Ink refill container
The ink supply container with a partitioned flow path and elastic valve design effectively prevents ink leakage and pressure-related issues, ensuring reliable ink refilling by controlling valve states based on pressure differences.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2021180015
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-11-04
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-22
- Estimated Expiration
- 2041-11-04
AI Technical Summary
Ink supply containers are prone to ink leakage in various positions and environments, necessitating improved measures to prevent such occurrences.
An ink supply container with a flow path member divided into two paths by a partition, featuring a tubular portion with an elastic valve having slits that close under positive pressure from inside to outside and open under positive pressure from outside, ensuring controlled ink flow and air exchange, and a cap that manages internal pressure changes.
Reduces ink leakage and spraying by maintaining a sealed state during inverted use and managing pressure fluctuations, enhancing the reliability of ink refilling operations.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present disclosure relates to ink supply containers. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, inkjet printers have been known as an example of ink ejection devices, which can print with ink on a print medium such as printing paper by ejecting ink from a print head toward the print medium. Some of these inkjet printers are of the ink refill type, which are used by refilling ink into an ink tank. Patent Document 1 discloses an ink refill type ink refill container that has a slit valve at the ink outlet. In such an ink refill container, ink is refilled by connecting the ink refill container to a needle that is divided into two flow paths by a partition. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-51723 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] Since ink supply containers are used in a variety of positions and in a variety of environments, it is desirable to improve measures to prevent ink leakage. [Means for solving the problem]
[0005] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container that communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via a flow path member that is divided into two flow paths by a partition. This ink supply container comprises a container body configured to be able to contain ink, a tubular portion having an ink outlet, and an elastic valve mounted within the tubular portion, and also comprises an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body, wherein the valve has a circular outer shape in a plan view seen from the ink outlet side in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet, and is formed by two or more slits that include a center and extend from the center toward the circumference and are connected at the center, and for each slit, two inclined surfaces are formed at an angle toward the slit, sandwiching the slit, as seen from the ink outlet side, so that when a positive pressure difference is applied to the inside of the inclined surfaces in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container, the slits close to enter a closed valve state, and when a positive pressure difference is applied to the outside of the inclined surfaces in a direction from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container, the slits open to enter an open valve state, and air within the ink tank is sent into the container body via the flow path member that presses the valve from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container to enter the open valve state, and the ink contained in the container body is supplied to the ink tank. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which ink is being replenished into the ink tank using an ink supply container. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ink supply container according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ink supply container. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the valve as seen from the rear end side. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a first perspective view of a valve. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the valve. [Figure 8]1 is a plan view of a valve attached to a container body, viewed from the ink outlet side in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ink tank according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the ink supply container in an inverted position and the ink tank separated from each other in the axial direction. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the inner surface of the inclined surface of the valve is in contact with a radial end portion of the flow path member. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the ink supply container is attached to the flow path member. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the shape of a slit in a valve. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container with the cap closed. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container in the middle of opening the cap. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container with the cap fully open. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating three linear slits extending in the radial direction. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating four linear slits extending in the radial direction. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a slit formed by a curved portion extending toward the circumference. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A. First embodiment: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100 according to a first embodiment. The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink onto a print medium. FIG. 1 depicts X, Y, and Z axes that are perpendicular to one another. The X axis corresponds to the width direction of the printer 100, the Y axis corresponds to the depth direction of the printer 100, and the Z axis corresponds to the height direction of the printer 100. The printer 100 is installed on a horizontal installation surface defined by the X axis and Y axis directions. Note that the "X axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +X direction and the -X direction. Similarly, the "Y axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the "Z axis direction" refers to the concept of combining the +Z direction and the -Z direction.
[0008] The printer 100 has a housing 110. Inside the housing 110 is a carriage (not shown) that is movable in the main scanning direction (X-axis direction). The carriage is equipped with a print head that ejects ink onto a print medium. An ink tank housing unit 160 that houses multiple ink tanks 700S and 700L is provided at one end of the front of the housing 110. The ink tank housing unit 160 has an openable / closable lid 162 on top. The ink tank 700S is a small-capacity tank, while the ink tank 700L is a large-capacity tank. However, in the following description, the two will be simply referred to as "ink tanks 700" without distinction. Each ink tank 700 is connected to the print head of the carriage by a tube (not shown). In other words, the ink tanks 700 are stationary ink tanks that are not mounted on the carriage of the printer 100. Each ink tank 700 is an ink supply type ink tank that is replenished with ink from an ink supply container when the remaining ink level is low. In this embodiment, the ink tank 700 is a stationary ink tank, but it may also be mounted on the carriage of the printer 100.
