Ink storage bottles and ink refill system

Abstract

To provide a liquid storage bottle capable of pouring out liquid while preventing the liquid stored therein from remaining.SOLUTION: The ink storage bottle 20 has a bottle body 21 and a nozzle 22 for pouring out the liquid stored in the bottle body 21, the nozzle 22 has a first fluid passage 24 and a second fluid passage 25 each of which opening to the outside on a tip end side of the nozzle 22, and an inner peripheral surface of the nozzle 22 has a portion inclined on an inside toward the first fluid passage 24 and the second fluid passage 25, where the first fluid passage 24 has a flow passage sectional area that is larger than a flow passage sectional area of the second fluid passage 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink storage bottle and an ink replenishment system.

Background Art

[0002] Some liquid tanks used in liquid ejection devices that eject liquids such as ink can be replenished with liquid from a separately prepared liquid storage bottle. In such a liquid storage bottle for liquid replenishment, it is required to prevent the replenished liquid from leaking out unexpectedly and soiling the user's hands and the surroundings. Patent Document 1 describes a liquid storage bottle having a bottle body and a bottle cap rotatably attached to the bottle body. The bottle cap is rotatable between a sealing state in which the opening of the bottle body is sealed to block the pouring of liquid from the bottle body and an open state in which the opening of the bottle body is opened to allow the pouring of liquid from the bottle body. Thus, in the liquid storage bottle described in Patent Document 1, by setting it to the open state only when replenishing the liquid tank with liquid and to the sealed state otherwise, it is possible to suppress the unexpected leakage of liquid to the outside.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the liquid storage bottle described in Patent Document 1, even when trying to pour out all the liquid content, there may be cases where liquid remains inside due to the structure. Therefore, when removing the liquid storage bottle from the liquid tank after liquid replenishment, the liquid remaining inside may drip from the bottle and adhere to the user's hands and the surroundings, soiling them. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an ink storage bottle and an ink refilling system that can dispense liquid while suppressing the retention of liquid contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides an ink storage bottle for storing ink to be replenished in an ink tank, comprising a bottle body and a nozzle for dispensing the ink stored in the bottle body, wherein the nozzle has a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage that open to the outside at the tip of the nozzle, the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle has a portion that slopes inward toward the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the first fluid passage is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the second fluid passage. Furthermore, the ink refilling system of the present invention comprises an ink tank and an ink storage bottle that contains the ink to be refilled into the ink tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to dispense liquid while suppressing the residue of the contents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view showing the main parts of the liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the process of replenishing liquid into the liquid dispensing device. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of a liquid-containing bottle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] These are a cross-sectional view and a plan view of a liquid-containing bottle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid replenishment operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]This is a plan view showing a modified example of the passageway according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] These are a cross-sectional view and a plan view of a liquid-containing bottle according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid replenishment operation according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a plan view showing a modified example of the nozzle according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the liquid storage bottle and liquid refill system of the present invention will be described using as an example the case in which they are used to refill a liquid dispensing device with ink, but the use of the liquid storage bottle and liquid refill system is not limited thereto.

[0009] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid dispensing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic side view showing the main parts of the liquid dispensing device of this embodiment. The liquid dispensing device 200 includes a supply unit 1, a transport unit 2, a dispensing unit 3, a liquid supply unit 4, and a display unit 5. The feeding unit 1 has a feeding roller 10 that separates recording media one by one from a bundle of sheet-shaped recording media contained in a tray and supplies them to the transport unit 2. The transport unit 2 has a transport roller 11 and a paper discharge roller 12 that transport the recording media supplied from the feeding unit 1. Between the transport roller 11 and the paper discharge roller 12, a platen 13 is positioned to support the transported recording media from below. The discharge unit 3 is located above the platen 13 and has a carriage 14 that reciprocates in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording media, and a liquid discharge head 15 mounted on the carriage 14 that discharges liquid such as ink. The discharge unit 3 can record an image on the recording media supported by the platen 13 by having the liquid discharge head 15 discharge liquid based on image information.

