Liquid container

Abstract

Provided is a liquid container wherein a through hole can be sealed with a simple valve. A liquid bottle 80 has an opening 95 and an opening 96A that provide communication between the internal space and the outside. The opening 96A is opened and closed by a valve 161. Since the valve 161 opens and closes only the opening 96A, the valve structure is simple.

Description

liquid container

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container that can be attached to a tank.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid bottle 80 that can be connected to an ink tank 100 of a 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] For example, if a liquid bottle has multiple through-holes for passing liquid or gas through, the valves that seal the multiple through-holes tend to become complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid container in which the through-hole can be sealed with a simple valve.

[0006] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container for storing a recording liquid, the liquid container having a body with a first through hole and a second through hole communicating an interior space with the outside, and a valve for opening and closing the first through hole or the second through hole.

[0007] The valve opens and closes only one of the first through-hole and the second through-hole, so the valve structure is simple.

[0008] The first through hole may be a flow path for allowing liquid stored in the main body to flow out to the outside, the second through hole may be a flow path for allowing outside air to flow into the main body, and the valve may open and close the first through hole.

[0009] The first through-hole and the second through-hole allow gas-liquid exchange to occur in the internal space of the main body. The valve opens and closes the first through-hole to start and stop gas-liquid exchange. In addition, liquid is less likely to drip from the first through-hole.

[0010] The first through hole may be a flow path for allowing liquid stored in the main body to flow out to the outside, the second through hole may be a flow path for allowing outside air to flow into the main body, and the valve may open and close the second through hole.

[0011] The first through-hole and the second through-hole realize gas-liquid exchange in the internal space of the main body. The valve opens and closes the second through-hole to start and stop gas-liquid exchange. Furthermore, because the gas-liquid exchange stops when negative pressure is created inside the main body, liquid is less likely to drip from the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

[0012] The main body may have a nozzle protruding outward, and the first through hole may be an internal space of the nozzle.

[0013] It is easy to see where the liquid flows out. The nozzle creates flow resistance, so the liquid does not drip from the main body.

[0014] The valve may have a tape that closes the first through-hole or the second through-hole that does not open or close, and the tape may be peelable from the main body.

[0015] When the tape is covering the first through hole or the second through hole, the liquid is prevented from leaking out from the first through hole or the second through hole.

[0016] The main body may have a reservoir that stores the recording liquid and a cap that fits onto the reservoir, and the first through-hole and the second through-hole may be located in the cap.

[0017] The liquid container may further include a lid that fits onto the cap to cover the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

[0018] The lid can prevent the liquid that flows out from the first through-hole and the second through-hole from adhering to surrounding members and the like.

[0019] The cap may have rubber, and the first through hole and the second through hole may be formed in the rubber.

[0020] The valve opens and closes the first through hole or the second through hole formed in the rubber, so that liquid is less likely to leak from the first through hole or the second through hole when it is closed by the valve.

[0021] The outer shape of the cap does not have to be rotationally symmetrical about the center of the cap.

[0022] The orientation of the liquid container can be determined by the outer shape of the cap.

[0023] The system according to the present disclosure includes the liquid container, a tank to which the liquid container is connected, and an engaging portion that engages with the cap when the liquid container is connected. The valve opens and closes one of the first through-hole and the second through-hole that is located lower when the liquid container is connected.

[0024] The present disclosure relates to a liquid container for storing a recording liquid. The liquid container has a main body having a through hole that connects the interior space with the outside, and a valve that opens and closes the through hole. The main body has a storage section that stores the recording liquid, and a cap that fits over the storage section. The through hole is located eccentrically with respect to the center of the cap.

[0025] The valve opens and closes a single through-hole, simplifying the valve structure. When liquid is supplied from the liquid container to the tank, the tank needle inserted into the through-hole comes into contact with the valve, causing the valve to open the through-hole. The eccentricity of the through-hole stabilizes the position of the liquid container facing diagonally downward.

[0026] The system according to the present disclosure comprises the liquid container and a tank having a tank needle, the tank needle extending diagonally upward intersecting the vertical direction, and the tank needle being inserted into the through hole and abutting against the valve, causing the valve to open the through hole.

