Ink bottle and system

Abstract

Provided is an ink bottle in which a seal member does not readily become misaligned when the ink bottle is connected to an ink tank.　An ink bottle 80 comprises: cylindrical bodies 81, 82 having an ink storage chamber 147 for storing ink, and an opening 97A for communicating the ink storage chamber 147 with the outside; a rubber seal member 83 that is positioned in the opening 97A and has two holes 95, 96A communicating the ink storage chamber 147 with the outside; and a valve 161 for closing the two holes 95, 96A. The two holes 95, 96A are arranged adjacent to each other. The seal member 83 has a first nozzle 96 that communicates with one hole 96A among the two holes 95, 96A and extends from the one hole 96A in one direction from the ink storage chamber 147 toward the outside.

Description

Ink Bottles and Systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ink bottle and a system including the ink bottle and an ink tank.

[0002] There is a liquid bottle that stores ink. This bottle has a bottle body with a supply port at the tip, a rubber seal that fits tightly against the inner periphery that defines the supply port, and a valve that abuts against the seal. In this bottle, the cylindrical part of the ink tank is inserted into the bottle body through the supply port of the liquid bottle. As a result, the valve is pressed by the cylindrical part of the ink tank, moving from the closed position to the open position. As a result, ink in the bottle body flows into the ink chamber of the ink tank through the cylindrical part.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-32681

[0004] This liquid bottle has a problem in that when the cylindrical part of the ink tank is inserted into the bottle body through the supply port, the seal comes into contact with the cylindrical part, which can easily cause the seal to shift from the outside toward the inside of the bottle body.If the seal shifts, the liquid inside the bottle body is more likely to leak out.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an ink bottle and a system in which a sealing member is less likely to become displaced when the ink bottle is connected to an ink tank.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to an ink bottle. The ink bottle includes a cylindrical body having an ink storage chamber for storing ink and an opening communicating the ink storage chamber with the outside; a rubber seal member located at the opening and having two holes communicating the ink storage chamber with the outside; and a valve for closing the two holes. The two holes are adjacent to each other. The seal member communicates with one of the two holes and has a first nozzle extending from the one hole in one direction from the ink storage chamber to the outside.

[0007] Because the sealing member has two holes, when the second nozzle of the ink tank is inserted into the other hole, there is a possibility that the second nozzle will come into contact with the center of the sealing member. This causes a problem in that the sealing member is more likely to shift in the other direction, from the outside toward the ink storage chamber. However, in the present disclosure, the first nozzle extending in one direction, from the ink storage chamber toward the outside, is located adjacent to the other hole, so when the second nozzle is inserted into the other hole, the second nozzle is less likely to come into contact with the center of the sealing member. This prevents the sealing member from shifting in the other direction, from the outside toward the ink storage chamber.

[0008] The sealing member may have an annular sealing portion surrounding the two holes and extending in the other direction opposite to the one direction. The sealing portion may have an oval shape that is long in the direction in which the two holes are aligned and may be in liquid-tight contact with the valve around its entire periphery.

[0009] The ink in the ink storage chamber is prevented from leaking to the outside through the two holes.

[0010] The first nozzle may have a polygonal outer shape.

[0011] Since the orientation in which the first nozzle of the ink bottle can be inserted into the ink tank's inlet is determined, it is easy to insert the second nozzle of the ink tank into the other hole.

[0012] The inner surface of the first nozzle may be circular.

[0013] Compared to when the inner surface of the first nozzle is square, the liquid in the storage chamber is less likely to leak to the outside through the first nozzle. The thickness of the corners of the first nozzle is increased, improving the strength of the first nozzle.

[0014] The main body may have a wall located at an end of the main body in the one direction and defining the opening, and a rib protruding from the wall in the other direction opposite the one direction. The sealing member may have a substrate in which the two holes are located and abutting the end of the rib in the other direction. The substrate may have a groove recessed from an outer surface of the substrate in the other direction. The rib may be fitted into the groove.

[0015] Since the rib is fitted into the groove, the seal member is further prevented from shifting in one direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber.

[0016] The substrate may have an oval shape that is long in a direction in which the two holes are aligned. The groove may extend in the direction in which the two holes are aligned and include a first linear groove and a second linear groove that face each other so as to sandwich the two holes. The first linear groove and the second linear groove may receive outward forces from the rib in facing directions.

[0017] Since the first straight groove and the second straight groove receive outward forces from the rib in opposing directions, the sealing member is pulled outward, so that when the second nozzle of the ink tank is inserted into the other hole, even if the inner surface of the other hole comes into contact with the outer surface of the second nozzle of the ink tank, the sealing member is unlikely to shift in the other direction.

[0018] The ink bottle may be provided with a cylindrical support member located on the other side of the substrate and fixed to the ink storage chamber, and an end of the support member on the one side may abut against the substrate.

[0019] The support member prevents the seal member from shifting in a direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber.

[0020] The present disclosure relates to a system including the ink bottle and an ink tank for storing ink supplied from the ink bottle, the ink tank having a second nozzle connectable to the other of the two holes of the ink bottle and extending from the outer surface of the ink tank to communicate between the inside and the outside of the ink tank, and an inlet connectable to the first nozzle and communicating between the inside and the outside of the ink tank.

[0021] Since the first nozzle, which extends in one direction from the ink storage chamber to the outside, is located adjacent to the other hole, when the second nozzle of the ink tank is connected to the other hole, the second nozzle is less likely to come into contact with the center of the seal member, which prevents the seal member from shifting in the direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber.

[0022] The tip of the second nozzle may be bifurcated.

[0023] When the second nozzle of the ink tank is connected to the other hole of the ink bottle, the inner surface of the other hole is less likely to come into contact with the outer surface of the second nozzle, thereby further preventing the sealing member from shifting in the other direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber.

[0024] The main body may include a cylindrical hole surrounding the injection port and the second nozzle. The one end of the main body may be insertable into an internal space of the hole. The outer peripheral surface of the one end of the main body may have a curved surface that bulges outward in a direction in which the two holes are aligned, and a flat surface located at a position that sandwiches the two holes between the curved surface and the outer peripheral surface, and may have a shape that fits the inner peripheral surface of the hole.

[0025] Since the user can easily grasp the orientation in which one end of the main body can be inserted into the internal space of the hole, the first nozzle of the ink bottle can be easily inserted into the ink tank's inlet, and the second nozzle of the ink tank can be easily inserted into the other hole of the ink bottle.

[0026] According to the present disclosure, when connecting the ink bottle to the ink tank, the seal member is less likely to become misaligned.

