Ink refill container

Abstract

To provide an ink supply container capable of appropriately supplying ink to ink tanks, and an ink supply system including such the ink supply container, and an adaptor for ink supply used for such the ink supply system.SOLUTION: An ink supply container 63 comprises: a container body part 64 having an ink storage chamber 76; an ink outlet formation part 66 provided on an end part of the container body part and formed with an ink outlet 65 enabling outflow of ink from an inside of the ink storage chamber; and a valve 74 provide in the ink outlet formation part and sealing the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner. The ink outlet formation part comprises a positioning part 73 at a position positioned at an outside thereof, and being closer to a container body part side than the valve in a direction of a central axis of the ink outlet. The positioning part is brought into contact with a part of an ink tank side and positions the valve with respect to ink tanks when the valve is opened for ink supply to the ink tanks 41 to 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank that stores ink to be supplied to a recording device, an ink supply system that includes such an ink supply container, and an ink supply adapter used in such an ink supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a recording device that discharges ink onto a medium to perform recording has been connected to an ink tank that stores ink inside in a state in which the ink can be supplied. When the ink remaining in the ink tank in such a recording device becomes low, ink is replenished from the outside using an ink supply container (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-146021 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the ink supply work for ink tanks needs to be carried out appropriately to prevent ink supply failures, etc., such a supply work has traditionally been carried out by the user of the recording device. Therefore, further improvements have been required, for example, in the ink supply container, etc., to enable users to carry out such ink supply work appropriately.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an ink supply container that can properly supply ink to an ink tank, an ink supply system that includes such an ink supply container, and an ink supply adapter for use in such an ink supply system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. An ink supply container that solves the above problem is an ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank that can store ink inside, and comprises: a container main body portion having an ink storage chamber that can store the ink to be supplied to the ink tank; an ink outlet forming portion provided at the end of the container main body portion and having an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and a valve provided in the ink outlet forming portion that seals the ink outlet in an openable and closeable manner, wherein the ink outlet forming portion has a positioning portion outside the ink outlet forming portion and at a position that is closer to the container main body portion than the valve in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet, and when the valve is opened, the positioning portion abuts against a part of the ink tank side to position the valve relative to the ink tank.

[0007] With this configuration, when ink is replenished from the ink supply container to the ink tank, the valve opens while positioned relative to the ink tank, thereby preventing problems such as ink leakage and improper ink supply that may occur if the valve becomes misaligned when opened, and allowing ink to be replenished appropriately to the ink tank.

[0008] Furthermore, in the ink supply container, it is preferable that the valve has one or more slits formed in an elastic member that seals the ink outlet, and is opened by pushing the slits from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet.

[0009] This configuration makes it possible to provide an ink supply container with a simple structure and a small number of parts. In the ink supply container, it is preferable that the positioning portion is provided so as to be located radially outward from the ink outlet when the ink outlet is viewed in the direction of its central axis.

[0010] With this configuration, when replenishing ink from the ink replenishing container to the ink tank, the positioning portion of the ink replenishing container abuts against a part of the ink tank side in a state where it is positioned radially outward from the ink outlet, allowing ink to be replenished in a stable position.

[0011] In the ink supply container, it is preferable that the positioning portion is formed as a separate member from the ink outlet forming portion. According to this configuration, the positioning portion can be optimized to match the design of the ink tank and ink supply container.

[0012] On the other hand, an ink supply system that solves the above problem comprises an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, a needle that extends with a flow path that connects the inside of the ink storage chamber to the outside, an ink tank that extends in a direction that intersects with the direction in which the needle extends at a position outside the tip of the needle in the direction in which the needle extends, the receiving surface forming part of the ink tank side, and an ink supply container configured as described above, wherein the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the receiving surface when the tip of the needle is inserted into the ink outlet to open the valve.

[0013] According to this configuration, when the needle of the ink tank is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink supply container to open the valve, the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the receiving surface of the ink tank, determining the relative positional relationship between the valve and the needle, so that the valve can be opened appropriately by the needle and the occurrence of ink supply failures can be suppressed.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above-described ink supply system, it is preferable that the ink tank has a recess that opens in the direction in which the needle extends, in an area that is radially outside the needle from the center of the needle, and that the ink supply container has a protrusion that can fit into the recess when the tip of the needle is inserted into the ink outlet from the center of the ink outlet, in an area that is radially outside the ink outlet from the center of the ink outlet.

[0015] With this configuration, the needle cannot be inserted into the ink outlet unless the convex portion of the ink supply container is fitted into the concave portion of the ink tank, thereby preventing incompatible connections between the ink tank and the ink supply container.

[0016] In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the ink supply container has the positioning portion outside the ink outlet forming portion and at a position closer to the container main body portion than the convex portion in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.

[0017] According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent an incompatible connection between the ink tank and the ink supply container, and also ensure that the needle of the ink tank is inserted in a proper position relative to the ink outlet of the ink supply container.

[0018] In the ink supply system, it is preferable that the tip of the needle of the ink tank is located closer to the ink storage chamber than the receiving surface. With this configuration, the tip of the needle of the ink tank does not protrude beyond the receiving surface, so even if ink is attached to the tip of the needle, the risk of the ink adhering to the hands of the user performing the ink refilling operation or to the ink refill container can be reduced.

[0019] Furthermore, in the above-described ink supply system, it is preferable that the flow path of the needle of the ink tank consists of two flow paths with the tip openings of each flow path arranged side by side in a radial direction around the needle, and that when one flow path functions as an ink flow path for circulating ink, the other flow path functions as an air flow path for circulating air.

[0020] With this configuration, when the ink supply container is connected to the ink tank in a state tilted from the direction in which the needle extends along the radial direction in which the two flow paths are aligned, one of the two flow paths that the ink outlet of the ink supply container approaches first functions as the ink flow path, and the other flow path functions as the air flow path. Therefore, the user can use either of the two flow paths as the ink flow path, and can quickly perform ink supply work without having to worry about which flow path to use as the ink flow path.

[0021] Furthermore, another ink supply system that solves the above problem comprises an ink tank having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a recess formed in an area that is outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet, and an ink supply container having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank, an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber, and a convex portion formed in an area that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet so as to be able to fit into the concave portion, wherein the ink tank has a first uneven portion on the inner surface of the concave portion at a position that is closer to the bottom than the opening edge of the concave portion, and the ink supply container has a second uneven portion on the convex portion that can engage with the first uneven portion of the ink tank.

[0022] With this configuration, by fitting the convex portion of the ink supply container into the concave portion of the ink tank and engaging the second concave portion on the outer surface of the convex portion with the first concave portion on the inner surface of the concave portion, the user can recognize that a compatible ink supply container has been connected to the ink tank. This prevents incompatible connection between the ink tank and the ink supply container, and because the first concave portion is located on the inner surface of the ink tank's concave portion closer to the bottom than the opening edge of the concave portion, the convex portion of the ink supply container is easily guided from the opening side to the bottom side of the ink tank's concave portion, making the insertion process easy.

[0023] Furthermore, in the above-described ink supply system, it is preferable that the depth direction of the recess of the ink tank is the direction of the central axis of the ink inlet, the first uneven portion is provided on the inner surface of the recess so as to extend along the depth direction of the recess, and the ink supply container has the ink outlet connected to the ink inlet when the convex portion is fitted into the recess and the second uneven portion is engaged with the first uneven portion.

[0024] According to this configuration, by engaging a second uneven portion on the outer surface of the convex portion of the ink supply container with a first uneven portion provided on the inner surface of the recess of the ink tank so as to extend along the depth direction of the recess as the convex portion fits into the recess, it is possible to easily recognize the connection direction of the ink outlet of the ink supply container relative to the ink inlet of the ink tank.

[0025] In the ink supply system, it is preferable that the depth direction of the recess in the ink tank is a direction from above to below, intersecting the horizontal direction, when the ink outlet is connected to the ink inlet.

[0026] With this configuration, when the ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, it is possible to prevent ink from returning from the ink outlet of the ink supply container to the ink storage chamber, and the ink supply operation from the ink supply container to the ink tank can be performed properly.

[0027] Furthermore, yet another ink supply system that solves the above problem comprises an ink tank having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a plurality of first fitting portions formed in an area that is outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet and that are point-symmetrical around the ink inlet, and an ink supply container having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank, an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber, and a second fitting portion formed in an area that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet and that can fit with the first fitting portion.

