Recording device and liquid container

Abstract

To solve the risk that the inside of a liquid storage part is difficult to be illuminated when a light emission part is arranged outside the liquid storage part.SOLUTION: A recording device 101 comprises: a liquid storage part 46 which can store liquid; a recording head 22 that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage part 46 to a medium; and a light emission part 81, arranged outside the liquid storage part 46, which emits light. The liquid storage part 46 has a front surface 43F through which liquid volumes of the liquid in the liquid storage part 46 can be visually recognized from the outside of the liquid storage part 46 and a light guide part 47, arranged in the liquid storage part 46, which guides the light from the light emission part 81 into the liquid storage part 46.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording device and a liquid container. [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 ink and a liquid container having a liquid storage section that stores the ink to be supplied to the recording head. This printer also includes a light-emitting section that illuminates the inside of the liquid storage section. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-182834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the printer and liquid container described in Patent Document 1, the light emitting unit is provided on the outside of the liquid storage unit, which may make it difficult to illuminate the inside of the liquid storage unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The recording device comprises a liquid storage section capable of storing liquid, a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium, and a light-emitting section that is provided outside the liquid storage section and emits light, the liquid storage section having a viewing surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section to be viewed from outside the liquid storage section, and a light-guiding section that is provided within the liquid storage section and guides the light from the light-emitting section into the liquid storage section.

[0006] The liquid container is a liquid container that can be attached to an attachment section of a recording device that has a recording head that ejects liquid, a light-emitting section that emits light, and an attachment section, and has a liquid storage section that can store the liquid, and when the liquid container is attached to the attachment section, the area of ​​the liquid storage section that faces the light-emitting section is transparent or translucent, and the liquid storage section has a viewing surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section to be visible from outside the liquid storage section, and a light-guiding section that is provided within the liquid storage section and guides the light from the light-emitting section into the liquid storage section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [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. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the liquid storage device shown in FIG. 4, taken along line d6-d6, when the opening / closing cover and the cap lever are in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of the liquid storage device shown in FIG. 4, taken along line d6-d6, when the opening / closing cover and the cap lever are in an open state. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view of the inside of the liquid storage section as seen from the direction facing the viewing surface. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d9-d9 cross section of the liquid storage part shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d10-d10 cross section of the liquid storage part shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the liquid storage part when the light emitting part emits light. [Figure 12] 10 is a side view of the inside of the liquid storage section when the light emitting section is emitting light, viewed from the direction facing the viewing surface. FIG. [Figure 13]FIG. 10 is a side view of the inside of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to another embodiment, viewed from the direction facing the viewing surface. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a side view of a light guide unit according to another embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the recording apparatus. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to a second embodiment. [Figure 21] 21 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing the d21-d21 cross section of the liquid storage part shown in FIG. 20. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a side view of the inside of a liquid storage section having a light guide section according to a second embodiment, viewed from the direction facing the viewing surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] 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.

[0009] 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.

[0010] 1. Embodiment 1 The schematic configuration of a recording apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The recording apparatus 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 a liquid containing apparatus 103, and is installed on a horizontal plane. 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.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, scanner unit 10 is disposed on top of device body 102 and is attached so as to be rotatable relative to device body 102. In scanner unit 10, scanner housing 11, on which a document is placed and read, and document cover 12 are stacked in this order. Document cover 12 is a cover that protects scanner housing 11 and is rotatable relative to scanner housing 11. Furthermore, display unit 15 is attached to the end of document cover 12 in the +Y direction.

[0012] 1, the display unit 15 is rotatable relative to the scanner housing 11 together with the document cover 12, and is tiltable relative to the document cover 12. In other words, the display unit 15 is attached to the end of the scanner unit 10, and is rotatable and tiltable together with the scanner unit 10.

[0013] 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 performs various settings for the recording device 101. The user can tilt the display unit 15 to a position that is easy to see and perform various operations on the recording device 101 while referring to the images displayed on the display unit 15. Furthermore, the user can tilt the display unit 15 to a position that is easy to touch and perform various settings for the recording device 101 via the display unit 15.

[0014] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, by rotating the display unit 15 together with the scanner unit 10 and opening the scanner unit 10 to which the display unit 15 is attached relative to the device main body 102, liquid can be replenished from the refill container 90 to the liquid storage container 40 of the liquid storage device 103.

[0015] 1, the recording device 101 has a power operation unit 16 on the front of the device main body 102. By operating the power operation unit 16, the user can switch between a powered state in which the recording device 101 is powered on and a powered-off state in which the recording device 101 is powered off.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recording device 101 has, inside the device main body 102, a transport unit 25 that transports a medium, and a recording unit 20. The transport unit 25 transports the medium in a transport direction that is the +Y direction. The recording unit 20 is configured to be able to record an image on the medium using liquid. As shown in FIG. 1, the recording unit 20 has a carriage 21, a recording head 22 that is mounted on the carriage 21 and ejects liquid onto the medium, and a tube 23 for supplying liquid to the recording head 22. The liquid supplied to the recording head 22 is contained in a liquid storage container 40 of the liquid storage device 103. The recording head 22 and the liquid storage container 40 are connected by the tube 23. The tube 23 is an example of a liquid supply unit. The recording device 101 has the recording head 22 that ejects liquid, and the liquid storage container 40. The liquid storage container 40 is an example of a liquid container.

[0017] The carriage 21 is 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 a common liquid chamber, individual liquid chambers, ejection elements, and nozzles (not shown), and ejects liquid onto the medium. The recording device 101 according to this embodiment records a desired image on the medium by alternately repeating an operation in which the recording head 22 ejects liquid onto the medium while moving in the width direction of the medium, and an operation in which the medium is transported in the transport direction by the transport unit 25.

[0018] Next, the liquid storage device 103 will be described. As shown in Figures 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9, the liquid storage device 103 has a liquid storage container 40 capable of storing liquid, a housing 30 in which the liquid storage container 40 is stored, an upper wall portion 61, an opening / closing cover 31, a cap lever 50, an opening / closing detection portion 71, a locking mechanism 72, and an illumination portion 80. Note that in Figure 4, the cap lever 50, which is a component of the liquid storage device 103, is not shown. In Figure 5, the cap lever 50 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0019] 4 and 8, six liquid storage containers 40 are housed within the housing 30. The six liquid storage containers 40 include a liquid storage container 40K1 that contains a black liquid containing a black pigment as a colorant, a liquid storage container 40K2 that contains a black liquid containing a black dye as a colorant, a liquid storage container 40GR that contains a gray liquid containing a gray dye as a colorant, a liquid storage container 40C that contains a cyan liquid containing a cyan pigment as a colorant, a liquid storage container 40M that contains a magenta liquid containing a magenta pigment as a colorant, and a liquid storage container 40Y that contains a yellow liquid containing a yellow pigment as a colorant. The liquid storage container 40K1, the liquid storage container 40K2, the liquid storage container 40GR, the liquid storage container 40C, the liquid storage container 40M, and the liquid storage container 40Y are arranged in this order in the +X direction.