[0010] The liquid supply unit 4 includes a liquid tank 16 and a flexible supply tube 17 that connects the liquid tank 16 and the liquid discharge head 15 via a liquid flow path 101. The liquid tank 16 has a tank body 160 with a storage chamber 100 for containing liquid and an inlet 106 for injecting liquid into the storage chamber 100, and a tank cap 105 that can be attached to the tank body 160 to seal the storage chamber 100. The liquid contained in the storage chamber 100 is supplied to the liquid discharge head 15 via the supply tube 17 from the liquid flow path 101 in proportion to the amount of liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head 15. At this time, the same amount of air as the liquid supplied to the liquid discharge head 15 flows into the storage chamber 100 in the liquid tank 16 through an air communication port 102 provided on the upper surface of the tank body 160. In this embodiment, four colors of ink (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) are used as the liquid, and a liquid tank 16 and a supply tube 17 are provided for each ink color. Furthermore, the colors of the liquids used are not limited to four; there may be one color or two or more colors. Also, in this embodiment, the liquid tank 16 is housed inside the main body of the liquid dispensing device 200, but the location of the liquid tank 16 is not limited to this, as long as it can supply liquid to the liquid dispensing head 15, and it may be located outside the main body of the liquid dispensing device 200. The display unit 5 displays information necessary to operate the liquid dispensing device 200 (such as operating status, operation items, and menus), and also displays a message prompting the user to replenish the liquid in the liquid tank 16.

[0011] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the process of refilling the liquid dispenser shown in Figure 1. The user tilts forward the cover 7 located on the front of the liquid dispensing device 200 to open it, removes the tank cap 105 attached to the liquid tank 16 to be refilled, and exposes the inlet 106. Then, using the liquid storage bottle 20 containing the liquid to be refilled, the user refills the liquid tank 16 through the exposed inlet 106.

[0012] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the liquid storage bottle of this embodiment. Figure 5(a) is an exploded cross-sectional view of the liquid storage bottle of this embodiment, and Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of the liquid storage bottle of this embodiment; both show a cross-section including the central axis of the bottle. Figure 5(c) is a plan view of the inside of the nozzle constituting the liquid storage bottle of this embodiment, viewed from the base end side. The liquid storage bottle 20 is a cylindrical container for refilling the liquid tank 16 with liquid, and together with the liquid tank 16, constitutes the liquid refilling system of this embodiment. The liquid storage bottle 20 has a bottle body 21 for storing liquid, a nozzle 22 for dispensing the liquid stored in the bottle body 21, and a cap 23 that can be attached to the nozzle 22 to seal the tip of the nozzle 22. The upper part of the bottle body 21 is provided with a bottle threaded portion 21a with male threads formed on its outer circumference, and the lower part of the nozzle 22 is provided with a protruding cylindrical nozzle threaded portion 22a with female threads formed on its inner circumference. The nozzle 22 is fixed to the bottle body 21 by screwing the female threads of the nozzle threaded portion 22a and the male threads of the bottle threaded portion 21a together. The bottom surface of the cap 23 (the surface facing the tip of the nozzle 22) is provided with an annular rib 23a that covers the tip of the nozzle 22 when the cap 23 is attached to the nozzle 22.

[0013] Inside the nozzle 22, two parallel fluid passages 24 and 25, and a connecting passage 26 are formed. The two fluid passages 24 and 25 each open to the outside at the tip of the nozzle 22 and are formed symmetrically with respect to the central axis (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "central axis") C of the liquid-containing bottle 20, i.e., the nozzle 22 (and bottle body 21), as shown in Figure 5(c). However, if the two fluid passages 24 and 25 are formed at positions opposite each other with respect to the central axis C, the distance between them in the vertical direction can be increased as much as possible in the optimal liquid replenishment posture described later, which is preferable in that it promotes the gas-liquid exchange action. Therefore, the formation positions of the fluid passages 24 and 25 do not necessarily have to be symmetrical with respect to the central axis C, as long as they are at positions opposite each other with respect to the central axis C. Figures 5(a) and 5(b) show cross-sections including the respective central axes of the two fluid passages 24 and 25. The communication passage 26 opens inside the bottle body 21 at the proximal end side of the nozzle 22 and has an inner peripheral surface that inclines inwardly toward the two fluid passages 24 and 25. More specifically, it has an inner peripheral surface that is continuously connected to the inner peripheral surfaces of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 without a step. In other words, the inner peripheral surface of the communication passage 26 is shaped like two frustum cones joined together into one, and has a shape that smoothly connects to the inner peripheral surfaces of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 at the apex portions of the respective frustum cones. Here, the "incline" means that it is at a predetermined inclination angle θ1 (0° < θ1 < 180°) with respect to the central axis C, and in a cross-section including the central axis C, it includes not only the case of linearly inclining but also the case of curvilinearly inclining. Also, in the following description, when referring to the "inclination angle", unless otherwise specified, it indicates the inclination angle with respect to the central axis C.