[0009] 2 is a perspective view showing the state in which ink is being refilled into an ink tank 700 using an ink refill container 200. The front of each ink tank 700 is made of a transparent member, making it possible to visually check the amount of ink remaining in each ink tank 700 from the outside. When the amount of ink remaining becomes low, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to open the lid 162 and refill ink from the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700.
[0010] A cylindrical flow path member 710 for replenishing ink into the ink tank 700 is provided on the top surface of each ink tank 700. The ink tank accommodating unit 160 is provided with a sealing cap member 164 having a sealing cap 165 for sealing the tip of the flow path member 710. When the ink tank 700 is not being refilled with ink, the tip of the flow path member 710 is sealed by the sealing cap 165 of the sealing cap member 164. When refilling the ink tank 700 with ink, the sealing cap member 164 is removed from the flow path member 710, and the tip of the ink supply container 200 is inserted into the position of the flow path member 710 to refill the ink. Two recesses 750 are provided around the periphery of the flow path member 710 to fit into fitting portions (described below) of the ink supply container 200. These recesses 750 have a shape that is rotationally symmetrical at 180 degrees about the flow path member 710.
[0011] In this specification, the term "ink refilling" refers to the operation of supplying ink to the ink tank 700 to increase the amount of ink remaining. However, "ink refilling" does not necessarily mean filling the ink tank 700 with ink. "Ink refilling" also includes the operation of filling an empty ink tank 700 with ink when using the printer 100 for the first time.
[0012] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ink supply container 200 according to the first embodiment. The ink supply container 200 includes a container body 300 capable of containing ink, an ink outlet forming portion 400 that forms an ink outlet 460 (described later), a ring-shaped member 510, a valve 520, and a cap 600 that can be attached to the ink outlet forming portion 400 to cover the ink outlet 460. The upper end of the ink supply container 200, which faces the cap 600, is referred to as the "front end," and the lower end, which faces the container body 300, is referred to as the "rear end." The container body 300 is a cylindrical container with a bottom and an opening at the front end. A small-diameter portion at the front end of the container body 300 is provided with an external thread 312 for attaching the ink outlet forming portion 400. In this disclosure, the direction parallel to the central axis C of the ink supply container 200 is referred to as the "axial direction," and the direction extending outward from the central axis C is referred to as the "radial direction." The radial direction is also referred to as the "radial direction."
[0013] An ink outlet 460 is provided at the tip of the ink outlet forming part 400. The ink outlet forming part 400 is connected to the container body 300. The ink outlet forming part 400 includes a tubular part 420 having the ink outlet 460. A ring-shaped member 510 and a valve 520 are attached inside the tubular part 420. Therefore, the ring-shaped member 510 and the valve 520 can also be considered as members that form part of the ink outlet forming part 400. When refilling the ink tank 700 with ink, a flow path member 710 (FIG. 2) of the ink tank 700 is inserted into the ink outlet 460.
[0014] The ring-shaped member 510 has a substantially ring shape and serves to fix the valve 520 inside the cylindrical portion 420.
[0015] The valve 520 has elasticity. The valve 520 is configured as a so-called duckbill valve. In this embodiment, the valve 520 is made of butyl rubber. Note that the material of the valve 520 is not limited to butyl rubber, and the valve 520 may be made of any other type of elastic material, such as silicone rubber, as long as the effects of this embodiment are achieved.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink supply container 200. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the valve 520 as seen from the rear end side. FIG. 6 is a first perspective view of the valve 520. FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the valve 520. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the valve 520 attached to the container body 300 as seen from the ink outlet side in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200. Note that FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line passing through the central axis. For ease of illustration, FIGS. 4 and 9 only show a portion of the ink supply container 200. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, a slit SL is formed in the valve 520. As shown in FIG. 8, the valve 520 has a circular outer shape in a plan view. Two slits SL1 and SL2 extend from the center of the circle toward the circumference, forming a single linear slit SL connected at the center. The slit SL is formed in the bottom 522 of the valve 520. Here, the term "circular shape" has a broad concept including not only a perfect circular shape but also an approximately circular shape and an elliptical shape.