[0020] The number of liquid storage containers 40 housed in the housing 30 is not limited to six, and may be less than six, one, or more than six. The coloring material contained in the liquid housed in the liquid storage container 40 may be a pigment or a dye. Furthermore, the liquid housed in the liquid storage container 40 may not contain a coloring material.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 5, the top surface 42 of the liquid storage container 40 is provided with an inlet 41a through which liquid can be poured from a refill container 90, and an air inlet 45. The air inlet 45 is connected to the intermediate storage section 41b, and is capable of introducing air into the intermediate storage section 41b. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 9, the liquid storage container 40 has a liquid storage section 46 that is located in the +Z direction with respect to the top surface 42 and is capable of storing liquid.

[0022] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the liquid storage section 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 section 46 on the +Y direction side. The rear surface 43B is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -Y direction side. The bottom surface 43S is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the +Z direction side. The top surface 43U is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -Z direction side. The right side surface 43R is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the +X direction side. The left side surface 43L is a wall surface that defines the outer shape of the liquid storage section 46 on the -X direction side.

[0023] Liquid can be injected into liquid storage section 46 via injection section 41, which includes injection port 41a. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, injection section 41 is composed of injection port 41a, intermediate storage section 41b, inlet 41c, relay flow path 41d, and outlet 41e. Intermediate storage section 41b is located between injection port 41a and liquid storage section 46 in the Z-axis direction and communicates with injection port 41a. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, relay flow path 41d is provided on left side surface 43L of liquid storage section 46 and has inlet 41c opening on the side surface of intermediate storage section 41b on the −X-direction side and outlet 41e opening on left side surface 43L of liquid storage section 46, connecting intermediate storage section 41b and liquid storage section 46.

[0024] 9, outlet 41e opens at a position in the +Z direction relative to a lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 is at a lower limit amount, which will be described later. This reduces the frequency with which liquid adheres to the inner surface of front surface 43F or to an area of ​​light guiding portion 47, which will be described later, that is in the -Z direction relative to a liquid level LS, by injecting liquid into liquid storage portion 46 via injector 41.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, an outlet 49d connected to the tube 23 is provided on the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage portion 46. The liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 is supplied to the recording head 22 via the outlet flow path 49 including the outlet 49d and the tube 23. Thus, the recording head 22 ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage portion 46 onto the medium. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9, the outlet flow path 49 is composed of an outlet 49a, a first connection flow path 49b, a second connection flow path 49c, and the outlet 49d. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the first connection flow path 49b is provided on the left side surface 43L of the liquid storage portion 46 and has an outlet 49a that opens to the left side surface 43L. The outlet 49a discharges the liquid from the liquid storage portion 46 to the outlet flow path 49. The second connection flow path 49c is provided on the +Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage portion 46, and connects the first connection flow path 49b and the outlet 49d.

[0026] Liquid storage section 46 is connected to air inlet 45 via intermediate storage section 41b. As shown in Fig. 9, outlet 49a opens at a position in the +Z direction from a lower limit liquid level LL when the amount of liquid in liquid storage section 46 is at a lower limit amount described below. This reduces the frequency with which liquid adheres to the inner surface of front surface 43F or to an area in the -Z direction from a liquid level LS of light guiding section 47 described below.

[0027] As shown in Figures 5, 8, and 9, a window member 43Fa is provided on the front surface 43F of the liquid storage portion 46. The window member 43Fa is made of a translucent or transparent material, and allows the liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 46, the liquid surface LS of the liquid, and the light guide portion 47, which will be described later, to be viewed from outside the liquid storage portion 46. The window member 43Fa is an example of a viewing surface. As long as the material used for the window member 43Fa is a resin material, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. can be used.

[0028] In this embodiment, the viewing surface is a surface along the XZ plane. The window member 43Fa is provided with a scale 44, 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 some air is present in the liquid storage section 46. The lower limit and upper limit are examples of predetermined volumes. In FIGS. 8 and 9, a lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the liquid volume is at its lower limit, and an 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, the liquid level LS, and the light guiding portion 47 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] As shown in FIGS. 8 to 10 , the liquid storage section 46 has a light guide section 47. The light guide section 47 functions as a so-called light guide member, guiding light emitted by a light emitter 81 (described later) into the liquid storage section 46. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the light guide section 47 of this embodiment has a rectangular columnar shape with the Z-axis direction as the longitudinal direction and the X-axis direction as the lateral direction. The light guide section 47 of this embodiment is made of a translucent or transparent material. The refractive index of the material making up the light guide section 47 is greater than the refractive index of the air and greater than the refractive index of the liquid stored in the liquid storage section 46. The material making up the light guide section 47 may be a resin material, such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0031] The light guiding unit 47 of this embodiment can guide light entering from an entrance surface 47b, which is the side surface of the light guiding unit 47 on the −Z direction side, to a front surface 47a, which is the side surface of the light guiding unit 47 on the +Y direction side. The front surface 47a is a surface along the XZ plane. In other words, the front surface 47a is a surface along the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46. The front surface 47a is an example of a light-emitting surface. In this case, the rear surface 47d, which is the side surface on the +X direction side, the side surface on the −X direction side, the side surface on the +Z direction side, and the side surface on the −Y direction that define the outer shape of the light guiding unit 47, can be said to be light guiding surfaces that guide the light entering from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a. The refractive index of the material constituting the light guiding unit 47 is preferably 1.4 or more, and more preferably 1.5 or more.