[0014] At the upper part of the bottle body 21, a contact wall 27 that protrudes annularly from the inner peripheral surface and contacts the nozzle 22 when the nozzle 22 is fixed to the bottle body 21 is formed. The contact wall 27 inclines inwardly upward and has a frustum-shaped inner peripheral surface that is continuously connected to the inner peripheral surface of the communication passage 26 without a step. The inclination angle θ2 of the inner peripheral surface at this time can be arbitrarily set so as to avoid a sudden taper from the inside of the bottle body 21 to the communication passage 26 of the nozzle 22. Also, the inner peripheral surface of the contact wall 27 is not limited to the form of linearly inclining in a cross-section including the central axis C, and may incline curvilinearly, similar to the inner peripheral surface of the communication passage 26.

[0015] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid replenishment operation by the liquid replenishment system of the present embodiment. The tank body 160 of the liquid tank 16 is generally formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an adapter 30 into which the nozzle 22 of the liquid storage bottle 20 can be inserted is formed on an inclined surface 163 formed between its upper surface 161 and side surface 162. The adapter 30 protrudes cylindrically from the peripheral edge of the injection port 106 for injecting liquid into the storage chamber 100 and has an inner peripheral surface that can be fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle 22 of the liquid storage bottle 20. During the liquid replenishment operation, the user holds the liquid storage bottle 20 and inserts the nozzle 22 of the liquid storage bottle 20 into the adapter 30 of the liquid tank 16, thereby securing the liquid storage bottle 20 in the liquid tank 16. At this time, the liquid (not shown) inside the liquid storage bottle 20 flows downward toward the nozzle 22, passes through one of the two fluid passages 24 and 25, and is injected into the storage chamber 100 in the liquid tank 16. Simultaneously, air (gas) inside the storage chamber 100 is sent to the liquid storage bottle 20 through the other of the two fluid passages 24 and 25. Through this gas-liquid exchange, the liquid inside the liquid storage bottle 20 is replenished in the liquid tank 16. After the liquid replenishment is complete, the user removes the liquid storage bottle 20, completing the liquid replenishment operation.

[0016] In this embodiment, as described above, the inner surface of the communication passage 26 within the nozzle 22 is inclined inward toward the two fluid passages 24 and 25. Therefore, when the liquid container bottle 20 is tilted, almost no recess that could serve as a liquid reservoir is formed inside the nozzle 22. In addition, as shown in Figure 6, when the nozzle 22 and the adapter 30 are fitted together and the liquid container bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16, the lowest region of the inner surface of the communication passage 26 is inclined downward toward the two fluid passages 24 and 25. Therefore, even in the liquid replenishment operation described above, almost no recess that could serve as a liquid reservoir is formed inside the nozzle 22. Consequently, when replenishing liquid from the liquid container bottle 20 to the liquid tank 16, almost all of the liquid in the liquid container bottle 20 can be poured out. As a result, when removing the liquid container bottle 20 from the liquid tank 16 after the liquid replenishment operation is completed, it is possible to suppress the dripping of liquid from the liquid container bottle 20 onto the user's hands or surroundings.

[0017] When the liquid-containing bottle 20 is tilted, it is preferable that no recesses that could serve as liquid reservoirs are formed not only inside the nozzle 22 but also between the nozzle 22 and the bottle body 21. To this end, it is preferable that the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the bottle body 21 are continuous without any steps, as described above. In other words, it is preferable that the opening diameter at the base end of the nozzle 22 and the opening diameter of the bottle body 21 are substantially the same. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner circumferential surface of the bottle body 21 consists of a cylindrical inner circumferential surface and a frustoconical inner circumferential surface that are continuous with each other without any steps, as shown in the figure. This also suppresses the formation of recesses in the bottle body 21 that could serve as liquid reservoirs when the liquid-containing bottle 20 is tilted. Furthermore, when the liquid storage bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ3 of the lowest region of the inner circumferential surface of the communication passage 26 with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than the inclination angle θ4 of the inclined surface 163 with respect to the horizontal plane (although this differs from the state shown in Figure 6). This makes it easier for the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 to flow towards the two fluid passages 24 and 25, thereby improving the replenishment of liquid into the liquid tank 16. From this viewpoint, the adapter 30 does not necessarily have to be provided on the inclined surface 163 of the tank body 160, but may, for example, be provided on a surface parallel to the horizontal plane of the tank body 160, i.e., the top surface 161.