[0028] With this configuration, when the second fitting portion of the ink supply container is fitted into any of the multiple first fittings formed point-symmetrically around the ink inlet of the ink tank, the ink outlet of the ink supply container can be connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, making it easy to connect the ink supply container to the ink tank when refilling ink.

[0029] Furthermore, still another ink supply system that solves the above problem comprises an ink tank having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a first fitting portion formed in an area that is outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet, and an ink supply container having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank, an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber, and a second fitting portion formed in an area that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet and that is capable of fitting with the first fitting portion, wherein the ink tank has a first portion that indicates information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber, and the ink supply container has a second portion that indicates information related to the ink contained in the ink storage chamber, and the first portion and the second portion are positioned so that they are visible from the outside when the second fitting portion of the ink supply container is fitted into the first fitting portion of the ink tank.

[0030] According to this configuration, when the ink supply container is connected to the ink tank to supply ink, it is easy to check whether the ink being supplied is compatible by visually checking the first and second parts.

[0031] Furthermore, still another ink supply system that solves the above problem comprises an ink tank having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink, an ink inlet that allows ink to flow into the ink storage chamber, and a recess formed in an area that is outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet, and an ink supply container having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink to be replenished to the ink tank, an ink outlet that allows the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber, and a convex portion formed in an area that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet so as to be able to fit into the concave portion, wherein the convex portion of the ink supply container protrudes in the opposite direction to the ink storage chamber beyond the ink outlet in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.

[0032] With this configuration, when refilling ink, the convex portion of the ink refill container protrudes further than the ink outlet, reducing the risk of the ink outlet coming into contact with the user's hand or the surrounding area of ​​the ink tank, and preventing contamination due to ink adhesion.

[0033] Conversely, it is also possible to make the ink outlet protrude further in the direction of the central axis than the convex portion in the opposite direction to the ink chamber, which makes it easier to see the ink outlet when refilling ink.

[0034] In the ink supply system, it is preferable that the convex portion of the ink supply container protrudes outward in a radial direction from the ink outlet as a center beyond the outer peripheral surface of the container main body in which the ink storage chamber is provided.

[0035] This configuration makes it easier for the user to visually recognize the protrusion when looking at the ink supply container, making it easier to fit the protrusion of the ink supply container into the recess of the ink tank when refilling ink, thereby reducing the risk of incorrect connection of the ink supply container to the ink tank.

[0036] In addition, in the above-described ink supply system, it is preferable that the convex portion of the ink supply container is formed inward in a radial direction from the ink outlet as a center of the ink outlet from the outer peripheral surface of the container main body portion in which the ink storage chamber is provided.

[0037] According to this configuration, when connecting the ink outlet of the ink supply container to the ink inlet of the ink tank, the protrusion of the ink supply container is less likely to get in the way. Furthermore, an ink refill adapter that solves the above problem is an ink refill adapter that connects the ink refill container and the ink tank when refilling ink from the ink refill container to the ink tank, and is equipped with a tank engagement portion that can engage with multiple ink tanks each having an ink storage chamber that can store ink while they are all together, multiple ink inlets provided for each ink tank so that ink flowing out from the ink outlet of the ink refill container can flow into the ink storage chamber, and multiple identification portions that are provided for each of the multiple ink inlets and that make it possible to identify the ink refill container having an ink outlet that can be connected to the ink inlet.

[0038] According to this configuration, the ink tanks have a general-purpose common structure, and by placing the multiple ink tanks together and engaging the tank engaging portion of the refill adapter, a structure can be easily realized that can prevent the ink refill container from being incorrectly installed when refilling ink.

[0039] Furthermore, another ink refill adapter that solves the above problem is an ink refill adapter that is attached to an ink tank when refilling ink from an ink refill container into the ink tank, and is equipped with an inlet forming portion that can be inserted into an ink inlet flow path portion provided in the ink tank so as to allow the ink to flow into an ink storage chamber provided in the ink tank and that surrounds at least a portion of the periphery of the ink inlet flow path portion, an adapter side positioning portion that can engage with a tank side positioning portion provided in the ink tank and positions the ink refill adapter relative to the ink tank, and an identification portion that can identify the ink refill container that has an ink outlet that can be connected to the ink inlet flow path portion.

[0040] With this configuration, the ink refill adapter is positioned relative to the ink tank, preventing misalignment between the ink inlet channel provided in the ink tank and the inlet forming portion provided in the ink refill adapter, thereby allowing ink to be properly refilled from the ink refill container to the ink tank via the ink refill adapter.

[0041] In the ink supply adapter, it is preferable that the inlet forming portions, the identification portions corresponding to the inlet forming portions, and the adapter side positioning portions are integrally formed.

[0042] According to this configuration, the inlet forming portion, the identification portion, and the adapter side positioning portion are integrally formed, so that the ink refill adapter can be manufactured more easily than if these were formed separately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a recording apparatus in a see-through state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an ink supply unit provided in the housing of the recording apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a partially broken cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially broken cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ink supply container with the cap removed. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state immediately before ink is replenished into the ink tank. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state immediately before ink is replenished into the ink tank. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which ink is being refilled into the ink tank. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which ink is being refilled into the ink tank. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing a state in which the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the receiving surface on the ink tank side during ink supply. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing a state in which the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against a receiving surface on the ink tank side during ink supply. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a multifunction peripheral including a recording apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the multifunction peripheral showing a state in which ink is being replenished into the ink tank. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the housing of the ink supply unit is removed. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. [Figure 25] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ink supply adapter from the bottom side. [Figure 26] Bottom view of the ink refill adapter. [Figure 27] 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F27-F27 in FIG. 23. [Figure 28] 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F28-F28 in FIG. 23. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a side view of a modified ink supply container. [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a front view of a modified ink supply container. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an ink supply container according to another modified example. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified ink supply unit. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified ink supply adapter. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a modified ink supply container. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a plan view of an ink outlet and a second concave-convex portion according to a modified example. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a modified ink supply container and cap. [Figure 37] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ink outlet and a sealing portion according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of a recording device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The recording device of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that records (prints) images on a medium by ejecting ink onto the medium.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 21 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 22 with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction. FIG. 1 also shows a simplified perspective view of the interior of the housing 22 of the recording device 21. A support base 23, with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction, is provided in a lower portion toward the rear of the housing 22, with its upper surface aligned substantially horizontally. Paper P, an example of a medium, is supported on the upper surface of the support base 23 and transported forward in the transport direction. A guide shaft 24 extending in the left-right direction is installed above the support base 23 within the housing 22. A carriage 26, which includes a recording head 25 on its underside that ejects ink, is supported on the guide shaft 24. The carriage 26 is supported so as to be reciprocable in the left-right direction relative to the guide shaft 24, with the guide shaft 24 inserted through a support hole 27 that penetrates the housing in the left-right direction.

[0046] A drive pulley 28 and a driven pulley 29 are rotatably supported in positions near both ends of the guide shaft 24 within the housing 22. An output shaft of a carriage motor 30 is connected to the drive pulley 28, and an endless timing belt 31, a portion of which is connected to the carriage 26, is wound between the drive pulley 28 and the driven pulley 29. When the carriage 26 is driven by the carriage motor 30 and guided by the guide shaft 24 via the timing belt 31 to move back and forth along the left-right direction, which is the scanning direction for the paper P, ink is ejected from the recording head 25 on the underside of the carriage 26 onto the paper P, which is transported forward on the support base 23.

[0047] 1, a rectangular discharge opening 32 is opened at a position on the front side of the housing 22 in front of the support base 23, through which paper P, on which recording has been performed by ejecting ink from the recording head 25 as the paper is transported on the support base 23 within the housing 22, is discharged forward. A rectangular plate-shaped discharge tray 33 capable of supporting paper P discharged from the housing 22 is provided at the discharge opening 32 so as to be movable forward in the discharge direction. A paper feed cassette 34 capable of accommodating a plurality of sheets of paper P to be used for recording in a stacked state is attached below the discharge tray 33 within the discharge opening 32 so as to be removable in the front-to-rear direction.

[0048] 1, on the front side of the housing 22, at a position closer to the left-right end than the outlet 32 ​​(the right end in FIG. 1), there is provided an opening / closing door 35 whose front and top are rectangular and whose right side is shaped like a right triangle, so that it can be opened and closed in the front-rear direction around a rotation shaft 36 provided at the bottom of the opening / closing door 35 and extending in the left-right direction. A window 37 made of a rectangular transparent member is formed on the front side of the opening / closing door 35, so that the user can see inside the housing 22 (particularly, the back side of the front side of the opening / closing door 35) when the opening / closing door 35 is closed.