[0032] The rear surface 47d has a flat surface 47e located at the end of the rear surface 47d in the -Z direction and multiple reflective portions 47h located in the +Z direction of the flat surface 47e and aligned in the Z axis direction. As a result, the rear surface 47d has a sawtooth shape formed by the multiple reflective portions 47h and extending in the Z axis direction. The flat surface 47e is a flat surface along the front surface 47a and is an example of another surface of the rear surface 47d. The reflective portions 47h have a convex shape that protrudes from the flat surface 47e in the -Y direction. Therefore, the reflective portions 47h can also be considered convex portions of the rear surface 47d.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the reflecting portion 47h includes an upper reflecting surface 47f and a lower reflecting surface 47g that reflect light entering from the entrance surface 47b toward the front surface 47a. The upper reflecting surface 47f is an example of an upper surface that forms a convex portion, and the lower reflecting surface 47g is an example of a lower surface that forms a convex portion. The upper reflecting surface 47f is inclined downward in the +Z direction toward the tip, which is the end of the reflecting portion 47h on the -Y direction side. This configuration makes it difficult for liquid to accumulate on the upper reflecting surface 47f of the reflecting portion 47h, even if the liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d. The lower reflecting surface 47g is inclined upward in the -Z direction toward the tip, which is the end of the reflecting portion 47h on the -Y direction side. This configuration makes it difficult for liquid to accumulate on the lower reflecting surface 47g of the reflecting portion 47h, even if the liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d. Therefore, even if the liquid adheres to the rear surface 47d, the liquid is unlikely to accumulate on the reflecting portion 47h.

[0034] Light guiding section 47 is provided at a position closer to front surface 43F in the Y-axis direction than the center of liquid storage section 46. Light guiding section 47 is also provided at a position closer to front surface 43F in the Y-axis direction than outlet 41e of injection section 41. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, a gap is secured between the side surface of light guiding section 47 and the inner surface of liquid storage section 46. Therefore, in liquid storage section 46, the region on the +Y-axis side of light guiding section 47 and the region on the −Y-axis side of light guiding section 47 are continuous without being blocked by light guiding section 47. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 , the position of liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage section 46 is the same from the region on the +Y-axis side of light guiding section 47 to the region on the −Y-axis side of light guiding section 47 in the Z-axis direction.

[0035] 9, light guiding unit 47 extends substantially in the height direction, which is the Z-axis direction of liquid storage unit 46. As a result, entrance surface 47b of light guiding unit 47 is located in the −Z direction from window member 43Fa, and the side surface of light guiding unit 47 on the +Z direction side is located in the +Z direction from window member 43Fa. Furthermore, the −Z direction ends of front surface 47a, rear surface 47d, the side surface on the +X direction side, and the side surface on the −X direction side of light guiding unit 47 are located in the −Z direction from window member 43Fa, and the +Z direction ends are located in the +Z direction from window member 43Fa. In other words, the −Z direction end of light guiding unit 47 is located in the −Z direction from window member 43Fa, and the +Z direction end of light guiding unit 47 is located in the +Z direction from window member 43Fa.

[0036] In other words, when the visible range is the area inside liquid storage portion 46 that can be seen through window member 43Fa from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage portion 46, light guiding portion 47 is provided across the visible range in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 is also provided across the visible range. In this case, it can also be said that light guiding portion 47 is provided at a position where a lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 is at its lower limit, and an upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid is at its upper limit, cross light guiding portion 47. It can also be said that front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 is provided at a position where the lower limit liquid level LL and the upper limit liquid level LH ​​cross front surface 47a. In other words, light guiding unit 47 is provided at a position in the Z-axis direction corresponding to a lower limit liquid level LL, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 is at its lower limit, and an upper limit liquid level LH, which is the liquid level LS when the amount of liquid is at its upper limit. Furthermore, front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 is also provided at a position in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the lower limit liquid level LL and the upper limit liquid level LH.

[0037] 8, when the inside of liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage portion 46, an area on front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 that is in the -Z direction from liquid level LS is visible. Accordingly, with recording device 101 of the present embodiment, even if the liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage portion 46 is difficult to see, for example, the position of the liquid level LS of the liquid can be recognized by viewing front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47. Therefore, it is easier to recognize the amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 compared to a case where light guiding portion 47 is not provided in liquid storage portion 46. Note that light guiding portion 47 may extend to a position where the side surface of light guiding portion 47 on the +Z direction side contacts bottom surface 43S of liquid storage portion 46. In this case, even when the liquid storage section 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, when the visible range is the area within the liquid storage section 46 that can be seen through the front surface 43F from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing the front surface 43F of the liquid storage section 46, it can be said that the light guide section 47 is provided across the visible range in the Z-axis direction.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 9, the illumination unit 80 of this embodiment is provided outside the liquid storage unit 46. The illumination unit 80 has a light-emitting unit 81 that emits light. The light-emitting unit 81 emits visible light. The light-emitting unit 81 is provided at a position on the -Z direction side of the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46. The light-emitting unit 81 is also provided at a position where the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 faces the entrance surface 47b of the light-guiding unit 47. Note that the light-emitting unit 81 of this embodiment is attached to the housing 30, but may also be attached to the upper surface 43U of the liquid storage unit 46.

[0039] In this embodiment, a window member 43Ua is provided on the top surface 43U of the liquid storage portion 46 in an area facing the front surface 81a of the light-emitting portion 81. The window member 43Ua in this embodiment also functions as an attachment portion to which the light-guiding portion 47 is attached. The window member 43Ua is made of a translucent or transparent material, and visible light emitted by the light-emitting portion 81 passes through the window member 43Ua and enters the liquid storage portion 46. The illumination portion 80 in this embodiment has six light-emitting portions 81 arranged side by side in the X-axis direction, corresponding to the liquid storage portions 46 of the six liquid storage containers 40. Note that if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, or if the window member 43Ua and the light-guiding portion 47 are integrally formed, the window member 43Ua may be omitted.

[0040] The light emitting unit 81 emits visible light, which passes through the window member 43Ua and illuminates the inside of the liquid storage unit 46, including the liquid and the light guiding unit 47, from outside the liquid storage unit 46. This makes it easier for the recording device 101 of this embodiment to check the liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 46 and the liquid surface LS of the liquid from outside the liquid storage unit 46, compared to a case where the lighting unit 80 is not provided.

[0041] Furthermore, light emitted from front surface 81a of light-emitting unit 81 enters light-guiding unit 47 from entrance surface 47b of light-guiding unit 47. For example, of the light from light-emitting unit 81 that enters light-guiding unit 47 from entrance surface 47b of light-guiding unit 47, the light that is incident on reflecting unit 47h on rear surface 47d is reflected by reflecting unit 47h and guided toward front surface 47a.

[0042] For example, when no liquid is stored in liquid storage portion 46, light guided to front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 passes through front surface 47a and window member 43Fa of liquid storage portion 46 to reach the +Y direction side of liquid storage portion 46, which is outside of liquid storage portion 46. As a result, when the inside of liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction side, which faces front surface 43F of liquid storage portion 46, front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 appears to glow. In other words, light guiding portion 47 has front surface 47a that appears to glow when the inside of liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction side, which faces front surface 43F of liquid storage portion 46, by transmitting light from light-emitting portion 81 that enters from entrance surface 47b. Front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 is an example of a light-emitting surface.