[0027] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the multifunction device 10. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the internal structure of the printer unit 11. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the carriage 23 and ink tanks 100. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink tank set 51. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink tank 100. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink tank set 51. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink bottle 80. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the outer shape of the protrusion 94. FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rubber 83. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rubber 83. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the support member 84. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the support member 84. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve 161. FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the closed position. FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the open position. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the ink bottle 80 connected to the ink tank set 51.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. In the following description, a direction from the starting point to the end point of a single arrow is referred to as a direction, and both directions of a double-headed arrow are referred to as directions. In other words, a direction is one component of a direction. Upward and downward are each one component of the vertical direction and are opposite to each other. Leftward and rightward are each one component of the horizontal direction and are opposite to each other. Forward and backward are each one component of the front-to-back direction and are opposite to each other. In this embodiment, the vertical direction corresponds to the direction of gravity, and the front-to-back and left-to-right directions correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the up-down direction is defined based on the state or posture of the multifunction device 10 installed in a usable state, the front-rear direction is defined with the side of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided as the front side, and the left-right direction is defined when looking at the multifunction device 10 from the front side. The state in Figure 1 is sometimes referred to as the "usage state." The posture in Figure 1 is sometimes referred to as the "usage posture." The front side of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided is the front side.

[0030] [Overall Configuration of Multifunction Device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped casing 8. The multifunction device 10 has a scanner unit 9 and a printer unit 11 in the internal space of the casing 8. The scanner unit 9 is located at the top of the internal space of the casing 8. The scanner unit 9 has a scanning function. The printer unit 11 is located below the scanner unit 9 in the internal space of the casing 8. The printer unit 11 has a printing function. The printer unit 11 records images on paper 12 shown in FIG. 2 using an inkjet recording method. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer unit 11 includes a feed unit 15, a feed tray 20, a discharge tray 21, a transport path 65, a transport roller unit 54, a recording unit 24, a discharge roller unit 55, a platen 42, and an ink tank set 51.

[0031] [Feed Tray 20, Discharge Tray 21] As shown in Fig. 1, an opening 13 is located on the front surface of the multifunction device 10, in the center in the left-right direction. The feed tray 20 moves in the front-rear direction through the opening 13 by user operation. As shown in Fig. 2, the feed tray 20 supports a plurality of stacked sheets of paper 12. The discharge tray 21 is located above the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 moves in the front-rear direction together with the feed tray 20. The discharge tray 21 supports the sheets of paper 12 to be discharged by the discharge roller unit 55.

[0032] [Feed Unit 15] The feed unit 15 feeds the paper 12 supported on the feed tray 20 to the transport path 65. As shown in FIG. 2 , the feed unit 15 includes a feed roller 25, a feed arm 26, and a shaft 27. The feed roller 25 is rotatably supported at the tip of the feed arm 26. The feed roller 25 receives drive from a transport motor (not shown) and rotates in a direction that transports the paper 12 in the transport direction 16. Hereinafter, the rotation of the feed roller 25, transport roller 60, and discharge roller 62 in a direction that transports the paper 12 in the transport direction 16 will be referred to as "forward rotation." The feed arm 26 is rotatably supported on the shaft 27, which is supported on the frame of the printer unit 11. The feed arm 26 is biased to rotate toward the feed tray 20 by its own weight or the elastic force of a spring or the like.

[0033] [Transport Path 65] As shown in FIG. 2 , the transport path 65 refers to a space defined by, for example, an outer guide member 18 and an inner guide member 19 that face each other at a predetermined distance. The transport path 65 extends from the rear end of the feed tray 20 to the rear of the printer unit 11. The transport path 65 extends from below to above behind the printer unit 11, makes a U-turn, and reaches the discharge tray 21 through the space between the recording unit 24 and the platen 42. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the transport path 65 between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 is located approximately in the center of the multifunction device 10 in the left-right direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The transport direction 16 of the paper 12 in the transport path 65 is indicated by a dashed arrow in FIG. 2 .

[0034] [Transport roller unit 54] As shown in Figure 2, the transport roller unit 54 is located upstream of the recording unit 24 in the transport direction 16. The transport roller unit 54 has a transport roller 60 and a pinch roller 61. The transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 face each other in the vertical direction. The transport roller 60 rotates when the drive of the transport motor is transmitted to it. The pinch roller 61 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 60. When the transport roller 60 rotates forward due to the forward rotation of the transport motor, the paper 12 is sandwiched between the transport roller 60 and the pinch roller 61 and transported in the transport direction 16.

[0035] [Discharge Roller Unit 55] As shown in Figure 2, the discharge roller unit 55 is located downstream of the recording unit 24 in the conveying direction 16. The discharge roller unit 55 has a discharge roller 62 and a spur 63. The discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 face each other in the vertical direction. The discharge roller 62 is rotated by the drive force transmitted from the conveying motor. The spur 63 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the discharge roller 62. When the discharge roller 62 rotates forward due to the forward rotation of the conveying motor, the paper 12 is sandwiched between the discharge roller 62 and the spur 63 and conveyed in the conveying direction 16.

[0036] 2, the recording unit 24 is located between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The recording unit 24 faces the platen 42 in the vertical direction, with the transport path 65 in between. The recording unit 24 is located above the transport path 65 in the vertical direction. The recording unit 24 includes a carriage 23 and a recording head 39.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3 , the carriage 23 is supported by guide rails 43 and 44. The guide rails 43 and 44 are supported by the frame of the printer unit 11. The guide rails 43 and 44 are spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction and extend in the left-to-right direction. The carriage 23 is connected to a known belt mechanism provided on the guide rail 44. The belt mechanism rotates when drive is transmitted from a carriage motor (not shown). When the belt mechanism rotates, the carriage 23 moves left-to-right. The range of movement of the carriage 23 is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 3 . The carriage 23 moves to the right and left of the transport path 65 in the left-to-right direction.

[0038] The ink tank 100 and the recording head 39 are connected by an ink tube 32. A control board on which a control unit (not shown) is mounted and the recording head 39 are electrically connected by a flexible flat cable 33. The ink tube 32 and the flexible flat cable 33 each extend from the carriage 23. The ink tube 32 supplies ink stored in the ink tank 100 to the recording head 39. The flexible flat cable 33 transmits a control signal output from the control unit to the recording head 39.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the carriage 23 carries a recording head 39. A plurality of nozzles 40 are located on the underside of the recording head 39. The recording head 39 ejects ink as tiny ink droplets from the nozzles 40. As the carriage 23 moves, the recording head 39 ejects ink droplets toward the paper 12 supported by a platen 42. This causes an image to be recorded on the paper 12.

