking from the main body of the liquid storage container 2 even when an impact is applied to the cap 23, which is a lid member, due to being dropped or the like. Note that, in the example of FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), an example has been described in which the recesses 223 are provided in two locations with 180° rotational symmetry, but the recesses 223 do not have to be provided in multiple locations. It is sufficient that the recess 223 is provided in at least one location. Furthermore, the recess 223 may also be a portion used for positioning when refilling the liquid tank 12 of the liquid ejection device 1 with liquid. Below, the recesses used for positioning will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0021] FIG. 7 shows another example of the nozzle 22 according to this embodiment. FIG. 7(a) is a perspective view of the nozzle 22, and FIG. 7(b) is a top view of FIG. 7(a). The nozzle 22 in FIG. 7 has recesses 223a that are rotationally symmetrical at 180°, and the recesses 223a are configured to engage with protrusions 19 that protrude inward from the inner circumferential wall of a socket 18 provided in a liquid tank 12 of a liquid ejection device 1. By using a liquid storage container 2 having recesses 223a that engage with protrusions 19 of different shapes corresponding to the colors of the liquid tanks 12, it is possible to prevent erroneous injection of liquids from different colored liquid storage containers 2 into the liquid tank 12. Furthermore, this configuration also contributes to miniaturization of the liquid storage container 2, since the coupling portion 22b, which functions as the nozzle thread portion, is provided with a positioning portion for the liquid ejection device 1. 7 shows an example in which a recess 223a that engages with the protrusion 19 of the liquid tank 12 is provided separately in addition to the recess 223 shown in FIG. 6, but the recess 223 does not have to be provided. In other words, the coupling portion 22b may be provided with only the recess 223a that engages with the protrusion 19 of the liquid tank 12.

[0022] The above is a description of the male thread portion 221 of the nozzle 22. Next, referring back to FIG. 5, the internal structure of the nozzle 22 will be described. The nozzle 22 is provided with a seal 24, which is an orifice portion having an opening at its tip (upper end) into which the communication channel 122 is inserted. A spring 26 biases a valve 25, which is a valve body of a liquid stop valve, toward the opening, thereby closing the gap between the seal 24 and the valve 25 and sealing the liquid storage container 2. In this embodiment, the spring 26 is used as a biasing mechanism, and the spring 26 is held by a holder 27 fixed to the internal space of the nozzle 22. The seal 24 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or elastomer. Examples of materials that can be used to form the valve 25 include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Examples of materials that can be used to form the spring 26 include stainless steel (SUS). Examples of materials that can be used to form the holder 27 include polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Methods for fixing the holder 27 to the nozzle 22 include welding.

[0023] When liquid is supplied from the liquid storage container 2 to the liquid tank 12, the communicating flow path 122 is inserted into the nozzle 22 through the opening in the seal 24, thereby opening the valve 25. As described above, if the nozzle 22 of the liquid storage container 2 is provided with a recess 223a that engages with the protrusion 19 of the socket 18 of the liquid ejection device 1, the liquid storage container 2 can be positioned by the socket 18. The liquid in the liquid storage container 2 is supplied to the storage chamber of the liquid tank body 121 through the communicating flow path 122 due to the hydraulic head difference. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the cap 23 may be provided with a protrusion 23f or the like to open the valve 25 when the cap is opened and closed. This prevents the liquid from flowing too quickly into the liquid tank 12 and overflowing when the liquid is supplied to the liquid tank 12, even if the pressure inside the liquid storage container 2 is higher than the external atmospheric pressure.

[0024] As described above, in this embodiment, the male thread portion 221 of the nozzle 22 is broken. Therefore, even when an impact is applied to the cap 23, which is a lid member, due to dropping or the like, the male thread portion 221 of the nozzle 22 is not provided around the entire circumference, so that the impact can be prevented from being transmitted between the cap and the nozzle. This makes it possible to prevent liquid from leaking from the seal portion between the cap 23 and the nozzle 22, and to prevent the cap from cracking. Furthermore, since the recess 223 (or recess 223a) is formed in the nozzle 22, the rigidity of the nozzle 22 is reduced, so that the impact on the cap 23 can be further reduced.