[0017] As shown in FIGS. 5-6 and 9, two inclined surfaces are formed in a valley-like shape at an angle θ toward each slit SL of the valve 520, sandwiching the slit when viewed from the ink outlet side. In the valve 520 shown in FIGS. 5-6 and 9, the two inclined surfaces sandwiching the slit SL1 and the two inclined surfaces sandwiching the slit SL2 are connected in the diametric direction, forming two inclined surfaces TS sandwiching the slit SL. "Formed in a valley-like shape at an angle θ" means that the angle θ between the two inclined surfaces TS is formed to be smaller than 180 degrees. Here, as shown in FIGS. 5-6 and 9, the two inclined surfaces TS do not intersect with each other but are positioned to sandwich the bottom 522. Therefore, the "angle between the two inclined surfaces TS" refers to the angle formed by the virtual planes extending from the two inclined surfaces TS. In this embodiment, the angle θ is 90 degrees. Note that the angle θ formed by the two inclined surfaces TS is not limited to 90 degrees and may be any angle as long as the effects of this embodiment are achieved. Length S1 in FIG. 9 refers to the length of the bottom 522 along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction (radial direction). Length S2 in FIG. 9 refers to the length of the inclined surface TS. Specifically, this refers to the length along the inclined surface TS, which is the length along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction (radial direction) when the valve 520 is viewed from the ink outlet 460 side toward the central axis of the ink outlet 460. In this embodiment, length S2 is 10 times longer than length S1. Note that length S2 is not limited to 10 times longer than length S1, and may be 10 times or more as long as the effects of this embodiment are achieved. In FIG. 9, when a force F1 generated by a positive pressure is applied to the inside of the two inclined surfaces TS in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container 200, the slit SL closes, resulting in a valve-closed state. That is, when a positive pressure difference is applied to the inside of the inclined surfaces TS in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container, the slit SL closes, resulting in a valve-closed state. When the ink supply container 200 is turned upside down, the force F1 is generated by the weight of the ink inside the container body 300. Hereinafter, the upside-down position of the ink supply container 200 with the ink outlet facing downward will be referred to as the "inverted position."
[0018] The components of the ink supply container 200, other than the valve 520, may be formed from a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, two mating portions 450 are provided around the ink outlet 460. These mating portions 450 are positioning members that position the ink supply container 200 by mating with recesses 750 (FIG. 2) provided around the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700. Positioning refers to at least one of two functions: preventing erroneous ink injection by mating the ink supply container 200 for replenishing yellow ink with the recess 750 corresponding to the ink tank 700 that contains yellow ink, but preventing ink supply containers 200 for replenishing other colors of ink, such as magenta ink or cyan ink, from mating; and stabilizing the ink injection posture of the ink supply container, as described below. The function of preventing erroneous ink injection is not limited to ink color; for example, it also serves to prevent erroneous injection of dye ink and pigment ink, for example, for black ink. In the first embodiment, the two mating portions 450 have shapes that are rotationally symmetrical at 180 degrees about the central axis C of the ink supply container 200. Similarly, the recess 750 provided around the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700 has a shape that is rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees around the flow path member 710. When refilling ink, the fitting portion 450 of the ink supply container 200 is fitted into the recess 750 around the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700, thereby limiting the orientation of the ink supply container 200 to two orientations that are rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees. As a result, it is possible to maintain the ink supply container 200 in a stable position when refilling ink. However, the fitting portion 450 may be omitted.