[0040] 2 and 3, the platen 42 is located between the transport roller unit 54 and the discharge roller unit 55 in the transport direction 16. The platen 42 faces the recording unit 24 in the up-down direction. The platen 42 supports the paper 12 transported by the transport roller unit 54 from below.

[0041] [Ink Tank Set 51] As shown in Figure 4, the ink tank set 51 has the ink tanks 100, tank covers 110, and tank caps 127. Note that the tank caps 127 are omitted from Figure 4. As shown in Figure 1, the ink tank set 51 is located inside the multifunction device 10. The ink tank set 51 is fixed to the multifunction device 10 so that the user cannot easily remove it from the multifunction device 10. An opening is located on the front surface of the casing 8 of the multifunction device 10, at the right end in the left-right direction. The ink tank set 51 is located behind the opening of the casing 8.

[0042] A cover 70 is provided on the casing 8 so as to be positioned in front of the opening of the casing 8. The cover 70 is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction at the bottom end in the up-down direction. The cover 70 is rotatable from a covering position shown in FIG. 1 in which it covers the opening of the casing 8, to an exposing position in which it exposes the opening of the casing 8 to the outside of the multifunction device 10. In other words, the cover 70 is rotatable from the covering position shown in FIG. 1 in which it covers the ink tank set 51, to an exposing position in which it exposes the ink tank set 51 to the outside of the multifunction device 10. The cover 70 has an opening. Even when the cover 70 is positioned in the covering position, a portion of the ink tank set 51 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 through the opening in the cover 70. Incidentally, when we say that a portion of the ink tank set 51 is exposed to the outside of the multifunction device 10 through the opening in the cover 70, we mean that a user can at least see a portion of the ink tank set 51 from outside the multifunction device 10 through the opening in the cover 70, and we do not mean that a portion of the ink tank set 51 is in a state where it protrudes outside the multifunction device 10 through the opening in the cover 70.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6, the ink tank 100 has four ink chambers 111 inside. Each ink chamber 111 stores one of the different color inks: black, yellow, cyan, or magenta. Note that Figure 6 shows only one ink chamber 111.

[0044] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the ink tank 100 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The ink tank 100 has a front wall 101, a right wall 102, a left wall 103, an upper wall 104, a lower wall 105, and a rear wall 106. The front wall 101, the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the rear wall 106 define an ink chamber 111 in which ink is stored. The ink tank 100 is integrally molded, for example, by injection molding a resin material. Of the outer walls of the ink tank 100, for example, the lower wall 105 may be a separate molded part. The front wall 101, the right wall 102, the left wall 103, the upper wall 104, the lower wall 105, and the rear wall 106 are translucent to such an extent that the ink level inside the ink tank 100 can be seen from outside the ink tank 100.

[0045] The upper surface of the top wall 104 is composed of multiple surfaces extending in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The top wall 104 has an air vent port 112 that connects the ink chamber 111 to the outside. The air vent port 112 penetrates the top wall 104 in the up-down direction. The top surface of the top wall 104 has an inclined surface 104A. The inclined surface 104A is located at the front end of the top surface of the top wall 104. The inclined surface 104A is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction so that it extends downward as it extends forward. The inclined surface 104A is located across from the left end to the right end of the ink tank 100.

[0046] An outflow pipe 124 is located on the upper wall 104. The outflow pipe 124 is a circular pipe that extends downward from the upper wall 104 toward the ink chamber 111. The lower end of the outflow pipe 124 is located near the lower wall 105. The opening at the upper end of the outflow pipe 124 is located on the upper wall 104. The ink tube 32 is connected to the upper end of the outflow pipe 124. Ink in the ink chamber 111 flows to the recording head 39 through the outflow pipe 124 and the ink tube 32. When ink is consumed in the ink chamber 111 by ejecting ink from the recording head 39, air flows into the ink chamber 111 through the atmosphere communication port 112.

[0047] A cylindrical annular wall 122 that covers the tank pipe 115 and the communication port 119 is located at the front end of the upper wall 104. The annular wall 122 extends obliquely upward and forward from the front end of the upper wall 104 in an extension direction that intersects the direction of gravity and the horizontal direction and is parallel to the tank pipe 115. The tank pipe 115 protrudes upward beyond the tip of the annular wall 122.

[0048] The tank pipe 115 is located inside the annular wall 122. The tank pipe 115 is a circular pipe that extends obliquely upward and forward from the upper wall 104 along an extension direction that intersects the direction of gravity and the horizontal direction. The upper end of the tank pipe 115 opens to the outside of the ink chamber 111. The lower end of the tank pipe 115 opens to the inside of the ink chamber 111. The internal space of the tank pipe 115 connects the outside and inside of the ink chamber 111. The tank pipe 115 is located rearward of the center of the annular wall 122. In other words, the axis passing through the center of the tank pipe 115 is located rearward of the axis passing through the center of the annular wall 122 when viewed from the extension direction of the tank pipe 115. The tip of the tank pipe 115 is bifurcated in the left and right directions. The tip of the tank pipe 115 is bifurcated in the left and right directions, so that gaps are located above and below the tip of the tank pipe 115. The tank pipe 115 is an example of a second nozzle.

[0049] A communication port 119 is located inside the annular wall 122 on the inclined surface 104A. The communication port 119 penetrates the upper wall 104 in the up-down direction. The communication port 119 has a circular shape at the front and a rectangular shape at the rear. In other words, the communication port 119 has a rectangular shape with one front side bulging in an arc shape. The communication port 119 connects the outside and the inside of the ink chamber 111. The communication port 119 is located in front of the tank pipe 115. The communication port 119 is located below the tank pipe 115. In other words, a straight line extending in the extension direction through the center of the communication port 119 when viewed from the extension direction of the tank pipe 115 is located forward of an axis passing through the center of the tank pipe 115 when viewed from the extension direction of the tank pipe 115. The communication port 119 is located forward of the center of the annular wall 122. In other words, a line extending in the extension direction through the center of the communication port 119 when viewed from the extension direction of the annular wall 122 is located forward of an axis passing through the center of the annular wall 122 when viewed from the extension direction of the annular wall 122. The communication port 119 is an example of an injection port.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4 , the tank cover 110 holds the ink tank 100 while covering the front side of the ink tank 100 from the front. The tank cover 110 has a front wall 201, an upper wall 202, a right wall 203, a left wall 204, a lower wall 205, and an inclined wall 206. The front wall 201 covers the front of the ink tank 100. The front wall 201 has an opening 207. A portion of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the front of the tank cover 110 through the opening 207. Note that "a portion of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the front of the tank cover 110 through the opening 207" means that a user can at least see a portion of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 from the front of the tank cover 110 through the opening 207, but does not mean that a portion of the front wall 101 of the ink tank 100 protrudes to the front of the tank cover 110 through the opening 207.