[0049] An ink supply unit 40 that supplies ink to the recording head 25 is housed inside the housing 22 of the recording device 21 at a position behind the opening and closing door 35, that is, at a position near the front and near the end (in this case, near the right end). The ink supply unit 40 is a structure that includes a plurality of (five in this embodiment) ink tanks 41 to 45 and can be handled as a unit, and as will be described later, each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be replenished with ink.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ink supply unit 40 includes five ink tanks 41-45, each shaped like a long, irregular box, extending in the front-to-rear direction; five ink supply tubes 46 extending from the rear of each ink tank; and a rectangular parallelepiped ink supply adapter 47 to which the ink tanks 41-45 are attached. The ink supply adapter 47 is attached to stepped portions 48 cut out from the upper front half of each ink tank 41-45 when the ink tanks 41-45 are arranged side-by-side with their thicknesses aligned horizontally, thereby integrating the ink tanks 41-45. As shown in FIG. 1, the ink supply tubes 46 extending from the ink tanks 41-45 are connected to ink flow paths (not shown) formed in the carriage 26 and connected to the print head 25 via the ink flow paths. The ink supply adapter 47 may be part of the housing 22 that covers the ink tanks 41-45, or may be formed integrally with the ink tanks 41-45.

[0051] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 has an ink storage chamber 49 therein capable of storing ink IK. In this embodiment, black ink is stored in the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 located at the right end in the horizontal arrangement direction. The ink storage chambers 49 of the other ink tanks 42 to 45 arranged to the left of the right-end ink tank 41 in the horizontal arrangement direction store ink of colors other than black (cyan, magenta, yellow, etc.). In addition, a visibility portion 50 made of transparent resin that allows the liquid level of the ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49 to be visible is provided on the front wall portion of each of the ink tanks 41 to 45, which is visible through the window portion 37 on the front surface of the housing 22. The visible portion 50 is marked with an upper limit mark 51 indicating the upper limit of the liquid level of the ink IK stored in the ink storage chamber 49 (an example of an indication of the amount of ink that can be injected without the ink overflowing from the ink inlet 53), and a lower limit mark 52 indicating the lower limit (for example, an indication to encourage ink replenishment).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4, an ink inlet 53 is provided above the horizontal portion of the stepped portion 48 in each of the ink tanks 41-45, allowing ink to flow from the outside into the ink storage chamber 49. The ink inlet 53 includes a needle 56 extending vertically upward and having flow paths 54, 55 that connect the inside of the ink storage chamber 49 to the outside. The flow paths 54, 55 of the needle 56 are composed of two flow paths 54, 55 arranged side by side in a radial direction with their tip openings centered on the needle 56. One of the two flow paths 54, 55 (the flow path 54 on the right side in FIG. 4) has a lower tip opening and a larger cross-sectional area than the other flow path 55 (the flow path 54 on the left side in FIG. 4). A remaining ink level sensor 57 is provided at the bottom, near the rear, of the ink storage chamber 49 to detect the remaining amount of ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49. The remaining ink level sensor 57 is not required.

[0053] 2 to 5, ink supply adapter 47 has an upper surface 58 that is a horizontal surface extending in a direction perpendicular to (intersecting with) the direction in which needle 56 extends, and upper surface 58 is formed with a through-hole 60 that passes vertically through to lower surface 59 as an ink inlet formation portion. This through-hole 60 consists of a circular ink inlet 53 with needle 56 located in the center, and a pair of rectangular holes connected to the front and rear of ink inlet 53, and the lower opening is closed by the horizontal portion of step 48 that protrudes needle 56 upward in ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0054] Therefore, in the through-hole 60, a pair of front and rear rectangular hole portions with their lower openings blocked form a pair of front and rear recesses 61 that open upward, in the direction in which the needle 56 extends, recessed in the depth direction vertically downward and symmetrically about the ink inlet 53. That is, in the ink refill adapter 47 integrated with the ink tanks 41 to 45, a plurality of recesses 61 (two pairs of front and rear recesses in this case) are formed that are point-symmetrical about the ink inlet 53 in the area outside the ink inlet 53, including the needle 56. In this case, the tip of the needle 56, which is located at the center of the circular ink inlet 53, is located closer to the ink storage chamber 49 than the top surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47, which forms the opening edge of the through-hole 60 that includes the ink inlet 53 and the recesses 61. That is, an upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 extends in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the needle 56 at a position outside the tip of the needle 56 in the extension direction of the needle 56. On the other hand, a lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47 functions as a tank engaging portion that collectively engages from above with a plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0055] Furthermore, the peripheral portion of the upper opening edge of each through hole 60 on the top surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47 is colored a specific color. That is, it is colored the same color as the color of the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 into which ink flows via the ink inlet 53 of that through hole 60. In this regard, the peripheral portion of the upper opening edge of each through hole 60 in the ink refill adapter 47 functions as a first portion that externally indicates information related to the ink stored inside the ink tanks 41 to 45 whose ink storage chambers 49 communicate with the ink inlet 53 of that through hole 60. Incidentally, the peripheral portion of the upper opening of the through hole 60, where the ink inlet 53 that communicates with the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 that stores black ink, is located, is colored black.

[0056] Furthermore, on the inner surface of the recess 61 (specifically, the inner surface along the vertical direction), a first uneven portion (first key structure portion) 62 having a characteristic uneven shape in the horizontal direction is provided at a position closer to the bottom surface than the upper opening edge of the recess 61 (i.e., closer to the horizontal portion of the stepped portion 48). The first uneven portion 62 extends along the depth direction of the recess 61 (in other words, the direction of the central axis of the ink inlet 53). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first uneven portion 62 is provided for each ink inlet 53 of the multiple (five in this embodiment) ink tanks 41 to 45. Therefore, in the ink refill adapter 47, the rectangular recess 61 in each through hole 60 formed at a position corresponding to each ink tank 41 to 45 in the vertical direction has a first uneven portion 62 formed therein that is different from the first uneven portions 62 provided on the inner surface of the recess 61 of each of the other through holes 60. That is, these first uneven portions 62 function as identification portions that enable identification of ink supply containers 63 (see FIG. 6, etc.) that have ink outlets 65 (see FIG. 6, etc.) that are connected to ink inlets 53 in through-holes 60 in which the first uneven portions 62 are formed. Note that "a position that is closer to the bottom than the upper opening edge of recess 61" means that it is sufficient that the position is set back slightly from the opening edge toward the bottom.

[0057] Next, an ink supply container 63 will be described, which constitutes an ink supply system together with the ink tanks 41 to 45 and supplies ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 when the remaining amount of ink is low.

[0058] 6 to 8, the ink supply container 63 includes a cylindrical container main body 64 as its main body, an ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at the tip of the container main body 64 and having an ink outlet 65 formed at its tip to allow ink to flow out of the ink supply container 63, and a container additional portion 67 added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 so as to surround the ink outlet 65. The ink outlet 65 of the ink outlet forming portion 66, together with the surrounding container additional portion 67, is covered by a bottomed, cylindrical cap 68, so that it is concealed from the outside when the ink supply container 63 is stored. That is, a male thread portion 69 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical lower end of the container additional portion 67, while a female thread portion (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 68. By screwing the male thread portion 69 of the container additional portion 67 onto the female thread portion of the cap 68, the cap 68 is attached to the tip of the ink supply container 63 so as to cover the ink outlet 65.

[0059] The entire outer surface of the container attachment portion 67 is colored a specific color. That is, it is colored the same color as the ink contained in the container main body 64 to which the container attachment portion 67 is attached. In this respect, the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 functions as a second portion that externally displays information related to the ink contained inside the ink supply container 63. Incidentally, the outer surface of the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 that contains black ink is colored black. Furthermore, multiple (four in this embodiment) protrusions 70 are formed at equal angular intervals (for example, 90-degree intervals) on the outer circumferential surfaces of the base ends of the container main body 64 and the cap 68. Incidentally, these protrusions 70 are formed to prevent the cylindrical ink supply container 63 from rolling. Furthermore, for example, the container main body 64 of the ink supply container 63 that contains black ink may be formed thicker than the container main body 64 of the ink supply container 63 that contains ink of other colors. In this case, the ink outlet forming portion 66 may have the same thickness and shape for black ink and inks of other colors.