[0020] 10 is a perspective view of an ink tank 700 according to the first embodiment. A flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700 protrudes upward from the ink tank 700. The flow path member 710 has two flow paths 711, 712. The two flow paths 711, 712 are separated by a partition wall 714. In the first embodiment, the leading end surface of the flow path member 710 is flat, and the two flow paths 711, 712 each open at the leading end surface of the flow path member 710. A portion of the leading end surface of the flow path member 710 corresponds to the end of the partition wall 714. When refilling with ink, the fitting portion 450 of the ink supply container 200 is fitted into a recess 750 on the periphery of the flow path member 710 of the ink tank 700, thereby positioning the ink supply container 200 in the circumferential direction. As a result, the two flow paths 711, 712 are respectively connected to two in-tank flow paths 721, 722 that protrude into the ink storage chamber 760 below. The lower ends of these in-tank flow paths 721, 722 extend to a position lower than the ceiling wall of the ink storage chamber 760. The reason for this is that when replenishing ink from the ink supply container 200 to the ink tank 700, the gas-liquid exchange stops when the liquid level in the ink storage chamber 760 reaches the lower ends of the in-tank flow paths 721, 722, and therefore the replenishing of ink also stops, making the ink replenishing operation easier.
[0021] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the ink supply container 200 in an inverted position and the ink tank 700 separated in the axial direction. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the inner surface of the inclined surface TS of the valve 520 is in contact with the radial end of the flow path member 710. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the ink supply container 200 attached to the flow path member 710. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the ink supply container 200 is in an inverted position during ink replenishment. The direction from the rear end of the ink supply container 200 toward the front end is indicated as the front end direction D1, and is the direction in which the ink supply container 200 is attached to the flow path member 710. The direction from the front end of the ink supply container 200 toward the rear end is indicated as the rear end direction D2, and is the direction in which the ink supply container 200 is removed from the flow path member 710. Note that FIGS. 11 to 13 only show a portion of each of the ink supply container 200 and the ink tank 700.
[0022] 11 and 12, when the ink supply container 200 and flow path member 710 are positioned relative to each other, the slit SL is closed, resulting in a valve-closed state. As shown in FIG. 13, the flow path member 710 presses against the outside of the two inclined surfaces TS, widening the slit SL against the force F1 shown in FIG. 9, resulting in an open state for the slit SL. That is, when the flow path member 710 presses against the outside of the inclined surfaces TS, a positive pressure difference is applied to the outside of the inclined surfaces TS in a direction from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container 200, opening the slit SL and opening the valve 520. In the open state, air within the ink tank 700 is sent into the container body 300 through the flow path member 710 inserted into the slit SL, and ink contained in the container body 300 is supplied to the ink tank 700. When the ink supply container 200 and flow path member 710 are positioned in an inverted position, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the force F1 shown in FIG. 9 results in a closed state for the valve 520. This reduces the possibility of ink leaking from the ink outlet.
[0023] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating the shape of the slit SL of the valve 520. In this embodiment, the valve 520 is formed so that the circumferential length of the slit SL is equal to the circumferential length of the flow path member 710. The circumferential length of the slit SL in FIG. 14 is approximately 2×L1, which is equal to the circumferential length of the flow path member 710 indicated by the dashed line. This prevents the slit SL from stretching too much, making it easy to restore its original shape. This reduces misalignment of the slit SL seam when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the flow path member 710. This maintains good sealing performance of the slit SL, thereby preventing ink from spraying. Furthermore, when the flow path member 710 is inserted into the slit SL, good sealing performance between the valve 520 and the flow path member 710 is maintained, preventing ink from leaking from the gap between the valve 520 and the flow path member 710. As described above, the valve 520 is formed so that the circumferential length of the slit SL is equal to the circumferential length of the flow path member 710, but this "equal" has a broader concept that includes not only equal but also a configuration that differs within a range of ±10%.
