Liquid bottle

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to suppress deformation of a lip of a rubber with which a valve comes into contact.　A liquid bottle 80 comprises: a bottle cap 82 which has an opening 97A providing communication between an interior space of a bottle body 81 and the outside; a rubber 83 which is positioned in the opening 97A of the bottle cap 82, and which has a lip 108 that extends to the interior space of the bottle body 81 around the opening 97A; a valve 161 that comes into contact with the lip 108; and a coil spring 165 that urges the valve 161 toward the rubber 83. The valve 161 has a flat surface portion 162 which faces the lip 108, and a protruding portion 163 which protrudes from the flat surface portion 162 and which is positioned inside the lip 108.

Description

Liquid bottle

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fluid bottle connectable to a reservoir.

[0002] There is a liquid bottle 80 that can be connected to the ink tank 100 of the multifunction device 10. The liquid bottle 80 has a supply port 85. A valve 88, a coil spring 89, and a seal 90 are positioned in the internal space of the liquid bottle 80. The valve 88, biased by the coil spring 89, comes into contact with the seal 90, thereby sealing the supply port 85.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-32707

[0004] A lip may be located at the point where the valve contacts the seal. If the liquid bottle has a long and narrow supply port or multiple supply ports, a long and narrow lip will be located on the seal. When the lip is long and narrow, there are weak points in the lip, and the lip may buckle or deform when it comes into contact with the valve, which could reduce the surface pressure required for the seal.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to suppress deformation of the rubber lip that contacts the valve.

[0006] The liquid bottle according to the present disclosure includes a main body having an opening connecting an internal space with the outside, a rubber member positioned at the opening of the main body and having a first lip extending into the internal space around the opening, a valve abutting the first lip, and an elastic member biasing the valve toward the rubber. The first lip is annular in shape and has a first length in a first direction longer than a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The valve has a flat portion facing the first lip in the biasing direction of the elastic member, and a protrusion protruding from the flat portion and positioned inside the first lip.

[0007] The valve moves toward and away from the rubber. When the valve moves away from the rubber, liquid can flow from the internal space to the outside through the opening. When the flat surface or protrusion of the valve is in contact with the first lip of the rubber, the protrusion is located inside the first lip, preventing the first lip from collapsing inward and deforming, and sealing the opening of the main body liquid-tight. Furthermore, because the protrusion is located inside the first lip, the volume of the space inside the first lip where liquid can accumulate is reduced.

[0008] The first lip may have a linear portion extending along the first direction.

[0009] The protrusion may abut against the inside of the straight portion.

[0010] The protrusions come into contact with the inside of the straight sections, which are relatively susceptible to deformation, thereby preventing the straight sections from collapsing inward.

[0011] The liquid bottle may further include a support member located in the internal space of the main body and in contact with the rubber on the outside of the first lip.

[0012] The support member prevents the first lip from collapsing outward.

[0013] The support member may abut against an outer side of the straight portion.

[0014] The support members come into contact with the outside of the straight portions, which are relatively susceptible to deformation, thereby preventing the straight portions from collapsing outward.

[0015] The protrusion may have a curved surface connected to the flat portion, and the first lip may abut against the flat portion and the curved surface.

[0016] The protrusion may have a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases in the protruding direction.

[0017] When the protrusion enters the inside of the first lip, the protrusion is unlikely to come into contact with the lip.

[0018] The opening may be a first opening and a second opening that are independent of each other.

[0019] Liquid flows from the interior space to the exterior through one of the first opening and the second opening, and gas flows from the exterior to the interior space through the other opening.

[0020] The liquid bottle may further include a nozzle having an internal space, and the first opening may be an opening of the internal space of the nozzle.

[0021] Liquid flows from the interior space to the exterior through the nozzle, and gas flows from the exterior to the interior space through the second opening.

[0022] The first lip is positioned around the first opening and the second opening, and the rubber further has a second lip extending from the first opening of the nozzle to the internal space of the body, and the valve may abut against the second lip while abutting against the first lip.

[0023] The second lip comes into contact with the valve, thereby preventing the liquid accumulated in the internal space of the nozzle from flowing out of the nozzle.

[0024] The second lip may extend along the biasing direction of the elastic member.