[0051] The top wall 202 covers a portion of the front side of the top wall 104 of the ink tank 100. The right wall 203 covers a portion of the right wall 102 of the ink tank 100. The left wall 204 covers a portion of the left wall 103 of the ink tank 100. The bottom wall 205 covers the bottom wall 105 of the ink tank 100.

[0052] The inclined wall 206 is connected to the upper end of the front wall 201 and to the front end of the top wall 202. The inclined wall 206 is located above the annular wall 122 of the ink tank 100. The inclined wall 206 is located in front of the annular wall 122 of the ink tank 100. In other words, the inclined wall 206 is located relative to the annular wall 122 so that the annular wall 122 extends in the direction in which it extends from the front end of the top wall 104. The outer surface of the inclined wall 206 intersects with the direction of gravity and the horizontal direction. The outer surface of the inclined wall 206 is inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction so as to extend downward as it extends forward. The inclined wall 206 covers a portion of the inclined surface 104A of the top wall 104 of the ink tank 100.

[0053] The inclined wall 206 has four through holes 72 spaced apart in the left-right direction. Each through hole 72 penetrates the inclined wall 206 in the up-down direction. The inner circumferential surface of each through hole 72 is cylindrical and extends in a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the inclined wall 206, i.e., diagonally upward toward the front. That is, each through hole 72 is cylindrical. Note that the term "cylindrical" here refers to a shape in which the inner circumferential surface forms a closed space. The shape of the opening formed by the inner circumferential surface is not necessarily circular. Furthermore, the cylindrical shape is defined regardless of the length of the inner circumferential surface extending in the direction of the opening formed by the inner circumferential surface, in other words, regardless of the thickness of the through hole 72. The inner circumferential surface of each through hole 72 surrounds the annular wall 122 when viewed from diagonally upward toward the front. The four through holes 72 are positioned to correspond to one of the four ink chambers 111. That is, when viewed from diagonally above the front, each of the four through holes 72 overlaps with a corresponding one of the four ink chambers 111. The annular wall 122 and the communication port 119 are exposed to the outside of the tank cover 110 through each through hole 72. As shown in FIG. 6 , the tank pipe body 115 protrudes to the outside of the tank cover 110 through each through hole 72.

[0054] The through-hole 72 has a circular front side and a rectangular rear side. In other words, the through-hole 72 has a rectangular shape with one front side bulging in an arc. Specifically, the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72 includes an inner curved surface 72A bulging obliquely downward and forward, a left inner flat surface 72B connected to the left end of the inner curved surface 72A, a right inner flat surface 72C connected to the right end of the inner curved surface 72A, and a rear inner flat surface 72D connecting the rear end of the left inner flat surface 72B to the rear end of the right inner flat surface 72C. The inner curved surface 72A is located at the lower part of the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72. The rear inner flat surface 72D has a shape in which a central portion of the rear inner flat surface 72D in the left-right direction bulges obliquely upward and rearward. A slit 73 extends rearward from the rear inner flat surface 72D of the through-hole 72, forming a space connected to the through-hole 72. The slit 73 is located at the center in the left-right direction of the through-hole 72, and is continuous with the through-hole 72. The inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72 is an example of a hole portion.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4 , keyways 74 are selectively located on the left and right of the slit 73 in the through hole 72. The keyways 74 are continuous with the through hole 72 and extend rearward from the rear inner flat surface 72D of the through hole 72. The four through holes 72 differ in the presence, position, and shape of the keyways 74. Specifically, in the leftmost through hole 72 in FIG. 4 , one keyway 74 is located to the right of the slit 73, and another keyway 74 is located to the left of the slit 73. The left-right length between the right keyway 74 and the slit 73 is the same as the left-right length between the left keyway 74 and the slit 73.

[0056] 4, one key groove 74 is located to the right of the slit 73, and another key groove 74 is located to the left of the slit 73. The length in the left-right direction between the right key groove 74 and the slit 73 is longer than the length in the left-right direction between the left key groove 74 and the slit 73.

[0057] 4, one key groove 74 is located to the right of the slit 73, and no key groove 74 is located to the left of the slit 73. The length of the right key groove 74 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the key groove 74 in the second through hole 72 from the left.

[0058] 4, one key groove 74 is located to the right of the slit 73, and another key groove 74 is located to the left of the slit 73. The length in the left-right direction between the right key groove 74 and the slit 73 is shorter than the length in the left-right direction between the left key groove 74 and the slit 73.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6 , the tank cap 127 is detachably attached to the annular wall 122. The tank cap 127 is a cylindrical member with one end closed. A portion of the tank cap 127 fits into the slit 73 of the tank cover 110, and the outer shape of the tank cap 127 determines the attached position. When the tank cap 127 is removed from the annular wall 122, it is not connected to the ink tank 100 or the tank cover 110 and is completely separated from them. In other words, the ink tank set 51 does not have a holding member such as an arm that holds the tank cap 127, when removed from the annular wall 122, in a state where it is connected to the ink tank 100 or the tank cover 110.

[0060] [Ink Bottle 80] The ink bottle 80 shown in FIG. 7 is connected to the ink tank set 51. The ink bottle 80 and the ink tank set 51 are an example of a system. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 14, the ink bottle 80 has a bottle body 81, a bottle cap 82, rubber 83, a support member 84, and a valve 161. The bottle body 81 is cylindrical and open at the top. The upper part of the bottle body 81 has a mouth portion 87 that is smaller in diameter than the lower part. The bottle cap 82 is attached to the mouth portion 87 to form a container having an ink storage chamber 147 that stores ink in its internal space. The bottle body 81 and the bottle cap 82 are an example of a body.

[0061] The bottle cap 82 has a side wall 93, a bottom wall 92, a protrusion 94, an opening 95, a bottle tube 96, a key member 99, and an annular rib 91. The side wall 93 is a cylindrical wall extending in the vertical direction. The side wall 93 is threadedly coupled to the mouth 87. The bottom wall 92 is an annular wall extending radially inward from the upper end of the side wall 93.