[0027] The liquid container may further include a lid that fits onto the cap to cover the through-hole.

[0028] The lid can prevent the liquid that has flowed out from the through-hole from adhering to surrounding members and the like.

[0029] The valve may be a rubber valve with a slit formed therein.

[0030] The outer shape of the cap does not have to be rotationally symmetrical about the center of the cap.

[0031] The orientation of the liquid bottle can be determined by the shape of the cap.

[0032] The system according to the present disclosure includes the liquid container, a tank to which the liquid container is connected, and an engaging portion that engages with the cap when the liquid container is connected. In the connected state, the main body is maintained in an oblique position in which the through hole is positioned above the center of the cap.

[0033] The main body may have a second through hole that connects the interior space with the outside.

[0034] According to the present disclosure, the through-hole can be sealed with a simple valve.

[0035] 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 with the nozzle cap 301 attached. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the outer shape of the protrusion 94. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rubber 83. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rubber 83. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the support member 84. FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the support member 84. FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the valve 161. FIG. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 with the nozzle cap 301 attached. FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the closed position. FIG. 17 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 with the valve 161 in the open position. FIG. 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 connected to the ink tank set 51. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 1. FIG. 20 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 2 with the valve 161 in the closed position. FIG. 21 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 2 with the valve 161 in the open position. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 3. FIG. 23 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 3 connected to the ink tank set 51. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the liquid bottle 80 according to another modification. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the valve 172. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid bottle 80 equipped with the valve 172. FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the rubber 83 having the lip 108. FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 3 equipped with a through-hole 180.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] [Overall Configuration of Multifunction Device 10] As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction device 10 has a generally 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 an image 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. The multifunction device 10 is an example of a system.

[0039] [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.

[0040] [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.

[0041] [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 .

[0042] [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.

[0043] [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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] [Ink Tank Set 51] As shown in FIG. 4, the ink tank set 51 includes an ink tank 100, a tank cover 110, and a tank cap 127 (see FIG. 6). 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 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.

[0050] 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. The ink tank 100 is an example of a tank.

[0051] 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. The ink tank 100 has four atmosphere communication ports 112, four outflow pipes 124, four tank pipes 115, four communication ports 119, and four cylindrical annular walls 122 that surround each tank pipe 115 and each communication port 119.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] A cylindrical annular wall 122 is located at the front end of the upper wall 104, covering the periphery of the tank pipe 115 and the communication port 119. 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, parallel to the tank pipe 115. The tank pipe 115 protrudes upward beyond the tip of the annular wall 122. The tank pipe 115 is an example of a tank needle.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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, the four through holes 72 overlap with the four ink chambers 111, respectively, when viewed from diagonally above the front. 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 17, the tank pipe body 115 protrudes to the outside of the tank cover 110 through the through holes 72. The inner circumferential surface of the through holes 72 is an example of an engaging portion.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] [Liquid Bottle 80] The liquid bottle 80 shown in Figures 7 and 8 is connected to the ink tank set 51 when the user refills the ink tank 100 with ink. The liquid bottle 80 is generally cylindrical. The liquid bottle 80 has a bottle body 81, a bottle cap 82, a valve 161 (see Figure 14), and a nozzle cap 301. Note that the orientation of the liquid bottle 80 is determined based on Figure 6. The liquid bottle 80 is an example of a liquid container. The bottle body 81 is an example of a storage section. The bottle cap 82 is an example of a cap. The bottle body 81 and the bottle cap 82 are examples of a main body. The nozzle cap 301 is an example of a lid. Ink is an example of a recording liquid.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 8 , 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 fitted to the mouth portion 87 via a threaded structure. The bottom wall 92 is an annular wall extending radially inward from the upper end of the side wall 93. Note that the liquid bottle 80 may be configured such that the bottle cap 82 is attached to the bottle body 81 by welding to the bottle body 81, or the bottle cap 82 and the bottle body 81 may be molded integrally.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 9 , 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, when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, the protrusion 94 overlaps three times, 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, when the protrusion 94 is rotated 360 degrees around the center C1, the protrusion 94 overlaps only once, 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.