[0024] FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 closed. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 in the middle of being opened. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the ink supply container 200 with the cap 600 fully opened. As shown in FIG. 15, the cap 600 has a protrusion 602 extending in the axial direction. When the cap 600 is closed, the protrusion 602 presses the valve 520 in the rearward direction D2 to open the valve. At this time, the threads on the inner wall of the cap 600 and the threads on the outer wall of the ink outlet forming portion 400 are threadedly engaged with each other. As shown in FIG. 16, when the cap 600 is opened in the forward direction D1, air can move as shown by the arrows through a small gap between the valve 520 and the protrusion 602. Specifically, when the cap 600 is opened from the closed state shown in FIG. 15 as shown in FIG. 16, air inside the container body 300 moves in the distal direction D1 through the small gap between the valve 520 and the protrusion 602 and reaches the space Ar1. This space Ar1 is surrounded by the inner wall of the cap 600, including the outer peripheral surface of the base of the protrusion 602, and the distal outer wall surfaces of the ink outlet forming portion 400 and the valve 520. This space Ar1 is closed by the threaded portion between the inner wall of the cap 600 and the outer wall of the ink outlet forming portion 400, and is therefore not in communication with the outside. Therefore, at this time, the air that has moved into the space Ar1 is not discharged to the outside. When the cap 600 is completely opened, the protrusion 602, which has been pressing the valve 520, moves in the distal direction D1, as shown in FIG. 17, resulting in a closed valve state. Therefore, in this state, air inside the container body 300 does not leak out through the valve 520. On the other hand, air that leaks into the space Ar1 in the state shown in Figure 16 is discharged to the outside because the threads on the inner wall of the cap 600 are no longer threadedly engaged with the threads on the outer wall of the ink outlet forming portion 400. If the internal pressure of the ink supply container 200 is rising due to changes in temperature or air pressure, the movement of air as shown by the arrows in Figure 16 releases the internal pressure when the cap 600 is opened from its closed state, preventing ink from spraying out.
[0025] According to the ink supply container 200 of the first embodiment, the valve 520 has a circular outer shape in a plan view seen from the ink outlet side in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet, and is formed with slits SL that include the center and extend from the center toward the circumference, i.e., two slits SL1 and SL2. The valve 520 is a duckbill valve, and in the two slits SL1 and SL2 that form the slits SL, two inclined surfaces TS (more precisely, inclined surfaces equivalent to half of the inclined surface TS) are formed at an angle toward the slit, sandwiching the slit, as viewed from the ink outlet side. When a positive pressure difference is applied to each inclined surface, i.e., the inside of the inclined surface TS, in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container 200, the slit SL closes, resulting in a closed valve state. When a positive pressure difference is applied to the outside of the inclined surface TS, in a direction from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container 200, the slit SL opens, resulting in an open valve state. That is, the flow path member 710 presses against the outside of the inclined surface TS, widening the slit SL, resulting in an open valve state. In the open valve state, air in the ink tank 700 is sent into the container body 300 via the flow path member 710 inserted into the slit SL, and ink contained in the container body 300 is supplied to the ink tank 700. This reduces the possibility of ink leaking from the ink outlet when the ink supply container 200 is in an inverted position with the ink outlet facing downward. In the first embodiment, the valve 520 is formed with a single slit SL that connects slits SL1 and SL2, and the two inclined surfaces facing slit SL1 and the two inclined surfaces facing slit SL2 are connected and formed integrally. Therefore, it can be said that two inclined surfaces TS are formed for one slit SL.
[0026] Furthermore, the circumferential length of the slit SL of the valve 520 is equal to the circumferential length of the flow path member 710. This prevents the slit SL from stretching too much, making it easy to restore its original shape, and reduces misalignment of the seam of the slit SL when the ink supply container 200 is removed from the flow path member 710. This maintains good sealing performance of the slit SL, and prevents ink from spraying out. Furthermore, when the flow path member 710 is inserted into the slit SL, good sealing performance between the valve 520 and the flow path member 710 is maintained, and ink leakage from the gap between the valve 520 and the flow path member 710 is suppressed.
[0027] Furthermore, the ink supply container 200 is equipped with a cap 600 that can cover the ink outlet. The cap 600 has a protrusion 602 that presses the valve 520 to open it when the cap 600 is closed. Therefore, if the internal pressure of the ink supply container 200 increases due to changes in temperature or air pressure, the internal pressure is released when the cap 600 is opened from a closed state, preventing ink from spraying out.
[0028] The "partition wall 714" in the first embodiment corresponds to the "partition" of the present disclosure.
[0029] B. Other Embodiments: B-1. Alternative embodiment 1: In the ink supply container 200 of the first embodiment, the valve 520 is formed so that the circumferential length of the slit SL is equal to the circumferential length of the flow path member 710, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The valve 520 may be formed so that the circumferential length of the slit SL is greater than the circumferential length of the flow path member 710.