[0018] In the liquid replenishment operation described above, the flow path of the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 through one of the two fluid passages 24 or 25 is determined by gravity. That is, the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 is more likely to flow through the fluid passage whose opening on the connecting passage 26 side is located lower when the liquid storage bottle 20 is held in the liquid tank 16. However, in this embodiment, both the outer surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner surface of the adapter 30 are cylindrical, and therefore, even when they are fitted together, the nozzle 22 can rotate relative to the adapter 30. For example, when the nozzle 22 is positioned so that the two fluid passages 24 or 25 face each other horizontally, the gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid storage bottle 20 is reduced, which may hinder smooth liquid replenishment. Therefore, it is preferable to insert the nozzle 22 into the adapter 30 and then rotate it relative to the adapter 30 to position the nozzle 22 in the optimal liquid replenishment position where the two fluid passages 24 and 25 face each other vertically across the central axis C. This ensures more reliable gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid storage bottle 20, resulting in smooth liquid replenishment. To facilitate this positioning, user-visible positioning marks may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30. Although Figure 6 shows the first fluid passage 24 positioned below the second fluid passage 25, the reverse is also possible, i.e., the second fluid passage 25 may be positioned below the first fluid passage 24.

[0019] Figures 7(a) to 7(c) are plan views of the inside of the nozzle as seen from the base end, showing modified examples of the communication passage of this embodiment, and correspond to Figure 5(c). In the embodiment described above, the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 is continuous with the inner surfaces of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 without any steps. However, the shape of the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 is not limited to this, as long as it is inclined inward toward the two fluid passages 24 and 25. For example, as shown in Figure 7(a), the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 may be a frustoconical shape in which the inner diameter decreases toward the two fluid passages 24 and 25. Furthermore, the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 may be a frustoconical shape in which the upper and lower bases are not similar in shape. For example, as shown in Figure 7(b), the upper base 26a may be elliptical and the lower base circular, or as shown in Figure 7(c), the upper base 26a may be oblong and the lower base circular. However, in the modified example shown in Figure 7, the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 is continuous with the inner surfaces of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 via steps (stepped surfaces) 26a. Therefore, for example, if the two fluid passages 24 and 25 are positioned to face each other horizontally, a small recess that can serve as a liquid reservoir will be formed between them and the connecting passage 26. Consequently, regardless of the orientation of the liquid-containing bottle 20, it is preferable that the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 has a shape resembling two oblique cones joined together, as described above, in that almost no recess that can serve as a liquid reservoir is formed inside the nozzle 22.

[0020] (Second embodiment) Figure 8(a) is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of a liquid storage bottle according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 8(b) is a plan view of the inside of the nozzle of this embodiment as seen from the base end side, corresponding to Figures 5(b) and 5(c), respectively. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the liquid replenishment operation by the liquid replenishment system of this embodiment. Hereinafter, components similar to those of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and their descriptions will be omitted, and only components different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0021] The liquid-containing bottle 20 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of its two fluid passages 24 and 25. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional areas of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 are the same, but in this embodiment, the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the first fluid passage 24 is larger than the flow path cross-sectional area of ​​the second fluid passage 25. Also, in the first embodiment, the distance from the central axis C of the nozzle 22 to the central axes of the two fluid passages 24 and 25 is the same, but in this embodiment, the distance d2 to the central axis of the second fluid passage 25 is larger than the distance d1 to the central axis of the first fluid passage 24. Accordingly, in this embodiment, when refilling the liquid, the first fluid passage 24, which has a large cross-sectional area, is selected as the flow path through which the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 flows. That is, the nozzle 22 is fitted to the adapter 30 only at a specific circumferential position such that the two fluid passages 24 and 25 face each other in the vertical direction, and the first fluid passage 24 is located below the second fluid passage 25. As a method for restricting the circumferential position of the nozzle 22, for example, an engaging portion (e.g., a convex portion) is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22, and an engaging portion (e.g., a concave portion) that can engage with it is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30.