[0043] 11, when liquid is stored in liquid storage section 46, in a region in the Z-axis direction that is at the same position as liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage section 46 or on the -Z direction side of liquid level LS, light from light emitter 81 that has entered light guiding section 47 and is incident on reflector 47h on rear surface 47d is reflected by reflector 47h and guided toward front surface 47a. Note that in Fig. 11, the path of light from light emitter 81 that has entered light guiding section 47 from entrance surface 47b is indicated by a dashed arrow.

[0044] The light guided to front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 passes through front surface 47a and window member 43Fa of liquid storage unit 46, and reaches the +Y direction side of liquid storage unit 46, which is outside liquid storage unit 46. As a result, when the inside of liquid storage unit 46 is viewed from the +Y direction side, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage unit 46, an area of ​​front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 that is at the same position as liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 or on the -Z direction side of liquid level LS in the Z axis direction appears to glow, as shown by solid color in FIG.

[0045] 11 , in a region on the +Z side of the liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage section 46 in the Z axis direction, most of the light from light-emitting section 81 that has entered light guiding section 47 and is incident on reflecting section 47h on rear surface 47d is not reflected by reflecting section 47h, passes through reflecting section 47h, and travels through the liquid in a direction toward the −Y side in the Y axis direction. Also, in a region on the +Z side of the liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage section 46 in the Z axis direction, most of the light from light-emitting section 81 that has entered light guiding section 47 and is incident on a side surface of light guiding section 47 other than rear surface 47d is not reflected by the side surface, passes through the side surface, and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward front surface 43F.

[0046] This is because the refractive index of the liquid is closer to the refractive index of light guiding unit 47 than the refractive index of the air, and the critical angle is very small, or the refractive index of the liquid is greater than the refractive index of light guiding unit 47. As a result, as shown in Fig. 12, when the inside of liquid storage unit 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage unit 46, the area on front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 that is on the +Z direction side of liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 in the Z axis direction does not appear shiny. In this case, for example, even if the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 is transparent, the area on the +Z direction side of liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 in the Z axis direction does not appear shiny.

[0047] As a result, the recording device 101 of this embodiment can recognize the position of the liquid surface LS by looking at the area on the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47 that appears shiny, even if the liquid surface LS is difficult to see, so it is easier to recognize the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 compared to when the light guiding section 47 is not provided in the liquid storage section 46.

[0048] The reflecting portions 47h in the light guide 47 described above are adjusted by adjusting the inclination of each upper reflecting surface 47f, the inclination of each lower reflecting surface 47g, the protrusion of each reflecting portion 47h, and the spacing between the reflecting portions 47h in the Z-axis direction so that the front surface 47a appears uniformly illuminated. Meanwhile, in the light guide 47, the appearance of the front surface 47a illuminating upon receiving light from the light-emitting portion 81 entering through the entrance surface 47b can be changed by modifying the reflecting portions 47h on the rear surface 47d. For example, the uniform illumination of the front surface 47a shown in FIG. 12 may be changed to an illumination pattern in which bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction are alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 13, by changing the inclination of the upper reflecting surface 47f, the inclination of the lower reflecting surface 47g, the spacing of the reflecting portions 47h in the Z-axis direction, and the like. This allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 to be easily grasped by visually checking the light guide 47 that appears like a scale.

[0049] 14, for example, when the protrusion amount is the dimension by which the reflective portion 47h as a convex portion protrudes in the −Y direction from the plane 47e of the rear surface 47d, multiple reflective portions 47h, 47k, and 47m with different protrusion amounts may be provided on the rear surface 47d. The reflective portion 47k protrudes more than the reflective portion 47h, and the position of its tip in the Z-axis direction corresponds to the upper limit liquid level LH. The reflective portion 47m protrudes more than the reflective portion 47h, and the position of its tip in the Z-axis direction corresponds to the lower limit liquid level LL. By providing the reflective portions 47k and 47m with protrusion amounts different from that of the reflective portion 47h, it is possible to provide regions on the front surface 47a that appear shiny, which correspond to the upper limit liquid level LH ​​and the lower limit liquid level LL, that have different brightness from other regions. This allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion 46 to be easily determined by visually identifying the regions of different brightness from other regions on the light-guiding portion 47.

[0050] Furthermore, the protrusion amounts of the plurality of reflecting portions 47h provided on the rear surface 47d of the light guiding portion 47 may be continuously changed. For example, in the light guiding portion 47 shown in Fig. 15, the plurality of reflecting portions 47h are provided such that the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the +Z direction side in the Z axis direction is greater than the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the -Z direction side. Alternatively, the plurality of reflecting portions 47h may be provided such that the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the -Z direction side in the Z axis direction is greater than the protrusion amount of the reflecting portion 47h located on the +Z direction side.

[0051] In other words, the plurality of reflecting portions 47h are arranged such that the amount of protrusion of the reflecting portion 47h located at one end in the Z-axis direction is greater than the amount of protrusion of the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end. This allows the brightness of the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to change continuously in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the plurality of reflecting portions 47h may be arranged such that the amount of protrusion decreases as the reflecting portion 47h approaches an intermediate position between the reflecting portion 47h located at one end and the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end in the Z-axis direction. The intermediate position may be a position where the distance to the reflecting portion 47h located at one end is shorter than the distance to the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end in the Z-axis direction, or a position where the distance to the reflecting portion 47h located at one end is longer than the distance to the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end in the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, the intermediate position may be a position that is the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction. For example, if the intermediate position is the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction, the brightness of the front surface 47a that appears to be shiny can be changed continuously from the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction.

[0052] 16, for example, reflecting portion 47h may have a surface along front surface 47a and inclined surface 47p extending from the surface along front surface 47a in the +Y direction. This allows front surface 47a, which appears shiny, to shine in a way that bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction are alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction, resembling a scale, as shown in FIG.

[0053] 17, for example, reflecting portion 47h may have a surface that follows front surface 47a and curved surface 47q that extends from the surface that follows front surface 47a in the +Y direction. This allows front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to shine in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction and arranged alternately in the Z-axis direction, as shown in FIG.

[0054] 18, for example, the reflecting portion 47h may have a surface along the front surface 47a and a horizontal surface extending in the +Y direction from the surface along the front surface 47a. In this case, the rear surface 47d of the light-guiding portion 47 has a flat surface 47e, a plurality of reflecting portions 47h as convex portions, and a plurality of connecting surfaces 47s connecting the plurality of reflecting portions 47h arranged in the Z-axis direction. The connecting surfaces 47s are located along the front surface 47a and on the +Y direction side of the surface of the reflecting portion 47h along the front surface 47a. This allows the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to be illuminated in a way that bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction are alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction, resembling a scale, as shown in FIG.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 30 has a viewing section 34 and a 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. The wall section 36 is disposed in the -Z direction relative to the viewing section 34. A user can see through the front surface 43F from the through-hole 35 of the viewing section 34 and determine 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.