[0025] The protrusion of the valve may abut against the second lip.

[0026] The contour of the portion of the body where the opening is located may include straight and curved lines and may not be rotationally symmetrical about the center of the opening.

[0027] The positions of the first opening and the second opening can be determined by the outer shape of the upper part of the main body.

[0028] The liquid bottle according to the present disclosure includes a main body having a first opening communicating an interior space with the outside, a rubber member having a first lip located at the first opening of the main body and extending into the interior space around the first opening, and a second lip located inside the first lip and extending into the interior space around the first opening, a valve abutting the first lip and the second lip, and an elastic member biasing the valve toward the rubber, wherein the first lip is annular in shape and has a first length in a first direction longer than a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The main body may have a second opening. The first lips may be located at the first and second openings of the main body and extend into the interior space around the first and second openings.

[0029] According to the present disclosure, deformation of the rubber first lip that contacts the valve is suppressed.

[0030] 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 the ink tank 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 liquid 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 liquid bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the closed position. FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the open position. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 connected to the ink tank set 51. Fig. 17(A) is a perspective view showing a tank pipe body 131, and Fig. 17(B) is a perspective view showing a modified example of the liquid bottle 80. Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the liquid bottle 80. Fig. 19 is a schematic view showing a protrusion 94 according to the modified example. Fig. 20 is a schematic view showing a protrusion 94 according to the modified example. Fig. 21 is a schematic view showing a protrusion 94 according to the modified example.

[0031] 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, the direction of a single arrow is expressed as the direction from the starting point to the end point, and the direction of a double arrow is expressed as the direction. In other words, a direction is one component of a direction. An upward direction and a downward direction are each one component of the vertical direction and are opposite to each other. A leftward direction and a rightward direction are each one component of the horizontal direction and are opposite to each other. A forward direction and a backward direction 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 direction and the left-to-right direction correspond to the horizontal direction.

[0032] 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 multifunction device 10 is an example of a liquid storage device. The state in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the "usage state." The posture in FIG. 1 may be referred to as the "usage posture." The front side of the multifunction device 10 where the opening 13 is provided is the front side.

[0033] [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.

[0034] [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.

[0035] [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.

[0036] [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 .

[0037] [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.

[0038] [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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] [Ink Tank Set 51] As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank set 51 includes ink tanks 100, a tank cover 110, and a tank cap 127. Note that the tank cap 127 is omitted from FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 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 in the casing 8. A cover 70 is provided on the casing 8 so as to be located in front of the opening in 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 that covers the opening in the casing 8 shown in FIG. 1 to an exposing position that exposes the opening in the casing 8 to the outside of the multifunction device 10. The tank cover 110 may be omitted.

[0045] As shown in Figures 5 and 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 one ink chamber 111.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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 in the front-to-rear direction so as to extend 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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 surface of 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 in which the tank pipe 115 extends.

[0051] 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 front side and a rectangular rear side. 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 inside of the ink chamber 111. The communication port 119 is located in front of 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 below 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 in 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.

[0055] 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 around the entire circumference; 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 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 of the ink tank 100 is exposed to the outside of the tank cover 110 through the through holes 72. As shown in Figure 16, the tank pipe body 115 protrudes to the outside of the tank cover 110 through the through holes 72.

[0056] The through-hole 72 has a circular shape at the front and a rectangular shape at the rear. In other words, the through-hole 72 has a rectangular shape with one front side bulging out in an arc shape. A slit 73 extends rearward from the through-hole 72, connecting the through-hole 72 to the space. The slit 73 is located in the center of the through-hole 72 in the left-right direction, connecting the through-hole 72 to the space.

[0057] As shown in Figure 4, keyways 74 are selectively located on the left and right of the slit 73 in the through holes 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 Figure 4, one keyway 74 is located to the right of the slit 73, and one 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.

[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 longer than the length in the left-right direction between the left key groove 74 and the slit 73.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] [Liquid Bottle 80] The liquid bottle 80 shown in Fig. 7 is connected to the ink tank set 51. As shown in Figs. 7 and 14, the liquid 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, with an upper opening 87 that is smaller in diameter than the lower opening. The bottle cap 82 is attached to the opening 87, forming a container that stores ink in its internal space. The bottle body 81 and bottle cap 82 are an example of a body.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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. That is, 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 rectangular shape with one front side bulging forward in an arc shape. The protrusion 94 is an example of a part of the main body.