[0060] 6 to 8, above the cylindrical lower end where the male thread portion 69 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the container additional portion 67, a convex portion 71 is formed in an area that is outside the ink outlet 65 in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65. The convex portion 71 protrudes upward in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 in the opposite direction from the container main body 64 beyond the ink outlet 65. When the tip of the needle 56 on the ink inlet 53 side is inserted into the ink outlet 65, the convex portion 71 functions as a second fitting portion that can be fitted with the concave portion 61 on the upper surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47 as a first fitting portion. The convex portion 71 is provided to sandwich the ink outlet 65 from the front and rear, similar to the pair of concave portions 61 that sandwich the ink inlet 53 from the front and rear. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the convex portion 71 is formed inward from the outer peripheral surface of the container main body 64 in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65 in the ink refill container 63.

[0061] 6 and 9, the outer surface of each convex portion 71 (both left and right side surfaces in FIGS. 6 and 9) is formed with a second concave-convex portion (second key structure portion) 72 that can engage with a first concave-convex portion (first key structure portion) 62 formed on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 of the ink supply adapter 47. This second concave-convex portion 72 is provided to extend along the protruding direction of the convex portion 71 (in other words, the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65), and when the convex portion 71 is fitted into the concave portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 72 is engaged with the first concave-convex portion 62, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 on the ink tank 41-45 side.

[0062] Furthermore, a planar positioning portion 73 that is perpendicular to (intersects with) the central axis of the ink outlet 65 is provided between the cylindrical lower end of the container additional portion 67, where the male thread portion 69 is formed, and the convex portion 71, where the second uneven portion 72 is formed, so as to be located radially outward from the ink outlet 65 when the ink outlet 65 is viewed in the direction of its central axis. In other words, this positioning portion 73 constitutes part of the outer surface of the container additional portion 67, which is part of the outer surface of the ink supply container 63, and is provided at a position closer to the container main body 64 than the tip of the convex portion 71 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. And, because this positioning portion 73 is provided in the container additional portion 67 that is added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 of the ink supply container 63, it can be said that it is a separate member from the ink outlet forming portion 66 and is provided outside the ink outlet forming portion 66.

[0063] 9, a valve 74 made of an elastic member such as a silicone membrane is provided in the ink outlet 65 formed in the ink outlet forming portion 66, sealing the ink outlet 65 in an openable and closable manner. The valve 74 is provided at a position where the positioning portion 73 is closer to the container main body 64 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 (see, for example, FIG. 14). The valve 74 is provided with a plurality of slits 75 (three in this embodiment) that intersect at equal angular intervals (for example, 120-degree intervals) with the center of the valve 74 as the intersection point, and is configured to open when the slits 75 are pushed inward from the outside of the ink outlet 65. In other words, when the tip of the needle 56 on the ink inlet 53 side is inserted into the ink outlet 65, the normally closed valve 74 is pushed inward by the tip of the needle 56 to open the valve.

[0064] At this time, the positioning portion 73 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47, in which the through-hole 60 including the ink inlet 53 and the recess 61 is formed, on the radial outside of the ink outlet 65, and positions the valve 74 with respect to the ink tanks 41-45 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. In this regard, the upper surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47 is part of the ink tanks 41-45 side against which the positioning portion 73 of the ink refill container 63 abuts when the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65 of the ink refill container 63 is opened to refill the ink tanks 41-45 with ink, and functions as a receiving surface that receives the planar positioning portion 73.

[0065] 10 and 11, the container body 64 of the ink supply container 63 is a bottle-shaped member having an ink storage chamber 76 therein capable of storing ink IK, and a male thread portion 78 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of a neck portion 77 at its upper end. On the other hand, the ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at the upper end of the container body 64 has a large diameter portion 79 located on the outer peripheral side of the neck portion 77 of the container body 64, a small diameter portion 80 that forms the ink outlet 65 at a position farthest from the container body 64, and an intermediate portion 81 that connects the large diameter portion 79 and the small diameter portion 80. The ink outlet forming portion 66 is attached to the upper end of the container body 64 by threading a female thread portion 82 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 79 into the male thread portion 78 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 77 of the container body 64.

[0066] Furthermore, the container attachment portion 67, which is attached to the ink outlet forming portion 66 of the ink supply container 63 so as to surround the ink outlet 65, has a cylindrical lower end portion with a male thread portion 69 formed on its outer circumferential surface, which forms a joining portion 83 whose lower end surface is joined to the upper end surface of the large diameter portion 79 of the ink outlet forming portion 66. This joining portion 83 is joined to the large diameter portion 79 of the ink outlet forming portion 66 such that opposing surface areas in the front-to-rear direction of its inner circumferential surface are in surface contact with the front outer surface and the rear outer surface of the intermediate portion 81 of the ink outlet forming portion 66.

[0067] Next, the operation of the ink supply system configured as above will be described below, focusing on the operation when ink is supplied to the ink tanks 41 to 45 of the ink supply unit 40 using the ink supply container 63.

[0068] As a premise, as shown in Figure 2, the ink level in the black ink ink tank 41 located at the far right of the multiple ink tanks 41-45 arranged side by side has dropped to the height of the lower limit mark 52 marked below the visual confirmation portion 50, and therefore the following description will be given assuming that ink is being replenished to this ink tank 41. It is also assumed that the ink supply container 63 used for ink replenishment contains a sufficient amount of black ink, and that the cap 68 has been removed from the ink supply container 63 in advance. Furthermore, it is assumed that the shape of the second uneven portion 72 formed on the outer surface of the protruding portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 matches the shape of the first uneven portion 62 formed on the inner surface of the recessed portion 61 located before and after the ink inlet 53 to the ink tank 41, and that the protruding portion 71 can be engaged with the recessed portion 61 when inserted.

[0069] When refilling ink into ink tank 41, the user first rotates open door 35 of housing 22 from the closed state shown in Fig. 1 forward around rotation shaft 36 to open it. When this is done, upper surface 58 of ink refill adapter 47, on which ink inlets 53 to ink tanks 41 to 45 are formed, of ink supply unit 40 is exposed to the outside of housing 22, and the user can then connect ink outlet 65 of ink refill container 63 to the desired ink inlet 53 from above.

[0070] 12 and 13, the user turns the ink supply container 63 containing the black ink to be used for ink supply upside down and holds it so that the ink outlet 65 is positioned above the rightmost through-hole 60 of the ink supply adapter 47. That is, the user aligns the central axis of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 with the central axis of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to be replenished. At this time, the user compares the color (second portion) of the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 being held with the color (first portion) of the periphery of the upper opening edge of the through-hole 60 where the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to be replenished is provided. If the colors are the same (in this case, both are black), the user confirms that he or she is holding the ink supply container 63 that is suitable for this ink supply, and proceeds to the subsequent ink supply operation.

[0071] 12 and 13, the ink supply container 63 is lowered, and the protrusion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is inserted into the recess 61 of the ink supply adapter 47 that is integrated with the ink tank 41. The insertion of the protrusion 71 into the recess 61 ensures that the central axis of the ink outlet 65 coincides with the central axis of the ink inlet 53. In this case, the recess 61 is positioned point-symmetrically with respect to the needle 56, which is the center of the ink inlet 53, so the protrusion 71 can be inserted into either recess 61. Therefore, the user can easily insert the protrusion 71 into the recess 61 without having to repeatedly rotate the ink supply container 63 around the central axis of the ink outlet 65 to confirm the correct positional relationship between the recess 61 and the protrusion 71.

[0072] However, at this point, the protrusion 71 is only slightly inserted into the recess 61, and the tip of the needle 56 located at the center of the ink inlet 53 is inserted into the opening of the ink outlet 65, which protrudes slightly beyond the tip of the protrusion 71, but has not yet reached the valve 74 located deep inside the ink outlet 65. The reason for this is that, as shown in Figure 13, the distance L2 between the tip of the protrusion 71 and the valve 74 inside the ink outlet 65 is longer than the distance L1 between the top surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47, where the edge of the opening of the recess 61 is located, and the upper end of the first uneven portion 62 inside the recess 61. Therefore, if the protrusion 71 is further inserted downward in the depth direction of the recess 61 from this state, the second uneven portion 72 on the outer surface of the protrusion 71 will engage with the first uneven portion 62 on the inner surface of the recess 61. Then, while maintaining this engagement, if the convex portion 71 is further inserted in the depth direction of the concave portion 61 toward the bottom side, the tip of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 will reach the position of the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65, opening the valve 74.