[0056] 20 to 22, 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.

[0057] 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 first recess 64, 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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. 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, and liquid can be refilled from the refill container 90 into the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 6, the opening / closing cover 31 protects the cap levers 50 and the upper wall portion 61. The opening / closing cover 31 rotates about an opening / closing cover mounting portion 63, and can be in a closed state in which it covers six cap levers 50 (not shown), as shown by two-dot chain lines in Fig. 4, and an open state in which it exposes six cap levers 50 (not shown), as shown by solid lines in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the opening / closing cover 31 has a regulated portion 31a.

[0061] 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 access 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.

[0062] As shown in Figures 4, 6 and 7, the filler port 41a is arranged in the first recess 64. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, when the cap lever 50 is in the closed state, the cap 54 is inserted into the first recess 64. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when refilling the liquid storage portion 46 of the liquid storage container 40 with liquid from a refill container 90, the tip of the refill container 90 is inserted into the first recess 64. At this time, the first recess 64 functions as a guide portion that guides the position of the tip of the refill container 90.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In this embodiment, the open / close detection unit 71 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.

[0065] 6, the detector 71a is pushed by the protrusion 55 and retracts in a direction that reduces the amount of protrusion, and by detecting the protrusion 55, the open / closed detector 71 enters 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, and the open / close detector 71 enters a state in which it can detect the open state of the cap lever 50.

[0066] 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 first recessed 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Next, the electrical configuration of the recording device 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 19, the recording device 101 includes a control unit 111. The scanner unit 10, power operation unit 16, display unit 15, and open / close detection unit 71 are connected to the control unit 111 via an input interface (not shown). The display unit 15, transport unit 25, recording unit 20, locking mechanism 72, and light-emitting unit 81 of illumination unit 80 are also connected to the control unit 111 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] The control unit 111 controls the recording unit 20 to perform a liquid ejection operation in which liquid is ejected toward the medium transported by the transport unit 25, and flushing in which liquid unrelated to printing is ejected. The control unit 111 also controls a maintenance device (not shown) 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 of the carriage motor to perform a liquid ejection operation in which liquid is ejected onto the recording head 22 that is mounted on the carriage 21 and moving.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] The control unit 111 controls the light-emitting state of the light-emitting unit 81 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 state of the light-emitting unit 81. For example, the control unit 111 turns the light-emitting unit 81 off during printing and turns it on when printing is not being performed. 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 to the recording device 101, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 during printing. For example, the control unit 111 turns on the light-emitting unit 81 when the power operation unit 16, the display unit 15, the scanner unit 10, the opening / closing cover 31, etc. are operated, and turns off the light-emitting unit 81 if no operation is performed for a certain period of time.

[0079] 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.

[0080] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the first embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0081] Recording device 101 includes a liquid storage section 46 capable of storing liquid, a recording head 22 that ejects the liquid supplied from liquid storage section 46 onto a medium, and a light-emitting section 81 that is provided outside liquid storage section 46 and emits light, liquid storage section 46 having a front surface 43F that allows the amount of liquid in liquid storage section 46 to be visible from outside liquid storage section 46, and a light-guiding section 47 that is provided inside liquid storage section 46 and guides the light from light-emitting section 81 into liquid storage section 46. According to this, even when light-emitting section 81 is provided outside liquid storage section 46, since light-guiding section 47 is provided inside liquid storage section 46, it is easy to illuminate the inside of liquid storage section 46.

[0082] Light guiding section 47 is provided at a position in the Z-axis direction that corresponds to liquid level LS when the liquid volume in liquid storage section 46 reaches a predetermined volume. This makes it easy to know that the liquid in liquid storage section 46 has reached a predetermined volume by visually checking light guiding section 47.

[0083] When the range inside liquid storage section 46 that can be seen from the direction facing front surface 43F is defined as the visible range, light guiding section 47 is provided across this visible range in the Z-axis direction. This makes it easy to grasp the amount of liquid in liquid storage section 46 by visually checking light guiding section 47.

[0084] Light guiding section 47 has entrance surface 47b through which the light from light emitting section 81 enters light guiding section 47, front surface 47a which is a surface along front surface 43F and which appears to glow when viewed from the direction facing front surface 43F by transmitting the light which has entered from entrance surface 47b, and rear surface 47d which is the surface opposite front surface 47a and which guides the light which has entered from entrance surface 47b toward front surface 47a. This makes it easy to grasp the amount of liquid in liquid storage section 46 by visually checking front surface 47a which appears to glow from front surface 43F.

[0085] Rear surface 47d has reflecting portion 47h that protrudes from flat surface 47e on rear surface 47d. By providing rear surface 47d with irregularities, the way in which light guide portion 47 illuminates the inside of liquid storage portion 46 can be changed.

[0086] The rear surface 47d has a plurality of reflecting portions 47h arranged in the Z-axis direction, which allows the front surface 47a to be illuminated uniformly.

[0087] When the protrusion amount is the dimension by which reflective portion 47h protrudes from plane 47e of rear surface 47d, rear surface 47d has multiple reflective portions 47h, 47k, and 47m with different protrusion amounts. This allows regions of different brightness from other regions to be provided on front surface 47a, which appears shiny. Furthermore, by visually identifying the regions of different brightness from other regions on light-guiding portion 47, the amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 can be easily determined.

[0088] The plurality of reflecting portions 47h are provided such that the amount of protrusion of the reflecting portion 47h located at one end in the Z-axis direction is greater than the amount of protrusion of the reflecting portion 47h located at the other end, thereby allowing the brightness of the front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, to change continuously in the Z-axis direction.

[0089] The plurality of reflecting portions 47h are provided such that the protrusion amount of the reflecting portions 47h closer to an intermediate position between the reflecting portions 47h located on one end side and the reflecting portions 47h located on the other end side in the Z-axis direction decreases. With this, for example, when the intermediate position is the center of the front surface 47a in the Z-axis direction, the brightness of the front surface 47a that appears to be shiny can be continuously changed in the Z-axis direction from the center of the front surface 47a.

[0090] The rear surface 47d has a plurality of connecting surfaces 47s that connect the plurality of reflective portions 47h arranged in the Z-axis direction, so that the front surface 47a, which appears shiny, can be made to shine in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction.