[0065] 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. When the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through-hole 72, the outer curved surface 94A fits into 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 fits into 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 fits into the left inner flat surface 72B of the through-hole 72. The rear outer flat surface 94D is located between the outer curved surface 94A and the opening 95 and bottle tube body 96 (described later) in the front-rear direction. The posterior outer plane 94D fits to the posterior inner plane 72D of the through-hole 72 when the protrusion 94 is inserted into the through-hole 72.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 8 , the outer circumferential 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 circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 is an equilateral triangle, the protrusion 94 overlaps three times when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, and therefore the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C1 of the protrusion 94. In this embodiment, the protrusion 94 overlaps only once when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, and therefore the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C1. This determines the orientation in which the protrusion 94 can be inserted into the through-hole 72. When viewing the protrusion 94 from above, the center C1 is the point where the midpoint of the line segment L1 connecting the left outer plane 94B and the right outer plane 94C coincides with the midpoint of the line segment L2 connecting the front end of the outer curved surface 94A and the rear outer plane 94D.

[0067] 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.

[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 liquid 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 liquid bottles 80 that store black, yellow, cyan, or magenta ink. Figure 7 shows the key member 99 of a liquid bottle 80 that matches the leftmost through-hole 72 of the tank cover 110.

[0069] An opening 97A that is elongated in the front-rear direction is located on the upper surface of the upper wall 97 of the projection 94. A part of the rubber 83 is exposed to the outside through the opening 97A.

[0070] 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 and spaced apart from the protrusion 94. 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. This forms an annular ink holding space 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.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 14 , the rubber 83 is positioned inside the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the rubber 83 has a base portion 86, an opening 95, and a bottle tube 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 top 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 top surface. A protrusion 88 located on the underside of the upper wall 97 of the bottle cap 82 fits into the groove 86A. The bottle tube 96 is an example of a nozzle.

[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 extending linearly 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. The opening 95 connects the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 to the outside. The opening 95 is an example of a second opening.

[0074] The bottle tube 96 is located forward of the opening 95. The bottle tube 96 extends upward from the protrusion 86B. The bottle tube 96 is a cylinder that opens upward and downward, and its internal space connects the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 to the outside. 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 at the front and rectangular at the rear. In other words, the outer shape of the bottle tube 96 is a rectangle with one front side bulging 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 the bottle tube 96 less likely to deform backward. The opening 96A, which is the lower end of the internal space of the bottle pipe body 96, is an example of a first opening. The opening 96A is an opening independent of the opening 95. In other words, the openings 95 and 96A are not continuous as spaces in the front-rear direction.

[0075] 8, the opening 95 is located rearward of the center C1 of the protrusion 94. The opening 96A of the bottle pipe 96 is located forward of the center C1 of the protrusion 94. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C2 of the circle of the opening 95. The outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center C3 of the circle of the opening 96A.

[0076] 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 in shape, with a first length in the front-to-rear direction (an example of a first direction) longer than a second length in the left-to-right direction (an example of a second direction). Specifically, both ends of the lip 108 in the front-to-rear direction are arc-shaped, and both ends in the left-to-right direction are oval-shaped and extend linearly 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 when it abuts against the valve 161, forming a liquid-tight seal with the valve 161. The lip 108 is an example of a first lip.

[0077] 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. The lip 109 is an example of a second lip.

[0078] 11, 12 and 14, the support member 84 is located in the internal space of the bottle body 81 and inside 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.

[0079] 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 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 in the vertical direction 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 outside of the lip 108.

[0080] The flange 126 is a circular plate that extends outward from the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the upper portion 121. The flange 126 does not protrude into the internal space of the upper portion 121. The outer diameter of the flange 126 is larger than the mouth portion 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 portion 87 of the bottle body 81 and is sandwiched vertically between the mouth portion 87 and the bottom wall 92 of the bottle cap 82.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] As shown in Figure 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. The coil spring 165 is an example of an elastic member. The up and down direction is an example of a biasing direction.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] [Connecting the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100] The user first determines the orientation in which the protrusion 94 of the liquid bottle 80 can be inserted into the leftmost through-hole 72 of 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.