[0030] B-2. Alternative embodiment 2: In the first embodiment, the valve 520 has a linear slit SL extending in the radial direction, which is formed by connecting two slits SL1 and SL2 extending from the center toward the circumference. However, the valve 520 may have three or more slits extending from the center toward the circumference. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating three linear slits SL extending radially from the center toward the circumference. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating four linear slits SL extending radially from the center toward the circumference. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 , in the closed state, a configuration having three or more linear slits SL extending radially from the center toward the circumference of the valve 520 can reduce the radial length of the slits SL while maintaining the same circumferential length, compared to a configuration having a single linear slit SL formed by connecting two slits SL1 and SL2 extending radially from the center toward the circumference, as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the radial size of the valve 520 and, therefore, the radial size of the tubular portion 420 can be easily reduced.
[0031] B-3. Alternative embodiment 3: In the first embodiment, the valve 520 has a linear slit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a slit SL having a curved portion extending from the center toward the circumference. As shown in FIG. 20, in the closed state, the valve 520 may have two slits SL formed by curved portions extending in a curved manner from the center toward the circumference. Note that in the closed state, the number of slits SL formed by curved portions extending in a curved manner from the center toward the circumference of the valve 520 is not limited to two, and may be three or more. Compared to the configuration having a linear slit SL as in the first embodiment, the slit SL formed by curved portions as shown in FIG. 20 can have a smaller radial size for the same circumferential length. This prevents the valve 520 from expanding in the radial direction. This makes it easier to reduce the radial size of the valve 520 and, ultimately, the radial size of the tubular portion 420. In Figure 20, the slit SL is formed only by a curved portion extending in a curved manner from the center of the valve 520 toward the circumference, but when focusing on one slit SL, part of it may be straight and the rest may be curved.
[0032] B-4. Alternative embodiment 4: In the first embodiment, the ink supply container 200 is provided with the cap 600, but the cap 600 may not be provided.
[0033] B-5. Alternative embodiment 5: In the first embodiment, the ink supply container 200 has a bottom 522, but it does not have to have a bottom 522. The valve 520 may have a V-shape with two inclined surfaces TS formed from a slit SL in a cross-sectional view as shown in Fig. 9.
[0034] C. Other forms: The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be realized in various configurations without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, the technical features of the embodiments corresponding to the technical features in each aspect described below can be appropriately replaced or combined to solve some or all of the above-described problems or achieve some or all of the above-described effects. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it can be appropriately deleted.
[0035] (1) According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an ink supply container that communicates with an ink tank of a printer and supplies ink to the ink tank via a flow path member that is divided into two flow paths by a partition. This ink supply container comprises a container body configured to be able to contain ink, a tubular portion having an ink outlet, and an elastic valve mounted within the tubular portion, and also comprises an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body, wherein the valve has a circular outer shape in a plan view seen from the ink outlet side in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet, and is formed by two or more slits that include a center and extend from the center toward the circumference and are connected at the center, and for each slit, two inclined surfaces are formed at an angle toward the slit, sandwiching the slit, as seen from the ink outlet side, so that when a positive pressure difference is applied to the inside of the inclined surfaces in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container, the slits close to enter a closed valve state, and when a positive pressure difference is applied to the outside of the inclined surfaces in a direction from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container, the slits open to enter an open valve state, and air within the ink tank is sent into the container body via the flow path member that presses the valve from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container to enter the open valve state, and the ink contained in the container body is supplied to the ink tank. According to this configuration, when the ink supply container is in an inverted position with the ink outlet facing downward, a force generated by a positive pressure difference is applied to the inside of the inclined surface, closing the valve, thereby reducing the possibility of ink leaking from the ink outlet when the ink supply container is in an inverted position. Also, although pressure inside the ink supply container can increase due to environmental changes such as temperature changes, causing ink to spray out, this configuration reduces the occurrence of such ink spraying.
[0036] (2) In the above embodiment, the valve may be a duckbill valve. This embodiment reduces the possibility of ink leaking from the ink outlet when the ink supply container is in an inverted position with the ink outlet facing downward.