[0062] The protrusion 94 is a cylindrical wall extending upward from the bottom wall 92. The protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72 of the tank cover 110. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has a shape that fits the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 72 of the tank cover 110. In other words, the shape and size of the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 are approximately the same as the shape and size of the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 72. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has a curved circular shape on the front side and a rectangular shape on the rear side with straight sides connected. In other words, the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has a shape in which one side on the front side of the rectangle bulges forward in an arc shape. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has a shape that fits the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 72.

[0063] Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has an outer curved surface 94A that bulges forward, a left outer flat surface 94B that connects to the left end of the outer curved surface 94A, a right outer flat surface 94C that connects to the right end of the outer curved surface 94A, and a rear outer flat surface 94D that connects the rear end of the left outer flat surface 94B to the rear end of the right outer flat surface 94C. "Forward" is an example of "outward." The outer curved surface 94A conforms to the inner curved surface 72A of the through hole 72 when the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through hole 72. The left outer flat surface 94B conforms to the right inner flat surface 72C of the through hole 72 when the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through hole 72. The right outer flat surface 94C conforms to the left inner flat surface 72B of the through hole 72 when the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through hole 72. The rear outer flat surface 94D is positioned between the outer curved surface 94A and the opening 95 and bottle tube body 96 (described later) in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 14 , the rear outer flat surface 94D has an upper flat surface 151, a middle inclined surface 152, and a lower arcuate surface 153. The upper flat surface 151 is positioned from the upper end of the protrusion 94 to approximately the center in the up-down direction. The middle inclined surface 152 is continuous with the lower end of the upper flat surface 151. The middle inclined surface 152 is inclined in the up-down direction so as to extend rearward as it extends downward. The lower arcuate surface 153 is positioned from the lower end of the middle inclined surface 152 to the upper surface of the bottom wall 92. The lower arcuate surface 153 is an arcuate surface that bulges rearward when viewed from above. The rear outer flat surface 94D fits into the rear inner flat surface 72D of the through-hole 72 when the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through-hole 72. The protrusion 94 is an example of an end portion of the main body in one direction. The outer curved surface 94A is an example of a curved surface. The rear outer flat surface 94D is an example of a flat surface.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 8 , the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C1 of the protrusion 94. Rotational symmetry refers to overlapping two or more times when an object is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1. For example, if the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is an equilateral triangle, when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, the protrusion 94 overlaps three times, so the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C1 of the protrusion 94. In this embodiment, when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, the protrusion 94 overlaps only once, so the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C1. Therefore, only one orientation in which the protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72 is determined. This determines only one orientation in which the protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72. The center C1 is a point where, when viewing the protrusion 94 from above, the midpoint of a line segment that defines the left-right length of the protrusion 94 coincides with the midpoint of a line segment that defines the front-rear length of the protrusion 94. In the present embodiment, the center C1 is a point where, when viewing the protrusion 94 from above, the midpoint of a line segment L1 that connects the left outer plane 94B and the right outer plane 94C coincides with the midpoint of a line segment L2 that connects the front end of the outer curved surface 94A and the rear outer plane 94D.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, the protrusion 94 has an upper wall 97 located at its upper end. The upper wall 97 is located slightly below the upper end of the protrusion 94. The upper wall 97 has an upper surface that is perpendicular to the up-down direction. The upper wall 97 is flat and extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. A recess 98 is defined by the upper surface of the upper wall 97 and the inner peripheral surface of the protrusion 94. The inner peripheral surface of the recess 98 is parallel to the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94. The upper wall 97 is an example of a wall.

[0066] An oval-shaped opening 97A that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction is located on the upper surface of the upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94. The opening 97A penetrates the upper wall 97 in the up-down direction. The opening 97A is defined by the upper wall 97. A portion of the rubber 83 is exposed to the outside through the opening 97A. The opening 97A is an example of an opening.

[0067] A protrusion 88 is provided that protrudes downward from the upper wall 97. The downward direction is an example of the other direction. The protrusion 88 extends in an oval shape along the opening 97A. The protrusion 88 is an example of a rib.

[0068] The key member 99 extends rearward from a rear outer flat surface 94D on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94. The position and shape of the key member 99 match the position and shape of the key groove 74 of the through-hole 72 to which the ink bottle 80 is to be connected. In other words, the position and shape of the key member 99 relative to the rear outer flat surface 94D differ for each of the four ink bottles 80 that store black, yellow, cyan, or magenta ink. Figure 7 shows the key member 99 of an ink bottle 80 that matches the leftmost through-hole 72 in the tank cover 110.

[0069] The annular rib 91 is located on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the bottom wall 92. The annular rib 91 is located outwardly from the protrusion 94 at a distance. The annular rib 91 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the bottom wall 92. The annular rib 91 extends in an annular shape along the outer periphery of the upper surface of the bottom wall 92. The annular rib 91 surrounds the outer periphery of the protrusion 94. As a result, an annular ink holding space 129 is formed, which is defined by the inner periphery of the annular rib 91, the outer periphery of the protrusion 94, and the upper surface of the bottom wall 92.

[0070] As shown in Figures 7 and 14, the rubber 83 is located in an opening 97A in the upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94. The rubber 83 is made of rubber. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the rubber 83 has a base portion 86, an opening 95, and a bottle tube body 96. The base portion 86 has an oval shape with both front-to-rear ends arc-shaped and both left-to-right ends extending linearly along the front-to-rear direction. A groove 86A is located on the upper surface of the base portion 86. The groove 86A extends in an oval shape along the periphery of the base portion 86 and is recessed downward from the upper surface.

[0071] Specifically, the groove 86A has a right straight groove 171, a left straight groove 172, and a rear curved groove 173. The right straight groove 171 is located at the right end of the periphery of the base portion 86. The right straight groove 171 extends in the front-rear direction. The left straight groove 172 is located at the left end of the periphery of the base portion 86. The left straight groove 172 also extends in the front-rear direction. The left straight groove 172 and the right straight groove 171 face each other in the left-right direction, sandwiching the opening 95 and the bottle tube body 96 therebetween. The rear curved groove 173 is located at the rear end of the periphery of the base portion 86. The rear curved groove 173 is connected to the rear ends of the right straight groove 171 and the left straight groove 172. A protrusion 88 is fitted into the groove 86A. The right straight groove 171 and the left straight groove 172 receive outward force in the left-right direction from the protrusion 88. As a result, the base portion 86 is held in a state where it is pulled outward in the left-right direction. The rubber 83 is an example of a sealing member. The base portion 86 is an example of a substrate. The protrusion 88 is an example of a rib. The groove 86A is an example of a groove. The right linear groove 171 is an example of a first linear groove. The left linear groove 172 is an example of a second linear groove.