[0072] As shown in Figure 8, 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 16 , the rubber 83 is positioned inside the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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 through-hole.

[0079] 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 wall 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 less likely for the bottle tube 96 to deform backward. The internal space of the bottle tube 96 is an example of a first through hole. An opening 96A at the lower end of the bottle pipe body 96 is an opening independent of the opening 95. In other words, the openings 95 and 96A are not continuous in space in the front-rear direction.

[0080] 9, the opening 95 is located rearward of the center C1 of the protrusion 94. The center C1 coincides with the center of the bottle cap 82. In other words, the opening 95 is eccentric with respect to the center of the bottle cap 82. The opening 96A of the bottle tube body 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.

[0081] 11 , the lip 109 extends downward along the vertical direction from the lower surface of the protrusion 86B at the periphery of the opening 96A. The lip 109 is circular. The lip 109 elastically deforms when it comes into contact with the valve 161, forming a liquid-tight seal with the valve 161.

[0082] 12, 13 and 16, 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.

[0083] 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. 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 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.

[0084] 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 upper surface of the mouth portion 87 and the bottom wall 92 of the bottle cap 82.

[0085] 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.

[0086] As shown in Figures 14 and 16, 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.

[0087] 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 tapered 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.

[0088] An upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 is smaller than an upper surface 162A of the flat portion 162. The upper surface 163A has a circular shape that is slightly larger than the outer shape of the lip 109 of the rubber 83. The upper surface 163A can come into contact with the lip 109 of the rubber 83.

[0089] 16 , 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.

[0090] The valve 161 is movable in the vertical direction between a closed position and an open position. As shown in FIG. 16 , 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 body 96. At this time, the valve 161 is not abutting against the opening 95, and the opening 95 is open. Note that in order to prevent ink from leaking from the opening 95, it is preferable that the inner diameter of the opening 95 be 6 millimeters or less.

[0091] 17, 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 upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 of the valve 161 is positioned below the lower end of the lip 109 of the rubber 83. Therefore, the upper surface 163A of the protrusion 163 is separated from the lip 109, and the opening 96A is open. The space between the valve 161 and the rubber 83 forms a gas flow path and an ink flow path.

[0092] 7, 8, and 15, when the liquid bottle 80 is not connected to the ink tank 100, a substantially cylindrical nozzle cap 301 can be attached and detached to the bottle cap 82. The nozzle cap 301 covers the portion of the bottle cap 82 above the side wall 93. Specifically, the nozzle cap 301 has an inner cylinder 301A and an outer cylinder 301B.

[0093] The inner cylinder 301A has a cylindrical shape that is closed at the top and open at the bottom, extending in the vertical direction. The top surface of the inner cylinder 301A has a circular planar shape that extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The top end of the inner cylinder 301A is located slightly above the top end of the bottle tube 96. The bottom end of the inner cylinder 301A is close to the top surface of the bottom wall 92. This allows the inner cylinder 301A to cover the protrusion 94 and the bottle tube 96. As a result, even if ink stored in the bottle body 81 leaks through the opening 95 and the bottle tube 96, the leaked ink is unlikely to be exposed to the outside.

[0094] The outer cylinder 301B covers the outside of the inner cylinder 301A. The outer cylinder 301B has a cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction and is open at both the upper and lower ends. The upper end of the outer cylinder 301B is aligned with the upper end of the inner cylinder 301A in the vertical direction. The lower end of the outer cylinder 301B is close to the upper surface of the bottom wall 92. The outer cylinder 301B is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 301A by an annular connecting wall at a position slightly above the upper surface of the bottom wall 92.

[0095] [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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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 diagonally 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, enabling the supply of ink from the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100. The outer circumferential surface of the protrusion 94 engages with the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 72, maintaining the connected attitude in which the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100.

[0098] 18 , when the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, the bottle pipe 96 is located below the tank pipe 115. The opening 96A is located below the opening 95. Therefore, the internal space of the bottle pipe 96 and the opening 95 do not completely coincide in the up-down direction. 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.