[0025] <<Example>> Various embodiments will be described below. Note that the following are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting.

[0026] Example 1 Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of a liquid storage container 2 used in each example. In the liquid storage container 2 shown in Fig. 8, a polypropylene bottle having an outer diameter of Φ64 mm and a height of 100 mm was used as the bottle 21. A polypropylene cap having an outer diameter of Φ33 mm and an inner diameter of the female screw portion of Φ27.2 mm was used as the cap 23.

[0027] Fig. 9 shows a top view of the nozzle 22 used in each example. Fig. 9(a) shows a top view of the nozzle 22 used in Example 1. The nozzle 22 used was a polypropylene nozzle in which a circle 222 formed by the base of the male thread portion had a diameter of 27.0 mm, a width 224 of the recess was 0.5 mm, and the ratio of the recess to the circle 222 was 17%. The other configurations were the same as those in Fig. 5, and a liquid storage container 2 was produced.

[0028] <Example 2> 9(b), the nozzle 22 of Example 2 has a recess width 224 of 1.0 mm and a ratio of the recess to the circle 222 of 25%. Otherwise, a liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0029] Example 3 9(c), the nozzle 22 of Example 3 has a recess width 224 of 2.5 mm and a ratio of the recess to the circle 222 of 39%. Otherwise, a liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0030] Example 4 9(d), the nozzle 22 of Example 4 has a recess width 224 of 3.5 mm and a recess ratio of 48% to the circle 222. Otherwise, a liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0031] <Example 5> The nozzle 22 of Example 5 shown in Figure 9(e) has a recess width 224 of 2.5 mm. Furthermore, two recesses 223a that engage with the protrusions 19 of the socket 18 of the liquid discharger 1 and are rotationally symmetrical at 180° are provided. The ratio of the recesses to the circle 222 is 73%. A liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above.

[0032] Example 6 The nozzle 22 of Example 6 shown in Figure 9(f) has a recess width 224 of 2.5 mm. Furthermore, two recesses 223a that engage with the protrusions 19 of the socket 18 of the liquid discharger 1 and are rotationally symmetrical at 180° are provided. The ratio of the recesses to the circle 222 is 59%. A liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above.

[0033] Example 7 The nozzle 22 of Example 7 shown in Figure 9(g) has a recess width 224 of 2.5 mm. Furthermore, six recesses 223a that engage with the protrusions 19 of the socket 18 of the liquid discharge device 1 and are rotationally symmetrical at 180° are provided. The ratio of the recesses to the circle 222 is 59%. A liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above.

[0034] Example 8 The nozzle 22 of Example 8 shown in Figure 9(h) has a recess width 224 of 2.5 mm. Furthermore, two recesses 223a that engage with the protrusions 19 of the socket 18 of the liquid discharger 1 and are rotationally symmetrical at 180° are provided. The ratio of the recesses to the circle 222 is 66%. A liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except for the above.

[0035] <Comparative Example 1> 9(i), the nozzle 22 of Comparative Example 1 has no recessed portion. Therefore, the ratio of the recessed portion to the circle 222 is 0%. Otherwise, a liquid storage container 2 was produced in the same manner as in Example 1.

[0036] <Drop resistance evaluation> 200 ml of ink was poured into the liquid storage containers 2 produced in Examples 1 to 8 and Comparative Example 1, and drop resistance was evaluated from a height of 180 cm, and rated according to the following criteria. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 as "Drop resistance".

[0037] [Table 1]

[0038] Here, the shapes a to i in Table 1 correspond to the nozzles (a) to (i) in Figure 9. Also, the drop resistance in Table 1 indicates the following. A: No ink seeping out from the seal on the cap. B: A small amount of ink was seen leaking from the seal of the cap. C: Ink leaked outside the bottle or the cap was cracked.