[0073] 14 and 15 , the tip of the needle 56 pushes the slit 75 from below toward above (i.e., from the outside toward the inside of the ink outlet 65) against the valve 74, opening the valve 74. As a result, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41, and black ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tank 41. At this time, of the two flow paths 54, 55 of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53, the one whose tip opening first touches the ink flow path that flows through the ink outlet 65 when the valve 74 is opened functions as an ink flow path through which ink flows, and the other flow path functions as an air flow path through which air flows. For example, if a user attempts to connect the ink outlet 65 to the ink inlet 53 while tilting the ink supply container 63, the direction of tilt will determine which of the two flow paths 54, 55 will function as an ink flow path.

[0074] If the second uneven portion 72 does not engage with the first uneven portion 62 after inserting the protrusion 71 into the recess 61, the user will recognize at that point that they are inserting an ink supply container 63 of a color other than black by mistake. In this case, if the upper end of the first uneven portion 62 were positioned at the same height as the opening edge of the recess 61, not only would the second uneven portion 72 not be able to engage with the first uneven portion 62, but insertion of the protrusion 71 into the recess 61 would also be rejected. This could lead to the user repeatedly trying to insert the protrusion 71 into the recess 61, wasting time. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the height of the first uneven portion 62 is lower than the opening edge of the recess 61, so that the protrusion 71 is more likely to be guided toward the bottom in the depth direction of the recess 61 when inserted into the recess 61, thereby preventing the protrusion 71 from being unnecessarily long.

[0075] 14, 16, and 17, when the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 on the ink tank 41 side opens the valve 74 in the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63, the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, which is part of the ink tank 41 side. In other words, due to the abutment of this positioning portion 73 with the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, the ink supply container 63 is opened with the valve 74 positioned in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 with respect to the needle 56 on the ink tank 41 side.

[0076] Furthermore, at this time, because the positioning portion 73 is located radially outward of the ink outlet 65, the ink supply container 63 is stably maintained in a position in which the ink outlet 65 is connected to the ink inlet 53. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, when the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, a gap exists between the bottom surface of the ink inlet 53, where the base end of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 is located, and the tip of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63. Therefore, although ink is likely to accumulate on the bottom surface of the ink inlet 53, where the base end of the needle 56 is located, this prevents the accumulated ink from adhering to the tip of the ink outlet 65 and soiling the ink supply container 63.

[0077] 14 and 16, when ink replenishment from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tank 41 is completed, if the ink level in the ink tank 41 is still lower than the upper limit mark 51 of the visible portion 50, the same black ink supply container 63 may be used to replenish the ink up to the upper limit mark 51. Note that the above-described ink replenishment work is also performed in the same way for the ink tanks 42 to 45 of other colors other than the black ink ink tank 41.

[0078] According to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) When replenishing ink from the ink replenishing container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the valve 74 is opened while positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45. This prevents problems such as ink leakage and ink replenishing failure that may occur if the valve 74 is misaligned when the valve is open, and allows ink to be replenished appropriately to the ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0079] (2) The valve 74 is configured as a slit valve in which one or more slits 75 are provided in an elastic member made of a silicon membrane or the like, so that the ink supply container 63 can be provided with a small number of parts and a simple structure.

[0080] (3) When replenishing ink from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against a part of the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state where it is positioned radially outward from the ink outlet 65, so that ink can be replenished in a stable position.

[0081] (4) In the ink supply container 63, the positioning portion 73 is provided in the container attachment portion 67, which is a separate member from the ink outlet forming portion 66, so the positioning portion 73 can be optimized to match the design aspects of the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63.

[0082] (5) When the needle 56 of the ink tank 41-45 is inserted into the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to open the valve 74, the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, which functions as a receiving surface for the ink supply container 63 in the ink tanks 41-45, thereby determining the relative positional relationship between the valve 74 and the needle 56. Therefore, the valve 74 can be opened appropriately by the needle 56, and the occurrence of ink supply failures can be suppressed.

[0083] (6) When replenishing ink, if the protrusion 71 of the ink supply container 63 does not fit into the recess 61 of the ink tank 41 to 45, the needle 56 cannot be inserted into the ink outlet 65, thereby preventing an incompatible connection between the ink tank 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63.

[0084] (7) The ink supply container 63 is provided with a positioning portion 73 at a position outside the ink outlet forming portion 66 and closer to the container body portion 64 than the protrusion 71 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. This prevents incompatible connections between the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63, and ensures that the needles 56 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are inserted into the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 in an appropriate position.

[0085] (8) Furthermore, the tip of the needle 56 of the ink tank 41 to 45 does not protrude beyond the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, which serves as the receiving surface for the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63. Therefore, even if ink adheres to the tip of the needle 56, the risk of the ink adhering to the hands of the user performing the ink refilling operation or to the ink supply container 63 is reduced.

[0086] (9) When the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink tanks 41-45 in a state tilted along the radial direction in which the two flow paths 54, 55 are aligned from the direction in which the needle 56 extends, one of the two flow paths 54, 55 that the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 approaches first functions as an ink flow path, and the other flow path functions as an air flow path. Therefore, the user can use either of the two flow paths 54, 55 as an ink flow path, and can quickly perform ink supply work without having to worry about which flow path to use as an ink flow path.

[0087] (10) By fitting the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 into the concave portion 61 of the ink tank 41-45 and engaging the first concave portion 62 on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 with the second concave portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71, the user can recognize that a compatible ink supply container 63 has been connected to the ink tank 41-45. This prevents incompatible connection between the ink tank 41-45 and the ink supply container 63. Furthermore, because the first concave portion 62 is located on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 of the ink tank 41-45, closer to the bottom than the opening edge of the concave portion 61, the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 can be easily guided from the opening side to the bottom side of the concave portion 61 of the ink tank 41-45, facilitating the insertion operation.

[0088] (11) A first concave-convex portion (first key structure portion) 62 provided on the inner surface of the recess 61 of the ink tank 41-45 so as to extend along the depth direction of the recess 61 can be engaged with a second concave-convex portion 72 (second key structure portion) on the outer surface of the protrusion 71 of the ink supply container 63 as the protrusion 71 is fitted into the recess 61. As a result, it is easy to recognize the connection direction of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 relative to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41-45.

[0089] (12) The recess 61 provided radially outward from the ink inlet 53 has a depth direction that faces vertically downward, so when the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41-45, it is possible to prevent ink from returning from the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to the ink containing chamber 76. As a result, the ink can be properly replenished from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41-45.

[0090] (13) When the protrusion (second fitting portion) 71 of the ink supply container 63 is fitted into any of the multiple recesses (first fitting portions) 61 formed in point symmetry around the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 can be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. Therefore, when replenishing ink, the ink supply container 63 can be easily connected to the ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0091] (14) The color applied to the area surrounding the ink inlet 53 of the ink supply adapter 47 of each ink tank 41-45 functions as a first portion indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 49, and the color applied to the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 functions as a second portion indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 76. Therefore, when connecting the ink supply container 63 to each ink tank 41-45 to supply ink, it is easy to check whether the ink being supplied is compatible by visually checking the first portion on the ink tank 41-45 side and the second portion on the ink supply container 63 side.

[0092] (15) In the ink supply container 63, the convex portion 71 is formed radially inward from the ink outlet 65, relative to the outer peripheral surface of the container body 64 in which the ink storage chamber 76 is provided. Therefore, when connecting the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is less likely to get in the way.

[0093] (16) The ink refill adapter 47 has a plurality of first concave-convex portions (identification portions) 62 that allow the ink refill container 63 to be identified by engaging the bottom surface (tank engaging portion) 59 side with the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 while they are grouped together, and by making the ink tanks 41 to 45 have ink outlets 65 that can be connected to the ink inlets 53 of the respective ink tanks 41 to 45. Therefore, by making the ink tanks 41 to 45 have a general-purpose common structure and then grouping the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 together and engaging the bottom surface 59 that serves as the tank engaging portion of the ink refill adapter 47, a structure that can prevent incorrect installation of the ink refill container 63 during ink refilling can be easily realized.

[0094] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the recording apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the positioning of the ink tank and the ink refill adapter. Since the second embodiment is otherwise substantially the same as the first embodiment, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted.