[0091] Reflecting portion 47h has a surface that conforms to front surface 47a, so that front surface 47a, which appears to be shiny, can be made to shine in a way that looks like a scale, with bright and dark portions extending linearly in the X-axis direction and arranged alternately in the Z-axis direction.

[0092] Upper reflecting surface 47f forming reflecting portion 47h is inclined downward toward the tip of reflecting portion 47h, so that even if liquid adheres to rear surface 47d, the liquid is less likely to remain on upper reflecting surface 47f of reflecting portion 47h.

[0093] Recording device 101 further includes control unit 111 that controls the turning on and off of light-emitting unit 81. With this, control unit 111 controls the turning on and off of light-emitting unit 81, thereby changing the light-emitting state of light-guiding unit 47 and notifying the user of the operating state of recording device 101.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 2. Embodiment 2 Next, a liquid storage device 103 in a recording apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Note that parts common to the liquid storage device 103 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.

[0096] 20 and 21 , liquid storage device 103 of embodiment 2 differs from liquid storage device 103 of embodiment 1 in that the liquid storage section 46 of the liquid storage container 40 has a light guiding section support section 46H and a window member 43Ba but does not have a window member 43Ua, the illumination section 80 has a common light guiding section 82, and there is only one light emitting section 81. The light emitting section 81 is provided at a position on the −Y direction side with respect to the six liquid storage containers 40 and at a position on the −X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 of liquid storage container 40K1. The light emitting section 81 of this embodiment is provided so that light emitted from the front surface 81a is directed in the +X direction.

[0097] As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22 , the light guiding unit 47 of this embodiment has a triangular shape when viewed from the Y-axis direction and a columnar shape extending in the Y-axis direction. The light guiding unit 47 of this embodiment is made of the same material as the light guiding unit 47 of embodiment 1. The light guiding unit 47 is provided on the left side surface 43L side, which is the −X-direction side of the center of the liquid storage unit 46 in the X-axis direction. The light guiding unit 47 of this embodiment is provided in the liquid storage unit 46 so that the −X-direction side surface, which defines the outer shape of the light guiding unit 47, is aligned with the left side surface 43L. The light guiding unit 47 of this embodiment can guide light that enters from the entrance surface 47b, which is the side surface on the −Y-direction side of the light guiding unit 47, to the front surface 47a, which is the side surface on the +Y-direction side of the light guiding unit 47. The front surface 47a is a surface that is aligned with the XZ plane. In other words, the front surface 47a is a surface that is aligned with the front surface 43F of the liquid storage unit 46. The front surface 47a is an example of a light emitting surface.

[0098] In this case, the three side surfaces extending in the Y-axis direction that define the outer shape of light guiding unit 47 can be said to be light guiding surfaces that guide light that enters from entrance surface 47b toward front surface 47a. Light guiding unit 47 is attached to light guiding unit support member 46H of liquid storage unit 46 so that the vertex in the +X direction, out of three vertices of triangular front surface 47a and entrance surface 47b, is located at the position of the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in the Z-axis direction. That is, light guiding unit 47 is provided at a position where the lower limit liquid level LL, which is the level when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 reaches its lower limit, crosses light guiding unit 47. In other words, light guiding unit 47 is provided at a position, in the direction of gravity, that corresponds to the lower limit liquid level LL, which is the level when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 reaches its lower limit.

[0099] 22, when the inside of liquid storage portion 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage portion 46, an area on front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47 that is in the -Z direction from lower limit liquid level LL is visible. Accordingly, with recording device 101 of the present embodiment, even if the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in liquid storage portion 46 is difficult to see, for example, the position of the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid can be recognized by visually checking front surface 47a of light guiding portion 47. Therefore, it is easier to recognize the lower limit amount of liquid in liquid storage portion 46 compared to when light guiding portion 47 is not provided inside liquid storage portion 46.

[0100] The common light guiding section 82 is made of a translucent or transparent material. As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 , the common light guiding section 82 has an entrance surface 82b, an irradiation surface 82a, and a rear surface 82r. The common light guiding section 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 material that constitutes the common light guiding section 82 can be a resin material such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

[0101] The entrance surface 82b is a side surface on the −X direction side of the common light guiding unit 82, and is provided at a position facing the front surface 81a of the light emitting unit 81. The entrance surface 82b is located on the −X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1.

[0102] The irradiation surface 82a is a side surface on the +Y direction side of the common light guiding unit 82. The irradiation surface 82a extends from a position on the −X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1 to a position on the +X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage unit 46 in the liquid storage container 40Y. The irradiation surface 82a is provided at a position opposite to the entrance surface 47b of the light guiding unit 47.

[0103] As a result, the window member 43Ba of the liquid storage portion 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, and 40Y is located in the Y-axis direction between the light guiding portion 47 of the liquid storage portion 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, and 40Y and the irradiation surface 82a. In addition, the irradiation surface 82a is provided so as to correspond in the Z-axis direction to the position of the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid in the liquid storage portion 46. Note that if the liquid storage portion 46 is made of a translucent or transparent material, or if the window member 43Ba and the light guiding portion 47 are integrally formed, the window member 43Ba may be omitted.

[0104] The rear surface 82r is the side surface on the -Y direction side of the common light guiding section 82. The rear surface 82r extends from a position that is on the -X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40K1 to a position that is on the +X direction side of the rear surface 43B of the liquid storage section 46 in the liquid storage container 40Y. The rear surface 82r is formed by a plurality of reflecting sections 82t lined up in the X axis direction, and has a sawtooth shape extending in the X axis direction. The reflecting section 82t has a convex shape formed by reflecting surfaces 82d and 82e lined up in the X axis direction.

[0105] 21, light emitted from the front surface 81a of the light-emitting unit 81 enters the common light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b of the common light-guiding unit 82. In Fig. 21, the path of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 81 is indicated by a dashed arrow. The light from the light-emitting unit 81 that enters the common light-guiding unit 82 from the entrance surface 82b is guided inside the common 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 common light-guiding unit 82 on the +Z direction side, the -Z direction side, and the +X direction side.

[0106] Light from light-emitting unit 81 that is guided to irradiation surface 82a passes through window member 43Ba and enters liquid storage unit 46, illuminating the interiors of six liquid storage units 46, including the liquid and light guiding unit 47. In other words, light-emitting unit 81 is provided outside liquid storage unit 46, and illuminates the interiors of six liquid storage units 46, including the liquid and light guiding unit 47, via common light guiding unit 82. Furthermore, recording device 101 of the present embodiment illuminates light guiding units 47 in multiple liquid storage units 46 with one light-emitting unit 81 via common light guiding unit 82.