[0089] 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 liquid bottle 80 from being connected in an incorrect position.

[0090] 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 liquid 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 liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100.

[0091] 16 , when the liquid 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. An outer curved surface 94A on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 is supported by an inner curved surface 72A on the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 72.

[0092] When the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, the ink stored in the liquid 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 liquid bottle 80 through the tank pipe 115. In this way, so-called gas-liquid substitution occurs, and the ink in the liquid bottle 80 is supplied to the ink chamber 111.

[0093] When the curved surface 163C of the protrusion 163 of the valve 161 in the closed position abuts against the lip 108 of the rubber 83, the protrusion 163 abuts against the inside of the lip 109, preventing the lip 108 from collapsing inward and deforming, and liquid-tightly sealing the opening 95. Furthermore, because the protrusion 163 is located inside the lip 109, the volume of the space inside the lip 109 where ink can accumulate is reduced.

[0094] Furthermore, the protrusions 163 come into contact with the inside of the linear portions of the lip 108, which are relatively susceptible to deformation, thereby preventing the linear portions of the lip 108 from collapsing inward.

[0095] Furthermore, since the upper portions 121 of the support members 84 abut against the lip 108 on the outside of the lip 108, the lip 108 is prevented from collapsing outward. In particular, the abutment of the upper portions 121 of the support members 84 on the straight portions of the lip 108, which are relatively susceptible to deformation, prevents the straight portions of the lip 108 from collapsing outward.

[0096] Furthermore, since the protrusion 163 of the bulb 161 has a tapered shape, when the protrusion 163 enters the inside of the lip 108, the protrusion 163 is unlikely to come into contact with the lip.

[0097] Furthermore, the lip 109 of the rubber 83 comes into contact with the flat surface 162 of the valve 161 , thereby preventing ink accumulated in the internal space of the bottle pipe 96 from flowing out of the bottle pipe 96 .

[0098] Furthermore, the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82 includes straight lines and curves and is not rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center of the opening 52 and the center of the circle of the opening 96A, so the positions of the opening 52 and the opening 96A can be determined by the outer shape of the protrusion 94.

[0099] [Modifications] In the embodiment described above, two openings, opening 95 and opening 96A, are located in the rubber 83 of the liquid bottle 80. However, only one opening may be located in the rubber 83. For example, as shown in FIG. 17B, instead of opening 95 and bottle pipe 96, a single opening 130 may be located in the rubber 83. Opening 130 has an oval shape similar to, but slightly smaller than, opening 97A of the bottle cap 82. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17A, the ink tank 100 has a tank pipe 131 located inside the annular wall 122, instead of the tank pipe 115 and communication port 119. The outer shape of the tank pipe 131 is the same oval shape as opening 130. The tank pipe 131 has two flow paths 132 and 133. When the tank pipe 131 enters the opening 130 , the internal space of the liquid bottle 80 and the ink chamber 111 communicate with each other through the flow paths 132 and 133 .

[0100] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the bottle pipe 96 of the liquid bottle 80 is inserted into the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100, and the tank pipe 131 of the ink tank 100 is inserted into the opening 52 of the liquid bottle 80, but instead, two pipes may be located on the liquid bottle 80 and inserted into the two openings of the ink tank 100, respectively, or two pipes may be located on the ink tank 100 and inserted into the two openings of the liquid bottle 80, respectively. In this case, the bottle cap 82 may have two openings 97A instead of one.

[0101] Furthermore, although the lips 108 and 109 of the rubber 83 extend downward along the vertical direction from the lower surface of the base portion 86, the lip 108 or the lip 109 may instead extend obliquely downward so as to intersect with the vertical direction from the lower surface of the base portion 86. Furthermore, the lip 109 may be omitted.

[0102] Furthermore, the protrusion 163 of the valve 161 does not have to be tapered. Furthermore, the lip 108 of the rubber 83 may abut a location other than the curved surface 163C of the valve 161, for example, the upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162, or may abut both the curved surface 163C and the upper surface 162A.