[0072] The groove 86A has an upwardly projecting protrusion 86B on the inside thereof. The protrusion 86B has an oval shape with both front-to-rear ends arc-shaped and both left-to-right ends linearly extending in the front-to-rear direction. The protrusion 86B is received in the opening 97A of the bottle cap 82.

[0073] The opening 95 is circular and passes through the protrusion 86B in the vertical direction, connecting the internal space of the ink bottle 80 to the outside.

[0074] The bottle pipe 96 is located adjacent to and in front of the opening 95. The bottle pipe 96 extends upward from the protrusion 86B. The upward direction is an example of one direction. The bottle pipe 96 is a cylinder that opens upward and downward, and its internal space connects the internal space of the ink bottle 80 to the outside.

[0075] The outer shape of the bottle tube 96 is a polygon that matches the shape of the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100. That is, the outer shape of the bottle tube 96 is circular on the front side and rectangular on the rear side. In other words, the outer shape of the bottle tube 96 is a rectangle with one front side bulging out in an arc. The cross section of the internal space of the bottle tube 96 is circular. Because the rear portion of the outer shape of the bottle tube 96 is rectangular, the thickness of the bottle tube 96 at the corners of the rectangle is thicker than the front portion of the bottle tube 96. This makes it difficult for the bottle tube 96 to deform backward. The bottle tube 96 is an example of a first nozzle.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 8 , the opening 95 is located rearward of the center C1 of the protrusion 94. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical about the center C2 of the opening 95. The opening 96A of the bottle pipe 96 is located forward of the center C1 of the protrusion 94. The opening 96A is adjacent to the front of the opening 95. The bottle pipe 96 extends upward from the opening 96A. The distance between the openings 96A and 95 in the front-to-rear direction is less than half the inner diameter of the opening 96A. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical about the center C3 of the opening 96A. The opening 95 is an example of the other hole. The opening 96A is an example of one of the holes. The front-to-rear direction in which the openings 96A and 95 are aligned is an example of the direction in which the two holes are aligned.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 10 , lips 108 and 109 are located on the underside of the base portion 86. The lips 108 and 109 are elastically deformable protrusions that constitute a hermetic seal. The lip 108 extends downward in the up-down direction from the underside of the base portion 86. The lip 108 is annular, with a first length in the front-to-rear direction longer than a second length in the left-to-right direction. Specifically, the lip 108 has an oval shape with both ends in the front-to-rear direction being arc-shaped and both ends in the left-to-right direction being linearly extended in the front-to-rear direction. The openings 95 and 96A are located inside the lip 108. In other words, the lip 108 is located around the openings 95 and 96A. The lip 108 elastically deforms by contacting the valve 161 along its entire circumference, forming a liquid-tight seal with the valve 161. The lip 108 is an example of a sealing portion.

[0078] The lip 109 extends downward in the vertical direction from the lower surface of the protrusion 86B at the periphery of the opening 96A. The lip 109 is located inside the lip 108. The lip 109 is circular. The lower end of the lip 109 is located higher than the lower end of the lip 108. The lip 109 elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the valve 161, forming a liquid-tight seal with the valve 161.

[0079] 11, 12, and 14, the support member 84 is located inside the internal space of the bottle body 81 and the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82. The support member 84 has an upper portion 121, a flange 126, and a lower portion 123.

[0080] The upper portion 121 is an oval-shaped cylinder. The upper portion 121 is located inside the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82. The upper end surface 121A of the upper portion 121 abuts against the lower surface of the rubber 83 outside the lip 108. The upper end surface 121A is an example of one end of a support member. The shape of the upper end surface 121A is generally the same as the outer shape of the base portion 86 of the rubber 83. The shape of the upper end surface 121A is also generally the same as the oval shape of the lip 108. The rubber 83 is sandwiched vertically between the upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82 and the upper portion 121 of the support member 84. The lip 108 of the rubber 83 is located inside the upper portion 121 and abuts against the upper portion 121. In other words, the upper portion 121 abuts against the outer side of the lip 108.

[0081] The flange 126 is a circular plate that extends outward from the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the upper part 121. The flange 126 does not protrude into the internal space of the upper part 121. The outer diameter of the flange 126 is larger than the mouth part 87 of the bottle body 81 and smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall 93 of the bottle cap 82. The flange 126 abuts against the upper surface of the mouth part 87 of the bottle body 81 and is sandwiched vertically between the flange 126 and the bottom wall 92 of the bottle cap 82. This fixes the support member 84 in the ink storage chamber 147.

[0082] The lower portion 123 has a cylindrical shape and extends downward from the flange 126. The outer diameter of the lower portion 123 is smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall 93 of the bottle cap 82. The outer diameter of the lower portion 123 is smaller than the mouth portion 87 of the bottle body 81.

[0083] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the valve 161 is located in the internal space of the protrusion 94. The valve 161 has a flat portion 162, a protrusion 163, and a spring seat 164. The flat portion 162 is a flat plate with an oval outer shape. An upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162 is flat. The flat portion 162 can be located inside the upper portion 121 of the support member 84. With the flat portion 162 located inside the upper portion 121 of the support member 84, the valve 161 can be guided by the support member 84 and move in the vertical direction. The spring seat 164 is located on the lower surface of the flat portion 162.

[0084] A protrusion 163 is located on an upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162. The upper surface 162A is located around the protrusion 163. The protrusion 163 protrudes upward from the upper surface 162A and has an upwardly tapering shape such that the area of ​​its cross section in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions gradually decreases, and the protrusion 163 has an upper surface 163A, a side surface 163B, and a curved surface 163C.

[0085] The upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 is smaller than the upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162. The upper surface 163A has an oval shape similar to the outer shape of the lip 108 of the rubber 83. The outer shape of the upper surface 163A is smaller than the outer shape of the inner surface of the lip 108. The upper surface 163A can abut against the lip 109 of the rubber 83. The side surface 163B extends downward from the outer edge of the upper surface 163A. The curved surface 163C connects the lower end of the side surface 163B to the upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162. The curved surface 163C faces diagonally upward and is concave downward. The protrusion 163 can be located inside the lip 108 of the rubber 83. The curved surface 163C can abut against the lip 108 of the rubber 83. With the curved surface 163C in contact with the lip 108, the upper surface 163A can come into contact with the lip 109 of the rubber 83.

[0086] 14, inside the bottle body 81, a spring seat 125 is located below the support member 84. The spring seat 125 is fixed to, for example, the bottle body 81 or the support member 84. A coil spring 165 is located between the valve 161 and the spring seat 125. The coil spring 165 biases the valve 161 upward.