[0039] In Examples 1 to 8, no ink leakage to the outside of the bottle or cracking of the cap was observed. A comparison of Examples 1 to 4 showed that drop resistance was further improved when the width of the recessed portion of the nozzle was 1 mm or more. Furthermore, a comparison of Examples 5 to 8 showed that drop resistance was further improved when the ratio of the recessed portion to the circle formed by the base of the male screw was 70% or less. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the male screw portion was not divided and no recessed portion was provided, so drop resistance was not improved.

[0040] <<Other embodiments>> In the above embodiment, the liquid container is used to refill the liquid tank of the liquid ejection device with liquid, but it may be used to refill the liquid tank of any device with liquid. Also, although the above embodiment describes an example in which ink is used as the liquid contained in the liquid container, it may contain any liquid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 2 Liquid container 22 nozzles 22b Joint 221 Male thread 222 yen 223 recess 223a Recess 23 Cap

Claims

1. An ink bottle capable of refilling an ink tank of an inkjet recording device with ink, a storage section capable of storing ink; a spout portion connected to the container portion and having a spout through which the ink contained in the container portion can be poured, and a coupling portion having a male screw portion disposed on the outside; A lid portion having an internal female screw portion configured to be screwed into the external screw portion and configured to be detachable from the spout portion; Equipped with At the coupling portion, the male screw portion is divided, and the divided male screw portion as a whole forms a single spiral shape, The outlet portion, as viewed from the ink outlet direction, a plurality of arcuate portions including first to fourth arcuate portions that are along a circle formed by a diameter of a portion of the coupling portion excluding a protruding portion of the male screw portion and that include the male screw portion; a flat surface portion formed on an inner diameter side of the circle and including a first flat surface portion and a second flat surface portion provided rotationally symmetrically by 180° about the center of the circle; a plurality of recesses including a first recess and a second recess, the recesses being formed on an inner diameter side of the circle and being portions that form one end of a space that is provided in 180° rotational symmetry with respect to the center of the circle; and the first arc portion, the first flat portion, and the second arc portion are provided successively in this order, the third arc portion, the second flat portion, and the fourth arc portion are provided successively in this order, an ink bottle having the first recess between the first arc portion and the third arc portion, and having the second recess between the second arc portion and the fourth arc portion;

2. 2. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the flat portion and the recessed portion do not have the male thread portion.

3. 3. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the arc of the circle corresponding to the flat surface and the flat surface is 0.5 mm or more.

4. 4. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first and second flat portions and the plurality of recesses to the circle at the joint portion is 10% or more and 90% or less.

5. 4. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the first and second flat portions and the plurality of recesses to the circle at the joint portion is 20% or more and 70% or less.

6. 6. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the outlet portion is provided with the first recess, the first arc portion, the first flat portion, the second arc portion, and the second recess, in this order.

7. The ink bottle according to claim 1 , further comprising a sealing portion formed by a contact point between the lid portion and the spout portion.

8. The outlet portion has a liquid stop valve therein, the lid portion has a protrusion therein that opens the liquid stop valve when the lid portion is closed, 8. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the projection opens the stop valve when the lid is attached to the outlet.

9. the liquid stop valve has an orifice portion, a valve body, and a biasing mechanism that biases the valve body; 9. The ink bottle according to claim 8, wherein the biasing mechanism closes the gap between the orifice portion and the valve body.

10. 10. The ink bottle according to claim 1, wherein the recess of the coupling portion is configured to engage with a protrusion formed on a protrusion formed on a socket provided to surround the outside of the ink tank.

11. 11. The ink bottle according to claim 10, wherein the recessed portion engages with the protruding portion when the ink tank is refilled with ink.

12. the ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a plurality of ink tanks, and the sockets of the ink tanks have different shapes; 12. The ink bottle according to claim 10, wherein the recess of the coupling portion is capable of engaging only with the protrusion formed on the socket of one of the plurality of ink tanks, and is not capable of engaging with the protrusion formed on the socket of another ink tank.

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