[0095] 18, the multifunction device 14 includes a recording device 21 and an image reading device 15 that is disposed on the recording device 21 and covers the upper side of the recording device 21, and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. On the front side (front face side) of the recording device 21 is provided an operation panel 18 that has an operation unit 16 such as buttons for performing various operations on the multifunction device 14, and a display unit 17 that displays information about the recording device 21 and the multifunction device 14. Furthermore, an ink supply unit 40 is provided on the right side of the operation panel 18.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 19, the image reading device 15 is attached via a rotation mechanism 19, such as a hinge, provided on the rear side (back side). The image reading device 15 can be opened and closed relative to the recording device 21, and rotates between a closed position shown in FIG. 18 and an open position shown in FIG. 19. When the image reading device 15 is positioned in the open position, the unit cover 100 and elastic cap 92 of the ink supply unit 40 can be opened and closed. When refilling the ink tanks 41 to 45 (see FIG. 20), as shown in FIG. 19, the image reading device 15, the unit cover 100, and the elastic cap 92 are positioned in the open position, and the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink supply adapter 47 and the ink tanks 41 to 45. In other words, the ink supply adapter 47 is attached so as to be positioned above the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state in which ink is refilled from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45. In other words, the ink supply adapter 47 connects the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 when ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0097] As shown in Figure 20, ink supply unit 40 has two types of ink tanks 41 to 45, each with a different ink capacity, arranged side by side with their thickness direction running left to right. Note that ink tank 41, which has a large capacity, and ink tanks 42 to 45, which have a small capacity, have the same configuration, although they differ in thickness. Therefore, common components among ink tanks 41 to 45 are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0098] The needles 56 are formed to protrude upward from the top surfaces 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45. A tank-side positioning portion 113 is provided to protrude forward on a side surface 112 on the visual confirmation portion 50 side (front side) that intersects with the top surface 111. The tank-side positioning portions 113 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are located at approximately the same position in the up-down direction, and the intervals between the tank-side positioning portions 113 of adjacent ink tanks 41 to 45 are approximately the same.

[0099] The top surfaces 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are provided with absorbents 123 that are generally rectangular in plan view and capable of absorbing ink. The absorbents 123 have a plurality of circular holes 123a (six in this embodiment). The absorbents 123 are attached to the ink tanks 41 to 45 by inserting needles 56 into the circular holes 123a and by folding up the portions of the films 124 that seal the openings of the ink tanks 41 to 45 that extend above the top surfaces 111. The absorbents 123 may also be large enough to cover the entire top surfaces 111 (see FIG. 28).

[0100] 21 and 22, the tank-side positioning portion 113 includes a bottom wall 114 that protrudes from the side surface 112 at a position lower than the top surface 111, and a pair of side walls 115 that extend upward from the bottom wall 114. The tank-side positioning portion 113 is open forward and upward.

[0101] Furthermore, a protruding portion 116 that supports the ink supply adapter 47 is provided on the top surface 111 of each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 at a position on the front end adjacent to the tank-side positioning portion 113. A protruding portion 116 is also provided on the rear end of the top surface 111. In other words, a pair of protruding portions 116 are provided at both ends of the top surface 111 in the front-to-rear direction, with the needle 56 between them.

[0102] 22, a partition wall 117 extending vertically is formed in the center of the front-rear direction inside the cylindrical needle 56. The partition wall 117 partitions the flow paths 54 and 55. Therefore, the flow paths 54 and 55 in this embodiment are formed so that the height and cross-sectional area of ​​the tip openings are approximately the same. The needle 56 is provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45 so as to allow ink to flow into the ink storage chambers 49 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0103] Next, the ink supply adapter 47 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the ink supply adapter 47 has an inlet forming portion 119 that surrounds at least a portion of the periphery of the needle 56, which is an example of an ink inlet flow path portion. A plurality of inlet forming portions 119 (five in this embodiment, the same number as the ink tanks 41 to 45) are provided side by side in the left-right direction on the top surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47. The inlet forming portions 119 in this embodiment are bottomed recesses, and their shape is substantially the same as that of the through-holes 60 (see FIG. 3) in a plan view. Furthermore, the ink supply adapter 47 has a first concave-convex portion 62, which is an example of an identification portion that allows identification of an ink supply container 63 having an ink outlet 65 connectable to the needle 56. The first concave-convex portion 62 in this embodiment is provided so that a convex portion stands upright from the bottom surface of the inlet forming portion 119.

[0104] 24, an insertion hole 120 through which the needle 56 can be inserted is formed in the bottom surface of each inlet forming portion 119. The diameter of the insertion hole 120 is larger than the diameter of the needle 56, and a gap is provided between the needle 56 and the insertion hole 120. Therefore, if ink leaks from the ink supply container 63 or the needle 56, the leaked ink will pass through the gap between the insertion hole 120 and the needle 56 and be absorbed by the absorbent material 123.

[0105] 25 and 26, adapter-side positioning portions 121 are provided on the underside 59 of the ink refill adapter 47 to position the ink refill adapter 47 with respect to the ink tanks 41 to 45. The adapter-side positioning portions 121 are engageable with the tank-side positioning portions 113 provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45, and are provided in multiple positions (five in this embodiment, the same number as the ink tanks 41 to 45) lined up in the left-right direction in front of the insertion hole 120. The left-right spacing between the multiple adapter-side positioning portions 121 is approximately equal to the left-right spacing between the tank-side positioning portions 113 provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45.

[0106] Furthermore, on the underside 59 of the ink refill adapter 47, pairs of ribs 122 are provided with a gap in the front-rear direction, and multiple pairs (five pairs in this embodiment) are lined up in the left-right direction. The gap in the front-rear direction between the pair of ribs 122 is approximately equal to the size of the top surface 111 of each of the ink tanks 41-45. One adapter-side positioning portion 121 and one rib 122 are provided on each side of each insertion hole 120 in the left-right direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26 , the gap B between the center line A, which passes through the center of the insertion hole 120 in the front-rear direction, and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 is approximately equal to the gap C between the center line A and the rib 122. The corners of the adapter-side positioning portion 121 and the rib 122 are chamfered.

[0107] As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the ink supply adapter 47 is integrally formed with a plurality of inlet forming portions 119, a first uneven portion 62 corresponding to the plurality of inlet forming portions 119, a plurality of adapter side positioning portions 121, and a plurality of sets of ribs 122.

[0108] Next, the operation of the ink supply adapter 47 configured as above will be described. As shown in Figures 27 and 28, when the ink refill adapter 47 is attached to the ink tanks 41 to 45 by inserting the needle 56 through the insertion hole 120 of the ink refill adapter 47, the adapter-side positioning portion 121 engages with the tank-side positioning portion 113. Specifically, the adapter-side positioning portion 121 is positioned in the left-right direction by fitting between the side walls 115 of the tank-side positioning portion 113. The ink refill adapter 47 is also positioned in the front-rear direction by the ribs 122 sandwiching the ink tanks 41 to 45 from both the front and rear. The ink refill adapter 47, once positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45, is then fixed to the housing 22 with screws (not shown).

[0109] The absorbent material 123 provided between the ink refill adapter 47 and the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 may be provided for each of the ink tanks 41 to 45. The absorbent material 123 may also be provided extending from the top surface 111 to the side surface 112 of each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 (only the portion corresponding to the ink tank 45 is shown in FIG. 27).

[0110] According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects (1) to (16) of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (17) Because the ink supply adapter 47 is positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45, misalignment between the needles 56 provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the inlet forming portions 119 provided on the ink supply adapter 47 is suppressed. Therefore, ink can be appropriately supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 via the ink supply adapter 47.

[0111] (18) Since the inlet forming portion 119, the first uneven portion 62, and the adapter side positioning portion 121 are integrally formed, the ink supply adapter 47 can be manufactured more easily than if they were formed separately.

[0112] The above embodiment may be modified as follows. 29 and 30, the ink supply container 63 may have a tip of a convex portion 71 that protrudes further from the ink outlet 65 toward the opposite side of the container body 64 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65. With this configuration, when refilling ink, the convex portion 71 in the ink supply container 63 protrudes further from the ink outlet 65, which reduces the risk of the ink outlet 65 coming into contact with the user's hand or the surrounding area of ​​the ink supply container 63, thereby preventing contamination due to adhesion of ink.

[0113] 31, the ink supply container 63 does not need to have the convex portion 71 if it has a positioning portion 73 located closer to the container body 64 than the valve 74 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65, which abuts against a part of the ink tank 41-45 when refilling the ink tank 41-45 with ink to position the valve relative to the ink tank 41-45. In this case, it is also not necessary to provide the concave portion 61 on the ink tank 41-45 side.