[0087] The valve 161 is movable vertically between a closed position and an open position. As shown in FIG. 14 , when the valve 161 is in the closed position, the upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 abuts against the lip 109. This prevents ink from entering the internal space of the bottle tube 96. The lip 108 also abuts against the curved surface 163C of the protrusion 163. This makes it difficult for ink to enter the inside of the lip 108 of the rubber 83. In addition, since the protrusion 163 is located inside the lip 108 in the closed position, the lip 108 is prevented from collapsing inward. Note that the upper portion 121 of the support member 84 is located outside the lip 108, preventing the lip 108 from collapsing outward.

[0088] 15, the open position is the position where the valve 161 has moved downward against the biasing force of the coil spring 165. When the valve 161 is in the open position, the protrusion 163 of the valve 161 is positioned below the lower end of the lip 108 of the rubber 83. Therefore, the upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 is separated from the lip 109, and the curved surface 163C of the protrusion 163 is separated from the lip 108. The space between the valve 161 and the rubber 83 forms a gas flow path and an ink flow path.

[0089] [Connecting the ink bottle 80 and the ink tank 100] The user first determines the orientation in which the protrusion 94 of the ink bottle 80 can be inserted into the through-hole 72 located at the leftmost position in the tank cover 110. At this time, the outer curved surface 94A and the rear outer flat surface 94D of the protrusion 94 are positioned to sandwich the opening 95 and the bottle tube body 96 in the front-to-rear direction, so the user can easily determine the orientation in which the protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72.

[0090] Next, the user inserts the protrusion 94 into the leftmost through-hole 72. At this time, the key member 99 is inserted into the key groove 74 of the through-hole 72. Note that if the user mistakenly attempts to insert the protrusion 94 into the second through-hole 72 from the left, for example, the key member 99 will not enter the key groove 74, preventing the ink bottle 80 from being connected in the wrong position.

[0091] At the same time that the key member 99 is inserted into the key groove 74, the bottle pipe 96 is inserted into the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100, and the tank pipe 115 is inserted into the opening 95 of the ink bottle 80. At this time, the valve 161 is pressed obliquely upward and forward by the tank pipe 115, and moves from the closed position to the open position against the biasing force of the coil spring 165. This connects the ink bottle 80 to the ink tank 100.

[0092] 16 , when the ink bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, the bottle pipe 96 is located below the tank pipe 115. The air flow path including the internal space of the tank pipe 115 is located above the ink flow path including the internal space of the bottle pipe 96. The outer curved surface 94A on the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 is supported by the inner curved surface 72A on the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72. In addition, the direction connecting the upper and lower gaps at the tip of the tank pipe 115 is parallel to the direction in which the right linear groove 171 and the left linear groove 172 extend.

[0093] When the ink bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, the ink stored in the ink bottle 80 flows into the ink chamber 111 through the internal space of the bottle pipe 96. Furthermore, as the ink flows, air enters the ink chamber 111 from the atmosphere communication port 112 and flows into the ink bottle 80 through the tank pipe 115. In this way, so-called gas-liquid substitution occurs, and the ink in the ink bottle 80 is supplied to the ink chamber 111.

[0094] Since the opening 95 is located adjacent to the rear of the bottle pipe 96, the tank pipe 115 of the ink tank 100 is less likely to come into contact with the center of the base when it is inserted into the opening 95. This prevents the rubber 83 from shifting in the direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber 147.

[0095] The lip 108 of the rubber 83 elastically deforms as it abuts against the valve 161 over the entire circumference, forming a liquid-tight seal with the valve 161. This prevents ink from the ink storage chamber 147 from leaking to the outside through the openings 95 and 96A.

[0096] The outer shape of the bottle pipe 96 is polygonal. This determines the orientation in which the bottle pipe 96 can be inserted into the communication port 119, and therefore determines the position in which the tank pipe 115 of the ink tank 100 can be inserted into the opening 95 of the ink bottle 80. This makes it easy to insert the tank pipe 115 into the opening 95.

[0097] The inner surface of the bottle tube 96 is circular. Therefore, compared to when the inner surface of the bottle tube 96 is square, ink in the ink storage chamber 147 is less likely to leak to the outside through the bottle tube 96. Compared to when the inner surface of the bottle tube 96 is square, the corners of the bottle tube 96 are thicker, and therefore the strength of the bottle tube 96 is high.

[0098] A protrusion 88 protruding downward from an upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94 is fitted into a groove 86A of the rubber 83. Therefore, even if the tank pipe body 115 comes into contact with the rubber 83, the rubber 83 is prevented from shifting in a direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber 147.

[0099] The right straight groove 171 and the left straight groove 172 into which the protrusion 88 is fitted receive an outward force in the left-right direction from the fitted protrusion 88, so the rubber 83 is pulled outward in the left-right direction. Therefore, when the tank tube 115 of the ink tank 100 is inserted into the opening 95 of the ink bottle 80, even if the inner surface of the opening 95 comes into contact with the outer surface of the tank tube 115, the rubber 83 is prevented from shifting in a direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber 147.

[0100] The upper end surface 121A of the support member 84 abuts against the lower surface of the rubber 83 outside the lip 108. Therefore, when the tank pipe body 115 is inserted into the opening 95, the rubber 83 is prevented from shifting in a direction from the outside toward the ink storage chamber 147.

[0101] The tip of the tank pipe 115 is bifurcated. This prevents the inner surface of the opening 95 from coming into contact with the tank pipe 115 when the tank pipe 115 is inserted into the opening 95. Furthermore, when the ink bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, the direction connecting the upper and lower gaps at the tip of the tank pipe 115 is parallel to the direction in which the right linear groove 171 and the left linear groove 172 extend. This means that when the tank pipe 115 is inserted into the opening 95, the lower gap at the tip of the tank pipe 115 passes through the center of the base portion 86 on the inner circumferential surface of the opening 95. This means that even if the inner circumferential surface of the opening 95 comes into contact with the outer surface of the tank pipe 115, a force acting in the direction of insertion of the tank pipe 115 is unlikely to act on the center portion of the base portion 86. This prevents the rubber 83 from shifting.

[0102] The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has an outer curved surface 94A and a rear outer flat surface 94D located at a position sandwiching the opening 95 and the bottle tube 96 in the front-to-rear direction between the outer curved surface 94A and the protrusion 94. This makes it easy for the user to determine the orientation in which the protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72. This allows the user to easily insert the bottle tube 96 of the ink bottle 80 into the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100, and also to easily insert the tank tube 115 of the ink tank 100 into the opening 95 of the ink bottle 80.