[0099] 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 within the ink chamber 111 flows into the liquid bottle 80 through the tank pipe 115. In other words, the opening 95 serves as a gas flow path, and the opening 96A serves as a liquid flow path. In this way, so-called gas-liquid substitution occurs, and the ink in the liquid bottle 80 is supplied to the ink chamber 111.

[0100] In the above-described embodiment, valve 161 opens and closes only opening 96A, and therefore the structure of valve 161 is simpler than a valve structure that opens and closes both openings 95 and 96A. Furthermore, because only opening 96A is opened and closed, the sealing area of ​​valve 161 is smaller, which also simplifies the structure of valve 161 and ensures stable sealing of opening 96A.

[0101] Furthermore, the internal space of the bottle pipe 96 serves as a flow path for ink to flow from the bottle body 81 to the outside, and the opening 95 serves as a flow path for external air to flow into the bottle body 81, thereby achieving gas-liquid replacement in the bottle body 81. Furthermore, the valve 161 opens and closes the opening 96A, thereby starting and stopping the gas-liquid replacement. Furthermore, by closing the opening 96A, the valve 161 makes it difficult for ink to drip from the bottle pipe 96.

[0102] Furthermore, the bottle pipe 96 makes it easy to see where the ink flows out from the bottle body 81. Furthermore, the bottle pipe 96 generates flow resistance, so ink is less likely to drip from the bottle body 81.

[0103] Furthermore, by attaching the nozzle cap 301 to the bottle cap 82, the ink that flows out from the opening 95 and the bottle pipe body 96 is prevented from adhering to surrounding members and the like.

[0104] Furthermore, since the opening 96A is formed in the rubber 83, ink is less likely to leak from the opening 96A that is closed by the valve 161.

[0105] Furthermore, since the outer shape of the bottle cap 82 is not rotationally symmetrical about the center of the bottle cap 82, the use orientation of the liquid bottle 80 can be determined from the outer shape of the bottle cap 82.

[0106] [Variation 1] In the embodiment described above, the opening 95 is left open and not closed by the valve 161, but as shown in Figure 19, tape 170 that closes the opening 95 may be attached to the upper wall 97 of the protrusion 94 of the bottle cap 82. The tape 170 is peeled off from the upper wall 97 by the user before the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100.

[0107] The tape 170 prevents ink from leaking out from the opening 95. Furthermore, by peeling the tape 170 from the top wall 97, the liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100, allowing gas-liquid substitution.

[0108] [Variation 2] In the embodiment described above, the valve 161 opens and closes the opening 96A. Alternatively, as shown in Figures 20 and 21, the valve 161 may open and close the opening 95. The liquid bottle 80 is connected to the ink tank 100 and gas-liquid substitution is achieved by the valve 161 opening and closing the opening 95. The gas-liquid substitution is also started and stopped by the valve 161 opening and closing the opening 95. Furthermore, because the internal space of the bottle body 81 becomes negative pressure and gas-liquid substitution stops, ink is less likely to leak from the openings 95 and 96A. Note that in order to prevent ink from leaking from the opening 96A, the inner diameter of the opening 96A is preferably 6 millimeters or less.

[0109] [Modification 3] In the embodiment described above, the liquid bottle 80 has the opening 95 and the bottle pipe 96. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 22, the liquid bottle 80 may have only the opening 95 without the bottle pipe 96. The opening 95 is an example of a through-hole. As in Modification 2, the opening 95 is opened and closed by a valve 161.

[0110] 9 and 22, the opening 95 is located eccentrically relative to the center C1 of the bottle cap 82. As shown in Fig. 23, when the liquid bottle 80 according to Modification 3 is connected to the ink tank 100, the tank pipe 115 is inserted into the opening 95 and comes into contact with the valve 161, which opens the opening 95. With the liquid bottle 80 and ink tank 100 connected, the liquid bottle 80 faces diagonally downward, with the opening 95 facing downward. Furthermore, the opening 95 is located above the center C1.

[0111] In the third modification, the valve 161 opens and closes only the opening 95, simplifying the structure of the valve 161. Furthermore, when the liquid bottle 80 and the ink tank 100 are connected and the liquid bottle 80 is facing diagonally downward, the center C1 is located below the opening 95, so the position of the liquid bottle 80 is stable.