[0114] As shown in a modified example in FIG. 32 , the ink supply unit 40 may have a structure in which the ink inlets 53 are normally closed. That is, the ink supply unit 40 of this modified example includes a lever-shaped cap support member 90 for each of the ink inlets 53. The base end of the cap support member 90 is rotatably supported on a pivot 91 provided on the top surface 58 of the ink refill adapter 47 so as to extend in a direction (horizontal) intersecting the central axis of the ink inlet 53. An elastic cap 92 shaped to fit into the ink inlet 53 is provided on the tip of each cap support member 90, closer to the longitudinal center. The cap support member 90 is normally in a closed state with the elastic cap 92 fitted over the ink inlet 53. During ink refilling, the cap support member 90, which is in a closed state with the elastic cap 92 fitted over the ink inlet 53, is tilted to an open state in which the elastic cap 92 is separated from the ink inlet 53 by the user's hand on the bent handle 93 at the tip. 32, a unit cover 100 may be provided that collectively covers the tops of the multiple cap support members 90 and can be opened and closed. The elastic caps 92 are made of an elastic material such as an elastomer, and the cap support members 90 are made of a material that is more rigid than the elastic caps 92, such as polystyrene or ABS resin.

[0115] As shown in a modified example in FIG. 33 , the ink supply adapter 47 may be attached to the ink supply unit 40 so as to be movable relative to the ink tanks 41-44. Specifically, the ink supply adapter 47 includes a fixed portion 125 fixed to the housing 22, a displacement portion 126 displaceable relative to the ink tanks 41-44, and a connecting portion 127 connecting the fixed portion 125 and the displacement portion 126. The connecting portion 127 is deformable, and the displacement portion 126 is displaceable in a direction intersecting the vertical direction in which the needle 56 extends. Therefore, the displacement portion 126 displaces with the ink supply container 63 engaged with the inlet forming portion 119, allowing the ink supply container 63 and the needle 56 to move relative to each other. This allows the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to be easily aligned with the needle 56, reducing the risk of ink leakage.

[0116] As in the modified example shown in FIG. 34, a groove 129 may be formed at the tip of the ink outlet 65. Furthermore, at least one (two in this modified example) annular protrusion 130 may be formed along the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 80 between the tip of the ink outlet 65 and the positioning portion 73. By providing the groove 129, it is possible to reduce the risk of ink dripping from the ink outlet 65 when the ink supply container 63, which has been refilled with ink, is stood upright in relation to the ink tanks 41 to 45. Furthermore, by providing the annular protrusion 130, it is possible to stop ink dripping from the ink outlet 65.

[0117] As shown in the modified example in FIG. 35 , a pair of convex portions 71 formed along a straight line D passing through the center of the ink outlet 65 may be divided into multiple regions E (six in this modified example), and the second uneven portion 72 may be configured with identification convex portions 132a-132c provided for each region E. In this modified example, the second uneven portion 72 is configured with three types of identification convex portions 132a-132c. Specifically, the second uneven portion 72 may be configured by any combination of a first identification convex portion 132a having a long length from the straight line D to the side surface of the convex portion 71, a second identification convex portion 132b having a shorter length than the first identification convex portion 132a, and a third identification convex portion 132c having a shorter length than the second identification convex portion 132b. By increasing the number of regions E and the types of identification convex portions 132a-132c, the number of patterns of the second uneven portion 72 can be increased to accommodate different amounts and types of ink.

[0118] 36, the small diameter portion 80 may be formed from a transparent or translucent material. Furthermore, the inner surface of the small diameter portion 80, which is the surface closer to the ink chamber 76 than the valve 74, may be a roughened surface 80a formed by, for example, embossing. The roughened surface 80a has high wettability and ink tends to remain on it, making it easier to see the color of the ink from the outside of the small diameter portion 80.

[0119] As shown in the modified example in Figures 36 and 37, the cap 68 is attached to the ink supply container 63 so as to contact the mounting surface 134, thereby achieving an attached state. Furthermore, the cap 68 includes a circular sealing portion 135 that seals the ink outlet 65 when attached. The inner surface 135a of the sealing portion 135 is formed at an angle so as to widen toward the tip. When attached, the cap 68 seals the ink outlet 65 by contacting the inner surface 135a with a corner 136 of the ink outlet 65. Therefore, even when the cap 68 is attached to the mounting surface 134 in a loose engagement, the contact between the inner surface 135a and the corner 136 reduces the risk of ink leaking from the ink outlet 65. The corner 136 is the intersection of two surfaces facing in different directions, and may be curved.

[0120] The ink supply adapter 47 may have at least one of the first concave-convex portion 62, the adapter-side positioning portion 121, and the rib 122 formed separately. Furthermore, of the ribs 122 provided on both the front and rear sides, the front rib 122 may not be provided. It is sufficient to provide at least one rear rib 122, and the ink supply adapter 47 may be positioned in the front-rear direction by the rear rib 122 and the adapter-side positioning portion 121. Furthermore, the rib 122 may not be provided.

[0121] The shapes of the tank side positioning portion 113 and the adapter side positioning portion 121 can be changed as desired, as long as they can engage with each other and position the ink refill adapter 47 on the ink tanks 41 to 45. For example, the tank side positioning portion 113 may be a stepped portion formed around the needle 56, and the adapter side positioning portion 121 may be a recess or hole surrounding the stepped portion. By providing the tank side positioning portion 113 and the adapter side positioning portion 121 in positions close to the needle 56, the positioning accuracy of the inlet formation portion 119 relative to the needle 56 can be improved.

[0122] The protrusions 71 of the ink supply container 63 may protrude outward in a radial direction from the ink outlet 65 beyond the outer circumferential surface of the container body 64 in which the ink storage chamber 76 is provided. This configuration makes it easier for the user to see the protrusions 71 when looking at the ink supply container 63, and makes it easier to fit the protrusions 71 of the ink supply container 63 into the recesses 61 on the ink tanks 41-45 when replenishing ink. As a result, it is possible to reduce incorrect connection of the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41-45.

[0123] The first portion provided for each ink tank 41-45 to indicate information related to the ink stored in that ink tank 41-45 and the second portion provided for each ink supply container 63 to indicate information related to the ink contained in that ink supply container 63 may be character information, shape information, etc. in addition to color information. Also, the configuration related to the first portion and second portion may not be necessary.

[0124] If multiple recesses 61 are provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45 side, the protrusion 71 on the ink supply container 63 side may be a single structure. Also, if there are multiple recesses 61, they do not necessarily have to be arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the ink inlet 53.

[0125] The multiple recesses 61 on the ink tanks 41 to 45 may be arranged in a point-symmetrical configuration other than a pair of recesses 61 arranged 180 degrees symmetrically, such as three recesses 61 arranged 120 degrees symmetrically or four recesses 61 arranged 90 degrees symmetrically, as long as they are positioned symmetrically around a point.

[0126] Of the recessed portion 61 and protruding portion 71 that fit together when refilling ink, the protruding portion 71 may be provided on the ink tank 41-45 side as a first fitting portion, and the recessed portion 61 may be provided on the ink refill container 63 side as a second fitting portion.

[0127] The depth direction of the recess 61 on the ink tank 41-45 side does not necessarily have to be vertically downward, but may be a direction that intersects the vertical direction at an angle, as long as it is aligned with the direction of extension of the needle 56 located in the center of the ink inlet 53. However, in order to prevent ink leakage, it is not preferable for the depth direction of the recess 61 to be aligned with the horizontal direction.

[0128] The height of the tip of the first uneven portion 62 on the inner surface of the recess 61 may be equal to or greater than the height of the opening edge of the recess 61 . If a separate identification portion is provided to identify the ink supply container 63 having an ink outlet 65 that can be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to 45, the first uneven portion 62 on the inner surface of the recess 61 and the second uneven portion 72 on the outer surface of the protrusion 71 do not necessarily have to be provided.

[0129] The needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 has two flow channels 54, 55, and both tip openings may be at the same height, or may have a configuration of multiple flow channels other than two. The ink supply container 63 may have the protrusion 71 and the positioning portion 73 formed directly on the ink outlet forming portion 66, rather than on the container attachment portion 67 that is added to the ink outlet forming portion 66. In other words, the container attachment portion 67 may be formed integrally with the ink outlet forming portion 66, rather than being added to the ink outlet forming portion 66.