[0107] 22, assume that, like liquid storage containers 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, and 40C, liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 is located in the -Z direction from light guiding unit 47, and the side surface serving as the light guiding surface of light guiding unit 47 is in the liquid. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21, most of the light that enters light guiding unit 47 from entrance surface 47b via common light guiding unit 82 and enters the side surface of light guiding unit 47 is not reflected by the side surface, but passes through the side surface and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward front surface 43F along the Y axis. As a result, when the inside of liquid storage unit 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage unit 46, front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 does not appear to be shiny.

[0108] On the other hand, as in liquid storage containers 40M and 40Y, the liquid level LS of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46 is near the lower limit liquid level LL and is located in the +Z direction from the top of light guiding unit 47. In other words, at least a portion of the side surface serving as a light guiding surface of light guiding unit 47 is in contact with the atmosphere. In this case, as shown in FIG. 21 , light that enters light guiding unit 47 from entrance surface 47b via common light guiding unit 82 is guided inside light guiding unit 47 toward front surface 47a. As a result, when the inside of liquid storage unit 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage unit 46, a region of front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 that is on the −Z direction side of liquid level LS of the liquid in the Z axis direction appears to be shiny, as shown by solid color in FIG.

[0109] As a result, in the recording device 101 of this embodiment, even if the lower limit liquid level LL of the liquid is difficult to see when the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 is at the lower limit, the position of the liquid level LS can be recognized by looking at the area that appears to be lit on the front surface 47a of the light guiding section 47, making it easier to recognize the amount of liquid in the liquid storage section 46 compared to when the light guiding section 47 is not provided in the liquid storage section 46.

[0110] In addition, in light guiding unit 47 of liquid storage unit 46 in liquid storage container 40M, there is a region on the side surface of light guiding unit 47 that is in the +Z direction from liquid level LS. In this case, most of the light that enters light guiding unit 47 from entrance surface 47b and enters this region is not reflected by the side surface, but passes through the side surface and travels through the liquid in a direction different from the direction toward front surface 43F along the Y axis. For this reason, when the inside of liquid storage unit 46 is viewed from the +Y direction, which is the direction facing front surface 43F of liquid storage unit 46, front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 appears to shine darker than front surface 47a of light guiding unit 47 in a case where the liquid level LS is located in the +Z direction from light guiding unit 47, as in liquid storage container 40Y.

[0111] As described above, the recording device 101 according to the second embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0112] The recording device 101 includes a plurality of liquid storage sections 46 and a common light guiding section 82 that guides light from one light emitting section 81 to the light guiding sections 47 in the plurality of liquid storage sections 46. This allows each of the light guiding sections 47 in the plurality of liquid storage sections 46 to be illuminated by one light emitting section.

[0113] 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.

[0114] In the above embodiment, the housing 30 of the liquid storage device 103 may not have the visible portion 34 and the wall portion 36. For example, the liquid storage device 103 may have the housing 30 function as an attachment portion that detachably accommodates a replaceable liquid storage container 40. In this case, for example, liquid storage container 40 in embodiment 1 is a liquid storage container 40 that can be attached to housing 30 of recording device 101, which includes recording head 22 that ejects liquid, light-emitting unit 81 that emits light, and housing 30, and includes liquid storage section 46 that can store the liquid, and when liquid storage container 40 is attached to housing 30, the area of ​​liquid storage section 46 that faces light-emitting unit 81 is transparent or translucent, and liquid storage section 46 has a front surface 43F that allows the amount of liquid in liquid storage section 46 to be visible from outside liquid storage section 46, and a light-guiding unit 47 that is provided within liquid storage section 46 and guides the light from light-emitting unit 81 into liquid storage section 46. According to this, even when light-emitting unit 81 is provided outside liquid storage section 46, since light-guiding unit 47 is provided within liquid storage section 46, it is easy to illuminate the inside of liquid storage section 46. It should be noted that if the light emitting unit 81 is provided on the upper surface 43U of the liquid storing unit 46, the recording device 101 does not need to include the light emitting unit 81.

[0115] In the above embodiment, light guide 47 may be made of a plurality of materials with different light transmittances. Light guide 47 may also be made of a plurality of materials with different colors. In this case, light guide 47 may be integrally molded using a plurality of different resin materials. For example, in reflecting portion 47h of light guide 47 shown in FIG. 18, the surface along front surface 47a may be made of a material with a lower light transmittance than the other portions. In this case, the material forming the surface along front surface 47a does not have to be a resin material and may be a metal such as stainless steel.

[0116] In the first embodiment, the light guide 47 may have two or more different shapes of reflecting portions 47h among the different shapes shown in FIGS. 9, 14 to 18. For example, the light guide 47 may have a rear surface 47d on which a plurality of reflecting portions 47h shown in FIG. 9 and one reflecting portion 47h shown in FIG. 16 are arranged in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the rear surface 47d has one reflecting portion 47h having a surface along the front surface 47a. In this case, the position in the Z-axis direction of the reflecting portion 47h having a surface along the front surface 47a may correspond to the lower limit liquid level LL. Alternatively, the light guide 47 may have a rear surface 47d on which a plurality of reflecting portions 47h shown in FIG. 17 and two reflecting portions 47h shown in FIG. 18 are arranged in the Z-axis direction. In this case, the two reflecting portions 47h shown in FIG. 18 may be arranged consecutively in the Z-axis direction, with a connecting surface 47s provided between them. In this case, the position of the connecting surface 47s in the Z-axis direction may be set to correspond to the lower limit liquid level LL. In this case, the rear surface 47d has a plurality of reflecting portions 47h having surfaces along the front surface 47a, and has one connecting surface 47s along the front surface 47a.

[0117] In the first embodiment, the light guide unit 47 does not necessarily have the protruding reflecting portion 47h on the rear surface 47d. In this case, for example, a metal film such as stainless steel or a coating film made of a color material may be provided on the rear surface 47d as a reflective surface. When the light guide unit 47 is made of a resin material, it can be said that the light guide unit 47 is made of a plurality of materials with different light transmittances. Furthermore, a plurality of linear metal films or coating films extending in the X-axis direction may be formed on the rear surface 47d at intervals in the Z-axis direction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13 , the front surface 47a, which appears shiny, may be illuminated in such a way that bright and dark linear portions extending in the X-axis direction are alternately arranged in the Z-axis direction, resembling scale markings.