[0112] [Other Modifications] In the above-described modification 3, ink can be made to flow from the liquid bottle 80 to the ink tank 100 by pumping, which compresses and deforms the bottle body 81. However, as shown in FIG. 28 , a through-hole 180 (second through-hole) through which external air flows in can be provided in the bottle body 81 or the bottle cap 82, and ink can be made to flow out by gas-liquid substitution.

[0113] Furthermore, in the above-described third modification, the tank pipe 115 is inserted into the opening 95 of the liquid bottle 80, but instead of the tank pipe 115 having an internal space that functions as a flow path, a rod-shaped member without an internal space may be provided in the ink tank 100 and inserted into the opening 95 of the liquid bottle 80. In this case, the ink that flows out from the opening 95 flows down the rod-shaped member and into the internal space through the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100.

[0114] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the bottle tube 96 is connected to the ink tank 100 by being inserted into the communication port 119, but as long as ink can flow into the communication port 119 through the bottle tube 96, the liquid bottle 80 may be connected to the ink tank 100 without the bottle tube 96 being inserted into the communication port 119. For example, the bottle tube 96 of the embodiment may have a cross section that is arc-shaped when cut approximately in half along its axis, or the opening at the tip of the bottle tube 96 may be positioned above the communication port 119 of the ink tank 100 in the connected state.

[0115] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the through-hole 72 into which the protrusion 94 of the liquid bottle 80 is inserted is provided in the tank cover 110, but instead the through-hole 72 may be provided in the ink tank 100. In this case, the tank cover 110 may be omitted. Also, the through-hole 72 may be omitted from the ink tank 100 or the tank cover 110. In this case, the liquid bottle 80 connected to the ink tank 100 may be supported by the user's hand.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the bottle body 81 may be bellows-shaped or a pouch-shaped instead of cylindrical. For example, in modified example 3, the bottle body 81 is likely to be compressed and deformed when ink is forced to flow out of the opening 95.

[0117] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the liquid bottle 80 has a valve 161, but the valve structure can be modified as appropriate. As shown in Figure 24, for example, the valve may be realized by rubber 83 having a slit 171 formed therein corresponding to the opening 95. The slit 171 is closed when no external force is applied. The slit 171 opens to form an opening when the tank pipe 115 is inserted.

[0118] 25 and 26 show a modified example in which, instead of valve 161, a valve 172 is provided to open and close both openings 95 and 96A of the liquid bottle 80. The valve 172 has a base 173, a protrusion 174, a spring seat 175, and a peripheral portion 176. The base 173 has an oval shape in a plan view. The upper surface 173A of the base 173 is flat. The base 173 can be positioned inside the upper portion 121 of the support member 84. With the base 173 positioned inside the upper portion 121 of the support member 84, the valve 172 can move up and down while being guided by the support member 84. The spring seat 175 is positioned on the underside of the base 173.

[0119] A protrusion 174 is located on an upper surface 173A of the base 173. The upper surface 173A is located around the protrusion 174. The protrusion 174 protrudes upward from the upper surface 173A and has an upwardly tapered shape such that the area of ​​its cross section in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions gradually decreases. The protrusion 174 has an upper surface 174A.

[0120] An upper surface 174A of the protrusion 174 is smaller than an upper surface 173A of the base 173. The upper surface 174A has an oval shape similar to that of the base 173. The upper surface 174A can abut against a lip 109 (see FIG. 27 ) of the rubber 83. As shown in FIG. 27 , a lip 108 extending downward is formed around the openings 95 and 96A of the rubber 83. The protrusion 174 enters inside the lip 108 of the rubber 83.

[0121] The peripheral portion 176 protrudes upward from the upper surface 173A of the base portion 173 around the protruding portion 174. The upper end of the peripheral portion 176 is located below the upper surface 174A of the convex portion 174.

[0122] The valve 172 is movable vertically between a closed position and an open position. As shown in FIG. 26 , when the valve 172 is in the closed position, the upper surface 174A of the protrusion 174 abuts against the lip 109. This prevents ink from entering the internal space of the bottle tube 96. The circumferential portion 176 also abuts against the lip 108 of the rubber 83. This prevents ink stored in the internal space of the bottle body 81 from flowing inside the lip 108. This prevents ink from flowing out through the opening 95. A double seal is also achieved for the opening 96A.