[0103] [Modifications] In the embodiment described above, the bottle cap 82 is attached to the mouth 87 of the bottle body 81 to form a container having an ink storage chamber 147 that stores ink in its internal space, but the bottle body 81 and the bottle cap 82 may be integrated.

[0104] In the embodiment described above, the lip 109 of the rubber 83 has an oval shape with both left and right ends extending linearly in the front-to-rear direction, but is not limited to an oval shape as long as it can abut liquid-tightly against the valve 161. For example, the lip 109 may be circular or elliptical. Furthermore, the lip 109 may be omitted as long as the valve 161 can close the openings 95 and 96A by abutting liquid-tightly against the rubber 83.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the outer shape of the bottle pipe 96 is a polygon, but is not limited to this. For example, the outer shape of the bottle pipe 96 may be a circle.

[0106] In the above-described embodiment, the inner surface of the bottle pipe 96 is circular, but is not limited to this. For example, the inner surface of the bottle pipe 96 may be polygonal.

[0107] In the embodiment described above, the groove 86A is located on the upper surface of the base portion 86, but the groove 86A may be omitted. In this case, the protrusion 88 that fits into the groove 86A may be omitted. The base portion 86 is sandwiched between the support member 84 and the upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94 from above and below.

[0108] In the embodiment described above, the base portion 86 is held in a state where it is pulled outward in the left-right direction by the right linear groove 171 and the left linear groove 172 receiving an outward force in the left-right direction from the protrusion 88, but this is not limiting as long as the base portion 86 is held in an outward pulled state. For example, the base portion 86 may be held in a state where it is pulled outward in the front-rear direction, or may be held in a state where it is pulled outward in both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the support member 84 is provided, but the support member 84 may be omitted.

[0110] In the embodiment described above, the tip of the tank pipe 115 has a bifurcated shape that branches off in the left and right directions, but the shape is not limited to this as long as it can press the valve 161. For example, the tip of the tank pipe 115 may have a shape that opens the internal space of the tank pipe 115 only upward, or may be cylindrical.

[0111] In the embodiment described above, the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has an outer curved surface 94A and a rear outer flat surface 94D located at a position sandwiching the opening 95 and the bottle tube body 96 in the front-rear direction between the outer curved surface 94A and the rear outer flat surface 94D, but any shape may be used as long as it allows the user to understand that the protrusion 94 is oriented in a way that allows it to be inserted into the through-hole 72. For example, the outer curved surface 94A may be a flat surface, and the rear outer flat surface 94D may be a curved surface that bulges backward, or the right outer flat surface 94C may be a curved surface that bulges rightward, or the left outer flat surface 94B may be a curved surface that bulges leftward.

[0112] In the embodiment described above, the bottle pipe 96 and the communication port 119 are connected by inserting the bottle pipe 96 into the communication port 119, but as long as the ink in the ink bottle 80 can flow into the ink chamber 111 through the bottle pipe 96 and the communication port 119, it does not have to be inserted into the communication port 119. For example, the tip of the bottle pipe 96 may be located near the communication port 119.

[0113] In the embodiment described above, the tank pipe 115 is connected to the opening 95 by being inserted into the opening 95, but the tank pipe 115 may not be inserted into the opening 95, and the tip of the tank pipe 115 may be located near the opening 95. In this case, the valve 161 is moved from the closed position to the open position by a user's operation.

[0114] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 72: Through-hole (hole portion) 80: Ink bottle 83: Rubber (sealing member) 84: Support member 86: Base portion (substrate) 86A: Groove 88: Protrusion (rib) 94: Protrusion (end portion) 94A: Outer curved surface (curved surface) 94D: Rear outer flat surface (flat surface) 95: Opening (other hole) 96: Bottle tube body (first nozzle) 96A: Opening (one hole) 97: Upper wall (wall) 97A: Opening 100: Ink tank 108: Lip (sealing portion) 115: Tank tube body (second nozzle) 147: Ink storage chamber 161: Valve 171: Right straight groove (first straight groove) 172: Left straight groove (second straight groove)

Claims

1. An ink bottle comprising: a cylindrical body having an ink storage chamber for storing ink and an opening connecting the ink storage chamber to the outside; a rubber sealing member located at the opening and having two holes connecting the ink storage chamber to the outside; and a valve for closing the two holes, the two holes being adjacent to each other, the sealing member communicating with one of the two holes, and having a first nozzle extending from the one hole in one direction from the ink storage chamber to the outside.

2. An ink bottle as described in claim 1, wherein the sealing member surrounds the two holes and has an annular sealing portion extending in the other direction opposite to the one direction, the sealing portion being oval-shaped and elongated in the direction in which the two holes are aligned, and abutting the valve in a liquid-tight manner around its entire circumference.

3. The ink bottle according to claim 2, wherein the outer shape of the first nozzle is polygonal.

4. The ink bottle according to claim 3, wherein the inner surface of the first nozzle is circular.

5. An ink bottle as described in claim 1, wherein the main body has a wall located at the end of the main body in the one direction and defining the opening, and a rib protruding from the wall in the other direction opposite to the one direction, the sealing member has a base plate in which the two holes are located and which abuts against the end of the rib in the other direction, the base plate being recessed from the outer surface of the base plate in the other direction and having a groove into which the rib is fitted.

6. An ink bottle as described in claim 5, wherein said substrate is oval-shaped and long in the direction in which said two holes are aligned, said groove extends in the direction in which said two holes are aligned and has a first straight groove and a second straight groove that face each other so as to sandwich said two holes, and said first straight groove and said second straight groove receive outward forces from said rib in opposing directions.

7. An ink bottle as described in claim 5, further comprising a cylindrical support member located on the other side of the substrate and fixed to the ink storage chamber, the end of the support member on the one side being in contact with the substrate.

8. A system comprising: an ink bottle according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and an ink tank for storing ink supplied from said ink bottle, said ink tank having: a second nozzle connectable to the other of said two holes of said ink bottle, extending from the outer surface of said ink tank and communicating the inside and outside of said ink tank; and an injection port to which said first nozzle can be connected and communicating the inside and outside of said ink tank.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the tip of the second nozzle is bifurcated.

10. The system described in claim 9, further comprising a cylindrical hole surrounding the injection port and the second nozzle, the end of the main body in one direction being insertable into the internal space of the hole, the outer circumferential surface at the end of the main body in one direction having a curved surface that bulges outward in the direction in which the two holes are aligned, and a flat surface located in a position that sandwiches the two holes between the curved surface, and having a shape that fits the inner circumferential surface of the hole.

Images