[0118] In the first embodiment, the light guide 47 does not necessarily have to have the protruding reflecting portion 47h including the upper reflecting surface 47f and the lower reflecting surface 47g on the rear surface 47d. In this case, for example, instead of the reflecting portion 47h shown in Fig. 9, the rear surface 47d may be provided with a plurality of crescent-shaped protrusions extending in the X-axis direction and formed in the Z-axis direction when viewed from the X-axis direction. Alternatively, the rear surface 47d of the light guide 47 may be subjected to a liquid-repellent treatment to retain liquid adhering to the rear surface 47d in the form of a plurality of protrusions, thereby forming regions with different light transmittance on the rear surface 47d.

[0119] In the second embodiment, light guiding unit 47 may be provided in liquid storage unit 46 so that the vertex in the +X direction, of the three vertices of triangular front surface 47a and inlet surface 47b, is located at the position of upper limit liquid level LH ​​of the liquid in the Z axis direction. In other words, light guiding unit 47 may be provided at a position where upper limit liquid level LH, when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 reaches the upper limit, crosses light guiding unit 47. In this way, when the user refills liquid container 40 with liquid, control unit 111 can light up or blink light-emitting unit 81, thereby notifying the user of the position of the liquid level when the amount of liquid in liquid storage unit 46 reaches the upper limit.

[0120] In the above-described embodiments, the shape of light guiding unit 47 is not particularly limited as long as it has entrance surface 47b and a light-emitting surface. For example, the side surface on the +Z direction side of light guiding unit 47 in embodiment 1 may be located in the -Z direction in the Z-axis direction relative to upper limit liquid level LH ​​of the liquid in liquid storage unit 46. Furthermore, for example, light guiding unit 47 in embodiment 2 may have a cylindrical shape with front surface 47a having a circular shape, or may have a prismatic shape with front surface 47a having a square shape.

[0121] 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.

[0122] In the first embodiment, the color of the visible light emitted by each light-emitting section 81 of the illumination section 80 may differ depending on the corresponding liquid storage container 40.

[0123] In the above embodiment, the light guide portions 47 in the plurality of liquid storage portions 46 may have different colors.

[0124] In the second embodiment, the liquid storage device 103 does not have to include the light emitting unit 81. In this case, for example, the light emitting unit 81 may be provided in the device body 102 at a position on the −Y side of the liquid storage device 103, or at a position on the −X side of the liquid storage device 103.

[0125] In the above embodiment, the recording head 22 and the liquid container 40 do not have to be connected by the tube 23. In this case, the recording device 101 may mount the recording head 22 and the liquid container 40 on the carriage 21, and while the carriage 21 moves in the width direction of the medium, alternately repeat a liquid ejection operation in which the recording head 22 ejects liquid onto the medium and a transport operation in which the medium is transported in the transport direction by the transport unit 25, thereby recording a desired image on the medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 10...scanner unit, 11...scanner housing, 12...document cover, 15...display unit, 16...power operation unit, 20...recording unit, 21...carriage, 22...recording head, 23...tube, 25...transport unit, 30...casing, 34...visualization unit, 34a...visualization member, 35...through hole, 36...wall portion, 40, 40K1, 40K2, 40GR, 40C, 40M, 40Y...liquid storage container, 41...injection unit, 41a...injection port, 41b...intermediate storage unit, 41c...inlet, 41d...relay flow path, 41e...outlet, 43B...rear surface, 43Ba...window member, 43F...front surface, 43Fa...window member, 43L...left side surface, 43R...right side surface, 43S...bottom surface, 43U...top surface, 43Ua...window member, 44...scale portion, 45...atmosphere introduction Mouth, 46...Liquid storage part, 46H...Light guiding part support part, 47...Light guiding part, 47a...Front surface, 47b...Entry surface, 47d...Back surface, 47e...Plane, 47f...Upper reflection surface, 47g...Lower reflection Surface, 47h, 47k, 47m...Reflection part, 47p...Slanted surface, 47q...Curved surface, 47s...Connection surface, 49...Output channel, 49a...Outlet, 49b...First connection channel, 49c...Second Connection flow path, 49d...outlet port, 80...illumination section, 81...light-emitting section, 81a...front surface, 82...common light-guiding section, 82a...irradiation surface, 82b...entry surface, 82d, 82e...reflecting surfaces, 82r...rear surface, 82t...reflecting section, 90...refill container, 101...recording device, 102...device main body, 103...liquid storage device, 111...control section, 210...host device, 215...display section.

Claims

1. a plurality of liquid storage sections capable of storing liquid; a recording head that ejects the liquid supplied from the liquid storage section onto a medium; a light emitting unit that is provided outside the liquid storage unit and emits light; Equipped with The liquid storage section is a visual confirmation surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to be visually confirmed from outside the liquid storage portion; a guide provided in the liquid storage portion and configured to guide the light from the light emitting portion into the liquid storage portion; Hikari and and The light from one of the light emitting units is guided to the light guiding units in the plurality of liquid storage units. <Common light guide section; Equipped with A recording device characterized by:

2. The light guide section is configured to adjust the amount of the liquid in the liquid storage section in the direction of gravity. It is provided at a position corresponding to the liquid level when the fixed amount is reached.

2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is a recording medium.

3. The common light guiding section an entrance surface through which the light from the light emitting unit enters the common light guiding unit; The liquid storage surface is formed by a surface that is parallel to the viewing surface and transmits the light that has entered from the entrance surface. an illumination surface that guides light to the retention portion; a surface opposite to the irradiation surface, which directs the light entering from the entrance surface toward the irradiation surface; A reflective surface that guides the light. having 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a recording medium having a recording capacity of 1000 kW.

4. The reflecting surface has a convex portion that protrudes from other surfaces of the reflecting surface.

4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3.

5. the reflecting surface has a plurality of the convex portions arranged in a width direction in which the plurality of liquid storage portions are arranged, 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 4.

6. Further, a control unit is provided to control turning on and off 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 provided is an injection part capable of injecting the liquid into the liquid storage part.

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

8. In front of a recording device having a recording head for discharging liquid, a light emitting section for emitting light, and a mounting section A liquid container that can be attached to the attachment portion, a plurality of liquid storage sections capable of storing the liquid; When the liquid container is attached to the attachment portion, the light emitting unit is located outside the liquid storage unit, a region of the liquid storage portion facing the light emitting portion is transparent or translucent; The liquid storage section is a visual confirmation surface that allows the amount of liquid in the liquid storage portion to be visually confirmed from outside the liquid storage portion; a guide provided in the liquid storage portion and configured to guide the light from the light emitting portion into the liquid storage portion; Hikari and and The light from one of the light emitting units is guided to the light guiding units in the plurality of liquid storage units. <Common light guide section; Equipped with A liquid container characterized by:

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