[0123] When valve 172 moves downward against the biasing force of coil spring 165 and is in the open position, upper surface 174A of protrusion 174 of valve 172 is positioned below the lower end of lip 109 of rubber 83. Also, peripheral portion 176 of valve 172 is positioned below the lower end of lip 108 of rubber 83. This opens openings 95 and 96A.

[0124] In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, ink has been described as an example of the recording liquid, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, instead of ink, examples of the recording liquid may include a pretreatment liquid that is ejected onto the paper prior to the ink during printing, or water that is sprayed near the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39 to prevent the nozzles 40 of the recording head 39 from drying out.

[0125] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 72...Through hole (engagement portion) 80...Liquid bottle (liquid container) 81...Bottle body (body, storage portion) 82...Bottle cap (body, cap) 83...Rubber 84...Support member 94...Protrusion (part of body) 95...Opening (first through hole, through hole) 96...Bottle tube body (nozzle) 96A...Opening (part of second through hole) 100...Ink tank (tank) 161...Valve 170...Tape 180...Through hole (second through hole) 301...Nozzle cap (lid)

Claims

1. A liquid container for storing a recording liquid, comprising: a body having a first through hole and a second through hole that connect the internal space with the outside; and a valve that opens and closes the first through hole or the second through hole.

2. A liquid container as described in claim 1, wherein the first through hole is a flow path for liquid stored in the main body to flow out, the second through hole is a flow path for external air to flow into the main body, and the valve opens and closes the first through hole.

3. A liquid container as described in claim 1, wherein the first through hole is a flow path for liquid stored in the main body to flow out, the second through hole is a flow path for external air to flow into the main body, and the valve opens and closes the second through hole.

4. A liquid container according to claim 2, wherein the main body has a nozzle that protrudes to the outside, and the first through hole is the internal space of the nozzle.

5. A liquid container according to claim 1, further comprising a tape that closes the first through-hole or the second through-hole where the valve does not open or close, the tape being removable from the main body.

6. A liquid container as described in claim 1, wherein the main body has a storage section for storing the recording liquid and a cap that fits onto the storage section, and the first through hole and the second through hole are located in the cap.

7. The liquid container according to claim 6, further comprising a lid that fits onto said cap to cover said first through-hole and said second through-hole.

8. A liquid container according to claim 6, wherein the cap has rubber, and the first through hole and the second through hole are formed in the rubber.

9. The liquid container according to claim 6, wherein the outer shape of the cap is not rotationally symmetrical about the center of the cap.

10. A system comprising: a liquid container as claimed in claim 9; a tank to which said liquid container is connected; and an engaging portion that engages with said cap when said liquid container is connected; and said valve opens and closes one of said first through-hole and said second through-hole that is located lower when said liquid container is connected.

11. A liquid container for storing a recording liquid, comprising: a main body having a through hole that connects the internal space with the outside; and a valve that opens and closes the through hole, wherein the main body has a storage section that stores the recording liquid; and a cap that fits onto the storage section, and the through hole is located in the cap at an eccentric position relative to the center of the cap.

12. A system comprising the liquid container according to claim 11 and a tank having a tank needle, wherein the tank needle extends obliquely upward intersecting the up-and-down direction, and the valve opens the through-hole when the tank needle is inserted into the through-hole and abuts against the valve.

13. The liquid container according to claim 11, further comprising a lid that fits onto the cap to cover the through-hole.

14. A liquid container as set forth in claim 11, wherein the valve is made of rubber with a slit formed therein.

15. A liquid container according to claim 11, wherein the outer shape of the cap is not rotationally symmetrical about the center of the cap.

16. A system comprising: a liquid container according to claim 15; a tank to which said liquid container is connected; and an engaging portion that engages with said cap when said liquid container is in a connected state; wherein when said liquid container is in a connected state, said main body is maintained in an oblique position in which said through hole is positioned above the center of said cap.

17. A liquid container according to claim 11, wherein the main body has a second through-hole that connects the interior space with the outside.

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