[0037] (3) In the above embodiment, the valve may be formed so that the circumferential length of the slit is equal to or greater than the circumferential length of the flow path member. According to this embodiment, excessive stretching of the slit is suppressed during ink supply, making it easier for the slit to return to its original shape. This reduces misalignment of the slit joint when the ink supply container is removed from the flow path member. Therefore, the sealing performance of the slit is maintained well, and ink ejection can be suppressed. Furthermore, when the flow path member is inserted into the slit, the sealing performance between the valve and the flow path member is also maintained well, suppressing ink leakage from the gap between the valve and the flow path member.
[0038] (4) In the above embodiment, the valve may have three or more slits in the closed state. According to this embodiment, the radial length of the slits can be reduced as the number of slits increases to ensure a desired circumferential length of the slits. This makes it easier to reduce the radial size of the valve, and therefore the radial size of the cylindrical portion.
[0039] (5) In the above embodiment, the valve may have the slit including a curved portion that extends in a curved manner from the center of the valve toward the circumference in the closed state. This embodiment makes it easier to reduce the radial size of the slit to ensure a desired circumferential length, compared to when the slit is linear. Therefore, it is easier to reduce the radial size of the valve, and therefore the radial size of the cylindrical portion.
[0040] (6) In the above embodiment, a cap capable of covering the ink outlet may be further provided, and the cap may have a protrusion that presses the valve to open the valve when the cap is closed. According to this embodiment, if the internal pressure of the ink supply container increases due to a change in temperature or air pressure, the internal pressure is released when the cap is opened from the closed state, thereby suppressing ink from spraying out.
[0041] In addition to the above aspects, the present disclosure can be realized in other aspects such as a method for manufacturing an ink supply container. [Explanation of symbols]
[0042] 100...printer, 110...casing, 160...ink tank accommodating unit, 162...lid, 164...sealing cap member, 165...sealing cap, 200...ink supply container, 300...container body, 312...external thread, 400...ink outlet forming portion, 420...tubular portion, 450...fitting portion, 460...ink outlet, 510...ring-shaped member, 520...valve, 522...bottom, 600...cap, 602...projection, 700, 700L, 700S...ink tank, 710...flow path member, 711...flow path, 714...partition wall, 721...flow path inside tank, 750...recess, 760...ink storage chamber, Ar1...space, C...central axis, D1...front end direction, D2...rear end direction, F1...force, SL...slit, TS...inclined surface
Claims
1. A flow path member that communicates with the ink tank of the printer and is divided into two flow paths by a partition. an ink supply container for supplying ink to the ink tank via the ink supply container, a container body configured to be able to contain ink; a cylindrical portion having an ink outlet and a resilient valve mounted in the cylindrical portion, an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body; Equipped with The valve has a circular shape in a plan view seen from the ink outlet side toward the central axis of the ink outlet. and two or more slits extending from the center toward the circumference are formed at the center. and two slits are connected to each other as viewed from the ink outlet side. The inclined surfaces are formed at an angle in a valley shape toward the slit, sandwiching the slit, A positive pressure difference is applied to the inside of the inclined surface in a direction from the inside to the outside of the ink supply container. As a result, the slit closes to form a closed valve, and the ink supply valve is opened to the outside of the inclined surface. The slit opens when a positive pressure difference is applied from the outside to the inside of the container. It acts to open the valve, In the closed state, the valve has a curved line extending from the center of the valve toward the circumference. The slit includes a shaped portion, The valve is pressed from the outside to the inside of the ink supply container to be in the open state. The air in the ink tank is sent into the container body through a flow path member. supplying the stored ink to the ink tank; Ink refill container.
2. 10. The ink supply container of claim 1, wherein the valve is a duckbill valve. container.
3. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein the valve is disposed at the slit. The ink supply member is formed so that its circumferential length is equal to or greater than that of the flow path member. Supply container.
4. 4. The ink supply container according to claim 1, The ink supply container, wherein the valve has three or more slits in the closed state.
5. The ink supply container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a cap capable of covering the ink outlet, The cap has a projection that presses the valve to open the valve when the cap is closed. An ink supply container having a rise.
Citation Information
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