[0130] The positioning portion 73 in the ink supply container 63 may be configured so that the ink outlet 65 is located outside the ink outlet 65 in one radial direction rather than outside multiple radial directions, as long as the positioning portion 73 is located in an area that is outside the ink outlet 65 in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65.

[0131] The valve of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is not limited to three slits 75, and may be provided with two, four, or other multiple slits 75, as long as it has one or more slits 75. Also, the valve is not limited to a slit valve provided with slits 75, and may be a valve configured without slits 75 that is displaced in the valve opening direction when pushed from below by the needle 56.

[0132] The positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 is not limited to a flat shape, and may be one or more projections or ribs as long as it abuts against the upper surface (receiving surface) 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 during ink supply. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 40...ink supply unit, 41 to 45...ink tank, 46...ink supply tube, 47...ink refill adapter, 48...step portion, 49...ink storage chamber, 50...visible portion, 53...ink inlet, 54, 55...flow path, 56...needle (ink inlet flow path portion), 57...remaining amount sensor, 58...upper surface (receiving surface), 59...lower surface (tank engagement portion), 60...through hole, 61...recess (first fitting portion), 62...first recess Convex portion (identification portion), 63...ink supply container, 64...container main body portion, 65...ink outlet, 66...ink outlet forming portion, 67...container additional portion, 69...male thread portion, 70...protrusion, 71...convex portion (second fitting portion), 72...second uneven portion, 73...positioning portion, 74...valve, 75...slit, 76...ink storage chamber, 113...tank side positioning portion, 119...inlet forming portion, 121...adapter side positioning portion, IK...ink.

Claims

1. An ink supply container for supplying ink to a printer via a needle having a flow path and a pair of recesses disposed on either side of the needle, a container body having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having an ink outlet configured to allow the needle to be inserted on the opposite side to the container body; a cap that is detachably attached to the ink outlet forming portion so as to cover the ink outlet; Equipped with The ink outlet forming portion is a pair of protrusions extending in a central axis direction of the ink outlet and positioned outside the ink outlet in a radial direction from the ink outlet, the protrusions configured to be insertable into the pair of recesses; and the cap is configured to cover the ink outlet and the pair of protrusions; Ink refill container.

2. 2. The ink supply container according to claim 1, At least a portion of the protrusion engages with at least a portion of the recess. Ink refill container.

3. 3. The ink supply container according to claim 1, the ink outlet forming portion has a small diameter portion having the ink outlet, a male screw portion disposed on an outer peripheral surface below the pair of protrusions when the ink outlet is facing upward, and a mounting surface located below the male screw portion and protruding outward in the radial direction from the male screw portion, the cap has a female thread portion disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the cap and capable of threadably engaging with the male thread portion, Furthermore, the cap is configured to cover the ink outlet and the pair of protrusions, and to be screwed onto the male screw portion and to be in contact with the mounting surface. Ink refill container.

4. 4. The ink supply container according to claim 1, the ink outlet forming portion has a small diameter portion having the ink outlet, and at least one annular protrusion along a periphery of the small diameter portion, and with the ink outlet facing upward, the diameter of the annular protrusion at its radial tip is larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion above the annular protrusion and is also larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion below the annular protrusion; Ink refill container.

5. 5. The ink supply container according to claim 1, the ink outlet forming portion is provided with a valve that opens when the needle is inserted into the ink outlet and closes when the needle is removed from the ink outlet, Ink refill container.

6. 6. The ink supply container according to claim 5, The valve is a valve in which one or more slits are provided in an elastic member. Ink refill container.

7. 7. The ink supply container according to claim 1, A groove is formed at the tip of the ink outlet. Ink refill container.

8. 4. The ink supply container according to claim 3, the ink outlet forming portion further includes a positioning portion located between the ink outlet and the male thread portion in the central axis direction, and located in an outer region of the ink outlet in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet when viewed in the central axis direction from the ink outlet side, the positioning unit has a portion configured to come into contact with a part of the printer when ink is being replenished to the printer, the cap is configured to cover the ink outlet, the protrusion, and the positioning portion; Ink refill container.

9. An ink supply container that supplies ink to an ink tank of a printer through a needle that communicates with the inside of the ink tank, a container body having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body and having an ink outlet configured to allow the needle to be inserted on the opposite side to the container body; a cap that is detachably attached to the ink outlet forming portion so as to cover the ink outlet; Equipped with The ink outlet forming portion is a large diameter portion connected to the container body, the large diameter portion having an inner peripheral surface provided with a female thread portion that screws with a male thread portion formed on the container body, and an outer peripheral surface provided with a male thread portion that can screw with a female thread portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cap; a small diameter portion having an outer periphery smaller than an outer periphery of the large diameter portion and including the ink outlet; a positioning portion located between the ink outlet and the male thread portion of the large diameter portion in a direction along the central axis of the ink outlet, and located in an area that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet when viewed from the ink outlet side in the direction along the central axis; Equipped with the ink outlet forming portion has at least one annular protrusion along a periphery of the small diameter portion, and with the ink outlet facing upward, the diameter of the annular protrusion at its radial tip is larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion above the annular protrusion and is also larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion below the annular protrusion; The cap is configured to cover the ink outlet and the positioning portion. Ink refill container.

10. 10. The ink supply container according to claim 9, A groove is formed at the tip of the ink outlet. Ink refill container.

11. 11. The ink supply container according to claim 9 or 10, the ink outlet forming portion is located below the male thread portion of the large diameter portion when the ink outlet is facing upward, and has a mounting surface that protrudes radially outward from the male thread portion of the large diameter portion, The cap is configured to be threadedly engaged with the male thread portion of the large diameter portion and to contact the mounting surface. Ink refill container.

12. 12. The ink supply container according to claim 9, wherein: the ink outlet forming portion is provided with a valve that opens when the needle is inserted into the ink outlet and closes when the needle is removed from the ink outlet, Ink refill container.

13. 13. The ink supply container according to claim 12, The valve is a valve in which one or more slits are provided in an elastic member. Ink refill container.

14. An ink supply container for supplying ink to a printer via a needle, the ink supply container comprising a needle that is fluidly connected to an ink storage chamber of the printer and a pair of recesses that are disposed on either side of the needle, a container body having an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; an ink outlet forming portion connected to the container body; a cap having a female thread portion on its inner circumferential surface; Equipped with The ink outlet forming portion is an ink outlet configured to allow the needle to be inserted and located on the opposite side of the container body; a pair of protrusions that protrude upward in a direction of a central axis of the ink outlet with the ink outlet facing upward, the pair of protrusions facing each other across the ink outlet, and configured to be insertable into the pair of recesses of the printer; a large diameter portion connected to the container body, the large diameter portion having an external thread portion on an outer circumferential surface thereof that can be threadedly engaged with the internal thread portion of the cap; a small diameter portion having an outer periphery smaller than an outer periphery of the large diameter portion and including the ink outlet; a mounting surface located below the male thread portion of the large diameter portion, the mounting surface protruding radially outward from the male thread portion of the large diameter portion; Equipped with the cap is configured to cover the ink outlet and the pair of protrusions, the female thread portion is threadably engaged with the male thread portion of the large diameter portion, and a lower end of the cap is configured to contact the mounting surface, Ink refill container.

15. 15. The ink supply container according to claim 14, the cap has an annular sealing portion protruding from an inner bottom surface of the cap, the cap is configured to be threadedly engaged with the male thread portion of the large diameter portion and to contact the mounting surface, and the sealing portion is configured to contact the small diameter portion. Ink refill container.

16. 16. The ink supply container according to claim 14 or 15, At least a portion of the pair of protrusions engages with at least a portion of the pair of recesses. Ink refill container.

17. 17. The ink supply container according to claim 14, The ink outlet forming portion further has a positioning portion, the positioning portion is located between the ink outlet and the male thread portion of the large diameter portion in a direction of a central axis of the ink outlet, and is located in a region that is outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet as viewed from the ink outlet in the direction of the central axis, the positioning portion has a portion that abuts against a part of the printer when the ink storage chamber is being replenished with ink, the cap is configured to cover the ink outlet and the positioning portion, and the female thread portion is configured to threadably engage with the male thread portion of the large diameter portion; Ink refill container.

18. 18. The ink supply container according to claim 14, the ink outlet forming portion is provided with a valve that opens when the needle is inserted into the ink outlet and closes when the needle is removed from the ink outlet, Ink refill container.

19. 20. The ink supply container of claim 18, The valve is a valve in which one or more slits are provided in an elastic member. Ink refill container.

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