[0103] Furthermore, the valve 161 does not necessarily have to have the protrusion 163. In this case, as shown in Fig. 18, the upper surface of the valve 161 is composed only of the upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162. The lower end of the lip 109 of the rubber 83 is at the same position as the lower end of the lip 108. Therefore, when the valve 161 is in the closed position, the upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162 abuts against the lower ends of the lips 108 and 109.

[0104] Furthermore, although the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 94 has a rectangular shape with one front side bulging forward in an arc-like shape, it need not be rotationally symmetrical about the center C3 of the circle of the opening 96A. For example, as shown in FIG. 19 , the outer curved surface 94A may be composed of three flat surfaces. As shown in FIG. 20 , the left outer flat surface 94B may be a curved surface bulging leftward, the right outer flat surface 94C may be a curved surface bulging rightward, and the rear outer flat surface 94D may be a curved surface bulging rearward. In this case, the left outer flat surface 94B is a curved surface whose rear end is located to the left of the front end. The right outer flat surface 94C is a curved surface whose rear end is located to the right of the front end. The shape may also be such that the lengths of the sides of the polygon are different. 21 , the outer curved surface 94A may be composed of two planes, and the lengths of the line segments of the two planes of the outer curved surface 94A, the left outer plane 94B, the right outer plane 94C, and the rear outer plane 94D, may be different. Similarly, the shape of the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72 of the ink tank set 51 may also be a shape that fits the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 of the liquid bottle 80 that is inserted into the through-hole 72.

[0105] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 80: Liquid bottle 81: Bottle body (body) 82: Bottle cap (body) 83: Rubber 84: Support member 94: Protrusion (part of body) 95: Opening (first opening) 96: Bottle tube (nozzle) 96A: Opening (second opening) 108: Lip (first lip) 109: Lip (second lip) 161: Valve 162: Flat portion 163: Protrusion 163C: Curved surface 165: Coil spring (elastic member)

Claims

1. A liquid bottle comprising: a body having an opening connecting an internal space with the outside; rubber located at the opening of the body and having a first lip extending around the opening into the internal space; a valve abutting the first lip; and an elastic member urging the valve towards the rubber, wherein the first lip is annular in shape and has a first length in a first direction longer than a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the valve has a flat portion facing the first lip in the urging direction of the elastic member, and a protrusion protruding from the flat portion and positioned inside the first lip.

2. The liquid bottle according to claim 1, wherein said first lip has a straight portion extending along said first direction.

3. A liquid bottle as set forth in claim 2, wherein said protrusion abuts against the inside of said straight portion.

4. The liquid bottle according to claim 3, further comprising a support member located in the internal space of said body and abutting said rubber on the outside of said first lip.

5. The liquid bottle according to claim 4, wherein said support member abuts against the outside of said straight portion.

6. A liquid bottle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protrusion has a curved surface connected to the flat portion, and the first lip abuts against the flat portion and the curved surface.

7. A liquid bottle as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said protrusion has a tapered shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases in the protruding direction.

8. The liquid bottle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opening comprises a first opening and a second opening which are independent of each other.

9. The liquid bottle according to claim 8, further comprising a nozzle having an internal space, said first opening being an opening of the internal space of said nozzle.

10. The liquid bottle according to claim 9, wherein the first lip is positioned around the first opening and the second opening, the rubber further has a second lip extending from the first opening of the nozzle to the internal space of the body, and the valve abuts against the second lip when in contact with the first lip.

11. The liquid bottle according to claim 10, wherein the second lip extends along the biasing direction of the elastic member.

12. The fluid bottle of claim 10, wherein said protrusion of said valve abuts said second lip.

13. The liquid bottle according to claim 5, wherein the outer shape of the portion of the body in which the opening is located includes straight lines and curves and is not rotationally symmetrical about the center of the opening.

14. A liquid bottle comprising: a body having a first opening communicating an internal space with the outside; rubber located at the first opening of the body and having a first lip extending into the internal space around the first opening, and a second lip inside the first lip and extending into the internal space around the first opening; a valve abutting the first lip and the second lip; and an elastic member urging the valve towards the rubber, wherein the first lip is annular in shape and has a first length in a first direction longer than a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

15. The liquid bottle of claim 14, wherein the body has a second opening, and the first lip is located at the first opening and the second opening of the body and extends into the interior space around the first opening and the second opening.

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