[0022] Thus, in the liquid replenishment operation of this embodiment, the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 is more easily discharged through the first fluid passage 24, which has a larger flow path cross-sectional area, and air is more easily drawn into the liquid storage bottle 20 through the second fluid passage 25, which is located higher up. As a result, the gas-liquid exchange between the liquid tank 16 and the liquid storage bottle 20 is further promoted, and the liquid can be replenished into the liquid tank 16 more efficiently. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nozzle 22 is designed to fit into the adapter 30 only in the optimal liquid replenishment position, so there is no need to rotate the nozzle 22 after inserting it into the adapter 30 in order to adjust the circumferential position of the nozzle 22 relative to the adapter 30. Therefore, the user can perform the liquid replenishment operation without touching the liquid storage bottle 20, thereby reducing the risk of the user's hands or surroundings getting dirty with liquid. In the cross-section shown in Figure 8(a), the inclination angle θ5 of the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 in the region continuous with the inner surface of the first fluid passage 24 and the inclination angle θ6 in the region continuous with the inner surface of the second fluid passage 25 may be the same. However, by making the former smaller than the latter, the liquid in the liquid storage bottle 20 can be made to flow more easily from the connecting passage 26 towards the first fluid passage 24 in the optimal liquid replenishment position described above, thereby improving the replenishment of liquid to the liquid tank 16. In this respect, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ5 of the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 in the region continuous with the inner surface of the first fluid passage 24 is smaller than the inclination angle θ6 in the region continuous with the inner surface of the second fluid passage 25. In other words, in a cross-section containing the central axes of each of the two fluid passages 24 and 25, it is preferable that the angle between the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 and the inner surface of the first fluid passage 24 is smaller than the angle between the inner surface of the connecting passage 26 and the inner surface of the first fluid passage 24.

[0023] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) are plan views showing modified examples of the nozzle of this embodiment, respectively, and are views of the nozzle as seen from the tip side. To regulate the circumferential position of the nozzle 22 relative to the adapter 30, the outer surface of the nozzle 22 may be elliptical, as shown in Figure 10(a), and accordingly, the inner surface of the adapter 30 may also be elliptical. In this case, the two fluid passages 24 and 25 are formed in the nozzle 22 such that the plane containing their respective central axes is parallel to the major axis of the ellipse, and the adapter 30 is provided on the inclined surface 163 such that the plane containing its central axis and the major axis of the ellipse is parallel to the vertical direction. However, in such a configuration, there is a possibility that the nozzle 22 may be fitted into the adapter 30 in an inverted state relative to the optimal liquid replenishment position in which the first fluid passage 24 is located below the second fluid passage 25. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10(b), it is preferable that an engaging portion 28 consisting of a recess is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle 22, and accordingly, an engaging portion consisting of a convex portion that can engage with this engaging portion 28 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the adapter 30. This allows the nozzle 22 to be fitted into the adapter 30 in the correct upright position. Alternatively, positioning marks may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle 22 and the inner circumferential surface of the adapter 30, respectively, so that the user can visually confirm the optimal liquid replenishment position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 20 liquid storage bottles 21 Bottle body 22 nozzles 24,25 Fluid passage 26 Communication path

Claims

1. An ink storage bottle that contains ink to be refilled in an ink tank, The bottle body and The bottle body has a nozzle for dispensing the ink contained within it, The nozzle portion has a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage that open to the outside at the tip of the nozzle portion, The inner circumferential surface of the nozzle portion has a portion that is inclined inward toward the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage. An ink container bottle in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the first fluid passage is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second fluid passage.

2. The ink container bottle according to claim 1, wherein the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage are arranged at positions asymmetrical with respect to the central axis of the nozzle portion.

3. The ink container bottle according to claim 2, wherein the distance from the central axis of the nozzle portion to the central axis of the second fluid passage is greater than the distance from the central axis of the nozzle portion to the central axis of the first fluid passage.

4. An ink refilling system comprising an ink tank and an ink storage bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which contains ink to be refilled into the ink tank.

5. The aforementioned ink tank The tank body and The tank body has an adapter provided on an inclined surface connecting the top and side surfaces, and having an inner surface that can be fitted onto the outer surface of the nozzle portion, The ink refilling system according to claim 4, wherein the outer circumferential surface of the nozzle portion has a shape that restricts the circumferential position of the nozzle portion with respect to the adapter when the nozzle portion and the adapter are fitted together.

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